News & Reports 2011-01-09

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In This Edition

A senior member of the Russian parliament says his country will likely ratify 1 the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the United States by the end of the month.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon urges parties concerned to do everything necessary to ensure a free and fair referendum in South Sudan.

A former British Member of Parliament becomes the first law maker 2 to be jailed following the country's parliamentary expense scandal.

China beats Kuwait 2-0, wining a perfect start to the Asian Cup campaign in Doha.

Hot Issue Reports

Russia ready to ratify US arms treaty

A key member of the Russian parliament has said that the country will likely ratify an arms treaty with the United States by the end of the month.

According to Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the State Duma's foreign affairs committee, Russia's lower house of parliament has given preliminary approval to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty before the New Year's holidays.

But it decided 3 to delay a final vote to give the Russian side time to study the resolution passed by the US Senate.

"The new START treaty is a very complicated body, and I believe this is one of the greatest achievements yet, to the reset 5 era, by way of relations between Russia and the United States, and the best outcome could have been to ratify this treaty without any further amendments 7.. But unfortunately our colleagues in the Senate have decided to amend 6 the ratification 8 document. This is not acceptable and our work, starting from now, is to amend the Russian ratification document, just balance the work which has been done by the Senate."

The New START treaty would limit each country to 1,550 strategic warheads, down from the current ceiling of 2,200.

It also would re-establish a system for monitoring and verification that ended in late 2009 with the expiration 9 of the previous arms control agreement.

The treaty is a centrepiece of President Barack Obama's efforts to "reset" ties with Russia under President Dmitry Medvedev.

The final reading of the ratification bill in Russia would likely wait until the Federation 10 Council, the upper house, returns on January 26th.

Rally ahead of Sunday referendum in Southern Sudan

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has urged all parties concerned "to do everything necessary to ensure a free and fair referendum in South Sudan on Sunday.

He has also commended the government of the National Unity 11 of Sudan and the government of southern Sudan for their efforts in ensuring that the referendum is held as scheduled in an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.

Meanwhile, there is intense optimism among the people of southern Sudan, who endured more than four decades of war that ended with a 2005 peace deal guaranting the right for a referendum.

Ahead of the seven-day referendum, hundreds of enthusiastic southerners rallied in the streets of Juba, the young boomtown in southern Sudan that could soon become the world's most recently established capital city.

If the referendum passes, the oil-rich, but under-developed South, will break away from the North, which is ruled by the National Congress Party, an Islamic party led by President Omar al-Bashir.

The South and North must agree on many issues like the sharing of oil wealth, water rights, and citizenship 12 rights. But first, as the US Consul 13 General to Juba, Barrie Walkley, warned getting the polling materials out to the sites is difficult since there are no paved roads outside of towns in southern Sudan.

"It will be achieved by helicopter, by motorcycle, people carrying things to remote areas. As a result we won't get the results in overnight. No one expects that the results will come in quickly. It's going to take a long time to get the results back. As you may know, the referendum itself starts on Sunday and lasts seven days. We probably expect that it will take another 14 days to get all the results back in and to have them certified 14."

Results are expected to trickle 15 in shortly after polls close on January 15, but final results won't be certified until February.

Some 3.9 million Southerners have signed up to vote out of a population of about 8.7 million.

Former UK lawmaker jailed over expenses scandal

A former British Member of Parliament has been jailed, becoming the first person to be imprisoned 16 following the country's parliamentary expense scandal.

61-year-old David Chaytor, previously 17 pleaded guilty to three charges of false accounting 18, was sentenced 18 months in prison.

He acknowledged that he had submitted bogus claims for the rent of homes and computer services totaling about 31-thousand US dollars.

His former constituents 19 in Bury, northern England, expressed anger over Chaytor's behavior.

"He should be setting a good example and he's obviously not. He was guilty from the start, he's only pleaded guilty because he's probably got a lesser 20 sentence, I think.".

"Everybody relied on him, he worked for us, on behalf of us, but he's been fiddling 21."

"He's dropped a clanger, he's made a mistake, not a very honest mistake, but he's made a mistake."

The prosecution 22 followed the 2009 disclosure of previously secret expense files, which revealed how politicians had billed the public for items including second homes, horse manure 23 and pornographic movies.

A total of 392 current and former legislators were ordered to repay 1.12 million pounds, or about 1.8 million US dollars following extravagant 24 or inappropriate claims.

Following the announcement that Chaytor would be jailed, the Labour Party said it had permanently 25 banned him from the organization.

Similar charges have also been filed five other former and current members of Parlaiment; all face trials in the coming months on charges related to their expense claims.

Chile says it recognises a Palestinian state

Chile has recognized Palestinian statehood, following in the footsteps of several other Latin American countries.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera made the remark, in a push for Palestinians and Israelis to keep negotiating toward a lasting 26 peace in the Middle East.

"Today Chile has recognized the Palestinian State as a free, independent and sovereign State. Thus, we are finally contributing towards the existence in the Middle East, of a Palestinian State and a State of Israel that can live in peace and prosperity with recognized borders and secure borders."

Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador recognized Palestinian statehood last month, and Uruguay and Paraguay are expected to join them in the coming weeks.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki recently said that the aim is to persuade more countries to endorse 27 the 1967 boundaries, before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

However Israeli officials have reacted to the declarations by calling them meaningless and counterproductive to the peacemaking process.

The Palestinian population in Chile is about 400-thousand, the largest outside the Arab world.

In its resolution, the Chilean government noted 28 that both Jewish and Palestinian communities have been key to Chile's social, cultural, political and economic development for many years, working in harmony that should serve as a model for Israelis and Palestinians.

Cote D'Ivoire's Ouattara government welcomes the Canadian and British ambassadors

The foreign minister of Ivory Coast's internationally recognized president-elect said the "official government" welcomes Canadian and British ambassadors.

Alassane Ouattara's foreign minister, Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais, made the remark after the two countries decided not to withdraw their ambassadors from Ivory Coast.

"The Canadian ambassador and the United Kingdom ambassador are most welcome in this country. We, as the official government, we didn't issue any decision concerning those friendly countries, so they are most welcome and we are happy that they themselves have reacted over the issue of the government of Mr Gbagbo, the false government, to stay. "

In recent weeks, Britain and Canada have asked Ivorian diplomats 29 in their countries to leave, after Ouattara succeeded in asking some 20 countries not to recognize the ambassadors of the incumbent 30 president, Laurent Gbagbo.

Earlier last week, Gbagbo's government announced the expulsion of the British and the Canadian ambassadors.

The expulsion order was immediately refused by the Canadian Foreign Ministry 32.

Meanwhile, the president of Ghana announced his country would not send troops to oust 33 Gbagbo, who refused to step aside after losing a presidential election in late November.

Ghana's announcement could complicate 4 a move by a regional bloc 34 of 15 nations in West Africa to mount a military intervention 35 in Ivory Coast.

Ouattara is under 24-hour guard at the Golf Hotel where he is guarded by 800 UN peacekeepers, who encircled the perimeter 36 of the hotel with sandbags and razor wire.

India's Assam inches towards peace

India's northeastern Assam state cheif has said that talks with the rebel outfit 37 United Liberation Front of Asom would start soon.

Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister of Assam state said that the rebel leaders wanted to hold their 'general council' meeting before conducting peace talks, and added the state government was ready to join in as soon as the meeting was over.

"It is on the tracks, it is moving in the right direction. No doubt about it because they need to release two to three colleagues, and that release depends on the judiciary. Then they have to hold general council meeting, so now the ball is in their court. The moment they are ready to hold the general council meeting, talks will definately start."

Arabinda Rajkhowa, the recently released chief of the United Liberation Front of Aso, has been demanding the participation 38 of other top leaders of the organization, including Anup Chetia, the secretary general of the group, currently behind bars in Bangladesh.

The Assam state chief also talked about the ongoing 39 ethnic 40 clash between the Rabha and Garo tribal 41 communities on the Assam-Meghalaya state border.

He said restoring peace in the state was a major concern, and security forces were trying their best to control the violence.

The revolt-racked region is home to more than 200 ethnic and tribal groups.

Tension between settlers and locals leads to violent clashes and armed groups fighting for freedom or more political autonomy in the region, often targeted at the settlers.

Mexico President Felipe Calderon changes energy, transportation ministers

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has reshuffled his Cabinet, changing the two ministers in charge of energy, communications and transportation.

Calderon named current deputy minister of the Treasury 42 Dionisio Perez Jacome as the new Secretary of Communications and Transportation, and current Secretary of Treasury, Jose Antonio Meade as the new energy minister.

Calderon says he wants the new Cabinet secretaries to provide better roadways and more accessible telecommunications services to Mexicans.

"I am convinced that Deonicio Perez Jacome has the necessary abilities to successfully run the Secretary of Communications and Transportation. The telecommunications sector 43 needs guaranteeing a major and better coverage 44 of the services, the usage of available technologies and the equitable 45 competition between the participant actors in the sector. I also asked the new secretary of energy to reform the public enterprises of the energy sector."

The change of energy secretary might not necessarily mean a major shift in Mexican energy policy as the leadership of the state oil monopoly Pemex remains 46 unchanged.

Pemex is slated 47 to hold its first auction 48 of oil field operating contracts later this year under reforms to energy legislation championed by Calderon.

The company is also building a new oil refinery 49 which officials have portrayed 50 as a lynchpin of government energy policy.

At least 35 dead, more than 30,000 displaced after heavy flooding in Brazil

Victims of heavy flooding in parts of Brazil are now assessing the damage to their water-logged homes.

Heavy rains have been pummelling Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo states since Christmas.

At least 35 people have been killed and more than 30-thousand forced out of their homes because of the flooding.

The worst-hit state is Minas Gerais, where civil defence authorities said that 16 people either drowned or were buried in mudslides. More than 13-thousand others were affected 51.

At Piracicaba in Sao Paolo state, local media reported the worst flooding in 28 years, as flood waters exceeded the normal level by more than 21 feet.

Smoking ban going up in smoke?

To fulfill 52 China's obligations under the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into effect in China on January 9, 2006, the country pledged a comprehensive ban in public places from January 9, 2011. How's the smoking ban campaign going?

China beats Kuwait 2-0 in Asian Cup

China beat Kuwait 2-0, wining a perfect start to the Asian Cup campaign in Doha on Saturday.

Chinese defender 53 Zhang Linpeng and midfielder Deng Zhuoxiang scored two goals in the second half, giving China three points in Group A alongside Uzbekistan, who defeated hosts Qatar.

Chinese team coach Gao Hongbo was pleased about the his team's performance.

"Talking about the game, I think the Kuwait team gave a very good performance in the first 30 minutes. However, our team had a great defense 54 on the Kuwaiti attacks and gradually controlled the pace of the match."

Kuwait started the stronger side, but their fortune turned worse when center back Mesad Nada was shown the red card for kicking China's Yang Xu.

Goran Tufegdzic, head coach of Kuwait team said it's a hard game.

"Generally I am satisfied with how our players played without one player. Yes our next match is against Uzbekistan. Now our team must play to win."

China will face host Qatar on Thursday.

China Daily: China should step up effort to ban smoking in public indoors

Indoor public spaces such as restaurants, workplaces, hospitals and public transport are supposed to be smoke free from Jan 9 in China.

On that day five years ago, China ratified 55 the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

However with the deadline days away, the government still hasn't come up with a clear message for the ban.

An editorial from "China Daily" urges China to speed up its effort to ban smoking in public indoors.

The editorial points out the ban is a nut the government must crack, regardless of the immediate 31 impact on tax revenues.

Citing numbers from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the articles says if China fails to reduce tobacco consumption, the number of people killed by cigarettes will double by 2025 and triple by 2050, which is about 1.2 million now annually 56.

This would cut the productivity of the work force and places a heavy burden on the country's healthcare system.

The article says China has let an opportunity slip to change these statistics for the better. In 2008, China hosted a smoke-free Olympics with six host cities undertaking 57 tobacco control initiatives.

The momentum 58, however was not strong enough to make the country's public places smoke free.

The editorial suggests that China should strengthen its effort to impose restrictions 59 on smokers 60 as there are no national regulations on banning smoking in public areas.

China Youth Daily: Let the public decide government spending

It's reported that in Wenling City of South China's Zhejiang Province, the general public can participate in the government budget-making process, by discussing with members of the National People's Congress about the budget amendments and adjustments.

The China Youth daily carries a commentary hailing the move as a breakthrough in China's reform in government budget decisions.

The article says the move largely involves the grassroots through discussions and make the budget decision process transparent 61 and democratic. The reform is not difficult to be copied by other regions in the country.

The commentary points out that as reforms in government budget decision has long been called for in the country, but how to ensure the largest participation of the grassroots should be a key point.

The article says that as the government budget is related to people's lives in society, every one has their own judgments 62 on how government spending can better serve the public.

The article says that by involving the general public, the government can further release the tension with the public who have the right to know and an obligation to monitor government spending.

It concludes that public involvement is the most important part for the development of a democratic political system.

Thus, the government should strengthen its reform efforts and gradually give the decision rights of spending to the public.