Tuesday, 18 January 2011

EU probes Scania, Volvo and MAN for cartel suspicions

A truck of Swedish company Scania (L) and one of German truckmaker MAN. Europe's competition watchdog launched surprise inspections at trucking companies in Germany, Italy and Sweden on Tuesday over suspicions they may have formed an illegal cartel.
A truck of Swedish company Scania (L) and one of German truckmaker MAN. Europe's competition watchdog launched surprise inspections at trucking companies in Germany, Italy and Sweden on Tuesday over suspicions they may have formed an illegal cartel.

AFP - Europe's competition watchdog launched surprise inspections at trucking companies in Germany, Italy and Sweden on Tuesday over suspicions they may have formed an illegal cartel.

Among firms inspected were Sweden's Scania and Volvo, Germany's Daimler and MAN, and Iveco in Italy.

The commission said it had "reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or the abuse of a dominant market position".

The European Union's executive branch did not reveal the names of the companies, following standard practice.

But Swedish company Scania confirmed it was among the companies investigated by the European Commission for "inappropriate exchange of information" and vowed to cooperate fully with the probe.

Scania's head office in Soedertalje as well as the head offices of its sales firms in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were probed, said spokesman company Hans-Ake Danielsson.

"They have visited us today around lunch to get hold of our archives and so on as they do as usual," he said. "It was not a dawn raid but rather an afternoon tea raid," he laughed.

Volvo also confirmed it was involved. Spokesman Maarten Wikforss said "they are also examining our subsidiaries." The Swedish giant owns Volvo trucks as well as Renault Trucks, Mack and UD Trucks.

German heavy truck maker and engineering group MAN said its headquarters had been searched and that it was cooperating with investigators.

"MAN has pledged its full cooperation to the European Union?s antitrust authorities in the antitrust proceedings against several European truck manufacturers," a statement said.

MAN added that it "does not tolerate any breaches of compliance" and that it "does not currently expect customers to have suffered prejudice."

Officials at rival Daimler, the world's largest maker of heavy trucks, also confirmed it had been probed as did Iveco.

In September, British watchdog the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it had launched a probe into alleged price-fixing by major European truckmakers, including German giants Daimler and MAN, resulting in the arrest of one person.

British offices of Mercedes-Benz, owned by German vehicle giant Daimler, were also raided and MAN as well as Scania and Volvo said they had been asked to provide the OFT with information regarding the probe.

Unannounced EU inspections are a preliminary step and do not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour, the commission said in a statement.

Fines can be as high as 10 percent of turnover.

Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from national competition authorities in the inspections.

There is no legal deadline to complete the investigation and the duration depends on several factors, including the complexity of each case and the extent to which companies cooperate with investigators.

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Bond heads to Dubai in new novel

18 January 2011 - 21H05

Daniel Craig, shown here in 2008, is the sixth actor to play British super spy James Bond in the film series. Bond will head to the glitzy gulf emirate of Dubai, itself no stranger to real-life espionage and assassination, in a new book titled "Carte Blanche," local papers said.
Daniel Craig, shown here in 2008, is the sixth actor to play British super spy James Bond in the film series. Bond will head to the glitzy gulf emirate of Dubai, itself no stranger to real-life espionage and assassination, in a new book titled "Carte Blanche," local papers said.
British super spy James Bond, shown here in 2008 during the filming of "Quantum of Solace," willl head to the glitzy gulf emirate of Dubai, itself no stranger to real-life espionage and assassination, in a new book titled "Carte Blanche," local papers said.
British super spy James Bond, shown here in 2008 during the filming of "Quantum of Solace," willl head to the glitzy gulf emirate of Dubai, itself no stranger to real-life espionage and assassination, in a new book titled "Carte Blanche," local papers said.

AFP - British super spy James Bond will head to the glitzy Gulf emirate of Dubai, itself no stranger to real-life espionage and assassination, in a new book titled "Carte Blanche," its author said Tuesday.

"This place is... so culturally vibrant, so picturesque, so full of fascinating, multicultural individuals," Jeffery Deaver said during a talk in Dubai. "This is an exotic city that is worthy of James Bond."

While in Dubai about a year ago, "I became enamoured of the city. I walked around, I took notes, I took a lot of pictures, and I said, some day, I'm going to set something here," Deaver said.

After agreeing to write the next Bond novel, "I knew at that point, at last, I had found a story to set in Dubai," he said.

Deaver was reticent about plot details, but he did say that in "Carte Blanche," Bond is "a young agent for the British government. He was born, roughly, in the late 1970s, and the book takes place in the present day."

In the course of the book, Bond "flies here and gets involved in a lot of intrigue, very fast-paced action, races through the streets."

"He does meet some local folks who are extremely helpful to him, and by and large has some wonderful food, wonderful drink as I have done here, and then I have to say he does jet out," Deaver said.

He did not mention plans for a film version of the novel, but The National newspaper said Tuesday that the possibility of a movie adaptation "has already been raised."

Parts of the latest "Mission: Impossible" film, another spy thriller series, were filmed in Dubai.

Deaver said Sean Connery, one of the first actors to play 007 in the hit films inspired by the books, and Daniel Craig, the latest to do so, are his favourites, but that his image of Bond came from creator Ian Fleming's novels.

Deaver is the latest in a series of authors who have kept writing the Bond books since Fleming died in 1964. "Carte Blanche" is due out in May.

Dubai, best known for its man-made islands, indoor ski slope and hyper-modern skyscrapers, including the world's tallest building, has seen its share of real-life cloak and dagger intrigue.

In January last year, Mahmud al-Mabhuh, a founder of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, was found dead in his Al-Bustan Rotana hotel room. He was wanted in Israel for the alleged murder of two Israelis.

Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan accused Israeli spy agency Mossad of being behind the killing.

The emirate's police released footage of his alleged assassins filmed by hotel closed-circuit security cameras and said that 26 passports that in many cases appeared either to have been faked or obtained illegally had been used by the 26 people believed linked to the murder.

Less than a year before the Mabhuh killing, Chechen leader Sulim Yamadayev, a bitter foe of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, was gunned down in a car parking outside his flat at Dubai's Jumeirah Beach Residence complex.

Yamadayev left Russia and moved to Dubai in 2009, fearing for his life after a brother was assassinated in September 2008, according to Russian media.

Khalfan accused Chechen Vice Prime Minister Adam Delimkhanov of ordering Yamadayev's assassination.

7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes Pakistan: USGS

18 January 2011 - 22H04

A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.
A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

AFP - A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake struck at around 1:20 am local time (2023 Tuesday GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) with its epicentre around 50 kilometres west of the town of Dalbandin, close to the border with Afghanistan.

The epicentre was around 300 kilometres (200 miles) east of the Iranian city of Zahedan, USGS said.

Pakistani-administered Kashmir, in the country's northeast, was hit by a major earthquake in 2005.

The internationalization of Egypt’s Coptic question

Tue, 18/01/2011 - 10:27

Photographed by Ahmed Hayman

As the government points the finger at “foreign hands” behind the recent Alexandria church bombing, the world is looking at Egypt, which has long been accused--both domestically and abroad--of neglecting the rights of its most prominent minority.

Copts in Egypt have long been perceived as the victims of bureaucratic and social discrimination. While world leaders have spoken on the issue before, the New Year’s Eve church bombing has forced them to take the situation more seriously.

The world acted quickly to condemn the attack--which killed 23 Coptic Christians--with prominent leaders sending their condolences to President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian people.

The incident has brought the issue of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism back to the fore. Much of the world’s attention has been on the perceived plight of Christians in Egypt and the Middle East, prompting international calls to ensure both their rights and security.

“Since 9/11, the world has taken a closer look at the plight of minorities in tyrannical nations,” Yousef Sidhom, editor-in-chief of Coptic weekly Al-Watan, said. “After any tragic event, there is usually a heightened interest in the plight of Christians. It happened with last year’s Naga Hammadi incident, and it’s happening now.”

Following the attack, French President Nicolas Sarkozy asserted that Christians in the Middle East were being “targeted for religious cleansing.” In a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm from the French embassy in Egypt, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Michele Alliot-Marie said: “On Eastern Christians, it’s time to move beyond emotion and specific actions to develop a real strategy and global responses.”

EU foreign ministers also collectively called for the protection of Christians worldwide in a letter sent to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. The letter--penned by Italian FM Franco Frattini and cosigned by his French and Hungarian counterparts--called for “concrete steps” to be taken to counter the persecution of Christians around the world. The issue is expected to come up for discussion at a scheduled meeting of EU foreign ministers on 31 January.

A result perhaps of what is described as the “historical link” between France and the region’s Christians, Alliot-Marie believes France will play a leading role in the issue. “Europeans should jointly explore how to contribute concretely with the states concerned to the safety of Christians in the countries in which they live,” she said.

But many are skeptical of the ability--or desire--of the US or EU to adopt measures aimed at forcing the Egyptian government to respond to their criticisms.

“It is a foregone conclusion that the US and EU deal with Egypt purely on the basis of their strategic relationship,” Sidhom said. “We have learned to never expect foreign help in this regard. Change must happen internally.”

Washington, for its part, has been relatively quiet on the issue, with US President Barack Obama offering condolences, condemnation, and assistance--but not much else.

Rome’s Pope Benedict reportedly praised the European call to protect the Middle East’s Christians, noting "the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt--in spite of the difficulties and dangers--effective measures for the protection of religious minorities.” Immediately after Benedict’s statements, Egypt withdrew its ambassador to the Vatican and publicly condemned the pontiff’s statements, describing them as “unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.”

According to Fredrico Lombardi, director of the Holy See’s press office, there is a level of social discrimination in Egypt that manifests itself in several ways. These, he said, include “difficulties obtaining important positions in universities or in the civil service, which apply to all Christians and not just Coptic Christians.” Lombardi also pointed to the difficulties associated with church building in Egypt, noting the inadequacy of the current number of available churches for the country’s large Christian community.

While insisting the Vatican would not push the issue on a political level, Lombardi made it clear that international advocacy on the part of the Vatican would continue.

“Rather than talking about political pressure, the Holy See seeks to remind all people of good will of the fundamental principles necessary for the common good,” he told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “The Holy Father…has asked all governments to give due protection to all their citizens, and in particular to those who do not belong to the religion of the majority.”

Alliot-Marie and Lombardi both noted that the Egyptian constitution guaranteed equality between all citizens, asserting that the main culprits in the Coptic issue were terrorism and social discrimination. But they also affirmed the need to advocate for stepped-up protection for Egypt’s Copts, along with the need to ensure Christians’ ability to build places of worship.

The Coptic community, meanwhile, has vented a great deal of anger towards the government following the Alexandria bombing and the Omraniya Church riots in early November, in which the issue of church building was a central factor.

The Egyptian government has never taken kindly to perceived foreign interference, and has historically cracked down on local entities that have sought foreign assistance. Coptic authorities, however, insist they are not looking for foreign help in resolving their longstanding grievances.

“We never asked for foreign help,” said Sidhom. “The world is not reacting specifically to threats against Copts or Christians, but rather to threats against all persecuted minorities. They intervened before to protect Chechens, Kosovars and Kurds--this is just a continuation of the trend.”

Rights watchdogs have longed claimed that Christians are subject to a degree of religious intolerance in Egypt, and have long advocated for their cause. Groups such as the UK Copts Association and the Coptic Assembly of America, meanwhile, have also pushed the issue globally.

Previous attacks--albeit smaller ones--such as the Naga Hammadi shooting, have historically incurred global responses that are seldom translated into concrete action by the international community. The Alexandria bombing has elicited the strongest reaction from the western world--at least the EU--to date.

Only time will tell if these reactions will have tangible effects--or if they will simply represent just another opportunity to criticize a regime that the West continues to support both financially and diplomatically.

Official poll: Egyptians dream of justice, stability, clean water in 2011

Tue, 18/01/2011 - 10:46
Photographed by Mohamed Abdel Ghany

Justice, political stability, lower prices, clean drinking water and comfortable means of transportation come at the top of the list of what Egyptians dream of in 2011, according to a poll conducted by the National Center for Social and Criminal Research.

The poll surveyed a sample of 2956 persons.

Questions focused on the dreams of Egyptians, how to achieve those dreams, the obstacles lying in the way, and whether or not Egyptians share a national dream.

The poll found that 77.6 percent of Egyptians do not dream of holding a senior position, and 21 percent attribute this lack of ambition to a lack of hope for change in Egypt. They said the political regime has not changed, the economy has declined, poverty has increased and so have prices.

Slightly more than three percent of the sample said they would like to become members of parliament to serve the people, and approximately 45 percent said they would like to work in the parliament to serve the country and achieve social status.

Regarding the services they hope for, 42.4 percent said they want clean drinking water, 42.2 said they want better sewage systems, and 38.9 percent said they want comfortable means of transportation.

The poll also inquired about respondents’ dreams for their country. Slightly more than 40 percent said they want a better economy, 36.8 percent said they want the problem of unemployment solved, 35.3 percent said they want lower prices, and 30 percent said they hope for political stability. Elimination of sectarian tensions featured last, with only 0.9 percent choosing it as a priority.

The US topped the list of countries Egyptians wish their country to be like--20.7 percent of respondents-- followed closely by China with 20.5 percent. The reasons given included high living standards, respect for citizens, and attention to education.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

Tunisian actress claims her name was used to endorse ousted president

Tue, 18/01/2011 - 11:59
Photographed by other

Tunisian actress Hend Sabry said her name was fraudulently used on a petition drawn up by members of Tunisia’s elite in which they asked overthrown Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to run for a fifth presidential term in 2014.

In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, the 31-year-old Tunisian actress, who resides in Cairo, said, "We have lived for a long time in tremendous fear and were forced to remain silent about everything."

Sabry, who is currently one of the most celebrated female stars in Egyptian cinema, added, "Tunisian people know very well what it is like to be afraid, and it is time to bid farewell to this fear."

"I was surprised to find my name on the petition endorsing the toppled president for a new presidential term without first being asked," said the actress, who is also a graduate of law school. "When I objected, the response was very impolite."

Several Tunisian artists, politicians and writers last year joined in the campaign which urged the ousted president to run again for presidency after his current term, due to end in 2014--despite popular opposition to his regime.

Sabry described Ben Ali’s regime as “one of the worst repressive regimes in the world.”

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

Second Egyptian sets himself on fire after Tunisia


Tue, 18/01/2011 - 12:39

Photographed by AFP

A second Egyptian set himself on fire near parliament on Tuesday, security sources said, the latest case echoing an act of self-immolation in Tunisia that spurred on protests and helped bring down the president.

One security source said the man was a lawyer but did not give details of the act, which follows Monday's self-immolation also near parliament.

The man on Monday was protesting against poor living conditions. A hospital source said the hospital had been informed of the imminent arrival of a victim of burns, but did not have details.

Similar cases were reported in Algeria and Mauritania. Like Tunisians, whose public protests led to the ousting of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Arabs in many states are frustrated by soaring prices, poverty, high unemployment and authoritarian systems of rule that give them no voice.