Israeli troops arrest 8 Palestinians and distribute demolition

The Israeli army arrested eight Palestinians in the West Bank prior to clashes erupted between dozens of youths and Jewish settlers, witnesses and security sources said Monday.

The Israeli forces demolished a store selling construction supplies in Qalqilya city and leveled agricultural lands near the holy city of Bethlehem, which the Palestinians said was to expand roads leading to a Jewish settlement in the location.

Israel Radio reported that the wanted Palestinians were arrested in numerous cities inside the West Bank.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted when the settlers entered Palestinian-controlled location in Nablus city to pay a visit to a Jewish holy place referred to as Joseph's Tomb, witnesses stated.

Israeli forces accompanied the settlers, the witnesses stated. The Palestinians threw stones and rocks at the forces. An Israeli army spokesperson told Israel Radio that the army evacuated 50 settlers who insisted to stay in the tomb's surroundings.

In April, an Israeli settler was killed and several other people were wounded in clashes with Palestinian police. The Palestinians stated that the settlers entered the region without having coordinating in advance with the Palestinian authorities.

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, but returned parts of it to the Palestinian National Authority within the 1990s. Now, you'll find about half a million settlers live in 120 settlements inside the West Bank. Israel retains control on the lands where the settlements are situated and their surroundings.

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Reported that 80% of Chinese students lack of sleep

About 80 percent of China's primary and middle school students aren't getting enough sleep, according to a report leased on Monday in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

The average sleeping time for China's elementary and middle school students is less than eight hours, even on weekends, according to the report released by the China Youth and Children Research Center (CYCRC).

The report was based on three surveys of more than 5,000 elementary and middle school students in ten provincial-level regions. The surveys were conducted in 1999, 2005 and 2010.

"Heavy workloads, poor study habits and long commute times have all contributed to the sleep shortage," said Deng Xiquan, a scholar who works with the CYCRC.

According to the CYCRC, elementary and middle school students should get ten and nine hours of sleep each day, respectively.

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Landslides in southeastern Turkey killed one person and wounded two

1 individual was killed and two other people were injured in a landslide in a mine in southeastern Turkey on Monday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

The landslide occurred in the mine near the Sirnak-Cizre highway in Sirnak province, based on the report.

The injured have been taken to Sirnak State Hospital for treatment, the report stated, adding that an investigation into this landside is underway.

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On top of pessimism about the U.S. economic recovery, the strong yen is a concern for Japanese shares

Tokyo stocks fell Monday, with the key Nikkei stock index losing 0.18 percent as a firmer yen prompted the selling of large-cap exporters and investors hit the sidelines ahead of key economic information due out from the U.S. and Japan this week.

As trading volume fell to the lowest this year at 1.38 billion shares, brokers stated that the market mood was lackluster as a result of the strength of the yen and amongst a lack of external cues because of markets in both the U.S. along with the U.K. becoming closed for national holidays.

Marketplace players said that concern was growing about the pace of the economic recovery in the U.S., with economists predicting data this week will show that hiring slowed Might and factory output declined.

On Might 27, a government information showed that the purchasing of homes in April fell much more than expected, adding to fears the pace of recovery in the world's largest economy may be cooling.

"On leading of pessimism about the U.S. economic recovery, the powerful yen is actually a concern for Japanese shares," stated Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities.

The yen rose as high as 80.72 against the U.S. dollar, from 81. 07 at the close of trading in Tokyo last Friday.

A powerful yen eats into exporters' profits produced abroad when the funds are repatriated and Japanese goods and services turn out to be less competitive in overseas markets.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 16.97 points from Friday to 9,504.97, the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell 1.22 points, or 0.15 percent, to finish at 823.68.

Coupled having a lack of fresh incentives and a persistently strong yen, some analysts also pointed to political turbulence in Japan as unsettling the marketplace mood.

The March 11 disasters largely muted news of an increasingly fractious government that prior to the quake and tsunami was on the brink of collapsing with calls for the Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down from inside his own and opposition parties and call a snap election.

"The marketplace lacks energy, lacks buying cues, and faces a lot of uncertainties," stated Hiroichi Nishi, equity division manager at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

"There are worries about political instability on the domestic front as opposition parties may possibly submit a no-confidence motion" against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, he said.

Political insecurity added to investors' reluctance to buy shares and exporters came under pressure from the yen's firmness against its significant counterparts.

Sony Corp. fell 2.1 percent to two,122 yen, as consumer faith inside the electronics giant has been severely dented following a series of security breaches concerning its online gaming organization.

Advantest relinquished 1.1 percent to 1,489 yen and industrial robotics maker Fanuc shed 0.7 percent to 12,270 yen.

Honda Motor declined 1.3 percent to 3,030 yen, following the automaker announcing a data breach in Canada as well as a report inside the Nikkei on Saturday saying the firm has reversed its decision to carry out further share buybacks.

"The move itself just isn't that surprising, however it could reflect the tough conditions that the organization is in if it reached such a decision at this early timing," stated Naoki Fujiwara, a fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management, adding that selling would likely only be temporary.

Toyota, meanwhile, the world's largest automaker, declined 0.2 percent to close at three,330 yen.

Some shares bucked the downward trend on individual news nonetheless, with Sumitomo Realty & Development gaining 1.2 percent to 1,710 yen, following Barclays Capital raising its rating on the firm's stock to "overweight" from "equal-weight" and upping its target price on the stock saying the firm would likely trump its counterparts when its comes to post-quake organization recovery.

Trading volume on Monday dropped to 1.38 billion shares on the Tokyo Exchange's 1st Section, falling from Friday's volume of 1. 61 billion shares, with advancing problems outnumbering declining ones by 849 to 605.

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Samsung LCD expansion of market share in China

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest flat-panel maker, said Monday it held a groundbreaking ceremony for a brand new plant in China in a bid to expand its presence in the liquid crystal display (LCD) marketplace within the world's most populous nation.

According to an emailed statement sent by Samsung to Xinhua, it broke grounds Monday for a brand new 7.5-generation assembly line in Suzhou Industrial Park, which will probably be constructed by Samsung Suzhou LCD (SSL).

The SSL is really a joint venture set up last month by Samsung Electronics, Suzhou Industrial Park and TCL Corp., one of China's leading Television makers. Samsung holds a 60 percent stake in SSL capitalized at 3 billion U.S. dollars, with the Suzhou Industrial Park and TCL Corp. having interests of 30 percent and 10 percent respectively.

Samsung said it expects the new plant to start mass production in the first half of 2013, adding the plant will likely be capable of producing 100,000 units of glass substrate per month.

The tech giant aims to carry out an integrated LCD manufacturing procedure inside China by creating the plant along with the existing LCD module production line which has been operating in Suzhou given that late 2003.

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China's opening up low-flying:China's general aviation is growing rapidly

The wind is blowing gently, perfect weather for flying. The sun is gleaming off the surface of a lengthy white runway, which disappears into the clear blue horizon. It can be a fine day in early Could, perfect for flying modest planes around this little airfield in Yanqing County, about 70 kilometers northwest of the center of Beijing.

Much less than three years ago, company at the Badaling Airfield was robust. The busiest days saw small aircraft taking off and landing from dawn to dusk, based on Pan Jichun, a senior engineer with Jinggong (Beijing) General Aviation Business Limited, which developed the airfield inside the late 1990s and has operated it until now.

Today, the runway is idle. The 12,000-square-meter tarmac lot at its southern end -- sufficient for 70 to 80 little planes -- is empty as well.

This has to do having a big tower that's becoming built on the east side of the runway by a investigation institute affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which has also installed 100 huge mirrors for solar energy experiments. The mirrors reflect the sun's rays, filling the sky with blinding beams of light.

"The dazzling beams are a great danger to airplanes flying over our airfield," Pan says.

The Badaling Airfield will be the only privately-funded facility in Beijing dedicated to general aviation (GA). It really is now unsuitable for use.

China's aviation sector is strictly controlled. Last year in October, the country's central air traffic authority issued a document regarding the use of the country's low-altitude airspace (LAA).

The document was issued by the State Air Visitors Control Commission (SATCC), China's highest military-based authority on air traffic affairs. It stipulated that airspace less than 1,000 meters above ground would be broken into 3 categories: control areas, surveillance areas, and free-flight areas.

Free-flight areas may possibly be used by everyone as long as their flight plans are reported to the relevant air traffic authority in advance.

The move was welcomed by China's small but fast-growing tribe of flying enthusiasts and private owners of little airplanes.
The cities of Changchun, Guangzhou and Xi'an are the only ones whose airspace has been divided and specified by the SATCC. A visual flight map showing the 3 LAA areas above Xi'an is practically total, based on the SATCC.

SATCC Deputy Director-General Liu Gang said that work on the other two cities, as well as flight maps for five other unspecified regions, is going to be completed this year. Flight maps with LAA divisions for each and every city in the country ought to be ready by 2015, based on Liu.

The initial fanfare triggered by the release of the SATCC document has died out. Some GA enthusiasts now say the 1,000 meters of airspace specified inside the document won't be high enough.

"Flying too low will probably be impossible because of strong airflow. I generally fly between 1,800 and 2,000 meters above ground," Pan says.

Liu, however, says that the changes will just take time. He dislikes the use of "opening up," saying that the country's airspace has by no means in fact been closed to general aviation. "'Loosening' may possibly be a a lot more proper wording," he says.

"You want freedom to fly. However, other people have the best to live safely," he says. Liu adds that GA enthusiasts should have far more patience and need to not derail the adjustments with illegal flights that could disrupt regular air visitors.

Liu says the objectives of the adjustments are to increase the use of LAA resources and generate an orderly and safe aviation control mechanism. ' The government is eager to foster the growth of GA-oriented firms, which are occasionally asked to assist the government with emergency rescue operations or to meet transportation requirements in areas where public transportation is lacking, based on Liu.

He says that a government-sponsored GA pilot project involving helicopters is being promoted in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China.

Zhu Shicai, an SATCC office secretary, says an official website for reporting flight plans will probably be launched some time this year. "Pilots who wish to apply and report their flight plans on-line will find it to be really convenient and efficient," he says.

There's reason for the country's private airplane owners to be please. In the past, each and every and each and every flight had to be approved by the authorities well in advance. Approval procedures were complicated, waiting times had been lengthy and approval didn't usually come.

This led to an enhance within the number of illegal flights, a few instances of which were reported inside the media. Those who didn't want to take the risk of becoming caught flying illegally had to maintain their planes locked up.

However, according to the SATCC document, GA flyers no longer need to have to obtain prior approval to fly within the third LAA category, and the needed flight program reporting may be carried out on short notice. Nevertheless, the actual areas covered by the three LAA categories have still not been specified, and SATCC officers say that the specification won't be finished any time soon.

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The study led by psychologist Professor Debra Creedy from the University of Queensland,:Midwives' counseling helps traumatized new mothers

 About a third of Australian girls are traumatized by childbirth and midwives' counseling can ease their distress, a study by Australian researchers revealed on Monday.

The study led by psychologist Professor Debra Creedy from the University of Queensland, surveyed 1,038 pregnant Australian ladies with no prior history of mental illness.

The study revealed that about 30 percent females described childbirth as "horrific" or "terrifying" after they gave birth.

"They feared for their life or that of their baby," stated Creedy, who's been studying maternity health for over 15 years.

Untreated trauma could result in anxiety or postnatal depression, causing reactions like excessive concern for their kids or fear of giving birth once more, according to the study.

"Unless these sorts of emotions are dealt with in a productive way they can have lasting effects on girls," Creedy stated.

The study was presented at The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Congress in Darwin on Monday.

Creedy as well as a team of researchers from the University of Queensland trained a team of midwives in counseling skills.

They randomly selected a few of the traumatized mums to undergo counseling inside 72 hours of birth and four to six weeks later.

The other traumatized women received parent support services - practical assistance covering things like settling the baby and breast feeding - and had been monitored in case their condition developed into some thing much more significant.

"Both groups improved six weeks right after giving birth but inside the longer term those females who received parenting support did much worse." Creedy told Australian Associated Press (AAP).

At 12 months following giving birth, almost 20 percent of the supported group reported moderate to severe depression.

But only eight percent of women counseled by midwives were still struggling with mental illness.

"We found midwives are very nicely placed to support the emotional wants of girls simply because they understand childbirth," she stated.

"They can talk with the woman about what happened and why that procedure might have been required and to normalize a woman's responses."

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Posted in: :Midwives' counseling helps traumatized new mothers,The study led by psychologist Professor Debra Creedy from the University of Queensland

Government of Bahrain announced in September elections

The Bahraini government on Monday officially announced that parliamentary elections will be held on Sept. 24 to fill the vacant 18 seats owned by the opposition just before the unrest broke out in the Gulf country.

The date set for citizens to cast their votes in respective embassies and consulates abroad is Sept. 20, state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.

Al Wefaq bloc, the largest opposition group, held 18 seats inside the parliament before the unrest erupted within the tiny Gulf country two months ago. The opposition parliament members resigned in protest against the government crackdown on protesters and their resignations had been approved by Chamber of Deputies.

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Philippines certified footand mouth disease free ,negotiations were already ongoing to export pork products to Singapore and Malaysia.

The Philippines can now export livestock meat items to the rest of the world right after becoming certified by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as free from the dreaded foot and mouth illness (FMD) with out vaccination, officials said Monday.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala stated the OIE certification declaring the country's remaining regions and provinces no cost from the deadly illness enables the Philippines to lastly export, particularly to nearby ASEAN and Asia-Pacific regions, livestock meat products, primarily pork.

As the country is likewise free of charge from avian flu, it has been exporting poultry merchandise, mostly to Japan.

Alcala said negotiations had been already ongoing to export pork products to Singapore and Malaysia.

Assistant Secretary for livestock Davinio Catbagan said the country's FMD-free status also augurs well for the domestic livestock industry, as livestock and swine raisers and meat processors can now freely transport and trade live animals and livestock meat goods inside the country.

Catbagan stated the no cost movement and transport will enhance productivity, particularly in improving, upgrading and growing existing livestock herd and swine population.

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China Tobacco Corporation is the world's largest cigarette maker.

China can use the state monopoly to prevent tobacco business from interfering in tobacco control policy setting in a country where more than one million men and women die of smoking-related illness each and every year, a World Wellness Organization (WHO) official said.

"China's tobacco industry is 100 percent state-owned. And this delivers tremendous chance for the government to bring it under control," Dr. Sarah England, a Beijing-based WHO tobacco control official, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on eve of the World No Tobacco Day which falls on Tuesday.

China is the world's largest cigarette producer and consumer. You'll find about 300 million smokers inside the country and nearly 60 percent of Chinese men smoke.

China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003, pledging powerful measures to curb tobacco consumption. But the treaty's implementation is in the hands of a multi-agency work group that includes the State Tobacco Monopoly, the regulatory body that shares the same management as China Tobacco Corporation.

China Tobacco Corporation will be the world's largest cigarette maker. Business figures show that about two,290 billion sticks of cigarettes were sold in China in 2009, up 40 percent from 2002.

"The tobacco industry is acting against the principles of public health, along with the WHO FCTC guidelines make clear the tobacco industry ought to have no influence on tobacco control policy," Dr. England stated, adding that the state monopoly is really an benefit for the government as it can control the industry's actions and involvement in policy generating.

She said Thailand has a similar state monopoly, but the Thai government manages to firewall the government-owned tobacco business from the tobacco control policy setting.

"China can look to examples where there is a separation of these functions and consider regardless of whether a similar arrangement of firewalling is workable," she said.

Calls to kick tobacco industry representatives out of the multi-agency work group in charge of implementing the WHO treaty have been mounting within the well being sector for some time.

A report whose lead authors include a deputy head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) said in January that the fundamental reason China has achieved only limited progress on tobacco control is since tobacco business representatives interfere with the drafting and enforcement of tobacco-control policies.

In its message for this year's World No Tobacco Day, the WHO says that it considers the greatest barrier to enactment and enforcement of national laws which are consistent with the WHO FCTC is interference of the tobacco business in public health policy-making.

It calls for vigilance and concerted action by governments, civil society and communities to quit the interference and allow full implementation of the treaty.

The tobacco epidemic kills almost 6 million folks worldwide each year, mostly from heart disease, stroke, cancer and emphysema, based on the WHO. Tobacco-related deaths account for 63 percent of deaths from non-communicable diseases inside the world nowadays. Passive or second-hand exposure to tobacco causes an estimated 600,000 deaths a year globally.

The tobacco industry at present generates about 7 percent of the Chinese government's annual revenue. But well being specialists argue that the tobacco revenue is overshadowed by lost productivity and the overwhelming medical costs linked to the deaths and illnesses caused by tobacco consumption.

"If the senior leadership of China has the correct data, they will make the best decision for the men and women and do what's required to essentially sunset the tobacco industry," Dr. England said.

The WHO official said she was encouraged by the inclusion of tobacco control language for the first time inside the government's five year strategy this March, a landmark move that signals tobacco control is really a supported belief by the Chinese government and also the Ministry of Wellness acted instantly to put an indoor smoking ban in place.

"I believe we're going to see a actual change inside the good quality of indoor air inside the next year," Dr. England said. "We are quite optimistic that China will implement the convention and honor its obligations."

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Japanese Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) workers may be far beyond the legal limit of radiation

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) as well as the Japanese government officials stated Monday that two of the utility firm's workers who have been working at the crippled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant in northeast Japan could have been exposed to radiation exceeding the legal limit of 250 millisieverts.

The two male workers in their 30s and 40s have been working at the radiation-leaking complex because the March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered the worst nuclear crisis.

A spokesperson for TEPCO said that the two men had been exposed to increasing amounts of radiation considering that March 11, amassing numerous hundred millliseiverts.

To deal with the escalating crisis, the government raised the legal limit of radiation workers might be exposed to in an emergency scenario from 100 millisieverts to 250 milliseiverts.

However, according to the power company and government officials, the two workers who had their thyroid glands tested on Could 23 had absorbed 7,690 and 9,760 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 -- a level 10 times that of other workers tested.

The two men had been assigned to work details at the Nos. three and four reactors, which involved becoming inside the reactors' control rooms too as outside on the complex's grounds.

The embattled utility firm said it plans to test 150 more workers who have been assigned comparable work duties.

The radioactive materials released throughout the Chernobyl disaster, a crisis which draws quite a few parallels with the Fukushima disaster, continues to affect men and women within the region, with youngsters becoming essentially the most at risk

The World Wellness Organization stated the Chernobyl nuclear disaster will trigger 50,000 new cases of thyroid cancer amongst young folks living inside the areas most affected by the nuclear disaster.

The rate of thyroid cancer in adolescents aged 15 to 18, according to the WHO, is also now three times greater than it was just before the 1986 disaster took place. The incidence of thyroid cancer in youngsters rose 10-fold in children who lived within the plant 's vicinity.

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Posted in: Japanese Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) workers may be far beyond the legal limit of radiation

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's aide arrested in bribery

 A close aide to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was arrested Monday for taking kickbacks from a now-suspended savings bank.

Eun Jin-soo, who stepped down as a commissioner of the Board of Audit and Inspection last week, is accused of taking some 100 million won (92,300 U.S. dollars) in bribes from the Busan Savings Bank, whose operation has been temporarily suspended for financial irregularities and corruption.

He is suspected of attempting to wield his muscle to help the bank get away with irregularities including its illegal loan extensions.

Eun, who worked for the President's 2007 campaign, has reportedly denied charges of influence-peddling but admitted to accepting bribes.

Prosecutors are planning to issue a court-issued warrant against Eun for much more questioning, based on reports.

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turkish State Minister and Deputy Premier Bulent says:racist attacks on Turks in Bulgaria

Turkish State Minister and Deputy Premier Bulent Arinc has stated there had been racist attacks on Turks in Bulgaria soon after reports of fight between Bulgarians and ethnic Turks within the Bulgarian capital of Sofia earlier this month, nearby media reported Monday.

"Unfortunately, there were some racist attacks on our people in Bulgaria... Specifically members of Ataka party did fantastic harm and created unpleasing acts with their statements and actions," the Anatolia news agency quoted Arinc as telling a meeting at the Bulgarian Mestanli Culture and Solidarity Association in the northwestern province of Bursa on Sunday.

Arinc said the Turkish government was closely following those attacks, adding that the government had set up the "Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities" for Turks living in foreign countries and specially in the Balkans.

His words came after a reported main fight in downtown Sofia that erupted following members of the Bulgarian nationalist party " Ataka" attacked Turkish Muslims praying on spread out floor mats on Might 20.

One ethnic Turk was hurt inside the scuffle, although Ataka President Volen Siderov said a parliament member was also hurt and that two Ataka members were arrested by police, the Macedonian International News Agency reported on its web site.

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Posted in: turkish State Minister and Deputy Premier Bulent says:racist attacks on Turks in Bulgaria

Bus hostage-taker killed, police, two children hurt in N. PhilippinesBus hostage-taker killed, police, two children hurt in N. Philippines

An alleged bus hostage-taker was killed, while a policeman and two youngsters were hurt in an incident in northern Philippines Monday afternoon, police stated.

Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. stated that certain Pedro Brine boarded a 5-Star Bus at the Dau bus terminal in Pampanga province at around 2:25 p. m.

He said the bus was enroute to Pangasinan province when the hostage-taker held two kids, aged two and 4, using a knife.

"Police Officer Eduardo Santiago, a police assigned in Laguna Provincial Police Office, who was a passenger inside the bus tried to intercede but the suspect stabbed him," Cruz said.

Nonetheless, Santiago took the opportunity to retaliate and he shot dead the suspect.

He said the police along with the 3 youngsters who suffered minor injuries had been brought to the nearest hospital for treatment as investigation is ongoing to figure out the motive of the hostage- taker.

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Posted in: Bus hostage-taker killed,police,two children hurt in N. Philippines

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad said:Saudi Arabia cannot threat Iran

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Saudi Arabia can not pose threat against Iran, the nearby ISNA news agency reported on Monday.

Saudi Arabia "is not in a position to threaten Iran," Vahidi said on Sunday, adding that Saudi Arabia "will in no way dare to pose military threat against Iran."

Rejecting any claims for Iran's meddling in Bahrain's internal affairs, he stated "anyone who looks at the scene in Bahrain will uncover out that who's genuinely intervening in Bahrain's matters."

Referring to Saudi forces' presence in Bahrain, he added "a simple examination will show which country has deployed its forces across Bahrain and is meddling inside the country's issues," according to the report.

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Posted in: Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad said:Saudi Arabia cannot threat Iran

UNESCO official requires uniform mechanism on ICH protection

 A UNESCO official has called on the international society to construct a uniform mechanism in protecting intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as many countries still misunderstand the Convention for the Safeguarding of ICH.

Cecile Duvelle, chief of UNESCO's ICH section, created the remarks on Sunday whilst addressing the ongoing forum for ICH protection in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

She said that safeguarding ICH is the main objective of the convention, but several countries do not totally realize the key concepts of the convention soon after 3 years' of implementation,

Experience has shown that the convention isn't understood and implemented in a consistent way, said Duvelle, who's also the Secretary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of ICH.

The UN official stated identification, documentation, study and preservation are only safeguarding measures if they aim to make sure the viability of ICH as specified by the convention.

Based on the convention, ICH ought to often be living heritage, which means it ought to continue to be actively produced, maintained, recreated and safeguarded, Duvelle said.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of ICH was adopted by UNESCO's General Conference in October 2003 and entered into force in 2006. Currently, the convention has 135 States Parties.

Duvelle stated several countries have largely concentrated on the promotional aspects, rather than focusing on the urgent tasks of safeguarding ICH at risk.

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Indonesia reaffirms non-connection between extremist, Islamic boarding school

Indonesian Minister for Religion Surya Dharma Ali on Monday reaffirmed that there is no connection between extremist movement of Indonesia Islamic State (NII) with an Islamic boarding school named Al Zaytun in Indramayu region of West Java province, saying that the rumor could disgrace alumnus and students of the school.

"The Ministry for Religion didn't find any connection between NII and Al Zaytun when I visited the Islamic boarding school couple of days ago," stated Ali.

He said that a lot of people have said that he was too rush in offering the judgment as he was only a number of hours in the boarding school.

"But, if there is certainly a powerful indication of the connection, law enforcers ought to have taken actions," said Ali.

And, he said, if the school apparently is involved with the movement, police must take actions.

"The Ministry for Religion has no authority to interrogate or to confront what I've asked," he stated.

Ali stressed that he has posed "sharp questions" to the leader of Al Zaytun named Panji Gumilang.

"I asked him regardless of whether there's any connection between Al Zaytun with NII, regardless of whether Al Zaytun has the exact same way in collecting fund with NII and regardless of whether Panji Gumilang will be the leader of the Ninth Area Commander of NII for Jakarta. Principally, he said no," he said.

Based on Ali, he didn't need to take the issue too lengthy.

"If Al Zaytun is wrong, name its errors and we can fix them. If not, state that it's not wrong, so there is a certainty," he stated.

He said that all parties ought to pay attention of 7,000 graduates of Al Zaytun and students.

"We don't want them to have blur future if they're referred to as as radicalized cadres, including students there and also their parents," he stated.

He said that when he met leaders of Indonesia's National Agency for Terrorism Prevention, it has emerged a discourse of "a cat that is regarded as a tiger" in the case.

The concern of NII has been becoming headlines as Indonesia was rocked by numerous modest bombing circumstances in recent months.

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Posted in: Indonesia reaffirms non-connection between extremist,Islamic boarding school

Qatar : 16 held Iranian sailors released

 Iranian Ambassador to Qatar Abdollah Sohrabi said that Qatar has released 16 Iranian sailors arrested by coast guards for what it stated "illegally crossing the maritime border," the English language satellite Press Television reported on Monday.

"Sixteen Iranian sailors and their boats, detained for illegal entry to Qatari waters by coast guards in March, have been released by means of efforts created by Iran's Embassy in Doha," Sohrabi said.

A Qatari court ordered the release of the sailors following "the detainees had been cleared from the charges," he added.

"The Iranian sailors left Doha on Thursday, along with their fishing boats, and joined their families in Rostami port in Bushehr province," Sohrabi was quoted as saying on Monday.

According to the report, Qatar confiscated two Iranian fishing boats and their crews on March 24.

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Posted in: Qatar : 16 held Iranian sailors released

Newborn foals bring number of endangered Chinese saiga antelope to over 100

 The number of endangered saiga antelope living in China has exceeded 100 after 31 foals have been born since late April, a zoologist said Monday.

Domesticated saiga antelope at the Gansu Endangered Animal Research Center in northwest China's Gansu Province have given birth to 31 foals since April 26, bringing the total number to 105, said Zhao Chongxue, the center's deputy director.

The center, built in 1987 on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, is breeding saiga antelope and other endangered animals like Bactrian camels and wild Mongolian horses, Zhao said.

Saiga antelope, which originally inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian steppe zone, are listed as a critically endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The antelope are considered to be extinct in the wild in China, as no wild saiga antelope have been found in decades.

The Gansu Endangered Animal Research Center has brought over a dozen saiga antelope from overseas areas, where they are still plentiful, since 1988. The rest of China's saiga antelope were bred from these imported antelopes.

"The number of saiga antelope is still relatively low," Zhao said. "We need to breed more of these animals in order to reintroduce them to the wild."

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Posted in: Newborn foals bring number of endangered Chinese saiga antelope to over 100

Agent Orange detector using more groundwater samples collected

South Korea and the United States on Monday collected extra groundwater samples near a U.S. military base as part of their joint investigation into allegations that the toxic defoliant Agent Orange was buried there over three decades ago.

The joint investigation team gathered groundwater samples from six sites near Camp Carroll in Chilgok, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, following its prior sample collection from 4 sites on May 27.

The groundwater samples, along with soil samples to be collected from 15 websites around Camp Carroll, is going to be analyzed to see if they contain harmful chemicals including dioxin.

The investigation began following former U.S. soldiers told a U.S. tv station early this month that they buried significant amounts of Agent Orange in 1978 at Camp Carroll.

South Korea and the U.S. are set to start a joint inspection inside Camp Carroll next week as soon as environmental experts from the U.S. arrive here.

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