'Made in India' Metro rolls out

'Made in India' Metro rolls out
TIMES OF INDIA

SAVLI (GUJARAT): Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off what can be called the first truly `Indian' Metro train, from a manufacturing plant near Vadodara. Henceforth, the facility will roll out one Delhi Metro coach a day and wheel it to the capital to cater to the acute overcrowding on the system due to shortage of trains and provide for the new lines opening as part of Phase II.
"This is my third trip to this factory in the past 18 months. Slowly, India and the rest of the world will realize the importance of today's event,'' said Modi.
In all, the manufacturing unit belonging to Bombardier Transportation, will supply a total of 81 train sets comprising 424 broad gauge coaches to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) by October 2010 at a cost of about Rs 3,000 crore. "This is a very proud day for DMRC. Only 24 months ago, in June 2007, we placed an order for 454 coaches with M/s Bombardier Transportation, with a stipulation that it can bring a maximum of 21 train sets from abroad. The company limited their imports to just nine train sets and set up a facility in Gujarat to manufacture the rest. I am very happy that we have achieved indigenousness so soon,'' said E Sreedharan, DMRC managing director.
The day of the rollout World Environment Day is significant as the trains are environment-friendly in design. "We are gifting people an eco-friendly train. Surface transport vehicles contribute to nearly 84% to the carbon emissions in the atmosphere, followed by aeroplanes, which add another 15%. Rail-based transportation comprise for just 1% of these emissions,'' said Modi.
The trains are energy efficient and the cost of the trains is also much lesser compared to their imported counterparts. Sreedharan added that India was trying to minimize costs further by standardization, and has even proposed to the government to make Metro coaches exempt from duties and taxes, otherwise a lot of Indian cities may not be able to afford Metro systems.
The new trains promise a more comfortable ride for Delhiites as they have been made after analyzing the problems with the existing coaches. "Based on the Phase I experience, we have made a lot of changes to the new coaches, said Rajeev Jyoti, president & managing director, India, Bombardier Transportation. The changes include an advanced braking system to keep the noise levels in check as the earlier coaches were very noisy. The airconditioning has also been improved so Delhiites can expect a cooler ride next time they board a Metro train. The bogie design has been improved and the flooring quality upgraded to ensure a smoother ride. Keeping in view the high security threat on the Metro, the coaches are also equipped with CCTV cameras to track unusual movement.
The Delhi Metro currently operates across 78 km and will spread to over 190 km by 2010, making it one of the largest networks in the world. More than two million people are expected to travel by the Delhi Metro daily by next year making the timely delivery of coaches imperative.
The first Bombardier Movia train has been wheeled out of the Savli facility in a record 18 months from the time the factory was set up including the time taken to set up the factory. "This is the fastest in the 150 year old history of Bombardier, and a record even for us, said Stephane Rambaud Measson, president, passengers division, Bombardier Transportation.
The coaches are state-of-the-art these have been made using the most advanced manufacturing technology such as spot-welding robots, being used for the first time in the country for rail carbody manufacturing. The coaches are about 35-40% indigenous, as a large part of the spare parts, have also been manufactured by local vendors.

Source :http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Obama: 'Moment is Now' to Press for Mideast Peace

Obama: 'Moment is Now' to Press for Mideast Peace
By Paula Wolfson Dresden 05 June 2009

One day after delivering a speech to the Muslim world, U.S. President Barack Obama pushed for progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and in negotiations on Iran's nuclear ambitions. The president spoke after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Dresden.

President Obama is calling on all parties to redouble efforts to get the Mideast peace process going again.

"The moment is now for us to all act on what we know to be the truth, which is that each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises," he said.

U.S. President Barack Obama (2ndR) signs the golden book under the eyes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2ndL) at Dresden Castle, 05 June 2009

At a news conference with Chancellor Merkel in the courtyard of Dresden Castle, the president was asked to explain the reason why he believes the time is right for progress in a peace process that has been stalemated for years.

He pointed to the actions taken by his administration since taking office in January. Mr. Obama said the commitment shown early on has made a difference.

"We have only been in office five months and yet we have seen extraordinary activity already on this issue," he said. "And that sent a signal to all the parties in the Middle East that we are serious."

Mr. Obama pointed to his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And he noted his special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, will be returning to the region next week.

"I think given what we have done so far, we have at least created the space, the atmosphere in which talks can restart," said Mr. Obama.

The president said he reviewed the prospects for peace with Chancellor Merkel. He said it was part of a productive discussion that also included economic matters, and efforts to restart talks between Iran and negotiators for the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.

The talks were part of a visit that was steeped in symbolism. President Obama and Chancellor Merkel met in Dresden - a city destroyed by allied bombers during World War II. After their talks, they were to travel by helicopter to the Buchenwald concentration camp where tens of thousands of people - most of them Jews - died during the Nazi Holocaust.

President Obama said his pilgrimage to Buchenwald is personal, noting his great-uncle was part of an American military unit that liberated the camp.

"…and it was a memory that burned in him for quite some time," he said.

Speaking through a translator, Chancellor Merkel said she was moved by the president's decision to go to Buchenwald.

"Buchenwald is one example of these horrible concentration camps liberated by American troops," said Mrs. Merkel.

Nobel prize-winning writer Elie Weisel - a holocaust survivor - was expected to accompany the president to the site. Weisel was once a prisoner at Buchenwald

Source :http://www.voanews.com/english

Obama calls for new effort for 2-state solution

Obama calls for new effort for 2-state solution

By MARK S. SMITH, Associated Press Writer

DRESDEN, Germany – Prodding the international community, President Barack Obama called Friday "for all of us to redouble our efforts" toward separate Israeli and Palestinian states. "The moment is now for us to act," he declared.
Alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel one day after his trip to the Middle East, Obama said: "The United States can't force peace upon the parties." But he said America has "at least created the space, the atmosphere, in which talks can restart."
The president announced that he was sending special envoy George J. Mitchell back to the region next week to follow up on his speech in Cairo a day earlier in which he called for both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to give ground in the longtime standoff toward the elusive goal of peace.

Obama says Israel must live up to commitments it made under the so-called "Road Map" peace outline to stop constructing settlements and that the Palestinians must control acts and statements that incite violence.
Fresh from visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Obama said that while regional powers and the entire international community must help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace, "ultimately the parties involved have to make the decision that the prosperity and security of their people are best served" by an accord.
Merkel, for her part, promised to cooperate in her own right on this long-sought goal. She said the two leaders discussed a timetable for a peace process but did not elaborate.
"I think that, with the new American government and the president, there is a truly unique opportunity to revive this peace process or, let us put this very cautiously, this process of negotiations," Merkel said.
Added Obama: "I think the moment is now for us to act on what we all know to be the truth, which is each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises."
He renewed his call for Israel to halt settlement activity in the West Bank and follow through on such previously made commitments, adding: "I recognize the very difficult politics in Israel of getting that done and I'm very sympathetic to how hard that will be." He also pressed Palestinians anew to dial back anti-Israel rhetoric that is not constructive to the peace process. Obama said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "has made progress on this issue, but not enough."
Touching on an issue that has strained the American-German relationship, Obama also said he didn't seek any commitments from Germany as the United States seeks to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and determines what to do with the terrorism suspects held there. The United States has asked Germany to take a dozen prisoners, although German officials have said most should be resettled in America.
Merkel said her country is prepared to "constructively contribute" to U.S. closure efforts and said she was confident of eventually reaching a "common solution" on the prisoners' fate.
On economic matters, Obama said he's seen "some progress" in bringing stability to the world in the wake of the deep recession that has crisscrossed the continents in recent months, and said he and Merkel agreed that they must continue to "work very closely together" to restore stability. Addressing climate change, Obama also said "we're going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster."
The two leaders spoke to reporters after meeting privately at a castle in this east Germany city that has bitter wartime memories. Starting on the night of Feb. 13, 1945, first British, then American bombers pounded the defenseless and largely non-strategic architectural gem, igniting a firestorm in which 25,000 people died — and in so doing, creating an enduring controversy.
Obama did not address the firebombing, and was in Dresden at the invitation of Merkel, who hails from her country's East.
Later, Obama was ready to tour the Buchenwald concentration camp, where an estimated 56,000 people perished. Most were Jews — worked to death, shot or hanged by Nazi guards.
In his Thursday speech in Egypt, Obama issued a scathing indictment of those who question the Holocaust, saying that to do so "is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful."
"Threatening Israel with destruction or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews is deeply wrong and only serves to evoke in the minds of the Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve," Obama added. It was a pointed message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has expressed doubts that 6 million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis and who has urged that Israel be wiped from the map.
On Friday, the president added: "The international community has an obligation, even when it's inconvenient, to act when genocide is occurring."
Obama is the first U.S. president to visit Buchenwald, and the stop was personal. A great-uncle helped liberate a nearby satellite camp, Ohrdruf, in early April 1945 just days before other U.S. Army units overran Buchenwald.
Ohrdruf no longer stands. But Buchenwald's main gate, crematorium, hospital and two guard towers have been kept as a memorial.
Accompanying Obama to the site was Elie Wiesel, a 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and Holocaust survivor, who as a boy was taken to Auschwitz, then to Buchenwald, where his father died in 1945 three months before liberation.
Following the tour, Obama was flying to Landstuhl medical hospital for private visits with U.S. troops recovering from wounds sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he was ending the day in Paris — reuniting with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha, who planned a brief holiday in the City of Light after commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Allies' D-Day invasion in France.
___
Associated Press Writers Jennifer Loven in Dresden, Melissa Eddy in Berlin and Jochen Wiesigel in Ohrdruf contributed to this report.
Source :http://news.yahoo.com

World Reaction Mixed On Obama's Cairo Speech

World Reaction Mixed On Obama's Cairo Speech

By Elizabeth Lee
Washington

President Obama speaks to Muslims in Cairo, 4 Jun 2009

President Obama's much anticipated speech to Muslims was watched by people of all faiths around the world. The reaction ranges from praises for a new beginning in Muslim-American relations to skepticism about setting words to action.

From the Gaza Strip to Kabul to Washington, D.C., the world held its breath as President Obama made his historic speech to the Muslim world. "I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world," he said.

The most anticipated topic was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On this issue, Mr. Obama was clear. "The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides through two states where Israelis and Palestians live in peace and security," he said.

Palestinian family watches President Barack Obama's speech in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, 04 Jun 2009

The speech drew mixed reactions from around the world.

In Jerusalem, Israel's government expressed optimism, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not endorsed the idea of a Palestinian state. "Israel shares the hope expressed by President Obama that his efforts will indeed lead to a new period of peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. a period where Israel will be recognized as a Jewish state and that we can live without fear of violence and terrorism," said government spokesman Mark Regev.

Saeb Erekat

Saeb Erekat, a chief advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said he is optimistic that this American president will be friendly towards his people. "Now I hope that in the next few months, President Obama will lay a real plan with time lines, monitors and mechanisms to implement and translate the vision of two states to a realistic political track," he said.

Mahmoud Rahahi

But Mahmoud Rahahi, an official of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, criticized the speech. "President Obama asked Hamas to stop the rockets, at the same moment, he did not speak of anything about 1,500 Palestinians killed in the last invasion of Israel in Gaza," he said.

Aliza Herbst

On the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler Aliza Herbst said Mr. Obama's speech will not bring peace. "I think we have to face, the Israelis in general will have to face a very very difficult situation in the international community. It has been difficult. I think as a result of Obama it will be more difficult," she said.

Wadir Safi

But Wadir Safi, a professor at Kabul University, said, the speech held promise. He appeared in a special report by the VOA. "I have not heard until now from none of the American presidents so much clear and knowledgeable speech about Islam," he said.

In the West, the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana also praised the speech. "Everybody is positively impressed. And I think that the climate that the speech has created is very constructive and positive. Now what we cannot do is fail," he said.

Khadija Athman

In Washington DC, the Council on American Islamic Relations, held a gathering to watch Mr. Obama's speech. The group had been critical of Bush administration policies. One member of the organizaton, Khadija Athman, was upbeat. "I think I have never been more proud of our president right now," she said.

Observers around the world seem to agree that Mr. Obama's speech will have little impact if it is not followed by action.

Source : www.voanews.com

Nokia has launched Nokia 2730 classic, Nokia 2720 fold and Nokia 7020

Nokia has launched its new three lower cost mobile phone models in Finland, all priced below 100 euros. The Nokia 2730 classic, Nokia 2720 fold and Nokia 7020 each come Internet-ready, and work with Nokia’s range of emerging market services such as Nokia Life Tools and Ovi Mail.

Nokia Life Tools is a service that enables people to make better informed decisions, find timely and relevant information, access learning opportunities and enjoy entertainment regardless of time or place. Another service aimed at the developing world is Ovi Mail, which has the potential to be the first digital identity for many people in emerging markets. Unlike most other email services, an Ovi Mail account can be created and used directly on a Nokia device without ever having to use a PC.

Nokia 2730 classic

Nokia 2730 classic is Nokia’s cheapest 3G phone offering faster access to the internet and a richer browsing experience. With the steady spread of 3G data networks across the developing world, the Nokia 2730 classic is ideal for staying connected with friends and family, and sharing one’s life with others. The new 3G handset is targeted at entry-level prepaid users in both developing and developed markets.

Features:

• Dual-band UMTS and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Speakerphone
• Messaging and e-mail
• Wireless Web browser
• Music player
• 2-megapixel camera
• Bluetooth v2.0
• PC syncing
• GPS with Nokia Maps
• Personal organizer
• microSD card slot
• 3.5mm headset jack

The Nokia 2730 classic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of EUR 80 ($108) before subsidies and taxes.

Nokia 2720 fold

The Nokia 2720 fold is a compact fold phone with an exciting mirror-effect design, which helps people stay organized with easy access to email, calendar, Internet connectivity and file sharing applications. Email can be activated by completing a simple three step set-up process, and in select markets will be offered with Nokia Life Tools.

Features

• Dual-band GSM/GPRS support
• Bluetooth
• Personal organizer
• Messaging and e-mail
• 1.3-megapixel camera
• MP3 media player
• FM radio
• Voice recorder
• Wireless Web browser
• Speakerphone

The Nokia 2720 fold is expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of EUR 55 (US$74) before subsidies and taxes.

Nokia 7020

A fashionable fold phone that uses light, color and metal finishes to convey personal style, you will never miss a thing with the stardust effect when you get a call or message, or tap twice to have the cover light up. Connect to social networks, and share pictures taken with the 2 mega pixel camera and shown on the bright display.

Features

• 2-megapixel camera
• Speakerphone
• Music player
• Voice commands
• GPS with Nokia Maps
• Bluetooth
• Personal organizer
• Messaging and e-mail
• Wireless Web browser
• Support for EDGE networks

The Nokia 7020 is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of EUR 90 (US$122) before subsidies and taxes. It will sport four different color versions: Graphite, Hot Pink, Silver and Blue.

Source : www.articles2u.com