UN Security Council condemns Kabul attack

– The members of the UN Security Council have condemned the suicide bombing at the Indian Embassy in the Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on July 7, killing 41 people and injuring nearly 150 others.

The condemnation statement was read out by UN Security Council President, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UN Le Luong Minh, on July 7.

The statement said “the members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Afghan authorities in this regard.”

Ambassador Le Luong Minh then on behalf of the Security Council answered the media relating to the statement and other issues on Zimbabwe and the Middle East.

The same day, Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Michele Montas, said in a statement that “the Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the suicide bombing in Kabul.”

He reiterated that no political agenda or grievance can justify such reprehensible means and urged that those responsible be brought to justice.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, meanwhile, criticised the bombing, saying that it is a clear plot to destroy the relations in the region.-

G-8 okays halving of greenhouse gas emissions

Tokyo (VNA) – The group of eight leading industrial nations (G-8) on July 8 endorsed halving world emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, a target proposed by Japan, news reports said.

The United States hailed the agreement as substantial progress, and a top European Union official called it a “new, shared vision” by wealthy nations on climate.

G-8 leaders considered Japan’s proposal as a target for the whole world, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda was quoted as saying.

The leaders also called on all major countries such as China and India to join in the effort to stem the potentially dangerous rise in world temperatures.

The G-8 agreement urged nations to set high goals for energy efficiency, promote clean energy and technologies, and mobilise financing to help poor nations cut their own emissions and grapple with the effects of warming.

G-8 leaders are gathering in Japan for their annual summit from July 7- 9.

G-8 includes the United States, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy. –

Russia’s food aid train arrives in DPRK

Hanoi (VNA) – Russia’s train carrying food aid has arrived in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official KCNA news agency reported on July 9.

The aid arrived at Sinuiju in the DPRK’s northern Phyongan province on July 7.

Distributed through the World Food Programme (WFP), the aid represented the friendship between Russia and the DPRK and was an “encouragement” to the DPRK people, the news report said.

On June 29, a US-flagged ship loading 37,000 tonnes of wheat docked the DPRK’s port. This was the first batch of of 500,000 tonnes of food promised by Washington to Pyongyang earlier this year.-

WB funds China to identify contamination

Beijing (VNA) - The World Bank (WB) has earmarked 1 million USD to help China assess possible chemical contamination in quake-ravaged Sichuan province, Xinhua news agency reported on July 9.

The money, from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), would finance an environment programme in the five worst-hit counties in Sichuan, including Wenchuan, Beichuan and Pingwu.

The programme, conducted by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Sichuan provincial environment protection bureau, aims to identify possible contamination from shattered chemical plants, waste landfill sites and treatment centers for harmful chemical and industrial waste in the quake regions.

It will also provide training to help the public against possible hazards, Xinhua said.-

G8 pledges to tackle food, oil price crisis

Tokyo (VNA) - Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrial countries closed their meeting on July 9 pledging to act on soaring oil and food prices, but failed to narrow differences with poor nations on how to fight climate change.

In their joint statement, the leaders said that while global growth had “moderated,” they remained positive about the future and they called for efforts to bring down oil and food prices.

The leaders said climate change was one of the great global challenges of our time and that they would continue to work together to promote the success of the Copenhagen climate change conference scheduled for late next year.

However, the statement said only that developed countries would implement their own goals for cutting greenhouse emissions and developing economies must also take action. No specific targets were outlined for either group.

The Group of Eight Summit was held in Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7-9. The G8 powers comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.-

Thailand revises down tourism projections on fuel worries

Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand has revised down its projected tourism earnings for next year, saying high oil prices and political instability were hurting one of the kingdom’s biggest industries.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects 16 million foreign visitors to bring in 25.4 million USD next year. That would mean revenue growth of five percent, lower than originally predicted, according to news reports.

‘TAT lowered the projection for 2009, down from our earlier prediction of 10 percent growth, because various factors needed to be considered,’ a TAT spokesperson was quoted as saying.

‘High oil prices and the current political uncertainty are major factors,’ the spokespers on added.

The TAT believes fewer visitors will come on long-haul flights from Europe and North America, and will instead target tourists from China, India and the Middle East.

Thailand expects only slight growth in tourism this year, with 14.5 million foreign visitors compared to 14.46 million in 2007.-

Full ratification of ASEAN charter expected in August

Hanoi (VNA) – A landmark charter aimed at giving the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a legal framework is likely to be fully ratified next month, according to news agencies.

ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan was quoted as telling reporters in Manila, Philippines, that he is hoping that ASEAN will be able to celebrate full ratification in Bangkok.

ASEAN’s charter, signed in Singapore last year, sets out the principles and rules for members.

It also transforms ASEAN, formed in 1967, into a legal entity, a move that will give the group greater clout in international negotiations.

Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have so far ratified the charter, while Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand are in the process of doing so.-

Cambodian bank opens branch in Laos

Phnom Penh (VNA) – ACLEDA Bank Plc., a leading bank in Cambodia, officially opened its first branch in Laos on July 8, an official of the bank said.

The branch in Laos is a breakthrough to build ACLEDA into a regional player, the bank’s President and CEO, In Channy, said.

The bank also planed to establish other branches in China and Vietnam in the future, the official added.

According to the official, ACLEDA is scheduled to open three branches in Laos in 2008 with total investments of roughly 10 million USD. –

Cambodia plans to send labourers to Qatar

Hanoi (VNA) - Cambodia plans to send unskilled workers to Qatar as part of a labour agreement reached with the oil rich state, according to news reports.

“We are examining a memorandum of understanding on manpower that we will implement immediately if it ensures our laborers’ safety and wellbeing,” Oum Mean, under secretary of state at Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training was quoted by the Mekong Times as saying.

The workers will learn new skills in Qatar, which has a population over one million, he said, adding that “when they return, they can work towards building our country.”-

Indonesia: 34 parties to contest in 2009 election

Jakarta (VNA) - The General Election Commission has announced that 34 political parties passed the factual verification process enabling them to join the 2009 general election, said local media.

Among them, 18 are newly established parties and 16 others automatically qualified for the polls under election laws, according to the Antara news agency.

Indonesia’s general election is likely to take place from April 5-9, 2009. The country’s presidential election is scheduled to be held three months after that.-