Yemeni army soldiers hold up their rifles in the northwestern Yemeni city of Saada in this undated picture released by the Yemeni army January 13, 2010. Yemeni forces killed 19 rebels in sweeps to rid the old quarter of the north Yemeni town Saada of Shi'ite rebel hideouts, Yemen's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. About 25 rebels were seized.
The successful operation that killed Abdullah Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda forces in the tribally dominated province of Shabwa was, however, offset by an ambush carried out by militants who killed two policemen and wounded four others in an ambush in the same region.Regional tensions again flared when President Ahmadinejad of Iran publicly criticised neighbouring Saudi Arabia for attacking Yemeni Shia rebels who are fighting the weakened Government in the north of the country.
“We were expecting Saudi officials to act like a mentor and make peace between brothers, not enter the war and use bombs, cannons and machineguns against Muslims,” said Mr Ahmadinejad, a day after a senior Saudi defence official said that the kingdom’s forces had killed a large number of Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who had been holding a border post inside Saudi Arabia.
“If only a small part of the weapons of Saudi Arabia were used in favour of Gaza and against the Zionist regime, today there would be no sign of the Zionist regime in the region,” Mr Ahmedinejad said in an inflammatory televised speech.
There have been fears recently that the complex conflict in Yemen — an impoverished, fragile state facing a bitter Shia rebellion in the north and a swelling secessionist movement in the once-independent south — could spill over into a regional conflict between Tehran and Saudi, the world’s two leading oil exporters. Yemen believes that Iran is backing the Houthi rebels, while Tehran has warned the Sunni kingdom in the past against wading into the conflict.
Into this volatile mix has stepped a resurgent al-Qaeda, which launched the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a US airliner from Yemen, and which has been attempting to rally support against the unpopular Government in the lawless tribal lands of the southeast.
Yemeni officials said that Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular in the area of al-Houta in Shabwa province, was shot dead after troops surrounded the house he was hiding in. Four other suspects were arrested but another 18 managed to escape, tribal sources said.
The Government has sent thousands of reinforcements to tribal areas in response to US pressure to crack down on al-Qaeda, and has frequently used air strikes to target suspected terrorist bases. Senior Yemeni officials have warned that Saudi and Egyptian jihadists are streaming into the country as Pakistan fights the Taleban in their northern frontier zones and thousands of fresh US troops deploy into Afghanistan.
But Abubakr al-Qurbi, Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Abubakr al-Qurbi, warned of the danger of the various conflicts developing links which could even stretch across competing ideologies, such as al-Qaeda’s belief that the Shia are heretics. He said that al-Qaeda’s stated support for northern rebels and southern separatists showed “a kind of coordination between these three parties despite their different ideologies.” He also stressed that lines between friend and foe become blurred in a country of shifting tribal loyalties, and where central government has traditionally been weak.
“What brings them together is their hostility to the Government. Besides, the former jihadist Tariq al-Fadhli is a now a leader of the southern movement, and is harbouring some al-Qaeda militants in their areas,” he said, referring to an influential southern tribal chief who once fought the Soviets in Afghanistan and was until recently allied with the Sanaa Government.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
DTN News: Yemen TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ Top al-Qaeda Leader Killed By Yemeni Troops In Desert Battle
DTN News: Yemen TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ Top al-Qaeda Leader Killed By Yemeni Troops In Desert Battle
*Source: DTN News / The Times
(NSI News Source Info) SANA'A, Yemen - January 14, 2010: Yemeni troops killed a senior al-Qaeda leader in one of the terror group’s southern hideouts, officials said yesterday. The Government said that it would only hold dialogue with militants who agreed to lay down their arms and join an official rehabilitation programme for Islamist insurgents. Yemeni army soldiers hold up their rifles in the northwestern Yemeni city of Saada in this undated picture released by the Yemeni army January 13, 2010. Yemeni forces killed 19 rebels in sweeps to rid the old quarter of the north Yemeni town Saada of Shi'ite rebel hideouts, Yemen's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. About 25 rebels were seized.
The successful operation that killed Abdullah Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda forces in the tribally dominated province of Shabwa was, however, offset by an ambush carried out by militants who killed two policemen and wounded four others in an ambush in the same region.Regional tensions again flared when President Ahmadinejad of Iran publicly criticised neighbouring Saudi Arabia for attacking Yemeni Shia rebels who are fighting the weakened Government in the north of the country.
“We were expecting Saudi officials to act like a mentor and make peace between brothers, not enter the war and use bombs, cannons and machineguns against Muslims,” said Mr Ahmadinejad, a day after a senior Saudi defence official said that the kingdom’s forces had killed a large number of Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who had been holding a border post inside Saudi Arabia.
“If only a small part of the weapons of Saudi Arabia were used in favour of Gaza and against the Zionist regime, today there would be no sign of the Zionist regime in the region,” Mr Ahmedinejad said in an inflammatory televised speech.
There have been fears recently that the complex conflict in Yemen — an impoverished, fragile state facing a bitter Shia rebellion in the north and a swelling secessionist movement in the once-independent south — could spill over into a regional conflict between Tehran and Saudi, the world’s two leading oil exporters. Yemen believes that Iran is backing the Houthi rebels, while Tehran has warned the Sunni kingdom in the past against wading into the conflict.
Into this volatile mix has stepped a resurgent al-Qaeda, which launched the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a US airliner from Yemen, and which has been attempting to rally support against the unpopular Government in the lawless tribal lands of the southeast.
Yemeni officials said that Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular in the area of al-Houta in Shabwa province, was shot dead after troops surrounded the house he was hiding in. Four other suspects were arrested but another 18 managed to escape, tribal sources said.
The Government has sent thousands of reinforcements to tribal areas in response to US pressure to crack down on al-Qaeda, and has frequently used air strikes to target suspected terrorist bases. Senior Yemeni officials have warned that Saudi and Egyptian jihadists are streaming into the country as Pakistan fights the Taleban in their northern frontier zones and thousands of fresh US troops deploy into Afghanistan.
But Abubakr al-Qurbi, Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Abubakr al-Qurbi, warned of the danger of the various conflicts developing links which could even stretch across competing ideologies, such as al-Qaeda’s belief that the Shia are heretics. He said that al-Qaeda’s stated support for northern rebels and southern separatists showed “a kind of coordination between these three parties despite their different ideologies.” He also stressed that lines between friend and foe become blurred in a country of shifting tribal loyalties, and where central government has traditionally been weak.
“What brings them together is their hostility to the Government. Besides, the former jihadist Tariq al-Fadhli is a now a leader of the southern movement, and is harbouring some al-Qaeda militants in their areas,” he said, referring to an influential southern tribal chief who once fought the Soviets in Afghanistan and was until recently allied with the Sanaa Government.
Yemeni army soldiers hold up their rifles in the northwestern Yemeni city of Saada in this undated picture released by the Yemeni army January 13, 2010. Yemeni forces killed 19 rebels in sweeps to rid the old quarter of the north Yemeni town Saada of Shi'ite rebel hideouts, Yemen's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. About 25 rebels were seized.
The successful operation that killed Abdullah Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda forces in the tribally dominated province of Shabwa was, however, offset by an ambush carried out by militants who killed two policemen and wounded four others in an ambush in the same region.Regional tensions again flared when President Ahmadinejad of Iran publicly criticised neighbouring Saudi Arabia for attacking Yemeni Shia rebels who are fighting the weakened Government in the north of the country.
“We were expecting Saudi officials to act like a mentor and make peace between brothers, not enter the war and use bombs, cannons and machineguns against Muslims,” said Mr Ahmadinejad, a day after a senior Saudi defence official said that the kingdom’s forces had killed a large number of Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who had been holding a border post inside Saudi Arabia.
“If only a small part of the weapons of Saudi Arabia were used in favour of Gaza and against the Zionist regime, today there would be no sign of the Zionist regime in the region,” Mr Ahmedinejad said in an inflammatory televised speech.
There have been fears recently that the complex conflict in Yemen — an impoverished, fragile state facing a bitter Shia rebellion in the north and a swelling secessionist movement in the once-independent south — could spill over into a regional conflict between Tehran and Saudi, the world’s two leading oil exporters. Yemen believes that Iran is backing the Houthi rebels, while Tehran has warned the Sunni kingdom in the past against wading into the conflict.
Into this volatile mix has stepped a resurgent al-Qaeda, which launched the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a US airliner from Yemen, and which has been attempting to rally support against the unpopular Government in the lawless tribal lands of the southeast.
Yemeni officials said that Mehdar, a commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular in the area of al-Houta in Shabwa province, was shot dead after troops surrounded the house he was hiding in. Four other suspects were arrested but another 18 managed to escape, tribal sources said.
The Government has sent thousands of reinforcements to tribal areas in response to US pressure to crack down on al-Qaeda, and has frequently used air strikes to target suspected terrorist bases. Senior Yemeni officials have warned that Saudi and Egyptian jihadists are streaming into the country as Pakistan fights the Taleban in their northern frontier zones and thousands of fresh US troops deploy into Afghanistan.
But Abubakr al-Qurbi, Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Abubakr al-Qurbi, warned of the danger of the various conflicts developing links which could even stretch across competing ideologies, such as al-Qaeda’s belief that the Shia are heretics. He said that al-Qaeda’s stated support for northern rebels and southern separatists showed “a kind of coordination between these three parties despite their different ideologies.” He also stressed that lines between friend and foe become blurred in a country of shifting tribal loyalties, and where central government has traditionally been weak.
“What brings them together is their hostility to the Government. Besides, the former jihadist Tariq al-Fadhli is a now a leader of the southern movement, and is harbouring some al-Qaeda militants in their areas,” he said, referring to an influential southern tribal chief who once fought the Soviets in Afghanistan and was until recently allied with the Sanaa Government.
DTN News: Iran TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ We Had Information Israel, U.S. Intended To Attack Us Says Iran
DTN News: Iran TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ We Had Information Israel, U.S. Intended To Attack Us Says Iran
*Source: DTN News / Haaretz.com & (AP)
(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - January 14, 2010: Iran received information days ago that Israeli and U.S. intelligence intended to carry out terrorist acts in Tehran, the country's parliament speaker said on Wednesday, one day after the assassination of a university scientist. 
This undated file photo released by the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency shows nuclear physics professor Masoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed after a bomb blast in front of his house, in northern Tehran's Qeytariyeh neighborhood, Iran, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. A nuclear physics professor at Tehran University was killed Tuesday by a bomb-rigged motorcycle parked outside his home in Iran's capital, state media reported.
This undated file photo released by the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency shows nuclear physics professor Masoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed after a bomb blast in front of his house, in northern Tehran's Qeytariyeh neighborhood, Iran, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. A nuclear physics professor at Tehran University was killed Tuesday by a bomb-rigged motorcycle parked outside his home in Iran's capital, state media reported. Washington has rejected Iran's allegations of U.S. involvement in Tuesday's bombing that killed professor Massoud Ali Mohammadi near his home in the Iranian capital as absurd. Israel has not commented on the incident. Mohammadi was killed in a powerful bomb blast as he was leaving home in northern Tehran for work.
Iranian officials and state media described the slain scientist as a nuclear physicist, but a spokesman said he did not work for the Atomic Energy Organization at the center of Iran's disputed nuclear program. 
This image, taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, is a scan made Monday, Jan. 11, 2010 of a 2,000 rial Iranian banknote showing the Islamic Republic's revered founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini anda handwritten pro-opposition graffiti in Farsi in green reading "We are countless" and showing the "V" for victory sign. Facing hard-line forces on the streets, Iran's anti-government demonstrators have taken their protests to a new venue: writing opposition slogans on bank notes, while officials scramble to yank the bills from circulation.
Iran's influential parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said a U.S.-based pro-monarchy group had claimed responsibility for the attack, adding it was controlled by the CIA. Iran's Fars News Agency on Tuesday said such an exile group had claimed the bombing in a statement, without saying how it obtained it.
"An American-based monarchy group...claimed responsibility for this terrorist act," Larijani said, the state broadcaster reported. "Maybe the CIA and the Zionist regime [Israel] thought they can mislead us with such an absurd statement." "We had clear information several days ago that the intelligence apparatus of the Zionist regime and the CIA wanted to implement terrorist acts in Tehran," he said.
Using such a "rootless group" as a cover was a new "disgrace" for U.S. President Barack Obama, Larijani said. "Why do you host this terrorist group in America?" he asked. Israel refused Tuesday to react to Iranian accusations that it or the United States was behind a mysterious explosion that killed an Iranian nuclear physicist in Tehran Tuesday.
Iran blamed Israel and the U.S. Tuesday for the death of Dr. Massoud Ali Mohammadi, 50, a nuclear physics professor who is believed to have publicly backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Both the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the explosion or the Iranian accusations.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner denied the charge the United States was behind the blast yesterday, calling accusations "absurd." But the Iranian foreign ministry had a different take on the bomb blast.
"One can see in preliminary investigations signs of the triangle of evil of the Zionist regime, America and their mercenaries in Iran in this terrorist incident," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. "Such terrorist acts and the physical elimination of the country's nuclear scientists will certainly not stop the scientific and technological process but will speed it up," he added.
"Given the fact that Massoud Ali Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist, the CIA and Mossad services and agents most likely have had a hand in it," Iranian prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said.
Iran's state-run Arabic-language television Al-Alam identified Mohammadi as a "hezbollahi" teacher - a term used for staunch supporters of the Iranian regime. However, opposition Web sites described Mohammadi as an outspoken supporter of Mousavi.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Ali Mohammadi was involved in a regional research project that also involved Israeli scientists. The project, called Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, or SESAME, is based in Jordan and operates under United Nations auspices.
Iranian and foreign scientists told the Washington Post the project has applications in industry, medicine, nanotechnology and other fields unrelated to nuclear power. Palestinians also participate in the project, whose last meeting was held in November in Jordan. An Israeli scientist present at the meeting told the Washington Post that he talked to Ali Mohammadi during an informal group meeting.
"We did not discuss politics or nuclear issues, as our project is not connected to nuclear physics," Rabinovici told the paper. An Iranian scientist involved in the project denied that there had been any direct meetings between his delegation and the Israelis.
"They are present in the same room, but there are no direct meetings," Javad Rahighi, a nuclear researcher, told the Washington Post. "We are all shocked," he said. "I couldn't imagine anybody wanting to kill him. He was a scientist, nothing more."
DTN News: Taiwan Says US Arms Will Help Ties With China
DTN News: Taiwan Says US Arms Will Help Ties With China
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (AP)
(NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - January 14, 2010: Taiwan said We
dnesday that weapons purchases from the United States can give it the confidence it needs to pursue reconciliation with rival China -- an apparent rebuke to Beijing's denunciations of American arms deals with the island.
Earlier in the day China's Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing reaffirmed its strong opposition to U.S. arms transactions with Taipei, saying ''the stand we take in opposing any country selling arms to Taiwan has been consistent and clear.''
The Chinese comment -- one of several in recent weeks -- comes in the immediate wake of the Pentagon's awarding a $969 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the provision of 263 PAC-3 air defense missiles to Taiwan and a $1.1 billion contract to Raytheon Co. for production of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the island.
Further deals -- including for utility helicopters and design plans for diesel submarines -- may be announced in coming weeks.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council said that Beijing should understand that weapons deals with the U.S. did not threaten its interests.
''Procuring arms from the United States is for the country's security and defense so that Taiwan can feel more confident and stronger in the process of reconciling and negotiating with mainland China,'' MAC said in a statement. ''We thank the U.S. for its long-term support.''
Communist-ruled China split with Taiwan amid civil war in 1949 and continues to regard it as part of its territory. Beijing sees arms sales to the island as interference in its internal affairs and has frequent diplomatic spats with the United States, which pledged to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself in 1979.
Since taking office 19 months ago, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has made improved relations with China the centerpiece of his administration, turning the corner on his predecessor's pro-independence policies.
But many Taiwanese remain wary of Beijing's long-term intentions and fear that it could eventually follow through on its oft-repeated threat to take the island over by force -- a stance backed up by the deployment of some 1,300 missiles aimed at Taiwanese targets.
China responded to the last U.S. arms offer by rejecting Hong Kong port calls by the USS Kitty Hawk and other American ships in November 2007.
dnesday that weapons purchases from the United States can give it the confidence it needs to pursue reconciliation with rival China -- an apparent rebuke to Beijing's denunciations of American arms deals with the island.
Earlier in the day China's Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing reaffirmed its strong opposition to U.S. arms transactions with Taipei, saying ''the stand we take in opposing any country selling arms to Taiwan has been consistent and clear.''
The Chinese comment -- one of several in recent weeks -- comes in the immediate wake of the Pentagon's awarding a $969 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the provision of 263 PAC-3 air defense missiles to Taiwan and a $1.1 billion contract to Raytheon Co. for production of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the island.
Further deals -- including for utility helicopters and design plans for diesel submarines -- may be announced in coming weeks.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council said that Beijing should understand that weapons deals with the U.S. did not threaten its interests.
''Procuring arms from the United States is for the country's security and defense so that Taiwan can feel more confident and stronger in the process of reconciling and negotiating with mainland China,'' MAC said in a statement. ''We thank the U.S. for its long-term support.''
Communist-ruled China split with Taiwan amid civil war in 1949 and continues to regard it as part of its territory. Beijing sees arms sales to the island as interference in its internal affairs and has frequent diplomatic spats with the United States, which pledged to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself in 1979.
Since taking office 19 months ago, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has made improved relations with China the centerpiece of his administration, turning the corner on his predecessor's pro-independence policies.
But many Taiwanese remain wary of Beijing's long-term intentions and fear that it could eventually follow through on its oft-repeated threat to take the island over by force -- a stance backed up by the deployment of some 1,300 missiles aimed at Taiwanese targets.
China responded to the last U.S. arms offer by rejecting Hong Kong port calls by the USS Kitty Hawk and other American ships in November 2007.
DTN News: Information Technology News TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ US Urges China To Work With Google On Security
DTN News: Information Technology News TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ US Urges China To Work With Google On Security
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - January 14, 2010: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urged China on Wednesday to ensure a "secure" commercial environment for Google and other U.S. companies after the world's top search engine said it may shut 
its Chinese-language website because of cyber attacks.
"The recent cyber intrusion that Google attributes to China is troubling to the U.S. government and American companies doing business in China," Locke said in a statement.
"This incident should be equally troubling to the Chinese government. The administration encourages the government of China to work with Google and other U.S. companies to ensure a climate for secure commercial operations in the Chinese market," Locke said.
Google threatened on Tuesday to pull out of China because of censorship and cyber attacks on rights activists, putting a further strain on U.S.-Sino relations.
Locke said he has personally raised with Chinese officials several times the importance that President Barack Obama and the U.S. government place on "the full and free flow of information on the Internet."
"In November, the president made Internet freedom a central human rights issue on his trip to China, holding the first ever online town hall where he highlighted the principle that the Internet must be free and open," Locke said.
China has not made any significant comment since Google said it will not abide by censorship and may shut its google.cn website because of attacks from China on human rights activists using its Gmail service and on dozens of companies.
its Chinese-language website because of cyber attacks.
"The recent cyber intrusion that Google attributes to China is troubling to the U.S. government and American companies doing business in China," Locke said in a statement.
"This incident should be equally troubling to the Chinese government. The administration encourages the government of China to work with Google and other U.S. companies to ensure a climate for secure commercial operations in the Chinese market," Locke said.
Google threatened on Tuesday to pull out of China because of censorship and cyber attacks on rights activists, putting a further strain on U.S.-Sino relations.
Locke said he has personally raised with Chinese officials several times the importance that President Barack Obama and the U.S. government place on "the full and free flow of information on the Internet."
"In November, the president made Internet freedom a central human rights issue on his trip to China, holding the first ever online town hall where he highlighted the principle that the Internet must be free and open," Locke said.
China has not made any significant comment since Google said it will not abide by censorship and may shut its google.cn website because of attacks from China on human rights activists using its Gmail service and on dozens of companies.
DTN News: Israel TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ Israel Apologizes To Turkey In Diplomatic Spat
DTN News: Israel TODAY January 14, 2010 ~ Israel Apologizes To Turkey In Diplomatic Spat
*Source: DTN News / Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) ANKARA/JERUSALEM - January 14, 2010: Israel apologized to Turkey on Wednesday for publicly dressing down Ankara's ambassador in a dispute that has 
strained the once good ties between the Jewish state and the Muslim regional power.
Turkey had demanded a formal apology for Ambassador Oguz Celikkol's treatment on Monday and threatened to recall him.
But after receiving the letter of apology on Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan threw a new barb at Israel, saying it should do more for peace in the region.
Turkey, as a Muslim country, is an important ally of Israel and in the past has helped forge contacts between the Jewish state and the Arab world.
But relations have deteriorated following criticism by Erdogan of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip last year.
The latest row broke out after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Celikkol on Monday to protest against a Turkish television drama that portrayed Israeli diplomats as masterminds of a child abduction ring.
Ayalon invited media crews to the beginning of the meeting in Jerusalem and pointed out there was no Turkish flag on the table. He also said he was deliberately avoiding a handshake with the ambassador.
In television images broadcast in Turkey, Celikkol was seen seated on a low couch, accentuating the sense of a slight.
Ayalon later conceded his behavior toward the envoy had been inappropriate. But Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is scheduled to host Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday, said that was insufficient and demanded a full apology.
Israel sent a formal letter of apology to Celikkol on Thursday.
"I had no intention to humiliate you personally and apologize for the way the demarche was handled and perceived, Ayalon said in the letter, released by the Israeli government.
"Please convey this to the Turkish people for whom we have great respect. I hope that both Israel and Turkey will seek diplomatic and courteous channels to convey messages as two allies should."
In response, Erdogan said the Turkish foreign ministry had received "the expected, desired answer."
But he added more criticism of Israel, telling a news conference: "Israel must put itself in order and it must be more just and more on the side of peace in the region."
PROTEST REMAINS VALID
Ayalon had said earlier that his protest against the Turkish criticism of Israel remained valid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu also said thought the protest was correct but handled badly, according to his office.
As a predominantly Muslim nation, albeit with a secular constitution, as well as a NATO military power, Turkey is a key ally for Israel in the Middle East. As well as providing security cooperation, Ankara has offered Israel diplomatic help in the past, notably mediating with Syria in 2008.
But ties have become frosty since Israel's war in the Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip a year ago, which drew frequent public censure from Erdogan, whose AK Party's roots lie in political Islam.
Netanyahu has said Turkey was aligning itself with Muslim countries hostile to Israel like Iran since before the Gaza war.
There was similar outrage last year over a Turkish series which featured Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian children.
On Tuesday in London, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu renewed his country's criticism of Israel over Gaza.
He said its 2008 invasion of the territory had marked the turning point in Turkish-Israeli relations.
Despite the row, a Turkish delegation is currently in Israel to wrap up the purchase of 10 Heron drones in a deal worth $180 million, Turkish defense officials said.
(Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald and Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Darren Butler in Ankara, and Michele Kambas in Nicosia; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
strained the once good ties between the Jewish state and the Muslim regional power.
Turkey had demanded a formal apology for Ambassador Oguz Celikkol's treatment on Monday and threatened to recall him.
But after receiving the letter of apology on Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan threw a new barb at Israel, saying it should do more for peace in the region.
Turkey, as a Muslim country, is an important ally of Israel and in the past has helped forge contacts between the Jewish state and the Arab world.
But relations have deteriorated following criticism by Erdogan of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip last year.
The latest row broke out after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Celikkol on Monday to protest against a Turkish television drama that portrayed Israeli diplomats as masterminds of a child abduction ring.
Ayalon invited media crews to the beginning of the meeting in Jerusalem and pointed out there was no Turkish flag on the table. He also said he was deliberately avoiding a handshake with the ambassador.
In television images broadcast in Turkey, Celikkol was seen seated on a low couch, accentuating the sense of a slight.
Ayalon later conceded his behavior toward the envoy had been inappropriate. But Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is scheduled to host Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday, said that was insufficient and demanded a full apology.
Israel sent a formal letter of apology to Celikkol on Thursday.
"I had no intention to humiliate you personally and apologize for the way the demarche was handled and perceived, Ayalon said in the letter, released by the Israeli government.
"Please convey this to the Turkish people for whom we have great respect. I hope that both Israel and Turkey will seek diplomatic and courteous channels to convey messages as two allies should."
In response, Erdogan said the Turkish foreign ministry had received "the expected, desired answer."
But he added more criticism of Israel, telling a news conference: "Israel must put itself in order and it must be more just and more on the side of peace in the region."
PROTEST REMAINS VALID
Ayalon had said earlier that his protest against the Turkish criticism of Israel remained valid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu also said thought the protest was correct but handled badly, according to his office.
As a predominantly Muslim nation, albeit with a secular constitution, as well as a NATO military power, Turkey is a key ally for Israel in the Middle East. As well as providing security cooperation, Ankara has offered Israel diplomatic help in the past, notably mediating with Syria in 2008.
But ties have become frosty since Israel's war in the Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip a year ago, which drew frequent public censure from Erdogan, whose AK Party's roots lie in political Islam.
Netanyahu has said Turkey was aligning itself with Muslim countries hostile to Israel like Iran since before the Gaza war.
There was similar outrage last year over a Turkish series which featured Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian children.
On Tuesday in London, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu renewed his country's criticism of Israel over Gaza.
He said its 2008 invasion of the territory had marked the turning point in Turkish-Israeli relations.
Despite the row, a Turkish delegation is currently in Israel to wrap up the purchase of 10 Heron drones in a deal worth $180 million, Turkish defense officials said.
(Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald and Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Darren Butler in Ankara, and Michele Kambas in Nicosia; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
DTN News: Yemen TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Houthis Deny Being Driven Out Of Border Village
DTN News: Yemen
TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Houthis Deny Being Driven Out Of Border Village
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) SANAA, Yemen - January 13, 2010: Yemen's Shia fighters in a Tuesday statement rejected reports that Saudi forces had taken a small border village, which was controlled by the Houthis since November.
The statement came after the state-owned al-Ekhbariya television network on Tuesday quoted Saudi Arabian Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan as saying that the Houthis have been eliminated from southwestern village of al-Jabiri — 966 kilometers (600 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
In another development, Saudi Jets shelled a refugee camp in al-Khazain area, which is 15 kilometers (10 miles) northwest Sa'ada in two separate aerial attacks. Saudi forces began fighting with Houthi fighters, and bombing their positions on November 4 after accusing the fighters of killing Saudi border guards.
Houthi fighters say that Riyadh pounds their positions and that Saudi forces strike Yemeni villages and indiscriminately target civilians.
According to the fighters, the Saudis are using unconventional weapons such as white phosphorus shells against civilians in northern Yemen. The overall death toll of Saudi soldiers in the border conflict with Yemen's Houthi fighters now stands at 82.
Meanwhile, Saudi fighter jets on Tuesday launched four airstrikes on the districts of Jabal Qatabir in the mountainous province of Sa'ada in northern Yemen. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising as Saudi troops were shelling the area with some 899 rockets in the area. Houthi fighters, in addition, managed to repel Yemeni government forces trying to infiltrate into the eastern section of Sama'a region to regain control over it.
Yemeni forces had conducted several military operations in the morning with the intent to creep into the region in northern Yemen, however, the incursions ended in failure.
At around 1:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) Saudis made a fresh attack which once more was a complete failure. The Shia fighters, meanwhile, set a Yemeni military vehicle ablaze. The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters.
The conflict intensified in August 2009 when the Yemeni army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush the fighters in Sa'ada.
The Houthis accuse the Yemeni government of violating their civil rights and marginalizing them politically, economically, and religiously.
TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Houthis Deny Being Driven Out Of Border Village
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) SANAA, Yemen - January 13, 2010: Yemen's Shia fighters in a Tuesday statement rejected reports that Saudi forces had taken a small border village, which was controlled by the Houthis since November.
The statement came after the state-owned al-Ekhbariya television network on Tuesday quoted Saudi Arabian Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan as saying that the Houthis have been eliminated from southwestern village of al-Jabiri — 966 kilometers (600 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
In another development, Saudi Jets shelled a refugee camp in al-Khazain area, which is 15 kilometers (10 miles) northwest Sa'ada in two separate aerial attacks. Saudi forces began fighting with Houthi fighters, and bombing their positions on November 4 after accusing the fighters of killing Saudi border guards.
Houthi fighters say that Riyadh pounds their positions and that Saudi forces strike Yemeni villages and indiscriminately target civilians.
According to the fighters, the Saudis are using unconventional weapons such as white phosphorus shells against civilians in northern Yemen. The overall death toll of Saudi soldiers in the border conflict with Yemen's Houthi fighters now stands at 82.
Meanwhile, Saudi fighter jets on Tuesday launched four airstrikes on the districts of Jabal Qatabir in the mountainous province of Sa'ada in northern Yemen. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising as Saudi troops were shelling the area with some 899 rockets in the area. Houthi fighters, in addition, managed to repel Yemeni government forces trying to infiltrate into the eastern section of Sama'a region to regain control over it.
Yemeni forces had conducted several military operations in the morning with the intent to creep into the region in northern Yemen, however, the incursions ended in failure.
At around 1:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) Saudis made a fresh attack which once more was a complete failure. The Shia fighters, meanwhile, set a Yemeni military vehicle ablaze. The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters.
The conflict intensified in August 2009 when the Yemeni army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush the fighters in Sa'ada.
The Houthis accuse the Yemeni government of violating their civil rights and marginalizing them politically, economically, and religiously.
DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated January 13, 2010
DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated January 13,
2010
2010
*Source: DoD issued January 13, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - January 13, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued January 13, 2010 are undermentioned;
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
*Shamrock Foods, Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $9,457,010 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distributor. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally eight proposals solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the third of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Jan. 15, 2011. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-08-D-3219).
DTN News: Boeing Awards AH-64D Apache Block III Work To Science Engineering Services In Huntsville
DTN News: Boeing Awards AH-64D Apache Block III Work To Science Engineering Services In Huntsville
*Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) HUNTSVILLE, Ala., - January 13, 2010: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has selected Science Engineering Services Inc. (SES) to perform disassembly, inspection and repair on AH-64D Apache helicopters in preparation for their upgrade to the Block III configuration. The program will create approximately 70 new positions for aviation and avionics mechanics, structural installers, and aviation quality inspectors within SES.
The Apache is a twin-engined army attack helicopter developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK.
"Boeing is pleased to welcome Science and Engineering Services to the Apache Block III program," said Al Winn, Boeing vice president, Apache Programs. "The capabilities of the SES organization will enhance our efforts as Boeing continues to produce Apaches for the U.S. Army and international customers."
"As a supplier team member working on the Apache program, SES will add to the scope of aviation work being performed for Boeing in North Alabama and provide additional aerospace employment opportunities in the region," said Tony Jones, Boeing vice president and Huntsville site executive.
SES will receive U.S. Army Apache helicopters at the SES West Aviation and Integration Facility in Huntsville, where the aircraft will be disassembled, inspected and repaired as necessary. SES will then ship the components and airframes to Boeing in Mesa, Ariz., for integration into the newest model Apache helicopter, the AH-64D Apache Block III.
"This decision by The Boeing Company will positively affect the Tennessee Valley over the course of the next several years," said E.J. Sinclair, CEO of SES. "We look forward to being an integral part of the Boeing Apache Block III team and working on the greatest attack helicopter in the world. This work continues to build Huntsville's reputation as a Rotary Wing Center of Excellence for the Army."
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business unit with 70,000 employees worldwide.
The Apache is a twin-engined army attack helicopter developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK.
"Boeing is pleased to welcome Science and Engineering Services to the Apache Block III program," said Al Winn, Boeing vice president, Apache Programs. "The capabilities of the SES organization will enhance our efforts as Boeing continues to produce Apaches for the U.S. Army and international customers."
"As a supplier team member working on the Apache program, SES will add to the scope of aviation work being performed for Boeing in North Alabama and provide additional aerospace employment opportunities in the region," said Tony Jones, Boeing vice president and Huntsville site executive.
SES will receive U.S. Army Apache helicopters at the SES West Aviation and Integration Facility in Huntsville, where the aircraft will be disassembled, inspected and repaired as necessary. SES will then ship the components and airframes to Boeing in Mesa, Ariz., for integration into the newest model Apache helicopter, the AH-64D Apache Block III.
"This decision by The Boeing Company will positively affect the Tennessee Valley over the course of the next several years," said E.J. Sinclair, CEO of SES. "We look forward to being an integral part of the Boeing Apache Block III team and working on the greatest attack helicopter in the world. This work continues to build Huntsville's reputation as a Rotary Wing Center of Excellence for the Army."
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business unit with 70,000 employees worldwide.
DTN News: Boeing To Release Fourth-Quarter, Year-End 2009 Results On Jan. 27
DTN News: Boeing To Release Fourth-Quarter, Year-End 2009 Resu
lts On Jan. 27
*Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) CHICAGO, - January 13, 2010: The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2009 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Boeing Capital Corp. results will also be released at that time.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney and Corporate President and Chief Financial Officer James Bell will discuss the results and company outlook during a conference that day at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
That call will be broadcast live at http://www.boeing.com/. A Boeing news release will also be available on that site.
Individuals should check the website prior to the session to ensure their computers can access the audio stream and slide presentation. Instructions for obtaining the required free downloadable software will be posted on the site.
Contact: Communications (312) 544-2002
SOURCE: Boeing
Web site: http://www.boeing.com/
lts On Jan. 27
*Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) CHICAGO, - January 13, 2010: The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2009 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Boeing Capital Corp. results will also be released at that time.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney and Corporate President and Chief Financial Officer James Bell will discuss the results and company outlook during a conference that day at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
That call will be broadcast live at http://www.boeing.com/. A Boeing news release will also be available on that site.
Individuals should check the website prior to the session to ensure their computers can access the audio stream and slide presentation. Instructions for obtaining the required free downloadable software will be posted on the site.
Contact: Communications (312) 544-2002
SOURCE: Boeing
Web site: http://www.boeing.com/
DTN News: Boeing Receives $22M B-52 Engineering Sustainment Option From US Air Force
DTN News: Boeing Receives $22M B-52 Engineering Sustainment Option From US Air Force
*Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) WICHITA, Kan., - January 13, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has received a $22 million option to continue supporting the B-52 bomber 
under the Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract the company received from the U.S. Air Force in June 2009. Under the $750 million, 10-year ESP contract, Boeing will continue to perform engineering assignments that maintain the B-52 as a ready, reliable and viable asset to the Air Force.
"This is the first option of the ESP contract, which includes a total of 9 annual options," said Mike Houk, B-52 Fleet Support program manager for Boeing. "Receiving the option this month allows Boeing to continue supporting our customer by sustaining, modernizing and upgrading the B-52 to meet the warfighter's needs, both today and in the future."
The contract supports approximately 150 jobs at Boeing facilities in Wichita; Oklahoma City; Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La.; and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Boeing engineers will support software, communications, avionics and electrical upgrades; provide structural analysis and rewiring; and perform other tasks as directed by the Air Force.
All B-52s in the U.S. inventory were built at and delivered from the Boeing facility in Wichita.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
under the Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract the company received from the U.S. Air Force in June 2009. Under the $750 million, 10-year ESP contract, Boeing will continue to perform engineering assignments that maintain the B-52 as a ready, reliable and viable asset to the Air Force.
"This is the first option of the ESP contract, which includes a total of 9 annual options," said Mike Houk, B-52 Fleet Support program manager for Boeing. "Receiving the option this month allows Boeing to continue supporting our customer by sustaining, modernizing and upgrading the B-52 to meet the warfighter's needs, both today and in the future."
The contract supports approximately 150 jobs at Boeing facilities in Wichita; Oklahoma City; Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La.; and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Boeing engineers will support software, communications, avionics and electrical upgrades; provide structural analysis and rewiring; and perform other tasks as directed by the Air Force.
All B-52s in the U.S. inventory were built at and delivered from the Boeing facility in Wichita.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
DTN News: Financial News TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ JAL Heads For Bankruptcy With $16 Billion In Debt
DTN News: Financial News TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ JAL Heads For 
Bankruptcy With $16 Billion In Debt
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TOKYO, Japan - January 13, 2010: Japan Airlines (9205.T) will likely file for bankruptcy protection next week, sources with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be one of the largest corporate failures in Japanese history.
Here are some facts about the likely procedure and restructuring, and a list of Japan's biggest bankruptcies.
* A state-backed fund, the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp of Japan (ETIC), is eyeing Jan. 19 to 22 for Japan Airlines to file for bankruptcy. The ETIC would then officially announce plans to support the carrier as its sponsor in the proceedings, including plans for a capital injection of about 300 billion yen.
* JAL is expected to file for protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law, one of two major legal proceedings that allow for a company to continue its operations and pursue a revival, similar to Chapter 11 in the United States.
In this bankruptcy procedure, management is normally sacked and a court-appointed trustee is given the power to administer the company's assets and its business. This is one of the key differences compared with the Civil Rehabilitation Law, which allows current management to retain authority.
* JAL's filing will be "pre-packaged", as the debt waiver and sponsor investor will be decided beforehand, allowing for a smoother rehabilitation process. The ETIC is asking banks to forgive about 350 billion yen in debt. JAL will likely be the first company in Japan to secure a debt waiver before the bankruptcy filing is made.
* Bankruptcy is a well-worn route for overseas airlines. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), United Airlines (UAUA.O) and US Airways (LCC.N) are among the U.S. carriers to have been through and emerged from bankruptcy in recent years.
JAL received emergency loans from the state-owned Development Bank of Japan in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, in 2003 after the spread of SARS, and again last year. But it has never filed for bankruptcy.
* JAL was saddled with about 1.5 trillion yen ($16.3 billion) in total liabilities as of the end of September. At that level of debt, its bankruptcy would be the sixth largest in Japan's history. Here is a list of Japan's five largest bankruptcies:
COMPANY WHEN DEBT 1. Kyoei Life Insurance OCT 2000 4,529,693 2. Lehman Brothers Japan SEPT 2008 3,431,400 3. Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance OCT 2000 2,936,600 4. Japan Leasing SEPT 1998 2,180,300 5. Mycal SEPT 2001 1,600,000 NOTE: *Value is in millions of yen.
Bankruptcy With $16 Billion In Debt
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TOKYO, Japan - January 13, 2010: Japan Airlines (9205.T) will likely file for bankruptcy protection next week, sources with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be one of the largest corporate failures in Japanese history.
Here are some facts about the likely procedure and restructuring, and a list of Japan's biggest bankruptcies.
* A state-backed fund, the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp of Japan (ETIC), is eyeing Jan. 19 to 22 for Japan Airlines to file for bankruptcy. The ETIC would then officially announce plans to support the carrier as its sponsor in the proceedings, including plans for a capital injection of about 300 billion yen.
* JAL is expected to file for protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law, one of two major legal proceedings that allow for a company to continue its operations and pursue a revival, similar to Chapter 11 in the United States.
In this bankruptcy procedure, management is normally sacked and a court-appointed trustee is given the power to administer the company's assets and its business. This is one of the key differences compared with the Civil Rehabilitation Law, which allows current management to retain authority.
* JAL's filing will be "pre-packaged", as the debt waiver and sponsor investor will be decided beforehand, allowing for a smoother rehabilitation process. The ETIC is asking banks to forgive about 350 billion yen in debt. JAL will likely be the first company in Japan to secure a debt waiver before the bankruptcy filing is made.
* Bankruptcy is a well-worn route for overseas airlines. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), United Airlines (UAUA.O) and US Airways (LCC.N) are among the U.S. carriers to have been through and emerged from bankruptcy in recent years.
JAL received emergency loans from the state-owned Development Bank of Japan in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, in 2003 after the spread of SARS, and again last year. But it has never filed for bankruptcy.
* JAL was saddled with about 1.5 trillion yen ($16.3 billion) in total liabilities as of the end of September. At that level of debt, its bankruptcy would be the sixth largest in Japan's history. Here is a list of Japan's five largest bankruptcies:
COMPANY WHEN DEBT 1. Kyoei Life Insurance OCT 2000 4,529,693 2. Lehman Brothers Japan SEPT 2008 3,431,400 3. Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance OCT 2000 2,936,600 4. Japan Leasing SEPT 1998 2,180,300 5. Mycal SEPT 2001 1,600,000 NOTE: *Value is in millions of yen.
SOURCE: Tokyo Shoko Research (Compiled by Junko Fujita)
DTN News: India TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Mayawati's Birthday With A Difference - Gifting Monthly Dole
DTN News: India TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Mayawati's Birthday With A Difference - Gifting Monthly Dole
*Analysis: It is known fact Uttar Pradesh's chief minister Mayawati's birthday has been annually celebrated with great pomp and splendour, obviously the cost is covered by Uttar Pradesh State's treasury or individual entity or may be Mayawati is another "Bill Gate". This year on January 15, 2010, Mayawati's 54th birthday is being organized...."her party workers allegedly using the occasion to extort money" quoted and extracted from "The Times of India" (leading news media IANS, 13 January 2010, 12:33pm IST). In India, there are plentiful similar politicians and bureaucrats serving, their interest first prior their duties to the elected office and fabulously corrupt. The solutions to eliminating corruption is simple, the words literally is EDUCATION. Educated masses would not follow Mayawati's path instead would prefer honest entity and politician.
India TODAY has created it's respectability among nations of the world, due to the current Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is respected for his ability, knowledge, wisdom, expertise in economics, honesty, integrity and humility. Of all the Prime Ministers and Presidents of nearly 190 countries of the world, he is academically the most highly qualified. He holds two PH.D’s in Economics from the most prestigious Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. (By Staff writer of DT N News)
(NSI News Source Info) LUCKNOW - January 13, 2010: A monthly dole for Ut
tar Pradesh's poorest of the poor -- that is the ambitious scheme to be launched on chief minister Mayawati's 54th birthday, a day that has become notorious for her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) celebrating it as a fund raising event.
tar Pradesh's poorest of the poor -- that is the ambitious scheme to be launched on chief minister Mayawati's 54th birthday, a day that has become notorious for her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) celebrating it as a fund raising event. But this Jan 15, Friday, will be different. Instead of getting flak for her party workers allegedly using the occasion to extort money, Mayawati will launch the Rs.300 a month scheme for families living below the poverty line (BPL).
Top bureaucrats are busy putting final touches to the scheme, which will be formally launched at her official residence and will hopefully deflect focus from the many thousands of crores spent on memorials, statues and parks that have attracted widespread criticism, said an official. On this birthday, however, Mayawati was reaching out with a scheme that would cost the exchequer Rs.1,100 crore and would benefit about three million people, he added.
"What is significant about this scheme is that this would cover those who despite being poor were not receiving any financial benefit under various BPL schemes simply because they do not have BPL cards."
The rider is that the beneficiaries must not be availing any other pension schemes. While the old age and widow pension scheme also entitles the beneficiaries to a monthly pension of Rs.300, the burden is shared equally by the central government.
"But this new scheme is to be funded entirely by the state government," the official pointed out. The state government, he disclosed, had been repeatedly urging the central government to include a large chunk of poor people who could not be given BPL cards - despite their being far below the poverty line - simply because of the limit on the number of BPL cards that could be issued by the state.
"However, in view of the central government's continued silence on the issue, the chief minister decided to launch her own scheme so that a large number of otherwise deprived people could benefit," he added.
DTN News: Mexico TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Mexico’s Deadliest Day In Drug War, 69 Killed In 24 Hours
DTN News: Mexico TODAY January 13, 2010 ~ Mexico’s Deadliest Day In Drug War, 69 Killed In 24 Hours
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) MEXICO CITY, Mexico - January 13, 2010: Mexico opened the new year with what could be its most dubious distinction yet in the 3-year-old battle against drug trafficking — 69 murders in one day. 
Mexican Federal Police escort Teodoro Garcia Simental, known as "El Teo" or "Tres Letras", a member of Tijuana cartels after being presented to the media in Mexico City January 12, 2010. Mexican police on Tuesday captured Garcia Simental, a drug kingpin known for having the corpses of tortured rivals dissolved in acid and blamed for much of a surge in violence in the northern border city of Tijuana, police said.
Mexican Federal Police escort Teodoro Garcia Simental, known as "El Teo" or "Tres Letras", a member of Tijuana cartels after being presented to the media in Mexico City January 12, 2010. Mexican police on Tuesday captured Garcia Simental, a drug kingpin known for having the corpses of tortured rivals dissolved in acid and blamed for much of a surge in violence in the northern border city of Tijuana, police said.
The country resembled a grim, statistical dart board on Saturday as law enforcement and media reported the deaths from various regions, including 26 in Ciudad Juarez, 13 in and around Mexico City and 10 in the city of Chihuahua.
More than 6,500 drug-related killings made 2009 the bloodiest year since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the cartels in late 2006 and deployed 45,000 soldiers to fight organized crime, according to death tallies by San Diego’s Trans-Border Institute.
Two weeks into 2010, gang bloodshed is becoming more grotesque as drug lords ramp up their attempts at intimidation.
Last week a victim’s face was peeled from skull and sewn onto a soccer ball. On Monday, prosecutors in Culiacan identified the remains of a former police officer divided into two separate ice chests.
Using their so-called Narcobarometer, researchers at the University of Trans-Border Institute track and analyze murders in Mexico, hoping to find ways to quell the violence.
Their tally? Over 20,000 murders since 2001, more than half in the past two years.
As Mexico tries to develop, the killings jeopardize its international reputation, said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington
DTN News: South Korea Aims To Export 80 Nuclear Reactors By 2030
DTN News: South Korea Aims To Export 80 Nuclear Reactors By 2030
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - January 13, 2010: South Korea said on Wednesday it aimed to export 80 nuclear reactors by 2030 to hold a 20 percent share of the global market, shortly after winning a landmark $40 billion nuclear power deal in the Middle East.
Nuclear Reactor ~ Tightly sealed area where fission of the fuel is carried out in a controlled manner to release heat. 
Nuclear Generating Station ~ Plant that produces electricity from thermal energy generated by the fission of fuel atoms in a reactor.
Nuclear Reactor ~ Tightly sealed area where fission of the fuel is carried out in a controlled manner to release heat. Nuclear Generating Station ~ Plant that produces electricity from thermal energy generated by the fission of fuel atoms in a reactor.
The government and private entities will invest a total of 400 billion won ($355.7 million) in research and development between 2011 and 2017 to improve domestic nuclear reactor technology, the government said in a statement.
Asia's fourth-largest economy also plans to acquire stakes of overseas mines to raise its self-development rates of raw materials for nuclear power, including uranium, to 25 percent by 2016 and 50 percent by 2030 from 6.7 percent this year, the statement said.
A South Korean consortium won the Middle East's biggest ever energy contract to build and operate four nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, beating more favoured US and French rivals.