CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-01-19（在线收听）

Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.

In This Edition:

Chinese rescue team continues to work in quake-hit Haiti as a section of it has set off to help in one of the hardest-hit suburbs of Port-au-Prince.

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon calls for more UN peacekeepers to be deployed to Haiti.

And China says preparations of the 2010 Shanghai Expo are going well on schedule.

Hot Issue Reports

Chinese Rescue Team Continues to Work in Haiti

Chinese rescue team continues to work in quake-hit Haiti as a section of it has set off to help in one of the hardest-hit suburbs of Port-au-Prince.

More than 50,000 people are believed to have died in the 7.3-magnitude quake that struck the island country Tuesday local time.

Chen Zhe reports. More

Ban calls for more peacekeepers to be sent to quake-devastated Haiti

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for an additional 3,500 United Nations troops and police officers to be deployed to Haiti, so as to ensure that aid reaches the victims of the earthquake disaster as quickly as possible. CRI's correspondent Shen Ting has more.

Blasts in Afghanistan Kill At Least 6 People

A series of explosions have rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, as militants penetrated the downtown area and targeted important government buildings on Monday.

Officials said that at least six people, including four insurgents had died and 10 others were wounded.

Sayed Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada is the chief of criminal investigation department of Kabul police.

"Firstly the police was able to evacuate all civilians, including men, women and children. Thank Allah they were safely evacuated. The two terrorists who attacked there were killed. Police also suffered casualties including killed and wounded, I cannot tell you the exact number right now because the operation is ongoing."

After more than three hours of ensuing gunfights outside several ministries and inside a shopping mall, President Hamid Karzai said security had been restored to the capital.

But the search operations continued amid reports that the attackers were hiding in the city.

It was the biggest attack in the capital since last October when gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house used by UN staff, killing at least 11 people including three UN staff.

Yanukovych and Tymoshenko Headed for Runoff

Hundreds of supporters of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych have gathered outside the Central Election Commission, vowing to "defend their votes", as results showed the opposition leader on course for next month's presidential run-off.

Yanukovych supporters gathered at the rally outside the commission building.

Konstantin Trifonenko is one of them.

"Viktor Feodorovich Yanukovych is wining with a big margin - 12 per cent. We want to defend our votes and not allow a repeat of what happened in 2004."

With about 82 percent of ballots from Sunday's vote counted, Yanukovych had some over 35 percent, while Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was second with more than 25 percent.

Exit polls predicted similar results. Only the two top finishers are eligible for the run-off.

Yanukovych, a former electrician and factory manager, has pledged to scrap Ukraine's NATO bid and elevate Russian to the status of a second official language alongside Ukrainian.

Tymoshenko is a heroine of the 2004 Orange Revolution who criticised what she called Russia's imperial ambitions.

Despite warnings of large-scale election fraud in the days leading up to Sunday's vote, officials and election observers said the ballot seemed fair and orderly.

Preparation for 2010 Shanghai Expo in final stage

A little more than a hundred days to go before the opening of the 2010 Shanghai Expo and preparations are going well on schedule.

Yang Xiong, Deputy Director of the Executive Committee for the Shanghai Expo, and also Vice Mayor of Shanghai, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

"90 percent of the pavilion construction work is complete. Of the 42 pavilions built by foreign countries, 80 percent have begun decorating. The 42 rented pavilions and 11 joint pavilions have been completed and are being handed over to the participating countries."

Yang Xiong said great efforts will be made to enhance all services, while ensuring security and food safety, as well as good traffic flow during the event.

"We have taken many measures to solve the traffic problem for the 400-thousand daily visitors. There are five subways and over 10 dedicated direct bus lines to the site in addition to the 90 plus regular bus lines."

In another effort to make the Expo a success, Shanghai has launched campaigns to help millions of local residents learn English and knowledge about the World Expo.

The Shanghai Expo will run from May 1st to October 31st this year.

Peasant Worker Shortage in China's ZhuJiang Delta

China's Zhujiang delta region is facing a migrating peasant worker shortage, as most of them now have multiple choices for their jobs.

China's central and western region is undergoing fast development. Peasant workers are looking for jobs in nearby cities in these areas, where they can receive the same amount of pay as in the Zhujiang delta region.

Li Jing, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said coastal provinces are no longer the prime job hunting target areas any more now that there are a lot more oppoortunities in the central and western areas peasant workers.

"For peasant workers, there are many opportunities in other areas besides the Zhujiang delta region. The country's four-trillion yuan investment plan is being implemented. China's economy is turning up, offering more job opportunities in central and western regions in the field of infrastructure construction. It will attract more people to find a job in the region."

Li Jing pointed out job applicants born in the 1980's or 1990's are more concerned about their pay and career prospects.

"The second generation of peasant workers is not as hard-working as the first generation. They are more sensitive to the equality and income difference. Under such obvious differential treatment, they would prefer to stay at home, rather than accept a low-pay job."

The researcher called on the government and enterprises to protect the lawful rights and interests of these migrant workers in a bid to overcome the difficulty of employing workers.

China's 1st Official Team Reaches High in Dakar Rally

China's first official team has achieved a record high finish in the Dakar Rally, with support from its domestic carmaker Chery.

The country's veteran rally driver, Lu Ningjun, was at the wheel of a Chery Rely X5, making his sixth appearance at the grueling event.

He completed the route in 78 hours, 16 minutes and 47 seconds, ranking 28th, the best performance of Chinese competitors at the rally.

Lu Ningjun said he was very proud of his performance.

"We represent a Chinese brand. And I feel so proud of it. China hopes to promote the concept of Made in China. Our participation with Chinese made cars in the Dakar Rally showcases the current condition of the Chinese auto industry to the world."

Altogether nine drivers and three pilots from China have competed in this competition. Zhou Yong is one of them.

"As hard as it is, we eventually finished. We faced many difficulties and setbacks, but we strongly believed that every one of us would wave our national flag at the terminal."

The 2010 Dakar Rally began on New Year's Day in Buenos Aires and ended on Saturday in the south American city.

This year, the route measured 9,000km, with four of the 14 legs of the race running through the Atacama desert.

Merkel calls for more sanctions against Iran

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country will back tougher sanctions against Iran if Tehran doesn't change its tune on its nuclear programme.

After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin, Merkel said that Germany hoped to achieve agreement on that in the UN Security Council, but if that wasn't possible it would also participate in sanctions along with "countries that are pursuing the same aim."

"We have repeatedly made offers to Iran for a reasonable cooperation, a transparent cooperation. Unfortunately Iran to this day has not responded so that we have to increasingly aim for sanctions."

Netanyahu also pressed hard for sanctions.

Netanyahu and members of his government earlier took part in a special joint session with the German government in Berlin, a symbolic visit highlighting the two nations' bond six decades after the Holocaust.

It was the first time that an Israeli government convened in Berlin, the Nazi headquarters during World War II.

Iranian FM: Iran's ties with Britain under review

Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki says Iran is reconsidering its ties with Britain.

Addressing the Conference on Persian Gulf in Tehran, Mottaki said 12 working fields had been identified between Britain and Iran, adding that each of these was being "examined and reviewed".

"All these areas of relations with Britain are being studied and each case would be reviewed on the basis of the country's national interests and at the end the government will make the final decision."

But he didn't elaborate the 12 areas.

Last week, Iranian media said dozens of members of parliament had put forward a proposal to cut relations with Britain.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani blamed the British government for backing the unrest which gripped Tehran and other Iranian cities after the June 12 presidential election last year. Britain however rejected the accusation.

Iran has constantly accused Britain of interfering in Iran's internal affairs and supporting Iran's opposition groups, a charge also rejected by London.

Five Americans detained in Pakistan appear in court

Five Americans being held in Pakistan on suspicion of terrorism alleged they were being tortured when they were driven from court on Monday.

In Monday's hearing, police and prison authorities denied any ill-treatment, and submitted a charge sheet and evidence to the court. The men are accused of violating several sections of Pakistan's penal code and anti-terrorism laws.

The most serious charge is conspiracy to carry out a terrorist act, which could carry life imprisonment depending on what the act is, according to prosecutor Nadim Akram Cheema and police officer Amir Shirazi.

"We presented all the accused in the court, and the next date of court is 2nd February 2010. We added two more penal sections against them. This is 1-25 and 1-26 (of the) Pakistan penal code."

The five, all Muslim, were detained in December after being arrested at the house of one of their relatives in the Punjabi town of Saragodha. They are publicly accused of plotting attacks in Pakistan, having links to al-Qaida and seeking to join militants fighting U.S. troops across the border in Afghanistan.

Avatar Wins Two Golden Globes

"Avatar" and "The Hangover" earned the top honors at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday in a ceremony that took on a somber tone after the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Action adventure "Avatar" claimed best film drama and top director for "Titanic" filmmaker James Cameron.

"All right, and the Golden Globe goes to…hold on people…Avatar."

"Golden Globe goes to Mr. James Cameron, Avatar."

Among the actors, Sandra Bullock earned the title of best film actress in a drama for football movie "The Blind Side", while industry veteran Jeff Bridges was named as best dramatic actor for his turn in "Crazy Heart".

"The Hangover" claimed best film comedy and Germany's "The White Ribbon", was named best foreign language movie.

At the ceremony, many stars wore yellow, blue and red ribbons to show their support for victims of the recent disaster in Haiti.

Nicole Kidman called on people to donate to Haiti.

"Good evening. I just want to say, on a serious note, a lot of people are wearing ribbons tonight in support of the people of Haiti. You can go to NBC.com to make your personal contribution."

The Golden Globes are given out by some 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and a win here can give movies the momentum they need in Hollywood's race for the Oscars, the world's top movie honors which are given out in March.

Rednet: Supervision of Police Gun Use for the Good of the Public

A policeman in a town in Guizhou Province shot dead two villagers in an attempt to stop a fight among four villagers. Lawyers say the policeman might be accused of murder.

An article on the website Rednet.cn questions whether using a gun was really necessary to stop the fight. It says some policemen think any behavior is acceptable while they are on duty. This pride and arrogance might enable them to pull the trigger in situations that don't call for the use of firearms.

It adds that such accidents have been frequent in recent years, and the public has expressed suspicion and anger over the abuse of the right to use guns. In China, police are the only group that can use guns except for soldiers and special security guards. Though the country has regulations managing the use of guns, the enforcement of them is not well supervised.

The author suggests the government make efforts to ensure the existing regulations are implemented and restrict the use of guns. It also should ask the police to respect life. Only when the police know how to respect life can they really protect the life of the public.

China Daily: property disclosure system needs real structural and mental changes

An editorial in China Daily says the implementation of the property disclosure system, an international practice for civil servants, is difficult in China. The system is aimed to fight against corruption as it demands civil servants and their families to report their properties, including wages, bonuses, real-estate, stock shares and so forth.

The commentary says China is not prepared to implement the system on either structural or psychological grounds.

The article says that while Chinese officials are accountable to the public, many Chinese citizens are not aware of their rights for demanding the property disclosure from officials. This often distorts officials' attitudes toward their job and the public. There is a mental barrier to implementing the property disclosure system among Chinese citizens.

Moreover, there is always a gray area when it comes to an official's income and property, and the blurry boundary between legal and illegal income that provides ample room to hide dirty laundry. The article says the natural conclusion is that restricting the income of government employees within legal boundaries is not enough. The flow of illegal income creates a large structural barrier to implementing the system.

The commentary concludes by saying that only changes in attitudes among Chinese citizens and enforcement structure can sweep away the obstacles to fully implement the property disclosure system.