US raises security alert for Americans

Citing the “uncertainty and volatility of the current situation” following the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, the US Department of State has issued a global alert warning American citizens against a possible outbreak of anti-US violence worldwide.

“The US Department of State alerts US citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan,” the agency’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (BCA) said in a May 1 advisory.

Australia issued a similar warning. In countries with significant Muslim populations, international schools, embassies and other potential targets were putting extra security measures in place in case of reprisals.
Britain confirmed it was taking extra precautions at its embassies around the world and its military bases were on heightened alert.

The global police agency Interpol also called for increased security measures, warning that the death of Bin Laden could provoke reprisal attacks around the world.

Supporters of Bin Laden’s violent campaign took to militant Internet sites to vow revenge.
“The lions will remain lions and will continue moving in the footsteps of Osama. O Allah, America will not enjoy safety and security until we live it in Palestine,” one user wrote on the Shumukh al-Islam forum.
“The celebrations are amusing. Cheer all you want infidel, you only have a limited amount of time in this life in which to do it,” another wrote.

While some experts said that Bin Laden’s death would damage al-Qaida’s brand image, and perhaps lead the organization to fracture still further along geographical lines, most predicted attacks would continue.

“The United States will unfortunately suffer, because jihadists have a tendency to avenge their slain chiefs,” warned Matthieu Guidere, a French academic who specializes in the Arab world.
After the death of the leader of al-Qaida’s group in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, in April 2006, his successor launched a wave of suicide attacks against US and Iraqi targets, Guidere noted.

And although the figurehead of the operation has died in a plush Pakistani mountain resort and garrison town north of Islamabad, al-Qaida militants in the field have long been acting independently.
“On a tactical level, the death of Bin Laden is not a decisive victory, as for many years he has not been an operational leader and the power has been in the hands of local commanders,” Guidere said.




Lost brand label
Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor at the Sciences-Po school in Paris and author of a book on al-Qaida, said Bin Laden’s death would accelerate the group’s existing division into separate fighting entities.
“Osama bin Laden’s leadership was in truth ideological. He was the only one able to unite all the disparate groups around the world,” said antiterrorist judge Marc Trevidic, saying al-Qaida had lost a brand label.
Nevertheless, Frank Faulkner, a senior lecturer in sociology and terrorism studies at the University of Derby in Britain, said that revenge attacks were inevitable.
“It’s just a case of when and where,” he said.




Extra vigilance
Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble urged “extra vigilance” from “law enforcement authorities to a heightened terror risk from al-Qaida affiliated or al-Qaida inspired terrorists as a result of Bin Laden’s death.”
“The world’s most wanted international terrorist is no more,” Noble said in a statement issued by his office.
“But the death of Bin Laden does not represent the demise of al-Qaida affiliates and those inspired by al-Qaida, who have and will continue to engage in terrorist attacks around the world,” he said.
“We therefore need to remain united and focused in our ongoing cooperation and fight, not only against this global threat but also against terrorism by any group anywhere,” he added.
Noble said Interpol, a global coordinating body based in France that works with national police forces in 188 member states, was “on full alert for acts of retaliation should al-Qaida try to prove they still exist.”




Limit travel, avoid rallies
The BCA strongly urged Americans “in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.”
US citizens should also “stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings … US citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest US embassy or consulate,” said the travel alert, which expires on Aug. 1.
It noted that “media coverage of local events may cause family and friends to become concerned for their loved ones traveling and residing abroad.”
“We urge US citizens to keep in regular contact with family and friends,” said the BCA.
The state department said US embassy operations in affected areas would continue to the extent possible under the constraints of any evolving security situation.
“US government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, US embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to US citizens,” it said.
On Monday, Rebecca B. Thompson, spokesperson of the US embassy in Manila, did not comment on the travel alert.
Instead, Thompson referred the Philippine Daily Inquirer to the BCA website —www.travel.state.gov— which she said “has the most up-to-date information.”




NAIA alert
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has placed four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) under “heightened alert” status following Bin Laden’s death.
In a May 2 memorandum, Vicente Guerzon Jr., MIAA assistant general manager, said the move was necessary “as a precautionary measure to ensure the security and safety of airport users, as well as protect airport infrastructure.”
Guerzon said the following security measures shall be immediately implemented at NAIA Terminals 1 to 4:
• Strict access control procedures for both personnel and vehicles.
• Rigid inspection of airline passengers and cargo at security checkpoints.
• Intensified police visibility as well as K-9 paneling at the terminals.
• Maximized deployment of patrol vehicles at aircraft movement areas and airport perimeter.
• Intensified intelligence and monitoring operations as well as networking with other security units.
Guerzon said “matters that may affect smooth airport operations must be brought to the immediate attention of MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado.”


Source : Inquirer
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Last MAS flight out of New York

The 19-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur which took off from here at 10pm on Thursday (10am Friday, Malaysian time) turned out to be a sentimental journey for many passengers and crew.

MH91 was Malaysia Airlines’ farewell flight from the Big Apple as Malaysia’s national carrier has decided to suspend its Kuala Lumpur-New York route.

As the plane prepared for take-off from the Newark Airport, it was given a water salutation normally reserved for aircraft making their debut at an airport.

A total 188 passengers boarded the flight, including eight members from the Malaysian national darts team who had just won a bronze medal at the World Darts Championship in North Carolina.

“We are happy to catch the last flight home but at the same time, disappointed that MAS will stop flying from New York after tonight, “said team member Sazali A. Rahman from Labuan.

Pilot Kapt Badrul Hisham Zainal Abdin said he hoped MAS would change its mind about suspending the flight.

“The United States is Malaysia’s largest trading partner but direct access has now been reduced to just Los Angeles,” he noted.

MAS area vice-president (Eastern USA) Malkit Singh and station manager Kamili Md Amin were present to ensure that things went smoothly. MAS airport staff and those from its Manhattan office were also there.

The New York-Kuala Lumpur flight has been operating since 1998, initially transiting in Dubai and since Nov 2004, in Stockholm. In July this year, the airline announced that it was suspending the flight from Oct 1 due to a drop in demand following the global economic crisis.

Also on the flight were Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman and 13 Malaysian delegates who were in New York to attend the United Nations general assembly.



Source : STAR
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MAS to suspend flights to New York from October

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will suspend its thrice-weekly services from Kuala Lumpur to New York via Stockholm from October due to low demand.

The national carrier’s commercial director Datuk Rashid Khan said the last flight to New York from Kuala Lumpur will be on Sept 30 while the last flight from New York will be on Oct 1 and on Oct 2 from Stockholm.

“We have decided to suspend the services as demand has dropped due to the global economic crisis,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Rashid said the airline was was making arrangements to notify all affected customers.

He said customers who had tickets issued before Tuesday for flights from Kuala Lumpur to New York/Stockholm and vice versa and Stockholm to New York or vice versa will be eligible for refunds without additional fees.

“We can also make arrangements for them to fly with our partner airlines should they wish to continue with their journey,” he said.

He said the airline’s thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Taipei-Los Angeles flights would be maintained.

It will also maintain an office in New York and continue to offer services to the Big Apple via its partner airlines.

Customers could also connect to Stockholm via Amsterdam with MAS’ code share partner KLM.

Rashid advised customers who had purchased their tickets via MAS offices, call centres and website to contact MAS’ call centre at 1-300-88-3300 for Malaysia, 1-800-552-9264 in Los Angeles and 08-50530050 in Sweden.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Stay away from Australia & USA - Influenza A H1N1

Malaysians have been advised against visiting Australia and the United States as the number of influenza A (H1N1) cases in the country continues to rise.


Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said although the World Health Organisation (WHO) had not issued a travel ban, it was best for Malaysians to weigh the risks of going to H1N1-infected countries.

Muhyiddin was commenting on influenza A cases in the country, many of which were “imported” from Melbourne, Australia, the H1N1 flu capital of the world.

As of June 8, the US recorded 13,217 cases with 27 deaths, among the highest in the world.

Two students who returned from holidays in Melbourne and another from a vacation in the US were among the latest Malaysian victims.

SJK (C) Jalan Davidson in Kuala Lumpur, where one of the students had infected two classmates, has been ordered to be shut down for a week

and all the teachers, students and their parents have been ordered to be quarantined at home.


Source : NST
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AA, BA confident of expanding alliance by 2010

American Airlines and British Airways voiced confidence Monday of winning approval from U.S. and European authorities to allow them to cooperate on trans-Atlantic flights by 2010.

American Airlines is seeking immunity from U.S. antitrust laws so it can cooperate with BA, Iberia Airlines, Finnair and Royal Jordanian, which are partners in the Oneworld alliance that allow them to sell tickets on each other's airlines and give reciprocal miles.

With an antitrust exemption, they can now work together to set pricing and schedules.

It will be the closest thing to a full merger that the airlines can form without violating limits on foreign ownership of U.S. airlines.

BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said their case was "stronger than ever" as two other group of airlines were already working together on prices, schedules and other details.

"This is about leveling the competitive playing field and we are confident our case has significant merit," Walsh told reporters on the sidelines of an airline conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"We expect to get approval in the current calendar year, which will allow us then to proceed with the joint business by 2010."

Carriers are vying to bolster cooperation on sales and scheduling to cut costs amid a slump in demand caused by the global recession.

British, American and its alliance partners argue that they should get antitrust immunity because two competing alliances already have it - Star (Lufthansa, United, and beginning this fall, Continental) and SkyTeam (Delta, Air France-KLM).

Authorities have rejected appeals from American and BA for closer cooperation twice, but prospects for their cooperation on trans-Atlantic flights are brighter because of difficulties facing the industry in recent years.

Critics, led by Virgin Atlantic Airways head Richard Branson, say American and BA are already too dominant and immunity will lead to higher fares on U.S-U.K. routes.

American's own pilots' union also feared it will shift flying assignments to lower-cost foreign carriers with more open-skies agreements.

American Airlines Chief Executive Gerard Arpey said U.S. and European authorities were expected to make a decision by the end of October.

He said their bid has received support from business groups, politicians and airports, and "we are confident of a positive outcome on both sides."

He said allowing them equal footing with other airline groups would benefit consumers by providing greater travel options and more attractive fares as competition increases on international routes.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Hotel industry risk of recession at 99.9%

This morning economic research firm e-forecasting.com in conjunction with Smith Travel Research announced that following a decline of 1.9 percent in October, HIP fell by 3.2 percent in November. HIP, the Hotel Industry's Pulse Index, is a composite indicator that gauges business activity in the U.S. hotel industry in real-time. This decline brought the index to a reading of 92.4. The index was set to equal 100 in 2000.

Looking at HIP's six-month growth rate, which historically has signaled turning points in U.S. hotel business activity, HIP went down by an annual rate of 13.5 percent in November, further worsening its decline of 9.2 percent in October. This compares to a long-term annual growth rate of 3.2 percent, the same as the 38-year average annual growth rate of the industry's gross domestic product.

Looking at the results, Chief Economist Evangelos Simos of e-forecasting.com said, “Using the NBER methodology to identify the peaks and troughs of the business cycle, the peak was in November of 2007 for the industry. Since then, the index has been declining and so far the recession is 13 months old. Looking further at the six month growth rate, at this time, the recession appears to be similar to what the industry felt in late 1979 through early 1980, but not yet quite as bad as 2001.”

The probability of a recession in the hotel industry, which is detected in real-time from HIP with the help of sophisticated statistical techniques, registered 99.9 percent in November, up from 95.7 percent reported in October. Historically, when this recession-warning gauge passes the threshold probability of 35 percent for a few months, the U.S. hotel industry has entered a recession. As a result, the odds of business expansion in the hotel industry were at the 0.1 percent mark in November, becoming even more dismal than October’s reading of 4.3 percent.

The Hotel Industry Pulse, or HIP for short, was created to fill the void of a real-time monthly indicator for the hotel industry that captures current conditions. What the indicator does is provide useful information about the timing and degree of the industry’s linking with the US business cycle, or simply put it tracks monthly overall business conditions in the industry, like an industry GDP, and points in a timely way the changes in direction from growth to recession or vice versa. The composite indicator is made with the following components: revenues from consumer’s staying at hotels and motels adjusted for inflation, room occupancy rate and hotel employment, along with other key economic factors which influence hotel business activity.

Source : Financial Collapse
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2008]

Worker Killed at Trump Hotel-Condo

A crane accident at a Donald Trump hotel-condominium tower under construction in Manhattan's trendy SoHo neighborhood sent a worker plummeting 40 stories to his death and injured three other people, authorities said.

The worker's identity was not immediately released. The three injured were taken to a hospital, two with serious injuries, one with minor injuries, fire department officials said.

Construction is being overseen by Bovis Lend Lease, the main contractor handling the dismantling of a former bank building across from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that caught fire in August, killing two firefighters.

A witness, C.J. Franzitta, said he saw Monday's accident from his office window. Part of the crane was holding steel beams and appeared to let go, he said.

Franzitta said the crane was about 40 stories up, and the accident caused one floor to collapse into another.

The crane "seemed to be going at breakneck speed -- up and down, up and down,'' he said. Inspectors from the city's Department of Buildings were at the scene investigating, spokeswoman Robin Brooks said.

The Trump site was cited for two high-risk violations Oct. 26, one for operating a crane in an unsafe manner and the other for failing to safeguard public property affected by construction operation, said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

"Why are we allowing this crane to operate when there's been no resolution to this violation?'' Stringer said. "I find that very troubling.''

Trump's executive assistant, Rhona Graff, referred inquiries about the accident to Bovis Lend Lease, which is also handling including the Sept. 11 memorial and a transit hub at ground zero.

Bovis spokeswoman Mary Costello released a statement saying the company was conducting its own investigation while working with local authorities to determine the cause.

"Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased concrete worker, and our prayers are with the injured workers,'' the statement said.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2008]