wiki globe

Posts Tagged ‘seek’

, , , , , , ,

Italian authorities seek to stop violent garbage protests

In Uncategorized on October 24, 2010 at 11:58 am

ROME, Oct 24, 2010 (AFP) – Authorities planned Sunday to temporarily halt waste deliveries to try to stop violent protests over a garbage tip outside Naples as clashes erupted again overnight between police and demonstrators.


Hundreds of people joined more demonstrations late Saturday in Terzigno and overnight several dozen protestors hurled rocks at police who responded with tear gas, according to footage broadcast by Sky TG-24 television.


At least six officers have been injured in the clashes, officials said.


In a bid to calm tensions over the waste crisis, Italy’s security chief Guido Bertolaso late Saturday signed a plan to halt delivery of waste to the tip at Terzigno for three days.

Riot police scatters demonstartors protesting against the opening of a new dump on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Terzigno on October 23, 2010. AFP

It also calls for the decision on whether to open a second garbage tip to be postponed indefinitely provided the demonstrations stop.


These moves to resolve the waste crisis are set to be examined Sunday by the towns concerned in the Naples region whose mayors are later expected to meet with Bertolaso to sign off on the plan.


The protestors’ blockade of Terzigno’s existing dump has caused 2,400 tonnes of rubbish to pile up in the streets of Naples, the official responsible for the city’s hygiene, Paolo Giacomelli, said Saturday.


The proposed new dump, the biggest in Europe, would be 800 metres (875 yards) from the edge of Terzigno in the Vesuvius National Park, some 135 square kilometres (52 square miles) of outstanding natural beauty in the Bay of Naples.


The protected area of rare wildlife and plants includes Mount Vesuvius, best known for its volcanic eruption in 79 AD that destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.


The long-running waste issue has been blamed on a lack of local incinerators, and landfill sites controlled by the local mafia, the Camorra, some of which were used for the illegal dumping of toxic waste.


Meanwhile, the European environment commissioner, Janez Potocnik, said Saturday Italy faced legal action by the European Union and massive fines for failing to improve waste management around Naples.

d
Source: SGGP

, , , , , ,

Iran, Venezuela leaders seek ‘new world order’

In Uncategorized on October 22, 2010 at 7:52 am

The leaders of Iran and Venezuela hailed what they called their strong strategic relationship on Wednesday, saying they are united in efforts to establish a “new world order” that will eliminate Western dominance over global affairs.


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and visiting Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, watched as officials from both countries signed 11 agreements promoting cooperation in areas including oil, natural gas, textiles, trade and public housing.


Among the agreements, Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA said the South American country was forming a joint shipping venture with Iran to aid in delivering Venezuelan crude oil to Europe and Asia. It said in a statement that the agreement for a joint venture also would help supply Iran “due to its limited refining capacity.”


Both presidents denounced U.S. “imperialism” and said their opponents will not be able to impede cooperation between Iran and Venezuela.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, shakes hands with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, during an official welcoming ceremony for him, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010.

Iran’s state TV quoted both Ahmadinejad and Chavez as calling their relationship a “strategic alliance” that would eliminate the current global order.


“Iran and Venezuela are united to establish a new world order based on humanity and justice,” Ahmadinejad said, repeating his predictions that those who today seek “world domination are on the verge of collapse.”


Chavez said this is a time of “great threats” that make its necessary to swiftly “consolidate strategic alliances in political, economic, technological, energy and social areas,” according to the state-run Venezuelan News Agency.


Details of the latest accords were not released, and Chavez said some agreements went beyond those put on paper. He said a Venezuelan delegation will soon travel to Iran to follow up on the agreements.


Iran has become the closest Middle East ally to Chavez’s government as the left-leaning leader has sought to build international alliances to counter what he sees as U.S. economic and political dominance.


“Imperialism has entered a decisive phase of decline and … is headed, like elephants, to its graveyard,” Chavez said, according to the Venezuelan state news agency.


Chavez has staunchly defended Iran’s nuclear energy program, siding with Tehran by insisting it is for peaceful uses and not for nuclear bombs.


U.S. officials have worried Iran may be using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons. Four rounds of U.N. sanctions, as well as broader severe U.S. and European Union sanctions have not persuaded Tehran to halt the program.


Chavez also has plans to develop a nuclear energy program in Venezuela and last week signed an agreement for Russia to help build a reactor.


Without mentioning the countries’ nuclear ambitions, Chavez said his government demands respect for Iran’s sovereignty and that “those who think they are most powerful and want to impose their will on the world respect Iran.”


Chavez’s trip to Iran was his ninth as president. Before coming to Tehran, he made stops in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Later Wednesday, Chavez arrived in Syria, and is due to travel next to Libya and Portugal.


Iran and Venezuela both belong to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. In recent years, the two oil-producing countries have also set up joint ventures to produce cars, tractors and bicycles in the South American country.

Source: SGGP

, , , , , , ,

APEC meeting vows to seek higher-quality economic growth

In Uncategorized on August 8, 2010 at 11:21 am

 Asian and Pacific countries agreed Sunday to improve the “quality” of their growth and help put the global economy back on track from its crisis.

Beppu City

The accord was reached at a meeting of ministerial-level officials as well as industrial and academic leaders from the 21 countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.


International institutions including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank were also represented at the two-day meeting, which ended Sunday in the Japanese resort of Beppu.


It was aimed at paving the ground for APEC leaders to work out an unprecedented “growth strategy” for the region at the forum’s annual summit in November in the Japanese port city of Yokohama.


“As the world’s leading growth centre, the APEC region has a great responsibility for the future course of the global economy,” said a statement from the co-chairmen of the meeting.


“APEC should contribute to improving the quality of growth in the global economy as well through its growth strategy, as envisaged by the APEC economic leaders last year,” said the statement posted APEC’s official website.


APEC leaders agreed at last year’s summit in Singapore to formulate the strategy in 2010 to “shape the region’s growth following the financial and economic crisis,” said the statement.


APEC was launched in 1989 to promote trade and strengthen economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, which now accounts for more than half the world’s economic output and 40 percent of its population.


The grouping includes Australia, China, Japan, Peru, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.


“Countries in the region are exploring ways to shift their emphasis on economic development from exports to domestic demand,” Japanese trade minister Masayuki Naoshima told a news conference after co-chairing the meeting.


“Japan wants to cooperate in economic development by backing infrastructure projects,” said Naoshima. The other co-chairman was Satoshi Arai, the Japanese minister of state for economic and fiscal policy.


The meeting confirmed that APEC aims to achieve economic growth that is “balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure,” the statement said.


Balanced growth should be led by “structural reforms” while inclusive growth features job creation — especially for women — human resources development and better access to finance, it added.


Energy efficiency will be the core of sustainable growth while innovative growth will be driven by an improvement in the research and development environment, the statement said.


The members of APEC can contribute to secure growth by working together in such areas as counter-terrorism, prevention of pandemic diseases and food security, the statement added.


 

Source: SGGP

, , , , , , , ,

Pakistan mourns as investigators seek clues to air crash

In Uncategorized on July 29, 2010 at 3:17 am

, , , , , ,

Airports in southern provinces seek int’l flights

In Uncategorized on July 28, 2010 at 7:20 pm




Airports in southern provinces seek int’l flights


QĐND – Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

The Southern Airports Corporation (SAC) and Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) on July 27 held a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City to seek international flights to three new airports in the southern regions.


Representatives from travel and tourism businesses as well as domestic and international airlines were introduced to incentive policies reserved for Phu Quoc airport in the southern province of Kien Giang, Lien Khuong in the southern province of Lam Dong and Can Tho in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.


Nguyen Nguyen Hung, General Director of SAC said that by 2012, a total of 8 trillion VND will be invested in the three airports.


The Lien Khuong international airport was put into operation last December and is forecast to be able to serve 580 domestic and 250 international passengers at peak hour by 2020.


Meanwhile, the Can Tho airport is scheduled to open in December this year and the Phu Quoc airport in 2012.


As part of the incentives, foreign visitors arrive at Phu Quoc airport will be given visa-exemption for a 15-day stay.


According to Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy head of CAAV, Vietnam has been working to facilitate the operation of international airlines in the country such as easing regulations through bilateral and multilateral agreements and offering 50 percent discount for airport services.


Source: VNA
Photo: hangkhonghanoi


Source: QDND

, , , , , , ,

Pakistan, India seek to rebuild trust with talks

In Uncategorized on July 15, 2010 at 12:53 pm

 Pakistan and India sought to improve their strained relationship Thursday with high-level talks aimed at rebuilding trust that was fractured by the deadly terrorist attacks that killed 166 people in the Indian city of Mumbai nearly two years ago.


But analysts expected little concrete progress from the visit by Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who met Thursday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Krishna is the most senior official to come to Pakistan since the November 2008 attacks, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants.


India has insisted that no real improvement in the relationship can come until Pakistan demonstrates its determination in cracking down on the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba allegedly involved in the attacks.

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, right, shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi prior to formal talks at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, July 15, 2010

Pakistan helped establish Lashkar-e-Taiba around 20 years ago to pressure India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. The government banned the group in 2002 following U.S. pressure, but many analysts believe it still maintains links.


Pakistan has bristled at criticism it is not doing enough, saying it needs more evidence from Indian investigators. The government has also pushed India to restart comprehensive talks on a range of issues, including Kashmir, that were suspended in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.


The atmosphere could become even more heated with claims published Wednesday by Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai that Pakistan’s most powerful intelligence agency orchestrated the attacks.


Pillai told the Indian Express newspaper that new information about the role of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had emerged from the interrogation of David Coleman Headley, an American who pleaded guilty in the U.S. in March to being in on the planning of the attacks. He was subsequently questioned by Indian investigators.


Pakistani authorities did not immediately respond to the accusations, but the agency has previously denied any involvement in the Mumbai attacks.


Krishna, the external affairs minister, said upon his arrival in Islamabad on Wednesday that he would continue to push Pakistan “on our core concern of terrorism.” He cited conversations India’s home minister had with Pakistani officials last month about Headley’s interrogation.

Source: SGGP

, , , , ,

Vietnam, Japan seek cooperation in shipbuilding

In Uncategorized on June 20, 2010 at 8:27 pm




Vietnam, Japan seek cooperation in shipbuilding


QĐND – Sunday, June 20, 2010, 22:26 (GMT+7)

Vietnam and Japan hold a big opportunity for cooperation in shipbuilding as the world’s second largest economy is recovering and the Southeast Asian country’s shipbuilding industry boasts various potentials.


Vietnam’s Investment Counsellor to Japan Le Huu Quang Huy delivered the message at a seminar on shipbuilding in the capital city of Tokyo on June 18.


Huy said Vietnam has a wide range of potentials to develop the shipbuilding industry, citing its coastline of 3,200km, 120 seaports, abundant and skilled workforce and low labour costs.


Meanwhile, the counsellor said, Japan possesses a large source of capital and a developed shipbuilding industry, with around 1,200 shipbuilding yards and 1,200 seaports. In particular, Japan’s economy is bouncing back and likely to achieve a growth rate of 1.9 percent this year, he added.


Huy pointed out three major challenges the shipbuilding industry will face after 2011 such as capital shortages due to tightened regulations on credits, changes in the demand for marine shipping and fluctuations of oil prices.


He called on shipbuilding companies from the two countries to increase the exchange of visits and meetings to discuss cooperation opportunities and ways to cope with these challenges.


According to the official, Vietnamese and Japanese businesses can cooperate in training personnel, treating environmental pollution at shipbuilding yards and developing supporting industries to serve shipbuilding.


At the seminar, Japan’s maritime expert Nagatsuka Seiji proposed a number of solutions, including the enhancement of cooperation with India, Vietnam and the Philippines, to help Japanese shipbuilding firms cope with fierce competition from regional rivals such as the Republic of Korea and China.


Source: VNA/ Photo: vinashin


Source: QDND

, , , , , ,

Italian businesses seek investment opportunities in Vietnam

In Uncategorized on June 9, 2010 at 7:07 pm




Italian businesses seek investment opportunities in Vietnam


QĐND – Wednesday, June 09, 2010, 17:25 (GMT+7)


Representatives from Italian enterprises on June 7th met with their Vietnamese counterparts from Ho Chi Minh City’s Mechanics Association, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Center and Vietnam Fruit Association to discuss its investment promotion plans in Vietnam.

Reportedly, leading enterprises from Emilia Romanna, the largest trade and industrial zone in Italy will officially increase their market-share of industrial products in Vietnam.


Macro Saladini, the Italian Trade Counsellor in Vietnam revealed that more representatives from Italian enterprises will come to Vietnam soon to explore long-term investment opportunities.


Source: NLD _ Photo: vfei


Translated by Vu Hung


Source: QDND

, , , , , , , , ,

Thailand will ask Interpol to seek Thaksin arrest: deputy PM

In Uncategorized on May 27, 2010 at 1:07 pm

, , , , , , ,

Polish relatives seek to identify Russia crash corpses

In Uncategorized on April 12, 2010 at 8:49 am

Grieving relatives of 96 people killed in the Polish presidential air disaster were in Russia on Monday to carry out the grim task of identifying corpses, many of them disfigured beyond recognition.

A map showing the route of the crashed plane and photos of some of the officials killed in Poland’s worst peacetime tragedy. (AFP Photo)

President Lech Kaczynski’s body was taken back to Warsaw on Sunday but that of his wife and dozens of other victims of the crash have still not been identified, Polish and Russian officials said.


Russia — which over the past years has had tense relations with Poland — was holding an official day of mourning for the crash victims with flags flying at half mast and entertainment programmes cancelled.


Russian officials have stated that there was no technical fault with Kaczynski’s Russian-built plane and that the Polish pilots were flying too low when they tried to land in thick fog on Saturday.


A special flight from Warsaw carrying the first of the relatives arrived in Moscow overnight and a second plane was expected to land in the course of the day, officials said.


The relatives, who are being put up in hotels in the capital, were starting the identification process at Moscow’s municipal morgue number three where the corpses are being held.


One hundred and thirty-two relatives have already arrived in Moscow.


The Polish military chief of staff and heads of the main armed services were also on the crashed plane along with the central bank governor, two deputy ministers, lawmakers and religious and cultural officials.


“The procedure for the relatives to identify the corpses is starting,” said Russian Health Minister Tatyana Golikova, standing alongside her Polish counterpart, Ewa Kopacz.


“We think that this procedure will last 2-3 days. We will do everything so this work is organised well and quickly,” said Golikova, adding that psychologists from Poland and Russia were helping the relatives in the ordeal.


Kopacz said the procedure would be difficult and some of the bodies were so badly disfigured that they could only be identified with the help of DNA evidence.


Russians paid their respects to the dead by laying flowers and candles outside the Polish embassy in Moscow. “Grief without borders,” headlined the pro-government Izvestia newspaper.


Kaczynski and the presidential delegation died as they were heading to a memorial service at Katyn, near Smolensk, for 22,000 Polish officers and troops killed in World War II 70 years ago.


Russian investigators on Sunday ruled out a technical fault with the Tupolev Tu-154 jet. Though it was an ageing Soviet-built craft, the jet had undergone a major overhaul in December, the Russian makers said.


“The recordings that we have confirm that there were no technical problems with the plane,” Russia’s chief investigator Alexander Bastrykin told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who is leading an official inquiry.


Recordings of the plane’s communications with air traffic control revealed the pilot had been warned that thick fog over the airport created dangerous conditions, but tried to land anyway, Bastrykin said.


“The pilot was informed about complex weather conditions but nevertheless made a decision to land,” Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s investigative committee said.


 

Source: SGGP