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To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:14:55 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Poland, US Sign Deal For Pilotless Spy Planes . WARSAW (AP)--An agreement between the U.S. and Poland will provide the Eastern European country with its own fleet of unmanned spy planes, or drones, the Polish Defense Ministry said Saturday. "We signed an agreement for two packages of Shadow 200 planes," Defense Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said. Paszkowski declined to give further details, but the Polish daily Dziennik reported Saturday that the planes built by United Industrial Corp. (UIC) unit AAI Corp. are being paid for by the U.S. under the Foreign Military Finance program and will cost $40 million. The total package includes eight planes, plus the ground and computer support necessary for the planes' operations, Dziennik reported. The small, pilotless Shadow aircraft frequently carries cameras and other surveillance equipment. Poland intends to use the planes for battlefield reconnaissance, among other things, Col. Zbigniew Gnatowski, the spokesman for the Polish army chief of staff, was quoted as telling the newspaper. The U.S. military has relied on unmanned planes for reconnaissance work in Iraq, using the Shadow mainly to look for roadside explosives, car bombs, rebel mortar positions, urban snipers and insurgents who may be stalking international convoys. Poland has several hundred troops in Iraq. (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 22, 2006 09:55 ET (13:55 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 09 55 AM EDT 04-22-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:15:49 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

China's Hu Arrives In Saudi Arabia For Talks . RIYADH (AP)--Chinese President Hu Jintao began a three-day visit to Riyadh on Saturday during which he will hold meetings with top Saudi officials and sign several trade agreements that will further enhance burgeoning relations between the countries - especially oil. Hu, who flew in from the U.S., was expected to hold talks with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. Hu's trip to Saudi Arabia came three months after Abdullah's visit to China on his first overseas tour as king. During that visit, the first by a Saudi monarch since Saudi Arabia and China formed diplomatic relations in 1990, the countries signed an agreement on energy cooperation - covering trade in oil, natural gas and minerals. Four other agreements were signed, including one on economic, trade and technical cooperation, and another banning dual taxation. Hu's trip comes as Saudi Arabia is opening up to Asia's growing economic powers in a bid, analysts say, to find stable markets for its oil, step up its international diplomacy and show the West, particularly the U.S., that if relations worsen, the kingdom has other alternatives. Saudi newspapers, which are government guided, carried advertisements bought by Saudi companies welcoming the Chinese leader. Several said the trip would further strengthen relations between Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, and China, the world's No. 2 oil consumer. "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Chinese president today consolidate relations between the two countries," said a headline in Al-Eqtisadiah, an economic newspaper. "For China, the kingdom is a strategic trade partner that can respond to China's need for sources of fuel that no other source can provide in terms of quantity and price," wrote Talal Bannan in Okaz daily. "On the other hand, China, with its technology, can cater to the needs of the Saudi market by providing it with quality products at competitive prices," he added. Chinese businessmen traveling with Hu are expected to hold meetings with their Saudi counterparts during the visit. "This will be a good opportunity for the two countries to strengthen bilateral trade to cater to the growing demand for Chinese and Saudi products ad services," Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, chairman of the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said, according to Arab News daily. China has been aggressively seeking to strengthen relationships with major oil suppliers as it grows more heavily reliant on oil imports. Saudi Arabia accounts for about 17% of China's imported oil. Total trade between the two countries - much of it Saudi oil bought by China - grew by 59% in the first 11 months of 2005 to $14 billion. (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 22, 2006 07:23 ET (11:23 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 07 23 AM EDT 04-22-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:16:13 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Bush, Amid High US Gasoline Prices, Touts Hydrogen Fuel ST. HELENA, Calif. (AP)--Unable to drive down high oil prices, President George W. Bush is spending Earth Day promoting futuristic hydrogen fuel technology as a way to wean the U.S. from gas-guzzling vehicles. "These fuel cells have the potential to revolutionize the way we power our cars by giving us vehicles that will emit no pollution and will be more efficient than gas-powered cars," he said Saturday in his weekly radio address. After a bike ride near a Napa Valley resort Saturday morning, Bush planned to visit the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento for a tour and speech on his energy plan. The plan does not include any measures that would reduce gas prices in the short term, the White House acknowledges. But with Republicans worried that the increasing cost to drive could hurt them in the voting booth this year, Bush said he understands Americans are hurting. The White House hopes the high gas prices will pressure Congress to act on the energy proposals the president outlined in his State of the Union address, such as increased federal research into alternative fuels and batteries for hybrid and electric cars. Bush's bike ride Saturday was no Earth Day stunt. The president rides on most weekend mornings, but made the special detour to spend the night in St. Helena just to get in a picturesque ride through wine country. He had no official events there. On the Net: whitehouse.gov (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 22, 2006 04:39 ET (08:39 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 04 39 AM EDT 04-22-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:16:29 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

ENERGY FORUM:IEA Can Offset Iran Shutdown For 4 Yrs -Head . DOHA (Dow Jones)--The head of the International Energy Agency said Saturday that its member governments could coordinate a release of their strategic oil reserves that would offset a shutdown of Iranian crude output for up to four years, not the 18 months he has said previously. Claude Mandil, executive director of the energy watchdog for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, said: "We're all together holding 4 billion barrels of stocks. Iran's exports are 2.7 million barrels a day. This would be enough to compensate for four years of production." He added that it wasn't desirable for the agency to draw down all its stocks because "it wouldn't leave us with anything." Oil prices last week pushed to new records of more than $74 a barrel in New York, spurred by worries over the international response to Iran's nuclear program, viewed by some Western leaders as being intended to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says the program is solely intended to generate electricity. There are fears that sanctions against Iran could result in an oil embargo or spur attempts by the country to block the Strait of Hormuz, the oil export route for Persian Gulf producers. The IEA says its member countries hold 4.1 billion barrels in public and industry stockpiles, of which around 1.4 billion barrels are controlled directly by governments for emergency purposes. Scores of energy ministers and other officials from energy producers and consumers are attending the 10th International Energy Forum in Doha, Qatar, to discuss oil security and improvements to data transparency. Officials from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, China, Russia, the E.U., the U.S. and elsewhere are meeting Saturday through Monday, after a week of record-high oil prices that some believe pose a threat to economic growth. -By Sally Jones, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-207-842 9347; sally.jones@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 22, 2006 04:44 ET (08:44 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 04 44 AM EDT 04-22-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:16:52 AM
From: shades	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

Microsoft's Bill Gates Sees `Opportunity' In Vietnam . HANOI (AP)--Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates met with Vietnam's prime minister Saturday, saying he sees "opportunity in Vietnam," as the Communist country seeks to carve a niche for itself in the high-tech world. Gates was formally welcomed by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at the elegant government guesthouse in Hanoi. "I certainly see opportunity in Vietnam for talented people to have jobs in the IT sector," Gates told Khai. (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 21, 2006 22:46 ET (02:46 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 10 46 PM EDT 04-21-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:17:10 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Bill Gates Reports 25.5% Stake In Pacific Ethanol >PEIX . WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The investment vehicle for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates on Friday reported a 25.5% stake in Pacific Ethanol Inc. (PEIX). Gates, through Cascade Investment LLC, beneficially owns 10.5 million common shares of the producer of renewable fuels, according to a Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On April 13, Cascade Investment acquired 5.25 million shares of Pacific Ethanol's series A cumulative redeemable convertible preferred stock at a price of $16 a share, according to the filing. The 5.25 million preferred shares are currently convertible into 10.5 million common shares, the filing said. Cascade said it acquired the shares for investment purposes only. Shares of Pacific Ethanol closed Friday at $30.12, up $1.26. -By Denise Jia, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-1359; denise.jia@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 21, 2006 18:19 ET (22:19 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 19 PM EDT 04-21-06

To: TobagoJack who wrote (59098)	4/22/2006 10:19:37 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Hu Heckler Charged With Intimidating Foreign Official (You are making me shoot you - HAHA) WASHINGTON (AP)--A woman accused of heckling Chinese President Hu Jintao during a White House appearance was charged Friday in federal court with willfully intimidating, coercing, threatening and harassing a foreign official. Dr. Wang Wenyi, 47, had obtained temporary press credentials for Hu's visit Thursday as a reporter for a Falun Gong newspaper and positioned herself on a camera stand. After Hu began speaking, she shouted in Chinese and in English: "President Bush, stop him from killing" and "President Bush, stop him from persecuting the Falun Gong." She was waving a banner with the red and yellow colors used by Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China. She kept shouting for several minutes before Secret Service agents led her from the stand. A group of 25 to 40 supporters attended Wang's arraignment Friday. Wang, who is from New York City, was released on condition that she remain there and come to Washington only to consult with her attorneys or attend legal proceedings. She must also stay away from the White House. If convicted, she could receive up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. She is a medical doctor and a practitioner of Falun Gong. Shortly after her release, Wang read a prepared statement to reporters in which she called her protest an individual act of conscience. "It's not a crime, but an act of civil disobedience," she said. The incident was the second in five years involving Wang and a Chinese leader. In July 2001, she confronted then-President Jiang Zemin as he made an unscheduled tour of an ancient city on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Wang said she introduced herself, then urged Jiang "to stop the killing of Falun Gong practitioners in China." Security officials whisked Wang away, but Jiang called her back and spoke to her in Chinese, witnesses said. "He was very agitated and told me that Falun Gong practitioners were killing themselves," Wang said later. (END) Dow Jones Newswires April 21, 2006 18:57 ET (22:57 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 57 PM EDT 04-21-06