Saudi foundation to promote social programme

King Khalid Foundation, a Royal foundation in Saudi Arabia, and Acumen Fund, a global venture which helps deliver services to the poor, have partnered to raise the profile of the development sector and promote social entrepreneurship.

The two entities have joined hands to recruit a Saudi national for Acumen Fund’s Fellows Programme, in Fellows receive an opportunity to work with high impact social entrepreneurs for one year.

In the long run, the partnership hopes to build an entrepreneurial bench of professional talent with strong operational skills, experience in low-income markets, and the moral imagination to build enterprises that meet the needs of low-income customers in Saudi Arabia.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for young Saudis to explore social entrepreneurship and gain exposure to a unique experience that could bring a positive change to the country by promoting global best practices in the social sector,” HH Princess Banderi AR Al Faisal said at the third World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists in Doha.

Ankur Shah of Acumen Fund Middle East, said: “Each year, Acumen Fund recruits highly talented and passionate young professionals from across the world to develop leadership capacity and provide high impact management support to one of our social enterprises.”

“Poor people need work opportunities not dependency,” said Dr. Natasha Matic, Strategy Advisor, King Khalid Foundation.

“Traditional charity often fails to enable people to solve their problems over the long term,” she added.

“By building a network of strong leaders with financial and operational skills who will create opportunities that support the social enterprise sector, we will contribute to finding solutions to poverty.”

Acumen Fund's year-long fellowship begins every September with eight weeks of intensive and multidisciplinary leadership training in New York City.

Topics range from self reflection to negotiation and storytelling training to valuation techniques, marketing and operations. Fellows also meet with business leaders, writers and thinkers and explore issues related to Acumen Fund social investment geographies and sectors.

Following training in New York, Fellows begin their nine-month field placements with Acumen Fund investees. Each Fellow is assigned to a company, where they support senior management in tackling critical business issues - market expansion, business plan refinement, supply chain improvements, or even leading a new business initiative.

Over nine months, Fellows learn and apply skills in high impact operational roles at Acumen Fund investees.

Russia may unveil new 'super-tank' in summer 2010

Russia's new main battle tank (MBT), the T-95, could be exhibited for the first time at an arms show in the Urals Region this summer, the developer and future manufacturer of the tank has said.

The development of the new tank dubbed "Item 195" began at the Uralvagonzavod design bureau in the early 1990s. Russia will become the first country in the world to have the 5th-generartion MBT if the military commissions the vehicle.




"The work on the project has been conducted for many years. If the government gives us a 'green light' we will exhibit the tank at the [Russian Expo Arms 2010] arms show in Nizhny Tagil this summer," general director of the Uralvagonzavod plant Oleg Siyenko told RIA Novosti in an exclusive interview.

"I cannot disclose the characteristics of the tank, but I can assure you that we have met all the requirements put forward by the military," he said.

According to unofficial sources, the T-95 will feature better firepower, maneuverability, electronics and armor protection than Russia's latest T-90 MBT or comparable foreign models.

It will weigh about 55 tons and its speed will increase from 30-50 kph to 50-65 kph (19-31 mph to 31-40 mph).

The new tank may be equipped with a 152-mm smoothbore gun capable of firing guided missiles with a range of 6,000-7,000 meters.

In contrast to existing designs, the gun will be located in a remotely-controlled turret to improve 3-men crew survivability.

Meanwhile, the T-90 MBT, developed in the 1990s on the basis of the T-72B tank, will be the backbone of the armored units until 2025, according to the Russian military.

Russia currently produces up to 100 T-90 MBTs annually and plans to have at least 1,500 vehicles in service with the Ground Forces.

Khidmah, Securiguard in services tie-up

Abu Dhabi-based Khidmah, a top services management company, has tied up with Securiguard Middle East, a leading security solutions provider, in a pact that will allow both firms to mutually benefit from their services and expertise.

The two partners put their strengths together to fulfill customer needs and create optimal value in security services, a statement said.

Khidmah brings in its expertise in services management, offering customers a full range of property related services under one roof and through a single point of contact while Securiguard Middle East contributes with its specialist knowledge in security solutions.

The new partners join effort to benefit from each other’s competences and work together with a common goal: maximising customer value and ensuring the highest quality levels of security services for properties.

Securiguard Middle East has a wide experience in security solutions and offers a variety of customised programs including real-time audio/video remote electronic surveillance, access control and verification and will provide all the expertise to Khidmah’s properties.

Khidmah, on the other hand, is a committed services management company that provides an integrated range of property management services including leasing, resale, 24/7 customer call center, landscaping and a growing list of specialty services including housekeeping services to an expanding portfolio of residential and commercial real estate developments.

“Now with the strategic alliance and partnership, both Khidmah and Securiguard Middle East will be able to offer customers the full solution to their property’s service needs,” said Sutton Turner, CEO of Khidmah.

“This will allow Khidmah to remain focused on services management and Securiguard Middle East to remain focused on security management – to provide good quality services at the lowest possible prices,” he added.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to invest $30bn this year

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, invested $30bn last year and is expected to match the same amount this year, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani said.

Speaking at a joint news conference here yesterday with visiting Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem said, “Only in 2009 we made $30bn investments and we are thinking to invest the same amount this year.”

Prior to the news conference Qatar and Bulgaria signed an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

The agreement was signed from the Qatari side by the Minister of Economy and Finance, H E Yousuf Hussein Kamal and the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miladenov Nickolay.

The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of energy.

The agreement was signed by State Minister for International Cooperation, Member of Cabinet and Acting Minister of Business and Trade, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah and Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism.

Qatar and Bulgaria agreed to set up a joint company that will explore investment opportunities in agriculture, energy and infrastructure projects.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem said the two sides did not discuss the amount Qatar is expected to invest in Bulgaria, but “Qatar is ready to invest as long as there is a good return for both sides,” he said. “I cannot give a figure, but I can mention that we are very serious about these projects,” he said.

Asked whether the two sides discussed the possibility of constructing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Bulgaria, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem said, “If we are thinking about another terminal, that will need a lot of technical and financial studies and see who the end-user of the gas is. At the moment this is under study in Qatar and I don’t think anything will happen before one or two years in this respect. Bulgaria is one of the countries in our list for such a project but it depends on the end-users and the quantity required.”

The Prime Minister also said Qatar is expected to open its embassy in Sofia this year.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boiko Borissov termed the meeting with the Qatari side as pragmatic and said that the joint company will be looking into two to five projects in agriculture, energy and infrastructure as well as education and tourism, noting that foreign investments in Bulgaria were fully guaranteed.

He also expressed his wish for a direct flight between Doha and Sofia in the near future.

UAE becomes 4th biggest arms importer

The UAE has become world's fourth largest arms importer with its total spending put at Dh23.9 billion ($6.5 billion). The emirates even surged ahead of Israel, which was in the sixth place, said a report.

The nearest Arab country was Egypt, in the 15th place, with $2.5 billion in imports, the National reported.

Only China, India and South Korea spent more, the report said citing the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), which for 44 years has tracked armaments and military spending.

The US is by far the biggest supplier of arms to the UAE followed by France. The majority of the UAE’s spending is on aircraft from the US and France, followed by missiles and air defence systems, the report said.

From 2005 to 2009, the UAE received deliveries of 34 Mirage 2000 combat aircraft from France and 72 F-16 fighters from the US, the report added.

The UAE plans to strengthen its position as a top importer with the delivery of Patriot-3 surface to air missile systems as well as transport aircraft and other missile-defence systems from the US, France and Russia.

Analysts say the purchase of the weapons systems sends a message that the country is capable of protecting its territorial integrity while confirming that its posture is defensive.

India's missile shield project 'fails'

India's test of a homemade missile defense shield, which was expected to find and demolish hostile ballistic missiles, have proven to be unsuccessful.

The Indian military officials dismantled the test on Monday after radars failed to keep track of a nuclear-capable missile expected to be detected and destroyed by an interceptor missile.

The target missile was launched from a site 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Bhubaneswar in eastern India.

"The 'hostile' missile went off the radars after it took off and deviated from its trajectory and so the interceptor was not launched," an official from Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said on condition of anonymity, AFP reported.

DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta in New Delhi acknowledged that the seven-meter (23-foot) interceptor missile was not fired as was expected during the test.

Developing the technology would put India among Israel, Russia and the United States which already possess the sophisticated system.

The DRDO has used the French and Israeli expertise in developing the tracking and fire control radars of its domestic interceptor missile shield project.

Analysts say by developing such a system, India will trigger a new arms race in the region.

Saudi: Mujahedeen forces join drug combating operations

Forces from the Saudi Mujahedeen Department seized unspecified quantities of hashish from various parts of Jazan recently, said Khaled Abdullah Qaziz, a spokesman of the forces.

He said the authorities chased a suspected vehicle and asked its driver to pull up. “The driver did not stop. Our forces then followed the vehicle and arrested the driver. He was carrying 73.3 kilograms of hashish,” he said.

Qaziz said his forces also foiled another drug-smuggling attempt in Bani Malik. “After a thorough inspection of the vehicle, our officers found it was carrying nine k0ilograms of hashish,” he said.

In Fifa, west of Aiban, Mujahedeen forces stopped another suspected vehicle and seized 4.73 kg of hashish from the driver.

“We have arrested all the three drivers and handed them over to security police for investigation,” he said.

German Shipbuilding Restructured: UAE’s Firm Buys Blohm+Voss

ThyseenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) recently announced a “close strategic partnership” and Memorandum of Understanding with the Abu Dhabi MAR group in the United Arab Emirates, but the move is much closer to a sale of key assets.

The MoU stipulates a 50/50 joint venture to build naval surface ships, with TKMS retaining a lead role and know-how in all projects with the German Navy and NATO partners. Similarly, Abu Dhabi MAR Group will be responsible for the Middle East and North Africa. At the same time, however, Abu Dhabi MAR is acquiring 80% of TKMS’ key surface ship firms: Blohm + Voss Shipyards, Blohm + Voss Repair, and Blohm + Voss Industries.

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Saudi Arabia to Purchase Two Additional Squadrons of F-15s

The Middle East newsline has confirmed that Saudi Arabia has advanced in negotiations to purchase a fighter jet from the United States.

The Saudi leadership, in wake of receiving the first Eurofighters, has been examining the U.S.-built F-15 for a procurement contract in 2010. They said Saudi Defense Minister Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz has supported the prospect of an additional purchase of at least two squadrons of F-15s in a deal that could top $5 billion.

“The assessment is that the Royal Saudi Air Force requires a platform that it is comfortable with, yet much more advanced than those it now operates,” an industry source said.The Saudi air force operates about 150 F-15s, purchased in the 1970s and 1990s. The sources said Riyad has been briefed on the option to develop a stealth version of the F-15E.

Kuwait eyes nuke energy within 7 yrs

Kuwait's Minister of Electricity and Water Bader Al-Shuraiaan yesterday affirmed Kuwait's interest in acquiring and harnessing alternative energy - namely nuclear and solar energy - and predicted the start of using this power resource in seven years.

The minister, in a statement to KUNA on sidelines of the Paris international conference on peaceful usage of nuclear energy, affirmed that this source of power is clean and nature friendly. He affirmed Kuwait's approach to depend more on eco-friendly en
ergy resources and cut dependency on polluting fossil fuels, noting the country's mounting need to increase production of electricity and water.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has formed a special committee chaired by Dr Ahmad Beshara and grouping academics and experts to undertake the task of acquiring and using the nuclear energy in line with international treaties and resolutions. Moreover, a special team has been assigned to choose an adequate site on the national territory to build a nuclear reactor.

Elaborating, he noted that Kuwait initialed an accord with France for cooperation in this domain, alluding to the tentative agreement reached last January. It called for harnessing enriched uranium at internationally acceptable levels, habilitating cadres and using the energy in medicine, agriculture, geology and industrial medicine. Al-Shuraiaan said the ministry, through the BOT commission, would launch a power station powered with solar energy, noting that several foreign companies have tendered for inv
estment in the venture.

Asked when the nuclear energy would be practically used in Kuwait, the minister indicated that this might happen in seven years. As to safety, he affirmed that states that use nuclear energy have made headways in securing nuclear sites. Earlier yesterday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurated the conference, affirming that peaceful nuclear energy has become a basic issue for the future of mankind. He called on the international community to find ways to fund this energy for nations that suffer from
power depletion.

France, since 1970, has opted to venture into the world of nuclear power, Sarkozy said, noting that the French nowadays boast of acquisition of 58 electrical nuclear stations, adding that up to 80 percent of the electrical power in the European nation is produced from nuclear energy. The event is witnessing participation of 65 states. Al-Shuraiaan is heading a delegation which consists of members of the national committee for the peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

Al-Shuraiaan will be meeting with several French nuclear officials to discuss cooperation between Kuwait and France on peaceful nuclear technology. Attracting as many as 700 senior international officials, the conference is mainly intended to promote the peaceful and responsible use of nuclear energy. During the two-day conference, held at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters, the conferees are to mull over several nuclear issues and how to spur and encourage multi
lateral cooperation to help those countries that seek peaceful nuclear energy.

Qatar supports Iran’s nuclear program

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani stated on Tuesday that Iran’s right to nuclear technology should be respected and Qatar supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy program.

In a meeting with Najjar on Tuesday, the Qatari prime minister said Doha will make efforts to help resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.

He expressed satisfaction over the fact that the two countries signed a security cooperation pact and called for the expansion of relations between Tehran and Doha.

He also said Qatar will not allow any country to interfere in its relations with Iran.

France To Pay Russia One Billion For 14 Soyuz Carrier Rockets

France has put aside some $1 billion to buy 14 Soyuz carrier rockets from Russia, French satellite launch firm Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said Tuesday.

"We have ordered 14 Soyuzes from the Russian Federation; the contract's cost is about $1 billion. These are ambitious plans," Le Gall said at a Russian-French business forum, held as part of President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to France. His speech was broadcast by the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

The new deal marks another step in cooperation between Russia and France in the space sector. Arianespace signed a contact with Russia's space agency in 2008 for the launch of 10 Russian Soyuz-ST carrier rockets from the Kourou space center in French Guiana.

Le Gall confirmed earlier reports that the first launch is scheduled for 2010, saying it will take place in the second quarter.

The Russian and French space agencies Roscosmos and CNES on Monday approved a plan of joint work for 2010 as part of a cooperation program on new carrier rockets.

Medvedev's visit to France will end Wednesday. He has been accompanied by a delegation of 80 Russian business leaders, with officials predicting before the visit that around 10 major deals would be signed during the trip.

Russia's Gazprom and GDF Suez signed a memorandum Monday on the French utility taking a 9% stake in the Nord Stream gas pipeline project to pump Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Under the deal, the 20% shares of the two German partners, Wintershall Holding and E.ON Ruhrgas, will be reduced, but Gazprom's 51% stake and the 9% held by Dutch Gasunie will not be affected.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday after talks with Medvedev that Russia and France had started "exclusive talks" on the purchase of four French Mistral-class amphibious-assault ships.

He said two of the four Mistral-class ships under discussion could be built in Russia. The announcement of the talks confirmed earlier comments by a Russian Defense Ministry source that the sale would not be finalized during Medvedev's visit.

A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The vessel is equipped with a 69-bed hospital and can be used as an amphibious command ship.

Bahraini in drive to feed starving Somalis

A Bahraini charity worker has launched an appeal to feed a million starving people in Somalia.

Khalid Al Khayat aims to raise BD20,000 ($53,000) which, at 20 fils ($0.053) a time will provide a single survival meal to a million Somalis.

The meal is a soup-like concoction which is all the starving stomachs can initially tolerate, but one cup a day is enough to sustain them.

He has already collected BD1,000 and hopes he will achieve his goal by the end of this month.

Al Khayat is also calling on His Majesty King Hamad to launch a national campaign in support of the world's starving, especially those in Africa.

This is the third time Al Khayat has campaigned to raise money in support of the poor in Somalia.

"This is the third campaign I have done, the other two were in 2006 and 2007 for orphans in Somalia," he said.

"I wanted to help after I visited Somalia in 1989 as part of the first Arab work camp for 60 men and women from the GCC and 60 Somalis.

"We stayed in Ailjaley and saw how poor Africans really lived, the food we ate was so awful we used to throw it in the garbage and then we saw people in the village come and eat what we had thrown away.

"When we saw this we started asking for more food so we could give it to them. From then I started liking Somalia and Africa and wanted to help."

In 2006 Al Khayat's goal was to raise BD500 to purchase 25,000 meals for the poor in Somalia, but instead he received BD6,6000 and was able to buy 330,000.

In 2007 he launched another campaign to raise BD1,000 for 50,000 meals, but was delighted to receive BD9,000, which enabled him to feed 450,000.

"Each meal is 20 fils, it's a combination of milk, corn, oil, sugar and flour which they make into a thick soup, because of starvation this is all their stomachs can handle," said Al Khayat, who is a public relations specialist in the banking and investment sector.

"It's actually drunk not eaten and one cup is enough nutrition for one day."

Al Khayat, from Hidd, said that although there was poverty in every country, the poor in Africa were really in need of help.

"I fell much more needs to be done to help Africa. When I visited in 1989 it was the golden age in Somalia, since then they have gone through several wars," he said.

"The best thing I saw there was that people don't discriminate between religions, because everyone is in the same situation."

Money raised during the campaign will be directed to the Kuwait-based charity Direct Aid, which will buy and distribute the meals in Somalia.

FANR issues first licence to the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the UAE's independent regulator for the nuclear sector, has issued the first licence to the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC).

This licence authorises ENEC to study potential sites to assess their suitability for the location of nuclear power plants. The license was approved by FANR's Board of Management, the highest decision-making body in the Authority, following FANR's review of the application submitted by ENEC.

Dr. William D. Travers, FANR's Director General noted, "this marks the formal start of FANR's important role as the independent safety regulator for the UAE's nuclear power programme". This license does not mean that FANR has approved any particular site. Rather the assessment of the acceptability of a specific site will take place when ENEC submits a future application to construct the nuclear power plant. "Such an application is expected later this year," Travers said.

H.E Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and FANR Board Member, also noted the issuance of the first FANR license. EAD and FANR are cooperating agencies with respective regulatory responsibilities. "At EAD, a priority is to ensure the safety of the environment.

For any proposed nuclear power plant ENEC must provide us with the environmental studies necessary to help evaluate the potential environmental risks related to both construction and operation," said Al Mansouri.

Could Saudi Arabia Unveil Its Home Made Aircraft Fighter Before 2015??

Saudi Arabia in an industrial state that already been able to produce its own cellphones, TV, car, Armored Car and other major achievements.

According to the news below, Saudi Arabia will produce its own fighter aircraft supported by local defense manufacturers. The question is could Saudi Arabia unveil its first home made aircraft fighter before 2015??

To achieve this result the quicker way for Saudi is to jointly produce the existing aircraft such as L-15, JF-17, K-8 Karakorum or FTC-2000. China will be the only source for Saudi to achieve the goal, since western exporter will tend to make Saudi Arabia as a long buyer for their products.

Base on the experiences of building such aircraft, Saudi then can move to design its locally build, a newer and bigger aircraft fighter.

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The Defense Ministry will for the first time allow local firms to bid to supply basic materials excluding arms with the long-term goal of encouraging a domestic military industry, officials said.

The move, which will open a field that was reserved for foreign manufacturers, will first involve some 15,000 items that range from plastic to pipes, covers for jet engines and batteries, Col. Attiyah Al-Maliki said at a meeting with businessmen in Riyadh’s Chamber of Commerce late Saturday.

The relevant authorities expect the move - backed by Prince Khaled Bin Sultan, Assistant Defense Minister - to encourage foreign suppliers to partner with Saudi peers and set up shops within the Kingdom so that they can continue to qualify as suppliers.

The Defense Ministry created a Central Committee for Local Industrialization, which comprises business leaders and defense officials to “develop local capabilities, ensure speedy deliveries and reduce costs”, Colonel Maliki said.

Abdul-Rahman Al-Zamil, a member of the committee and chairman of a large industrial group, welcomed the move.

“This is a breakthrough for local firms because before all purchases were internationally tendered or bought from abroad by local suppliers. We know that these (15,000) products can be made locally,” Zamil said at the meeting.
None of the items are weapons or heavy military gear.

“The Defense Ministry will gradually eliminate from international tenders all items that can be produced here ... We are working for the next 20 years,” Zamil said.

“This is just the beginning ... So the field remains open,” said Col. Maliki. “We will gradually open up to more sophisticated industries. Nothing should prevent Saudi Arabia from making its own fighter jets.”

Saleh Kamil, the President of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the move, describing it as “unprecedented”.

“The Saudi sector has before it a golden opportunity for profitable investment in armed forces-related industries such as spare parts and other materials,” Kamil said. “Saudi businessmen from companies and factories working in related fields should now visit the Armed Forces’ Exhibition being held by the Ministry of Defense to see how they can become involved in manufacturing products for the armed forces, and see from close up the investment opportunities available and hear from officials at the Ministry of Defense themselves what their exact requirements are.”

“The move will support national economic growth and the national manufacturing industry,” Kamil continued.

“It will also create job opportunities for young Saudis and give a boost to related technologies.”

The Kingdom is among the most lucrative markets in the region for international arms makers. It spent SR154.8 billion ($41.3 billion) in 2009 - or 32.6 percent of its GDP -on defense and national security, according to central bank data. This sum includes salaries of the military and security forces.

Saif Bin Zayed orders to expand Police Innovation Award

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan has given directives to expand the periphery of the Police Innovation Award given for cadets at the General Headquarters of Abu Dhabi Police, and widen it to include the entire Ministry of Interior.

During a ceremony held for honoring winners of the Police Innovation Award in third session, he also said that the award supports the strategic development plan, which is keen to recognize individual contributions and collective achievements, and rewarding innovators and people of creativity.

Sheikh Saif stressed that the development of creativity and innovation among all employees of the Interior Ministry comes in line with the priorities and directives of the country's supreme leadership, who believes in the importance of the human element and its paramount role in the security and the strategic vision of the country.

The ceremony held at the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police was attended by Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha'afar, Commander General of Dubai Police Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim and a number of senior officials.

Abu Dhabi Police plan to set up database of non radioactive isotope elements

There are contacts underway with advanced countries in the field of criminology to set up a database of non radioactive isotope elements at the Forensic Evidence Department of Abu Dhabi Police, said Lt. Colonel Abdul Rahman Al Hamadi, Director of the Forensic Evidence Department at the General Department of Security and Border Points Affairs at Abu Dhabi Police.

The move comes in line with plans of the department to identify an unknown dead woman through analysis of percentage of non radioactive isotope elements in her body in coordination with specialised international forensic laboratories in England and Scotland in the UK.

Al Hamadi added that the dead woman's case dates back to May when she was found unconscious at a parking lot in Abu Dhabi, where she was transferred to a hospital, but died shortly. "As no relative enquired about her, the department opts to check the percentage of non radioactive isotope elements in her body as DNA check alone will not yield results since no relative found.

ISRO could launches 7 satellites in 20 minutes!

India successfully launched its 16th remote-sensing satellite Oceansat-2 and six small Europeans satellites on board a rocket that blasted off from here at 11.51 a.m. Wednesday.

The 44.4-metre tall, 230-tonne Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) freed itself from the launch pad at the spaceport and lifted itself up, lugging the 960-kg Oceansat-2 and the six nano satellites all together weighing 20 kg.

In copybook style, the rocket first flung out Oceansat-2 at an altitude of 720 km above the earth in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), followed by the four nano satellites - also called Cubesats, each weighing one kg. The remaining two, each weighing eight kg, were attached to the rocket's fourth stage.



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Military Reconnaissance Satellite Launched by China

China successfully launched another Earth observation satellite from the Jiuquan space base Friday, according to state-run media outlets.

The Yaogan 9 spacecraft blasted off from Jiuquan on a Long March 4C rocket at 0455 GMT (11:55 p.m. EST Thursday), or 12:55 p.m. local time. The three-stage rocket successfully delivered the secret payload to orbit, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported.


The Jiuquan launch site is located in the Gobi desert near the border between China's Gansu and Inner Mongolia provinces. Jiuquan has hosted the launches of all three Chinese human spaceflights to date.

Yaogan 9 is the newest member of a series of satellites believed to harbor optical and radar military reconnaissance capabilities.

The satellite "would be used to conduct scientific experiment[s], carry out surveys on land resources, forecast grain output and help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention endeavor[s]," state media reports said.

But most experts believe the Yaogan series includes two variants with high-resolution electro-optical cameras and cloud-piercing radars designed to see targets through inclement weather or darkness.

In the past, optical Yaogan satellites launched from Jiuquan and radar-equipped spacecraft were shot into orbit from the Taiyuan space center in northern China's Shanxi province.

Before Friday's mission, analysts believed China had orbited three electro-optical Yaogan satellites and five radar payloads.

Previous Yaogan launches from Jiuquan used the less powerful Long March 2D booster. The Long March 4C launched Friday includes a restartable third stage to increase payload performance. Chinese officials did not address the change in rocket, but the more powerful launcher could indicate the mission carried an upgraded Yaogan satellite.

Official Chinese media did not announce the launch until Thursday, a typical communications procedure for closely-guarded military space missions.
Friday's launch was the second orbital flight of Chinese rockets this year, and it marked the ninth space launch to reach orbit worldwide so far in 2010.

Would Palestine follow Taiwan on nuclear plant to secure its energy need

Taiwan currently has 4884 MWe of nuclear power capacity by means of 3 active plants and 6 reactors, which makes up around 20% of its national energy consumption. This makes Taiwan the 15th largest user of nuclear power in the world.

The technology chosen for the reactors has been General Electric BWR technology for 2 plants and Westinghouse PWR technology for the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant. The Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant is currently under construction, but has encountered a host of delays building its ABWRs, which will be the largest plants in Taiwan by a large margin after finished.

Atomic Power

Developed atomic power engineering has been created in the country with the technical assistance of American and Western European states. By the mid-1980's, there were already six nuclear power units with a total capacity of 4,900 megawatts operating in Taiwan. The construction of Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plant will set the stage for the acquisition of an advanced reactor design and digital control technology. Because the nation's first nuclear power plant is approaching its second ten-year license renewal, the focus of research efforts over the next few years will be to prevent the plant from deteriorating and extend the plant service life.

Taiwan does not have its own natural reserves of nuclear raw materials and actively cooperates with other countries in searching for and exploring uranium deposits. A five-year agreement between a Taiwanese and an American firm on joint development of uranium ore in the United States was signed in 1985. That same year a contract was signed with the Republic of South Africa for a 10-year supply of uranium from that country.



Apart from power generation, nuclear energy technology is also widely used in the R.O.C. for medical purposes. In addition to the medium-sized cyclotron and medical isotope and nuclear material extraction facilities constructed by the Nuclear Energy Research Institute, major hospitals and medical centers have established radiation medicine, tumor therapy and nuclear medicine departments. Among these, Veterans General Hospital in Taipei has set up a small cyclotron to produce short half-life radioactive isotopes for medical purposes.

Tel Aviv: Israel and some Arabian Gulf states have been lobbying for more U.S. military muscle-flexing toward Iran

The Obama administration is considering using maritime levers to ratchet up pressure on Iran, from a modest expansion of existing international interdiction initiatives to the more extreme or less likely blockade of the Arabian Sea mouth and the Gulf of Aden.

Implemented unilaterally or as part of an upcoming United Nations Security Council Resolution, such moves would complement the diplomatic drive to roll back Iran's nuclear program through sanctions.

A senior U.S. government official said Washington was not willing to consider - "at least at this stage" - what he termed "tripwire-type military challenges" to Tehran.

Nevertheless, he confirmed that U.S.-proposed sanctions are likely to expand maneuvering room to board, inspect and interdict shipping to and from Iran.

"When there's a next U.N. resolution, we're going to want to see consideration for empowering rights already provided for under international maritime laws and the PSI," or Proliferation Security Initiative, the official said Feb. 25.

The official said the U.S. State Department is also intensifying efforts to conclude ship-boarding agreements with flag-of-convenience countries, another part of the effort to keep Iran from importing nonconventional, weapon-related materials and technologies or exporting missiles and other arms to its regional proxies.

In addition to the PSI, a 2003 pact meant to keep weapons of mass destruction and related goods from terrorists and countries of concern, the official cited a 2005 amendment to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts (SUA) that bolstered the legal basis for acting against violators.

"We're always looking to expand the interpretation and application of international law to persuade countries to exercise their rights and obligations in ways we think they should be used," the official said.

When asked whether DoD was planning for heightened maritime operations in the region, a senior U.S. defense official said "we don't talk about military contingency plans, but I will tell you what you're describing sounds far fetched."

For months, Israel and some Arabian Gulf states have been lobbying for more U.S. military muscle-flexing to back up the proposed sanctions, saying Tehran will change its behavior only if presented with a compelling show of force to back up diplomatic steps.

"If we don't underscore our intent with some kind of serious measure, up to and including the physical cordoning of the coasts of Iran, we will have a war," said Sami Al Faraj, a retired Kuwaiti military officer and former government adviser who now consults internationally on crisis management. "There's no way for a new layer of sanctions to be imposed effectively without some sort of blockade imposed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman."

Al Faraj, a retired special forces officer and former president of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies, said others in the Gulf have communicated similar views in various levels of intensity to Washington.

"If the question is whether the Gulf Cooperation Council will come out tomorrow or even next month with public calls for blockade, the answer is no," he said. "But if you put the question to many officials and laymen in the gulf, the consensus would support such a measure as the only way for sanctions to have a chance of succeeding."

Would a blockade be a casus belli or a trigger for the "grave unintended consequences" that Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is trying to prevent?

"A blockade is not a declaration of war. It is considered a belligerent act that falls just short of war," Al Faraj said. "And when you're facing a nation that doesn't abide by any rules, this is the only language Iran is going to understand."

In Feb. 25-26 meetings in Washington, an Israeli source said Defense Minister Ehud Barak was less definitive, but no less resolute, in the need to bolster sanctions with manifestations of military intent.

It could not be confirmed by press time whether Barak, in his Pentagon meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, specified a naval blockade as one of Israel's preferred muscle-flexing options.

However, a member of the Israeli cabinet said Feb. 26 that "the issue of using the U.S. military to prevent critical imports to and exports from Iran is prominent on our agenda."

The political official acknowledged internal discussions of a blockade, but could not confirm whether Barak or members of his delegation "would go as far as to spell this out for our American friends."

He said, "Significant gaps remain in our positions, but we hope the latest Washington meetings and the upcoming visit of [U.S. Vice President Joseph] Biden over here will serve to narrow our differences. ... The real issue is will we have time, or will it be a matter of too little, too late."

At Barak's Pentagon meeting with Gates, Mullen and other senior U.S. officials, the defense minister stressed Iran's undeterred pursuit of nuclear weapons and a unified strategic front with Syria, Lebanese-based Hizbollah and the Hamas leadership in Gaza, according to an Israeli post-meeting statement. Barak also presented updated threat assessments of Iran's nuclear and missile-related activities as well as its rearming, military training and funding of regional proxies.

"At this stage, it's important to impose sharp and crippling sanctions on Iran to prevent its process toward nuclear weapons," the statement said.

According to sources, in the Gates meeting as well as in a follow-on, one-on-one meeting with Mullen, Barak noted a Feb. 25 meeting in Damascus by Syrian President Bashar el-Assad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In televised remarks at the three-way summit in Damascus, Ahmadinejad described a "new Middle East without Zionists and without colonialists."

John Bolton, the Bush administration's U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and author of the PSI, said Feb. 26 that sanctions without meaningful maritime interdiction will fail to halt or even slow Iran's nuclear weapon drive.

"Given Iran's repeated and blatant violations of their legal obligations, the United States has an inherent right to self-defense," Bolton said. "This right, under the circumstances, allows us to calibrate PSI in ways that allow us, in a targeted, selected way, to achieve many of the practical effects of a blockade without actually imposing a blockade.

"There's two possible outcomes: Either Iran gets nuclear weapons or somebody uses force to prevent that. Israel has given the Obama administration as much time as they could. But diplomatic outreach failed, predictably, and sanctions will also fail, predictably, and every day that passes makes it more difficult for Israel to take the decision needed to ensure its survival."

Canada: For Arabs, Palestinian cause is of high rhetorical importance but little strategic importance

Their efforts to stir up outrage over the assassination are likely fueled by their desire to save face in the Arab world, where the Palestinian cause is of high rhetorical importance but little strategic importance.

The assassination of senior Hamas militant leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Jan. 19 is still generating a tremendous amount of discussion and speculation some six weeks after the fact. Dubai’s police force has been steadily releasing new information almost on a daily basis, which has been driving the news cycle and keeping the story in the media spotlight. The most astounding release so far has been nearly 30 minutes of surveillance camera footage that depicts portions of a period spanning the arrival of the assassination team in Dubai, surveillance of al-Mabhouh, and the killing and the exfiltration of the team some 22 hours later.
By last count, Dubai police claim to have identified some 30 people suspected of involvement in the assassination; approximately 17 have been convincingly tied to the operation through video footage either as surveillants, managers or assassins, with the rest having only tenuous connections based on information released by the Dubai police. In any case, the operation certainly was elaborate and required the resources and planning of a highly organized agency, one most likely working for a nation-state.
Pre-Operation
While the 22-hour period depicted in the video showcased the tactical capabilities of the various teams, it hardly tells the whole story. In order to pinpoint the location of al-Mabhouh on the day of his killing, the organization responsible for this operation would have had to have tracked al-Mabhouh for months, if not years. This can be done in three ways: technical surveillance, utilization of human sources and physical surveillance.
Technical surveillance of al-Mabhouh would include monitoring his e-mail, telephone calls and other forms of electronic communications such as online credit-card transactions and travel reservations. This could reveal his physical location and future plans, which would allow the assassination team to anticipate his location and prepare well ahead of time. With such a large team involved in the assassination, careful coordination and planned movements would have been required to ensure that all members were in place without attracting attention.
But technical surveillance has limitations. An experienced operative like al-Mabhouh (who had been the target of two previous assassination attempts in as many years) would most likely have taken precautions that would have limited his electronic visibility. The operational team likely used human sources with close ties to al-Mabhouh who could corroborate the information and possibly influence the target’s movements, putting him in place for the operation. Human sources could have included al-Mabhouh’s colleagues within Hamas or a member of a rival group such as Fatah. (Three Palestinians suspected of being members of Fatah were arrested by Dubai authorities in connection with the assassination, indicating that the group may have provided human intelligence to the organization responsible for al-Mabhouh’s assassination.) Other people could have been recruited using a number of incentives (including cash) without their knowing the consequences of their assistance. Both the technical and human intelligence operations would have been run by intelligence officers operating abroad and at locations separate from the operational team.
According to Dubai police, physical surveillance was conducted by members of the operational team during al-Mabhouh’s previous trips to the United Arab Emirates. Physical surveillance is a critical part of any effective assault (whether it’s a clandestine intelligence operation or a car-jacking) because it gives the operatives an opportunity to become familiar with their surroundings and recognize their target in his or her “natural” environment.
Once all this homework was done to establish al-Mabhouh’s normal routines and determine his approximate location and duration of his stay in Dubai, the intelligence-collection process moved into the deployment phase and an operational team was sent into action.
The Operation
Prior to Mabhouh’s arrival, surveillance teams set up in the airport and at different hotels to make sure they could obtain a visual confirmation of their target. Based on their intelligence of his prior trips to Dubai, planners placed teams in two hotels to wait for al-Mabhouh approximately an hour before his arrival. They also had a surveillance team waiting for him at the airport to follow him as soon as he entered the country and report his movements to the rest of the team. While it wasn’t captured on video, we suspect that a mobile surveillance group tracked al-Mabhouh from the airport by car. To help ensure a successful outcome, the operational team used overwhelming force to prevent the target from ever seeing the same face twice. When it was established that al-Mabhouh was staying at the Al Bustan Rotana, the team responded by abandoning their other posts and directing their focus to that hotel.
Once al-Mabhouh was identified, the team locked on to him at the hotel and started initiating further steps in the operation. The first surveillance team watched al-Mabhouh register at the front desk and then followed him to his room, noting the target’s specific room number. This was relayed to other members of the team, who then placed a reservation for the room across the hall from al-Mabhouh, which gave them direct access to their target. The selection of the room is very interesting for two reasons. First, it was directly across the hall from al-Mabhouh’s room, giving the team a perfect spot from which to monitor his movements. Second, the room was just behind the video camera for that floor and the camera was trained on the emergency stairwell exit, which allowed the assassination team to carry out the attack on his room without being filmed.
Meanwhile, down in the hotel lobby, surveillance teams were rotating to monitor the target’s movements in and out of the hotel. At one point, a surveillant is seen following al-Mabhouh out to the street to relay by cell phone the type of vehicle he had entered. These surveillants, operating in teams of two, used disguises such as hats, sunglasses, beards and work-out gear to establish a cover for action and better conceal their identities. While many members of the operational team were identified on closed-circuit television (CCTV), hats and sunglasses helped distort their images and reduce the already low risk of being recognized by the target or any protective team during the operation.
Another necessity in any operation like this is communications. Surveillance video of the team involved in this operation shows them using cell phones to send text messages and talk to other members of the team. According to reports from Dubai police, the cell phones used in the operation were dialed to an Austrian number, likely the operations and support center for the team on the ground and any others involved in the operation. This might have been an open conference line into which all members of the operational team could dial to monitor the movement of their target. It is unlikely that the center was actually in Austria; it probably used a proxy phone line to mask its true physical location.
Assassination and Exfiltration
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, after al-Mabhouh returned to his hotel room from a meeting, the assassination team moved in. It was important to carry out the killing at a time and in a manner that would give the team the maximum window of opportunity. They suspected that al-Mabhouh was in for the night, which meant that nobody would miss him until early the following afternoon, giving the team ample time to flee the country. The team carried out the assassination smoothly, with video surveillance showing only two operatives casually talking outside the elevator (a cover for monitoring the hall for possible distractions) — in other words, nothing out of the ordinary. The assassination team members also exhibited no unusual behavior when they departed the scene. Demeanor is extremely important, and the ability of the team to act calmly and naturally and not catch the attention of security guards monitoring CCTV ensured that the act remained a secret until hotel cleaning staff found the body more than 17 hours after the entire team had departed Dubai.
The assassination team also killed al-Mabhouh in a way that apparently confounded medical examiners trying to determine the cause of death, delaying the announcement of a criminal case for nine days. This delay gave the operational team ample time to cover its tracks, possibly by using third- and fourth-country border crossings, additional false identities and safe-houses, making it much harder for Dubai authorities to track team members to their ultimate destinations. This confusion appears to have been created by the use of a muscle relaxant called succinylcholine (also known as Suxamethonium), which, if used in large enough quantities, can cause the heart to stop, making it appear that the victim died of cardiac arrest. The drug also has a very short half-life, meaning that traces would degenerate and virtually disappear shortly after injection, making it ideal for covert operations such as this one.
The team was not able to pull off the operation with complete anonymity — it is virtually impossible to operate in a modern environment without leaving some kind of electronic trace. The Dubai police were able to use video surveillance from the airport, hotels and a nearby shopping center to trace back the movements of the operatives and establish their identities according to the passports that they used. These later proved to be fraudulent passports from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and France — but they were extremely well-made fraudulent passports that were discovered later, only after video surveillance prompted closer scrutiny; customs officials were unable to detect this when the operatives were arriving or departing. Moreover, the credit cards used by several members of the operation team were linked to a company called Payoneer. The company’s CEO is a former member of Israel Defense Forces special operations, and Payoneer has financial backing from a company based in Israel.
Dubai police have announced that they retrieved DNA evidence from at least one of the members on the assassination team and fingerprints from several others, giving authorities pieces of evidence that are unalterable, unlike a passport. However, DNA evidence is only helpful when it can be compared against an exemplar. If Dubai police are unable to find a match to the DNA sample or a fingerprint, then these clues will offer little immediate help.
The passports also provide little immediate help in terms of tracking down the suspects. The discovery that fraudulent British, Irish, German and French passports were used has created a diplomatic problem for Israel (Mossad is understandably at the top of the list of suspects), which raises the profile of the operation considerably. This is certainly not what a clandestine operation is supposed to do. Although the operatives will probably never be found and handed over to UAE authorities, the fact that so many details of the assassination have been made public jeopardizes the anonymity that is supposed to surround this kind of operation.
Potential Consequences
Al-Mabhouh was hardly a likable character. As a senior Hamas military commander, arms smuggler and liaison to Iran, he was already on the terrorist watch lists in the countries that have complained about the use of fraudulent passports. Public indignation is a necessary and expected reaction from these countries to save diplomatic face, but when it comes down to it, there would be few incentives to seriously punish Israel, if it indeed sponsored the hit. The police of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, rightfully frustrated that they are tasked with solving an unsolvable case, will still probably not miss al-Mabhouh. Their efforts to stir up outrage over the assassination are likely fueled by their desire to save face in the Arab world, where the Palestinian cause is of high rhetorical importance but little strategic importance.
The fact is that the high level of complexity involved in this assassination, along with the smoothness with which it was carried out, is evidence that the operation was undertaken by an elite covert force, the likes of which could only be sponsored by a nation-state. The ability to conduct preliminary intelligence collection, to muster a large and coordinated team of skilled operatives, to fabricate passports to an exacting degree, to successfully exfiltrate all members of the team — all of this requires a significant and well-funded effort that, we believe, exceeds the current capabilities of any non-state terrorist group. It is worth noting here that the most impressive aspect of the operation was the team’s tradecraft and demeanor. All the members of this team were professionals.
Indeed, with so much time having already elapsed, and if the operation was sponsored by a nation-state, it is highly improbable that any of the operatives involved will ever be caught. However, countries around the world are offering their assistance in the case, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. Few officials from these countries actually believe any of the operatives will be apprehended, but that is not the real reason to participate in the investigation. What officials are really looking for are the granular details of how this group of assassins and surveillants operated. These details are extremely valuable in ongoing counterintelligence efforts by countries to thwart foreign intelligence agencies operating on their home turf. The information can provide clues to past and future cases, and it can be used to build databases on covert operatives, so that if any of these people show up unexpectedly at an airport, hotel or embassy in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia or elsewhere, the alarms can be sounded more quickly.
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ADTS: First training show opens in Dubai

The inaugural Aerospace & Defence Training Show (ADTS) was officially opened today at Dubai's Airport Expo by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai's Department of Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group.

In his opening address, Sheikh Ahmed said: “The future of countries like the UAE and our neighbours depend heavily on our people being able to develop in their chosen careers. The aviation sector is one that is clearly identified as having the opportunities for Emiratis and other Gulf nationals to thrive, but to do so, it needs the industry in place and the training, to play an integral part in the development of that industry.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the organisers for their vision in planning this event and I also want to congratulate the participants of this inaugural show, for having the wisdom to recognise the need and to want to be part of the solution.”

Dubai Airshow organiser F&E Aerospace is producing the show, in collaboration with Halldale Media Group, which combines a conference and an exhibition.

Alison Weller, Managing Director of F&E Aerospace, commented: “The emergence of new airlines in the region over the past decades and their subsequent success and growth have brought professional skills training to the fore, which is why we’re offering a platform for airlines and training providers to come together and plan the way forward for the industry in this region.”

The two-day conference features a number of topics, with airline representatives from Dragonair and Emirates discussing the influence of local culture on human factor training, and the Egyptian Aviation Academy and Saudi Aviation Flight Academy speaking about pilot training programmes.

International training institutes are exhibiting, including Canada’s CAE, Interfire-TFC from Finland and Aviation Australia.

“Current developments in simulator technology, coupled with new training curricula and developing regulation, offer world airlines a real opportunity to re-address their training programmes in order to continue the improvement of their already excellent safety record,” said Andy Smith, President of Halldale Media Group.

“ADTS will allow the region’s airlines to discuss the latest and best training practice with the event’s international and local training specialists.”

Lt. General Saif bin Zayed lauds performance of Emirates World Mobile Hospital

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has hailed the achievements scored by the Zayed Charity Initiative through its humanitarian and medical programmes inside the UAE and abroad in which efficient local and international cadres were involved.

He also commended the performance of Emirates World Mobile Hospital.

The remarks were made during Sheikh Saif's tour of the Zayed Charity Initiative and Advanced Integrated System pavilion at the International Security and National Resilience 2010 (ISNR), where was briefed about the programmes of the initiative and the programmes of Emirates Mobile Hospital, which was launched under patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Representative of Ruler in Western Region and Chairman of the Red Crescent. The successful programmes have been discharged in Sudan and Haiti.

Sheikh Saif was briefed by Dr Adel Al Shamri, Chief Executive of the Zayed Charity Initiative and Executive Director of Emirates World Mobile Hospital, about future programmes of the hospital, which will be discharged in remote areas in the UAE.

GCC chiefs of staff meet in Kuwait

The GCC higher military committee convened its third consultative meeting here yesterday under the chairmanship of Kuwaiti Army Chief of Staff Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah. The meeting was attended by the army chiefs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, as well as the commander of the GCC Al-Jazeera Shield Force.

The meeting is part of efforts aiming to further promote and reinforce cooperation among the GCC member states and to embody the spirit of common integration within the framework of the GCC. It also comes at the behest of the GCC leaders who have instructed that inter-GCC military capabilities be boosted.

During the meeting, they mainly mulled over a Bahraini vision for developing defensive and security cooperation among the GCC member states. The conferees seized the opportunity to congratulate His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other Kuwaiti leaders as well as the Kuwaiti people on the country's national festivals. They also thanked the Kuwaiti army for warm welcome and hospitability as well as for holding this successful military meeting.

China PLA officer urges challenging U.S. dominance

China should build the world's strongest military and move swiftly to displace the United States as the global "champion," a Chinese PLA officer says in a new book reflecting swelling nationalist ambitions.

The call for China to abandon modesty about its global goals and "sprint to become world number one" comes from a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Senior Colonel, Liu Mingfu, who warns that his nation's ascent will alarm Washington, risking war despite Beijing's hopes for a "peaceful rise."

"China's big goal in the 21st century is to become world number one, the top power," Liu writes in his newly published Chinese-language book, "The China Dream."

"If China in the 21st century cannot become world number one, cannot become the top power, then inevitably it will become a straggler that is cast aside," writes Liu.

His 303-page book stands out for its boldness in a recent chorus of strident Chinese voices demanding a hard shove back against Washington over trade, Tibet, and arms sales to Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own.

"As long as China seeks to rise to become world number one ... then even if China is even more capitalist than the U.S., the U.S. will still be determined to contain it," he writes.

Rivalry between the two powers is a "competition to be the leading country, a conflict over who rises and falls to dominate the world," says Liu.

"The China Dream" does not represent government policy, which has been far less strident about the nation's goals.

But Liu's book testifies to the homegrown pressures on China's Communist Party leadership to show the country's fast economic growth is translating into greater sway against the West, still mired in an economic slowdown.

Liu is a professor at the elite National Defense University, which trains rising officers, and the appearance of his book underscores that calls for Beijing to take a hard stance against Washington reach beyond nationalist views on the Internet to include voices in the military elite.

"This book represents my personal views, but I think it also reflects a tide of thought," Liu told Reuters in an interview. "We need a military rise as well as an economic rise."

The next marker of how China's leaders are handling these expectations may come later this week, when the government is likely to announce its defense budget for 2010, after a 14.9 percent rise last year on the one in 2008.

Another PLA officer has said this year's defense budget should send a defiant signal to Washington after the Obama administration went ahead in January with long-known plans to sell $6.4 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.

"I think one part of 'public opinion' that the leadership pays attention to is elite opinion, and that includes the PLA," said Alan Romberg, an expert on China and Taiwan at the Henry L. Stimson Center, an institute in Washington D.C.

"I think the authorities are seeking to keep control of the reaction, even as they need to take (it) into account," Romberg said in an emailed response to questions.

Liu's book was officially published in January, but is only now being sold in Beijing bookstores.

LIGHTING A FIRE IN AMERICA'S BACKYARD

In recent months, strains have deepened between Beijing and Washington over trade, Internet controls, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and President Barack Obama's meeting with Tibet's exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, who China reviles.

China has responded with angry words and a threat to sanction U.S. companies involved in the Taiwan arms sales. But it has not acted on that threat and has allowed a U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Hong Kong.

China's leaders do not want to jeopardize ties with the United States, a key trade partner and still by far the world's biggest economy and military power.

Over the weekend, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he wanted trade friction with the United States to ease. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is due to visit Beijing this week.

Yet Beijing policy-makers have to tread increasingly carefully to balance rival domestic and foreign demands on how to handle Washington, said Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing.

"Chinese society is changing, and you see that in all the domestic views now on what China should do about the United States," said Jin. "If society demands a stronger stance, ignoring that can bring a certain cost."

Liu and other PLA officers say they see little chance of avoiding deepening rivalry with the United States, whether peaceful or warlike.

"I'm very pessimistic about the future," writes another PLA officer, Colonel Dai Xu, in another recently published book that claims China is largely surrounded by hostile or wary countries beholden to the United States.

"I believe that China cannot escape the calamity of war, and this calamity may come in the not-too-distant future, at most in 10 to 20 years," writes Dai.

"If the United States can light a fire in China's backyard, we can also light a fire in their backyard," warns Dai.

Liu writes that China and the United States can manage their rivalry through peaceful economic competition and vying for wider influence in coming decades, when Beijing will emerge as the undoubted global leader.

But as China grows into the world's top economy, it will also need the world's strongest military force to deter the wary United States from challenging China's emerging pre-eminence, Liu argues.

The PLA should be so powerful the United States "would not dare and would not be able to intervene in military conflict in the Taiwan Strait," writes Liu.

"Turn some money bags into bullet holders."

Abu Dhabi Mar acquires Hellenic Shipyards

Greek government welcomes ThyssenKrupp’s sale of 75.1 percent of Hellenic Shipyards to Abu Dhabi Mar.

The German industrial group ThyssenKrupp is to sell 75.1 percent of Hellenic Shipyards near here to Abu Dhabi Mar of the United Arab Emirates, the Greek government said on Monday.

The government said it welcomed the decision by Abu Dhabi Mar to invest in Greek shipbuilding, a decision backed by the authorities in Abu Dhabi.

The German group is to retain the remaining shares.

The shipyards, formerly state owned, are burdened by debt and ThyssenKrupp had been looking for a buyer for the stake since November. It said it was ready to sell for one euro.

However, ThyssenKrupp which has owned the shipyard since 2005, said it wanted compensation, arguing that the Greek government owed it money over a disagreement over a suspended order for four submarines to be assembled in the yards.

The Greek government, in the midst of a debt crisis and facing a huge effort to restructure the economy, said the deal offered a viable and lasting solution in the context of a national strategy for developing the shipbuilding industry and maintaining the employment of 1,400 workers.

In 2006, Greece refused to buy the first submarine of the 214 series, objecting that the boat was faulty in several respects, notably because it listed.

Beijing joins Emirates A380 'Capital Club'

The world's most populous country, China, will fittingly receive the aviation world's largest commercial aircraft with the start of Emirates A380 Dubai-Beijing-Dubai services on 1st August 2010.

The new service signals the first A380 operation to China, and follows an impressive series of A380-firsts to New Zealand, Thailand and Korea by the Dubai-based airline.

The 517-seater A380 will be deployed on the existing EK 306 service that departs Dubai daily at 04:10 hrs, touching down in the Chinese capital city at 15:10 hrs. Return flight EK 307 takes off from Beijing Capital International Airport at 23:55 hrs, landing at Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport at 04:20 hrs the following day.

"The A380 flight offers significant economic benefits to China by providing seamless connections between China and Africa, Europe and the Middle East via Emirates' Dubai hub. Today China ranks as Africa's second-largest trading partner with trade crossing $100bn. Equally, Africa is China's second largest engineering contracting market and deals for contract projects exceed $126.3bn," he added.

Mr. Clark continued, "Trade between Dubai and China is on a steady rise, recording an average annual growth of 36%. Also, the UAE is expecting a surge in incoming Chinese leisure groups after the Chinese government granted it 'Approved Destination Status' last year. Although our A380 will support the growing demand for air travel to/from China through capacity enhancements of almost 50%, it will not be sufficient. We believe China's blazing economic growth justifies a further expansion in aviation links in the near future."

Mr. Dong Zhiyi, Director & General Manager of Beijing Capital International Airport, said, "We are very excited to welcome Emirates' revolutionary A380 - the first scheduled A380 commercial jet to touch down on Chinese soil. This is an important milestone for the future of Beijing Capital and aviation in China. We have made major investments to prepare this airport for new and larger aircraft that will be the future of the airline business."

The A380 is the world's most environmentally-advanced aircraft with significant reductions in noise, emissions and fuel burn vis-à-vis other comparable aircraft.

Emirates A380's ground-breaking inflight product includes onboard shower spas in the First Class cabin featuring signature products by the airline's premium spa brand, Timeless Spa. The onboard lounge for First and Business class customers mirrors the ambience of an executive club and includes a bar with a wide range of beverages and canapés.

With flat-bed massage-equipped private suites in First Class, a new generation of all-aisle flat-bed seats in Business class, mood-lighting, a second-to-none in-flight entertainment system featuring over 1200 channels of on-demand entertainment, and a more spacious Economy Class, the Emirates' A380 introduces a whole new dimension to luxury air travel.

Currently Emirates operates double-daily services each to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and daily services to Guangzhou.