World News: 2009

2009年9月23日星期三

Small plane crashes in Hungary

BUDAPEST, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A small plane crashed on Saturday at an air show in Dunakeszi, 15 kilometers north of Budapest, killing a man on the ground.

The local wire service MTI reported that the Zlin aircraft was performing a stunt when a gust of wind overturned it and caused the crash.

The pilot was seriously injured. A 60-year-old staff member of the security firm serving at the local airport was killed in the accident.

The air show, titled Hunt for Balloons, was organized by Lufthansa and Hungarocontroll, Hungary's air navigation service.

Russia says talks on Nagorno-Karabakh constructive

MOSCOW, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The meeting between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was constructive, an aide to the Russian president said on Saturday.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Moscow on Friday and then met in a tripartite format with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday.

The talks were "prolonged and, in our view, very constructive, "Medvedev's foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

At the meeting, Medvedev reaffirmed Russia's readiness to continue its efforts to help find mutually acceptable decisions, Prikhodko said.

Sargsyan and Aliyev have met six times over the past year in a bid to settle the territorial dispute.

The talks between Aliyev and Sargsyan on Friday "were deep, concrete and serious," said Matthew Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group, a mediator in the conflict.

They failed to reach a consensus, but the talks will continue, Bryza was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a region with a largely ethnic Armenian population, declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, sparking conflict ever since.

World's oldest man, WWI vet, dies at 113

World War One veteran Henry Allingham looks at a card displaying a picture of a World War One pilot during his 113th birthday party at HMS President in London in this June 6, 2009 file photo. Allingham, who was born in 1896 and was the world's oldest man and Britain's oldest war veteran, died on Saturday, July 18, 2009, aged 113.(Reuters Photo)

World War One veteran Henry Allingham poses for a portrait by photographers during a visit to the Tate Britain art gallery, in central London, in this November 10, 2008 file photo. Allingham, who was born in 1896 and was the world's oldest man and Britain's oldest war veteran, died on Saturday, July 18, 2009, aged 113.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

One killed in attack on policeman in Russia's Ingushetia

MOSCOW, July 19 (Xinhua) -- One woman died and three others were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a police officer's residence in Russia's turbulent North Caucasus region of Ingushetia, news agencies reported on Sunday.

Attackers opened fire at the house of Bei-Ali Ekazhev, chief of a special-task police unit, late on Saturday in central Ingushetia, and fled the scene, the RIA Novosti reported citing investigators.

The attack has left Ekazhev's sister killed, his wife and daughter severely wounded and Ekazhev himself slightly injured, said the investigators.

A criminal investigation has been launched into the attack.

Meanwhile, in another restive North Caucasus republic of c, a 28-year-old armed man identified as Adam Merzhoyev fired at two police officers on Saturday night when his car was being checked, said the Itar-Tass.

One of the two police officers died later of wounds. Merzhoyev was killed by return fire.

The Kremlin in April formally ended anti-terrorist operations in Chechnya, which has experienced two bloody wars in the past 15 years. The North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan have seen a rise in daily violence in recent months.

The leader of Ingushetia, Yunus-bek Yevkurov, was injured in an assassination attempt last month.

Britain's Conservatives extend lead over Labor: poll

LONDON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Britain's opposition Conservatives have extended their lead over Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labor Party with 17 percentage points, according to a poll published on Sunday.

The Sunday Times published the opinion poll by the YouGov, an international Internet-based market research firm in Britain, that the Tories had an approval rating of 42 percent against Labor with 25 percent and the Liberal Democrats with 18 percent.

The poll of nearly 2,000 people suggested that the economic gloom and criticisms of the government over the war in Afghanistan are taking their toll on Labor Party.

The British people remain worried about unemployment as the Office for National Statistics reported last week that the unemployment rate in Britain has hit 7.6 percent, the highest since January 1997.

Pope's hand in a cast

Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges faithful during his Angelus prayer in Romano Canavese, northern Italy, Sunday, July 19, 2009. The pope blessed a few hundred faithful Sunday with his right arm in a cast during his first public appearance since undergoing surgery to set a wrist he fractured in a fall. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Pope Benedict XVI blessed a few hundred faithful Sunday with his right arm in a cast during his first public appearance since undergoing surgery to set a wrist he fractured in a fall.

Britain to create first low-carbon economic area

(Xinhua) -- The British government announced plans on Monday to create the first low carbon economic area in the northeastern region, the Downing Street No. 10 said.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson are visiting a Nissan factory in Sunderland, a borough of northeast England Monday morning, where they will explain details of how the area will begin to specialize in making low carbon vehicles, said the Downing Street.

The British government issued the low carbon industrial strategy last week to help create jobs and promote economic growth.

The strategy also set out the first investments from the 405 million pounds (648 million U.S. dollars) for low carbon industries and advanced green manufacturing announced at the 2009 budget.

According to a report issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the British economy will shrink by 4.2 percent in 2009 and will only recover to a weak gain of 0.2 percent next year.

The British people also remained worried about unemployment as the Office for National Statistics reported last week that the unemployment rate in Britain has hit 7.6 percent, the highest since January 1997.

Mandelson said the low-carbon strategy builds on the New Industry, New Jobs approach, outlining the strategic role the British government will play alongside the private sector, to make the most of the potential benefits for innovation, growth and job creation in Britain.

It is estimated that low carbon and environmental goods and services are already worth 3 trillion pounds (4.8 trillion dollars) in the global economy, and employ near 900,000 directly and through the supply chain in Britain.

"With the sector set to grow by over 4 percent annually over the next six years, we must do all we can to support British businesses and workers in benefiting," Mandelson said.

Biden arrives for visit to Ukraine

KIEV, July 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived here on Monday afternoon, kicking off his visit to Ukraine, which is aimed to show Washington's continued support for the country's westward drive.

During the three-day visit, Biden is scheduled to meet with President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as the country's main opposition leaders.

Tony Blinken, national security adviser to the vice president, told reporters ahead of Biden's visit: "Our efforts to re-set relations with Russia will not come at the expense of any other country."

"We will continue to reject the notion of spheres of influence, and we will continue to stand by the principle that sovereign democracies have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own partnerships and alliances," said Blinken.

Blinken added that despite the opposition from Moscow, the door to NATO remains open for Ukraine.

According to a source close to the Ukrainian presidency, Kiev is hoping to secure a bilateral deal with the United States containing national security guarantees.

Energy concerns will also be a topic of discussion, as Ukraine's continuing conflicts with Russia over the price of gas have interrupted Europe's gas supply.

Furthermore, Ukrainian officials were looking to Biden for help in getting more economic assistance from international financial institutions and the EU, as the former Soviet republic battles a severe economic crisis.

Less opposition to EU membership in Norway: poll

STOCKHOLM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A latest poll showed that 49 percent of those asked are opposed to Norway seeking EU membership, down from 54.9 percent in June, according to reports reaching here from Oslo on Monday.

The poll was conducted by the Norwegian survey company Sentio recently before Iceland decided to apply for EU membership. It is the first time in 20 months that less than 50 percent of the respondents opposed the country's EU accession, said the Norwegian online newspaper The Norway Post.

The survey, sponsored by the newspapers Nationen and Klassekampen, also showed that 38.5 percent of people are in favor of Norway's EU membership, up from 35.6 percent last month, it added.

Norway applied for EU membership in the 1970s and in early 1990s, but was forced to withdraw its application as most of its citizens were against it.

"Pioneer Team" performs over Samil beach

An Alpi Pioneer 300 airplane from the Italian aerobatic team "Pioneer Team" performs over Samil beach in Vigo, northern Spain, during an aerial exhibition on July 19, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

Three Alpi Pioneer 300 airplanes from the Italian aerobatic team "Pioneer Team" perform over Samil beach in Vigo, northern Spain, during an aerial exhibition on July 19, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

Four Alpi Pioneer 300 airplanes from the Italian aerobatic team "Pioneer Team" perform over Samil beach in Vigo, northern Spain, during an aerial exhibition on July 19, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

Alpi Pioneer 300 airplanes from the Italian aerobatic team "Pioneer Team" perform over Samil beach in Vigo, northern Spain, during an aerial exhibition on July 19, 2009.

Sarkozy shakes hands with woman

Surrounded by his bodyguards, French President Nicholas Sarkozy shakes hands with a woman while on a jog through Central Park in the heart of New York City on Saturday, July 19, 2009. The French president was wearing skimpy shorts, a T-shirt and calf-high white socks while being photographed, revealing his well-toned legs. [CFP]

Surrounded by his bodyguards, French President Nicholas Sarkozy shakes hands with a woman while on a jog through Central Park in the heart of New York City on Saturday, July 19, 2009. [CFP]

French President Nicholas Sarkozy showed off his chiseled stems Saturday on a jog through Central Park in the heart of New York City on Saturday, July 19, 2009. [CFP]

Surrounded by his bodyguards, French President Nicholas Sarkozy on Saturday jogged through Central Park in the heart of New York City on Saturday, July 19, 2009. [CFP]

Surrounded by his bodyguards, French President Nicholas Sarkozy shakes hands with a woman while on a jog through Central Park in the heart of New York City on Saturday, July 19, 2009. The French president was wearing skimpy shorts, a T-shirt and calf-high white socks while being photographed, revealing his well-toned legs.

Russia favors nuclear-free Korean Peninsula: minister

MOSCOW, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia favors a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said Tuesday.

"We believe the Korean Peninsula must have a nuclear-free status," Serdyukov said after talks with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee.

Serdyukov said Russia and South Korea have "very similar" positions on the nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The way out is to resume the six-party talks and, within the framework of these talks, to make this region absolutely nuclear-free," Serdyukov said.

Lee said Pyongyang must return to the six-party talks, adding that otherwise, "the five nations will have to make efforts to bring the DPRK back to these talks."

The six-party talks have been stalled since last December due to disputes between the United States and the DPRK over the verification of disabled nuclear facilities.

Tensions have mounted recently because of the DPRK's nuclear tests and rocket launches. The UN Security Council on June 12 adopted a new resolution that allows wider sanctions against the DPRK following its nuclear tests.

The DPRK, however, has rejected the resolution and announced withdrawal from the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Berlusconi's popularity slips after sex scandals

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wipes his face during the "Milano Med Forum 2009" in downtown Milan July 20, 2009. (AP Photo)

The approval rating of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has been dogged by a messy divorce and accusations of cavorting with teenage girls and escorts, has fallen below 50 percent for the first time.

A poll on Tuesday had only 49 percent expressing confidence in him as prime minister, four points down from the last time the same group, IPR Marketing, took it in May. Fifty percent said they had "little or no" confidence.

The government's approval rating was unchanged: 44 per cent said they had "a lot or sufficient" confidence and 52 per cent said they had "little or none."

The poll was taken for La Repubblica newspaper, Italy's second-largest selling mainstream paper, which has been leading demands that Berlusconi clear up aspects of his personal life.

It was published a day after the websites of L'Espresso weekly and La Repubblica posted recordings of conversations purported to be between Berlusconi and Patrizia D'Addario, a high-end escort who says she and other women were paid to attend parties at Berlusconi's residence in Rome.

Berlusconi, 72, has not denied that the 42-year-old woman went to his home but has said he did not know she was an escort.

D'Addario says she made the recordings on her cell phone during the night she spent with the prime minister or while involved in telephone conversations, one with Berlusconi.

Mainstream newspapers re-published the conversations on Tuesday in full or in part, including one in which a man purported to be Berlusconi says they should both take showers, and whoever finished first should wait in "the big bed."

Another conversation is purported to be between D'Addario and Berlusconi the next day, where he expresses surprise that D'Addario says she has lost her voice "because we didn't scream."

"TOTALLY UNLIKELY"

Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini on Monday dismissed the recordings as "totally unlikely and a product of the imagination," saying it was illegal to post or publish them.

One conversation is purportedly between D'Addario and Giampaolo Tarantini, a businessman who is being investigated on suspicion of providing paid escorts to curry political favor for an enterprise in the southern city of Bari, from where D'Addario also hails.

In one conversation, D'Addario tells Tarantini she had expected to receive money but did not, adding that Berlusconi promised to help her solve a problem related to a real estate deal in the south.

The center-left opposition says Berlusconi must come clean on his private life because it contrasts with his public espousal of family and religious values, and because there is a risk that he or the government could be blackmailed.

The opposition is seeking a debate on Berlusconi's private life in the Senate, where the center-right has a majority.

D'Addario has given the recordings to magistrates investigating Tarantini. Ghedini said there should be an investigation into how the publications obtained them, and has threatened legal action against those who re-publish them.

But L'Espresso was uncowed and on Tuesday posted four more segments of conversations, three in which D'Addario and Berlusconi discuss their encounters, politics and art.

The current uproar comes nearly two months after Italy was transfixed by Berlusconi's friendship with an 18-year-old aspiring model. He said he had no sexual relations with her.

Berlusconi's wife Veronica filed for divorce in May, expressing disgust about his alleged cavorting with teenagers.

Ghedini said last month that even if D'Addario's allegations were true, Berlusconi could not control who his male guests brought to the prime minister's residence, and he would have been at the very most an "unwitting subject."

L'Espresso website had a record 2.1 million hits on Monday after it posted the tapes.

(Agencies)

NATO chief meets with Brown on Afghanistan situation

LONDON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Schaffer met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street No.10 to discuss the Afghanistan situation before he steps down at the end of the month, the prime minister's office announced Tuesday.

Brown talked with the secretary general about the progress of Britain's military operations in Afghanistan.

A Downing Street spokesman said "The prime minister also emphasized the importance of building up the Afghan Army and further burden-sharing amongst NATO allies."

It was helpful that certain allies had increased their troop contributions for the period of the presidential elections in Afghanistan, better military and civilian burden sharing was needed in the medium term to deliver improved security, and increase the pace of progress on governance and economic development in the country, the spokesman said.

De Hoop Scheffer has delivered a speech to the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank, saying that it had been a "tragic period" for Britain and he paid tribute to the "critical job" that British forces were doing in the country.

He said the alliance cannot afford to walk away from Afghanistan however dangerous or expensive the campaign becomes, adding that "If we were to walk away, Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban, with devastating effect for the people there 鈥?women in particular."

De Hoop Scheffer has made a series of trips to many of the 28 NATO member states. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will replace him as the 12th NATO secretary general on Aug. 1.

Brown calls for joint efforts to address global problems

LONDON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Tuesday called for collective action to address global problems, such as climate change, poverty and repression.

Brown made the remarks when he attended an international conference of technology entrepreneurs, academics and artist in Oxford, a borough of south-central England.

The prime minister said he believes new method of communication provided an "unprecedented" opportunity for the world together to tackle global issues.

Brown said massive changes in technology have allowed people to quickly see what is happening around the world and to mobilize behind an issue.

He said the "shared moral stance" between different cultures and societies should be leveraged to build stronger international institutions.

Climate change is a good example of how the world needs to create global bodies with sufficient weight to deal with problems that affect everyone, Brown added.

France summons Israeli ambassador over Jewish settlement

PARIS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- France has summoned the Israeli ambassador in Paris to demand a halt of Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday.

Daniel Shek, the Israeli ambassador in Paris, "has now been summoned to the Foreign Ministry," Kouchner told a news conference. "He will be received this afternoon or tomorrow."

Kouchner stressed that the settlements were against both international and Israeli law, calling for a stop of those activities.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also reiterated "the need for a complete freeze" of building settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, after a working lunch in Paris with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

According to local media reports, Egyptian President Mubarak alluded to possible regional peace "initiatives." However, he doubted whether talks hosted by Egypt between Palestinian opponent Fatah and the Islamist Hamas would work by the end of next month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls and insisted Jews should be allowed to build homes anywhere they like in Jerusalem.

EU urges peaceful negotiated solution to Honduran political crisis

STOCKHOLM, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday called on parties in the mediation talks to reach a peaceful negotiated solution to the political crisis in Honduras.

"The EU calls on the parties in the talks sponsored by Costa Rica to do their utmost to reach a swift resolution to the crisis, as proposed by President Arias. The EU also urges all parties to refrain from any action that might result in increasing tension and violence," the EU presidency Sweden said in a statement.

It pointed out that until a peaceful negotiated solution has been found, the EU will continue to restrict contacts at political level with representatives of the de facto government and suspend its member states' bilateral development co-operation with government institutions, other than humanitarian assistance and emergency relief.

"The EU will also consider further targeted measures," it said, adding that the EU stands ready to contribute to the restoration of the constitutional order and a democratic process.

NATO chief hospitalized

BRUSSELS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was hospitalized Tuesday to have small blood clot cleared, said the alliance.

The operation was carried out successfully, and the NATO chief is being kept in hospital for a few days for observation.

De Hoop Scheffer, who steps down on Aug. 1, was scheduled to travel to Berlin on Tuesday.

Traders accuse Moscow of 'gangster logic'

Chinese merchants have called for a tough stance against Russia following the closure of Moscow鈥檚 biggest market that forced 60,000 Chinese traders out of business, as China鈥檚 vice minister of commerce departs for Moscow today with a special delegation as part of efforts to tackle the issue.

The Chinese delegation traveling to Moscow includes officials from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Administration of Taxation and trade officials from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

Cherkizovsky Market is the biggest wholesale market in Moscow, and a large number of its traders are from China, Vietnam and Central Asia. It was shut down temporarily on June 29 by the city government.

A senior industry leader yesterday expressed strong opposition toward the Russian government using 鈥済angster logic鈥?to justify its closure of Cherkizovsky Market.

鈥淚t is Russia鈥檚 gangster logic that led to the closure of the market,鈥?Xie Rongfang, general secretary of the Wenzhou Shoe Industry Association, said.

Merchants from Zhejiang Province were the worst hit by the market closure, and hundreds of shoe makers in the region are likely to go bankrupt.

鈥淩ussians need to sit down and think what will happen to the Russian people if all Chi-nese-made goods are denied entry into its market,鈥?Xie said, adding that Russians would be bereft of good quality and cheap clothes and food.

The Russian government鈥檚 decided last month to destroy $2 billion worth of smuggled goods from China. Closing Cherkizovsky Market sparked panic and despair among tens of thousands of Chinese merchants, at least 150 of whom were arrested in the closure.

Customs corruption

The Russian government claimed that its decision was designed to crack down on customs corruption and smuggled Chinese-made goods, which enter Russia through the practice of so-called gray customs clearance.

An official with the Russia-China General Chamber of Commerce, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times, 鈥淩ussian customs officials and around 100 Chinese merchants held a meeting over the closure of Cherkizovsky Market, but no results have been announced.鈥?/p>

Dong Qinfen, a staff member of Shenzhen Neptune Logistics, told the Global Times that fewer and fewer Chinese companies have been doing business in Russia since the Russian government clamped down on the so-called gray customs clearance last month.

Safeguarding interests

Xie Rongfang suggested that the Chinese government take tough measures, or the situation will not change and the interests of Chinese businesspeople will not be fully protected.

鈥淲e have noticed that domestic Internet users are greatly concerned by the plight of Chinese traders in Russia,鈥?Chen Rongkai, deputy director of the press office of MOFCOM, told the Global Times.

鈥淎 first stand will be taken to safeguard the interests of Chinese businessmen in Russia,鈥?Xie said, without elaborating.

鈥淕ray customs clearance鈥欌€?began in the early 1990s amid social confusion arising from the downfall of the Soviet Union. Faced with a shortage of commodities, the Customs Committee of Russia, in an effort to encourage import trade and simplify customs procedures, allowed its customs clearance companies to provide one-stop services that covered both transportation and customs-clearance procedures.

To protect the interests of the Wenzhou traders, Xie鈥檚 association has initiated a new trade channel to Russia involving four major Wenzhou manufacturers and with a 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) investment. The trade platform is dubbed 鈥渨hite customs clearance.鈥?/p>

As many as 49 containers of goods have been successfully imported into the Russian market since the launch of the new channel, officials said.

Excuses, excuses

But Xie said that Russia is using every excuse to deny the entry of Chinese goods. 鈥淥ur containers were once seized on the excuse of hygiene problems, even though the products are exported through the white customs clearance.鈥?/p>

鈥淲e have no option but to export our products through gray customs clearance, as the white clearance is a lengthy process and forces Wenzhou merchants to wait,鈥?Xie said. 鈥淲e have to sell shoes at exactly the right time.鈥?/p>

According to Xie, the white customs clearance cost Chinese manufacturers more before 2005, but now the two procedures cost almost the same.

As many as 8,000 containers of goods will be affected, Xie said, without giving specific figures of economic losses.

But Wang Le鈥檃n, a member of the Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce, told the China Business newspaper, the economic losses for Wenzhou merchants will exceed $800 million, and the losses of Zhejiang鈥檚 merchants will surpass $1.5 billion.

An Baijie contributed to this story

Spanish FM makes historic visit to Gibraltar

MADRID, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos Tuesday became the first Spanish minister to visit Gibraltar in almost 300 years.

Moratinos met Gibraltar's Prime Minister Peter Caruana and British Foreign Minister David Milibrand in Gibraltar, now a British colony. They discussed various matters such as financial service, closer cooperation in political, judicial and customs affairs, education and maritime security.

Moratinos, though reiterating Spain's territorial claim to Gibraltar, said the issue should be solved through diplomatic channels.

"Problems should be resolved by dialogue and cooperation. We are in the 21st Century, and we have to look to the future instead of the past," he said.

Gibraltar, on the southwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula, has been a source of conflict between Britain and Spain since the signing of the 1713 Utrecht Treaty after Spain lost a war to Britain. Under the treaty, Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain.

Spain, however, has never given up its claim to retake the place, while Britain has been unwilling to lose their grip on the colony, which is a vital naval base at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea.

Forest fire in Spain kills four firemen

MADRID, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A forest fire in northeastern Spain has killed at least four firemen and severely injured two others, local government said Tuesday.

The fire, starting Monday in a natural park in Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona , had been seemingly under control on early Tuesday, said the local government in a statement.

However, it said, a change of wind direction later on Tuesday rapidly spread the flame and trapped the firemen.

The two injured were being treated at Barcelona's Hospital Del Valle.

So far, the fire has destroyed 800 hectares of land, half of which belongs to the natural park of Ports.

Both Defense Minister Carme Chacon and Environment Minister Elena Espinosa Tuesday warned against trips to this region and delivered the government's condolences towards the victims.

The local government has ordered evacuation of affected residents.

Spain's FM repeats territorial claim on Gibraltar

MADRID, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Spain's foreign minister on Tuesday visited Gibraltar for the first time since it was taken by Britain nearly 300 years ago, maintaining his country's claim on the disputed territory.

In a joint press conference with his British counterpart David Miliband, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said his country's claim on Gibraltar "cannot be relinquished," adding that solution should come through "cooperation and dialogue" between Spain, Britain and Gibraltar.

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713 but has always sought its return.

London remains in refusal to hand what it calls "overseas territory" back to Spain for "respecting the Gibraltarians' wishes."

"Sovereignty is in the hands of the people of Gibraltar," said Miliband on Tuesday.

During his visit to Gibraltar, Moratinos also met with Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana. Together with Miliband, the three sides reached agreement to boost cooperation in security and environment protection.

Moratinos' visit to Gibraltar was hailed by the three sides as "historic."

The three sides have previously met in 2006 in Spain and last year in London, occasions on which the sovereignty issue was not discussed.

In a 2002 referendum, the majority of Gibraltar's inhabitants rejected an Anglo-Spanish proposal for shared sovereignty.

Gibraltar is located on the southern tip of Iberian Peninsula, sharing land border with Spain in the north. The self-governing territory covers 6,843 square km and currently has a population of 30,000.

Belgium celebrates National Day

King of Belgium Albert II reviews the main street prior to the military parade in central Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 21, 2009. Belgium celebrates its National Day and its 179th anniversary of independence on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Soldiers hold up the national flags of Belgium attend the traditional military parade in central Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 21, 2009. Belgium celebrates its National Day and its 179th anniversary of independence on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Fire works explode over the statue of King Leopold II (1835-1909) to celebrate the National Day in Brussels, capital of Belgium, late on July 21, 2009. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Soldiers attend the traditional military parade in central Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 21, 2009. Belgium celebrates its National Day and its 179th anniversary of independence on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Military vehicles attend the traditional military parade in central Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 21, 2009. Belgium celebrates its National Day and its 179th anniversary of independence on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Military vehicles attend the traditional military parade in central Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 21, 2009. Belgium celebrates its National Day and its 179th anniversary of independence on Tuesday.

Russia proposes anti-piracy cooperation with NATO

BRUSSELS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Wednesday asked for a "detailed discussion" with NATO allies of how to better coordinate anti-piracy efforts off Somalia, said the alliance.

At Wednesday's NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meeting, Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin proposed NATO-Russia coordinated patrols in the Gulf of Aden as well as liaisons between ships of NATO and Russia, said NATO spokesman James Appathurai.

Rogozin also mentioned possible joint exercises and training for anti-piracy purposes, although not necessarily in the Gulf of Aden.

Appathurai said NATO allies welcomed Russia's proposals and thought the fight against piracy is one of the areas where the alliance and Russia can have practical cooperation.

"There was certainly a shared desire to strengthen the NRC by focusing on practical cooperation, which will build a stronger foundation for discussions of areas on which the NRC countries might not agree," he said.

Rogozin said his country is very much concerned about the lack of an international legal framework for the trial of captured pirates. "Russia wants to create a specific international tribunal which could decide on these matters," he told reporters.

The establishment of such a tribunal is more important than shooting pirates off Somalia, he said.

Rogozin said the current practice with regard to captured pirates does not work and might encourage more Somalis to become pirates. Currently, NATO does not have a common legal framework, allowing individual countries to deal with this matter according to their own national laws. The European Union has reached agreement with Kenya under which captured pirates are prosecuted in the East African country.

At Wednesday's NRC meeting, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, Vladimir Nazarov, presented Russia's National Security Strategy until 2020. Nazarov insisted that NATO's eastward expansion and the U.S. plan to build a strategic missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic are threats to Russia's national security.

NATO suspended military-to-military cooperation with Russia after the Russia-Georgia military conflict a year ago. NATO foreign ministers and their Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreed to resume military-to-military cooperation last month.

German soldiers taking part in major offensive in Afghanistan

BERLIN, July 22 (Xinhua) -- German soldiers, equipped with heavy weaponry including tanks, are engaged in its largest military offensive in Afghanistan so far as part of a major military campaign against the Taliban forces ahead of the country's presidential elections in August, German officials said on Wednesday.

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung justified the offensive involving about 300 German soldiers and 900 Afghan security forces with a deteriorating security situation in areas around the northern Afghan city of Kunduz.

"We are now particularly challenged in Kunduz," Jung told reporters in Berlin.

Wolfgang Schneiderhan, inspector general of the German military, the Bundeswehr, said that the goal of the latest offensive is to bring security situation under control to ensure an orderly progress of the presidential elections slated for August.

He also said that the offensive launched within a radius of 30 kilometers around Kunduz would still take about a week.

According to the German Defense Ministry, German air force had also provided "close air support" for the ground troops for the first time in Afghanistan.

The rising level of German military combat in Afghanistan has caused worry at home, with some pacifist politicians warning of a "circle of violence."

According to German media reports earlier this month, the German government has revised some rules of engagement for German troops in Afghanistan to make it earlier for them to engage in combat.

Some 3,700 German troops are deployed in Afghanistan as part of the 60,000-strong International Security Assistance Force led by NATO.

Farmers drive tractors to protest in Brussels

Farmers drive tractors gathering at the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Park of the Fiftieth) during a protest in Brussels, capital of Belgium, on July 22, 2009. More than 300 tractors gathered in Brussels during a famers' protest seeking for higher agricultural prices Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Farmers drive tractors passing main streets during a protest in Brussels, capital of Belgium, on July 22, 2009. More than 300 tractors gathered in Brussels during a famers' protest seeking for higher agricultural prices Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Farmers drive tractors gathering at the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Park of the Fiftieth) during a protest in Brussels, capital of Belgium, on July 22, 2009. More than 300 tractors gathered in Brussels during a famers' protest seeking for higher agricultural prices Wednesday.

Barcelona signs Brazilian striker

MADRID, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian striker Keirrison this Thursday.

The 20-year-old has agreed a five-year deal after Barcelona agreed a 14 million euros deal with his former club Palmeiras, for whom he scored 26 goals last season.

However, despite Keirrison's goals and his price tag, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on the club website that he would not be playing for the first team this season.

"He is very young and he has got some very good numbers and it very hard to find players who score goals."

"In principal our idea is for us to loan him out and we are not counting on his for this season," said the Barcelona coach.

Meanwhile the club is close to agreeing a deal to sign Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich.

Dutch NATO official recalled from U.S. for security reasons

BRUSSELS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch secret service, the AIVD, has confirmed that it has withdrawn the security clearance of a Dutch NATO employee based in the United States, Radio Netherlands reported on Thursday.

An investigation by the AIVD revealed that the senior official was "vulnerable" and possibly open to blackmail, said Radio Netherlands.

The official worked at NATO's Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Virginia. The command is in charge of the modernization of the 28-nation alliance.

The official has appealed against the AIVD's decision.

Radio Netherlands did not reveal the name of the official.

Prosecutors told to streamline Karadzic trial

BRUSSELS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Prosecutors were told on Thursday to drop some of the charges against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in order to speed up the trial, Dutch media reported.

Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz intends to bring 11 charges against Karadzic. But the judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) believe that the charges are too many to handle. Prosecutors are also being asked to indicate which of the 500 proposed witnesses can be scrapped.

The prosecutors will have to present the court with a written document showing how the trial can be settled more quickly. They will have to indicate which witnesses are superfluous and which indictments can be dropped.

Currently, Karadzic is charged with 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including persecution, extermination, and deportation during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

The UN court in The Hague is under pressure to conclude the Karadzic trial at an early date given the fact that former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic died in custody.

The tribunal was initially meant to finish all trials by 2008 and appeals by 2010. But it has recently suggested that it will only conclude its final Karadzic trial in early 2012, while appeals may run into 2013.

Karadzic was arrested in July 2008 in Serbia after 13 years on the run. He was transferred to the ICTY the same month.

Belgian foreign minister summons Turkish ambassador over far-left organization

BRUSSELS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Belgian Foreign Minister Yves Leterme is to summon the Turkish ambassador for clarification of the ambassador's comments in connection with the trial of people linked to the Turkish far-left organization DHKPC, VRT news reported on Thursday.

A court has to decide whether the DHKPC is a terrorist organization and whether the six defendants are members of a terrorist organization. A verdict in the DHKPC case is only expected in October.

The Turkish ambassador was not happy with this protraction and claimed that Belgium wants to sweep the matter under the carpet. The diplomat was also quoted by the Belgian media as saying that terrorism will strike Belgium and that only then will the people of Belgium understand what it is.

Leterme is seeking clarification of these comments.

Romania's last contingent in Iraq returns home

BUCHAREST, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The last 17 Romanian troops participating in the Iraqi Sunset returned home on Thursday, ending a six-year period of missions there.

The Romanian troops arrived with a Hercules C 130 on the international airport of Craiova, southern Romania, where a military ceremony was held.

Romania has been a participant since July 2003 in the operations of Iraq, both under the Multinational Force (MNF-I) and under the NATO mission of training the Iraqi security forces (NTM-I). Romania's contingent in Iraq numbered, at its peak, approximately 730 personnel, operating in three different zones --South-East, South Central and capital Baghdad.

The Romanians conducted a wide range of missions including prisoner interrogation at Camp Cropper and Camp Bucca in Baghdad, reconnaissance and surveillance missions in the Polish Sector and training, peacekeeping and base protection missions in the British Sector.

Three Romanian soldiers died during the mission and more than 10 were wounded.

The Romanian troops' presence in Iraq became a contentious issue in domestic politics. Since 2006, the then Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu called for many time for their earlier return home, while President Traian Basescu, commander in chief of the armed forces, insisted that they would not be withdrawn.

Switzerland calls for end to Israeli settlements

GENEVA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss government on Thursday called on Israel to stop construction of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said it "is deeply concerned about the destruction of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem near the old town and the planned eviction of Palestinian families."

East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories and under international humanitarian law Israel must protect the local civilian population, the statement said.

"There is no military necessity that could justify the destruction of these houses or the evictions of Palestinian families," it added.

The Foreign Ministry also said the settlement policy was not compatible with efforts to find a lasting global solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

Switzerland's appeal is in line with similar statements by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the European Union and Russia, according to the official Swissinfo.ch news website.

The United States and France summoned the Israeli ambassadors to Washington and Paris, respectively, over the issue of the Jewish settlement, in the past few days, the website reported.

Macedonia likely to start EU accession talks in fall

TIRANA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The EU enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said on Thursday that he expects Macedonia to start accession talks with the EU this fall, news reaching here from Skopje reported.

"There are real chances for Macedonia to meet the requirements and get a date for opening accession talks with EU this fall," Rehn told a joint press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Macedonia has been awarded an EU membership candidate status since 2005. For years, it has been longing to get a date to start entry talks.

"However, it will depend on whether the results can be delivered in the next two months. And I expect Macedonia to demonstrate the political will in meeting the requirements on judiciary and public administrations," Rehn said.

Rehn also urged Macedonia to resolve the 18-year-long name dispute with its southern neighbor Greece, saying the start of accession talks requires the consent of all EU members. Greece is an EU member state.

Athens has been opposed to its neighbor being called the "Republic of Macedonia," arguing it implies a territorial claim over a Greek northern province also called Macedonia.

Macedonia's NATO membership was blocked by Greece over the dispute between the two countries in April last year at a NATO summit in Romania.

Greenpeace warns of continued threat of forest fire in Spain

MADRID, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish branch of the environmental pressure group Greenpeace warned about the continued threat of forest fires in Spain on Thursday.

The fire, starting Monday in a natural park in Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona, has destroyed 800 hectares of land.

High temperatures, which have soared to more than 40 degrees centigrade in parts of Spain, contributed to the fires.

A change of wind direction has also hampered efforts to put out the blaze, which killed four firefighters near the Catalan town of Tarragona on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the express train service between Barcelona and Madrid was suspended for a time on Thursday because of the raging fire.

Greenpeace warned this kind of fire is going to become habitual in Spain as climactic conditions are going to make it virtually impossible to extinguish them.

"Since the start of the 1990s we have been able to see the presence of fires that wipe out huge surface areas. Their virulence and destructive power is very high," Greenpeace said.

They believed that the change in profile of these fires is related to the continued trend of global warming and changes in rainfall patterns.

"It is to be expected that unless climate conditions change again, this kind of fire will become more normal in the dry season," they said.

Greenpeace Director Juan Lopez de Uralde called on the government to take stronger fire prevention measures, undertake better care of forested areas and combat climate change.

At least 20 die in road accident in southern Russia

MOSCOW, July 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and another 10 wounded in a serious road accident in southern Russia's Rostov Region, news agencies reported on Friday.

Georgian president hails Minsk's stance on Abkhazia, South Ossetia

TBILISI, July 24 (Xinhua) -- President Mikhail Saakashvili on Friday welcomed an advisory from Belarus for its citizens to enter Georgia's two breakaway regions via Georgia rather than through Russia.

Saakashvili hailed the decision as "bold" during a meeting with the ruling party's parliamentarians, Georgia's Kavkaz Press reported.

"Look at what is happening in the post-Soviet area ... I cannot but welcome the actions by the Belarussian leader, who has decided to rule out such violations of Georgian laws. This is a very bold decision by the Belarussian president," Saakashvili said.

The Belarussian Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on its citizens to abide by Georgian laws when planning trips to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia stipulates that foreign citizens, without special permission, can only enter the two regions from specific directions.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin called the Belarussian advisory "illogical," "incomprehensible" and at odds with the official line, according to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

Georgia and Russia fought a five-day war last August, when Georgia attacked South Ossetia to retake the breakaway region that borders Russia. In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region.

Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended.

Turkish frigate captures five pirates in Aden Gulf

ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish General Staff said on Friday that a Turkish frigate captured five pirates in an operation in the Aden Gulf, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

"TCG Gediz Frigate, assigned in the Aden Gulf under NATO command, launched an operation on a skiff getting ready for hijacking and captured five pirates," Metin Gurak, head of the Turkish General Staff's Communication Department, was quoted as saying.

A helicopter aboard TCG Gaziantep, a second Turkish frigate, backed the operation, Gurak added.

Ten days ago, one of the captains of a Turkish-flagged ship hijacked by Somali pirates contacted her family via a satellite phone to convey the hijackers' ransom demand.

Somali pirates hijacked the Turkish-flagged "Horizon-1" with 23Turkish crew on July 8 in the Aden Gulf when the ship was en route to Jordan from Saudi Arabia.

Belgium probes detained Islamic fundamentalists for ties to al-Qaida

BRUSSELS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Belgium is investigating a group of Islamic fundamentalists detained last year for possible ties to al-Qaida, VRT news reported Friday.

Belgian detectives traveled to the United States this year after a witness there said that the fundamentalists detained in Brussels and Liege have ties to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network.

The witness, a suspect detained in the U.S. last year, has confessed that he attended training camps on the Afghan-Pakistani border together with members of the Belgian group. The trainees reportedly learned how to handle explosives and met al-Qaida leaders.

Belgian police last year detained 14 suspects in Brussels and Liege in an anti-terror operation.

The detainees included Malika El Aroud, the widow of a man involved in killing anti-Taliban warlord Ahmad Shah Massoud two days before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. El Aroud and five others are still in custody.

The six have been in custody since their arrest in December and are charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, which Belgian officials say is part of an al-Qaida group plotting new attacks either in Europe or elsewhere.

At least six killed, 20 injured in train derailment in Croatia

BELGRADE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and about 20 others were injured Friday when a fast passenger train derailed in southern Croatia, local media reported.

The two-car train, traveling from the capital city of Zagreb to the coastal city of Split, derailed shortly after noon about 30 km from its destination.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Croatian television footage showed one of train cars broken in half. Emergency official Darko Marinkovic was quoted as saying that 90 passengers were aboard. Hospital officials were also quoted as saying that six people were killed and 50 people were being treated.

Reports said the train is frequently taken by Croatians traveling to holiday resorts on the Adriatic coast.

German chancellor's lead over main rival widens: poll

BERLIN, July 24 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has widened her lead over her main rival in the Sept. 27 general election, according to a poll released Friday.

Merkel's personal rating has climbed three percentage points to 62 percent, the twice-monthly ZDF Politbarometer poll showed.

Her main rival, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier from the Social Democrats, saw his public support slump from 28 to 25 percent in the poll.

Public support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), was running at a steady 37 percent, while the Free Democrats (FDP) gained by one point to 13 per cent, ZDF said.

News Analysis: Biden's Ukraine, Georgia visit shows U.S. support

TBILISI, July 24 (Xinhua) -- U. S. Vice President Joe Biden is currently paying a visit to Ukraine and Georgia, shortly after U. S. President Barack Obama traveled to Russia in early July.

Biden's trip has been widely regarded as a "psychotherapy" visit to Ukraine and Georgia, after Obama's visit to Russia, which was aimed at repairing the badly strained relations between the two nations.

However, the U. S. vice president's visit to the two pro-U.S. countries means more than just reassuring the nations of U. S. support. His agenda also includes security, economic, diplomatic and other political aims.

One of Biden's major concerns during the trip is Ukraine's presidential election, which is slated for January. Bickering between Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has given other candidates, including Moscow-backed opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, a chance of winning the election, and the U. S. fears a new administration could turn back to Moscow.

That explains why Biden met with five leading presidential candidates during his two-day visit. The vice president was trying to find out about a new government-to-be's foreign policies, paving the way for the continued U. S. policy of using Ukraine to confine neighboring Russia.

Yushchenko, on the other hand, has expressed worry that a warming up of U. S.-Russia relations would jeopardize Ukraine's interests, and the two powers would redo their "sphere of influence."

Biden has assured Ukrainian leaders that the U.S. does not recognize any sphere of influence, and Obama's bid to "reset" relations with Russia "will not come at Ukraine's expense."

Biden also discussed Ukraine's energy dispute with Russia with Yushchenko and called on the feuding leaders to put disagreements behind them and together take efforts to save Ukraine's devastated economy.

Mindful of a rift within Ukraine about joining NATO, Biden said the U. S. would strongly support the country's bid if a consensus was reached in the country. He deliberately avoided using the sensitive word "NATO" and said "Euro-Atlantic integration" instead in order to not irritate Russia.

Biden made similar gestures in Georgia by emphasizing that the country is an "important strategic partner" of the U. S. and that the improvement of U. S.-Russian ties will not sacrifice Georgian interests. Biden said the U.S. will continue to offer comprehensive support to the South Caucasus country.

Analysts believe that Biden this time will offer Georgia support in four areas.

First, Security. The U. S. will not sit and watch Russia develop a strong presence in the region. Biden has said his government will not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the two breakaway regions of Georgia, and offered U. S. support for Georgia's territorial integrity.

Second, Economy. The U. S. has seen clearly that economic development is the basis for Georgia to cope with its various challenges. To promote regional stability, Biden has discussed additional U.S. aid with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Third, NATO bid. Biden has made it clear that the U. S. continues to support Georgia's bid to join NATO, and will help the country reach all of the qualifications at an earlier date.

Fourth, Democratic reforms. Tbilisi has seen several massive protests this year against Saakashvili for his alleged strengthening of power at the expense of democratic rights. The U. S. feels obliged to urge Georgia to speed up its democratic process.

Russia is watching Biden's visit to its former Soviet backyard closely and has responded angrily to the two nations' efforts to seek NATO membership.

Russia also has accused the U. S. of drawing ex-Soviet republics into its power zone, jeopardizing Russia's security in the region.

Russian media is also suspicious that Biden's visits aim to block any moves of the two nations back toward Moscow, and to cement friendship and loyalty with the two pro-western countries.

British PM's Labor Party loses seat in by-election

LONDON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain's opposition Conservatives won the first by-election since the parliament expenses scandal, an embarrassing blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Conservative candidate Chloe Smith won the Norwich North seat by 7,348 votes with a total of 13,591. Brown's Labour Party came in a distant second with 6,243 votes.

Brown said the vote was "clearly a disappointing result."

The by-election was called when Labour member of parliament Ian Gibson resigned last month after revelations he had claimed thousands of pounds in parliamentary expenses for a London flat he later sold at a cut rate to his daughter.

A panel of senior Labour MPs had already decided Gibson should be barred from standing for the party at the next general election.

Extra British troops to deployed in Afghanistan

LONDON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said on Friday 125 British service personnel are to be deployed to Afghanistan to help sustain the progress of current operations following recent rising casualty rates.

Ainsworth's announcement came after British commanders in Afghanistan requested to enable them to sustain the required operational effectiveness for the remainder of their tour, in particular, through the next month's presidential election in Afghanistan.

The defense secretary said the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan are the people best placed to know the resources needed for that operation.

"In this case they have told me that, after the sad and tragic casualty rate that we have suffered in recent weeks, reinforcements are necessary to ensure we can maintain our operational tempo and consolidate the real progress we have made," he added.

Nineteen British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this month, one of the highest monthly death toll since 2001.

Number of British troops killed in Afghanistan rises to 20

LONDON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of British troops killed in Afghanistan this month rose to 20 after a soldier was killed Saturday in a bomb blast.

The British Defense Ministry said the soldier was killed in an explosion during a vehicle patrol in central Helmand province.

As of now, 189 British soldiers have died, surpassing the number killed in Iraq after the 2003 invasion.

Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said Friday that Britain will send 125 service personnel to Afghanistan to help sustain the progress of current operations.

"Reinforcements are necessary to ensure we can maintain our operational tempo and consolidate the real progress we have made," he said.

Police kill six militants in Russia's Chechnya republic

MOSCOW, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Police in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya killed six militants during a shootout Saturday, the republic's interior minister said.

"Operation information was received that a group of illegal armed unit members was hiding in a house in the Goity village. Policemen blocked the house, but the militants opened fire on the policemen," said Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov.

All of the militants were killed and five police officers were wounded during the hours-long shootout, he said.

The Kremlin in April formally ended an anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, which has experienced two bloody separatist wars in the past 15 years.

The North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan have seen a rise in daily violence in recent months.

Britain's last WWI veteran dies at 111

LONDON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The last surviving British soldier to fight in the WWI Harry Patch died at the age of 111, British Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday.

It was reported that Patch had been unwell for some time and passed away peacefully at a care home.

His passing comes one week after another survivors of the conflict and the world's oldest man, Henry Allingham died aged 113.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II paid her tribute to Patch, saying that "We will never forget the bravery and enormous sacrifice of his generation."

Prince Charles said "The Great War is a chapter in our history we must never forget, so many sacrifices were made, so many young lives lost."

"So today nothing could give me greater pride than paying tribute to Harry Patch," he added.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also said that "I know that the whole nation will unite today to honor the memory, and to take pride in the generation that fought the Great War."

The Ministry of Defense said Patch's funeral would be held in Wells Cathedral in the town where he lived.

Russian president vows to fight corruption

MOSCOW, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to fight corruption with great efforts in an interview with Russia's NTV aired on Sunday.

"For as long as Russia is thought of as a country with an ultra-high scale of corruption, we'll be getting the kind of treatment this involves. So it's the task of those in authority to beat corruption, no matter how unrealistic this may sound today," the Inter fax news agency quoted Medvedev as saying.

"We have already adopted a whole set of measures (against corruption) and we won't stop," he said.

The president stressed new anti-corruption laws should be used extensively.

"We have a national plan. We have a package of anti-corruption laws. We have adopted bylaws," the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

"The main thing now is to learn to use and not to be afraid to use these documents, so that those who use them do not fear that they will be punished tomorrow. This is the most complicated task," he said.

Medvedev has made fighting corruption one of his top priorities since taking office in May 2008.

Russia not to "reset" U.S. ties at expense of Ukraine, Georgia: Medvedev

MOSCOW, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Russia would not try to "reset" its relations with the United States at the expense of Ukrainian and Georgian interests, President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian NTV aired Sunday.

"We without any jealousy see how other states build their relations with our partners in the international community, including such important as the United States," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Medvedev as saying.

But he reiterated Russia's opposition for Ukraine and Georgia to be "dragged" into political and military alliances like NATO "against their people's will."

"As far as Ukraine is concerned, everything is utterly simple here -- hold a referendum. If the nation favors presence in some or other military-political alliance, there will be at least a legitimate basis," Medvedev said.

"As for Georgia, it is a question to NATO itself -- for what NATO needs a state that has so many problems," he said.

Medvedev added that NATO itself has gradually come to realize that "the two respected states are not ready yet" to join the alliance.

On Russian-Georgian relations, the president said, "Regimes similar to that of (Georgian President Mikhail) Saakashvili come and go away, but feelings between nations remain."

"I am sure in some time our relations will be restored on a new basis with taking into consideration the formed realities and the tragic pages the relations went through in recent time," he said.

After U.S. President Barack Obama was sworn in, Russia and the United States have been actively engaging in "resetting" bilateral relations that had plummeted to an unprecedented low.

Six killed in suicide blast in Russia's Chechnya

A boy walks across a square, the site of a suicide bomb attack in Grozny, July 26, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

The floor is stained with blood at a square, the site of a suicide bomber attack, in front of a concert hall in Grozny July 26, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

MOSCOW, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Four police officers and one civilian were killed in a suicide blast in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya Sunday evening, news agencies reported.

A suicide bomber set off an explosive device when approaching senior police officers working outside a theater and concert hall in Leninsky district of Grozny, the regional capital, at around 5:00 p.m. Moscow time (1300 GMT).

"The senior police officers who died today are the chief of public security in Grozny's Leninsky district, the chief of the same district's detention center, a deputy chief of public security forces in Chechnya, who had the colonel's rank, and a lieutenant-colonel from the Interior Ministry's department for coordination," the Itar-Tass reported citing local investigative sources.

There were a crowd of people at a square some 40 meters from the concert hall, said the RIA Novosti, and a local police source said nine other people were wounded in the blast.

One of the wounded civilians later died in the hospital, while two others remained in critical conditions, said the Itar-Tass.

The body of the suicide bomber has been destroyed beyond recognition.

The scene has been cordoned off where investigators were working.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov condemned the attack, pledging to root out terrorists in the region.

"These are the death throes of bandits...I declare that the operation will continue until all of these bandits are completely annihilated," he said.

The Kremlin in April formally ended an anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, which has experienced two bloody separatist wars in the past 15 years.

The North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan have seen a rise in daily violence in recent months.

The Russian government has strengthened its strikes against insurgents recently. Six militants were killed in a police special operation Saturday in Chechnya after hours-long shootout.

World Esperanto Congress starts in Bialystok, Poland

JAKARTA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia recorded 19 people newly infected by A/H1N1 influenza virus, putting the total cases to 362in the country, Health Ministry said in a statement here on Sunday night.

Six of the 19 persons, two foreigners and 17 Indonesian citizens, had historical journey to Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands and Singapore, director general of disease control and environmental health of the ministry Tjandra Yoga Aditama said in the statement.

"So far, the cumulative of the cases in Indonesia is 362," he said, adding that all the 19 people were being treated at hospitals.

The disease has spread to nearly a half of total 33 province in the country, the ministry said.

According to the World Heath Organization, more than 700 people died of the A/H1N1 influenza virus. It also reported that the virus spread nearly all countries in the world.

2009年9月21日星期一

Wildfires in S Peloponnese under control

ATHENS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Three separate wildfires were reported on Sunday in the southern Peloponnese, with all three luckily being extinguished towards the evening hours, according to Athens News Agency.

According to the report, a massive fire-fighting effort, including dozens of vehicles, two aircraft and three helicopters, finally put out the wildfire on Sunday. It is claiming that more than 350 hectares of forest and crops have been destroyed.

Scorching hot temperatures amounting to 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded Sunday throughout Greece.

Due to the extremely high and dry weather, forest fires easily break out during the summer time in Mediterranean countries. In 2007 big fires broke out in Greece with more than 60 deaths.

Sarkozy hospitalized after collapsing during jog

FILE - In this Thursday, May 17, 207 file photo, French President Nicolas Sarkozy steps into the Elysee Palace as he comes back from jogging in Paris. French President Nicolas Sarkozy felt unwell while exercising Sunday, July 26, 2009 and was undergoing medical tests, the Elysee Palace announced. Sarkozy 'felt faint' Sunday while doing sports and his personal doctor immediately took charge of him, the two-sentence statement said. No other details were available. AP Photo

PARIS 鈥?French President Nicolas Sarkozy collapsed while jogging Sunday on the lush grounds of the Chateau of Versailles and will stay at a hospital overnight even though tests so far have found nothing wrong, his office said.

Military doctors quickly performed a battery of tests on the 54-year-old president, who is known for his hyperactivity. The presidential Elysee Palace said Sarkozy's test results were normal but that doctors would keep him under cardiological observation until Monday.

Upon his collapse, Sarkozy was rushed by helicopter to a military hospital. His office denied the president had lost consciousness in the episode. The Elysee Palace statement followed reports from members of Sarkozy's government and his chief of staff, who had indicated that Sarkozy had lost consciousness.

"Today, late in the morning, while he was jogging in the park at the Chateau of Versailles, the president of the republic felt unwell. This episode, which came after 45 minutes of intense physical activity, was not accompanied by a loss of consciousness," the palace statement said.

Sarkozy, an avid jogger and cyclist, was forced to interrupt his run and "lie down with the help of an aide," the statement said. A presidential doctor who is with Sarkozy at all times sounded the alert and administered initial treatment.

Doctors at the Val de Grace military hospital conducted neurological, blood and cardiological tests as well as an EEG, an electroencephalogram. Sarkozy, ever mindful of his image, received close advisers Sunday to keep up on the news and was resting, the statement said. A new health bulletin was expected Monday morning.

"He's doing well. He's hungry. He's grousing, so everything's OK," Patrick Balkany, a close friend and deputy mayor of the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret told RTL radio. Balkany said Sarkozy was on a diet and doing too much. "I hope, moreover, for him, that this is a healthy warning," Balkany added.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and former French President Jacques Chirac were among those who sent Sarkozy wishes for a speedy recovery.

French Health Ministry Roselyne Bachelot, speaking live on French 2 television, said Sarkozy had suffered a "small" vasovagal episode.

A vagal episode can be caused by strenuous exercise when it is very hot. It can lead to a temporary loss of consciousness but usually is not serious. It is named for the vagus nerve which slows down the heartbeat and reduces arterial tension.

The Le Parisien newspaper on its Web site quoted Claude Gueant, the secretary-general of the Elysee Palace, as saying that Sarkozy's illness was over quickly.

"The president is completely conscious. His illness did not last a long time," Gueant said in the newspaper interview. Gueant, who was not with the French leader at the time, indicated that Sarkozy had been inanimate but he "had regained consciousness."

Gueant said Sarkozy had been jogging with his bodyguards on the grounds of the Lanterne pavilion, a hunting lodge at the vast Chateau of Versailles used by French presidents. Temperatures reached 28 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) at Versailles on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier, the Elysee Palace had issued a brief statement saying that Sarkozy "felt faint" Sunday while exercising.

Sarkozy, 54, was elected in 2007. He last underwent a medical examination July 3, when his cardiovascular and blood tests were normal, the Elysee's medical service said.

His first medical bulletin issued shortly after his 2007 election said Sarkozy's health was "good" and compatible with his presidential duties. Since his election, Sarkozy has maintained a frenetic pace, traveling the world and performing political activities, as well as divorcing his second wife and marrying his third, the former fashion model and singer, Carla Bruni.

During his presidential campaign, Sarkozy pushed for greater transparency on presidential health bulletins, but his short hospital stay for a throat problem in 2007 was revealed only three months later.

Previous French presidents regularly concealed their health problems from the public.

The French public learned that former President Georges Pompidou had bone marrow cancer only after he died of it, while in office, on April 2, 1974.

Former President Francois Mitterrand, who led France from 1981-95 and died of prostate cancer just months after leaving office, ordered his doctor to systematically falsify his health bulletins for 11 years.

Former President Jacques Chirac was hospitalized for a week at Val de Grace in 2005 for a vascular problem and officials never fully explained what was wrong.

If a French president dies in office, the president of the Senate takes over temporarily while fresh presidential elections are organized.

Sarkozy is not the first president to have problems while jogging.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter was in the middle of a 10-kilometer race in Maryland when he collapsed into the arms of his bodyguards on Sept. 15, 1979. Dr. William Lukash said the next day that the American leader was in "excellent form."

(Agencies)

Sarkozy hospitalized after collapsing during jog

FILE - In this Thursday, May 17, 207 file photo, French President Nicolas Sarkozy steps into the Elysee Palace as he comes back from jogging in Paris. French President Nicolas Sarkozy felt unwell while exercising Sunday, July 26, 2009 and was undergoing medical tests, the Elysee Palace announced. (Photo/AP)