Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Friday 11 august 2017

US warship sails close to China-held island in disputed sea

By JIM GOMEZ claimed by the Philippines,
Associated Press the official said.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Pacific Fleet spokes-
A U.S. warship sailed close woman Lt. Cmdr. Nicole
to a Chinese man-made is- Schwegman said all Navy
land in the disputed South operations “are conduct-
China Sea in an operation ed in accordance with in-
that challenged China’s ternational law and dem-
vast territorial claims in busy onstrate that the United
international waters, a U.S. States will fly, sail, and oper-
Navy official said Thursday. ate wherever international
The official told The Asso- law allows.”
ciated Press that Chinese “That is true in the South
vessels were in the vicinity China Sea as in other plac-
when the USS John S. Mc- es around the globe,” she
Cain sailed in a “routine” said.
freedom of navigation op- The disputes and North Ko-
eration near Mischief Reef In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) destroyer sails off rea’s recent intercontinen-
Thursday. It was not imme- the coast of Vietnam. A Navy official says the USS John S. McCain has sailed close to a Chinese tal ballistic missile tests were
diately clear if the Chinese man-made island in a freedom of navigation operation in the disputed South China Sea. high on the agenda of an
demanded the U.S. de- (AP Photo/Na Son Nguyen) annual gathering of Asia-
stroyer leave as they have ritorial rifts with Beijing. The U.S. is not involved in the through the waterway. Pacific foreign ministers last
done in the past. Tensions escalated a few long-seething disputes in In the latest sail-by, U.S. mili- weekend in Manila.
The official spoke on condi- years ago when China be- the busy and potentially oil- tary officials notified Philip- Although China opposes
tion of anonymity because gan to build seven reefs, and gas-rich waters involv- pine counterparts of the inclusion of the sea disputes
the official was not autho- including Mischief, into is- ing China, Brunei, Malay- maneuver, a Philippine of- in international conferenc-
rized to speak to the press lands, including three with sia, the Philippines, Taiwan ficial told the AP, adding es, partly to prevent the U.S.
about the matter. runways, which the U.S. and Vietnam. Washington, Filipino forces were not in- and other Western govern-
China, which claims the and China’s neighbors fear however, has declared it volved. ments from intervening,
South China Sea virtually could be used to project in its interest to ensure that Philippine marines sta- U.S. Secretary of State Rex
in entirety, has protested Beijing’s military might and the conflicts are resolved tioned in a marooned ship Tillerson, Australian Foreign
such repeated U.S. military potentially obstruct free- peacefully and that free- on a disputed shoal may Minister Julie Bishop and
operations, which President dom of navigation. China dom of navigation and have monitored the U.S. Japan’s new top diplomat,
Donald Trump’s administra- has reportedly installed a overflight remain unham- Navy operation because Taro Kono, expressed con-
tion has continued partly to missile defense system on pered. An estimated $5 tril- they are based near Mis- cern over aggressive ac-
reassure allies locked in ter- the new islands. lion in annual trade passes chief Reef, which is also tions in the waters.q

Canadian pastor freed from North Korea on his way home

By ROB GILLIES 2015 for alleged anti-state medical attention. Park South Korea, the U.S. and was released from North
Associated Press activities. said the family is relieved, others often accuse North Korea in a coma. Warm-
TORONTO (AP) — The fam- The Korean Central News grateful and anxious to see Korea of using foreign de- bier had been sentenced
ily of a Canadian pastor re- Agency on Wednesday him. tainees to wrest diplomatic to 15 years of hard labor in
leased from a North Korean reported the pastor had Lim, a 62-year-old South concessions, and foreign- March 2016 after being ac-
prison said Thursday he is been released on what it Korean-born Canadian ers have said after their cused of stealing a propa-
now on his way home. called “sick bail,” but no citizen, was convicted release that their declara- ganda poster.
Canadian Prime Minister other details were given. and sentenced in 2015 on tions of guilt had been co- Lim pastored the Light Ko-
Justin Trudeau also con- Family spokeswoman Lisa charges of trying to use re- erced while in North Korean rean Presbyterian Church
firmed that Hyeon Soo Lim Pak said in a statement ligion to destroy the North custody. in Toronto. His support-
has been released and will “there is a long way to go” Korean system and help- Lim’s release came nearly ers have said he was on
soon be reunited with his in terms of Lim’s healing ing U.S. and South Korean two months after U.S. col- a humanitarian mission to
family. He had been serv- and said he needs privacy authorities lure and abduct lege student Otto Warm- North Korea when he was
ing a life sentence since while receiving unspecified North Korean citizens. bier died shortly after he detained.q