The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Beijing - China has denounced Japan's detention of Chinese activists who landed on a disputed island. Beijing says the arrests violated its sovereignty and it is demanding their immediate release. On Wednesday, seven men evaded Japanese coast guard vessels to land on one of several rocky islands in the East China Sea. That prompted Japan to send 18 police by helicopter to remove them. Japan took control of the islands when it defeated China in an 1895 war. The United States held jurisdiction over them after the Second World War until 1972, when they were handed back to Japan. China, Japan and Taiwan all claim sovereignty over the islands, which provide access to rich fishing grounds and possible oil deposits. Cairo - A taped message from al-Qaeda has called on Pakistanis to overthrow President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, labelling him a traitor to his country. Pakistani troops continue a major military operation near the Afghan border. Tripoli, Libya - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has opened up the possibility of establishing some kind of military link with Libya. The extraordinary offer came during Blair's visit to the North African country. Blair shook hands with Moammar Gadhafi in the first cordial gesture by a western nation since Libya was linked to a 1988 jet explosion over Scotland that killed 270 people.
