Saudi Arabian Women Urged To Protest Against Driving Ban By Getting Behind The Wheel On October 26

Huffington Post UK, Sara C Nelson, 23/09/2013

A new campaign urging Saudi Arabian women to hold a “day of defiance” against the country’s driving ban is underway.

An online petition entitled “Oct 26th, driving for women”, had, at time of press, amassed more than 8,000 signatures in just two days.

Literature on the website reads: “The campaign has no anti-Islamic or political agenda for neither Islam nor the official laws of Saudi prohibit women from driving.

Saudi Arabian women are being urged to hold a 'day of defiance'
against the country's driving ban

“Islam and the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia both ensure that all, regardless of gender, have the right to freedom of movement. King Abdullah has also stated the ban is only societal.”

It urges women and men alike to sign the petition and share it on social media sites. Women are also encouraged to drive, have lessons and post videos of themselves doing so.

Though it’s technically not illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, a fatwa issued in the '90s banned the act, making it very difficult for women to get around town without a man, CNN reports. A statement from the Ministry of Interior backed up the decree.

Allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia would also mean no more virgins and an increase in homosexuality, according to academics at Saudi Arabia’s highest religious council, Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala, it was reported in the Telegraph in 2011.

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More pornography would be used if women were allowed on the roads and rates of prostitution and divorce would also rise, the report added.

The upcoming day of defiance follows the work of the Women2Drive campaign, which also calls for “freedom drivers” to take to the roads in protest. The face of the movement is Manal al-Sharif, who was arrested in May 2011 after uploading a video of herself driving through the streets of the city of Khobar in Saudi Arabia.

In 2005, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of the Interior, Prince Naif, told the Saudi Press Agency that the controversy over driving is an exaggerated one. He believes "that this is a controversy which has no meaning because it is a social matter to be decided by society. It looks like some people want to make it an issue, but it’s not," he said.

Because Saudi Arabia doesn’t have reliable public transportation, women are wholly dependent on male relatives or hired drivers to go to the supermarket, school, work or even the hospital.

Religious police only recently lifted a ban on females riding motorbikes and bicycles – as long as they wear the full-length veil and are accompanied by a male relative.

The Gulf Kingdom is governed by Sharia law, and it is illegal for Saudi women to travel abroad without male accompaniment. They may only do so if their guardian agrees by signing a document know as a 'yellow sheet' at an airport or border crossing.

In November 2012 it emerged women were being electronically monitored with authorities using SMS to track them and inform their husbands of their where abouts.

It was only in 2011 that women were given the right to vote and run for office in municipal elections in 2015.

Pentagon inspectors find hundreds of JSF deficiencies: Bloomberg

DutchNews.nl, Thursday 26 September 2013

JSF (NOS)

The Pentagon’s inspector general has identified ‘hundreds of deficiencies’ in the JSF jet fighter programme, just days after the Netherlands agreed to buy 37 of the aircraft.

News agency Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon’s watchdog has criticised ‘ineffective management’ by Pentagon staff and ‘insufficient attention to quality assurance in the design and manufacturing phases’ of the plane.

In addition, the F-35 programme office should modify its contracts to ‘include a quality escape clause, to ensure the government does not pay for nonconforming product,’ according to the report summary.

The report says the deficiences are now being addressed.

Dutch defence minister Jeanine Hennis announced last week that the government has agreed to spend €4.5bn on 37 JSF aircraft, to replace the ageing fleet of F-16s.

However, there are still deep divisions within the coalition Labour party and the decision still has to be put to a vote in parliament.

Column: JSF - a good story or fairytale?

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China to launch satellite in search of dark matter

Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-09-26

The launch of the FY-3A weather satellite, Sept 23. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's top scientific research institute is in the process of developing five space research satellites, including one for the detection of dark matter particles.

"We expect to launch at least three to four of them before 2015," said Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the first meeting of the academy's newly founded advisory committee in Beijing Tuesday.

The other four satellites include one for the conduct of quantum science experiments, an X ray telescope, a retrievable scientific study satellite and a solar activity study satellite, Bai said.

Related Article:

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer zeroes in on dark matter

"Recalibration of the Universe"– Jan 25, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text Version)

“… The entire galaxy revolves as one plate, in a very counter-intuitive way. The stars and the constellations do not orbit within the rules of Newtonian physics that you are used to seeing all around you in your own solar system. For the stars and clusters in your galaxy, distance from the center does not matter. All the stars rotate as one. This is because the galaxy is entangled with the middle of itself. In that state, there is no time or distance. The change of consciousness on this planet has changed the center of the galaxy. This is because what happens here, dear one, is "known" by the center.

It's interesting to us what your reaction to all this is scientifically. You saw that the "creative event" of your Universe is missing some energy in order for it to have formed as it did. In addition, the unusual way the galaxy rotates, as I just stated, was also noted. So you have calculated that for all this to be in place, there has to be missing 3D matter, and you have given it a name - dark matter. How funny! Did you ever think that there could be a multidimensional effect going on that you now can observe and calculate - that has immense power, but can't be seen? It's not "matter" at all and it's not 3D. It's quantum energy.

Let me tell you something about physics. Yet again, I'll make it simple. Everything your scientists have seen in physics happens in pairs. At the moment, there are four laws of physics in your three-dimensional paradigm. They represent two pairs of energy types. Eventually, there will be six. At the center of your galaxy is what you call a black hole, but it is not a single thing. It is a duality. There is no such thing as "singularity". You might say it's one energy with two parts - a weak and a strong quantum force. And the strangest thing is it knows who you are. It is the creator engine. It's different in other galaxies than this one. It's unique.

The very physics of your galaxy is postured by what you do here. The astronomers can look into the cosmos and they will discover different physics in different galaxies. Could it be that there's something going on in the other galaxies like this one? I'm not going to answer that. 

“… By the way, what happens to the solar system when the magnetics shift? Now you start to see where astrology will begin to shift as well. There are those who will start to apply the quantum filter to astrology. It's happening now. What is your quantum sign? It's different than the three-dimensional sign. Oh, there'll come a day, dear ones, in science, where the scientists will be able to apply what I will call a quantum filter to alter what they see. This will be a filter developed for telescopes that involves a super-cooling of the filter itself. Astronomers will be able to look out into the cosmos and, for the first time, see quantum attributes.

The first thing they'll notice is two things in the center of the galaxy, not one. The next thing will be the colors around the Human Being. And science will start a whole new section called "The Study of the Human Auric Energy." All of these are coming.  …”

"THE NEXT 18 YEARS"–  Dec 2, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

(Subjects: You are looking  at a Quantum event, clearing a filter - Portal pineal , Higher self to step forward and communicate to You, Still remains in 3D but exposure to multi dimensions, Evolution of humanity, Intent, Mayan Calendar, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, 26.000 Years, Milky Way, Nostradamus, 1987, Beginning to a New Time, Channellers/Teachers, Center of Galaxy – Black hole, Bridge of Swords, Pleiadians, Children, Inventions – The discoveries (e.g. : Airplanes - Medicines – Radio .. ): These new Discoveries were given all over the planet when Human consciousness was ready for it. New Inventions are coming, the timing depends on how the middle East problems are solved, Biology reaction of quantum energy; new radio of the future, seeing quantum energy, when it is revealed all science books will have to be rewritten, This will be an AHA moment – be possible to communicate with the rest of Galaxy, NASA, Church/Religion will be effected the most by these discoveries, The quantum discovery will see the grid, life, gardens and will redefine life, DNA (3 billion pieces) evolving piece DNA are chancing, Gaia/Humanity are linked, new instruments will start to reveal the DNA variance, Evolution revealed: Autistic children have born with the removal of their 3D structure in the brain, Gaia/Spirit are testing these quantum beings  (Evolved DNA), Universe central clock = Rifs,  Globally there will be only 5 currencies, Wars on earth will be declared barbaric, Middle East, Global Unity, .. etc.)

Beijing to subsidize new-energy vehicles through 2015

Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-09-19

Visitors check out the latest models at the New Energy Auto Show
in Jinan, Shandong province, on Aug. 24. (Photo/Xinhua)

Subsidies will be provided to help promote new-energy vehicles from 2013 to 2015, China's Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday.

Manufacturers of pure electric automobiles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles will be eligible for the subsidies, a ministry notice said. Government organizations, public institutions and public transportation will be key targets for the new policy.

The subsidy standards will be rated following basic price differences between new-energy automobiles and their traditional counterparts, but will decrease each year due to scale of production and technological progress.

Central financial authorities will also reward pilot cities with subsidies in proportion to their investment in building charging equipment.

The key target regions will be mega-cities or city clusters as they are under heavy pressure to save energy and cut emissions, for example the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, the Yangtze River Delta area and the Pearl River Delta region. Previously, subsidies just went to pilot cities.

The notice was jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission.

To be a pilot city or cluster, they must provide plans on how they will promote new-energy vehicles and apply to the four departments, the notice said.

BMW sets its sights on innovative carbon-fiber future with i3 electric car

Deutsche Welle, 17 Sep 2013

BMW expects its new i3 car to accelerate electric mobility. The car goes into production this week. It's got an innovative carbon fiber body, making it lightweight. But the material is expensive.

"The revolution has begun," announced BMW's director of development, Herbert Diess, at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. Surrounded by video screens, he presented the star of his presentation: BMW's new electric i3 car.

What's truly revolutionary about the car is its body: rather than being made of heavy metal, it's made of light-weight carbon fiber.

BMW says shifting to carbon fiber will counteract the extra weight of the battery. It's heavy but will allow for an extended range when fully charged. The development also aims catapults this expensive material - which so far has only been used in the aeronautics industry and Forumla 1 car racing - from the luxury sector to the mass market.

And to get there, BMW has entered a joint venture with specialists, SGL Carbon.

Carbon rather than nuclear waste

In the 1980s, the industrial grounds at Wackersdorf, Bavaria, were the scene of protests by local residents, who were opposed to a planned nuclear waste reprocessing plant.

Today, the site is being used to process the fiber of the future.

It's here that large machines will process kilometers upon kilometers of black carbon fiber bundles, which have been delivered from the United States.

Wackersdorf is one of two sites run by SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers - the joint venture, comprising BMW and SGL Carbon. Its second factory is at Moses Lake, in the US state of Washington.

"We process carbon-fiber spools into sheets," says Katharina Schraidt. "You can think of them as wide mats - like carpets."

Carbon-fibers are woven into mats and rolled onto spools

Indeed, what the machines reel up look like large rolls of carpet found in a home improvement store. These are the raw materials that form the basis of the parts for the new i3.

Expensive material for mass production

It's hoped the joint venture will give BMW the decisive edge when it comes to carbon-based materials of the future. But not without investment.

"Carbon is very expensive," Schraidt says. "No company has manufactured carbon for the mass market up to now."

So far, parts have only ever been processed by hand, piece-by-piece.

"That's not an option for us," says Schraidt. "We want to produce the i3 for the mass market."

BMW and SGL Carbon have been trying to make carbon parts affordable for years - and that's the thing about these machines at Wackersdorf.

The company has had over 100 employees working to produce the carbon mats since the end of July - with BMW focusing on the innovative material for its i3 electric car.

BMW is convinced that carbon possesses ideal properties.

"It's very sturdy, but it's much lighter than steel and aluminum," Schraidt points out.

The lighter the car, the longer the range.

"The greater the range, the more attractive the car."

Sporty, chic and futuristic: the i3 tanks up

The carbon-fiber mats are shaped into car body parts at a BMW plant at Landshut before being shipped to Leipzig, where the i3 is being assembled. Other components for the new electric car are being manufactured at BMW's largest plant in Dingolfing.

A true e-car

The car industry has been looking to the i3 with great anticipation - the move is being taken as the sign of a major carmaker placing its bets firmly on e-mobility.

"Of course we're sending a clear signal in the market," says Walter Huber, BMW spokesperson for the plants in Wackersdorf and Regensburg. "But it's a courageous step that we're very confident about."

BMW says it is not interested in simply rehauling a current model and turning it into an electric one. Huber says the i3 has been conceived as an electric car from the scratch - and not only the car body.

The i3 can be recharged via any electric socket and has a range of up to 150 kilometers (93 miles). Those eager to get behind the wheel, will not have to wait long: it's due on the road later this autumn.

Garuda Indonesia Awarded the Best Airline in Asia and Australasia

Jakarta Globe, ID/Inneke lady & ID/Tri Murti, September 12, 2013

Garuda Indonesia staff hold a welcoming ceremony outside the airline’s
Boeing Boeing 777-300ER. (Majalah Investor Photo/Uthan A Rachim)

National carrier Garuda Indonesia has been elected best airline in Asia and Australasia, beating established regional heavyweights Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines in the 2013 Passenger Choice Awards.

“Thanks to the strong commitment of management and employees in giving the best service, Garuda’s performance is being gradually acknowledged at an international level,” Garuda Indonesia’s president director Emirsyah Satar said in a statement on Wednesday. “This encourages Garuda to continue the Quantum Leap 2011-2015 program, in which the Garuda Group will be a five-star airline and operate 194 aircraft by 2015.”

The carrier currently operates a fleet of 124 planes.

The New York–based Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) ran the Anaheim, California event.

Garuda came out on top of five other finalists: Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand and Pakistan Airlines.

Passengerchoiceawards.com ran the online survey, and the Nielsen Company, a leading global survey institution, tabulated it.

Garuda was also chosen in the Top 5 Best Overall Passenger Experience category, together with Emirates, Etihad Airways, Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic; in the Top 5 Best Ground Experience category, along with Avianca, Delta Airlines, El Al Israel Airlines and Virgin America, Avianca and El Al Israel Airlines; and in the Top 5 Best Inflight Publication category, along with Avianca, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, and Taca International Airlines.

This latest accolade followed Garuda’s inclusion in the World’s Top 10 Airlines by Skytrax.

Garuda booked $1.73 billion in operational revenue in the first semester of 2013, up 14.1 percent from to the same period last year.

The increase was near-commensurate with the rise in the number of passengers Garuda Indonesia and its low-cost offshoot Citilink could accommodate. They issued a combined 11.9 million tickets in H1, 2013, a 23.96 percent increase from the first semester of 2012. Cargo transport also increased from 132.06 tons in the first half of 2012 to 172.26 tons this year.

Gerry Soejatman, an aviation analyst, said the award and recognitions indicated the airline’s progress, but that it still had much to do in order to realize its ambitions.

“This means the airline must keep developing to maintain its position,” he said, adding that Garuda needed to offer more flights to Europe.

Toyota’s Low-Cost Green Cars Agya, Ayla Start Drive on Indonesia’s Streets

Jakarta Globe, Carla Isati Octama & Tito Summa Siahaan, September 10, 2013

A Daihatsu Ayla at the 2012 Indonesia International Motor Show in
Kemayoran, Jakarta. (JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)

A year after the initial announcement, Japanese car manufacturer Toyota Motor and Astra International, Indonesia’s largest car distributor, introduced their low-cost and environmentally friendly vehicles on Monday and estimated that there would be sales of more than 30,000 units this year.

The cars — Astra Toyota Agya and Astra Daihatsu Ayla — have qualified for the government’s low-cost green car (LCGC) policy, which excludes the luxury tax on such cheap and environmentally friendly cars by between 25 percent and 100 percent.

Agya and Ayla are developed and produced by Astra Daihatsu Motor, Daihatsu’s joint venture with Astra International in Indonesia. Daihatsu is part of the Toyota group.

Both cars were modeled at the Indonesia International Motor Show in September last year with a price tag below Rp 100 million ($8,950), attracting tens of thousands of orders from customers in Indonesia. But the government was not able to complete the LCGC technical regulations — on which the cars’ cheap price relies — until July, substantially delaying production.

Now the companies have placed high hopes on the cars to boost sales this year.

“We are confident that the Agya, a car designed specifically to meet the needs of Indonesian consumers, will be popular,” said Johnny Darmawan, Toyota Astra Motor’s president director.

“The sale price for the Agya will range from Rp 99 million to Rp 120 million, with monthly sales target in 2013 of 5,000 units,” Johnny said.

“We hope Astra Daihatsu Ayla can contribute to the growth of car market and industry in Indonesia as expected by the government when they issued the LCGC regulation,” Sudirman MR, Astra Daihatsu Motor’s president director, said.

Toto Suryana, chief operation officer at Astra International, said the company expected Ayla — which will be sold at between Rp 76 million to Rp 107 million — to reach 16,000 units sales by the end of this year.

He said production had begun last week and consumers should expect to begin receiving the cars in the next two weeks.

The Agya and Ayla join other jointly developed TMC-Daihatsu vehicles on the Indonesian market, such as the Toyota “Avanza” and the Daihatsu “Xenia”.

Data released by the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) showed sales were up 12 percent to 601,952 units in the first half of the year. The group of 42 members has forecast car sales this year to hit 1.1 million units, matching last year’s result but suggesting a slowdown in the second half of the year.