Bussiness n World News

SAMSUNG NOTE 7 EXPLODES , BAN IN AUSTRALIA

2016-09-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hell Don't USE NOTE 7 DURING FLIGHTS

No appreciation to Samsung for having balls to recall all of its Note 7 ??? A Big step !!!
Where is the positivity world ?? Airlines banning Note 7 !

SYDNEY: Australian airline Qantas told customers on Thursday not to use or charge Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 during flights after faulty batteries in the new smartphone caused some handsets to explode.

Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, said last week it was suspending sales of its latest flagship mobile device and recalling 2.5 million units shipped globally following reports of exploding “phablets” that dealt a heavy blow to the firm's reputation.

“Following Samsung Australia's recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Personal Electronic Device(PED), we are requesting that passengers who own them do not switch on or charge them in flight,” a Qantas spokesman said in a statement.

The request applies to domestic and international flights as well as Qantas' discount carrier Jetstar, the spokesman added.

Qantas' domestic competitor Virgin Australia was not immediately available for comment.

In 2014, Qantas and Virgin Australia allowed passengers to use mobile electronic devices in-flight with limited restrictions after a relaxation of the rules by the country's aviation authority.

Previous regulations banned their use during taxiing, take-off and landing due to fears they could interfere with the plane's navigation equipment.

Samsung's recall — the first for one of the South Korean electronics giant's top of the range phones —came a week before arch-rival Apple unveiled its iPhone 7 on Wednesday.

iphone 7 not a Game Changer

2016-09-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

AN IMPROVED VERSION BUT NOT A GAME CHANGER ?

Not even Chief Executive Tim Cook singing “Sweet Home Alabama” on Carpool Karaoke could get Wall Street excited about the launch of Apple Inc’s iPhone 7.

Headphone not something revolutionary or extra ordinary:

The new iPhone, which features a high-resolution camera and the option of a jet-black glossy finish but notably lacks the traditional analogue headphone jack, is not revolutionary, analysts said.

“Overall, we thought that the phone was an improvement over previous models, but not a game changer that will reignite a significant upgrade cycle,” Deutsche Bank analyst Sherri Scribner wrote in a note.

Apple shares, which closed up 0.6 per cent on Wednesday when the new phones were launched, were down more than 2pc at $106.04 in morning trading on Thursday. They had closed down nearly 2pc last year on the day the 6s and 6s Plus were unveiled.

The iPhone 7 is priced at $649, the same as its predecessor, the 6s. The larger iPhone 7 Plus edition will retail for $769 — $20 more than the iPhone 6s Plus — and will feature two cameras, including a telephoto lens.

Wells Fargo expects Apple to sell between 14-15 million of the new iPhones in the first weekend as the phones will be released in more countries that in previous years. The company sold more than 13m of the 6s and 6s Plus phones in the first weekend after their launch last year.

The new phones will start shipping in major markets, including the United States and China, on Sept 16. That would give Apple 14 days of sales this quarter, compared with two days for the iPhone 6s in the year-ago quarter.

The company said on Thursday it will not release first-weekend iPhone sales data, saying the number was more a reflection of supply than demand.

IPhone sales account for more than half of Apple’s revenue.

Other Features I Phone 7

2016-09-07T22:54:00.003-07:00

Pokemon Go

A Pokemon Go app is coming to Apple Watch. The app lets you collect items from Pokestops, hatch eggs and alert you to nearby Pokemon (you still need your phone to catch actual Pokemon). It will be shipping before the end of the year.

New Mario game

Nintendo debuted a new Super Mario game for iOS called Super Mario Run. It's the first iOS game featuring Nintendo's Mario characters. Nintendo has long resisted bringing Mario to mobile phones, relying on it instead to sell its hand-held DS gaming systems. The new game, which can be played one handed, will be released in time for the holidays. The game will have a fixed price which is being kept under wraps for now. The news sent Nintendo shares soaring on Wednesday.

Apple pay

Apple Pay will come to Japan in October with a new wireless technology called Felica to be included in iPhones and Apple Watches there. Apple Pay will also come to New Zealand in October and Russia in the fall.

In the U.S. and elsewhere, mobile payments use a wireless technology called NFC. A transit feature in Apple Maps will also launch in Japan.

Compared | iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

2016-09-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Compared | iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

Feature	iPhone 7	iPhone 7 Plus
Display	4.7"	5.5"
Resolution	1334 x 750	1920 x 1080
Camera	12MP camera	12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras
Processor	A10 64 bit	A10 64 bit
Battery Life	2 hours longer battery life than iPhone 6s	1 hour longer battery life than iPhone 6s Plus
Storage	32GB, 128GB or 256GB	32GB, 128GB or 256GB

Price of I Phone 7

2016-09-07T22:53:00.002-07:00

How much will it cost?

For the last two years the cheapest model of the latest iPhone has cost £539 but the new iPhone 7 price will start at £599 for the 32GB model.

According to T3, the prices are as follows:

The iPhone 7:

£599 for 32GB
£699 for 128GB
£799 for 256GB

The iPhone 7 Plus:

£719 for 32GB
£819 for 128GB
£919 for 256GB

Apple Watch Series 2

2016-09-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Apple watch series 2

Apple introduced a "swim-proof" watch, the Apple Watch Series 2. The new watch has built-in GPS, a brighter display and faster processor than the previous Apple Watch. There's also new ceramic watch-face. The price starts at $370. The original model will get a faster processor price cut to $270, down from $300. The updates are coming Sept, 16.

Existing watches can get new operating software on Sept, 13. In addition, there's a new Apple Watch Nike Plus, a Nike-branded Apple Watch in four colors that's designed for runners. It is also priced at $369 and is available late October. The Nike version gets a special strap and custom watch faces, though the Nike app will be available for all Apple Watch models. Battery life, which has been a weak spot of the watch, was not mentioned.

Apple is phasing out smartwatch models made with 18-karat gold. The "Series 2" watches will use ceramic instead of gold for the luxury "Edition" version. The ceramic versions will start at $1,250, just a tad cheaper than the gold model, which started at $10,000.

Apple iPhone 7: Full specs, key features, UK price and release date

2016-09-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday, on September 9, orders begin and will start shipping on September 16.

New Features:

Killing the headphone jack

One of the most controversial decisions has been to remove the headphone jack, instead shipping the phone with a pair of Lightning EarPods - which connect through the charging port - and wireless Apple AirPods, powered by a W1 chip.

Infared sensors detect when each pod is in your ear and motion sensors control the headphones to use Siri and detect your voice

As expected, iPhone is removing the standard analog headphone jack and forcing headphones to use its "Lightning" connector, which plugs into the phone's charging port. The iPhone 7 will come with an adapter so older earphones can still be used. But Apple is pushing Apple AirPods, which CEO Tim Cook says are a "breakthrough design," wireless headphones that sync across all Apple devices and respond to touch that can access Siri. The AirPods are shipping in late October and cost $160.

The AirPods provide five hours of listening which, with the compact charging case, delivers 24 hours of total battery life.

Upgraded camera

The camera has been revamped to enhance low-light capabilities and take even sharper photos.

The smaller 4.7-inch device has a f/1.8 lens that lets 50 per cent more light onto the lens, a new 12MP sensor that's 60 per cent faster and 30 per cent more energy efficient.

Other smartphone makers such as LG and Motorola are also starting to offer models with dual lenses to improve picture quality. The difference is the wide angle on LG G5 has lower resolution with 8 megapixels.

Appearance

Apple has introduced two new colours for the iPhone 7 to replace space grey. The new models are available in five different colours including two new shades of black.

Battery life

The models will have the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. An iPhone 7 lasts, on average, two hours longer than an iPhone 6s and an hour longer than iPhone 6s Plus.

The battery on the iPhone 7 lasts 14 hours when using WiFi and 12 on 4G. The iPhone 7 Plus meanwhile lasts 15 hours on WiFi and 15 on 4G.

Water-resistant

The new iPhones are also water-resistant with an IPX67 rating which means the hardware can withstand immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes.

Apple’s high standards for waterproofing have impacted the supply chain and lowered total production of iPhone 7.

Malala out of coma, stands with support

2012-10-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2012 - Updated 1540 PKT
From Web Edition

7 6 1 0

BIRMINGHAM: Malala Yousafzai has come out of her coma, according to Dav Rosser the medical head of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

According to the Rosser, Malala is expressing her thoughts by writing notes. She is not speaking currently but there is hope that she would start talking soon.

Malala is not on the ventilator as she had a Tracheotomy and is breathing through the tube in her neck.

Malala who has movement of her arms and legs also stood with support for the first time after being attacked by the Taliban in Mingora, Swat ten days ago.

The medical head of the hospital added that Malala’s infection was still a cause of concern.

Malala needs time to recover and needs to be strong enough to undergo reconstructive surgery and her skull bone will need to be replaced either with her own bone or with a titanium plate. The surgery will be conducted weeks to months down the line.

“This is a fluid situation and that she sustained a very, very grave injury and she’s not out of the woods yet. But we are hopeful we will make a good recovery,” Rosser said.

Malala’s Post Coma Photographs Released

Following the media briefing by Dr Rosser, consent was obtained to take and release photographs of Malala.

Malala would like to thank all the well-wishers for their message of support and the doctors and nurses who are treating her.

Iraq attack kills 4 south Asian pilgrims

2012-10-19T13:08:00.003-07:00

October 19, 2012 - Updated 1531 PKT
From Web Edition

New 0 0 0

BAGHDAD: Gunmen blew up a bomb and opened fire at a bus packed with south Asian pilgrims, killing four worshippers and wounding 11 others north of Baghdad, officials said on Friday.

The coordinated attacks took place late Thursday near the town of Balad, with security officials and medics identifying the victims as Pakistani Shiites. There was no immediate confirmation from the Pakistani embassy. An initial roadside bomb exploded near the bus carrying at one of the main entrances to Balad, followed by gunmen opening fire on the vehicle before fleeing the scene.

A police lieutenant colonel in the town and a doctor at Balad's main hospital said four pilgrims, whom they identified as Pakistan citizens, were killed and 11 people were wounded. All of the victims were men.

8 killed in Beirut explosion

2012-10-19T13:04:00.001-07:00

By Reuters
October 19, 2012 - Updated 1829 PKT
From Web Edition

2 0 2 0

BEIRUT: At least eight people were killed and 78 wounded by a bomb that exploded in central Beirut on Friday, the state news agency said.

Security sources said the explosion was caused by a huge car bomb.

The bomb exploded in the street where the office of the anti-Assad Christian Phalange Party is located.
Ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast near Sassine Square in Ashafriyeh, a mostly Christian area, as smoke rose from the area. It occurred during rush hour, when many parents were picking up children from school.

Several cars were destroyed by the explosion and the front of a multi-storey building was badly damaged, with tangled wires and metal railings crashing to the ground.

Residents ran about in panic looking for relatives while others helped carry the wounded to ambulances.

Security forces blanketed the area.

Kabul: Bomb kills 15 wedding guests

2012-10-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2012 - Updated 1551 PKT
From Web Edition

KABUL: A huge roadside bomb ripped through a minibus carrying guests to a wedding party in Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 18 others, police said.

Most of the victims were women and children in the attack that took place in the northern province of Balkh, in the district of Dawlat Abad around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif.

"All the victims were civilians and mostly they were women and children," the police spokesman for Balkh, Shir Jan Durrani, told AFP. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but similar attacks are usually blamed on Taliban insurgents fighting to overthrow the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

Taliban attacks tend to be focused in the south and east of the country, with the north escaping the worst of an insurgency that has raged for 11 years since the militants were ousted from power in a US-led invasion. But parts of Balkh province, including the area around Dawlat Abad, have seen an increase in Taliban activity in recent years despite the presence of more than 100,000 NATO troops in the country.

TTP labels Malala as 'an American spy'

2012-10-16T16:06:00.004-07:00

KARACHI: The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Tuesday defended the attack on Malala Yousafzai, rejecting that she was an innocent girl and labeling her as a US spy.

The central spokesman of TTP, Ahsanullah Ahsan, in a detailed statement issued to the media said Malala's date of birth is July 1997 which makes her 15 years four months old today. "Even if no sign of maturity becomes noticeable, this age of the girl marks the end of pre-maturity phase."

The statement said: "In Islam and Pakhtun traditions there is absolutely no room for an attack on a woman of pure virtues. But in cases where a woman is seen as a clear sinner who stands in defiance of Shariah, such a woman is not only allowed to be attacked but there is an obligatory instruction for such an action."

The TTP spokesman said, Malala Yousafzai was 'a spy who divulged secrets of Mujahidden and Taliban through BBC and in return received awards and rewards from the Zionists'.

"She not only spied against Mujahideen but also created propaganda against them. The Gul Makai diary is an embodiment of anti-Taliban views," he continued.

"She has received the punishment for her sin."

The spokesman further said that Malala was brought before the media under a pre-planned strategy so that she could pollute the minds of the youth against the Taliban.

"The other reason for the attack on Malala was her activism aimed at sparking a feud within the Islamic society of Pakhtuns."

He clarified that she was not attacked for her pursuit of education. "Had it been for education, then there are scores of girls who go out to school (they would have been attacked too)."

"Taliban executed the attack on an adult girl only after she emerged as a pivotal character in the media war against us," the TTP spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan argued.

How many Malalas?

2012-10-15T19:23:00.003-07:00

How many Malalas?

Dr Tariq Rahman
Monday, October 15, 2012
From Print Edition

After a long time, there is some sign of life among the country’s opinion-makers - and not just the liberals. Does it take an attack on an innocent girl to wake up our collective conscience? Or is even this an evanescent phenomenon? How many more Malalas will it take for our public to change its mind about the Taliban?
I saw such a change in public opinion about the Taliban rule in Swat in 2008. Mullah Fazlullah was ruling the valley, and women were being flogged for the least suspicion of immorality. The government of Pakistan had given in and power had been conceded in the name of people’s demand for Shariah. But the Taliban started moving to Buner and the army felt threatened. Soon, media anchors had started talking about action against the militants. Within months the local people were brought to the plains of Mardan and Peshawar and the army moved in to wipe out the Taliban – and did so. But after this brief victory, we went back to our anti-American, anti-Indian rhetoric, blaming a ‘foreign hand’ for everything. The TV anchors were back to condemning drone attacks in the name of our sovereignty and the military’s narrative of not attacking North Waziristan because the Haqqani network attacked Americans and not Pakistanis gained currency again.

Once again I notice a change in the army’s attitude towards militancy. Possibly the attack on Kamra airbase put General Kayani’s back up. But it is not clear whether this change will translate into a wholesale elimination of the terror outfit. I also do not know whether the army now is in any real position to influence any of these outfits and whether the genie can be really put back in the bottle? What I do know is that the genie was produced by our most powerful decision-makers who never told our public the truth. Our lack of public support and confusion and the conspiracy theories that circulate are all a product of lying, evasiveness, double-dealings and double-speak.

Take the policy on drones, which have been allowed by our military and civil governments since 2004 at least. The public was never told that Pakistan was in an alliance with the US and that it was not merely for money – though, of course, money did come in mainly to the army for services rendered. The people were allowed to blame their government as heartless mercenaries, whereas the Al-Qaeda-inspired Taliban blamed our government for being stooges of the west, at best, and apostates, at worst. In short, our decision-makers too wanted to fight the militants but would not say so openly, hoping to fool their own people as well as the Taliban and the Americans. The drones were meant to eliminate Al-Qaeda and the Taliban leadership, and there is some evidence that they did this to some extent at least. Between 2007 and 2011, there were 164 drone attacks that killed 964 militants.

Among these 172 were foreigners. Indeed, a few months later Atiyah Abd-al-Rehman and Abu Hafs al-Shari, both second only to Osama bin Laden, were killed by drones. But a recent study by Stanford and New York Universities claimed that only 2 percent militants had been killed while the rest were civilians. In short, the evidence is contradictory. But one thing is clear anyhow: our people were never told that any other way to fight the militants would probably result in more deaths. Infantry cannot be used; it is used against fighters who stay to fight a pitched battle not just leaders hiding in houses. And even if it is used to fish leaders out, it is a messy affair with many civilian deaths. Air force jets are an even worse choice, as are gunship helicopters, since they kill people indiscriminately in a wider radius than drones.

Moreover, since our people were never told what life is like under the Taliban they know nothing about the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan, very little about Mullah Fazlullah’s Swat and what they have heard of the Taliban rule of Afghanistan they regard as western or liberal propaganda. So, our decision-makers missed the opportunity to unite our citizens against militancy. Among the missed opportunities was that of using the US to fight both their own war and ours too. We never owned the war and it is a wonder our disciplined rank-and-file did not rebel when the army took its selective actions against the Taliban. But from soldier to general there was confusion and nobody managed to identify the enemy.

Our people were also never told that there were 413 incidents of terrorism in Pakistan before the first drone strike on June 18, 2004. Thus the reasoning given by PTI and others that the terrorism we face is because of drone strikes is simply not true. But, since we have made the drones unacceptable to our people by our mendacity, what is to be done? Most of our anti-drone lobby knows nothing about infantry battles and how many people die in them. If Pakistan uses its own infantry, the number of soldiers and civilian casualties will be in thousands. Such civil wars are terrible for a country. In any case the Taliban will hide among the villagers and no infantry can fight its own people without serious rebellions and outrage. Some people still talk about negotiating with the militants. Well, the militants broke all the peace deals negotiated with them earlier so where does that leave us? A heartless answer would be to withdraw from the tribal areas and be content with whatever is left of Pakistan.

Personally, being concerned more with people than land, I would have recommended this option although the nationalists would not hear of it, despite the fact that the Emirate of Waziristan is not really Pakistan. But the reason I consider this a bad solution is that I do not think we can build a Great Wall of China-like barrier to keep the militants outside. That is just not practical at this moment. Thus, we will have an ever-expanding Taliban state, with kidnappings and the occasional raids to keep it going. Moreover, and this is what really bothers me, with what conscience can we leave girls like Malala to be flogged, kept as captives in homes, and killed if they want to study in the new state we will allow to be created?

What right have we to prevent 250,000 children from receiving polio drops? And we – who shout so loudly about the violation of our territory when drones are secretly allowed by our highest authorities – how is it that we have never protested states being formed in our tribal areas? We have not done so because our elite has confused us and instilled so much hatred in us for foreigners that we cannot see that we are committing collective suicide. Just how many Malalas will it take for us to wake up?

The writer is Dean, School of Education BNU Lahore.

Attack on Malala: 25 more held in Swat

2012-10-15T19:22:00.003-07:00

Attack on Malala: 25 more held in Swat

October 14, 2012 - Updated 2025 PKT
From Web Edition

New 0 0 0

SWAT: Police and security forces have captured 25 more suspects from different parts of Swat for involvement in the attack on Malala Yousafzai and two other girls, Geo News reported Sunday.

The suspects were rounded up from Mingora, Sangota and Keel areas of Swat as well as from Malakand Agency.

The suspects have been shifted to undisclosed location for investigation.

Malala shifted to Birmingham hospital

2012-10-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Malala shifted to Birmingham hospital

October 15, 2012 - Updated 2115 PKT
From Web Edition

BIRMINGHAM: Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old activist who was shot and injured by Taliban in Swat, arrived in Britain and was shifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for specialist care on Monday.

No justice in US military tribunal: KSM

2012-10-15T19:18:00.003-07:00

No justice in US military tribunal: KSM

October 16, 2012 - Updated 626 PKT
From Web Edition

GUANTANAMO BAY: Self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said during a pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo that there was "no justice" in the US military tribunal.

Mohammed is accused of orchestrating the hijacked airliner plot that killed 2,976 people on September 11, 2001, while his four co-defendants are charged with providing funding and other support for those who crashed the jets.

All five face the death penalty if convicted, but their trial by military tribunal at the US naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba is not expected to start for at least another year.

"I don't think there's any justice in this court," the 47-year-old Mohammed - wearing a white turban, his beard dyed with henna - said in Arabic on Monday when asked whether he understood his rights by Judge James Pohl.

Pohl ruled on Monday that the defendants can leave the courtroom during the hearings or opt not to attend at all, as long as they "understand their rights". That decision takes effect as of Tuesday.

During the five-day pre-trial hearing, the defence is trying to stop President Barack Obama's administration from arguing that the treatment and alleged torture of the defendants during interrogations in secret CIA prisons before being sent to Guantanamo in 2006 is classified for national security.

Media organisations and rights groups are demanding that the judge guarantee the transparency of proceedings amid concerns that some sessions will be conducted in secret. (AFP)

700 police fired in Dominican president's war against corruption

2009-03-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez fired 700 police officers Sunday and forced the retirement of 31 military and police generals, two days after he promised in a state-of-the-nation speech to cleanse the government of corruption.

While Fernandez, who was on a state visit to Cuba on Monday, didn't state a reason, the dismissals came as the government has announced that more than 535 members of the nation's 24,000-strong military have been forced out in the past six months due to their suspected involvement in the drug trade.

Among the generals forced to retire was the former head of the nation's top anti-drug agency, the Dominican National Drug Control, known by its Spanish acronym DNCD.

In his speech Friday, Fernandez said, "In the Dominican Republic -- listen well -- narcotrafficking will not pass."

Despite the president's strong words, many Dominican citizens and outside analysts say narcotrafficking has already taken hold.

"The situation in the Dominican Republic is that organizations that are supposedly involved in fighting corruption and narcotrafficking are involved in it," said Tomas Castro Monegro, an attorney for 25 years in Santo Domingo, the capital.

Tobias Friedl, regional manager for Latin America at Washington-based iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, helps companies assess and deal with dangers abroad.

"The security forces -- the army and the police -- have been corrupted," he said.

The Dominican government generally carries out military promotions and retirements on February 27, the day in which the nation celebrates its 1844 declaration of independence from Haiti. But this year's numbers are unprecedented, Castro said.

In 1978, he said, 48 generals were let go -- some for perceived corruption, others for political reasons. But Castro said he never has seen 700 police officers fired or more than 500 military personnel relieved of their duties.

"In the majority of cases," he said, "there has to be something linking that person to narcotrafficking or corruption in general."

National police chief Rafael Guzman addressed his force Monday, admonishing them not to cave in to the many temptations they face.

"Today, more than ever, harassed by increasingly demanding challenges that jump out from all sides, just when drug trafficking persists in crippling society, it's time for all police agents and officers, the men and women of our dear institution ... to raise our chest, since this is the moment to define ourselves. We're with the nation or we're against it," he was quoted as saying in the Dominican Today and Listin Diario newspaper Web sites.

Castro and others say police and military have been involved in organized crime "for a long time." The evidence lies in the lavish lifestyles many of these officials are able to sustain on a public salary, they say.

"They live in contradiction with their salaries," Castro said. "They live in houses that cost millions of pesos and drive big vehicles."

Corrupt officials prefer to work in Customs, at the airport and the border and in anti-drug units, the lawyer said. They receive bribes from traffickers, Castro said, and also profit by arresting people involved in the drug trade and taking their possessions.

Friedl, the risk analyst, notes that Caribbean routes for drug shipments have diminished due to strong interdiction efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard. The majority of shipments now travel through Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, he said.

However, Friedl and others say, the drug trade still flourishes in the Dominican Republic.

"The Dominican Republic is not a major drug-producing country, but it acts as a transit point for cocaine, heroin, marijuana and ecstasy bound for the United States and Europe," said Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment, a publication that offers country-by-country risk analysis. "The main trafficking routes are by sea from South America, and the drugs are then transferred by go-fast boats to islands such as Puerto Rico and St. Martin, on the way to the U.S."

The indexmundi Web site, which offers analyses on nations worldwide, says the Dominican Republic has become "a transhipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for the U.S. and Canada."

Janes and indexmundi point out that substantial money-laundering also takes place in the Dominican Republic.

Deteriorating conditions in Haiti, with which the Dominican Republic shares a 193-mile border, have led traffickers to go next door.

"Haiti was the place where drugs used to come through," Friedl said. "Some of this now has shifted to the Dominican Republic."

Drug use in the Dominican Republic also has shifted.

Ramon Cruz Benzan, a reporter for the Lintin Diario newspaper who has been covering corruption cases, relates what many Dominicans say: "Before, it used to come in and it would go. Now, it's not like that. It comes in and it stays."

Friedl points out that tourism creates a demand for drugs. "Tourism is a huge thing in the Dominican Republic. Local consumption has definitely gone up."

And large Dominican communities in the United States and Puerto Rico "create a natural connection" for drug smuggling into those countries, Friedl said.

Federal officials in New York have been battling -- and indicting -- Dominican natives on drug charges for years,

In 1987, then-U.S.. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani issued a 58-count indictment against Santiago Luis Polanco Rodriguez, a Dominican who officials said was the first mass marketer of crack cocaine in the United States.

More recently, Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo was indicted and extradited to New York in 2005 after officials linked him to 1,387 kilograms (3,050 pounds) of cocaine confiscated in the Dominican Republic.

The indictment said that Paulino, a former captain in the Dominican army, imported tons of cocaine into the United States since at least September 2003.

Last month, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted Bienvenido Guevara Diaz on drug-trafficking charges related to the Paulino case. The United States has requested extradition for Guevara, who is being held in a Dominican jail.

Some observers see President Fernandez's crackdown as a sign that he is getting serious.

"Fernandez is trying to weed out corruption," said Chris Kimble, a Latin America analyst also with iJET Intelligent Risk Systems.

Others, such as the lawyer Castro, say Fernandez was forced to act after public outcry concerning the shootings deaths in August of seven Colombians in a drug-related case. A high-level commission appointed by Fernandez concluded that low- and mid-level officials from the national police were involved.

But many Dominicans believe higher-ranking officers were responsible and the political pressure has been mounting on Fernandez to act. And many observers don't expect this will be the last of it.

U.S. offers $900 million to Palestinians

2009-03-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

(CNN) -- The United States has offered more than $900 million to help the Palestinian people, particularly those in Gaza, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends Gaza donors conference in Egypt on Monday.

"Only by acting now can we turn this crisis into an opportunity that moves us closer to our shared goals," Clinton said at a Gaza donors conference hosted by Egypt in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"By providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, we also aim to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realized."

She said the U.S. aid package -- which must be approved by Congress -- has been "designed in coordination with the Palestinian Authority" to make sure the money "does not end up in the wrong hands."

Clinton was referring to the Hamas leadership of Gaza, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party is a bitter rival of Hamas

President Obama has not ruled out talks with Hamas but said the group must first renounce violence, recognize Israel, and abide by previous agreements that successive Palestinian governments have reached with the Israelis.

Clinton is on her second overseas trip as secretary of state, after a tour of Asia last month. This week's trip to the Middle East and Europe focuses on Mideast peace, NATO and relations with Russia.

After the conference in Egypt, Clinton will travel to Israel and the West Bank.

On Thursday, she heads to Brussels, Belgium, for an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in preparation for the NATO summit in April. The next day, Clinton is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to begin the process of what Vice President Joe Biden has called "pressing the reset button" in the U.S.-Russian relationship.

She then heads to Ankara, Turkey, for talks with key leaders before returning to the United States on Saturday.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Clinton's trip is an effort to "take the pulse of various leaders" on peace in the Middle East.

Israel recently ended a three-week military campaign in Gaza to stem rocket attacks.

Despite the operation, Israel and militants in Gaza continue to trade fire.

Egypt has been trying to broker a broader peace deal to reopen Gaza's borders, which have been under an Israeli blockade. Israel has allowed limited humanitarian supplies into the Palestinian territory, but international aid organizations operating in Gaza say it is not enough.

Israel says it must maintain the border closure and blockade of Gaza's seaports to prevent weapons from entering Gaza. Egypt, which also shares a border with Gaza, has not reopened the Rafa border crossing.

Israel is demanding that Hamas release a kidnapped Israeli soldier before it fully reopens the border crossings with Gaza. But Hamas has rejected including the release of Gilad Shalit as part of a cease-fire negotiation with Israel.

Chinese leaders confront economic crisis

2009-03-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- When China's legislature opens its annual session this week, the focus will be on jobs, the economy and social stability.

Delegates have begun to gather for China's annual meeting of its National People's Congress.

Every year, over 3,000 delegates to the National People's Congress meet in Beijing to review draft laws and vote on government budget and policies. Delegates come from central and local governments, the military and police, including ethnic minority representatives, who typically show up in their traditional costumes.

In the past, the NPC has been dismissed as a "flower-vase," a largely ceremonial rubber-stamp parliament which merely endorses Communist Party decisions. But in recent years, it has seen robust discussion and debate.

This year, the number one issue will be how to survive the global economic crisis and keep China's economy growing. As the global economic crisis cascades into China, Communist Party leaders fear a spike in unemployment could trigger social unrest and snowball into a political crisis.

"The NPC meeting this year will be all about the economy," says Drew Thompson, a China analyst at the Nixon Center in Washington. "Surviving the global financial crisis will depend on the effectiveness of the stimulus effort, and most importantly, keeping employment numbers up."

The unemployment picture already looks grim. The government officially says over 20 million migrants have lost jobs, laid off from thousands of factories which have closed down due to the steep drop in overseas demand for Chinese products. Analysts believe more jobs will be lost. This makes it more difficult for recent college graduates to find jobs.

Workers disgruntled over abrupt layoffs or unpaid arrears have staged scattered protests. Some of them have turned violent. Growing labor unrest alarms China's leaders who believe that social stability is necessary to improve the nation's struggling economy. Says NPC delegate Wang Diangui, "We need to ensure employment for migrants and new college graduates."

Premier Wen Jiabao says China is bracing up to meet the challenge.

"We'll do whatever it takes for to fight the crisis," he declared last weekend during his first-ever online chat with the Chinese Internet users.

"We must strengthen confidence in the face of the crisis and be ready to take firmer and stronger action when necessary."

China has already approved a $586 billion dollar stimulus plan, and there's talk of more. Wen is expected to flesh out details of the stimulus plan when he delivers the government work report, the equivalent of an annual state-of-the-nation address, at the NPC opening session on Thursday.

Wen cautions not to expect quick results. The global financial crisis has not yet hit rock bottom, he warns, and "we must fully realize we are facing a long-term and arduous task."

Economic analysts agree. "They have a lot of work," says Michael Pettis, an economics professor at Peking University. "China needs to make the transition from an export-oriented economy to a domestic market economy, and the historic evidence suggests that it is very, very difficult, and it takes a long time."

Wen is expected to propose an economic growth target of about 8 percent, modest compared to the double-digit growth rates that China has chalked up in recent years. Some economists believe China needs to maintain an 8 percent growth rate to keep unemployment in check.

The legislature will also consider a landmark Social Security legislation that would make health care, unemployment and retirement benefits universal, at least on paper. Such a system is deemed essential to instill a sense of long-term security among Chinese and entice them to consume more and save less. But experts believe it will have not serve as a short-term economic stimulant.

Explains Peking University's Michael Pettis, "Even if they could put in the world's greatest security system and the world's greatest health services tomorrow, it will still take many many years of testing the system before it has the credibility to change household consumption patterns."

Other major budget initiatives include spending increases in public education, housing, environmental protection and energy conservation. Also on the agenda, more money for the modernization of China's military, a newly promulgated food safety law, and proposed legislation that would require officials to public declare their assets, part of the long-term campaign to combat graft and corruption. "Corruption can be prevented fundamentally only when power is restricted," Wen said in answer to questions on corruption.

Analysts say the success of China's stimulus package also depends on strict supervision of spending.

"Chinese leaders, particularly the local officials attending the NPC, will have to closely oversee the projects benefitting from Beijing's stimulus spending," says The Nixon Center's Drew Thompson.

"If they do a good job and the money is not wasted, jobs will be created and China will likely weather the financial crisis. If corruption and waste undermines the central government's plans, those leaders will increasingly have to deal with civil unrest."

In the short term, China's leaders are hunkering down to curb social unrest in a year filled with sensitive anniversaries. In March, there is the 50th anniversary of an aborted uprising in Tibet. In June, there is the 20th anniversary of the crackdown in Tiananmen Square. Perhaps Beijing leaders can heave a sigh of relief only after October 1, when China celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic with a grand military parade.

Meantime, this year's NPC congress is adopting austerity as its theme. The session will last for only nine days, making it the shortest in recent years. Mainland Chinese delegates will be barred from staying in five-star hotels and their food budget will be capped to 100 yuan per day per person.

Climate protesters blame Donald Trump for airport expansion

2009-03-03T05:56:00.000-08:00

Climate protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump's plans for a sports resort broke into a Scottish airport Tuesday, setting up a small golf course and scaling the roof of a terminal building.

Climate protesters broke into Aberdeen Airport in the early hours of Tuesday to demonstrate against plans for expansion.

Flights at Aberdeen airport were returning to normal by midday after the activists breached the security fence overnight, the airport authority said.

Nine members of Plane Stupid, which campaigns against airport expansion and aviation-related climate change, entered the airport grounds at about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday (9:15 p.m. Monday ET), the group said. A spokesman for the airport called the protest "dangerous and highly irresponsible."

By mid-morning, the seven members on the ground had been arrested, but the two protesters remained on the roof, group spokesman Leo Mullay told CNN.

He explained that the group is against plans to expand the one-runway airport for the American millionaire's planned golf resort in the region.

"It's going to cause a huge increase in emissions," Mullay said. "There's simply no capacity within our carbon budget for more flying."

Trump's plans call for a golf resort to be built on 1,400 acres along Scotland's northeast coast, just north of Aberdeen, according to the resort's Web site. Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, is to feature two championship-caliber golf courses and a five-star luxury hotel.

Trump's resort is in the planning stages, project director Neil Hobday told CNN. But he rejected the idea that the airport is expanding because of the Trump resort.

"The runway issue has been going on long before we got here," Hobday told CNN. It's "nothing to do with us. They were going to lengthen the runway whether we were here or not."

The protest caused a backlog of flights at the airport, a major gateway for Scotland and one of Europe's busiest heliports, airport officials said.

Outbound flights resumed just after 9 a.m. (4 a.m. ET), but there remained some delays and cancellations, according to the airport's Web site.

"Despite the runway being open and available for use, the earlier protest is likely to cause some knock-on disruption during the course of the day and passengers are being asked to check the status of their flight," an airport statement said.

Gas demand goes up 10 pc annually

2009-03-03T05:55:00.001-08:00

Gas demand goes up 10 pc annually

Updated at: 0725 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
KARACHI: Demand for gasoline consumption is going up by 10 percent annually here in Pakistan; experts said adding it is necessary to find new oil and gas reservoirs to meet the rising demand.

In a report on energy in Pakistan, it is stated that country’s daily gas demand was 4731 mmcfd while locally we produce 4528 mmcfd.

Pakistan remain short of 203 mmcfd gas daily while mere 17 percent of the total population have access to gas in country.

US offers new $30 bln bailout package to troubled AIG

2009-03-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

US offers new $30 bln bailout package to troubled AIG

Updated at: 0121 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
WASHINGTON: The US government Monday unveiled a fresh rescue plan worth 30 billion dollars to help AIG stave off collapse as the ailing insurer revealed the biggest loss in American corporate history.

The revamped bailout came as American International Group announced a quarterly loss of 61.7 billion dollars -- the biggest ever for a US firm in one quarter -- pushing up its net loss for 2008 to 99.3 billion dollars.

The government, which had already pumped some 150 billion dollars into AIG, said the restructured aid package sought to avert a potentially catastrophic collapse of what had been the world's biggest insurer.

Officials said a failure at AIG could send new shockwaves through an economy already ravaged by recession.

"Given the systemic risk AIG continues to pose and the fragility of markets today, the potential cost to the economy and the taxpayer of government inaction would be extremely high," the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve said in a joint statement.

"The additional resources will help stabilize the company, and in doing so help to stabilize the financial system."

David Kotok at Cumberland Advisors said the new bailout was an effort to avert the kind of collapse that occurred at Lehman Brothers that deepened the financial crisis.

"The policy behind this federal support seems clearly focused on avoiding a second Lehman-type failure and, subsequent, market meltdown," Kotok said.

Oil prices recover in Asian trade

2009-03-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

Oil prices recover in Asian trade

Updated at: 1313 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
SINGAPORE: Oil prices recovered slightly in Asian trade Tuesday after falling earlier on fresh financial turmoil, analysts said.

New York's main futures contract, light sweet crude for April delivery, gained 25 cents to 40.40 dollars a barrel in afternoon trade.

Brent North Sea crude for April was up 17 cents to 42.38 dollars per barrel. Oil prices had risen last week in anticipation of increasing demand for motor fuel and indications of output cuts by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), traders said.

‘There will be no recession in UAE’, says Al Mansouri

2009-03-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

‘There will be no recession in UAE’, says Al Mansouri

Updated at: 0127 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
ABU DHABI: The global slowdown could prompt adjustments in Abu Dhabi’s economic plans for the next five years, but it will not cause any modification of the emirate’s plan to diversify and expand its economy in the long run, a government official says.

“The principles and priorities for the 2030 plan have not changed,” said Mohammed Abdullah, the undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy, referring to the long-term blueprint for the emirate.

The Minister of Economy, Sultan al Mansouri, speaking on the sidelines of the forum, agreed. “I don’t think there will be recession in the UAE,” he said, according to foreign media report. “At present, we see stability for at least nine months.”

“The Federal Government has provided liquidity to banks to help the private sector, but unfortunately the private sector still lacks a lot,” said Abdullah al Mansouri, the chairman of Al Nasser Holdings, a construction, industrial and retail conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi.

In some cases, local banks had begun to renegotiate their contracts with borrowers in order to gain more favourable terms, al Mansouri said. “Bank are negotiating on contracts that were signed about two years ago to benefit from the current situation caused by the financial and economic crisis. Of course, the private sector is bearing the cost.”

26 journalists killed this year: report

2009-03-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

Updated at: 0403 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
GENEVA Twenty-six journalists have been killed on assignment since the start of this year, a sharp rise on the same period last year, an international journalists defence group said Monday.

The Press Emblem Campaign, a non-governmental organisation seeking better protection for journalists in conflict areas, said the toll compared with 16 deaths recorded in January and February 2008.

"The killing of journalists is clearly linked with situations of internal conflict," said the group's secretary general Blaise Lempen in a statement.

The toll included four killed in the Gaza Strip and four in Pakistan.

Two deaths were reported each in Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Russia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela, while the other deaths occurred in Colombia, Kenya, Madagascar and Philippines.

The Press Emblem Campaign - which recorded a total of 81 deaths among journalists worldwide in 2008 - called upon the UN Human Rights Council to tackle what it called "this global problem."