четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Former Olympic track star gets 5 years for heroin

Disgraced former Olympic track star Tim Montgomery, once dubbed "the world's fastest man," was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for dealing heroin to an informant.

"I was blind _ I never had a job in my life," Montgomery told U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Friedman. "I did the wrong thing."

Montgomery, 33, will serve the five-year sentence after he completes a 46-month prison term for an unrelated conviction in New York.

Under an agreement with the government, he pleaded guilty in July to possession and distribution of more than 100 grams of heroin. He received the minimum term under federal sentencing …

Fast food owner on Vietnam ride

THE owner of Carmarthen's McDonald's has headed off on agruelling charity cycle ride to Vietnam.

Ron Mounsey, who lives in Peniel, will be covering 60 miles a dayfor eight days as he travels from Hanoi up as far as the Chineseborder.

Before he left on Saturday, the 56-year-old said he was lookingforward to the trip, but added: "There are some quite large hills tocover so it's quite daunting."

Mr Mounsey owns nine McDonald's franchises in west Wales,including on Swansea's Fabian Way. He will be …

Lifesaving Mission Ends With 6 Dead

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The patient lay on the operating table, prepped for transplant surgery. In the air over Lake Michigan, a twin-engine plane sped his way, carrying a team of surgeons and technicians, along with a donor organ on ice. The plane never made it, crashing into the lake's choppy waters and killing all six people aboard Monday.

Now the critically ill patient could become the accident's seventh fatality.

"It was a very sad moment in the operating room" when word was received that the plane had gone down on its way from Milwaukee, said Dr. Jeffrey Punch, chief of transplant surgery at the University of Michigan Health System hospital in Ann Arbor.

National League Leaders

BATTING_Beltran, New York, .374; Votto, Cincinnati, .374; Zimmerman, Washington, .364; HaRamirez, Florida, .357; MRamirez, Los Angeles, .348; Hudson, Los Angeles, .343; Helton, Colorado, .343.

RUNS_Pujols, St. Louis, 33; ASoriano, Chicago, 29; Hudson, Los Angeles, 27; Werth, Philadelphia, 27; Zimmerman, Washington, 27; Hart, Milwaukee, 26; Weeks, Milwaukee, 25.

RBI_Pujols, St. Louis, 34; Cantu, Florida, 32; Fielder, Milwaukee, 29; Braun, Milwaukee, 28; Dunn, Washington, 28; BMolina, San Francisco, 28; Ethier, Los Angeles, 27.

HITS_Zimmerman, Washington, 51; Hudson, Los Angeles, 47; Beltran, New York, 46; FLopez, Arizona, 43; HaRamirez, Florida, …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Some questions need not daunt: ; Unfortunately, legislators are ordinary people

IN a January Charleston Gazette column, Tom Miller volunteered apuzzling defense of West Virginia legislators, picturing them aswell-meaning men and women who must face daunting questions. Miller,who also has reprimanded critics of early pension-vesting strategyon the state Supreme Court, offered this example of a dauntingquestion: whether to support the death penalty. If I were alegislator, I would have no trouble with that one. If I favored thedeath penalty, I would support it. If I didn't, I wouldn't.

A better example might have been how to avoid giving offense tosnuff users. But the example Miller provided was sufficient todisfigure his thesis.

To restate it, a …

Our Tool for the Times/Un outil pour notre temps

You've heard it in the news, you've received it in the mail, you've seen the website and participated in a webcast - Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (2007) has finally arrived with a flourish.

In this issue of the Journal (p. 92), Mary Bush and her colleagues at Health Canada's Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion discuss the evolution of Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide: the review process, the creation and subsequent disbandment of the draft 2004 Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians, followed by the development of the Dietary Reference Intake Summary Report and ultimately the stakeholder consultation leading to the final revisions of the new Food Guide. As Mary …

UN States Lag on Iran Sanctions Reports

Less than half of the United Nations' member states have filed mandatory reports on how they are complying with sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, the monitoring committee's chairman said Thursday.

Belgian Ambassador Johan Verbeke told the Security Council that just 88 of the 192 nations have reported on compliance with the initial sanctions imposed Dec. 23, 2006, and only 72 on observance of a second round imposed March 24, 2007.

The council imposed a third round of sanctions March 3 to step up pressure on Iran to stop enrichment.

Deputy U.S. Ambassador Alejandro Wolff urged all countries to submit the reports …

Quality is the key for Deason's

DEASON'S restaurant took over restaurant Du Gourmet three yearsago, and business is booming.

Its owners, Jodie and Jason Deason, who have a four-year-old son,set their eyes on the place in Whiteladies Road, near the BBC, anddecided to turn its suave and old school feel into a contemporary butcomfortable restaurant.

Jason, aged 33, is the chef while Jodie, 32, takes care of theadministrative side, He said they designed Deason's to be simplisticbut offer quality service, a quality environment and quality food.The restaurant can accommodate 72 people on two floors, including aprivate dining room downstairs, and a further 25 al fresco in thefront garden. …

Regulating animal waste management--all the rage

Concern about how animal wastes are managed has reached a peak over the last several years. Late last year, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa introduced the Animal Agriculture Reform Act (S.1323), designed to regulate waste management practices at Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on a national level. Recently, staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee (where Harkin is the ranking Democrat) issued a report that backed up the call for such legislation. The study found that the amount of manure produced in the United States was an estimated 1.3 billion tons/year (much of which is generated in open areas that has no chance of being captured). That's about 130 times greater than the amount …

Israel reopens Gaza cargo crossings according to terms of truce with Hamas

Israel on Sunday reopened vital crossings into the Gaza Strip in keeping with a truce with the Islamic Hamas regime there, and much-needed supplies began flowing into the impoverished territory again.

Since the truce went into effect on June 19, designed to stop daily Palestinian rocket barrages in exchange for an end to Israel's yearlong blockade and Israeli reprisals in Gaza, Israel has closed the crossings three times in response to rocket attacks.

On Sunday there was a moment of tension when the military said a Palestinian sniper in Gaza targeted an Israeli farmer just across the border, hitting the tractor. Several hours later, however, the military …

NATIONAL

Hi Lo Otlk

Anchorage 53 33 PCldy

Baltimore 80 53 PCldy

Boston 77 50 PCldy

Chicago 80 60 PCldy

Dallas-Ft Worth 85 65 PCldy

Denver 85 49 Clr

Detroit 83 59 PCldy

Honolulu 84 72 Clr

Houston 85 70 Cldy

Indianapolis 79 61 PCldy

Kansas City 80 60 PCldy

Las Vegas 95 69 Clr

Little Rock 79 64 Rain

Los Angeles 71 58 Clr

Memphis 79 …

Buyer beware

It pays to think twice about what you feed your pet

Most consumers assume that pet foods are safe, wholesome products that our pets thrive on. If you are like I was, you never stop to consider who regulates the pet food industry-or who inspects the ingredients or even the source of the ingredients used in pet foods. I once assumed that pet food ingredients would cause no harm to my animal companions.

It was only after I began some persistent questioning of exactly what the contents listed on pet food labels really meant did I begin to realize how difficult it was to determine just what was in the product. Basically, labels are vague. According to the U.S. Food and Drug …

Museum Is Docking at North Pier

Chicago's oldest museum will host a grand opening celebration in itsnew North Pier digs from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday; .

The Chicago Academy of Sciences' Nature Museum, which recentlymoved from its longtime home in Lincoln Park, will be housed at 435E. Illinois until its permanent quarters in the park are ready in acouple of years.

"We're seeing new people, we're seeing a lot of people; we'revery happy with what is happening," said Paul Heltne, academypresident. "The space here is open, light, airy and far less linearthan where we were before."

The dioramas of stuffed animals that dominated the old space arein storage, at least for now. Meanwhile, the academy is trying outsome of the interactive displays that other museums have found to beso appealing to the public, Heltne said.

The 138-year-old academy has also learned some new tricks fromits successful "Dinamation" displays of robotic dinosaurs that havebeen on the road for several years, Heltne said.

"They showed us the power of some of the new ways of exploringscience. They showed us that there was a larger audience to beserved than we were serving in a traditional fashion," he said.

In that spirit, some special activities are planned for Sunday,including entertainment, refreshments and contests. Visitors willalso get acquainted with the museum's new approach to science.

In "Make a Splash," visitors can compare water samples from theOgden Slip outside North Pier and the Chicago River in the "WaterWorks" lab.

"Bright Ideas" lets visitors of all ages in on some fascinatingsecrets about the sun's energy. And the academy is excited about anew multimedia computer that will be unveiled during a ribbon-cuttingceremony on Sunday.

In addition, two exhibits are at the museum now. "DiscoveringWomen; Seek Out Science" focuses on the role of women in science andwill run through Sept. 20.

"Go Power" (through Oct. 8) makes "energy investigators" ofvisitors and has some fun ancillary activities - the "Brainy Bulbs"Puppet Show; "Conservation Cottage," a means of ranking homes ontheir use of energy, and an "En-lightening Experiment" with staticelectricity that will make your hair stand on end. For information,call (312) 871-2668.

HISTORIC EVANSTON: The third annual Show of Hands culturalfestival in Evanston on Sunday; is the occasion for architecturetours of sections of the north suburban city's Lakefront HistoricDistrict at noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. on Sunday. The tour will beginfrom the Evanston Historical Society, 225 Greenwood St., which willsponsor the tours. The society's museum, in the Charles Gates DawesHouse, will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information about themuseum, call (708) 475-3410. For information about the Show ofHands arts festival, call Adam Rod, festival coordinator for theEvanston Chamber of Commerce, (708) 328-1500.

ENDANGERED FLORA: A good way to learn about the movement topreserve the genetic diversity of domestic plants is by attending the6th annual Heirloom Garden Show, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; at theGarfield Farm Museum, five miles west of Geneva on Garfield Road offIllinois 38. Visitors can see and sometimes taste fruits,vegetables, flowers and other plants that now, because they are notavailable on the commercial market, are in danger of extinction.Growers from around the Midwest will be on hand with plants and seedsfor next year's planting season. A $5 donation is requested ($1 forchildren). Refreshments will be available. The museum is an intact1840s farm and teamster inn being restored by volunteers. Forinformation, call (708) 584-8485.

COURTLY KIDS: Knighthood is in flower this weekend at the KohlChildren's Museum, 165 Green Bay Rd., Wilmette. Today; , childrencan make a castle out of recycled materials. On Saturday, it's aflower wreath or a medieval hat. On Sunday, learn how to jugglelike a court jester. And on Monday, paint a picture of a frog on alily pad and hear a storyteller read the story of the frog and the prince. For information, call (708) 256-6056.

THE OLD BALLGAME: Just a few weeks are left in the "Teich Me Outto the Ballgame: American Baseball Images from the Curt TeichPostcard Archives" exhibit at the Lake County Forest Preserves' LakeCounty Museum, in Lakewood Forest Preserve on Rte. 176 just west ofFairfield Road near Wauconda. More than 150 cards and photographsselected from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives will be on displaythrough Sept. 15. With 1.5 million pieces, the Teich collection isthe largest of its kind in the United States. For information, call(708) 526-7878.

SWEDISH POPULAR ART: The first American exhibit of the popularSwedish artist Gunilla Mann opens today; at the Swedish AmericanMuseum Center, 5211 N. Clark St. Mann's work depicts everyday scenesin her native country and is known for its high energy and vibrantcolors. Mann will be on hand from 6 to 8 p.m. for a wine and cheesereception; the show runs through Oct. 15. For information, call(312) 728-8111.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Delegates Rush to Finish Climate Report

BANGKOK, Thailand - Delegates to a climate change conference expressed confidence Thursday that they can overcome China and India's objections to a report mapping out measures to combat global warming.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the United Nations network of 2,000 scientists - calls for fast action to avoid catastrophe. But some of the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases - including the United States - have disputed the recommendations, leaving scientists worried that officials might water down the report due out Friday.

The report must be unanimously approved by all 120-plus governments represented at the conference, and all changes must be approved by the scientists.

French delegate Michel Petit said the debate, which was not open to reporters, was going "more smoothly than we anticipated."

"China and India were the governments having more questions and requesting changes in the existing text," he said. "But up to now, every time we were able to overcome their concerns and come to an agreement."

In two previous reports this year, the scientists said global warming is being caused largely by the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere and predicted catastrophic consequences unless man stops burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases.

The latest report is expected to urge countries to deploy an array of measures - including energy-efficient technologies, a shift away from coal, and agricultural reforms - to keep world temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), thereby limiting the impact of global warming.

China, the world's second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the United States, has indicated it wants the report to better reflect its belief that richer countries are responsible for global warming and should take the lead in cleaning up the problem, delegates said.

"China is being the most vocal about the language," said Edward Mulbah, a delegate from Liberia. "They don't want to be held responsible for consequences in the future."

A member of the Chinese delegation refused to discuss specifics of its demands, other than to say China wanted the document to reflect scientific truth.

China also has joined with the United States to suggest the proposed cap on greenhouse gas levels is too low and reaching the target would be too expensive. The two countries are expected to attempt to insert language into the final report that would weaken the conclusion that quick action can stabilize greenhouse gas levels.

India, for its part, has objected to language that says significant emission cuts can be made in developing countries, delegates said. India argues that development must come ahead of caps on emissions.

However, delegates said scientists had overcome most of the objections from India and China, providing data on such basic issues as how mitigation measures corresponded to various emission levels.

Delegates also were debating different categories of energy use and ways to cut emissions, working into the night so negotiations could be wrapped up Thursday.

One contentious issue has been whether and how to refer to nuclear power in the final summary. The United States is pushing for a strong reference to atomic energy as a clean source of electricity. Environmentalists are arguing that other ways of cutting carbon emissions, such as renewable energy sources, should get priority.

Many environmentalists consider nuclear energy too dangerous and costly to be a serious means of cutting greenhouse gases. "We don't believe that nuclear is a solution," said Stephan Singer of the World Wildlife Fund.

Singer also called for governments and business leaders to quicken the pace of mitigation, saying "this can be done much faster than most governments want us to believe."

"The current IPCC debate, the current documents and the fight about this and then about the economic costs are a reflection on the commonly perceived thinking that fighting climate change costs a lot of money, will harm the economy, will burden citizens, and will compromise the necessary economic growth and poverty alleviation in many countries," he said. "That is ... utter nonsense."

The two previous IPCC reports said unabated greenhouse gas emissions could drive global temperatures up as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. Even a rise of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit could subject up to 2 billion people, mostly in the developing world, to water shortages by 2050 and threaten extinction for 20 percent to 30 percent of the world's species, the IPCC said.

---

On the Net:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch

US says soldier killed in northern Iraq

The U.S. military says a soldier has been killed in a rocket or mortar attack in northern Iraq.

A military statement says the indirect fire attack occurred Thursday near the city of Mosul but provides no other details.

Indirect fire is often used by the military to describe a rocket or mortar attack.

Divided is best

The electorate does not gain when political power falls to one party

LAST WEEK'S FEDERAL ELECTION RESULTS, which saw the House of Representatives fall from Democratic to Republican control, provide a development preferable to the electorate's decision in Illinois. Here, voters retained Democratic power in both houses, as in the governor's mansion.

The reason for the preference is apparent from recent political history.

There is no guarantee that a government which operates with diverse parties sharing power will be the wisest or most effective possible. Ultimately, however, it will represent the views of the largest segment of the governed.

On the other hand, a political leadership which legislates in accordance with the views of a single, overwhelmingly dominant, party - as happened in the first two years of the Obama administration - will most likely fail to represent anything other than that party (and perhaps not even the voters of that party). When only one segment of the electorate has "skin" in the game, only one segment of the country can feel engaged in the political process.

In this regard, pundits frequently look askance at the Israeli political scene, with its many small parties, and compare it unfavorably to the American system. Yet a case can be made that the Israel structure - raucous and s/tufe-like as it is - nonetheless includes in the decision-making process the greatest number of voices. That is surely beneficial, especially for a country which, since its founding, has faced existential issues which elude neat solutions.

Commentators have noted that the Obama administration moved too far from the central core of beliefs of most Americans, and suffered the consequences in this month's election. We agree with that assessment.

But we are also pleased that the federal balance of power - while still favoring the Democratic party - will be restrained by a House no longer in their control. If the Obama administration is to attain political achievements in the coming two years, brute political force will no longer be sufficient. "Consensus" will have to be turned from a word to be bandied-about into a required tactic.

THAT IS ONE BENEFICIAL DEVELOPMENT of the election.

The other is that it will force the Republicans to offer their prescriptions for repairing the deep economic, security, and other problems which this country now faces.

The results ofthat GOP effort will reveal whether those who called for "Throwing out the Democratic bums and replacing them with Republican ones" were expressing a cynical, or an accurate, picture of the impact of this mid-term election.

Report: LA Deputies Held Arrest Contests

LOS ANGELES - Sheriff's deputies have been competing in organized contests to see who could make the most arrests, who could impound the most cars and who could question the most gang members.

The contests were meant to boost morale and motivate deputies, but some observers are crying foul, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

One of the competitions, outlined in an internal Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department e-mail, was "Operation Any Booking." The object of the contest was to see who could arrest the most people in a 24-hour period.

"It's just a friendly competition to have a little fun out here," said Lt. James Tatreau, who helped organize the events. "It's a morale booster."

Tatreau said that when he joined a station in Lakewood, he noticed some patrol deputies made 15 to 20 arrests a month, while others made seven arrests in an entire year.

The prize for winning was "bragging rights," Tatreau said.

Several police observers were not impressed.

Hubert Williams, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Police Foundation, said the competitions were "highly problematic and inappropriate."

"The arrest is one of the most potent tools in the possession of law enforcement and should be used with great thought," Williams said. "It's not a competition or a game."

Los Angeles County Public Defender Michael P. Judge, wondered if the games could prompt deputies to make illegitimate arrests to boost numbers.

"Certainly, it calls into question whether there was a legitimate reason to book any of the people who were booked during the time of the competition," Judge said.

According to a Times review of records, Operation Any Booking did not result in an increase in arrests on the day of the contest.

But the impound competition may have increased the number of vehicles seized, with records showing a spike in vehicle seizures the day of the contest.

Sheriff Lee Baca said the competitions were a well-meaning but poorly conceived idea that promoted "the wrong values."

"We're not into numbers, we're into quality," Baca said. "I don't think it will occur again."

SKorea's spy chief-designate, senior presidential aide accused in Samsung bribery scandal

South Korea's spy chief-designate and a senior presidential aide took bribes from Samsung Group, a group of Catholic priests claimed Wednesday.

The priests, from a group called the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice, have been working with Kim Yong-chul, a former Samsung lawyer, who alleged in November that the powerful conglomerate had creating a 200 billion won (US$211 million; euro139 million) slush fund to bribe government officials, judges and prosecutors.

An independent counsel is investigating Samsung Group, which denies the allegations.

The priests said Kim Sung-ho, named to head the National Intelligence Service, and senior presidential aide Lee Jong-chan should resign for taking bribes from Samsung.

"The above-said are urged to decline the offer of a public job or resign voluntarily," Jeon Jong-hun, a priest, told a press conference at a cathedral in northeast Seoul. "That would be the only way for them to beg for forgiveness from the people and help the newly launched government."

Samsung rejected the allegations, calling them "groundless and nothing but a unilateral claim," said Yim Jun-seok, a Samsung spokesman. He added that Samsung has never given bribes to "anybody whatsoever."

Both the spy agency and the presidential office also denied the accusations.

The seven priests did not elaborate, or state when or how much money the two received.

They also claimed that former Woori Bank President Hwang Young-key, an ex-Samsung executive, played a leading role in managing the slush fund. Hwang has been mentioned in local media reports as a possible candidate to head the Financial Services Commission, which oversees the financial industry.

That job went to Jun Kwang-Woo, chairman of Deloitte Consulting Korea, the presidential office announced earlier in the day.

Hwang was not available for comment, but Yonhap news agency reported that he also rejected the allegations.

Wednesday's accusations appeared to be based on information from Kim Yong-chul, who was not at the briefing. Kim and the priests' group, which actively supported South Korea's pro-democracy movement in the 1970s and 1980s, have complained about the intensity and the pace of the investigation launched in January.

The claims were a potential blow to the administration of President Lee Myung-bak, who only took office last week.

Samsung, South Korea's biggest conglomerate, consists of dozens of diverse corporations, some unlisted, and has a complex ownership structure involving cross-shareholdings by group companies.

Suspect in flight disturbance had Calif. ID

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal agents are investigating the background of a California man with a Yemeni passport who pounded on the cockpit door of an American Airlines flight as it approached San Francisco before a flight attendant tackled him, authorities said Monday.

Rageh Almurisi, 28, does not have any clear or known ties to terrorism, and investigators have not established a possible motive, San Francisco police Sgt. Michael Rodriguez said.

Almurisi, of Vallejo, Calif., got up from his seat and went toward the cockpit door 10 minutes before the flight from Chicago was supposed to land on Sunday night, authorities said.

Almurisi was yelling unintelligibly as he brushed past a flight attendant on his way toward the cockpit, Rodriguez said.

A male flight attendant tackled him, and other crew members and passengers, including a retired Secret Service agent and a retired San Mateo police officer, helped subdue him as he banged on the door, police said.

"They were able to get him to the ground and a flight attendant put him in plastic handcuffs," Rodriguez said.

Almurisi was taken into federal custody Monday after spending the night at the San Mateo County jail, said San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti.

Andrew Wai, a passenger aboard Sunday's flight, described a chaotic scene, telling KGO-TV that passengers were screaming and crying.

"Flight attendants were trying to soothe different passengers," Wai said. "We were all looking at our lives flash before our eyes."

Wai also said Almurisi appeared "fidgety" in his seat when he saw him on the way to the bathroom earlier in the flight.

The Boeing 737 carrying 162 people landed safely at 9:10 p.m. and the man was taken into police custody. The flight came from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, authorities said.

Almurisi carried a Yemeni passport, Rodriguez said.

The incident comes amid concerns that extremists will try to mount attacks in retaliation for American commandos killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last week.

Yemen, a nation at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, has been a focus of U.S. officials because one of the most active branches of al-Qaeda operates in the remote part of the country.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Almurisi was carrying California identification.

During the scuffle, Almurisi got some bruises and was checked at a hospital before being taken to San Mateo County Jail, where he was held on suspicion of interfering with a flight crew, a federal offense, according to authorities.

No one else was hurt and the airport continued operating normally with security levels unchanged, the officer said.

There were two other mid-air disturbances.

A 34-year-old man from Illinois tried to open a plane door on a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Chicago. Investigators questioned him, but did not file charges.

There was a security scare about a Delta Air Lines flight from Detroit to San Diego, prompting it to land in Albuquerque, N.M., but authorities found "no suspicious devices," authorities said. No one was arrested.

Hundreds protest Pakistan's support for U.S.; Missile kills suspected militants

Hundreds of students chanting "Death to America" protested Pakistan's support for the U.S.-led fight against terrorism, while the government said that security forces would show "no leniency" in the conflict with Islamic militants.

In the latest violence, a missile strike Tuesday near the Afghan border destroyed a suspected militant hideout and killed 12 people inside, intelligence and government officials said.

Pakistan is facing a surge in religious extremism that has seen pro-Taliban fighters gain sway in the northwest and launch a wave of suicide bombings in cities and assaults on troops struggling to maintain a grip on the borderlands.

About 370 people have died this month in militant-related violence nationwide, according to an Associated Press tally based on figures from the military and other officials.

In Miran Shah, the main town in the tribal border region of North Waziristan, more than 500 students and others rallied Tuesday to demand an end to Pakistan's military cooperation with the United States.

"The Pakistan army is committing atrocities," said Najib Ullah, a student. "They must stop."

Pakistan allied itself with Washington after the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

On Tuesday, a meeting of top security officials in Islamabad, chaired by Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Hamid Nawaz, affirmed the commitment to combat militancy. It directed authorities "to take stringent measures to curb (terrorist) elements involved in militancy and violence, with no leniency."

Tuesday's missile strike happened in Khushali Torikhel, a village in North Waziristan about 70 kilometers (40 miles) east of the border, local officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

A resident said an armed drone may have carried out the strike.

"We could see a small, white plane flying over the village for the past several days," villager Dildar Khan said.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said he had no information about any missile strike.

The government often uses airstrikes to attack militants in areas that its ground forces and artillery cannot reach, but some of the aerial attacks near the border in recent years are believed to have been launched by missile-armed U.S. drones flying from Afghanistan.

Authorities in both the U.S. and Afghanistan have denied knowledge of such operations.

President Pervez Musharraf, who returned home Tuesday after a weeklong trip to Europe, has faced increasing pressure because of the escalating violence, ahead of parliamentary elections on Feb. 18.

___

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khan in Karachi contributed to this report.

Try vegetables

MONTPELLIER, France - How can Africa ease hunger, improve women's lives, and adapt to climate change in one stroke? By growing vegetables, researchers advise.

Efforts to curb persistent hunger in Africa usually focus on boosting yields of grain and other staple crops. But in the Sahel region, where farmers have long battled droughts, more than 2,500 women are now growing greens, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, and other nutritious crops in small plots near their homes, using seeds specially bred for local conditions and drip-irrigation systems that save scarce water.

In a region where the average daily wage is about $1 a day, many women are now earning over $4 a day in sales from their gardens, as well as supplying their families with food rich in nutrients that are often missing from local diets. Crop failures, which used to happen every two and a half year on average, are no longer a problem.

"This is how you grow yourself out of poverty," said Dyno Keatinge, who heads the World Vegetable Centre, which supports the "African market garden" project with seeds and expertise.

- The Ethiopian Review.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Crews drop 150K gallons of dispersant on oil slick

A Coast Guard official says good weather in the Gulf of Mexico is allowing crews to conduct more controlled oil burns and drop thousands of gallons of chemicals on the slick.

Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell said Thursday that good weather allowed 18 flights to drop 150,000 gallons of chemical a day earlier. The chemical breaks down the oil on the water's surface and helps prevent it from reaching the shore.

But marine scientists say the oil balls suspended in the water can also be consumed by bacteria, which can pass toxins up the food chain.

Crews also skimmed 588,000 gallons of an oil-water mixture and conducted five controlled burns.

More fires are scheduled for Thursday.

Mennonite art will tour congregations

The Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery announced its new "Touring Art Program," beginning the end of May.

"Art reflecting themes of worship, heritage and scripture will be created or acquired to tour church sanctuaries across Canada," said Ken Reddig, director.

The first pieces have already been selected. They are three large montages symbolizing the incarnation, created by Peter Martens.

Art that tours congregations has long been the dream of Ray Dirks, curator of the Heritage Centre Gallery, said Reddig. Dirks laments the fact that many of our churches have little or no art within their spaces. Historically art was displayed within the church to aid worship.

Martens has recently concluded a popular exhibition at the Heritage Centre Gallery (see February 15, page 5). His montages reflect key biblical concepts. Worship aids created by Adelia Neufeld Wiens of Canadian Mennonite Bible College will accompany the art.

Osler Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan will be the first congregation to receive the touring art. Gordon Janzen is looking forward to having this exhibition because his church is currently exploring themes of art in the congregation, said Reddig. Many other churches are interested in the touring art program.

The next set of paintings to go on tour will be three faces of Christ by Dirks. These five-feet-square paintings should be available in early fall.

Congregations may use the art in worship for one month without cost. Their only expense will be to send the art to the next congregation on the list. Interested congregations can contact the Mennonite Heritage Centre at (204) 8886781.

Defending champs advance to canoe, kayaking semis

The defending Olympic gold medalists in men's canoe double and women's kayak put up the best times Wednesday.

In the men's canoe double, brothers Peter and Pavol Hochschorner of Slovakia had the best combined time after two heats Wednesday. Their mark of 186.73 seconds edged France's Cedric Forgit and Martin Braud, who finished the heats in 188.56 seconds.

The Chinese team of Hu Minghai and Shu Junrong, which beat the Hochschorners at the Oceania Continental championships in March, had the third-best time of 190.64 seconds. Ten teams will compete in the semifinals on Thursday, with the finals to follow.

In the women's kayaking singles event, defending Olympic champion Elena Kaliska of Slovakia produced the best combined time of 186.19. She'll be among 15 individuals who will compete in Thursday's semifinals in hopes of reaching the finals later in the day.

China's Li Jingjing, ranked fourth in the world, had the second-best time of 187.56. World No. 3 Violetta Oblinger Peters of Austria made the semifinals, but only posted the sixth-best combined time.

Villagers seek damages from Shell in Holland for pollution in Nigeria

Four Nigerian villagers and an environmental group are demanding oil company Shell take responsibility for damage from oil leaks caused by its Nigerian subsidiary, lawyers said.

In letters sent to the company, Royal Dutch Shell PLC is accused of negligence for improperly maintaining equipment and failing to clean up spills that devastated their crops and fish farms in the Niger Delta.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, or Shell Nigeria, operates more than 1,000 wells in the delta, an area the size of England.

The villagers and the Friends of the Earth say that if Shell does not acknowledge responsibility they will file suit in Dutch courts seeking to clarify responsibility and win damages.

"This is the first time a Dutch company would be held liable for damage by a daughter operation in another country," said Anne van Schaik, of the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth, which is a party to the case.

A Shell spokesman in Rotterdam, Andre Romeyn, said Wednesday that he had not yet seen the letters. Shell would need to study them before deciding whether to publicly respond, he said.

Many pipeline leaks in Nigeria are caused by criminals who tap into the vast network of aboveground pipes and tubes, and siphon crude oil for resale to black-market traders.

Job-seeking villagers also may purposely cause leaks, then demand oil companies pay them clean up fees, or "security contracts" to protect the tubes from similar damage.

Townspeople angry at their poverty also threaten or extort money from oil workers who try to maintain the pipeline infrastructure.

By some estimates, some 10 percent of Nigeria's declared 2 million barrel per day production is lost to thieves stealing crude, which keeps flowing into the environment after the criminals' departure.

Chima Williams, a Nigerian lawyer who visited the stricken areas, described oil slicks spreading through croplands during the rainy season, choking fields of cassava and yam and killing fruit trees. In the village of Goi, he saw fishing nets coated with black grime, destroyed mangroves and trees burned to blackened sticks by oil fires.

"I lost everything I had," said Barizaa Dooh, 72, one of the plaintiffs, speaking in a video filmed at Goi in Ogoniland. Another villager comes from Ikot Ada Udo in Akwa Ibom state, and two plaintiffs are from Oruma in the state of Bayelsa.

Dutch lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld said she notified Shell of the three potential legal cases on Friday and asked Shell to provide a list of documents, including assessment reports of spills, action reports, clean up reports, and inspection and maintenance records of pipelines and other equipment.

"We have asked them to take a decision on their liability," she said. "If they reject everything, things might move a lot faster toward a court case." The notification asked Shell to respond within three weeks.

Zegveld also has asked Shell for documentation that would help unravel the ownership structure of the joint venture operating in the delta, and to spell out the responsibilities of the various partners.

Shell Nigeria is the operator for a company in which the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. owns 55 percent.

Royal Dutch Shell has a 30 percent stake, the French oil company Total owns 10 percent and Italy's Agip owns 5 percent. The company itself has no identifiable name, and is referred to in Shell documents as the NNPC-Shell-Total-Agip Joint Venture.

"They don't blur it for nothing," Zegveld said.

The Anglo-Dutch company has been drilling in Nigeria for 50 years and is the largest of the oil majors in the African nation, which produces 3 percent of the world's oil.

In its annual sustainability report, due to be released this week, Shell said that last year it completed the clean up of 61 oil spills out of 74 sites. Of the remaining 13, its workers had been blocked from eight by the communities, according to the report obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

Shell's report on its 2007 environmental record said long-term environmental efforts slowed last year, since the venture relied on proportional financing from its partners. "Since the national oil company holds 55 percent, the joint venture depends on the government's budget and priorities," the report said.

The lawyers say, however, Shell's headquarters sets environmental policy for Nigeria and is responsible to ensure that it is carried out.

More than 500 pollution cases have been filed in Nigerian courts against Shell Nigeria, but few of them have made their way through the judicial labyrinth to a conclusion leading to compensation, van Schaik said.

"We are calling on Shell to respect international standards and the law in Nigeria, and because they are not doing that, we are taking them to court in the Netherlands," said van Schaik.

PROFILES OF LEADING MANUFACTURERS

Aarvee Denims

India's Second Largest Denim Producer

Founded in 1988, Aarvee Denims & Exports Ltd. has rapidly grown to become the second largest denim manufacturer in India.

The company is managed and run by dynamic promoters having extensive industry know-how and experience. One of the promoters, the Arora Group, has been involved in the marketing of denim for over 35 years, and has emerged as one of the largest distributors of denim fabrics. Another promoter, the VB Group, has been involved in textiles for over a half a century.

Its financial performance has been impeccable. The company has grown without tapping external equity, and has withstood the industrial cycle far better than its competitors. Its ROE of 38% is the highest in the industry.

Furthermore, the operating cost structure is aligned to withstand the cycles of the industry.

Aarvee Denims' turnover increased to approximately US$35 million in 2003-04. The company forecasts its turnover to grow to Rs 2,350 million in 2004-05, Rs 3,250 million in 2005-06, and to Rs 4,250 million in 2006-07.

Its production capacity is currently 120,000 meter/day (57 million meter/year), as compared with 3,000 meter/day when it began production 17 years ago. The company will expand its production capacity to 190,000 meter/day (75 million meter/year) in 2006-07.

Vinod P. Arora, Chairman and Managing Director of Aarvee Denims, says, "Our aim is the No. 1 slot and to increase our capacity to 100 million meters within three years."

Aarvee Denims supplies 75% of its production to the domestic market, and the remaining 25% is exported. Major markets outside India are Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Bangladesh and Latin American countries such as Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Mexico. In many of these countries, its denims are produced into jeans for the American market.

In the domestic market, Aarvee Denims markets an exclusive range of bottomwear from jeans, skirts and trousers to shorts under the "Aden" brand. The company has a strong marketing network with an extensive reach in Northern India, which accounts for 60% of the national market.

The company manufactures its product using the most modern technology and very best machinery for spinning, dyeing, weaving and finishing.

The Aarvee Denims spinning mill is an ultra-modern plant capable of producing ideally matching yarn of exact quality to give ultimately the denim fabric of international standards. Open-end spinning machines are from Schlafhorst (3,500 rotors), and ring spinning machines from Marzoli (2,500 spindles). The company is adding 1,500 more openend rotors and an additional 5,000 spindles.

The dyeing & sizing range from Sucker + Muller guarantees matchless dyeing quality (employing slasher process), and offers a wide spectrum of colors.

Weaving is performed on Tsudakoma air-jet looms, which ensure the highest degree of quality product output. Aarvee Denims is adding 112 more looms to its current 198.

The finishing plants give options to the customers of foam finished fabrics from the Monforts shrinking range as well as fabrics finished with American Padding Technology.

Bombay Rayon

One of India's Largest Exporters of Shirtings

Bombay Rayon Group was founded in 1986 with a modest beginning in the manufacturing of fashion fabrics, and has grown to become one of India's leading manufacturers and exporters of fashion fabrics and garments (shirts).

The operation of all the group companies were consolidated in the year 2005 and Bombay Rayon Fashions Limited, now has integrated facilities for fabrics and garments.

Shirtings account for 90% of its production with suitings occupying the remaining 10%. The company has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in New Mumbai, Silvassa, Sonale and Bangalore, which are fully backed by facilities for product development, a full-fledged design studio and efficient sampling infrastructure to provide quality service to customers within and outside India.

BRFL offers a diverse collection of shirtings. Fashion casual shirtings are available in a wide range of yarn-dyeds, dobbies, voiles, chambrays, textures, seersuckers, crushed, embossed and embroideries in pure cotton, polyester, viscose and their blends. Classic formal shirtings are also wide ranging, from solid dyeds, chambrays, yarn-dyed stripes and checks to refined dobbies and jacquards in pure cotton, polyester/viscose, and polyester/ cotton blends. All contemporary finishings are offered, including wrinkle-free and anti-bacterial.

Higher-end collections include blends with specialty fibers such as "Lycra", "Modal", "Lyocell", "Tencel", "Coolmax", polynosic and fabrics made from value-added yarn including chenille, bookleys, melange and grindles.

The suiting collection is composed of an elaborate range of exotic fashion casuals and elegant classics. Constant efforts to remain market driven have created fashionable casual cotton bottomweight fabrics and high-performance textured suiting in cotton, wool, polyester, viscose and their blends.

BRFL exports sixty percent of its textile production to markets such as the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Shirt production is entirely exported. The company has strong presence in fashion fabrics and shirts, and is catering to various international fashionoriented brands in Europe and the U.S., which include C&A, DKNY, Liz Claiborne, Wrangler (VF Group), Federated Stores, Tom Tailor, Guess and Kiabi. With multifold expansion of garment capacity on the anvil, negotiations are on with premium labels in the international market.

BRFL Managing Director Prashant Agrawal, says, "BRFL is able to attract such well-known names in fashion garments is because of its ability to offer fabric collections based on seasonal fashion trends and color choices, expertise in design of fabrics as specified by the customers, garment designs and samples meeting the stringent quality required by discerning customers in Europe and U.S."

The Managing Director continues to say, "Our motto is 'spoiling the customer' with good service, quick response and shorter lead time."

BRFL is investing US$45 million in a project to set up a greenfield integrated textile unit with facilities for yarn dyeing, weaving, processing and garment making in Apparel Park, Dobaballar near Banglalore. This unit for producing shirtings and suitings will have a yarn dyeing capacity of 2,000 kg/day, 48 looms, a processing capacity of approximately 94,000 meter/day and a garment making capacity of 22,000 unit/day. These facilities are scheduled to go on stream from March 2006.

With this new unit, BRFL's turnover is expected to increase from US$60 million in 2005-2006 to US$110 million in 2006-2007.

Jaya Shree

India's Leading Producer of Linen Yarn

Jaya Shree Textiles is one of the several ISO 9000 accredited units of Indian Rayon and Industries Limited, a multi-product conglomerate with an annual turnover of US$400 million.

Jaya Shree has a commitment to customization. As the needs of customers are all different, the company has a philosophy of becoming an extended manufacturing arm of the customer itself, and almost 80% of its production is based on individual customer specifications.

J.C. Soni, President of Jaya Shree, says, "Jaya Shree produces only niche and value-added products and is staying out of the commodity goods sector. In addition, we are focusing on cost reduction."

Jaya Shree is also one of the few ISO-9000 and IS-14001 and Oeko-Tex accredited textile units in India, and supplies its products to over 50 countries worldwide. In fact, exports account for half of its turnover.

Jaya Shree established its Wool Combing Division in early 1995 with an aim of catering to the needs of its own spinning unit, but thanks to its highest standard of quality, it has blossomed into an independent process house supplying its product to customers inside and outside India. The wool combing capacity of 4,200 ton/year is being doubled this year.

Jaya Shree seeks to make its presence felt globally as a reliable supplier of top quality yarn and fabrics. Its main aim is to ensure total customer satisfaction through a thrust on quality, rapid modernization and expansion by synergizing the advantages of the multi-national and diversified product-mix of the entire group. Jaya Shree wishes to build its reputation as a caring organization, utilizing all of its resources through teamwork and continuous emphasis on human resource development, knowledge integration, system perfection and research and development. The company is dedicated to achieve excellence in all spheres of management in pursuit of the Birla Management Centre Philosophy.

Jaya Shree is India's leader in the production of linen yarn for weaving, knitting and industrial purposes, and uses the finest quality of West European flax. (1,500-ton/year capacity) Natural-grace, elegance, trendy and bold vibrant weaves make linen most suitable for traditional and fashionable apparel, furnishing and bed linen. The range includes gray, boiled, bleached and dyed yarn for knitting and weaving, along with multifold yarn, twine and high-tenacity thread for industrial applications.

Worsted yarn is spun from the finest quality Merino wool from Australia and New Zealand for weaving, knitting, hosiery and the upholstery sector with a capacity of 3,000 ton/year. Worsted yarn is available in pure wool and blends such as wool/polyester, wool/nylon, wool/ viscose, polyester/viscose, wool/silk and wool/"Lycra". The range includes conventional and Siro-spun; dyed solids, melange and vigourex printed as well as Ecru; single and twisted; core spun; and shrink resistance.

Jaya Shree offers single and multifold synthetic raw white yarn in blends of man-made fibers for apparel and industrial applications. The production capacity is 7,500 ton/year

Jaya Shree also manufactures a wide range of pure linen and linen blended fabrics, poly ester/viscose blended woven designs and plain fabrics for men's and women's wear exclusively for exports and flame-retardant fabrics for apparel, industrial and defense use. The range of linen blends includes those with cotton, rayon, lyocell, polynosic, "Lycra" and silk. The production capacity is 10 million meter/year for apparel fabrics and 2 million meter/year for flame-retardant apparel and industrial fabrics.

Eurotex Industries and Exports

India's Most Modern Spinning Plant

Eurotex Industries and Exports Limited is a vertically integrated textile firm based in India, and is a part of the well-known Patodia Eurotex Group of Industries.

The Patodia Group of Industries was founded as early as 1938 and pioneered the business of cotton and art silk yarns in India. The trade and export activities of the Group rose to enormous proportions after World War II. The Group's turnover is in excess of US$150 million with exports contributing over 50%, and covers almost the full range of activities of the textile industry, from raw cotton to ready-to-wear fashion garments. The Group has firm business tie-ups with textile companies all over the world, including Japan, Switzerland, the U.K., Germany, Korea, Italy and the U.S. The Group's cotton yarn exports comprise almost 10% of India's yarn exports.

These towering accomplishments have been the inspiration to the formation of Eurotex, which was incorporated in 1989. The company's plant, spread out over a sprawling 30 acres at Kolhapur in Maharashtra, is one of the most sophisticated in its class in the world today. The latest machinery and technological knowhow were acquired from reputed world leaders in their respective fields, and the plant is professionally managed by the best technical team in India today.

Based on their experience and expertise, Eurotex confidently offers high-end textile products, whether it be yarn, fabrics or finished garments.

Eurotex spins yarn between counts Ne 20s combed and Ne 120s combed, both in single and 2-ply. All of the yarns are wound on the latest Schlafhorst and Murata automatic winders. The company also produces high RKM yarns for high-speed looms. Double yarns, including knotless, are twisted on Volkmann two-for-one twisters.

Knitting facilities are housed in the same premises as the spinning units. Eurotex has single jersey, interlock and rib machines from Mayer & Cie. and Terrot, and knits fabrics in various structures.

Eurotex's ultra-modern garment manufacturing unit located in New Bombay manufactures high-quality knitwear for the export market. The garment product range covers a wide spectrum from babies' wear and pyjamas, kids' and teen's wear to polo pique and round neck T-shirts. With all machinery from Pegasus, Yamato, Juki and Brother, a full-fledged garment testing laboratory, and the latest fusing machines and needle detectors, Eurotex distinguish itself on the basis of strict quality control that it offers to customers.

Eurotex is currently planning further expansion in the sectors of weaving and processing. Greater importance is also being attached to apparel.

Being one of India's largest exporters of pure cotton yarn, Eurotex exports all of its yarn to quality conscious and demanding buyers in Japan, the U.K., Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong/China and Mauritius. The continuous inflow of repeat orders from buyers in these markets speaks for the Eurotex quality and its reputation.

Rajiv Patodia, Executive Director of Eurotex, forecasts a bright future, saying, "The future is very good for the Indian textile industry, and as a company, we will continue our endeavors at all levels to meet the ever-increasing expectations and demands of our customers."

Jindal

Launching New Denim Plant

Jindal Worldwide Limited is a central government-recognized trading house, and has been active in the sector of home textiles for more than 25 years. This globally recognized, export-oriented company with an annual turnover of US$45 million has been participating in Heimtextil since the late 1980s.

Dr. Yamunadutt Agrawal, President of Jindal, says, "The textile sector in India is booming, and our business has been good this year."

Jindal's range of products includes bedsets, curtains and table and kitchen linens. The range of bedsets reflects the company's well-evolved design repertoire of innovative, contemporary and classic prints, which are available in pure cotton, flannel, seersucker, satin, satin stripe, Swiss dot, percale, polyester/cotton blend, microfibers, knits, glanz satin, etc. These fabrics are stitched into various forms such as bedsheets, duvet covers, fitted sheets, quilts, bedskirts, shams, framed cushion covers, pillow covers, bolsters, etc. in a wide range of qualities.

Table and kitchen linens are available in a complete range including table cloths, placemats, napkins, runners, breadbaskets, kitchen towels, aprons, potholders and gloves.

The company has a fabric production capacity of 5 million meter/month, and investments are being made for achieving higher value addition. The entire process cycle from raw materials to the finishing stage is monitored and supervised by a team of expert quality controllers. Commitment to service and quality is the fundamental business axiom at Jindal, and the company has a reputation for its ontime deliveries and overall customer satisfaction.

The company operates in-house weaving, bleaching, dyeing, printing, processing and finishing for fabrics up to 300 cm in width. These operations are supported by an integrated stitching plant, which converts finished fabrics into various forms of made-up articles.

Vivacious designs are created at its computerized in-house design studio equipped with CAD/CAM facilities, and its design team has the expertise to create world-class designs in very short lead time. As a means of further saving time and cost, Jindal offers online preview of designs, and clients can order modifications online.

As for exports, Jindal is supplying its products to markets in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Australia.

Jindal has recently launched a new denim plant with a capacity of 10 million meter/year. A total of US$10 million has been invested in this project, and the denim will be supplied to both the domestic market and exports.

Investments in terry towels will be finalized at ITMA ASIA in October.

Rajasthan Spinning & Weaving Mills

India's Largest Exporter of Spun Synthetic Yarn

Rajasthan Spinning & Weaving Mills Ltd. (RSWM) is the flagship company of the LNJ Bhilwara Group, which is a well-diversified conglomerate with interests in an extensive range of industries including textiles, graphite electrodes, power generation, power engineering consultancy services, steel and IT enabled services.

RSWM is primarily engaged in the manufacture of synthetic, blended, melange and specialty yarns and fabrics. Particularly, its strength is in polyester/cotton and other cotton blended yarns, such as cotton blends with acrylic, viscose and "Viloft"- oriented yarn, pure cotton m_lange and cotton-blended m_lange and dyed yarns.

With six units at Gulabpura, Banswara, Mandpam, Rishabhdev, Bhilwara and Ringas located in the State of Rajasthan, its huge spinning capacity of 270,000 spindles produces 80,000 tons of yarn a year, and the company also manufactures 12 million meters of fabrics annually with 69 looms at its Gulabpura unit.

All of its plants are equipped with state-of-the-art machines and captive power generation facilities. With the most modern spinning and weaving plants, techno-savviness, quality consciousness and a vast product range, RSWM is considered to be one of the most modern spinning and weaving companies in India today. The fiber dyeing unit is equipped with technology from Obobermier HTHR Spinning units have preparatory machines from Tr_tzschler, Rieter, Toyota, Vouk, Crosrol and Lakshmi Machines. Automatic winders are from Schlafhorst ("Autoconer 238" and "338"), and two-for-one twisters from Volkmann, Leewha and Murata. Weaving Plants are equipped with "Sulzer Textil P7100" and "P7200" projectile looms and Toyota air-jet looms.

Meanwhile, specialty fiber supply for the production of world-class yarn includes flame-retardant polyester from Trevira, Germany, "Tencel" from Lenzing, flax from Belgium and silk from China.

RSWM is the first composite textile mill in India to obtain ISO certification, and it also enjoys prestigious Three Star Export House' status.

This year, RSWM is enjoying good business on the international market and exports a complete range of yarn and fabric to over 60 countries worldwide, giving the company a markedly visible presence across the textile world. RSWM is India's largest exporter of spun synthetic yarn and has reigned as the biggest exporter of polyester/viscose blended yarn since 1993.

The range of fabrics RSWM exports is also extensive. Bottomweight fabrics include polyester/viscose blended fabrics; "Tencel", "Tencel"/polyester "Tencel"/cotton blends, polyester/ cotton blends and polyester/polynosic blends, stretch fabrics and "Trevira CS" flame-retardant fabrics. Shirtings are offered in polyester and viscose blends. The range of finishing is also wide ranging, such as piece dyeing, fiber dyeing, enzyme treatment, crispy finishing on polyester/viscose fabric, anti-crease finishing and "Teflon" coating.

Meanwhile in the domestic market, RSWM has captured hearts of Indian consumers with its popular range of "Mayur" ready-to-wears.

Leading RSWM to even greater success is Joint Managing Director Riju Jhunjhunwala. He says that its mission is to continuously grow on a sustainable basis and be a major, innovative, profitable and the most admired textile manufacturer in Asia. RSWM is determined and committed to take on the leadership role in the global textile and garment industry, through understanding and surpassing customer expectations, enhancing excellence in quality, ongoing innovations and a business ethos which is based on integrity and honesty.

The Joint Managing Director sees fabrics and garments as growth areas. Nearly 30% of production is currently being exported, and this percentage is expected to increase to 45% with the opportunities created by the postWTO scenario.

RSWM is in the process of a modernization drive, and is increasing its spindles at all of its manufacturing units. To enhance its operating capacity, RSWM has acquired Jaipur Polyspin Ltd. for the manufacturing of synthetic blended yarn. It has also acquired a state-of-the-art process house at Mordi, Banswara and Rajasthan.

A new factory for manufacturing mainly men's casual trousers was launched in Bangalore in August. Production has been started and will reach to its full capacity of 14,000 pairs per day.

Raymond

World's Largest Vertically Integrated Worsted Suiting Maker

The Raymond Group is a Rs 16,000-million-plus conglomerate having businesses in textiles, readymade garments, engineering files and tools, prophylactics and toiletries. The group is the leader in many of these businesses, and enjoys a pronounced position in the international market.

One of the group companies, Raymond Limited is India's leading producer of worsted suiting fabric with a 60% market share. The company has five divisions comprising textiles, denim, engineering files and tools, aviation and designer-wear, and is especially recognized as the most admired textile company in India.

With a capacity of 25 million meter/year of wool and wool-blended fabrics, Raymond is the largest integrated manufacturer in the world. The company exports its suitings to more than 50 countries including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and the Middle East. It is the only Company into manufacturing of fabric, garments, branding and retailing, encompassing the entire value chain.

S.K. Gupta, President of Raymond Limited, says, "We have developed strong in-house skills for research and development, which has resulted in pathbreaking new products. Raymond is perceived as a pioneer and innovator, and has been responsible for raising the standard of the Indian textile industry."

The company is increasing its suiting capacity to 28 million meters and eventually to 35 million meters and has also through its subsidiary Silver Spark set up a state-of-the-art plant at Bangalore to produce 2 mn. formal trousers and 0.3 mn. suits.

The denim division produces highquality ring denim with a capacity of 30 million meter/year, and ranks among the top three producers in the country. The denim products are exported to over 30 countries around the world.

The denim capacity is further being increased by 10 million meters at a cost of Rs 1 billion. A world-class rope indigo dyeing plant was recently commissioned, which will enable Raymond to reach the additional denim capacity by January 2006.

This investment for augmenting the denim division will help in meeting unfulfilled demand for specialty denim from discerning and trendsetting customers. The company envisions exporting most of its denim production as high value-added jeanswear to the best labels worldwide. As a step towards achieving this, Raymond has set up Ever Blue Apparel Limited (a 100% subsidiary of Raymond), as a 10,000-unit/day, state-of-the-art jeanswear factory at the apparel park Bangalore to be scaled up in stages.

In response to the enormous Indian opportunity emerging with the removal of quota barriers worldwide, the Raymond group selected denim as a thrust area for its global forays, and has already invested Rs 3,500 million in its world-class plant at Yavtamal in the Vidharbha region.

As part of its strategy to expand its product portfolio by entering into cotton fabrics, Raymond Limited has entered a Rs 2,000-million deal with Gruppo Zambaiti, a textile major in Italy. A 50-50 joint venture with Cotonificio Honegger S.p.A., a part of Gruppo Zambaiti, through this deal, the textile majors will be set up a greenfield facility in India for manufacture of high value cotton shirting fabrics.

The facility will manufacture fine cotton and cotton linen shirting fabric, and will have a capacity of 11.5 million meters. In addition to the equity support, Gruppo Zambaiti will be bringing in technological and design inputs and global marketing network. This facility will cater to the international markets at the middle to the upper end brands and offer custom designed shirting products to discerning international customers, which include the leading brands and retailers. This facility will also provide an edge by way of offering premium quality fabrics and latest in designs to the Raymond portfolio of premium brands, such as "Manzoni", "Park Avenue" and "ColorPlus". As forward integration a world class shirt plant 'Celebration' has been set up in technical collaboration with a renowned Japenese company.

Raymond is also setting up a 50:50 joint venture with Lanificio Fedora of Italy, a leading woolen fabric manufacturer. Raymond will transfer the existing carded woolen unit, making largely blankets and shawls, at Jalgaon to the new JV. The cost of this project, with capacity addition, is Rs 400 million.

With this JV, Raymond will incorporate the technical expertise and industry experience of its partners within its existing business to offer world-class products for both the domestic and international markets.

Apart from the access to technical expertise from Lanificio Fedora, this new partnership will see an expansion of the current manufacturing capacity from 1.5 million to 2.5 million meter/year in the first phase. In addition, this JV will leverage the strengths of the brands within the domestic and international markets. The JV will have a product mix that includes blankets, shawls and fancy woolen jacketing, and expects to export around two-thirds of its output.

Raymond distributes its products through about 320 exclusive retail shops in India and surrounding countries, 15,000 multi-brand retail outlets and over 100 wholesale distributors. In addition to the Middle East and SAARC countries, the products are sold to discerning customers in over 50 countries including premium fashion labels all over the world.

Vardhman

India's Largest Supplier of Yarn

Vardhman is a large conglomerate with a combined turnover of US$500 million, and manufactures yarn, threads, fabrics and steel.

Its core business is textiles ranging from fiber to finished fabrics. The Vardhman Group is well known as India's largest manufacturer and exporter of cotton yarn, the second largest producer of sewing thread, and a large producer of acrylic fiber as well as gray and finished woven fabrics.

During the last decade, the Vardhman Group recorded an 11% topline growth rate, which is greater than the industry's average growth. The Group's turnover increased from Rs 7,230 million in 1995 to Rs 22193 million (MSML=Rs.19314 million, VMT=Rs.618 million, VTL=Rs. 212 million, and VAL=Rs.2049 million ) in 2004-05. Exports also grew from a negligible level in the early nineties to Rs 4,457 million (exports FOB - VMT=Rs. 302 million, VTL=Rs. 25 million and MSML=Rs.4130 million) in 2004-05.

The manufacturing of yarn is a major activity accounting for 65% of the group's turnover. Vardhman is virtually a supermarket for yarn, as it produces the widest range of cotton, synthetics and blends, gray and dyed yarns and hand-knitting yarns, in which Vardhman is the market leader in India. The group has nine production plants with a total capacity of over 550,000 spindles, spread all over the country. In many of the yam market segments, Vardhman boasts the largest market share.

Vardhman is one of the largest exporters of yarn from India, exporting yarns worth more than US$90 million annually.

In addition, Vardhman is the second largest producer of sewing thread in the country. The sewing thread manufacturing capacity has been expanded from 17 to 22 ton/day in its sewing thread plants located at Hoshiarpur, Baddi, Ludhiana and Perundurai. Sewing threads contributes 12% to the group turnover.

The Group has state-of-the-art weaving and processing facilities in its plant at Baddi, Northern India. The group has 264 shuttleless looms (mainly Tsudakoma air-jet looms) and a fabric processing capacity of 30 million meters per annum in collaboration of Tokai Senko of Japan. Fabrics business contributes about 8% to the group turnover.

The group has an acrylic staple fiber plant (Vardhman Acrylics Ltd.) at Bharuch in Gujrat in collaboration with Marubeni Corp. and Japan Exlan Co., Ltd. of Japan. The plant has a production capacity of 18,000 ton/year, and contributes 8% to the total turnover.

Vardhman is promoting collaboration with specialists worldwide In addition to Vardhman Acrylics Ltd., international alliances have been established with Tokai Senko of Japan for fabric dyeing and finishing, Nihon Sanmo Dyeing Co., Ltd. of Japan for fiber and yarn dyeing, Kyung Bang of Korea for gassed mercerized yarn, Toho Rayon of Japan for cotton yarn, and American & Efird, Inc. of the U.S. for sewing thread.

Vardhman first entered the global market in 1986, and since then has increased its exports to the level of U$92 million (2002). Vardhman exports 40% of its yarn production to more than 25 countries around the world, and has strong presence in markets such as the EU, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Mauritius, the Middle East. Today, Vardhman accounts for more than 6% of total yarn exports from India.

Vardhman is a truly international organization in terms of sourcing from and catering to the world market. The Group has an edge over its competitors in the world's most quality conscious and price sensitive markets, thanks to its trusted, tested and reliable workforce, coupled with the latest technology, quality consciousness, customeroriented services and strong logistics.

Vardhman has evolved from a small beginning to a modern textile major under the dynamic leadership of Chairman S.P. Oswal. His vision and insights have given Vardhman an enviable position in the Indian textile industry. Under his able leadership, Vardhman is further innovating, diversifying, integrating and building its businesses into a dynamic enterprise of today.

Chairman Oswal says, "The textile industry is full of opportunities for those having the right competencies and a constant will to learn. At Vardhman, we have evolved a clear perception of the bright future of the industry. The clarity and focus are reflected in our dedication and unremitting attention to textiles. The Group's work culture veers around the core values of trust, integrity and customer care. With our vision and core values, we confidently look forward to the future."

Vardhman is investing about US$ 250 million to 300 million in projects which ranges from spinning and fabric processing to the production of finished goods. 100,000 spindles are being added to the spinning capacity, and the weaving capacity is being doubled. The dyeing and finishing capacity for fabrics (bottomweights and shirtings) is being expanded to 80 million meters.

Paddock Named Coach of Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA - John Paddock was promoted to coach of the Ottawa Senators on Friday, taking over a team that made it to the Stanley Cup finals this past season.

The 53-year-old Paddock, who was the Senators' assistant coach the last two seasons, will be the sixth coach in franchise history. He takes over from Bryan Murray, who was promoted to general manager in mid-June.

"John is known and respected by our players and that was a big reason in his being named head coach," Murray said at a news conference. "I never considered John as an assistant coach. I considered him a partner."

Paddock was coach of the Winnipeg Jets from 1991-95, compiling a record of 106-138-37. He played right wing for three clubs - Washington, Philadelphia and Quebec - between 1975 and 1983.

"This is an extremely exciting day to have an opportunity to coach a team I've been associated with for five years," Paddock said.

Paddock became Jets coach in 1991, becoming the first Manitoba-born coach of that franchise. He later added the general manager post, and gave up his job as coach in early 1994. He remained as general manager even after the team relocated to Phoenix, keeping that job until December 1996.

Paddock said while he hoped to one day return to the NHL as a head coach, it wasn't a goal that consumed him.

"I'm not sure it's something you think about," he said. "It's something you hope for. I thought it would happen at some point but it if didn't, it didn't."

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

WORLD at 1000 GMT

NEW THIS DIGEST:

WIKILEAKS. WikiLeaks' payment processor says will sue Visa, MasterCard lawsuit; PayPal returns funds

WIKILEAKS-RAPE CHARGES. Tales of flings at center of Assange case spotlight Sweden's unusual rape laws

KOREAS-CLASH. Positive signs of diplomacy as high-ranking Chinese official meets with NKorean leader

CHINA-NOBEL. China's push against awarding Nobel Peace Prize to dissident seen as backfiring

CLIMATE. Cancun talks search for final-round compromises on climate funding, other tough issues

INDIA-BORDER ABUSE. Rights group: Trigger-happy Indian guards killing indiscriminately on border with Bangladesh

CHINA-VATICAN. Chinese Catholics pick prelate unrecognized by Vatican to head bishops' council

IRAQ. US military says American soldier killed in Iraq; gunmen kill 2 Iraqi policemen

EXECUTION DRUG SEARCH. APNewsBreak: Documents show Calif. prison officials scoured globe for lethal injection drug

HAITI-ELECTION. Haitian singer vows to legally challenge presidential vote results amid protests, rioting

ARGENTINA-ANTARCTIC CRUISE. Antarctic cruise ship limping safely to Argentina wave slams bridge, briefly cuts engine power

BRITAIN-EARNS-HMV. Music and games seller HMV says sales dropped 6 pct in first half, causing loss to grow

GREECE-FINANCIAL CRISIS. EU's Rehn says bloc taking 'positive look' at pushing back Greece's loan repayment date

WORLD MARKETS. World stock markets mostly higher amid Japan growth, US tax cuts extension

WCUP-QATAR-ASIA. Asian body urges FIFA to reschedule 2022 World Cup to winter to avoid Qatar's heat

DUBAI LADIES MASTERS. Lydia Hall takes 1-shot clubhouse lead over Anna Nordqvist on 2nd day of Dubai Ladies Masters

OLY--LONDON 2012-CANOE-SLALOM. Organizers unveil first new venue completed from scratch for 2012 London Games, canoe-slalom course

TOP STORIES:

WIKILEAKS

LONDON — WikiLeaks' payment processor says it is preparing to sue credit card companies Visa and MasterCard over their refusal to process donations to the secret-spilling website. AP Photos. AP Graphic WIKILEAKS

WITH: WIKILEAKS-COLOMBIA; WIKILEAKS-SALVADOR; WIKILEAKS-SAUDI VICE; WIKILEAKS-EL-MASRI; WIKILEAKS-THAT'S CLASSIFIED?

WIKILEAKS-RAPE CHARGES

STOCKHOLM — A starry-eyed admirer was flattered to be invited to dinner with a man she considered a champion of free speech. Another woman supported the cause by lending her apartment to the same man, then returned early from her trip. Both encounters resulted in sex. Now, after unleashing an unprecedented trove of U.S. government secrets, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is behind bars to answer questions about whether his conduct amounted to rape under Sweden's unusually broad definition. By Malin Rising. AP Photos.

KOREAS-CLASH

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's leader meets in his capital with China's top foreign policy official as a U.S. governor announces a trip to the North in a flurry of promising diplomacy two weeks after a deadly artillery exchange between the two Koreas. By Foster Klug And Kim Kwang-Tae. AP Photos.

CHINA-NOBEL

BEIJING — China's relentless criticism of the Nobel Peace Prize's bestowal on imprisoned Chinese dissident writer Liu Xiaobo shows signs of backfiring, as criticism of Beijing rises a day ahead of the award ceremony. By Christopher Bodeen. AP Photos.

WITH: PHILIPPINES-CHINA-NOBEL

CLIMATE

CANCUN, Mexico — With just two days left, delegates to the annual U.N. climate conference haggle and cajole into the night in search of compromise on a raft of issues, including whether industrial nations should generate $100 billion a year, or up to $600 billion, to help poorer countries cope with global warming. By Special Correspondent Charles J. Hanley. AP Photos.

INDIA-BORDER ABUSE

NEW DELHI — A rights group says India's security forces are routinely gunning down cattle smugglers and other civilians crossing the border with Bangladesh despite scant evidence of any crime

CHINA-VATICAN

BEIJING — China's government-backed Catholic church says bishops have elected new leaders amid tensions with the Vatican. They include the new head of the Chinese bishops' council, who is a prelate unrecognized by the Vatican.

IRAQ

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military says an American soldier has died in southern Iraq. By Bushra Juhi. .

EXECUTION DRUG SEARCH

SAN FRANCISCO — California prison officials went on a frantic two-month search for a lethal drug needed to carry out the state's first execution in five years, which ultimately was called off, documents show. The officials traded lethal injection drugs with their counterparts in Arizona, were snubbed by well-stocked Texas and scoured the globe from Pakistan to London for the drug in short supply. By Paul Elias.

HAITI-ELECTION

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A popular singer vows to legally challenge election results that narrowly oust him from Haiti's presidential race, while his supporters barricaded streets and set fires in violence that threatens the fragile stability that followed a devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. By Jonathan M. Katz. AP Photos.

ARGENTINA-ANTARCTIC CRUISE

BUENOS AIRES — A large wave slams into an Antarctic cruise ship with 88 American passengers and 77 crew members aboard, but the ship's crew overcome minor damage and head safely back to its scheduled port. AP Photos and Video.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

BRITAIN-EARNS-HMV

LONDON — Shares in HMV fall sharply after the music and games retailer reported sliding sales and growing losses in the first half and a dismal start to the Christmas season.

GREECE-FINANCIAL CRISIS

VOULIAGMENI, Greece — The European Union takes a "positive look" at extending Greece's repayment period of bailout loans that saved the country from default, top EU economic official Olli Rehn says. AP Photos.

WORLD MARKETS

BANGKOK — World stock markets mostly advance after Japan's third quarter GDP is revised higher and the extension of U.S. tax cuts boosts expectations of stronger economic growth in the short-term. AP Photo.

WITH OIL PRICES

SPORTS:

SOC--WCUP-QATAR-ASIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Asian Football Confederation urges FIFA to reschedule the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter months of January or February to avoid the desert state's sweltering heat. By Julia Zappei

GLF--DUBAI LADIES MASTERS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Lydia Hall of Wales shoots a 5-under 67 at the Dubai Ladies Masters to take a one-shot lead over Sweden's Anna Nordqvist midway through the second round. Moved. By Michael Casey

OLY--LONDON 2012-CANOE-SLALOM

LONDON — Olympic organizers unveil the first new venue completed from scratch for the 2012 London Games, the 31-million-pound whitewater course for the canoe-slalom competition. Expected by 1200 GMT. By Rob Harris

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