China - The world's second-biggest aircraft market

Airbus, the world’s largest commercial planemaker, won an order from China for 160 aircraft valued at around $17 billion, cementing a record year.

The deal comprises 110 A320s and 50 A330s, European Aeronautic, Defence & Space, CEO, Louis Gallois, Airbus’s parent, said after the contracts were signed in Beijing on Monday. The deal includes 10 A330 aircraft ordered by China Southern Airlines Co, according to an announcement at a news conference in Beijing on Monday.

The contracts are a boost for Toulouse, France-based Airbus as it struggles to end losses following a $6.8 billion charge from the A380 superjumbo and delays to its new A350 long-haul plane. Airbus and Chicago-based Boeing have benefited from a jump in sales to Asia and the Persian Gulf, sending annual orders at both manufacturers to record levels. Airbus will also award Chinese companies 5% of supply contracts for the 300-seat A350, including wing flaps and rudders, Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier said on Monday, without elaborating.

The European planemaker is building an assembly line in China. The executives are travelling with a trade delegation led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a three-day visit to China. Airbus’s new orders this year will surpass the 1,111 amassed in 2005.

Airbus had already won 1,021 new orders through the end of October and announced firm orders or commitments for 297 further planes at the Dubai Air show in mid-November. While Airbus is booking new orders at record rates, it faces huge financial challenges in coping with a weak dollar, the currency for aircraft purchases.

Airbus said on November 23 it may have to cut its e2 billion research budget to trim costs as the dollar’s decline becomes what Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders called “life threatening”. China’s economic growth, which more than doubled personal income in the past five years, is boosting demand for air traffic and airlines’ ambitions for expansion.

Passenger volume will have an annual 14.5% growth until 2010, according to estimates of the General Administration of Civil Aviation. Cargo volume will rise by an annual 13%.

Abdullah:Hindraf testing the government's patience

KAMPALA, Nov 25 -- Police had to be firm in dispersing the illegal gathering in Kuala Lumpur in the interest of public safety and security, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

He said the situation could have easily turned violent if police did not take the necessary action to break up the demonstration.

"I was told that one group of demonstrators pelted policemen and police vehicles (with stones and bricks) at Batu Caves and they also tore down the temple gate there," Abdullah told Malaysian reporters at the end of the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2007) here.

Abdullah said if police did not take the necessary action to disperse the crowd, others would have blamed them for not protecting the public.

However, police did not retaliate violently although they were provoked, he added.

To a question, Abdullah said those who had been organising street demonstrations seemed to be testing the government's patience.

"Don't abuse the freedom that has been given to you," he said, adding that those who took part in the illegal gathering would not go unpunished.

Abdullah said claims that a particular race was being marginalised was not true as there were poor and rich people among all races in the country.

He said if the Barisan Nasional government did not help the poor, it would have been rejected by the people long ago.

"In every society, there are poor people and we have been doing our best to help the Indian community through the MIC, and we will continue to help them," he said.

Abdullah also questioned Hindraf's (Hindu Rights Action Force) intention to go ahead with the demonstration despite police warning not to do so.

"If you want to submit a memorandum, there are other ways of doing it," he said, adding that action could also be taken against public servants who took part in the illegal demonstration.

He said the demonstration yesterday disrupted business and caused people, including tourists, to stay away from the city centre.

Abdullah also refuted claims that there was no democracy and media freedom in the country. (Bernama)

Three Hindraf leaders arrested under ISA

KUALA LUMPUR November 23, 2007: Police have arrested three Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) leaders under the Sedition Act on Friday.

P. Uthayakumar (photos), Hindraf's legal advisor was arrested Friday morning, while his brother Waythamoorthy, who is also the organisation's president, and S. Ganapathy Rao were arrested in the afternoon.

Uthayakumar was arrested under the Sedition Act at his office in Bangsar on Friday by five plainclothes policemen from the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam.

Uthayakumar, 46, was in his room working when the police came at about 10.30am. His secretary A. Shantha said the police had told the staff they wanted to serve a warrant on Uthayakumar.

"The policemen then approached Uthayakumar and before we knew it, he was arrested. The arrest was by the same team of policemen who had earlier gone to see Uthayakumar in his house in Bangsar at 7am to serve him with a court order," said Shantha.

The court order served on Uthayakumar in his house was issued by a Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court under Section 98 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

This section allows for a magistrate to issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance. The magistrate may direct a person to abstain from a certain act if the magistrate considers the intended action is likely to cause annoyance, injuries or endanger humans or lead to a riot.

The order is effective for seven days, until next Thursday.

Hindraf is planning a gathering on Sunday outside the British High Commission in Jalan Ampang.

At least 20,000 people are expected to take part in Sunday’s gathering and the protestors had been told to dress in orange.

The assembly is to submit a petition with 100,000 signatures to Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British government for bringing Indians as labourers to the then Malaya and exploiting them.

Ahmadinejad's behaviour is dangerous

In a rare attack on Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardline newspaper has accused him of behaving immorally towards his political rivals.

The Islamic Republic daily, close to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has said Mr Ahmadinejad's behaviour is dangerous for Iran.

The publication is seen as a newspaper with impeccable Islamic credentials.

The attack would be difficult to imagine without at least tacit support from Ayatollah Khamenei.

In a hard-hitting editorial on Wednesday, the Tehran paper said the president's treatment of his critics was immoral, illogical and illegal.

Losing support

It was referring to a recent speech by Mr Ahmadinejad when he described people opposed to his nuclear programme as traitors and accused some senior former nuclear negotiators of spying for foreigners.

The paper said Mr Ahmadinejad was using this tactic to discredit his political rivals prior to the parliamentary elections due early next year.

It called on Iran's judiciary to perform its duty and punish people who make baseless allegations and cause public anxiety.

Such a direct personal attack against President Ahmadinejad is indeed rare in official media in Iran.

It shows that the Iranian president is not only losing support among ordinary people because of economic hardship, he is also angering part of the establishment for using the nuclear issue to bolster his personal power. -BBC