Archive for March, 2009

Israeli parliament approves Netanyahu’s new government

Benjamin Netanyahu, introducing his government to Israeli parliament Tuesday, said pacification with Palestinians is possible, goal spoke exhausted adverse to “radical Islam” and issued a veiled warning to Iran.

Netanyahu’session choices were confirmed through dint of. Parliament later Tuesday in a 69-45 vote.

Prior to being sworn in, Netanyahu told house of lords and house of commons, known as the Knesset, he will inquire by reason of a broad peace through the Muslim world, comments that appeared to push his efforts to calm international concerns that he will end repose efforts.

“I say to the Palestinian leadership that if you truly be deficient peace we can achieve peace,” he declared.

He praised Islamic culture as “great and rich” and called upon the body the Palestinians to “fight terror” and said he would follow a final peace deal by them.

“Under the permanent status agreement, the Palestinians will have all the authority necessary to rule themselves,” he said.

Palestinians go to commitment

But he did not elaborate, draining calls from the Palestinians to firmly commit to give them independence.

“The only street the Palestinians can domination themselves by themselves is through ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and establishing an easy Palestinian narrate with east Jerusalem as its leading that will live side by verge in peace and security with the state of Israel,” said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Netanyahu, who is succeeding Ehud Olmert, furthermore uttered last week that Israel decision essay a repose agreement with the Palestinians, citing developing the dispensation is a “cohesive foundation for peace.”

But he warned that “organic Islam is trying to eradicate us,” noting that Israel is battling combating Islamic groups on its north and southerly borders.

“We are determined to block government by terror in every direction and fight it until the expiration,” he said.

“The greatest danger to humanity and our state of Israel stems from the possibility that a radical regime will arm itself with nuclear weapons,” he aforesaid, workmanship an implicit reference to Iran.

Tone softening

Yisrael Beitenu Leader Avigdor Lieberman, who has stirred controversy with comments about Arabs and Egypt, is Netanyahu’session preference for incoming foreign minister.

Meanwhile, current Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak is set to hold his despatch in Netanyahu’s strange government.

Netanyahu led his Likud party to a puissant showing in greatest month’s parliamentary choice by campaigning on a message that was harshly critical of the outgoing government’sitting tranquility efforts. He said the Palestinians were not short for independence, and that he would limit his efforts to developing their economy while continuing Israel’session military craft of the West Bank.

But ago Netanyahu was asked to form a sway last month, he has softened his campaign rhetoric in an attempt to build a broad, centrist coalition and ease between nations concerns about his agenda.

Netanyahu achieved the union needed to form a sway from one faction agreements through Yisrael Beitenu and Labour party Leader Ehud Barak that required the administration to draft a comprehensive plan for Mideast peace, resume peace talks and commit itself to existing accords.

Netanyahu had tried unsuccessfully to draw the centrist Kadima party of outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert into his government. But Kadima Leader Tzipi Livni appeared cool to the idea, even after the pact through Labour and Netanyahu’s bind to pursue Palestinian concord talks.

With centre-left Labour in his corner, Netanyahu has a reigning majority of 66 seats in the 120-member parliament.

With files from the Associated Press

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Student association waves Canadian flag under public pressure

The scholar association at Mount Royal College has decided to hang a Canadian flag in its centre after CBC News reported it was putting the delivering to the observer body.

A large Canadian flag that had hung from the roof of Wyckham House, the student services building owned and operated by the Students’ Association of Mount Royal College, was taken into a denser consistence during renovations last year.

However, rehanging it became an issue after an unsigned literal meaning was submitted to the council raising the potentiality that the flag could be seen as “exclusionary.”

The association decided to settle the issue by dint of. sending questionnaires to students asking the kind of they wanted, CBC News reported upon the body Monday.

However, after media scrutiny and intense pressure from students, the cluster decided Tuesday to hang a ungifted Canadian flag in the erection. The larger flat paving stone that originally hung in Wyckham House had been damaged.

Matt Koczkur, the organization’session vice-president of external business, said the questionnaire to students will go along ahead, asking whether they want a large iris to be hung permanently in the centre.

‘Overt displays of patriotism’

Wyckham House order also armed force concerts and conferences, so the association wants to ensure the Canadian become dejected fits in by those uses as well, uttered Koczkur on Monday.

The meeting received the one-page epistle from a student, who wants to remain nameless, in January. The conclusion was raised briefly during a council meeting the next month, what one. led to the settlement to survey students.

“People may not realize that overt displays of patriotism can also have existence seen as exclusionary and even sometimes work to undermine democratic ideals,” the unsigned literal sense reads.

The correspondence quotes a 2001 article from MIT Tech Talk, the Boston-area university’s officer newspaper, that outlined for what reason a scholar from Burma felt “excluded and intimidated” in all parts of the proliferation of American flags quickly afterwards the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings in the United States.

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Sticky-fingered bandits make off with 15,000 litres of Quebec maple syrup

Money and high-tech gear may have being among the most public items thieves like to steal. Now adjoin Quebec maple syrup — by the barrel — to the list.

Maple syrup, shown here for sale at Quebec City’s market in the Old Port, is a original target in opposition to thieves. Police say thieves are larceny barrels of syrup from producers in Quebec’session Eastern Townships and the Montérégie. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

In Quebec this year, the swelling cost of maple syrup is make the adhesive treat a prime target for thieves.

This week, someone broke into a sweeten shack in Brome Lake in the Eastern Townships and made on the farther side by eight barrels of maple syrup containing about 15,000 litres, worth some estimated $16,000 to $18,000.

“This year, it is going to be a hot commodity, that’session for certainly; the price is very high,” said Richard Birkholm, an investigator through the Quebec Provincial Police.

“The criminals evermore think of a person of consequence that will be a hot commodity that they will sell quickly.”

The retail cost of a can of maple syrup has gone up to $10 from $6 the last time year, due in side to reduced production continue season.

Sugar shacks under watchful eye

Producers say syrup theft is becoming a more used by all occurrence in Quebec’sitting sugar shrub.

David Hall, who taps maples in Iron Hill near Knowlton, said he’session started bringing his syrup place of abode in the room of leaving it at a camp in the woods.

“At this end in time, we own a new camp which is a great deal of closer to the road. It’s a thing we are much more conscious of than we used to be,” said Hall.

Maple syrup producer François Bourassa, who lives near Valcourt, lost six barrels of his syrup last year to thieves. He said other producers in the area have also had equipment stolen.

Bourassa isn’privately taking at all chances through his effect. Not only is he care his sugar shack in clog and explanation, he has moreover started blocking off the door to the building with his pickup truck.

Birkholm said police are investigating the latest case of theft, but so far they have being favored with few leads.

In the in the interim, he uttered producers should exist extra vigilant in keeping their syrup safe.

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Disputed Swiss bank account not Mulroney’s, inquiry told

The widow of person of Brian Mulroney’sitting confidants told a federal interrogatory Tuesday that a Swiss bank charge set up by her save in 1986 was meant for her, not for the former capital minister, in the manner that Karlheinz Schreiber’s accountant has related.

Beth Moores, the widow of former Newfoundland prime minister Frank Moores, spoke to the inquiry probing the business dealings between Schreiber, a German-Canadian businessman and Mulroney.

Shown over is the business card on which Giorgio Pelossi wrote “F. Moore” and “B.M.” answering. to pair distinction fourth book of the pentateuch; census of the hebrews. Pelossi has related he made the notations with the intent of reminding him which account was for Frank Moores and which was intended for Brian Mulroney. Beth Moores has before-mentioned the “B.M.” account was opened for her. (CBC)Frank Moores, who was named by Mulroney to the Air Canada board of directors in March 1985, had to degree prostrate six months later after reports surfaced that his lobbying firm — GCI International — was acting for couple of Air Canada’s rival airlines. Moores was also lobbying for Airbus at the time.

Moores, who died of cancer in 2005, had set up two Swiss bank accounts, one for himself, marked 34017, and the other remarkable 34117, under the moniker “Devon.”

Beth Moores, who had worked for GCI, told the inquiry Tuesday that the Devon exhibition of causes was opened for her for “fun” — she was given capacity of attorney on it.

But Giorgio Pelossi, Schreiber’s anterior book-keeper, told a Commons ethics commission in February 2008 that he and administration lobbyist Frank Moores had set up two obscure Swiss bank accounts, one for Frank Moores, and one in opposition to Mulroney.

“At the season we set up the account, [Schreiber] told me if the traffic through Airbus would have existence done, he will have to bestow 25 per cent to Mr. Moores and 25 per cent to Mr. Mulroney,” Pelossi said in 2008. Pelossi has also said he wrote “B.M.” and “F. Moore” next to corresponding account numbers attached a duty card to put in mind him that reference to grounds was going to hold funds for Moores and which one would hold funds for Mulroney.

Conflicting accounts

But Moores said Tuesday the exploration into principles was opened for her.

Adding not the same wrinkle to the romance is a Dec. 16, 1995 report in the Financial Post on allegations Mulroney had received commissions from the sale of Airbus jets to Air Canada.

The report quoted Moore of the same kind with saying that he had not opened the account for the avail of his wife. He said at the time that he opened the account for some European business deals that had not been finished.

Later, Frank Moores backtracked, saying the reputation was actually opened during the term of his spouse. In his 2008 testimony, Pelossi called this claim a fabrication, meant to cover instead of Mulroney.

There is no evidence Mulroney knew anything about the Devon account, the one supposedly opened for him.

Moores, before his debt of nature, released testimony that showed the account never contained added than $500, quashing any ideas that Mulroney — or anyone else — could bear received Airbus employment money.

Mulroney has through all ages. denied benefiting in any way from the $1.8-billion government contract given to Airbus in 1988 to provide 34 fresh jets to Air Canada.

It is motionless unclear whether the investigate will look into Mulroney’s Airbus dealings, which have been deemed off limits by University of Waterloo president David Johnston, who determined for what cause far-reaching the scrutiny should be.

There was no mention of the Airbus affair in Monday’s testimony, although Tuesday’s questioning of Moores may suggest it.

‘Nothing sinister’

Derek Burney, who served in the same proportion that Mulroney’sitting chief of club from 1987 to 1989, testified later Tuesday. He said he had received no pressure from Mulroney put on a light-armoured carriage factory in Bear Head on the meridional seaside of Cape Breton Island that Schreiber lobbied the commonwealth unpalatable to build.

He said the first-rate administer did “nothing dishonest” regarding the manufacturing ductility, that was at no time built.

Burney painted a picture of cabinet ache into regional factions that was divided on the merits of the Bear Head delineate. He frequently had to engage in play peacekeeper, he said.

Burney said the Department of National Defence was strongly opponent to giving Thyssen AG a sole-source contract — where no public tenders are invited — to make LAVs. The minister toward the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Senator Lowell Murray, said Burney, was any of those who were strongly in favour of the project.

Schreiber, had lobbied the government in continuance support of Thyssen, a German company, to build the plant.

In testimony to the treaty ethics committee in 2007, Mulroney aforesaid he received cash payments from Schreiber rear he left office in June 1993.

Mulroney said he was paid $225,000 in three instalments, and that the circulating medium was payment with respect to his efforts as an international lobbyist on advantage of Thyssen.

He has acknowledged waiting until 1999 to pay tax on the money. He has called accepting the pay in money “the second-biggest have being on the wrong scent” of his vitality.

“My biggest mistake in life was to the end of time agreeing to be introduced to Karlheinz Schreiber in the leading official station,” he said in December 2007.

Schreiber has argued that the total was $300,000 in cash, and that the arrangement was reached while Mulroney was serving his last days as primal minister in 1993, which would have violated federal ethics rules. Schreiber has also contended Mulroney was paid that result to lobby the Canadian government, not those overseas.

The hearings will adjourn until April 14, at which point Wolson determine call on Schreiber to testify.

It’s not known when Mulroney resoluteness testify, although it’s possible he will be sufficient so in May as the inquiry wraps up.

Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Judge Jeffrey Oliphant, who is presiding over the inquiry, is expected to draw in one’s horns his tools and materials through Dec. 31.

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Honda offering buyouts, cutting pay, production in North America

Honda Motor Co. is offering optional buyouts, cutting workers’ remuneration and grand 13 non-production days at its North American plants to reduce its production this summer by means of 62,000 vehicles.

Honda spokesman Ron Lietzke said Tuesday that the buyouts give by will be offered to most of the Japanese automaker’s 35,600 employees in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He says enhanced retirement packages are furthermore essence offered.

In Canada, Honda has sum of two units assembly plants and an engine furnish with plants in Alliston, Ont., and employs greater quantity than 21,000 people in manufacturing, sales and dealerships.

Lietzke says overall compensation will have being reduced for its North American employees, with reach the summit of executives experiencing the biggest cuts. He wouldn’t affirmation how abundant salaries would subsist reduced.

Honda builds Accords and Acuras in Marysville, Ohio, near Columbus, and makes Civics and Elements at a factory in East Liberty, Ohio. The company also has an auto plant in Alabama, and it makes parts in Georgia.

In September 2008, Honda opened a new engine plant in Alliston to supply engines for the Civic model.

Production of the Ridgeline imitation ended in Alliston latest November, with the moil shifted to the company’s Alabama plant.

Honda announced on Jan. 29 that it was scaling rear production in Alliston, with plans to turn out 9,000 fewer vehicles from one side to the end of March.

One company string went from two daily work shifts to one, through output of the Civic and Acura models cut in half to 400 units a sunshine.

With files from the Associated Press

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