News Stories

[AnimeFan188]

Chinese general says Okinawa not Japan's:

"A senior Chinese military officer has said the Ryukyu Islands -- which include
Okinawa and its US military bases -- "do not belong to Japan", as a territorial row
mounts between the Asian powers.

The comments by People's Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan were
published by the China News Service website Tuesday, after the country's leading
newspaper last week carried a call to review Tokyo's sovereignty over the chain.

Luo emphasised that the islands were historically in a vassal relationship with
imperial Chinese dynasties."

See:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ch...apans_999.html

[Ithekro]

That is even more silly than the other smaller island claims. While they aren't saying they claim the Ryukyu, the Chinese military is blowing smoke anyway.

Never mind that the United States gave those back to Japan after occupying them since 1945 (a very bloody invasion), and nevermind that the natives wanted to go to Japan dispite American effords to rally nationalism on Okinawa. There are US military bases there still. With the current trend to move US forces to the Pacific, there is no way they will let those bases go.

[Reckoner]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3284959.html

John Andrew Welden Accused Of Killing Girlfriend's Fetus By Trickery

TAMPA, Fla. -- The 28-year-old son of a Florida fertility doctor has been charged by federal authorities with tricking his girlfriend into taking a pill used to induce labor and cause an abortion, killing the fetus she was carrying.

John Andrew Welden was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on charges of product tampering and first-degree murder and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the murder charge. He's also the defendant in a lawsuit filed in state court by his ex-girlfriend, 26-year-old Remee Lee.

Charging for murder? This is a slippery slope to abortion rights. Are we going to put all women who had voluntary abortions in prison too?

The guy deserves to do jail time for sure, and get charged in a civil court for loss of pregnancy, but not murder...

[synaesthetic]

He's going to get a not-guilty verdict if they try to convict him of murder. They should have gone with something else like aggravated assault.

[ArchmageXin]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

Chinese general says Okinawa not Japan's:

"A senior Chinese military officer has said the Ryukyu Islands -- which include
Okinawa and its US military bases -- "do not belong to Japan", as a territorial row
mounts between the Asian powers.

The comments by People's Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan were
published by the China News Service website Tuesday, after the country's leading
newspaper last week carried a call to review Tokyo's sovereignty over the chain.

Luo emphasised that the islands were historically in a vassal relationship with
imperial Chinese dynasties."

See:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ch...apans_999.html

Funny.

Another sign of media bias by the west.

His full title is

中国军事科学院研究院、解放军少将罗援

Translation: Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences, the People's Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan

I use to live next to the Research institute from 1-10, it is just a place for retiree-semi-retirees, or various toothless people my U.S marine friends would call "Social Generals." They get nice housing (debatable, since is right next to a high physic particle accelerator) and the closeness to Ba Bao Shan (The place where they bury PLA "heroes of the nations)


This guy's Dad used to be one of the legendary PLA officers, that is how he got where he is. But I wouldn't take anything he said seriously.

I knew something was off when the article quoted a 2 Star General....

[Vexx]

Either media bias or just plain old "media stupid and doesn't do their homework because they have degrees in mass media that didn't teach them shit about the world, only how to spew a story that catches eyeballs"



Having worked for NASA, science museums, etc. and my dad worked for various environmental quality enforcement agencies -- over and over again my observations weren't positive in personal interactions with "the press" and their clues about the world around them ... or "news personalities" is the term now.

[Xellos-_^]

the thing about China is, don't pay any attention to the guy talking. It is the wizard behind the screen you need to be aware of.

[Ithekro]

After a civilian aircraft accident sometime in the 1980s, there was, I think a Los Angeles newcaster that was doing a piece showing IFR training hoods in conjuntion withthe accident. For those that that don't know, IFR is for Instrument Flight Rules. When training the pilot wears a hood so they don't look outside. They can only use their instruments to fly the plane. The instuctor can see fine and can watch out for other aircraft and the like.



The newcaster was demonstating how the hood was used and how difficult it is to see with them....by wearing it backwards and looking though the slits in the adjustment straps.

[willx]

Originally Posted by ArchmageXin

Funny.
-Snip-
I knew something was off when the article quoted a 2 Star General....

Originally Posted by Vexx

Either media bias or just plain old "media stupid and doesn't do their homework because they have degrees in mass media that didn't teach them shit about the world, only how to spew a story that catches eyeballs"



Having worked for NASA, science museums, etc. and my dad worked for various environmental quality enforcement agencies -- over and over again my observations weren't positive in personal interactions with "the press" and their clues about the world around them ... or "news personalities" is the term now.

Someone call in TinyRedLeaf! This is his forte as it were. He's quick to call out western media for misreporting and mistranslating stories and he needs to stick up for the press sometimes. As a person who hates sensationalized media and the new era of "fast fast fast" journalism .. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Associated Press.

[SeijiSensei]

The Weldon case presents some substantial legal issues in my mind.

I read the "Protection of Unborn Children Act," and his actions may be illegal under the clauses having to do with the absence of maternal consent. However, being as this is in Florida, I'm sure it will motivate those who want to create a right of "personhood" for any fertilized egg at "at any stage of development," a clause appearing in this law.

I wondered at the time how the prosecutor in Cleveland could have brought murder charges against Ariel Castro, the man accused of kidnapping those three young girls and keeping them captive for a decade. The murder charges in this case concern Castro's alleged repeated punching of one of the women until she miscarried. Given that the legal status of the fetus remains controversial, the DA's decision in Cleveland seemed a bit of a stretch. However this law seems to offer a Federal rationale for the charges; perhaps Ohio itself has an equivalent state law.

[ganbaru]

New York says breaks cigarette-smuggling ring linked to militants
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...94F1C320130516

Arson not ruled out in fire that caused West, Texas, blast
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...94F19K20130517

[aohige]

I dunno about you, but ""Protection of Unborn Children Act," sounds like a ban on masturbation.

[kuroishinigami]

Originally Posted by aohige

I dunno about you, but ""Protection of Unborn Children Act," sounds like a ban on masturbation.

^ I laugh more than I should when reading this

[Skane]

Originally Posted by aohige

I dunno about you, but ""Protection of Unborn Children Act," sounds like a ban on masturbation.

I am now obliged to link this.

Spoiler for Tidiness:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/A-b2YNErwxw

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by aohige

I dunno about you, but ""Protection of Unborn Children Act," sounds like a ban on masturbation.

Your average teenager would become a mass murderer...

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by Hasumi

Yes it was the Coast Guard, which makes the whole Navy thing sound fishy.

Funny you mention that, on article actually did mention some sort of recording, but it was only vaguely mentioned in passing and I didn't see any mention of it anywhere else.

The whole ramming this is weird but not impossible, it was four-to-one in favour of the fishermen.

Hah, now PHL is claiming that the fishermen were the bad guys, oh and they have video recording of the event, but will not release it oh, and no to joint investigation as well.

Fair and transparent indeed.

[HasuMasu]

I sort of expected they'd make something out of this on Philippine TV once election was more-or-less done.

Now from what I saw last night the focus is more on the freezing of Taiwan VISA.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

Chinese general says Okinawa not Japan's:

"A senior Chinese military officer has said the Ryukyu Islands -- which include
Okinawa and its US military bases -- "do not belong to Japan", as a territorial row
mounts between the Asian powers.

The comments by People's Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan were
published by the China News Service website Tuesday, after the country's leading
newspaper last week carried a call to review Tokyo's sovereignty over the chain.

Luo emphasised that the islands were historically in a vassal relationship with
imperial Chinese dynasties."

See:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ch...apans_999.html

Hayst, another retard....

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by willx

Someone call in TinyRedLeaf! This is his forte as it were. He's quick to call out western media for misreporting and mistranslating stories and he needs to stick up for the press sometimes. As a person who hates sensationalized media and the new era of "fast fast fast" journalism .. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Associated Press.

The story was filed by AFP, not AP.

As for the story, I don't feel there's been a mistranslation. However, it has been angled to put focus on the sovereignty of Okinawa. Whether or not that qualifies as misreporting depends on the reader or viewer. In other words, it's subjective.

The original interview can be found here. Unfortunately it's in Mandarin.

Basically, the presenter asked him about his views on the earlier report in which two scholars questioned Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa.

My rough translation for 1:00 to 2:42.

Gen Luo said the question is not just important, but also very necessary.

That's because China and Japan are currently locked in a legal tussle over the Diaoyu Islands. He said it's important to examine each party's legal position.

Since Japan insists it owns the islands, what is its legal basis for making the claim?

He said Japan refers to the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, in which it handed the Ryuku Islands over to United Nations administration. Gen Luo said this happened even though Japanese sovereignty over the Ryukus was not clear. The sole mandate over the Ryuku Islands was given to the United States.

The problem, Gen Luo contends, is that the borders of the Ryukus were expanded at this time to include the Diaoyu Islands.

In other words, in Gen Luo's view, if Japan can't clarify its sovereignty over Okinawa, it has effectively no legal claim on the Diaoyu Islands.

Major-general Luo Yuan is apparently acts as a defence consultant of sorts for Chinese media. He's known to be very outspoken on social media as well. Make of that what you will.

As for whether China is seriously pursuing this avenue of legal attack, I am reminded of what an American defence analyst told a seminar I attended about two to three years ago. He speculated that China is only all too happy to have the US distracted by its military entanglements in Afghanistan and its worries over Iran, as this can only mean that the US has little time to spare for Asia-Pacific issues.

By the same token, it's not inconceivable that China is trying to frustrate the Japanese with various distractions, even as it prepares a more substantial legal case against Japan over the ownership of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.

Chinese diplomacy, it would appear, is more sophisticated than some people may think. The way China practically scuppered Asean talks over the South China Sea disputes is an indication of this. To date, China insists on dealing with rival claimants only on a bilateral basis. It refuses to participate in joint talks.

The only way I can interpret the development is that China is well aware of how much leverage it has in one-on-one discussions, and would naturally refuse to give up such an advantage.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Then everyone points at them for Tibet and potentially Taiwan whether there is any actual link or not....You sure they want to do this?