health: Lincoln Tribune

الأحد، 8 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Romney Focus of Challengers at Republican Debate
Former Pakistani President Musharraf to face arrest upon return to country
Hong Kong Airlines orders 10 Airbus A380s in $3.8bn deal
UK government warns of ‘imminent’ terrorist attacks in Nairobi
UK government warns of ‘imminent’ terrorist attacks in Nairobi

Romney Focus of Challengers at Republican Debate

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 10:12 PM PST

U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney endured criticism from fellow contenders for the Republican Party's nomination during Saturday's televised debate in New Hampshire, just days before that northeastern state's primary election.

Romney, the leading candidate for the nomination, was attacked by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, who are running as more conservative alternatives to Romney. But the former Massachusetts governor ignored his opponents and focused his criticism on the Democratic incumbent, President Barack Obama.

Romney said Mr. Obama's economic policies "have made the recession deeper" and the recovery "more tepid."

The 3 other remaining Republican candidates -- U.S. Representative Ron Paul, Texas Governor Rick Perry and former U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman -- spent much of the debate criticizing each other's credentials as much as they attacked Romney.

The six Republican contenders will participate in another nationally televised debate Sunday on NBC-TV's Meet the Press public affairs program.

Romney narrowly defeated Santorum in last week's Iowa caucus, and holds a huge lead in voter opinion polls in New Hampshire. But he faces a more difficult challenge in the more conservative southern state of South Carolina, which holds its primary on January 21.

Some information for this report proviced by AP, AFP and Reuters.

Former Pakistani President Musharraf to face arrest upon return to country

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 05:20 PM PST

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be arrested on a previously issued arrest warrant if he returns to the country later this month, officials told reporters on Saturday.

Government prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told a number of news outlets, including Voice of America (VOA) reporters in the region, that the country is prepared to honor an arrest warrant for the former leader on charges that he was involved in the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who was killed near Islamabad in 2007.

Musharraf had blamed the attack on the Pakistani Taliban, but following his resignation as president of the country, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutors found that he had known about the threat and failed to inform authorities to protect the opposition figure. The arrest warrant was issued in February 2011.

Ali announced that plans are in place to take Musharraf into custody as soon as his plane lands in Pakistan, local media reported. The arrest warrant includes an order to seize all of his property.

Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and quit in August 2008 after a new government led by the party of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto threatened to impeach him. He was replaced by Zardari, Bhutto's widower.

After his resignation in 2008, Musharraf fled the country and finally ended up in London. In October 2010, the former leader formed his own section of the All Pakistan Muslim League and announced plans to return to the country as early as later this month.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in the city of Rawalpindi in December 2007 when gunshots were fired, followed by a large explosion caused by a suicide bomber. The attack left at least 24 people killed, including Bhutto who was campaigning for the general election.

Hong Kong Airlines orders 10 Airbus A380s in $3.8bn deal

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 04:42 PM PST

HONG KONG (BNO NEWS) -- Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) has placed an order for 10 Airbus A380 aircraft in a deal valued at approximately $3.8 billion at list prices, an official at the airline told Bloomberg Television on Friday.

Kenneth Thong, head of corporate governance and international affairs at Hong Kong Airlines, said the carrier expects Airbus to deliver the first A380 in 2015. "We think the business connection between Asia and Europe is going to be very exciting for the next couple of years, after the current (economic) crisis is over," he told Bloomberg. "We are planning for the aftermath."

Airbus refused to comment on the reports and said it will reveal new orders at a joint press conference with its parent company EADS on January 17. A deal for 10 Airbus A380 aircraft would be worth some $3.8 billion at list prices, but aircraft manufacturers usually provide significant discounts.

The Chinese airline had been expected to announce a new order with Airbus last year, but China's opposition to a new European Union (EU) carbon emissions trading scheme had threatened the expected deal. Airlines flying in and out of the EU now have to offset some of the carbon that their planes emit by buying 'allowances' from greener industries.

The contract with Hong Kong Airlines will raise the order backlog at Airbus to 188.

UK government warns of ‘imminent’ terrorist attacks in Nairobi

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 01:42 PM PST

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- The British government on Saturday warned that terrorists are believed to be planning imminent terrorist attacks in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and warned its citizens to exercise caution.

Nairobi police chief Anthony Kibuchi on Friday told a local newspaper that there have been new threats of an attack in the capital by al-Qaeda, which is affiliated with Somalia's al-Shabaab militant group. Kenya raised security in October when it sent troops into neighboring Somalia to fight al-Shabaab rebels.

"The Kenyan authorities have alerted the public to a heightened threat from terrorist attacks in Nairobi," a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office said on Saturday. "We believe that terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks. Attacks could be indiscriminate and target Kenyan institutions as well as places where expatriates and foreign travelers gather, such as hotels, shopping centers and beaches."

As a result of the warning, the UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Kenya and 'strongly' advised British nationals in the African country to exercise extra vigilance and caution in public places and at public events. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make further updates as necessary," the spokesperson said.

The militant group al-Shabaab regularly carries out attacks and previously declared jihad on Kenya over allegations that it is training Somali troops. The al-Qaeda-inspired militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006.

Somalia has been without an effective government since Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown two decades ago.