DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Chinese language schools mushrooming in Cambodia” plus 9 more

BRUSSELS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers began a two-day meeting Wednesday to ponder how to end the six-month Libya mission and make sure the ongoing transition in Afghanitan on track in wake of Taliban attacks.

Although the Libya mission is "pretty close" to the end, defense ministers are not expected to terminate it as threats against civilians continue, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said ahead of the meeting.

"We will review the operation on a regular basis, so we stand ready to terminate it as soon as the situation allows," he said.

U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who will make his first appearance at NATO defense ministers' meeting after took over Robert Gates as Pentagen chief in July, said on Tuesday that "the fighting has to end" on the ground before NATO can withdraw.

The Libya military mission has been hailed as "a great success" by Rasmussen, but he acknowledged it exposed military weaknesses of European countries, particularly lacking capabilities of intelligence, aerial surveillance and air refuelling.

"European Allies and Canada led the effort. But this mission could not have been done without capabilities which only the United States can offer. For example: drones, intelligence and refuelling aircraft," Rasmussen said.

In an era of financial austerity, defense ministers will discuss how to develop military capabilities under Rasmussen's slogan of "smart defense", which aims at pushing allies to pool and share military resources.

Rasmussen, Panetta and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero are expected to announce an agreement on the development of new capabilities on the margins of the meeting on Wednesday.

However, putting the vision of "smart defense" into practice faces challenges, especially when western leaders are fully occupied by the crisis of the euro and the global economy, lacking impetus to promote defense collaboration right now.

The defense ministers will also take stock of the military operations in Afghanitan, after the Taliban militants launched attacks on NATO headquarters and the U.S. embassy in Kabul last month.

NATO started the transition process to Afghan security forces this year with the goal of completing transition by the end of 2014.

Rasmussen said the transition remains "fully on track" and Afghan forces are already providing lead security for one-quarter of the population.

"I expect the next stage of transition to be announced soon, and I expect it to be substantial. And at the same time, our military authorities assess that the insurgency has been weakened overall," he said.

In addition, Kosovo will be high on the agenda of the meeting as NATO peacekeepers clashed with Serb protestors who put up barricade at a disputed border crossing last week.

MELBOURNE, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday announced Australia will match every dollar Australians donate to aid efforts in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa.

The United Nations estimates without an increase in humanitarian aid, 750,000 people could die in the Horn of Africa in the next four months, and Rudd said Australians were not the type to sit idly by and watch thousands of babies die, and that the government would match every dollar donated to 16 aid organizations up to Nov. 30 this year.

Rudd said the "cold, steely images" of one million Africans dying in the 1980s famine there could be prevented from happening again.

"We set no limits. However much they raise we're serious about it, we'll match it dollar for dollar," he told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Rudd said most of the 750,000 now in danger of dying of starvation were children and breastfeeding mothers, after the worst drought there in 60 years, and he added that the world cannot wait for the situation to worsen before acting.

"I call on all Australians, from individuals to businesses, to donate whatever they can spare during October and November to help us save more lives. The organizations involved all have a proven track record and are already helping those affected by the famine, " he said.

Australia, which has already donated 93.7 million U.S. dollars, is currently the world's third highest donor to the African crisis after the United States and United Kingdom.

BANGKOK, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Several labor unions vowed on Wednesday to rally in front of the Government House on Friday if the government fails to raise the current minimum wage to 300 baht (9.64 U.S. dollars) a day simultaneously throughout the country.

Wilaiwan Sae-Tia, deputy chairwoman of the Thai Labor Solidarity Committee, said this after submitting a letter to Somkiat Chayasriwong, permanent secretary for labor and chairman of the Central Wage Committee, English website of Bangkok Post reported.

According to Somkiat, from January 1 next year, the Central Wage Committee will initially increase daily wage to 300 baht in only seven provinces -- Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakarn and Phuket.

The committee, however, planned to propose a 40 percent wage hike in the remaining 70 provinces, said Somkiat.

The minimum wages are currently ranging from 159 to 221 baht, depending on areas. Wage increase is part of the ruling Pheu Thai party's campaign polices prior to the July 3 election promising to raise the minimum wage throughout the country immediately after coming to power.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and the United States have joined to help get fresh water to the tiny drought- stricken Pacific island nation of Tokelau, the New Zealand government announced Wednesday.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules would Thursday carry supplies  including 12 large, empty military water storage containers  and personnel to Pago Pago, American Samoa, said New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

In Pago Pago, the New Zealand team would link up with U.S. Coastguard cutter Walnut, which had an on-board water desalination plant that had filled its water tanks, providing about 136,000 litres of water.

The Walnut would travel to Tokelau's three main atolls with enough water, according to New Zealand estimates, for a " sufficient supply in the short term."

"A severe La Nina weather pattern is operating in the Pacific region resulting in very low rainfall for many areas," said MrCully.

The New Zealand Red Cross Tuesday described the severe drought in Tuvalu and Tokelau as "grim" and likely to get worse.

Neither country has seen any significant rainfall for the last six months and none is expected for another two months.

Both countries have declared states of emergency and water rationing has reached critical levels.

Tuvalu has a population of about 12,000 people, who live across nine atolls with a total land area of about 27 square kilometers.

Tokelau comprises three atolls located about 483 km north of Samoa. The atolls are 3 to 5 meters above sea level.

JAKARTA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) - Indonesian food industry plays critical role in food security program in the country as it covers many domestic elements in providing affordable food, industrial experts said here on Wednesday.

Rachmat Hidayat, chairman of Indonesian Food and Beverage Association, told audiences at the ASEAN Food Security Conference that food and beverage are the biggest industry in the country.

"Besides, we use much of our natural resources. We serve every level of consumers from low to high ones," said Hidayat.

He added that the industry deal with small and medium enterprises to big companies.

"Therefore, we play important role for food security program in Indonesia," he said.

Franky Welirang, head of Food Security Committee at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), said that for the country, food security is about how to provide enough and affordable food for every individual.

"Availability and affordability of staple food are the essence of the program," he said.

Hidayat also stressed the important of women's role in food security program.

"Women are drivers in family, in very basic individual level. They have an important role. Men will follow what they decide," he said.

CANBERRA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Anti-whaling group, Sea Shepherd Australia, on Wednesday promised dramatic attacks against Japanese whalers in coming months, with volunteers warning they are ready to die protecting the marine mammals in the Antarctic.

Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said December's campaign against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean will be called operation Divine Wind, which was the name Japan's desperate military gave to kamikaze suicide missions by pilots in World War II.

Watson pledged in a statement "very dramatic and adventurous three months beginning in December", and claimed it would send 100 volunteers to Antarctica and was prepared to lose lives if necessary.

"I am confident that we will be able to stop them once again," he said. "They will have to kill us to prevent us from intervening once again."

"Are the Japanese people ready to take human lives in defence of this horrifically cruel and illegal slaughter of endangered and protected species of whales? If so, my answer to the Japanese government is 'hoka hey' - it's a good day to die."

The Sea Shepherd has become increasingly successful in recent years in disrupting the Japanese whaling, last summer forcing Japan's whaling fleet to head home early, and led Japanese whalers to obtain only 17 percent of their whaling quota.

Japanese government on Tuesday announced the research whaling program will go ahead later in December, and there are reports that an extra 27 million U.S. dollars worth of security will be added to the whaling fleet.

Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd Australia condemned Japanese government' s decision to boost funding for the program, saying that "already some 200 million dollars in debt, the whaling fleet continues to be an economic burden on the Japanese people."

"It is an insult to all the anti-whaling nations that so generously contributed to the relief of the tsunami and earthquake victims,"Watson said.

"It now seems they are simply obsessed with killing whales not for need, and not for profit, but because they believe they have the right to do what they wish and kill whatever they wish in an established international whale sanctuary, just for the sake of defending their misplaced honor."

He said it is a disgrace and a smack in the face to everyone who stepped forward to help in their time of need.

In a move to put an end to Japan's whaling program in the Southern Ocean, Australia in May lodged a written submission with the International Court of Justice to argue Japan's whaling activities have breached international obligations.

However, Watson said Australia's federal government legal action was a waste of time that would not resolve anything.

He said the Japanese would "ignore any decision, whatever it is. They ignore everything."

JAKARTA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked the Indonesian military (TNI) to cooperate with the National Police in efforts to combat terrorism, local media reported.

"The TNI must develop a synergy with the police to fight terrorism in our country. The TNI has a duty as stipulated in the law to support the police in tackling terrorism," Yudhoyono said in his speech during celebrations of the 66th anniversary of the Indonesian Military here.

The president added that he had instructed security officers to take action immediately, including through preventive measures, to curb terrorism.

"Prevent another terrorist attack from occurring," he was quoted by the Jakarta Post online as saying.

Last month, a suicide bombing occurred at a church in Surakarta, Central Java. Dozens were injured in the blast. Police suspect the bombing was linked to previous suspected terrorist attacks.

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong and his Singapore's counterpart K  Shanmugam agreed on Wednesday that the territorial dispute in the South China Sea between China and some ASEAN countries should be solved peacefully.

"We have exchanged ideas on the issue of territorial claims in the South China Sea by China and four ASEAN nations," Hor Namhong told reporters after meeting with Shanmugam.

"We agreed to urge all relevant sides to negotiate and solve the issue peacefully in accordance with the (2002) Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Shanmugam, who arrived in Cambodia on Wednesday morning for a two-day official visit, will also meet Prime Minister Hun Sen and have an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni.

CANBERRA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) on Wednesday called for the federal government to scrap free trade agreements with other countries, saying that it can keep Australian jobs.

During the Tax Forum in Canberra, the AWU and AMWU blasted Australia's free trade agreements with countries such as Thailand and the U.S.

"We don't support bilateral trade agreements," AMWU national president Paul Bastian told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday. " If trade is going to be on, it's got to be on a level playing field, it needs to be fair and it needs to be on a multilateral basis."

The unions said they want the federal government to introduce measures that would force resource companies to use local content and keep Australian jobs at home, even if it means upsetting free- trade partners.

They said the measurements will save more than one million manufacturing jobs.

"It's incumbent upon the government tomorrow that we don't just talk jobs but we actually get some action," AWU national secretary Paul Howes told reporters in Canberra.

"Unless we boost domestic consumption in the short time, our domestic consumption will be wiped out.

"If we don't have a strong manufacturing sector in this country at the end of the mining boom then our economy and society will be the weaker for it."

The Australia federal government will hold a jobs forum on Thursday in Canberra. About 100 people will participate in the jobs forum, with topics including discussions on drivers of jobs growth, the Australian economy in a changing world, manufacturing in the next decade, and clean energy jobs.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said she would use the jobs forum to push for a parliamentary inquiry into jobs and manufacturing.