Two U.S. soldiers die in Afghanistan

(CNN) -- The Pentagon has announced the deaths of two U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan last week.
Sgt. Zainah Creamer, 28, of Texarkana, Texas died January 12 in Kandahar province when insurgents attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device.

Maj. Evan Mooldyk, 47, of Ranch Murieto, California, also died Jan. 12 in Khowst province in a non-combat related incident.

Chinese President Hu to Meet With President Obama

When President Hu meets with President Obama this week, it will be the first time the leaders meet as representatives of the two largest economies in the world.
And you can be pretty sure that the visit will look very different from Hu's last visit in 2006, when he was given lunch instead of a state dinner.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that the balance of power has shifted in this relationship in the last few years, with China's growth surging in the double digits as the U.S. grapples with high unemployment, sluggish growth and an expensive war in Afghanistan.
The question is whether in light of this shift, China is growing more strident in dealing with the U.S. and in pursuing its national interests.
On the surface, it would appear so.
Last year, the world saw a China that was increasingly assertive in dealing with tensions with Japan in the South China Sea.

It saw a China that refused to condemn North Korea after civilians were killed in an attack on Yeonpeong Island. And it saw a China that brazenly tested a stealth fighter jet as the U.S. defense secretary stood next to its president.
At a forum on US-China relations Friday, Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai did not deny that China's "national strength" has increased enormously and that China is more confident with its growing role on the world stage.
But he reminded the audience that while China has grown, it is still way behind the U.S. and he was emphatic that "China will never seek hegemony," evidence perhaps that the Communist Party is continuing to practice Deng Xiaoping's policy of humility and harmony in China's dealings with the U.S.
Last week's J-20 test, and the fact that China's president appeared to know nothing about it, threw out another wild card, what Secretary Gates categorized as the possibility of "a disconnect" between China's civilian and military leadership. If true, this could have troubling implications for US-Sino relations.
As Fareed Zakaria writes in Time magazine, "The Chinese military… seems to consider the US as China's sworn enemy and to believe that a conflict between Beijing and Washington is inevitable."
Source: ABC news

Muslim summer camps open for children of all religions

Several mosques in Central Russia's Republic of Tatarstan are offering children of all religions the chance to spend their holidays in Muslim summer camps. Clerics say the move is aimed at reviving traditional spiritual values and promoting tolerance amon
Iman is one of the summer Islamic children's camps that have opened in Tatarstan over the past few years.
Girls live separately from boys in the camp. The customs are those followed in Muslim society: girls clean the table themselves, and after meals comes a prayer.
It's only been two years since an Islamic children's camp opened in the city of Zainsk. Prior to this, boys and girls had to spend summer months in neighbouring towns. Now there's no doubt, what their top choice is.
“If a camp is far away, we get homesick. And here in Iman – everything is close – we go home every day and come back in the morning,” says Ksenia Popova, the camp resident.
“It's my fifth year in a camp. I like it. I used to go to Nizhnekamsk, but I like it here best. I've got more friends in Zainsk than anywhere else and it's much more interesting here,” says Adilya Salikhova, another resident of the camp.
The number of children who would like to stay in the camp has increased since the previous year. But, despite the growing popularity, there are also some problems. The lack of teachers is one of them. The authorities have to invite specialists from other towns. The Arabic teacher, Gulnar Kashapova, lives 70 KM away from Zainsk. Her efforts seem to be paying off.
“I've already learnt to read the suras – different chapters of the Koran. In our lessons we also learn how to read traditional Muslim prayers and many other things as well,” Adilya Salikhova notes.
What is so special about Iman and many other similar camps across the Republic is that it hosts children from families of different nationalities and religions. One of the reasons why their parents' wish them come here is, probably, the opportunity to see the world from a different and a particular angle.