- Dubai Police Chief Claims Crime Rate Declines, but theft by youth on the rise.
- Airline Passenger Traffic Down in June
- Irritating Wife can Cause serious Road Accidents --Saudi Study
- Amputees live with pains, says study
- Escravos siege ends, ChevronTexaco faces new blockades
- Belgium to finance 5 million primary education textbooks
- Conference on human trafficking set for August
Dubai Aviation Event to aid Fire and Security learning,
Sheikh Ahmed: "We will very shortly see a return to the 10% plus per annum growth in passenger numbers of earlier last year."
Faster, safer, economic long haul Air travel on the ways, Civil Aviation Chief.
Dubai --July 20, 2002 keralamonitor.com Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, President, Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and Chairman of the Emirates Group has urged the international aviation industry to support the launch of the Aviation, Fire & Security International (AFSI) event being planned for Dubai next April.
Sheikh Ahmed said the AFSI exhibition and conference will be a valuable global learning, meeting and networking opportunity as the international aviation industry heads to a return to its pre-September 11th growth pattern.
In a letter to potential AFSI exhibitors and delegates, Sheikh Ahmed said: "Though impacted by tragic events last year, the industry is set to see further remarkable development in faster, safer more economic long haul air travel, which will very shortly see a return to the 10% plus per annum growth in passenger numbers of earlier last year."
He added that the Government of Dubai and Emirates airline are fully behind the AFSI concept.
"We are committed to ensuring the development of best practice, none more so than in the fields of fire and security, both of which must constantly keep pace with emerging technology, to enhance passenger comfort and safety," he said.
FSI, which is being organised by Fairs and Exhibitions (F&E), the name behind the Dubai air show, will be held at the Airport Expo Dubai from April 27-29, 2003. It is aimed at addressing the fire and security challenges facing the global aviation industry."The AFSI conference will focus individually on fire and security issues with delegates being given hands-on demonstrations of the latest international methods and technology," said Clive Richardson, CEO, F&E's aerospace division.
"The needs of the international aerospace sector differ enormously from other industries and now, more than ever, deserve an international event of their own. AFSI will meet that need."
Irritating Wife can Cause serious Road Accidents --Saudi Study
Women cause 50 per cent traffick accidents in Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah - July 20, 2002 Don't enter into any serious arguments with your husband, while he is driving a car. If you don't follow this guideline, your family is likely to end up in a road accident. Such arguments have caused a number of road accidents in Saudi Arabia, reveals a study released here. Some of the Arab women get into long arguments with their husbands who drive the cars. The husband then loses his concentration and gets involved in accidents, reveals a study by Dr. Fahd Turkistani of Umm Al-Qura University.
Arrogant female pedestrians cause half of the road accidents in the Kingdom, reveals the study by Dr. Turkistani. "Most women cross roads without considering the speed of incoming vehicles," Al-Riyadh newspaper quoted Turkistani . According to the study, schoolgirls and women going for shopping are the most vulnerable to road accidents. Another interesting revelation of the study is that some women, who travel in luxury cars driven by their expatriate servants, cause accidents by giving sudden orders to the driver to turn right or left without any regard to traffic regulations. "Some women tell limousine drivers to stop abruptly when they see, say an attractive dress at a shopping center," he said, leading to accidents. Women also cause road accidents by suddenly getting out of the car, unmindful of incoming vehicles. Sometimes, they tell the drivers to stop the car by the road to purchase something from street vendors -a violation of traffic rules.
Airline Passenger Traffic Down in June
July 20, 2002 keralamonitor.com
Washington — The Air Transport Association (ATA) reported that systemwide revenue
passenger miles (RPMs) declined 8.4 percent in June, versus the same month in 2001. Domestic
revenue passenger miles declined 7.0 percent and international RPMs decreased 12.0 percent.
Revenue passenger mile is the industry term used to quantify the volume of business; one RPM
equals one fare-paying passenger transported one mile.Systemwide passenger enplanements fell 10.4 percent in June. The number of enplanements
declined 10.8 percent domestically and 6.6 percent internationally.“The U.S. airline industry made little progress toward economic recovery in June. Air travel remains
persistently below last year’s levels,” stated ATA Chief Economist David Swierenga. “The recent
decline in U.S. consumer confidence and lingering frustration with the airport security experience is
contributing to stagnation in air travel growth.”The systemwide load factor was 77.4 percent in June. The domestic load factor was 75.6 percent and
the international load factor was 82.4 percent. The narrow improvement in load factor was driven by
an 8.5 percent decline in systemwide airline capacity. Load factor is the percentage of seating
capacity that is utilized.The Air Transport Association of America, Inc. is the trade association for leading U.S. airlines. ATA
members transport over 95 percent of all the passenger and cargo traffic in the United States.Amputees live with pains, says study
keralamonitor.com
ABIDJAN, 19 July (IRIN) - Sierra Leoneans whose limbs were brutally chopped off during the 1991-2001 war have lived with pains for up to four years after being amputated, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, says in a new report.
The report, published on 1 July, is based on a study started in May 2000 in Murray Town Amputees' Camp in the capital, Freetown, where MSF has a clinic that treats neuropathic pain - pain associated with ailments of the nervous system. The pains the amputees suffer are known as "stump and phantom pains".
"Many of the amputees were living with pain," MSF said. "Their amputations happened between 10 and 48 months previously. The chop was with a machete in most cases or with an axe, a few the result of a bullet wound. All the 40 people assessed had stump pain. One man described in detail the burning, "drawing" (stretching), and pricking in his elbow stump."
Murray camp is home to 2,000 people, including about 140 people who had lost an arm or a hand and another 80 who had leg amputations. MSF said that when medication was administered "improvements were found in measures of mood, in day-to-day life and in pain". It said patients on medication thought it reduced their pain and on examination there were fewer physical signs.
The number of amputees in Sierra Leone is estimated to be 1,000. There had been more but an unknown number died from infection or associated injuries. In January 1999, Freetown's main hospital treated 97 victim of amputation by axes and machetes and MSF treated 40 cases of serious lacerations to the arms and legs caused by attempted amputations, the study said.
"The warring parties used amputation, especially of arms, as a means of terror," it added. "All parties in the war have been implicated in the perpetration of war crimes. Civilians were the victims of various human rights abuses, including rape, abduction, and violent amputation."
Further details can be found at: http://www.msf.org/ and on the site of the International Association for the Study of Pain : http://www.iasp-pain.org/
Escravos siege ends, ChevronTexaco faces new blockades
keralamonitor.com
ABIDJAN, 18 July (IRIN) - U.S. oil giant ChevronTexaco was faced with fresh takeovers of its oil facilities by women protesters in Nigeria just as a 10-day siege of its Escravos export terminal came to an end on Wednesday.
A company statement said four oil pumping facilities in the swamps of the western Niger Delta had been occupied by groups of women protesters, demanding jobs and amenities for their communities. The company said it had evacuated its employees from the affected facilities.
“Negotiations towards a peaceful resolution of the invasion will begin soon,” the statement added. However, the women from the Ugborodo community, who had besieged the Escravos facility since 8 July, left on Wednesday after signing an agreement with the company that will guarantee them regular job offers and some amenities.
In the words of Jay Pryor, managing director of ChevronTexaco Nigeria: “We are delighted that this crisis has been resolved peacefully, even though the process has been very painstaking.”
Disruption of oil operations are common in the Niger Delta oil region, where impoverished local people accuse oil companies and their government partners of neglect despite the huge oil wealth pumped from their land. But while militant youths had been responsible for past disruptions, this is the first time such action was taken exclusively by women.
The apparent success of the action by the ethnic minority Itsekiri women of Ugborodo, has spurred their Ijaw neighbours, who are responsible for the latest occupations, to quickly copy the action. The restiveness of communities in the Niger Delta, which had been dying down in the past two years, has been in resurgence since a Supreme Court ruling early this year that gave control of all offshore oil resources to the central government.
Belgium to finance 5 million primary education textbooks
keralamonitor.com
NAIROBI, 18 July (IRIN) - In collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Belgium has initiated a project to produce five million primary school textbooks for Congolese children and teachers, Belgian Secretary of State for Cooperation and Development Eddy Boutmans has said. The announcement followed Boutmans' visit to the DRC last week.
"There is a tremendous need in the DRC for teaching material of all kinds, at all levels of education - primary, secondary, university, technical schools - because the entire system has collapsed" during the past several years of conflict, Stephan Van Praet, an advisor to Boutmans, told IRIN on Thursday.
Textbooks of some 256 pages will be produced for each of the six primary education grade levels, covering the fundamentals of all subjects - math, language, history, science - for that year.
Van Praet cautioned that the project was still at its initial phase, and would hopefully be completed within the next two years. Although Belgium is seeking to commit 10 million euros (US $10 million) to the project, he said that Brussels needed the support of other donors to bring it to fruition.
One of the main discussion points of the project, first conceived a year ago, is what role the primary national languages of DRC - Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba - will play alongside the official language of the DRC, French. An editorial committee of teachers will be responsible for the content of the textbooks, to be printed by local publishers throughout the DRC, and will be sold for the "reasonable " price of 1 euro ($1), Boutmans said.
Conference on human trafficking set for August
keralamonitor.com
ABUJA, 17 July (IRIN) - An international conference is to be held from 1 to 3 August in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to develop a framework for combating human trafficking and child labour.
The overall goal of the conference is to make the combating of human trafficking and child labour a priority on national, regional and international political agendas, Mike Mku, special adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on human trafficking and child labour said in a statement.
At the initiative of Obasanjo, countries identified as focal points in human trafficking and the use of child labour have been invited to participate in the conference, the statement said. They include: Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon and Morocco in Africa; Belgium, France, Italy and Spain in Europe; and China, Japan and Saudi Arabia in Asia. The United States is also expected to send representatives.
Local and international NGOs have been invited to play a key role at the conference, which is being organised with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the statement added.
UNICEF estimates that up to 200,000 children are trafficked annually in West and Central Africa. According to a study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) about 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide each year. However, ILO adds that the activity is often imperceptible and, therefore, difficult to track and counter.
Nigeria has been identified as a major centre of the illicit trade in human beings, acting as a provider, receiver and transit point. The trafficking is fuelled by widespread poverty and the fact that immigration authorities lack the capacity to check movements across porous borders.
A fact sheet produced by UNICEF shows that between 60 and 80 percent of girls involved in the sex trade in Italy were Nigerian children whose average age was 15 years. According to UNICEF, an average of 10 children pass through Nigeria’s borders daily, either coming from neighbouring countries or being taken abroad to work as labourers or prostitutes.
Nigerian officials said the Abuja conference would focus on identifying the causes, magnitude and patterns of the problem, examining its impact on sustainable development, and developing strategies for effective prevention, rehabilitation of victims and punishment of offenders.
Comfortable Foodgrains Stocks at the Centre - FOOD SECRETARY
The present foodgrains stock at the Centre is sufficient to cater to the demands of the State Governments for running the Public Distribution System in view of the situation arising out of delayed monsoon in the country. This was stated here today by Shri R.D. Kapoor, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution at a meeting of Food and Civil Supplies Secretaries of eleven States convened to assess the situation of food requirement as the onset of monsoon is delayed this year. The meeting was attended by Secretaries from Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnatakia, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, besides senior officials from the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs and the Food Corporation of India.
Some of the participating States expressed the view that Food for Work Programme could be undertaken in their region if the drought situation continues. States like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh suggested to increase the BPL allocation of foodgrains to 50 kg. per month per family from the present rate of 35 kg. per family, per month. Yet another suggestion to meet the drought condition if it worsened was to distribute foodgrains to all families in the drought affected area at BPL (Below Poverty Line) rates.
The availability and prices of foodgrains and other essential items remained comfortable in different parts of the country during the year. The progressive procurement of rice during 2001-2002 upto July 8, 2002 was 21.02 million tonnes and the procurement of wheat 19.79 million tonnes. The total offtake of wheat and rice from the Centre pool during the first two months of the current financial year was 61.06 lakh tonnes as against 35.19 lakh tonnes during the same period last year showing an increase of 73.5 per cent.
VIJAY KUMAR MALHOTRA APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF ALL INDIA COUNCIL OF SPORTS
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has set up an All India Council of Sports to advise the Ministry on policy issues regarding promotion and development of sports in the country. The President of this advisory body is Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra, M.P. with the rank of a Cabinet Minister. Two Vice-Presidents – Shri Abhay Chautala and Shri Adityan have also been appointed.
The aims and objectives of the Council include advising the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on implementation of policies for promotion of sports and games including indigenous games in the country; steps to implement plan of action of National Sports Policy, ways & means to maximise medal prospects of the Indian contingent in Olympic Games and other major international events and issues/matters pertaining to functions of National Sports Federations and prevention of drug abuse and match fixing etc.
Shri Abhay Chautala is the Vice Chairman of the Indian Olympic Association and Shri Adityan is the former President of the Indian Olympic Association. Four members of Lok Sabha and two from Rajya Sabha will also be Members of the Council. The other members include Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Director General, Sports Authority of India, Joint Secretary (Expenditure), Ministry of Finance, Joint Secretary (Coordination), Ministry of External Affairs and Joint Secretary (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. Three ex-international sportspersons, one representative of Indian Industry, 5 eminent sports persons would also be members of the Committee. Sports Divisional head in charge of National Sports Policy will be the Member-Secretary of the Council. The tenure of non-official Members will be three year
The Secretary , Department of Food and Public Distribution Shri R.D Kapoor speaking at a Meeting of the State Secretaries of Food and Civil Supply to discuss strategies for facing drought situation in New Delhi on July 20, 2002.
Dubai Police Chief Claims Crime Rate Declines, but theft by youth on the rise.
DUBAI has witnessed a one per cent decline in crime rate during the current year, Brigadier Sharafudeen Hussein, Assistant Commander of Dubai Police, Criminal Investigation Department, told Khaleej Times in an interview. Brig. Sharafudeen, noted that burglaries, mainly by juveniles, were on the rise. The total number of cases handled by police stations in Dubai in the first quarter this year was 5,364. Of them 4,818 had been solved and 546 were under investigation. During the last five months, 2,981 wanted people were arrested and search for 9,616 suspects was continuing, the Dubai Supercop told Khaleej Times.
In an effort to curb burglaries last summer, the 'Safe Home' programme was launched, offering the public guidance through direct or online interviews. People planning to go on holiday abroad were invited to participate so that they could take precautions before leaving. The programme helped limit the number of larceny incidents, he said.
"Those that pose danger to lives and targeting funds worry the security officials the most," Brig. Sharafudeen said. Cases relating to dud cheques comprise 75 per cent of the crimes. It is, therefore, imperative that such problems are tackled from the root. The Economic Crimes Section has prepared a programme to combat fraud, he said.
A study is under way and statistics are being gathered to determine the exact nature of the problem, along with recommendations for a solution. A draft law has been suggested to make rules regarding cheque-related fraud more stringent.
According to Brig. Sharafudeen special forces were formed to find and arrest those who cause harassment in public places such as shopping malls and roads. The offenders' photographs are being published in the media. This has contributed to a decline in harassment cases. During the last five months, 29 offenders were detained.
Brig. Sharafudeen added that the Anti-drug Department was making efforts to find and impound drugs being brought into the emirate. These efforts were not limited to controlling drug traffickers and abusers, but they also extended to public campaigns and creating awareness about the drug menace. Pardoned prisoners and those who servee jail terms were being regularly monitored and examined. Drug abusers were being referred to the training and rehabilitation centre of Dubai Police under the directives of the commander-in-chief, Public Prosecution, or Dubai courts. The rehabilitation programme was a success, he said.
"Dubai Police Economic Crimes Section has put in a lot of efforts to detect such crimes and the offenders have been referred to the Public Prosecution. After the enactment of the latest money laundering law in January, Dubai Police have taken stringent actions against offenders, who are being referred to courts to be tried in accordance with the provisions of law." he told Khaleej Times about money laundering problems.
Brig. Sharafudeen said the Economic Crimes Section which comprises an elite group of accountants, auditors, banking experts and qualified officials. The 14 programmes implemented by the section include fraud, money laundering, investment of funds, improper stock dealing, counterfeit currency and dud cheques.
According to him, the CID has recently developed a work plan for preventive security by means of an electronic security map through which security forces are being directed to the crime scene."
