DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “UNESCO to send experts to evaluate, repair damaged temple: special envoy” plus 9 more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa could exacerbate uncertainty in the U.S. economy, causing U.S. companies to put off hiring amid the recovery from the worst recession in eight decades.

Unrest has spread like wildfire through the Arab world, starting in Tunisia, forcing the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and sparking government violence in Libya. Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain have also seen demonstrations.

In light of those events, a sense is emerging that whatever momentum the U.S. economy gained this year is likely to hit a speed bump, said Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group and regular commenter on PBS' "Nightly Business Report."

Whether a rise in gas prices will take a big chunk out of Americans' disposable income, and whether that will lead to a slide in consumer spending, are the among the questions many business leaders are asking, he said in an interview with Xinhua.

Business leaders are beginning to delay some capital spending and hiring plans until they have a clearer sense as to how the current unrest will impact the U.S. economy, he added.

"What we are seeing now is sort of a wait and see attitude that a lot of companies are going to take before they commit themselves to resume hiring or to increase inventory or expand their operations," he said.

Few companies are willing to invest in filling up their stockrooms with inventory if they sense the economy will slow, he said. And that means the economy is likely to see less spending and hiring in the coming months.  "Companies are not going to start purchasing a lot of new equipment to expand capacity if that capacity is going to end up sitting idle," he said.

This new uncertainty comes at a time when companies are already hesitant to hire, due to fears of future profits in this uncertain economic environment.

One sign of the times, said some economists, is the recent hiring surge of temporary workers by retail giants Home Depot and Lowe's. The two plan to hire a combined 110,000 temporary workers in the coming months, but some analysts said the move underscores companies' reluctance to take on permanent, full time employees.

Still, Andrew B. Busch, global currency and public policy strategist at BMO Capital Markets, said the hiring is welcome, although questions remain weather those positions will transition to full time and permanent, he added.

"We think that with the uncertainty that remains for small to mid size firms, and even large firms in this case, that their crystal balls are all kind of cloudy," he said. "They seek good things and there's some parting of the clouds but they are clearly not super conformable yet that they would hire full time employees."

Indeed, the recovery has seen temporary jobs rise by 26 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some economists also point to a host of new regulations -- from health care to finance to the environment -- as at least partly responsible for companies' reluctance to hire.

Many companies remain unaware of what kinds of taxes they will have to pay in the future, as the extent of the rules are yet to be determined by government regulators, some economists argued.  Enditem

ROME, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Foreign students come to Italy attracted by its culture, natural beauties and immense artistic heritage. Seeing beautiful places, eating good food and learning the Italian language are considered as the perfect mix of "outward bound" study motives.

There's widespread belief among foreign students that Italy combines the best of both pleasure and didactics, fascinating daily site-seeing and prepared teachers.

"I mean it's not just the climate, even if this alone would be enough to migrate from the other part of the world," 20-year-old British student Amanda Lieper jokingly told Xinhua.

"The scenery, the monuments, the Coliseum, the seaside and beaches, the ice-cream and the thousand different types of pizza and pasta - I know it might sound a bit stereotyped but this is Italy's real luring power both for global tourists and students."

Amanda is on a 6-month study stay in Rome's Tre University thanks to the so-called Erasmus exchange program, funded by the European Commission, which allows European colleges to swap students.

"Studying here is like being at an extended summer school campus, you have time for both research work, exams and some holidays," she added.

But it's not just a matter of having fun. Students from all over the world choose Italy as their study destination also because of its excellent professors.

Amanda studies architecture. When she first got here she was most struck by the preparation and background of her Italian teachers.

"Their knowledge sinks deep into history and yet is anchored to modernity. After all, their Roman ancestors built the Pantheon and the Roman Forum, it's not surprising."

There are an average of 30,000 foreign students per year studying in Italy's universities. The most popular destinations are Rome, Florence, Perugia, Milan and Naples.

According to recent data, 84 percent of the students came from other European countries: Spain, France, Germany and Britain. Just 16 percent of students are from non-EU countries, mainly the United States, Brazil and Mexico.

Asian students - Chinese and Japanese - are also on the rise. In recent years Italian universities have invested on their global appeal by multiplying courses, introducing lessons in English and launching recruiting campaigns in the countries of origin.

Of course, for such a mission private universities have better resources and assets than public ones.

The majority of Chinese students are staying at Rome's Luiss and Milan's Bocconi universities, Italy's most prestigious and elite.

With Shanghai-based Fudan University in 2006 Bocconi and Luiss launched the Italy-China joint college campus granting a double degree in general management for Italian and Chinese exchange students.

Shanghai, Milan and Rome thus regularly swap undergraduates with the goal of boosting bilateral ties mainly in the fields of research, economics and culture.

For 25-year-old Na Hong the Luiss experience has so far been fascinating. "I love Luiss. It's really constructive studying here. I I have chosen this university because there are great teachers and learning opportunities. This is really what I was looking forward to learning," she said.

"Of course, Rome is beautiful. Ever since I was a child I always wanted to come here and the reason why I decided to study a year in Italy rather than in another country is due to the cultural similarities with my fatherland. Both China and Italy boast a millenary, ancient history that in many ways brings them closer together," she observed.

However, Na confessed that she did face some trouble getting integrated in Rome. "First, unfortunately I only speak English and this is quite an obstacle in making new Italian friends. Second, I spend too much time with my Chinese acquaintances in Rome."

Na is one of the five Chinese students currently on an exchange program at Luiss. For the Roman university, funded by the country's leading industrial association Confindustria, study exchange programs with China are a winning asset in strengthening commercial ties.

The Confindustria's chief Emma Marcegaglia has repeatedly stressed the need to boost the swapping of both students and professors in a bid to increase the hiring of Chinese students by Italian firms doing business with China.

However, regarding the possibility of remaining in the country after her double Italian degree, Na says she already has professional plans back in Shanghai. "I seriously doubt I would find a job in Italy, it's not easy here and I want to work in China with the knowledge I acquired here."

The Chinese students' selection takes place directly at Fudan University. During their stay in Rome the Luiss university takes care of everything so as to make them feel really at home.

With the help of an external office, Luiss provides the newcomers with lodgings, medical assistance and intensive Italian language courses, while Luiss student groups organize for them guided tours and trips across Italy.

Luiss University has lately launched another appealing degree aimed at attracting more Asian students to Rome: fashion management, based on the application of business and management skills to the haute couture industry.

ROME, Feb. 27 -- Italy's evacuation of all its citizens living in Libya was concluded on Sunday as the Italian government has decided to suspend the bilateral Friendship Treaty following the violence outbreak in the North African country.

Among the last 146 Italians evacuated, 121 were transported by a warship, and 25 others by plane from the troublesome areas.

The naval ship also carried 137 foreigners who had been trapped in Libya.

So far, a total of 1,500 Italian citizens have been safely evacuated following the flaring-up of the unrest in Libya.

Italy is now cooperating with other countries to pull out their citizens, state television Rai reported.

In another development, the degeneration of violence in Libya has forced the Italian government to suspend the application of the Friendship Treaty with Libya, signed in 2008 by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which opened a privileged cooperation between the two countries in trade and fight against illegal immigration.

Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said: "Treaty is suspended, ...does not exist anymore."

"A treaty is not signed with a single person or government, but with a state and we hope that in the future there will be a Libyan state able to abide by and respect the agreement," he explained.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi also said in a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Italy was ready to cooperate for a "peaceful and rapid solution to the Libyan crisis" under the UN supervision.

The Italian government is also discussing the possible use of its military bases located in the south for future humanitarian operations in Libya.(Xinhua/sp)

BEIJING, Feb. 27  -- Countries continue their efforts Saturday to evacuate citizens from the turmoil-hit Libya.

The Algerie Presse Service, the state news agency of Algeria, said Saturday that a ship chartered by the Algerian government has left the port of Algiers for the port of Benghazi, the second largest city of Libya. Some 400 to 500 Algerian citizens are expected to flee the North African country by this vessel. Officials said some 8,000 Algerian citizens stayed in the country before the unrest, and 1,500 of them have already left Libya.

According to the British media, the British special forces launched a secret operation to enter eastern Libya on Saturday night, sending 150 oil workers to an airport south to the city of Benghazi. Two transport aircraft of the British Royal Air Force later took them back to Britain.

It is estimated that some 400 British citizens are still remaining in Libya.

India on Saturday also began its efforts to evacuate Indian citizens from Libya. So far some 700 Indian nationals have already been evacuated from the country by air or land. Meanwhile, ships chartered by the Indian government and warships are also on their way to Libya.

In the early morning of Sunday, two chartered planes of Air India with more than 500 Indian nationals on board arrived at the New Delhi International Airport, while over 100 Indian citizens were evacuated from Libya to Egypt or Tunisia by land.

The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa said Saturday in a statement that the government will send a plane to Libya to help its citizens there to come back to their homeland. There are 30-40 South African nationals now in Libya, according to the statement.

Kenya Airways said Sunday in a statement that a plane of the company has already taken back from Tripoli a total of 151 Kenyan citizens and nationals of other African countries.(Xinhua/sp)

VALLETTA, Malta, Feb. 27 -- Malta is worried about the instability in Libya and warns that any sanctions against Libya "should not cause harm to the Libyan people," said Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tonio Borg on Saturday.

Malta follows closely the situation in Libya, only 200 km away from Malta, fearing that "the confusion could develop into a war," Borg said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua at his office.

"We would like the region to stabilize and the fear is whether this confusion will escalate into a civil war because a civil war can last," he said, adding "the worst kind war is a war between nationals in the same country."

"If there will be a sanction, ok, but it should not be a sanction that causes harm to the Libyan people," he said, elaborating that sanctions such as arms embargo and travel bans could be focused in stead of sanctions preventing investment and economy.

The Libyan people have suffered, and they would suffer more from certain sanctions, he added.

Borg warned that the current instability will create not only political uncertainty but also economic uncertainty in the mediterranean region.

Talking about the role of Malta in the evacuation mission in the past few days, Borg said 53 countries have asked for assistance and 10,000 people are expected to evacuate from Lybia and pass through Malta by sea or by air.

He said Malta has mobilized its army, police and civil protection department to participate in the humanitarian operations.

"We have set up two centers: a crisis center in the Prime Minister's office as well as a call center in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.

Malta has prepared to offer all assistance including facilitating visa issue procedure, as well as transportation support to help bring people back home as soon as possible, he said.

While talking about the assistance to help thousands of Chinese nationals back home, Borg mentioned that a vessel carrying a total of 2,216 Chinese nationals also accepted dozens of citizens of other countries, including Malta, on board.

The vessel, the first Maltese ship chartered by the Chinese government to evacuate Chinese nationals, left Libya's Benghazi on Friday and  arrived at the Grand Harbor in Valletta, capital of Malta, on Saturday.

Borg personally aboard the ship along with Chinese Ambassador to Malta Zhang Keyuan.

"I can not say anything except words of praise for the way the Chinese government is tackling the crisis. This is a difficult operation and we have participated in it," Borg said.

Borg also called for a better international cooperation.(Xinhua/sp)

BEIJING, Feb. 27 -- Over the past week, the world saw a devastating earthquake in New Zealand, continuous unrests or clashes in some countries in the Middle East and Africa as well as formidable oil price spirals. Peace and stability are what the world is most craving for.

On Tuesday, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island city of Christchurch. The confirmed death toll there rose to 145 on Saturday evening, while the number of missing people surpassed 200.

Although the authorities have started to clean the ruins of the quake, people are still expecting any miraculous return of those missing people, including 23 Chinese nationals.

Also, families in various countries are waiting to meet their family members or relatives who have been withdrawn or will be withdrawn from turbulent Libya, a key oil producing country located in North Africa.

So far, more than 20,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Libya safely due to swift, efficient efforts made by the Chinese government.

Influences caused by social unrests were even worse.

In Cote d'Ivoire which is mired in disputes over the country's presidency, violence has been escalating in the past week and the security situation is deteriorating.

Since the presidential election in November last year, conflicts caused by the disputes over the election results have left more than 300 people dead. Prospect of mediation by the African Union is dim and the Western African country comes closer to the brink of civil war.

The security situation in the Middle East and North Africa is also uncertain, bringing about great social impacts and economic losses.

As the world's main oil producing area, the disturbance in this region has made global oil prices soar and world stock markets plunge, casting a heavy shadow on the global economic recovery.

In turbulent Tunisia, its pillar industries, including tourism, have been significantly hurt and the direct economic loss suffered by the North African country has amounted to more than 2 billion U.S. dollars.

Political turmoils in Egypt also have cost the country 17 billion dollars.

In the past week, the daily oil production in the world slumped sharply due to the escalation of domestic instability in Libya, spurring the world oil price above 100 dollars per barrel for the first time since October 2008.

The expectation for higher oil prices also will quicken the rises of grain prices, thus bringing higher consumer prices and increasing the global inflation pressure.

Some economists pointed out that, if the oil price rises to 120 dollars per barrel, the world may slip into a new round of economic recession.(Xinhua/sp)

BEIJING, Feb. 28  -- China will provide humanitarian aid to New Zealand to help disaster relief in the earthquake-hit areas, China's Ministry of Commerce said Monday.

The Chinese government will offer 500,000 U.S. dollars in cash payment to help the disaster relief in New Zealand, the ministry said in a brief statement on its website. It did not provide further information.

On Feb. 22, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, causing at least 148 deaths and widespread destruction.(Xinhua/sp)

HANGZHOU, Feb. 28  -- Eleven people are missing after their fishing boat hit a rock near Dongji Isle off the coast of Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Monday morning.

The city's maritime affairs authority said it had sent two professional rescue vessels after it received a signal from the boat for help around 1 a.m., while requesting civilian ships in the vicinity to help search for the boat.

Rescuers had not found the boat by 9 a.m., and suspected it could have sunk.(Xinhua/sp)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 -- The gold price in Hong Kong went up 93 HK dollars to open at 13,140 HK dollars per tael on Monday, according to the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society.

The price is equivalent to 1,415.19 U.S. dollars a troy ounce, up 10.02 U.S. dollars at the latest exchange rate of one U.S. dollar against 7.794 HK dollars.(Xinhua/sp)