Spain and Morocco are set to hold high-level reconciliation talks on patching up relations after being persuaded by the US to step back from a dispute over the uninhabited islet of Perejil.
Newly appointed Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio is due to meet her Moroccan counterpart Mohamed Benaissa today in a symbolic encounter in the Moroccan capital Rabat during which both sides will try to draw a line under a period of bitter mistrust and begin to address common areas of concern.
Spain completed on Saturday night the withdrawal of its troops from Perejil, the island just 6km from Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, shortly after a US-brokered deal between Spain and Morocco.
Morocco claims sovereignty over the tiny rock islet it calls Leila -- and 10 days ago sent troops there, only to be ousted without a shot being fired by Spanish troops.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who pushed for a swift end to the row between the two US allies in an intense series of telephone negotiations, said the deal could be the starting point for better relations between the Mediterranean neighbors.
Although their proximity and trade ties mean they are key partners, the dispute is the latest in a long series between Spain and Morocco who have squabbled over immigration, fishing rights, oil exploration and the future of Western Sahara.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Yilan at 11:05pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter was located at sea, about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km, CWA data showed There were no immediate reports of damage. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Yilan County area on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. It measured 4 in other parts of eastern, northern and central Taiwan as well as Tainan, and 3 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and 2 in Lienchiang and Penghu counties and 1
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
‘POLITICAL GAME’: DPP lawmakers said the motion would not meet the legislative threshold needed, and accused the KMT and the TPP of trivializing the Constitution The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority. Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself. The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that
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