DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “U.S. Warship Arrives in Cambodia for Maritime Drill” plus 9 more

LANZHOU, Feb. 26 -- All reconstruction projects in mudslide-slammed Zhouqu County in northwest China's Gansu Province will be in full swing in April, local authorities said.

Houses would be rebuilt and infrastructure would be restored in both urban and rural areas of the county which had been devastated by deadly mudslides in August last year, Liu Weiping, the provincial governor, said late Friday.

Liu demanded that all of the 164 reconstruction projects begin before the end of April and leading projects to combat geological disasters should be launched in March.

China has planned to complete the reconstruction of Zhouqu County, where more than 1,500 people were killed and another 264 were left missing in the massive rain-triggered mudslides, by the end of 2012.

It is estimated that reconstruction will cost 5 billion yuan (about 759 million U.S. dollars).

Liu said more than 60 percent of the investment would be channeled into those projects by the end of this year.

According to the plan, which was revealed in November last year, the central government would mostly finance the reconstruction, but donations, bank loans and other resources would also be needed.(Xinhua/sp)

SHANGHAI, Feb. 26  -- Two China Eastern Airlines planes took off from Shanghai Saturday morning to pick up Chinese nationals evacuated from the unrest-hit Libya.

The first plane, MU267, took off at 9:20 a.m. from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and would come back with Chinese nationals in about 28 hours, said a spokesman with the company.

Another aircraft, MU265, departed around 9:40 a.m. from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and would return to Shanghai Sunday afternoon, he added.

The airline would send more chartered flights in the coming days to evacuate Chinese from the Mediterranean island nation, the spokesman said.

So far, the Chinese government has sent two chartered flights to evacuate Chinese nationals from Libya, carrying task groups and emergency relief materials.

About 12,000 Chinese nationals had been evacuated from Libya, Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao said Friday. The number is likely to increase as more flights and other modes of transport were sent to expand evacuation efforts.(Xinhua/sp)

LIMA, Feb. 25  -- Latin American countries need to invest more in their younger generations in order to improve education, healthcare and living standards in the region, a UN official said here Friday.

"The young people who enjoy their rights have more probabilities of being economically self-sufficient and independent, of taking decisions with knowledge and taking responsibilities as full committed citizens," said Bernt Aasen, regional director of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) during a presentation of the "World State of Childhood" report here.

He also called on regional countries to carry out detailed study of the conditions of their young people, such as gender, socioeconomic level, ethnic groups, religions and disabilities.

There are about 108 million people aged between 10 and 19 in Latin America, according to a UN estimate.(Xinhua/sp)

VANCOUVER, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The world's catwalk is going green and Vancouver, British Columbia, wants the center stage.

Organic cotton, recycled leather, vintage jewelry, and animal-friendly footwear were just a few of the things found on designers' racks and tables at Friday's trade show marking the end of Vancouver's Eco Fashion Week, a fashion week devoted entirely to socially and environmentally responsible fashion design.

Now in its second season, Vancouver's Eco Fashion Week is joining a raft of similar events popping up around the globe in fashion hot spots like London, New York, and Hong Kong, as the demand for environmentally sustainable fashion design balloons.

But in 2009, the City of Vancouver announced their goal to become the world's greenest city within the next decade.

Eco Fashion Week producers are hoping that this push from the city will help catapult Vancouver to the forefront of the world's green catwalk and help it become the "eco-center" of the fashion industry.

"Vancouver has never had a niche for fashion," said Evie Ponce, vice president of Vancouver Fashion Week. "So it kind of is definitely along the same initiative, so now we're part of the 2020 initiative to make it the greenest city by the year 2020," she said.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson backs the initiative wholeheartedly.

"Our great city is the perfect location to host the exposition of responsible trends in fashion, to educate others about sustainable, ethical practices in the industry, and to explain the local, international, and personal benefits of adopting these practices," he wrote in an official letter of support.

The goal of Eco fashion week is to promote environmentally conscious trends in fashion and to support the designers, manufacturers and retailers who are leading the charge.

But the greater goal is to also help educate consumers about sustainable practices in the fashion industry, and generate direct economic benefits for the region and environmentally friendly fashion producers.

The show's producers hope that if enough designers working under these guidelines are successful in the industry, the need for fashion shows that are aimed specifically at ethical design will eventually fade away.

"We like to call it more 'responsible design' than 'eco-sustainable,'  and the ultimate goal is that this just becomes a lifestyle and its not  'this is eco, this is sustainable, this is responsible;' its just that this is the way we choose to live our lives as human beings as consumers," said Ponce.

In order to qualify for participation, designers' work must fall into at least one of a dozen special categories, which range from requiring the use of animal-free, organic, natural, recycled, or reused materials, to ensuring the manufacturing process uses resources efficiently or reduces waste.

Other categories qualify items that are locally or custom designed and constructed; vintage or secondhand; that show responsibility toward human rights or promote social causes; or those that use environmentally friendly printing and marketing.

Designs being shown throughout the week ranged from organic canvas shoes with recycled rubber soles, to glamorous necklaces of repurposed vintage jewelry, and chic business attire made from 100 percent organic fabric.

The designs were far from the often-frumpy hemp sweatshirts, T-shirts, and yoga pants that many often associate with the term "eco-friendly fashion."

"People are really encouraged to find out when I tell them that its basically 100% recycled, they're like 'oh wow!'" said Amanda Cook, a local Vancouver jewelry designer who breaks apart old jewelry and repurposes it into glitzy new designs.

She said that though the unique quality of reusing, reducing, and recycling in fashion appeals to many, the industry still has a lot of room to grow.

"It sort of peaks their interest a little bit more because maybe in other styles there's 10 of each one or more than that. So people are drawn to it, but it's a specific crowd too. Not everyone wants recycled. So, it has its pros and its cons."

Nonetheless, if this season is any indication, the city's eco fashion industry is well on its way to its place in the green spotlight.

The Vancouver Eco Fashion Week featured almost 20 designers at ten fashion shows, as well as seven seminars about ethical practices in the clothing industry tailored to buyers, designers and consumers, and much more expected for the spring/summer show in September.

No matter what their taste, eco fashionistas will be keeping their eyes on Vancouver where there's something old, something new, something recycled, and something green for just about everyone.

GENEVA, Feb. 25  -- The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council Friday adopted a resolution calling on the UN General Assembly to consider suspending Libya's right to membership in the Geneva forum.

The resolution was made at the council's special session on the Libya situation, during which participating members unanimously agreed to send an independent investigation team to Libya.

The document also voices grave concern over the Libyan unrest, and urges the Libyan authorities to ensure the safety of civilians and allow free entry of international human rights and humanitarian groups.

The proposal to suspend Libya's membership was pushed by Britain, France, Belgium and other European countries at the session, while other members such as Angola and Cuba called on internal dialogues among various Libyan entities and a solution reached among Libyans themselves without external interference.

The Chinese delegation told the session that China is very concerned about the situation in Libya and strongly hopes for a quick restoration of social stability in the country.

China also urged Libyan authorities to ensure the safety and legitimate rights of foreign nationals in the country.

Libya has been a member of the Human Rights Council since May 2010.

A two-thirds majority in the General Assembly would be required for an unprecedented membership suspension in the Human Rights Council, which was set up nearly five years ago.(Xinhua/sp)

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25  -- California Governor Jerry Brown announced on Friday that he has won support from two major business groups for his proposal to eliminate the state's 25-billion-dollar budget deficit.

The two groups -- the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce ( LAACC) and the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) -- have agreed to put tax extensions to a vote of the people in June, Brown said after a meeting with the groups' leaders in Los Angeles.

The business leaders called the proposal a tough but financially sound effort to get California out of the red.

As state legislators are bogged down over ways to resolve the budget crisis, Brown has made a proposal to let voters decide how to address the issue.

"I thank both the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and VICA for their support and am hopeful others who have a stake in getting our state back on track will follow suit," said  Brown. "Given the fiscal challenges we face, it is very appropriate for the voters of California to weigh in with their vote; is it all cuts, or is it part cuts and part tax extensions?"

"Governor Brown's proposal to combine dramatic budget reductions with a temporary extension of higher rates on the state income tax, sales tax and the motor vehicles registration fee is fiscally responsible," said LAACC President & CEO Gary Toebben.

"In addition to balancing the budget today, California needs reforms that will have a positive and long-term impact on revenue and expenditures in the future," said Joseph Czyzyk, chair of the Chamber's Board of Directors and chairman & CEO of Mercury Air Group, Inc. "We look forward to continuing to work with the governor on these reforms, because we share the common goal of putting California on a path to fiscal stability and economic growth as soon as possible."

VICA chair Daymond Rice said the dire situation with California' s budget means that difficult decisions have to be made.

"The decision about whether to cut another 12 billion dollars from the budget that has already been slashed by 12 billion or extend these higher tax rates should be left up to those who will bear the burden - the voters," Rice said.

Soon after taking office in January, Brown announced a  127.4- billion-dollar budget which slashes state spending by 12.5 billion dollars.

The budget also includes an eight to 10 percent cut in take-home pay for most state employees, and proposes a "vast and historic" restructuring of government operations.

Brown's budget also calls for temporary continuation of taxes while the state pays off debt, moves forward with his plan to realign some government programs, giving cities and counties decision-making authority over certain services and programs.

Thus far, however, Brown's plan has failed to win public support from any Republican legislators. His proposal has also drawn resistance from local elected officials who object to his call to eliminate redevelopment agencies.

All but four of the 42 Republican legislators have signed a pledge from Americans for Tax Reform to oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes.(Xinhua/sp)

SANTO DOMINGO, Feb. 25  -- The United States has donated 634,000 U.S. dollars in a new bid to help the Dominican Republic fight HIV/AIDS, the government said Friday.

The funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (Usaid) will be dispensed in eight agreements with various local non-governmental organizations, with those living in extreme poverty as the initiative's main beneficiaries, the Public Health Ministry said in a statement.

The aid package will be focused on enforcing prevention and treatment programs in the country's eastern and northern regions, as well as in the region bordering Haiti, it added.(Xinhua/sp)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 25-- Brazil's state-controlled oil and gas giant Petrobras on Friday reported record-high net earnings of 35.1 billion reais (21.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2010, up 17 percent from 2009.

Petrobras' net operating revenue totaled 213.2 billion reais (128.4 billion dollars) in 2010, also 17 percent higher than that in 2009. Gross profit was up 4 percent, reaching 77.2 billion reais (46.5 billion dollars), while operating profit rose by 2 percent to 47 billion reais (28.3 billion dollars).

The company's investments in 2010, which mainly focused on production capacity building, the improvement of the refining structure and natural gas infrastructure, amounted 76.4 billion reais (46 billion dollars), 8 percent higher than in 2009.

Petrobras' total oil and gas production increased 2 percent in the year, reaching 2.583 million barrels a day on average.(Xinhua/sp)

NEW DELHI, Feb. 26 -- India's premier probe agency has arrested the chief of the state-owned National Aluminum Company Ltd, Asia's largest integrated aluminum company, for accepting bribes, local media reported Saturday.

According to The Times of India, National Aluminum Company Ltd (Nalco)'s chairman-cum-managing director A.K. Srivastava, his wife Chandni, and two others were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the national capital Friday on charges of graft.

Srivastava was accused of accepting bribes running into several lakh rupees. The CBI recovered 10 kg of gold, and about 3 million rupees (50,000 U.S. dollars) from the Srivastavas.

According to CBI, Bhushan Lal Bajaj and his wife Anita, who were arrested along with the Srivastavas, were conduits for some companies that were eyeing a major contract with Nalco, the report said.