Saturday, August 13, 2011

DTN News - BATTLE FOR LIBYA: Libyan Rebels Claim Capture Of Key Gadhafi Stronghold

DTN News - BATTLE FOR LIBYA: Libyan Rebels Claim Capture Of Key Gadhafi Stronghold

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / WADI EL-HAI, Libya- August 13, 2011: Libya's rebels on Saturday fought with regime troops for control of a key mountain town that is a strategic gateway on the road to Tripoli in an intensified western offensive aiming to push toward Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold in the capital.

Rebels earlier claimed control of Gharyan, saying they had moved into the centre of the town and that Gadhafi's troops had withdrawn. But several hours later, regime forces returned with reinforcements and the two sides clashed, said rebel spokesman Gomma Ibrahim.

Gharyan lies at the northern end of the Nafusa Mountains, and Gadhafi's hold on the town had been a sticking point for rebels who have taken control of most of the range. The town lies on the main road leading directly from Nafusa to Tripoli, 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the north on the Mediterranean coast.

Rebels have been trying for weeks to take Gharyan, and NATO airstrikes have hit Gadhafi's forces several times in the area.

On Saturday morning, rebel fighters moved into the town and, alongside residents, battled for about four hours with the remains of regime forces in the town -- mostly young fighters and mercenaries, said Ibrahim. The Gadhafi troops withdrew, but after a brief lull, the troops returned in intensified numbers, he said.Ibrahim said that Gharyan residents had joined with the entering rebel fighters, in part out of anger that some 2,500 of the town's men had been arrested in recent months for voicing opposition to Gadhafi. The claims could not immediately be confirmed independently."This is the biggest stop on the way to Tripoli, where we will topple down the tyrant and liberate all Libya," Ibrahim said.

The capture of Gharyan would solidify the rebels' flank as they push ahead with a new offensive launched from further west in the Nafusa range, pushing down into the coastal plain where Gadhafi's forces have been concentrated. The rebels are hoping to take several cities along the coast before moving on to Tripoli.

Rebel commander Fathi el-Ayeb said his fighters were 10 miles (15 kilometres) away from Gadhafi-held Zawiya, a key target in the offensive. He said the rebels scouts who returned from Zawiya claim the local residents there were waiting for the rebels to reach the city's outskirts to join their fight against Gadhafi.

DTN News - BATTLE FOR LIBYA: Libyan Rebels Claim Capture Of Key Gadhafi Stronghold

DTN News - BATTLE FOR LIBYA: Libyan Rebels Claim Capture Of Key Gadhafi Stronghold

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / WADI EL-HAI, Libya- August 13, 2011: Libya's rebels on Saturday fought with regime troops for control of a key mountain town that is a strategic gateway on the road to Tripoli in an intensified western offensive aiming to push toward Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold in the capital.

Rebels earlier claimed control of Gharyan, saying they had moved into the centre of the town and that Gadhafi's troops had withdrawn. But several hours later, regime forces returned with reinforcements and the two sides clashed, said rebel spokesman Gomma Ibrahim.

Gharyan lies at the northern end of the Nafusa Mountains, and Gadhafi's hold on the town had been a sticking point for rebels who have taken control of most of the range. The town lies on the main road leading directly from Nafusa to Tripoli, 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the north on the Mediterranean coast.

Rebels have been trying for weeks to take Gharyan, and NATO airstrikes have hit Gadhafi's forces several times in the area.

On Saturday morning, rebel fighters moved into the town and, alongside residents, battled for about four hours with the remains of regime forces in the town -- mostly young fighters and mercenaries, said Ibrahim. The Gadhafi troops withdrew, but after a brief lull, the troops returned in intensified numbers, he said.Ibrahim said that Gharyan residents had joined with the entering rebel fighters, in part out of anger that some 2,500 of the town's men had been arrested in recent months for voicing opposition to Gadhafi. The claims could not immediately be confirmed independently."This is the biggest stop on the way to Tripoli, where we will topple down the tyrant and liberate all Libya," Ibrahim said.

The capture of Gharyan would solidify the rebels' flank as they push ahead with a new offensive launched from further west in the Nafusa range, pushing down into the coastal plain where Gadhafi's forces have been concentrated. The rebels are hoping to take several cities along the coast before moving on to Tripoli.

Rebel commander Fathi el-Ayeb said his fighters were 10 miles (15 kilometres) away from Gadhafi-held Zawiya, a key target in the offensive. He said the rebels scouts who returned from Zawiya claim the local residents there were waiting for the rebels to reach the city's outskirts to join their fight against Gadhafi.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Army Launches New Raids

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Army Launches New Raids

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 13, 2011: Government troops and security agents in Syria launched a new offensive in several towns a day after tens of thousands of protesters shouted for President Bashar Assad's death in demonstrations across the country.

Syrian soldiers stand on their armored vehicles which are placed on flatbed trucks after a weeklong military assault that the government said was aimed at rooting out "terrorists," in Hama city, Syria which has seen some of the largest anti-government protests of the 5-month-old uprising.

The streets of Hama were deserted on Wednesday and the city in central Syria that has come to symbolize defiance against the regime appeared to be under full government control after last week's brutal crackdown on protesters.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Army Launches New Raids

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Army Launches New Raids

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 13, 2011: Government troops and security agents in Syria launched a new offensive in several towns a day after tens of thousands of protesters shouted for President Bashar Assad's death in demonstrations across the country.

Syrian soldiers shout pro-Syrian President Bashar Assad slogans as they sit in the back of an army lorry, as they withdrawing from the city of Hama after a 10-day military operation to quell pro-democracy protests.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / AMMAN. Jordan - August 13, 2011: Syrian forces shot dead at least 20 protesters Friday, activists said, as tens of thousands demanded the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, chanting "we will kneel only to God."

Defiant protest marches unfolded across the country despite a military crackdown that has intensified since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, triggering sanctions and condemnation abroad.

These included protests in the cities of Hama and Deir al-Zor, both of which have been stormed in tank offensives launched by Assad at the beginning of the Muslim holy month.

DTN News - PAKISTAN NEWS: U.S. Citizen Kidnapped In Pakistan According To Police

DTN News - PAKISTAN NEWS: U.S. Citizen Kidnapped In Pakistan According To Police

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LAHORE, Pakistan - August 13, 2011: An American citizen was kidnapped from his residence in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, police said.

The man, who the U.S. embassy declined to identify, works for the consulting firm J.E. Austin Associates Inc., and was working on a development project in the country's lawless tribal areas, where Pakistani troops have been battling Islamist insurgents for years.

A U.S. embassy spokesman said they were trying to confirm the reports.

"Some six to eight people broke into his house at around 3:30 a.m., when security guards on duty were making preparation for fasting," police official Tajamal Hussain told Reuters, referring to the Ramadan fast observed by Muslims.

"Two of the assailants came from the front gate while about six others used the backdoor. They tortured the guards and then took the American with them."

A security official familiar with the incident said the gunmen forced the man's driver to knock on his bedroom door. When the man opened it, they took him.

Hussain said the man, in his 60s, had been living in Pakistan five to six years. He mostly lived in Islamabad but had been traveling to Lahore.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / AMMAN, Jordan - August 13, 2011: Syrian forces shot dead at least 20 protesters Friday, activists said, as tens of thousands demanded the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, chanting "we will kneel only to God."

Defiant protest marches unfolded across the country despite a military crackdown that has intensified since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, triggering sanctions and condemnation abroad.

These included protests in the cities of Hama and Deir al-Zor, both of which have been stormed in tank offensives launched by Assad at the beginning of the Muslim holy month.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Kill 20 Protesters After Friday Prayers

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / AMMAN, Jordan - August 13, 2011: Syrian forces shot dead at least 20 protesters Friday, activists said, as tens of thousands demanded the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, chanting "we will kneel only to God."

Defiant protest marches unfolded across the country despite a military crackdown that has intensified since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, triggering sanctions and condemnation abroad.

These included protests in the cities of Hama and Deir al-Zor, both of which have been stormed in tank offensives launched by Assad at the beginning of the Muslim holy month.

DTN News - YEMEN DEFENSE NEWS: Qaeda Trying To Harness Toxin For Bombs, U.S. Officials Fear

DTN News - YEMEN DEFENSE NEWS: Qaeda Trying To Harness Toxin For Bombs, U.S. Officials Fear

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / WASHINGTON - August 13, 2011: American counterterrorism officials are increasingly concerned that the most dangerous regional arm of Al Qaeda is trying to produce the lethal poison ricin, to be packed around small explosives for attacks against the United States.

For more than a year, according to classified intelligence reports, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen has been making efforts to acquire large quantities of castor beans, which are required to produce ricin, a white, powdery toxin that is so deadly that just a speck can kill if it is inhaled or reaches the bloodstream.

Intelligence officials say they have collected evidence that Qaeda operatives are trying to move castor beans and processing agents to a hideaway in Shabwa Province, in one of Yemen’s rugged tribal areas controlled by insurgents. The officials say the evidence points to efforts to secretly concoct batches of the poison, pack them around small explosives, and then try to explode them in contained spaces, like a shopping mall, an airport or a subway station.

Friday, August 12, 2011

DTN News - BOEING NEWS / AIRLINE NEWS: Boeing, Cathay Pacific Announce Order For 12 777s

DTN News - BOEING NEWS / AIRLINE NEWS: Boeing, Cathay Pacific Announce Order For 12 777s

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / Hong Kong - August 12, 2011: Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Cathay Pacific Airways today announced the Hong Kong-based carrier has ordered eight Boeing 777 Freighters and four 777-300ER (extended range) airplanes. The order is valued at $3.3 billion at list prices. With this announcement, Cathay Pacific becomes the 15th customer to order the 777 Freighter and increases its Boeing 777-300ER fleet to 50.

"We are very pleased to announce this latest Boeing order, which highlights our commitment to operating a modern and efficient fleet together with a deep commitment to our home city, Hong Kong," said John Slosar, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive. "The Boeing 777-300ER is a superb aircraft that has already given a significant boost to our long-haul passenger operations, while the Boeing 777 Freighter will improve our freighter operations by delivering improved payload range capability at competitive operating costs."

"The Boeing 777 Freighter, together with the other new aircraft types, will provide us with exactly the right balance in our fleet portfolio through to the end of the decade along with a more efficient and environmentally friendly operation," Slosar added.

DTN News - CHINA NEWS: China Recalls Bullet Trains In New Blow To Technology

DTN News - CHINA NEWS: China Recalls Bullet Trains In New Blow To Technology

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / SHANGHAI/BEIJING, China - August 12, 2011: China's second-biggest train maker will recall 54 bullet trains used on the new showcase Beijing-Shanghai line for safety reasons, the firm said on Friday, dealing a fresh blow to the nation's scandal-plagued rail system.
The recall of the trains by China CNR Corp Ltd comes three weeks after 40 people were killed in a high-speed rail crash, which triggered public fury, unusually bold media coverage and a freeze on approvals for new railway projects.

China's high-speed rail drive was until recently held up by senior government officials as a trophy of the nation's technological prowess. Now it has become a political albatross, drawing scorn from many citizens long frustrated with the hulking railways ministry.

China's fast-growing microblog websites have served to amplify that public anger, and the recall drew more catcalls on Sina's popular Weibo site (weibo.com).

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR: Bomb Kills Five U.S. Troops In Southern Afghanistan

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR: Bomb Kills Five U.S. Troops In Southern Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / Kabul, Afghanistan- August 12, 2011: A roadside bomb killed five American troops in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, the U.S. military said, less than a week after American forces suffered their worst single loss of the Afghan war when Taliban insurgents shot down a helicopter.


The U.S. military and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) did not give details regarding Thursday's incident. A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said the victims were Americans.
At least 50 foreign troops have been killed so far in August.

Violence is at its worst in Afghanistan since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, with record civilian casualties and high levels of foreign troop deaths during the first half of 2011.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Fire On Protests After Friday Prayers

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Syrian Forces Fire On Protests After Friday Prayers

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / AMMAN, Jordan - August 12, 2011: AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces fired live ammunition at protesters coming out of a main mosque after Friday prayers in the besieged city of Deir al-Zor, witnesses said, as demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad resumed elsewhere in the country.
"Military intelligence directed their AK-47s at the mosque, hitting the main air-conditioning unit, which caught fire. The whole neighborhood is echoing with the sound of bullets," said one witness, an engineer who lives near Harwil Mosque.

"Worshippers are running to take cover in alleyways," he said by phone.

A resident of Hama also said protesters came under fire in the central Syrian city. Hama was stormed by the army at the start of the month in an assault which killed more than 100 people, according to activists and rights groups.

British-based activist Rami Abdel Rahman also reported clashes in Hama and said tens of thousands of people were protesting in the city of Homs.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Mayor Boris Johnson Visited Riots Affected Area Tottenham

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Mayor Boris Johnson Visited Riots Affected Area Tottenham

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: London Mayor Boris Johnson walks with workmen in Tottenham after the area was affected by the recent riots, on August 10, 2011 in London, England.

After rioting and looting for three days in London, trouble has spread to other cities across the UK, including Manchester and Birmingham.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Hackney

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Hackney

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: Riot police stand in front of a burning car during riots in Clarence Road, Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London, England.

Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various parts of London this evening prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night.

Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area after the killing of Mark Duggan, 29 and a father-of-four, by armed police in an attempted arrest on August 4.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Thugs Went On The Rampage Burning In Hackney

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Thugs Went On The Rampage Burning In Hackney

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: A local resident records a video with his mobile phone of burning barricades constructed by rioters in Goulton Road, Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London, England.

Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various parts of London this evening prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night.

Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area after the killing of Mark Duggan, 29 and a father-of-four, by armed police in an attempted arrest on August 4.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Croydon

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Croydon

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: Police man the cordons on London road in Croydon, south of London, on August 10, 2011, following riots in the area on Monday night.

As masked youths burned down a fashion store and clashed with police in Manchester, residents of Britain's third largest city blamed the government for failing to deal with social problems.

Hundreds of masked youths tore through the centre of the city in northwest England on Tuesday, looting and smashing shop windows as the worst riots in Britain for decades spread beyond London on a fourth day of violence.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Local Residents Flee For Safety In Hackney

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Local Residents Flee For Safety In Hackney

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: Local residents flee Clarence Road in Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London, England. Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various parts of London this evening prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night. Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area after the killing of Mark Duggan, 29 and a father-of-four, by armed police in an attempted arrest on August 4.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Parked Vans And Show Of Force In Hackney

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Parked Vans And Show Of Force In Hackney

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: British police vans are parked along a street of Hackney in north London, late on August 9, 2011. Britain's worst riots in decades raged into on August 10, as youths ran amok in Manchester and the industrial Midlands but London was quiet with 16,000 police swamping the streets to stem violence.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Patrols In Manchester City To Maintain Order

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Patrols In Manchester City To Maintain Order

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: The clean-up process begins in Manchester City Centre, in north-west England, on August 10, 2011, following a fourth night of violence in Britain. Britain's worst riots in decades raged into Wednesday as youths ran amok in Manchester and the industrial Midlands but London was quiet with 16,000 police swamping the streets to stem violence.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Show Of Force In Hankney After Several Days Of Rioting

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police Show Of Force In Hankney After Several Days Of Rioting

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: Riot police tackle a mob after a number of cars are set alight in Hackney, north London on August 8, 2011. Riot police faced off with youths in fresh violence in London today in the third day of disorder after some of the worst rioting in the British capital in years at the weekend.

The riots broke out in the north London district of Tottenham on August 6, following a protest against the death of a local man in a police shooting last week, and the violence spread to other parts of the city on August 7.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 10, 2011

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 10, 2011

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 10, 2011: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued August 10, 2011 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

Federal Express, Washington, D.C. (HTC711-12-D-C001); Polar Air Cargo, Purchase, N.Y. (HTC711-12-D-C002); and United Parcel Service, Louisville, Ky. (HTC711-12-D-C003), are three World Wide Express-5 offerors that has received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price award. This program has an overall five-year maximum ceiling value of $853,321,156 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for international commercial express package service (shipments up to and including 300 pounds) for the federal government to include all civilian agencies/organizations. Work will be performed internationally and the base year performance period is from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012, with four one-year option periods from Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2016. Contract funds will expire at the end of fiscal 2012. Five proposals were received. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity

NAVY

The Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $9,340,141 firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-10-G-0012) for organizational level peculiar support equipment in support of emerging F/A-18E/F aircraft squadron stand-ups (VFA-25, VFA-146, VFA-192, and VFA-151). Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in July 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $9,340,141 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Violence Raises 2012 Olympic Concerns

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Violence Raises 2012 Olympic Concerns

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: British police on Monday promised a "momentous operation" to arrest rioters after a weekend of vandalism and looting that erupted in a disadvantaged London neighborhood just miles (kilometers) from the site of next year's Olympic Games.

A police officer keeps pedestrians from crossing into a crime scene after overnight looting in Brixton, south London August 8, 2011. British police arrested more than 100 people overnight in London after shops were looted and officers attacked in a second night of violence that followed some of the worst disorder seen in the capital for years.

Groups of masked and hooded young people looted shops, attacked police officers and set fire to vehicles in violence that has raised questions about security ahead of the 2012 Olympics and revealed pent-up anger against the city's police. Over 160 people were arrested.

Around 35 police officers were injured, including three hit by a car while trying to make arrests in northeast London. Police commander Christine Jones said officers were "shocked at the outrageous level of violence directed against them."

"This has changed from a local issue into organized criminality," police deputy assistant commissioner Steve Kavanagh said Monday as he announced a "momentous investigation" to track down the perpetrators.

"We will make sure that this criminality is not allowed to continue," Kavanagh told Sky News.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Hooded Thugs Went On The Rampage In Hackney

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Hooded Thugs Went On The Rampage In Hackney

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 11, 2011: A hooded youth walks past a burning vehicle in Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London, England.

Groups of youths have clashed with police in London for the past three nights, breaking into businesses and setting cars ablaze, as authorities try to tighten their grip on the situation.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday "a fight back is under way" to restore law and order to Britain's streets but rioting, looting and arson by gangs of youths spread from London to other cities overnight.

Youths fought running battles with police in the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool as well as in the Midlands.

They smashed shop windows, carted off televisions and designer clothes, and torched buildings as police armed with shields and batons struggled to maintain control.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Landmark British Furniture Store Is looted, Gutted In Minutes

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Landmark British Furniture Store Is looted, Gutted In Minutes

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 10, 2011: Workmen clean up the charred remains of the Reeves furniture shop in Croydon, south of London, on August 10, 2011, following riots in the area on Monday night.

As masked youths burned down a fashion store and clashed with police in Manchester, residents of Britain's third largest city blamed the government for failing to deal with social problems.

Hundreds of masked youths tore through the centre of the city in northwest England on Tuesday, looting and smashing shop windows as the worst riots in Britain for decades spread beyond London on a fourth day of violence.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday "a fight back is under way" to restore law and order to Britain's streets but rioting, looting and arson by gangs of youths spread from London to other cities overnight.

Youths fought running battles with police in the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool as well as in the Midlands.

They smashed shop windows, carted off televisions and designer clothes, and torched buildings as police armed with shields and batons struggled to maintain control.

A boosted police presence meant London itself was relatively quiet after three days of violent unrest that shocked the nation and raised questions about the divided state of modern Britain.

About 16,000 police officers patrolled London's streets on Tuesday night but with shops, pubs and businesses in many areas closing early and boarding up windows, the city which hosts the Olympic games next summer, had the air of a town under siege.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Hackney North London

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: Police On Red Alert In Hackney North London

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 10, 2011: Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday "a fight back is under way" to restore law and order to Britain's streets but rioting, looting and arson by gangs of youths spread from London to other cities overnight.

Youths fought running battles with police in the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool as well as in the Midlands.

They smashed shop windows, carted off televisions and designer clothes, and torched buildings as police armed with shields and batons struggled to maintain control.

A boosted police presence meant London itself was relatively quiet after three days of violent unrest that shocked the nation and raised questions about the divided state of modern Britain.

About 16,000 police officers patrolled London's streets on Tuesday night but with shops, pubs and businesses in many areas closing early and boarding up windows, the city which hosts the Olympic games next summer, had the air of a town under siege.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Rioters Resent Media Image Of Hooded Teen Thug

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: London Rioters Resent Media Image Of Hooded Teen Thug

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 10, 2011: Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday "a fight back is under way" to restore law and order to Britain's streets but rioting, looting and arson by gangs of youths spread from London to other cities overnight.

Youths fought running battles with police in the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool as well as in the Midlands.

They smashed shop windows, carted off televisions and designer clothes, and torched buildings as police armed with shields and batons struggled to maintain control.

A boosted police presence meant London itself was relatively quiet after three days of violent unrest that shocked the nation and raised questions about the divided state of modern Britain.

About 16,000 police officers patrolled London's streets on Tuesday night but with shops, pubs and businesses in many areas closing early and boarding up windows, the city which hosts the Olympic games next summer, had the air of a town under siege.

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: As Rioting Spreads UK's Cameron Vows Crackdown

DTN News - LONDON RIOTS NEWS: As Rioting Spreads UK's Cameron Vows Crackdown

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / LONDON, U.K. - August 10, 2011: Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday "a fight back is under way" to restore law and order to Britain's streets but rioting, looting and arson by gangs of youths spread from London to other cities overnight.

Youths fought running battles with police in the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool as well as in the Midlands.

They smashed shop windows, carted off televisions and designer clothes, and torched buildings as police armed with shields and batons struggled to maintain control.

A boosted police presence meant London itself was relatively quiet after three days of violent unrest that shocked the nation and raised questions about the divided state of modern Britain.
About 16,000 police officers patrolled London's streets on Tuesday night but with shops, pubs and businesses in many areas closing early and boarding up windows, the city which hosts the Olympic games next summer, had the air of a town under siege.

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Launches Sea Trials Of Its First Carrier

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Launches Sea Trials Of Its First Carrier

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / BEIJING, China- August 10, 2011: China's first aircraft carrier swept through fog-shrouded waters Wednesday to open sea trials that underline the country's big naval ambitions and fuel concerns about its growing military strength amid regional territorial disputes.

The ship is former Soviet craft that China acknowledged a month ago it was rebuilding for research and training, in a strong indication that it plans to start building aircraft carriers of its own.

China has been investing heavily in modernizing its military for at least the last decade, and having its own carrier will add prestige to that expansion, which has accompanied a rise in nationalism in the country.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 9, 2011

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 9, 2011

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 9, 2011: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued August 9, 2011 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

ARMY

North Wind, Inc., Idaho Falls, Idaho (W912BV-11-D-0034); Sullivan-Weston Services JVA, L.L.C., San Diego, Calif. (W912BV-11-D-0033); Ayuda Management Corp., Broomfield, Colo. (W912BV-11-D-0032); HydroGeoLogic, Inc., Reston, Va. (W912BV-11-D-0031); and OA Systems Corp., Amarillo, Texas (W912BV-11-D-0035), were awarded a $49,500,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple-award-task-order contract between five contractors. The award will provide for the environmental remediation services in support of various military and civil works projects within the southwest United States. Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2016. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 17 bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded a $12,586,165 cost-no-fee contract. The award will provide for the procurement of material items and associated labor supporting production and conversion of 42 M1A2 tanks to a M1A2S configuration for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2012. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army TACOM, Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-11-C-0005).

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2011/08/dtn-news-us-department-of-defense_09.html

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: French Soldier Fires Grenade During Training In Afghanistan

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: French Soldier Fires Grenade During Training In Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 9, 2011: A French soldier from the 1st Regiment Marines Infantry (RIMA) fires an anti-tank grenade from an assault rifle FAMAS during a training session at the FOB (Forward Operating Base) Tora in Surobi district on September 24, 2010. Most of France's 3,500 soldiers, who are part of a NATO-led multinational force fighting the Taliban inside Afghanistan, are based in districts around Kabul.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: ANA Humvee Drives Past US Army Blackhawk Helicopter In Kandahar Province Afghanistan

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: ANA Humvee Drives Past US Army Blackhawk Helicopter In Kandahar Province Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 9, 2011: An Afghan National Army Humvee jeep drives past a US army Blackhawk helicopter from Alpha Company 7-101 AVN during a sandstorm at FOB Wilson in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan on March 27, 2011. Around 140,000 foreign troops are deployed in Afghanistan within the UN-mandated, NATO-led, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the US-led coalition Operation Enduring Freedom, which overthrew the Taliban in late 2001. (Photo - Reuters)

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: US Marines During Operation In Helmand Province Afghanistan

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: US Marines During Operation In Helmand Province Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 9, 2011: US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait for helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. US President Barack Obama on December 1, 2009 makes a globally awaited address on his new Afghan war plan and big troop surge strategy, shouldering the most perilous burden yet of a presidency defined by crises. In the televised address at 8:00 pm (0100 GMT December 2, 2009), Obama was expected to announce deployments of up to 35,000 more troops to battle the resurgent Taliban, Al-Qaeda and to secure Afghan cities, along with a civilian aid surge.

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: The United States Will Withdraw 10000 Troops From Afghanistan This Year

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: The United States Will Withdraw 10000 Troops From Afghanistan This Year

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 9, 2011: U.S. Army's 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. , waits to have his luggage checked by U.S. Customs at the Transit Center in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, while continuing home after leaving Afghanistan upon completing a deployment Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division is returning home after a year in Afghanistan as the last brigade to deploy as part of President Obama's 30,000 troop surge. (Photo - AP)

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: MiG-21 To Be Phased Out Of IAF

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: MiG-21 To Be Phased Out Of IAF

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / NEW DELHI, India - August 9, 2011: MiG-21 fighter aircrafts, which have been in news for frequent crashes, will be phased out of the Indian Air Force by 2017 and replaced by modern fighter aircraft such as Su-30MKI and indigenous LCA.

“The MiG 21s will get phased out by 2015-16. I think the last of the squadrons of the aircraft will be phased out by 2017,” Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju told reporters here.

Over the years, the IAF has inducted a total of 946 MiG-21s in its fleet and 476 of them have been lost in various accidents over the past 45 years.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2011/08/dtn-news-india-defense-news-mig-21-to.html