Egypt to France: Alexandria church blast targeted national unity not Copts only

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AFP

Sat, 22/01/2011 - 16:27

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Saturday that a deadly church attack in Alexandria on New Year's Eve targetted the whole country and not just its Coptic Christians.

The bombing outside the church that killed 24 people emerging from mass was "directed at Egypt and Egyptian unity and to weaken the national fabric," Abul Gheit said after talks with visiting French counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie.

"The Egyptian people, Christians and Muslims, had the feeling that national unity was the aim.

“The Egyptian constitution is extremely clear on freedom of belief, on the right to practice one's faith and on the duty of the state to protect its citizens," he said in an apparent response to Western statements highlighting the need for protection of the country's Christians.

Alliot-Marie said the perpetrators had targeted the "Egyptian state, with its characteristics of democracy and tolerance."

She said the Egyptian population had reacted "exactly like in France when there is an act against a mosque or a synagogue: there is unity."

“All our democracies, because they are tolerant and stress freedom of thought and the right of worship in their texts and in their government's statements, are challenged by the terrorists," she said.

Egypt has firmly rejected several Western calls for the protection of the country's Christian minority as "interference" in its domestic affairs.

Cairo recalled its envoy to the Vatican over remarks by Pope Benedict XVI on Coptic Christians.

Benedict said the attack was "yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt... effective measures for the protection of religious minorities".

Egypt's Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the 80-million population, complain of systematic discrimination and have been the targets of several attacks

South Korean raid frees hostage crew from pirates

Updated: 2011-01-22 11:57

(Agencies)

South Korean naval special forces approach the Samho Jewelry vessel using a boat before carrying out an operation to rescue its crew members, in the Arabian Sea Jan 21, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - At dawn Friday, South Korean commandos steered their boat to a hijacked freighter in the Arabian Sea. Under covering fire from a destroyer and a Lynx helicopter, they scrambled up a ladder onto the ship, where Somali pirates were armed with assault rifles and anti-tank missiles.

Five hours after the risky rescue began, it was over.

All 21 hostages were freed from the gunfire-scarred freighter. Eight pirates were killed and five were captured in what President Lee Myung-bak called a "perfect operation."

It was a remarkable ending to the daring and rare raid, handing South Korea a stunning success in the battle against pirates who have long tormented shipping in the waters off the Horn of Africa.

The lone casualty among the crew was the captain, identified as Seok Bae-gyun, 58, who was shot in the stomach by a pirate, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported. He was taken by a US helicopter to a nearby country for treatment, but the wound was not life-threatening, Lt. Gen. Lee Sung-ho of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters in Seoul.

"My heart stopped when the news of all the members being rescued was broadcast," the captain's son, Seok Hyun-wook, told the newspaper. "If I knew that they were planning a rescue, I would have been nervous all along."

The successful raid also was a triumph for South Korea's president and military. Both came under harsh criticism at home for being too slow and weak in the response to a North Korean attack in November on a South Korean island near disputed waters that killed two marines and two civilians.

Friday's operation came a week after the Somali attackers seized the Samho Jewelry, a 11,500-ton chemical carrier sailing from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka.

"We will not tolerate any behavior that threatens the lives and safety of our people in the future," President Lee said in a brief televised statement.

The wife of one of the South Korean crew wept in gratitude as the hijacking ended. The unidentified woman told the Yonhap news agency that "family members couldn't sleep or eat well and prayed for a safe return. I am very relieved."

Choi Young-soo, the father of 25-year-old crewman Choi Jin-kyung, told the JoongAng Ilbo that his relatives "were in tears when we saw the news."

"When I heard the news of the hijack, I thought the sky was falling," the elder Choi was quoted as saying.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak speaks at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Jan 21, 2011 after South Korean naval special forces rescued crew members of the Samho Jewelry vessel in the Arabian Sea. [Photo/Agencies]

Of the 21 crew members, eight were from South Korea, two were from Indonesia and 11 were from Myanmar. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Samho Jewelry was being accompanied by the destroyer to a safe area; it did not elaborate.

Other countries' special forces have launched several raids to rescue hijacked ships in recent months, but hours, not days, after capture, and then only after they were assured the crew was locked in a safe room, commonly referred to as a "citadel."

The raid on the Samho Jewelry was rare because it came a week after the ship was seized. It was not clear if the crew was in a citadel during the rescue, but the wounded captain clearly was not.

Security forces are usually reluctant to launch such raids because of the risk to the hostages.

Malaysia holds 7 Somali pirates after saving ship

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-22 17:25

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's navy was holding seven Somali pirates Saturday after thwarting an attempt to hijack a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said.

The Royal Malaysian Navy said its commandos injured three pirates in a gunbattle and rescued the 23 crew members of the Malaysian-flagged MT Bunga Laurel early Friday, less than two hours after the assailants stormed the vessel with pistols and assault rifles.

The navy sent a ship and a helicopter, which were then 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the Bunga Laurel, after crew members locked themselves in a safe room and activated a distress call, it said in a statement late Friday.

Elite security forces managed to board the ship and overpower the pirates after an exchange of gunfire, the statement said. No one among the rescue team or Bunga Laurel's crew was injured.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he was informed that seven pirates were captured. Authorities were considering whether they should be brought to Malaysia to face trial for the hijack attempt, Najib told a news conference.

"I am proud of our (navy), which acted with full efficiency and demonstrated courage," Najib said.

The naval ship was in the Gulf of Aden to escort vessels with Malaysian interests. The attack occurred only two hours after the ship had left the Bunga Laurel after accompanying it to what was considered relatively safe waters in the Gulf of Aden, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) east off the coast of Oman, the navy statement said.

The navy did not provide details of the crew members' nationalities. Representatives of the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation, which was operating the Bunga Laurel, could not immediately be reached.

Other countries' special forces have also launched raids to save ships boarded by Somali pirates within hours of the attacks in recent months, after being assured the crew was locked in safe rooms, commonly referred to as "citadels."

In another successful but riskier rescue Friday, South Korean special forces stormed a freighter in the Arabian Sea that had been hijacked a week earlier. They freed 21 crew members and killed eight Somali pirates.

Fossil mom helps shed light on ancient life

By Yan Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-22 09:43

The fossil of a female pterosaur known as Mrs T. [Provided to China Daily]

BEIJING - She was gliding over a lake on her way to a patch of soft soil where she wanted to lay her egg when a sudden gust of suffocating toxic volcanic gas hit her, breaking her wing and plunging her into the water more than 160 million years ago.

Mud on the lake bottom quickly buried the flying reptile's body and, over time, it turned to rock.

Now, researchers are celebrating the fact that the fossilized remains of the pterosaur they nicknamed Mrs T and her un-laid egg are shedding new light on ancient mysteries.

They say the discovery of the fossil, which was unearthed in 2009 in Northeast China's Liaoning province, has helped solve mysteries surrounding the creatures - including how to tell the difference between males and females.

"The discovery of Mrs T has thoroughly resolved that longstanding question," said Lu Junchang, who led a team of paleontologists from China and Britain that worked on the find.

Lu, who is also a researcher with the Beijing-based Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, made the announcement on Friday at the same time as an article on the breakthrough appeared in Science magazine.

The research team reported that the reptile, specified as a Darwinopterus, a mid-Jurassic pterosaur, was a sexually mature female and a rare example among fossilized pterosaurs because it was found along with an egg.

Lu and his team said Mrs T and several other examples demonstrated that male pterosaurs had a relatively small pelvis and a large bone crest on top of the head, while females had a larger pelvis and no crest.

Paleontologists had long wondered whether the crest belonged to males or females and whether its primary purpose was for fighting or attracting a mate.

The egg found beside the hip of Mrs T measured about 3 centimeters in length and was thought to match the size of her body, added Lu. The wings of the pterosaur spanned more than 70 cm.

Lu said it was clear that Mrs T was female and that the egg was her egg and not one snatched from another nest for food because the reptile would not have been strong enough to have carried such a large egg because her legs were too thin.

The team reported that the shell of the egg was like parchment, a characteristic shared by all existing reptiles, including crocodiles and lizards.

The fossil is now in the possession of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

Chinese money looks to invest in US

By Wang Chao and Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-22 10:15

Nick Damjanovich, construction superintendent of SANY America, stands at a construction site in the Peachtree City Industrial Park, Georgia, US. [Photo by Tan Yingzi/China Daily]

BEIJING/WASHINGTON - Chinese companies are making their way into the United States, and their influence can be felt in all facets of life.

When you walk into a new convenience store, it may be run by a Chinese couple speaking broken English; when you enter a furniture store, the manager greeting you might be Chinese and he may own five other stores nearby; even when the gas company comes to change your meter, you may notice that the new meter has Chinese characters on it.

On Nov 1, 2010, the Ministry of Commerce issued a report showing China's outbound direct investment in 2009 reached $56.5 billion, the fifth largest in the world. From 2002 to 2009, China's outbound direct investment grew by 54 percent annually.

While some of the investment came from State-owned companies, the majority came from the private sector.

Chinese investments come into the US in several ways: mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures with domestic companies, buying small businesses and building new factories.

"Opportunities for investment (into the US) will last for a long time, perhaps 30 to 50 years," said Lin Shunjie, deputy secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce.

Lin said what private enterprises do is surprisingly diversified. While State-owned companies might not want to invest in areas with limited returns, private companies seem willing to invest in projects that bring them consistent returns.

SANY Group Co Ltd, the largest construction equipment manufacturer in China and one of the top 10 in the world, is not too dissimilar from many other ambitious Chinese companies.

"After the company went public in 2003 on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, we entered a new phase of development that required us to explore more resources worldwide," Tang Jianguo, president of SANY America, told China Daily.

"The US is home to the leading heavy equipment manufacturers and it has the best technology, talent and market, and I believe the company can benefit from investments in the US."

Based on an agreement with the Georgia state government in 2006, the company established a factory on 92 hectares and will invest more than $100 million over the next few years. Company managers said they expect to create about 600 jobs in the state.

The China Chamber of International Commerce said 70 to 80 percent of its 300 members have overseas investments, with 20 to 30 percent of them investing in the US.

One main reason for the investments is that with the onset of the global financial crisis, Chinese companies, especially exporters, are finding it harder to export to the US. As the yuan appreciates, the dollars they accumulated from exports are losing their value, pushing companies to find an outlet for their money. The US is an optimal destination.

"The US is desperately in need of investments, which are what Chinese enterprises possess," said Chen Yongjun, deputy director of the business school at Renmin University of China in Beijing. "It is the best time for Chinese companies to invest in the US. Previously, US companies were worried that their technology would be stolen when they brought their technology into China. But if we invest in the US, we become stakeholders and will protect our intellectual property rights, creating less concerns for US partners."

Lin said it is also a good opportunity to rebuild Chinese brands. "For decades, Chinese products have been synonymous with being cheap and of low quality, just like Japanese products were in the 1970s. It was the only message conveyed to American consumers. If we let it be, it will also take us 30 years, like the Japanese, to eliminate that and rebuild brands. Through manufacturing in the US, we might rebuild our brands in 20 years."

To many private enterprises, investing in the US is a wise move since they will become part of a local company and can label their products "made in the USA". And since labor is much more expensive in the US than in China, most investments go to technology-intensive industries, rather than consumer products.

"We don't advise all types of Chinese companies to invest in the US since many of them may not survive. Companies should alter their production models and add value to their products first before they consider investing overseas," Lin said.

China Daily

Japan's rocket carrying cargo for space station blasts off

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-22 17:03

TOKYO - A Japanese rocket carrying an unmanned cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) blasted off Saturday, said reports from Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAEA) has announced that the launch was a success and the cargo unit separated from the rocket as scheduled.

The H-2B rocket, originally scheduled to lift off on Thursday, was launched at 2:37 pm (0537 GMT) at Tanegashima Space Center after a two-day delay due to adverse weather conditions.

According to the JAEA, the rocket carries the HTV2 transporter, which is expected to connect with the ISS on Friday.

Also included in the cargo are equipment for use in Japan's Kibo laboratory module, food and drinking water for astronauts.

Malaysia holds 7 Somali pirates after saving ship

Updated: 2011-01-22 17:25

(Agencies)

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's navy was holding seven Somali pirates Saturday after thwarting an attempt to hijack a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said.

The Royal Malaysian Navy said its commandos injured three pirates in a gunbattle and rescued the 23 crew members of the Malaysian-flagged MT Bunga Laurel early Friday, less than two hours after the assailants stormed the vessel with pistols and assault rifles.

The navy sent a ship and a helicopter, which were then 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the Bunga Laurel, after crew members locked themselves in a safe room and activated a distress call, it said in a statement late Friday.

Elite security forces managed to board the ship and overpower the pirates after an exchange of gunfire, the statement said. No one among the rescue team or Bunga Laurel's crew was injured.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he was informed that seven pirates were captured. Authorities were considering whether they should be brought to Malaysia to face trial for the hijack attempt, Najib told a news conference.

"I am proud of our (navy), which acted with full efficiency and demonstrated courage," Najib said.

The naval ship was in the Gulf of Aden to escort vessels with Malaysian interests. The attack occurred only two hours after the ship had left the Bunga Laurel after accompanying it to what was considered relatively safe waters in the Gulf of Aden, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) east off the coast of Oman, the navy statement said.

The navy did not provide details of the crew members' nationalities. Representatives of the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation, which was operating the Bunga Laurel, could not immediately be reached.

Other countries' special forces have also launched raids to save ships boarded by Somali pirates within hours of the attacks in recent months, after being assured the crew was locked in safe rooms, commonly referred to as "citadels."

In another successful but riskier rescue Friday, South Korean special forces stormed a freighter in the Arabian Sea that had been hijacked a week earlier. They freed 21 crew members and killed eight Somali pirates.