| Tribunal Opens Trial of Top Khmer Rouge Leaders Posted: 26 Jun 2011 09:10 PM PDT The top surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge appeared in a Cambodian courtroom Monday at the beginning of their long-awaited trial for crimes against humanity. The trial is the showcase event for the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal, which was created to demonstrate impartial justice and foster healing in a country long divided by the Khmer Rouge atrocities in the late 1970s.
About 500 people, many of them Khmer Rouge victims, filled the courtroom for the start of the trial. The four elderly defendants sat together without handcuffs behind a curtain to hear the charges read against them.
On trial are Khieu Samphan, 79, the nominal head of state; Nuon Chea, 84, described as the Khmer Rouge's chief ideologue; Ieng Sary, 85, the foreign minister; and his wife, Ieng Thirith, 79, who was minister of social affairs. All have denied the charges, which include war crimes, genocide, religious persecution and torture.
Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge leader, died in 1998.
Proceedings over the next four days will be devoted to procedural issues, with the presentation of evidence and testimony not expected to begin for several weeks. The trial is expected to involve hundreds of witnesses and last for years, raising concerns about whether all of the elderly defendants will live to see it end.
In its only previous case, the court last year convicted Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who ran the main prison and torture house of the Khmer Rouge. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, which was reduced to 19 years.
As many as 2 million people are believed to have been executed or died from starvation and overwork under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ICC Set to Rule on Gadhafi Warrant Posted: 27 Jun 2011 02:59 AM PDT Judges at the International Criminal Court are set to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and two of his most trusted lieutenants on war crimes charges.
The court in The Hague is expected to announce the judges' decision on Monday.
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked for arrest warrants for Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi. Moreno-Ocampo says Gadhafi and his regime carried out attacks against demonstrators, and ordered snipers to fire on civilians leaving mosques during the crackdown against rebels seeking his ouster.
Meanwhile, rebels in Libya's western mountains say they have advanced and are battling government forces in a strategic town 80 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tripoli.
Opposition commanders said Sunday's fighting on the outskirts of Bair al-Ghanam follows weeks of intense clashes in the Nafusa Mountains that have pushed government troops steadily back toward the capital.
The town is significant because it is only 30 kilometers from Zawiya, a key western gateway to Tripoli and home to a crucial oil refinery. Opposition forces seized Zawiya in March before pro-Gadhafi fighters retook the city.
A ship carrying 106 Libyans arrived in Tripoli early Sunday from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi. The ferry was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which transported about 300 people to Benghazi from Tripoli on Friday.
African Union leaders meeting in Pretoria said Gadhafi has agreed to stay out of negotiations to end Libya's more than four-month-old civil war. The AU said in a statement Sunday that it "welcomes Gadhafi's acceptance of not being part of the negotiation process."
There was no immediate confirmation from the Libyan government of what could be a significant concession.
Late Sunday, Gadhafi's spokesman remained defiant, insisting the Libyan leader "is leading the country. He will not leave. He will not step down." Gadhafi has run Libya for 42 years, but is being pressured to cede power by rebels who rose up against his rule and by a NATO-led bombing campaign.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. |
| Libyan Rebels Claim Advances in Western Mountains Posted: 26 Jun 2011 06:31 PM PDT Rebels in Libya's western mountains say they have advanced and are battling leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces in a strategic town 80 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tripoli.
Opposition commanders said Sunday's fighting on the outskirts of Bair al-Ghanam follows weeks of intense clashes in the Nafusa Mountains that have pushed government troops steadily back toward the capital.
The town is significant because it is only 30 kilometers from Zawiya, a key western gateway to Tripoli and home to a crucial oil refinery. Opposition forces seized Zawiya in March before pro-Gadhafi fighters retook the city.
A ship carrying 106 Libyans arrived in Tripoli early Sunday from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi. The ferry was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which transported about 300 people to Benghazi from Tripoli on Friday.
Meanwhile, African Union leaders meeting in Pretoria said Mr. Gadhafi has agreed to stay out of negotiations to end Libya's more than four-month-old civil war. The AU said in a statement Sunday that it "welcomes Mr. Gadhafi's acceptance of not being part of the negotiation process."
There was no immediate confirmation from the Libyan government of what could be a significant concession.
Late Sunday, Mr. Gadhafi's spokesman remained defiant, insisting the Libyan leader "is leading the country. He will not leave. He will not step down." Mr. Gadhafi has run Libya for 42 years, but is being pressured to cede power by rebels who rose up against his rule and by a NATO-led bombing campaign.
In Pretoria, South African President Jacob Zuma warned NATO not to use its military power to kill Mr. Gadhafi. Mr. Zuma said the U.N. resolution authorizing allied action in Libya is designed to protect the Libyan people, not to pursue "regime change or political assassination."
NATO has denied targeting Mr. Gadhafi after a May 1 airstrike that Libya's government said killed four members of the Gadhafi family. Russia at the time expressed doubts about NATO's denial.
Judges at the International Criminal Court are expected to convene Monday in The Hague to hand down war crimes indictments against Mr. Gadhafi and two of his most trusted lieutenants.
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked for arrest warrants for Mr. Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bombing of Nigerian Beer Garden Kills 25 Posted: 26 Jun 2011 09:01 PM PDT Suspected Islamic militants threw a bomb into a beer garden in northeastern Nigeria Sunday, killing 25 people and wounding at least 12 others.
Police and witnesses say the attackers drove up to the open-air pub in Maiduguri on motorcycles and tossed a bomb into the crowd of drinkers. Some witnesses say the attackers also fired gunshots into the crowd.
Authorities are blaming Boko Haram, an Islamic fundamentalist group whose name in the Hausa language means "western education is sinful."
Maiduguri is the capital of Borno state which has embraced staunch Islamic law. Boko Haram is believed to be responsible for a number of bombings, shootings, and attacks on police in Borno.
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| Palestinians to Seek UN Recognition in September Posted: 26 Jun 2011 07:04 PM PDT The Palestinian Authority says it will go to the United Nations in September and ask for recognition of an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, a move opposed by both Israel and the United States.
The official Palestinian news agency (WAFA) said Sunday that leaders in Ramallah confirmed they will seek recognition based on pre-1967 borders, membership in the United Nations and acknowledgment of the right to self-determination in accordance with the U.N. charter.
Israel has denounced the Palestinian U.N. initiative, charging it would shatter efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the Mideast conflict. The U.S., Germany and Italy have also expressed reservations.
Many Palestinians, however, claim the move would strengthen efforts to renew negotiations with Israel based on the Arab Peace Initiative, the Mideast Quartet decisions as well as U.S. President Barack Obama's Mideast vision which he recently outlined.
About 100 nations have already recognized a Palestinian state in one form or another and a formal vote for recognition at the U.N. General Assembly would be a diplomatic victory. But only the U.N. Security Council has the legal power to add nations to the world body.
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| Tens of Thousands of Yemenis Call for Saleh's Sons to Leave Yemen Posted: 26 Jun 2011 01:36 PM PDT Tens of thousands of Yemenis have rallied in the capital, Sana'a, and other cities to demand that the two powerful sons of wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh leave the country.
Mr. Saleh has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia since suffering severe wounds in a June 3 attack on his palace, but his sons have retained control of powerful military units, maintaining their father's grip on power.
Many of the opposition activists who marched Sunday chanted slogans calling on Mr. Saleh's sons and other members of his inner circle to get out of Yemen. The eldest son, Ahmed, commands the Yemeni military's elite Republican Guard, while his brother, Khaled, heads a special forces division.
Mr. Saleh has refused to step down despite months of almost daily nationwide protests demanding an end to his 33-year autocratic rule. His deputy, Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur Hadi, has come under pressure from the opposition and Western powers to begin an immediate transition of power to a democratic system of government.
Yemeni officials said Sunday Mr. Saleh is in "good health." It is unclear when or if he will return to Yemen.
In his absence, the Yemeni military has continued fighting Islamist militants who took control of the southern city of Zinjibar late last month. Yemeni officials say government warplanes struck militant targets Sunday in Abyan province, of which Zinjibar is the capital.
The targets included a regional government headquarters seized by the insurgents.
Officials say the fighting killed at least six militants and two Yemeni soldiers. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Syrian Activists to Meet in Damascus Monday Posted: 26 Jun 2011 03:43 AM PDT More than 150 Syrian intellectuals and activists, including some of the country's most prominent opposition figures, will meet Monday in Damascus to discuss how to end the current violent upheaval and initiate a peaceful transition to democratic rule.
Those attending the planned gathering, the first to take place inside Syria during the anti-government uprising, say the meeting will be a discussion among independent figures with no ties to the government or any political parties.
It will include veteran figures such as Louay Hussein and Aref Dalila, who were among a group of four activists who previously met emissaries from President Bashar al-Assad but have refused further contact while the killing continues.
Some opposition figures have refused to attend Monday's conference, saying any sanctioned meeting could be used by Mr. Assad's government to "bestow legitimacy" on itself. One youth activist said any decisions made at the gathering "will have no bearing for protesters on the ground."
Syrian authorities were informed of the event and have not blocked it.
Meanwhile, a Syrian human rights group said security forces opened fire during funerals for slain political protesters, killing two people.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the two were shot dead Saturday in al-Kaswa, south of the capital, Damascus. The group said troops began shooting when the funerals turned into protests.
Saturday's funerals were for anti-government protesters who died Friday when government forces opened fire, killing at least 20 people, including two children. Most of the deaths occurred in and around Damascus.
Demonstrators calling for Mr. Assad's ouster have been under assault by pro-government forces for more than 100 days.
More than 12,000 Syrians have fled into Turkey and hundreds more into Lebanon to escape the escalating violence in their homeland.
Rights groups say more than 1,400 people have been killed in the violence, most of them unarmed protesters. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
and discuss them on our Facebook page. | This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Suicide Bomber in Wheelchair Kills Two at Iraqi Police Station Posted: 26 Jun 2011 04:58 AM PDT Iraqi officials say a suicide bomber in a wheelchair has attacked a police station near the capital, Baghdad, killing at least two people and wounding 18 others.
Authorities say the bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the police compound in the central town of Tarmiyah on Sunday. At least nine of those wounded were policemen.
Elsewhere, police say a bomb went off Sunday near a car carrying the mayor of the northern Iraqi town of Riyadh in Kirkuk province. Two people were wounded, but the mayor was unharmed.
Iraqi security personnel and officials have become a frequent target of insurgents as the Iraqi government prepares for a withdrawal of U.S. forces that is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
In another development, an Iraqi official said Sunday a court has sentenced the wife of a slain al-Qaida leader to life in prison on charges of providing assistance to terrorists. Judicial council spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar says the court handed the life term to Hasna Ali Yahya on Thursday.
Yahya, a Yemeni national, was married to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al-Qaida's Iraqi affiliate until Iraqi and U.S. forces killed him and another top militant in a security operation in April 2010. Such operations have weakened al-Qaida in Iraq in recent years, but the group has continued to stage deadly attacks across the country. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
and discuss them on our Facebook page. | |
| Latest Afghan Violence Takes Toll on Women, Children Posted: 26 Jun 2011 06:32 AM PDT Afghanistan's Interior Ministry on Sunday accused insurgents of killing an eight-year-old girl by giving her a bag of explosives and telling her to deliver it to the police.
As the little girl approached a police outpost in central Uruzgan province Saturday, the bag exploded, killing her.
Also Sunday, Afghan officials said the death toll from a suicide car attack on a hospital in eastern Logar province has risen to 38. Another 50 people were wounded in Saturday's blast which destroyed the building and buried people in the rubble.
The Taliban has denied responsibility for the attack. However, the group is active in the region and often carries out suicide attacks.
Separately, NATO said five of its service members were killed during operations in Afghanistan Sunday.
The coalition said roadside bombs killed two troops in western Afghanistan and another one in the south, while two soldiers died in two separate insurgent attacks in the east and south.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a CNN television interview, welcomed U.S. plans to withdraw thousands of troops, calling the move a sign that Afghanistan is ready to start defending its own territory.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that 10,000 American troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. A total of 33,000 U.S. forces will be withdrawn by September of 2012.
Some Afghans are concerned that gains made against the Taliban will be lost if foreign troops are withdrawn before Afghan forces are ready to take over security. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Chinese Dissident Released From Prison Posted: 26 Jun 2011 04:36 AM PDT Prominent Chinese dissident Hu Jia has been reunited with his family after serving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for inciting subversion. But his wife says she fears an existing health condition may have worsened because of his long jail term.
Zeng Jinyan announced on the Internet social network Twitter that her activist husband was released from prison early Sunday.
The 37-year-old Hu Jia remains under house arrest and is under heavy police guard.
Zeng said the couple were happy to be reunited and she was delighted with his release. But she told reporters she feared for her husband's health.
Zeng says before Hu went into prison he had early stage cirrhosis of the liver. She told Reuters they do not know how serious the cirrhosis has become because they have not been given medical reports by the prison authorities. She says her husband has been to the hospital for check-ups and is taking anti-viral medication.
Like dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who was released this past week, Hu has been warned by the authorities he faces further punishment unless he keeps silent and does not talk to news media.
Hu was convicted of inciting subversion of state power in 2008.
During the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics he published an open letter to the Chinese government entitled "The Real China and the Olympics." It called for an end to human rights abuses in the country.
Hu was also a vocal campaigner in the fight against AIDS and spoke out for the hundred of thousands of Chinese affected by the disease.
He was also critical of China's poor environmental policies.
Few believe Hu and Ai Weiwei's release signal a relaxation of the ruling Communist Party's biggest crackdown on dissent in two decades.
The Chinese government has been silencing dissidents since February out of concern that uprisings across the Arab world could also inspire similar political protests and revolts at home.
Scores of activist, rights lawyers and dissidents have disappeared, been placed under house arrest and warned to keep silent, often with threats to their family members.
Some analysts called Ai's release several days ago a calculated attempt to stop public protests and forestall criticism by European governments during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's four-day European tour, which began Saturday in Britain.
Beijing strongly denies it has given in to international condemnation to release any of its citizens it believes are a threat to its rule. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Obama to Lead US Debt Negotiations Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:42 AM PDT On Monday, President Barack Obama will become directly involved in the stalled negotiations over the U.S. national debt amid debate over raising the federal borrowing limit. The president is expected to meet separately with the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, days after a key Republican lawmaker walked out of talks that had been led by Vice President Joe Biden. Legislators of both parties show little interest in compromising.
The United States risks defaulting on its $14 trillion national debt unless Congress raises the federal debt ceiling in the coming weeks. Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, insist that the rate at which the United States incurs debt must be cut sharply if they are to vote to increase the debt limit.
Lawmakers of both parties agree that America's fiscal outlook must improve. But a bipartisan solution remains elusive. Republicans are demanding deep spending cuts with no tax increases, a position that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will present to Mr. Obama at the White House. "We have been spending way too much. We have a spending problem. We do not have a problem because we tax too little," he said.
McConnell spoke on ABC television's "This Week" program.
Democrats accuse their Republican colleagues of holding the debt ceiling vote hostage to an ultra-conservative fiscal agenda they could never enact on their own.
Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Harry Reid will also meet with President Obama to discuss the debt situation. "The Republicans should stop playing [a dangerous game] and pushing us too close to that line," he said.
The line Reid is referring to is a possible default on U.S. debt obligations.
Democrats agree that federal spending must be reduced, but add that cuts alone will not solve America's fiscal woes. They say a combination of spending restraint and increased revenue is the only realistic option for cutting the federal deficit.
Democratic Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina says that to increase government revenue, tax breaks for favored industries like oil companies should be eliminated. "You only hike taxes when you raise rates [of taxation]. We are not asking anybody to raise anybody's rates. We want effective tax collection, close these [special tax exemptions], stop giving billions of dollars in breaks," he said.
Clyburn also appeared on ABC's "This Week."
Republicans counter that added tax revenues, regardless of the source, will only enable ever-higher federal spending.
Senator McConnell said, "We think it is important to take advantage of this opportunity to do something really important to move this country in a different direction. Under this administration, we have increased spending 35 percent in two-and-a-half years. We need to stop that."
The war of words in Washington's hyper-partisan atmosphere makes compromise increasingly difficult. So says Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who reached a landmark budget agreement with the state's Democratically-controlled legislature earlier this year.
Appearing on NBC television's "Meet the Press" program, Christie described the key to the deal. "We did not demagogue each other. And I think what happens here [in Washington] and what both parties are guilty of is demagoguing each other. So then it makes it almost impossible to sit across the table and bargain with each other," he said.
Economists say a default on U.S. debt obligations would trigger a global financial crisis, likely plunging the United States back into recession. Whether the specter of possible economic ruin can pierce partisanship and drive a debt ceiling agreement will be put to the test in the coming weeks. |
| Vietnam and China Pledge to Peacefully Resolve Maritime Dispute Posted: 26 Jun 2011 03:23 AM PDT China and Vietnam pledged Sunday to resolve their maritime dispute in the South China Sea through peaceful dialogue.
Chinese media says Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vietnamese Vice Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son met in Beijing Saturday and agreed to address the dispute through negotiations and peaceful, friendly consultations.
However, no details on specific plans or timing were given.
Meanwhile, about 100 Vietnamese rallied in the capital of Hanoi Sunday for the fourth consecutive weekend to protest against China's role in the escalating dispute.
The crowd grew as it marched through Hanoi's streets, chanting and singing patriotic songs. The demonstrators were outnumbered by police, who let the peaceful protest continue.
The rare demonstrations are in response to rising tensions in the diplomatic dispute over competing claims to the Spratly and Paracel island chains and other maritime territories.
Last month, Vietnam complained that a Chinese patrol ship severed an exploration cable trailing from an oil survey ship operating in waters inside Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. The Philippines also has complained of Chinese patrol boats interfering with oil exploration off its western coast.
In each case, China insisted its ships were operating appropriately in waters under Beijing's administration. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sudan's President Praises China Ahead of Delayed Visit to Beijing Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:59 PM PDT China says a controversial visit to Beijing by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been delayed, forcing the postponement of a scheduled meeting Monday with President Hu Jintao.
The planned four-day visit has been condemned by human rights groups because of China's refusal to arrest Mr. Bashir on warrants issued by the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Chinese officials did not say why Mr. Bashir's flight was delayed or when he was expected to arrive.
In an interview with Chinese media ahead of the visit, Mr. Bashir praised China for helping his country to blunt the impact of U.S.-led economic sanctions.
He also told the official Xinhua news agency that he expects Beijing to continue to have good relations with both northern and southern Sudan after the regions separate on July 9. Mr. Bashir was expected to discuss the split in talks with Mr. Hu. In his interview, Mr. Bashir said Sudan found a "true partner" in China after Western oil companies were limited from working in Sudan by sanctions imposed because of fighting in Darfur. He said China is funding and implementing many projects in Sudan, surprising other African and Arab countries that had thought the sanctions would make it impossible for Sudan to extract its oil.
He said the success of the Sino-Sudanese relationship is leading other African countries to search for "the real and loyal partner." He also said the establishment of Chinese relations with the new state in southern Sudan - which will inherit a large part of Sudan's oil reserves - will not detract from relations with Khartoum.
The ICC wants to try Mr. Bashir for crimes against humanity over his government's handling of the uprising in Darfur, in which an estimated 300,000 people have died. The Sudanese president canceled a planned visit to Malaysia this month after its government came under pressure to arrest him. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US Official: China's Military Expansion Raises Concerns in Asia-Pacific Posted: 26 Jun 2011 09:27 PM PDT A top U.S. official for East Asian and Pacific affairs says the U.S. government has conveyed to China that its military expansion is raising concerns in the region.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke to reporters in Honolulu, after a meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai.
The two officials held their first round of consultations on the Asia-Pacific region in a closed-door meeting Saturday.
Campbell described the discussions as "open, frank and constructive" and said their goal was to obtain a better understanding of each other's intentions, policies, and actions toward the region.
Campbell said the United States reiterated that it welcomes a strong, prosperous, and successful China that plays a greater role in regional and world affairs. However, he also said greater transparency and more dialogue by China about its growing military capabilities would help ease regional concerns.
Campbell said the bilateral talks also included North Korea's nuclear weapons program, maritime security in the South China Sea and Burma. The two sides say that Saturday's consultations were an outcome of the third round of the China-U.S.. strategic and economic dialogue held in May and that they reflect a consensus reached by U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship
Campbell said that upcoming multilateral sessions should highlight areas where the United States and China -- but other countries, as well -- are able to very clearly articulate areas of cooperation on issues such as disaster preparedness.
On North Korea, he reiterated that the United States is looking for concrete progress in Pyongyang's relations with South Korea. He said the U.S. has urged China again to press North Korea to deal responsibly and appropriately with South Korea, and to refrain from any further provocations.
On South China Sea tensions, he said the United States told China that it wants an end to regional tensions and dialogue among all the key players.
China last week warned the United States to stay out of the regional dispute over the South China Sea waters which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
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| China Welcomes 'New Channel' for Dialogue With US Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:30 PM PDT China is welcoming the opening of a "new channel" of communications with the United States after talks in Hawaii where South China Sea tensions were discussed.
A commentary Sunday in the official Xinhua news agency said the talks resulted from Washington's strategic emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region and China's growing global influence. It said China welcomes America's enhanced role in the region as long as it is constructive for peace and development.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said after the talks on Saturday with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai that the two had "candid and clear" discussions about the South China Sea disputes.
He said the United States wants tensions to subside and that it seeks a dialogue among all the key players in the disputes. Both Vietnam and the Philippines have protested recent actions by Chinese naval vessels in waters the two countries claim as their exclusive economic zones. The two have sought U.S. support in the conflicts, prompting China to warn the United States against outside interference.
China and Vietnam agreed at a meeting Saturday in Beijing to peacefully resolve their dispute through negotiations and friendly consultations. The Philippines last week won assurances from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the United States remains committed to a 60-year-old mutual defense treaty with Manila.
Despite the tensions, Campbell said the talks in Hawaii helped the the United States and China achieve a better understanding of each other's intentions, policies and actions. Xinhua quoted Cui as saying the talks had been "friendly, candid and constructive."
The consultations grew out of the third round of a China-U.S. strategic and economic dialogue in May. China says they reflect an agreement between Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship.
Further meetings are planned at a date that has not been determined.
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| Thailand Withdraws From World Heritage Convention Over Temple Dispute Posted: 26 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT Thailand on Sunday withdrew from the World Heritage Convention as Cambodia prepared to present management plans for a 900-year-old temple to a meeting of the committee in Paris. The Thai government says its withdrawal is meant to protect the country's sovereignty; analysts say it further delays implementing a management plan for the historical site.
Thailand's withdrawal from the World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage Committee came during a Paris meeting after an agreement was reached to place a proposed management plan for the site on the meeting's agenda.
Thailand has disputed moves by Cambodia to present a management plan for the 900-year-old disputed temple on the Cambodia-Thailand border.
At the meeting, Thailand requested a deferral of any proposed management plans until the the border dispute is settled. In 1962, the Hague-based International Court of Justice, or ICJ, ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia. But the more than four-square-kilometer border around the temple, known as the Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand, remains in dispute. In May, Cambodia called on the ICJ to force Thailand to withdraw troops from the contested territory surrounding the temple.
The Thai Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Suwit Khunkitti, announced Sunday's decision to withdraw from the World Heritage Convention.
Thai Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the decision is aimed at protecting his country's national interests, given the territorial dispute.
"This is why the prime minister and the government of Thailand made a decision to withdraw from the treaty and the membership of World Heritage [Committee], just to make sure that we are not running any risks affecting our national integrity and sovereignty," he said.
In 2008, the temple was listed as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization, or UNESCO. Since then, Thailand and Cambodia have fought sporadically over the site.
In cross-border clashes in April, as many as 50,000 Thai and Cambodian villagers were forced to flee to emergency centers.
Political scientist Carl Thayer at the University of New South Wales in Australia calls the Thai government's decision to withdraw from the World Heritage Convention and Committee a step backward in ending the cross-border conflict over the Hindu temple.
"I suspect Cambodia will have to come up with a bit of a delay on their part," he said. "Bottom line - it would delay getting UNESCO to put the final seal of approval on it [i.e., the management plan] because the management plan is going through disputed territory. How does Cambodia effectively develop that temple? The stronger case would be if the two countries were going to cooperate."
Angered by the government's failure to take a tougher stance against Cambodia over the conflict, Thai nationalists welcomed their government's withdrawal from the convention. In a protest last week in Bangkok, the nationalists demanded that the United Nations withdraw the temple's World Heritage designation.
Thai officials say they are prepared to work with the international community as well as with UNESCO and World Heritage members to move forward without the proposed management plan, they say, that affects Thailand's sovereignty. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Brazilian Elected Head of UN Food Agency Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:55 AM PDT Jose Graziano da Silva of Brazil was elected Director-General of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization on Sunday. He replaces Jacques Diouf of Senegal, who held the position for 18 years.
Until now, Jose Graziano da Silva of Brazil held the FAO position of regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean. On Sunday, he won the organization's top job in the second ballot with the support of 92 of the 180 FAO member states voting.
Speaking in Spanish after the ballot, Graziano accepted his appointment. "I am no longer a Brazilian candidate," he said, "but a director-general elected by all the countries."
Graziano beat out main challenger Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain and four other candidates to replace Jacques Diouf of Senegal.
He takes over the agency as high food prices are putting the lives of millions of already hungry and malnourished people at further risk, and raising fears of a repeat of the 2007-2008 high-price-driven social unrest in parts of the world.
Kathleen Merrigan, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, expressed satisfaction with Graziano's election. "I'm very excited that Brazil has won this election. They had an excellent candidate, someone who has a lot of experience here at FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and we look forward to working with him," she said.
Graziano has served as food security minister under former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In that capacity, he helped implement a "Zero Hunger" initiative that helped decrease malnutrition in Brazil.
Prior to his election, Graziano promised to carry out FAO reform plans and said Africa should remain a priority for the agency, with FAO playing a central role in water and marine resources management.
The aid group Oxfam issued a statement following Sunday's vote, welcoming Graziano's victory. It said he has the expertise and commitment to "transform" the world's food system and to "make the shift toward a new agricultural future." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Former Ukraine PM to Stand Trial for Abuse of Power Charges Posted: 26 Jun 2011 06:51 AM PDT Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will stand trial in Kyiv on Wednesday, charged with abuse of power.
The former prime minister, known as the "Iron Lady," is accused of abuse of power in connection with a contract she signed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after a gas dispute with Russia in early 2009.
Ukrainian officials allege Ms. Tymoshenko caused the former Soviet republic to lose nearly $200 million when she signed the new energy agreement with Mr. Putin after a brief interruption in gas deliveries.
Ukrainian officials also say Ms. Tymoshenko forced the president of Naftogaz to sign the deal with Russia's Gazprom.
Ms. Tymoshenko says she is innocent and denounced Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych as a rival who fears political competition. She says frame-up trials against her are taking place uninterrupted and will continue until the next parliamentary elections to prevent her from participating in politics and from helping people.
The former prime minister narrowly lost to Mr. Yanukovych in last year's presidential elections. Ms. Tymoshenko became an international figure in 2004, with her trademark braids, as a leader of the "Orange Revolution." The street demonstrations effectively ended Mr. Yanukovych's first bid for the presidency.
Ms. Tymoshenko says Mr. Yanukovych is the instigator of what she called a "crooked" court action that will likely convict her of abuse of power charges.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Israel Begins Dismantling Section of West Bank Barrier Posted: 26 Jun 2011 10:54 AM PDT After a long Palestinian struggle, Israel on Sunday began changing the route of its security fence near a West Bank village.
Israel started dismantling a section of its controversial West Bank separation barrier as ordered by the nation's Supreme Court. The court ruled that the route of the barrier was illegal because it confiscated Palestinian farmland.
The construction work is taking place near the village of Bilin, the site of weekly protests that have become the symbol of the Palestinian struggle against the barrier. Israel says the fence is necessary to keep suicide bombers out of the country; Palestinians say it is a land grab because it confiscated territory beyond the 1967 borders.
Under the new barrier route, Israel will return 55 hectares of land to Palestinian villagers in Bilin.
The secretary of the village council, Mohammed Khattib, calls it a victory, but says the struggle is not over. Khattib told Israel Radio that weekly demonstrations on Fridays will continue until Israel returns some 20 hectares of village land.
The Israeli army commander for the area, Colonel Saar Tsur, says the new route of the barrier poses security challenges because it will be much closer to the large Jewish settlement of Modi'in. Tsur says there is a danger of mass marches by Palestinians on the settlement. But he says if that happens, the Israeli Army is prepared to stop them. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| S. African President Zuma Warns NATO Against Killing Gadhafi Posted: 26 Jun 2011 06:26 PM PDT South African President Jacob Zuma has warned NATO not to use its military power to kill Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Mr. Zuma spoke in Pretoria Sunday as a high-level African Union panel discussed ways of ending the four-month conflict between Mr. Gadhafi and eastern-based rebels.
Mr. Zuma said the U.N. resolution that authorized NATO action in Libya was to protect the Libyan people, not to pursue "regime change or political assassination."
NATO denied targeting Mr. Gadhafi after a May 1 airstrike that Libya's government said killed four members of the Gadhafi family. Russia at that time expressed doubts about the NATO denial.
Mr. Zuma said the AU believes any solution to the conflict must be political and "lies in the hands of the Libyan people."
He said the AU wants a cease-fire in Libya, to be followed by political reforms and elections that enable Libyans to freely choose their own leaders.
The African Union panel on Libya met to discuss peace and humanitarian aid efforts in the war-torn country. President Zuma hosted heads of state from Mauritania, Uganda and Mali at Sunday's meeting.
Mr. Zuma's office said the leaders would discuss efforts to secure a cease-fire and to bring about political reforms it says are needed to eliminate the causes of the Libyan conflict.
The AU has tried to broker peace between Mr. Gadhafi and the rebels, who control much of the country's east. Mr. Zuma met with Mr. Gadhafi May 30 in Tripoli in a failed attempt to reach a deal. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Dabangg' is Big Bollywood Awards Winner Posted: 26 Jun 2011 05:30 AM PDT "Dabangg," a tale about a corrupt police officer, was the big winner Saturday at the 12th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Toronto, marking the first time the Bollywood ceremony has been held in North America.
"Dabangg" won several awards, including best picture, three music awards and best screenplay. Sonakshi Sinha earned the female debut award for her role in the cop drama, while actor Sonu Sood picked up the award for best performance in a negative role.
"My Name is Khan" won four awards for best story, best lyrics, best director for Karan Johar and best actor for Shah Rukh Khan. He portrayed a Muslim suffering from Asperger's syndrome who is detained at a U.S. airport after his disability is mistaken for suspicious behavior. Anushka Sharma took home the best actress prize for her performance in "The Wedding Planners". Sharma shared the prize for Bollywood pair of the year with Ravinder Singh.
Best supporting acting nods went to Prachi Desai for her role in "Once Upon A Time in Mumbai" and to Arjun Rampakl for his role in "Raajneeti".
Launched in 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, the annual IIFA awards have been held in 11 cities around the world, including Colombo, Macao, Bangkok, Dubai, Amsterdam and Johannesburg.
The event is designed to celebrate the popular Hindi-language film industry and win new audiences abroad.
Some 22,000 Bollywood fans filled Toronto's Rogers Center for the awards show, which reached an estimated worldwide television audience of 600 million people. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mexico Beats US in CONCACAF Final Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:22 AM PDT Mexico has rallied from a 2-goal deficit to beat the United States 4-2 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
Pablo Barrera broke a 2-2 tie with a goal in the 50th minute Saturday - his second goal of the game. Mexico had trailed the U.S. 2-0 after just 23 minutes.
The title contest was played in front of 93,000 fans Saturday night at the sold-out Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. Most of the crowd was cheering for Mexico, which has now won six of the biennial North American regional football titles. Mexico's second straight title also qualifies it for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The U.S. took an early lead Saturday on goals by Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan, before Barrera scored Mexico's first goal. Andrew Guardado netted the equalizer in the 36th minute, setting up Mexico's dominating second half. After Barrera gave Mexico the lead, Giovani Dos Santos capped the scoring in the 76th minute. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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