U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has promised Washington's allies in Asia that America will honor its commitments in the region, regardless of domestic and international pressures.
Gates made his remarks Saturday at one of Asia's most prominent security conferences, taking place in Singapore.
Gates says America's commitment to Asia will extend beyond, what he called, merely "putting boots on the ground."
He told delegates from 27 countries at the Asia Security Summit Saturday that in the coming years, the U.S. military plans to increase its port calls, naval engagements and multilateral training with countries throughout the region.
Gates said, "America is, as the expression goes, putting 'our money where our mouth is' with respect to this part of the world - and will continue to do so."
However, he acknowledged that he knew many in the audience were concerned that this money would be in short supply.
U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered Gates to work on cutting billions of dollars from defense spending.
Gates says the focus has been first on canceling troubled or unneeded weapons programs and culling excess overhead. He insists that U.S. military modernization will continue.
The secretary laid out in his speech Saturday how the U.S. Navy and Air Force have created a joint program to combat what he called "one of the principal security challenges" emerging -- the use of new technologies and weapons to deny U.S. forces access to key sea routes and lines of communication.
Senior U.S. defense officials insist that Gates' comments were not entirely aimed at China, the region's growing military powerhouse. However, Gates has said Washington remains concerned about China's military research projects, which include anti-ship missiles and stealth fighter aircraft.
On Friday, Gates held a nearly one-hour-long bilateral discussion with his Chinese counterpart, General Liang Guanglie. U.S. officials described the talks as "cordial" and focusing on mutual goals while acknowledging disagreements. The Chinese defense minister is Beijing's highest official ever to participate in the conference.
Adam Ward is the director of studies for the International Institute for Strategic Studies. His group sponsors the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Speaking to VOA, he says Washington is in the delicate position of figuring out how to leverage its demands in what is now a multipolar region.
Ward said, "It's about weaving Asia into a global picture, in recognizing the new players who are coming on the scene and to see to what extent benign relationships, cooperative relationships can be built even with countries like China where the relationship is infected with a certain amount of reciprocal suspicion."
But Gates cautions people should not discount the United States just yet, even in the face of a shifting international landscape and growing domestic pressures.
The defense secretary said, "I have seen firsthand the staying power and adaptability of America over the course of my life. Indeed, history's dustbin is littered with dictators and aggressors who underestimated America's resilience, will and underlying strength."
This is Gates' fifth and final Asia Security Summit as U.S. defense secretary before he steps down on June 30.
Next week, he heads to Brussels for the NATO defense meeting, where participants are expected to discuss the alliance's actions in Libya and Afghanistan.
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NATO boosted its bombardment of Libya Saturday, for the first time sending attack helicopters on low-altitude missions against military installations loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
NATO said British Apache helicopters destroyed a radar site and an armed checkpoint in their first deployment since British Prime Minister David Cameron approved their use a week ago. The Apaches are each equipped with 16 Hellfire missiles that skim low across the landscape toward targets that are pre-set by radar before the missiles are launched. French Tiger helicopters are also being readied for NATO use in Libya.
The commander of NATO's forces in Libya, Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, said the successful assault "demonstrates the unique capabilities" of the attack helicopters. The use of lower-flying helicopters for attacks could diminish the possibility of civilian casualties, although they also could be vulnerable to strikes by surface-to-air missiles.
In recent days, rebels trying to oust Gadhafi have been waiting for use of the attack helicopters. One rebel leader in Misrata, Fatih Bashagha, said the fighters are happy about their use, and other rebels said it showed a renewed NATO commitment to assisting them.
The increase in the military campaign came even as new diplomatic efforts were seen in the effort to get Mr. Gadhafi to give up power.
China says its ambassador to Qatar has met with the head of Libya's rebel council, the first time China has revealed such contacts. Chinese officials said they stand by their position that the Libyan crisis should be resolved politically and that the country's future must be decided by its people.
Also, Russia is sending a special presidential representative, Mikhail Margelov, to Benghazi, to meet with the rebels. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Friday that Gadhafi is "increasingly isolated." Juppe also said that France is working with those close to the Libyan leader to persuade him to leave.
For the last several nights, NATO warplanes have bombed targets in Tripoli, including Mr. Gadhafi's sprawling residential and command compound. Mr. Gadhafi has rarely been seen in public since a NATO airstrike killed one of his sons in April.
On Friday, United Nations officials criticized Qatar's forcible deportation of a Libyan woman who says she was gang-raped by troops loyal to Gadhafi.
Officials with the U.N. refugee agency said Imad al-Obeidi had been awaiting resettlement as a refugee and that UNHCR was in the process of preparing papers for her departure from Qatar to a third country. The officials said al-Obeidi's deportation to Benghazi is against international law.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. is concerned for al-Obeidi's safety and has been working to ensure she finds "appropriate asylum." Toner said U.S. officials have spoken to her in recent days.
Al-Obeidi burst into a Tripoli hotel in March to tell foreign journalists she had been raped by government troops, saying she was targeted because she is from Benghazi. Her rape claim could not be independently verified.
Libyan authorities have called al-Obeidi a drunk, a prostitute and a thief.
Western governments say they believe that, through a combination of diplomatic pressure and military action, they are wearing down Mr. Gadhafi's ability to control Libya.
However, the U.S. role in the conflict has been controversial at home, with the House of Representatives on Friday passing a non-binding resolution calling on President Barack Obama to provide a compelling rationale for the American military involvement in Libya. The White House called the resolution "unnecessary and unhelpful."
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An audio recording attributed to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been broadcast on state television, hours after an attack on a mosque in his presidential compound. Yemen state media say the attack killed three guards and an imam.
The voice of what appeared to be a subdued President Saleh was heard thanking his fellow Yemenis for their concern about his condition, which he said was alright.
He also wished a speedy recovery to others injured in the attack, and offered his condolences to the families of those killed. Saleh was wounded in a rocket attack Friday in the presidential mosque in Sana'a during midday prayers. He reportedly is being treated in a military hospital.
The strike, the first on the president's compound, came during fierce street fighting between government troops and tribal forces in the capital and violence in other Yemeni cities, bringing the unrest to the heart of the government.
Shortly after the attack, officials said Saleh would appear at a news conference, an apparent bid to dispel opposition and some media reports that the president had been more seriously injured or possibly killed.
Deputy Information Minister Abduh al-Janadi later went on state TV to explain the delay.
Janadi said Saleh is in good health, and the news conference was postponed because of the "scratches" that the president received. His statement was at odds with comments by a Yemeni diplomat appearing on Arabiya television, who said Saleh was in the front row in the mosque, where the heaviest casualties occurred and might spend four weeks in the hospital. It was not clear from the audio recording which account better reflected the situation.
Officials blamed the attack on forces loyal to the al-Ahmar clan, which have been battling government troops in the capital for nearly two weeks. There has been no official claim of responsibility, though, and the opposition to the president includes government forces who have defected in recent weeks.
Earlier in the day, government troops had fired on houses belonging to members of the al-Ahmar family, as well as an opposition military officer. A government official said he believed the attack on the presidential compound - the first of its kind - was in retaliation.
Forces loyal to tribal leader Sadeq al-Ahmar have been growing in number, with reinforcements trying to enter the city from the north. The sheikh, who heads the Hashid tribal federation, is pushing for Saleh to step down. But the president has three times rejected a regionally-mediated plan that would see a transition of power. Violence also is continuing in Taiz against political protesters, and in Zinjibar against Islamic militants who have seized control of the city.
The various tribal and Islamist forces, as well as high-ranking military defectors, are turning what began four months ago as peaceful political protests into what many observers fear is close to all-out civil war.
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The United States is strongly condemning the upsurge in violence in Yemen including Friday's shelling attack on the presidential compound in Sana'a that wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The State Department called for an immediate end to hostilities and fulfillment of a Gulf peace plan that calls for President Saleh's departure.
Officials say they're still trying to establish the facts of Friday's attack on the presidential compound. But they say it is clear that the fighting must end and that the Yemeni leader needs to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council plan under which he is to transfer power and leave the country under immunity guarantees.
The level of violence in Yemen has mounted amid President Saleh's refusal to implement the GCC agreement he initially accepted last month.
The country, wracked for weeks by anti-government protests and violent responses from security forces, has been tipping toward civil war, with anti-Saleh tribesman battling loyalist troops in Sana'a and elsewhere.
State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said the United States strongly condemns all the "senseless" acts of violence in the last 24 hours including the attack on the Saleh residence.
"We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. All parties must end these attacks and avoid any further escalation or any further casualties in the days ahead. Clearly the deteriorating situation in Yemen can only be addressed through a peaceful and orderly transfer of power. And so we again call on President Saleh to move immediately to heed the calls of the Yemeni people," Toner said.
The United States has repeatedly called for President Saleh's departure in recent days. But spokesman Toner dismissed as "absurd" a suggestion by officials loyal to the Yemeni leader, after Friday's attack, that U.S. officials incited his attempted assassination.
Toner said the U.S. focus has been to work with the Yemeni government and President Saleh in support of the GCC plan, which he said still provides "the best way forward" for the troubled country.
The Yemeni leader, he said, should live up to his commitment and sign the GCC document.
The spokesman said all U.S. embassy personnel are safe and accounted for after Friday's violence, but that security for staff members in Sana'a is under constant review.
A week ago, the State Department ordered non-essential embassy personnel and all family members to leave the country, and it is advising private Americans in Yemen to depart while commercial transportation is still available.
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Syrian rights groups say at least 34 people were killed after security forces opened fire Friday on a large group of demonstrators in Hama, a stronghold of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Activists said shooting broke out after Friday prayers in Hama, which is about 300 kilometers north of Damascus. Witnesses said thousands of people coming out of mosques took to the streets for a protest rally, and government forces began firing live ammunition.
Demonstrations spread across Syria Friday in Damascus and other cities, following a call by opposition groups to denounce a growing number of casualties among children in recent weeks of the uprising against al-Assad.
Despite official denials, protest organizers say at least 25 children have died in the recent violence. The list of young victims includes a 13-year-old boy who reportedly was tortured and killed by security forces - an accusation that Syrian authorities dispute.
Hama was the scene of a brutal government crackdown in 1982 that left at least 10,000 people dead, according to rights groups' estimates. President Hafez al-Assad - father of the current president - crushed an uprising against his government in that year.
Unofficial reports say all Internet service stopped in Damascus and several other cities on Friday.
The latest unrest follows a two-day meeting in Turkey of Syrian opposition figures, who called for President Assad's immediate resignation. Opposition figures say they are committed to do whatever is necessary to "bring down" the Assad government and begin planning for new, democratic elections.
In New York Friday, a spokeswoman for U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon says he called for an immediate end to "violent repression" by Syrian forces and for dialogue that leads to comprehensive reforms in the country.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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The former military commander of the Bosnian Serbs, Ratko Mladic, made his first public appearance at the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia after 16 years as a fugitive. During his arraignment, he refused to plead to the 11 counts against him - including genocide, extermination and murder.
The whole world watched Friday to get a first glimpse of the man accused of committing the worst crimes since World War II. The once formidable general, stripped of his military uniform and in a dark grey suit, had to be supported by two guards and lowered into the defendant's seat. He gave a military salute before he sat down. His speech was slow as he started off, but he became more defiant when presiding Judge Alphonse Orie asked him if he wanted to listen to the charges against him. He said he did not want to hear a single word.
But the judge read out all 11 charges anyway. Mladic, often wiping his face with a tissue, listened intently, sometimes shaking his head no, for example when the judge read out the genocide charge for the Srebrenica massacres. When he was asked if he wanted to enter a plea, he declined. Mladic spoke through an interpreter.
"Mr. Orie, I would like to receive what you've read out just now, these obnoxious charges read out against me," Mladic said. "Because I need more than a month for these monstrous words, the ones I've never heard before, those that are included in this indictment."
A handful of survivors of the war turned up to see Mladic in the dock. Outside the court, they held signs saying "Butcher of the Balkans." Inside the courtroom, separated from the man they hold responsible for the deaths of their loved ones, they shouted butcher and monster, or softy cried. Faroudin Alic survived the massacres at Srebrenica by walking through the forest to Tuzla, declared a safe haven by the United Nations. Now living in the Netherlands, he was one of those watching Mladic in court.
He said that while he was satisfied with the general's arrest, now that he saw him, he felt worse and could not explain why.
Mladic sometimes turned to smile at his public in the gallery. When it came to the much-speculated topic of his health, he told the judges he was a gravely ill man. But details were discussed behind closed doors, at his request. As the session wound down, Mladic was visibly angry at the proceedings and stared ahead. He insisted he only defended his country, and he will do so again in court. He also appeared to regain some of his physical strength.
He said he did not want to be helped as if he were a blind man, saying "I am General Mladic and the whole world knows who I am."
The judges reminded Mladic that he alone is being held criminally responsible at this tribunal. They then adjourned court for one month to give him time to enter his plea. If he refuses again, the judges will enter a not guilty plea for him.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed to push for European Union financial assistance for Spanish farmers whose export income dropped sharply after German officials erroneously blamed them for causing the deadly outbreak of E. coli bacteria.
Merkel told her counterpart, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, on Thursday that she regretted the damage that had been caused. German officials at first voiced the suspicion that cucumbers imported from Spain had sparked the widespread infections that now have killed 18 people and sickened more than 1,700 others.
But investigators searching for the cause and origin of the disease have now rejected the Spanish cucumber theory and say they have yet to determine how the disease started. The contagion has now spread to 12 countries, although all but one of the deaths and hundreds of the illnesses have been recorded in Germany.
E. coli and how it is transmitted
E. coli is an abbreviation for Escherichia, which is a large and diverse group of bacteria. Most strains are harmless, others can cause illness. Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. The major source is cattle, but other animals, foods and liquids may spread contamination to people.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
This is a dangerous form of E. coli known by the acronym STEC. The best known strain of this STEC (also called 0157) was identified in 1982. Transmission and symptoms are similar to the most common form of E. coli.
EHEC
A very serious infection is enterohaemorrhagic E. coli known by the acronym EHEC. It produces toxins, known as verotoxins or Shiga-like toxins. It may lead to life threatening diseases such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.
HUS
Scientists believe this is responsible for the European outbreak, originating from a potentially life threatening strain of STEC (0104). HUS afflicts the kidneys, blood and central nervous system.
A Spanish farming group says the country's farmers stand to lose $287 million a week if import bans against the country's agricultural products are not lifted. With the crisis unsolved, Russia said this week said it is banning the import of all fresh vegetables from the European Union - an action the EU immediately called "disproportionate." The EU, which exported $853 million worth of vegetables to Russia last year, said it would seek an explanation from Moscow.
The World Health Organization says this is a rare strain of E. coli bacteria that is highly contagious. Scientists say it is the first time it has caused an outbreak.
The WHO said Thursday that preliminary genetic tests suggest the strain could be a genetic recombination of two different E. coli bacteria.
The outbreak is the deadliest in modern history to involve E. coli, and appears to be the second- or third-largest in terms of the number of people who have become ill.
A food safety expert at the WHO, Hilde Kruse, said the deadly strain has various characteristics that make it more toxic and more virulent than other strains.
With the uncertainty surrounding the latest outbreak, concern about European produce is spreading. The United Arab Emirates on Thursday banned the import of cucumbers from Spain, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Russia said vegetables already imported from EU countries will be seized. The chief of Russia's consumer protection agency, Gennady Onishchenko, urged Russians to avoid imported vegetables in favor of domestic products.
The World Health Organization said Thursday it does not recommend any trade restrictions related to the outbreak.
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The White House has announced that first lady Michelle Obama will travel to South Africa and Botswana for an official visit later this month.
The wife of U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Africa on June 21 for a five-day visit focusing on youth leadership, education, health and wellness.
Mrs. Obama will visit Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana.
The White House says the trip also underscores the importance of Africa's success to America.
In a statement released on Friday, the United States described South Africa as the continent's political and economic leader and a vital global partner.
It described Botswana as a model of good government for using its vast natural resources to invest in its people and grow its economy.
The first lady will be joined by her mother and daughters Malia and Sasha.
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Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Pakistan and the United States will resume joint intelligence operations against Islamist militants, in a step toward mending strained relations between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua says U.S. and Pakistani teams will share intelligence, but she would not comment on whether U.S. forces would be allowed to conduct joint operations on Pakistani soil.
Friday's announcement comes after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Pakistani leaders to go after militant groups operating in the country, during a visit to Islamabad last week.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have hit a low point following the U.S. military raid in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2. Pakistani leaders have warned against any future unilateral actions, calling the operation a violation of the country's sovereignty.
Ties were already strained before the al-Qaida leader's death, following a series of U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan's northwest and the detention of a CIA contractor who shot and killed two Pakistanis in Lahore in January.
Pakistan has since demanded a curtailing of CIA and U.S. Special Forces operatives in Pakistan. And on Thursday, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, acknowledged that the United States had made "significant" cuts to its military staff in Pakistan.
Pakistan received $2.7 billion in security-related assistance from the United States in the fiscal year that ended last September. The country is the third-largest recipient of U.S. security aid and reimbursements, after Afghanistan and Israel.
Some U.S. lawmakers have threatened to cut off funding and questioned Pakistan's commitment to fighting militancy.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, and Reuters.
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China is defending its human rights record on the eve of the 22nd anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, when hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pro-democracy protesters were killed by security forces. Ahead of this year's June 4 anniversary, relatives of those killed say the Beijing government has been offering them cash compensations.
Some 150,000 people are expected to gather at a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown.
Troops backed by tanks crushed the pro-democracy marches on June 4, 1989, causing worldwide condemnation.
China's human rights record has been scrutinized this year after jailed Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace prize. Since then authorities have further cracked down on dissent, jailing lawyers, artists and government critics.
On Friday, the Chinese government brushed off claims that the country is undergoing the worst human rights crackdown since the 1989 massacre.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei says the Chinese people enjoy the best human rights conditions in the country's history and have broad political rights.
He warned activists to respect the nation's constitution and other laws. He added that they should exercise their rights within the framework of the law.
Recent pro-democracy movements across the Middle East and North Africa have toppled some authoritarian governments and led to ongoing civil uprisings. The unrest has made the ruling Communist Party extremely nervous about any signs of instability at home.
Since February, security has been dramatically increased and scores of activists, dissidents and lawyers have been silenced or taken away by police, including the outspoken artist Ai Weiwei.
The relaxed reporting restrictions for foreign correspondents during the 2008 Beijing Olympics have since been reactivated and several reporters have been detained or assaulted when covering sensitive news events.
This week 127 mothers of slain activists at the Tiananmen crackdown released a letter ahead of the protest anniversary, saying that on two recent occasions, Chinese public security officials approached them offering cash payments.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong refused to confirm if the government is indeed offering the mothers compensation.
Ding Zilin is head of the Tiananmen Square Mothers Group, which is demanding a government apology and investigation into what is believed to be several hundred if not thousands of deaths.
She says at the height of the first so-called "Jasmine Revolution" in February, an official from China's Ministry of Public Security visited one of the groups at her home and discussed cash compensation.
She says the official asked how much money the mothers needed. But Ding says the officials would not discuss their request for an inquiry into the killings and an official apology.
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The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia Surya Subedi wrapped up his fifth visit to Cambodia on Friday expressing concern about the lack of progress on land rights and freedom of speech in the country.
The main purpose of the visit - his fifth --was to assess how well parliament functions in upholding the rights of ordinary Cambodians.
On that score, he said that while human rights had improved in some areas, it had noticeably failed to do so in others such as land rights and freedom of speech.
Cambodia's ruling party holds more than two-thirds of the seats in parliament. The opposition complains that allows it to push through legislation without taking anyone else's concerns into account.
Opposition MPs that have spoken out on a number of issues in the past have found themselves stripped of their parliamentary immunity and even convicted for talking about issues of national importance. Subedi said that sort of action is not what democracy is about.
Subedi said he had discussed the topic of stripping parliamentary immunity with the head of parliament, the ruling party's Heng Samrin, who replied that the legislature was merely following its own internal rules.
"But I am examining the internal rules and procedures themselves to see to what extent they are compatible with Cambodia's international human rights obligations," he said.
Subedi said there were some positive developments, such as the fact that government had consulted with civil society and trade unions on pending laws that would affect them.
But he warned that talking was not enough, adding that the government needs to demonstrate that it is incorporating the concerns of others.
During his stay, Subedi met senior government officials, as well as donors, representatives from civil society, members of the political opposition and ordinary Cambodians. He stressed that land and housing rights had been one of his major concerns since he took up the post of U.N. human rights envoy two years ago.
"The problem has not gone away," he said. "Land grabbing by the rich and powerful has been a problem, and economic and other forms of land concessions have affected the rights of the indigenous people living in rural areas."
Subedi said he had met with citizens threatened by eviction, including residents from a site in Phnom Penh that was awarded to a ruling party senator.
"I am aware of their problem. I am sympathetic to their problem. I have made my representation at the highest level possible with the government. That was one of the reasons why I included in my recommendations that when people have a land dispute they should be able to go to court and receive fair and impartial justice," he said. "That was the reason why my last report was focused on the judiciary, on strengthening the independence and capacity of the judiciary."
Subedi said a great deal of work was still needed in that area.
Cambodia's constitution provides for freedom of speech, but that right is often squashed by what authorities say is a need for public security. Earlier this year, Subedi expressed concern that the space to express government criticism was narrowing. He said he did not see the situation improving.
"The situation I am afraid has not changed in this country with regard to freedom of speech. That is where I would like to see some progress made," he said.
Subedi will submit his report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva in September.
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China is celebrating tennis player Li Na's victory at the French Open semifinal in Paris.
Li defeated Russian Maria Sharapova Thursday to win a place in the women's final, where she will compete Saturday against Italian defending champion Francesca Schiavone.
If Li wins, she would become the first Asian to achieve a singles Grand Slam victory.
To find out what Li Na is doing for Chinese tennis, VOA's Sarah Williams spoke with Tom Cannon, professor of Strategic Development at the University of Liverpool Management School, and an authority on sports financing in Asia.
What has Li Na's success meant to Chinese tennis?
"So far, it's built on obviously what happened in Athens [at the 2004 Summer Olympics] when China's women's doubles team won the gold medal and that created tremendous momentum. It's moved it to a plane where it is increasingly seen as the dominant sport for women who wish to participate in sports in China generally. It's massively increased the amount of government support for it because they're seeing it as a great way for gaining profile for China. And it's legitimizing the sport more widely and, in some ways most importantly, it's highlighting in a sense the achievements of the ATP. Because the reality is the ATP has put a tremendous amount of effort into tennis in China. Along with the women's game, they're basically driving the game forward in China and see China as a major opportunity and the new growth market for tennis around the world."
Li Na at the French Open semifinal match in Paris, June 2.
How do you think the Chinese look at the sport of tennis?
"Of course, it has been seen as a Western sport. In a sense, the vast majority of sports have been seen as Western sports. When, for example, in basketball [Houston Rockets player Yao Ming] had the phenomenal success in the U.S.A. at the NBA [National Basketball Association], that boosted it. We've seen it in athletics, when the hurdler [Liu Xiang] achieved that success [winning a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics], it's seen as something very important in China as to how people can compete globally. [Li Na] is doing it as a woman athlete in a sport which has already got momentum in China, and it's just basically accelerating that momentum. If you include construction and all the relating costs that are taking place in the tennis industry in China, I reckon it will move it from a $3.5 billion or $4 billion economy to a $5 billion economy over the next year or two, and her success will an important part of that."
Li Na has been around in professional tennis for a number of years now. Why do you think she's really quite successful now?
"First of all, women's tennis is in a bit of a difficult situation for the moment, where some of the biggest names are not delivering. In a sense, there's a gap at the top of women's tennis, isn't there? Whether it's Maria Sharapova or whoever it happens to be, there isn't the dominance that we're seeing in men's tennis of a relatively small number of dominant players who basically are controlling the game. You've got this gap at the top, and she's moving to a considerable degree, not only to compete at the top of the game where the opportunity lies, but also the truth is, she's gotten stronger."
It seems that Li Na performs especially well on big stages like the Grand Slams. For examnple, after the Australian Open, she didn't perform as well, but is now doing very well.
"We understand that coaches are guiding her on that. What the coaches seem to be doing is focusing her efforts more and more on the 'big ticket' items. I understand that's to some degree being encouraged by the Chinese government or Chinese tennis authorities, who do see these big tournaments as not only a good way for her to get her own profile to demonstrate and force her way into the top rankings, but also that's where national prestige is built. The truth is it is on the main circuits. It is the Wimbledons; it is the Roland Garros; it is the Australian Open; it is the U.S. Open. That's where the national profile is achieved, and that's where you get, certainly for tennis in China, you get a virtual circle. She does well because she concentrates her efforts instead of dissipating her efforts."
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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his Chinese counterpart General Liang Guanglie say they believe the military-to-military relationship between the United States and China is heading in the right direction.
The two officials met Friday on the sidelines of the sidelines of the 10th annual Asia Security Summit. U.S. officials described their meeting as "cordial."
Gates opened the talks by telling General Liang he was hopeful for the future of U.S.-Chinese relations.
"As I leave office at the end of this month, I do so believing that our military relationship is on a more positive trajectory," said Gates.
He highlighted his visit to Beijing in January and other high-level defense exchanges, as well as the planned trip to China next month for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen.
General Liang said he also sees positive progress in Beijing's and Washington's military-to-military relationship.
According to Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, the Chinese defense minister thanked Gates for his personal efforts in narrowing the gap in the relationship between the two countries.
Despite the kind words, Friday's meeting comes as U.S. authorities investigate the search engine Google's allegations that hackers from China stole email passwords of senior U.S. officials. Beijing has denied responsibility.
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said after the meeting that the two leaders discussed points of friction, including China's concerns over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
However, the official added that the two leaders did not discuss cyber issues.
Earlier in the day, Gates met with Japan's defense minister and Malaysia's prime minister.
He also held talks with Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, who joined Gates in voicing support for Washington's continued engagement in Asia and for its cooperation in addressing transnational security threats and enhancing regional security.
Gates is scheduled to deliver the opening address for the Shangri-La Dialogue Saturday morning.
This is his fifth and final Asia Security Summit as U.S. defense secretary before he steps down on June 30.
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Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has blamed a "gang of outlaws" for a rocket attack on Friday that killed seven people and left him wounded.
Yemeni state television broadcast his audio message late Friday, hours after rockets hit his presidential compound in the capital, Sana'a.
Saleh said that he was well and in "good health." However, he said seven people were killed in the incident. Earlier, state news reports said three guards were killed and the imam had been wounded.
Western media accounts quoted an opposition report saying that Saleh and other officials were attending prayers at a mosque in the compound at the time of the attack.
The White House strongly condemned the surge in violence in Yemen. Also, the U.S. State Department released a statement that called for an immediate end to hostilities and fulfillment of an Arab Gulf peace plan that calls for Saleh's departure.
Residents in the capital remained barricaded behind closed doors as fighting raged in Sana'a after dusk on Friday.
Earlier, clashes between President Saleh's forces and loyalists to an opposition tribal leader, Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar, escalated with the destruction of the headquarters of an opposition TV station in Sana'a.
Reports said fighting in the capital had expanded into new neighborhoods, and opposition tribesmen were traveling to Sana'a to take part in the fighting. Government forces reportedly shelled al-Ahmar's tribal headquarters after the mosque attack.
The rising chaos is reportedly pushing the conflict closer to all-out civil war. Government troops are said to have killed 50 opposition members in fighting this week.
Yemen is engulfed by multiple conflicts, with street battles raging in Sana'a, popular unrest by anti-government demonstrators throughout the country and fighting against Islamist militants who have seized the southern city of Zinjibar.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Yemeni officials say President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been wounded during an attack on his compound in Sana'a. Yemen's state media said three guards were killed in the strike, which brought the nation's upheaval to the heart of the government.
Authorities say President Saleh suffered minor injuries when rocket fire hit a mosque in the presidential compound during midday prayers Friday.
Shortly after the attack, officials said Saleh would appear at a news conference, an apparent bid to dispel opposition and some media reports that the president had been more seriously injured or possibly killed. Others close to the president indicated only a statement would be released.
Hours later, with the president not appearing in public, speculation on the exact nature of his injuries added to the uncertainty gripping the capital. Saleh is reportedly being treated in a military hospital.
Deputy Information Minister Abduh al-Janadi went on state-run television Friday evening. Janadi said Saleh is in good health, but the news conference has been postponed because of the "scratches" that the president received - a statement unlikely to quell the concerns.
Officials blamed the attack on forces loyal to the al-Ahmar clan, which have been battling government troops in the capital for nearly two weeks.
But there has been no official claim of responsibility, and the opposition to the president includes government forces who have defected in recent weeks.
Earlier in the day, government troops had fired on houses belonging to members of the al-Ahmar family as well as an opposition military officer. A government official believed the attack on the presidential compound - the first of its kind - was in retaliation.
Forces loyal to tribal leader Sadeq al-Ahmar have been growing in number, with reinforcements trying to enter the city from the north. The sheikh, who heads the Hashid tribal federation, is pushing for Saleh to step down.
But the president has three times rejected a regionally-mediated plan that would see a transition of power.
Violence is also continuing in Taiz against political protesters, and in Zinjibar against Islamic militants who have seized control of the city.
The various tribal and Islamist forces as well as high-ranking military defectors are turning what began as peaceful political protests four months ago into what many observers fear is near all-out civil war.
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Taiwan's massive high-tech industry has long been synonymous with building gadgets cheaply for foreign companies. But at the country's annual technology convention, locally designed tablet computers are hoping to change that image by challenging Apple's wildly popular iPad.
After decades of making PCs at a discount for more well-known foreign companies, Taiwan firms are using their manufacturing experience to design their own machines.
Following the success of Apple's iPad computer, local firms are now building their own tablet PCs, the slate-like devices that are bigger than phones, but smaller than laptop computers. Computex organizers say Taiwanese brands account for many of the show's 50 tablet exhibitors.
Local firms are still building gadgets for others, but they say a mix of contract and self-branded work helps protect them during recessions. Taiwan's high-tech industry is about one eighth of its GDP, but faces increasing competition from emerging markets such as China and Brazil.
To compete with Apple's global brand, local companies are relying first on their experience in finding cheap but viable components by hunting for deals within Taiwan's giant technology supply chain. The practice gives local manufacturers a unique flexibility to customize PCs for business users, who represent a market not fully tapped by Apple.
Market research firm Gartner still expects iPads to command almost 70 percent of the global tablet market of 69 million sales in 2011, though its lead may shrink by 2015.
Local firms say they still cannot fully compete with Apple's in-house hardware and software designs or with its application store. But beating Apple has become such a big cause in Taiwan that its two best known PC makers, Acer and Asustek, openly market their tablets as being priced close to the iPad but with features such as USB ports that Apple missed.
Richard Ma, a senior vice president with Taiwan's Gigabyte Technology, explains why local firms are becoming more competitive.
He says the contract work has let Taiwan IT firms quickly get established while self-branded PCs come with the high costs of finding sales channels, marketing products and clearing inventory. He says Taiwan firms are good at finding partners and mass producing new breakthroughs in hardware components.
Software remains Taiwan's biggest obstacle, because local developers have always prioritized the production of hardware for other parts of the world. Jamie Lin, co-founder of the Taipei-based venture capital firm appWorks Ventures, sees little progress until software matures.
"In the end, I think it's really about all these tablet makers trying to differentiate their products, because Apple is holding tight to their iOS [operating] system and it's not going to license it to anybody else," Jamie Lin noted. "If they want to compete with all the other tablet makers, in terms of their product, a lot of it would come from the software, or the customized user experience. If they have the ability to build that user interface on top of their tablets, right now we're not seeing it yet."
This year two top government-funded technology research institutes focused on Taiwan's global competitiveness announced they are focusing on designing new software, starting with tablet applications. Taiwanese PC brands will be able to license the institute's applications to make their devices more competitive.
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U.S. Senator John McCain, ending a three-day visit to Burma, called on the government to free its more than 2,000 political prisoners and quickly implement democratic reforms.
McCain told a news conference Friday that it was clear from his meetings with top officials that Burma wants closer relations with the United States. However, he said an improvement would depend on concrete actions from Burma.
The senator told reporters that one test of Burma's commitment to reform will be its ability to ensure the safety and human rights of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
McCain also urged Burma to abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions on weapons non-proliferation and cut any military cooperation with North Korea.
McCain met Thursday in Rangoon with Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. After the meeting, the opposition leader voiced satisfaction with the discussion.
On Wednesday, McCain met win the administrative capital of Naypyidaw with Vice President Aung Mynt Oo, Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and other officials.
In advance of his visit, McCain also visited the biggest refugee camp for Burmese in Thailand at Mae Sot. Tens of thousands of refugees are there waiting either to return home or to be resettled elsewhere.
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Jack Kevorkian, the U.S. doctor who was jailed for helping terminally ill people commit suicide, has died at the age of 83.
The former pathologist's attorney and friend says Kevorkian died early Friday at a hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was hospitalized last month with kidney problems.
In 2007, Kevorkian was released from prison after serving eight years of a 10 to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder.
A jury in Michigan sentenced him in 1999 after a video aired on national television of Kevorkian administering lethal drugs to a patient suffering from the debilitating nervous system disease named after U.S. baseball player Lou Gehrig.
He had been jailed and charged in other cases for assisting suicides. His previous trials resulted in three acquittals and one mistrial.
Nicknamed "Dr. Death," Kevorkian said he helped some 130 terminally ill people end their lives, often allowing his patients to operate his so-called "suicide machine."
Only a few U.S. states have legalized physician-assisted suicide. Oregon was the first to pass a law in 1997, while the state of Washington did the same more than 10 years later. A Montana Supreme Court ruling has effectively legalized the controversial practice in that state.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Albertina Sisulu, anti-apartheid struggle icon, has died suddenly at her home in Johannesburg.
Ma Sisulu, as she was fondly known across South Africa, died unexpectedly at her family home late Thursday. In announcing the death, her son Mlungisi Sisulu says she was, as always, at the center of family activities.
"Sitting in a chair watching the news, as they prepared supper," said Mlungisi Sisulu. "And all of a sudden she slumped to one side. We are really saddened because she was in good health, she was actually jolly this afternoon. And at 92 she was fairly healthy, but that is how it has happened, she has passed on."
Born Nontsikelelo Albertina Tetiwe in the Tsomo district of the Eastern Cape on October 21, 1918, the second of five children, Sisulu was orphaned as a teenager and forced to take care of her younger sisters. She moved to Johannesburg in 1940 to train as a nurse, a career choice which importantly enabled her to earn a wage as she studied and trained.
It was in Johannesburg that she met anti-apartheid struggle activist Walter Sisulu, and the couple married in 1944. It was her husband who drew her into the struggle and soon she became a political leader in her own right.
In a 1994 interview, Walter Sisulu told VOA that when he became secretary-general of the ANC in 1949, he was only able to accept the responsibility because the woman he described as remarkable, made it possible.
"When I took up the position of being a secretary-general, that very night I knew, finished with me: I can't go to business, I can't be employed, I've got a duty to the people," said Walter Sisulu. "Changed my whole approach. What was I going to depend on? I was not paid a salary, I wasn't going to earn anything. I depended on my wife. I say remarkable, because with no means she was able to keep the family together."
In 1964 Walter Sisulu was jailed along with Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders and Ma Sisulu was left to support and raise her children quite alone. But her political activities continued and she was detained without trial, jailed, tortured several times and finally placed under a banning order which meant she could not meet with more than one person at a time, and could not be quoted. Another veteran activist, Amina Cachalia earlier told VOA it was a terrible burden, always born with grace and dignity.
"And hers was such a tremendous responsibility to keep that family together, [she was] sometimes in jail, and sometimes away, and sometimes being tortured, and he in prison - so it was tremendous loss for her and I think if anybody deserved a better deal, it would be Albertina," said Amina Cachalia.
After her banning order expired in 1983, Ma Sisulu became president of the newly launched United Democratic Front, an organization formed to revitalize and reorganize the anti-apartheid struggle in the absence of the outlawed African National Congress and other political organizations.
In 1994, with the advent of democracy in South Africa, Ma Sisulu was given the honor of nominating Nelson Mandela for election by parliament as president of the country. She served one term as a legislator before retiring.
Tributes have been pouring in from South Africa and abroad. In a statement on behalf of its founder, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said Mandela held her in high regard, saying she was "wise and wonderful." The Foundation said South Africa has lost a treasure.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is meeting with several of his Asian counterparts Friday in Singapore, ahead of the start of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference. Gates says he hopes to relay to Washington's Asian allies that the United States remains committed to the region, no matter what.
Gates' meeting with Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen was the first of several bilateral meetings Friday at the Shangri-La hotel.
The two issued a joint statement praising what they called their countries' "excellent and longstanding bilateral defense relationship." They also noted Singapore's contributions to the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan and to international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.
Minister Ng also joined Secretary Gates in voicing support for Washington's continued engagement in the region and for its cooperation in addressing transnational security threats and enhancing regional security.
Speaking to reporters en route to the conference Thursday, Gates praised the opportunity to meet with allies, especially as Washington works to remain influential in Asia in the face of potential budget cuts.
"I think as the kinds of problems that the world is facing make it more difficult to have, to be successful with a unilateral approach, the opportunity to build these partnerships becomes even more important," he said.
This is Gates' fifth and final Asia Security Summit as U.S. defense secretary.
He is also scheduled to meet with Japan's defense minister, Malaysia's prime minister and his Chinese counterpart, General Liang Guanglie.
This is the first time China has participated in the Shangri-La Dialogue at the level of defense minister.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies is sponsoring the event, which is in its 10th year. The group's director-general, John Chipman, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address Friday evening. Secretary Gates speaks Saturday morning.
Delegates from 27 countries are in attendance. The dialogue lasts from Friday until Sunday.
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Clashes in the Yemeni capital escalated further on Friday, with the destruction of the headquarters of an opposition TV station.
Reports say the fighting in Sana'a is expanding into new neighborhoods of the city, and tribesmen loyal to the opposition are traveling to the capital city to take part in the fighting.
The rising chaos is pushing the conflict closer to an all-out civil war. Opposition groups say government troops have killed 50 opposition members in fighting this week.
Yemen is engulfed by multiple conflicts, with the street battles raging in Sana'a, popular unrest by anti-government demonstrators throughout the country and fighting against Islamist militants who have seized the southern city of Zinjibar.
In the southern city of Taiz, government forces and protesters clashed Thursday. At least 25 people have died in the violence in Taiz in the past few days.
Sana'a is split, with Yemeni security forces holding the southern part of the city against tribesmen and renegade military units in the north. The opposition is calling for the resignation of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The clashes threatened to close the Sana'a airport, which lies 10 kilometers north of the city. The streets of the capital are now largely deserted, as thousands of residents flee to safer ground.
U.S. envoy John Brennan, President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, left the U.S. Thursday to travel to the United Arab Emirates to continue talks on Yemen. He is seeking help to pressure President Saleh to accept a deal brokered by regional powers that would secure a peaceful end to his nearly 33-year rule.
The fighting in Sana'a broke out last week when pro-Saleh forces moved against the al-Ahmar compound in Hasaba, a district of the capital. In March, the al-Ahmar family had announced that the Hashid confederation - the country's most powerful tribal alliance - would back the protest movement, but its armed fighters had avoided clashes with Saleh's forces.
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