Hiehie blog

Argentina, US tangle over military material

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina is accusing the U.S. military of trying to sneak guns and spy equipment into the country under the guise of providing a routine police training course — a charge disputed Monday by U.S. officials.

Argentine authorities say they seized nearly 1,000 cubic feet of undeclared equipment, describing it as machine guns and ammunition, drugs and spy equipment. It was on a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane that landed Thursday with material for a training course that a U.S. Special Forces team had been invited to provide to Argentina's federal police.

"Argentine law must be complied with by all, without exception," Foreign Minister Hector Timerman told Arturo Valenzuela, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, when Valenzuela called him to complain about how authorities handled the cargo, the ministry said.

Timerman also said Argentina would file an official protest in Washington and ask for a shared investigation into why the U.S. Air Force would try to violate Argentine law, the ministry said.

The seized material includes equipment "for intercepting communications, various sophisticated and powerful GPS devices, technological elements containing codes labeled secret, and a trunk full of expired medicine," the ministry said.

An Argentine federal judge is demanding a full accounting from the foreign ministry, and some lawmakers vowed to hold investigative hearings.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said he could not confirm if a protest had been filed, but he called on Argentina to return the U.S. equipment.

"We are puzzled and disturbed by the actions of Argentine officials," he told reporters in Washington.

Crowley called the search of the plane "unusual and unannounced" and said minor discrepancies in the manifest "were the kind of thing that could have been cleared up on the ground by customs officials."

The plane arrived at a sensitive time for Argentine-U.S. relations. Since the White House announced that President Barack Obama would visit Chile and Brazil but skip Argentina in his first trip to South America, Timerman has complained about U.S. military policies — in particular, training that the U.S. provides to Latin American police and military at the International Law Enforcement Academy in El Salvador.

The academy replaced the U.S. military's School of the Americas, where critics contend many Latin American military figures learned torture techniques that served the region's dictatorships in decades past. Human rights is a main thrust of the academy's curriculum, but Timerman has focused on the darker history.

A U.S. State Department official with knowledge of the events told The Associated Press that all the key material in the shipment was properly declared and authorized by Argentina, describing the undeclared equipment as a minor problem with the plane's manifest that could have been resolved privately.

For example, the official said, each machine gun and related equipment was declared. But extra gun barrels brought to replace barrels that overheat during live-fire exercises were seized because they lacked matching serial numbers, the official said.

The official agreed to discuss the matter only if not quoted by name because of the sensitivity of continuing talks over the issue.

Also seized was a U.S. medic's kit, brought along in case anyone got injured. While the kit was declared, all the drugs inside weren't individually listed, the official said.

The purported spy equipment is simply satellite phones, which the nine-member Special Forces training team carries with them in the field in case they must communicate through secure channels to their U.S. commanders, the official said. Only one of the three phones listed in the manifest was declared, and the inventory didn't specify all the related computer equipment or classified codes used to make the calls. All were seized, the official said.

"This elite team from the U.S. is on active duty. They're on call. They absolutely had to have it because at any moment if there was a hostage crisis that broke out in the world, they would have to leave and use it to communicate," the official said.

Stretchers, bandages and military rations make up most of the rest of the undeclared equipment. Argentine officials told the Americans during planning for the training course not to worry about declaring such material, the official said.

The course was canceled and the C-17 flew home with the Special Forces team, the official said.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Celebrate the New ibis Singapore with 5 of Your Friends

Ibis Hotels, one of the fastest growing brand in the Accor Group and a leading player in the economy hotel sector is set to launch its second landmark in Singapore on 2 April 2011. The new location at Novena, Singapore will add additional options for business executives and holidaymakers alike who seek a value for money experience in Singapore.

(PRWEB) February 9, 2011

Ibis Hotels, one of the fastest growing brand in the Accor Group and a leading player in the economy hotel sector is set to launch its second landmark in Singapore on 2 April 2011. The new location at Novena, Singapore will add additional options for business executives and holidaymakers alike who seek a value for money experience in Singapore.

In conjunction with the launch, ibis Singapore Novena has launched the “Celebrate the New ibis Singapore” campaign aimed at rewarding fans of the hotel with an exclusive stopover with 5 of their friends in Singapore to celebrate the launch. 5 lucky winners and their friends, a total of 30 people will be selected to spend 3 days and 2 nights at the new ibis Singapore Novena plus all winners will hop-on a double-decker bus and enjoy a 3-hour non-stop party on 2 April 2011. Each winner will enjoy 3 complimentary standard room stays from 2nd April to 4th April 2011 with daily buffet breakfast inclusive and enjoy a one-day hop-on hop-off FunVee City Tour of Singapore.

To enter, all you have to do is visitand follow the simple steps outlined. Visitors may choose to enter the contest via the website or through the popular social networking site Facebook and invite their friends to come along. By being a fan of ibis Singapore’s Facebook page, each participant increases his or her chances tri-fold. Contest ends 6 March 2011.

Ibis Hotels was introduced in Bencoolen, Singapore less than 2 years ago and quickly became a favourite among visitors from Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of the region for its value for money. The new addition will be located within walking distance of the Novena MRT station with quick 2-stop access to the famous Orchard Road shopping district as well as medical centres and hospitals around Novena.

Hotel ibis Singapore Novena offers 241 modern rooms equipped with a 32-inch LCD TV, complimentary broadband and Wi-Fi Internet access, in-room safe and a large bay window. It also operates an in-house laundrette and an in-house gym. Foodies may also sample the delicacies at the Oopen Pasta & Grill Restaurant (Halal) or relax at the cosy in-house bar.

About ibisibis, the worldwide economy hotel brand of the Accor group, offers consistent quality accommodation and services in all its hotels, for the best local value: a well-designed and fully-equipped en-suite bedroom, major hotel services available 24/7 and a wide choice of on-site food and beverage options. The quality of the ibis standard has been recognised by the International Organization for Standardization certification ISO 9001 since 1997. ibis is also the world’s first hotel chain to demonstrate its environmental commitment through securing the ISO 14001 certification, which has already been awarded to nearly one third of its hotels.

Established in 1974, ibis is the European leader and one of the first economy hotel chains in the world, with more than 102,000 rooms and 861 hotels in 45 countries.

About AccorAccor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 90 countries with 4,100 hotels and close to 500,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1, hotelF1 and Motel 6, and its related activities, Thalassa sea & spa and Lenôtre - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With 145,000 employees worldwide, the Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise.

###

J H TeohPR Agency60322872255Email Information

Bobcats beat Celtics, deny Allen record

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AFP) – Gerald Wallace scored 19 points, including the free throws that sealed victory with three seconds remaining, as Charlotte dealt Boston a 94-89 NBA defeat.

Shaun Livingston on Monday added a season-high 18 points and rarely-used Eduardo Najera made a key three-pointer as the Bobcats overcame the ejection of top-scorer Stephen Jackson and snapped a six-game losing streak against the Celtics.

Ray Allen scored 25 points for Boston and made two three-pointers, leaving him two shy of breaking Reggie Miller's NBA career record of 2,560 from behind the arc.

Allen appeared on pace to break the record when he drained his first long-range effort 51 seconds into the contest.

His second three-pointer didn't come until the third quarter, and they were the only three-pointers he attempted.

Paul Pierce added 22 points and Kevin Garnett grabbed 14 rebounds for the Celtics, who had only 10 players available.

The Celtics, who were coming off emotional games against surging Dallas and Eastern Conference rivals Orlando, ran out of steam against the Bobcats.

Charlotte, coming off losses to Miami and Dallas, received a boost from unlikely quarters.

Reserve point guard Livingston came in for an ineffective DJ Augustin and capitalized on his size advantage over Boston's Rajon Rondo.

Najera drained a three-pointer with 1:57 remaining to put Charlotte ahead 89-83.

The Celtics pulled within 90-87 in the final minute, but Pierce missed a layup and Charlotte's Nazr Mohammed hit one of two free throws with 21.7 seconds left.

That appeared to seal it, but Livingston fouled Pierce as the Celtic attempted a three-pointer. Pierce hit two of the three free throws before Wallace's free throws clinched the victory for Charlotte.

Jackson was sent to the locker room with 1:38 left in the second quarter when he wouldn't stop complaining about being called for a foul on Garnett.

MVP Rodgers leads Packers past Steelers 31-25

ARLINGTON, Texas – Absolutely no need to bring up Ol' What's His Name ever again. Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl championship quarterback in his own right.

And he's the game's MVP, too. That's an honor Brett Favre, his Green Bay Packers predecessor, never earned.

With precise passes and cool under pressure, Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday night to lead the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers for Green Bay's first NFL title since Favre's in the January 1997 Super Bowl.

Rodgers is 27 years old, just as Favre was then. And after biding his time as a backup until the Packers split with Favre, Rodgers has quickly established himself as one of the game's best. This was his third full season as a starting QB, and he was particularly good throughout the playoffs, leading the No. 6 seed Packers to three NFC road victories before winning the championship Sunday.

"I've never felt like there's been a monkey on my back. The organization stood behind me, believed in me," said Rodgers, general manager Ted Thompson's first-round draft choice six years ago. "I told Ted back in 2005 he wouldn't be sorry with this pick. I told him in '08 that I was going to repay their trust and get us this opportunity."

Sure did, then made the most of it by throwing two TD passes to Greg Jennings and one to Jordy Nelson.

Don't forget, Rodgers' strong performance came against Pittsburgh's defense, the one that limited opponents to a league-low 14.5 points per game this season, and the one that features NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison.

"He is the reason they won," Steelers defensive lineman Brett Keisel said.

Added Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin: "He showed his mettle and continued to stand in there and throw the football accurately."

That's not all Rodgers did. He changed plays at the last moment, reading the defense before the snap and adjusting. He overcame a poor start, a couple of key drops and a third-quarter lapse. And he did it all without the benefit of any help from a Packers running game that was limited to 50 yards.

"We put everything on his shoulders," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "He did a lot at the line of scrimmage for us against a great defense."

Rodgers was hardly perfect all game. But perhaps he could be forgiven if he was experiencing some jitters: After all, the guy only played in one playoff game in his career before this season.

"We kind of struggled at times on offense," Rodgers said.

That's true. He began the game by overthrowing receivers and generally being off-kilter, completing only one of his first five passes. But he knows a thing or two about slow starts.

Just look at Rodgers' career arc. Despite record-setting years during high school in Chico, Calif., the skinny Rodgers — he was 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds back then — was not seriously recruited by major college football programs. That was OK, though. Never let it bother him.

Rodgers went to a community college. Then he starred for two seasons at California. Finally, he was on everyone's radar, although he wound up sliding to when Green Bay picked 24th overall in 2005.

How good does that choice look now?

Against Pittsburgh, Green Bay's second drive began with Rodgers overthrowing Jennings. And then? Rodgers couldn't miss. He went 5 for 5 for 63 yards, finishing the possession with a 29-yard toss to Nelson.

"It was actually a screen play, but he (changed) to a go route," said Nelson, who set a team record for yards receiving in a Super Bowl with 140. "That's what we hit."

And when they did, Rodgers simply raised both arms in the familiar "Touchdown!" signal, then briefly embraced guard Daryn Colledge. Rodgers is a generally laid-back guy, and he does not engage in any of that wild running around and helmet-slapping Favre was so famous for when he was the player Cheeseheads loved the most.

Late Sunday, it was clear who's got their hearts now: Packers fans filled Cowboys Stadium with choruses of "Aa-ron Rodg-ers!" and "M-V-P!"

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, with his two previous Super Bowl championships, was supposed to be the one who would relish the grand stage. But while he was throwing two first-half picks, it was Rodgers who shined.

"I didn't expect anything less from A-Rod," Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji said.

Rodgers zipped a 21-yard pass down the middle to Jennings to put the Packers ahead 21-3. At that point, Rodgers was 11 for 16 for 137 yards and two TDs — making him 10 for 11 in the stretch that followed his rough start.

Early in the second half, though, Rodgers threw five consecutive incompletions. Drives were stalling. But Rodgers led a 55-yard touchdown drive after Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall fumbled.

On third-and-10, Rodgers connected with Nelson on a 38-yard catch-and-run, with the receiver eluding would-be tacklers. That set up Green Bay at Pittsburgh's 3, and on first down, Rodgers showed good judgment, holding onto the ball when he appeared to be looking to throw a jump-pass. Instead of forcing matters, Rodgers took the sack.

On second-and-goal from the 8, Rodgers spun a spiral to Jennings in the far corner of the end zone to put the Packers ahead 28-17. After Pittsburgh pulled within three points, Rodgers led Green Bay right back down the field for a field goal. On one vital third down, he hit Jennings for 31 yards down the seam.

"Outstanding throw," Jennings said.

Rodgers' work was done.

After the Packers stopped the Steelers' last drive, all he had to was walk on the field and kneel down to run out the clock. A short while later, Rodgers was clutching the Vince Lombardi Trophy, having joined Favre and Bart Starr as QBs who brought Super Bowl championships to the place they like to call Titletown USA.

V-Rooms Offer Free Data Upload for Canadian Clients

V-Rooms™, a leading virtual data room (VDR) provider, is offering its Canadian clients free data upload services to save costs associated with Canada’s new metered Internet usage laws, referred to as Usage-Based Billing (UBB)

Atlanta, GA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 04, 2011

V-Rooms™, a leading(VDR) provider, is offering its Canadian clients free data upload services to save costs associated with Canada’s new metered Internet usage laws, referred to as Usage-Based Billing (UBB).Clients may simply mail their files on CDs or DVDs to the V-Rooms staff, which will then upload their data for free, saving clients money in not exceeding bandwidth caps.

With UBB, Internet Service Providers (ISP) may provide end users with a very low upload/download cap, and charge them as they exceed that allowable amount. Monthly caps recommended have been as low as 25GB. For users who are viewing hundreds, possibly thousands, of documents and files in conjunction with a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction, the bandwidth may easily be exceeded.

For those Canadian companies who are involved in cross border transactions, V-Rooms provides for a significant cost savings since the V-Rooms servers and ISP are located within the U.S. Therefore, when these documents and files are accessed by non-Canadian based end users, the bandwidth limitations do not even come into consideration.

“We are offering this free data upload service for our Canadian clients.However, we feel that the costs associated with UBB upload/download bandwidth caps will prompt some companies to move technologically backward, relying on paper, fax and courier services to exchange sensitive information.Actually, a new company is offering to download information, burn CDs and ship to their Canadian customers," said Dan Bradbary, CEO of V-Rooms . “In reality, this type of data bandwidth restriction will tend to push business out of Canada into other countries, such as the U.S., where these restrictions do not exist. We just want to help our clients save money wherever they are located.”

In this era of the internet, when information sharing is at the touch of a button, the dilemma is how to keep sensitive corporate information confidential. With the current Wikileaks situation, having comprehensive document control features and audit trails will provide even more accountability in complex business transactions, and go a long way in controlling “data leakage”. The enactment of the Canadian UBB laws will be counterproductive to the handling of sensitive information and will be a technologically backwards step in the online sharing of corporate information.

About V-Rooms:Due Diligence Online, LLC (800-731-6379). V-Rooms provides a privately-branded online virtual data room solution, designed to streamline document management, collaboration, exchange and archiving for Investment Banking, Financial, Legal and Corporate professionals. Our document repository facilitates the compliant and auditable exchange of sensitive information to accelerate complex, information-intensive processes, while reducing the time and expenses associated with data distribution, courier, printing and travel.

# # #

Karen Perkins, PresidentV-Rooms800-731-6379Email Information