Sunday, June 20, 2010

DTN News: G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010

DTN News: G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010 *Since G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010 being held in our Großstadt, DTN News would feature major participants Brazil, Russia, India And China (BRIC) in the coming days.
Source: DTN News By Roger Smith - Special Feature
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 21, 2010: The 2010 G-20 Toronto Summit is the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Set to take place during June 26—27, 2010, the summit was initially proposed to take place in the town of Huntsville, which was also chosen as the host of the concurrent 36th G8 summit, by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The town was later deemed insufficient to provide hospitality for the large number of G-20 delegates and journalists, thus the G-20 summit was later finalized to take place in Toronto. In his welcome speech at the G-20 sherpas' meeting, Harper announced the theme of the Toronto summit would be Recovery and New Beginnings, referring to an economic stimulus from the impact of the ongoing world recession. The Toronto summit's agenda calls for evaluating the progress of the financial sector reform, further developing sustainable stimulus measures, discussion of global bank tax, and promoting open markets. Since April 2010, an Integrated Security Unit, consisting of police officers from different regional departments, have been working on security in the Downtown core, where the summit will take place. Police officials have chosen locations to detain protestors and map traffic detours which would be in place during the two day summit. Several local events which were set to take place during the time of the summit, especially the Blue Jays' three-game series against Philadelphia, have been affected due to their proximity to the summit location. Total security cost for both summits was estimated to be over $1 billion, making it the largest and most expensive security operation in Canadian history.
Security Security officials began preparing for summit security as early as April 2010. Policing and patrolling will be provided by the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Forces. The Peel Regional Police will aid in policing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga during the arrivals of world leaders. The five departments formed an Integrated Security Unit (ISU), similar to the ISU created during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. According to the Globe and Mail, 10,000 uniformed police officers, 1,000 security guards, and several Canadian military forces will be deployed during the summit. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) conducted Amalgam Virgo exercises on May 6-7 across the Greater Toronto Area using CF-18 Hornet jets, CH-124 Sea Kings and CH-146 Griffon helicopters at low altitudes. The total cost for security at both the G8 and the G-20 summits was determined to be $1.1 billion. The entire cost will be handled by the federal government, excluding local business damages. The security perimeter begins with the outer boundary, specifically bordered by King Street to the north, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, Yonge Street to the east, and Spadina Avenue to the west, which will be restricted to security officials and G-20 delegates only. Residents who live within the security zone were issued registration cards prior to the summit. Other pedestrians who wish to enter the security zone are required to present two pieces of photo identification and provide reasoning for entry. The surrounding area of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, itself, will be fenced and off-limits to civilians and protestors. Erecting the $5.5 million 3 metre-high unscalable fence began June 7. Toronto Police installed 77 additional closed-circuit television security cameras in the area and purchased four Long Range Acoustic Devices which would be in use exclusively during the summit.

Participants of the Toronto summit were announced by Stephen Harper on May 8, 2010. Harper extended invitations to the leaders of Ethiopia and Malawi to further represent the continent of Africa, along with South Africa, already a G-20 member. Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam, and later Nigeria were also invited. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Labour Organization, as well as Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Vietnam will make their first G-20 summit attendances in Toronto.

National representatives

G-20 members
Guest nations

Regional organizations

International organizations

A film studio located on Eastern Avenue was designated as a temporary holding centre for any individuals that may be arrested during the time of the summit. Toronto Police announced that Trinity Bellwoods Park would be the site for protesters, but following major opposition from local communities, police relocated the protesting site to north of Queen's Park. Canada Post announced that it will be removing any post boxes in the security zone. Toronto Parking Authority removed some parking meters in the security zone. Small trees along sidewalks around the convention centre were removed to prevent them from being used as weapons by protestors. Bus shelters, benches, and public trash cans were also removed from sidewalks.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Burma Buys 50 K-8 Karakorum Jet Trainers From China

DTN News: Burma Buys 50 K-8 Karakorum Jet Trainers From China
Source: DTN News By Roger Smith
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 20, 2010: The Burmese air force continues to expand with the recent procurement of 50 K-8 jet trainer aircraft from China, according to sources within the air force in Meikhtila.
“Parts of the K-8 aircraft were transported by cargo ship from China and are being assembled at the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Base in Meikhtila,” said one of the sources.
The purchase of the 50 aircraft comes after Burma’s air force chief Lt-Gen Myat Hein traveled to China in November to negotiate an upgrade to the fleet of Chinese-made military aircraft already owned by Burma.
“There are two reasons to purchase K-8 trainers,” said the source. “Either for training exercises or for counter-insurgency.”
The K-8 jet trainer, sometimes called the K-8 Karakorum or the Hongdu JL-8, is a joint venture between China and Pakistan, and is fitted with air-to-air missiles and rockets.
In 1998-9, the Burmese air force bought 12 K-8 jet trainers from China, which are now stationed at Taungoo Air Base in Pegu Division.
In addition to purchasing Chinese-made fighters and trainer aircraft, Naypyidaw signed a contract in late 2009 to buy 20 MiG-29 jet fighters from Russia at a cost of nearly US $570 million.
“The parts of the MiG-29 jet fighters will arrive in July and September by cargo ship and by plane,” said an officer close to Col. Tun Aung, a key figure in the Burmese air force. He said that the 20 Russian aircraft will be assembled in Meikhtila.Meanwhile, Burma's main air base for maintenance, the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Air Base (APMAB) in Panchangone in Mingaladon Township has been relocated to Nyaunggone, close to the regime's Flying Training Base in Shante in Meikhtila Township, according to a source from the air base.
“The APMAB got the order from Naypyidaw in January to relocate to the new location,” he said, but said he did not know why the relocation took place.
Military sources from Rangoon said that Burmese ruling military council upgraded the air force’s facilities and expanded airfields, as well as two air force bases in Bassein and Homemalin in 2006, to fulfill operational capabilities.
Burma has brought 280 aircraft from China, Russia, Yugoslavia and Poland, including trainers and fighters, since the military took power in 1988.
The Burmese air force was founded in 1947 before Burmese independence. Its main objective has since been counter campaigns against the Communist Party of Burma and several ethnic armies.
Burma has 10 air force headquarters: Bassein Air Base in Irrawaddy Division; Mingaladon Air Base in Rangoon Division; Myitkyina Air Base in Kachin State; Myike Air Base in Tenasserim Division; Namsang Air Base in Shan State; Taungoo Air Base in Pegu Division; Meikhtila (Shante) Flying Training Base; Meikthila Grounding Training Base in Mandalay Division; Magwe Air Base in Magwe Division; and Homemalin Air Base in Sagaing Division.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Iran Defends Missile Buildup After US Allegation

DTN News: Iran Defends Missile Buildup After US Allegation
Source: DTN News / AFP (REPEATITION UPON SPECIAL REQUEST BY READERS)
(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - June 20, 2010: Iran accused the United States of "deception" on Saturday and insisted its missiles are for self-defence only after a top US official charged that the Islamic republic could rain missiles down on Europe. "The Islamic Republic's missile capability has been designed and implemented to defend against any military aggression and it does not threaten any nation," Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in a statement carried by state media. He was reacting to remarks by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday that US intelligence has shown that Iran could attack Europe with "scores or hundreds" of missiles, prompting major changes to US missile defences. Washington seeks to "expand its domination over Europe, and to find an excuse not to dismantle its nuclear weapons stationed in the region, while putting the pressure on Russia and surrounding it," Vahidi said. "The US seeks to create regional discord and impair (Moscow's) regional ties to humiliate Russia and weaken its relations with neighbouring countries," he added, urging Russia not to fall for "US deception and psychological war." US President Barack Obama in September cited a mounting danger from Iran's arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles when he announced an overhaul of American missile defence plans. The new programme uses sea- and land-based interceptors to protect NATO allies in the region, instead of mainly larger weapons designed to counter long-range missiles. Gates said the United States believed "that if Iran were actually to launch a missile attack on Europe... it would more likely be a salvo kind of attack, where you would be dealing potentially with scores or even hundreds of missiles." Iran is under mounting international pressure over its controversial nuclear programme of uranium enrichment which the West fears masks a covert weapons drive. The Islamic republic vehemently denies the charge, but has been flexing its military muscle mainly in the strategic Gulf region by staging regular war games and showcasing an array of Iran-manufactured missiles. The United States and its top regional ally Israel, the sole if undeclared nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, have never ruled out a military strike to curb Iran's atomic drive. Iran has vowed to deliver a crushing response if it comes under attack. It has developed more than a dozen short- and medium-range (up to 2,000 kilometres, 1,240 miles) missiles and continues to expand its ballistic missile capability, even launching satellite carriers into space despite UN sanctions. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has estimated that Tehran will have the capability to fire missiles at western Europe by 2014, but that it will need at least a decade to be able to target the United States. Despite close economic and energy ties with Iran, Russia supported the latest round of sanctions against Iran on June 9 and froze a deal to sell S-300 anti-missile systems to Tehran. The deal has been in the pipeline for years and was strongly opposed by both Israel and the United States.