DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “U.S. passenger train derails in Nebraska, 22 lightly injured” plus 4 more

U.S. President Barack Obama (1st R) and his family arrive at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 26, 2011. Obama cut short his vacation in Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts on Friday to return to Washington a day ahead of schedule, to deal with the emergency situation related to Hurricane Irene. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The denial of Beijing municipal authorities on Tuesday that primary school students would be required to study a textbook on sex education does not reduce the need for such education.

 

Earlier reports had said that from September a graphic curriculum on parts and organs of the human body would be included in the city's primary schools, and students would have to study the various stages of changes in the bodies of boys and girls as a first step toward protecting them from HIV/AIDS. They also said the trial textbook would be updated for primary school students in the rest of the country as and when required.

 

Later, the education department of Beijing municipal government clarified that the textbook had been compiled by one school and other schools in the city need not follow it.

 

Nevertheless, the news has rekindled the debate over sex education.

 

Many parents argue that pictures of human sexual organs and lovemaking are against Chinese traditional values and could have a "damaging" effect on children. But many educators, psychologists and medical workers insist that primary school students need to learn sex education.

 

Physiology textbooks teach students about physical changes in the male and female bodies, healthy gender concepts and family values. They speak little about sexual issues. Also, boys and girls are always put in different classes to avoid embarrassment.

 

Chinese children today are vulnerable to a host of sex-related problems. But the current teaching methods do not take into consideration this important factor.

JAKARTA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police in Jakarta foiled a hijack on a train carrying hundreds of passengers during the peak of people exodus to home towns for celebrating the Islamic festivity on Saturday, spokesman of Transport Ministry Bambang Ervan said here.

Three hijackers had hijacked the train from a station in West Java and forced the locomotive engineer to direct the train out of its route, which may have caused a crash during the rush hours as over tree million people are forecast traveling by train during the exodus, the spokesman told Xinhua by phone.

"This was very dangerous, the train could have a collision at any time," he said.

The hijackers were paralyzed by policemen when the train stopped at the Senen train station in Jakarta.

"Two of the hijackers have been arrested and another has escaped," said Ervan.

The arrest happened at the same time as Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo was inspecting the station. The arrest triggered panic among the mass as the police released two gun shoots.

About 16 million people in the Muslim dominated country are forecast to return homelands for the Islamic festivity this year.

KABUL, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Security forces have killed eight insurgents and injured eight more throughout the country over the last 24 hours, Afghan Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

"Afghan National Police (ANP) with the assistance of the national Army and Coalition forces launched 10 joint and independent operations over the past 24 hours in surrounding areas of the Kabul, Balkh, Khost, Logar, Farah, Helmand, Ghazni and Paktiya provinces," said a statement issued by Interior Ministry here.

"As a result of these operations, eight armed insurgents were killed, eight wounded and 21 others were arrested," the statement said, adding during these operations ANP discovered and seized large amount of light and heavy weapons.

Separately, ANP during separate operations around the country discovered and defused seven rounds of anti-vehicle mines and apprehended an explosive-laden motor bike besides seizing hundreds of weapons and ammunition in the same timeframe.

Afghan officials often use the word "insurgents referring Taliban.

However, Taliban insurgents have not made comments so far.

Taliban insurgents, whose regime was toppled in a U.S.-led incursion in late 2001, have intensified activities since the militant group announced to launch spring offensive against Afghan security forces and NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan on May 1.