MANILA: The Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight maneuvers on Tuesday when it flew close to a government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” the coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippine coast guard said the government fisheries aircraft was conducting what it called a maritime domain awareness flight on Tuesday over the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky atoll and prime fishing patch located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The Chinese defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to the aircraft, which the Philippine coast guard said was a “clear violation and blatant disregard” for aviation regulations.
Named after a British ship that was grounded on the atoll nearly three centuries ago, the Scarborough Shoal is one of the most contested maritime feature in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, putting it at odds with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s expansive claim but Beijing does not recognize the decision.
Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers
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Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers
- People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to a Philippine government fisheries aircraft
Spain to ban social media for children under 16, prime minister tells WGS
- Pedro Sanchez: Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone
- Sanchez: A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that, and we will protect them from the digital Wild West
DUBAI: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday that his country will seek to ban children aged under 16 from using social media platforms.
Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Sanchez outlined a six-point plan he said would help restore the “promised land” it once was.
“Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” he said.
“A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that, and we will protect them from the digital Wild West.”
The announcement follows a similar ban by Australia last year. French lawmakers also passed a bill last week that would ban those aged under 15 from accessing social platforms. The UK has also announced it is considering new controls.
To enforce the ban, the Spanish government will reportedly seek to order platforms to put in place stringent age verification methods. It also plans to introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content.
Sanchez added that Spain had joined five other European countries that he labelled the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing” to coordinate and enforce cross-border regulation.
