United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed support for Manila’s opposition to Beijing’s plan to designate the contested Scarborough Shoal as a “nature reserve”, characterising the move as part of a broader Chinese strategy of coercion in the South China Sea.
“The US stands with our Philippine ally in rejecting China’s destabilising plans to establish a ‘national nature reserve’ at Scarborough Reef,” Rubio wrote on the X social media platform on Friday.
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“This is yet another coercive attempt to advance China’s interests at the expense of its neighbours and regional stability,” Rubio said.
“… Claiming Scarborough Reef as a nature preserve is another example of Beijing using pressure tactics to push expansive maritime and territorial claims, disregarding the rights of neighbouring countries,” he added in a statement.
On Wednesday, China’s State Council revealed its intention to establish a nature reserve spanning 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) on the disputed islet, describing the initiative as an “important guarantee for maintaining … diversity, stability and sustainability”.
While Scarborough Shoal lies 240km (150 miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and is included in the country’s exclusive economic zone, it has been under Beijing’s control since 2012.
A Philippine fishing boat sails past a Chinese coastguard ship after it was blocked from sailing near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed waters of the South China Sea [File: Ted Aljibe/AFP]
China’s nature reserve plans drew a string of strong responses from the Philippines, where the Department of Foreign Affairs promised on Thursday to lodge a “formal diplomatic protest against this illegitimate and unlawful action”.
According to the Philippine Star news outlet, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said China’s planned “Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve” is “patently illegal”.
Ano cited violations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 2016 arbitral ruling in favour of Manila regarding China’s claims in the sea, and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
“This move by the People’s Republic of China is less about protecting the environment and more about justifying its control over a maritime feature that is part of the territory of the Philippines and its waters lie within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” Ano was quoted in the newspaper.
“It is a clear pretext towards eventual occupation,” he said.
Leading Filipino business newspaper BusinessWorld included excerpts from analysts who said Beijing is likely testing Manila’s resolve in asserting its claim over the region.
“China will likely want to see what the response will be from the Philippines,” said Julio S. Amador III, chief executive officer at Manila-based geopolitical risk firm Amador Research Services.
“If it sees that there is no effective pushback, then there is a strong possibility that it will try to do the same over other features,” Amador said.
Last month, the Philippines, Australia and Canada held joint naval drills east of Scarborough Shoal to simulate aerial attacks and how to counter such threats.
China, for its part, has insisted it will defend the area.
A backpack is forgotten on the train. It seems a simple enough problem to resolve, especially in Germany, oft famed for its orderliness and efficiency. But when you’re living as a refugee or in exile, the documents the bag contained are not mere pieces of paper to be reissued. They very well may be irreplaceable – a displaced person’s only means of existing within a coldly bureaucratic society. To lose them can be devastating, turning borders into walls.
In this comic, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei relates such an experience. Exiled from China since 2015, he is all too aware of the vital importance of documents like passports and visas for those forced from their native lands. According to Ai, “Wait is the most frequent word heard by those seeking an exit, and often the last.” One’s freedom of movement across borders is almost always determined by documentation, and the wait for the proper papers can feel endless. Sometimes it never ends, and for some it is a matter of life or death.
Referring to this bureaucracy, Ai wonders, “Why does bureaucracy exist?” Why should displaced people live and die by its whims and limitations?
For a time, Germany was known as a haven for such refugees, but that is changing. As the country grapples with internal problems, swinging toward the political right to the tune of anti-immigrant rhetoric, its attitude towards refugees and migrants has soured. And, while Ai Weiwei’s story of losing a backpack on one of the country’s trains may seem anecdotal at first glance, it shines a light on something more sinister about how our bureaucratic world treats those whose existence is threatened by the precariousness of whether or not they have the right paperwork.
The widow of prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has pledged to carry on her husband’s work, after authorities in the United States announced his alleged assassin had finally been captured.
Investigators had appeared to be making slow progress in the hunt for whoever killed Donald Trump’s close ally, until they released security camera images of a young man on Friday.
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“We got him,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox told a news conference, identifying the suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, who had reportedly been confronted by his father over the pictures and then turned in.
The 31-year-old Kirk was hit by a single bullet while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University in the town of Orem on Wednesday.
Kirk was a controversial figure on the US right, with a huge young following that helped Trump win the election last November. His hardline views on race, gender, gun ownership and other hot-button issues made him an intensely divisive figure, although even opponents praised his willingness to debate.
The murder has consumed the US for 48 hours, capturing almost all cable news coverage, while Trump has ordered flags to fly at half-mast. It has also raised questions about the escalating toll of political violence that has spanned the ideological spectrum.
“This is our moment: Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” Cox asked, making an impassioned plea for young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence. “It’s a choice.”
‘No idea what they have done’
In her first public remarks since the shooting, a heartbroken Erika Kirk on Friday mourned the loss of “the perfect father … the perfect husband”.
“The evil-doers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said in a live video address. “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
“The movement my husband built will not die. It won’t. I refuse to let that happen,” she said.
Erika Kirk speaks for the first time since her husband’s killing [Screenshot of Turning Point USA livestream]
She thanked Trump, saying through tears that her husband loved the president, and pledged to keep her husband’s work alive, continuing his campus tour, radio show and podcast.
Kirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force by rallying young Republican voters, and was a fixture on college campuses, where he invited sometimes-vehement debate on social issues.
He co-founded the nonprofit political organisation Turning Point USA, based in Arizona. He had been speaking at a campus debate on the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour” at the time of Wednesday’s shooting.
He was taking questions from an audience member about gun violence at Utah Valley University when he was killed.
Who is suspect Tyler Robinson?
Details about Robinson’s life were just beginning to emerge on Friday. Governor Cox said the suspect had lived for a long time with his family in Washington County in the southwest corner of Utah, near the Arizona and Nevada borders.
The suspect did not appear to have any criminal history, according to state records. He was a registered voter but was not affiliated with a political party, according to voter records.
At the time of the shooting, he was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College, part of Utah’s public university system. He had previously earned a four-year scholarship to Utah State University in Logan, but left after one semester.
Authorities, who have yet to reveal a motive, described evidence they said shed potential light on the slaying.
Ammunition found with the weapon was engraved with taunting, anti-fascist and meme culture messages, including one bullet casing that said, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” Cox said.
In addition, a roommate shared with authorities messages from the chatting app Discord that involved a contact named Tyler and discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets and a scope, the governor said. A Mauser .30-caliber, bolt-action rifle was found in a towel in a wooded area along the path investigators believe Robinson took after firing a single shot from a distant roof and then fleeing.
The clothes the suspect wore when confronted by law enforcement late on Thursday matched what he had on when he arrived on campus, and a family member confirmed he drove a grey Dodge Challenger like the one seen in surveillance video that recorded Robinson driving to the university the day of the shooting, Cox said.
Who: Manchester City vs Manchester United What: English Premier League Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom When: Sunday, September 14 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
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Manchester City and Manchester United have spent fortunes on some of the world’s best attacking players, and yet, Sunday’s derby will spotlight their goalkeepers.
City secured Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain, and United landed Belgium international Senne Lammens on transfer deadline day to solve problems in their lineups.
Even though United confirmed on Friday that Lammens would not be starting in goal, all the focus will be on those attempting to stop the goals rather than score them.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the latest Manchester derby, and this time, one with a twist.
What have Man City said about Donnarumma?
City manager Pep Guardiola says he is willing to adapt the team’s approach following the signing of Donnarumma and will not expect the Italian to offer the same ball-playing abilities as the departed Ederson Moraes.
Ederson, who ended his trophy-laden eight-year spell at City by joining Fenerbahce last week, revolutionised the goalkeeper position in English football with his distribution and technical skills.
That made him a perfect fit for Guardiola’s style of play, but the same cannot be said of Donnarumma, a brilliant shot-stopper whose strength isn’t passing the ball out from the back.
Donnarumma is in contention to make his debut for City against United following his move from Paris Saint-Germain, although Guardiola wouldn’t confirm whether the Italy international will start.
“Always, I try to adapt to the quality of the players,” Guardiola said Friday. “I will not demand Gigi do something that is uncomfortable.
“We are talking about the best player I have ever seen in the distribution, short or long, with Ederson. We didn’t take Gigi to do what Ederson has done. Gigi has another quality.”
Guardiola said he wasn’t trying to “undermine” Donnarumma by pointing out Ederson’s qualities and spoke glowingly about his new signing’s strengths.
“He’s so tall. He’s so huge,” Guardiola said with a smile, adding: “He’s a big presence on the big stages.
“What he has done in the Champions League last season at Villa Park, Anfield, many games, proves how good he is.”
Guardiola said he met Donnarumma for the first time on Wednesday but didn’t see him train on Thursday.
“We’ll see,” Guardiola said when asked if Donnarumma will come in for James Trafford, who has started City’s first three games in the Premier League – a win at Wolverhampton before back-to-back losses to Tottenham and Brighton.
Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates after the World Cup qualifier against Estonia on September 5 [Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters]
What have Man Utd said about Bayindir and Lammens?
Altay Bayindir will continue in goal for United in the derby match despite the signing of Belgium international Lammens.
The goalkeeper position has been problematic for United manager Ruben Amorim, who sent last year’s first-choice, Andre Onana, on loan to Turkish club Trabzonspor on Thursday.
Bayindir has made some high-profile errors, particularly from balls into the box, on the occasions he replaced Onana, but retains the faith of Amorim after Lammens – an unheralded 23-year-old from Belgium – was brought in from Royal Antwerp on September 1.
“Altay is going to continue,” Amorim said on Friday. “Because it’s a different league, it’s a different country, different trainings, different ball. So we will try to maintain that.
“They will fight for the position. For this game, it’s clear Altay will start.”
Lammens is largely unknown outside his native country, and Amorim said he is a goalkeeper with “great potential”.
“I know that we are in the moment that the goalkeeper has to be really strong and have a lot of experience,” he said, “but we are also in the moment that we have to look at the present and also with a focus on the future.”
Lammens, Amorim added, is a keeper who can “give us different things” and can be United’s first choice “for a lot of years.”
On the departure of Onana, Amorim added: “In this club, the pressure is sometimes so hard in every detail. Sometimes you need a change.”
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has taken over as first-choice at Old Trafford this season [Bernat Armangue/AP Photo]
What are Man City and Man Utd’s forms like ahead of the derby?
The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium already feels like a must-win for both teams.
City, whose four-year title reign ended last season, is playing catch-up after only three games (1-2). Back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton have highlighted concerns that Guardiola’s squad is not equipped to mount a challenge at the top.
United lost their opening day encounter with Arsenal and drew their second match, away at Fulham. The entirety of the Gunners’ trip to Old Trafford and the first half in London appeared to be vast improvements from Amorim’s side, playing his much-debated 3-4-3 formation.
The second half against Fulham was underwhelming, however, as was the 3-2 win against Burnley, which needed a 97th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes to seal the points.
Prior to that match, United were dumped out of the League Cup on penalties at fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
What happened the last time Man City played Man Utd?
The teams last met at Old Trafford in a Premier League clash on April 6. With United destined for a bottom-half finish and City’s title defence long over, the game resulted in a drab 0-0 draw.
What happened in the same fixture between City and Utd last season?
The match at the Etihad Stadium last season ended in a remarkable 2-1 win for United. The match was played on December 15, less than a month after Eric ten Hag was sacked, and appeared to be heading to another defeat for United with City leading through Josko Gvardiol’s first-half strike. Fernandes scored an 88th-minute penalty to level the match, before Amad Diallo netted a 90th-minute winner.
Head-to-head
This is the 196th Manchester derby, of which United have won 79 matches compared with City’s 61 victories.
City have not won in the last four matches against United, although the Community Shield meeting at the start of last season saw City lift the trophy after coming out on top on penalties.
The FA Cup final the season before was won by United and ended a three-game losing streak against City.
Manchester City team news
Striker Omar Marmoush will miss Sunday’s game against United after he hurt his knee on international duty with Egypt.
Marmoush went off injured early in his country’s World Cup qualifying game against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
“Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation,” Manchester City said Wednesday in a statement. “Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.”
The 26-year-old forward joins a lengthy injury list at City, with John Stones and Phil Foden among several players who missed international games.
City didn’t specify how soon Marmoush might return. City starts its Champions League campaign against Napoli on September 18.
Egypt’s game was a 0-0 draw, which meant Egypt has to wait to confirm its place at next year’s World Cup.
Manchester Utd team news
Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Mason Mount are all out of Sunday’s match.
Amorim said he “doesn’t know” how long the trio will be unavailable.
Given Cunha’s absence in attack, Benjamin Sesko is in line for his first Premier League start following his big-money move from RB Leipzig.
Undisputed super middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and American challenger Terence Crawford faced-off for one last time before their blockbuster bout at a raucous ceremonial weigh-in on Friday.
Both were 167.5 pounds (75.9kg), half a pound under the super middleweight limit, at the closed-door official weigh-in on Friday morning.
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They then both tipped the scales at the same weight before about 10,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena hours later.
It was a career-high weight for Crawford, a four-division champion who is jumping up from super welterweight in the hope of becoming the first man to win undisputed titles in three weight classes.
Mexico’s Alvarez, 35, and Crawford, 37, squared off for a staredown of several seconds before they were separated by Dana White, the mastermind of UFC, who has teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season to promote the fight that will be streamed globally by Netflix.
The event capped months of intense promotion for the fight by both boxers and White, a personal friend of United States President Donald Trump, who aims to hold a mixed martial arts event at the White House in 2026.
“I’ve prepared for everything,” Alvarez assured the partisan crowd, there to back him on the weekend before Mexican Independence Day.
Alvarez is the only fighter to hold all four major belts in the super middleweight division.
He has fought at 168 or above for almost seven years and has won six fights in a row since stepping up to light heavyweight in May 2022, losing a unanimous decision to Russian Dmitry Bivol.
Although it’s been nearly four years since he scored a knockout, he’ll go into the ring a favorite over Crawford – who had never fought above 147 pounds until last year when he weighed 153.5 in a unanimous decision victory over Israil Madrimov.
“I feel very good, I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Crawford said to boos from the stands.
Crawford, right, the current WBA super welterweight champion, jumped up about 6kg (13lb) to reach the weight limit for Saturday’s super middleweight bout against Alvarez [Candice Ward/Getty Images via AFP]
Crawford, 41-0 with 31 knockouts, has owned all four belts in the super lightweight and welterweight divisions.
“It’s going to be close,” Alberto Medina, who travelled with his family from Ensenada in Baja California, told the AFP news agency. “It will be decided by details because Crawford looks confident.”
But Mexican American Mateo Diaz, a boxing enthusiast from Boise, Idaho, believes Crawford can make history.
“I think Crawford will win because of his superior skills,” he said. “If in the early rounds it becomes clear he can withstand Canelo’s punches, he’ll make it to the end of the fight and win by decision.”
Knockout or decision, Crawford said Thursday his aim is a clear victory.
“My focus is to go out there and do what I do best and that’s win the fight decisively – and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing come Saturday.”
Alvarez will defend five titles in his super middleweight fight against Crawford: WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC belts as well as the Ring Magazine title [Sarah Stier/Getty Images via AFP]
