More carmakers caught in headlights of VW engine-rigging scandal

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Volkswagen has admitted it installed illegal software into 11 million 2.0 liter and 3.0 liter diesel engines worldwide (AFP Photo/Josh Edelson)

Volkswagen emissions scandal

Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission

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Analsyts say it is irresponsible to link the crash of a Ukraine International Airline Boeing 737-800 to the 737 MAX accidents (AFP Photo/INA FASSBENDER)

Missing MH370 likely to have disintegrated mid-flight: experts

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A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 commercial jet.

QZ8501 (AirAsia)

Leaders see horror of French Alps crash as probe gathers pace

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Customs office notches up huge haul


Mariani Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/30/2008 11:02 AM  

State income from import and export duties and fines imposed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang has increased by 50 percent in 2008 from last year's figures. 

The airport recorded Rp 9 trillion (US$780 million) in duties and fines from cargo and airline passengers, up from Rp 6 trillion last year, Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at the airport's Customs and Excise Office, said Monday. 

"It's 160 percent higher than our target," he added. 

He said the increase was due to higher trade and more stringent customs checks. The airport has not seen a significant decline in the transfer of goods, despite the global financial downturn, but lower traffic is expected over the next six months. 

"In any case, we will step up our checks to ensure steady state income and to prevent goods entering that may harm local industries, because the decline in exports to the United States and Europe may cause more goods to enter Indonesia," Eko said. 

Customs officials have raised their guard to tackle more offenses, from tampering with the prices of goods to trafficking. 

"Many (exporters and importers) declare lower prices for their products, but we check them first before giving them clearance," Eko said. 

"If we find any inconsistencies, we can fine them even more than the original duties they should have forked out. The law says fines can range from 100 to 1,000 percent." 

Importers and exporters can challenge such punishment at the tax court. 

"But the percentage of people who take it up at court is very small," he added. 

Customs officials at the airport also foiled 400 cases of attempted trafficking this year. 

"Most of the would-be smugglers were airline passengers or courier services. We imposed Rp 6 billion in fines for those who tried sneaking past customs without paying. It was mainly mobile phones and medicine they were trying to get through," he said. 

Along with collecting duties, customs officials also busted 13 cross-border drug trafficking attempts 32 domestic ones. Last year, only two attempts were foiled. 

This year's achievement was in spite of the more streamlined customs office. 

"The total number of customs officials was reduced from 700 to 500. For the checking and monitoring department, there are 120 officers, down from 150 last year. It is not always the case that more manpower means more effective work. However, the ideal case is to have more members and still work effectively," Eko pointed out. 

"Ideally, there are at least 165 checkpoints with monitoring devices throughout the airport. But we only have eight devices, so the rest must be done manually." 

The airport is looking to increase the number of devices and adopt a computerized checking system, as well as put up more CCTV cameras next year. A laboratory is planned for checking chemical compounds, and intensified training for sniffer dogs is in the works. 

"We submitted our budget to the government in the middle the year, and we're now awaiting their decision," he said. 

Custom officials pay particular attention to flights to and from gateways that traditionally net more offenses, including Germany, the Netherlands, China, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

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