Beijing: A Belgian cargo vessel leaked oil into waters off northern China after a Chinese ship crashed into it at a refuelling dock, a state news agency said on Sunday.
The Belgian ship, ‘Lowlands Prosperity’, was docked late Saturday at the Caofeidian port, a steelmaking and energy base in northeastern Hebei province, near Beijing, when a Chinese oil supplying ship hit the vessel's stern, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
The 290-meter-long (950-foot) Belgian vessel had planned to unload and refuel when the Chinese fuel supplier, ‘Jinyou No 1’, crashed into it and damaged its hull, causing an oil leak.
The extent of the oil leak was not immediately clear, but Xinhua cited workers as saying it was temporarily under control. The provincial maritime department dispatched workers and ships to the site but a thick fog hindered cleanup operations Sunday, Xinhua said.
Showing posts with label latest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label latest. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Japan PM in no hurry on US base relocation deal
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said on Sunday he was in no hurry to make a decision on relocating a controversial US military base in Japan before President Barack Obama's visit next month.
Speaking to Japanese media in the Thai beach resort of Hua Hin, where he was attending a summit of Asian nations, Hatoyama said: "I will make the final decision after listening to a variety of opinions.”
"I don't think I have to hurry up to make the decision before President Obama visits Japan" on November 12-13, he said, as quoted by Jiji Press.
The issue of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base on Okinawa has clouded Japan's security ties with its most important ally after Hatoyama's centre-left government took power in September, ending half a century of conservative rule.
His government has said it will review a 2006 agreement to move the base from a crowded urban area to a coastal area by 2014, but has also suggested the facility may be moved off Okinawa entirely.
Washington has increased pressure on Japan over the issue, with Defence Secretary Robert Gates bluntly telling Tokyo last week to "move on" quickly with the agreed plan to move the base to a coastal area.
Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said on Friday the Futenma Air Base should not be moved off Okinawa but could be merged with other US facilities on the island, possibly angering both Washington and residents.
Hatoyama said on Sunday that Okada had presented only "one option" that was still being considered.
He said moving the base off Okinawa "is not still off the table" and "we are still at the stage of reviewing options. Of course, it will take some time."
The United States, which occupied Japan after its defeat in World War II, now has 47,000 troops stationed there, more than half of them on Okinawa, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Their presence has often caused friction with the local community, especially when American servicemen have committed crimes.
Speaking to Japanese media in the Thai beach resort of Hua Hin, where he was attending a summit of Asian nations, Hatoyama said: "I will make the final decision after listening to a variety of opinions.”
"I don't think I have to hurry up to make the decision before President Obama visits Japan" on November 12-13, he said, as quoted by Jiji Press.
The issue of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base on Okinawa has clouded Japan's security ties with its most important ally after Hatoyama's centre-left government took power in September, ending half a century of conservative rule.
His government has said it will review a 2006 agreement to move the base from a crowded urban area to a coastal area by 2014, but has also suggested the facility may be moved off Okinawa entirely.
Washington has increased pressure on Japan over the issue, with Defence Secretary Robert Gates bluntly telling Tokyo last week to "move on" quickly with the agreed plan to move the base to a coastal area.
Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said on Friday the Futenma Air Base should not be moved off Okinawa but could be merged with other US facilities on the island, possibly angering both Washington and residents.
Hatoyama said on Sunday that Okada had presented only "one option" that was still being considered.
He said moving the base off Okinawa "is not still off the table" and "we are still at the stage of reviewing options. Of course, it will take some time."
The United States, which occupied Japan after its defeat in World War II, now has 47,000 troops stationed there, more than half of them on Okinawa, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Their presence has often caused friction with the local community, especially when American servicemen have committed crimes.
US Health Bill may cut employer mandate
Washington: Businesses would not be required to provide health insurance under legislation being readied for Senate debate, but large firms would owe significant penalties if any worker needed government subsidies to buy coverage on their own, according to Democratic officials familiar with talks on the bill.
For firms with more than 50 employees, the fee could be as high as $750 multiplied by the total size of the work force if only a few workers needed federal aid, these officials said. That is a more stringent penalty than in a bill that recently cleared the Senate Finance Committee, which said companies should face penalties on a per-employee basis.
These officials also said individuals would generally be required to purchase affordable insurance if it were available, and face penalties if they defied the requirement.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations involving key Senate Democrats and the White House. They also stressed that no final decisions have been made on the details of the measure, expected to reach the Senate floor in about two weeks.
In general, the bill taking shape in private talks led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is designed to answer President Barack Obama's call to remake the nation's health care system. It would expand coverage to millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denial of coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and slow the growth in medical spending nationally.
Like a companion measure in the House, it would create a new federally regulated marketplace, termed an exchange, where individuals and families could purchase insurance sold by private industry. Federal subsidies would be available to help those at lower incomes afford the cost.
Subsidies would also be available to smaller businesses as an incentive for them to provide insurance.
For firms with more than 50 employees, the fee could be as high as $750 multiplied by the total size of the work force if only a few workers needed federal aid, these officials said. That is a more stringent penalty than in a bill that recently cleared the Senate Finance Committee, which said companies should face penalties on a per-employee basis.
These officials also said individuals would generally be required to purchase affordable insurance if it were available, and face penalties if they defied the requirement.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations involving key Senate Democrats and the White House. They also stressed that no final decisions have been made on the details of the measure, expected to reach the Senate floor in about two weeks.
In general, the bill taking shape in private talks led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is designed to answer President Barack Obama's call to remake the nation's health care system. It would expand coverage to millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denial of coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and slow the growth in medical spending nationally.
Like a companion measure in the House, it would create a new federally regulated marketplace, termed an exchange, where individuals and families could purchase insurance sold by private industry. Federal subsidies would be available to help those at lower incomes afford the cost.
Subsidies would also be available to smaller businesses as an incentive for them to provide insurance.
India rebuffs China on Dalai, but wants peace on border issue
Hua Hin (Thailand): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday rebuffed Beijing over its opposition to the Dalai Lama's planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh while declaring that he and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao have agreed to maintain "peace and tranquility" along their disputed border.
In his first public comment since China came out strongly against the Tibetan spiritual leader's November trip to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a state Beijing claims, the prime minister described the Dalai Lama as a religious leader and India's "honoured guest".
At a press conference at the end of his hectic two-day visit to Thailand, Manmohan Singh said he was not aware of the travel plans of the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.
"I have explained this position to the Chinese leadership... I explained to Premier Wen that the Dalai Lama is our honoured guest. He is a religious leader," Manmohan Singh said.
"(But) we do not allow Tibetan refugees to indulge in political activities. As a proof of that, last year we took resolute action at the time of Olympics when there were reports that some Tibetan refugees might disrupt (the Olympic torch relay)."
Manmohan Singh's comments followed his formal delegation-level discussions with Wen Saturday morning on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN Summit. But he quickly added that the talks over the Dalai Lama took place at a dinner hosted by the Thai prime minister Saturday night.
Manmohan Singh said he had "frank and constructive exchange of views" with Wen at both the interactions Saturday - the first meeting between the two leaders since they met in New York in September last year.
"The premier and I reaffirmed the need to maintain peace and tranquility on the border pending the resolution of the boundary question. Both of us agreed that we should continue and strengthen efforts to build political trust and understanding.
"We ... agreed that existing mechanism for bilateral cooperation should be used to resolve all issues amicably in the spirit of strategic and cooperative partnership. The Chinese foreign minister will be visiting India in two days and the foreign ministers (of India and China) will have an opportunity to discuss all issues which have a bearing on our relationship.
"We both agree that the boundary question is a complex question and that pending the resolution of the boundary question we both have an obligation to maintain peace and tranquility along the border.
"One doesn't have to go to the media to accentuate or exaggerate the amount of differences that prevail."
Manmohan Singh said he raised with Wen the reported issue of a dam being built on the Chinese side of the Brahmaputra, an issue that has generated fears of water scarcity in India's northeast.
"I conveyed to him that cooperation in the area of trans-border rivers is of mutual benefit... He said that relevant discussions on trans-border river issues could be held through the expert level mechanism that we have constituted."
But the prime minister said he did not raise the issue of Arunachal Pradesh or the issue of visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir on separate papers. "Whether it is Arunachal or Jammu and Kashmir, they are integral parts of our country."
On the Commonwealth Games: Manmohan Singh admitted to some delays in the execution of projects, but said that mechanisms now in place will work effectively and visitors "will see a spectacular show" in October 2010.
On Maoism: I have stated repeatedly that the Naxalite problem has emerged as the biggest internal security threat. Both the central and state governments have an obligation to take effective steps to control the problem.
Kashmir: It is our desire to engage all sections of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir to find practical, pragmatic solutions to the problems facing the state... I have already had two-three meetings with the Hurriyat people. They promised to come back with specific suggestions. I am still waiting for them.
Monetary policy: Monetary policy is the preserve of the Reserve Bank of India. I am satisfied that both the monetary and fiscal policies in our country are in line with our requirements.
On union minister A. Raja: It is not proper for me to join issue with a cabinet colleague in public.
Myanmar: The next year's elections should see a reconciliation of the various segments of the Myanmar society.
In his first public comment since China came out strongly against the Tibetan spiritual leader's November trip to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a state Beijing claims, the prime minister described the Dalai Lama as a religious leader and India's "honoured guest".
At a press conference at the end of his hectic two-day visit to Thailand, Manmohan Singh said he was not aware of the travel plans of the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.
"I have explained this position to the Chinese leadership... I explained to Premier Wen that the Dalai Lama is our honoured guest. He is a religious leader," Manmohan Singh said.
"(But) we do not allow Tibetan refugees to indulge in political activities. As a proof of that, last year we took resolute action at the time of Olympics when there were reports that some Tibetan refugees might disrupt (the Olympic torch relay)."
Manmohan Singh's comments followed his formal delegation-level discussions with Wen Saturday morning on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN Summit. But he quickly added that the talks over the Dalai Lama took place at a dinner hosted by the Thai prime minister Saturday night.
Manmohan Singh said he had "frank and constructive exchange of views" with Wen at both the interactions Saturday - the first meeting between the two leaders since they met in New York in September last year.
"The premier and I reaffirmed the need to maintain peace and tranquility on the border pending the resolution of the boundary question. Both of us agreed that we should continue and strengthen efforts to build political trust and understanding.
"We ... agreed that existing mechanism for bilateral cooperation should be used to resolve all issues amicably in the spirit of strategic and cooperative partnership. The Chinese foreign minister will be visiting India in two days and the foreign ministers (of India and China) will have an opportunity to discuss all issues which have a bearing on our relationship.
"We both agree that the boundary question is a complex question and that pending the resolution of the boundary question we both have an obligation to maintain peace and tranquility along the border.
"One doesn't have to go to the media to accentuate or exaggerate the amount of differences that prevail."
Manmohan Singh said he raised with Wen the reported issue of a dam being built on the Chinese side of the Brahmaputra, an issue that has generated fears of water scarcity in India's northeast.
"I conveyed to him that cooperation in the area of trans-border rivers is of mutual benefit... He said that relevant discussions on trans-border river issues could be held through the expert level mechanism that we have constituted."
But the prime minister said he did not raise the issue of Arunachal Pradesh or the issue of visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir on separate papers. "Whether it is Arunachal or Jammu and Kashmir, they are integral parts of our country."
On the Commonwealth Games: Manmohan Singh admitted to some delays in the execution of projects, but said that mechanisms now in place will work effectively and visitors "will see a spectacular show" in October 2010.
On Maoism: I have stated repeatedly that the Naxalite problem has emerged as the biggest internal security threat. Both the central and state governments have an obligation to take effective steps to control the problem.
Kashmir: It is our desire to engage all sections of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir to find practical, pragmatic solutions to the problems facing the state... I have already had two-three meetings with the Hurriyat people. They promised to come back with specific suggestions. I am still waiting for them.
Monetary policy: Monetary policy is the preserve of the Reserve Bank of India. I am satisfied that both the monetary and fiscal policies in our country are in line with our requirements.
On union minister A. Raja: It is not proper for me to join issue with a cabinet colleague in public.
Myanmar: The next year's elections should see a reconciliation of the various segments of the Myanmar society.
Friday, October 23, 2009
US bank failure reaches 100; most since ‘92
Washington: The cascade of bank failures this year surpassed 100 on Friday, the most in nearly two decades. And the trouble in the banking system from bad loans and the recession goes even deeper than the number suggests.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other banks remain open even though they are as weak as many that have been shuttered. Regulators are seizing banks slowly and selectively — partly to avoid inciting panic and partly because buyers for bad banks are hard to find.
Going slow buys time. An economic recovery could save some banks that would otherwise go under. But if the recovery is slow and smaller banks' finances get even worse, it could wind up costing even more.
The bank failures, 106 in all, are the most in any year since 181 collapsed in 1992, at the end of the savings-and-loan crisis. On Friday, regulators took over three small Florida banks — Partners Bank and Hillcrest Bank Florida, both of Naples, and Flagship National Bank in Bradenton — along with American United Bank of Lawrenceville, Ga, Bank of Elmwood in Racine, Wis, Riverview Community Bank in Otsego, Minn, and First Dupage Bank in Westmont, Ill.
When a bank fails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp swoops in, usually on a Friday afternoon. It tries to sell off the bank's assets to buyers and cover its liabilities, primarily customer deposits. It taps the insurance fund to cover the rest.
Bank failures have cost the FDIC's fund that insures deposits an estimated USD 25 billion this year and are expected to cost USD 100 billion through 2013. To replenish the fund, the agency wants banks to pay in advance USD 45 billion in premiums that would have been due over the next three years.
The FDIC won't say how deep a hole its deposit insurance fund is in. It can tap a credit line from the Treasury of up to a half-trillion dollars to cover the gap.
The list of banks in trouble is getting longer. At the end of June, the FDIC had flagged 416 as being at risk of failure, up from 305 at the end of March and 252 at the beginning of the year.
Yet the pace of actual bank failures appears to be slowing. The FDIC seized 24 banks in July, 11 in September and 11 in October.
If any bank poses an immediate danger to customers or the broader financial system, regulators close it immediately, bank supervisors said. The issue is murkier for troubled banks that might qualify to close but whose closings might still be postponed or even prevented.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other banks remain open even though they are as weak as many that have been shuttered. Regulators are seizing banks slowly and selectively — partly to avoid inciting panic and partly because buyers for bad banks are hard to find.
Going slow buys time. An economic recovery could save some banks that would otherwise go under. But if the recovery is slow and smaller banks' finances get even worse, it could wind up costing even more.
The bank failures, 106 in all, are the most in any year since 181 collapsed in 1992, at the end of the savings-and-loan crisis. On Friday, regulators took over three small Florida banks — Partners Bank and Hillcrest Bank Florida, both of Naples, and Flagship National Bank in Bradenton — along with American United Bank of Lawrenceville, Ga, Bank of Elmwood in Racine, Wis, Riverview Community Bank in Otsego, Minn, and First Dupage Bank in Westmont, Ill.
When a bank fails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp swoops in, usually on a Friday afternoon. It tries to sell off the bank's assets to buyers and cover its liabilities, primarily customer deposits. It taps the insurance fund to cover the rest.
Bank failures have cost the FDIC's fund that insures deposits an estimated USD 25 billion this year and are expected to cost USD 100 billion through 2013. To replenish the fund, the agency wants banks to pay in advance USD 45 billion in premiums that would have been due over the next three years.
The FDIC won't say how deep a hole its deposit insurance fund is in. It can tap a credit line from the Treasury of up to a half-trillion dollars to cover the gap.
The list of banks in trouble is getting longer. At the end of June, the FDIC had flagged 416 as being at risk of failure, up from 305 at the end of March and 252 at the beginning of the year.
Yet the pace of actual bank failures appears to be slowing. The FDIC seized 24 banks in July, 11 in September and 11 in October.
If any bank poses an immediate danger to customers or the broader financial system, regulators close it immediately, bank supervisors said. The issue is murkier for troubled banks that might qualify to close but whose closings might still be postponed or even prevented.
Swedish church agrees to conduct gay weddings
Stockholm: Sweden's Lutheran Church has decided to allow gay marriages in its places of worship, five months after they became legal.
Nearly 70 percent of the 250 members of the Church of Sweden's synod voted to allow same-sex couples to marry in its congregations from November 1 and adopted a marriage rite for gay weddings, the church said in a statement.
The Church of Sweden, which was the state church until 2000, had backed the parliament's adoption of the gay marriage law, which took effect on May 1. But it deferred its synod's decision on church weddings until now.
Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, becomes one of the first countries in the world to allow gays to marry in a major Church.
Around three in four Swedes are members of the Lutheran Church.
The country's largest gay rights group, RFSL, welcomed the protestant church's decision
"RFSL congratulates the Church of Sweden for its decision, your homosexual and bisexual members will finally be able to feel a little more welcome within society," it said in a statement.
But the group was disappointed that ministers can refuse to celebrate a gay marriage. In such cases, the Church should find another priest for the ceremony.
The country's smaller Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches said they were disappointed by the Lutherans' decision.
"It is with sadness that we learn about the decision by the synod of the Church of Sweden," Fredrik Emanuelson, a leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and Orthodox church senior official Misha Jaksic said in a joint statement.
"In our churches and communities, we will not unite homosexual couples since it is in complete contradiction with the tradition of the church and our vision of creation," they said.
Nearly 70 percent of the 250 members of the Church of Sweden's synod voted to allow same-sex couples to marry in its congregations from November 1 and adopted a marriage rite for gay weddings, the church said in a statement.
The Church of Sweden, which was the state church until 2000, had backed the parliament's adoption of the gay marriage law, which took effect on May 1. But it deferred its synod's decision on church weddings until now.
Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, becomes one of the first countries in the world to allow gays to marry in a major Church.
Around three in four Swedes are members of the Lutheran Church.
The country's largest gay rights group, RFSL, welcomed the protestant church's decision
"RFSL congratulates the Church of Sweden for its decision, your homosexual and bisexual members will finally be able to feel a little more welcome within society," it said in a statement.
But the group was disappointed that ministers can refuse to celebrate a gay marriage. In such cases, the Church should find another priest for the ceremony.
The country's smaller Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches said they were disappointed by the Lutherans' decision.
"It is with sadness that we learn about the decision by the synod of the Church of Sweden," Fredrik Emanuelson, a leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and Orthodox church senior official Misha Jaksic said in a joint statement.
"In our churches and communities, we will not unite homosexual couples since it is in complete contradiction with the tradition of the church and our vision of creation," they said.
Swine flu spreads in Europe as global toll nears 5,000
Geneva: Swine flu is spreading faster and claiming new fatalities in Europe, health officials said today, as the global death toll from the virus rose to nearly 5,000 victims.
Since the A(H1N1) virus was uncovered in April, there have been over 4,735 deaths reported to the World Health Organisation as of a week ago, the WHO said.
Most of the fatal cases -- 3,539 -- have been recorded in North and South America, the UN health agency said in its latest update on the flu pandemic.
But with the winter flu season approaching in the northern hemisphere, swine flu deaths were reported in several European countries this week, with Dutch health officials saying the situation has reached an epidemic level.
"The spread of the A(H1N1) virus in the Netherlands accelerated this week. It is now a small epidemic," said the Dutch institute for health and the environment in a statement.
"Around 10 people infected with the virus were admitted daily to hospitals this week," it said. A 14-year-old girl became the first otherwise healthy person to die from the virus, bringing to six the number of swine flu deaths so far in the Netherlands.
In Britain, the worst hit country in Europe, new swine flu cases nearly doubled in a week, from 27,000 to 53,000, and the number of deaths now total 128, according to updated figures released this week.
New deaths from the virus were also reported in Germany, its third fatality, and for the first time in the Czech Republic. The Czech health ministry confirmed today that a 31-year old woman who had the A(H1N1) virus, and also suffered from heart problems, was the country's first fatality linked to swine flu.
Since the A(H1N1) virus was uncovered in April, there have been over 4,735 deaths reported to the World Health Organisation as of a week ago, the WHO said.
Most of the fatal cases -- 3,539 -- have been recorded in North and South America, the UN health agency said in its latest update on the flu pandemic.
But with the winter flu season approaching in the northern hemisphere, swine flu deaths were reported in several European countries this week, with Dutch health officials saying the situation has reached an epidemic level.
"The spread of the A(H1N1) virus in the Netherlands accelerated this week. It is now a small epidemic," said the Dutch institute for health and the environment in a statement.
"Around 10 people infected with the virus were admitted daily to hospitals this week," it said. A 14-year-old girl became the first otherwise healthy person to die from the virus, bringing to six the number of swine flu deaths so far in the Netherlands.
In Britain, the worst hit country in Europe, new swine flu cases nearly doubled in a week, from 27,000 to 53,000, and the number of deaths now total 128, according to updated figures released this week.
New deaths from the virus were also reported in Germany, its third fatality, and for the first time in the Czech Republic. The Czech health ministry confirmed today that a 31-year old woman who had the A(H1N1) virus, and also suffered from heart problems, was the country's first fatality linked to swine flu.
US backs Iran nuclear deal
Washington: The United States gave its backing today to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposals that aim to break the deadlock over Iran's nuclear efforts, the White House said.
"The United States delivered its positive response to IAEA Director General's (Mohamed) ElBaradei's proposal," said National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer in a statement.
"We look forward to Iran's reply," Hammer added.
Earlier this week, ElBaradei set a Friday deadline for France, Iran, Russia and the United States to give their formal approval to an arrangement under which Russia would further enrich Iranian low-enriched uranium on Russian soil.
Moscow was the first to give the official nod, and earlier Friday French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero agreed that the draft agreement "suits" Paris.
"We have made this known in an official manner," Valero said, adding that ElBaradei was awaiting "a clear response from Iran."
"The United States delivered its positive response to IAEA Director General's (Mohamed) ElBaradei's proposal," said National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer in a statement.
"We look forward to Iran's reply," Hammer added.
Earlier this week, ElBaradei set a Friday deadline for France, Iran, Russia and the United States to give their formal approval to an arrangement under which Russia would further enrich Iranian low-enriched uranium on Russian soil.
Moscow was the first to give the official nod, and earlier Friday French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero agreed that the draft agreement "suits" Paris.
"We have made this known in an official manner," Valero said, adding that ElBaradei was awaiting "a clear response from Iran."
'Distracted' US pilots fly plane 150 miles off course
Washington: The US National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating a flight that overshot its destination by 150 miles when pilots reportedly got into a "heated discussion" on airline policy.
The NTSB said the Airbus A320 became a "no radio communications" flight on Wednesday evening as it travelled at 11,300 meters from San Diego, California, prompting fears it had been hijacked.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that four military fighter jets were readied to chase down the plane before contact was re-established.
The flight was carrying 147 passengers and an unknown number of crew and was supposed to land at Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.
But instead, the plane flew over the airport and continued to fly northeast for another 240 kilometres before air traffic control at Minneapolis airport managed to regain contact.
"According to the Federal Administration (FAA), the crew was interviewed by the FBI and airport police," the NTSB said in a statement.
"The crew stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness," the statement added.
The NTSB said they plan to interview the crew and that the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being sent to their laboratory for analysis.
Bureau Report
The NTSB said the Airbus A320 became a "no radio communications" flight on Wednesday evening as it travelled at 11,300 meters from San Diego, California, prompting fears it had been hijacked.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that four military fighter jets were readied to chase down the plane before contact was re-established.
The flight was carrying 147 passengers and an unknown number of crew and was supposed to land at Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.
But instead, the plane flew over the airport and continued to fly northeast for another 240 kilometres before air traffic control at Minneapolis airport managed to regain contact.
"According to the Federal Administration (FAA), the crew was interviewed by the FBI and airport police," the NTSB said in a statement.
"The crew stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness," the statement added.
The NTSB said they plan to interview the crew and that the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being sent to their laboratory for analysis.
Bureau Report
Thai trial for AIDS vaccine: No real breakthrough?
Thai trial for AIDS vaccine: No real breakthrough?
The full results from an AIDS vaccine trial in Thailand, released Tuesday, showed that the vaccine's protective effect might be even weaker than researchers first admitted.
However, the complicated six-shot, two-vaccine regimen may have briefly worked better in the first year after it was given, and also may have worked better in Thais at average risk from heterosexual sex, rather than those who used drugs or men who had sex with men. Those offshoot results could open avenues for future research, scientists said.
Meanwhile, the continuing debate over whether the vaccine's slight protective effect found in the study was real or just a fluke got only more complicated.
Last month, researchers from the U.S. military and the Thai government said their three-year study of about 16,400 Thai men and women suggested that the new vaccine, known as RV144, could protect 31 percent of those getting it.
Although no one would consider licensing such a weak vaccine, the announcement made headlines around the world because no other AIDS vaccine trial in 20 years had protected anyone.
But a controversy soon emerged. Of the roughly 8,200 people who got the vaccine, only 51 became infected, while among the roughly 8,200 who received a placebo, 74 became infected. The authors of the study conceded that the difference was just barely statistically significant.
Rival researchers with whom they shared the full trial data in private soon began grumbling that it could be analyzed in other ways that made the results meaningless.
The full release of data - which took place simultaneously at a medical conference in Paris and online in the New England Journal of Medicine - showed three different analyses.
The previously released one, known as the "modified intent-to-treat" analysis and showing the vaccine to be 31 percent effective, included everyone in the trial except seven people, who researchers later realized were infected before it began. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, representing the National Institutes of Health, which oversaw the trial, described that analysis as the "gold standard."
A second, the "per protocol" analysis, included only the 12,450 subjects who got the entire vaccine series or the placebo and stayed in the trial to the end. It showed the vaccine to be only 26 percent effective, and there was also a 16 percent chance the results were due to chance. (Five percent is the usual limit in clinical trials.)
A third, the full "intent to treat," included the seven previously infected subjects and also showed the vaccine to be 26 percent effective. It had an 8 percent chance that the results were meaningless.
In an accompanying editorial, Raphael Dolin of Harvard Medical School described the vaccine as "modest" at best and "unlikely to be a public health control measure," though the results suggested further direction for research.
Different statisticians interpreted the results differently.
Philip B. Stark, a professor of statistics at the University of California, Berkeley, said he considered the full intent to treat "the most kosher analysis."
"Once you start modifying, you start introducing new opportunities for confounding the results," he added.
But Donald A. Berry, chairman of biostatistics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, said he accepted the modified intent to treat analysis the researchers preferred, because it was the endpoint they said early on they would use.
However, in the end, he said, all three results "are really the same, so it doesn't make much of a difference."
But his overall impression, said Berry - who had no connection to the study or any of its rivals - is that the vaccine does not work. So many trials of AIDS vaccine have been conducted he said, that it is likely that even one that consisted of injections of water would, just by chance, show a weak effectiveness like this.
The full results from an AIDS vaccine trial in Thailand, released Tuesday, showed that the vaccine's protective effect might be even weaker than researchers first admitted.
However, the complicated six-shot, two-vaccine regimen may have briefly worked better in the first year after it was given, and also may have worked better in Thais at average risk from heterosexual sex, rather than those who used drugs or men who had sex with men. Those offshoot results could open avenues for future research, scientists said.
Meanwhile, the continuing debate over whether the vaccine's slight protective effect found in the study was real or just a fluke got only more complicated.
Last month, researchers from the U.S. military and the Thai government said their three-year study of about 16,400 Thai men and women suggested that the new vaccine, known as RV144, could protect 31 percent of those getting it.
Although no one would consider licensing such a weak vaccine, the announcement made headlines around the world because no other AIDS vaccine trial in 20 years had protected anyone.
But a controversy soon emerged. Of the roughly 8,200 people who got the vaccine, only 51 became infected, while among the roughly 8,200 who received a placebo, 74 became infected. The authors of the study conceded that the difference was just barely statistically significant.
Rival researchers with whom they shared the full trial data in private soon began grumbling that it could be analyzed in other ways that made the results meaningless.
The full release of data - which took place simultaneously at a medical conference in Paris and online in the New England Journal of Medicine - showed three different analyses.
The previously released one, known as the "modified intent-to-treat" analysis and showing the vaccine to be 31 percent effective, included everyone in the trial except seven people, who researchers later realized were infected before it began. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, representing the National Institutes of Health, which oversaw the trial, described that analysis as the "gold standard."
A second, the "per protocol" analysis, included only the 12,450 subjects who got the entire vaccine series or the placebo and stayed in the trial to the end. It showed the vaccine to be only 26 percent effective, and there was also a 16 percent chance the results were due to chance. (Five percent is the usual limit in clinical trials.)
A third, the full "intent to treat," included the seven previously infected subjects and also showed the vaccine to be 26 percent effective. It had an 8 percent chance that the results were meaningless.
In an accompanying editorial, Raphael Dolin of Harvard Medical School described the vaccine as "modest" at best and "unlikely to be a public health control measure," though the results suggested further direction for research.
Different statisticians interpreted the results differently.
Philip B. Stark, a professor of statistics at the University of California, Berkeley, said he considered the full intent to treat "the most kosher analysis."
"Once you start modifying, you start introducing new opportunities for confounding the results," he added.
But Donald A. Berry, chairman of biostatistics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, said he accepted the modified intent to treat analysis the researchers preferred, because it was the endpoint they said early on they would use.
However, in the end, he said, all three results "are really the same, so it doesn't make much of a difference."
But his overall impression, said Berry - who had no connection to the study or any of its rivals - is that the vaccine does not work. So many trials of AIDS vaccine have been conducted he said, that it is likely that even one that consisted of injections of water would, just by chance, show a weak effectiveness like this.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
It’s only IIT for physics champ Vinit
Mumbai Vinit Atal, the lone student to be selected in 10 years from Pune for the International Physics Olympiad, has also secured the highest score in All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in Maharashtra. The results were declared on Saturday.
Although he got an all-India rank of 7 by scoring 403 out of 432 marks in AIEEE, Vinit says he would prefer joining IIT Powai to pursue computer science or mechanical engineering.
He was ranked 90 in IIT JEE and will attend his admission counselling on June 12. Vinit is a resident of Kothrud.
He is a student of Garware College.
“My focus was on IIT JEE AIEEE was a stand-by,” Vinit, who will participate in the International Physics Olympiad in Mexico in July, said.
Sagar Chordia, another student who appeared for AIEEE, IIT JEE and BITSAT and got the 16th rank in AIEEE also prefers the IIT.
“Around 120 students from Pune have made it to the state’s top 600, securing their place in National Institutes of Technology (NIT). Pune students usually prefer joining NITs at Nagpur, Bhopal, Trichur and Calicut,” said Durgesh Mangeshkar of IIT Prashikhshan Kendra that also trains students for AIEEE.
Date with AIEEE
June 20 to June 24: Registration, filling up choices and indicative allotment
June 25 to June 28: filling up choices and locking option
June 30: first round of seat allotment
JULY 7: second round of seat allotment
JULY 13: third round of seat allotment
JULY 19: fourth round of seat allotment
Although he got an all-India rank of 7 by scoring 403 out of 432 marks in AIEEE, Vinit says he would prefer joining IIT Powai to pursue computer science or mechanical engineering.
He was ranked 90 in IIT JEE and will attend his admission counselling on June 12. Vinit is a resident of Kothrud.
He is a student of Garware College.
“My focus was on IIT JEE AIEEE was a stand-by,” Vinit, who will participate in the International Physics Olympiad in Mexico in July, said.
Sagar Chordia, another student who appeared for AIEEE, IIT JEE and BITSAT and got the 16th rank in AIEEE also prefers the IIT.
“Around 120 students from Pune have made it to the state’s top 600, securing their place in National Institutes of Technology (NIT). Pune students usually prefer joining NITs at Nagpur, Bhopal, Trichur and Calicut,” said Durgesh Mangeshkar of IIT Prashikhshan Kendra that also trains students for AIEEE.
Date with AIEEE
June 20 to June 24: Registration, filling up choices and indicative allotment
June 25 to June 28: filling up choices and locking option
June 30: first round of seat allotment
JULY 7: second round of seat allotment
JULY 13: third round of seat allotment
JULY 19: fourth round of seat allotment
'Indo-China border is one of the most peaceful and tranquil'
Bangalore Reacting to reports that Indian wrestlers had attacked a group of youths after they were racially abused in Australia, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has said students should not take the law in their hands.
Talking to reporters in Bangalore on Monday, Krishna said although self-defence was fundamental in nature, students should not take the law in their hands.
"I don't recommend that students should take law into their own hands. I think the incidents of attack on Indian students are tapering of. There are here and there some reported incidents," he added.
According to reports, Indian spectators leaving a Kabaddi match in Melbourne on Sunday night attacked a group of youths after they were racially abused.
Talking about tensions on the India-China border, Krishna said that it was the most tranquil and peaceful border.
"The Indo-Chinese border which is large, which is not demarcated as yet is one of the most peaceful and tranquil borders. There are certain incidents but we have evolved a mechanism, whenever incidents of incursions occur then we have a mechanism put in place, so that at the field level itself things are settled and things are sorted out. So I don't think that we should be carried away by such reports," he added.
Anger over troop deployments, reports of border incursions, and a high-pitched media debate have reignited strains between China and India over long-festering border disputes in the Himalayas region
Talking to reporters in Bangalore on Monday, Krishna said although self-defence was fundamental in nature, students should not take the law in their hands.
"I don't recommend that students should take law into their own hands. I think the incidents of attack on Indian students are tapering of. There are here and there some reported incidents," he added.
According to reports, Indian spectators leaving a Kabaddi match in Melbourne on Sunday night attacked a group of youths after they were racially abused.
Talking about tensions on the India-China border, Krishna said that it was the most tranquil and peaceful border.
"The Indo-Chinese border which is large, which is not demarcated as yet is one of the most peaceful and tranquil borders. There are certain incidents but we have evolved a mechanism, whenever incidents of incursions occur then we have a mechanism put in place, so that at the field level itself things are settled and things are sorted out. So I don't think that we should be carried away by such reports," he added.
Anger over troop deployments, reports of border incursions, and a high-pitched media debate have reignited strains between China and India over long-festering border disputes in the Himalayas region
Home Minister to visit flood affected Karnataka and AP
New Delhi As the flood situation in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh continues to be grim, Home Minister P Chidambaram will undertake an aerial survey of the two affected states for an assessment of the damaged caused by the natural disaster.
Chidamabaram, who is currently in Tamil Nadu, is also expected to hold meetings with the Chief Ministers of both states - B S Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and K Rosaiah (Andhra Pradesh) -- and other top officials in Bangalore and Hyderabad, official sources here said.
Senior Home ministry officers are in constant touch with the state authorities and other agencies. The situation is being monitored on round the clock basis by the MHA control room, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has allocated an amount of Rs 139.36 crore to the Calamity Relief Fund for Karnataka for 2009-10, comprising Rs 104.52 crore as Central contribution and Rs 34.84 crore as state contribution.
The Centre has also sent 249 water rescue-trained personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for Karnataka along with 73 inflatable motorised boats deployed in the districts of Bagalkote, Raichur, Gadag and Bijapur for rescue and relief operations.
Further, 250 water rescue-trained personnel and 60 inflatable boats of NDRF from Gandhinagar are ready to be airlifted, the sources added.
So far, the death toll in the calamity has risen to 205 in both the states.
Chidamabaram, who is currently in Tamil Nadu, is also expected to hold meetings with the Chief Ministers of both states - B S Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and K Rosaiah (Andhra Pradesh) -- and other top officials in Bangalore and Hyderabad, official sources here said.
Senior Home ministry officers are in constant touch with the state authorities and other agencies. The situation is being monitored on round the clock basis by the MHA control room, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has allocated an amount of Rs 139.36 crore to the Calamity Relief Fund for Karnataka for 2009-10, comprising Rs 104.52 crore as Central contribution and Rs 34.84 crore as state contribution.
The Centre has also sent 249 water rescue-trained personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for Karnataka along with 73 inflatable motorised boats deployed in the districts of Bagalkote, Raichur, Gadag and Bijapur for rescue and relief operations.
Further, 250 water rescue-trained personnel and 60 inflatable boats of NDRF from Gandhinagar are ready to be airlifted, the sources added.
So far, the death toll in the calamity has risen to 205 in both the states.
Nothing 'fishy' about North Korean ship: Navy
New Delhi/Kochi: A probe team has found nothing "incriminating" on board a Pakistan-bound North Korean ship, which was detained off the Kerala coast for anchoring in Indian waters without mandatory clearance, a naval official said Sunday.
The vessel, Hyang Ro, was detained at Vadakara in Kozhikode district October 2 and was inspected by a joint team of the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, intelligence agencies and port authorities, naval spokesperson Commander Roy Francis said.
"The team has completed its investigations of the vessel. The ship had anchored without mandatory clearance. It cited an internal leak in its tanks as the reason for anchoring in Indian waters," Francis told an agency over phone.
The ship will soon leave the Indian waters, he said.
"The authorities, who inspected the ship have established that the claims of the crew were genuine. The investigating team did not find any incriminating cargo or evidence on board," Francis added.
The ship of approximately 9,000 tonnes was en route to Port Bin Qasim in Pakistan from Colombo. The ship is captained by Choe Sung Ho and is owned by Pyongyang-based Sinhung Shipping Company.
This is the second incident this year of a "suspicious" North Korean ship being detained for anchoring in Indian waters without prior permission.
In August this year, a ship was detained in the Bay of Bengal. The vessel had dropped anchor off Hut Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, it was later found to have genuine merchandise.
The vessel, Hyang Ro, was detained at Vadakara in Kozhikode district October 2 and was inspected by a joint team of the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, intelligence agencies and port authorities, naval spokesperson Commander Roy Francis said.
"The team has completed its investigations of the vessel. The ship had anchored without mandatory clearance. It cited an internal leak in its tanks as the reason for anchoring in Indian waters," Francis told an agency over phone.
The ship will soon leave the Indian waters, he said.
"The authorities, who inspected the ship have established that the claims of the crew were genuine. The investigating team did not find any incriminating cargo or evidence on board," Francis added.
The ship of approximately 9,000 tonnes was en route to Port Bin Qasim in Pakistan from Colombo. The ship is captained by Choe Sung Ho and is owned by Pyongyang-based Sinhung Shipping Company.
This is the second incident this year of a "suspicious" North Korean ship being detained for anchoring in Indian waters without prior permission.
In August this year, a ship was detained in the Bay of Bengal. The vessel had dropped anchor off Hut Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, it was later found to have genuine merchandise.
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