MOGADISHU (Reuters) Somali pirates freed a Greek-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of oil for a record ransom on Monday and witnesses said four pirates were killed in a clash between rival groups over the cash.
The release of the ship came a day after the money was dropped onto its deck.
An aircraft dropped a ransom believed to be between $5.5 million and $7 million onto the vessel on Sunday, officials said.
The Saudi-based Islamic Solidarity Games Federation says they cancelled the sporting event, which were meant to be held in Tehran in the spring, after Iran put "Persian Gulf" on the logo.
Arabs call the waterway the Arabian Gulf and many were offended by references to its other common name.
[Al Arabiya Latest] News of a Saudi octogenarian marrying an eleven-year-old girl has outraged human rights activists amid calls on the government to regulate the marriage of underage girls, local media reported Saturday.
The Saudi National Human Rights Commission formed a committee to investigate the marriage, which activists consider a flagrant violation of human and children rights, the Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh said.
The Saudi octogenarian looking to marry an eleven year old girlThe marriage registrar, who was widely criticized since he agreed to seal the marriage contract knowing the girl's age, absolved himself of any blame. "There is no law that prohibits the marriage of a girl under 18," he told the paper. "Plus, I summoned the girl and she declared her consent and signed the contract."
Regarding the consummation of the marriage, the registrar said he does not have the authority to dictate when it should take place, especially that the bride's father did not mention it in the contract.
When asked if he felt the marriage was wrong due to the age gap, the registrar said: "I do not look at age differences and things of that sort as long as the bride approves. Also, the contract is legal and it was registered in court."
He added he did not receive any money in return for overlooking the age difference. "I did not take one single riyal for this contract. My reward will be given to me by God."
"Fit for marriage"
The father, who took 85,000 riyals (more than $22,000) in dowry, defended his decision to marry off his 11-year-old daughter even though his wife vehemently objected. "I don't care about her age," he told the paper. "Her health and her body build make her fit for marriage. I also don't care what her mother thinks."
The father added that marriage at such an early age has been a custom in the Saudi society for a very long time and that he saw no reason why it should be a problem now. "This is a very old custom and there is nothing wrong with it whether religiously or socially."
On the other hand, the groom said that the father, who is also his cousin, was the one who offered him his daughter and that the mother was totally against the marriage.
On the other hand, the groom said that the father, who is also his cousin, was the one who offered him his daughter and that the mother was totally against the marriage. "He told me 'I have a girl and she will marry no one but you,'" the groom told the paper. "So, we got the witnesses and summoned the registrar. I paid the dowry and we held the ceremony and that was it. "
The groom expressed his surprise at how the media leveled harsh criticism against him and his family for marrying the girl. "It is very simple. We didn't do anything wrong. It is a valid contract that meets all the conditions for marriage? What's the point of all this fuss?"
The groom has three other wives, all much younger, and they all have kids.
"Save me"
The mother, who vehemently objected to the marriage, was the reason behind the attention given to the girl's case. After reporting the marriage to the media, the National Human Rights Commission decided to form a committee to look into the circumstances under which the marriage took place.
Commission director, Dr. Bandar al-Aiban, gave instructions that the committee be made up of members who are specialized in Islamic law and who are going to meet with all the parties involved in the marriage.
As for the bride, she just called for help as she burst into tears. "Save me. I don't want him," she cried.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Islam may think itself strong, but when the "ladies union" turns on it, the little bully boys will find themselves emasculated.
Personally, I like the idea of this 80 year old pervert being given 50 lashes, then asked if he still thinks molesting little girls is a good idea. If he says "yes", then give him another 50 and ask the question again.
#2
At 80, the guy couldn't afford to wait very long for the girl to reach a more reasonable age, like 13. He already waited several years longer than old Mo did.
#3
The father added that marriage at such an early age has been a custom in the Saudi society for a very long time and that he saw no reason why it should be a problem now. "This is a very old custom and there is nothing wrong with it whether religiously or socially."
#4
Upon hearing the news of his octogenarian brother taking a new wife the septuagenarian brother said "Mohammed Abdullah, our centenarian father and mother will never approve of this marriage, she is much too old for you."
A 69-year-old former professional wrestler fought off two street robbers - using cans of soup as a weapon. Expect a new bill in Parliament tomorrow ...
Tony Edwards was on his way home from shopping in Newark, Nottinghamshire, when the men approached him asking for money and beat him to the ground. But he fought back, hitting one man on the head with a shopping bag containing the cans. The attackers ran off.
Mr Edwards said he had remembered techniques he used during his time in the ring during the 60s. "My head sort of went back 40 years and I thought, 'I know what's going to happen here'. But the attacker didn't.
"He did when the soup landed and it must've rattled him and shook him."
Before he retaliated, one of the robbers jumped on his back from behind and tried to go through his pockets while the one in front kicked him. He was left with bruising to his side and abdomen.
Mr Edwards, who has lived in Newark for about 30 years, worked as in an all-in wrestler for eight and a half years, but said his experience playing rugby also helped him.
The attackers are both described as white and in their late 20s or early 30s.
The United States Navy is about to do many amazing things in Haiti, and it is going to be interesting to watch it unfold on television. A wealth of information with pictures and more about these giants of the seas and what they can do and what they are doing -- Welcome to the US Navy -- they are about to be released to do what they do best.
Some have arrived and already working -- others soon to be there: (each are amazing in what they can do)
USS Bunker Hill
USS Bataan
USS Carl Vinson
USNS Comfort
USS Grasp
Navy divers will deploy to repair Haiti Capital's Port
USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44)
USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43)
USS Carter Hall (LSD-50)
USS Normandy (CG-60)
USS Underwood (FFG-36)
USCGC Tahoma
USCGC Forward
USCGC Mohawk
Soon to join: The U.S. Maritime Administration announced Monday that MV Gopher State, MV Cornhusker State and SS Cape May will join OPDS Petersburg from California and M/V Huakai from Hawaii. (Pictures and info in different post)
#1
This task force will be larger than most nation's entire Navy, and to think we are fighting wars on many fronts and still an help or neighbors. God bless America...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/18/2010 18:51 Comments ||
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Pictures at site -- these are some heavy duty ships! Got big jobs they can do
Three of five Merchant Marine ships being mobilized for duty in Haiti are from Hampton Roads.
The U.S. Maritime Administration announced Monday that MV Gopher State, MV Cornhusker State and SS Cape May will join OPDS Petersburg from California and M/V Huakai from Hawaii.
"Sending these ships will help those on the front line of this effort save as many lives in Haiti as possible," Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said. "These ships will add crucial capabilities by supporting operations to move large volumes of people and cargo."
Acting Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda added, "These ships and skilled crews are ideally suited to assist in Haiti by providing unique capabilities. One cargo ship can carry as much as 400 fully loaded cargo planes."
No time frame was given on their projected departure. They join these naval vessels there from this report
#1
Whoa, the MV GOPHER STATE + CAPE MAY - haven't seen or heard these ship names in a long while. My first guess was that they were sold or sunk to form part of FLORIDA'S NEW ARTIFIC OFFSHORE REEFS.
#2
M/V Huakai is a new high-speed passenger and vehicle ferry capable of speeds of nearly 40 knots in the open ocean.
MV Gopher State and MV Cornhusker State are TACS crane ships designed to provide the capability to load and unload containers and other cargo in ports where facilities are badly damaged or nonexistent. Can also carry containers, small barges, or landing craft.
OPDS Petersburg is an Offshore Petroleum Discharge System tanker specially modified to deliver petroleum products to military forces in areas where port facilities are damaged or non-existent.
SS Cape May is a sea barge clipper class (SEABEE) vessel. Cargo is barges, sections of causeway and other materials used by SEABEES, or 110-foot Coast Guard patrol boats. Can also carry bulk and containerized cargo.
An American citizen died and three others were treated for minor injuries Monday in an incident that occurrred amid a massive international relief operation, a military spokesman said. All so far. Presume some kind of accident. Does prove giving aid is not risk-free, and those who do so deserve honor.
#2
Far from the worst at 70,000. The worst was China, but no one knows how many because the Chinese hid it. This will break 6 digits before it is over but won't get to 500,000.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused the United States of using the earthquake in Haiti as a pretext to occupy the devastated Caribbean country and offered to send fuel from his OPEC nation.
"I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war. There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show. "They are occupying Haiti undercover."
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?"
Chavez promised to send as much gasoline as Haiti needs for electricity generation and transport.
A perennial foe of U.S. "imperialism," Chavez said he did not wish to diminish the humanitarian effort made by the United States and was only questioning the need for so many troops.
The United States is sending more than 5,000 Marines and soldiers to Haiti, and a hospital ship is due to arrive later this week.
The country's president said U.S. troops would help keep order on Haiti's increasingly lawless streets.
Venezuela has sent several planes to Haiti with doctors, aid and some soldiers. A Russia-Venezuela mission was set to leave Venezuela on Monday carrying aid on Russian planes.
Chavez said Venezuela's planes were the first to land in Haiti after Tuesday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which wrecked the capital Port-Au-Prince and killed as many as 200,000 people.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2010 10:08 ||
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What *did* happen to that Venezuelan team which showed up so photogenically at Port-au-Prince? Are they still in country, or was it just a "show the flag" sort of deal?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
01/18/2010 16:47 Comments ||
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#3
HMMMMMM, HMMMMM, HUGO versus FREEREPUBLIC/OTHER > THE US SHOULD ANNEX HAITI + ANNEX HAITI.
PRO-ANNEXATION Bloggers > ALA YEMEN + AL QAEDA, the US should seemingly annex Haiti to
* RESOLVE THE COUNTRY'S PERENNIAL PROBS WID EXCESSIVE POVERTY + POOR GOVT, +
* "PREEMPT" RADIC ISLAM, etc. MILITANTS-TERROR GROUPS FROM EXPLOITING HAITI'S POVERTY + SETTING UP MILTERR NETWORKS IN THE AMERICAS.
MSM-NET > Myriad News Reports of Commie Groups colluding wid Radical Islamist Groups > COMMUNIST CUBA will next door to AL QAEDA's new base in Haiti off FLORIDA + US SOUTH + MEXICA, wid HUGO to the south???
#5
Puerto Rico is a big enough pain. Why would we want to take Haiti, an island with no natural resources, a non-English speaking, desperately poor nation in a not particularly strategic position? There is no upside with Haiti. If we wanted to occupy a country, Venezuela would be a better bet.
Saudi Arabia has quit a long-held lease for five million barrels of Caribbean oil storage near the key U.S. market and state giant PetroChina Co. Ltd. is poised to move in, industry sources say, a potentially major shift in global oil trade dynamics.
Coming just weeks after Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi revealed the world's top oil exporter accepted an offer for free storage in Japan, the news underscores the growing importance of China and Asia as against the United States, where the government says oil demand has already peaked and supply competition from nearby Brazil and Canada is expanding.
It also highlights the increasingly global reach of China's biggest state oil company, which could use the facilities as a staging point for a growing slate of South American oil deals or as trading leverage in the U.S. market, which still effectively sets the global price of oil.
Beyond the economic logic, the move has geopolitical implications, relocating a small but important part of Saudi Arabia's tools to provide energy security to top markets.
Three sources familiar with Saudi operations at the terminal told Reuters state oil company Saudi Aramco ended its arrangement to lease at the 13 million-barrel Statia Terminals on the island of St. Eustatius. The five-million-barrel lease, regularly renewed by an Aramco subsidiary since 1995, formally ends on Dec. 31, one of the sources said.
"Aramco dropped out of storage recently, having discussed it for quite some time," a source familiar with Saudi Aramco's positions in the Caribbean said.
U.S. officials say a trickle of international aid is reaching earthquake survivors in Haiti, but humanitarian needs far outpace delivery capabilities due to impassable roads, limited airlift capacity, and other challenges in the wake of last week's catastrophe. Meanwhile, anger and lawlessness have escalated in Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities, as desperation grows.
Hunger, thirst, agony and heartbreak have formed a toxic emotional backdrop to Haiti's humanitarian disaster. Nations around the world are sending aid and personnel to Haiti, but nearly one week after the devastating quake struck, only limited quantities of life-saving food and water are reaching a destitute populace.
The United States has launched a massive military and civilian relief operation for Haiti that is working to overcome a host of logistical challenges and obstacles. The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Rajiv Shah, spoke on ABC's "This Week" program. "We are talking about 3.5-million people in need. We are talking about a significant degradation of what was already relatively weak infrastructure [in Haiti]. No port access, roads are difficult to get around. So what we are now doing is putting in place military assets. The [U.S.] aircraft carrier arrived this week. It has 19 helicopters, and a lot of the transport of commodities and supplies is through helicopters. We are getting more and more out each day," he said.
More than a dozen locales in and around Port-au-Prince have been tapped as aid centers. Massive crowds materialize whenever shipments arrive. In some cases, supplies have been parceled out with relative calm and order. But confrontations between aid-seekers and security personnel have also occurred, and, in some instances, delivery helicopters have been forced to leave prematurely, or drop supplies from the air.
"The way they dump the food from helicopters is awful. Most people here do not get any food. People start fighting, banging heads and breaking bones. It is complete disorder," said one survivor.
Meanwhile, coordinating the arrival of massive quantities of aid and personnel from around the world to Port-au-Prince's small and damaged international airport has also proved challenging.
U.S. President Barack Obama has tapped two of his predecessors, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, to lead a private fundraising effort to assist and rebuild Haiti. Both appeared on ABC's "This Week". "I think we should care [about Haiti] from a humanitarian perspective, and I also think from a strategic perspective, because it makes sense to have a stable democracy in our neighborhood," he said.
Bill Clinton said, beyond food, water, medicine and shelter, Haitians must be provided with accurate information to weather the catastrophe. "I find people are angrier and more destructive - not because they are in trouble - but because they do not know what is going on. They do not understand. The more people understand what is happening to them, the more they can endure the long-term process of rebuilding," he said.
In the midst of the disaster, many Haitians paused Sunday for worship in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation. "I pray for myself and for my country, and especially for those who are suffering and under the rubble," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Reuters: PORT-AU-PRINCE - The U.S. military hopes to have Haiti's main port open in two or three days for shipments of emergency relief supplies to earthquake survivors, the American officer in charge of logistics said on Monday. Personnel from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne division were guarding the port facilities, which were an oasis of calm compared to the looting just a few blocks over the perimeter wall in Port-au-Prince's main commercial area.
With 60 percent of the votes counted, the Chilean Interior Ministry has declared billionaire Sebastian Pinera the winner of Sunday's runoff presidential election with 51.87 percent of the tally.
His rival, left-leaning former president, Eduardo Frei, has conceded defeat.
The victory by the conservative Pinera, of the National Renewal Party, ends Chile's 20 years of center-left rule and shifts the country to the right.
The Concertacion coalition of four leftwing and centrist parties had ruled since Genearal Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship ended.
Pinera, who owns one of Chile's four television networks and a big stake in flagship airline LAN among many other business interests, will most likely continue the social policies that left President Michelle Bachelet with sky-high popularity ratings of around 80 percent, pundits say.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Here's hoping that Americans follow suit and end our century of center / far-left rule soon.
#2
I guess the people of Chile saw what has happened in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and other Latin American countries, and wanted no part of communism.
Posted by: Mike Hunt ||
01/18/2010 0:45 Comments ||
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#3
Chile has a problem with keeping its leaders too long. Pinochet tidied up the place, but public fatigue set in, so that more than anything else they were tired of him. So then they elected leftists, and the same thing.
Hopefully the new guy will have a term or two, then step down for another conservative with a fresher face.
[Maghrebia] The body of the UN mission chief to Haiti, veteran Tunisian diplomat Hedi Annabi, was found on Saturday (January 16th) in the rubble of the UN's Port-au-Prince headquarters, the United Nations confirmed in a statement. Last Thursday, two days after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake collapsed the UN mission offices, Annabi's 38-year old bodyguard was pulled out alive and uninjured.
"The United Nations was his life and he ranked amongst its most dedicated and committed sons," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said about Annabi. "He was passionate about its mission and its people. He gave of himself fully -- with energy, discipline and great bravery," Ban added.
In related news, two Moroccan planes carrying 24 tonnes of medical and pharmaceutical supplies for Haitian quake victims left from Kénitra on Saturday, MAP reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Veteran Tunisian diplomat Hedi Annabi joked only last week that the line "He's Dead Jim" would appear on his tombstone
Posted by: Elmaviling Darling of the Weak4040 ||
01/18/2010 9:39 Comments ||
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The Chinese Navy is considering taking over the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean that ended Friday, according to government sources.
If it does take over the mission, China will increase its presence in the key sea-lane, where Japan is transporting crude oil from the Middle East, a development that is likely to draw criticism of the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hato-yama, which decided to terminate the mission.
According to the government sources, a confidential Chinese government document states that the navy is undergoing training in preparation for a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
The sources also said that when the MSDF's refueling mission was suspended in November 2007, a party connected to the Chinese Navy unofficially sounded out the U.S. government on taking over the mission. However, the United States did not accept the proposal at that time. I kinda get the feeling this report is motivated more by Japan's internal politics than any external reality. Then again, who knows?
#1
ION CATHAY PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > CHINA'S ROADS AND ATTACK HELICOPTERS IN AFRICA.
Also, WMF > NOT "HOT WAR" NOR "COLD WAR": US-CHINA TO ENTER A PERIOD OF "WARM WAR" GEOPOLITICAL COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISMS, as induced or driven by China's economic, mil modernization + pervasive or endurng US econ problems.
* SAME WMF > CHINA MUST BUILD [strong]PLA AIRBASES IN THE DISPUTED DAOYU ISLANDS TO BREAK THE US-JAPAN CHAIN AGZ CHIN ACCESS INTO NORTH ASIA AND PACIFIC; + BEIJING SHOCKED: HONG KONG CATHOLIC DIOCESE SUPPORTS VOTING REFERENDUM ON ANTI-BEIJING/CPC, PRO-REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY RADICALIST PLATFORMS. Chin pro-democracy adherents are "radicals/extremists"???
** SAME WMF > DO NOT DOUBT: A MAJOR US-CHINA WAR WILL BE THE GREATEST, LONGEST CONVENTIONAL-NUCLEAR CONFLICT IN WORLD HISTORY [ditto
"People's War = Guerilla War].
------------------------------------
CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > CHINA SHOULD SAY "NO" TO NATO USE OF THE [Chin-strategic]WACHAN CORRISDO [ aka Wahan/Wakkan Corridor].
SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- Egypt has asked South Korea to help train its nuclear energy engineers, the state-run Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said Monday. The agency said the Egyptian government has formally made the request with Seoul as part of its support program for developing economies.
Um, no ...
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul. will be responsible for training the Egyptian engineers, although details of the training program have yet to be fixed.
From 2001 onwards, KOICA arranged programs to train 400 nuclear engineers from such countries as Vietnam, Indonesia and Nigeria. It said interest in South Korea's commercial nuclear power generation capabilities has gone up sharply since Seoul signed a deal to build four reactors for the United Arab Emirates late last year.
The US$20 billion contract is the first export order received by the country, making South Korea the sixth exporter of nuclear reactors after the United States, France, Canada, Russia and Japan.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Senior officials in the U.S. administration, congressmen and staff see nearly no prospect for the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement by the U.S. Congress, according to a group of Korean lawmakers just back from the U.S.
Too bad, it's one of the smarter things we could do to help our economy.
The group, which included lawmakers from the Grand National, Democratic and Liberty Forward parties, visited Washington on Jan. 12-15 at the invitation of the Korea Economic Institute. They met senior officials from the U.S. State Department, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and intelligence agencies to discuss issues including the FTA ratification, which has been in limbo since the two governments signed the deal in 2007.
In a press briefing on Friday, GNP lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun said "none" of the administration officials saw a high chance of the FTA being ratified this year. "They told us that it would be impossible for the FTA bill to be ratified before the midterm elections in November."
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Have : North Korea : Involved : As : 3rd Party : Free Trade Agreement ! Envisioned : Eventual : ReUnification : For : Eventual :: Peaceful Unified : Korean : Peninsula : Co-Existence : Co-operation : Mutually : Accorded : Commerce : Through : HUMANITY !!
#3
ION PAKISTANI DEFENC EFORUM > DARPA: US GEEK SHORTAGE A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK. Computer Science Foundation claims serious 2003-2006 decline in University enrollment for Computer Science majors.
The seven partner countries in the troubled Airbus A400M military transport aircraft programme are set to meet with Airbus executives in Berlin on Thursday, a French defence ministry spokesman told AFP.
The seven nations -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey -- met in London last week as doubts grew on the future of the delayed and over-budget multi-billion-euro (dollar) project.
Airbus has threatened to scrap the project if it does not get more money from the partner countries and has warned this could in turn hurt the financial viability of all of Airbus, which employs 52,000 people around Europe.
Britain's defence ministry said the partners had voiced commitment to the project during their meeting in London but "not at any price."
Airbus parent group EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company, has said it is ready to negotiate an "acceptable" deal over the A400M.
The seven client nations have ordered a total of 180 A400M aircraft for about 20 billion euros (29 billion dollars) but the project has been plagued by setbacks and is expected to cost up to an additional 11 billion euros.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/18/2010 20:01 ||
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Kinda makes me wonder... what's so hard about the A400M? Isn't it just like a (1950's era) C-130, only scaled about 1.5-2x larger?
#3
Speaking as a Machinist, ( "The guy who has to make things work), Scaling up is NOT easy.
Figure the strain on a 10 foot wing, now figure the strain on a 20 foot wing IT'S NOT DOUBLE IT'S SQUARED so doubling something adds 4 times (or more)force that the machine must withstand than before, it's not simple, reinforcement means twice more weight not four times more strength so you're chasing your own tail a lot here.
far easier to design from scratch than "Simply" enlarge.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/18/2010 21:41 Comments ||
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#4
The C-17 is really looking attractive to a lot of the EU states, but they are all being really PC about it, what with Airburst being their baby and all.
Too bad that the State Dept won't make a push for exporting that. But in the long run, they may, after the tanker deal (Round III) is done.
Or worst case, assuming Boeing wins the tanker, State might make a case to buy some of the 400's and 'resell' them to friendlies.
Assuming the 400 isn't abandoned; way overweight, behind schedule, and below performance specs.
Swedish Health and Social Affairs minister Goeran Haegglund inaugurated the country's first private pharmacy since 1971 in front of reporters and a small crowd in Stockholm on Sunday.
"After hard work for a long time, we are now ready to open the first pharmacy in Sweden which is privately owned since 1971," he said.
The state-owned Apoteket chain of pharmacies was until Sunday the sole provider of prescription medication in Sweden, and was until November 2009 also the only provider of non-prescription drugs such as headache tablets or other over-the-counter products.
Sweden's parliament in May 2008 voted in favour of the centre-right government's plans to open up the country's market for prescription and non-prescription drugs to competition.
In November 2009, the Swedish state sold 465 of its estimated 900 state-owned Apoteket stores to four firms, all of them Swedish companies established for the sole purpose of running the pharmacies. The Stockholm pharmacy inaugurated Sunday was the first of such pharmacies to operate under its own brand name.
"We want to increase accessibility and think that can be achieved through competition" in the pharmacy market, Haegglund said Sunday of the new pharmacy system.
As of November 1, 2009, Swedes wanting to buy non-prescription drugs could do so at selected stores, including some gas stations and grocery shops.
The Swedish government has previously argued that putting an end to the Apoteket monopoly would improve the availability of medicines for customers in the form of more pharmacies and longer opening hours, and create downward pressure on prices as more providers entered the market.
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine faces a run-off vote next month between opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich and populist Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after an election for president produced no outright winner, exit polls showed.
The election will define how Ukraine, a former Soviet republic of 46 million people wedged between the European Union and Russia, handles relations with its powerful neighbours and may help unblock frozen IMF aid for its ailing economy.
Exit polls showed Yanukovich winning the most votes, but analysts expect Tymoshenko to pick up a higher proportion of second round votes from defeated candidates and say Yanukovich may struggle to extend his appeal beyond his support base in the Russian-speaking east of the country.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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Yulia, politely decline if Yanukovich offers you soup.
Posted by: ed ||
01/18/2010 18:44 Comments ||
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#2
or sushi
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/18/2010 18:52 Comments ||
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Oil giant Shell and Malaysia's state-run Petronas oil company finalised a contract on Sunday to develop Iraq's giant Majnoon oil field.
In December Shell and Petronas beat a rival bid from France's Total and China's CNPC to develop the 12.6bn barrel field in southern Iraq. The field currently produces just 46,000 barrels per day. Shell and Petronas have pledged to increase that output to 1.8 million barrels per day.
The deal was signed at Iraq's Oil Ministry in the presence of Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani and Mounir Bouaziz, an executive of Shell Gas and Power. Royal Dutch Shell owns 60% of the venture, with Petronas owning the remainder. Their joint-venture, which includes a 20-year service contract, will see the firms receive a fee of $1.39 a barrel of oil.
Iraq's known reserves of conventional oil rank behind only Saudi Arabia and Iran. Its daily output is relatively small - about 2.4 million barrels - but it aims to triple that over the next few years. It needs the expertise of foreign companies to reach that goal of reviving its oil industry, which has been battered by years of war and sanctions.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 00:00 ||
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The Boeing Company today announced that it has begun assembling the first A-10 Thunderbolt replacement-wing set at its Macon facility. The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing the contract, worth up to $2 billion, in June 2007 to provide as many as 242 A-10 replacement-wing sets through 2018.
This is a phenomenal accomplishment for this Boeing Macon team and a real tribute to the partnership between Boeing and the Air Force to keep these vital aircraft flying in support of U.S. military men and women,' said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Defense, Space & Security president and CEO. We are honored to help extend the life of these storied planes as they serve our warfighters in their essential close-air support missions. This is also an important milestone in Boeing's drive to offer our customers maintenance and modification support on a wide range of aircraft, regardless of the plane's original manufacturer.'
Boeing will deliver the replacement wing sets to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in four parts: three wing sections and an installation kit. Air Force personnel will install the wings. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first wing set in September and up to 50 wing sets a year at peak production.
#4
AlanC: Damage control. A-10s can take an insane amount of abuse and still come home. At least one has had most of a wing, and another a tail, blown off and still make it back, but only at the hands of a very skilled pilot. There is no way RC could do that.
Those guys fly by touch, sound, smell, instinct. But they have to be in the cockpit to do that.
#5
I've always liked the A10 - and they kick serious ass
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/18/2010 15:58 Comments ||
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#6
I do wonder if the Skunk Works is working on a cross between an A-10 and a Reaper. No pilot but it can take an insane amount of punishment, carry lots of ordinance, and is able to downlink what it sees to the troops right at the point of action and take directions from them. Okay, so a few don't come home. Too bad, roll out another one at the Boeing factory.
Boeing throws in for free a lawnchair with drink holder for the pilot back in Vegas. Works for me.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2010 16:01 Comments ||
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#7
Also response time. A low flyer UAV of the A-10 can't be controlled via satellite link.
Posted by: ed ||
01/18/2010 16:18 Comments ||
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#8
Is it just me, or is $8.26 million a bit steep for a replacement wing kit for a plane with early-Seventies era tech?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
01/18/2010 16:44 Comments ||
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#9
Yeah I was wondering too. Make one shudder thinking what a replacement aircraft would cost.
Posted by: ed ||
01/18/2010 17:00 Comments ||
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#10
Exactly, ed. The aircraft are paid for; they're needed now. Any replacement of that quality will be years down the road (if ever).
#11
I think that price tag includes the design and development that must have gone in. The production run ended in what -- 1984? 85? The assembly line, all of the dyes and tools, and plain old know-how are long gone.
A-10s scared the bejesus out of me once. Playing golf on a course next to the airbase and 3 came flying over the hill at LOW altitude behind the tee as we were getting ready to hit.
DAMN those suckers are loud when we didn't really hear them coming.
#14
I agree wid #4 - in this era of so-called "PEAK OIL/RESOURCES", IMO it behooves DARPA-USDOD to make any and all unmanned warfighting assets derived from OIL-BASED/DERIVED ADVANC MATERIALS as tough + "survivable" as possible.
#15
I used to watch A-10's of the Maryland ANG "practicing" on vehicles driving along US-301. The vehicles had no idea they were in the sights of an A-10. That would have been nearly 15 years or so ago.
#16
I think that price tag includes the design and development that must have gone in. The production run ended in what -- 1984? 85? The assembly line, all of the dyes and tools, and plain old know-how are long gone.
Don't know about the tooling; the USG hangs onto stuff for a real long time. When we decommed the A-6's, we were also given semi trailers for storing all the support equipment. They are in the desert now with the birds. i think it is a fair bet that some of the tooling is still around. Or perhaps Boeing built all new stuff because the new wing only looks like the old one and only uses the same attach points; again i can point to the A-6 plastic wing; only control surfaces and attach points were carried over from the metal one.
I think the most perishable skill is that of the old fashioned metalsmith; we are all being replaced by carbon fiber techs. I told a story the other day about using a bucking bar and got a roomful of quizzical looks and had to stop and 'splain it.
kind of like the dial telepone.
#1
Fascinating article. Would like to get a good jpg of the route map.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/18/2010 2:28 Comments ||
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#2
PDF of the entire study (has graphic in it)
http://arxiv1.library.cornell.edu/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1001/1001.2172v1.pdf
Posted by: abu do you love ||
01/18/2010 3:03 Comments ||
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#3
I thought this was just another useless study, but then I saw the light: One of the most significant methods of cross species invasion is from water sucked into ships' ballast tanks in one part of the world and discharged in another; a particularly important factor when ships sail empty.
So the new network map should give marine biologists an insight into how bioinvasion occurs and what steps they can take to tackle it.
Some cause celeb has to follow global warming/climate change.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/18/2010 7:11 Comments ||
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#4
Despite carrying 90 percent of the planet's trade, nobody has mapped the network of links between the world's ports. Until now.
Are these guys sure? I would think various intelligence agencies would track this kind of information on a real-time basis.
#6
Good spotting Bobby... BBC NEWS link today
UK meeting aims for new global biodiversity deal
...
According to UN documents prepared following consultations with governments, these could include:
* stopping the rate of biodiversity loss by 2020
* ending subsidies that harm biodiversity
* ending destructive fishing practices
* controlling the unintentional transfer of species from place to place
* placing at least 15% of land and sea area under protection
#7
JohnQC: The real purpose of this is anti-terrorism. And yes, this is the first time it will have been done on a planetary scale. This is because only the US has enough satellites to do an around the clock survey tracking ships.
There is a huge amount of maritime hanky-panky that goes on continually, from smuggling, illegal military transfers, the drug trade, illegal toxic waste disposal, fish poaching, piracy, etc., etc.
And while *nothing* of the sort is even mentioned, submarine traffic is likewise very big on the agenda.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/18/2010 11:02 Comments ||
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#9
Thanks for the elaboration 3dc and anonymoose. Makes things clearer. I have heard that a lot of people smuggled via the rat trails through Mexico are islamics. I also wonder if these islamics initially come by ship to say South America (after a couple of intermediate stops) and then on to Mexico?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Al Arabiya Latest] News of a Saudi octogenarian marrying an eleven-year-old girl has outraged human rights activists amid calls on the government to regulate the marriage of underage girls, local media reported Saturday. 
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused the United States of using the earthquake in Haiti as a pretext to occupy the devastated Caribbean country and offered to send fuel from his OPEC nation.
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine faces a run-off vote next month between opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich and populist Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after an election for president produced no outright winner, exit polls showed.
Oil giant Shell and Malaysia's state-run Petronas oil company finalised a contract on Sunday to develop Iraq's giant Majnoon oil field.
