Is Maniappan Murder a Plot to Twist Public Opinion Against Iran!!! and Put Pressure on CPM Against ....

India, Pakistan, Iran to Launch Negotiations on Natural Gas Pipeline

The Indian and international media is playing up the gruesom murder of a Keralite worker in Afghanistan, allegedly by a group claiming to be part of Taliban, a group which has been supported by Iran. The timing of the abduction and murder of the Keralite is a time when the CPM and other left parties have been exerting considerable pressure on the Central Government in the Iranian nuclear issue befor the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA. The cold response of the Union Ministers like E Ahmed and the Ministry of External Affairs about the abduction and the official silence and contradictory statements about the killing indicates that there may be a larger conspiracy behind the hostage taking and killing drama. As the former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook had rightly written a week before his mysterious death, Al Qaeda is nothing but a mere computer data base of terrorist organizations nurtured by the US! Whenever the US Intelligence agencies want their serv ie, they take out one group and use them with a remote control. Many of the so called Al Qaeda groups in Iraq, Palestine and other parts of the world are in fact created by the western intelligence agencies. Paradoxically enough Robin Cook, who was the former head of British intelligence did not survive to reveal more about the computer database story!!! Many of the so called insurgent attacks in Iraq are stage managed by the western forces.

Taliban which is accused in the Maniyappan murder is also a creation of the US. Now it is difficult to believe that an organization like Taliban was so desperate to get India out of Afghanistan within two days after adbucting Maniappan. Breaking with the pattern of kidnappings in Afghanistan or Iraq, the criminals who seized him appear to have decided from the start that they would liquidate him. The `demand' that the BRO leave Afghanistan within 48 hours precluded any reasonable negotiation to secure his release. India has cultural and civilisational links with Afghanistan going back tens of centuries and Taliban is not so foolish to demand the termination of such a thing within 48 hours ! It appears that the kidnapping and murder of a Malayali, from the CPM stronghold, may be a plot by someone to put pressure on the left parties against lobbying for Iran, another so called state supporting Islamic militants like Taliban. Vague reports say a so called Taliban leader spread the news through a western agency to announce the kidnapping and murder. Is there any concrete evidence that the kidnapping and killings are done by the terrorist groups?

The speed with which the killing was executed appeared to show that it was a premeditated decision by the militia and its sponsors. The timing of the kidnapping and other circumstancial evidence points to a larger conspiracy to twist Indian public opinion against Iran! We all know who did not wanted to thward the Iran-India Pakistan gas pipeline project. Of course there are cases of Taliban ambushing Indian and Turkish engineers engaged in road and infrastructure projects. However, given the timing of the abduction and the Indian-international political scenario should prompt us to think that there is something more than what we hear from the media...and the real motive behind the killing seems to be not the Indian withdrawal from a road project.....Bombs do blast in Indian, Pakistani or other cities at crucial times...and we are fast to accuse a terrorist group behind the blast. The bombs hit London the day when the Iranian officials were to sign a deal with their South Asian counterparts for the multibillion Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline project.... The involvement of an American multinational with an alternative project in thwarting the Iran-India project is an open secret...Karzai himself was a consultant for that energy giant before he became the Afghanistan President.. Apparenlty some forces are working overtime to ensure that there is no peace and harmony in South Asia !!!!

India, Pakistan, Iran to Launch Negotiations on Natural Gas Pipeline Political development should not derail pipeline project Kutty cremated with honours, India says efforts were made to save him -Hostage’s body found in Afghanistan

Pakistan, India, Iran: Pipeline Draft Agreement

Pakistan is optimistic that a draft agreement on gas sales from the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will be ready by the second week of December, IRNA reported Nov. 21. Both India and Pakistan will receive the sales accord. A Pakistani official said a Pakistani delegation will travel to India in December and an Indian delegation will visit Pakistan in January 2006 for pipeline negotiations. If all goes according to plan, a final agreement between Iran, India and Pakistan to begin work on the pipeline will be signed June 2006, Nawai Wagt newspaper reports

Egyptian Rights groups question antiterror campaign

CAIRO, 24 Nov 2005 (IRIN) - Human rights groups have questioned the way the Egyptian government is handling operations to capture suspected terrorists following a shootout on Sunday in the North Sinai governorate on Egypt's Mediterranean coastline.Three high-profile bombing suspects, 11 Bedouins and two police officers were killed in the incident.A press statement from the Interior Ministry said the three men – suspected by the government of having played key roles in the preparation and execution of attacks on the South Sinai coastal resorts of Taba and Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2004 and July 2005 respectively - were shot dead during an operation by antiterrorist forces. Sunday's incident is the latest in a string of similar operations, usually carried out in absolute secrecy.

"It follows on precisely from action taken by the security forces ever since the bombing of Taba," said Fadi al-Qadi of Human Rights Watch."Though human rights groups and activists across the board condemn such attacks outright, it is of the utmost importance to question whether the government's investigations are being carried out in a transparent and legal fashion," he maintained.

Ever since the bombings, authorities have carried out an intensive campaign - focused on Sinai, which is inhabited by about 10 Bedouin tribes - to find those it suspects of being behind the attacks.

In a 2005 report, Human Rights Watch expressed concern over allegations of mass arbitrary arrests and detentions in North Sinai following the Taba bombings.Al-Qadi emphasised that "it is key that we respect the rights, if not of the suspects, then at least of the public" to have access to information on the government's operations in Sinai after October 2004.

Comparing the lack of transparency to "a locked grid", Ahmad Sef al-Islam, a lawyer and human rights activist with the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre, said: "What we are continuing to witness is a complete lack of transparency in the [antiterrorist] procedures. We don't even know the names of the defendants or detainees."

According to the ministry, one of the dead men - Salem Kheidr al-Shenoub, who was of Egyptian Bedouin origin - had played a "key role in the terrorist attacks on Sinai." He was killed along with his cousin and brother-in-law, who were also suspects, after they opened fire on security forces. Prior to Sunday, they had been in hiding.The statement added that 11 Bedouins were killed during the shootout. Thirty-seven others who were arrested after the incident later confessed to their own involvement in the preparation of the Sinai attacks.

On 6 October 2004, attacks on tourist locations in Taba killed 30 people, most of them Israelis, while a triple bombing in Sharm El Sheikh on 23 July this year killed around 65.

Following the Taba bombing, security forces detained over 1,000 people and held them without charge for varying amounts of time.

"The trials of around 30 suspects are still ongoing, but one of the many problems involved is that such an atmosphere of fear and intimidation has been built up that the families of the detained are too scared to even approach a lawyer for help," Sef al-Islam said.

According to Egyptian law, no lawyer is allowed to attend a trial unless he has been specifically solicited by a defendant. As a consequence, the suspects are being tried without access to legal defence. Sef al-Islam noted, however, that relatively speaking, "the government's treatment of the population of Sinai has improved lately, at lease in comparison to the aftermath of the Taba attacks."

Mapsolute launches 3D interactive maps for GCC region

Dubai, UAE - November 23, 2005 (PRN): Mapsolute, Europe's leading provider of interactive maps, is pleased to introduce its new subsidiary partner in the UAE - Mapsolute Middle East FZ-LLC. With the launch of its new portal www.map24.com, Mapsolute aims to provide online mapping solutions for both the consumer market and corporate clients to help them identify, navigate and localise places throughout GCC countries quickly and easily.

Map24.com - the first free online mapping portal in Middle East - offers interactive street maps with seamless zoom and pan features, granting the user instant overview and speed. Users can now enjoy free address search and border-independent route planning with the dynamic map features. Other services available include proximity and category search where the user is able to base their search on the preferred point of interest such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls etc.

Based on unique mapping technology - MapTP version 5.1 - Mapsolute is also pleased to launch 3D interactive maps on their portal. The user can now take a pilot seat and experience interactive route-flights from a bird's eye view. An integrated 3D control panel allows the user to be in charge of the animation while being able to rotate and change the slope of the map in any way they like. The three dimensional "Route Flight" feature takes the user right down to the street level and plays a motion picture of their route. The software is open to third party developers who wish to embed MapTP technology into their applications to take advantage of the full range of mapping functionality. The application is platform independent and is compatible with all browsers while preserving PC-resources. Further features from Mapsolute include the adjustment of detail level to road conditions as well as the concurrent display of the distance remaining to the destination.

Map24 also offers online mapping solutions to corporate clients where interactive and dynamic map functions can be integrated to their internet portals and online services. MapTP technology excels for location based services such as store locator, fleet management, navigation systems, GIS, wireless mapping applications for PDA's and cell phones, and Intranet solutions. This technology has gained popularity among the world's leading players such as Daimler-Chrysler, T-Mobile, RAC and McDonalds. Mapping solutions are currently offered to all GCC countries and future coverage will include Egypt, the Levant region and many more to come. In 2006, Map24 portal and its solutions will also be available in the Arabic language.

Keralamonitor.com November 21, 2005

Qatar Petroleum and Shell Showcase First GTL Fuel Car in Qatar

21 November 2005 - At a unique event today in Doha, Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Shell Gas & Power International B.V. (Shell) presented the first Gas to Liquids (GTL) Fuel car to run in Qatar. Shell’s synthetic gas-derived fuel was used in neat form in an unmodified 4.2 litre Audi A8 TDI (turbo diesel), demonstrating that GTL Fuel is a clean, practical alternative fuel that can be used in conventional diesel engines. Qatar is on track to become the GTL Capital of the World and Shell is contributing to this feat by working on the plans to develop the Pearl GTL project that, upon successful completion, will be the largest GTL plant in the world.

Launching this event were His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar and Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director Exploration & Production Royal Dutch Shell plc. After addressing the audience, Minister Al-Attiyah, accompanied by Malcolm Brinded, drove Audi’s flagship car around Doha’s Corniche in a clear illustration of Qatar’s vision to drive the GTL industry in partnership with leading companies in the industry.

“This is truly a symbolic event for Qatar in its quest to reach the summit of the global GTL industry. GTL represents cutting edge technology and fuels that provide energy-saving and environmentally friendly options for markets around the world,” H.E. Al-Attiyah said. “We are very pleased to partner with Shell, a global leader in the field, in the pursuit of our ambitious goals in GTL development,” Minister Al-Attiyah added.

Malcolm Brinded said “We are delighted to team up with Qatar Petroleum in promoting GTL technology and thank Audi for contributing to this event by providing a top performance vehicle to demonstrate the use of GTL Fuel. Qatar’s contribution to the development of the GTL industry is unprecedented and Shell is proud to be an enabler of this enormous achievement.” GTL Fuel is colourless, odourless and cleaner than conventional refinery produced diesel fuel. It is virtually free of sulphur and aromatics. A considerable number of trials around the world have confirmed that it significantly reduces local emissions.

Dubai 2005 Tally off to US $10 bn start

Emirates Places Largest Boeing 777s Order

Dubai 2005 – the ninth international aerospace exhibition – which opened today at the Airport Expo Dubai has already notched up an order intake of over US $10 billion.The Dubai air show order tally began at yesterday’s Dubai 2005 Middle East Business Aviation conference when Saudi Arabia’s National Air Services made firm commitments for five Airbus A318 Elites with an option for five more.But the big news came during the opening of Dubai 2005, which was inaugurated by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister.He broke during his three-hour tour of the show to appear at a press conference by Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, where the carrier announced firm orders for 42 Boeing 777 aircraft to be powered by GE90 jet engines in a deal worth US $9.7 billion at list prices. This was the largest-ever order for the Boeing 777 family.The announcement was made by Emirates’ Chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Jim McNerney, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Office of The Boeing Company.Sheikh Ahmed and General Electric’s Vice Chairman David L. Calhoun also signed an agreement, valued at US $2 billion, to purchase GE90-115B jet engines for all the Emirates 777s. (Photo: Caption: HH General Sheikh Mohammed visiting the A380)

Sheikh Ahmed said: “We are investing in more new aircraft to meet the escalating demand for Emirates’ services from our customers across the globe. This new order will support the airline’s growth plans, and enhance our fleet’s range and versatility.”After officially declaring open Dubai 2005 – the largest ever Dubai air show – HH Sheikh Mohammed toured the static park calling at the Boeing 777 and the new generation super jumbo – the Airbus A380 – aking its Middle East exhibition debut at the show. The aircraft is taking part in the Dubai 2005 daily flying display sporting Emirates’ colours. He was welcomed aboard the A380 by a high profile Airbus/EADS delegation including Claude Lelaie, Senior Vice President, Flight Division; Charles Champion, COO Airbus, the company’s President and CEO, Gustav Humbert and Noel Forgeard, CEO,EADS.

Accompanying Sheikh Mohammed during the tour were Oman’s Minister of Defence, His Excellency Badr Bin Saud Bin Hareb Al Bosaeedi; the Chief of Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Fahad Al-Amir and Swedish Air Force Chief, Major General Jan Andersson who is visiting the show to support the Middle East debut of the Gripen first, next-generation jet fighter which is appearing in the Dubai 2005 daily flying display.

More order announcements are expected during the coming four days of Dubai 2005 with organizers Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E) allocating three rooms to meet the high demand for press conferences instead of the usual single press conference room. “These orders have really got the show off to a flying start and are justification of our claim that this is the true business-to-business show,” said Virginia Kern, Chairman, F&E.

Dubai 2005 features 726 exhibitors from 46 countries, 15 national pavilions, an expanded official delegations programme representing 88 countries and over 100 aircraft on display – including around 40 business jets.The show now has a new third exhibition hall – Central Hall- built specifically to handle growing exhibitor demand at the show. Dubai 2005, which is organized by F&E in conjunction with the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and in co-operation with the UAE Armed Forces, runs until November 24th. The show is open to professional industry visitors only.

 

Sex trade fuelled by poverty in Yemen

SANA, 17 November (IRIN) - Sex workers in Yemen are often forced into the profession out of dire economic circumstances, according to a recent study published by a local NGO, the Women's' Forum for Research and Training (WFRT).The small scale sample study was carried out in two southern governorates where the tourist trade is relatively brisk compared to the more isolated northern areas of the mountainous country. In total, 17 sex workers were interviewed in the city of Taiz, 256 km south of the capital, Sana; 13 in Aden, 363 km to the south of the capital; and 10 in the al-Mansourah prison, also in Aden.Researchers said they were only able to interview a small number of Yemeni women as sex work is a taboo subject in this highly conservative society.

Pre-marital and extra-marital sex is considered socially unacceptable in the conservative Islamic country. It is also illegal, and can result in stiff prison sentences of up to three years in jail.Colonel Hussein Yahia Hussien of the Aden security office said that police regularly raid brothels and arrest gangs running sex trade rackets."It's organised prostitution," Hussein told IRIN. "It's growing very fast, and needs to be addressed."

Given the forbidden nature of the work, there are no official statistics on how many women are employed in the industry.

However, according to the WFRT study, almost all sex workers interviewed cited economic difficulty as the overriding factor forcing them into the illicit trade."Most of the sex workers interviewed are without jobs," the study noted. "This spells out why they sell sex as a source of income to support themselves and, in some cases, their families."

The women were generally found to live in poor areas, where social and family problems had led them to disreputable hotels or brothels, the study said.According to the latest World Bank report, 42 percent of Yemen's 19.7 million people live on less than $2 per day. The national unemployment rate in 2003 was figured at 37 percent.

The study noted that sex workers can make as much as $100 by servicing rich visitors, often from nearby Gulf countries. Yemeni customers, meanwhile, generally pay between $30 and $40 for services rendered.Some 70 percent of those interviewed in prison were married, and that they engaged in the banned practice with the knowledge and approval of their husbands and male relatives, the study said.

In some cases, marriages are contracted simply to disguise the fact that "wives" are working as prostitutes.

Additionally, foreign women - usually from Egypt, Morocco, Russia and Iraq - who take on jobs as "dancers" in local hotels are often unwittingly lured into prostitution, the study found.

According to Ayoub Abu Bakr, a labour office director in Aden, Yemeni women don't need licenses and can perform any job that does not break the law.

He added, however, that licenses granted to foreign women working in hotels can be withdrawn if they have been found engaging in commercial sex work.

These women are also occasionally subjected to annual HIV tests.

The WFRT study, the first of its kind, concluded by recommending greater support for low-income families and the empowerment of women by way of education and awareness programmes.

It went on to urge greater protection for the homeless and more public awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases.

It also recommended that sex workers in Yemen, considered a "high-risk" group, be given regular HIV/AIDS tests in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease.While figures for HIV/AIDS in Yemen remain unknown, given the social stigma associated with the virus, UNAIDS estimates an adult prevalence rate of 0.1 percent.The government's National AIDS Programme surveillance report indicates that the cumulative number of HIV/AIDS cases reported in Yemen by the end of 2004 stood at some 1,600. However, in the absence of sufficient data, officials fear that a considerable number of additional cases go unreported.

Emirates Express Golden Ride Raffle Draw winners picked

The raffle draw for the prizes offered by the Cool & Cool Golden Ride promotion to popularize the Emirates Express bus service between the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai was conducted last week at Abu Dhabi Bus Station. Emirates Express is a joint initiative between Abu Dhabi and Dubai Municipalities to transport commuters between the two cities.

The winners for 12 different prizes including the Grand Prize of 1 kilo gold were picked by the officials of the Public Transport departments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai municipalities. The wining ticket for the first prize was picked by Ahmed Rashid Al Rashidi, Director of Public Transport Department, Abu Dhabi Municipality. The Grand prize of 1 kilo gold went to Mohammed Rafiq, whose ticket number was 20725.

The second prize, a Shinon 42" plasma colour TV was won by V Hanifa, whose ticket number was 147801. There were three third prizes of Shinon Home Theatre systems, which went to Mohammed Hanif (Ticket No.191847), Nilesh Joshi (163042) and Augustine (112794).

Baldev Raj (100015) won the fourth prize of a return air ticket on Dubai-Mumbai route, while the fifth prize of a return air ticket on Dubai-Kochi route went to H M Reeza (156553).

The sixth prize of Nevica 21" colour TV was bagged by Habib Rehman (90881). The seventh prize of Nevica vacuum cleaner went to Mohammed Iqbal (21884). There were three eighth prizes of Nevica DVD players, which went to Rafiq KT (30434), Ameena Mubarak Syed (165256) and Abdullah PP (80185).It was also announced that the winners would be individually notified by phone or mail and invited for a Prize ceremony along with a dinner at Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Dubai on 30th November 2005.

The Golden Ride promotion, which commenced on 29th June and ended on 2nd November, generated tremendous response from the public as 78,769 passengers used the service during this period. The event was managed by Adventure Advertising and Marketing FZ LLC, Dubai.

The promotion, which began with the Dubai Summer Surprise 2005 and ran for a period of four months, proved to be an innovative way to reach out to more commuters and as every ticket and every commuter had an equal chance to win. While Cool & Cool were the main sponsors, they also gave away more than 50,000 instant scratch and win prizes. The first prize of 1 kilo gold was sponsored by Al Haseena Jewellery. The support sponsors included Mega Electronics, Dhaw Al Najm, Arabian Trading Agency, Carlton Cards and Al Shalal Water.

The Scratch & Win prizes included Cool & Cool oral care strip, Cool & Cool body wipes, Cool & Cool pocket tissues, Carlton Card posters, Mega pocket calculators, Al Shalal water dispenser and pumps, Time Square watches, Shinon home theatre speakers set, one gram gold coin from Al Haseena Jewellery, discount vouchers from Al Haseena Jewellery, discount vouchers from Golden Luck Centre and discount on Cool & Cool products.

Dubai Municipality has started supplying its fleet of vehicles with Low Sulphour Diesel with a percentage of 2500ppm (parts per million) replacing the previous fuel, which was 5000ppm.Eng. Abdullah Al Shaibani, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Technical Services said that it is the first such initiative in the country.

He revealed that the cost of protective and routine maintenance of the vehicles and oil change comes to Dhs1.6 million annually, which is expected to be reduced by 25% after using Low Sulphour Diesel.

He said that the Municipality has started the use of Low Sulphour Diesel from August onwards in co-ordination with Eppco. “Eppco was asked to supply Low Sulphour Diesel in all three of Municipality’s fuel stations, which are run by the Transportation Department of the civic body,” said Al Shaibani.

He said that this is one of the steps that comes under the agreement signed between the Municipality and Eppco, according to which it will supply the civic body with Low Sulphour Diesel with a percentage between 300ppm and 500ppm during 2006 as per international standards.

Al Shaibani said the Transportation Department has taken practical steps to acquire this environment-friendly fuel and has affected changes in the specifications of its fleet of vehicles in order to comply with the latest international standards, which call for using high quality vehicles to reduce pollution for protecting the environment.

He said that using Low Sulphour Diesel will also reduce the cost of protective and routine maintenance of the vehicles as they will get prolonged periods for regular changing of engine oils. “It also gives long life to vehicles and reduces quantity of the consumption of oil that is harmful for environment,” said Al Shaibani.Al Shaibani said that this initiative from the Municipality comes as part of its earnest efforts to play the pioneering role in shouldering the responsibility of supporting the protection of environment as well as reducing pollution that are generated by vehicles, especially when the Municipality runs a fleet of 1300 vehicles that use diesel.

Nakheel signs CorporateCare agreement with Rolls-Royce for two Embraer Legacy Corporate Jets

Rolls-Royce announced today that it has signed a CorporateCare® engine service agreement with Nakheel, for the United Arab Emirates premier real estate developer’s two Embraer Legacy 600 Corporate Aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Rolls-Royce stand at the Dubai International Aerospace Exhibition 2005 by Hamed Kazim, Group Chief Financial Officer, Nakheel LLC and Stephen Friedrich, Director, Aftermarket Business, Corporate and Regional Aircraft at Rolls-Royce. Also present were Brett McLachlan, Deputy Manager Operations, Dubai Air Wing and Darren Cole, Regional Customer Manager, Corporate Aircraft for Rolls-Royce.

"CorporateCare is the most comprehensive engine care programme in the industry,” said Friedrich. “Corporate aircraft operators have relied on this programme for many years and we are delighted that Nakheel has recognized this fact and turned to Rolls-Royce for the most cost effective and reliable service for their two new aircraft.”

CorporateCare provides the customer with predictable engine maintenance costs, transfers engine risk to Rolls-Royce, reduces acquisition costs and administrative burdens and allows operators to focus on their core business. Customers enrolled in CorporateCare benefit from higher aircraft residual values as well as predictability and control of maintenance costs. These benefits are crucial for operators trying to control costs.

"We find the Embraer Legacy 600 to have a reputation for quality and a growing status in the region,” said Hamed Kazim. "We feel that enrolling our engines into the CorporateCare programme will give us an enhanced service level with excellent support. We will be able to maintain the engines to the highest professional standards whilst giving us the ability to predict costs for budgetary purposes.”

This latest agreement builds on the record growth the Rolls-Royce CorporateCare programme is currently enjoying. Over 90 contracts have been signed to date in 2005. The company now has more than 475 aircraft under CorporateCare or other flight hour agreements, with contracts valued at more than $900 million.

The high-value services offered to CorporateCare customers include:
• The latest generation of Engine Health Monitoring services, recurrent publications revision service and the support of Rolls-Royce's global Customer Services network.
• Guaranteed access to lease engines.
• Coverage of line replaceable parts exchange/replacement and all engine change expenses for scheduled and unscheduled events, wherever and whenever they occur.
• Complete coverage of expenses associated with qualified shop visits.

Rolls-Royce offers CorporateCare for business jets powered by AE 3007, Tay and BR710 engines. The program is available to support new and in-service engines, and provides operators with improved asset value.

ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 1000 ENGINES SELECTED BY LCAL TO POWER BOEING 787 FLEET

Newly-launched aircraft leasing company, LCAL (Low Cost Aircraft Leasing), has announced its selection of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to power six Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The value of the engine deal alone is $160 million at list prices, Rolls-Royce said today at the Dubai Air Show.In addition, the engines will be covered by a TotalCare (TCA) service agreement which gives lifetime protection for each powerplant and is portable between LCAL’s customers.

LCAL is the first leasing company to order the Trent-powered 787 and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2009.

Mike Terrett, President – Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “The Trent 1000 - powered Boeing 787 will enable LCAL to offer customers high levels of efficiency and superior economics across a range of routes, and over the lifecycle of their fleet. LCAL recognises the benefit under lifetime TCA of being able to transfer aircraft between lessees without having to worry about return conditions on the engines. This will speed up the business process, leading to lower costs and less administrative burden.

“The emergence of LCAL demonstrates the opportunities inherent in today’s marketplace and we’re delighted to be involved with this exciting new venture at an early stage in its development.”Clive Joy, Chairman and Chief Executive of LCAL commented: “The evolutionary development of the Trent family means that the Trent 1000 provides us with the best balance between innovative new technology and proven capabilities. In addition, TotalCare fits ideally into our business model of providing a predicatble, cost effective solution to our customers and will help to position us as the leasing company of choice for the 787.”