In This Edition

 

The Republic of South Sudan declares independence with Salva Kiir Mayardit taking the oath of office as the first President of the new republic.

 

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi threatens to send hundreds of Libyans to launch attacks in Europe in revenge for the NATO-led military campaign against him.

 

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urges Israel to apologize for last year's raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla and urged an end to the Gaza blockade.

 

And delegates to the ongoing China-EU Youth Forum on Sustainable Development agree that joint efforts are needed to address global environmental issues.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

South Sudan Becomes World's Youngest Nation

Thousands of Southern Sudanese have cheered in capital Juba for their new country which formally declared its independence on Saturday.

 

The President of South Sudan Salva Kiir has signed a transitional constitution and was later sworn in as President of Africa's 54th state.

 

"I General Salva Kirr Mardiyit do hereby swear by the Almighty God that as the President of the Republic of South Sudan I shall be faithful."

 

Kiir has also expressed his wish for a lasting peace in his new nation.

 

"A happy day like this should not dwell on the bad memories but it is important to recognise that for many generations this land has seen untold suffering and death we have been bombed maimed, enslaved and treated worse that a refugee in our country but we have to forgive although we will not forget."

 

Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir has congratulated South Sudan on its independence and called for the choice of the South Sudanese to be respected.

 

On the streets of Juba, new South Sudanese citizens were looking to the future with anticipation.

 

"I believe the change has come, Sudan will never be the same again. the Sudan of tomorrow will not be the same as Sudan of yesterday."

 

While in Sudan's capital Khartoum, some people did not want to see a nation being separated. Soweiba Abbas is one of them.

 

"When I saw on television the official announcement of the separation of South Sudan, when I saw the new flag, and heard the new anthem, we really felt like this is something that we never wanted to happen. But this is what they decided."

 

Ban Ki-Moon Advice Sudan to Establish Law

United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon now advises South Sudan to "establish immediately rule of law" and urges the Republic of Sudan to let UN peacekeepers continue their efforts.

 

Ban Ki-moon speaks after the official ceremony marking South Sudan's independence.

 

"We have to establish immediately rule of law, institutions and capacity building of this new government and you have to change, transform the way you have been doing. The SPLM (Sudan People's Liberation Movement) is no longer a liberation movement, it should be a national security forces."

 

Ban Ki-moon was among dozens of dignitaries who attended the ceremony, including the leaders of approximately 30 African nations.

 

During the ceremony, the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir stood next to his old civil war foe the President of Sudan Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who now leads just the north.

 

Ban Ki-moon also urges Sudan to allow peacekeepers to continue their work.

 

"(I've) discussed this matter and strongly appeal to the Government of the Republic of Sudan to extend even for a limited time for practical reasons so that people in UNMIS, the peacekeepers can continue to provide protection to civilian population so that there should be no security vacuum,"

 

North Sudan's government was the first to recognize South Sudan on Friday, hours before the split took place. The move has smoothed the way to the division.

China has announced its recognition of the Republic of South Sudan and established diplomatic ties with the country.

 

And Chinese UN Ambassador to the UN, Li Baodong, says China supports South Sudan being admitted into the United Nations, and becoming a member of the international community.

 

Pakistan Violence in Karachi

The streets are empty after up to 85 people died in a surge of ethnic and political violence over four days in Pakistan's commercial hub, Karachi.

 

Pakistani police and paramilitary troops were ordered to shoot on sight anyone involved in the violence in its largest city.

 

Interior Minister Rehman Malik says 89 people have been arrested for involvement in violence.

 

"Whatever we are doing, we are doing it for the people. The president and the prime minister of Pakistan have allowed zero tolerance. Therefore, every possible step will be taken to protect people's lives and possessions so that peace can be ensured in the coming days."

 

He also added that most of those who died were innocent bystanders, not politically affiliated persons.

 

Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has appealed for peace, calling for the country to unite against the city's violence.

 

Karachi, home to more than 18 million people, has a long history of ethnic, religious and sectarian violence.

 

Gaddafi Threatens to Launch Attacks in Europe for Revenge

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to send hundreds of Libyans to launch attacks in Europe in revenge for the NATO-led military campaign against him.

 

Three people have been killed and 150 injured in a NATO-led military air raid on Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, since March 19.

 

Gaddafi said in a speech they would rather die and be martyrs.

 

"Tens, hundreds or thousands of Libyans will become martyrs in Europe. Their children, houses and women will be targeted just like they targeted us. I told you it is eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But we will give them a chance that will not last for long, a chance to come back to their senses. They destroyed the Mediterranean, they destroyed global peace, and they want another crusade war between the East and the West, between Muslims and Christians."

 

Gaddafi, whose forces have been battling rebel fighters increasingly encroaching on his territory, as well as NATO warplanes, was addressing supporters in the desert town of Sabha, about 800 km south of Tripoli.

 

The speech, attracting 50,000 people, was designed to show Gaddafi still enjoys support in the areas of Libya he still controls.

 

Obama Urges Lawmakers to Agree on Raising Debt Limit

As the US unemployment rate hits a six-month high, US President Barack Obama urged lawmakers to come to an agreement about raising the debt limit and reducing the deficit to encourage job growth.

 

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner the markets will know that the debt limit ceiling has been raised, and that we have a serious plan to deal with our debt and deficit. The sooner that we give our businesses the certainty that they need in order to make additional investments to grow and hire, and provide more confidence to the rest of the world as well, so that they are committed to investing in America."

 

Obama also said companies have been more reluctant to invest and hire because of the debt ceiling impasse and turmoil in the global economy triggered by the crisis in Greece.

 

But according to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, a deal to restrain the US debt and avert a looming default is not imminent as Democrats and Republicans must still overcome serious disagreements.

 

"There is no agreement in private or public. And as the president said yesterday, we are this far apart. It's not like there's some imminent deal about to happen. There are serious disagreements about how to deal with this very serious problem."

 

The US unemployment rate has hit 9.2 percent, a six-month high, while employers added a mere 18,000 workers to their payrolls, the weakest reading since last September. The Labor Department report has painted a bleaker picture of the economy than private economists had expected.

 

European Commission Says New Regulations for Rating Agencies

President of the European Commission now says that the EU's executive arm will propose new regulations for rating agencies in the autumn.

 

Jose Manuel Barroso says that the 27-nation bloc is nearing a compromise on introducing new regulations for the agencies.

 

"It is not for the European Commission to create rating agencies; that is quite clear. But I find it strange, that in such an important matter, there is not a rating agency originating in Europe. So I know, that some people, some actors in Europe, where there is a lot of expertise in these matters, are thinking about the possibility of creating one or more rating agencies."

 

Barroso said earlier this week that he favored creating a European agency, but on Friday he said the new entity, which would compete with Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, should be created based on market forces.

 

European politicians have accused rating agencies of anti-European bias and fuelling market speculation after Moody's slashed Portugal's rating by four notches.

 

Turkey Calls on Israel to Apologize

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called on Israel to apologize for last year's raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla and urged an end to the Gaza blockade.

 

Erdogan says that it is "unthinkable" to normalize ties with Israel unless it apologizes for a raid of a Turkish ship last year.

 

"Israel should formally apologize for this illegal act which is against all international law and humanitarian values… The normalization of relations between the two countries is unthinkable unless Israel apologizes and pays compensation to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this atrocious event."

 

The Prime Minister also called on Israel to lift a blockade on the Palestinian territory.

 

Ankara has repeatedly demanded from Israel an apology and compensation for nine pro-Palestinian-Turkish activists who were killed when Israeli commandos seized the ship bound for the coastal strip in May last year.

 

Georgian Journalists Protest for Release

Georgian journalists protested outside the Interior Ministry on Friday, demanding the evidence of the four arrested photojournalists whom had passed information to a foreign country.

 

The personal photographer of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and three other photojournalists were arrested on Thursday.

 

Protest organizer and head of Georgian "Alia" media holdings Giorgi Bregvadze demanded the photojournalists release.

 

"We demand that the 'top secret' classification of this case, which it currently has, be abolished, so that we can see everything [the photojournalists] have committed. If [the authorities] don't present evidence it will mean they did nothing and then we will demand their release."

 

Mamuka Glonti, director of opposition radio station, "Maestro".

 

"I do not believe it. If the authorities present the evidence and persuade us that these people are spies, then I myself will organize a protest against spies. The authorities keep raping the media and this will end up very badly, either for the media or for the authorities."

 

Georgian opposition politicians often accused Saakashvili of pressuring the media.

 

Irakli Alasania, the leader of "Free Democrats" opposition party.

 

"The political and media space in the country is shrinking. An increasingly authoritarian rule by Saakashvili is diminishing the chances and space for a free media to develop and to report as they see the facts."

 

He added that the approach of the government and investigation had been motivated politically by someone personally involved in the presidential administration.

 

Severe Drought Hits Horn of Africa; Aid Needed

Severe drought has recently hit the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. The head of the UN's refugee agency says Somalis fleeing hunger and drought are dying in high numbers in refugee camps in southeastern Ethiopia.

 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres says 3 out of every 10,000 refugees die each day. And those death rates are three times the emergency level with malnutrition is to blame.

 

"I believe that we are witnessing in the Horn of Africa today, especially in Somalia, the most tragic humanitarian disaster. The fact is that conflict and drought are combining themselves, creating a terrible situation for the people that are forced to flee in big numbers. Children dying on the way, children coming to Ethiopia or to Kenya and doctors not even being even able to treat them because of the level of malnutrition that they face."

 

Thousands of people are taking refuge in abandoned buildings in the Somali capital Mogadishu after fleeing areas of central Somalia.

 

Somalia is experiencing pre-famine conditions, driving more than 1,000 people over the border into Kenya and Ethiopia each day.

 

Aid agencies are appealing for tens of millions of dollars in emergency funding to fight a drought where the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia meet.

World Food Programme spokesperson David Orr.

 

"WFP estimates that it is feeding six million people at the moment. Over the coming months that could rise to ten million people."

 

WFP says that it is estimated that 2.8 million people in Somalia need emergency aid. In the worst-hit areas, one in three children is suffering from malnutrition.

 

Sino-EU Youth Forum for Sustainable Development Held in Xi'an

European and Chinese delegates have reached a consensus that they are the stakeholders to address global environmental pollution and climate change issues at the EU-China Youth Forum for Sustainable Development in Xi'an.

 

XYee has the story.

 

Through keynote speeches and panel discussions, young people from different backgrounds and cultures have agreed to make joint efforts to promote a simple and healthy lifestyle, to play an active role in voluntary service, environmental protection tasks through close international cooperation, and lead green youth fashion.

 

Chinese delegate Mei Li-peng, from Shaanxi's provincial Industrial and Commercial Bureau, said she was keen to learn what measures European countries have conducted to tackle environmental issues.

 

"People should become aware of what environmental protection means to China since we have paid a huge price for economic development. It is necessary to learn lessons and experiences from the European countries to see what we can apply to our country."

 

Loizos Michail is from Cyprus, and he hopes such exchange programs will continue and be strengthened, as young people are the future world leaders who will make a difference.

 

"I strongly believe that the current international financial crisis is a great opportunity for the world's countries to turn into green economies. The Chinese delegates have given us great ideas about what they are thinking and doing in China, and we give our ideas about Europe. And by combing both ideas, we can achieve what we target."

 

Government officials, scholars and experts from both sides have shared their enlightening practices in economic and ecological sustainable development. It is stressed that young people are the main drivers in the progress and they should take the lead to make initiatives through individual efforts to protect the environment.

 

Kristin Schreiber, director general for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the European Commission, said more exchange programs will be launched in the future and the Sino-EU partnerships have a two-way direction.

 

"We have many different types of cooperation with China; this is just one example of EU-China Year of Youth. I would say if you take the European Union as a whole, and different fields of responsibilities, we have many, many ongoing dialogues with China. I think the important thing is that you have young people who will talk to each other, and who then set the ground for future cooperation."

 

The EU-China Year of Youth features a series of events and activities between young generations to promote bilateral understanding. Programs also include Youth Week in Shenzhen next month and in Brussels in September before closing in October.

 

For CRI, I'm XYee.

 

Charity's Credibility

 

The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has issued a statement concerning Guo Meimei, web name of a young woman who has caused public fury after bragging about her personal wealth in the name of a senior manager of the Red Cross Society of China.

 

The statement says neither Guo nor her parents had direct connections with the organization.

 

It says Guo admits that she has never worked for the RCSC and only knew a businessman surnamed Wang, who was in a partnership with Red Cross Commerce, an organization affiliated with the RCSC.

 

Although Guo's relationship with RCSC is still under investigation, people's suspicion over the incident has hurt RCSC's credibility. An online investigation shows that 90 percent of the people surveyed say that they will not donate to RCSC any more.

 

An editorial from China Daily argues that transparency is the best remedy to repair the damage to RCSC's credibility.

 

The author points out that as a non-profit charity organization, the RCSC has the obligation to keep all its activities transparent and let the public know how it manages its donations and where it spends them.

 

However, the author says its lack of transparency in the use of charity donations has long been a matter of concern to the public.

 

The article also urges the RCSC to figure out a thorough plan to disclose how it spends the administrative fees from State coffers, and to set up a mechanism to make the entire process of managing and use of the donations transparent.