Tuesday, November 9, 2010 • Dul Hijjah 3, 1431 A.H. • 2 Riyals • Vol. XXXV • No. 343 • 16 Pages • www.arabnews.com
obama backs india’s Un bid Chides Delhi for not speaking out against Myanmar abuses AGENCIES
NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama endorsed on Monday India’s long-held demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a reflection of the Asian country’s growing global weight and its challenge to rival China. India says a seat on the council would reflect the importance of the G20 nation as its trillion dollar economy helps spur global growth and its government exerts more and more influence over issues from Doha trade to climate change talks. “In the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed United Nations Security Council that includes India as a permanent member,” Obama said in a speech to India’s Parliament on his first official visit to the world’s largest democracy. “Let me suggest that with increased power comes increased responsibility,” he added at the end of the first leg of a 10-day Asian tour that has also been seen about gathering support from countries like India to exert pressure on China on its currency. Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, said ahead of Obama’s speech that “this was a full endorsement” for India’s permanent membership of a reformed Security Council. The UN seat could be a pipe dream
for India and face resistance from some of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. But it is Obama’s most headline-grabbing announcement in a visit that has seen the US leader seek greater trade with India’s massive yet underdeveloped and restricted markets as well as to help counterbalance the rise of China. Among the first to object to Obama’s endorsement of India’s UN bid was the country’s archenemy Pakistan. A statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Obama’s remarks added to the complexity of the process of reforms of the council. It cited India’s continued disregard for UN Security Council resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir coming in the way of Delhi’s aspirations for the grant of a permanent seat on the council. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said: “Pakistan hopes that the US will take a moral view and not base itself on any temporary expediency or exigencies of power politics.” Obama also warned that India would have to take a more responsible role in international affairs, such as pressuring Myanmar to embrace democracy. “India has often shied away from some of these issues. But speaking up for those that cannot do so for themselves is not interfering in the affairs of other countries.”
ARAB NEWS
US President Barack Obama is greeted by Indian parliamentarians on his arrival at Parliament House for a speech on Monday. (AFP)
The West is increasingly dependent on India and China to power their moribund economies. It was unclear how much Delhi would reciprocate to Obama’s plea for opening its economy more to foreign firms. “I don’t think India is emerging. It has emerged. India is a key actor on the world stage,” Obama told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier Monday.
The US leader also said he was ready to play “any role” requested by India and Pakistan to foster peace between them. He said that while both India and Pakistan have an interest in reducing tensions in the region, the US “cannot impose a solution to these problems.” Singh appeared to rebuff calls by the US president for the nuclear foes to move forward on peace talks. “You
Young man Muhammad Abdu Yamani gets a year for harassing Former minister respected and loved by all man of the Saudi Research and Publishing Company’s board of trustees. Loved and respected by all, Yamani was women a well-known philanthropist. He was vice chairman of
cannot simultaneously be talking and at the same time the terror machine is as active as ever before,” Singh said. Obama criticized Pakistan over its failure to clamp down on militants. “We will continue to insist to Pakistan’s leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders are unacceptable and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice,” he said.
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JEDDAH: A young Saudi man has been sentenced to one year in jail for harassing and giving his number to women throughout Jeddah. He also targeted those who had come to spend Eid Al-Fitr on the Corniche. A judge at Yanbu General Court handed out the punishment on Monday after the man’s case was transferred to the court by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia). The Commission for Investigation and Public Prosecution in Yanbu had set the youth free on bail after completing investigations. The court found the man guilty of several incidents in which he harassed women. “After studying the various complaints against the young man and hearing the arguments of the public prosecutor, the judge gave a guilty verdict,” a source told Arab News. “The judge sentenced the man to a year’s imprisonment, which will not be covered by general amnesty.” In a related development, Haia officials arrested a Bangladeshi national for practicing sorcery in Al-Eis, near Yanbu. The commission sent one of its undercover agents who pretended to be affected by black magic. While the man was practicing his sorcery on the agent, Haia officials caught him red-handed.
Government machinery geared for pilgrimage
JEDDAH: Former Information Minister Muhammad Abdu Yamani died here on Monday following a stroke. He was 72. He will be buried at Maalla graveyard in Makkah on Tuesday after Dhuhr prayers in the Grand Mosque. Yamani died at the Saudi-German Hospital. Born in Makkah in 1359H, Yamani obtained a doctorate degree in geology from Cornell University in the US. He had worked as lecturer at various Saudi universities before becoming the president of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. He served as minister of information from 1395 to 1403H. He was author of 35 books, which covered cultural and religious topics. Some of his works have been published in English. In 2008, he was elected chair-
Dallah Al-Baraka, one of the Kingdom’s leading companies. He was also chairman of 12 national and international companies and establishments, which specialized in culture, publishing, health, education and investment. He was a member of the boards of directors of at least 10 companies including banks. He won several honors including the King Abdul Aziz Sash as well as medals from the governments of Mauritania, Indonesia, Jordan, France, Spain, Qatar and the UAE. Yamani was admitted to hospital after the stroke on Sunday. According to close relatives, his condition had been improving until Monday morning, when he went into a coma.
RIYADH: The Council of Ministers on Monday reviewed preparations made by the various government departments for Haj, which starts Nov. 14 with the participation of more than 2.5 million Muslims including 1.75 million from abroad. Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif, who is also chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, chaired the Cabinet meeting. He welcomed the guests of God who have come from different corners of the world for Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam. “Saudi Arabia is honored to serve the Two Holy Mosques and those who come to the Kingdom to perform Haj and Umrah,” Prince Naif told the meeting. The Cabinet heard reports from different ministries and departments about the preparations made for the largest gathering of Muslims in the world. The Saudi government has implemented a number of new projects to help pilgrims perform their religious duties easily and comfortably. Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the success of international efforts to foil a number of terrorist attacks. It emphasized the need for greater global cooperation and exchange of information to fight terrorism. The Cabinet also decided to stop distribution of agricultural land for 10 years. The Ministry of Agriculture has been instructed to give a report on the outcome of the measures six months before ending this period and advise whether its extension was required. However, agricultural land can be rented for activities such as fodder factories (that depend on imported raw materials), apiaries and veterinary clinics and hospitals. The Cabinet endorsed the memorandum of understanding signed in Ireland for cooperation in technical and vocational training. It reshuffled the board of directors of the Saudi Credit Bank, which will be chaired by Deputy Finance Minister Hamad Al-Bazie. The Cabinet urged government departments to preserve state-owned lands under their custody and use them for the purpose they were granted. A government agency will have the right to obtain parts of these lands if they have convincing reasons. Government departments are allowed to invest part of their public land under certain conditions. They can sell part of the land to the private sector to carry out activities that are supplementary to the department’s mission. The Cabinet approved the Kingdom’s admission to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. The meeting took the decision on the basis of a proposal made by the foreign minister to protect the rights of GCC countries in case of radioactive leakage from nuclear plants.
Qantas extends grounding of A380s over engine leaks AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
SYDNEY: Qantas extended the grounding of its Airbus A380 superjumbos for at least three more days on Monday after finding oil leaks in some engines, heightening safety fears after two midair blowouts last week. However, Singapore Airlines said inspections of its 11 A380 superjumbos had found no problems with their Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, as it continues flying the planes. Rolls-Royce shares fell further on Monday in reaction to Qantas problems. In Sydney, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said rigorous testing had uncovered anomalies on the Rolls-Royce engines on three separate aircraft, pushing back the
kingdom
5 rest stations planned on Al-Hada Road P2
return to action of the long-haul planes by 72 hours. “The oil leaks were beyond normal tolerances,” Joyce told journalists. “All of these engines are new engines. “At this stage, Qantas does not expect to operate the A380 fleet for at least another 72 hours.” Qantas’ impeccable safety record — the Australian flag-carrier has never had a fatal jet crash in 90 years — has come under the spotlight after two engine explosions in as many days last week. On Thursday, a Qantas Airbus A380 was forced to return to Singapore for an emergency landing after one of its four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines exploded minutes into its flight, showering an Indonesian town with debris.
middlE East
Airbus engine Qantas has extended the grounding of its A380 fleet after finding “anomalies” in their Rolls-Royce engines Rolls-Royce Trent 900
Largest engine built by Rolls-Royce Developed for the A380 Certified in 2004 Length: 4.55 m Weight 6.71 kg
2.95 m diameter fan Thrust rating 70,000 and 72,000 lb
A day later, a Qantas Boeing 747 — which was carrying the A380’s captain — also had to turn back to Singapore after another model of Rolls-Royce engine failed in midair. Both flights, which were carry-
Kingdom’s house, land prices rise in H2: Report P5
Makers claim engine optimised for noise reduction and reduced emissions Source: Rolls-Royce
EConomY
Iraqi leaders fail to resolve crisis
Can be transported on a Boeing 747 freighter
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ing a total of 897 passengers and crew, arrived safely back in Singapore but some of those on board have spoken of their fear at hearing blasts as the engines failed. “I just looked at my wife and
held hands and I really thought I was going to die,” New Zealander Hamzah Munif said of his experience on the Boeing 747-400. But Swedish passenger Peter Geisler said he was not frightened by the malfunction, which he described as “no big deal” given the aircraft was able to operate on its three other engines. Qantas’s six double-decker A380s, the world’s biggest commercial jet, serve lucrative routes from Los Angeles and London to Australia’s major cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The grounding has forced the carrier — which has refused to speculate on the cost of the decision — to add extra services and use other aircraft to allow thousands of passengers to make their journeys.
Joyce said Qantas’ A380s would not take to the skies until the airline was “100 percent sure that we can assure the safety of our operations.” Qantas said last week an engine design flaw may be responsible, and Joyce said the oil leaks would help narrow investigations into Thursday’s blast, which also caused damage to the wing and one other engine. It was possible “this is a problem with the engine not meeting its design criteria”, he said. However he added he still expected the aircraft to fly again within days. On the London stock market, Rolls-Royce shares slumped over 3.21 percent in initial trades, making it the biggest loser on the benchmark FTSE 100 index.
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Italy thumps US to bag Fed Cup P13
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