Santiago city presents Kuwaiti PM with key to the city

Wednesday,28 July 2010

SANTIAGO: His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah met on Monday in the capital of Chile with President of the Supreme Court Milton Ivan Juica Arancibia.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister's accompanying delegation and the officials reviewed issues of bilateral relations in various fields.

The Chilean official welcomed the Kuwaiti delegation and expressed confidence that the visit would boost cooperation and open new horizons in the relations between the two countries.

The senior official also gave the premier a review of the Supreme Court's system, jurisdiction and capacity, its structure, and of the legal system in Chile.

Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser meanwhile gave a counter presentation on the Kuwaiti judicial system.

He presented the court official with an invitation to visit Kuwait to see the matter first hand and to meet colleagues and consider means to further cooperation.

The Prime Minister also met, at Congress headquarters, with the Deputy Chairman José Antonio Gómez Urrutia.

Urrutia stressed this welcome visit is an opportunity to boost parliamentary relations as well as cooperation on the diplomatic, political, economic, and trade fronts.

The official also expressed pleasure and appreciation over the Kuwaiti intention to open an embassy in Santiago, calling this a great idea that would immensely benefit both parties.

His Highness Sheikh Nasser also met with Chairman of the Lower House of the Chilean Parliament Alejandra Sepúlveda. The officials discussed matters related to parliament action and cooperation in particular.

The Prime Minister relayed the greetings of Kuwait National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi to his counterparts and to the Chilean people. He also extended an invitation to the official to visit Kuwait.

The official on her part said this was an important meeting and a chance to discuss issues not related to parliamentary action alone but also to cultural, economic, and trade interaction and exchange.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Santiago Pablo Zalaquett presented the 'City Key' to His Highness the Prime Minister in appreciation for his role in consolidating relations between Kuwait and the Republic of Chile.

The mayor asserted, in his speech on this occasion, that His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait worked throughout his life to serve his country and his people, and noted his keenness to consolidate democratic principles in his country.

He added that His Highness the Prime Minister is always keen on providing prosperity and happiness for his people, "which highlights the importance of our meeting, to benefit from his experience in serving the people of Santiago." He also expressed happiness with Sheikh Nasser's visit and the high-ranking delegation which illustrated the strong Kuwaiti-Chile relations. He also called for addition cooperation in the fields of economics, health and culture.

On the other hand, head of Santiago's Municipal Council said during the ceremony that the city is honored to present the Kuwaiti Prime Minister with the City Key, in honor of his political history, and his commitment to serving his country and people.

He added that the people of Chile, especially residents of Santiago, happily welcomed the Kuwaiti visit, which will contribute to developing relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The Kuwaiti Prime Minister praised, during his speech on this occasion, the warm welcome and hospitality of the people of Chile, assuring that the city of Santiago holds great history among the Latin American cities.

He also stressed that Kuwait seeks boosting friendly relations with Chile in various fields, meanwhile expressing his thanks and gratitude for the honor of receiving the city key.

5 rescued as plane crashes in Islamabad

(Agencies) 28 July 2010,

A commercial Pakistani passenger plane with 152 people on board crashed in bad weather in hills near Islamabad on Wednesday.

 A television channel reported that 5 people were rescued.At least 20 people were confirmed dead when the Airbus 321, belonging to private airline Airblue, crashed in heavy rain while flying from the southern port city of Karachi.

Rescue efforts are continuing, officials said.

“So far, we have not found any survivors,” Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the state-run Capital Development Authority, a city municipal body, told Reuters.

He said earlier reports that five survivors had been pulled from the wreckage were wrong.

Rescuers said they had to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, with fire and thick smoke hampering their work. The crash site, on a steep and heavily wooded hill, has no roads, limiting access to pedestrians and helicopters.

“You find very few intact bodies. Basically, we are collecting bodies parts and putting them in bags,” Bin Yameen, senior officer in the Islamabad police, told Reuters from the scene of the crash.

“I don’t know what exact death toll but one can imagine how many could survive in such a bad situation.

“Bodies are being lifted through helicopters.”

The plane lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 0443 GMT. It was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members.

A thick blanket of cloud and smoke caused by fire could be seen rising from the crash site. A helicopter hovered overhead and flames licked at trees and what appeared to be wreckage from the plane, television pictures showed.

“We are removing wreckage with our hands. There is fire. There’s smoke, which has made the rescue job very difficult,” Bin Yameen said.

The crash site is on the Margalla Hills facing Islamabad, about 300 meters (yards) up the side of the hills. Smoke was visible from some districts of the city, and crowds of onlookers lined the streets pointing and watching the smoke rise from the green hills.

“It was raining. I saw the plane flying very low from the window of my office,” witness Khadim Hussain said.

Pakistan’s AAJ television showed rescue workers making their way on foot to the crash site with some difficulty. A young man was weeping and being embraced by another man.

The military said it had sent three helicopters to the site and troops had also been moved there.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to control the fire immediately and rescue passengers.

Officials at the British and U.S. embassies in Islamabad said they were trying to confirm if any of their nationals had been onboard the crashed plane.

Heavy Rains

There had been heavy monsoon rains in the area for at least a couple of days.

 Airblue began operations in 2004 with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, according to its website www.airblue.com.

Spokesman Raheel Ahmed said this was the first crash for the airline and that an investigation was being launched.

“It’s too early to speculate,” he said about the cause of the crash. “The civil aviation authorities will also be involved.”

Airbus confirmed one of its planes was involved in the Airblue crash.

“We regret to confirm there has been an accident with an Airbus aircraft and we will provide more information when we have more confirmed data available,” said Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath.

At Islamabad’s international airport, passengers in the departure lounge scanned the television screens for news.

“I’m not surprised something like this has happened,” said Ahmed Fairuz, a passenger awaiting departure. “The weather is just too bad for flying.”

Aviation industry sources in Europe said the aircraft was leased from International Lease Finance Corp, the leasing unit of U.S. insurance giant AIG

Los Angeles-based ILFC was not available for comment and there was no immediate confirmation of these details.

The A321 is the largest of the A320 family of single-aisle jets produced by EADS subsidiary Airbus. This particular type of aircraft, which can seat up to 185 passengers, has been in service since 1994.

Forty-five people were killed when a passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines crashed near the central city of Multan in 2006.

Australian PM ‘angry’ over pre-election leaks

(AFP) 28 July 2010,

SYDNEY— Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday angrily denied opposing popular welfare increases after damaging cabinet leaks rocked her campaign for next month’s elections.

The centre-left leader admitted raising questions about a 50-billion-dollar (45 billion US) boost to old-age pensions and paid leave for new parents, but said she had always supported the measures.

“I understand that some might say that if you don’t sign on the bottom line ... as soon as a proposal is put in front of your nose, somehow you lack passion or enthusiasm for it,” she told reporters in Adelaide.

“Frankly, I believe that analysis is completely ridiculous and absurd.”

She also flatly denied telling cabinet colleagues that she objected to the pension increase because “old people never vote for us”.

The passionate defence from Australia’s first female prime minister was a departure from her low-key campaign for August 21 elections, which has been threatened by policy blunders and a slump in the latest opinion poll.

Gillard, 48, is seeking a popular mandate after coming to power in a sensational Labor Party coup that ousted ex-leader Kevin Rudd in late June.

“You can be passionate about doing something and hard-headed in getting it done,” said Gillard, adding she was “angry” about the leak.

“So if people want a prime minister who will have a 50-billion-dollar expenditure before them and sign away without even a question asked, well I’m not it.

“I will always, always examine expenditure proposals, examine them rigorously, hold them up to the light, ask every question, require every answer to get to the bottom of what we need to know.”

The damaging leak apparently came from a cabinet source, raising questions about whether it was linked to a disgruntled Rudd. But the former prime minister denied trying to destabilise Gillard.

“Mr. Rudd remains committed to the re-election of the government,” his spokesman said.

The opposition Coalition leapt on the story, claiming Gillard’s government — largely unchanged from Rudd’s administration — lacked unity and was in disarray.

“She’s got a situation where her government is falling into chaos,” shadow cabinet member Andrew Robb told ABC Radio.

The elections, where Labor is fighting to avoid becoming the first one-term government since World War II, are seen as a battle over immigration, the economy and climate change.

But Gillard’s plans for a refugee centre in East Timor have been mired in confusion, while her 12-month consultation of a “citizens assembly” on introducing a carbon tax outraged environmentalists and the Greens party.

Meanwhile the opposition has contrasted its leader, father-of-three Tony Abbott, with the unmarried, childless Gillard, who has faced several questions about whether she plans to wed her partner, former hairdresser Tim Mathieson.

The conservative Coalition needs a 2.3 percent swing to return to power, less than three years after Rudd’s convincing election victory ended its 11 years of rule in November 2007.

The latest Newspoll survey released on Monday showed the Coalition had narrowed Labor’s lead to six percentage points, while Gillard’s approval rating was also sharply down.

Abu Dhabi to make ID cards mandatory again

July 28, 2010

Abu Dhabi: Identity cards will soon be mandatory for obtaining Traffic Department services in Abu Dhabi, Gulf News was told on Tuesday.

Emirates Identity Authority Acting General Manager Dr Ali Al Khoury said the authority had written to the Ministry of Interior to implement an earlier decision in this regard.

Although the Ministry of Interior (MoI) had made the ID card mandatory for obtaining traffic services on May 2, the decision was put on hold on May 9, due to the crowds gathering at the registration centres of Emirates Identity Authority (Eida).

Police had reported difficulty in controlling the scores of residents who thronged the Emirates Identity Authority centres in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as they were not able to apply for a driving licence or renew their vehicle registration without an ID card.

However the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai did not implement the decision.

The MoI made the ID card mandatory for Traffic Department services in four northern emirates — Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain in November 2009.

MoI representatives were not available for comment on Tuesday.

The Acting General Manager of the Emirates Identity Authority said: "We have requested the MoI to implement the decision first in the Abu Dhabi emirate as we are prepared to receive increased number of applicants due to a new system".

The [mandatory ID card] decision would soon be extended to Dubai and Sharjah.

"There is a way for the Emirates Identity Authority to be aware of the approximate number of applicants who may turn up for registration at the centres in Abu Dhabi," Al Khoury said.

The pre-registration process (PRP) had been transferred to 100 typing centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, which are keeping the Emirates Identity Authority informed about the number of people completing the pre-registrations process, the official said.

Walk-in customers

Although the system has been envisaged as a "registration by appointment only", the Emirates Identity Authority was taking walk-in customers and people who had made an appointment, because of the low-turn out during the summer, Al Khoury said.

"Based on the flow of applicants, we will implement the appointment-only system; an applicant will receive an appointment via SMS within 48 hours after completing the PRP," he said. "So there will be no rush at the centres".

— With inputs from Rayeesa Absal, Staff Reporter

Al Mannai United to build homes for homeless in Pakistan

July 27, 2010

Manama: Al Mannai United, a Qatar-based group, has signed an agreement with the Fiza Social Welfare Organisation of Pakistan to build 10,000 houses for homeless middle-class people in Pakistan.

Ahmad Abdullah Isa Al Mannai, Chairman of Al Mannai United, said, after the signing ceremony, that he would give a subsidy of $5,000 (Dh18,365.25 )on each house built by Fiza Social Welfare Organisation. The project will be called Al Mannai Housing Projects Pakistan, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported.

Al Mannai said that the programme sought to help the "brothers in Pakistan” by providing homes for homeless middle class people in Pakistan.

In an attempt to curb "baby dumping"

Malaysia mulls school for pregnant teens: report

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)

A Malaysian state is considering establishing a school for pregnant teenagers, to curb an alarming epidemic of "baby dumping," a report said Monday.

The chief minister of Malacca state, Mohamad Ali Rustam, said according to the New Straits Times that the school was among strategies including encouraging pregnant girls to marry.

Only married teens will be allowed to attend the school.

"For unmarried teenagers, they also can be part of the school but with one condition -- they must marry the baby's father," Ali said.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia are grappling with the problem of rising numbers of abandoned infants, often dumped dead or dying in the streets or on rubbish dumps.

"This problem has become a disease of sorts. We cannot just turn our backs and think that this is not our problem," Ali said according to the English-language daily.

"Baby dumping cases usually happen among the Muslim community as teenagers were desperate to conceal their pregnancies. Some of the girls were also disowned by their families," he said.

"They do not perform abortions as this is prohibited in Islam. So, they take the shortcut to solve their problem by dumping their newborns. We do not want this to continue. It has to be stopped."

The chief minister said Malacca was considering establishing a special school for pregnant girls to encourage them to continue with their education and to protect their unborn children.

"In the event normal schools cannot accept pregnant girls, we are going to build a school just for them," he reportedly said, adding that youngsters from other states could also attend.

"This school will cater to those who are legitimately married."

Libya: African railways union meetings open in Tripoli

African railways union meetings open in Tripoli Libya - The 83rd meeting of the executive committee and the 37th General Assembly of 35-member African Railways Union began on Tuesday in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, devoted to the activation of the role of the organization in linking African countries through railway lines.

The secretary of the Authority set up to implement the railway project in Libya, Said Mohamed Rached, said the African Railways Union was aimed at creating an integrated rail infrastructure in Africa in an effort to underline the freedom of the continent, enable it to rely on itself, establish big economic dynamism and in crease trade.

He added that the African Railways Union has the purpose to implement rail projects to facilitate the movement of one billion people safely across the continent.

The secretary-general of the African Railways Union, Nafati Al-Ghaoul, expressed regret that the union was financially weak because member countries do not pay their dues.

Despite this, however, the union has carried out several activities including the consolidation of cooperation with the AU Commissioner in charge of basic infrastructure and energy in studies conducted by experts appointed by the Union.

Those studies, among others, focus on the unification of training programmes in African centres, the assessment of the process to privatize railways in Africa and the participation of the Union in the integrated project study on the types of transport in Africa in collaboration with the European Union.

The executive committee will look into the status of the Union, its relation with the AU and contribution in the implementation of the action plan drafted by the organization.

The general assembly will examine decisions made during previous meetings as well as the vision of African railways by the year 2025. It will also name the country that will to host the next general assembly.

The executive committee includes a chairman and five representatives from each of the 5 regions of the continent.

Tripoli - Pana 28/07/2010