White House Delivers Bold Gun Safety Proposals

President Barack Obama says enacting stricter gun laws "will be difficult" but is necessary following the Newtown massacre.

"The world has changed and it's demanding action," Vice President Joe Biden said, acknowledging the political challenges ahead. Mr Biden had been tasked with bringing recommendations to the president.

The president said in a news conference on Wednesday he will sign 23 executive actions, but said they are not a substitute for action in Congress.

As part of his $500m (£311m) plan, he called on federal lawmakers to pass several proposals "right away", including universal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun. 

Right now, some 40% of US gun purchases are made without background checks.

Mr Obama also asked Congress to restore the expired ban on military-style assault weapons and to enact a 10-bullet limit on high-capacity ammunition magazines. 

And he said Congress has to "help rather than hinder" law enforcement efforts on gun safety, calling on lawmakers to confirm his nominee for the next Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms director, Todd Jones.

Vice President Biden had been tasked with surveying various gun interests

"If there is even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try. And I'm here to do my part", the president said.

He called on constituents in parts of the country that are traditional gun ownership strongholds - specifically "responsible gun owners" - to make their support for stronger controls known so "the usual suspects" do not solely dominate the debate. 

The announcement promises to set up a bitter fight with a powerful pro-gun lobby that has long warned supporters that Mr Obama wants to take away their guns. The US has the highest rate of gun ownership of any country in the world.

"This is the land of the free and the home of the brave and always will be", Mr Obama said, acknowledging the Constitution's Second Amendment right to bear arms. "But with rights, come responsibilities".

"We live in a society. A government of, for and by the people. We are responsible for each other."

The fundamental rights to life and liberty have been denied to the victims of gun violence, he said.

He added: "Those rights are at stake. We're responsible."

Following his speech the president signed some of the executive actions that do not need Congressional approval. They are reported to include measures to stiffen enforcement of existing laws and launching a national responsible gun ownership campaign. 

Mr Obama was flanked by school children who had sent him letters about guns

The move comes just over a month after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that took the lives of 20 young children and six school employees.

Mr Obama said 900 Americans had been killed by gun violence in the month since that deadly shooting.  

In response to Wednesday's announcement, the National Rifle Association issued a statement saying, "attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution".

"Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy," the statement said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said on Wednesday he will begin hearings in two weeks on gun safety proposals.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont – a gun owner – said he wants to hold a series of hearings examining violence in popular media and how to keep guns safe, among other topics.

His plan could lead to a slower process in Congress than gun control advocates would like.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boeing Dreamliners Grounded By US and Japan

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 4:05am UK, Wednesday 16 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: All Nippon Airways (ANA) discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The Federal Aviation Administration orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

February 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

October 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

September 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

June 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

December 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

April 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

December 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

October 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

July 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

July 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

January 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

January 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boeing Dreamliners Grounded By Japan Airlines

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 4:05am UK, Wednesday 16 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: All Nippon Airways (ANA) discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The Federal Aviation Administration orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

February 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

October 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

September 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

June 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

December 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

April 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

December 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

October 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

July 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

July 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

January 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

January 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Honduras: British Tourist 'Shot Dead By Robbers'

A British tourist has been shot dead in an apparent mugging in Honduras.

The man was taking photos in San Pedro Sula, the Central American nation's second city, when he was attacked by two armed men, police said.

Deputy Police Chief Leonel Sauceda said: "It looks like he put up a fight when they stole his camera, so they shot him."

Witnesses told police he was shot dead as he ran away, El Heraldo newspaper said.

The city is a significant commercial and industrial hub, but drug-related violence has risen as Mexican and Colombian drug cartels have expanded their operations into Honduras.

The country has the world's highest murder rate with 87 killings per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama Makes Case For Raising Debt Ceiling

President Barack Obama has urged Congress to raise the country's debt limit, saying America is "not a deadbeat nation" and needs to pay its bills.

Mr Obama addressed reporters at the White House Monday in what is likely the final news conference of his first term to discuss his upcoming battle with Republicans over the country's debt ceiling.

Raising the debt limit "is not a question of authorising more spending," Mr Obama said. "It simply allows the country to pay for spending Congress has already approved."

"If congressional Republicans refuse to pay the bills on time it would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy," he added.

The president also addressed other issues on his agenda, including the administration's efforts to curb gun violence in the wake of last month's shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

Mr Obama said he will meet Vice President Joe Biden, who will recommend a series "sensible, common sense steps" that can be taken. The president said he will present specifics later in the week.

Mr Biden led a panel tasked with creating proposals to reduce violence after the December shooting that killed 20 children and six educators.

The president said stronger background checks, a meaningful ban on assault weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines are all ideas he thinks make sense. He added that he is not sure how many of those measures can pass Congress.

On the debt ceiling, Mr Obama said Republicans who want to dramatically cut spending in return for raising US borrowing limits "will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the economy".

He said: "The full faith and credit of the United States of America is not a bargaining chip. And they better decide quickly because time is running short."

"We are not a deadbeat nation," he declared.

Until the partisan fight over the debt ceiling broke out in 2011, the limit on borrowing had been increased by Congress as a matter of course.

But with a surge in Tea Party Republicans elected to the House of Representatives in 2010, the opposition party has sought to use the power over the debt to enforce its desires for smaller government and spending cuts.

Mr Obama said he was willing to consider future deficit cuts, but only if they are done independently from a vote to raise the $16.4trn (£10.2trn) debt limit.

The president spoke less than a week before his inauguration for a second term, and several days after he signed legislation that narrowly averted a "fiscal cliff" of automatic spending cuts and across-the-board tax increases.

Combined with other bills he signed earlier in the term, he said he and Congress have reduced deficits by about $2.5trn over a decade, somewhat less than the $4trn he said is necessary to get them down to a manageable size.

Failure to raise the debt limit would put the United States into a first-ever default, a step that Mr Obama said could "blow up the economy".

Congressional Democrats have recently urged the president to lift the debt limit unilaterally. He said - as he has before - that he will not do it, that Congress had voted for the spending that resulted in federal borrowing, and should now agree to pay the bill.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mali: First RAF Aircraft Lands With Supplies

An RAF transport aircraft loaded with French armoured vehicles has touched down in conflict-hit Mali.

French forces have been carrying out air attacks on al Qaeda-backed rebels in the West African state in recent days.

The UK has offered two C-17 Globemaster transporters planes to help out, but the Foreign Office has insisted that there are no plans to deploy ground forces.

The Mali government appealed for France's help after Islamist rebels began moving south at the end of last week.

French soldiers are tackling Islamist rebels in Mali

Hundreds of French troops were deployed to the country at the weekend after the rebels overran the strategically important town of Konna - about halfway between Mali's northern and southern borders - on Thursday.

France's ambassador to the UN says thousands of African troops are expected in Mali, to support local and French forces in their fight against the rebels.

The first of the two giant RAF transport aircraft took off from Paris on Monday and landed in Mali with supplies for French forces.

A second C-17 is expected to leave on Tuesday after encountering what was described as a "minor technical fault" in the French capital.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds said David Cameron has offered only limited back-up support to French president Francois Hollande.

"The Prime Minister has made categorically clear that the initial supporting deployment will be for a period of one week," he told the Commons.

"He has also made clear that there will be no combat troops from the UK involved and we have no plans to provide more military assistance."

The US is providing intelligence-gathering assistance to the French in their assault, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said.

EU foreign ministers are to hold an extraordinary meeting this week, probably on Thursday, to discuss the situation.

On Sunday, French forces forced back Islamists from the strategic town of Konna.

There had been fears that if their advance was not halted, they could have carried on all the way to the capital Bamako in the south.

Up to 60 Islamists are reported to have been killed in air assaults on Sunday, which were centred around Gao and Kidal.

Despite French successes, Islamist forces still hold a huge swathe of the north of the country.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mali: British Military Plane Leaves For Mission

The first British military plane destined to assist the French operation in Mali has left for the initial stage of its mission, Sky sources say.

The RAF C17 is stopping off in Paris first to load before a 10-hour flight to the West African country and will not arrive there before tomorrow, the sources added.

It comes after Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister had agreed to provide "logistical military assistance" to the French.

Meanwhile, France has now called a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the conflict in Mali.

David Cameron spoke to Francois Hollande on Saturday evening as France attempted to contain al Qaeda-linked rebels in the north of the West African country.

French fighter jets and attack helicopters launched fresh strikes on Islamist strongholds in northern Mali on Sunday.

French troops prepare to board a flight to Mali from a base in Chad

Prominent Islamist leader Abdel Krim  - nicknamed "Kojak" - is reported to have been killed in the strikes.

A 600-strong multi-national West African force, authorised by the UN Security Council to help the Mali government reclaim control of the north of the country, is also on its way to the capital Bamako. It will be commanded by General Shehu Abdulkadir of Nigeria.

In addition, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo have all pledged around 500 troops this weekend, while Benin has said it will send 300 soldiers.

French military strikes on the country have already claimed the lives of at least 100 rebels in a fight over the strategic town of Konna.

Eleven Malian soldiers are reported to have been killed and a further 60 wounded in the recent fighting.

Mr Hollande has raised his country's terror threat level amid fears of retaliatory attacks in France.

The UN's Sahel envoy Romano Prodi, left, and President Dioncounda Traore

He said France "has to take all necessary precautions" in the face of a terrorist threat, including "surveillance of our public buildings and our transport network".

A Downing Street spokesman said last night: "The Prime Minister spoke to President Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country.

"The Prime Minister has agreed that the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali.

"We will not be deploying any British personnel in a combat role.

"Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there.

"They discussed the need to work with the Malian government, regional neighbours and international partners to prevent a new terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to reinvigorate the UN led political process once the rebel advance has been halted.

Islamist rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali last spring

"The National Security Council, which was already due to meet on Tuesday, will now consider the situation in Mali and discuss what needs to be done to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali."

One French pilot has died in the military action after hundreds of French soldiers were deployed in the country.

Mr Hollande took action in Mali at the request of interim President Dioncounda Traore, who has declared a state of emergency.

Western governments expressed alarm on Thursday after an al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured Konna, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600km (375 miles) south.

The Malian army has said it was attacking the "last pockets of resistance" by insurgents in Konna after they recaptured it with the help of the French.

Mr Hollande said the "terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists" in northern Mali "show a brutality that threatens us all." He vowed that the operation would last "as long as necessary".

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has now authorised the immediate deployment of troops to Mali.

French Mirage 2000 D aircraft en route to the Mali operation

The bloc's commission president, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, said it made the decision "in light of the urgency of the situation".

For the past nine months, the Islamic militants have controlled a large swathe of northern Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.

Mr Hollande said the operation was aimed in part at protecting 6,000 French citizens in Mali, including seven who are being held captive.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Senegal and Nigeria also responded to an appeal from Mali's president for help to counter the militants.

Late last year, the 15 nations in West Africa, including Mali, agreed on a proposal for the military to take back the north, and sought backing from the UN.

The Security Council authorised the intervention but imposed certain conditions, including the training of Mali's military, which has been accused of serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year sent the nation into disarray.

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of poverty-stricken Mali.

Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, but in recent months the terrorist group and its allies have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train forces.

The Islamists have insisted they want to impose Sharia only in northern Mali, though there long have been fears they could push further south.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez 'Fighting For Life'

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is "fighting for his life", according to his former deputy.

The cancer-stricken leader has not been seen in public for more than a month, fuelling growing political uncertainty in the oil-rich country.

"The situation is complex and delicate, but it is true that Hugo Chavez has fought and is fighting for his life," said Elias Jaua, who was in office from January 2010 until October.

However communications minister Ernesto Villegas insisted Mr Chavez was doing better.

Elias Jaua's claim has been denied by a government official

"Despite his delicate health state since his complex surgery on December 11, his general health has improved in recent days," Mr Villegas said in a statement read on radio and television.

He said the president's previously disclosed severe pulmonary infection was "under control" but that he still required treatment for "respiratory failure".

Mr Chavez, whose Opec-member nation controls the world's largest proven oil reserves, has been out of sight since leaving for Cuba for the latest round of treatment in the 18 months since his condition was made public.

He was admitted to hospital following his fourth cancer operation last month.

The latest updates followed a denial from Mr Chavez's brother Adan on Saturday that the 58-year-old was in a coma.

Instead, he said the Venezuelan leader was responding "well" to treatment and making progress on a daily basis.

Mr Chavez's anointed heir, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, met with his ailing boss late on Saturday.

On Thursday, the government was forced to postpone the president's scheduled inauguration, as it became clear that Mr Chavez could not attend.

Authorities insist the Venezuelan constitution allows him to take the oath of office at a later time.

But the opposition has objected, calling for a medical board to review the absent leader's health.

However the demand was rejected by the Supreme Court, which said the delayed swearing-in was constitutional.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Service In Memory Of Costa Concordia Dead

By Robert Nisbet, in Porto Santo

Relatives of the 32 people who died when the Costa Concordia ran aground will mark a year since the disaster with a series of events near the rusting wreckage.

A service will be held at the church on the island of Giglio, where many of the survivors were treated after they were forced to abandon the listing ship after 9pm on January 13, 2012.

The 952-foot-long cruise liner, which is twice the weight of the Titanic, hit Le Scole reef after the captain sailed within a few hundred yards of the island.

Captain Francesco Schettino is under investigation for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the vessel before all the passengers were evacuated.

He remains under house arrest, but has not been formally charged.

The ship had 4,252 passengers and crew and was on a six port cruise when the captain decided to stage a "sail-past" to honour a retired seaman who lives on Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany.

Captain Schettino insists the cruise company had permitted the route on several other occasions, and that his actions in steering the stricken ship onto an underwater ledge spared the lives of many others.

Today's commemoration will include a symbolic launch of lanterns into the sea at the moment the ship hit the rock which gouged a 230-foot gash in the hull.

The Concordia shortly after it struck rocks

A plaque will be added to the recovered boulder which will then be returned to the seabed.

Some survivors, who were offered 11,000 euros compensation by Costa Cruises, were asked not to attend today's event because the small island is already crowded with victims' relatives and media.

Many are now seeking civil claims against the American parent company Carnival.

The operation to right the ship is now running over budget and behind schedule because of the enormous technical challenges faced by the salvage team.

Over 400 engineers are planning to attach giant metal floats to either side of the ship - some 11 storeys high - before using a series of pullies to slowly stand the vessel.

She will then be towed to a port, possibly in Sicily, where it could take two years to dismantle the ship and sell remnants for scrap.

The salvage cost, to be mostly covered by insurance payouts, has now risen by $100m over $400m and is described as the biggest operation of its kind ever attempted.

The delay has been caused by environmental fears, the hard nature of the bedrock, and the position of the ship which must now be slowly shifted on its axis.

It should be refloated by the end of September at the latest.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain Sends Planes To Help French Fight In Mali

Britain will provide transport planes to assist the French military operation in Mali, Downing Street has confirmed.

David Cameron spoke with Francois Hollande on Saturday evening as France attempted to contain al Qaeda-linked rebels in the north of the West African country.

French military strikes on the country have already claimed the lives of at least 100 rebels in a fight over the strategic town of Konna.

Eleven Malian soldiers are reported to have been killed and a further 60 wounded in the recent fighting.

Mr Hollande has raised his country's terror threat level amid fears of retaliatory attacks in France.

He said that France "has to take all necessary precautions" in the face of a terrorist threat, including "surveillance of our public buildings and our transport network".

The UN's Sahel envoy Romano Prodi, left, and President Dioncounda Traore

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister spoke to President Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country.

"The Prime Minister has agreed that the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali.

"We will not be deploying any British personnel in a combat role.

"Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there.

Hundreds of French troops have been deployed in Mali

"They discussed the need to work with the Malian government, regional neighbours and international partners to prevent a new terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to reinvigorate the UN led political process once the rebel advance has been halted.

"The National Security Council, which was already due to meet on Tuesday, will now consider the situation in Mali and and discuss what needs to be done to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali."

One French pilot has died in the military action after hundreds of French soldiers were deployed in the country.

Mr Hollande took action in Mali  at the request of interim President Dioncounda Traore, who has declared a state of emergency.

Western governments expressed alarm on Thursday after an al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured Konna, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600km (375 miles) south.

The Malian army has said it was attacking the "last pockets of resistance" by insurgents in Konna after they recaptured it with the help of the French.

Islamist rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali last spring

Mr Hollande said the "terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists" in northern Mali "show a brutality that threatens us all." He vowed that the operation would last "as long as necessary".

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has now authorised the immediate deployment of troops to Mali.

The bloc's commission president Kadre Desire Ouedraogo said it made the decision "in light of the urgency of the situation".

For the past nine months, the Islamic militants have controlled a large swathe of northern Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.

Mr Hollande said the operation was aimed in part at protecting 6,000 French citizens in Mali, including seven who are being held captive.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Senegal and Nigeria also responded to an appeal from Mali's president for help to counter the militants.

The Malian army is getting international support

Late last year, the 15 nations in West Africa, including Mali, agreed on a proposal for the military to take back the north, and sought backing from the UN.

The Security Council authorised the intervention but imposed certain conditions, including the training of Mali's military, which has been accused of serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year sent the nation into disarray.

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of poverty-stricken Mali.

Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, but in recent months the terrorist group and its allies have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train forces.

The Islamists have insisted they want to impose Sharia only in northern Mali, though there long have been fears they could push further south.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More