FMT News |  |
- Man City go top but Chelsea trip up at West Brom
- Suarez at the double as Liverpool down Wigan
- Vettel on top again in Texas
- Michu strikes again as Swansea down Newcastle
- Aguero, Tevez claim doubles as City crush Villa
- Arsenal punish Adebayor in north London derby romp
- League chief urges review of peace proposals to Israel
- Turkey, Egypt place onus on Israel in Gaza fighting
- Israel hits Hamas government buildings, reservists mobilized
- Train plows into school bus in Egypt, 50 killed
- Iran delays planned start-up of Arak nuclear reactor
- Obama departs for Asia, to make historic stop in Myanmar
- US denies visas to Iran officials for UN meeting
- White House says did not heavily edit talking points on Benghazi
- China’s Xi praises Hu for voluntarily giving up power
- German Greens avoid split by re-electing leftist
- Jailed Kurd militant leader could help end hunger strike, lawyers say
- Perhimpunan 1 juta orang Pakatan 24 Januari
- ‘Apologise to Indians for racist policies’
- Naib Presiden pertahan kepimpinan ulamak PAS
- Gerakan identified candidates three years ago, says Koh
- Focus on statecraft, PAS members told
- Bersih leader ‘harassed’ at airport again
- Israel prepares ground invasion of Gaza
- Dewan Ulamak: Hadi paling layak jadi Perdana Menteri
- ‘DAP shows disrespect to PAS over ‘hudud’ issue’
- Global factors to dampen Bursa Malaysia next week
- ‘Minister is clueless, twisting facts’
- ‘Kembalikan kerusi Temerloh kepada PAS’
- How to make this Christmas extra special
- Top 5 Shaved Ice Treats
- Welbeck will get his chance, says Ferguson
- ‘Govt must protect RCI witnesses’
- Mancini backs Balotelli, rejects Suarez reports
- Terry out for ‘three weeks’, says Di Matteo
- Indonesia tetap kirim pekerja ke Malaysia
- Vettel fastest in first practice in Texas
- I nearly signed Ibrahimovic, admits Wenger
- 20,000 show up for Pakatan’s uprising rally
- Liverpool media chief steps down after blogger row
- Moyes not pressed about Everton future
- Arsenal, Spurs warn fans over derby conduct
- Bad cop, no doughnut!
- ‘Mansor staring at defeat’
- Melaka tegur pemimpin bergerak sendiri
- ‘Virgin Mary’ image draws the devout, the sceptics
- Wal-Mart files US labour charge against union
- JPMorgan, Credit Suisse settle with SEC for US$417m
- Assad, Israel two sides of same coin
- US drug testing firm probed for alleged fraud, intimidation
| Man City go top but Chelsea trip up at West Brom Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:10 AM PST  LONDON: Manchester City went top in the Premier League by crushing Aston Villa 5-0 yesterday, but third-placed Chelsea have now gone four games without a win after losing 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion.David Silva’s scrappy 43rd-minute goal put City ahead at the Etihad Stadium, before penalties from Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez — awarded for handballs by Andreas Weimann and Barry Bannan — made it 3-0. Aguero beat Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan at his near post to claim his second goal in the 67th minute and Tevez then tapped home the fifth, as City warmed up for Wednesday’s vital Champions League encounter with Real Madrid in style. The result dropped Villa into the bottom three and took champions City a point clear of former leaders Manchester United, who will return to the summit if they win at Norwich City later on Saturday. Chelsea’s early-season momentum appears to have fizzled out completely, after their defeat at coach Roberto Di Matteo’s former club left them four points off the pace. Shane Long put West Brom ahead at the Hawthorns with a 10th-minute header but Eden Hazard drew the visitors level when he nodded in Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross six minutes before half-time. Peter Odemwingie’s near-post header from Long’s centre saw the home side reclaim the initiative five minutes into the second half and the introductions of Juan Mata and Oscar could not turn the match in Chelsea’s favour. West Brom’s victory allowed them to climb to within a point of Chelsea and they clambered over Everton into fourth place after David Moyes’ side were beaten 2-1 at relegation-threatened Reading. Steven Naismith punished sloppy defending to give Everton a 10th-minute lead but a second-half Adam Le Fondre double — a header followed by a penalty — saw the Royals belatedly register their first win of the campaign. In the battle of the basement clubs, Southampton won 3-1 at Queens Park Rangers to leave the London club four points adrift at the foot of the table and increase the pressure on coach Mark Hughes. David Hoilett gave QPR hope when he pulled a goal back after Rickie Lambert and Jason Puncheon had put the Saints 2-0 up, but a late Anton Ferdinand own goal confirmed a win that took Nigel Adkins’ men to within a point of safety. Earlier, Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored but was then sent off as his former club Arsenal stormed back from behind to win 5-2 in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium. The Togolese forward tapped in a 10th-minute opener after Wojciech Szczesny saved from Jermain Defoe but was sent off eight minutes later for an uncontrolled lunge at Santi Cazorla. Per Mertesacker’s 24th-minute header drew Arsenal level and quick-fire goals from Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud put the hosts 3-1 up at half-time. Cazorla’s tap-in extended Arsenal’s lead, with Gareth Bale reducing the arrears in the 71st minute before Theo Walcott struck in injury time to produce a repeat of the scoreline from last season’s equivalent fixture in February. “We showed people how good we are today,” Walcott told Sky Sports television. “It’ll give us tremendous spirit, and we’ve got a lot of players back to fitness and everybody’s very confident.” Elsewhere, in-form Luis Suarez took his tally for the season to 10 league goals with a brace as Liverpool beat Wigan Athletic 3-0. Goals from Michu and Jonathan de Guzman saw Swansea City win 2-1 at Newcastle United, who replied in injury time through Demba Ba. - AFP |
| Suarez at the double as Liverpool down Wigan Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:08 AM PST  LIVERPOOL:Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool saw off bogey side Wigan 3-0 to inject fresh life into their worst Premier League start in over two decades.Suarez took his league tally for the season to 10 with a quick fire double early in the second half, with Jose Enrique adding the third to lift Brendan Rodgers’ side up from 13th to 11th. Wigan, who were unbeaten against the Merseysiders in their last five encounters, stayed in 14th. Liverpool welcomed back goalkeeper Pepe Reina after a five week spell out with a hamstring injury. Around the quarter hour mark the Spaniard watched with relief as Ben Watson’s searching 20 yard shot flew over the crossbar. In an evenly balanced opening period the Spaniard’s opposite number, Ali Al Habsi was called into action down at the other end to turn Daniel Agger’s header around the post. Shots from Suarez and Suso were blocked by Wigan defender Gary Caldwell. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was then forced into an unscheduled substitution, with David Jones coming on for Watson, who picked up a nasty leg injury after a collision with Raheem Sterling as both men chased the ball. Shortly after, Rodgers brought on Jordan Henderson for midfielder Suso, who had picked up an earlier knock to his ankle. Liverpool went into the break the more frustrated of the two sides, having failed to add the killer touch to their flurry of chances against a Wigan side that won here for the first time in their history last March. Two minutes after the restart Suarez put the home side in front, firing in from 10 yards into the top right hand corner of the Wigan net after good work by Sterling down the right, to calm nerves amongst the Liverpool faithful in the Kop. And Suarez put the game to bed 11 minutes later, Liverpool’s sole out and out striker latching on to Enrique’s through pass to poke the ball into the corner for his tenth Premier League goal of the campaign. Given his form it’s little wonder Rodgers this week issued a hands off warning to potential suitors hovering to try and prise the Uruguayan forward away from Anfield in the January transfer window. On 65 minutes Enrique turned from supplier to scorer, the Spanish left back shooting from inside the box to the bottom left corner of Al Habsi’s goal. - AFP |
| Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:05 AM PST  AUSTIN (Texas): Sebastian Vettel maintained his total domination of practice at the United States Grand Prix on Saturday morning when he topped the times for Red Bull for a third successive session ahead of Sunday’s showdown, his 100th race in Formula One.The 25-year-old German, who needs to outscore nearest rival Fernando Alonso of Ferrari by 15 points to become the youngest triple champion in F1 history, clocked a fastest lap in one minute and 36.490 seconds to emerge fastest. That was enough to leave him nearly three-tenths of a second clear of nearest challenger Lewis Hamilton who, in his penultimate race weekend with McLaren before joining Mercedes next year, recorded a best time of 1:36.748. Both men clocked their times in a busy final flurry of activity in the final minutes of the hour-long session run in cold conditions, but in front of a big crowd dressed in winter jackets, at the new Circuit of the Americas 25 kilometres out of downtown Austin. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado was third fastest for Williams ahead of Alonso, Nico Rosberg of Mercedes and Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari. Australian Mark Webber was seventh in the second Red Bull ahead of Sergio Perez of Sauber, who crashed into Frenchman Charles Pic’s Marussia during the session, Nico Hulkenberg of Force India and Jenson Button in the second McLaren. Bruno Senna was 11th for Williams ahead of retirement-bound seven-time champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes, and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, who was 13th. The Finn’s Lotus team-mate Romain Grosjean was unable to run in the final part of the session on light fuel and softer tyres due toa gearbox failure. - AFP |
| Michu strikes again as Swansea down Newcastle Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST  NEWCASTLE (England): Summer signings Michu and Jonathan de Guzman were both on target as Swansea beat Newcastle 2-1 yesterday to secure their first win at St. James’ Park in 32 years.Michu, who joined Swansea in a £2million move from La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano over the summer, notched his seventh goal of the season while De Guzman’s late second gave Michael Laudrup’s side their first win in four matches, despite a stoppage-time strike from Demba Ba. Defeat for Newcastle consigned them to a second successive home defeat with Swansea climbing above them to move 10th in the Premier League table, leaving the Magpies in 12th. Newcastle were dealt a blow prior to kick-off with Papiss Cisse ruled out after Senegal invoked FIFA’s “five-day rule” – under which nations may suspend a player for five days should they fail to show up for an international fixture without a valid excuse — following the striker’s withdrawal from his country’s friendly against Niger in midweek. Nathan Dyer missed a chance to give Swansea an early lead as he scuffed his effort badly under pressure from Mike Williamson having been played in behind the Newcastle defence. Pablo Hernandez and Michu both drew saves out of home goalkeeper Tim Krul during the first half, while Hatem Ben Arfa – who forced Gerhard Tremmel to claw away his fierce strike — was by far and away the liveliest player in Newcastle’s ranks. The France international also picked out Ba in the Swansea box, but the striker’s glancing header flashed narrowly wide of the far post with Tremmel beaten. Itay Shechter then could have put Swansea in front minutes before the break after he capitalised on hesitation from Williamson in the Magpies’ defence, but Krul was off his line quickly to block the Israeli’s shot. Shechter was again guilty of being wasteful 10 minutes after the interval as he blazed over from the edge of the box before Krul palmed behind a Hernandez strike that was heading just inside the near post. However, a poor clearance from the Dutch keeper minutes later landed right at the feet of Hernandez, who advanced down the wing and picked out Michu, who planted a diving header low into the corner to put the visitors in the lead. De Guzman then added a second three minutes from time, slotting in a rebound after Krul parried substitute Danny Graham’s initial attempt. Newcastle pulled a goal back as Ba headed home after Sylvain Marveaux had rattled the crossbar, but it proved nothing more than consolation for the home side. - AFP |
| Aguero, Tevez claim doubles as City crush Villa Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:56 AM PST  MANCHESTER: Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez each scored twice to add to David Silva’s opener as Manchester City recorded a commanding 5-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.Silva opened the scoring with his first goal of the season and after Andreas Weimann was controversially penalised for handball, Aguero converted from the spot. Tevez added another penalty and after Aguero thumped in a fourth, Tevez had a tap-in for a fifth as City extended their unbeaten home league run to 36 matches and moved top of the table ahead of Manchester United’s game at Norwich City. Only Chelsea have managed a longer unbeaten run in the Premier League era, but that record stands at 86 games. More importantly for coach Roberto Mancini, however, was the fact that his team, who had not managed more than three goals in a match this term, recovered the incisiveness that took them to the Premier League title last season. The game opened with the familiar pattern of City being camped in Villa territory and probing for a breakthrough, which seemed close when Aguero met Samir Nasri’s corner and Tevez diverted a shot narrowly over the bar. Brazilian defender Maicon’s start to life at the Etihad Stadium has been interrupted by injury but he made a good early impression against Villa, getting in position to miss with a wild effort and then thumping a drive across the area from Nasri’s pass. In a rare Villa break, Christian Benteke had an effort blocked by Matijia Nastasic on the edge of the area. Joe Hart, who has faced significant criticism in the wake of a shaky display in England’s 4-2 defeat by Sweden, showed there is nothing wrong with his reflexes when Vincent Kompany prodded a Matthew Lowton cross towards his own goal and the goalkeeper reacted quickly to push it away. Silva had a shot deflected over the bar by Barry Bannan but Villa continued to enjoy the better chances, despite being on the back foot. Enda Stevens whipped in a cross from the left and Belgian Benteke climbed above Nastasic to produce a powerful header that was blocked by Hart at full stretch. Gael Clichy also had a drive saved by Villa’s American goalkeeper Brad Guzan before Nastasic missed with a header from six yards from the Nasri corner that followed. As the pressure continued, Maicon whipped in a cross from the right and Nasri’s strike was held by Guzan. Yaya Toure also headed wide from another Nasri corner and just before the interval, Tevez saw a low effort turned around the post by Guzan. From the corner that followed, Villa failed to clear from Kompany and Tevez and Silva burst onto the loose ball ahead of Nastasic to bundle home at the far post. The Spaniard then had another effort pushed wide by Guzan after racing into the area to collect a Tevez pass. After the interval, City continued to search for a second and Tevez saw a drive fly just past the post from the edge of the area before Ron Vlaar denied Aguero with a fine sliding challenge. At the corner that followed, assistant referee Adrian Holes held his flag out and, to the bemusement of the crowd, referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot, presumably because the linesman felt Weimann had handled. Aguero dispatched the penalty and Tevez followed suit a couple of minutes later after Bannan handled as Silva attempted to cut inside him. Aguero bust clear and fired in a shot at the near post to add a fourth before a Nasri cross was allowed all the way to the far post for Tevez to prod in a fifth of the afternoon. - AFP |
| Arsenal punish Adebayor in north London derby romp Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:49 AM PST  LONDON: Emmanuel Adebayor made a nightmare return to the Emirates Stadium yesterday, his 18th-minute dismissal proving decisive as Arsenal cruised to a 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.The former Arsenal forward had already fired his side into a 10th-minute lead when he jumped in on Gunners midfielder Santi Cazorla to earn a straight red card. That transformed the game, with Arsenal establishing a two-goal half-time lead through Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. Cazorla and Theo Walcott added to the tally after the break, with Gareth Bale claiming one back for the visitors. The result provided a timely boost for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has come in for growing criticism following a string of inconsistent performances. For Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, there was only frustration, as he suffered an embarrassing reverse in his first experience of this local derby. Villas-Boas had admitted in the build-up to the game that Tottenham would attempt to exploit Arsenal’s recent frailties at home, when nerves appeared to have affected Wenger’s side. The Spurs manager’s decision to pair Jermain Defoe and Adebayor up front for the first time in the Premier League this season confirmed the visitors’ intention to take the game to Arsenal. And for the 17 minutes prior to Adebayor’s dismissal, the plan worked perfectly. William Gallas had an eighth-minute effort ruled offside, but two minutes later the visitors went ahead when Jan Vertonghen’s routine long ball forward exposed the Arsenal backline. Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna were both caught sleeping as Defoe beat the offside trap before firing in a left-foot shot that Wojciech Szczesny could only palm into the path of Adebayor, who finished from four yards out. It was the ideal start for the striker, but did nothing to calm him and eight minutes later, referee Howard Webb brandished a straight red card after he lunged in foolishly at Cazorla with his studs showing. The momentum of the game shifted completely, with Tottenham immediately forced onto the back foot as Arsenal made the most of being handed an unexpected route back into the game. It took the home side just seven minutes to level, with Mertesacker making up for his earlier error by heading home Theo Walcott’s right-wing cross. This time it was the Spurs defence that was all at sea, with Gallas guilty of allowing the Germany centre-back to rise unchallenged. That set the pattern for the remainder of the first half, when only goalkeeper Hugo Lloris kept Tottenham in contention. The France international — unexpectedly selected ahead of Brad Friedel — produced two outstanding saves to deny Giroud headers. But the Spurs defences were breached again two minutes before the break when Podolski cleverly used Mikel Arteta’s run as a decoy before turning and shooting beyond Lloris with the help of a deflection off Gallas. Then, seconds before the interval, Arsenal well and truly took control when Giroud turned home Cazorla’s left-wing cross at the near post. Villas-Boas made two changes at half-time and switched to a back three in an effort to restore his side’s attacking threat. But it was Arsenal who soon established their dominance once again and when Cazorla made 4-1 on the hour, it was impossible to see a way back for the visitors. Walcott and Podolski combined on the left before the German drilled in a low cross that found Cazorla unmarked at the far post. Bale pulled one back for Tottenham in the 71st minute when he cut in from the left and struck right-footed, but Walcott completed the win in added time after being set up by substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. - AFP |
| League chief urges review of peace proposals to Israel Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:42 AM PST  CAIRO: Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said yesterday that the bloc should review its peace proposals to Israel and its entire stance on the peace process in response to the conflict in Gaza.Member states should “reconsider all past Arab initiatives on the peace process and review their stance on the process as a whole,” he told an Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo called to discuss the conflict. Speaking after Arabi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr too said Arab governments had to “reconsider this strategy.” “There are proposals, and many efforts, without there being peace,” he said, adding that in the future “there would be no land left to talk about a Palestinian state” because of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. In 2002 Arab states offered Israel diplomatic recognition in return for its withdrawal from all occupied territory and an equitable settlement of the Palestinian refugee question. The proposal, dubbed the Arab Peace Initiative, has since defined Arab diplomacy towards Israel. Two Arab states – Egypt and Jordan – have signed peace treaties with Israel. Neither Arabi no Amr made reference to those agreements. - AFP |
| Turkey, Egypt place onus on Israel in Gaza fighting Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:39 AM PST  CAIRO: Egypt and Turkey put the onus on Israel yesterday to end the fighting around Gaza as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Cairo a day after Washington urged both key governments to pressure the Palestinians.Erdogan’s visit comes amid a flurry of meetings to coordinate Arab and Turkey’s response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas, with 40 Palestinians and three Israelis killed in four days of air strikes in Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel. Erdogan, who headed straight into talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi after landing in Cairo, blamed Israel for the latest upsurge in violence. “It’s a tactic of Israel’s to point the finger at Hamas and attack Gaza,” he told reporters before leaving Ankara. “Israel continues to make an international racket with its three dead,” he said of three Israelis killed by a rocket fired from Gaza. “In fact it is Israel that violated the ceasefire.” After meeting Morsi, Erdogan said in a speech at Cairo University that Israel would “sooner or later” be held to account for “the massacre of these innocent children killed inhumanely in Gaza.” The Palestinian Centre for Human rights said six children have been killed in the fighting so far. Morsi also met Qatar’s Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the president’s spokesman said, as Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal arrived for tentative talks on ending the fighting. A senior Hamas official told AFP the movement was reluctant to agree a truce because it does not believe mediators could guarantee the terms of a ceasefire, adding that the “international community” had to put pressure on Israel. Arab foreign ministers convened an emergency meeting in Cairo called by Morsi and the Palestinians, which an Arab diplomat said would demand Israel that immediately halt operations in Gaza. But, crucially, the United States has backed Israel, with President Barack Obama telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that Washington supported “Israel’s right to defend itself.” An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman earlier issued a statement expressing “astonishment at the international community’s feeble stance towards this aggression, and some countries’ attempts to blame the Palestinians.” “All that’s left is to blame the children in Gaza for standing under Israeli missiles,” the spokesman, Amr Roshdy, added. Both Egypt and Turkey have in the past mediated ceasefires and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Ahmed Jaabari, the military chief killed in Wednesday’s air strike, was Hamas’s point man in those mediation efforts. Egypt and Turkey both have long-standing relations with the Jewish state that have grown increasingly cold over Israeli policy towards the Palestinians. Morsi, elected in June after a popular uprising overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak early last year, recalled his ambassador in Tel Aviv after Wednesday’s air strikes and sent his prime minister to Gaza in a show of support. - AFP |
| Israel hits Hamas government buildings, reservists mobilized Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST
Palestinian militants in Gaza kept up cross-border salvoes, firing a rocket at Israel’s biggest city Tel Aviv for the third straight day. Police said it was destroyed in mid-air by an Iron Dome anti-missile battery deployed hours earlier, and no one was injured. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, said Israeli missiles wrecked the office building of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh – where he had met on Friday with the Egyptian prime minister – and struck a police headquarters. In the Israeli Mediterranean port of Ashdod, a rocket ripped into several balconies. Police said five people were hurt. With Israeli tanks and artillery positioned along the Gaza border and no end in sight to hostilities now in their fourth day, Tunisia’s foreign minister travelled to the enclave in a show of Arab solidarity. Officials in Gaza said 41 Palestinians, nearly half of them civilians including eight children and a pregnant woman, had been killed since Israel began its air strikes. Three Israeli civilians were killed by a rocket on Thursday. In Cairo, a presidential source said Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi would hold four-way talks with the Qatari emir, the prime minister of Turkey and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in the Egyptian capital on Saturday to discuss the Gaza crisis. Egypt has been working to reinstate calm between Israel and Hamas after an informal ceasefire brokered by Cairo unraveled over the past few weeks. Meshaal, who lives in exile, has already held a round of talks with Egyptian security officials. Israel uncorked its massive air campaign on Wednesday with the declared goal of deterring Hamas from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years. The salvoes recently intensified, and are now displaying greater range. The operation has drawn Western support for what US and European leaders have called Israel’s right to self-defense, along with appeals to both sides to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas, shunned by the West over its refusal to recognize Israel, says its cross-border attacks have come in response to Israeli strikes against Palestinian fighters in Gaza. “We have not limited ourselves in means or in time,” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Israel’s Channel One television. “We hope that it will end as soon as possible, but that will be only after all the objectives have been achieved.” Hamas says it is committed to continued confrontation with Israel and is eager not to seem any less resolute than smaller, more radical groups that have emerged in Gaza in recent years. The Islamist movement has ruled Gaza since 2007. Israel pulled settlers out of Gaza in 2005 but maintains a blockade of the tiny, densely populated coastal territory. Reserve troop quota doubled At a late night session on Friday, Israel’s cabinet decided to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000, political sources said. The move did not necessarily mean all would be called up or that an invasion would follow. Tanks and self-propelled guns were seen near the sandy border zone on Saturday, and around 16,000 reservists have already been summoned to active duty. The Gaza conflagration has stirred the pot of a Middle East already boiling from two years of Arab revolution and a civil war in Syria that threatens to spread beyond its borders. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Israel and Egypt next week to push for an end to the fighting in Gaza, UN diplomats said on Friday. Hamas’s armed wing claimed responsibility for Saturday’s rocket attack on Tel Aviv, saying it had fired a longer-range, Iranian-designed Fajr-5 at the coastal metropolis, some 70 km north of the Gaza Strip. After air raid sirens sounded, witnesses saw two white plumes rise into the sky over the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv and heard an explosion when the incoming rocket was hit. The anti-missile battery had been due to take delivery of its fifth Iron Dome battery early next year but it was rushed into service near Tel Aviv after rockets were launched toward the city on Thursday and Friday. Those attacks caused no damage or casualties. In Jerusalem, targeted by a Palestinian rocket on Friday for the first time in 42 years, there was little outward sign on the Jewish Sabbath that the attack had any impact on the usually placid pace of life in the holy city. In Gaza, some families abandoned their homes – some of them damaged and others situated near potential Israeli targets – and packed into the houses of friends and relatives. Israel’s Gaza targets The Israeli army said it had zeroed in on a number of government buildings during the night, including Haniyeh’s office, the Hamas Interior Ministry and a police compound. Taher al-Nono, a spokesman for the Hamas government, held a news conference near the rubble of the prime minister’s office and pledged: “We will declare victory from here.” A three-storey house belonging to Hamas official Abu Hassan Salah was also hit and totally destroyed early on Saturday. Rescuers said at least 30 people were pulled from the rubble. In Washington, US President Barack Obama commended Egypt’s efforts to help defuse the Gaza violence in a call to Mursi on Friday, the White House said in a statement, and underscored his hope of restoring stability there. On Friday, Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil paid a high-profile visit to Gaza, denouncing what he called Israeli aggression and saying Cairo was prepared to mediate a truce. Egypt’s Islamist government, freely elected after U.S.-backed autocrat Hosni Mubarak fell to a popular uprising last year, is allied with Hamas but Cairo is also party to a 1979 peace treaty with Israel. In a call to Netanyahu, Obama discussed options for “de-escalating” the situation, the White House said, adding that the president “reiterated US support for Israel’s right to defend itself, and expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives”. Hamas fighters are no match for the Israeli military. The last Gaza war, involving a three-week long Israeli air blitz and ground invasion over the New Year period of 2008-09, killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Thirteen Israelis died. But few believe Israeli military action can snuff out militant rocket fire entirely without a reoccupation of Gaza, an option all but ruled out because it would risk major casualties and an international outcry. While Hamas rejects the Jewish state’s existence, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules in areas of the nearby West Bank not occupied by Israelis, does recognize Israel but peace talks between the two sides have been frozen since 2010. - Reuters |
| Train plows into school bus in Egypt, 50 killed Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:32 AM PST
Witnesses said barriers at the crossing were open when the train hit the bus. Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad and the head of the railways authority resigned, and President Mohamed Mursi said those responsible would be held to account. The bus was broken in half by the force of the crash. Blood was spattered on the front of the engine and school bags and text books, some bloodstained, were strewn around. All but two of the dead were children, aged around four to eight, said a senior security official in Assiut, near the crash site. One woman and the bus driver also died, he said. Egypt’s roads and railways have a poor safety record and Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce even basic safeguards, leading to a string of deadly crashes. Prime Minister Hisham Kandil travelled to the area to review the situation. But devastated and angry people in one village from where the children had been picked up to travel to school said they would bar entry to any visiting officials. “We won’t accept any officials in the village. They only want to come to appear in the media,” said Alaa Ahmed from al-Hawatka, where some children killed on the bus came from. They were travelling to a school near Manfalut, about 300 km (190 miles) south of Cairo. Some victims’ families protested at the crash site. Many other Egyptians across the nation were also shocked and angered. “It is so shameful and a big disgrace to this government. All of its members, and not only one minister, should quit. That is what I know would happen in any decent country,” said Mona Ahmed, a 60-year-old mother of three, in Cairo. BARRIERS OPEN State media reported that as well as 50 dead, 15 or more people were injured. A medical source said as many as 28 were injured, 27 of them children. “They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it,” said Mohamed Samir, a doctor at Assiut hospital where the injured were taken, citing witness accounts. Assiut Governor Yahya Keshk also said the crossing was open. “The crossing worker was asleep. He has been detained,” he told state television. The doctor said the bodies of many of those killed were severely mutilated, illustrating the force of the crash. “I saw the train collide with the bus and push it about 1 km (half a mile) along the track,” said Ahmed Youssef, a driver. Officials said the level of destruction and mutilation made it difficult to count and identify the bodies. Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed, the official news agency said. Egypt’s worst train disaster was in 2002 when a fire ripped through seven carriages of an overcrowded passenger train, killing at least 360 people. At that time, when Mursi was an opposition member of parliament for his Muslim Brotherhood group, he accused the then prime minister and officials of “gross negligence”. Many more have been killed in rail accidents since then despite pledges from successive governments to improve safety. Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo. In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed. Reflecting frustration at the state of public transport, Cairo metro workers went on strike this week complaining about poor levels of safety and maintenance. Accidents involving multiple deaths are also common on Egypt’s poor quality roads. A crash on Cairo’s outskirts on Saturday involving a minibus killed at least 11 people, security sources said. - Reuters |
| Iran delays planned start-up of Arak nuclear reactor Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:28 AM PST
Tehran has continued to install cooling and moderator circuit piping in the heavy water plant near the town of Arak. Nuclear analysts say this type of reactor could yield plutonium for nuclear arms if the spent fuel is reprocessed, something Iran has said it has no intention of doing. But the country has now delayed the planned timetable for bringing Arak on line by about half a year from the third quarter of 2013, according to the latest UN information in a confidential report submitted to member states late on Friday. “Iran stated that the operation of the IR-40 reactor was now expected to commence in the first quarter of 2014,” the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said. It gave no reason for the postponement, but Western experts have said a launch already next year always seemed unrealistic. The Arms Control Association, a Washington-based research and advocacy group, said it was questionable whether Iran would be able to meet the new target date as well, in view of “significant delays and impeded access to necessary materials” because of international sanctions imposed on Iran. The West’s worries about Iran are focused largely on underground uranium enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow, but experts say Arak is also a possible proliferation concern. Iran rejects Western allegations it seeks to develop a capability to assemble atomic arms, saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and that the Arak reactor will produce isotopes for medical and agricultural use. But former chief UN nuclear inspector Olli Heinonen, now at Harvard University, said Arak was “ill-suited” for isotope production. Plutonium from Arak would be available at the earliest in 2016-17 if a reprocessing plant was built, he said. Israel, believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state, sees Iran’s nuclear program as a serious danger and has threatened to attack its atomic sites if diplomacy fails to resolve the decade-old dispute. If it does, the nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow and Arak in central Iran are likely to be among the targets. No reprocessing plans Friday’s quarterly IAEA report showed Iran pressing ahead with expanding its uranium enrichment program at Fordow and Natanz in defiance of tightening Western sanctions. The report, issued 10 days after US President Barack Obama’s re-election raised hope of a revival of diplomacy following months of speculation that Israel might soon attack Iran’s nuclear sites, underlined the tough task facing Western powers seeking to pressure Tehran to curb its atomic activities. “Iran is carefully calibrating development of its nuclear program to gain leverage at coming talks and avoid probable redlines, while also slowly but steadily increasing the threat facing the West,” Cliff Kupchan, Middle East director at the Eurasia consultancy, said. A US-based think-tank, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), said Iran’s total output of low-enriched uranium since 2007 could in theory be used for six or seven nuclear weapons if refined much further. Enriched uranium can fuel nuclear power plants, Iran’s stated aim, but also provide the explosive core of a nuclear weapon if refined much further. Making plutonium from spent fuel is a second way of obtaining potential bomb material. The IAEA report also said nuclear fuel had been unloaded from Iran’s first nuclear energy plant, Bushehr, and transferred to a spent fuel pond. No reason was given for the unexpected move. In theory, such material can yield plutonium, but a Western diplomat played down any such proliferation concern. In August, German prosecutors said police had arrested four men suspected of delivering valves for the Arak reactor, breaking an embargo on such exports to Iran. If operated optimally, the heavy-water plant could produce about 9 kilograms of plutonium a year, or enough for about two nuclear bombs annually, ISIS said in a note on Arak. “Before it could use any of the plutonium in a nuclear weapon, however, it would first have to separate the plutonium from the irradiated fuel,” it added on its website. Iran has announced it has no plans to reprocess the spent fuel, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think-tank said in a report last year. But Mark Fitzpatrick, director of its non-proliferation and disarmament program, has said that “similarly sized reactors ostensibly built for research” have been used by India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan to make plutonium for weapons. - Reuters |
| Obama departs for Asia, to make historic stop in Myanmar Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST
Obama will make stops in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. The highlight of the trip is likely to be the historic stop in Myanmar, a former pariah state. The White House hopes his visit will push the country to lock in democratic reforms. The president’s tour may be overshadowed, however, by violence in the Middle East and concerns about tax and spending talks with lawmakers back home. Obama is scheduled to return to Washington early Wednesday morning. - Reuters |
| US denies visas to Iran officials for UN meeting Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:21 AM PST
The Iranian judiciary’s Human Rights Headquarters said in a statement that the United States denied visas to members of an Iranian delegation that planned to travel to a meeting of the United Nations’ Third Committee, which focuses on social issues and human rights, state news agency IRNA said. “The US government, by not issuing visas to the members of the delegation, wants to ruin the possibility of the presence of the delegation, and prevent its members from conducting their mission of interacting and cooperating with the United Nations,” said the statement, according to IRNA. The judiciary body urged UN officials to warn the United States against such decisions and remind it of its obligations as UN host country, IRNA reported. It did not say how many Iranian officials had applied for visas from the United States or when they wanted to travel. The Swiss embassy, which handles US consular services in Iran, did not respond immediately to a request from comment. The US State Department was not immediately available for comment. As UN host country, the United States has a policy of issuing visas for members of delegations, in line with a 1947 pact with the United Nations, regardless of disputes with individual countries. However, it does sometimes refuse entry to government officials and professionals from Iran with which it has had no diplomatic ties since 1979 and which it accuses of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. In September, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that the US had denied visas to about 20 government officials hoping to attend the UN General Assembly, including two ministers, although President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did attend and addressed the assembly. At the time, a US official speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Visas for foreign officials to attend UN meetings in the UN headquarters district are adjudicated in accordance with all applicable laws and procedures including both US law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, however, visa records are confidential.” In 2009, as Iranian authorities were crushing protests against the re-election of Ahmadinejad, Iran said a delegation headed by its first vice president had been refused visas to attend a UN conference on the global financial crisis. - Reuters |
| White House says did not heavily edit talking points on Benghazi Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:16 AM PST
“If there were adjustments made to them within the intelligence community, that’s common, and that’s something they would have done themselves,” Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser, told reporters. “The only edit … made by the White House was the factual edit as to how to refer to the facility.” After a closed-door hearing with former CIA Director David Petraeus on Friday, Republican Representative Peter King said that unclassified talking points prepared by the CIA for use by lawmakers about the September 11 attack where the US ambassador to Libya was killed originally pointed specifically to al Qaeda involvement. King said they were edited before being cleared for use. - Reuters |
| China’s Xi praises Hu for voluntarily giving up power Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:13 AM PST
Hu, who remains China’s president until March’s parliament session, relinquished the much more powerful post of Communist Party boss on Thursday at the close of the once-every-five-year congress that selects the party’s new leadership line-up. The question had loomed whether Hu would stay on as head of the powerful Central Military Commission, thereby preventing a full takeover of the party and armed forces by Vice President Xi. Hu’s predecessor Jiang Zemin remained chief of the military commission for two years after Hu took over as president and party boss. “Chairman Hu, giving full consideration to the development of the party, country and military, voluntarily proposed no longer holding the positions of party general secretary or chairman of the military commission,” the official Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying. “The entire 18th Party Congress respected Chairman Hu’s willingness (to step down), and agreed to his request,” Xi said at a military commission meeting held on Friday. “Chairman Hu’s very important decision fully showed his deep consideration toward the development of the Party, the country and military, and fully showed his foresight as a Marxist statesman and strategist, and his broad mind and noble character,” Xi added, using typically turgid communist phraseology. Hu had made modernizing China’s outdated, massive armed forces a key platform of his time in office, overseeing the launch of the country’s first aircraft carrier and development of stealth fighters. Xi said the military must “work hard to promote its revolutionary modernization”. He added that the party must “unswervingly” remain in control of military, reflecting the leadership’s determination to ensure that the People’s Liberation Army remains the ultimate shield of their authority. “Ensuring the absolute leadership of the party over the military … concerns the lasting stability of the party and the country,” Xi said. - Reuters |
| German Greens avoid split by re-electing leftist Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:11 AM PST
Claudia Roth, a left-winger defeated a week ago in her bid to become one of two lead candidates in 2013, was elected to another two years as party co-chair with 88.5 percent backing. Cem Oezdemir, who represents the pragmatic or “realo” wing and has pushed the world’s most successful environmentalist party to open itself to coalitions with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, was also re-elected with the votes of 83.3 percent of 766 delegates. Although both ran unopposed, the level of support was considered an important indicator of the party’s backing. The Greens were junior coalition partners to the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) from 1998 to 2005. They hope for a return to government in another coalition next September — preferably with the SPD again. But they have opened themselves to a possible alliance with Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) – an idea that was once anathema to what began as a peacenik ecological movement in the 1970s. Roth considered bowing out of the leadership after she came fourth in the race to be the face of the Greens in the 2013 election. But her departure could have aggravated tensions with the party’s left wing, which once ruled the roost but has been marginalized in recent years as the Greens try to win over voters in the middle. “I’m not going to change my ways. And I’m not going to stop getting on everyone’s nerves,” Roth said before the vote. Speculation about the Greens drifting towards the conservatives had been rampant in the last week after party members unexpectedly picked Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a leader in the Lutheran church, as their lead candidate instead of Roth. Political analysts believe Goering-Eckardt can help the Greens poach conservative voters. But Roth’s departure from the co-chair post could have hurt the party on the left. Merkel’s conservatives lead opinion polls with about 39 percent support but her junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats (FDP), have fallen below the 5 percent threshold needed to win seats with only 4 percent. The Greens poll around 13 percent and the SPD is on 30 percent. Polls also show most Germans favor another “grand coalition” between the conservatives and SPD. - Reuters |
| Jailed Kurd militant leader could help end hunger strike, lawyers say Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:06 AM PST
They have not seen him for more than 15 months, and have not been able to ask Ocalan what he thinks about the hunger strike by hundreds of his supporters in jails across Turkey. But they believe the PKK leader could play a role in ending the protest. The hunger strike, demanding an end to Ocalan’s isolation, is stretching into its third month. Medics say the strikers, some of whom have refused food for 67 days, could soon begin dying. They are consuming sugared water, salt and vitamins. “Our client is someone who has a serious influence over the Kurds and so we think any call by him to end this protest action could be influential,” said Mazlum Dinc, one of Ocalan’s lawyers, sitting in cramped offices in central Istanbul. “But it is really the government who can end this hunger strike,” he told Reuters, to nods of approval from his fellow lawyers as they sipped black tea. Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has been fighting for Kurdish autonomy for almost three decades, has been imprisoned on the small island of Imrali in the Marmara Sea since his capture in 1999. He has significant support among Kurds but is widely reviled by Turks who hold him responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people since the PKK – designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – took up arms. The protest by hundreds of Kurdish militants and activists presents a growing challenge for the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and risks fuelling tensions in the mainly Kurdish southeast as the protesters’ health deteriorates. One of the hunger strikers in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir was taken to hospital on Saturday with stomach bleeding, although his condition was not thought to be life-threatening. “In democracies, you don’t get rights by using these methods … I hope they will return from the wrong path. As the government, we won’t let anyone die in prison,” Erdogan told reporters before leaving on an official visit to Egypt. He has previously dismissed the protest as “blackmail” supported by “merchants of death”. The hunger strikers have demanded an end to Ocalan’s isolation, including access to lawyers, as well as greater Kurdish language rights for Kurds in Turkey, who make up around one fifth of the population. Seven leading Kurdish politicians joined the protest over the past week, including parliamentarian Leyla Zana, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Lawyers in custody Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has played down reports of Ocalan’s isolation, saying his family is able to visit him and that Ocalan himself did not want to talk to his lawyers. The lawyers reject this and say the authorities have declined their requests to visit him 134 times since they last saw him more on July 27, 2011. They usually cite breakdowns on the boat or bad weather, say the lawyers. Ocalan’s solitary confinement was eased in 2009 when five more inmates were brought to the island. His current situation is unclear but lawyers say he has no access to a telephone or television and his newspapers are censored. Mehmet Ocalan, the PKK leader’s brother, has said he visited him twice in jail in the last 15 months. Most of Ocalan’s lawyers are now on trial accused of links to the PKK, leaving a small group of young, inexperienced colleagues to represent him. Dinc, 23, was a child when Ocalan was first captured by Turkish special forces in Kenya and brought back to Turkey. He began representing him in August 2011, his first job after university. His sudden rise to prominence in the law office followed police raids last November in which dozens of Ocalan’s lawyers were detained, accused of involvement in an alleged network linked to the PKK. The lawyers, of which 27 are in custody as the trial continues, are accused of passing on orders from Ocalan to the PKK – a charge they reject. Fighting between the PKK and Turkish security forces surged over the summer. Ankara linked the renewed hostilities to the conflict in neighboring Syria. Turkey has accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of arming the PKK. Erdogan’s government has boosted Kurdish cultural and language rights since taking power a decade ago. But Kurdish politicians are seeking greater political reform, including steps towards autonomy for mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey. Addressing one of the protesters’ demands, the government has submitted to parliament a bill allowing defendants to use Kurdish in their court testimony. But Kurdish politicians say this alone would not be sufficient to end the hunger strike. Another of Ocalan’s lawyers, Rezan Sarica, said the reform was inadequate as it would only allow for oral defense twice and required defendants to pay for their own translator. “It will not be enough. It will make a contribution… But the most significant demands of the hunger strikers concern Ocalan,” said the 25-year old. The government is worried about the hunger strike in the light of a similar protest more than a decade ago in which dozens died – both as a result of fasting and a security operation to end the strike. The justice ministry says around 1,700 people are on hunger strike and doctors were regularly inspecting them. Turkey’s largest medical association has warned of fatalities after around 60 days. - Reuters |
| Perhimpunan 1 juta orang Pakatan 24 Januari Posted: 17 Nov 2012 01:11 AM PST
Perkara ini dinyatakan oleh Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu semasa berucap di muktamar parti di Kota Baru hari ini. Perhimpunan itu kerana menuntut Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) mengadakan pilihanraya yang adil dan bersih. “Perhimpunan di peringkat negeri juga diadakan. Pada 1 Disember di Johor; Melaka (8 Disember); Pahang (9 Disember); Terengganu (14 Disember); Perak (16 Disember) dan Sabah (24 Disember). “Manakala negeri-negeri lain belum ditetapkan lagi,” kata beliau. Bagaimanapun, tempat perhimpunan belum ditetap tetapi membayangkan di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, Stadium Nasional atau di tengah-tengahnya. Mohamad menjelaskan pada mulanya, Pakatan Rakyat mahu mengadakan konvensyen tetapi NGO mahu membetulkan kerajaan yang ada dengan mengadakan perhimpunan. “Saya yakin jika perhimpunan itu disertai sejuta orang, kita akan menawan Putrajaya,” katanya lagi. Beliau menambah, keputusan mengadakan perhimpunan mega dibuat dalam mesyuarat pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat baru-baru ini. Katanya, beliau sekali lagi dipilih untuk mengetuai perhimpunan tersebut. |
| ‘Apologise to Indians for racist policies’ Posted: 17 Nov 2012 12:45 AM PST
Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan said that only then should Hindraf Makkal Sakti consider whether to accept Najib's open call to meet up with civil rights movement to address pressing Indian issues. He said Najib must admit that Umno had systematically sidelined the once hardworking and economically vibrant Indians into a "forgotten community" through its ethnic and religious policies. "As prime minister and Umno president, Najib must make an immediate unconditional apology and pay monetary compensation to all Indians for Umno's 55 years of racist policies. "Otherwise, Hindraf should reject his offer to meet. “Najib should have known by now what are the Indian problems in the country," said the Hindraf lawyer who was formerly detained without trial under the now repealed Internal Security Act. However Manoharan, who is also Hindraf’s legal advisor, stood firm on his stand that Hindraf should not meet Najib. Minister in Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz recently said that Najib was keen to meet with Hindraf leaders to address Indian issues. Drawing similarities with neo-colonialism, Manoharan said Umno's racist policies had pushed the Indian community to the wayside of nation-building since independence. Hence, he said Indians were denied their rights in citizenship, public education, civil employment, business, agriculture, housing, religious and cultural freedom and land ownership. He also blamed the same racist policies for the constant police killings of Indians in cells and shootout encounters on mere criminal suspicion. Manoharan reminded Indians that Umno-racist policies were to blame for police atrocities committed on the community on the eve and during Hindraf mammoth rally on Nov 25, 2007. He said the police showed disrespect to the Hindu religion by assaulting and detaining youths in the Batu Caves Hindu temple compound on the night of the rally. He also slammed Umno for being a vicious federal government by pressing murder charges on arrested youths for merely gathering at their place of worship. "The police tarnished and mocked the sanctity of a Hindu temple considered by many Hindus as their holy site. "The youths were actually victims of police racist brutality; they were branded as criminals by the Umno government. "Many lost their jobs and livelihoods afterwards," said Manoharan, who also urged Najib to apologise for this atrocity too. |
| Naib Presiden pertahan kepimpinan ulamak PAS Posted: 17 Nov 2012 12:38 AM PST
Datuk Husam Musa, Datuk Mahfuz Omar dan Salahuddin Ayub menegaskan tidak ada sebarang keperluan untuk mengubah kepimpinan ulamak yang menjadi peneraju parti. “Orang yang tidak tahu akan kata PAS meninggalkan perjuangan asal dengan memperkenalkan konsep negara berkebajikan. “(Tetapi) negara berkebajikan bukan baru…negara berkebajikan adalah inti dalam Islam,” kata Husam. Perkara sama juga disuarakan oleh Salahuddin dan Mahfuz semasa menggulung ucapan dasar Presiden dalam muktamar parti di Kota Baru hari ini. Mereka bertiga menjawab kebimbangan sesetengah perwakilan mengenai kemungkinan kepimpinan dari ulamak bertukar kepada golongan lain. Antara yang melahirkan kebimbangan itu ialah Mokhtar Senik dari Pahang. Dalam ucapannya, Mokhtar amaran kepada pihak-pihak tertentu yang cuba menukar kepimpinan ulamak PAS kepada golongan lain. Katanya, jika pemimpin dan ahli cuba berbuat demikian, PAS akan lemah dan parti itu menjadi biasa sahaja. |
| Gerakan identified candidates three years ago, says Koh Posted: 17 Nov 2012 12:27 AM PST
“We identified the candidates, three years ago, and they have been under evaluation ever since, to ensure eligibility for the job,” he said. At a press conference after the party’s central meeting in its headquartersin Cheras here, Koh said the candidates were currently undergoing final evaluation before the party could name them for the polls. Asked to comment on asset declaration by the opposition, he said, as a matter of principle, he agreed to the practice but it must be done by everyone and fairly. “We must be fair to everyone and consider every aspect. For instance, some politicians come from succesful business families and that factor must be considered, as well. “The assets from such income should not be made an issue,” he said. On another matter, Koh confirmed the appointment of the Barisan Nasional chairmen in Taiping and Beruas, Perak. He said Tan Lian Hoe was BN chairman in Taiping while Chang Ko Youn, who is also party deputy president, was Beruas chairman. Koh said the appointments were finalised last month. -Bernama |
| Focus on statecraft, PAS members told Posted: 17 Nov 2012 12:26 AM PST
Debating the presidential speech at the 58th PAS muktamar (national conference) at Kota Baru today, Mahfuz expressed concerns that the assembly has devoted little attention to preparations on how to govern the country under the Pakatan Rakyat banner. "We should be looking forward; for instance, on how to develop rural areas where our party strength lies; how to curb the migration of people from the rural [areas] to the cities. "As long as the migration doesn't stop, there won't be any development in the rural areas. If people are concentrating in the cities, then the cost of living will forever be high," he said. He said that party members should also study measures to improve the education system, such as increasing the number of vocational and technical schools. "What about reforming public institutions, such as Tabung Haji which is saddled with controversies? We should all think about it," he told some 1,100 delegates. This year muktamar would be the last chance for the Islamist party to close ranks and gear up for the election battle ahead with the Barisan Nasional. While the many factions in PAS have finally "settled down" with Pakatan as reflected in their speeches, a Pahang representative, however, pointed out to the rising influence of non-ulama leaders within the party and asked for its traditional ulama leadership to stay. In reply, Mahfuz said the ulama leadership would not be cast aside as the party constitution has guaranteed its existence. He added that any decision made by the party executive body must also be endorsed by the powerful majlis syura, which is the party's highest authority. "To me, this is not a matter of concern; we should instead focus on the preparation to govern the country," he said. Also read: 20,000 show up for Pakatan's uprising rally |
| Bersih leader ‘harassed’ at airport again Posted: 16 Nov 2012 10:24 PM PST
Maria, who was in Kota Kinabalu to meet Sabah NGOs for a dialogue session, told FMT that she and two others were held for 20 minutes by immigration officers upon her arrival at the airport. "The immigration officers stopped me and brought me to their office. At first, there were two officers, but then another five women officers came in," said Maria. "They didn't tell me what was happening until I asked them. The official finally told me that it was because I am not a Sabahan and they are conducting a random check." "When I pushed a bit more for answers, they got upset. I asked them 'why are you conducting this random check on me? Why is this not happening to others?'" "They said to me, ‘you are blacklisted, you should know what you have done,’" said Maria, sounding bewildered. "I didn't even know I was blacklisted. What is this blacklist? Is it a criminal blacklist or a political blacklist?" This was not the first time immigrations officials had briefly held "blacklisted" Bersih leaders at the airport – last month, Arul Prakah was stopped at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) while travelling to Singapore. He told FMT he was informed that his name had been blacklisted. Other Bersih leaders who have been stopped at airports for various reasons include Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga, and steering committee members K Arumugam, Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat, Yeo Yang Poh and Andrew Khoo. "Whenever we go out, we are harassed. Either we are told we are blacklisted, or that there is a police case against us," said Maria today. "But I have not even been charged in court at all," she pointed out. Harassment continues after release Maria said that she and her companions were finally released after the officials photocopied her identification card, but the harassment did not stop there. "The orders were for the officials to photocopy my IC, and they let me leave once they got the copy," said Maria. "But this time around, when I left the immigration office, there was a Special Branch officer who was continuously taking photos of us." "That was real harassment – he was right in our faces and didn't stop taking photos until we entered the taxi," she said, clearly distressed. "This must stop – this continuous harassment of people asking for clean and fair elections." Maria said that she and fellow Bersih members had written numerous letters to the Home Ministry, the Inspector-General of Police and immigration to learn their precise offences, but none had responded. "They have to tell us what about us is bothering them. Because otherwise this is just part and parcel of the harassment of Bersih members," she said. "This especially reflects badly on [Prime Minister] Najib Tun Razak's transformation programme. Is this on his agenda? Continuous harassment of activists?" On Oct 12, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar seemed puzzled when quizzed about a police order to the immigration to stop Bersih leaders from flying out of the country. Prior to that, Immigration Department director-general Alias Ahmad had confirmed with FMT that his officers were stopping certain travellers at airports based on a list furnished by the Bukit Aman police headquarters. |
| Israel prepares ground invasion of Gaza Posted: 16 Nov 2012 09:51 PM PST
Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, said Israeli planes bombed the office building of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh – where he had met today with the Egyptian prime minister, and struck a police headquarters building. An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed the strike on Haniyeh’s office. Palestinians yesterday fired a rocket toward Jerusalem for the first time in decades. Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial centre, also came under rocket attack for the second straight day, in defiance of an Israeli air offensive that began on Wednesday with the declared aim of deterring Hamas from launching cross-border attacks that have plagued southern Israel for years. Hamas claimed responsibility for firing at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israel said the rocket launched toward Jerusalem landed in the occupied West Bank, and the one fired at Tel Aviv did not hit the city. There were no reports of casualties. The siren that sounded in Jerusalem stunned many Israelis. The city, holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, was last struck by a Palestinian rocket in 1970, and it was not a target when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq fired missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a four-hour strategy session late yesterday with a clutch of senior ministers in Tel Aviv on widening the military campaign, while other Cabinet members were polled by telephone on raising the mobilisation level. Political sources said they decided to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000. The move did not necessarily mean all would be called into service. Hours earlier, Egypt’s prime minister, denouncing what he described as Israeli aggression, visited Gaza and said Cairo was prepared to mediate a truce. US President Barack Obama spoke with Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi yesterday, the White House said. Clearing the way Officials in Gaza said 30 Palestinians – 14 militants and 16 civilians, among them eight children and a pregnant woman – had been killed in the enclave since Israel began its air strikes. Three Israeli civilians were killed by a rocket yesterday. The Israeli military said 133 rockets fired from Gaza had hit Israel and 82 more were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system. Dozens of Israeli bombing raids rocked the enclave. In a further sign Netanyahu might be clearing the way for a ground operation, Israel’s armed forces announced that a highway leading to the territory and two roads bordering the enclave of 1.7 million Palestinians would be off-limits to civilian traffic. Tanks and self-propelled guns were seen near the border area today, and the military said it had already called 16,000 reservists to active duty. Netanyahu is favoured to win a January national election, but further rocket strikes against Tel Aviv, a free-wheeling city Israelis equate with New York, and Jerusalem, which Israel regards as its capital, could be political poison for the conservative leader. “The Israel Defence Forces will continue to hit Hamas hard and are prepared to broaden the action inside Gaza,” Netanyahu said before the rocket attacks on the two cities. Asked about Israel massing forces for a possible Gaza invasion, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, “The Israelis should be aware of the grave results of such a raid, and they should bring their body bags.” -Reuters |
| Dewan Ulamak: Hadi paling layak jadi Perdana Menteri Posted: 16 Nov 2012 09:20 PM PST
Berikutan itu, tegas wakilya Mohd Asri Daud adalah tidak sepatutnya ahli dan pemimpin berkempen supaya orang lain menjadi Perdana Menteri. “Datuk Seri Presiden yang paling layak menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia kerana kita mahu pemimpin yang baik. “Apa guna kita menang pilihanraya tetapi kita tidak boleh tegakkan Islam,” katanya ketika membahaskan ucapan dasar Presiden di muktamar ke 58 di Kota Baru hari ini. Sebelum ini komponen Pakatan Rakyat yang disertai PAS, PKR dan DAP setuju melantik Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri jika menang pilihanraya umum ke 13. Manakala dalam ucapannya, Ketua Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS, Hu Pang Chaw, untuk menang PRU, PAS memerlukan perancangan yang jitu. Beliau mencadangkan PAS menubuhan pasukan khas untuk mengumpul data serta melancarkan perang saraf menjelang pilihanraya. “Jika PKR ada bas, DAP ada lori, PAS boleh beli kapal terbang tetapi yang ada enjin supaya boleh terbang,” katanya. Beliau juga mencadangkan mesyuarat PAS menjemput DHPP bagi sama-sama menguatkan parti. Beliau juga memberitahu, sokongan orang Cina kepada PAS bertambah apabila Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek menyerang PAS. |
| ‘DAP shows disrespect to PAS over ‘hudud’ issue’ Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:48 PM PST
He said this was evident from the statement of DAP chairman Karpal Singh that the party’s position on the hudud issue could not be subjected to any compromise and it was fundamental for the party’s existence. “I was not at all surprised by Karpal’s dismissal [of the proposal] because the DAP has all along expressed opposition to an Islamic state. It was to be expected. “If PAS wants to really champion Islam, it should reconsider its association and cooperation with the DAP,” he told reporters after launching a social gathering of members of the Kelab Suara Muda, here, last night. The issue of implementation of hudud came up again when PAS Dewan Ulama chief Harun Taib said after the Dewan Ulama assembly two days ago that the opposition pact had generally agreed to the implementation of hudud if the opposition was able to form the government after the 13th general election. However, Karpal Singh and DAP deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw issued statements to the contrary. Tan said yesterday he did not know how the issue of the opposition pact having agreed to "hudud" surfaced when the DAP only accepted the position of Islam as provided for in the Federal Constitution. He said the points of agreement between PAS and DAP on the implementation of hudud, should the opposition pact form the federal government, were based on the provisions in the Federal Constitution. -Bernama |
| Global factors to dampen Bursa Malaysia next week Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:18 PM PST
Vice-president/head of retail research, Affin Investment Bank, Nazri Khan, said the local market, which closed below the strong 1,630 support level, was expected to weaken next week. “We believe the logical downside objective will be 1,620 and 1,600 level while the next area of resistance is 1,630 and 1,650 level,” he told Bernama. Nazri said there were signs the US politicians may face stiff challenges to put the country's public finances in order by January and may not have the resource to reach a budget compromise in a timely fashion. “Failure to avoid the fiscal cliff will result in sovereign rating downgrade and possibly push the US into a mild recession again,” he said. Meanwhile, he said, the European shares were under modest pressure in response to a worse-than-expected European industrial production. He said there were also signs of cautiousness in the region following leadership change in China. The new leaders, he said, may not be reform-oriented leaders to support Chinese equities. “The fact that the Shanghai Composite was down to a six-week low suggested that the Chinese stocks received no boost from the leadership change,” he said. For the week just-ended, the FBM KLCI fell by 11.8 points to 1,629.28 from 1,641.08 last week. The Finance Index fell 51.46 points to 15,016.91, Industrial Index shed 35.59 points to 2,789.68 and the Plantation Index eased 50.36 points to 8,022.5. The FBM Emas Index declined 64.74 points to 11,131.74, FBMT100 was 66.27 points lower to 10,967.45, FBM ACE Index eased 23.95 points to 4,275.65 and the FBM 70 Index slid 12.33 points to 12,274.89. Weekly turnover fell to 2.56 billion shares valued at RM4.58 billion from 5.375 billion shares valued at RM7.632 billion last Friday. The Main Market volume decreased to 2.02 billion units worth RM4.51 billion from the 4.079 billion units worth RM4.079 billion previously. The ACE Market volume eased to 351.76 million shares valued at RM55.18 million from 900.435 million shares valued at RM63.676 million last week. Warrants fell to 183.32 million units worth RM12.37 million from 387.431 million units worth RM32.898 million last Friday. - Bernama |
| ‘Minister is clueless, twisting facts’ Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:16 PM PST
“Sepa is of the opinion that the minister is so blinded by emotion that he is driven to twisting facts,” said Sepa president Wong Tack. “The content of his statement shows his gross ignorance which is mainly because he has chosen to make an evaluation without a thorough site visit of the places Sepa has reported on,” he said in a statement yesterday. Wong was commenting on the outburst by Tan who accused Sepa of endangering the state’s economic growth by “constantly objecting” to a number of big government-endorsed projects that have been proven to have flouted environmental laws. Local newspapers quoted him as telling reporters during a Deepavali function here: “I won’t say they are sabotaging… but if thiscontinues, it is very, very close to what I would say sabotage.” Tan was referring to the embarrassing exposรฉ by Sepa that part of the state government’s grand Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) project, which is on-going in Lahad Datu, was clearly against the law. On Tan’s claim that a gas pipeline at the site and the building of an electricity generating plant would go ahead as they complied with all the environmental safeguards, Wong said the minister did not appear to be aware of what was going on at the site. “He should make his appraisal based on hard facts and not make sweeping statements,” he said. “Sepa is not against the gas-fired power plant in Lahad Datu. All Sepa wants is that proper procedures be followed so as to avoid irreparable environmental damage. The means must justify the end. “Let Tan be reminded that the first requirement of Sabah's EIA laws is that the site chosen must be the right one and cannot bechosen if it negatively affects the environment, unless as a last resort, and even then, only if the effects can be mitigated,” he said. Sepa has been highlighting how several projects carried out by the government are not given proper on-the-ground procedural importance. It claims that contractors carrying out government projects act like they have the "licence to kill the environment" and the NGO has proved it by providing photographic evidence. Lax enforcement Sepa argued that it is the duty of the government to monitor and enforce the laws but since the projects are government-sanctioned, enforcement has been lax. “NGOs like Sepa are actually helping the government by pointing out the problems for the government to act and Tan should thank NGOs like Sepa and not shoot the messenger," said Wong. He also said Tan was being peevish for criticising Sepa for opposing coal-fired power plants in the peninsula, adding that it only revealed “a large gap in the minister's thinking”. “Tan has taken credit for the cancellation of the coal-fired power plant in Sabah then. Going by his reasoning, he should get Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to close down all coal-fired power plants in Malaysia.” Sepa has been complaining since 2009 of the lack of EIAs (Environmental Impact Assessment) master plan on the POIC. It claims that the EIAs submitted did not seek public and NGO input and were basically “an academic green-wash” as the panel memberswere all government servants and appointees. “Do right by the people. Don't bulldoze things because future generations will suffer the consequences,” said Wong. |
| ‘Kembalikan kerusi Temerloh kepada PAS’ Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:12 PM PST
“Saya yang mewakili PAS Pahang meminta kepimpinan supaya mengembalikan kepada calon PAS,” kata Mokhtar Senik ketika membahaskan ucapan dasar Presiden PAS di muktamar parti di Kota Baru hari ini. Kerusi Parlimen Temerloh ditandingi calon PKR Ahmad Nizam Hamid dalam pilihanraya umum 2008 bagaimanapun beliau kalah kepada calon BN, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah yang kini menjadi Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi. Dalam ucapannya, Mokhtar amaran kepada pihak-pihak tertentu yang cuba menukar kepimpinan ulamak PAS kepada golongan lain. Katanya, jika pemimpin dan ahli cuba berbuat demikian, PAS akan lemah dan parti itu menjadi biasa sahaja. Mokhtar juga meminta PAS berhati-hati dengan indivdu yang menyertai parti tetapi mahu memecah belahkan parti. “Kita tidak mahu ada mesyuarat dalam mesyuarat, kita tidak mahu ada parti lain dalam parti PAS,” tambahnya. Manakala wakil Sabah, Awang Laiman Ikim pula berkata, jika kerusi Parlimen Sabah tidak ditawan jangan mimpi mahu menawan Putrajaya. Bagaimanapun, katanya, sokongan rakyat Sabah kepada Pakatan Rakyat hanya sekitar 20 peratus. Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata, rakyat Sabah boleh didekati melalu cara kebajikan dan akhlak yang baik. “Kebajikan ini sangat penting, boleh tarik orang Umno. InsyaAllah mereka akan tertarik,” tambahnya. |
| How to make this Christmas extra special Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:09 PM PST
Enjoy the build up Christmas movie night Read a Christmas book Shop online Write a letter to Santa Gingerbread house Easy Christmas biscuit tree stack Christmas tradition Get the best wrapped present's award Get involved LINKS |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:00 PM PST
Ais Kacang Two spots we like: ABC at Medan Selera No. 41, Medan Selera SS2, (Glutton Square), Jalan SS2/63 Petaling Jaya. Recently we got to know Swee Kang on Jalan Haji Taha in Kuching that makes superb shaved ice desserts including their fabulous ais kacang special. Cendol Try these joints: Cendol at SS15 Subang Jaya located in front of Restoran Abang Hassan and KFC. If you find yourself in Melaka, hop over to Donald and Lily on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock where the gula Melaka is top notch. Halo Halo Take a flight: Chowking is a popular chain that claims to have the best Halo-halo in town. They are located throughout the city so visit http://www.chowking.com to find convenient to you. Korean Snow Ice Check it out: 32F at Desa ParkCity. Lot GF26A, Waterfront@Parkcity, No.5, Persiaran Residen Desa ParkCity. Es Teler This is our pick: Dapoer Bandung in SS5 Kelana Jaya near TM Point and Maybank. [This content is provided by FMT content partner www.friedchillies.com, "Solving your makan problems since 1997"] |
| Welbeck will get his chance, says Ferguson Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:55 PM PST  MANCHESTER: Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck that he will get a chance to make a goal-scoring contribution to the club’s season.Welbeck took his tally to five goals in 14 appearances for England in the 4-2 friendly defeat away to Sweden on Wednesday. But the 21-year-old has found appearances hard to come by at Old Trafford since the arrival of Dutch striker Robin van Persie from Arsenal in August in a £24 million ($38.1 million, 29.9 million euro) deal. Welbeck has started just five league games, mainly wide on the left, as Ferguson has opted for experience in attack. It is a ploy that has served United well this season, with van Persie scoring eight times in 11 league appearances to help United establish a two-point lead in the Premier League table. But ahead of the match at Norwich City on Saturday, Ferguson promised that Welbeck will get his chance to help United win silverware this season. “It’s difficult for me (to leave Welbeck out),” Ferguson told a news conference in Manchester on Friday. “Robin van Persie has come in, we’ve got Wayne Rooney. You tend to rely on the experience of these players. “What we’ve got to try and do is alternate selections so that Danny feels he is making a contribution. At the moment, we’re tending to play him wide left, which I think he is capable of playing. “He can still provide a certain type of threat from that position and he’s done that many times over the years. But I think he’s a natural centre-forward and he will get opportunities. “He has shown with his form for England that he can be a real asset to us through the middle. He’s a good goal threat.” United are not short of goals — they have plundered 44 in 17 league and cup games this season — but it is at the other of the pitch that Ferguson has worries. His side have managed just two clean sheets in 11 league games and last Saturday allowed struggling Aston Villa to establish a two-goal lead before hitting back to win a dramatic game at Villa Park 3-2. “It’s frustrating,” added Ferguson. “We don’t expect them to be behind by two goals. It’s not that we under-estimate anyone — we just don’t expect a Manchester United team to be two goals behind. “You have to go into games believing you are going to be two goals ahead rather than two goals behind but it’s happened a few times this season. “We were two goals behind against Tottenham (in a 3-2 league defeat in September) and I thought we were unlucky not to get back. “It won’t happen all the time. You can’t take it for granted that you can come back from two goals behind. “This is the area where we’re hopefully going to improve but we’ve got to defend better.” Rooney is a doubt for Saturday’s match with an ankle injury but van Persie should be fit. The striking duo both pulled out of mid-week internationals for England and the Netherlands respectively, but it does not seem the damage is too bad in either case. Defender Phil Jones, who has been recovering from a serious knee injury, has returned to training and could feature in next Tuesday’s Champions League game away to Galatasaray. - AFP |
| ‘Govt must protect RCI witnesses’ Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:54 PM PST
She said such a move would encourage those who have details of what transpired to come forward to assist the RCI on its investigation into the complex issue that has changed the demographics of the state. Chua, who is also a vice-president of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), made the request during the debate on the 2013 Budget at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat recently. She said that by guaranteeing the protection of informers, the RCI would be able to get to the bottom of how and why hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were given citizenship dating from the 1980s as well as how many have managed to circumvent the citizenship process through legal loopholes such as birth registration and statutory declarations. In his reply on how the government intended to deal with those civil servants found responsible for ignoring immigration laws and procedures when certifying citizenship documents, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said that action may be taken under the provisions of the relevant laws. He said that based on the recommendations of the RCI, the government will also decide on the course of action to be taken against these illegal immigrants, who were allegedly given MyKads through the infamous "Project IC". The RCI, which will start interviewing witnesses next year, is required to submit a report on its investigation to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong within six months and it may include the identity of any individual who in its opinion should be reported. The terms of reference (TOR) for the RCI that were gazetted on Sept 21, 2012 require the commissioners to investigate the abnormal increase in Sabah’s population, the alleged issuance of Malaysian citizenship to illegal immigrants through secretive means such as the widely reported "Project IC" as well as their alleged recruitment as voters. Social implications to Sabah The terms of reference are:
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| Mancini backs Balotelli, rejects Suarez reports Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:53 PM PST  MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini on Friday distanced himself from a move for Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and said Mario Balotelli remains an “important” player for the club.Balotelli was forced to watch last Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur from the stands after being dropped by Mancini. That prompted questions about the Italian striker’s future at City and was followed by speculation that the champions could make a move for Uruguay forward Suarez, who has been in fine form for Liverpool, in the January transfer window. “It is not true,” replied Mancini when asked about Suarez at a news conference in Manchester ahead of Saturday’s home match with Aston Villa. Referring to recent speculation about his own future, and reports that former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola could be heading for City, Mancini added: “I don’t know where these stories came from. “For two weeks we talk about Monaco, Guardiola, now Suarez. We have a good team and we don’t need to buy another player in January. We can’t buy Suarez or another player because we have four strikers and Suarez plays for Liverpool.” Mancini refused to say whether Balotelli, who has yet to score a Premier League goal this season, will return to the side against Villa. “Mario didn’t play last week because it was my choice,” he added. “I have 20 players and if there are some players who don’t work well, they don’t deserve to play. “There were other players that worked better than Mario and they deserved to go on the bench. “I know Mario… but I am a manager, he is a player. If he doesn’t work well, he doesn’t play. Sometimes he plays well, sometimes not so well. But he is an important player for us.” City, unbeaten in the Premier League, face a huge Champions League game against Real Madrid after the weekend. They must beat the Spanish giants in Manchester next Wednesday to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stage. But Mancini said his focus was on securing three domestic points to keep the pressure on leaders Manchester United. “What is important is tomorrow’s game against Aston Villa,” he said. “After tomorrow we think about Real Madrid.” Striker Edin Dzeko could start after coming off the bench to score the winner against Tottenham, while left-back Gael Clichy, who has been receving treatment for a back injury, is also expected to feature. - AFP |
| Terry out for ‘three weeks’, says Di Matteo Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:51 PM PST  LONDON: Chelsea captain John Terry will be sidelined for about three weeks after injuring his knee against Liverpool last weekend, Blues coach Roberto Di Matteo revealed yesterday.The former England defender had to be stretchered off after Liverpool striker Luis Suarez landed awkwardly on him during the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. But scans revealed the damage was not as bad as feared. “With JT, we’re looking at approximately three weeks,” Di Matteo said. “Fortunately, it’s not as bad as we first thought. It’s an MCL (medial cruciate ligament) strain.” Chelsea visit Di Matteo’s former club West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday. As well as the trip to The Hawthorns, Terry is likely to miss the forthcoming league games against Manchester City, Fulham and West Ham United. A three-week period of unavailability would also prevent him from playing a part in Chelsea’s remaining Champions League Group E fixtures, including Tuesday’s crucial match at Juventus. He risks missing out on Chelsea’s participation in the Club World Cup in Japan as well, with the London club expected to leave for the tournament on Dec 9. - AFP |
| Indonesia tetap kirim pekerja ke Malaysia Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:49 PM PST
Kementerian Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi belum berniat membuat memoratorium atau menunda pengiriman buruh ke Malaysia. "Kerana persyaratan sangat ketat sudah ada dalam MoU (antara Malaysia dan Indonesia) dan perjanjian kerja," kata jurucakap Kementerian Tenaga Kerja, Dita Indah Sari. Dia mengatakan, tanpa moratorium, penempatan pekerja Indonesia di sektor rumah tangga sudah menurun tajam. MoU dan surat perjanjian tersebut sudah memuat syarat menjadi buruh. Di sisi lain, juga memuat hak-hak buruh migran dan perlindungan terhadap tenaga kerja Indonesia dan Malaysia. Ia menjelaskan, TKI yang berangkat harus siap fizikal, mental, bahasa, keterampilan, dokumen, dan pengetahuan negara tempat bekerja. Mengenai banyaknya TKI haram, kementerian berjanji untuk menilai arus pemindahan dan penempatan tenaga kerja Indonesia di Malaysia. Alasan Dita, hal tersebut untuk meningkatkan jaminan keselamatan dan perlindungan bagi TKI. Langkah ini juga sebagai antisipasi terhadap kes yang dialami oleh sejumlah TKI haram di negara tersebut kebelakangan ini. Menurut data Badan Nasional Perlindungan dan Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia, jumlah TKI di Malaysia sehingga Julai 2012 hampir 1.9 juta orang. Saat ini, setidaknya terdapat 38 kantung TKI di seluruh penjuru Indonesia. Data Kementerian mencatat, kabupaten/kota pengirim TKI terbanyak di Indonesia adalah Cirebon, Jawa Barat, dengan jumlah 129,717 orang. Selanjutnya, Indramayu sebanyak 95, 581 orang. Subang sebanyak 95, 180 orang dan Cianjur sebanyak 89, 182 orang. Diikuti Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Barat, sebanyak 62, 512 orang. Lombok Barat, NTB, sebanyak 59, 751 orang; Sukabumi sebanyak 55, 207 orang; Ponorogo sebanyak 47, 717 orang; Lombok Timur, NTB, sebanyak 46, 962 orang; dan Malang sebanyak 39, 610 orang. |
| Vettel fastest in first practice in Texas Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:49 PM PST  AUSTIN (Texas): Sebastian Vettel, chasing his third consecutive world title, topped the times for Red Bull in Friday’s opening free practice session for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.The 25-year-old German, who needs to outscore nearest rival Fernando Alonso by 15 points to become Formula One’s youngest triple champion, produced his customary blistering pace in his first run at the brand new Circuit of the Americas 25 kilometres out of downtown Austin. In his 100th Grand Prix event, Vettel looked ominously quick as he clocked a best time of one minute and 38.125 seconds around the 5.516-km track to wind up top of the time screens ahead of Lewis Hamilton of McLaren by more than 1.4 seconds. Title rival Alonso of Ferrari was third fastest, a further 0.8 seconds adrift, ahead of Jenson Button in the second McLaren, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari. If it did little else, the opening session proved that Vettel and Red Bull will have few problems adapting to the demands of the circuit and that the usual suspects — Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari — will be the teams to beat. Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix two weekends ago, was first out on to the ‘green’ circuit on a morning of many minor incidents as the drivers learned their way round the spectacular sweeping track. German Nico Hulkenberg of Force India was the first driver to enjoy a major spin, but most of the field endured a variety of unscheduled excursions off the ashphalt, notably at Turn 19 where Hamilton, Vettel and Massa all slithered wide as they under-estimated the fast left-hand corner. Hamilton looked likely to be the session-topper until, with only three minutes to go, Vettel blitzed to his fastest lap and left his rivals with little chance to respond. Hulkenberg ended up seventh fastest ahead of Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber, Nico Rosberg of Mercedes and Sergio Perez of Sauber. - AFP |
| I nearly signed Ibrahimovic, admits Wenger Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:47 PM PST  LONDON: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has revealed that he almost signed a teenage Zlatan Ibrahimovic, scorer of all four goals in Sweden’s 4-2 friendly win over England on Wednesday.Ibrahimovic was shown around Arsenal’s training facilities when he was 16 but Wenger said the London club were unable to conclude a deal for him. “He came here to visit the training ground,” Wenger said. “He didn’t want to make a trial because he was 16 years old at the time. He went home and we concluded to watch him again. “I wanted to see him in training but it didn’t stop him from making a great career. In the end, he chose to go to Ajax Amsterdam. That happens. He’s not the only one in that case.” Wenger also acclaimed Ibrahimovic’s fourth goal against England, which saw him dispatch an audacious overhead bicycle kick past stranded goalkeeper Joe Hart from 30 yards. “I believe we are all amazed because, sometimes, when a guy has a shot from 30 yards and puts it in the top corner, you say, ‘It’s a fantastic goal’ — but somehow you believe you can do that as well, even if you cannot do it on a consistent level,” Wenger told the Arsenal website. “But when he scores a goal like that, you think it’s impossible for a normal athlete. You have to be an exceptional athlete to do that. “They say he’s a master in kung fu. You could see that on Wednesday night. You need some special flexibility, subtleness and physical strength to do that, apart from the fact that you have to realise what you have to do. “There’s intelligence included as well. I’m an admirer of collective goals, but as an individual achievement, just you and the ball in the situation of the game, it is something exceptional - AFP |
| 20,000 show up for Pakatan’s uprising rally Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:45 PM PST
people showed up to listen to its senior leaders last night at the start of the “uprising of the people” rally, which would be held in stages in several states in the country. Seen as Pakatan’s strategic response to preparing for the 13th general election, the rally at theSultan Mohammad IV Stadium here saw various interest groups voicing their support for the opposition. It was also seen as a move to convince the people that Kelantan PAS remains stronger than ever politically despite the growing worries over the health of its long-serving Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is ailing. PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who is one of the planners behind this series of rallies, told the crowd that the rally comprises Felda settlers group (Anak), a coalition demanding fair oil royalty for Kelantan; the anti-Lynas movement; Himpunan Hijau; Bersih and other like-minded NGOs.
Mohamad said the inclusion of various groups demonstrates that Pakatan was on the right track in trying to capture the country in the next election. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Mohamad were the "star" speakers at the rally. Mohamad said the rally will be held in as many states as possible with the grand finale planned for Kuala Lumpur towards the end of the year. Pakatan leaders are bracing for the general election to be held by early next year. Earlier at the annual PAS muktamar (national conference) here, DAP central working committee member Liew Chin Tong said that he does not expect the differences between his party and PAS over the adoption of hudud to derail the efforts of the alliance to win electoral support.
The imposition of hudud is not listed in the masterplan. “We shall stick to the Orange Book to woo support,” he said. The contents of the book represent Pakatan’s election promises to the people for the next five years, Liew said. “Pakatan should not look ahead too far. Let us focus on the next five years first.” The three-day muktamar saw some 1,116 delegates attending it and is considered to be the last gathering of the party faithful before the next election. |
| Liverpool media chief steps down after blogger row Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:44 PM PST  LONDON: Liverpool’s director of communications left his post yesterday, a month after claims emerged that he threatened a blogger who had been writing about the club on Twitter.Former journalist Jen Chang, who had only been in the post for six months, was accused by Liverpool supporter Sean Cummins of threatening him during a meeting between the two men. Cummins, who set up a Twitter account under the fictional name Duncan Jenkins, said Chang had wrongly accused him of having a mole inside the club who was leaking information. In October, Liverpool apologised to Cummins for Chang’s “inappropriate treatment” during their meeting in Manchester. On Friday, a Liverpool spokesman said: “Jen Chang has left Liverpool Football Club by mutual consent and has returned to the US for family reasons. “We would like to thank Jen for his contribution to Liverpool Football Club during his time here and wish him well in his future career back in the US. “Jen would like to thank everyone he has worked with during his time at Liverpool for their support and respect and wishes the club every success.” - AFP |
| Moyes not pressed about Everton future Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:42 PM PST  LONDON: Everton manager David Moyes says he is in no rush to sign a new contract with the club, despite his side’s impressive start to the Premier League season.Moyes’ current deal is due to expire at the end of the campaign but he says he is happy to wait to see how the season pans out before committing himself to a new contract. “No doubt I will be asked the question every week, but I’m in no great hurry,” Moyes said on Friday. “I just want the season to go on, see how we do and overall, if we do well, it will make things a lot easier. “I want to see how we are progressing and also I don’t want supporters to get too sick of seeing the same manager all the time. “I am not (concerned), but I can understand maybe people will be. “I can understand why at this time people would say it is quite close but all I can say is, I’ve been here over 10 years now, we’ve worked really hard together with the club, and we’ll continue to do so. “I have a great relationship with the chairman (Bill Kenwright). We speak every day and when the time is right, we will sit down and see what we are going to do. “It might be we wait until later in the year before we sort things out.” Everton are fourth in the table ahead of Saturday’s away game at Reading, but Moyes — who has been at the club since March 2002 — says it would be dangerous to get carried away. Asked if he was excited by his side’s form, he said: “Quite, but not madly. “We’ve only played 11 games and there are a lot of good teams below us — Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle — who could quite easily jump over us, and West Brom are having a great season as well. “I am not going to say we have no chance because we have got a chance, but the competition is really tough. “For Everton it is very rare for us to say we are having a good start. “If we can have a second half to the season what we’ve had in recent years tagged on to this then it could be an exciting season — but there are a lot of ifs.” - AFP |
| Arsenal, Spurs warn fans over derby conduct Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:40 PM PST  LONDON: North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have released a joint statement warning supporters to behave during Saturday’s derby at the Emirates Stadium.Last season’s encounter at White Hart Lane witnessed unsavoury scenes, with Tottenham’s former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger both subjected to offensive chants by supporters. With passions likely to run high again in Saturday’s lunch-time fixture, the two clubs have warned their fans to be on their best behaviour. “All fans should be aware that breaches of stadium regulations — including anti-social behaviour — will not be tolerated,” read a statement published on the websites of both clubs on Friday. “Arsenal and Tottenham do not tolerate discrimination of any sort, whether it be on the pitch or in the stands. “Both clubs are actively encouraging all fans to focus on getting behind their team and enjoying what promises to be a great match on Saturday.” Tottenham have also warned their supporters that offensive banners will be confiscated upon entry to Arsenal’s stadium. “It is common policy and normal ground rules at football stadia in the UK and elsewhere in Europe that flags of an overtly religious/sectarian/political nature will not be permitted and may be confiscated — please respect this request,” wrote the club. - AFP |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:38 PM PST
He received a certificate of appreciation and RM100 in recognition of his feat and we were lamenting the fact that the financial payout was very miserable. Then the news broke that the three policemen Constable Nik Sin Mat Lazim, 33, Corporal Syahiran Romly, 21, and Corporal Remmy Anak Dana, 25, were charged in the Sessions Court Butterworth with two charges each of raping and forcing oral sex on an Indonesian woman. The rash actions of these three black sheep have brought disrepute and embarrassment not only to upstanding police officers like Veeratehsigan but also the PDRM in general and the nation in particular. Aren't police recruits aware that the highest standards of character and moral uprightness are expected from them at all times? The alleged gang-rape of the Indonesian woman by three Malaysian policemen had shocked the nation and raised many questions such as did the other policemen on duty not intervene to prevent the sordid act? Again, if the other policemen on duty were only aware of the rape later, why did they not report it? And the most important question – How many other rapes have been committed by policemen which may have gone unreported? The three policemen arrived in court in their orange colored lock-up attire, heads covered with their shirts at 2.15pm, escorted by three police officers, with about 30 other officers on stand-by. Session Court judge Nabishah Ibrahim read out the charge under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape and Section 377C for forced unnatural sex – which allegedly included oral sex – at a police station in Prai, Penang last Nov 9. The trio, who have been suspended from their duties, claimed trial and Justice Nabishah set Dec 12 for statements to be taken from witnesses. Deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim asked that the accused be remanded pending trial as he argued that if they were freed on bail, they may tamper with the witnesses as they were known to the trio. He also applied for the victim's statement to be taken under Section 396 of the Criminal Procedure Code at a date earlier than the trial so she can return to her country. If found guilty, the trio face a maximum 20 years' jail term and whipping. Justice Nabishah set bail at RM25,000 each, and the three accused would have to report to the nearest police station on a monthly basis. They would not be confined to barracks. However, she warned them not to harass the witnesses. Another rape incident This latest incident of rape has received the attention of Foreign Minister Anifah Aman mainly because of widespread protests by Indonesians outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta. In a separate case in Seremban, police are investigating a man for allegedly raping his Indonesian maid. During her ordeal the 15-year-old was tied up and left without food for four days. As it is, relations between Malaysia and Indonesia have been tense over frequent reports of worker abuse in recent years, and these two new cases certainly aren't helping. The cases have caused anger in Indonesia, and the Malaysian government has duly condemned the acts. Relations between the neighbours have been tense over frequent reports of worker abuse in recent years leading to Penang Indonesian consulate acting consul-general Sofiana Mufidah being present in court for the three policemen's rape case. The police are already under fire over fears of rising crime as personal tales of abduction, assault, snatch thefts and robbery go viral online via social media and trigger disbelief of official claims that crime has reduced significantly in recent years. Not helping also are politicians who are ever eager to beat the drums to gain mileage for themselves, with Lau Chiek Tuan, the Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional co-ordinator holding a press conference where the 25-year-old Indonesian woman broke her story to the press and media. Not to be outdone, the Penang state government has promptly called for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be set up to prevent cases like these, with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng meeting with the acting Indonesian consul general Sofiana Mufidah to say that the state government will stay in close contact with the Indonesian consulate to provide their assistance. While neither MARAH nor I personally have any motive to profit from writing about this sorry episode, all I can say is that given the policemen's relative young ages, let's hope for all our sakes that the learned judge doesn't decide they have "bright futures". Dave Avran is the founder of MARAH (Malaysians Against Rape, Assault & snatcH) |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:15 PM PST
Tan said the local PKR was plagued with internal strife while Gerakan and MCA members who voted for him in 2008 due to personal ties would not do the same for Mansor. He was commenting on the announcement by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday that Mansor will be the candidate for Nibong Tebal. Previously a Gerakan Youth leader, Tan was elected in 2008 under PKR banner, defeating incumbent Penang Umno chief Zainal Abidin Osman. However, he quit a year later to become an independent after the party disciplinary panel took action against him for criticising Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Last month, he announced his decision to drop his Nibong Tebal seat and shift to contest a state seat in Penang island in the 13th general election, which must be called by April 2013. Nibong Tebal is a semi-rural seat at the southern part of Penang mainland with 46% of its voters being Malays, 38% Chinese and 17% Indians. Tan said the ability of a party election machinery to mobilise the crowd would be the key factor to determine the winner in Nibong Tebal. Mansor’s likely opponent, Zainal Abidin, is a popular figure among the voters, he added. Pointing out that he (Zainal Abidin) garnered around 30% of the Malay votes in 2008, Tan said it would be hard for Mansor to do the same. "The sentiment is that Mansor has not been working for the Malays. Despite being the deputy chief minister, he is a very weak leader," he said. On the Chinese votes, Tan said Mansor stands to lose another 20% of the Chinese votes, on top of the 20% hardcore BN Chinese supporters. He noted that he only obtained 80% of the Chinese votes in 2008 when the anti-establishment mood was at its peak among the Chinese. He believed that out of the 80%, 20% of it might come from the Gerakan or MCA members who have no problem voting him. "I have a special bond with them, but Mansor doesn’t have. So I predict he would get fewer than 60% of the Chinese votes this time," he said. "For the Indian votes, I think you can tell where the Indian votes will go," he said, adding that Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy has not done anything for the Indian community. "If he wants to contest, he is definitely going to lose," he said. While admitting that Mansor was a reputable academician in the past, Tan said the state PKR chief has lost his charm since becoming deputy chief minister I. He said Mansor was deemed incompetent and indecisive by many quarters. "Mansor’s weaknesses cannot be changed overnight. A PKR ceramah won't make any difference," he said. |
| Melaka tegur pemimpin bergerak sendiri Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:59 PM PST
PETALING JAYA: Wakil Melaka, Kamaruddin Sidek menggesa pemimpin PAS bergerak secara kolektif dalam usaha menawan Putrajaya dalam pilihanraya umum ke 13. Beliau menegur kerana sekarang pemimpin-pemimpin PAS bergerak secara sendiri-sendiri. “Datuk Mahfuz (Omar), saudara Mazlan (Aliman) dengan Anak. Kita nak bawa semua ke Putaraja bukan Datuk Mahfuz dan saudara Mazlan saja. “Jadi PAS Melaka mahu kerja dibuat secara kolektif,” katanya ketika membahaskan ucapan dasar Presiden di muktamar PAS di Kota Baru pagi ini. Kamaruddin yang juga Timbalan Pesuruhjaya PAS Melaka juga menggesa parti memainkan peranan yang lebih aktif di peringkat antarabangsa bagi menyelesaikan konflik umat Islam. Beliau berkata, PAS perlu mengambilalih peranan Umno peranan yang perlu dilakukan bukan hanya memberikan bantuan. “PAS perlu menjadi dominan dalam politi di negara Asean. Kita juga perlu menghantar wakil berbincang dengan PBB dan Eropah. “Lujnah (biro) antarabangsa PAS perlu dinaik taraf dan disusun atur bagi memainkan peranan yang lebih aktif,” tambahnya. Beliau juga menegaskan PAS tidak boleh lagi statik dengan NGO. |
| ‘Virgin Mary’ image draws the devout, the sceptics Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:34 PM PST
Many were seen clasping their hands, their eyes shut in prayer. Others took snapshots or stood on tiptoe to peer at the window panel, where the image was easily visible to the naked eye. Several uniformed nurses were also among the multiracial crowd, clearly taking a short break from work to utter their prayers. But despite the large gathering present and the religious tensions gripping the country the past few days, the atmosphere was peaceful; the people united irrespective of their race and religion. Among those drawn to the image were a tudung-clad mother and daughter. They weaved through the obliging crowd to get a better view of the window panel, despite looking out of place among the throng of non-Muslims. "We came here because it's so interesting – it's something ‘unexplainable’, you know?" the mother explained to FMT while her daughter fumbled for her camera. "One's interpretation of the phenomena depends on one's faith," she said with a smile. "Curiosity brought us here," the daughter added, wiping her sweating brow as the sun's rays beat upon them.
Click here to view the video on YouTube. The duo's presence did not go unnoticed – others smiled warmly their way, while one Catholic named Christopher Yap approached FMT to express his happiness that members of different faith had also come to witness the sight. "It's wonderful that people from different religions want to learn and understand more about this," beamed Yap, nodding towards the two. Religious matters are considered sensitive in Malaysia – in January 2010, a court decision over the use of the word "Allah" in Malay-language bibles sparked a series of attacks on churches, and other places of worship, all over the country. More recently, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has courted controversy for allegedly saying that Malays were free to choose their religion, with the police opening up investigations under the Sedition Act. "For me, I am personally sceptical that it is a genuine image of the Virgin Mary. There have been too many hoaxes. But if it is real, then that is really good for Catholics," said Yap, adding that he had come here with his mother, aunt and children.
"The aura of the image is very clear; it is so interesting to see," said Shamala, gesturing towards the window panel. "And as you can see, all the other window panels reflect the sun, but this one is faded. "They also say that every time a photo is taken, it appears different in the picture," she added. But, like Yap, she said she was not entirely convinced that it was truly an apparition. "To me, it could be an image of a man, so I’m not entirely convinced. But this is bringing Catholics together in prayer, so that is a good thing," she said. Meanwhile, over the quiet hum of the crowd, the soft melody of a hymn could be heard; to one side stood a multiracial group of Catholics praying together Among them were sisters Jesintha and Rosalind Joseph, and their friend Theresa Henry, who told FMT that this was their seventh visit to see the image. "We feel so blessed that we can see our Lady Mary here," said Henry, a wide smile on her face. "She has a message, and it is a message of peace for the world, and for us to come back to God. She wants to tell us how much she loves us," she added. Jesintha said she had just returned from Lourdes, where an apparition of the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared. "I felt so peaceful there, so happy, I didn't want to leave. And I thought that the Virgin Mary would never come to Malaysia – I even told that to my husband. But she proved me wrong," said Jesintha with a laugh. "When I heard that she appeared here, I prayed fervently she would still be here when I arrive in Malaysia. And she is," said Jesintha.
"It is a message of peace and love for everyone." The window pane is not expected to remain at the hospital for long, however; on Tuesday, the hospital agreed to give it to the Catholic Church, to be placed at the Marian Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Klang. When contacted, a spokesperson of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes told FMT that they did not know when the window pane would be transferred, and that they were still awaiting a decision from authorities. The Catholic Church said it will withhold comment until the image has been tested and verified by authorities. |
| Wal-Mart files US labour charge against union Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:06 PM PST
Wal-Mart filed an unfair labour practice charge against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, or UFCW, asking the National Labor Relations Board to halt what the retailer says are unlawful attempts to disrupt its business. The move comes just a week before what is expected to be the largest organised action against the world’s largest retailer, as a small group of Walmart workers prepare to strike on Black Friday, typically the busiest shopping day of the year. “We are taking this action now because we cannot allow the UFCW to continue to intentionally seek to create an environment that could directly and adversely impact our customers and associates,” Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said yesterday. “If they do, they will be held accountable.” The union is undeterred. “Walmart is grasping at straws,” said UFCW communications director Jill Cashen. “There’s nothing in the law that gives an employer the right to silence workers and citizens.” Protests and rallies outside Walmart stores around the country and other actions such as flash mobs have been orchestrated by groups including OUR Walmart, a coalition of thousands of current and former Walmart workers that wants to collectively push for better wages, benefits and working conditions. “Wal-Mart is in effect firing a shot across the bow of the UFCW, essentially saying ‘Look, you can expect this and more unless you desist,’” said Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specialises in labour issues. Filing with the NLRB suggests that the protests have caught the attention of Wal-Mart, which has no union-represented workers in the United States. OUR Walmart and another group, Making Change at Walmart, are affiliated with the UFCW, which represents more than one million workers including many at retailers that compete with Walmart. According to a filing with the Labor Department, OUR Walmart was a subsidiary of the UFCW as of 2011. Walmart worker and OUR Walmart member Mary Pat Tifft told Reuters that OUR Walmart is an independent organisation that gets technical support from the union but that the UFCW has no stake or controlling interest in the group. “The fact that Wal-Mart is responding in such a public way is itself both unusual and indicative that they truly don’t want to see this spread,” Shaiken said. The NLRB typically receives a charge and investigates. At times, it resolves issues without issuing a complaint, spokesman Tony Wagner said. While most investigations take about six weeks, they can be expedited under certain criteria, he said. Activities over the past year or longer “have caused disruptions to Walmart’s business, resulted in misinformation being shared publicly about our company, and created an uncomfortable environment and undue stress on Walmart’s customers, including families with children,” Walmart outside counsel Steven Wheeless said in a letter sent on Friday to Deborah Gaydos, assistant general counsel of the UFCW. Picketing prohibited The National Labor Relations Act prohibits such picketing for more than 30 days without the filing of a representation petition. The NLRA also requires the NLRB to seek a federal court injunction against such activity, the letter states. The OUR Walmart group of current and former Walmart employees has been organising 1,000 protests including strikes and what it called online actions that began this week and will culminate on Black Friday. For example, workers walked off the job in Seattle on Thursday and in Dallas yesterday, OUR Walmart said. Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart said that anyone who is not an employee is prohibited from coming onto its owned or controlled parking lots or other facilities to solicit, hand out literature or otherwise engage in any demonstration. Wal-Mart said that it intends for the UFCW to be held accountable for any injury or property damage that may occur as a result of the actions led by the union, OUR Walmart or any of its other affiliates. Past attempts to unionise Walmart US workers have failed. In 2005, Tire and Lube Express department workers at stores in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and Loveland, Colorado, voted against representation by the UFCW. OUR Walmart is not a union, though the thousands of Walmart employees it says are members do pay US$5 monthly dues. Wal-Mart has 1.4 million US workers. Of 5 million job applications Walmart US received in 2011, 20% of the workers it hired were coming back to the company. The turnover rate among Walmart US employees, 37.26% in 2011, was below the industry average of 43.6%, it says. “We just don’t think what the unions have to offer is a better deal for our associates,” said Wal-Mart’s Tovar. - Reuters |
| JPMorgan, Credit Suisse settle with SEC for US$417m Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:50 PM PST
JPMorgan will pay US$296.9 million, while Credit Suisse will pay US$120 million in a separate case, with the money going to harmed investors, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said. Both settlements addressed alleged negligence or other wrongdoing in the packaging and sale of risky residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), including at the former Bear Stearns Cos which JPMorgan bought in 2008. The banks settled without admitting wrongdoing, and in separate statements said they were pleased to settle. “In many ways, mortgage products such as RMBS were ground zero in the financial crisis,” SEC enforcement chief Robert Khuzami said in a statement. “Misrepresentations in connection with the creation and sale of mortgage securities contributed greatly to the tremendous losses suffered by investors once the US housing market collapsed.” Each settlement is significantly less than the US$550 million that Goldman Sachs Group Inc agreed to pay in 2010, also without admitting wrongdoing, to settle SEC charges that it misled investors in a complex mortgage bond transaction. They are also the latest SEC settlements not to punish individuals. In July, the SEC lost its first financial crisis-related trial against an individual when a Manhattan federal jury cleared former Citigroup Inc mid-tier executive Brian Stoker of wrongdoing in the sale of a mortgage bond transaction. On a conference call with reporters, Khuzami said it is hard to bring cases against individuals over “structured” financial transactions because different people work on different aspects, making it hard to pin blame. “We by no means are shying away from charging individuals where we find we can identify them as being responsible,” he said. The enforcement actions are the second and third from a “working group” of federal and state agencies created this year by President Barack Obama to investigate misconduct related to RMBS that contributed to the financial crisis. Last month, New York Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman, who like Khuzami is a co-chair of the group, filed a still-pending civil fraud lawsuit against JPMorgan over Bear’s packaging and sale of mortgage securities. Khuzami told reporters on the conference call that the working group is probing other RMBS transactions. JPMorgan shares closed up 14 US cents, or 0.4%, at US$39.53 on the New York Stock Exchange. Credit Suisse shares closed in Europe down 2.3% at 20.66 Swiss francs. Misleading and concealing alleged The SEC accused JPMorgan of materially overstating in a prospectus the quality of home loans that backed a US$1.8 billion RMBS offering it underwrote in December 2006. According to the SEC, the largest US bank represented that just four loans were delinquent by 30 to 59 days, when in fact there were more than 620, or about 7% of the total. Investors lost at least US$37 million as a result, the SEC said. The regulator also faulted Bear’s failure to disclose its having arranged discounted cash settlements with originators that left investors stuck owning many problem loans, rather than forcing the originators to buy the loans back. It said Bear reaped at least US$137.8 million from the practice. Credit Suisse failed to disclose similar settlements, which netted US$55.7 million, the SEC said. The Swiss bank also misled investors by falsely claiming when it would buy back mortgage loans in two offerings in which borrowers had defaulted on their initial payments, and that “all first payment default risk” had been removed, the SEC added. About US$84 million of JPMorgan’s payout and US$39 million of Credit Suisse’s represented fines. The JPMorgan accord requires approval by a federal judge in Washington, DC, while Credit Suisse’s case was resolved in an SEC administrative proceeding. JPMorgan had in June 2011 agreed to pay US$153.6 million to settle a separate SEC fraud case over its sale of mortgage securities to investors, also without admitting wrongdoing. James Freedland, a spokesman for Schneiderman, said yesterday’s SEC accords help provide “accountability” for misconduct linked to the housing market’s collapse. In the Citigroup case, that bank had agreed last year to pay US$285 million to settle with the SEC. US District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan rejected that accord, saying he could not tell if it was fair because the bank did not have to admit or deny liability. The SEC and Citigroup have asked a federal appeals court to overturn his decision. - Reuters |
| Assad, Israel two sides of same coin Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:24 PM PST  BEIRUT: Syrian protesters held a placard yesterday showing two missiles, one with a Syrian flag, the other with a Star of David, plummet to the earth as plumes of smoke rise from the town below.“War against Terrorism!” reads the caption on the placard, raised during a protest in the northern Syria of Kfar Nabal which has been photographed and shared widely on Facebook. The artists from this otherwise insignificant town in Syria’s largely rebel-held north have become known for their biting satire, expressed in politically charged and socially conscious posters. Kfar Nabal has also earned the ire of a regime that indiscriminately labels opposition intellectuals and rebel fighters alike as “terrorists,” and the town suffers constant air raids and shelling by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The residents of the town were among thousands of Syrians who took to the streets across the strife-torn country after weekly Friday prayers, chanting in solidarity with the newly-formed opposition Syrian National Coalition and with the Palestinians of Gaza. A YouTube video showed a man in the the town of Naseeb in the southern province of Daraa marching with a sign that read: “In Gaza, 70 raids = 14 martyrs. In Syria, one raid = 70 martyrs.” The banner highlighted the scale of the bloodshed in Syria, where activists say over 39,000 people have died since March last year. “We sacrifice our blood and souls for you, O Gaza,” demonstrators cried out in unison in the central city of Hama, as they waved the three-starred flag of the Syrian revolution. Friday’s protests “were dominated by slogans condemning Israeli’s savage tyranny on the people of Gaza and demonstrated that we are one blood and that Gaza cannot be separated from Syria,” Hama activist Abu Ghazi told AFP via Internet. “Assad and Israel are two sides of the same coin,” he stressed. Damascus has condemned Israel’s “atrocities” in the Gaza Strip, saying: “Syria will always remain faithful to its national and historical duty to the Palestinian people.” But a wave of caricatures and slogans by Syrian activists has aimed to highlight the contradiction between these statements and what they view as the shared oppression of Syrians and Palestinians. In a graphic posted to Facebook, two images of fighter jets are placed side by side, one showing a plane with an Israeli flag bombing Gaza, the second bearing a Syrian flag and shown dropping a missile on its own country. “This is the enemy,” says the caption for the first warplane. “And this is the obstacle,” it says of the Syrian jet, portraying the regime as the protector of neighbouring Israel. Another caricature shows Assad aiming a rifle at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, covered in spiderwebs to symbolise the four decades that he and his father and predecessor Hafez al-Assad had kept the border quiet. Behind him, Syria burns. “The humanitarian situation differs little between Gaza and Syria, and this is more important to me than politics,” explained artist Wissam al-Jazairy, 22. “The oppressed are fighting an unjust battle and the world watches and does nothing,” he told AFP in a message via Facebook, without giving his location in Syria for fear of his safety. In an illustration by Jazairy, a child looks at a burning city as rockets descend from the sky. “Is it Gaza or Damascus father?” the son asks. The father answers his son: “It is all the same.” - AFP |
| US drug testing firm probed for alleged fraud, intimidation Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:24 PM PST
The company not only is under investigation by the Justice Department for allegations of health care fraud but also for intimidating former employees, one who was portrayed in a slideshow at a company meeting as a corpse in a body bag. Two of the ex-employees, who had raised concerns about Millennium’s sales practices, also say they were followed for weeks by private investigators they believe were hired by the company. No criminal charges have been filed, and Howard Appel, Millennium’s president, said the company is cooperating fully with a Justice Department subpoena and did nothing wrong. Appel said the company is a leader in business ethics in the estimated US$4 billion industry that helps doctors monitor the soaring use and abuse of pain drugs. He said the grand jury may also be investigating Millennium’s competitors. Four witnesses, speaking publicly for the first time, described their grand jury testimony to Reuters in separate interviews. They said they were only asked about Millennium. Reuters reviewed copies of five grand jury subpoenas seeking records on Millennium. Federal grand juries operate in secrecy to investigate matters that might constitute criminal conduct. Witnesses are free to describe what they said. All four said they testified that Millennium was getting doctors to order unnecessary urine tests and charging excessive fees to Medicare and private insurers. Millennium has denied those accusations in civil lawsuits. The body-bags picture was part of a PowerPoint presentation by Martin Price, the company’s general counsel, the former employees said. He showed it at a national sales meeting in January in which Price described Millennium’s success against its adversaries, according to one grand jury witness, former Millennium employee Jodie Strain. Strain said grand jurors gasped when the body-bag image was projected onto a wall during her testimony October 3. She said the toe tag identified the corpse as Ed Zicari, a former regional manager Millennium was suing. Appel declined to comment on the body bag picture. The United States attorney’s office in Boston also declined to comment. Other slides that were part of Price’s presentation showed the logos of competing companies being riddled with bullet holes while gunfire sounded as if they were at a shooting range. Strain, a former senior sales representative, said the talk ended with an ominous warning: The company could not protect people who went “outside the Millennium family.” Strain and another person who witnessed the PowerPoint presentation, in a separate interview, said more than 200 sales people in the audience fell silent at the body bag picture. “I took it as a complete warning and threat to not only not go to the competition but don’t even question Millennium once you were no longer under their protection,” Strain said in an interview. “That was definitely quite scary,” said another former employee who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It sent a very clear message not to mess with Millennium Labs.” That person also said Price had told the staff to put away cell phones, which could have been used to take pictures, before the presentation. Through a company spokesman, Price declined to comment. Shortly after Price’s presentation, Strain said she told Zicari’s girlfriend about the slide show because she feared for their safety. Strain said she was fired the next week. Zicari and his girlfriend, Lori Martin, a former sales representative at the company, were being sued by Millennium at the time for allegedly taking confidential information when they left the company. Both also accused the company of misconduct. The suit was settled last summer. Zicari and Strain are currently pursuing suits against Millennium for wrongful termination and other claims. Appel described them as “disgruntled former employees” who were fired for cause, not for questioning company practices. He described Zicari as “alive and well and living in Texas.” Daniel Richman, a former federal prosecutor who teaches criminal law at Columbia University, said intimidating images such as a body bag representing a former employee could be “potent” evidence for obstruction charges or to argue bad intent on other charges if they are brought. Focus on sales The grand jury witnesses said most of their testimony focused on the company’s sales practices. They said Millennium had aggressive pitches to pain clinics to order varieties of urine tests even when they were not needed, at up to US$1,600 a test. Urine tests can show doctors whether their patients are taking extra pain drugs and whether they are taking their prescribed drugs. The federal investigation is led by Susan Winkler, former chief of the health care fraud unit for the US attorney in Boston. That unit has recovered more than US$8.5 billion in settlements, fines and judgments since 2009. Winkler signed the Millennium subpoenas and questioned the witnesses before the grand jury. Christina Sterling, a spokeswoman for the US attorney, would not confirm or deny that a case was before the grand jury. Marc Raspanti, a partner in a Philadelphia corporate-defense law firm, said grand juries generally only consider matters in which prosecutors have a strong suspicion of criminal behavior. It would take probable cause to indict, and evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to convict. Millennium has not been called to testify. “Not yet, but when called to do so, we will,” Appel said. The urine drug testing industry has taken off as the number of pain drug prescriptions in the United States grew from 30 million to 180 million a year over the last two decades, raising demand for monitoring, Appel said. The burgeoning industry has spawned two previously disclosed prosecutions and scores of suits and countersuits by companies accusing each other of wrongdoing. In March, Calloway Laboratories of Woburn, Mass., paid US$20 million to settle a Massachusetts state Medicaid case accusing it of paying kickbacks for unnecessary screening. Three former Calloway officials were sentenced to four years probation. And in 2010, Ameritox, based in Baltimore, Md., paid US$16.3 million to settle similar claims by the federal government. Previous disputes Millennium has been in heated legal disputes with both of those competitors, but at the same time, held itself out as a leader in industry accountability. Millennium and its founder say they gave US$2 million to the University of Washington in 2010 to study pain; US$312,000 to a state of Florida program in 2010 to track prescription drugs; and US$250,000 to a Duke University professor in April to host “a business summit on ethical practices in the medication monitoring industry.” “This is a new industry,” Appel said. “A lot of companies are popping up, and it’s important that all companies are held accountable to make sure they comply with a standard of ethics and accountability.” Millennium said in a civil suit filed September 18 that it received a Justice Department subpoena March 27 for “over 20 broad categories of company documents and materials.” Appel declined to be more specific. In the civil suit, Millennium is seeking up to $5 million from an insurance policy to defend itself in the federal investigation, while the insurer, Allied World Assurance, says it will only pay US$100,000. The case is pending. Appel said the company plays a vital role in helping doctors and patients. He declined to talk about Millennium’s size or revenues, but ex-employees say they were told it had grown into the biggest company in the sector. The ex-employees told the grand jury that Millennium encouraged unnecessary and excessive testing in a variety of ways. They have made similar statements in civil suits. Millennium sales tactics, they said, included a chart showing doctors how much they could boost their own income by increasing the number of urine drug tests they ordered. For instance, a US$15 payment to test for one drug could balloon to about $800,000 a year if 20 people a day were tested and each urine sample was tested for 11 drugs, the chart said. Urine cup kickbacks? Kelly Nelson, a former regional sales manager for Millennium, and Strain both said they testified to the grand jury in response to questions about a federal anti-kickback law. They said Millennium gave doctors free boxes of collection cups with embedded test strips – worth US$3 to US$6 per cup – to encourage referrals, which the prosecutor questioned under an anti-kickback measure called the Stark Law. “I told the grand jury I objected to the frequency of testing and the free cups,” Nelson said. She said she was fired after complaining about the practices and is suing the company. Millennium was founded in 2007 by Edward Slattery. His bio says he previously worked in real estate and broadcast and served eight years as Massachusetts commissioner of aeronautics. Last year, he won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in San Diego. He declined to comment. Price, Millennium’s general counsel, joined the company in 2011 after working as its outside counsel for the giant lawfirm Hogan Lovells. His biographical sketch says he had a “prolific record” defending companies against government investigations, class actions and other legal cases. At the time of the sales meeting, Millennium was suing Martin and Zicari for allegedly giving confidential information to a lawyer for a competing company. The suit was settled in July. During that period, Martin and Zicari said private detectives they believe were hired by a law firm for Millennium trailed them in the Dallas area and parked outside their homes. Millennium declined to say whether it had hired the detectives. “After a time you come to the conclusion they’re doing it to harass you more than anything else, or to intimidate you,” Martin said. - Reuters |
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