Archive for the ‘Political News’ Category
Friday, January 27th, 2012
The son of the US Transport Secretary is not being permitted to leave Egypt. Sam LaHood, son of Ray LaHood, was prevented from boarding a flight following a raid by the authorities on the offices of International Republican Institute, the non-profit pro-democracy organisation he works for.
The military government in Egypt has said that it will be investigating the funding of all such human rights and pro-democracy organisations currently operating within its borders. The authorities have said that foreign interference into how Egypt conducts its affairs will not be tolerated. The government has so far conducted raids on another 17 organisations.
Mr LaHood was stopped by an official in Cairo on Saturday as he tried to pass through the airport. He said that he asked her why he was not being allowed to fly, to which she replied that she did not know. The 36-year-old was then given back his passport and told he would be allowed to leave the airport.
According to Mr LaHood, 300 NGOs are currently being investigated by the authorities. Michael Posner, a US State Department human rights official, said that the move by the Egyptian government raised questions over its intention to move towards democracy following last February’s uprising against Hosni Mubarak.
Mr Posner said that if the issue was not addressed, future aid to Egypt could be compromised. Although the list of those not allowed to leave Egypt has not yet been made available, other NGO officials believe the move is directly related to the recent raids.
Tags: airport, egypt, human rights, Ray LaHood, US State Department
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Thursday, December 1st, 2011
In his autumn statement, Chancellor George Osborne said that the UK would be getting 35 new transport schemes to help revitalise the country’s economy. Projects outlined include spending around £400 million on developing the hard shoulders of motorways in order to ease congestion at times when traffic is at its busiest. This will involve improving road surfaces, adding better signs, and introducing cameras.
Using the hard shoulders is seen by many as a more cost effective solution to the country’s traffic problems than widening the roads. Motorways earmarked to benefit from the scheme include the M3 in Surrey, and parts of the M6.
Many of the projects announced by Mr Osborne have already passed through the process of public consultation. They were put on hold while the government conducted its wide reaching spending review last year. A project to establish a new link between Kent and Essex was also confirmed, although consultation on the scheme is not expected to go ahead before 2013.
New rail schemes include a link between Bedford and Oxford, which has a budget of £270 million. The TransPennine Express is also due to be electrified under a project which is estimated to be worth £290 million.
The London Underground will get two more stops on the Northern Line when it is extended to Battersea. Mr Osborne pointed out that the project would not require much public cash as developers who would gain from the construction would be expected to put up the capital.
Tags: George Osborne, London Underground, motorways, Northern Line, TransPennine Express, transport
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Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
As some 2 million public sector workers include themselves in a nationwide strike today, significant disruption is expected across most sectors. A number of airlines have already cancelled services into Heathrow as UK Border Agency staff are expected to join the industrial action. Heathrow operator BAA said it would be doing its best to implement contingency plans, but also advised passengers to expect some delays.
As many as 90 per cent of schools across the UK could be forced to close their doors today. Michael Gove, the education secretary, said it was unrealistic and unfair for the unions to expect the British tax payer to continue to pay the growing pensions bill for the public sector.
Russell Hobby, National Association of Head Teachers’ general secretary, responded to the comment by saying that any blame for union militancy should be placed on a government unwilling to engage in any real negotiations until the very last minute.
Downing Street has said it would be willing to sit down at the negotiating table again, and asked the unions to call off the action. The government said that a strike would not achieve anything.
Although Labour has condemned the walkouts, Treasury shadow chief secretary, Rachel Reeves, said more needed to be done by the government for public sector workers on a low wage who had just been told by that Chancellor that their pay over the coming two years was effectively frozen. George Osborne has just announced that it will be capped at 1 per cent.
Tags: airlines, baa, public sector, strike, UK Border Agency
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Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Thousands of supporters have turned out on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia’s main city, to greet anti-road protesters who have marched from the Amazon. The demonstrators have been marching for two months on a journey of 500 miles. As they approached the city, President Evo Morales sent a message inviting them for talks.
Mr Morales had previously refused to go out on the road and talk to the group, who have said they will not be returning home until the government puts a stop to plans to build the highway through their homeland.
Outrage swept Bolivia after riot police were sent in to disperse the 1,000 strong group of men, women and children with truncheons and tear gas. The incident resulted in two ministers resigning from their positions.
The government claims that the Brazilian funded project will help to boost the Bolivian economy and provide better links between the regions. The people of Tipnis say that a road will result in deforestation and result in illegal settlers moving onto their land. Following the failed attempt to disperse the marchers, Mr Morales said plans would be put on hold until the results of a referendum were in.
If the government continues with the scheme, it is likely that other groups will join the protest. However, if the project does not go ahead, then supporters of Mr Morales could begin to stage their own demonstrations. This all comes at a time when Mr Morales is seeing his popularity with the people plummet.
Tags: Amazon, deforestation, Evo Morales, La Paz, Tipnis
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Monday, October 17th, 2011
Following Friday’s resignation of Liam Fox, it has been announced that Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will now take over as Defence Secretary. His position has been filled by MP for Putney, Justine Greening. The appointment has not pleased International Airlines Group boss, Willie Walsh. He fears that as Putney is under the Heathrow flight path, Ms Greening will be unable to take a neutral position on aviation policy.
The government is presently conducting an in-depth review into aviation and is expected to publish the results some time early next year. Mr Walsh has been championing the idea of adding a third runway at Heathrow in order to boost capacity, something Ms Greening has been apposed to in the past.
The government has said that it has no plans to increase capacity at airports in the south east of the country. Currently it is looking into the viability of creating what it calls a virtual hub by linking Gatwick with its larger neighbour by high-speed rail.
Mr Walsh, and a number of other airline bosses, has said that the project will take too long to complete and be extremely expensive for the tax payer. He has always maintained that any airport expansion would be paid for by the airlines which use them.
According to IAG, Mr Walsh will also be sending a letter to the new Transport Secretary asking her to look at scrapping the controversial air passenger duty. Opponents say that the high levels of aviation tax in the UK are damaging both business and tourism.
Tags: air passenger duty, airport, aviation, Gatwick, Heathrow, high speed rail, IAG, Justine Greening, willie walsh
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Thursday, September 29th, 2011
The plight of a British family struggling to pay medical expenses for a relative who is in hospital in Singapore has caused a government minister to call for compulsory travel insurance. North West Leicestershire Conservative MP, Andrew Bridgen, says the case of 30-year-old Matthew Taylor highlights the need for all those travelling abroad to take out adequate medical cover.
Mr Taylor has been recovering in a hospital in Singapore since he was involved in a motorcycle accident in July. He was a teacher in Bali at the time without any insurance which has left his family with a bill of £172,000. He remains in a serious condition which means he cannot fly home and therefore his family will be forced to continue paying for his treatment. Costs are currently around £2,000 per day.
According to Darrell Taylor, Matthew’s father, his son had decided against taking out cover because it would cost more than half his monthly wage. Mr Bridgen said it was essential that travellers realised the financial risk of travelling without proper insurance.
He highlighted the fact by saying that a car cannot go abroad without cover, so why should people be allowed to do so. He has suggested that checks be carried out at airports to flag up holidaymakers who do not have insurance.
Matthew’s father said he was sure his son would make a full recovery in time, adding that he did not know what the family was going to do if they ran out of cash.
Tags: airports, Andrew Bridgen, medical cover, travel insurance
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
The government’s proposed adjustments to the planning laws have led to criticism from transport groups. Campaigners claim that the development of more business-parks on out of town sites will inevitably lead to more congestion on the roads, especially around rush-hour. The Campaign for Better Transport has produced research which says that the development of a single additional business park at suitable junctions on the M1 motorway would lead to traffic volumes increasing by 16 per cent.
The government has accused the group of greatly exaggerating the figures and of not understanding the reforms which are being proposed. However, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the National Trust have both said that by simplifying the planning laws the door will be left open for developers to march onto the greenbelt.
The government claims that by simplifying its planning policy it will help to encourage economic growth. However, Campaign for Better Transport’s Stephen Joseph pointed out that there was still no proof that adjusting the planning laws would stimulate growth.
He added that the campaign’s research suggested that the economy could actually end up being damaged as office developments begin to spring up along major roads and at the side of motorways. He went on to say that motorists were unlikely to appreciate sitting in the type of jams experienced on bank holiday weekends twice every working day.
Joseph agreed that there needed to be new development but not if it meant there would be more congestion on the roads and across other transport networks.
Tags: bank holiday, Campaign for Better Transport, greenbelt, motorways, National Trust, transport
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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Parliament has received a petition to prevent a lucrative train-building contract being awarded to Germany rather than Bombardier, a British manufacturer. More than 50,000 people have signed the document which was delivered by Labour MP for Derby North, Chris Williamson. He described the number of signatures received to help save the train-maker as staggering.
Siemens was recently declared the preferred bidder for the contract to build new carriages for Thameslink which is worth £1.5 billion. Bombardier has since announced that the decision would force it to cut 1,400 jobs in Derby where the firm is based.
Mr Williamson said there was a great deal of ill-feeling over the decision to send the contract abroad and that many in Derby were hoping that the government and Prime Minister David Cameron would step-in to save Bombardier. He used Rolls-Royce as an example of a company which nearly went under in 1971. After nationalisation by the Tory government, the firm went on to become one of the world’s most successful companies, he said.
After being awarded the Thameslink contract, Siemens announced it would be creating 2,000 new jobs in the UK. Mr Cameron ruled out a reversal of the decision to give the job to Siemens but said he would be looking to see if any changes to EU regulations could be made in the future.
The government has said that it is bound by regulations laid down by the EU, and the last Labour government, over criteria controlling the bidding process and that it was legally obliged abide by this process.
Tags: Bombardier, David Cameron, EU, Rolls Royce, Siemens, Thameslink, Tory, train, train-maker
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Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
A terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul has resulted in the death of at least 10 civilians, according to Afghan officials. The attack took place at the luxury hotel on Tuesday night. Officials say the number of dead does not include at least six gunmen and suicide bombers who were either killed by security forces or blew themselves up.
Spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, Siddiq Siddigi, declared an end to the five-hour siege early on Wednesday morning. Ambulances and security vehicles then moved in to remove the injured and dead. The authorities have warned that the death toll could rise.
Three of the militants apparently took up positions on the roof of the hotel. A NATO spokesman said two of its helicopters had been called in and had opened fire on the gunmen killing them.
Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the Taliban. It said it was intentionally targeting foreign guests.
The US State Department has issued a statement in which it condemns the terrorists for their disregard of human life. Washington confirmed that all diplomatic staff from the US were safe and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
The attack on the Intercontinental happened on the eve of a conference which was to be held to discuss the transferral of responsibility to Afghan security forces from the International Security Assistance Force led by NATO.
Gen Mohammad Ayub Salangi, Kabul’s chief of police, said the hotel had been searched and confirmed the safety of the guests.
Tags: hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul, NATO, security forces, suicide bombers, Taliban, terrorist attack
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Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Specially constructed underwater robots have been deployed to the Atlantic to help in the fourth search for the flight recorders of Air France 447 which crashed into the ocean on 1 June, 2009. The accident happened during a fierce storm killing all 228 people who were on board. The cause remains a mystery and it is unlikely that any definitive answer will ever be given without the black box recorders.
The latest search is being funded by Air France and European planemaker Airbus. It will be overseen by accident agency BEA and coordinated by experts from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
Woods Hole director of special projects, David Gallo, said the search would be difficult because much of the 3,900 square miles of ocean floor it would be concentrated on has never been explored. He added that he was sure the Woods Hole team would find any wreckage, if it is there.
The need to recover the data recorders has stepped up a notch as both Airbus and Air France have now had manslaughter suits filed against them by a French court. It will be difficult to apportion blame if the black boxes are not found.
Just before it went down, automatic messages were sent from the Airbus A330 showing that the airspeed being recorded by the aircraft’s sensors was wrong. Although perhaps a contributing factor, most experts believe that this alone could not have caused the plane to go down. Flight 447 was also contending with turbulent weather conditions.
Tags: a330, air france, airbus, BEA, black box, data recorders, manslaughter, Woods Hole
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