The Cheney Observer
Hearing heated, but no surprises
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s public hearing regarding the recently released draft environmental assessment of Duke Power’s hydroelectric projects on the Tuckasegee and Oconaluftee rivers held last Thursday (June 8) began quietly enough.
Carol Adams, president of the Friends of Lake Glenville, criticized FERC staff for not weighing local concerns heavily enough in writing the draft EA.
“The local community has, in fact, been ignored,” Adams said.
Hugh Moon concurred, saying he supported the preferred settlement agreement — a document authored by Jackson County officials as a compromise between the original stakeholders agreement reached in 2003 and demands made by those who would not sign the agreement.
The preferred settlement agreement recommends that Duke turn over the Dillsboro Dam to Jackson County to run as a green power resource. Moon encouraged FERC staff not to reward Duke for years of neglecting the dam by allowing the company to tear it down as part of their mitigation plans. Duke has said that the dam is no longer viable and removing the dam would permit the company to focus on hydro plants that generate more electricity.
“Do not allow a profit seeking disposition to destroy our rural way of life,” Moon said.
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/06_06/06_14_06/fr_hearing_heated.html
Midday Business Report: Ethanol IPO boosts MGP Ingredients
By RICK BABSON
The Kansas City Star
The initial public offering of a South Dakota ethanol producer helped boost shares of other producers, including Atchison’s MGP Ingredients Inc.
Shares of VeraSun Energy Corp., the nation’s second largest ethanol producer behind ag giant Archer Daniels Midland Co., jumped more than 25 percent in their trading debut.
The shares, which underwriters priced at $23, changed hands at $29.92 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
MGP Ingredients, which makes ethanol plus a variety of other ingredients and distillery products, rose 45 cents, or 2.06 percent, to $22.20. MGP shares fell 10 percent Tuesday as crude oil prices fell $1.80 a barrel.
ADM, of Decatur, Ill, the nation’s largest ethanol producer, gained 34 cents to $38.55. ADM shares fell 5 percent Tuesday.
Shares of Pacific Ethanol Inc., a Fresno, Calif.-based producer and marketer of ethanol, were up $1.70, or 8.44 percent, at $21.84. Pacific shares fell 12.6 percent Tuesday.
In its IPO, Brookings, S.D.-based VeraSun raised $419.75 million. It said it will use the proceeds from the sale and cash on hand to build two more corn-based ethanol plants and increase its presence in the upper Midwest.
Two other ethanol companies — Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc., of Pekin, Ill., and Hawkeye Holdings Inc., of Iowa Falls, Iowa — also are planning to go public during a time when many politicians are saying the U.S. needs to cut its dependence on foreign oil.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/14817007.htm
Office of the Twenty Second Congressional District of Texas, Formerly the Office of Tom DeLay
The Washington, D.C. office and the district offices of the Honorable Tom DeLay will continue to serve the people of the Twenty Second Congressional District of Texas under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. The vacancy became effective June 10, 2006.
The Interim Vacant Office Status:
By federal law and the Rules of the House of Representatives, the employees of the former Representative continue to staff the offices of the congressional district under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. This interim vacant status continues until a new Representative is elected to fill the unexpired term. Currently, the congressional district does not have voting representation. Although the scope of the vacant congressional office is limited, constituents of the district are invited to contact this interim office for information and assistance as indicated below.
http://clerk.house.gov/members/electionInfo/Texas_22nd/index.html
Onward Christian Scholars
June 14, 2006 03:14 PM EST
The Ivory Tower continues to deride Christian education as anti-intellectual despite mounting evidence that the latter is more conducive to genuine scholarship than the former.
“Religious persons have other interests than ‘apologetics’ and have concentrated on them, for better or for worse,” retired English professor C. John Sommerville writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education. “As a result, for a generation or more, religion has seemed to be devoid of intellectual merit.”
“If religiously Christian and Jewish scholars are allowed to be themselves in their academic roles, they will have to do a lot of thinking about how they might make a contribution.”
“‘Sin,’ ‘Trinity,’ ‘incarnation,’ and ‘creation’ are words that would nowadays be greeted with incomprehension in the academy,’ Dr. Sommerville explains. “Yet they are all pregnant with meaning for our debates.”
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/15349.html
EPA Rule Loosened After Oil Chief's Letter to Rove
The White House says the executive's appeal had no role in changing a measure to protect groundwater. Critics call it a political payoff.
By Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writers
June 13, 2006
WASHINGTON — A rule designed by the Environmental Protection Agency to keep groundwater clean near oil drilling sites and other construction zones was loosened after White House officials rejected it amid complaints by energy companies that it was too restrictive and after a well-connected Texas oil executive appealed to White House senior advisor Karl Rove.
The new rule, which took effect Monday, came after years of intense industry pressure, including court battles and behind-the-scenes agency lobbying. But environmentalists vowed Monday that the fight was not over, distributing internal White House documents that they said portrayed the new rule as a political payoff to an industry long aligned with the Republican Party and President Bush.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rove13jun13,0,6998893.story?coll=la-home-headlines
U.S. ports still seen vulnerable to terrorism
Fri Jun 9, 2006 12:47pm ET
By Edgar Ang
NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - All coastal ports in the United States are still vulnerable to terrorist attacks despite ongoing efforts to safeguard the maritime industry, security experts said late on Thursday.
Stephen Flynn, a Jeane Kirkpatrick senior fellow in national security studies at the Council of Foreign Relations, said port security measures should focus on the ability to isolate the potential terrorist attack problem and protect the U.S. shipping system.
At a conference titled "Port Security and the Challenges & Implications for the U.S.," Flynn stressed the importance of keeping the system running amid a potential security breach, making it unattractive as a terrorist target.
http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompanyNewsArticle.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-06-09T164653Z_01_N09422738_RTRIDST_0_TRANSPORT-PORT-SECURITY.XML&rpc=66
No evidence of misdeeds in Southport Marina deal
By Mark Schreiner
Raleigh Bureau Chief
mark.schreiner@starnewsonline.com
Raleigh The N.C. Board of Ethics determined Wednesday that there is no evidence Gov. Mike Easley acted improperly during last winter's renegotiation of the lease on Southport Marina.
The board's chairman, former Superior Court judge Robert L. Farmer, called the complaint from two Southport men, which started the inquiry, "beyond frivolous."
The board's investigator found that the governor played no direct role in the approval of the lease or evidence to suggest Wilmington developer Nick Garrett, who renovated the governor's house in 2001 and subsequently contributed to his campaign, is an owner of the company that now operates the marina.
William O. Duke, who with Woodrow O. Wilson Jr. wrote a complaint letter to the board in March, said he was disappointed.
"We are not really satisfied with the outcome, but we'll live with it," Duke said.
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/NEWS/606080325/-1/State
Namibia: Making Walvis a Success Story
June 9, 2006
Posted to the web June 9, 2006
Moses Amweelo
International trade has become a major vehicle for accelerating economic growth in developing countries. Trade has linked up all national economies into what is referred to as the global economic system.
This vital link between nations is maintained through the world trade transportation system. However, great changes are happening to this system in terms of the volume and variety of trade and the speed at which traded goods are moved.
Ports are at the forefront of all the changes taking place. The dredging and deepening of the port of Walvis Bay is a recognition of this situation and a deliberate attempt to establish all the conditions for competitiveness in the international economy.
We cannot over-emphasize the growing importance of maritime transport and trade, and the new risks and opportunities with which they present ports today.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200606090153.html
OUR TROOPS ARE STILL IN IRAQ.
KGLPI eyes 12 port deal opportunities
Posted: Thursday, June 08, 2006
Kuwait City
Kuwait's KGL Ports International (KGLPI) is pursuing up to 12 port development opportunities, its chief executive said.
'We are working on 12 business opportunities around the world,' Mohamed Al Mazeedi, also the chairman, said. 'The company wants to add to its portfolio two ports per year.'
Mazeedi, whose firm is a subsidiary of Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport, declined to identify the ports his firm is eyeing. KGLPI manages three ports including Kuwait's Shuaiba.
Mazeedi said three deals were likely within three months.
A deal signed in May with Egypt to build a 2,300-metre pier at Damietta port is expected to rake in at least $1 billion in total revenues over its 40-year life, said Fadhel Al Baghli, KGLPI's vice chairman and chief operating officer.
The $1 billion Damietta deal was jointly signed with Aref Investment Group.
Mazeedi said his firm will start off with a 90 percent stake in the project but would be diluted as other investors join in. The Damietta Port Authority has a 5 percent stake.
The first phase of the project will be completed in 30 months. The facility will be operational with a capacity of 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2008. Its capacity will be increased to 4 million TEU in 2009.
Mazeedi also said parent company Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport signed a deal to develop a port in the Maldives.
KGLPI had won a $200-million deal to develop and operate Iraq's Umm Qasr port over 20 years and was awaiting security to improve to start with it, Mazeedi said.Reuters
http://www.tradearabia.com/tanews/newsdetails_snSTN_article106310_cnt.html
TWENTY YEARS PUTS THEM IN CONTROL DURING THE SADDAM YEARS. !!!
Wide interest seen in Dubai’s US ports sale
Published: Saturday, 10 June, 2006, 09:26 AM Doha Time
WASHINGTON: Close to 100 companies have expressed an interest in buying facilities at major US ports from Dubai Ports World, a source close to the sales process said on Thursday.
Dubai Ports World, which is owned by Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, bought the facilities at six US ports earlier this year as part of its $6.8bn purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co of Britain.
But Dubai Ports World later said it would sell the US assets to a US entity, after American lawmakers said they had security concerns about the deal.
Among the companies expressing interest in buying the US port facilities are port operators, private equity funds, infrastructure funds, shipping companies and logistics firms, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Potential buyers include some of the same firms that are said to be considering buying SSA Marine of Seattle, a unit of Carrix and the largest US-owned port terminal operator, the source said.
He did not elaborate.
The US port management business is highly fractionalized.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=91033&version=1&template_id=48&parent_id=28
PAUL KRUGMAN Congress knows its priorities
The federal estate tax had its origins in war. As America moved toward involvement in World War I, Congress - facing a loss of tariff revenue, but also believing that the most privileged members of society should help pay for the nation's military effort - passed the Emergency Revenue Act of 1916, which included a tax on large inheritances.
But today's congressional leaders have a very different view about wartime priorities. "Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes," declared Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader, in 2003.
DeLay has since been dethroned, but the DeLay Principle lives on. Consider the priorities on display in Congress last week.
On one side, a measure that would have increased scrutiny of containers entering U.S. ports, at a cost of $648 million, has been dropped from a national security package being negotiated in Congress.
Now, President Bush says that we're fighting a global war on terrorism. Even if you think that's a bad metaphor, we do face a terrifying terrorist threat, and experts warn that ports make a particularly tempting target. So some people might wonder why, almost five years after 9/11, only about 5 percent of containers entering the United States are inspected. But our congressional leaders decided that improving port security was too expensive.
On the other side, Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, tried Thursday to push through elimination of the estate tax, which the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates would reduce federal revenue by $355 billion over the next 10 years. He fell three votes short of the 60 needed to end debate, but promised to keep pushing. "Getting rid of the death tax," he said, "is just too important an issue to give up so easily."
So there you have it. Some people might wonder whether it makes sense to balk at spending a few hundred million dollars - that's million with an "m" - to secure our ports against a possible terrorist attack, while sacrificing several hundred billion dollars - that's billion with a "b" - in federal revenue to give wealthy heirs a tax break. But nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes.
The push for complete repeal of the estate tax has apparently failed, but I'm told that chances are still pretty good for a Senate deal that will go most of the way toward repeal. The Tax Policy Center estimates that two of the possible deals, compromises proposed by Sens. Jon Kyl and Olympia Snowe, would cost $293 billion over the next 10 years. An alternative proposed by Sen. Max Baucus would cost $240 billion.
So even these so-called compromise proposals would cost several hundred times as much as the port security measure that was rejected as too expensive. But that's OK: nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes.
Advocates of estate tax repeal apparently aren't interested in a genuine compromise - raising exemption to $3.5 million while leaving the tax rate on estate values in excess of $3.5 million unchanged. Americans from an earlier era might have been puzzled by the DeLay Principle. They still believed in the principle enunciated by Theodore Roosevelt, who called for an inheritance tax in 1906: "The man of great wealth," said TR, "owes a peculiar obligation to the state."
But the DeLay Principle isn't really that hard to understand: It's just like the Roosevelt Principle, but the other way around. These days, the state - or rather, the political coalition that controls the state, and depends on campaign contributions to maintain that control - owes a peculiar obligation to men of great wealth.
And nothing is more important than cutting these men's taxes, even in the face of a war.
Paul Krugman is a columnist for The New York Times.
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060609/NEWS/633/-1/State
Goldman nears $4.6 bln AB Ports offer: sources
Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:44am ET
By Siobhan Kennedy and Michael Smith
LONDON (Reuters) - A consortium including Goldman Sachs (GS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) may agree a 2.5 billion pound ($4.6 billion) deal to acquire Associated British Ports Plc (ABP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The two sides are in negotiations, and there are still several issues to work through, one of the sources said, adding that the deal could yet fall apart.
However, the Goldman Sachs consortium hopes to reach agreement with AB Ports on a bid of 810 pence per share by the end of the week, the sources told Reuters.
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-06-11T144417Z_01_L11173511_RTRUKOC_0_US-TRANSPORT-ABPORTS.xml
Port grapples with container pileup
By Patrick Beja
Mombasa port is grappling with a pileup of containers awaiting transport to the hinterland by rail.
As a result, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has been forced to waive storage charges to cargo owners who would move the containers by road.
Container terminal manager James Rarieya said over 1,000 containers were at the port. KPA waived the storage charges for shippers who would remove the initially rail-bound containers between today and June 26.
"The buildup has been occasioned by a number of factors, including accidents that have impacted very negatively on rail operations," Rarieya said in a press notice.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143953847
Nigeria: Port Operations Stalled By Container Block Stacks, Vehicular Traffic
June 8, 2006
Posted to the web June 8, 2006
Godwin Oritse
The ports in Lagos are currently in complete disarray as high container block stacks coupled with heavy traffic caused by container trucks that are struggling to either pick up or discharge containers are stalling operations at the ports.
A visit to the Lagos Ports Complex and the Container Terminal Port revealed that container trucks have virtually taken over the entire ports even as congestion in most of the ports still persists, making it difficult for cargoes to leave the ports in good time. Operators have however expressed disappointment at the manner AP Moller is handling the situation at the ports, adding that if the authorities does not wade in the matter, the economy could be affected. Operators are also of the opinion that A. P. Moller want to handle all containers that come into the ports, and yet they (AP Moller) do not have the plants and equipment to handle the volume of cargoes that were brought into the ports in recent times.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200606080150.html
Automated clearing system causes congestion of ports’
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006
The new automated clearing system introduced in Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, since June/and referred to as Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA ++) may have led to delays in clearing of goods from the port.
This is because the new system does not accept old entries or old Single Goods Declaration form (SGD) forwarded by clearing agents, making the new system to be slow at the port..
It was gathered that this was the problem when the automated clearing system was introduced in Apapa port.
Some customs agents who had expressed dismay over the problem at Tin Can Port had met with the customs area comptroller, Mr Jerry Alagboso on the issue. During the meeting, the agents had complained that their importers were on their neck because of the delay.
http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=06/14/2006&qrTitle=Automated%20clearing%20system%20causes%20congestion%20of%20ports%E2%80%99&qrColumn=BUSINESS
Iran, Pakistan commission discusses shipping, ports activities
Tehran, June 12, IRNA
The Iran-Pakistan joint specilized commission for ports and shipping cooperation held its first session on Monday to promote sea-related ties between the two countries.
In the session, the two sides discussed cooperation in the fields of rescue and expeditions at sea, prevention of environmental pollution, ship surveillance and transfer of goods from Pakistan to Iraq via Imam Khomeini Port in Bandar Abbas.
The Iranian board in the commission proposed, among others, tax exemption for Iranian ships in Pakistani ports and, in return, offered facilities for oil tankers and crew in Karachi as well as measures to facilitate commercial relations between Iranian and Pak companies active in its shipping and port sectors.
Hassan Zaidi, director-general of Pakistan's Shipping and Ports Ministry, accompanied by a group of experts is attending today's session aimed at examining Pakistan's ports and shipping relations with the Iranian side, which is headed by Director General of the Iran Ports and Shipping Organization Gholam-Reza Sassani.
The joint commission is to conclude a memorandum of understanding for expanding economic ties in the shipping and ports sector before concluding its session today.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-237/0606126724121225.htm
Neglecting our ports
OUR OPINION: CONGRESS PASSED UP CHANCE TO IMPROVE PORT SECURITY
Congress passed up a great chance last week to make an immediate difference in the improvement of security at the nation's ports. The decision came with a vote by a House-Senate conference committee to strip $648 million for port security out of an emergency funding package. It's one more example of how Congress talks a good game on homeland security but falls short on performance, especially regarding ports.
There's little doubt that ports are vulnerable. Some nine million containers enter the country each year, but only about 5 percent of these are inspected. Yet protection of our ports is very important because they could serve as an entry point for a weapon of mass destruction.
The money stripped out of the conference bill would have been used to add inspectors to oversee security at 50 foreign ports, bolster Coast Guard inspections domestically and overseas and buy container-imaging machines.
Because the provisions are included in an emergency spending bill for the current fiscal year -- which ends Sept. 30 -- the chance to provide money for these and related purposes will now have to wait until next year.
There's more than a little hypocrisy at work here. Congress was in an uproar a few months ago over the Dubai Ports deal, eventually forcing the overseas company to drop its effort to operate several U.S. ports even though it would not have endangered U.S. security in any way. Members of Congress knew better, but they were happy to play along with this charade.
It's past time for lawmakers to get serious about port security. Congress has never given U.S. ports even half the amount they need to meet security requirements. Florida, with its long coastline and ports up and down the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, is particularly at risk. Better funding should be a priority for Florida's entire congressional delegation.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/14797135.htm
Yemen move surprises DP World
Posted: Monday, June 12, 2006
Dubai
Dubai Ports World has expressed surprise over Yemen's move to renegotiate certain parts of the Aden Port concession deal.
"We thought it was finished, but apparently they still have some issues. I do not know what the issues are," a Gulf News report quoted DP World chairman Sultan Ahmad bin Sulayem as saying.
The Dubai-based port operator won an international tender last year to operate the port under a 30-year concession. It has promised to invest $493 million to expand and upgrade port facilities.
The deal is awaiting approval of the Yemeni parliament, but Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has told his officials to renegotiate some points of the agreement. Some nationalist Yemeni legislators have opposed giving control of the port to DP World.
http://www.tradearabia.com/tanews/newsdetails_snSTN_article106498_cnt.html
Court fines firm $500,000 over work death
June 13, 2006 - 12:15PM
Stevedoring company P&O Ports Ltd has been fined $500,000 over the death of an employee at one of its docks in Melbourne.
Jeffrey Gray, 45, a father of three, was crushed by a container then fell more than eight metres into an open hold at the company's Appleton Dock in Footscray, in Melbourne's west, on June 23, 2003.
Today in the Victorian County Court, Judge Jeanette Morrish said the company had been aware its workplace safety guidelines were being breached at the dock but had ignored concerns raised by staff.
Ms Morrish said it was not enough that the company had written policies available, they needed to ensure they were being enforced.
"A worker is dead," Ms Morrish said.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/work-death-costs-firm-500000/2006/06/13/1149964512715.html
Zambia waives tax on railway
12/06/2006 20:07 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Zambia has granted a new railway firm a $35m tax exemption to speed up a project to speed delivery of copper and cobalt to ports for export, an executive at the company said on Monday.
North West Railways will not pay customs duty on imported machinery and equipment for its rail link between Zambia's rich copper deposits and Angola's Benguela line, company chairperson Enoch Kavindele said.
An environmental assessment for the project had been concluded and was awaiting approval by the state Enviornmental Council of Zambia before construction began, Kavindele said.
"The initial cost of the project was $235m but we will not be required to pay customs duty on imported equipment for the project. The cost...will be $200m," Kavindele told Reuters from the Zambian capital Lusaka.
Zambia has a policy of waiving customs duty on equipment and machinery meant to improve infrastructure, such as railways, roads and bridges, to shore up economic development and to create employment.
North West Railways was in talks with South African lenders Development Bank of South Africa and the Industrial Development Corporation on financing of the project. Talks were progressing well, he said, but offered no further details.
The first in the 685km rail project phase - linking the mining town of Chingola with Solwezi where new mines are being developed - will cost $75m and construction is due to start later this year.
Zambia ships its copper through the ports of Durban in South Africa and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Durban is a long and costly route while the Tazara rail linking Zambia to Tanzania is unreliable, logistics industry executives say.
A new link to Angola will provide a cheaper alternative, they said.
Copper is Zambia's biggest foreign exchange earner.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1950346,00.html
Insurance rates going up for ports
Worldwide, costs rise 40 percent after hurricanes
By PURVA PATEL
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Last year's hurricanes spared Houston area ports, but insurers aren't taking any chances as they raise rates worldwide.
Insurers have increased rates an average 40 percent at global ports and terminals in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita, according to insurance broker Aon Marine.
Insured losses at ports and terminals escalated from about $28 billion in 2004 to more than $56 billion in 2005, Aon Marine said. Katrina-insured losses are still being adjusted and settled, but are expected to total nearly $40 billion.
In addition to the increased frequency and severity of hurricanes, once losses happen, insurers face greater construction and replacement costs, according to the insurance broker.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/3967381.html
Security needs consistency
A Times Editorial
Published June 14, 2006
Once again, Congress has demonstrated it is more interested in posturing than in making smart investments to quickly improve the nation's security. It was just three months ago that Washington was having a fit about a Dubai-owned company taking over operations - but not security - of several U.S. ports. The political firestorm scuttled that deal, but no one raised a peep last week when a congressional conference committee removed millions for port security from an emergency spending package.
There is no question that ports are particularly vulnerable to terrorism. It's no state secret that only 5 percent of the millions of containers that enter the country's ports every year are even inspected. Yet a House-Senate conference committee cut nearly $650-million for port security out of the supplemental spending bill. The money would have been used to hire more inspectors at dozens of foreign ports, increase the number of Coast Guard inspections both here and overseas, and buy 60 machines that can scan the large containers.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/14/4starcithernpasmana/Security_needs_consis.shtml
European Stocks Rebound From 6-Month Low; Bayer, AB Ports Surge
June 14 (Bloomberg) -- European stocks rebounded from a six- month low on speculation that a market slump in the past month has been overdone.
Bayer AG jumped after raising its bid for Schering AG to win a takeover fight for the world's largest maker of birth-control pills. Associated British Ports Holdings Plc surged after a team led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. agreed to buy the ports company.
``Stocks have fallen so much in recent days that they are becoming increasingly attractive,'' said Patrick Casselman, who helps manage $600 million at KBC Asset Management in Brussels. ``Mergers and acquisitions not only support shares, they also show that companies are seeing value where investors aren't.''
The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index rose 0.4 percent to 302.99 at 3:21 p.m. in London. The Stoxx 50 gained 0.3 percent, as did the Euro Stoxx 50, a measure for the 12 nations using the euro.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aKxGIowgNZEI&refer=europe
Welch’s challenge to the GOP
In his radio address to the nation this past Saturday, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch laid out the Democrats response in this election year on the war in Iraq: In short, President Bush, his administration and this Republican Congress have been irresponsible and accountability can only be restored by electing a Democratic House and/or Senate in November.
Unless we have a change in power in Congress in 2006, Welch said at the Addison Independent offices last Friday afternoon, none of the big questions facing the nation really matter because the Republican-led Congress has not exercised its role to oversee the executive branch and has instead rubber-stamped most of what the White House has dished out — including cover-ups and gross mismanagement of the war effort.
Welch, who was chosen to deliver the response to the president’s weekly radio address, couldn’t be more on target.
What Americans have seen for much of the past six years under Bush and this Republican-led Congress has been an incredibly irresponsible approach to governance where substantive discussion on the issues has been replaced by political calculations. Bush and company have preferred staged theater to real accomplishments and falsified reports to sway a far-too gullible public.
http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/127
Dobbs: President and Senate allied with 'corporate supremacists'
By Lou Dobbs
CNN
Tuesday, June 13, 2006; Posted: 9:44 p.m. EDT (01:44 GMT)
Editor's note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears every Wednesday on CNN.com.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are set to take action on legislation that could determine the financial and social fate of nearly every American for the next 20 years.
The Senate and House are scheduled to go into conference later this month to reconcile the significant differences between each chamber's so-called comprehensive immigration reform legislation. If President Bush, the Republican leadership of the Senate and Senate Democrats have their way, 11 million to 20 million illegal aliens will receive amnesty, and at least 60 million new immigrants will be allowed into the country over the next two decades.
In addition, the long-term fiscal impact of the Senate legislation will be around $50 billion per year in administrative, social and healthcare costs, according to Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation. The Congressional Budget Office has just released its own analysis of the legislation, and it concludes that nothing in the Senate bill will end the overwhelming torrent of illegal immigration.
It is far too early to tell whether the House of Representatives has the political will and courage to stand against the upper chamber of Congress and President Bush. If the House fails in its duty to represent the will of American citizens, our nation will be forever changed.
"The will of the people," Thomas Jefferson said, "is the only legitimate foundation of any government." But if President Bush and the Senate prevail, it will be a clear victory for corporate supremacists, advocacy groups and dominant special interests and a historical defeat for our middle-class working men and women and their families.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/13/dobbs.june14/
Bush reaches out in bid to shed go-it-alone image
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff June 13, 2006
WASHINGTON -- The unusual Iraq war summit President Bush is hosting at Camp David this week reflects a new White House attitude that includes a willingness to consider dissenting views and take a more deliberate approach to policy questions, a style change for a president known to keep close counsel, according to political observers and Republican lawmakers.
The two-day conference that ends today seems designed to show Bush personally grappling with Iraq war policy along with his top aides and outside experts. The high-profile meetings of the president's ``war council" -- along with a revamped policy team and a more nimble communications operation -- could revive his low standing with the public and help rehabilitate his strained relationship with Congress, said Bruce Buchanan, a government professor at the University of Texas.
The shifts -- largely credited to new White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten -- suggest Bush desperately wants to shed his image as a stubborn partisan who listens to few outside voices, said Buchanan, who has followed the president closely since Bush was governor of Texas.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/13/bush_reaches_out_in_bid_to_shed_go_it_alone_image/
Lewis Hires Legal Team Amid Investigation
By ERICA WERNER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 13, 2006; 7:28 PM
WASHINGTON -- House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, under federal investigation over his ties to a lobbyist, has hired a high-profile legal team from a Los Angeles-based law firm.
Lewis, R-Calif., has denied wrongdoing and has said he has not been contacted by federal investigators in the probe, which became public last month and is being run by the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.
The team includes former Solicitor General Ted Olson; Robert Bonner, who once led the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles and was once head of Customs and Border Protection; Mel Levine, a former Democratic congressman from California; and Joseph Warin, a former federal prosecutor.
All are partners at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. Olson and Warin are based in Washington and Bonner and Levine in Los Angeles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061301314.html
Rove won't be charged but could be witness in Libby trial
By Toni Locy, Associated Press June 14, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Presidential adviser Karl Rove won't be a criminal defendant in the CIA leak case, but he could still be grilled in court as a witness.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald could question Rove about whether the Bush administration compromised a CIA officer's identity to retaliate against a critic.
Still, the news that the prosecutor told Rove's lawyer he would not seek a federal indictment was welcomed by the political operative and the White House.
Rove has been identified as a probable defense witness in next year's trial of I. Lewis ``Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. Libby has been charged with lying to the FBI and a federal grand jury about how he learned about Valerie Plame Wilson's CIA status and what he told reporters about it.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/14/rove_wont_be_charged_but_could_be_witness_in_libby_trial/
Cheney's ex-aide Libby to appear in court
Monday, June 12, 2006; Posted: 12:43 p.m. EDT (16:43 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Eight months after a federal indictment, I Lewis "Scooter" Libby and his attorneys will be in court Monday, across from prosecutors, to tell a judge the status of preparations before his trial, set for January.
Libby, who resigned in October as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is fighting charges he lied to investigators and a grand jury about his knowledge of Valerie Plame, whose identity as a CIA operative was leaked to reporters.
Her husband, U.S. diplomat Joe Wilson, had openly challenged part of the Bush administration's pre-war rationale for waging war on Iraq. But Libby's defense counsel has asserted there was no sinister effort to punish the Wilsons by revealing the identity of his wife to several reporters.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/12/libby.hearing/
Rove Avoids Being Charged in CIA Leak Case
Wednesday June 14, 2006 9:48am
Washington (AP) - The unimaginable did not happen. Karl Rove escaped being charged in the CIA leak case, ensuring that President Bush (website - news - bio) will retain the everyday counsel of the shrewd and trusted aide who helped create his political persona, steer him into the Oval Office and mastermind his White House tenure. Now free of personal legal jeopardy - although he still may have to testify at a trial - the president's all-around uber-aide can focus on trying to prevent Democrats from capturing the House or Senate.
Rove has been praised by Bush as the "The Architect" and "Boy Genius." The president's critics refer to Rove derisively as "Bush's Brain." Marshall Wittman, a former conservative activist who now works for the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, once summed up Rove as the president's "political Svengali, Robespierre and wizard all rolled into one."
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0606/336107.html
Sany attempts to outbid Carlyle
Jin Jing
2006-06-14
SANY Group Co Ltd, one of China's leading private machinery manufacturers, plans to offer US$400 million to buy China's biggest construction machinery company, which was under the equity transfer of the Carlyle Group.
Sany proposed to offer about 30 percent more than Carlyle, the world's largest private buyout firm, which agreed to pay US$375 million for 85 percent of Xugong Construction Machinery Co Ltd, last October.
"The purchase price is underestimated and we would also plan to further raise our price if it is necessary," Xiang Wenbo, chief executive officer of Sany, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
"As a strategic sector of Chinese industry, the manufacturing industry should not be monopolized by our foreign counterparts and the low selling price would make domestic companies lose their domination," Xiang said.
Washington-based Carlyle said it would issue a statement later yesterday.
The Changsha, Hunan Province-based Sany said it would submit its propose to Xugong by the end of this month and it plans to introduce products, sales channel and management to increase Xugong's competitiveness.
Xugong is China's biggest maker of building equipments, making hydraulic cranes, earth-moving and road-building equipments. Last year its sales revenue totalled 17 billion yuan (US$2.12 billion).
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/06/14/283074/Sany_attempts_to_outbid_Carlyle.htm
Carlyle raises $668 mln for deals in Asia
June 14, 2006
TOKYO (Reuters) - Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group said on Wednesday it has raised $668 million for investment in China, India, Japan and South Korea.
The fund, called Carlyle Asia Growth Partners III, invests in private companies at an expansionary stage with a track record of growth.
"Our pipeline is very strong, we are in discussion or doing due diligence on companies in all four target countries," said Carlyle managing director Wayne Wen-Tsui Tsuo in an interview with Reuters.
Three investments have already been made out of the new fund, including $20 million in Indian pharmaceutical firm Claris Lifesciences, $25 million in China credit company Credit Orienwise and $27.5 million in China's Anxin Flooring.
"Our sweet spot is between $20-40 million per investment," said Tsuo.
Asian fund raising has gathered momentum in recent years, fuelled by investors seeking to capture some of the relatively fast growth enjoyed by many of the region's companies.
Asian private equity funds have raised $8.13 billion so far this year, according to Hong-Kong based AVCJ.
"We raised capital from institutional investors and high net worth individuals from all four continents," said Tsuo who added that the fund was multiple times oversubscribed but declined to give details regarding previous funds' returns to investors.
The Carlyle Group has $39 billion under management. Since 1987, the firm has invested $18.1 billion of equity in 463 transactions for a total purchase price of $73.2 billion.
http://www.ndtvprofit.com/homepage/news.asp?id=254619
Renewable Energy Fund Acquires Geothermal Assets
June 14, 2006
Los Angeles, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] US Renewables Group, LLC (USRG), Riverstone Holdings LLC and The Carlyle Group announced that Carlyle/Riverstone Renewable Energy Infrastructure Fund I (CRREIF) has agreed to acquire from USRG a significant stake in the Bottle Rock Power LLC, a California-based company whose principal asset is a 55-megawatt (MW) geothermal power station in the Geysers in Lake County.
Under the terms of the agreement, CRREIF intends to acquire an ownership stake and fund additional capital through a convertible note. This is one of the first investments from CRREIF's $685 million renewable energy infrastructure fund.
Bottle Rock plans to continue to refurbish the steam field and the facility and plans to restart the facility within the next six months. Before the end of 2007, Bottle Rock expects to produce approximately 260,000 MWh per year of base load renewable power for sale to Pacific Gas and Electric under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). This is enough energy on average to supply electricity to more than 21,000 California homes without the typical pollutants (SOX, NOX and VOCs) that result from the combustion of fossil fuels.
The Bottle Rock facility was originally constructed, owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to service its own power consumption requirements. DWR closed the facility in 1990 and subsequently sold it to several investors in 2001 that formed Bottle Rock. USRG purchased a majority stake in Bottle Rock in late 2005.
Stephen Schaefer, Riverstone Managing Director stated, "The affordable energy this project will produce demonstrates that renewable energy can and will have a growing impact on the energy mix in the U.S. and around the world."
US Renewables Group, LLC manages private equity funds that acquire, develop and operate renewable energy and clean fuel assets. It owns and operates landfill methane, biomass, geothermal, ethanol and biodiesel projects. Riverstone Holdings and The Carlyle Group are the co-general partners of Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy and Power Funds.
http://renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45157
Endangered Elitist Species
In defense of the Supreme Court law clerk.
By Emily Bazelon and Dahlia Lithwick
Posted Tuesday, June 13, 2006, at 3:26 PM ET
Poor Supreme Court law clerks.
Most of them finish doing the coolest job they will ever have when they are 26 years old. All they will have to remember it by is a framed photo of some old white guy in a black dress, and a bajillion-dollar signing bonus from their law firms. They aren't allowed to canoodle with the press. And they spend months killing themselves to craft pitch-perfect, meticulously blue-booked decisions that they can never, ever claim as their own. ("Hey, know that Kennedy opinion in Lawrence? Dude. I totally wrote that!")
And now, everybody is trying to take their jobs-of-a-lifetime away from them.
This month in the Atlantic, Stuart Taylor and Benjamin Wittes proposed to fire all the Supreme Court's law clerks because they make the job of their justices far too "cushy"—resulting in way too much judicial travel and speech-giving and not enough tedious grunt work. The justices delegate a "shocking amount of the actual opinion writing to their clerks," Taylor and Wittes scold. And like others who have brandished the get-to-work whip before them, they single out a few lazy-ass justices for asking clerks to write first drafts.
A week earlier, reviewing two new books that trace the history of the Supreme Court clerkship (Sorcerers' Apprentices, by Artemus Ward and David L. Weiden, and Courtiers of the Marble Palace, by Todd C. Peppers), Judge Richard Posner similarly argued in the New Republic that more clerks haven't meant better work on the court's part. Posner suggests that the advent of the contemporary clerkship—which began in the 1940s—has not corresponded with any improvement in the quality of the court's work. He also dismisses the notion that cases today are more complex than they used to be. And like Taylor and Wittes, he points out that the court today decides fewer than half the number of cases that it used to (about 80 per year compared to more than 160 in 1945). Posner attributes the rise in the number of clerks (to four per justice since the 1970s) to simple bureaucracy run amuck.
http://www.slate.com/id/2143628/
People's Daily
Poll: Chinese people most satisfied with national conditions
Eighty-one percent of China's population is satisfied with the way things are going in their country, an increase of nine percentage points from last year, a new poll about global attitudes and views released on Tuesday showed.
The annual survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center in 15 countries in April and May this year, found most samples of citizens from different countries surveyed were dissatisfied with their national conditions.
In the United States, for example, only 29 percent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with the way things were going in their country, down from 39 percent last year and 50 percent in 2003.
In Britain, the level of national satisfaction fell from last year's 44 percent to just 35 percent this year, while in France, only 20 percent said they were satisfied with their national conditions, down from 28 percent in 2005.
Public discontent was even higher in Nigeria, where only 7 percent of Nigerians had a positive view of the state of their nation.
In the 15 countries where the survey was conducted, apart from China, the only countries to show a majority expressing satisfaction with their national conditions were in Egypt (55 percent), Jordan (53 percent) and Spain (50 percent). besides China.
The poll of some 17,000 people in 15 countries, including China, Egypt, France, Germany, Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the United States, had a margin of error ranging from two to six percentage points.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273961.html
News Analysis: SCO thrives in face of common challenges
The driving force behind the birth and development of the young Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is the need to meet common challenges faced by the member countries after the end of the Cold War.
Five years ago, in this Chinese city, the heads of state from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan proclaimed the establishment of the new regional group which would grow rapidly and have its impact quickly felt on international arena.
The post-Cold War world is mainly characterized by extensive regional cooperation among countries that intends to seize the historic opportunities to develop themselves and raise people's standards of living in a rapidly-changing international and regional situation.
Countries in and around Central Asia are no exception to the trend of economic globalization and political multipolarization.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273982.html
President Hu Jintao underscores changing economic growth pattern
Chinese President Hu Jintao said China must accelerate the changes of economic growth pattern by promoting strategic readjustment of economic structure and technological innovation and continuing to cling to reforms.
He also called on creating a sound systematic environment and turning economic growth onto the people-oriented track featuring complete, coordinated and sustainable development.
Hu made the remarks during his inspection tour in Shanghai, China's financial hub, from Monday to Tuesday, where he visited port, factories and villages.
Hu visited the East China Sea Bridge and the Yangshan deep sea port, the closest deep sea port to Shanghai. Hu said Shanghai must have a complete infrastructure to build itself into an international center of finance, trade and shipping.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273736.html
US regulator ends its probe on China Life
China Life Insurance Co, the country's largest insurer, said the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ended a probe into its Hong Kong and US initial public offering (IPO) in 2003, and no action was recommended.
The Beijing-based company said in a statement recently that it received a letter dated June 2 from the securities regulator's enforcement division saying that it had ended the investigation and didn¡¯t recommend any action.
"This indicates that China Life's IPO in 2003 was in full compliance with the requirements of the regulators of the stock exchanges where China Life was listed," said Henry Ding, the chief representative of the Beijing office of Sidley Austin LLP, a US law firm representing China Life in its co-operation with the SEC in the informal investigation.
Ding believed that the SEC's final decision is due to China Life's active co-operation during the investigation.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_274032.html
Do Yao Ming and Lenovo also pose as threats?
The "threat of China" rhetoric will exist for a long time; the question now is how to deal with such a mentality. The Outlook Weekly published an article illustrating the issue.
The article quoted a US sports magazine article published recently saying that the 2.26 meter tall NBA player Yao Ming is China's brainchild and wants to show China's national strength.
On May 23rd, the US National Defense published its "2006 Report on China's Military Strength'. The report claimed that China's military expansion has reached the level where it poses a threat to regional balance. The accurate strike capability of the Chinese army may even constitute a threat to the US' traditional military advantage.
"Economic threat" - the US State Department announced that due to considerations in security, it has decided not to buy China's Lenovo computers for its national confidential network. American and China Economic Security Appraisal Commission think that Lenovo may threaten the US national security. This has caught the Chinese company by surprise. In March, the US State Department planned to buy 16,000 sets of Lenovo computers worth 13 million US dollars. Some Americans were immediately opposed to this deal.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273960.html
Qinghai-Tibet Railway nears completion
This June, tens of thousands of people are pouring into Qinghai and Tibet to witness the first complete test-run of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway line next month.
Everything has been readied for the first plateau passenger trains to run from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xining to "the roof of the world".
These special trains can maintain a normal oxygen level, temperature and pressure so that passengers are able to breathe without difficulty. Lack of oxygen is the primary threat to passengers traversing this route. Almost all sections of the carriages are equipped with the same facilities as aircrafts. There are two oxygen supply systems: a dispersible type supply system which mixes oxygen with air via the air conditioning system, thereby maintaining a certain level of oxygen in the carriages; the other is an independent oxygen inhaler system. If passengers require more oxygen, they can use oxygen inhalers to avoid altitude sickness.
http://english.people.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273959.html
Pro-environment investment leads growth of Chinese conglomerate
Turnover of China Everbright International grew by 105 percent to 133.82 million HK dollars (17. 27 million U.S. dollars) in 2005 due to the group's hefty investment in environmental protection projects.
The strong performance also resulted in an increase of 21 percent in profit attributable to shareholders to 105.33 million HK dollars (13.59 million U.S. dollars), the conglomerate's Chief Executive Officer Chen Xiaoping told a press conference here on Tuesday.
The board proposed the payment of 0.6 HK cent per share as the final dividend for the year and 0.6 HK cent as the interim dividend.
The encouraging growth in turnover was mainly attributed to the significant profit brought forth by infrastructure and property investment businesses, couple with the commencement of profit contribution of the group's environmental protection business, said Chen.
Starting with infrastructure and property investment, Everbright reaped all of its profits from the two sectors in 2004.
http://english.people.com.cn/200603/29/eng20060329_254227.html
Zeng Qinghong calls for realizing goal for 11th Five-Year Plan
At the end of a five-day tour of Zhejiang Province, China's Vice-President Zeng Qinghong has called for the implementation of policies as set in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).
Zeng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, also urged local Party organizations to further consolidate the achievements of the current campaign to educate CPC members.
Zeng ended his five-day study tour to east China's Zhejiang Province on Wednesday. During his tour, Zeng visited local companies, villages, urban communities, hi-tech parks, and seaports. He was accompanied by Xi Jinping, the provincial Party chief, and Lu Shanzu, the province's governor.
He also visited the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant and a memorial site at Nanhu Lake, where the CPC held its first national congress in 1921.
In his talks with local officials, the vice president spoke highly of Zhejiang's social progress and economic development.
Zhejiang is one of the most developed coastal areas and the country's leader in the development of the private sector of the economy.
http://english.people.com.cn/200604/06/eng20060406_256225.html
Analysis: Does U.S. military power mean everything?
No matter how hard the United States seeks for military hegemony, it is denied absolute power in a nuclear era. This is decided by the nature of nuclear weapons. Through the expansion and abuse of its super military might, the U.S. not only failed to secure a "no nuke threat" position in a nuke time, but would damage its long-term national security interests, and probably be unable to sustain due to exhaustion of national strength in mid and long term. Unprecedented U.S. military might On the surface, the U.S. is a military superpower whose annual military spending has reached the unprecedented height of $500 billion. In terms of weaponry, the country possesses both world strongest conventional and nuclear arsenals, a phenomenon never seen before in human history. Meanwhile, the U.S. is also pressing ahead with the development of new concept weaponry including "practical" nuclear weapons. Considering its fight for the space, R&D of kinetic energy weapon, digitalized battlefield information and military integration, the U.S., we should say, has indeed no match or rival in today's world in terms of military strength. The U.S. military advantages will remain for quite a long period of time. Its military might will inevitably affect its foreign policy and cast certain influence on international relations. However, has the military supremacy brought more security to the country? Has it intensified the U.S. dominance on international affairs? My answer is probably "no". Different perspectives lead to different understanding on military superiority. Firstly, a revolutionary change has taken place on traditional concept of national security since the mankind entered nuclear era six decades ago. Secondly, national security has become closely related with international security since human society entered the era of institutional security represented by the United Nations also six decades ago. A country of not very strong defense is not necessarily unsafe under the protection of international institutions. On the contrary, a country of super military spending might not bring corresponding security if it damages or runs away from international security mechanisms. Nuclear weapons leave U.S. "military superiority" vulnerableLet' s discuss the first question. The U.S. immediately used nuclear weapons against Japan after it obtained them ahead of other world countries. In 1945, the U.S. national strength reached a peak and it was the only nuke country in the world. But sixty years later, does the country feel safer or not? The answer is obvious. In last century, Japanese strike could only reach Hawaii. But how about today? The U.S. metropolitan territory already suffered low-tech serious attacks like "September 11", so the country is certainly more vulnerable. Russia, for example, is capable of destroying the U.S. scores of times although it has no intention to threaten the U.S. militarily. On global and regional scopes, there are more factors that prevent the U.S. from feeling completely safe. Nuclear weapon, due to its nature of extreme destruction, meant a fundamental change in international relations ever since its birth. Just because of its capability of mass destruction, possession of it indicates a significant lift in national security guarantee and probably a louder voice in world affairs. Developing nuclear weapons is no easy job, but they are not solely owned by the U.S.. What the U.S. can do could also be achieved by other industrial developed countries or even some developing countries such as India and Pakistan. Once got an effective hold of nuclear weapons, relations between nuke countries would follow a direction of mutual deterrence. The U.S. "military superiority" is actually vulnerable given the unacceptable result of any use of nuclear weapons, despite serious imbalance between conventional and nuke weaponry of two nuke holders. When it comes to national security, the most undesirable thing for Washing would be a nuke strike, even only once, against its metropolitan territory or overseas military bases. Deterrence in a nuke era means that a nuke war would never be waged or won. Unlike in conventional wars, there is no winner in nuclear warfare. Therefore, in a nuke era, military imbalance between countries is to a large degree offset by the possession of nuclear weaponry. In theory the U.S. reserves the option of striking first, but in practice it is no less than seeking self-destruction if Washington really does so against any nuke holder. Therefore such a possibility is quite remote. As a result, no matter how hard the U.S. seeks for military supremacy, it is all the same denied absolute power in a nuclear era, which is determined by the nature of nuclear weapons. The following thing is, the U.S. is afraid nothing but nuke proliferation. Although anti-proliferation has become a consensus of the international community, the U.S. more often than not runs against it in concrete measures. For example, on the one hand, the current Bush administration refuses to talk with DPRK or provide security guarantee in law, and has to face a worse result: DPRK declaration of nuke possession. On the other hand, despite its opposition to proliferation, the U.S. use of force against Iraq in a wrong name has left Iran and DPRK feeling more keenly the advantages of owning nuke and thus clinging to it more tightly. When India broke the anti-proliferation the U.S. government recently had to give the incentive of cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. This is a classic example showing that insisting on owning nuclear weapons brings long-term benefits to a country. Since U.S. measures run against its anti-proliferation objective, proliferation can hardly be checked in reality, and the situation will remain in which U.S. military superiority doesn't bring supreme security. Military supremacy might damage national security in the long runThen the second question. How the U.S. ensures its security? Like any other country, it depends on defense forces and international cooperation. Considering its military advantages, in practice the country would rely more on its own military strength in achieving security goals. However, result of such an option, or what people call U.S. unilateralism, is more often than not damage on long-term security interests as well as on international influence and soft power of the U.S.. Sixty years ago, the U.S., as an important initiator of the United Nations, still cherished the ideal of securing human peace via international cooperation. In international cooperation, every country would possibly transfer part of its sovereignty in traditional sense in exchange for more benefits through institutional arrangements of the international community. But sixty years later, the U.S. has lost most of its patience and confidence by overestimating its own strength but underestimating international security mechanisms once started by itself. As mentioned above, military superiority has given the country an upper hand on battlefields, but also fueled the tendency of using force easily. Particularly during the recent ten years, the U.S. has displayed a more serious inclination to leave UN aside and organize "volunteer alliance": the long-term impact is weakened UN role. As the world's most internationalized country, by neglecting or abandoning international organizations such as UN, the U.S. has to fall back on its own strength and a handful of allies for the same security goals. As a result, this super power would, at a faster speed, exhaust its hard and soft power and reduce itself to relative weakness. In this sense, through the expansion and abuse of its super military might, the U.S. not only failed to secure a "no nuke threat" position in a nuke time, but would damage its long-term national security interests, and probably be unable to sustain due to exhaustion of national strength in mid and long term. Besides, the U.S. advantages in national and military strength are exaggerated since currencies of some emerging countries, such as India, are not yet freely convertible. So, the U.S. is still unable to do whatever it desires in international affairs despite its economic output that accounts for more than one fourth of the world and its military expenditure that takes 45 percent of the globe. The fact that Washington is at its wits end with DPRK is a proof that the country's intervention capability is far less strong than its national power as shown in figures. The author Shen Dingli is deputy director of the Center of American Studies, Fudan University
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/09/eng20060509_264186.html
Full text: Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005)
The State Council Information Office published on Monday a white paper entitled Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005). The document, composed of 10 chapters, gives a systematic introduction to the unremitting efforts made by China in environmental protection over the past ten years. The full text of the white paper follows:
Foreword
China is the most populous developing country in the world. Since the late 1970s, China's economy has developed rapidly and continuously. During the process, many environmental problems that have haunted developed countries in different phases of their 100-year-long industrialization have occurred in China all at the same time. The conflict between environment and development is becoming ever more prominent. Relative shortage of resources, a fragile ecological environment and insufficient environmental capacity are becoming critical problems hindering China's development.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/05/eng20060605_271168.html
China invests heavily in environmental protection: white paper
The Chinese government invested 111.9 billion yuan (14 billion U.S. dollars) in environmental protection between 2001 and 2005, a government white paper said Monday.
Of the total input, 108.3 billion yuan (13.5 billion dollars) from treasury bond proceeds was mainly used to control the dust storm sources threatening Beijing and Tianjin, to protect natural forests and to turn cultivated farmland back into forests or pastures, says the white paper.
The white paper titled "Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005)" was issued by the Information Office of China's State Council, or the cabinet.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/05/eng20060605_271157.html
GM to roll out new made-in-China Cadillac
A new made-in-China Cadillac will be released in November when Shanghai GM resumes production of its Cadillac cars after halting manufacture earlier this year.
Shanghai GM Spokesman Chen Yanming said yesterday that Cadillac cars would be manufactured in China again earlier than expected because of brisk sales of the marque. It has been widely reported that Shanghai GM would not start making Cadillac cars in China until 2007.
"The new Cadillac sedans made in China are to roll into showrooms by November and will be featured at the Beijing Auto Expo this November," Chen said. "It is a new and real made-in-China Cadillac."
The new model, yet to be unveiled to the public, is expected to be Cadillac's flagship model to gain a niche in China's luxury car market.
Production of some models of prestigious European brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz has already begun in China, while exclusive and expensive marques like Ferrari and Bentley have set up nationwide sales networks.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273885.html
Chinese delegation to attend first meeting of UN Human Rights Council
A Chinese delegation will attend the first meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council to be held in Geneva from June 19 to 30, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tuesday.
"China attaches great importance to the meeting," said Jiang Yu, noting that Sha Zukang, top Chinese diplomat to the UN office in Geneva, will head the Chinese delegation and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will address the meeting.
China will put forward its viewpoints on the future development of the newly-established council and participate in discussions of all topics in a positive and constructive manner, said Jiang.
"We are ready to make joint efforts with all parties to make the meeting a success and a good starting point for the council," Jiang added.
The UN General Assembly in May elected the 47 members of the Human Rights Council to replace the much criticized and defunct Human Rights Commission. China was elected to the council with 146 votes.
The first meeting will outline the operation rules of the council and discuss problems on the international human rights issue, said Jiang.
Jiang urged all parties concerned to take pragmatic action to ensure the role of the council in improving and protecting the human rights and to avoid taking the old road of political confrontation and double standards.
Source: Xinhua
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/13/eng20060613_273705.html
GM to roll out new made-in-China Cadillac
A new made-in-China Cadillac will be released in November when Shanghai GM resumes production of its Cadillac cars after halting manufacture earlier this year.
Shanghai GM Spokesman Chen Yanming said yesterday that Cadillac cars would be manufactured in China again earlier than expected because of brisk sales of the marque. It has been widely reported that Shanghai GM would not start making Cadillac cars in China until 2007.
"The new Cadillac sedans made in China are to roll into showrooms by November and will be featured at the Beijing Auto Expo this November," Chen said. "It is a new and real made-in-China Cadillac."
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273885.html
Worldwide spending on arms reaches new record high: SIPRI
Military spending around the world increased 3.4 percent in 2005 and reached new record, according to a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.
The world military expenditure in 2005 increased 33 billion US dollars, and the United States accounted for about 80 percent, or 26 billion dollars, of the total increase, the institute said.
Last year, a total of 1.118 trillion dollars was spent on military expenditure around the world, which equals 173 dollars per capita.
The United States accounted for 48 percent of all military spending, an increase of 1 percent from 2004, as its costly campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan continued, the institute said.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/13/eng20060613_273539.html
Drought hits China, serious in Northeast
Statistics released by the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters shows that till June 8, the area of arable land suffering from drought was 156 million mu (25.6 million acres), which was much more serious than during normal years.
The crop drought area was 97.06 million mu (16 million acres); the area of paddy fields short of water was 6.33 million mu (1.04 million acres); the non-irrigated farmland short of seedlings was 57.41 million mu (9.46 million acres).
There were 7.34 million people and 6.75 million heads of livestock temporarily short of drinking water.
The drought in northeast China and east Inner Mongolia has deteriorated as a result of no efficient rainfall.
The headquarters has sent a work group to direct local anti-drought work. Recently, it discussed with the Ministry of Finance to grant a large amount of subsidies to the drought-hit areas.
Statistics shows that up to June 8, the total affected area of arable land in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin and Hei Longjiang were 129 million mu (21.2 million acres), which makes up 83 per cent of the drought-hit area all over China.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/13/eng20060613_273679.html
Rising oil prices and changing cars
A survey by the US magazine Consumer Reports shows that more than one-third of American consumers are considering replacing their oil-consuming cars with oil-saving, hybrid-fueled cars in response to the oil price which have long remained high.
The US, a country "on wheels", is a big oil consumer. Its population of 290 million has over 230 million units of cars. More than one out of every ten barrels of global oil production are used by American drivers. In the past decade, the increasing popularity of sport MPV which uses vast amounts of oil added to the further explosion in oil demand.
Low income or even middle class households in the US are seriously affected by the soaring energy prices which in turn have pushed up the cost of housing, phone, power and waste treatment. The inflation in the cost of living has forced many families to cancel holiday traveling plans. Some families are only able to use their car once a week and have had to spend less on leisure activities.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273974.html
Step in wrong direction
The Japanese cabinet endorsed a bill on Friday to upgrade the nation's Defence Agency to a fully-fledged ministry.
The bill got the green light after a U-turn on the issue by New Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner.
This move, a further example of Tokyo showing the teeth of its expanding military, will cause concern among Japan's neighbours.
Attempting to justify the upgrading, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe claimed that the Defence Agency deserved the status of a ministry in order to "respond to any situation."
Defence Chief Fukushiro Nukaga told legislators earlier this year that his agency should be upgraded to a ministry to meet Japan's growing international military obligations.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/12/eng20060612_273196.html
US Report on China military power analyzed
Researcher Tao Wenzhao, and associate researcher Li Xiaogang with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) were interviewed by People's Daily Reporter Wu Yingchun.
The US Defense Department's annual report on China's military strength it published on July 19 played the same old tune of "China threat theory". The Chinese side has lodged solemn representations with the US part. International observers, experts and scholars analyzed the intentions of the report and raised criticisms of it.
Reporter: Why did the US Defense Department publish the report on China's military power, what does it mainly preach?
Tao Wenzhao: According to the "2000 National Defense Authorization Act", the US Congress requires that the National Defense Department submit a report on China's military power to the Congress every year. This shows many people in the US Congress have doubts and misgivings about China's development, the "China threat theory" still has a market there.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200507/26/eng20050726_198368.html
China completes construction of Three Gorges Dam
China completed construction of the world's largest dam Saturday, May 20, 2006, in Three Gorges area, central China's Hubei Province, signifying accomplishment of the major structure of the mammoth Three Gorges water control project. The 185-meter-high and 2,309-meter-long Dam is the world's largest dam of reinforced concrete, with a total of 28 million cubic meters of concrete has been poured. The concrete placement of the Dam's main section was completed 10 months ahead of the schedule, which will enable the Dam to start its role in power generation, flood control and shipping improvement in 2008.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/20/eng20060520_267335.html
U.S. scientists isolate liver stem cells
A stable line of human fetal liver stem cells has been isolated and characterized for the first time, U.S. scientists reported on Monday.
The liver stem cells, which have shown the ability to repopulate damaged livers in mice, could be valuable for the treatment of liver diseases in the future, said a research team at the University of Washington.
Their findings appeared in the June 12 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The adult liver contains a reservoir of progenitor cells, which provide the organ with a high regenerative potential. But so far these cells have not been successfully isolated from human livers.
According Nelson Fausto, a professor at the University of Washington who led the study, the researchers derived for the first time progenitor cells from livers in human fetuses of 74 to 108 days.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/13/eng20060613_273634.html
Whaling ban faces stiff test at meeting
An international whaling group this week is expected to try to chip away at a moratorium on commercial whaling that environmentalists say has saved the Earth's largest creatures from extinction.
For the first time since whale-hunting was banned in 1986, pro-whaling nations led by Japan expect to have a majority at the International Whaling Commission (IWC)'s annual meeting in the Caribbean island state of St. Kitts and Nevis from June 16-20.
Last year, Japan, Norway, Iceland and their allies failed to attain a majority only because some members showed up late or had failed pay their dues.
Even with a majority, they will not be able to end the hunting moratorium because that would require 75 per cent of votes at the 70-member IWC.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273893.html
The Arizona Republic
Ariz. Guard heads to Mexico border
Up to 300 troops deployed to kick off Bush plan
Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 14, 2006 12:00 AM
As many as 300 Arizona National Guard members will head to the Mexican border starting today, the first deployment under President Bush's plan to free Border Patrol agents for enforcement duties.
The initial 150 met Tuesday at Guard headquarters at Papago Park in Phoenix to listen to a message from Gov. Janet Napolitano and begin preparations for the move to Border Patrol stations in southern Arizona.
Operation Jump Start will assign as many as 2,500 Guardsmen from across the nation to the Mexican border by the end of the month, and a total of 6,000 over a two-year period, time enough to recruit and train 9,000 new Border Patrol officers.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0614guard0614.html
The Border Patrol is stepping up efforts to save lives in the desert as they prepare for another record-setting year of deaths. Its search and rescue squad is trying to keep up as the temperature spikes in the Sonoran desert, and the calls come in back-to-back.
http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/commphotos/show.php?colid=20&slide_nbr=1&HTTP_REFERER=http://www.azcentral.com/
Power restored to SRP line in path of wildfire
Flames continue to creep toward homes north of Heber
JJ Hensley, Michael Clancy and Christopher Kline
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 14, 2006 02:30 PM
A high-voltage power line near the Potato Fire was re-energized Wednesday afternoon, calming concern about the Valley’s power supply.
Salt River Project spokesman Scott Harelson said the power line was brought back into service at 1:55 p.m. after flames moved away from the area.
APS officials also de-energized a line in the path of the fire. That line remained powered down at 2 p.m. as fire crews continued to fight the blaze, officials said.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0614potatofire-ON.html
Wed., June 14: Randy Chevalier, left, and Andrew Brown of the Show Low, Ariz., fire department, work to extinguish hot spots less than a half-mile from homes in the Chevelon Retreat community near Heber. The 6,000 acre, lightning-caused Potato Fire is burning eight miles northwest of Heber and continues to threaten the homes of about 30 residents.
http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/commphotos/show.php?colid=420&slide_nbr=1&HTTP_REFERER=http://www.azcentral.com/
Sacramento Bee
UC Davis will target rural needs
Fears of a nationwide doctor shortage galvanize U.S. medical schools
By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, June 14, 2006
UC Davis Medical School has been admitting exactly 93 would-be doctors every year for more than a generation.
Now, for the first time since 1971, the university is poised to boost medical enrollment through a program to train doctors who want to live and work in rural communities.
The effort is part of an ambitious plan to expand each of the five University of California medical schools and perhaps create a sixth amid predictions of a nationwide doctor shortage.
Those predictions have galvanized U.S. medical schools, with more than 40 percent reporting that they're likely to increase admissions in the next five years, according to an Association of American Medical Colleges survey.
This week, the association is expected to recommend 30 percent enrollment increases in the next decade.
The trouble is, no one knows how to open the biggest bottleneck in licensing more doctors -- figuring out who will pay for the added doctors-in-training during their residencies.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14267574p-15079226c.html
Weapons cache found at doctor's home
By Elizabeth Hume and Christina Jewett -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 8:01 am PDT Wednesday, June 14, 2006
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Sacramento County Sheriff's officials have arrested Dr. Scott Takasugi, 53, on suspicion of sexual improprieties with patients and for an extensive illegal weapons cache in his home.
At about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sacramento County Sheriff's sexual assault officers served a search warrant at his Carmichael home on Empire Way near Manzanita Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard. Once inside, officers spotted what looked like dynamite, Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. R.L. Davis said.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14267661p-15079287c.html
Budget stalled over immigrant health care
By Clea Benson -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 1:40 pm PDT Wednesday, June 14, 2006
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Legislative approval of the state budget will be late for the 21st year in a row because Republicans and Democrats remain at odds over a small provision in the $131 billion spending plan that would allow undocumented immigrant children to qualify for state-funded health care, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez told reporters Wednesday morning.
The constitutional deadline for passing a state budget is Thursday.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14267840p-15079416c.html
3-year-old critical after rescue from spa
By Cameron Jahn -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B2
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SACRAMENTO -- A 3-year-old boy was reported to be in extremely critical condition Tuesday night after being pulled from a spa, unresponsive and not breathing, authorities said.
Shortly before 7 p.m., rescue crews were called to an apartment complex in the 2200 block of Gateway Oaks Drive. A nurse, who lives in the complex, had started administering CPR, according to Capt. Jim Doucette, a Fire Department spokesman.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14267592p-15079237c.html
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