Colombian judges deny Alvaro Uribe third term poll

The Colombian constitutional court has rejected a referendum which could have led to President Alvaro Uribe running for a third term in office.

The court voted 7-2 against a proposal backed by parliament to hold a vote on amending the constitution to allow for three terms.

Mr Uribe won an amendment in 2005 that let him run for a second term in 2006.

The president remains popular in Colombia, but the constitution bars him from being a candidate again.

He had not said publicly that he hoped to stand in the 30 May election but analysts expected that he would.

After the ruling, Mr Uribe said he accepted and respected the court’s decision, which is not subject to appeal.

‘Democratic principle’

Alvaro Uribe is a close ally of the US, which has poured many millions of dollars into Colombia to support its fight against drug cartels and the left-wing Farc insurgency.

Last year, Colombia’s Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed the proposed amendment on term limits.
… Continue Reading

Toyota boss Akio Toyoda apologises for faults

Toyota’s president has apologised to the US Congress and American Toyota owners for safety problems that led to deaths and worldwide recalls.

Akio Toyoda said he was “deeply sorry” for any incidents which had occurred as a result of failures with accelerators and brakes on several models.

Mr Toyoda pledged his “full co-operation” with the US investigation.

But, under questioning, he insisted no faults had been discovered with the electronics of any of its vehicles.

He pledged that an independent, outside advisory board would look into the issue.

‘Not safe’

Toyota has recalled about 8.5m vehicles worldwide.
… Continue Reading

Toyota president testifies before Congress

Akio Toyoda, the president and CEO of Toyota, and Yoshimi Inaba, president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, answer questions from members of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee on the recall of 8 million vehicles worldwide. All updates are Eastern Standard Time.

(CNN) — 6:50 p.m. — Toyoda tears up and pauses for composure as he thanks the audience for their support. He describes the hearing as an opportunity to remind customers of the company’s commitment to quality and safety. “We have to rethink everything about our operations to regain customers’ confidence,” he says, reading from a statement in English. “We have to reassert the values that have been our hallmark.”

6:45 p.m. — A plant worker from Kentucky and a dealer from Texas join Inaba and Toyoda onstage at the National Press Club, where the two men receive a standing ovation.

5:50 p.m. — Toyoda makes a brief statement after the hearing thanking Congress and again pledging to change how Toyota handles complaints. He then makes his way through a dense crowd to a Toyota Highlander waiting for him outside. He is due to speak to an audience of Toyota dealers at the National Press Club in Washington later in the evening.

5:37 p.m. — Chairman Edolphus Towns thanks the men for coming in voluntarily and says he considers their appearance a sign of their commitment to addressing problems. The panel is adjourned.

5:34 p.m. — Rep. Driehaus reads a letter from a driver who experienced sudden acceleration in his 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The driver said he had no mats and used to race cars. Toyoda says tests conducted so far have not demonstrated the same phenomenon and believes the system is safe, but pledges to continue testing.
… Continue Reading

Roaming abroad

India’s biggest mobile-phone operator makes a move on Africa

AS THE orchestra of chirrups and pings in any public place in the rich world attests, the market for mobile phones in developed countries is saturated—and even in some developing ones opportunities for growth are running short. So big mobile operators, including those from emerging economies, are looking for growth wherever it can be found. Bharti Airtel, the biggest Indian operator when measured by subscribers, said on Monday February 15th that it is hoping to expand beyond one of the world’s fastest growing markets and into another. It is in talks with Zain, a Kuwaiti telecoms company, to buy its sub-Saharan assets for $10.7 billion and bring together African and Indian mobile-phone expertise.

Bharti has tried to move into Africa before. Two previous efforts to merge with South Africa’s MTN fell through, the latest in September last year. The deal was blocked by South Africa’s government, which was unwilling to let go of a national champion. If the new deal proceeds Bharti should find a warmer welcome in the 15 countries, including Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania, where Zain provides mobile phones to some 42m customers.

Although the mobile-phone business is still booming in India, growth there is slowing. Competition, not least from operators based in the rich world, has brought the number of mobile operators in the country to 12 and a brutal price war is under way. Recent new arrivals include Norway’s Telenor and Japan’s NTTDoCoMo. Penetration rates in India are at around 50% compared with 40% in much of Africa. Bharti sees a chance to stake a claim in the fastest growing region in the world and to do so profitably.
… Continue Reading

Andy Powell removed from Wales squad

Wales have dropped Andy Powell from the national squad following his drink-drive charge after an alleged golf buggy incident.

The back-row was arrested with another man at 0540 GMT on Sunday at services off junction 33 of the M4 near the team hotel in the Vale of Glamorgan.

That was hours after he played in the dramatic 31-24 win over Scotland.

Wales team manager Alan Phillips said: “This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated.”

Phillips revealed Powell has apologised to Wales’ management and was also asked to apologise to the hotel management before being asked to leave the squad.

A Welsh Rugby Union statement read: “After discussions with the player himself, it has been decided by management that he should be suspended from the squad for behaviour contrary to the squad’s code of conduct.”
… Continue Reading

Honda extends airbag recall by 437,000 cars

Honda has added 437,700 cars, mainly in North America, to its existing global safety recall over airbag inflation problems.

It broadens a recall announced in late 2008 for less than 4,000 Accord and Civic sedans, then expanded in mid-2009 to cover another 510,000 vehicles.

The latest announcement also covers Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Australia.

The fresh blow to Japanese carmakers came as Toyota recalled nearly half a million hybrid cars over faulty brakes.

Toyota has already had to bring millions of other vehicles back to dealerships amid accelerator and floormat problems.
… Continue Reading

Michael Jackson’s doctor denies manslaughter charge

Michael Jackson’s former doctor has denied a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s death, at a court in Los Angeles.

Dr Conrad Murray was bailed for $75,000 (£48,000) after pleading not guilty to “unlawfully, and without malice, killing Michael Joseph Jackson”.

A judge must decide whether to proceed to trial. A conviction could bring a jail term of up to four years.

Jackson died at his home on 25 June last year at the age of 50.

His death was ruled as homicide, mainly caused by the anaesthetic Propofol.

‘Not enough’

A cocktail of drugs – including sedatives Midazolam and Diazepam, the painkiller Lidocaine and the stimulant Ephedrine – were also detected in his body, a coroner confirmed.
… Continue Reading

Coming to Milwaukee: A Chinese mega-mall?

Beijing, China (CNN) — A Beijing-based company will soon open a Chinese-style mega shopping mall in the most unlikely of places: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“The cost of doing business there is very low,” said Wu Li, president of Toward Group. “The people are friendly, the environment is peaceful and the pace of living is slow. It is a good place for Chinese enterprises to go abroad.”

Loaded with cash, credit and encouraged by the government to expand overseas, Chinese companies have been investing in property abroad at an increasingly rapid clip. While most are purchasing properties in traditional commercials centers like New York, few have ventured into the Rust Belt — until now.

“Americans should be prepared that more Chinese investors will buy up commercial real estate in the United States in 2010 to take advantage of low valuations in an improving economy,” said Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, a Shanghai-based market intelligence firm. “It could be a huge trend.”
… Continue Reading

Last speaker of ancient language of Bo dies in India

The last speaker of an ancient language in India’s Andaman Islands has died at the age of about 85, a leading linguist has told the BBC.

Professor Anvita Abbi said that the death of Boa Sr was highly significant because one of the world’s oldest languages – Bo – had come to an end.

She said that India had lost an irreplaceable part of its heritage.

Languages in the Andamans are thought to originate from Africa. Some may be 70,000 years old.

The islands are often called an “anthropologist’s dream” and are one of the most linguistically diverse areas of the world.

‘Infectious’

Professor Abbi – who runs the Vanishing Voices of the Great Andamanese (Voga) website – explained: “After the death of her parents, Boa was the last Bo speaker for 30 to 40 years.

“She was often very lonely and had to learn an Adamanese version of Hindi in order to communicate with people.
… Continue Reading

US to probe Toyota Prius brake problems

The US Transportation Department has opened an investigation into brake problems in the 2010 Toyota Prius.

The move follows an admission from Toyota that it had had a problem with the brake system in the hybrid, which the carmaker said was fixed in January.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 124 reports from drivers about the issue, including four of crashes.

There have been no reports of any such accidents in the UK.

The investigation will look into allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while travelling over uneven road surfaces, potholes or bumps. However it will not suspend sales.

This latest alarm for the beleaguered carmaker – the world’s number one – follows worldwide recalls of almost eight million cars due to separate floor mat and pedal problems.

No Prius recall
… Continue Reading