Firms vie for UK rescue service

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AppId is over the quota
5 October 2011 Last updated at 12:06 GMT The successful company would run rescue services out of four bases, including Stornaway At least four companies are competing for a contract to run part of the UK's search and rescue helicopter service.

Firms had until Wednesday to submit bids for a new five-year contract to run four coastguard rescue services in Scotland and southern England.

Bids have been submitted by Bond, Bristow, a consortium including British International Helicopters and CHC, the current coastguard contractors.

The government is to announce which has been successful by the end of the year.

The preferred bidder will take over the operation of helicopter rescue services out of bases in Portland in Dorset, Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands, and Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides from June 2013.

The UK's search and rescue service is currently operated out of four Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) bases, six RAF ones and two Navy ones.

All four coastguard bases are run by CHC, but its contract expires next year.

The Department for Transport needed to find a contractor to run the service after plans for a private consortium to take over all 12 UK helicopter rescue bases were shelved earlier this year.

The Soteria consortium did not get the contract after admitting it had access to commercially sensitive information.

Ministry of Defence police are investigating how the information came to be in the group's possession.

This new contract is expected to plug a gap until a private finance deal is reached for the takeover of the entire search and rescue service.

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China private perception of automotive service industry

Inverted Wenzhou's "harmony" move that if declared bankruptcy comes to power.

The disaster is killed or injured more than 200 people, pressed to gradually reveal the terrible truth: man-made disasters. We know that it is so it can only do this. But obscured in smash the Ministry of railways, finally a little truth, we will still have the joy of a trace of the winner.

Microblogging forced media, media create public opinion, violates the prohibition of control brains, the truth to emerge. A people who are tired of the process, because the results from the very beginning, also will get a grip on power. In such a country, most controls the mouth, eyes and ears, except decisions with powerful information leaves, to one of your own effects already entrusted to the truth of the great depression was in the media and the media. But this summer, conscience no longer afraid of melting pulp, mantle mean enough to empty out detention, to the raging flames, seemed to burn throughout the old world.

The Ministry of railways, the symbol of autocracy and corruption, CAME tumbling Collapse in the examination of the population, less than a week, infestations of iron and steel giant eye stones, because he will be tried in people.

A few days ago, he was a monster with arrogant and persecuted, I turn a posture of the railways I call the shots. People in the compartment seems to be his hostage and slaves, their use and revile dignities. This militarization and planned economic system breeds of freaks, that State within a State: he has his own system of courts, there is a hegemonic subject to the public, independent and high above, no one can shake their domination of the Kingdom. Justice and citizens ' rights is not in the scrutiny of the column, he was drag racing pleasure. With former Director Liu zhijun rail Kingdom controlled, clean, exclusive works even the direction is the direction of the railway.

LiU zhijun drag China corruption Group at high speed as bait and tie up the Government in this crazy high speed travel to wagon-this is not a destination. High speed, fast, self-service sth different types of high-sounding reasons, appears to be the only railroad into a road of independent innovation, no arrivals after an unprecedented rapid development path, looking for landing point of China's economy opens up a new road, that officials agree without prior consultations to seek employment and economic growth and political demands. The agent shot in required of officials, Liu zhijun easily get unfettered power.

Faster, better, stronger, over mainland China suddenly of Olympic Games a strong self-confidence, they want to hasten to catch up with world powers. Speed near perverted obsession, led to a great leap forward movement of the railway. Speed speed increased again, by car, followed by the rail system. Land of moaning, behind the driving rail wheel all the way, was tears of relocation of people. Road movement sweeping the continent, home to many Chinese. On the front of the dazzling speed, people's knees.

No output, Monster Shuttle, road vehicle exchanges, people can't see the distant, more do not know what is at the end.

Last year a home visit, see set up a root in the Guanzhong plain thick concrete severed post, Qinling mountain of sight inquire., I have been cutting pain, I know that the development of the beast has been claimed to be able to slam the oil lands. Acquaintances said high-speed train project oversight, everything on the site is a boss in charge, he is afraid of technical problems with print quality and was forced to resign. I understand the great leap forward will leave infinity affected rail system.

Fixed is for what? Why are we so fast?

Allows for high-speed civil aviation does not guarantee the construction of the airport after the destruction of so much land, several high-speed destroying more land, and the only to pull the same group of people. More people flow, means more land barren, inflation is not going to stop. Wheat, maize, sorghum, soya beans are produced on the road from you?

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Nine new country peace corps directors sworn in service (News)

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WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29, 2011 – Nine new Peace Corps country directors completed three weeks of staff training and were sworn-in for service at Peace Corps Headquarters before departing for positions in Azerbaijan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Guinea, Philippines, Swaziland, Thailand, and Uganda.

Country directors are responsible for the management and direction of all aspects
of the Peace Corps program in their countries of assignment. The country directors support volunteers in the field and they lend their skills and energy to meet Peace Corps program goals. All Peace Corps country directors complete Overseas Staff Training (OST) at Peace Corps headquarters to prepare for their new roles.

“We are proud to welcome this group of country directors to the Peace Corps community,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams. “Their dedication and leadership will help us promote a better understanding between host countries and Americans.”

The new country directors include: Macie Whittington (Azerbaijan), Tim Hartman (Botswana), Mikel Herrington (Bulgaria), Penny Fields (Cambodia), Julie Burns (Guinea), Denny F. Robertson (Philippines), Steven Driehaus (Swaziland), David Claussenius (Thailand), and Loucine Hayes (Uganda).

The new country directors bring a vast array of professional experience to the Peace Corps, with their backgrounds ranging in information technology (IT), public health, government, law, and the nonprofit sector.

The following are brief biographies of the Peace Corps country directors:

Azerbaijan – Macie Whittington
(RPCV Moldova, 2008-2010)
Macie Whittington has spent most of her career in the private sector in executive leadership positions in medium to large IT technology and services providers. Her recent experience includes vice president of operations and vice president of channels and alliances for a global IT services company. Whittington has also led international business development and marketing for consulting and services firms, working with partners such as HP, IBM, and Fujitsu in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Botswana – Tim Hartman
(RPCV Cameroon, 1986-1989)
Most recently, Tim Hartman served as president and chief operating officer of BroadReach Healthcare’s Global Health division. He has also worked for Computer Science Corporation's Global Health Solutions Group and APM Inc. Hartman has assisted implement large scale HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs in Africa, helped many of America’s premier health systems reach ambitious strategic and operational goals, and worked in grassroots international development projects. Hartman received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Yale School of Management and his bachelor’s in philosophy from Stanford University.

Bulgaria – Mikel Herrington
Mikel Herrington worked for almost 14 years with the Corporation for National and Community Service, where he spent most of his tenure in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program. Herrington has directed English language and U.S. cultural programs in China, led a team of graduate students from Columbia University on a maternal, infant, and child health care project in Belize, and served as a research fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. Herrington graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature in 1983 and from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a master’s in international affairs in 1991.

Cambodia – Penny Fields
(RPCV Gabon, 1988-1990)
Penny Fields has practiced law in Seattle, Wash. for the past seven years, focusing on contract disputes, Internet and technology issues, and political law. Fields has also worked for various development consulting firms, including Chemonics International and Management Systems International. In 1995, Fields served as an associate country director for the natural resource management program in Peace Corps/Niger, an associate director for the education program in Peace Corps/Poland, and a training director for Peace Corps/Bangladesh. Fields holds a master’s degree in international development management at American University. In 2004, Fields obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Washington School of Law, with an emphasis on public international law.

Guinea – Julie Burns
(RPCV Zaire, 1988-1991)
Julie Burns worked for more than a decade with Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School running international courses and high-altitude mountaineering expeditions. She later joined Cornell Outdoor Education as the director of Wilderness Programs and Risk Management, teaching leadership courses for the Cornell Team and Leadership Center. Burns has worked in several international nongovernmental development agencies in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Burns attended the University of Minnesota for her bachelor’s degree and holds a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in adult education from Cornell University.

Philippines – Denny F. Robertson
(RPCV Philippines, 1977-1979)
Denny Robertson is a former senior foreign service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He held multiple posts in Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America over 25 years and was recently USAID mission director in Romania and the Caucasus. Robertson earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from the University of Michigan and a master’s in community development from Michigan State University.

Swaziland – Steve Driehaus
(RPCV Senegal, 1988-1990)
Steve Driehaus served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio's 1st Congressional District from 2009 to 2011. From 2000 to 2008, Driehaus served with the Ohio House of Representatives. Driehaus has also worked as the executive director of the Community Building Institute and for Indiana University, coordinating a large professional internship program between Southern Africa and the United States. Driehaus studied political science at Miami University, Ohio and holds a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University.

Thailand – David R. Claussenius
(RPCV Philippines, 1977-1979)
David Claussenius joined Save the Children/U.S. as deputy director for Asia Pacific region in 1988 and has subsequently held several leadership positions with the organization. He has served as director of the Philippine and Asia and Middle East programs, headed the program in Vietnam, and worked as regional director for South and Southeast Asia. Most recently, Claussenius was the lead project manager of an international program unit Save the Children, implementing programs in 72 countries. Claussenius holds a bachelor’s in counseling psychology from the University of Oregon in Eugene and a master’s in international studies from Columbia University.

Uganda – Loucine Hayes
Loucine Hayes was born in a small town in the Armenian highlands. She completed her undergraduate studies and worked as a journalist in Armenia where she met and married a Peace Corps volunteer. After becoming an American citizen in 1999, Hayes taught English in Saudi Arabia, worked as communications and program manager for World Vision-Armenia, and then began a career with Habitat for Humanity, where she served as a country director in Vanuatu, and as a regional housing microfinance manager for Habitat Europe and Central Asia. Hayes earned her Master of Business Administration degree at Edinburgh Business School in Scotland.

About the Peace Corps: President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961, by executive order. Throughout 2011, Peace Corps is commemorating 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world. Historically, more than 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. Today, 8,655 volunteers are working with local communities in 77 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

Includes news releases, photos, and stories from the field

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