News & Reports 2010-07-18

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In This Edition

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says it will send a 52-member police force to southern Kyrgyzstan following deadly ethnic 1 clashes there last month.

Cambodia stages the second phase of its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping training exercise near the capital Phnom Penh.

The Iranian rebel group Jundallah claims responsibility for a double suicide bombing against a Shiite mosque 2 in southeast Iran to avenge 3 the execution of its leader.

Alarm rings for online shoppers in China ---- keep vigilant 4 against cheating while enjoy the convenience and bargains that come with shared bulk purchasing on the internet.

Hot Issue Reports

OSCE to Send Police Force to Kyrgyzstan

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says it will send a 52-member police force to southern Kyrgyzstan following deadly ethnic clashes there last month.

Herbert Salber, director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, confirmed that a small police force will be deployed 5 to southern Kyrgyzstan in the near future.

"We were fixing the area where this group will be active, in particularly, the areas of Osh and Jalalabad. We fixed 6 the number of this group, which first of all will have 52 police officers and which may grow up until 102 police officers and first of all this group will be sent for four months to Kyrgyzstan.

Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyzstan interim 7 president welcomed the decision when speaking at a joint 8 press-conference with German and French foreign ministers.

She said the mission will have the mandate 9 to monitor, consult and train local police force.

Guido Westerwelle and Bernard Kouchner arrived in Bishkek on Friday from Osh, where they visited the parts of the city which suffered the most from ethnic violence.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the European Union is committed to the stability in Kyrgyzstan.

"We have brought with us a financial offer, we have brought some projects, but above all we have brought the political and personal wish to help the country of Kyrygzstan and its president, the stability of this region is essential for us."

About 300 people were killed during clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks last month. In the main southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad, thousands of houses were burned to the ground.

Cambodia Begins Second Phase of Multi-National Exercise

Cambodia has begun the second phase of its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping training exercise near the capital Phnom Penh.

About 700 troops from more than 20 countries will participate in two weeks of field training during the "Angkor Sentinel 2010" exercise.

The exercise, co-sponsored by the US Army, is part of the 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative, a US effort to help train peacekeepers around the world.

Cambodian defence minister Tea Banh speaks of the importance of the joint exercise.

"This exercise is a big U.S. aim to have international standard for all peacekeepers that is wanted by the UN and this is also important to help to boost better relation for our two countries."

The field training exercise is the second part of "Angkor Sentinel 2010" after the first part of the "Command Post Exercise".

The field training exercise consists of lane training in checkpoint operations, patrolling, convoy 10 operations, among others.

Cambodia was the focus of a UN peacekeeping mission in the early 1990s to help end decades of civil war. But the country has recently deployed troops to work as UN peacekeepers in Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Suicide Attacks Kill at Least 27 in Iran

The Iranian rebel group Jundallah said it carried out a double suicide bombing against a Shiite mosque in southeast Iran to avenge the execution of its leader.

The powerful bombs exploded near the city of Zahedan's Grand Mosque, killing 11 numerous people.

Worshippers were attending ceremonies marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, when the first blast went off.

According to authorities, the first blast caused minimal 12 damage, but it prompted people to rush to the site where they were caught by a second explosion.

Ali Mohammad Azad, Sistan-Baluchistan Governor General, said the death toll 13 is rising.

"The latest death toll so far from those killed in the blast is 27 who were killed in front of the mosque and at the entrance. We have 167 others injured who are in hospitals and unfortunately some of them are in critical condition."

Among those killed in the blast were members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps 14, the country's elite 15 military force.

The Jundallah group has been waging an insurgency 16 for years in the remote Sistan-Baluchistan province, claiming to fight for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran.

Iran executed Jundallah's leader Abdolmalek Rigi in June in Zahedan.

German Defence Minister Warns of Complexity 17 of Fighting Against the Taliban

German Defense 18 Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has warned of the increasing complexity of fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Guttenberg made the remark when visiting German troops serving in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz.

"That there is more concerted actions, there is a higher complexity, there is more profession as such at the moment, such as we have to be aware of yeah, let's say what is happening at the moment, and in this respect we see a certain development also, in profession by the insurgents 19, but it keeps up the necessity to act and to react."

Guttenberg arrived in Afghanistan on Friday as part of his plan to visit troops serving in Afghanistan once every two months.

Germany has around 4,200 troops in Afghanistan, and is the third largest contingent 20 in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces.

Indian FM Calls for More Efforts from Pakistan to Act Against Militant 21 Extremism

India's external affairs minister S.M. Krishna warns that efforts to improve the strained ties between India and Pakistan will fail if Islamabad does not act against militant extremism emanating 22 from its territory.

Krishna spoke 23 to reporters in Dehli after returning from a visit to Pakistan. He was the most senior Indian official to visit there since the 2008 Mumbai attacks which India blames on Pakistan-based militants 24.

"I stressed that all out efforts by Pakistan to fulfill 25 the assurances not to allow the territory of Pakistan under its control for terrorism against India would go a long way in building trust and confidence."

Krishna also said Pakistan should actively 26 pursue new investigative leads and punish the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks which killed 166.

Krishna said he had invited the Pakistan foreign minister to visit India to carry forward the dialogue.

Suspect of Plotting Terror Attack Agianst Norway Remanded in Custody 27 for 4 Weeks

A man accused of plotting a terrorist attack against Norway has been remanded in custody for four weeks after appearing in court on Friday.

The suspect, Iraqi Kurdish, Shawan Sadek Saeed Bujak was arrested in Germany last week suspected of planning terrorist attacks on Norwegian soil and having links to al- Qaeda.

Bujak's attorney, Arvid Sjoeding said there was no evidence of al-Qaeda links before the court hearing held behind closed doors in Oslo.

"A case is built on proof and evidence and there has been put forward no evidence connected to him."

Bujak was arrested alongside two other men the police say were aiming to target the affluent 28 Nordic country -- a member of NATO with troops in Afghanistan.

He will be isolated 29 for the first two weeks of custody and will have a visitation and communication ban throughout the period, according to police attorney's requests.

Australia PM Calls Election for Aug 21

Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called an election for August 21.

Gillard was appointed three weeks ago by the ruling Labor 30 party as the government faced electoral defeat. Since then she has resurrected support, putting Labor narrowly ahead in opinion polls.

She said the government had lost its way under her predecessor 31, Kevin Rudd, and has attempted to steer 32 new courses in key policy areas.

"Under my leadership we'll move forward, we'll move forward together. With a sustainable Australia, a stronger economy, budgets in surplus and world class health and education services, and other essential services that hardworking Australians and their families rely on. Now my commitment to this country stands in stark 33 contrast to the commitment of the opposition 34."

Analysts 35 expect a tight contest between Labor and a resurgent conservative opposition Liberal Party led by Tony Abbott, saying that climate change, asylum 36 seekers, and record-high public debt will be the decisive issues.

Addressing media on Saturday, Abbott urged voters to change government.

"The coalition 37 will stand up for Australia, we'll stand up for re-election. We'll end the waste, we'll repay the debt, we'll stop the new taxes and we'll stop the boats."

Abbott needs to win only nine seats to form government with four independents or 13 seats to take office outright 38.

Poverty Alleviation 39 Conference of Asian Political Paties Underway in Kunming

The Poverty Alleviation Conference of Asian Political Parties is underway in Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

More than 120 representatives of 57 political parties from 30 countries are attending the conference.

Addressing the opening ceremony on Saturday, Thailand's deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban highlighted political parties' role in poverty alleviation.

"Poverty is not simply the lack of monetary 40 income. It can also be seen in poor health, limited opportunity of education, for housing, a lack of access to clean water and sanitation 41 as well as environmental degradation 42 and global warming. As political parties, we have a duty to work toward the MDGs, to reduce the development gap and reduce poverty across the globe."

The UN's Millennium 43 Development Goals or MDG were adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal 44 and child mortality, disease, inadequate 45 shelter, gender 46 inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership 47 for Development.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Bangladesh's former minister for labor and employment, believes it's important for people to shake off poverty on themselves.

"It's a challenge which demands active, inter-region and innovative 48 efforts from all government, private sector 49, NGOs, community organizations, media, academia, and above all from the people themselves."

Some African political parties, the UN and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly also sent observers to the meeting.

Online Bulk Purchasing: a Blessing 50 or a Trap?

As China has the largest number of Internet users in the world, a new way of shopping online has flourished over the past several months.

But many online shoppers have become victims of newly-emerged "shared bulk purchasing" websites.

Controversial Holocaust 51 Survival Dance Triggers Debate

A spokesman for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum has commented on a controversial internet video of a Holocaust survivor 52 dancing with his family inside the former Nazi 53 concentration camp.

Jaroslaw Mensfelt said it's understandable that different people express their respect and the memory of the victims in different ways.

"The National Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau doesn't interfere 54 with the content of the pictures taken in the area of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau apparently 55, unless the shots offend the memory of the camp victims. But we are convinced that the largest annihilation place in the world should not be a background for art performances regardless of their noble aims."

An internet sensation has been triggered by the video clip of Holocaust survivor Adolek Kohn awkwardly shuffling 56 and shimmying with his family to the sound of "I Will Survive" at Auschwitz and other sites.

It has sparked debate on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere over whether the images show disrespect for those who perished.

In Israel, the video has received scant 57 attention. Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial had no comment.

In Germany, however, it was widely shown on TV and other media outlets 58, where many, mostly young people, expressed support.

Austria Deports 59 Kosovo Asylum Seeker

Austria has deported 60 an 18-year-old Kosovo Albanian girl to her native Kosovo after she lost an eight-year battle to stay for asylum.

Arigona Zogaj arrived in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, on an Austrian Airlines flight.

The girl and her family have become symbols for well-integrated foreigners across Europe who often wait years for a final word on their cases. Authorities rule that they are not fleeing persecution 61 but are simply people looking for a better life abroad.

Zogaj was not home in September 2007 when authorities arrived to repatriate 62 her family.

She went into hiding for days while her father and four siblings 63 were forced to return to Kosovo.

The girl re-emerged in early October 2007 with Josef Friedl, a Roman Catholic priest in the Upper Austrian village of Ungenach who was taking care of her.

Speaking earlier this month, Friedl said the deportation 64 was a "tragedy" as the girl had to leave the life she had made in Austria.

"They bought a flat and so on. They have to leave all this behind, you have to consider, they have a refrigerator, a heater and everything. They bought it through the work of their hands and now they have to leave everything behind."

Austrian Interior Ministry 65 said the Zogaj family entered Austria with the help of human traffickers in September 2002 after the father's initial application for asylum had been denied.

Zogaj has been quoted by Austrian news reports as saying that she did not believe she would have a future in Kosovo.

Kosovo is one of the poorest countries in Europe with the continent's highest unemployment rate of 40 percent.

China Daily: Sound Drainage System Needed in Countering Downpours

Torrential rains have inundated 66 quite a few Chinese cities so far this summer.

An editorial in the China Daily says the root of the problem lies in today's drainage systems, which have proven entirely 67 inadequate in surviving downpours of this magnitude.

The article suggested that modern-day town planners can learn from the drainage facility constructed in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province some 1,000 years ago.

It says the system is stunning 68. Its scientific design has ensured that rain water drains smoothly 69 into the river outside the city limits, and prevents seepage 70 into the city even when the river rises above the danger mark.

The article says it is appalling 71 that with the technology at our disposal, a better system has not been built. Water logging has become a serious problem even in large cities such as Beijing. And, urban planners have failed to devise a system that can withstand the furious onslaught of the rains in peak summer months.

The editorial says it feels as though the urban planners do not seem inclined to design or build a system that can rival the one built 1,000 years ago, simply because they lack the incentive 72 to do so. This clearly shows just how lethargic 73 our civil servants have become when it comes to executing works that are in the public interest.

In conclusion, the editorial says the government should have legal regulation and administrative 74 supervision 75 in ensuring a sound drainage system that works well during rainy days.

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Southern Metropolis 76 Daily: Target for Education Investment Shouldn't be Overdue 77 Again

China has reiterated 78 it would work to realize the long overdue 4-percent-of-GDP target for education investment by 2012.

The target was set in guidelines for the country's reform and development in the education sector in 1993 with a vow 79 education would receive 4 percent of the GDP by 2000. However, the goal has not been achieved.

An editorial in the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily says the reiteration 80 by the government shows its determination in pushing forward education reforms.

The article says though it is commendable 81 for the government to own up its deficiency, we shouldn't shift off an argument about why the target has been long overdue.

The editorial questions how governments at all levels could ensure that the expenditure 82 flows to schools in remote rural areas which are really in need, rather than those areas that are already well developed.

It also indicates tight supervision is needed to make sure the money won't be embezzled 83 in the process of allocation, and warns of misuse 84 of the money for constructing office buildings or purchasing cars for officials.

The editorial notes the government failed to meet the target due to systematic 85 loopholes, and only by reflecting the root causes can it realize the goal in accordance with the new timetable.