PHNOM PENH, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A group of four non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Tuesday prayed at a shrine in front of the Royal Palace for a halt to the destruction of Prey Long forest, which is the country's largest remaining lowland evergreen forest.

The NGOs are the Independent Democratic Association of Informal Economy, Independent Civil Servants Association, Cambodian Youth Network, and Cambodian Farmers Network.

Von Pov, executive director of Independent Democratic Association of Informal Economy, said that the praying was a message to the government of Cambodia to consider revoking the licenses of economic land concession and mining concession from private companies that have been destroyed the Prey Long forest.

"The forest is very important for the livelihoods of villagers around the area," he said after the praying ceremony at Preah Ang Dongkeu shrine in front of the Royal Palace. "The government allows the licensed companies to log only degraded forest, but those companies have violated and cut either degraded forest or luxurious woods in the area," he added.

Tim Malai, representative of Cambodian Youth Network, said the 3,600-square-km Prey Long forest stretches through four provinces: Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kratie and Kompong Thom.

"The forest is rich in biodiversity and sustains environment stability," he said, adding"it is the main source of income for an estimated 200,000 villagers, mostly indigenous minority groups, living around the area."

ANKARA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two Turkish policemen were wounded in an attack staged by members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey late Monday, private Dogan news agency reported Tuesday.

A group of PKK rebels raided a police vehicle at Yassica village in Gercus town of Batman province, leaving two policemen wounded, according to the report.

The wounded were taken to Gercus State Hospital for treatment, said the report, adding that a large-scale operation was launched to capture the PKK rebels who escaped after the attack.

The PKK has recently intensified attacks on Turkish troops, police and civilians. Turkish officials vowed to reciprocate with absolute determination.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. More than 40,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the PKK during the past over two decades.

MONROVIA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Liberians on Tuesday go to the polls to cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice in a run-off presidential election.

The election comes amid a boycott call protest by supporters of ex-UN envoy to Somalia, Cllr. Winston Tubman, who is standard bearer of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).

The presidential run-off was overcast by violence reported the previous day, when at least one person was killed.   The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) is pressing for a delay of the second round citing fraud it says it found in the first round held on Oct. 11.

At least one person was reportedly killed on Monday in a clash between supporters of the CDC and the ruling Unity Party (UP).

Cllr Tubman who was recently invited to Abuja by the West African bloc ECOWAS to hold consultations with its chair, Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, on boycott, urged CDC partisans upon his return not to go to the polls, to the disappointment of the regional group.

Voting starts Tuesday at 8 a.m. local time and closes at 6 p.m. local time and will be followed immediately by counting of ballots at various polling centers before tallying and collating by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Nobel Prize winner, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, in reaction to the boycott accused Tubman of violating the constitution because he fears defeat.

Police and soldiers of the UN Mission (UNMIL) and Liberian officers are providing security throughout the country and have already been deployed according to Police Inspector General Marc Amblard.

He said the police will respond appropriately to anyone who attempts to disrupt the election process with the intent to undermine the peace and security of the state at this crucial time in its history.

UNMIL has deployed soldiers at the Liberia-Cote d'Ivoire borders to beef up security ahead of the run-off.

The National Election Commission (NEC) has vowed to go ahead with Tuesday's vote to determine the next president of Liberia.

Despite the planned boycott, the NEC says, the CDC is still in the race. In a release, the commission made it clear that the date the party announced its boycott was after the legal deadline. The ballots had already been printed for the run-off, it said in reference to the first round held on Oct. 11, when the incumbent came the first with more than 40 percent of the tally and Cllr Tubman the second with more than 30 percent of the support.

It said all election materials and personnel have been deployed throughout the country and that the numbers of local and international observers have increased, with ECOWAS deploying 200, the largest to any single election in the sub-region.

NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) --  At least six people were killed and 12 injured Tuesday in the northern city Haridwar Tuesday when thousands gathered near the Ganges for a religious event were caught in a stampede, local media reported.

The incident took place during the "Yagyashala" religious event at the Hindu holy town in the northern state Uttarkhand just before noon, due to a bottleneck of corridor for people to move, causing most of the death by suffocation, said the reports.

According to local TV footage, the injured were removed from the site to ambulances by organizers of the Hindu religious event, which was supposed to draw 5 million people

CANBERRA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Security and humanitarian relief in the Asia Pacific region will top the agenda when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Australia next week, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich told Australia Network on Tuesday.

Obama will make a two-day visit to Canberra and Darwin of Australia on Nov. 16-17, where he will address parliament and hold security talks with the Australian government.

Bleich said the president is very excited and has long been looking forward to getting back to Australia, which he first visited as a child.

While there were speculation he and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will announce an expanded U.S. military presence in Australia, Bleich said that the Asia Pacific region is facing a critical period, and it was important that the U.S. had the "right assets" stationed in the Asia-Pacific region.

"You've got two billion people being added to the planet over the next 40 years and most of them are going to be in the Asia Pacific," he noted.

"That's going to put a lot of strain on food, on water, on energy.

"It means that there are going to be real stresses and you need to make sure you've got resources there to make sure you can address any humanitarian disasters," he said.

Bleich also said whatever resources U.S. is placing in Australia will be used for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and to discourage conflict.

The U.S. president's visit to Australia will mark the 60th anniversary of the military alliance between Australia and the United States. This will be Obama's first visit since he became U. S. president.

HANOI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The second Vietnam Rice Festival was open in southern Soc Trang city, Soc Trang province, on Tuesday, showcasing more than 900 booths of domestic and foreign companies, reported Vietnam News Agency.

The festival not only highlights contributions made by scientists, managers, businesses and farmers in rice production, but also promotes development of Vietnamese agriculture, rural areas and farmers towards sustainable and advanced way, addressed Vice Chairman of Soc Trang People's Committee Tran Thanh Nghiep at the opening ceremony.

A fair themed, "The road of Vietnamese Rice", and an exhibition, "Highlighting Vietnamese RiceGreen environment for Yellow Fields " will be open concurrently during the 4-day festival. Participating companies will display agricultural products, seafood and various kinds of items in service of rice production, and seek their new partners.

At the expo, visitors will be introduced to stages of development of Vietnamese rice production, with original and hybrid new rice strains for export, mode of rice planting and harvesting from different areas, and potential of the Vietnamese rice market.

BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's aviation watchdog on Tuesday urged the European Union to drop a plan that would require global airlines to buy carbon emission permits after a UN aviation agency adopted a resolution against the plan.

"We hope the EU will avoid this unilateral move, solve international aviation emissions issues and promote the sustainable development of the industry," an official with China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) spoke on condition of anonymity.

The CAAC welcomes and supports a resolution adopted by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the issue, the official said.

The ICAO resolution, adopted at a meeting in Montreal last week, opposes the EU plan to force airlines to take part in the bloc's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

According to the EU plan, as of January 2012, airlines flying to or from the bloc will have to buy permits from the ETS at a cost of 15 percent of the carbon emissions they generate, with large fines for noncompliance.

The EU's move is unilateral in nature and violates a cardinal principle of state sovereignty, the resolution said.

China firmly opposed the EU plan at the meeting, saying the action contravenes international laws and ignores efforts made to tackle aviation emissions by other countries, especially developing countries.

The CAAC will participate in international negotiations to deal with climate change in an active and constructive way, the official said.

The EU plan is expected to increase costs for the global aviation industry and was challenged by U.S. airlines in the European Court of Justice in July for breaching international law.

NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed in a stampede near the banks of the Ganges in the northern Indian city Haridwar in the state of Uttarakhand Tuesday during a religious event, said local media.

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Google Chairman Eric Schmid on Tuesday called on the South Korea to ease regulations on the Internet, saying the country is "a little bit behind"other countries with less strict regulations.

"It is my view and Google's view that the regulation of the Internet in (South) Korea could be more open and more modern," Schmit, in Seoul for a three-day visit, said at a press meeting at Google's local office here.

"Other countries have more liberal polices in some case about the Internet, and (South Koreans) should examine that,"the former Google CEO said, adding that his comment is just a "general statement."

Schmit, who has met with local telecommunications companies and government officials in his first Seoul visit in four years, has also pledged to support South Korean software developers and set up a new YouTube channel exclusively devoted to Korean pop music.

He said Google plans to provide resources to South Korean software developers through a project called "Korea Go Global."

"We know that there is a large amount of talent here just waiting to build on this platform," Schmit said, vowing to set up a center in Seoul that trains developers and give them "whatever resources they need."

Google will offer funding and network opportunities to young and creative developers here, Schmit added.