CHINA’S VESSELS ACCUSED OF SABOTAGING VIETNAMESE BOAT
HANOI: Vietnam’s state-run energy giant PetroVietnam accused Chinese fishing vessels of sabotaging one of its boats, state media said Tuesday, the latest clash in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Geological survey vessel, the Binh Minh 2, was operating in Vietnamese territorial waters Friday when it was approached by a number of Chinese fishing vessels, Vietnam News reported.The boats “ran up behind the Binh Minh 2, cutting the Vietnamese ship’s seismic cables . . . Many Chinese vessels were operating in the area”, company official Pham Viet Dung was quoted as saying in the report.             

CHINESE SHIP ENTERS DISPUTED WATERS
TOKYO: A Chinese government ship briefly sailed into the territorial waters of disputed islands controlled by Tokyo in the East China Sea on Tuesday, Japan’s coastguard said.The maritime surveillance vessel entered the 12-nautical-mile zone around Minamikojima, one of the islands in the chain called the Senkakus by Japan and the Diaoyus by China, shortly after noon (11 a.m.) for about 10 minutes. Chinese vessels have been spotted in and around the territorial waters almost every day for the last two months.     

JAPAN’S POLL CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF
IWAKI, Japan: Japan’s election campaign kicked off Tuesday with leaders of the two biggest parties in Fukushima, setting the tone for a poll likely to be dominated by the future of nuclear power after last year’s atomic disaster. About 1,500 candidates, fielded by 12 parties or standing as independents, are expected to vie for the 480 seats in the lower house of parliament in the December 16 election. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, head of the Democratic Party of Japan, pitched for voter support in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, just south of the crippled nuclear power plant. AFP