tbogg

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to DPRK, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Chances seem low that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea is involved in its warship sinking, said South Korean officials at the presidential office on Saturday.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.

\”Given the investigations by government ministries so far, it is the government\’s judgment that the incident was not caused by North Korea, although the reason for the accident has not been determined yet,\” a senior government official was quoted.

\”An unidentified reason caused a hole in the ship, which led to its sinking. Rescue efforts are under way,\” the Defense Ministry said.

\”The ship fired a warning shot at an unidentified object, and the object was later suspected to have been a flock of birds. But we are checking,\” it said.

Cheong Wa Dae said that there has been no \”unusual move\” by Pyongyang so far despite initial media reports that the DPRK \”might be to blame for the incident\” that happened Friday night near the disputed western sea border between the two sides.

Initial media reports said the incident might be caused by a possible torpedo attack from an unidentified DPRK vessel, citing military sources.

The Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea has not responded to the incident.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called an emergency security meeting and ordered a \”quick and thorough\” investigation Saturday into the caused of the sinking, and investigators are asked to keep in mind \”all possibilities\”, his office said.

He also urged the military to make \”all-out efforts\” to rescue as many survivors as possible.

He had instructed his government to update other members of the six-party nuclear talks with the development of the incident, while urging government agencies to take measures to reassure the public, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after the meeting.

Rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors is still underway Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

\”Many of the missing people might have been trapped inside the sunken ship,\” JCS (the Joint Chief of Staff) spokesman Lee Ki-Sik told a parliament committee.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said.

The ship \”Cheonan\” went down off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (12:45 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship, and another South Korean naval vessel fired at an unspecified target toward the north in response.

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Friday expressed his concern over the red-shirted march around the capital Bangkok on Saturday, Thai News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the premier assured the coalition government has no policy to disperse the ongoing red shirt gathering.

However, it is worrying since by now it is still unknown yet how the march will be organized, while the red shirts have kept changing their march\’s plan, Abhisit said.

It will be better if the red-shirts declare the plan since it will be helpful for the government to operate security measures and for the public to avoid any difficulty to occur during the march, the prime minister said.

The red-shirted march will be organized as the 122 Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and Related Meetings will also start from this Saturday.

The meeting will be hosted at Centara Grand hotel at Ratchaprasong Intersection in the center of Bangkok as over 2,000 people from 153 countries will participate in.

Hence, Thai Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul said that if the red shirts will not scatter their march on Saturday, it will be good for the country\’s image, the National News Bureau of Thailand (ANT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported.

In a related development, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the national emergency center together with hospitals in eight provinces nearby Bangkok are ready to deal with the red-shirted march.

After the rally debut, it is recorded that some 185 red shirts were sick and 176 of the total already recovered as only nine persons are still being healed at hospitals, he said.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.nmgmzbwg.com.cn

FlASH: SOUTH KOREAN NAVY SHOOTS AT UNIDENTIFIED VESSEL: YONHAP

http://www.pq365.com

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (Xinhua) — Militants Saturday blew up two schools in Mohamnd and Khyber tribal areas of Pakistan\’s northwest in a fresh attempt against educational institutions, local media reported.

A government boys\’ middle School was blown up by militants in Alinagar area of subdivision Saafi, Mohamand Agency earlier Saturday morning, according to official sources.

Unknown militants came at around 1:00 AM local time and placed explosive materials in different parts of the school. The school was comprising of 16 rooms. Eleven rooms were blown up completely while five were damaged partially. It is to be noted that since January 2009, this has been the 36th school targeted by the militants in Mohamand Agency.

In another incident in Qambar Khel area of subdivision Bara, Khyber Agency, earlier Saturday morning at between 04:00 to 05:00 a.m. local time, a government boys\’ primary school was blown up by militants from Khyber Agency. The school had five rooms and four of them were damaged completely while the one left behind received partial damages. The school was without a boundary wall.

Pakistan Taliban, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, have claimed responsibility for the two incidents.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in religious conservatism in parts of its northwest tribal belt with militants opposing education, especially female education and hundreds of schools have been destroyed in the last a few years.

http://www.chinacourse.com

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members return from their search for possible survivors from sunken naval ship \’Cheonan\’ as a Marine (front) stands guard at the seashore on Baengnyeongdo March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

by Kim Junghyun

Seoul, March 27 (Xinhua) — A South Korean naval vessel with 104 crew members onboard sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause, alarming the nation that anxiously watched the overnight rescue process of what is called one of the biggest tragedies of the country\’s naval history.

The news of the 1,200-ton warship sinking off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo, located near the disputed maritime border between South Korea and the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), initially sparked much speculation here that the cause of the incident was possible attacks from the DPRK, which quickly died down as authorities scrambled to determine a cause of the incident.

WARSHIP SINKING

The patrol ship, named Cheonan, sank near the country\’s northernmost island of Baekryeong after an unidentified explosion in the back of the ship made a hole in the bottom of it, local media reported citing military officials. Another South Korean naval ship fired at an unspecified object northward in a following action.

President Lee Myung-bak held a second consecutive emergency meeting with security officials early Saturday, following a late- night emergency meeting convened immediately after the news hit home.

\”The President instructed the Armed Forces authorities to do all they can to rescue as many survivors as possible. At the same time, he said the authorities concerned should find out what exactly transpired in the incident in a speedy and thorough manner, considering all possibilities,\” presidential office Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters earlier in the day.

As the coast guard is put on the highest alert, all public officers in the country are also put on standby during the weekend at an instruction of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan for possible emergency situations in the wake of the incident.

No fatalities have been reported yet. Thirteen crew members have been hospitalized for injuries but they are not in a critical condition, according to South Korea\’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC).

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members on a rubber boat patrol to rescue possible survivors from sunken naval ship Cheonan off Baengnyeongdo, an island near the border with?DPRK March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

RESCUE OPERATION

While 58 crew members out of 104 onboard the warship were rescued alive as of early Saturday morning, 46 members still remain missing.

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members return from their search for possible survivors from sunken naval ship \’Cheonan\’ as a Marine (front) stands guard at the seashore on Baengnyeongdo March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

by Kim Junghyun

Seoul, March 27 (Xinhua) — A South Korean naval vessel with 104 crew members onboard sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause, alarming the nation that anxiously watched the overnight rescue process of what is called one of the biggest tragedies of the country\’s naval history.

The news of the 1,200-ton warship sinking off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo, located near the disputed maritime border between South Korea and the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), initially sparked much speculation here that the cause of the incident was possible attacks from the DPRK, which quickly died down as authorities scrambled to determine a cause of the incident.

WARSHIP SINKING

The patrol ship, named Cheonan, sank near the country\’s northernmost island of Baekryeong after an unidentified explosion in the back of the ship made a hole in the bottom of it, local media reported citing military officials. Another South Korean naval ship fired at an unspecified object northward in a following action.

President Lee Myung-bak held a second consecutive emergency meeting with security officials early Saturday, following a late- night emergency meeting convened immediately after the news hit home.

\”The President instructed the Armed Forces authorities to do all they can to rescue as many survivors as possible. At the same time, he said the authorities concerned should find out what exactly transpired in the incident in a speedy and thorough manner, considering all possibilities,\” presidential office Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters earlier in the day.

As the coast guard is put on the highest alert, all public officers in the country are also put on standby during the weekend at an instruction of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan for possible emergency situations in the wake of the incident.

No fatalities have been reported yet. Thirteen crew members have been hospitalized for injuries but they are not in a critical condition, according to South Korea\’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC).

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members on a rubber boat patrol to rescue possible survivors from sunken naval ship Cheonan off Baengnyeongdo, an island near the border with?DPRK March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

RESCUE OPERATION

While 58 crew members out of 104 onboard the warship were rescued alive as of early Saturday morning, 46 members still remain missing.

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Eight South Korean government officials, including seven from the agriculture ministry, were confirmed dead in a car accident in the southern part of the country after attending a workshop Friday night, the government said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the crash happened at around 11:00 p.m. Friday in the southern city of Taean, about 150 km from Seoul, as the van that were carrying all eight officials ran into a beachside rock.

\”We deeply regret the death of our officials and will do our best to complete the investigation with no flaws,\” the ministry said in a statement.

The officials were part of a group that attended workshops involving sight visits and policy research projects in Taean, the ministry added.

The police said that they were still investigating the exact cause of the crash, as the driver might have lost sight of the rock as heavy fog caused dangerous road conditions Friday night or it could be related to drunk driving.

http://www.gemuhope.com

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to DPRK, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Chances seem low that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea is involved in its warship sinking, said South Korean officials at the presidential office on Saturday.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.

\”Given the investigations by government ministries so far, it is the government\’s judgment that the incident was not caused by North Korea, although the reason for the accident has not been determined yet,\” a senior government official was quoted.

\”An unidentified reason caused a hole in the ship, which led to its sinking. Rescue efforts are under way,\” the Defense Ministry said.

\”The ship fired a warning shot at an unidentified object, and the object was later suspected to have been a flock of birds. But we are checking,\” it said.

Cheong Wa Dae said that there has been no \”unusual move\” by Pyongyang so far despite initial media reports that the DPRK \”might be to blame for the incident\” that happened Friday night near the disputed western sea border between the two sides.

Initial media reports said the incident might be caused by a possible torpedo attack from an unidentified DPRK vessel, citing military sources.

The Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea has not responded to the incident.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called an emergency security meeting and ordered a \”quick and thorough\” investigation Saturday into the caused of the sinking, and investigators are asked to keep in mind \”all possibilities\”, his office said.

He also urged the military to make \”all-out efforts\” to rescue as many survivors as possible.

He had instructed his government to update other members of the six-party nuclear talks with the development of the incident, while urging government agencies to take measures to reassure the public, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after the meeting.

Rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors is still underway Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

\”Many of the missing people might have been trapped inside the sunken ship,\” JCS (the Joint Chief of Staff) spokesman Lee Ki-Sik told a parliament committee.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said.

The ship \”Cheonan\” went down off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (12:45 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship, and another South Korean naval vessel fired at an unspecified target toward the north in response.

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — The red-shirted anti-government protesters march in capital Bangkok are still under control as the government is confident to be able to further maintain law and order, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Saturday.

\”The situation is still under control,\” the deputy premier in charge of security affairs said.

Speaking at a press conference Saturday afternoon, Suthep said that security officers have let the anti-government protesters to move to their targeted places smoothly to avoid confrontation.

Suthep said, \”both police and army officers are performing their duty patiently to deal with the protesters.\”

The government\’s peace-keeping center (PKC) is closely monitoring the situation to further ensure security for the general public and state places, Suthep said, adding that the government will also adjust security forces to be deployed in a bid to prevent any ill-intended people to inclite violence.

The anti-government protesters Saturday were marching to eight important places aiming to pressure the Army to withdraw its forces stationed at several important places in capital Bangkok.

As the march not yet completely ended by 15:30 p.m. local time, some red shirted protesters already returned to their main rally site Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

Related:

Thai red shirts marching to pressure army forces to withdraw from Bangkok

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s anti-government protestors Saturday are marching in Thailand\’s capital Bangkok as they have announced that they will march to at least eight important places, Thai News Agency reported.

The red-shirted protestors announced that their march is aimed at pressuring the army to withdraw their forces, which have been deployed at several important places in capital Bangkok.? Full story

Thai gov\’t to do every means to bring Thailand out of crisis: PM

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s coalition government will do every means in an attempt to bring the country out of the crisis, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said here on Saturday.

The premier\’s statement was made as the anti-government protesters are marching to eight important places in capital Bangkok to pressure the Army to withdraw troops having been deployed on standby, Thai News Agency reported.? Full story

http://www.qb-china.com

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Eight South Korean government officials, including seven from the agriculture ministry, were confirmed dead in a car accident in the southern part of the country after attending a workshop Friday night, the government said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the crash happened at around 11:00 p.m. Friday in the southern city of Taean, about 150 km from Seoul, as the van that were carrying all eight officials ran into a beachside rock.

\”We deeply regret the death of our officials and will do our best to complete the investigation with no flaws,\” the ministry said in a statement.

The officials were part of a group that attended workshops involving sight visits and policy research projects in Taean, the ministry added.

The police said that they were still investigating the exact cause of the crash, as the driver might have lost sight of the rock as heavy fog caused dangerous road conditions Friday night or it could be related to drunk driving.

http://www.gemuhope.com

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to DPRK, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Chances seem low that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea is involved in its warship sinking, said South Korean officials at the presidential office on Saturday.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.

\”Given the investigations by government ministries so far, it is the government\’s judgment that the incident was not caused by North Korea, although the reason for the accident has not been determined yet,\” a senior government official was quoted.

\”An unidentified reason caused a hole in the ship, which led to its sinking. Rescue efforts are under way,\” the Defense Ministry said.

\”The ship fired a warning shot at an unidentified object, and the object was later suspected to have been a flock of birds. But we are checking,\” it said.

Cheong Wa Dae said that there has been no \”unusual move\” by Pyongyang so far despite initial media reports that the DPRK \”might be to blame for the incident\” that happened Friday night near the disputed western sea border between the two sides.

Initial media reports said the incident might be caused by a possible torpedo attack from an unidentified DPRK vessel, citing military sources.

The Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea has not responded to the incident.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called an emergency security meeting and ordered a \”quick and thorough\” investigation Saturday into the caused of the sinking, and investigators are asked to keep in mind \”all possibilities\”, his office said.

He also urged the military to make \”all-out efforts\” to rescue as many survivors as possible.

He had instructed his government to update other members of the six-party nuclear talks with the development of the incident, while urging government agencies to take measures to reassure the public, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after the meeting.

Rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors is still underway Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

\”Many of the missing people might have been trapped inside the sunken ship,\” JCS (the Joint Chief of Staff) spokesman Lee Ki-Sik told a parliament committee.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said.

The ship \”Cheonan\” went down off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (12:45 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship, and another South Korean naval vessel fired at an unspecified target toward the north in response.

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Friday expressed his concern over the red-shirted march around the capital Bangkok on Saturday, Thai News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the premier assured the coalition government has no policy to disperse the ongoing red shirt gathering.

However, it is worrying since by now it is still unknown yet how the march will be organized, while the red shirts have kept changing their march\’s plan, Abhisit said.

It will be better if the red-shirts declare the plan since it will be helpful for the government to operate security measures and for the public to avoid any difficulty to occur during the march, the prime minister said.

The red-shirted march will be organized as the 122 Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and Related Meetings will also start from this Saturday.

The meeting will be hosted at Centara Grand hotel at Ratchaprasong Intersection in the center of Bangkok as over 2,000 people from 153 countries will participate in.

Hence, Thai Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul said that if the red shirts will not scatter their march on Saturday, it will be good for the country\’s image, the National News Bureau of Thailand (ANT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported.

In a related development, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the national emergency center together with hospitals in eight provinces nearby Bangkok are ready to deal with the red-shirted march.

After the rally debut, it is recorded that some 185 red shirts were sick and 176 of the total already recovered as only nine persons are still being healed at hospitals, he said.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.nmgmzbwg.com.cn

TOKYO, March 26 (Xinhua) — Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said at a press conference on Friday that he has no intention of making any significant changes to his Cabinet, or the leadership of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), maintaining that he himself has no plans to step down as prime minister, ahead of the House of Councilors elections this summer.

The prime minister although acknowledging a slump in public support, with polls revealing the support rating for his Cabinet has dropped to the 30 percent range from over 70 percent shortly after the DPJ swept to power last September, said he was not thinking about stepping down.

\”I understand it to be a situation I should take seriously, but I don\’t take the position that I should just quit,\” Hatoyama said with reference to the growing lack of public support, adding, \”I\’m not thinking about resignation.\”

Hatoyama, who also doubles-up as DPJ president, also quashed any possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle and DPJ leadership change, saying that any changes now would be untimely.

The prime minister conceded that he himself as well as other DPJ lawmakers such as Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa, who have both been implicated in political funds scandals, should adequately explain themselves to the public and admitted that he is \”well aware\” that the public is angry.

\”We\’ll have to pave the way for a solution to this kind of problem appropriately,\” said Hatoyama restating his wish to legally ban political donations from corporations and organizations.

Having successfully passed a record 92.3 trillion yen (995.54 billion U.S. dollars) budget for the new fiscal year from April 1, Hatoyama is keen to enact key remaining pieces of legislation including the child allowance and senior high school tuition waiver bills, by March 31, the end of the current fiscal year, in hope of bolstering public support by making good on his \”People\’s Lives First\” election campaign slogan last summer.

Opposition parties however are expected to intensify their \” politics and money\” campaign against the DPJ-led ruling bloc, regardless of the passage of new bills, as their core bone of contention with the ruling coalition remains the funding scandals.

However the Liberal Democratic Party has indicated that it will demand Hatoyama\’s resignation should he not be able to successfully resolve the thorny issue of where to relocate the U.S. Marines\’ Futemma Air Station in Okinawa.

Hatoyama has a self-imposed end-of-May deadline to resolve the issue which took a new turn on Friday as Japan\’s Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima that the possibility of Japan sticking to an existing accord with Washington to relocate the facility within Okinawa would be close to impossible.

http://www.gtrip.net

TOKYO, March 26 (Xinhua) — Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said at a press conference on Friday that he has no intention of making any significant changes to his Cabinet, or the leadership of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), maintaining that he himself has no plans to step down as prime minister, ahead of the House of Councilors elections this summer.

The prime minister although acknowledging a slump in public support, with polls revealing the support rating for his Cabinet has dropped to the 30 percent range from over 70 percent shortly after the DPJ swept to power last September, said he was not thinking about stepping down.

\”I understand it to be a situation I should take seriously, but I don\’t take the position that I should just quit,\” Hatoyama said with reference to the growing lack of public support, adding, \”I\’m not thinking about resignation.\”

Hatoyama, who also doubles-up as DPJ president, also quashed any possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle and DPJ leadership change, saying that any changes now would be untimely.

The prime minister conceded that he himself as well as other DPJ lawmakers such as Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa, who have both been implicated in political funds scandals, should adequately explain themselves to the public and admitted that he is \”well aware\” that the public is angry.

\”We\’ll have to pave the way for a solution to this kind of problem appropriately,\” said Hatoyama restating his wish to legally ban political donations from corporations and organizations.

Having successfully passed a record 92.3 trillion yen (995.54 billion U.S. dollars) budget for the new fiscal year from April 1, Hatoyama is keen to enact key remaining pieces of legislation including the child allowance and senior high school tuition waiver bills, by March 31, the end of the current fiscal year, in hope of bolstering public support by making good on his \”People\’s Lives First\” election campaign slogan last summer.

Opposition parties however are expected to intensify their \” politics and money\” campaign against the DPJ-led ruling bloc, regardless of the passage of new bills, as their core bone of contention with the ruling coalition remains the funding scandals.

However the Liberal Democratic Party has indicated that it will demand Hatoyama\’s resignation should he not be able to successfully resolve the thorny issue of where to relocate the U.S. Marines\’ Futemma Air Station in Okinawa.

Hatoyama has a self-imposed end-of-May deadline to resolve the issue which took a new turn on Friday as Japan\’s Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima that the possibility of Japan sticking to an existing accord with Washington to relocate the facility within Okinawa would be close to impossible.

http://www.gtrip.net

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s government is likely to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the venue of the Mekong River Commission Summit during April 2 to 5, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Friday, Thai News Agency reported.

The summit will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in resort town Hua Hin locating in Thailand\’s central province Prachuap Khiri Khan during April 2-5.

Hence, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Premier Suthep, and Satit Wonghnongtaey, Prime Minister\’s Office Minister inspected the planned venue for the summit.

Their inspection was made in a bid to assess if it will be necessary to impose the ISA law, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported?

Thousands of protesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group have converged on capital Bangkok since March 12 to press Prime Minister Abhisit to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call new election.

Hence, it is feared that they may move to stage a rally at the summit\’s venue since the UDD or red-shirted group has announced their rally will be prolonged.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.marconimedical.com

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s government is likely to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the venue of the Mekong River Commission Summit during April 2 to 5, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Friday, Thai News Agency reported.

The summit will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in resort town Hua Hin locating in Thailand\’s central province Prachuap Khiri Khan during April 2-5.

Hence, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Premier Suthep, and Satit Wonghnongtaey, Prime Minister\’s Office Minister inspected the planned venue for the summit.

Their inspection was made in a bid to assess if it will be necessary to impose the ISA law, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported?

Thousands of protesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group have converged on capital Bangkok since March 12 to press Prime Minister Abhisit to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call new election.

Hence, it is feared that they may move to stage a rally at the summit\’s venue since the UDD or red-shirted group has announced their rally will be prolonged.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.marconimedical.com

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to North Korea, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — South Korean officials are narrowing down the possibilities that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is involved in a South Korean navy patrol ship sinking, according to local media Saturday.

Likelihood of the DPRK\’s involvement in the incident seems low, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency quoted multiple officials at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae as saying.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.

There has been no unusual movements by the DPRK so far, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday.

The South Korean naval vessel, with 104 crew members onboard, sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause.

The 1,200-ton ship sank off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast at around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (1245 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship.

President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday demanded a \”quick and thorough\” investigation, and called for rescuing the missing by all means.

Lee also ordered to inform related nations engaged in the six-party talks of proper information about the incident, and urged government agencies to take measures to reassure the public.

Related:

Rescue continues in S Korean ship sinking, 46 still missing

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — The rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors of a South Korean ship that sank late Friday is still under Saturday, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency reported.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said. Earlier reports said 60 sailors have been rescued.? Full story

S Korean Navy ship sinks possibly caused by mine explosion: YTN

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Friday\’s Navy ship sinking might be caused by mine explosion, South Korean media YTN quoted presidential sources as saying on Saturday.

by Prime Sarmiento

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) — About 15 million Filipinos are expected to switch off their lights for one hour Saturday night, joining the global community\’s symbolic stance against climate change.

Households, communities, civil society, government agencies and private companies from over 1,000 towns and municipalities in the Philippines pledged to turn off their lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, according to the organizers of Earth Hour Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is joining this global sustainability movement.

This year\’s Earth Hour Philippines is being organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Energy, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement. The organizers will mobilize 15 million Filipinos from more than 1,000 towns and cities to participate in Earth Hour.

As of Friday, 1,041 towns and cities have committed to take part in the event significantly more than the 647 cities and towns which switched off their lights during Earth Hour 2009, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants.

The Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in last year\’s Earth Hour.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano is not surprised by such strong reception to the Earth Hour.

\”You can only say yes to earth hour,\” Sano said in an interview with Xinhua.

The newly-appointed Climate Change Commissioner notes that the Earth Hour is a \”politically-neutral\” event, offering the Filipinos a short reprieve from the current campaign frenzy ahead of the May national elections.

It also helps that it\’s very easy to participate in Earth Hour, Sano said. One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. The rising carbon emissions which is mainly due to the growing dependence on oil and coal as an energy source is increasing temperatures. The warming planet is spurring more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions, according to the U.N. Climate Panel.

Sano said more Filipinos are ware of the impact of climate change, having experienced first hand the problems it caused. Last year, the back to back typhoons Ketsana and Parma pushed 480,000 people to poverty and damaged over 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of property. This year, the El Nino has brought intense heat, dried up farmlands, damaged crops, reduced water levels and limited the supply of energy.

The organizers have invited the public to the main switchoff event to be held at the SM Mall of Asia, where a concert will be held to celebrate Earth Hour. Street parties will also be held ion various parts of the country.

Organizers are also hoping that participating in the one hour switch off program will encourage more consumers to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

by Prime Sarmiento

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) — About 15 million Filipinos are expected to switch off their lights for one hour Saturday night, joining the global community\’s symbolic stance against climate change.

Households, communities, civil society, government agencies and private companies from over 1,000 towns and municipalities in the Philippines pledged to turn off their lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, according to the organizers of Earth Hour Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is joining this global sustainability movement.

This year\’s Earth Hour Philippines is being organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Energy, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement. The organizers will mobilize 15 million Filipinos from more than 1,000 towns and cities to participate in Earth Hour.

As of Friday, 1,041 towns and cities have committed to take part in the event significantly more than the 647 cities and towns which switched off their lights during Earth Hour 2009, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants.

The Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in last year\’s Earth Hour.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano is not surprised by such strong reception to the Earth Hour.

\”You can only say yes to earth hour,\” Sano said in an interview with Xinhua.

The newly-appointed Climate Change Commissioner notes that the Earth Hour is a \”politically-neutral\” event, offering the Filipinos a short reprieve from the current campaign frenzy ahead of the May national elections.

It also helps that it\’s very easy to participate in Earth Hour, Sano said. One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. The rising carbon emissions which is mainly due to the growing dependence on oil and coal as an energy source is increasing temperatures. The warming planet is spurring more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions, according to the U.N. Climate Panel.

Sano said more Filipinos are ware of the impact of climate change, having experienced first hand the problems it caused. Last year, the back to back typhoons Ketsana and Parma pushed 480,000 people to poverty and damaged over 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of property. This year, the El Nino has brought intense heat, dried up farmlands, damaged crops, reduced water levels and limited the supply of energy.

The organizers have invited the public to the main switchoff event to be held at the SM Mall of Asia, where a concert will be held to celebrate Earth Hour. Street parties will also be held ion various parts of the country.

Organizers are also hoping that participating in the one hour switch off program will encourage more consumers to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

by Prime Sarmiento

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) — About 15 million Filipinos are expected to switch off their lights for one hour Saturday night, joining the global community\’s symbolic stance against climate change.

Households, communities, civil society, government agencies and private companies from over 1,000 towns and municipalities in the Philippines pledged to turn off their lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, according to the organizers of Earth Hour Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is joining this global sustainability movement.

This year\’s Earth Hour Philippines is being organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Energy, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement. The organizers will mobilize 15 million Filipinos from more than 1,000 towns and cities to participate in Earth Hour.

As of Friday, 1,041 towns and cities have committed to take part in the event significantly more than the 647 cities and towns which switched off their lights during Earth Hour 2009, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants.

The Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in last year\’s Earth Hour.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano is not surprised by such strong reception to the Earth Hour.

\”You can only say yes to earth hour,\” Sano said in an interview with Xinhua.

The newly-appointed Climate Change Commissioner notes that the Earth Hour is a \”politically-neutral\” event, offering the Filipinos a short reprieve from the current campaign frenzy ahead of the May national elections.

It also helps that it\’s very easy to participate in Earth Hour, Sano said. One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. The rising carbon emissions which is mainly due to the growing dependence on oil and coal as an energy source is increasing temperatures. The warming planet is spurring more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions, according to the U.N. Climate Panel.

Sano said more Filipinos are ware of the impact of climate change, having experienced first hand the problems it caused. Last year, the back to back typhoons Ketsana and Parma pushed 480,000 people to poverty and damaged over 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of property. This year, the El Nino has brought intense heat, dried up farmlands, damaged crops, reduced water levels and limited the supply of energy.

The organizers have invited the public to the main switchoff event to be held at the SM Mall of Asia, where a concert will be held to celebrate Earth Hour. Street parties will also be held ion various parts of the country.

Organizers are also hoping that participating in the one hour switch off program will encourage more consumers to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Suva, March 26 (Xinhua) — The European Union once again comes to the aid of school children in Fiji who got affected by Cyclone Tomas.

Through the Fiji Education Sector Program, the EU will initially hand over on Monday March 29 a cheque of 1 million Fiji dollars (0.515 million U.S. dollars) to the Ministry of Education to commence rehabilitation work in badly affected areas.

The money will be used to repair and purchase school equipment damaged in the cyclone in schools in the Northern and Eastern Division.

Fiji\’s Education Minister Filipe Bole said additional funds will be provided after the full report on damages to schools is submitted by the Ministry to the EU office.

It is envisaged that the EU will provide more than 2 million Fiji dollars (1.03 million U.S. dollars) to assist the Ministry in its rehabilitation efforts.

In response, the Fiji government is indeed grateful to the European Union for providing the much needed funding for the rehabilitation of schools that suffered great damages as a result of the devastation caused by Cyclone Tomas.

\”In times of national need and grief befalling many of our people after natural disasters, the goodwill of other nations freely given through different forms of assistance is always a blessing and a pleasant experience to enjoy,\” said Bole.

The children of Fiji as beneficiaries of the EU kind gesture wish to convey their gratitude to the people of Europe.

Their benevolent gesture of replacing lost learning implements and also providing modern facilities and equipment for learning has turned sorrows into joy.

Meanwhile Fiji said that as of Friday the damages caused by Cyclone Tomas had reached 34 million Fiji dollars (17.5 million U. S. dollars).

http://www.zokn.com

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s coalition government will do every means in an attempt to bring the country out of the crisis, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said here on Saturday.

The premier\’s statement was made as the anti-government protesters are marching to eight important places in capital Bangkok to pressure the Army to withdraw troops having been deployed on standby, Thai News Agency reported.

Negotiation (between representatives of the government and red- shirted core leaders) is still viewed as the solution to the current conflict, Abhisit said.

Significantly, the national and people interest will be factored in as the government is attempting to solve the political problem, Abhisit said.

In a related development, the government\’s peace-keeping center (PKC) has agreed to pull out its unarmed army forces stationed in at least three places as demanded by the red-shirted protesters.

These three places are Bovornniwet Temple, Tri-tossathep Temple, and Nang Leong Racecourse.

Peace-keeping center spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd told state-run NBT Television that the pulling of the troops is aimed to ease the political tension between the army men and the red shirted protesters.

The peace-keeping operation command is now assessing how and where to relocate the army troops already pulled from those mentioned places, the PKC spokesman said.

Amid the ongoing gathering of the red shirts, the unarmed- military forces are still needed in capital Bangkok in a bid to ensure security, explained Col. Sansern.

Meanwhile, Police Major General Piya Utayo, the Spokesman of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said as the army forces were pulled out, police forces have still maintained security at several places in Bangkok.

\”The police is now closely coordinating with the peace-keeping operations command (inside the 11th Infantry Regiment in capital Bangkok to ensure security),\” said Police Major General Piya.

Related:

Thai red shirts marching to pressure army forces to withdraw from Bangkok

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s anti-government protestors Saturday are marching in Thailand\’s capital Bangkok as they have announced that they will march to at least eight important places, Thai News Agency reported.

The red-shirted protestors announced that their march is aimed at pressuring the army to withdraw their forces, which have been deployed at several important places in capital Bangkok.?? Full story

Bomb explodes inside Thailand\’s Customs Department

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — A bomb exploded outside a building in Thailand\’s Customs Department compound in Bangkok Saturday morning.

The explosion happened at about 6 a.m., local newspaper The Nation \’s website reported. The blast damaged glass windows and a van parked nearby.? Full story

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to North Korea, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — South Korean officials are narrowing down the possibilities that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is involved in a South Korean navy patrol ship sinking, according to local media Saturday.

Likelihood of the DPRK\’s involvement in the incident seems low, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency quoted multiple officials at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae as saying.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.

There has been no unusual movements by the DPRK so far, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday.

The South Korean naval vessel, with 104 crew members onboard, sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause.

The 1,200-ton ship sank off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast at around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (1245 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship.

President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday demanded a \”quick and thorough\” investigation, and called for rescuing the missing by all means.

Lee also ordered to inform related nations engaged in the six-party talks of proper information about the incident, and urged government agencies to take measures to reassure the public.

Related:

Rescue continues in S Korean ship sinking, 46 still missing

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — The rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors of a South Korean ship that sank late Friday is still under Saturday, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency reported.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said. Earlier reports said 60 sailors have been rescued.? Full story

S Korean Navy ship sinks possibly caused by mine explosion: YTN

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Friday\’s Navy ship sinking might be caused by mine explosion, South Korean media YTN quoted presidential sources as saying on Saturday.

by Prime Sarmiento

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) — About 15 million Filipinos are expected to switch off their lights for one hour Saturday night, joining the global community\’s symbolic stance against climate change.

Households, communities, civil society, government agencies and private companies from over 1,000 towns and municipalities in the Philippines pledged to turn off their lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, according to the organizers of Earth Hour Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is joining this global sustainability movement.

This year\’s Earth Hour Philippines is being organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Energy, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement. The organizers will mobilize 15 million Filipinos from more than 1,000 towns and cities to participate in Earth Hour.

As of Friday, 1,041 towns and cities have committed to take part in the event significantly more than the 647 cities and towns which switched off their lights during Earth Hour 2009, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants.

The Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in last year\’s Earth Hour.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano is not surprised by such strong reception to the Earth Hour.

\”You can only say yes to earth hour,\” Sano said in an interview with Xinhua.

The newly-appointed Climate Change Commissioner notes that the Earth Hour is a \”politically-neutral\” event, offering the Filipinos a short reprieve from the current campaign frenzy ahead of the May national elections.

It also helps that it\’s very easy to participate in Earth Hour, Sano said. One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. The rising carbon emissions which is mainly due to the growing dependence on oil and coal as an energy source is increasing temperatures. The warming planet is spurring more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions, according to the U.N. Climate Panel.

Sano said more Filipinos are ware of the impact of climate change, having experienced first hand the problems it caused. Last year, the back to back typhoons Ketsana and Parma pushed 480,000 people to poverty and damaged over 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of property. This year, the El Nino has brought intense heat, dried up farmlands, damaged crops, reduced water levels and limited the supply of energy.

The organizers have invited the public to the main switchoff event to be held at the SM Mall of Asia, where a concert will be held to celebrate Earth Hour. Street parties will also be held ion various parts of the country.

Organizers are also hoping that participating in the one hour switch off program will encourage more consumers to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to North Korea, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Friday\’s Navy ship sinking might be caused by mine explosion, South Korean media YTN quoted Cheong Wa Dae sources as saying on Saturday.

General of the South Korean Navy Lee Ki-shik said later Friday that the 1,200-ton warship Cheonan went down after the unexplained explosion ripped a hole in the ship\’s bottom.

But both the government and the military authorities said the exact cause of the incident cannot be pinpointed yet.

South Korean officials are narrowing down the possibilities that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is involved in the incident.

Likelihood of the DPRK\’s involvement in the incident seems low, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Saturday, citing multiple officials at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.

There has been no unusual movements by the DPRK so far, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday.

Meanwhile, the rescue operation has been stepped up on Saturday. Military divers arrived at the scene of the warship sinking to go underwater to search the sunken vessel. But Yonhap said that they had to delay the operation due to inclement weather.

There were a total of 104 sailors onboard when the ship sank. Fifty-eight have been rescued later Friday, and other 46 crew members still remain missing.

President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday, demanding for a \”quick and thorough\” investigation, and rescuing the missing by all means.

Lee also ordered to inform related nations engaged in the six- party talks of proper information about the incident, and urged government agencies to take measures to reassure the public.

Related:

Rescue continues in S Korean ship sinking, 46 still missing

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — The rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors of a South Korean ship that sank late Friday is still under Saturday, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency reported.

TOKYO, March 26 (Xinhua) — Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said at a press conference on Friday that he has no intention of making any significant changes to his Cabinet, or the leadership of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), maintaining that he himself has no plans to step down as prime minister, ahead of the House of Councilors elections this summer.

The prime minister although acknowledging a slump in public support, with polls revealing the support rating for his Cabinet has dropped to the 30 percent range from over 70 percent shortly after the DPJ swept to power last September, said he was not thinking about stepping down.

\”I understand it to be a situation I should take seriously, but I don\’t take the position that I should just quit,\” Hatoyama said with reference to the growing lack of public support, adding, \”I\’m not thinking about resignation.\”

Hatoyama, who also doubles-up as DPJ president, also quashed any possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle and DPJ leadership change, saying that any changes now would be untimely.

The prime minister conceded that he himself as well as other DPJ lawmakers such as Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa, who have both been implicated in political funds scandals, should adequately explain themselves to the public and admitted that he is \”well aware\” that the public is angry.

\”We\’ll have to pave the way for a solution to this kind of problem appropriately,\” said Hatoyama restating his wish to legally ban political donations from corporations and organizations.

Having successfully passed a record 92.3 trillion yen (995.54 billion U.S. dollars) budget for the new fiscal year from April 1, Hatoyama is keen to enact key remaining pieces of legislation including the child allowance and senior high school tuition waiver bills, by March 31, the end of the current fiscal year, in hope of bolstering public support by making good on his \”People\’s Lives First\” election campaign slogan last summer.

Opposition parties however are expected to intensify their \” politics and money\” campaign against the DPJ-led ruling bloc, regardless of the passage of new bills, as their core bone of contention with the ruling coalition remains the funding scandals.

However the Liberal Democratic Party has indicated that it will demand Hatoyama\’s resignation should he not be able to successfully resolve the thorny issue of where to relocate the U.S. Marines\’ Futemma Air Station in Okinawa.

Hatoyama has a self-imposed end-of-May deadline to resolve the issue which took a new turn on Friday as Japan\’s Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima that the possibility of Japan sticking to an existing accord with Washington to relocate the facility within Okinawa would be close to impossible.

http://www.gtrip.net

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s government is likely to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the venue of the Mekong River Commission Summit during April 2 to 5, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Friday, Thai News Agency reported.

The summit will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in resort town Hua Hin locating in Thailand\’s central province Prachuap Khiri Khan during April 2-5.

Hence, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Premier Suthep, and Satit Wonghnongtaey, Prime Minister\’s Office Minister inspected the planned venue for the summit.

Their inspection was made in a bid to assess if it will be necessary to impose the ISA law, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported?

Thousands of protesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group have converged on capital Bangkok since March 12 to press Prime Minister Abhisit to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call new election.

Hence, it is feared that they may move to stage a rally at the summit\’s venue since the UDD or red-shirted group has announced their rally will be prolonged.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.marconimedical.com

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — The red-shirted anti-government protesters march in capital Bangkok are still under control as the government is confident to be able to further maintain law and order, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Saturday.

\”The situation is still under control,\” the deputy premier in charge of security affairs said.

Speaking at a press conference Saturday afternoon, Suthep said that security officers have let the anti-government protesters to move to their targeted places smoothly to avoid confrontation.

Suthep said, \”both police and army officers are performing their duty patiently to deal with the protesters.\”

The government\’s peace-keeping center (PKC) is closely monitoring the situation to further ensure security for the general public and state places, Suthep said, adding that the government will also adjust security forces to be deployed in a bid to prevent any ill-intended people to inclite violence.

The anti-government protesters Saturday were marching to eight important places aiming to pressure the Army to withdraw its forces stationed at several important places in capital Bangkok.

As the march not yet completely ended by 15:30 p.m. local time, some red shirted protesters already returned to their main rally site Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

Related:

Thai red shirts marching to pressure army forces to withdraw from Bangkok

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s anti-government protestors Saturday are marching in Thailand\’s capital Bangkok as they have announced that they will march to at least eight important places, Thai News Agency reported.

The red-shirted protestors announced that their march is aimed at pressuring the army to withdraw their forces, which have been deployed at several important places in capital Bangkok.? Full story

Thai gov\’t to do every means to bring Thailand out of crisis: PM

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s coalition government will do every means in an attempt to bring the country out of the crisis, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said here on Saturday.

The premier\’s statement was made as the anti-government protesters are marching to eight important places in capital Bangkok to pressure the Army to withdraw troops having been deployed on standby, Thai News Agency reported.? Full story

http://www.qb-china.com

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Eight South Korean government officials, including seven from the agriculture ministry, were confirmed dead in a car accident in the southern part of the country after attending a workshop Friday night, the government said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the crash happened at around 11:00 p.m. Friday in the southern city of Taean, about 150 km from Seoul, as the van that were carrying all eight officials ran into a beachside rock.

\”We deeply regret the death of our officials and will do our best to complete the investigation with no flaws,\” the ministry said in a statement.

The officials were part of a group that attended workshops involving sight visits and policy research projects in Taean, the ministry added.

The police said that they were still investigating the exact cause of the crash, as the driver might have lost sight of the rock as heavy fog caused dangerous road conditions Friday night or it could be related to drunk driving.

http://www.gemuhope.com

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to DPRK, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Chances seem low that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea is involved in its warship sinking, said South Korean officials at the presidential office on Saturday.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.

\”Given the investigations by government ministries so far, it is the government\’s judgment that the incident was not caused by North Korea, although the reason for the accident has not been determined yet,\” a senior government official was quoted.

\”An unidentified reason caused a hole in the ship, which led to its sinking. Rescue efforts are under way,\” the Defense Ministry said.

\”The ship fired a warning shot at an unidentified object, and the object was later suspected to have been a flock of birds. But we are checking,\” it said.

Cheong Wa Dae said that there has been no \”unusual move\” by Pyongyang so far despite initial media reports that the DPRK \”might be to blame for the incident\” that happened Friday night near the disputed western sea border between the two sides.

Initial media reports said the incident might be caused by a possible torpedo attack from an unidentified DPRK vessel, citing military sources.

The Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea has not responded to the incident.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called an emergency security meeting and ordered a \”quick and thorough\” investigation Saturday into the caused of the sinking, and investigators are asked to keep in mind \”all possibilities\”, his office said.

He also urged the military to make \”all-out efforts\” to rescue as many survivors as possible.

He had instructed his government to update other members of the six-party nuclear talks with the development of the incident, while urging government agencies to take measures to reassure the public, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after the meeting.

Rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors is still underway Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

\”Many of the missing people might have been trapped inside the sunken ship,\” JCS (the Joint Chief of Staff) spokesman Lee Ki-Sik told a parliament committee.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said.

The ship \”Cheonan\” went down off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (12:45 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship, and another South Korean naval vessel fired at an unspecified target toward the north in response.

BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Friday expressed his concern over the red-shirted march around the capital Bangkok on Saturday, Thai News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the premier assured the coalition government has no policy to disperse the ongoing red shirt gathering.

However, it is worrying since by now it is still unknown yet how the march will be organized, while the red shirts have kept changing their march\’s plan, Abhisit said.

It will be better if the red-shirts declare the plan since it will be helpful for the government to operate security measures and for the public to avoid any difficulty to occur during the march, the prime minister said.

The red-shirted march will be organized as the 122 Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and Related Meetings will also start from this Saturday.

The meeting will be hosted at Centara Grand hotel at Ratchaprasong Intersection in the center of Bangkok as over 2,000 people from 153 countries will participate in.

Hence, Thai Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul said that if the red shirts will not scatter their march on Saturday, it will be good for the country\’s image, the National News Bureau of Thailand (ANT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported.

In a related development, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the national emergency center together with hospitals in eight provinces nearby Bangkok are ready to deal with the red-shirted march.

After the rally debut, it is recorded that some 185 red shirts were sick and 176 of the total already recovered as only nine persons are still being healed at hospitals, he said.

The red-shirted main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of capital Bangkok.

http://www.nmgmzbwg.com.cn

FlASH: SOUTH KOREAN NAVY SHOOTS AT UNIDENTIFIED VESSEL: YONHAP

http://www.pq365.com

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (Xinhua) — Militants Saturday blew up two schools in Mohamnd and Khyber tribal areas of Pakistan\’s northwest in a fresh attempt against educational institutions, local media reported.

A government boys\’ middle School was blown up by militants in Alinagar area of subdivision Saafi, Mohamand Agency earlier Saturday morning, according to official sources.

Unknown militants came at around 1:00 AM local time and placed explosive materials in different parts of the school. The school was comprising of 16 rooms. Eleven rooms were blown up completely while five were damaged partially. It is to be noted that since January 2009, this has been the 36th school targeted by the militants in Mohamand Agency.

In another incident in Qambar Khel area of subdivision Bara, Khyber Agency, earlier Saturday morning at between 04:00 to 05:00 a.m. local time, a government boys\’ primary school was blown up by militants from Khyber Agency. The school had five rooms and four of them were damaged completely while the one left behind received partial damages. The school was without a boundary wall.

Pakistan Taliban, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, have claimed responsibility for the two incidents.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in religious conservatism in parts of its northwest tribal belt with militants opposing education, especially female education and hundreds of schools have been destroyed in the last a few years.

http://www.chinacourse.com

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members return from their search for possible survivors from sunken naval ship \’Cheonan\’ as a Marine (front) stands guard at the seashore on Baengnyeongdo March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

by Kim Junghyun

Seoul, March 27 (Xinhua) — A South Korean naval vessel with 104 crew members onboard sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause, alarming the nation that anxiously watched the overnight rescue process of what is called one of the biggest tragedies of the country\’s naval history.

The news of the 1,200-ton warship sinking off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo, located near the disputed maritime border between South Korea and the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), initially sparked much speculation here that the cause of the incident was possible attacks from the DPRK, which quickly died down as authorities scrambled to determine a cause of the incident.

WARSHIP SINKING

The patrol ship, named Cheonan, sank near the country\’s northernmost island of Baekryeong after an unidentified explosion in the back of the ship made a hole in the bottom of it, local media reported citing military officials. Another South Korean naval ship fired at an unspecified object northward in a following action.

President Lee Myung-bak held a second consecutive emergency meeting with security officials early Saturday, following a late- night emergency meeting convened immediately after the news hit home.

\”The President instructed the Armed Forces authorities to do all they can to rescue as many survivors as possible. At the same time, he said the authorities concerned should find out what exactly transpired in the incident in a speedy and thorough manner, considering all possibilities,\” presidential office Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters earlier in the day.

As the coast guard is put on the highest alert, all public officers in the country are also put on standby during the weekend at an instruction of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan for possible emergency situations in the wake of the incident.

No fatalities have been reported yet. Thirteen crew members have been hospitalized for injuries but they are not in a critical condition, according to South Korea\’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC).

South Korean Navy\’s Ship Salvage Unit members on a rubber boat patrol to rescue possible survivors from sunken naval ship Cheonan off Baengnyeongdo, an island near the border with?DPRK March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

RESCUE OPERATION

While 58 crew members out of 104 onboard the warship were rescued alive as of early Saturday morning, 46 members still remain missing.

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (Xinhua) — Pakistani border troops have arrested a mastermind of the killing of three Chinese engineers in the country\’s southwestern Balochistan province after exchange of firing, a senior military officer said Saturday.

Haji Murad Khan Muri, was arrested late Friday night after he entered Chaman, a Pakistani town bordering Afghanistan, Commandant Frontier Corps Colonel Shehzad told reporters.

Murad Muri, was behind the 2006 attack on the vehicle of Chinese engineers near Hub, a city some 700 km southeast of Quetta, the Balochistan provincial capital.

Three Chinese engineers and their driver were killed in the firing incident while several locals were injured.

The Pakistani government announced a reward of three million rupees (about 50,000 U.S. dollars at that time) for information on Murad Muri, a commander of the banned group, \”Balochistan Republican Army\”.

Giving details of the arrest, Colonel Shehzad said that the border troops intercepted a vehicle while entering Pakistani territory from Afghanistan at 11:00 p.m. local time when the troops signaled the vehicle to stop, the gunmen fired at the troops from the vehicle.

The security forces also fired on the suspects and arrested Murad Muri while his two colleagues fled towards Afghanistan in the darkness.

He said that the troops seized the car and recovered Indian currency and mobile sims. The commandant claimed that the accused had made calls to India, Kandahar in Afghanistan and Quetta in Pakistan.

Shehzad said that the accused will be shifted to Quetta for further investigation, hoping that the arrest will help the authorities to unearth the terror network in Balochistan.

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KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Afghan forces captured a Taliban commander in Nangarhar province east of Afghanistan, a press release of Defense Ministry said Saturday.

\”National security troops in conjunction with NATO-led forces captured Taliban commander Mullah Bahadar from Khogyani district on Friday,\”the press release said.

The arrested commander was involved in conducting terrorist activities including organizing roadside bombings in Khogyani and other parts of Nangarhar province, according to the press release.

Taliban militants have not to make comment yet.

Related:

Pakistan says Taliban arrests have no links with Afghan reconciliation

ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) — Pakistan Thursday rejected criticism at the arrests of senior Afghan Taliban leaders, saying there was no linkage between arrests and talks of reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has arrested Mulla Baradar, second-in-command to the Taliban Chief Mulla Omar, in the southern port city of Karachi last month. At least six other Afghan Taliban leaders have been arrested in two months, according to security officials.? Full story

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Supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gather on a road during a rally in Bangkok March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s anti-government protestors Saturday are marching in Thailand\’s capital Bangkok as they have announced that they will march to at least eight important places, Thai News Agency reported.

The red-shirted protestors announced that their march is aimed at pressuring the army to withdraw their forces, which have been deployed at several important places in capital Bangkok.

At about 10.30 a.m.local time, the march plan was announced by core leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD) group and shortly before 11.00 a.m. they started their procession.

Tens of thousands of the protestors led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship group have converged on Bangkok since March 12 to press Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call a new election.

The red-shirted or UDD group\’s main rally site is now at the Phan Fah Bridge in the center of Bangkok.

In a bid to ensure security amid the continued mass rally, the Internal Security Act (ISA) has been imposed in Bangkok and Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan next to the capital until March 30.

Related:

Thailand\’s cabinet approves to enforce Internal Security Act until March 30

BANGKOK, March 23 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s weekly cabinet meeting Tuesday resolved to extend the Internal Security Act (ISA) from March 23 until 30, or seven more days, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said after the cabinet meeting, Thailand\’s Channel 9 Television reported.

However, from March 23 until 30, the ISA law\’s extension will be enforced only in three provinces, including capital Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan, Abhisit said.Full story

Thai Public Health Ministry hit by bombs

BANGKOK, March 23 (Xinhua) — Two bombs exploded Tuesday in Public Health Ministry compound, near a building where the Cabinet used as a venue for its special meeting, Thai media reported. Full story

Thai leading opposition proposes House dissolution

BANGKOK, March 23 (Xinhua) — Thailand\’s leading opposition Puea Thai Party on Tuesday issued a statement calling on the coalition government to dissolve the House of Representatives.

Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit read the statement at a press conference, saying that the opposition has proposed the House dissolution in order to end peacefully the country\’s political conflict, the National News Bureau of Thailand (ANT) reported.? Full story

KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — A gun battle between Taliban insurgents and police left three militants dead in Afghanistan\’s southern Ghazni province Saturday, provincial police chief Khayalbaz Shirzai said. \”The rebels stormed the headquarters of Rashidan district in the wee hours of today and police with the support of NATO-led troops retaliated, killing three insurgents forcing others to flee, \”Shirzai told Xinhua.

However, he did not say if the troops used airpower in the operation.

Taliban militants who have stepped up activities against security forces have not to make comment yet.

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KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — An Afghan civilian was killed and ten others were injured as a roadside bomb struck a passenger minibus in country\’s western Farah province on Saturday, a statement of Interior Ministry said.

\”The incident occurred in Pushtroad district in the wee hours of today as a result a civilian was killed and ten others were wounded,\”the statement said.

An investigation has been initiated into the incident to identify the culprits, it asserted.

Taliban militants, who made a bloody comeback four years ago in their traditional hotbed in southern region, often use roadside bombs and suicide attacks to target Afghan and international forces but the lethal weapons often claim the life of civilians.

In 2009, according to UN\’s report, 2,412 civilians which indicated 14 percent higher than 2008, were killed in the militancy-hit Afghanistan.

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KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — A soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.

\”An ISAF service member died as a result of an IED (improvised explosive device) strike in southern Afghanistan today,\” ISAF said in a press release.

It did not disclose the nationality of the victim.

More than 130 foreign soldiers, most of them Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year.

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COLOMBO, March 27 (Xinhua) — Sri Lankan police said on Saturday they have arrested over 100 people in escalating political violence in the run-up to the April 8 parliamentary election.

\”We have arrested 102 people while 234 more are to be arrested, \” Gamini Navaratne, the deputy inspector general of police told reporters.

Navaratne said political party supporters are being misled by candidates to indulge in violence.

Election monitors said intra-party clashes rather than inter- party rivalry have led to the growing number of incidents.

Meanwhile, the election monitors said 22,000 of over 400,000 postal voters were denied the opportunity of voting due to administrative shortcomings.

Postal voting for the election took place on Thursday and Friday. The monitors said in some polling stations the voting started late because the election officers failed to come on time.

The island\’s parliament was dissolved in February and 225 members are to be elected based on the proportional representation system for a six-year term on April 8.

http://www.lersus.com

by Abdul Haleem

KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Conflicts and militancy are going to take impetus in the insurgency-ridden Afghanistan with snow melting in the mountainous country as over 50 people including eight NATO soldiers have been killed over the past week.

Both spring and summer in the militancy-plagued Afghanistan are traditionally known as the fighting season when both militants and authorities use the favorite climate to consolidate their positions and take over more territory.

On Saturday a roadside bomb allegedly planted by Taliban militants struck a minibus in the western Farah province, killing a civilian and injuring 10 others.

Similar attack in the troubled southern region, meanwhile, claimed the life of a NATO soldier, a press release of the military alliance said without mentioning the nationality of the victim.

The war-weary Afghans also on the same day witnessed a gun battle between Taliban fighters and police in the southern Ghazni province which left three insurgents dead.

Taliban militants stormed headquarters of Rashidan district in the wee hours of Saturday and police with the support of NATO-led troops returned fire killing three insurgents, according to inspector general of police in Ghazni province Khayalbaz Shirzai.

A day earlier, the Afghan and NATO-led forces captured a Taliban commander Mullah Bahadar during a joint operation in Khogyani district of the eastern Nangarhar province.

The NATO-led troops also claimed capturing two insurgents in former Taliban bastion Nad Ali district of southern Helmand province.

Five soldiers with NATO-led troops were killed by a roadside bomb in Jalai district of southern Kandahar province, Taliban\’s birthplace, on Wednesday, officials said.

Two helicopters of the NATO-led forces crashed in two successive days in Afghanistan.

The first one in the central Wardak province on Tuesday left one dead and three others injured, and the other occurred Wednesday in the northern Kunduz province without casualty, according to NATO statement.

Taliban militants have claimed responsibility, saying the insurgents shot down both the helicopters and inflicting casualties on the multinational forces.

Moreover, the Taliban insurgents raided Musa Qala district in Helmand province and captured Shah Kariz village.

However, governor of the district Mullah Abdul Salam stressed on Monday that the insurgents had lost 40 fighters in the conflict.

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BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — An M79 grenade was thrown into Thai Army-run Channel 5 TV station on the capital Bangkok\’s Phaholyothin Road on Saturday night, injuring one soldier and two passers-by.

The explosion was the second attack of the day. A hand grenade was earlier hurled into the compound of the Customs Department, shattering a window of a building and damaging a vehicle.

Related:

Thai Public Health Ministry hit by bombs

BANGKOK, March 23 (Xinhua) — Two bombs exploded Tuesday in Public Health Ministry compound, near a building where the Cabinet used as a venue for its special meeting, Thai media reported.

According to The Nation online, the attacks took place when a press conference was going on after the special cabinet meeting. No one was injured from the bombing, the report said.? Full story

Bomb explodes inside Thailand\’s Customs Department

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua) — A bomb exploded outside a building in Thailand\’s Customs Department compound in Bangkok Saturday morning.

The explosion happened at about 6 a.m., local newspaper The Nation \’s website reported. The blast damaged glass windows and a van parked nearby.? Full story

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Video>> U.S., Pakistan reaffirm partnership

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (Xinhua) — The United States has agreed to provide another 14 F-16 jet planes to Pakistan till December this year, Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said at a media briefing Saturday.

He said that in June this year, the U.S. authorities would start delivery of planes, adding that America would also provide Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles along with the jet planes.

The Pakistan Air Force is capable of thwarting both conventional and unconventional threats from enemy, he said.

The air force chief said that the Pakistan Air Force is focusing on its preparedness and is taking stock of it preparations according to the modern trends.

On March 24, Pakistan and the U.S. held strategic dialogue and the latter wants to improve ties with Pakistan.

It is worth to mention that the news about the provision of F- 16 planes to Pakistan came at the time when India tested two types of short-range ballistic missiles.

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has repeatedly said that it is the policy of Pakistan to keep minimum deterrence and strategic balance in the region.

Related:

U.S., Pakistan trying to boost mutual trust through strategic dialogue

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) — Through their first ever high-level strategic dialogue, the United States and Pakistan are trying to strengthen their partnership based on mutual respect and mutual trust, which they say is in their common interests.

The U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, being held in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday, is the first ever held at the ministerial level on both governments.? Full story

Pakistan hopes for holding strategic dialogue with U.S.

ISLAMABAD, March 23 (Xinhua) — As Pakistani delegation is waiting for the start of strategic dialogue with the United States in Washington, Pakistani analysts are much hopeful for a big breakthrough.

Pakistan will attend the dialogue on March 24 with ten point agenda including terrorism, security, economic cooperation, education, health, agriculture, electricity deficit and the possibility of having peaceful nuclear energy cooperation.? Full story

U.S. drone attacks kill five in northwest Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, March 8 (Xinhua) — Suspected U.S. drone Monday night fired five missiles at a house near Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan tribal agency in northwest Pakistan, killing at least five persons and wounding four others, local TV channels reported.

The reports said that five missiles were fired hitting a house in Malay Khan Serai area. So far it is not clear as to what was the possible target of the attack of the spy plane, nor are the total casualties certain.? Full story

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (Xinhua) — Pakistani security forces killed at least eight militants on Saturday in Orakzai tribal region in northwest Pakistan, local TV reported.

Security forces also destroyed three hideouts of terrorists by gun shelling in Chappar and Feroz Khel areas.

In the past four days, Pakistani security forces have killed more than 100 militants in Orakzai, Pakistan\’s only tribal region that does not border Afghanistan.

On Friday a senior Pakistan army official told reporters that 32 of those killed were foreign fighters.

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? ? Thai soldiers stand guard at the Government House during a rally by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in Bangkok March 27, 2010. Thai \”red shirt\” protesters raised tensions on Saturday with threats to expel thousands of troops guarding Bangkok\’s old city during a rally to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.(Xinhua/Reuters)

BANGKOK, March 27 (Xinhua)– Thailand\’s red-shirted anti- government protestors blocked the Government House on Saturday evening and threatened to enter the compound if the soldiers guarding the building refused to retreat to their barracks.

They issued an ultimatum to Metropolitan Police Division 1 chief Wichai Sangprapai, demanding the troops leave the Government House immediately, television reports said.

Meanwhile police urged the protestors to calm down and not to break into the Government House.

Red-shirted protestors finally agreed not to storm into the compound and returned to their main rally site at Bangkok\’s Pan Fah Bridge.

The agreement was reached after tense and lengthy negotitaiton between protestors\’ leaders and senior police officers.

The protestors started surrounding the Government House at about 5pm local time and threatened to storm into the compound if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not dissolve the Lower House of parliament.

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Thai soldiers stand guard next to a barricade at the Government House during a rally by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in Bangkok March 27, 2010. Thai \”red shirt\” protesters raised tensions on Saturday with threats to expel thousands of troops guarding Bangkok\’s old city during a rally to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.?(Xinhua/Reuters)

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Supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra rally outside the Government House in Bangkok March 27, 2010. Thai \”red shirt\” protesters raised tensions on Saturday with threats to expel thousands of troops guarding Bangkok\’s old city during a rally to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.?(Xinhua/Reuters)

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Supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra rally outside the Government House in Bangkok March 27, 2010. Thai \”red shirt\” protesters raised tensions on Saturday with threats to expel thousands of troops guarding Bangkok\’s old city during a rally to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.(Xinhua/Reuters)

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MANILA, March 27 (Xinhua) — Filipinos in 1,041 cities and towns turned off their lights at 8:30 p.m. local time Saturday to participate in the Earth Hour, a symbolic call for united action against global warming.

About 15 million Filipinos have pledged to switch off the lights at homes, offices and businesses for an hour this year. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also participate in the event by turning off lights and signages in all its camps for one hour.

In Metro Manila, with the count-down coming to the end, lights at the Mall of Asia, a landmark building, were switched off at 8: 30 p.m. Customers went out to watch performances staged at a seaside open ground.

Gina Manguiag, a 40-year-old mother, took her eight-year-old daughter to the mall this year. She said, \”Earth is the mother of the mankind. When the Earth is facing the threat of climate change, all its children should united to save their mother.\”

Roger Sausa, an 18-year-old from southern Mindanao Island, said he wanted to witness the Earth Hour celebration this year along with other people. He believed the activity would arouse people\’s awarness of environmental protection.

Similar Earth Hour events, including rock concerts and street parties took place in many other cities and towns all over the Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines joined the global movement initiated in Sydney in 2007 and is held on the last Saturday of March annually. Last year, 647 cities and towns switched off lights for 60 minutes, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano said, \” One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\”

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KABUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — The delegation of a major militant group has called for the withdrawal of NATO-led troops from Afghanistan, a private television channel reported Saturday.

\”Hizb-e-Islami wants the foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan as a precondition for peace,\” Tolo broadcast in its main news bulletin.

Quoting Hizb-e-Islami sources, Tolo said that foreign forces should begin pullout in July and complete the process within four to six months.

A delegation of Hizb-e-Islami brought a 15-point peace plan to Kabul two weeks ago and met with President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan officials and politicians including some parliamentarians.

Second only to Taliban, the Hizb-e-Islami led by former premier Gulbudin Hekmatya has been fighting the Afghan security forces and NATO-led troops.

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by Nuttanan Srithorn

BANGKOK, March 20 (Xinhua) — The Thai anti-government red shirts on Saturday evening returned to the main rally site Phan Fah Bridge following their peaceful march around the capital Bangkok.

Two red-shirted core leader Jatuporn Promphan and Natthawut Saikua led the red shirts back to the Phan Fah Bridge at about 6: 00 p.m. local time.

Ten of thousands of the protesters led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have converged on Bangkok since March 12 to press the premier to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call new election.

At about 10:00 a.m. local time, they started their march and moved to several places in Bangkok claiming that they wanted to send smile, love, and happiness to Bangkok residents.

Prime Minister\’s (PM) Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said the government managed to prevent the traffic problem and clash from occurring during the red-shirted march, the National News Bureau of Thailand (ANT) under the government\’s Public Relations Department reported.

Security officers also attempted to prevent any confrontation between the protesters and the Bangkokians who are not happy with the red-shirted movement, said Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the spokesman of the peace-keeping operation center.

Col Sansern said it was estimated that up to 30,000 supporters participated in the red-shirted procession.

About 4,000 motorcycles were used in the procession by the red shirts on Bangkok streets, according to a report by Bangkok Post\’s website.

Hence, amid the traffic congestion, Police Major General Panu Kerdlappol, Deputy Police Commander of the Metropolitan Police, who closely monitored the traffic situation, suggested Bangkok residences to avoid the streets occupied by the red shirts.

Also, Police Major General Panu suggested the general public to use public transportation services in a bid to help reduce the traffic problem, Thai News Agency reported.

In a related development, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government has never rejected a proposed peace talk with the red-shirted group, but this option is unlikely to happen since ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra had turned down the attempt by the National Human Rights Commission to settle the conflict.

Speaking during an interview with Thailand\’s Channel 3 Television, Abhisit said he has understood why the red-shirts have demanded a House dissolution, but prior to this stage, it is essential to have an agreement between the government and the red- shirts.

Significantly, such an agreement between the government and the red-shirts must be made based on the national interest and democracy, Abhisit said.

Also, Abhisit said \”Thaksin is an obstacle of the proposed negotiation. I will talk with the red-shirted leaders if they do not take Thaksin as a condition.\”

On March 22, Mr. Korbsak Sabhavasu and PM Office Minister Sathit will hold a negotiation with the red shirted core leaders, Abhisit said.

AHMEDABAD, India, March 27 (Xinhua) — The chief minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, was questioned by investigators of the central government Saturday for his alleged inaction to stop a 2002 Hindu-Muslim communal violence.

Modi, a 59-year-old politician of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the first time to answer questions about his role in the riot.

He had been summoned to depose in connection with a complaint filed by Zakia Jaffery, widow of former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Eshan Jaffery, who was killed in the riots at Gulburg Society in Ahmedabad along with 69 others.

This came one day after another BJP leader L.K. Advani landed into trouble, after his former female security officer deposed against him in a 1992 mosque demolition case in the northern state Uttar Pradesh which triggerred communal riots in India.

http://www.chinacourse.com