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Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Abu Dhabi seeks expats for police jobs
Written By JAK on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 | 9:44 PM
500-strong community police team to be beefed up with more representation from expatriates to ensure a crime-free neighbourhood
Abu Dhabi: The police in the capital are looking to recruit more expats for their community police division, XPRESS can reveal.
“We are planning to expand the force with more representation from expatriate communities,” Lt. Colonel Mubarak Bin Muhairom, Head of the Community Police at Abu Dhabi Police, told XPRESS. “We already have a significant number of nationalities on our team, in addition to experienced officers internationally recruited from countries like the UK and Singapore,” he added.
The 500-strong community police team represents diverse nationalities living in Abu Dhabi and operates as frontline officers who understand the pulse of the expat community. They are the vital link connecting the public with the police and play a crucial role in ensuring a crime-free neighbourhood and a safer community life in the emirate for residents.
Improving confidence
Citing international research, Lt Col Muhairom said there is a great deal of evidence that shows community policing improves public confidence and helps build trust and strengthens the relationship between the public and police. “This is an important priority for policing and it is an effective way of contributing to ensure we maintain Abu Dhabi as a safe and secure society,” said the officer.
The idea to establish community policing was first developed in 2003 at a time when Abu Dhabi Police were undertaking widespread modernisation. A 10-member community police team was formed at that time and was based in Bani Yas.
Since 2004, the number of resources committed to community policing has grown in all the major police stations in Abu Dhabi.
These teams, consisting of both male and female members working full time for Abu Dhabi Police, are supported by a central community police department based in Abu Dhabi city.
Today, Lt Col Muhairom said, community police play an active role in preventing crime and disorder in society.
“The pivotal role for community police is that they are proactive in solving problems. They don’t wait for things to happen before they respond. They will take action as soon as they know or predict that a problem or crime may happen,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
There to help
Elaborating on the role and responsibilities of the wing, he added that community police are there to help solve problems usually related to crime and anti-social behaviour.
“They will also deal with social problems, thus they have a wider role and there are many areas of law that they focus on.
“They build trust with their communities and share information with them. You can trust the community police to make you feel safe and secure,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
“We also have experienced community police officers from Singapore and the UK who work with the local recruits. These officers wear the uniform of Abu Dhabi Police and they engage with expat communities and have a good understanding of their needs,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
DNA tests on Dublin Roma girl 'show she is part of family'
The Child Protection Unit at Tallaght Garda Station called at the family's home
It is understood DNA tests have proved that a seven-year-old girl taken from a Roma family in Dublin on Monday is their daughter.
Police removed the seven-year-old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl from her home in the Tallaght area.
The parents told police the child was their daughter, but officers were not satisfied with the explanation, nor with the documents that were produced.
The child was taken into temporary care.
The police action took place against the background of international interest in the case of a blonde-haired child being taken from a Roma family in Greece last week.
Greek police are investigating whether the girl had been abducted.
Meanwhile, a two-year-old boy from a Roma family who was briefly taken into care in County Westmeath has been reunited with his parents.
The boy was taken from his family on Tuesday in Athlone and returned a day later.
Prince George christened at Chapel Royal
The christening of Prince George has taken place in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace in London.
The prince, third in line to the throne, was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The christening was private, with only senior royals, four members of the Middleton family, the seven godparents and their spouses among the 22 guests.
Prince George, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was born in London on 22 July.
Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George The Duchess of Cambridge carried her son
out of the chapel after the christening
The prince was baptised in a replica of a gown worn by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter
Queen and Prince Philip leaving after Prince George's christening The Queen and
Prince Philip attended the ceremony
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby with Bishop of London Richard Chartres
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby conducted the ceremony
Zara Tindall, who was accompanied by her husband former rugby player Mike Tindall,
is one of Prince George's godparents
The duchess carried her newly christened son out of the chapel after the ceremony, and the guests then left for tea hosted by the Prince of Wales at Clarence House.
Godparents revealed
The godparents, announced earlier, are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van Cutsem and Zara Tindall.
Mrs Tindall, wife of former England rugby player Mike Tindall, is Prince William's cousin, while the other six godparents are all friends of the royal couple.
Prince George was baptised in a replica of the lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.
The duke and duchess chose two hymns, two lessons and two anthems for the christening.
The hymns were Breathe on Me, Breath of God and Be Thou My Vision.
Lessons from St Luke and St John were read by Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry, and the anthems were Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand and the Lord Bless You and Keep You.
The anthems were sung by the Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, which performed at the royal couple's wedding.
The ceremony took about 45 minutes in total.
Prince George's godparents: (top row, from left) William van Cutsem, Julia Samuel, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, (bottom row) Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor and Oliver Baker
After the ceremony, celebrity photographer Jason Bell was expected to take a picture of the Queen and princes Charles, William and George together.
This will echo a 1894 picture from the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother - George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
The picture is expected to be released on Thursday morning.
Italy ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi to face bribery trial
Berlusconi says he has been victimised by the judiciary
Italian ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged bribery of a senator.
Berlusconi is accused of paying the left-wing senator 3m euros ($3.9m) to defect to his party in 2006 and help bring down the government.
The senator, Sergio De Gregorio, was sentenced to 20 months on Wednesday at a plea bargain hearing in Naples.
Berlusconi has been embroiled in a number of trials and says he is the victim of a campaign by the judiciary.
He has denied any wrongdoing in this case. His lawyer, Michele Cerabona, said he was confident about the outcome when the trial starts in February.
Also charged in the latest case is Berlusconi's former aide, Valter Lavitola, who is accused of being an intermediary in the alleged bribe.
'Reprehensible'
The defection of De Gregorio, a senator from Naples, to Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party weakened the government of Romano Prodi, which collapsed in 2008 and triggered elections that returned Berlusconi to power.De Gregorio said on Wednesday: "I urge Silvio Berlusconi to leave the political scene, which would free Italy from a lot of dirt."
He added: "I now believe I behaved in an absolutely reprehensible way and was aiming to bring down the Prodi government as part of a sort of holy war being waged by Berlusconi."
Mr Lavitola appeared at the Naples hearing, telling it that "there is no proof that I could have known that it was money for a bribe. I would have been simply a conduit".
Mr Lavitola was placed under investigation in 2011. He left for South America shortly afterwards and was arrested on his return in April 2012.
Berlusconi's supporters have rallied to his defence.
PDL lawmaker Daniele Capezzone told Agence France-Presse: "I think Italians fully understand that what has been happening in the past few years is an attack against a political leader who was freely and democratically chosen by millions."
Berlusconi, 77, has faced a series of court cases in recent years.
On Saturday a court in Milan banned him from holding public office for two years, following his conviction in August for tax fraud.
The ban has still to be voted on in parliament.
A cross-party panel of the Italian Senate has also recommended his expulsion from the chamber, which means he will lose his parliamentary immunity from prosecution in a string of criminal cases.
The votes on his expulsion and ban on holding office are expected to take place within the next few weeks.
Berlusconi is currently appealing against convictions for sex with an underage prostitute, abuse of power and leaking confidential information.
Early this month, Berlusconi suffered political humiliation when forced to perform a U-turn in parliament on a confidence vote.
Berlusconi had promised to topple the government of PM Enrico Letta by withdrawing his party's support.
But he backed down when it became clear that several of his PDL senators would support the government.
Vatican suspends 'bishop of bling' Tebartz-van Elst
The bishop's official residence in Limburg has been described as luxurious
The Vatican has suspended a senior German Church leader dubbed the "bishop of bling" by the media over his alleged lavish spending.
Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst is accused of spending more than 31m euros (£26m; $42m) on renovating his official residence.
The Vatican said it deemed "appropriate... a period of leave from the diocese" for the bishop.
The suspension comes two days after he met the Pope to discuss the matter.
"A situation has been created in which the bishop can no longer exercise his episcopal duties", a Vatican statement said.
It said a Church commission would rule on the matter, but did not say where Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, 53, would go or what he would do while the inquiry was held.
The head of Germany's main lay Catholic group, the Central Committee of German Catholics, Alois Glueck, welcomed the Vatican's decision.
He said: "Pope Francis's decision offers the chance of a first step toward a new beginning in the Limburg diocese, because the situation has become an increasing burden for the faithful there, and in all of Germany, over recent weeks."
First-class flight
Bishop Tebartz-van Elst - and his spending habits - had become infamous in Germany, where many people pay Church tax to the state. The tax raised 5.2bn euros for Catholics and 4.6bn euros for Protestants in 2012.
Calls were made for the bishop to resign after he was accused of lying under oath about his spending.
He was criticised for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.
But his official residence is at the heart of the criticism, after renovations were originally costed at 5.5m euros.
German media are reporting that the residence was fitted with a bath that cost 15,000 euros, a conference table for 25,000 euros and a private chapel that cost 2.9m euros.
The story has attracted heavy coverage and has stoked controversy among Catholics.
It was in Germany that Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church.
The BBC's Alan Johnston, in Rome, says all this was bound to play badly with the new Pope, who has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of senior clerics whose lifestyles seem a little too lavish.
Pope Francis has also signalled his intention to clean up the Vatican's finances, appointing a commission to advise him on reforms.
There is no surprise in Rome that the Vatican has ordered the bishop's suspension from his duties while the spending row is investigated, our correspondent adds.
Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is the daughter of a Protestant pastor, said that she had expressed "hope that there will be an answer for believers, for people's confidence in their Church".
In his absence, the bishop's diocese will be administered by Limburg's vicar general, Wolfgang Roesch.
There is no surprise in Rome that the Vatican has ordered the bishop's suspension from his duties, correspondents say
Russia drops piracy charges against Greenpeace activists
Russia has dropped piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists, replacing them with hooliganism charges, according to officials.
The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15, Russian news website Lenta said.
The Arctic Sunrise was seized more than four weeks ago by Russian security forces after some activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform.
All 30 people on board - including two freelance journalists - were detained.
So far all bail applications in the case have been refused.
Vladimir Markin, the head of Russia's main investigating agency the Investigative Committee, told Russian news agencies that the charges had been reclassified.
Last week, 11 Nobel prize-winners wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to drop the charges of piracy.
Mr Putin said last month that the activists had violated international law but it was "absolutely evident that they are, of course, not pirates".
6 Russian troops killed in blast at military base
File photo of Russian military personnel
Six Russian airborne troops have been killed and two others injured after an unidentified object exploded at a military base in the northwest city of Pskov, an official says.
Five cadets of the Ryazan Higher Airborne School and a warrant officer were killed at 7 pm local time late Monday at the Strugy Krasniye military training facility near the village of Strugi Krasnye, just over 700 kilometers northwest of Moscow, said the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Troops Vladimir Shamanov on Tuesday.
A security source said the troops had been killed in a shell explosion after returning from live firing drills, though investigators were still examining circumstances of the incident.
“A preliminary analysts of the way the blast spread around, the craters on the explosion site, and the nature of the wounds sustained by the servicemen who were injured suggests that a piece of artillery ammunition [has] exploded,” said the Defense Ministry’s press office.
The ministry added that two more servicemen were injured and have been taken to a local hospital, Interfax reported.
The incident marks the latest tragedy on the Strugy Krasnye military range. An explosion during exercises killed four soldiers and injured another on April 13, 2011.
Italy confirms having been spied on by US NSA
Italian telephone and computer communications have been under surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA), Italy’s parliamentary intelligence committee has confirmed.
A delegation of Italian lawmakers from the parliament’s COPASIR intelligence service monitoring committee, which went to Washington on an official visit to inquire about US overseas surveillance programs, found that millions of Italians have been among those spied on by the NSA, Italian media reported Tuesday.
According to the report, after meetings with US intelligence agency directors and congressional committee chairs, the Italian legislators confirmed that large-scale spying on Italians is “a fact of life.”
Moreover, the report added that the surveillance activities have extended to “a monitoring network that started years ago and is still active,” of which the Italian government and spy agencies might have been well aware of.
Leading members of COPASIR, the report added, are now seeking clarification about the massive spying operation from the government in Rome, which has reportedly justified the American surveillance moves in the country as an anti-terrorism bid.
According to the Italian press reports, however, committee member Claudio Fava, from Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) party, was “openly perplexed” as he reacted to the government’s justification of the US spying efforts in Italy.
“It’s a data trawling system based on various sensors. US intelligence experts explained that their main concern was to comply with American data protection laws and intervene to safeguard national security.
Whether this conflicts with other countries’ laws is of no concern to them but it should be to us,” Fava was quoted as saying.
Whether this conflicts with other countries’ laws is of no concern to them but it should be to us,” Fava was quoted as saying.
The Italian MPs are due to grill the Junior Minister for Intelligence Services Marco Minniti on the issue during a Wednesday visit to COPASIR offices in Palazzo San Macuto.
Documents obtained by various international media outlets from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have revealed that the Italian embassy in Washington was among the foreign diplomatic missions targeted by US spying operations.
Local media, meanwhile, report that just before the NSA scandal emerged, collaboration between Italian and American intelligence services was “at its peak,” and included the sharing of communications through the SIGINT interception system.
Such cooperation, the press reports added, appeared to have been justified by the ongoing allied wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The development comes as Mexican President Peno Nieto ordered a major probe into reports that the US spying agency has intercepted his and former President Felipe Calderon’s emails.
The latest NSA scandal further coincides with reports that the huge spy agency also monitors millions of phone calls in France, prompting strong reactions by the country’s top authorities.
Syria forces in full control of southwest Muqaddimah
Syrian forces have regained the full control of the southwest of al-Muqaddimah, a suburb of Damascus, as they continue to inflict heavy losses on Takfiri militants.
Factsheet : Underactive Thyroid
The location of the thyroid gland and surrounding structures. Picture Bupa Health
If you have an underactive thyroid, it means your thyroid gland isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone.
Your thyroid gland is in your neck, in front of your windpipe. Your thyroid gland releases hormones (chemical messengers) to control how quickly your body uses its energy stores and how sensitive your body is to other hormones.
Underactive thyroid is more common in older people, and women are more likely to be affected than men.
SYMPTOMS OF UNDERACTIVE THYROID
Symptoms of underactive thyroid can include:
• extreme tiredness
• weight gain, but with a poor appetite
• feeling the cold easily
• dry and/or pale skin
• coarse, thinning hair and brittle nails
• weak and sore muscles
• a hoarse, croaky or deeper voice
• puffy eyes
• memory loss and poor concentration
• constipation
• heavy, irregular or prolonged menstrual periods, if you’re a woman
• tingling in your hands and arms
• depression
• poor sex drive
• slow heart rate
• enlarged thyroid gland (goitre), which causes a lump to develop in your throat
These symptoms aren’t always caused by underactive thyroid but if you have them, see your GP.
COMPLICATIONS OF UNDERACTIVE THYROID
In women, an underactive thyroid can interfere with your menstrual cycle, leading to heavy, irregular or prolonged periods. This may lead to anaemia and also affect your ability to ovulate, making it more difficult for you to get pregnant.
Underactive thyroid in pregnancy can increase the risk of having a miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-eclampsia, premature birth, or a baby with low birthweight or impaired cognitive function.
CAUSES OF UNDERACTIVE THYROID
In the UK, the two most common causes of underactive thyroid are as follows.
• Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Your immune system produces antibodies that attack your thyroid gland. This prevents your thyroid gland from producing enough thyroid hormones.
• Surgery or radioiodine treatment for an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidisim) or thyroid cancer. If you have treatment that destroys thyroid tissue, it can lead to an underactive thyroid.
Other, less common causes of underactive thyroid include the following.
• Congenital hypothyroidism. This is when babies are born with an underdeveloped thyroid gland. In the UK, a heel-prick blood sample is taken between six and 14 days after birth to test for congenital hypothyroidism.
• Certain medicines. Some medicines can affect the normal functioning of your thyroid gland and cause underactive thyroid. Examples include lithium carbonate (for bipolar disorder) and amiodarone (for heart rhythm problems).
• Disorders of the pituitary gland. This gland is involved in the regulation and production of thyroid hormones and having any problems with it can affect the normal functioning of your thyroid.
• Iodine deficiency. Your body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. Not having enough iodine in the diet is the leading cause of underactive thyroid worldwide, but is uncommon in the UK.
DISGNOSIS OF UNDERACTIVE THYROID
Your GP will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you about your medical history and take a blood test to check your thyroid function.
If blood tests confirm you have an underactive thyroid, your GP may refer you to an endocrinologist (a doctor who specialises in identifying and treating conditions of the endocrine system).
TREATMENT OF UNDERACTIVE THYROID
Treatment aims to return your levels of thyroid hormones to normal. If you have an underactive thyroid but don’t have any symptoms (known as subclinical hypothyroidism), you may not need any treatment.
Your GP will usually monitor how your thyroid hormone levels change every few months. If you develop symptoms, your GP will suggest that you start treatment.
Medicines
Your doctor may prescribe thyroid hormone replacement medicine (levothyroxine). This is taken daily as a tablet, but can take some time to get the dose right.
Usually you will start on a low dose that is gradually built up every few months. You will need regular blood tests to check your levels of thyroid hormones. Your doctor will adjust your dose according to the results of your blood tests.
Once the correct dose of levothyroxine has been established, you will usually have a thyroid function test once a year to monitor your thyroid hormone levels. You will need to take this treatment for the rest of your life.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding
If you’re taking levothyroxine, your thyroid hormone levels should be closely monitored during and after pregnancy. As soon as you know you’re pregnant, you should have a thyroid blood test.
Your requirements of levothyroxine will usually be higher during pregnancy, so your dose will need to be carefully adjusted according to your blood results.
FAQs
This section contains answers to frequently asked questions about this topic.
Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.
What blood tests are used to diagnose an underactive thyroid?
Answer
To assess your thyroid function, your GP will take a sample of your blood and check your levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the hormones released by your thyroid gland (thyroxine and triiodothyronine).
Explanation
Thyroid-stimulating hormone is produced by a part of your brain called the pituitary gland. It stimulates your thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine.
Together, these hormones control how quickly your body uses its energy stores (metabolism) and how sensitive your body is to other hormones.
To assess your thyroid function, your GP will take a sample of your blood and measure the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroxine and triiodothyronine in your blood.
If the results show you have high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone with low levels of thyroxine, it means you have an underactive thyroid.
How long will it take for me to feel better once I've started taking levothyroxine for underactive thyroid?
Answer
You should expect a gradual improvement, feeling back to normal about four to six months after starting levothyroxine treatment.
Once your thyroid hormone levels are back to normal, you may start to feel better fairly quickly, but this varies from person to person.
Explanation
Treatment with levothyroxine aims to return your levels of thyroid hormones to normal.
If you’re over 18, your doctor may start you on a levothyroxine dose of 50 to 100 micrograms (μg) once a day. You will be monitored regularly and your dose will be adjusted in steps of 25 to 50μg every three to four weeks according to your response.
The usual maintenance dose is 75 to 150μg once a day.
Your symptoms will begin to improve as the hormone levels in your bloodstream return to normal. The length of time this takes will depend on how severe your underactive thyroid was when you were diagnosed and on the dose you start on. It can sometimes take several months after your thyroid levels are stable before you start feeling better.
You will be closely monitored by your doctor, especially in the first six months of treatment. It’s important to let your doctor know if you don’t feel any better, or if you have any side-effects.
Side-effects to look out for include diarrhoea, vomiting, chest pains, irregular heartbeat, flushing, weight loss, headaches and muscle cramps.
Having side-effects may be a sign that the dose of levothyroxine you’re taking is too high, so it’s important to tell your doctor so that your dose can be reduced.
Is it safe to take levothyroxine for underactive thyroid during pregnancy?
Answer
Yes, it's safe to take levothyroxine during pregnancy. You will need to be closely monitored during your pregnancy to ensure your thyroid hormone levels are at a healthy level.
Explanation
During pregnancy, it's important that you have enough thyroid hormones in your bloodstream. This is because in the first trimester (first 12 weeks) of pregnancy, thyroid hormones help to develop your baby’s brain and nervous system.
If you have an underactive thyroid, you must see your GP as soon as you think you’re pregnant.
Your doctor will usually increase your dose of levothyroxine to ensure you have enough thyroid hormones for you and your baby. The increase will depend on the current dose you're taking and the results of your blood test.
Your thyroid hormone levels will be regularly checked during your pregnancy. If you have only been diagnosed with underactive thyroid very recently before becoming pregnant, or you have subclinical hypothyroidism (which means you don't have any symptoms but your thyroid hormone levels are disrupted), you may need to have blood tests more frequently.
Your GP may refer you to an endocrinologist (a doctor who specialises in the treatment of conditions relating to your endocrine system) for regular check-ups throughout your pregnancy.
If you have any questions or concerns about underactive thyroid and pregnancy, talk to your GP.
Produced by Krysta Munford, Bupa Health Information Team, May 2012.
In Summary
- Your thyroid gland is in your neck, in front of your windpipe.
- Your thyroid gland releases hormones (chemical messengers) to control how quickly your body uses its energy stores and how sensitive your body is to other hormones.
Exclusive world of private jets flies high to Las Vegas
A gulfstream's interior. The exclusive world of business jets associated with film stars and royalty is showing signs of being on the up as a vital tool for companies and executives.
By AFP
PARIS,
The exclusive world of business jets associated with film stars and royalty is showing signs of being on the up as a vital tool for companies and executives.
The Las Vegas business jet show opens in Las Vegas on Tuesday for three days until Thursday to showcase a sector which is a barometer of both the climate for glitz and the health of international business.
Frustrated by the fixed schedules of regular aviation companies, international businesses are turning to luxury jets as a means of raising, not cutting, their profit margins.
"More than ever private aviation allows company directors to be more competitive and closer to their clients," said Check Suma, a vice-president for NetJets, the world leader in the sector.
CLEAR SKIES
Although the economic crisis still hangs over manufacturers of private jets, after four dark years there are hopes the skies may be clearing.
"Coming out of the crisis is a lengthy, slow process. It is happening but in a rational way," said Eric Trappier, chief executive of the French group Dassault Aviation speaking before the show.
The business aviation sector was hit badly by the economic crisis in 2008. The market fell by 29.2 percent between 2008 and 2012, according to a study by US analysts Teal Group and it has barely managed to return to the prosperous 2005-2008 period.
Last year the 672 plane orders for private jets in the world was a drop of 49 percent compared to the 2008 peak of 1,315 planes, the aviation organisation Gama said.
In the first quarter of 2013, global deliveries were down by 4.1 percent compared to the same period in 2012, while manufacturers avoided forecasting a date for an upturn.
"Companies are more careful. Their order books have filled up and investment time is coming," said Trappier, who did not want to estimate when this might happen in the business jet industry.
OPTIMISTIC FORECAST
Aviation equipment-maker Honeywell believes the private jet sector will grow by 3 to 4 percent in 2013.
For Suma, there are reasons to be quietly hopeful. "We are observing a continuous improvement of the economy, slowly but surely, and as a result business aviation is getting better too. But... growth will depend on a sustainable economic recovery."
The main obstacle to this, according to aeronautics expert at Oddo Securities Yan Derocles, is the still sluggish macro-economic environment.
"In the next two years economists are not anticipating a strong recovery," said Derocles, adding that the absorption of the used market is key. "It is a sine qua non condition of the recovery of new plane orders."
NetJets, financially backed by US millionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is convinced the market has long-term growth potential.
GROWING POOL OF CLIENTS
President of Executive Aviation Market at the Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer, Ernest Edwards, said globalisation has opened up the market, with private aviation less limited now to its traditional pool of clients from the US, Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany.
"Asia, the Middle East and Russia are examples of regions where the demand for private aviation is growing," Edwards said. In China, India and Russia the number of millionaires increases each year.
In China, according to the Teal Group study, 3,000 people own more than $500 million and there are 130 billionaires.
Teal Group forecast an 11 percent growth this year, followed by four years at around 12 percent. Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of the group, estimated any return to the peak number of orders from 2008 would not happen before 2015.
William Hague convenes Syria meeting in London; admits insurgency’s death
British Foreign Secretary William Hague
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has admitted that foreign-backed insurgency in Syria is reaching a dead end amid a widening infighting between Takfiris and other factions fighting the country’s popular government.
The foreign secretary, whose country desperately made each and every attempt to pave the way for toppling of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, has tried to bring Takfiris, al-Qaeda-linked members of terrorist al-Nusra Front and the Western-based opposition groups to the same table in yet another desperate attempt to establish peace among them after failing to break the resistance of the Syrian nation.
William Hague moaned that the conflict in Syria has reached an impasse in which neither side can win.
He made the claim to the BBC Radio prior to the inauguration of a meeting of the so-called ‘Friends of Syria group’ with the representatives of the Syrian opposition in London.
The meeting was said to be aimed at persuading the foreign-backed Syrian opposition to take part in the Geneva II peace talks scheduled to be held in Geneva next month.
"The longer the conflict this goes on, the more sectarian it becomes, the more extremists are able to take hold. That is why we are making this renewed effort to get a Geneva peace process going", said William Hague.
The so-called Friends of Syria group consists of the US, France, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, whose foreign ministers attended the London meeting.
The British Foreign Secretary also lectured Iran about the role the Islamic Republic could play in Syria by setting conditions for Iran if it wants to be part of so-called international discussions about the issue.
"…..Iran should be starting from the same position as the rest of us - from last year's Geneva agreement which is that there should be a transitional government in Syria made up of regime and opposition, by mutual consent."
"And that is the way forward to political dialogue, to free elections in Syria. If Iran could start from that position as well as the rest of us then Iran would be more easily included in international discussions on this subject….”, said William Hague.
MOL/PR/HE
ICC to rule Friday on Ruto's trial attendance
Written By JAK on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 | 10:35 PM
PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI Deputy President William Ruto with his co-accused, Mr Joshua arap Sang and MPs and Senators before the start of proceedings at the ICC on October 21, 2013. The fourth witness concluded his testimony.
The International Criminal Court will rule on Friday on the appeal case whether to allow Deputy President William Ruto to skip sessions during his trial.
The ICC trial chamber had on June 18 granted Mr Ruto's request to be excused from being physically present at the continuously except during key sessions.
However, the ICC Prosecutor appealed the decision, and consequently the court asked Mr Ruto to be present in all sessions pending the resolution on the appeal.
According to statement by the ICC, the Friday judgment by the Appeals Chamber will be delivered in open court and will be webstreamed live on the court's website.
Last week, the ICC excused President Uhuru Kenyatta from continuously attending his trial proceedings, except during opening and closing sessions and when victims testify in person.
Both Mr Ruto and President Kenyatta face crimes against humanity charges at The Hague-based court linked to the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya.
Ruto's trial has been ongoing since September 10, while President Kenyatta's trial is expected to begin from November 12.
Fukushima overwhelmed with radioactive water
It will take decades to safely decommission Fukushima. Net photo.
Fukushima. Highly radioactive water overflowed barriers into Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station after its operator Tepco underestimated how much rain would fall and failed to pump it out quickly enough.
Tepco has been battling to contain radioactive water at the nuclear complex, which suffered meltdowns and hydrogen explosions following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Dealing with hundreds of tonnes of groundwater flowing through the wrecked nuclear station daily is a constant problem for the utility and for the government, casting doubt on the promises of Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, that the Fukushima water “situation is under control”.
After heavy rain on Sunday, water with high levels of radioactive strontium overflowed containment areas built around some 1,000 tanks storing tonnes of radioactive water at the plant, Tepco said.
The radioactive water is a by-product of an improvised cooling system designed to keep the wrecked reactors under control in case of further disaster.
Tepco said it had planned to pump out the accumulating rainwater into empty tanks, check it for radioactivity, and if it was uncontaminated, release into the sea. But the company was overwhelmed by the amount of rainwater.
“Our pumps could not keep up with the rainwater. As a result, it flowed over some containment areas,” said Tepco spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai.
The company had planned for 30mm to 40mm of rainfall on Sunday, but by late afternoon the rainfall already stood at about 100mm, he said.
Dangerous mafia boss arrested at Dubai airport
Mob leader wanted in Italy for crimes including extortion and money laundering
Dubai: A mafia boss wanted by Interpol for committing crimes in Italy including theft, extortion and money laundering has been arrested at Dubai International Airport, a top police official said.
Police said Interpol had issued a red notice against the Italian defendant, which meant he could be arrested in any country he entered.
The mafia boss, identified as Amedeo.J.R., was apprehended at Dubai airport last month after coming in on a flight from the Seychelles.
Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security, told Gulf News the suspect is known as the boss of a mafia gang called ‘Ndrangheta’ in Italy’s rural region of Calabria.
The suspect has direct contact with the main criminal mafia organisation in Italy.
He said police had been tracking the suspect’s movements following the Interpol arrest request issued by the Italian police.
Lt Gen Dahi said that Interpol thanked and appreciated the efforts of Dubai Police in arresting this dangerous suspect. He said the suspect used to travel via Dubai airport but it was the first time he had decided to enter the country.
Police said the suspect was jailed for five years in Italy in 2010 for collusion with the mafia in Calabria. He went on the run last June when his appeal failed at the Italian courts.
The boss is in his late 40s and, according to police information, has been working with the mafia since the early 1990s.
Lt Gen Dahi said a team at the General Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police (CID) arrested the suspect after receiving information confirming his intention to visit Dubai for the first time.
According to Maj Gen Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of Dubai Police’s CID, the defendant was arrested on arrival.
He said the case has been transferred to the public prosecution and to Dubai Courts.
Dubai Courts will review the extradition file and study the reasons for Interpol having the man on its wanted list. It will look at the sentences handed to him by the Italian courts in order to make a decision about whether or not to extradite him, he said.
Airports, schools remain closed as thick smog blankets Chinese city of Harbin
Local residents in the northeastern city of Harbin brave the thick smog on October 21.
Face masks have been in high demand in Harbin with the air thick with filthy air.
Buildings are barely visible in central parts of Harbin on October 21.
Some of Harbin's more determined drivers take to the roads in thick smog on October 21.
A pedestrian attempts to block out the filthy air in Harbin on October 21.
Residents of Harbin claim the smog has engulfed their city for days.
A bridge is almost completely blanketed by smog in Harbin on October 21.
Schools, major roads and an airport remained closed Tuesday, as a thick cloud of filthy smog smothered the northeastern city of Harbin.
Meteorologists in the city, which is famous for its annual ice festival, issued a red alert for fog at 5 a.m. Tuesday, with visibility in some central areas of the city down to less than 20 meters (65 feet), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Video from China's state-run CCTV showed some people -- obscured by smog even just steps away -- wearing masks over their mouths as they walked in the province. Some drivers who braved the roads flashed hazard lights.
Kindergartens, primary and junior middle schools were ordered to suspend classes for a second day, while Harbin Taiping International Airport remained closed -- with 250 flights canceled on Monday alone, according to Chinese state media.
Hazardous levels
Pollution levels remained far above international standards, as the city's monitoring stations on Tuesday showed that concentrations of PM2.5 -- the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health -- were more than 30 times the World Health Organization's recommended standard, the state-run China Daily reported.
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Government officials blamed the smog on a lack of wind and farmers burning crop stalk after their autumn harvest, though the city's coal-burning heating system, which was recently started, is also a likely factor. Harbin's environmental bureau has also conducted checks on factories known to discharge pollutants, the China Daily report added.
Extreme conditions
Fang Lijuan, the city's chief meteorologist, said it was very rare for the city to suffer such extreme conditions.
"There has been no strong wind and the level of humidity is high," she said, in quotes carried by China Daily.
Residents of this city of 10 million people were also surprised by the thick smog.
Living with an 'air-pocalypse'
"The pollution is indeed very bad, we can only see things within 100 meters, and yesterday it was 20-30 meters. We can smell the smoke in the air," one man, who identified himself as Mr. Ren, told CNN.
"The smog started about four days ago ... I heard all face masks in Harbin are sold out. People are very angry about this and there is a lot of discussion over the Internet.
"The main reason is Harbin started its heating and the main resource is coal. Every year at this time, the air quality is bad -- but this year is especially polluted."
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Naming and shaming
Last month China announced plans to start listing its top ten most air-polluted cities every month in the hopes that national humiliation will push positive environmental action.
"We must put air quality control as an ecological red line for economic management and social development," China's Vice Premier Zhang Gao Li said in a statement as he announced the new policy at the 18th Air Pollution Control Conference in Beijing.
Chinese officials did not say when the first list would be announced, but the northern megacities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as the surrounding provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shandong have signed onto an official plan to speed up air pollution control measures.
China's capital often suffers with hazardous pollution levels and smog. An explosion in the number of cars on the roads, as well as industrial pollution are seen as the main contributors.
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US drone strikes condemned in rights reports
The US says there must be 'near-certainty' that no civilians will be harmed before a drone mission is launched [AP]
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call for review of tactics and publish reports mass civilian casualties.
Rights groups have demanded that the US launch an impartial investigation into its use of drone warfare and that the country publicly disclose any evidence of civilian casualties.
In independent reports published on Tuesday, both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said that the US must hold to account those responsible for civilian deaths and be more transparent about its drone programme.
"As evidence emerges of civilian casualties in these strikes, it’s time for the US to stop covering its ears and starting taking action to ensure the programme is legal," Letta Taylor, senior counterterrorism researcher at HRW told Al Jazeera.
Two recently published UN reports are to be presented to the General Assembly on Friday. Taylor said that the release of the four reports in a brief period "underscores the mounting questions about the legality" of drones.
All four reports demand that the US should provide a full legal rationale for targeted killings.
Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s deputy Asia-Pacific director, said that while its report focuses on Pakistan, and HRW’s on Yemen, the drones programme "raises the same questions about human rights violations all over the world".
"Both organisations are calling on the US Congress to fully investigate the cases the we have documented in our reports and other potentially unlawful deaths," she told Al Jazeera, adding that the group hoped that the US would act immediately on their recommendations.
HRW said that the Yemeni government, which is engaged in a conflict with al-Qaeda, had been "almost as silent" as the US on the death toll caused by air raids.
Caitlin Hayden, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said that President Barack Obama had outlined the US rational for drone strikes in a May 23 speech.
"The president spoke at length about the policy and legal rationale for how the US takes action against al-Qaeda and its associated forces. As the president emphasised, the use of lethal force, including from remotely piloted aircraft, commands the highest level of attention and care.
"Of particular note, before we take any counterterrorism strike, there must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured - the highest standard we can set."
She said the US was aware that this report had been released and were reviewing it carefully.
‘Dangerous precedent’
Through personal testimonies from eye-witnesses and relatives of drone-strike victims in Pakistan's North Waziristan, Amnesty International's 74-page report titled Will I be next? US drone strikes in Pakistan reviewed 45 known drone strikes in the region between January 2012 and August this year.
It found that nine of the strikes could amount to war crimes or extrajudicial executions - some of which were unjustified and some of which were cases of "rescuer" or follow-up attacks on residents who had gone to the scene after an initial strike.
In July 2012, 18 labourers, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed in multiple strikes on a village close to the Afghan border. The report indicates that the victims of the strike were not involved in fighting and did not pose a threat.
The London-based rights group added that such strikes were caused locals to live in fear, and set "a dangerous precedent that other states may seek to exploit to avoid responsibility for their own unlawful killings".
HRW’s 97-page report, Between a Drone and al-Qaeda': The Civilian Cost of US Targeted Killings in Yemen, examined six US targeted killings in the country - one from 2009, and the rest between 2012 and 2013.
The strikes killed 82 people, at least 57 of them civilians.
None met US policy guidelines for targeted killings set out in US President Barack Obama's speech in May, said the New York-based rights group.
"Two of the attacks killed civilians indiscriminately in clear violation of the laws of war; the others may have targeted people who were not legitimate military objectives or caused disproportionate civilian deaths," said HRW.
A witness quoted in the report described the aftermath of one strike targeting an alleged al-Qaeda leader, but instead struck a passenger van killing 12 civilians.
"The bodies were charred like coal - I could not recognise the faces," Ahmad al-Sabooli, a 23 year-old Yemeni farmer, said.
International law prohibits arbitrary killings and limits intentional lethal force to exceptional situations wherein in an armed conflict, only combatants and those participating in hostilities may be targeted.
Intentional lethal force is lawful only when there is, with certainty, an imminent threat to life.
US schoolboy kills teacher then himself
A Sparks pupil with family members after the attack [AP]
Pupil also critically injures two others with handgun at the Sparks Middle School in Nevada
A middle-school pupil shot dead a maths teacher and injured two other students before turning his semi-automatic handgun on himself, police in the US have said.
The shooting occurred about 15 minutes before the opening bell at Sparks Middle School, Nevada, on Monday. The killer's name wasn't released, and his motive for the shooting wasn't known.
Teacher Michael Landsberry was being hailed as a hero for trying to protect children from their classmate outside the school.
About 30 pupils witnessed the shooting as they returned to classes from a week-long Autumn break.
"A kid started getting mad and he pulled out a gun and shoots my friend, one of my friends at least," a seventh-grade told local KOLO-TV.
"And then he walked up to a teacher and says back up, the teacher started backing up and he pulled the trigger," the student told the television station.
The shooting happened on the school's campus and ended outside the school building itself, according to police.
About 700 students are enrolled at the school.
Both of the wounded students from Sparks Middle School were in critical condition and one had undergone emergency surgery, said Tom Miller, the acting Sparks police chief.
