U.S. announces $60 bln arms sale for Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON: The United States plans to sell up to $60 billion worth of military aircraft to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday in a move designed to shore up a region overshadowed by Iran.

Andrew Shapiro, the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, told a news conference the U.S. administration did not anticipate any objections to the sale from Israel, traditionally wary of arms sales to nearby Arab countries.

The sale, which had been expected, includes 84 new Boeing BA.N F-15 aircraft and 70 upgrades of existing Saudi F-15s. It also includes 70 of Boeing’s Apache attack helicopters and 36 of its AH-6M Little Birds.

It will also include 72 Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

UTX.N.

Shapiro said the total value of the package would not exceed

Power outages continue despite zero shortfall

LAHORE: The spell of power outages continued with no sign of letting up despite the power shortfall narrowed to zero as a result of downpours across the country, Geo News reported Tuesday.

According to Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO), the improved weather conditions equaled the power demand and supply at 13496 Megawatts without any shortfall with 670 MWs being supplied to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

The spokesman said the total power production include 5420 MW poured from hydal, 2116 MW from thermal, 5906 MWs from IPPs and Rental accounts for 58 percent of the total volume of electricity.

The spokesman further told the load shedding is not being carried out overnight in both industrial and domestic sectors and new schedule would be issued if needed.

Despite this, the spate of tripping continued in nearly all small and large cities including Lahore. And, it is quite unpredictable when power would go and return. The people demanded to put an end to this unannounced tripping spree.

50 Injured in Bangladesh Labour Unrest

Dhaka: More than 50 people were injured on Saturday when police fired rubber bullets at thousands of garment factory workers protest over unpaid wages in an industrial town north of Dhaka, police said. Police Chief Constituency Nuruzzaman Mahfuzul Haq at least 10,000 workers attacked police with stones and bricks, prompting them to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas. At least 50 workers and a number of police officers were injured in the clashes, police sub-inspector Maleka Begum said

Dhaka: More than 50 people were injured on Saturday when police fired rubber bullets at thousands of garment factory workers protest over unpaid wages in an industrial town north of Dhaka, police said.

Police Chief Constituency Nuruzzaman Mahfuzul Haq at least 10,000 workers attacked police with stones and bricks, prompting them to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas.

At least 50 workers and a number of police officers were injured in the clashes, police sub-inspector Maleka Begum said.

The private television station Bangla Vision said at least two workers and two policemen were killed and wounded more than 100 works, many of them with gunshot wounds in the fierce fighting.

“The garment workers demanding wage arrears Nippon owners after the factory closed without notice. The workers became angry rebel this morning and attacked the police,” said Begum.

The workers also damaged and burned vehicles and barricaded a key highway, cutting off communications between the capital and northern districts of Bangladesh, he added.

Factories in the South Asian nation have been affected by the global economic crisis with various cutting wages to compete for orders to other producing countries such as Vietnam, China and India.

The accounts of cheap clothing from 80 percent of Bangladesh’s exports, which are vital to the economy.

Forty percent of the industrial workforce is employed in the Bangladesh garment sector.

50 Injured in Bangladesh Labour Unrest was first posted on October 31, 2009 at 3:43 pm.

Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010

Colombo: Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010, Sri Lankan government hopes to relocate the majority of Tamils displaced by war in January next year, a minister has said amid growing U.S.

Colombo: Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010, Sri Lankan government hopes to relocate the majority of Tamils displaced by war in January next year, a minister has said amid growing U.S. pressure and other Western nations to send to the Tamils.

“The government has always maintained that IDPs should be designed and delivered in a structured and well managed manner,” Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe.

“We hope to reach our goal of resettling a majority of IDPs on 31 January next year,” he said.

Tamil Today, tens of thousands displaced by war are languishing in refugee camps special and Washington, the EU and human rights groups have called for their early repatriation back home.

“Having overcome the threat of terrorism and achieve military dominance in a ruthless organization that has ruined the life of the nation for nearly three decades, we have a unique opportunity to forge a new Sri Lanka where the human dignity of all citizens is fully safeguarded” , who said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Rishad Bathiudeen said the total number of displaced persons in northern numbering 2.85 LAKH, nearly a Lakh people have been sent back home.

Bathiudeen said one of the main obstacles to the resettlement of IDPs in their hometowns or villages was time to clear landmines in those areas.

Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010 was first posted on October 31, 2009 at 3:57 pm.