News & Reports 2011-02-12

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In This Edition

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak steps down and the military takes charge of the country, after more than two weeks of mass protests against his 30-year rule.

A teenager who held several people hostage inside a suburban 1 bank in the US state of North Carolina is dead, in a dramatic end to the standoff.

Casualties and economic losses caused by the rising number of fires during the Spring Festival holiday renew debate about a ban on fireworks in China.

Hot Issue Reports

Egyptian Vice 2 President Says Mubarak Has Stepped Down

Egypt's Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president and handed control to the military, after more than two weeks of mass protests against his 30-year rule.

Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV.

"In the name of God the merciful, the gracious. Citizens, in these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided 3 to leave his position as president of the republic and asked the Supreme 4 Council of the Armed Forces to run the country. God is our helper."

Hundreds of thousands of protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy at the news, waving Egyptian flags, sounding car horns and unleashing 5 celebratory shots in the air.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon hailed Hosni Mubarak's decision and called for fair elections and a peaceful transition to democracy, saying UN is ready to assist in the process.

"I respect what must have been a difficult decision taken in the wider interest of the Egyptian people. At this historic moment I reiterate 6 my call made as recently as last night for transparent 7, orderly and peaceful transition that meets the legitimate 8 aspirations 9 of the Egyptian people and includes free, fair and credible 10 elections leading to the early establishment of civilian 11 rule."

U.S. President Barack Obama said what is happening in Egypt is "a moment of history."

"The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard and Egypt will never be the same. This is not the end of Egypt's transition, it's a beginning. I'm sure there will be difficult days ahead and many questions remain unanswered, but I am confident the people of Egypt can find the answers and do so peacefully, constructively 12 and in the spirit of unity 13 that has defined these last few weeks."

He also urged the Egyptian military to ensure a credible transition.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Arab league Amr Moussa has hailed the Egyptian revolution. But Moussa denied that he would run for the next presidential elections, saying that as an Egyptian, he has the honor to serve his country in any post and it is time to help in forming a "consensus 14 of opinions."

Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title.

But he was forced out completely by an explosion of protests on Friday which rejected his move.

US Standoff Ends with Teenage Hostage Taker Killed

A teenager who held several people hostage inside a suburban bank in the US state of North Carolina is dead, in a dramatic end to the standoff.

The suspect emerged from the building holding a gun to the head of one of his captives, and was shot dead by police after three hours of tense negotiations 15.

The gruesome final scene in the quiet suburban town of Cary played out live on television.

Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore.

"This is absolutely not how we wanted this to end."

None of the hostages was hurt.

Authorities say 19-year-old Devon Mitchell of Cary held as many as seven people in the bank at one time.

One person who managed to hide was able to relay information to the authorities outside.

It is being described as a chaotic 18 scene as the suspect walked out of the bank with a female hostage.

"All of the sudden the K-9 unit and its handlers saw the man run out of the bank and he took off and all of the sudden the guns just started firing."

The town of Cary is consistently ranked as one of the United States' safest places to live.

Thousands of Thai Protesters March against Govt. Handling of Border Dispute

The Thai parliament has voted to approve a constitutional amendment 20 bill that will change the electoral system for the House of Representatives.

The amendment raises the number of House members to 500, with 375 coming from constituency representation and the other 125 from party-lists.

In contrast, the 480 House members currently consist of 400 constituency representatives and 80 party-list representatives.

The Thai parliament has also voted to amend 19 the constitution to make it easier for the government to enter into agreements with foreign countries.

Meanwhile, about 2-thousand "yellow-shirt" protesters have marched to Bangkok's Royal Plaza 21, vowing 22 to continue their rallies to oust 23 the government, for what they say is the mishandling of a border dispute with Cambodia.

Members of the People's Alliance of Democracy have walked from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's office, where they have been camping out for two weeks, to the Royal Plaza near the Parliament House.

The protesters accuse Abhisit of being weak in dealing 24 with Cambodia.

"If we were afraid, we would not come out. We would rather lose our lives instead of losing the land to Cambodia."

Protesters have been calling on the government to withdraw from the World Heritage Committee and push back Cambodians who live along the Thai-Cambodia conflict area.

Both sides have been locked in a standoff since July 2008, when the 900 year old Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status under an application by Cambodia.

Thailand has opposed that move by UNESCO, claiming that territory around the temple has never been demarcated.

Year of Chinese Culture Launched in Australia

The Year of Chinese Culture in Australia has been launched in a ceremony in the Australian capital Canberra.

This is the second stage of the event to share the culture of the two countries, which will be held from this June to June of 2012.

Chen Yuming, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia, says the initiative is to let the world know more about a fast developing China.

"The 38-years diplomatic relations between China and Australia is moving story of understanding and compatibility. Prime Minister Julia Gillard says in the Spring Festival Gala for Chinese Society that Australia is proud to be the partner of China in its development. Similarly, our Chinese leader also writes an article, saying China hope to live in harmony along with neighboring countries, and grow together with the world."

More than 300 events are scheduled for the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia.

Firecrackers Ban in Debate

Casualties and economic losses caused by the rising number of fires during the Spring Festival holiday have renewed debate about a ban on fireworks in China.

In an online survey, a majority of voters appear to be in favor of the ban, with many arguing that fireworks pollute the air, cause safety issues and disturb people's rest.

"I hope people set off fireworks during a certain period of time at night, they should not set them off when others are asleep."

Despite the growing number of complaints, there are still many who want fireworks to remain part of the Spring Festival celebrations.

Qi Shoucheng is an expert in culture and folk studies.

"Setting fireworks is a custom dating back to thousands of years, it is not regulated by one person, nor can anyone prohibit it."

Many cities in China including Beijing and Shanghai banned fireworks in the 1990s in response to concerns about fires and air pollution.

But most bans were later repealed 25 following public objections.

Chinese Employers Offer Higher Salaries to Attract Migrant Workers

Employers in China are offering more attractive salaries to try to attract potential employees, as more and more migrants workers are now preferring to work in their hometown, rather than working away from home.

Du Yibin is a job hunter at an employment fair in Qingdao.

"I don't have many skills. I just want to find a job with a higher pay, say about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per month."

At the same time, head-hunters now say employers are also raising salaries to attract more job hunters.

"The minimum salary is above 2,500 yuan per month. For those skilled workers, the salary could be at least 3,500 yuan. The highest could top 6,000 yuan."

Though the number of job seekers has dropped compared to last year, many employers at the Qingdao fair say they're confident that generous income offers will help end their labor 26 shortages.

High Expectations Keep Young Migrant Workers from Blending in to City Life

Chinese experts are warning young migrant workers that, despite their aspirations, they will still have a long way to go to try to blend into urban society.

As Wu Jia reports, the suggestion is being made following a recent nationwide survey which indicates that unlike their parents, the new generation of migrant workers has a higher level of education, greater ego 16, and more material needs and wants.

Reporter: The new generation of migrant workers refers to those who were born in the 1980s or 1990s and left their rural hometowns and villages to flock to cities in hopes of starting a career.

Statistics indicate that the number of migrant workers in China has exceeded 220 million, 60 percent of whom belong to the new generation of migrant laborers 27.

When interviewed, more than half of them expressed expectations of becoming urban residents.

Liu Ming is from Little Bird, a legal aid agency for migrant workers. He talks about one of the most notable differences between the new generation of migrant workers and their predecessors 28.

"The older generation went to cities to earn money to take back home and never thought about integrating into city life. As for the young, the objective has changed. What they want is to plant roots in cities. They want to buy houses, get married and raise children there."

But to blend in cities is not all plain sailing for them. Compared with their urban peers, young migrant workers face more practical difficulties, with adequate and affordable 29 housing as their first and foremost challenge.

Although the government has launched a pilot project in some cities to offer subsidized housing to some migrant workers, nearly 70 percent of those interviewed say it's getting harder for them to find affordable housing in overcrowded cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

On the other hand, these workers generally have a comparatively higher level of education, although their occupational skills are still poor.

Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, points out that many vocational education programs intended for migrant workers are not pertinent 30.

"Vocational education is developing but it's still in the initial stage. Many positions are unstable 31. Some migrant workers haven't received any vocational guidance so that they shift blindly from job to job."

Liu Ming from the legal aid agency says migrant workers are a disadvantaged group in cities.

"At home in the countryside they can go to relatives or friends whenever they encounter difficulties. But in a strange place, they may feel at a loss and helpless when there are few friends around."

He suggests that migrant workers accumulate more social resources to get better involved in city life. Only in this way will they be able to feel less disconnected and stressed.

For CRI, I'm Wu Jia.

Microblog Fights Child Trafficking

A Beijing-based academic scholar has started a nationwide campaign to combat child trafficking. Now thousands of residents snap photographs of child beggars on the streets and upload them to a dedicated 32 microblog in an effort to fight child trafficking and help parents find their missing children. But while most applaud the campaign, others have raised concerns about such crime fighting.

Zhang Wan 17 has more.

Thirty-two-year-old Peng Gaofeng burst into tears at a police station in Jiangsu Province when he saw his son for the first time since the boy had been abducted 33 three years ago.

Peng's three-year-old son was taken away in March 2008 by a man on a street in Shenzhen where he and his wife operated a telephone booth. Since then, Peng had never stopped searching for the boy.

He turned his booth into a search center for the child, offered a reward of 100,000 yuan or about 15,000 U.S. dollars, and distributed information about his son via the internet.

Peng says his friend published a photo of his son in late January on his microblog and received an anonymous 34 tip on February 1st that an adopted boy in Pizhou, Jiangsu Province, resembled the missing child.

Peng's case has rekindled 35 hopes for many parents who have seen their children disappear as trafficking victims.

Professor Yu Jianrong at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, set up a microblog dedicated to missing children late last month after he received a letter from a desperate mother asking for help in trying to find her missing child.

Yu urged web users to take photos of child beggars on the street and post them on microblogs in hopes that children reported as missing could be recognized and rescued.

"The day after I set up the microblog, I received more than 10 pictures from netizens. And in the following days, we received about 400 to 500 photographs. These days, we get 300 to 400 each day."

Over the past two weeks, the microblog has attracted more than 100,000 followers 36 on the internet. More than 2,000 photographs of child beggars have been received.

A volunteer who helps collect the microblog photos says over the past two weeks, he has spent about five hours a day on the internet.

"What we want to do is aggregate 37 the photos of those child beggars taken by people in different places and create a database, so that parents who lost their children can get more chances to get their missing children back."

But as more people have joined in the effort, other have voiced their concerns about the methods used to find the missing children. Some say taking photographs of begging children infringe 38 on the victims' privacy. Others say putting their photos on the internet may also bring these children harm by their traffickers.

Lawyer Yuan Shenghan says people who join the online fight against child kidnapping should be sure to note where the child was photographed. He suggests taking photos of child beggars only be done in public places, so it won't be considered an infringement 39 of their rights.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.

Liu Xiang Back to Europe Starting the New Season

China's former Olympic champion and world 110m hurdles 40 record holder 41 Liu Xiang raced into third in the 60m hurdles on Friday at the Dusseldorf indoor meet, his first European appearance in three years.

Liu finished behind Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic and America's Kevin Craddock who were both clocked at 7.57 seconds.

Liu Xiang is still recovering from an injured achilles tendon.

Liu Xiang's coach Sun Haiping says he doesn't want to put too much stress on him at the moment.

"For the whole year's plan, we want to move forward step by step because the Olympic games will come next year. We are now a little bit worried if put him in high pressure trainings as he just recovers from his injury."

Apart from the Guangzhou Asian Games, Liu Xiang has only competed in four international events in the past two years.

Newspaper Picks

From the Shanghai Daily: A set of pictures on his microblog have now put Chinese real estate mogul Pan Shiyi in the cross-hairs of angry internet users in Shanghai.

Pan posted pictures showing the demolition 42 of an area around a historic Church in Shanghai, which have drawn 43 scorn from over a thousand people, with some even saying that he's going to "go to hell" for his role in demolishing 44 part of the Church.

As it turns out, Pan, who is probably best known for his SOHO buildings, only bought the demolition site in November, some 6 years after the demolition work first started.

Still, many angry locals have been venting 45 their frustrations 46 about the loss of the site. Even though the Church itself is protected, the surrounding buildings and "Shikumen" houses are not, and are being torn down to make way for a new commercial compound.

"Shikumen" houses combine Western and Chinese architecture, and first began appearing in Shanghai in the 1860's.

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From the China Youth Daily: The recent stripping of an academic award from a group of professors is now putting the spotlight 47 on academic practices here in China.

In an unprecedented 48 move, the Ministry 49 of Science and Technology has now taken back a second prize in the State Science and Technology Award presented in 2005 to a team at the School of Energy and Power in Xi'an Jiaotong University for doctoring their results.

The group's downfall is now highlighting a lack of integrity among some Chinese scholars.

Recent statistics now show that Chinese researchers last year published the largest number of scientific papers in the world.

But the China Youth Daily reports that this does not seem motivated solely 50 by a passion for knowledge, nor does it suggest a growth in academic ability, given that Chinese research discoveries are among the least referenced in the world.

Many Chinese scholars say the number of articles published becomes a yardstick 51 for promotion 52.

Market update

The U.S. stocks rose on Friday after Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak resigned.

The Dow gained 0.4 percent to around 12,273. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.6 percent, to 1,329. And Nasdaq rose 0.7 to 2,809.

In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent to 6063. Germany's DAX gained 0.4 percent to 7371, and France's CAC 40 went up 0.2 to 4101.

Egypt is not a major producer of oil, but it plays a key role in the industry because it controls the Suez Canal, a major route for oil tankers 53 and cargo 54 ships.

Crude oil was trading higher earlier in the day, but fell $1.12 to $85.61 after the news about Mubarak came out.