WcP.Observer's blog

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BAGHDAD — Days after top Iraqi and American officials suggested that a draft of the security pact between the countries was close, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki toughened his language, reiterating earlier Iraqi demands for a fixed date for the withdrawal of American troops. “It is not possible for any agreement to conclude unless it is on the basis of full sovereignty and the national interest, and that no foreign soldiers remain in Iraqi soil after a defined time ceiling,” Mr. Maliki said in a speech to Shiite tribal leaders in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

Though Mr. Maliki seemed to be referring to all foreign troops in his statements, Iraqi negotiators have said recently that an agreed-upon 2011 date is for combat forces only, and that “training and support” forces could remain after that if invited by the Iraqi government. On Monday, a senior Iraqi official said he understood that even a departure date for combat troops would be “conditions driven.” But the prime minister is under intense political pressure to take a hard line against the Americans, even as his government engages in the back-and-forth of negotiations. Graffiti can be seen on the walls in Shiite districts of Baghdad saying, “Iraq for sale: See Maliki.”

Mr. Maliki also said that there were other parts of the security pact on which the sides had yet to agree. Those points of dispute, he said, include Iraqi approval of American military operations and the conditions under which American soldiers will be granted immunity. “There are some articles on which we are stopped,” he said. “Unless these articles are changed, it will be hard for this agreement to pass.”

Iraq is prepared to grant immunity to American soldiers who are on bases or are conducting military operations, the Iraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said in a telephone interview, but insists that they be subject to Iraqi law in any other circumstances. Hadi al-Ameri, an Iraqi lawmaker, said immunity was “the most complicated issue remaining.” Mr. Dabbagh said there was also disagreement over whether Iraqi detainees could remain in American custody. Iraq has been demanding that anyone detained by American forces be turned over to the Iraqi authorities within 24 hours.

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Photos courtesy of Qassem Zein/AFP/Getty Images, Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud/Reuters, and EFE

Original Source: NY Times

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The long- awaited text message announcing Obama- Biden '08 arrived in cell phones and inboxes just after 3 a.m. ET on Saturday. The 3 a.m. timing may evoke memories of an attack ad run by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., questioning whether Obama would be ready to lead in the event of a 3 a.m. phone call. In the end however, Obama supporters got a 3 a.m. cell phone text message and e-mail about Biden, rather than Clinton.

Media reports in the hours before the official announcement strongly hinted at the Obama pick: A private plane was tracked flying from Chicago's Midway airport to New Castle, Del., and the Secret Service had been dispatched to protect Biden, the six-term senator. In the early morning hours, those hints were confirmed prior to the Obama camp's text message.

So why did Obama, who is running on a theme of change, chose the Biden, the experienced Washington hand? "Over the course of the process, they became convinced, Sen. Obama became convinced, that they needed a candidate who would reassure voters on that support, someone who that could count on, who was a solid, known quantity," ABC News' chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos told "GMA" on Saturday.

In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator from Delaware best known for his expertise on foreign affairs — Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia — but also for his skills at political combat. Mr. Obama passed over other candidates who might have brought him a state or reinforced the message of change that has been central to his candidacy.

At the rally outside the Old State Capitol where Mr. Obama announced his candidacy 19 months ago, he described Mr. Biden as a man ready to be president. And he offered a passionate and politically instructive introduction of Mr. Biden: the portrait of a running mate who filled in what many Democrats have described as the political shortcomings of Mr. Obama.

He presented Mr. Biden as the product of a Catholic, blue-collar home in Pennsylvania who had endured personal tragedy in the death of his wife and daughter and his own brush with death, a man who could relate to the culture of the Senate or of working-class voters.

“I can tell you that Joe Biden gets it,” said Mr. Obama, of Illinois. “He’s that unique public servant who is at home in a bar in Cedar Rapids and the corridors of the Capitol; in the V.F.W. hall in Concord, and at the center of an international crisis. That’s because he is still that scrappy kid from Scranton who beat the odds — the dedicated family man and committed Catholic who knows every conductor on that Amtrak train to Wilmington.”

Reaction from political pundits is mixed and the McCain campaign pounced on its new rivals, immediately releasing an ad using Biden's own words against his new running mate. "What does Barack Obama's running mate say about Barack Obama?" the ad opens, with images of Biden and Obama, before a clip of ABC News' Democratic debate on Aug. 19, 2007, hosted by Stephanopoulos on a special edition of "This Week."

"You said, 'I think he can be ready, but right now, I don't think he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training,'" Stephanopoulos says in the ad's debate clip. "I think I stand by that statement," Biden replies.

Asked Saturday on "GMA" about the impact of the Republican attack ad, Stephanopoulos said, "I think that's the best they can do -- Sen. Biden and a lot of other Democrats questioning Sen. Obama's experience. Clearly, Sen. Clinton did that, of course, in the primary."

Stephan- opoulos added, "I actually asked about that exchange when he was on my show, "This Week," in May and [Biden] was very blunt in his response. He said that Barack Obama has learned a hell of a lot, and he went on to detail how Obama has grown over the course of the campaign, praised his judgment.

I think you'll see ... Sen. McCain is trying to drive a wedge between Obama and Biden," Stephanopoulos said. "But one of the reasons I think Obama decided to go with Biden in the end is not only because he has experience but is because he really can be a political gut-biter and is a strong debater. Over the course of the debates during the primary, he was often the winner of the debates.

"He has served with John McCain for an awful long time, and I think the Obama team believes that Joe Biden will have the ability to get under John McCain's skin over the course of this campaign and to really be very forceful," Stephanopoulos said.

Activity continued at a steady pace outside the Biden home in Delaware prior to the candidate's departure for the 3 p.m. ET event in Springfield, Ill.

Sen. Hillary Clinton issued a statement on Saturday praising the choice and calling Mr. Biden “an exceptionally strong, experienced leader and devoted public servant.”

The potential V.P. contenders who were not chosen by Obama released statements of congratulations to Biden on Saturday. "Joe Biden is an outstanding public servant with deep experience and a fighting spirit. These qualities will make him a great asset in the White House and on the campaign trail this fall," said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. "It was an honor to be considered."

First-time Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, also short-listed for the Democratic vice presidential nomination, said he is "excited" for Biden and praised him as "a tremendous leader and a great complement to Sen. Obama and his candidacy." Another candidate shaved from the shortlist, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, said Biden's "extensive experience dealing with foreign policy issues are an asset in these complicated times." Even McCain contacted Biden, placing "a brief call to offer congratulations to the senator and his wife," a McCain aide told ABC News.

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Photos courtesy of AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, Haraz N. Ghanbari, Sen. Biden's office, Greg Gibson, and Richard Perry/The New York Times

Original Source: ABC News and NY Times

Image Gallery: Sen. Joe Biden’s Life and Times

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Swiss voters rejected a plan that would make it even harder for foreigners to obtain citizenship in a referendum, called by the far-right Swiss People's Party. Some 64 percent of voters rejected the measure, meant to approve candidates for citizenship by secret ballot.

Lead candidate of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), Christoph Blocher, head of Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police and Minister of Justice, has come under heavy international criticism for leading a campaign that emphasizes sharp measures against immigrants.

Switzerland's population of 7.5 million includes about 1.6 million foreigners, including many workers from southern Europe and refugees from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

The People's Party claims foreigners are responsible for much of the crime in the country. Party posters featuring white sheep kicking out a black sheep sparked outrage blamed in part for a riot two weeks before the election -- a rare show of violence against a political party. The party became the largest in Switzerland four years ago under the leadership of charismatic billionaire Christoph Blocher.

2003 election - Christoph Blocher unseated the center-right Christian Democrat, Ruth Metzler, to win a seat in the seven-strong government.

On December 10, parliament handed a cabinet seat to Christoph Blocher - the figurehead of the rightwing Swiss People's Party. The big losers are the Christian Democrats, who now have just one minister in government compared with two for each of the other main parties.

Blocher's election alters the balance of power -
- threatens to split the government. He unseated the Christian Democrat, Ruth Metzler, in the cabinet election, altering the balance of power among the four main political parties for the first time in more than 40 years.

- complicates EU relations. Blocher believes EU membership will force Switzerland's economy downwards. As a member of the seven-strong cabinet - whose official policy is still to join the EU - it could be difficult for Blocher to toe the line.

- The press speaks of a conservative revolution. The Swiss press has spoken of a historic change with the arrival of the rightwing Swiss People's Party figurehead, Christoph Blocher, in government.

2007 election -
December 12, 2007, Christoph Blocher has been ousted, losing his seat in cabinet in a major political upset.

The two chambers of parliament, meeting to elect the seven-member government, chose Blocher's party colleague Eveline Widmer- Schlumpf instead following last-minute horse-trading among the parties.

The joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate had been expected to confirm the seven members of the cabinet unchanged for the next four-year term. The first four ministers were elected without incident but when it came to Blocher, the house was split. Blocher secured 111 votes, while 116 parliamentarians voted for wildcard candidate Widmer-Schlumpf. The majority was 120.

In a second round Widmer- Schlumpf garnered 125 votes out a possible 242, defeating the justice minister. In the run-up to the cabinet election the focus was on attempts to unseat billionaire businessman Blocher, who represents the rightwing People's Party. The People's Party had threatened to go into opposition if Blocher was not re-elected.

Center-right and center-left parties regarded Blocher's combative manner as a threat to the tradition of consensus in the government. On the eve of the election, the Christian Democrats declared that most of their members would vote against Blocher.

The Green Party, which is not represented in the cabinet, initially put forward a candidate to stand against Blocher. It withdrew its candidate shortly before the vote when Widmer-Schlumpf emerged as an alternative to Blocher.

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Photos courtesy of Keystone/Bundeskanzlei, swissworld.org, picture-alliance/dpa, and AP

Original Source: swissinfo, swissinfo, and CNN, and Deutsche Welle

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WASHINGTON — The United States and Poland reached a long-stalled deal on Thursday to place an American missile defense base on Polish territory, in the strongest reaction so far to Russia’s military operation in Georgia.

Russia reacted angrily, saying that the move would worsen relations with the United States that have already been strained severely in the week since Russian troops entered separatist enclaves in Georgia, a close American ally. But the deal reflected growing alarm in countries like Poland, once a conquered Soviet client state, about a newly rich and powerful Russia’s intentions in its former cold war sphere of power. In fact, negotiations dragged on for 18 months — but were completed only as old memories and new fears surfaced in recent days.

Those fears were codified to some degree in what Polish and American officials characterized as unusual aspects of the final deal: that at least temporarily American soldiers would staff air defense sites in Poland oriented toward Russia, and that the United States would be obliged to defend Poland in case of an attack with greater speed than required under NATO, of which Poland is a member. Polish officials said the agreement would strengthen the mutual commitment of the United States to defend Poland, and vice versa. “Poland and the Poles do not want to be in alliances in which assistance comes at some point later — it is no good when assistance comes to dead people,” the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said on Polish television. “Poland wants to be in alliances where assistance comes in the very first hours of — knock on wood — any possible conflict.”

The missile defense deal was announced by Polish officials and confirmed by the White House. Under it, Poland would host an American base with 10 interceptors designed to shoot down a limited number of ballistic missiles, in theory launched by a future adversary such as Iran. A tracking radar system would be based in the Czech Republic. The system is expected to be in place by 2012. In exchange for providing the base, Poland would get what the two sides called “enhanced security cooperation,” notably a top-of-the-line Patriot air defense system that can shoot down shorter-range missiles or attacking fighters or bombers.

A senior Pentagon official described an unusual part of this quid pro quo: an American Patriot battery would be moved from Germany to Poland, where it would be operated by a crew of about 100 American military personnel members. The expenses would be shared by both nations. American troops would join the Polish military, at least temporarily, at the front lines — facing east toward Russia.

Russia has long opposed the deal, saying the United States was violating post-cold-war agreements not to base its troops in former Soviet bloc states and devising a Trojan Horse system designed to counter Russia’s nuclear arsenal, not an attack by Iran or another adversary. Stop-and-start negotiations over the arrangement that was sealed Thursday had been under way for almost two years, with the Polish government reluctant to press the deal in the face of strong opposition — and retaliatory threats — from Moscow.

For its part, Washington had balked at some of Poland’s demands, in particular the sale of advanced air defense systems that were unrelated to shooting down ballistic missiles. But in a sign of the widening repercussions of the conflict in Georgia, those concerns were cast aside, as the offensive by Russia’s military across its borders was viewed around the world as a sign of Moscow’s determination to reimpose its influence across the old Soviet bloc.

Polish officials, in announcing the agreement, said it would be presented to the National Legislature, although it remained unclear whether the American base would require a vote of approval. The other half of the American missile defense system in Europe would be an advanced radar in the Czech Republic for tracking specific targets and then precisely guiding an interceptor to destroy a warhead. Likewise, that deal has been signed by the country’s leaders, and is awaiting debate in the Czech Parliament.

In Poland, the war in Georgia has dominated the front pages of newspapers, where it has been starkly characterized as Russian invaders attacking Georgia. For Poles, Russia’s actions also come as a vindication of Poland’s distrust of its former conqueror and was a warning about issues like energy security, one of the primary areas in which a resurgent Russia first began to exert itself. “We are worried that we are facing, under the strong arm of Russia, a situation where some kind of understanding would be reached that Russia would be given a free hand in the region,” said Eugeniusz Smolar, director of the Center for International Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group in Warsaw.

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Photos courtesy of AFP, Wikipedia, MDA, AFP, AP

Original Source: NY Times and Wikipedia

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The only people who didn't enjoy the awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony of the XXIX Olympic Summer Games had to be the folks with the London Olympic organizing committee. They host the 2012 Summer Games, meaning they have to follow the greatest show on Earth -- and, for my yuan, the greatest show in Opening Ceremony history.

If I were the Brits, I'd punt and go with Monty Python reruns. Unless they can top a gold medalist elevating and running on air around the entire circumference of National Stadium to light the torch. "I was very excited," torchbearer Li Ning said. "I could feel the strength rising from the depth of my heart. This was the result of one month's training. That moment means China is standing side by side with the rest of the world."

Seminal as it was, that moment was merely the last gasp-inducing scene in a show full of fireworks, flying and gravity-defying. For four sweaty hours, the Olympics literally levitated in the thick Beijing air. The 14,000 performers staged a tour de force of choreography, technology and can-do-ology for a country intent on using the Games as a springboard to new world prominence.

The one thing the host nation didn't do was cram it all into one day, the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. Eight is a lucky number in China, but by the time this extravaganza had run its course, it was the early minutes of Aug. 9. But a run-on production can happen when you're staging the biggest coming-out party in the history of the world. The long-cloistered Chinese had 5,000 years worth of culture and 1.3 billion citizens to show off to the world. They had a lot to say.

"It will be shocking," predicted Marwin Joe of the Beijing newspaper Liberation Army Daily, who sat next to me for the ceremony. He'd seen the rehearsal twice. And he was right. But the thing more shocking to Joe -- and, assuredly, many of his countrymen -- is how far China has come as an Olympic power, and how fast. In 1984, the Chinese won 32 total medals in an Olympics boycotted by the Eastern Bloc powers.

"In 1984, when Olympics were held in Los Angeles, most of the Chinese people did not know what is Olympic Games," Joe said. Six four-year plans later, they know. With the entire world here, their aim is to outdo the United States and win the overall medal count. Their goals are as big as their flag bearer, 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, who led the sprawling Chinese delegation into the Bird's Nest.

They were the final team to march, coming in three hours after the ceremony started and two hours after the other countries began the procession. Despite the dazzling show that began and ended the night, the athlete march truly is the highlight of every Opening Ceremony -- for all of them, this is their gold-medal moment. They made it here, to the world's biggest party. They are Olympians, and this is the payoff before only the best of the best make the medal podiums.

Hopefully TV did the whole thing justice. These productions are hard to describe, always better visually than in the written word. It's why sportswriters tend to fall back on phrases like "moving spectacle." But this was a moving spectacle.

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Photos courtesy of Guang Niu/Getty Images, Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US Presswire, and NBC

Original Source: ESPN

Image Galleries at: nbcolympics.com

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The rising cost of food is a growing concern for many people across the world. There have been protests, and even riots, in countries including Mexico, India and Egypt, clear evidence of the struggle that many people are now facing. However, if Italians feel that their local food retailer is charging unreasonable prices, they can now call on a new service to help them haggle or walk away. Thanks to a short message service (SMS) text system set up jointly by the Italian agriculture ministry and consumer associations, shoppers can check the average price of different foods in northern, central and southern Italy.

Italy’s Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry, along with consumer organisations, have come up with the SMS Consumatori service www.smsconsumatori.it, which tracks prices for over 80 types of fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products and so on. To use the service, shoppers send a text message to 47947 for free, typing the name of the product they want a price for. They get a reply straightaway listing both a wholesale price and average retail prices in the north, centre and south. If a product comes in varieties, the service sends separate messages for each of the most popular ones.

SMS Consumatori sources information from 2,200 different stores, such as butchers, market stalls and discount stores, and covers the whole country. Prices are updated from Tuesday to Saturday. A very good feature is that people can fill a virtual shopping cart and see what its average cost would be. According to Jote Bassi, vice-president global sales and marketing at messaging services provider Anam, which is headquartered in Dublin, SMS Consumatori is a great use of SMS technology and yet more evidence of the importance to both consumers and operators of SMS services in general.

With prices spiraling out of control in some parts of the world, some people feel that it is high time consumers could check just how much traders are profiting. BBC reporter Emma Wallis from BBC World Service's Culture Shock programme decided to find out how much 2kg of tomatoes cost in a market in Rome. She found that the wholesale price of a kilo of cherry tomatoes is 69 euro cents (54p). Whereas the retail price in the north is 2.9 euros, in central Italy it is 2.8 euros, while in the south its 1.85 euros. By contrast, for bigger tomatoes the wholesale price is 62 cents compared with 2.15 euros in the north, 1.85 euros in central and 1.50 euros in the south. However, the tomatoes are bought by the wholesalers for only 22 cents a kilo from the farmers.

According to Tom Standage, business editor at The Economist magazine, markets are more efficient when you have more information. "If you are in a supermarket and there's a price for tomatoes and that's the only piece of information you have, you've got no idea whether you should be protesting by not buying it," he says. He explains that for supply and demand to work at its best, consumers need to be able to compare different prices from suppliers on the spot, something the texting service and others like it should help make easier. "There are even services where you can scan a barcode in with your mobile phone and it tells you how much the internet retailers are selling a particular product for," he says.

With many analysts warning that high food costs are here to stay, Italian consumer are unlikely to be the only ones hoping to find the High Street's best prices.

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Photos courtesy of AFP, SiliconRepublic.com, and CTV.ca

Original Source: BBC News and SiliconRepublic.com

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PARIS: Ten years after it was introduced, France has ended the compulsory 35 hour work week. Legislators in France have voted to allow companies to sidestep the 35-hour workweek by negotiating individual overtime agreements with their employees. The new legislation, which was passed by Parliament late Wednesday night and which will take effect in September, is the boldest step yet in stripping what many view as an emblematic labor law, without quite getting rid of it. While the workweek limit is as good as buried, every hour beyond 35 that is worked will be considered overtime and will therefore be more expensive.

Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand denied that people would have more working hours imposing on them and said now "everything will be negotiated company by company." Under the new legislation no one in France can work more than 48 hours in a given week, including overtime. Right now, despite the current law, many French employees work longer than 35 hours a week but accumulate time off or overtime. They actually average 41 hours, compared with 41.7 in Germany, 43.1 in Britain, 41.3 in Italy and the EU average is 41.9. In terms of paid annual leave, the French are in the mid-range in Europe with 25 days holiday as guaranteed non-working days.

The new legislation opens the way for company-specific negotiated agreements between employers and labor unions about the number of hours a week and days a year an employee works. The new limits are more generous than before: For manual workers who are paid by the hour, the weekly maximum limit rises to 48 hours, in line with European Union legislation. For white-collar staff members, paid by the day, the annual maximum of days they can be asked to work will rise to 235 days from 218. Also up for negotiation is the amount of time an employee gets in compensation for the extra hours worked, as opposed to being paid for the overtime.

The new changes are likely to affect small and medium-sized businesses most. Many large companies benefited from the additional flexibility that the 35-hour week provided by allowing them to annualize work time, making staff members work more in high season and less in low season without having to pay costly overtime. Blue-collar workers have periodically complained that this practice ended up reducing their income.

But most employees, and particularly those with comfortable incomes and a preference for additional time off, have grown attached to the shorter workweek. Professionals, whose salaries are calculated on a daily basis rather than hourly, fear that they will lose a dozen extra holidays a year that they had enjoyed in compensation for working more than the legal 35 hours a week. Their dismay at the changes was on display Wednesday afternoon when hundreds protested outside the Senate building, sporting banners with slogans like "There is life after work." And the union that represents white-collar employees and management staff, CFE-CGC, published an open letter in French newspapers complaining about the changes.

The new legislation also includes rules to make labor unions more representative. Any union participating in negotiations on work time needs to have obtained at least 10 percent of the vote in company elections. But any union representing 30 percent or more of the internal vote is allowed to sign a binding agreement with management.

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Photos courtesy of The Economist, Reuters/Charles Platiau, and AFP

Original Source: euronews and International Herald Tribune

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Pope Benedict XVI recalled the natural beauty he observed during his 20-hour flight to Sydney, saying he felt "a profound sense of awe," and denounced "insatiable consumption" as a threat to the world's environment.

The pope made his first major appearance on his Australia tour Thursday before an estimated crowd of 150,000 people at World Youth Day. The event is believed to be the world's largest Christian gathering and dubbed "the Catholic Woodstock."

He delivered his homily in several languages to people representing 70 countries, lamenting "erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption." In his address, Benedict warned that mankind's "insatiable consumption" has scarred the Earth and squandered its resources, telling followers that taking care of the planet is vital to humanity — striking a theme that has earned him a reputation as the "green pope."

He was greeted at World Youth Day by a traditional aboriginal welcoming ceremony. In his address, the pope thanked aboriginal elders and noted the decades of hardship native people faced throughout Australia's history. "I am deeply moved to stand on your land, knowing the suffering and injustices it has borne but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work, rightly bringing pride to all Australian citizens," the pope said. "To the young indigenous -- aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders -- and the Tokelauans, I express my thanks for your stirring welcome." At a meeting with top government officials, including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the pope praised his official apology in February on behalf of the nation to its aboriginal people.

Pope Benedict XVI urged religious leaders of all kinds to unite against those who use faith to divide communities — an apparent reference to terrorism in the name of religion. He met with representatives of Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist faiths for about 40 minutes during the Roman Catholic Church's youth festival, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Sydney. "In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity," Benedict told a gathering of clerics from different faiths in Sydney.

Without mentioning terrorism directly, the pontiff said creating harmony between religion and public life was "all the more important at a time when some people have come to consider religion as a cause of division rather than a force for unity." The remarks come as the Vatican tries to repair ties with the Islamic world that were strained by a speech he gave in 2006 that appeared to associate Islam with violence, outraging many Muslims.

Thursday's events were the pope's first public appearances since arriving in Australia on Sunday and spending several days resting. The pontiff, appearing rested and in good form, gave his first major speech before an estimated crowd of 200,000 pilgrims gathered for World Youth Day. Tens of thousands more lined Sydney harbor's foreshore as he toured the city, first by boat and then in the popemobile.

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Photos courtesy of AP, Reuters/Will Burgess, Robert Pearce, Greg Wood/Pool, and WYD 2008

Original Source: CNN and AP

Image Gallery: Reuters: Pope says young inheriting scarred, squandered earth

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FARNBOROUGH, England: Plane makers and airlines at the world's largest air show struck a tone between conciliatory and defensive on global warming Wednesday — pledging to make flying more fuel-efficient but bridling at a European Union emissions trading scheme. Executives from British Airways and Airbus used a "sustainable aviation" summit at the Farnborough International Airshow to attack the EU over its revised emissions trading scheme, which it said will cripple the European industry coming on top of soaring oil prices. BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said he supported a trading scheme in general but had "serious reservations" about the EU proposal, which he said would encourage carriers to bypass European hubs. "The EU should look again at applying a scheme that is workable in the first place and able to be applied worldwide," Walsh said.

European airlines say the EU greenhouse gas cap and trading system would impose extra costs of 4 billion euros ($5.41 billion) a year. Buying enough carbon permits to operate between 2011, when the program would begin, to 2022, will cost more than 45 billion euros ($61 billion). Airbus CEO Tom Enders, who also broadly supports a trading scheme, criticized European politicians for pushing ahead with the "unbalanced" scheme "irrespective of the burden put on airlines by the oil price."

Crude oil prices hit a record of US$147.27 last week, underpinning a rise in oil costs for the aviation industry from US$44 billion in 2003 to an expected US$190 billion this year. The aviation industry has come under growing public and political pressure to curb carbon dioxide emissions, with calls for plane makers to invest more in new technology and for airlines to replace outdated fleets. New designs find ways to cut weight and air resistance and use more fuel efficient engines.

The industry has argued that it is moving toward a cleaner future and that it is not the worst offender when it comes to the environment. Executives repeated cited the statistic that the aviation industry accounts for just 2 percent of global man-made Co2 emissions — in contrast to other factors like deforestation which accounts for some 20 percent. The 2 percent figure is forecast to rise to just 3 percent by 2050 if no action is taken.

Environmentalists, however, argue that the growth in air travel — currently about 5 to 6 percent a year — threatens to undo improvements made in other industries, ultimately undermining international targets to halve emissions by 2050 compared with 1990. "We are under fire from many fronts, certainly from environmentalists, certainly from the uneducated general public that finds us an attractive target at which to shoot," said Scott Carson, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines. "But the flying public still wants to fly."

Boeing Co. has touted its 787 jet for its greater fuel efficiency, although the plane has been hampered by delays that have cost the company credibility and billions of dollars in expected additional costs and penalties. Chicago-based Boeing on Tuesday said it remains on track to test fly its 787 jetliner in the fourth quarter of this year and make its first delivery in the third quarter of 2009 — but acknowledged that its timetable remains tight.

Its European rival Airbus claims its A380 superjumbo is more fuel efficient per passenger kilometer (mile) than a car, with less emissions, less noise and a seat capacity stretching from the median 555 to a staggering 800. However, the A380 building program has also not been smooth. Toulouse-based Airbus in May announced new delays on deliveries, already almost two years late, saying the company is behind schedule in switching to automated production. It said it will deliver 12 planes in 2008 instead of 13, and 21 planes in 2009 instead of 25. Etihad also gave the A380 program a vote of confidence, committing to buy 10 of the aircraft.

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Photos courtesy of BBC News

Original Source: International Herald Tribune

Image Gallery: BBC News | In pictures: Farnborough 2008, Anniversary

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Australian scientists have identified a potential treatment to combat malaria. Researchers in Melbourne believe their discovery could be a major breakthrough in the fight against the disease. The research involving the scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and associates at Oxford and Liverpool universities, has uncovered the process that helps the disease hijack red blood cells.

Malaria kills more than 2 million people every year, with many of the victims being young children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is caused by a parasite which is transmitted by mosquitoes and infects red blood cells. The need for new treatments for malaria is increasing as the parasite develops resistance to existing treatments.

The malaria parasite - Plasmodium falciparum - effectively hijacks the red blood cells it invades, changing their shape and physical properties dramatically. Among the changes it triggers is the production of the glue-like substance, which enables the infected cells to stick to the walls of the blood vessels. This stops them being passed through the spleen, where the parasites would usually be destroyed by the immune system.

Professor Alan Cowman from the Walter and Eliza Institute, says they have found how the adhesive stops the parasite being flushed out by the immune system, with the help of eight proteins. These proteins allow the infected blood cells to stick to the walls of blood vessels so they are not destroyed by traveling to the spleen. Removing just one of these proteins stopped the infected cells from attaching themselves to the walls of blood vessels.

Professor Cowman says the breakthrough will lead to research into new anti-malarial drugs. "By identifying those proteins it means we have potentially new targets to really concentrate on to try and develop new drugs or new ways of trying to treat Malaria," he said. "It also gives us the potential of trying to develop what are called genetically attenuated parasites, in other words weakened parasites that can no longer stick within the body and these could be used potentially as a live vaccine as has been done with many other things such as Hepatitis B."

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Photos courtesy of BBC News, TopNews, James Jordan/flickr

Original Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and BBC News

Related article: Researchers find secret to fight malaria (includes full Interview with Professor Alan Cowman)