FMT News |  |
- Djokovic beats Berdych to reach semi-finals
- Hamstring injury keeps United’s Nani out of Villa match
- Terry free after ban but Di Matteo coy on starting place
- Hamilton may have some regrets, says McLaren boss
- Chelsea make first profit of Abramovich era
- No crisis here says Platt before City meet Spurs
- No need for a Plan B at Barca says Alves
- Deja vu for del Potro as Federer looms again
- After Sandy, Big Oil’s pumps fail motorists
- Worried Germany seeks study on French economy
- Thousands flee Syria in major refugee exodus
- Iran, UN nuclear agency to resume talks in December
- Russia’s Putin fires top general after graft scandal
- Mexico charges 14 federal police over attack on US officers
- Chinese state firms say reform should mean more growth
- Military plane crashes in south France
- Merkel’s rival Steinbrueck judged to have botched campaign start
- Court in Georgia keeps ex-minister in custody
- Don’t fall for opposition trick, Chinese told
- FBM KLCI closes slightly higher on last-minute gains
- Hindraf boleh jumpa PM bersyarat – Ibrahim Ali
- Tanah lot di Klang masih milik k’jaan negeri
- Indonesian city targets pot-bellied police
- Malaysia export rebounds, beats market expectation
- China’s economy shows pick-up amid leadership transition
- Hanoi to host 2019 Asian Games
- Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012
- Ex-Goldman trader’s fraud caused US$118m loss US regulator
- ‘Don’t politicise Deepavali’
- Allianz says profits up seven-fold in third quarter
- Stosur hopes to put lean year behind her
- Asian markets extend losses on US fears
- LRT project blamed for landslide
- Taman Manggis land: Lim now doubts BN honesty
- Obama campaign says it won Florida
- Penduduk bimbang berlaku tanah runtuh
- Pilihanraya kariah masjid satu usaha pendemokrasian
- Bantuan kewangan pada golongan miskin kurang berkesan
- PJS1 housebuyers deliver 135 letters to MPPJ
- Anti-Lynas group to appeal against TOL licence
- Environment NGO takes Tawau council to court
- Picasso sells for US$41.5 million
- PRS jittery over PBDS possible return?
- Clattenburg interviewed by FA
- ‘Kata putus pilih calon ialah Najib’
- Pakatan to protest over stateless Indians
- Desperate measures to discredit Nurul
- Petronas removes ‘Do the Dappan’ ad
- Invasion of the mind snatchers
- Orient-Express rejects Tata bid, again
| Djokovic beats Berdych to reach semi-finals Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:45 AM PST
The Serb followed his defeats of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray with another clinical performance in front of a 17,000 sell-out crowd at the O2 Arena guaranteeing top spot in Group A. World number three Murray will join Djokovic in the semi-finals as long as the Briton avoids losing to Tsonga in straight sets in the evening match. Berdych, who led 6-3 in the second set tiebreak, is eliminated. Djokovic, who will end a second successive year at the top of the rankings, dominated the opening set against an opponent he had beaten in 10 of their previous 11 meetings, breaking serve twice. He also broke early in the second set but Berdych hit back immediately and pushed the Serb all the way thereafter. The Czech suddenly began to force his opponent out of position with some ferocious baseline hitting. Djokovic was made to sweat to hold serve at 5-6 and when Berdych thundered down an ace to earn three set points in the tiebreak a decider looked imminent. The Serb then showed his mettle again, winning the next two points before benefitting from a poor Berdych error to level it at 6-6. Djokovic completed victory on his first match point when his opponent ballooned a forehand long after one hour 37 minutes. Roger Federer has already reached the semi-finals from Group B. - Reuters |
| Hamstring injury keeps United’s Nani out of Villa match Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:43 AM PST
The Portugal international was injured during Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Braga in the Champions League and United manager Alex Ferguson confirmed: “Nani is out with a tight hamstring. It will be about 10 days.” Ferguson was hopeful that Jonny Evans would recover from a groin injury ahead of the game. Evans and Nani both failed to finish Wednesday’s match, being substituted in the second half, but Ferguson said that while Evans remained doubtful the injury was not serious. “We will monitor him and hopefully he’s fit, as Chris Smalling has just come back so it’s asking a lot for him to play again,” Ferguson said. United go to Villa as league leaders after winning their last four matches to move a point clear of Chelsea at the top of the table. Villa are in 17th place having won only two league games all season, one of them against Sunderland last week. United have not lost at Villa in their last 16 league visits and on current form look likely to extend that run. - Reuters |
| Terry free after ban but Di Matteo coy on starting place Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:42 AM PST
The centre back, banned by the English FA after being found guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last year, missed the league matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Swansea City as well as the League Cup match against United. Terry was eligible and played in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine while serving his domestic ban, but was an unused substitute when Shakhtar played Chelsea at home on Wednesday. “He is going to be available on Sunday and is in a good position to be involved,” Di Matteo, speaking to reporters at the club’s training ground at Cobham, said on Friday. Asked if he was pleased the ban was over, the Italian replied: “We can focus on the football and try and achieve things on the pitch. But no-one is guaranteed a starting place, they all have to work and be fighting for their places in the team. “They are all internationals. We have England internationals playing, or a Brazilian international, or a Serbian – there is a lot of quality there at a very high level. But he continues to be our captain and our leader when he plays.” Chelsea, who slipped to second last weekend, will be without left-back Ashley Cole, who is still suffering with the hamstring injury that kept him out of Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Shakhtar. Liverpool, who lost 1-0 to Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League on Thursday, are 12th but have a good recent record at Stamford Bridge – winning on their last three visits including two last season in the League Cup and the league. - Reuters |
| Hamilton may have some regrets, says McLaren boss Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:41 AM PST
In an interview with the official Formula One website (www.formula1.com), the Briton also said Mexican Sergio Perez probably did not know what is about to hit him as Hamilton’s replacement. “I think he has on occasions, yes,” said Whitmarsh when asked whether 2008 world champion Hamilton, who is replacing retiring seven-times champion Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, might have regretted his decision. “Probably, when you make a decision you have to tell yourself that the decision is made so you have to look forward. You say okay, that it is in the past so you don’t spend too much time thinking about why.” Mercedes have won one race, in China this year, since they took over the title-winning Brawn GP team at the end of 2009. McLaren have won five grands prix this season alone and are the second most successful team in terms of wins in the history of the sport. Whitmarsh said it would be an emotional farewell with Hamilton after the last race of the season in Brazil later this month and added that there had been some such moments already since the driver decided to leave. “I hope he thinks today that he’s made an awful mistake and I hope he thinks that next year. He’s made that decision and he has to live with that decision,” said the principal. Perez is joining from Sauber, where he has had three podium finished this season but has also failed to score a point in the four races since his move was announced. He will be joining 2009 world champion Jenson Button at McLaren and Whitmarsh expected the 22-year-old to learn everything he could from the older Briton. “When Sergio gets to Australia (for the first race) in 2013 he will arrive with the kind of pressure that he can’t imagine right now,” said the team boss. “At the first race, if he is not on the first two rows and fighting for a win the pressure will start to ramp. He doesn’t know that yet.” Whitmarsh said Perez could expect to spend a lot less time in Mexico and a lot more in the simulator, working with engineers and on improving his fitness. “He will turn up considerably fitter and stronger than he is today,” he said of next season.” The team boss repeated his view, expressed at the weekend in Abu Dhabi, that while he expected Perez to get the job done he could not be sure of how good he might be. “You come to McLaren and you’ve got the scrutiny and the pressure,” he said. “And you either do well and survive, or he will struggle. You asked me if we are 100 percent sure that he’s the right man for us – I can’t be. “He has not always been consistent and maybe he has been a bit wild sometimes, but he has sparkled. The really good guys, they always find an opportunity to be there and do it,” added Whitmarsh. “Natural talent got him to where he is now and now we really will turn him into a professional racing driver, properly prepared.” - Reuters |
| Chelsea make first profit of Abramovich era Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:39 AM PST
Chelsea said the figures put them in a strong position to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules for the coming seasons. The rules require clubs to curb their losses or risk exclusion from the Champions League, Europe’s top competition. Some commentators had expected clubs funded by wealthy benefactors, such as Chelsea and English champions Manchester City, to be tripped up by the new rules. Chelsea had a profit of 1.4 million pounds (US$2.2 million) in the financial year to end-June 2012, compared with a loss of 67.7 million pounds a year earlier. Abramovich, 46, who made his money in the oil and steel industries in post-Soviet Russia, has poured hundreds of millions of pounds into Chelsea. That funding helped the club to win the English Premier League three times. Abramovich got the trophy he craved above all others when Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich on penalties to win the Champions League in May. “We had that success on the field this year, as we were the first London team to win the UEFA Champions League, and we enjoyed it off the field as well and this helps us inject financial investment into the team,” Chief Executive Ron Gourlay said in a statement. “The big challenge is always to have a successful team on the field that wins trophies and to make a profit at the same time.” Revenue rises Chelsea also won the English FA Cup last May and their successes helped to increase turnover by 15 percent to 255.7 million pounds, which the club said made them the fifth largest club in Europe in terms of revenue. Manchester United, the most commercially successful English club, had revenues of 320 million pounds last year. Abramovich converted 166.6 million pounds of debt into equity over the course of the year, making Chelsea debt free. United fans complain that interest payments on the club’s debt make it harder for them to compete with rivals. Profits of 28.8 million pounds made on transfer dealings helped Chelsea to return to the black. High-profile departures from Chelsea last season included Alex to Paris St Germain, and Yuri Zhirkov who went to wealthy Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. Chelsea signed Gary Cahill and Juan Mata in the period but such transfer costs are spread over several years depending on the length of their contracts. Summer signings including Oscar and Eden Hazard were not included in the latest set of results, a club spokesman said. Financial results from Manchester City will be closely watched to see if their Premier League triumph has helped them to cut their losses. City, bankrolled by cash from Abu Dhabi, last November reported a loss of almost 200 million pounds in 2010-11, the highest ever in English soccer. The club has not said when it will publish its latest annual financial results. - Reuters |
| No crisis here says Platt before City meet Spurs Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:36 AM PST
Mancini, who has had a tetchy week in front of the cameras and was involved in a minor spat with the referee and a cameraman after City drew 2-2 with Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday, usually meets the media on Thursday or Friday. Asked why he had turned up instead of his boss, Platt replied: “I have just been asked to come by the manager. It’s alright, I think he’s got a couple of other things he needs to do.” Asked if Mancini was avoiding the media and whether he was in a good frame of mind after the last week, Platt said: “Why wouldn’t he be?” One reason could be was that the 2-2 draw with Ajax has left City’s Champions League chances dangling by a thread. And while the Premier League champions may now be the only team in the league still unbeaten this season, City have won only one of their last four matches, and their recent form has been less than impressive. However, they are still third in the table, two points behind leaders Manchester United and Platt said, “All we can do is concentrate on the football. I look at the league table, and I’ve been in worse crises, I think.” Meanwhile City trio Joleon Lescott, Maicon and David Silva are hoping to return to action for the match against Spurs with Lescott (back), Maicon (foot) and playmaker Silva (hamstring) all back in training after spells on the sidelines. Dramatic affairs Matches between City and Spurs are often high-scoring dramatic affairs with City winning 5-1 at Spurs and then beating them 3-2 at home with a last-minute penalty in the league last season. Spurs though have traditionally done well at City, and bounced back from their disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic last week with a fine 3-1 win over NK Maribor in the Europa League on Thursday with Jermain Defoe scoring a hat-trick. Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas, criticised by some Spurs fans for playing with a lone striker, employed both Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor against Maribor to positive effect, but would not be drawn on whether he would field them both against City. After the Maribor game he said: “We will go up four steps in class when we play City on Sunday. We are playing the champions of England who want to bounce back after a poor run of results. He refused to say whether he would play them both against City, telling reporters: “It was good to see us use this system, with Adebayor coming short and linking play very very well. “We have been playing with two strikers but one off the other one, and we are a team that creates a lot of opportunities with one off, or with two up front. “I have not made a decision about Sunday yet, I will decide after training.” Spurs slipped from fourth to sixth after the Wigan defeat, but have won their last three away games in the league at Reading, Manchester United and Southampton. - Reuters |
| No need for a Plan B at Barca says Alves Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:34 AM PST
Barca suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Glasgow on Wednesday, suffering for the second time in two weeks against the resolute Scottish champions who were denied a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp by a last-minute Jordi Alba goal. “Our style of play is one that the world of football has fallen in love with,” Alves told a news conference. “But when we lose it doesn’t mean we need to look for a Plan B. We had that in the past with a tall guy (Zlatan Ibrahimovic)and he isn’t here any more, because it wasn’t necessary. “We have to improve the Plan A because this is our philosophy. There is no need to change it.” Powerful Swedish striker Ibrahimovic was brought in as a replacement for Samuel Eto’o in 2009 but lasted only one season before moving on to AC Milan. Tito Vilanova’s Barca, much like Pep Guardiola’s when they fell to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals last season, were denied by teams who were happy to let them dominate possession while defending in numbers. Barca stuck with their patient, short-passing style right to the end of these games without resorting to a more direct approach in the latter stages. “Against teams who set themselves out like Chelsea and Celtic, if we had taken our chances in front of goal, we would have prevailed,” the Brazil international added. “If you don’t take them, they have two chances and they score, and that’s that.” Looking ahead to the weekend’s La Liga action, Barcelona have been boosted by the return to training of captain Carles Puyol after six weeks out with a dislocated left elbow. The 34-year-old Spanish international should help bring some stability to their shaky defence. Vilanova has been struggling to cover the absence of his first-choice centre-backs with Gerard Pique having also been out injured. Pique damaged his foot in September and returned to play the last few minutes of Barca’s defeat to Celtic during the week. The La Liga leaders defend their unbeaten domestic start to the season away to Real Mallorca on Sunday, against a side who have lost their last five league games. - Reuters |
| Deja vu for del Potro as Federer looms again Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:32 AM PST
Del Potro was in impressive form as he overpowered the Serbian world number nine 6-0 6-4 in his second Group B match at the season-ending tournament and now goes into his last round-robin match needing to beat Roger Federer to give himself a chance of reaching the semi-finals. It is a similar scenario in 2009 when he also faced the Swiss in his third match needing to win. Then he pulled off a three-set victory that saw him squeeze through at the expense of Britain’s Andy Murray by virtue of a games countback. That night three years ago was also memorable for the fact that Del Potro knocked around on court with soccer player Carlos Tevez while the ATP did the calculations to work out whether he or Murray had qualified for the semi-finals. It could be equally complicated on Saturday when he faces the defending champion who is already assured a place in the last four having won both his matches comfortably. Del Potro will be hoping Tipsarevic can do him a favour by upsetting Spaniard David Ferrer although the man dubbed the Tower of Tandil knows he will have to repeat the form he showed when beating Federer in Basel last month to give himself a chance of emulating his run to the final three years ago. “Well, first I’m glad to beat Janko tonight,” said Del Potro, who arrived in London with 63 match wins this year thanks to a return to the destructive tennis that captured the 2009 US Open and fired him to the final in London. “To win in two sets give me a chance to go to the next round. But before I need to beat Roger once again, it’s going to be a different match like 2009 here, but also is going to be a special match for me. “It could be my last match in this season, so I will try to play similar to the Basel final, trying to be more aggressive than him all the time and see if I have a little chance.” Del Potro, at 24 the youngest of the eight qualifiers for the sell-out events at the O2 Arena, was too good for Tipsarevic on Thursday, his booming forehand causing havoc. He only faced one break point and was totally dominant, although he acknowledged beating Federer would require another step up in performance. “I’m glad with my level at this moment. But I know if I want to beat Roger, I should play much better than today and my first match,” added del Potro, who was beaten by Ferrer on Tuesday. While Tevez provided a hitting partner three years ago, on Thursday it was another Manchester City soccer and compatriot Sergio Aguero who knocked up on court with del Potro after Tipsarevic had been dispatched to the locker room. So how was Aguero’s tennis, del Potro was asked. - Reuters |
| After Sandy, Big Oil’s pumps fail motorists Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:26 AM PST
Three days after Sandy pummeled the Northeast, fewer than one-quarter of the service stations operating under the Exxon Mobil Corp., BP and Shell brands were selling gasoline, according to a Reuters analysis of industry data. The companies say the figures are higher, closer to half. Meanwhile a handful of medium-sized regional chains like Hess Corp, Wawa Inc and Sunoco performed far better, with as many as three-quarters of their stations operating, using back-up generators to dispense fuel to motorists, homeowners and utility crews. It came down to one critical factor: the outlets of the oil majors are franchised, while those of the regional chains are company-run and benefited from the full resources of their corporate parents. In Sandy’s wake, it quickly became clear that the vast power outages across the Northeast had exposed a largely unseen vulnerability in the fuel supply chain that left as much as three-quarters of the New York City area’s 4,000-plus stations unable to dispense fuel from electric pumps. The new Reuters analysis, based on data from leading retail intelligence firm OPIS, shows how hidden factors deepened the crisis. Gas stations carrying the brands of the three big oil companies make up a third of the market in the New York City area, the data shows. Over the past decade they have been franchised out to individual operators who enjoy little support from the multibillion-dollar majors whose name they bear. When Sandy hit, they were largely left stranded, with no easy means to hire the big generators needed to power fuel pumps. But at the regional chains, crisis teams swung into action, hiring dozens of units to get fuel flowing again. “We have a detailed crisis plan, whether it be a big nor’easter or a hurricane,” said John Poplawski, head of the emergency response team at Wawa, a regional convenience store and gasoline retailer. Many franchise owners would not have been able to run back-up power easily anyway – they are not required by law to install the necessary plug-ins, a fact that came as news to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The breakdown in supplies has prompted calls from lawmakers to introduce rules modeled on hurricane-prone Florida, where key gas stations are required to have access to back-up power within hours of a storm. The suggestion is already meeting with fierce resistance from industry groups, which say purchasing a US$30,000 generator would inflict financial hardship on station owners and convenience stores, which on average earn just US$45,000 a year. To be sure, a lack of power at individual stations was by far not the only problem plaguing the fuel supply, with fuel terminals that supply the stations knocked offline and refineries shuttered. Even New Jersey-based Hess Corp, which received praise from Christie for supplying rival stations with fuel after securing 85 generators before the storm, has been unable to re-open its own 70,000 barrel-per-day New Jersey refinery. The fuel shortages have hampered recovery efforts and may come back to haunt the big companies, which risk reputational damage from frustrated motorists even if they are not to blame. More than 10 days after Sandy, even with power restored and fuel moving again, long lines persisted at gas stations. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered even-odd rationing on Thursday, following the path taken by New Jersey last week. A tale of two gas chains Behind the scenes, as much as a week before Sandy arrived, centrally managed emergency teams at some gasoline retailers were preparing, scouring weather maps for signs of where and when the storm might land. Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based, independently owned company with 200 gasoline outlets in New Jersey and surrounding states, rushed to be ready. Six days before Sandy struck, chief crisis manager Poplawski moved to secure 30 large-scale generators for Wawa’s pumps and stores. They normally cost about $5,000 per week, but rental rates had already jumped 20 percent to around $6,000. He eventually took 15 units, from as far afield as Ohio, Indiana and the Carolinas. Then rates surged as Sandy struck. “We had offers to get more than 15 at double the rate, but we chose not to,” Poplawski said. “Frankly, the business benefit gets outweighed at that point.” Wawa fared better than most after the storm. Many of its sites are in south New Jersey or inland, areas less affected by the storm; it also moved the units as power came back. “We were going down the list. As one generator became available we would (move it) to the next store,” Poplawski said. By yesterday, four days after Sandy came ashore, 95 of its 100 New Jersey fuel stores had been reopened, the company said. Hess was more aggressive, sourcing 85 back-up generators before the storm hit, the company said. It had 177 of 186 of its stations in the area running again by November 2 because it was able to “execute hurricane preparedness plans across our retail network,” the company said in a statement. Chief Executive John Hess, a New Jersey native whose father founded the company and once owned the New York Jets, took the opportunity to laud his efforts on a conference call with analysts last week. “Hess has had a long history of doing whatever it takes to meet the demand for energy during times of crises,” he said. No more retail At hundreds of Exxon Mobil’s 500 branded stations in the region, a different story unfolded. Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, spun off the last of its retail division in 2008, licensing local operators to run their branded stores as franchises. Few stations had generators, and most relied on utility companies to restore power, according to interviews with Exxon and Mobil station operators in the area. Many struggled to make contact with their local representative as phone lines failed. “Mobil helps no one,” said one Mobil station operator on Long Island, who asked not to be identified. “That’s why they are the richest company in the world.” Only 46 branded Exxon or Mobil outlets in New Jersey were selling fuel on November 1, according to data from OPIS, which is based on fleet car sales and surveys and is used by the AAA motoring group to gauge daily gasoline prices nationwide. A week earlier, OPIS recorded sales from 285 stations. On Monday, Exxon released a statement advising investors that it did “not own or operate any gas stations, fuel terminals or refineries in the impacted areas” of Sandy. In response to queries about the data, an Exxon spokeswoman said that half of its New Jersey stations had power by November 1. Some stores may have had power for the pumps but not credit card sales, according to OPIS. By this week, the problem had become more about distribution of fuel than about power, with more than one-fifth of the New York metropolitan area’s stations unable to sell fuel because they were out of gasoline. It was not clear which brands were most affected. “We are doing horrible,” said an owner of a Mobil station in Long Island, which has only received two rationed deliveries since the storm. “We don’t have any gas, we have long lines at the pump, even though people know that we don’t have any gas, hoping that we get a delivery,” he said, asking not to be named. An Exxon spokeswoman said it recommends that franchise owners have access to generators, “but we can’t mandate it.” The OPIS data showed that only just over 20 percent of the 138 BP-branded stations in New Jersey were selling gas by November 1, a figure broadly similar across the region. Asked about the figures, a BP spokesman said two-thirds of its 300 stations in the “New York-New Jersey metro area” were open by November 1 and BP had been helping emergency services get fuel “to the best of our ability.” By November 6, BP had only 11 stations still offline in the area, he said. Oil majors did help their branded stations to varying degrees. Royal Dutch Shell shipped generators to be near its wholesalers before the storm, even though “this is not a part of our contractual agreements,” a company spokeswoman said. Still, by November 1, more than half of Shell’s branded stations in New Jersey remained closed, the company said. On that day the OPIS survey found just 33 stations open compared with 234 the previous Thursday. By November 5 more than 15 percent of the company’s New York state and New Jersey stations were still shut. Politics of power After a crisis so serious that the military was called in to give away 22 million gallons of fuel, politicians are preparing for legislative action. “What we’ve witnessed during Sandy is that gas stations and terminals lose power it has the potential to bring us to a screeching halt,” said New York State Senator David Carlucci. He has proposed legislation requiring every key service station to permanently keep a generator on site. A similar bill was passed in Florida after the state was struck by three hurricanes in 2005. That law requires every fuel outlet on a major trunk route to be able to hook up to reserve power within hours of a blackout, with big chains mandated to keep generators for their stores close by. Yet even as motorists continue to steam in New York and New Jersey, gas station operators are balking at the cost of installing on-site generators that would allow them to keep operating even if power fails. “Mandating the costly installation of equipment that will only be used maybe as little as once every several years is bad policy and bad for the economy,” said John Eichberger of the National Association of Convenient Store. Carlucci’s proposal, which includes tax incentives, would cost a total of about $200 million to provide each of New York State’s 6,500 gas stations with a US$30,000 generator, according to Reuters calculations. That equates to around US$10 per head of New York State’s population. Pat Moricca, president of the Gasoline Retailers Association of Florida, who ran a Paterson, New Jersey, service station in the 1970s, called Sandy a wake-up call that should be heeded. “Whether you’re wet or dry, hot or cold, this storm has shown that anywhere can run into this situation eventually.” - Reuters |
| Worried Germany seeks study on French economy Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:22 AM PST
Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters this week that Schaeuble asked the council of economic advisers to the German government, known as the “wise men”, to consider drafting a report on what France should do. Schaeuble’s request denotes growing concern in Berlin and among private economists over the health of the French economy, which is set to miss a European Union goal for reducing its public deficit next year. “Concerns are growing given the lack of action of the French government in labor market reforms,” Lars Feld, an economist who sits on the panel, told Reuters. Although Schaeuble raised the prospect of a report on France with members of the council this week, Feld and the finance ministry made clear that the government had not submitted a formal request. The ministry declined comment on the minister’s “unofficial discussions” in general. French President Francois Hollande’s office declined to comment. The panel of advisers publishes an annual report on the state of the German economy, which it handed over to Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday. It can also draft special reports when it sees economic imbalances developing or at the formal request of the government. Since being founded 49 years ago, the panel has published no studies on individual countries but Germany, according to its website. Its last expert opinion, the first since 1997, was published in July, following the European Union summit in June. Pressure France has been the number one consumer of German goods for years. In 2011, Germans sold more than 101 billion euros there, about 10 percent of overall exported goods. Hollande, in office for roughly half a year, is under intense pressure to reform an economy that is losing competitiveness relative to its larger neighbor Germany and southern European countries that have enacted far-reaching measures in the euro crisis. This week, in response to calls by industrialist Louis Gallois for cuts in labor charges to reverse decades of industrial decline, the government announced it would grant 20 billion euros in annual tax credits to companies as a way of lowering labor costs. Asked in Paris about the discussions, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “You’re the ones saying that.” He added: “We are constantly communicating with them (Germans) and I will be in Berlin next week to meet Mrs. Merkel, and just before that I will have spoken with Mr. Schaueble.” Economists said Hollande’s reforms were sending the correct signal but may not be enough. Unlike European peers Italy and Spain, France’s borrowing costs have remained low, but there is a growing concern that its rock-bottom bond yields do not reflect the fragility of the economy. A Bank of France survey published yesterday predicted French gross domestic product will shrink 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2012, pushing France into a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction, as the third quarter is also expected to be negative. Schaeuble has been a close ally of France and has argued firm ties are key to achieving more European integration, a persistent German demand to solve the problems of the euro zone. In August, he and his French counterpart Pierre Moscovici said they would launch a working group in order to make joint proposals on euro zone issues like fiscal and banking union. The German “wise men” panel, which also includes a woman, is not obliged to take up Schaeuble’s suggestion. One source said if it decided to do a study, it would likely do so in cooperation with a French institute, rather than on its own. Wolfgang Franz, head of the “wise men” panel said an informal conversation with Schaeuble had taken place about developing the currency union and that the panel would stay in touch with the minister on this. There had been no order for the panel to make economic proposals to France, he added. However, the panel has made clear it is concerned about France’s economy. In its Wednesday report it touched on France, saying continued stagnation was a growing worry given the recessionary trends in the euro zone as a whole and voiced doubts that savings measures would suffice to consolidate the French budget. “The biggest problem at the moment in the euro zone is no longer Greece, Spain or Italy, instead it is France, because it has not undertaken anything in order to truly re-establish its competitiveness, and is even heading in the opposite direction,” Feld said on Wednesday. “France needs labor market reforms, it is the country among euro zone countries that works the least each year, so how do you expect any results from that? Things won’t work unless more efforts are made.” France and Germany have been at the core of efforts to stop the euro zone crisis spreading from the periphery to the larger economies. While many have accepted twice bailed-out Greece is a special case, German officials say in private that they are concerned trouble in Spain and Italy could spill over to France unless Hollande takes bold steps. “I am convinced that what France is doing is good not just for France but also for Europe,” said Ayrault. - Reuters |
| Thousands flee Syria in major refugee exodus Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST
Syria’s fractious opposition was meeting in Qatar, under increasing pressure from the United States and Qatar to unite and form a credible body capable of ruling the country effectively if President Bashar al-Assad falls. The United Nations said 11,000 refugees had fled in 24 hours, most to Turkey. The exodus is testing the patience of Ankara, the most militarily capable of Syria’s neighbors and a strong opponent of Assad. Ankara has long said a full-blown refugee emergency would demand robust intervention. Rebels overran the frontier town of Ras al-Ain late on Thursday, continuing a drive that has already seen them push Assad’s troops from much of the north and seize several crossing points, a rebel commander and opposition sources said. “The crossing is important because it opens another line to Turkey, where we can send the wounded and get supplies,” said Khaled al-Walid, a commander in the Raqqa rebel division. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that compiles opposition activist reports, said at least 20 members of the Syrian security forces were killed when rebel fighters attacked a security headquarters in Ras al-Ain. Thousands of residents poured out of the Arab and Kurd town, in the northeastern oil-producing province of Hasaka, 600 km from Damascus. Turkey hits out Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan hit out at world powers on the UN Security Council over their inaction. “It is very strange. There are currently atrocities being committed in Syria and these atrocities are being directed by a state leader,” he said. “How far will this go? When will the permanent members of the Security Council take responsibility?” Turkey has responded in kind to mortar shells hitting its soil from fighting in Syria and is discussing with NATO allies whether to deploy Patriot air defense missiles on the border. The Turkish state-run Anatolian news agency reported that 26 Syrian military officers had also arrived in Turkey with their families overnight in what it called the biggest mass desertion of senior soldiers from Assad’s forces in months. The latest flight of refugees raised the total recorded by the United Nations to 408,000. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday it could not keep up with the increasingly dire needs of civilians. Advancing rebels managed to fire mortars at the presidential palace in Damascus this week. Residents in the capital said security was being beefed up there. Assad told Russia Today television on Thursday he would “live and die in Syria”, echoing words of other Arab leaders before they lost power last year. As rebels advance, an opposition Syrian National Council made up mainly of exiles has been seen as ineffective and out of touch with groups fighting on the ground. Western countries fear that means Islamist militants could seize power if Assad falls. Qatar, which has bankrolled Assad’s enemies and played a leading role in Arab diplomacy against him, hosted an opposition meeting in its capital Doha, with senior US diplomats hovering on the sidelines and leaning hard on the opposition to unite. A source inside meetings that lasted into the early morning hours said SNC members who had resisted a deal were now bowing to pressure for a new body that would give more voice to groups operating on the ground in Syria itself. Military fund “We will not leave today without an agreement,” the source said. “The body will be the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Once they get international recognition, there will be a fund for military support.” An outline agreement could see the SNC and other opposition figures agree on a 60-member political assembly, mirroring the Transitional National Council in Libya, which united opposition to Muammar Gaddafi last year and took power when he fell. “They will create a ‘temporary government’, which could take control of embassies around the world and take Syria’s seat at the UN, because the regime would have lost its legitimacy,” said the source. The SNC, which has previously been the main opposition group on the international stage, may have around a third of the seats in the new body but would otherwise lose much of its influence. It was not yet clear whether the meeting in Doha would name members or broach the thorny issue of the new body’s leadership. Qatar’s prime minister told delegates on Thursday to “get a move on” in a closed meeting in a Doha five-star hotel. “The Qataris are not to going to let them leave here in failure after all this investment,” said a diplomatic source on the sidelines of the meetings. However, he sounded a note of caution: “Yes there will be an agreement, but is it sustainable? Is it well thought through and well prepared?” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week called for overhauling the opposition, saying more representation was needed for those “on the frontlines and dying”. The SNC is due yesterday to complete elections to its executive council and choose a new leader, before continuing talks with other groups. Senior SNC member Burhan Ghalioun said the atmosphere at the talks was positive. “We all agree that we don’t want to walk away from this meeting in failure.” In the last three months, the mainly Sunni Muslim Arab rebels have captured outposts on the Turkish border, moving towards the northeastern heartland of Syria’s one million Kurds, many of whom have tried to stay clear of violence. The Kurdish Council, a coalition of Kurdish parties opposed to Assad, called on rebels to pull their fighters out of Ras al-Ain, saying the clashes and fear of Syrian bombardment had prompted most of its 50,000 residents to flee. - Reuters |
| Iran, UN nuclear agency to resume talks in December Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:16 AM PST
The IAEA announcement came days after US President Barack Obama’s re-election, which some analysts say may give fresh impetus to diplomatic efforts to end a decade-old standoff with a country the West accuses of working towards nuclear weapons capability. In a stark reminder of how tensions could escalate, the Pentagon said on Thursday that Iranian warplanes fired at an unarmed US drone in the Gulf last week. The IAEA said it hoped the talks in Tehran on December 13 would produce an agreement to allow it to resume a long-stalled investigation into possible military aspects of Iran’s nuclear program. The agency says it has “credible information indicating that Iran had carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device” and wants Tehran to give it access to sites, officials and documents to clarify the issue. Iran denies it wants nuclear bombs and has repeatedly ruled out stopping its atomic activities. A series of meetings since early this year, the last one in August, failed to make concrete progress. Israel, assumed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power, has threatened military action if it looks like Tehran is close to getting nuclear weapons capability. “The aim (of the talks) is to conclude the structured approach to resolving outstanding issues related to Iran’s nuclear program,” agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor said. A Western diplomat was skeptical, noting that the talks would only take place after the next meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation governing board. “So it is the usual scenario: defer criticism now by promising something later. Something that has failed to materialize the last four times,” the envoy said. Initial step? The IAEA’s talks with Iran are separate from Tehran’s nuclear discussions with six world powers – the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – which resumed in April but have also so far failed to reach any breakthrough. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton – who represents the powers in talks with Iran – sees the new IAEA-Iran meeting as long overdue. It “could be an initial step on the path to resolve outstanding issues,” Maja Kocijancic, Ashton’s spokeswoman, said, adding that Iran had so far failed to cooperate in substance. She reiterated concerns about the Parchin military site, which the IAEA wants to visit as part of its inquiry and where Western diplomats suspect Iran is now trying to clean up any evidence of past illicit nuclear-related activity. The IAEA mission is likely to be headed by Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts, the chief UN nuclear inspector, diplomatic sources said. Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, was not immediately available for comment. Years of talks and sanctions have failed to end the dispute. But, now assured of a second term, Obama, who has so far resisted calls in the United States and Israel for an attack on Iran, appears free to pursue a diplomatic settlement while threatening yet heavier sanctions if Tehran does not bend. The United States and its allies want Iran to curb its uranium enrichment program. Iran, one of the world’s largest oil producers, says the West must first lift increasingly harsh sanctions. - Reuters |
| Russia’s Putin fires top general after graft scandal Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:14 AM PST
Putin removed General Nikolai Makarov after four years as the nuclear power’s top general and replaced him with General Valery Gerasimov, 57, a commander who fought Muslim separatists in the Chechnya region. Changes had been expected to allow new Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to bring in his own team after replacing Anatoly Serdyukov, sacked on Tuesday after an investigation began into suspicious sales of ministry property to insiders. Putin told Gerasimov to press on with reforms to modernize the armed forces and, hinting at tensions that had mounted under Serdyukov’s stewardship, the president told him to improve relations with the defense industry. “I hope very much that you and the minister will be able to build a good and stable relationship with our leading enterprises in the defense ministry,” Putin said during a televised meeting with Gerasimov and Shoigu. Referring indirectly to Serdyukov’s poor ties with industry chiefs he had chided for not developing better weapons, Putin said: “We have recently run into changing demands of the defense industry from the Defense Ministry. Of course we must strive to have cutting edge items, but we need a certain stability too.” Gerasimov, deputy chief of the general staff since 2010, was also appointed first deputy defense minister. Putin also named Arkady Bakhin, commander of Russia’s western military district, as another first deputy defense minister. Shoigu stamps authority The rapid overhaul of the military was intended by Shoigu to assert his authority on the armed forces and to show that Putin, the commander in chief, is firmly in charge despite the scandal. Putin’s remarks also indicated the political importance of the defense industry as its many workers, and voters, spread across the vast country depend on regular state orders for their livelihood. Putin convincingly won a six-year third term in March but also faces a challenge from urban protesters which he wants to prevent spreading to the provincial areas on which he depends for much of his support. Although Serdyukov was sacked soon after the start of the corruption investigation, it may not have been the main cause of his downfall. He had many political enemies – including in the Kremlin – who were jealous of his control of the ministry’s huge budget and had opponents in the military angered by deep personnel cuts in the armed forces under his reforms. Russia media also say he had fallen out with his influential father-in-law Viktor Zubkov, a former prime minister and ally of Putin, after his marriage to Zubkov’s daughter hit the rocks. Defense experts said military reforms, due to take more than 100,000 officers out of service, would not be in danger under Shoigu and Gerasimov. The reforms, two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union and following two wars in Chechnya that highlighted the military’s weaknesses, are intended to create a more modern, mobile and flexible army. “Army modernization will continue by all means because this was not Serdyukov’s reform, this was Putin’s and (Prime Minister Dmitry) Medvedev’s reform – with Serdyukov enforcing it,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. Other analysts said Shoigu has turned to people he believed would be reliable in the battle against corruption, which many analysts says runs deep in the military establishment. “The level of corruption in the Defense ministry was enormous. And if Shoigu can at least limit it, this would be an achievement in itself,” said Valery Yevseyev, director of the Centre for Social and Political Studies, a think-tank. - Reuters |
| Mexico charges 14 federal police over attack on US officers Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:12 AM PST
Mexican security sources have placed responsibility for the attack on corrupt police working in cahoots with drug gangs. The Attorney General’s office said it had issued arrest warrants for the 14 federal police officers, charging them with attempted murder and property damage for the attack which peppered a diplomatic vehicle with 152 bullet holes. The 14 officers come from the southern Mexico City district of Tlalpan and were already in police custody, the statement said. “The charged police officers tried to kill two employees of the US Embassy in Mexico and a Mexican Marine,” the Attorney General’s office said. Mexican officials had earlier said the fact that police officers used AK47s and were not wearing uniforms suggested a gang-orchestrated hit. However the statement made no mention of any suspected link to organized crime. Drug cartels take advantage of bad pay for Mexican police to infiltrate their ranks. The attack took place on a road south of Mexico City, and was initially blamed on a case of mistaken identity. It came when increased cooperation between US and Mexican forces seemed to be yielding results in President Felipe Calderon’s six-year offensive against the bloody cartels. Since 2009, government troops have caught or killed more than 20 major drug lords. However that has led to cartel infighting and fragmentation. Roughly 60,000 people have died in drug-related incidents during Calderon’s term, and the violence was a factor that worked against his party’s candidate in last year’s presidential election. President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto, who takes office on December 1, stresses his priority is to reduce violence and focus first on tackling crimes like extortion and kidnapping. But Pena Nieto, who has led the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) back into power after a 12-year hiatus, has rejected negotiating with the gangs, mindful of the PRI’s past reputation for cutting deals. The CIA has declined to comment on the case, while the two agents, who received non-life threatening injuries, were quickly moved out of the country. - Reuters |
| Chinese state firms say reform should mean more growth Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:09 AM PST
Party delegates spent day two of the 18th Communist Party Congress holding public debates on Hu’s speech at which they read out bits that they particularly liked. Reuters reporters heard no one disagreeing with what Hu said in a nearly two-hour-long speech. At the opening of the congress on Thursday, Hu stressed the importance of continued one-party rule and how it was threatened by corruption, a reference to the downfall of one-time high-flying politician Bo Xilai. He also suggested a further strengthening of the state in strategic sectors, with the possibility of more market-oriented competition in other sectors. “The direction of the SOE (state-owned enterprise) reform should be: SOEs must be more market-oriented and they must keep strengthening their vitality and influence,” Wang Yong, the head of a commission on supervising and administering state-owned assets, told reporters. “Scholars may have different views, but that’s the development need of the enterprises and the state.” Hu had said on Thursday that Beijing must “unwaveringly consolidate and develop the public sector of the economy”. “(We should) invest more state capital in major industries in key fields that comprise the lifeline of the economy and are vital to national security.” But outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao vowed in a speech earlier this year that Beijing would push ahead with monopoly-busting. “We must move ahead with reform of the railway, power and other industries, complete and implement policies and measures aimed at promoting the development of the non-state economy, break monopolies and lower industry thresholds for new entrants,” he had said. State-owned enterprises and affiliated businesses account for more than half of output and employment in China, the world’s second-biggest economy. They include power grid-operator State Grid, the world’s seventh-biggest company. Oil giants Sinopec Group and China National Petroleum Corp, parent of PetroChina, rank fifth and sixth, respectively. Of the 70 mainland companies on the 2012 Fortune Global 500 list, 65 are state-owned. Drag Chinese reformers and Western governments say their sheer size and market dominance creates a drag on the economy through vast opportunity for corruption and waste, leading to higher costs for consumers. Calls for reform built up as factions manoeuvred ahead of the once-in-decade leadership transition at the congress. When Xi Jinping, Hu’s anointed successor, is in place he will be under immediate pressure to break the grip of inefficient SOEs and reinvigorate China’s three-decade-long economic miracle. But he will have to deal with the divisions within the party on policy. Critics claim that without further reform of the state sector, China’s growth will stagnate. They call for equal opportunity for private firms, which provide most of the new jobs in China. On Friday, data for October showed the economy was pulling away from its slowest growth in three years. Analysts said that thanks to a raft of pro-growth policies rolled out by the government in recent months. Wang, the state assets commission chief, admitted that the enterprises were saddled by a bloated workforce, a legacy of the planned economy. But he and other state-firm bosses emphasized their importance to what they called “national economic security” in their gathering, laying out plans for further investment and overseas expansion. The large state role prompted a US congressional advisory panel to complain this week that Chinese investment in the United States had created a “potential Trojan horse”. The study, commissioned by US -China Economic and Security Review Commission, found that Chinese-owned firms in the United States added between 10,000 and 20,000 workers in the past five years and helped shore up financially troubled US firms. The investment was spearheaded by Chinese state-owned enterprises that enjoyed government subsidies and other market-distorting policies that support industrial policy and non-market goals of the Chinese government, it said. “Based on this juxtaposition, some will conclude that Chinese FDI (foreign direct investment) in the United States is a potential Trojan horse,” the report concluded. Chinese telecoms firm Huawei Technologies, the world’s second-biggest telecoms equipment maker – and another telecommunications firm called ZTE – spent much of this year under siege by US lawmakers who suspect Huawei has close ties to Beijing and that its equipment could be used for espionage. The telcos are not state-owned enterprises. Huawei is owned by its employees and ZTE by different institutions. The party congress ends on Wednesday, after which the new Standing Committee, at the apex of power, will be unveiled. Only Xi and his deputy, Li Keqiang, are certain to be on what is likely to be a seven-member committee, and about eight other candidates are vying for the other places. - Reuters |
| Military plane crashes in south France Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:06 AM PST
It was not immediately clear how many people were on board or whether there were survivors from the crash in an uninhabited part of the Lozere region near the city of Avignon. French media reported that the plane was an Algerian military transport travelling to Algeria from Paris but it was not immediately possible to verify those reports. - Reuters |
| Merkel’s rival Steinbrueck judged to have botched campaign start Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:02 AM PST
Steinbrueck spent much of his first month as candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD) defending himself for earning 1.25 million euros moonlighting as an after-dinner speaker in three years – more than many SPD voters earn in a lifetime. A apparent penchant for bludgeoning opponents outside and inside the center-left SPD has also sent his popularity into a tailspin, and dragged down the party too. A poll by ARD television showed only 30 percent of Germans find Steinbrueck likeable, down 7 points since September, while Merkel’s rating rose 9 points to 51. He fell three pegs to be ranked the country’s sixth most popular politician. This helped Merkel’s conservatives open a 10-point lead over the SPD in the ARD poll, 10 months before federal elections next September – the biggest gap since January 2010. “Steinbrueck has had a dreadful start,” said Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University. “The issue of his speaking fees came at the worst possible time for the SPD. He could have cleared it all up before becoming the candidate. “And his aggressive style doesn’t work with women voters, especially when he’s running against a woman,” Jaeger added. “To make matters worse, there’s not a single woman on the team of close advisers he picked. He’s made a lot of serious blunders.” Steinbrueck, who will be formally nominated by the SPD at a congress in Hanover next month, was once seen as the center left’s best hope of winning back the chancellorship they last held under Gerhard Schroeder from 1998 to 2005. A towering man with a booming voice, Steinbrueck was popular as the no-nonsense finance minister in Merkel’s grand coalition from 2005 to 2009. The SPD hoped he would siphon centrist voters away from the conservatives. But the controversy over his earning 1.25 million euros for 89 speeches has not died down, despite his attempt to defuse it by making public the full details of his income. Women don’t like him Steinbrueck, whose sharp wit made him a coveted speaker and endears him to a certain segment of voters, has appeared to be a step behind the media frenzy over his sudden wealth. This week he belatedly donated to charity one particularly lucrative fee of 25,000 euros, earned for a 2011 speech in the depressed town of Bochum. “Steinbrueck can’t seem to get beyond the dispute over his speaking fees,” said Jaeger, the Cologne political scientist. “He doesn’t seem to be getting very good advice. His opponents will use this against him for months to come.” The average 7,300 euros per speech he netted after tax, three times what an average German earns per month, might not cause a stir in many countries. But it has angered many working class voters who feel he is out of touch. A recent survey found only 35 percent of women voters in Germany would want to have dinner with Steinbrueck compared to 44 percent of the men voters. He tried to turn the tables on the issue at a meeting on Thursday evening in Berlin with an informal group of SPD women called the “Red Women Salon”. “We can talk about everything,” Steinbrueck said at the start of his 11-minute speech to the full house of women at the SPD headquarters, after spending an hour listening to their concerns. He brought his 33-year-old daughter Anna, a Berlin lobbyist, to the gathering and won applause for saying he favored equal pay for women. Party general secretary Andrea Nahles noted that US President Barack Obama was reelected because of strong support from women: “Women made the difference.” Manuela Schwesig, a deputy leader of the SPD, was baffled by the idea that Steinbrueck has a problem with women. “We’ve never had so many women at the ‘red salon’ before,” she said. But Jaeger said Steinbrueck lacked Obama’s obvious charm. “He usually looks embittered for some reason,” he said. “He’s usually pictured with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. Maybe he’s a very charming man in private. But the public image is of a really aggressive guy.” Yvonne Vay, a Berlin secretary, usually votes SPD but said she might switch to the Greens because of Steinbrueck: “The only way he can improve his image with women is to get an operation and come out looking more like George Clooney.” - Reuters |
| Court in Georgia keeps ex-minister in custody Posted: 09 Nov 2012 08:57 AM PST
The case has raised concerns that the new government led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili is waging a political vendetta. The new prime minister vowed to pursue former officials suspected of wrongdoing after his coalition ousted President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party in a parliamentary poll last month. With the end of Saakashvili’s nine-year dominance of the political scene in the Caucasus state, his allies fear Ivanishvili’s government is orchestrating a witch hunt. Prosecutors charged Bacho Akhalaia, a former interior and defense minister, Georgy Kalandadze, the army’s chief-of-staff, and another army commander with abuse of power. Akhalaia was also charged with illegal confinement. Prosecutors had requested that all three defendants be held in pre-trial detention. Tbilisi city court ordered Akhalaia detained for two months before trial and set bail at 20,000 lari (US$12,000) for each of the two army officials, their lawyers said. Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili said on Wednesday state investigators had evidence that Akhalaia, Kalandadze and Zurab Shamatava, commander of the army’s Fourth Brigade, had insulted six servicemen in October 2011. Abuse of power carries a prison term of up to eight years, while Akhalaia could face as much as 12 years if convicted. Television footage of abuse of prisoners in Georgian jails led to protests just before last month’s election. Akhalaia, 32, quit as interior minister over the prison abuse scandal. He left Georgia after the election but returned earlier this week and was detained on Wednesday. He was appointed defense minister in 2009. Before that he served as the head of the penitentiary system. Human rights groups accuse him of ordering a heavy-handed crackdown on Georgia’s largest prison riot in 2006, in which seven inmates were killed, and of ill treatment of prisoners and military servicemen. The former Soviet republic of 4.5 million people fought a five-day war with giant neighbour Russia in 2008 and is a focus of tension between Moscow and the West, as well as a transit country for Caspian Sea oil and gas exports to Europe. - Reuters |
| Don’t fall for opposition trick, Chinese told Posted: 09 Nov 2012 04:09 AM PST
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, has been at the centre of a recent controversy on Chinese schools when an independent body representing them claimed the government was attempting to control its directions though proxies. Speaking at the launch of the World Chinese Book Fair here, he said no vernacular schools will be sidelined under the New Education Blueprint – the government’s recently unveiled plan to overhaul the limping education system. “I give you my assurance that Chinese schools will continue to be safeguarded under Barisan Nasional. “We will continue to ensure its growth according to the needs of the Chinese community,” he said. Vernacular education has always been a thorny issue for the BN as it struggles to deflect accusation of negligence allegedly in favour of Malay-dominated state-controlled national schools. The longstanding controversy was seen as one of the major reasons behind the Chinese voter swing towards the opposition in the 2008 general election. Non-Malay schools are purportedly stifled financially mostly due to suggestions that the schools provide a platform for the opposition to spread anti-government propaganda. Both sides have denied the allegations. Muhyiddin said the Chinese, Malaysia’s second largest ethnic population, should not be bought over by the opposition’s attempt to politicise the issue. “Do not be tricked by the political agenda of the opposition which only wants to politicise the issue for its own interests. “We should not gamble our and our children’s future [by voting the opposition into power],” he said. |
| FBM KLCI closes slightly higher on last-minute gains Posted: 09 Nov 2012 04:05 AM PST
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) inched up 0.01 of a point to 1,641.08, after hovering between 1,632.36 and 1,643.22. They said the market received last-minute buying support from selected counters like finance, mining and technology, but gains were capped by losses in the plantation and FBM Palm Oil sector. Securities senior technical analyst, Stephen Soo, said the index was almost flat today. Another dealer said most local investors preferred to stay on the sidelines ahead of the weekend and the Deepavali and Awal Muharam holidays next week. In the broader market, losers led gainers by 355 to 288, while 360 counters were unchanged, 640 counters untraded and 25 others suspended. Volume fell to 777.107 million shares valued at RM1.32 billion from yesterday’s 999.664 million shares worth RM1.492 billion. The Finance Index rose 5.83 points to 15,068.37 but the Plantation Index fell 8.04 points to 8,072.86 and the Industrial Index lost 8.05 points to 2,825.27. The FBM Ace Index rose 13.91 points to 4,281.6 but the FBM Emas Index slid 7.77 points to 11,196.48, the FBMT100 shed 8.46 points to 11,033.72, and the FBM Mid 70 Index dropped 49.38 points to 12,287.22. Among actives, Axiata rose three sen to RM5.94 and DiGi.com added one sen to RM4.84 but Tiger Synergy lost three sen to 36.5 sen and Alam Maritim eased five sen to 66.5 sen. Both SAAG and TM were flat at 1.5 sen and RM5.60, respectively. Of the heavyweights, Genting chalked up 14 sen to RM9.40 but Sime Darby fell three sen to RM9.70 and Maxis was five sen lower at RM6.67. Maybank, CIMB, Petronas Chemicals and Public Bank were flat at RM9.02, RM7.72, RM6.42 and 15.52, respectively. Volume on the Main Market declined to 580.187 million units worth RM1.282 billion from 764.982 million units valued at RM1.463 billion yesterday. Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 150.619 million shares worth RM34.075 million from 177.318 million shares valued at RM23.708 million yesterday. Warrants eased to 45.046 million units worth RM3.678 million from 56.218 million units valued at RM4.868 million. Consumer products accounted for 65.424 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 115.847 million, construction 18.875 million, trade and services 250.57 million, technology 20.448 million, infrastructure 18.093 million, finance 45.962 million, hotels 1.252 million, properties 30.326 million, plantations 7.797 million, mining 5,000, REITs 5.12 million and closed/fund 461,600. - Bernama |
| Hindraf boleh jumpa PM bersyarat – Ibrahim Ali Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:47 AM PST
Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali menegaskan, perkara itu termasuk hak istimewa Bumiputera dan perkara lain yang membabitkan dasar negara. “Perkasa mengambil pendirian positif dengan hasrat Perdana Menteri untuk berjumpa dengan pemimpin Hindraf kerana isu membabitkan kaum India juga perlu diberi perhatian. “Tetapi mereka (Hindraf) janganlah pula buat tuntutan luar biasa nak minta langit, bulan, dan macam-macam,” kata Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas itu dalam sidang media di pejabatnya di sini hari ini. Pemimpin Hindraf P Uthayakumar dalam responnya dilaporkan menggesa Najib segera menunaikan tuntutan yang diperjuangkan mereka sejak tahun 2007 sebelum bersetuju untuk mengadakan pertemuan dengan Presiden Umno itu. Antara tuntutan yang dikemukakan adalah peluang 10,000 tempat untuk pelajar India di Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) serta pemberian skim pembangunan tanah rancangan Felda dan Felcra untuk 10,000 kaum India. Kestabilan politik Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas itu bagaimanapun optimis dengan langkah rundingan terbabit bagi mengekalkan kestabilan politik. “Kalau kerajaan tak bertemu dengan kumpulan ini mungkin pihak lain akan menangguk di air yang keruh dan mengambil kesempatan menggunakan isu ini. “Daripada melihat orang-orang tertentu pergi ke jalan raya dan buat perkara tak berfaedah sehingga memburukkan imej negara maka eloklah duduk berbincang,” katanya. Ditanya tentang respon Waythamoorthy, Ibrahim berkata ‘peluang keemasan’ ini perlu digunakan sepenuhnya oleh kumpulan terbabit sebelum meletakkan sebarang syarat atau tuntutan. “Perkasa memberi sokongan dan tunggu apa hasilnya. Harap ianya membawa hasil walaupun kita tahu Hindraf adalah pertubuhan haram tapi mereka tetap rakyat Malaysia, jadi sudah tentu mereka boleh membantu masyarakat India,” katanya. Kelmarin Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz berkata Najib kini bersedia untuk bertemu dengan Hindraf bagi membincangkan masalah berkaitan masyarakat India. Bagaimanapun masih belum ada tarikh yang ditetapkan antara kedua-dua pihak untuk perjumpaan tersebut. |
| Tanah lot di Klang masih milik k’jaan negeri Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:37 AM PST
Beliau menjelaskan tanah lot seluas 18.1 ekar itu telah diserahkan kepada sebuah syarikat swasta pada 2002 oleh kerajaan (Umno- Barisan Nasional) terdahulu. Tanah itu sepatutnya dibangunkan dalam masa 10 tahun, namun syarikat berkenaan gagal berbuat demikian dan ekoran itu kerajaan Selangor membatalkan perjanjian tersebut dan mengambil semula tanah tersebut. Abdul Khalid turut menafikan memberi kelulusan ke atas surat dihantar oleh exco kerajaan negeri Elizabeth Wong untuk membangunkan Pusat Kebudayaan Cina di atas lot tanah tersebut. “Status tanah lot tersebut kini adalah hak milik kerajaan negeri Selangor dan bukannya Yayasan Selangor seperti didakwa,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas merasmikan Halal Fest di Masjid As Syariff di sini petang tadi. Jelas beliau, “Yayasan Selangor gagal membangunkan tanah itu dengan cara persendirian. Malah ada lima enam orang termasuklah beberapa individu daripada Umno menulis surat kepada saya memohon untuk membangunkan tanah itu.” Katanya, perjanjian itu dibatalkan bukan sahaja disebabkan kegagalan tetapi juga disebabkan perjanjian yang berat sebelah. Dalam perjanjian itu juga, dinyatakan bahawa Yayasan Selangor sudah menyerahkan semua kuasa-kuasa kepada syarikat itu. Sehubungan itu, Abdul Khalid berkata ekoran kegagalan syarikat berkenaan, tanah tersebut kini milik Kerajaan Negeri dan masih belum mempunyai sebarang rancangan untuk membangunkan tanah tersebut. “Tanah itu kita akan bangunkan nanti…….cuma buat masa ini, kita tidak ada apa-apa rancangan lagi,” katanya. Semalam, Pengerusi Ahli Bertindak Saya Anak Yayasan Selangor, Badrulzaman Baharuddin mendakwa tanah terbabit adalah milik Yayasan Selangor dan akan dibangunkan sebagai Pusat Kebudayaan Cina. Halal Fest peringkat Negeri Selangor dianjurkan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) dalam usaha untuk memberi kesedaran kepada anggota masyarakat tentang pentingnya menggunakan barangan halal dan membangunkan Perusahaan Kecil Sederhana (PKS). Sebanyak 82 gerai menjual produk makanan halal dan pakaian yang mematuhi syariat Islam dipamerkan di sini. |
| Indonesian city targets pot-bellied police Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:35 AM PST
“The pot-bellied police run too slow,” Wahyu Widada, police chief of Tangerang, near the capital Jakarta, told AFP. Around 130 officers deemed excessively overweight out of the 1,473-strong force will undertake compulsory physical exercise three times a week for a total of four-and-a-half hours. The exercise programme includes aerobics and running, he said. “Once they reach their ideal body weight, they are free to walk out of the programme,” said Widada. He also warned the officers would have to watch their diet: “Exercise means nothing if they continue to consume greasy food at home.” -AFP |
| Malaysia export rebounds, beats market expectation Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:22 AM PST
Exports, the mainstay of the trade-dependent country, had fallen in July and August because of weak demand from Europe and China. Improvement in shipments to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the United States, India and Taiwan supported saw exports rise to RM60.21 billion (US$19.7 billion), the trade ministry said in a statement. Imports rose 9.6% to RM53.74 billion, lifted by an increase in electrical, electronic and refined petroleum products, putting total trade at RM113.94 billion, up from RM107.74 billion the previous year. Yeah Kim Leng, chief economist with financial research firm RAM Holdings, said analysts were only expecting one percent growth. He told AFP: “This rebound is sustainable since leading indicators in the United States are pointing to a pick-up in demand. The magnitude of the rebound was unexpected.” Shipments to Southeast Asia rose 18.9% to RM16.30 billion, accounting for 27.1% of Malaysia’s total exports. Exports to the United States continued to grow, expanding 6.3% to RM5.27 billion. But exports of electrical and electronic products, crude rubber and chemical products to debt-wracked Europe sank 12.5% to RM5.14 billion year-on-year, the ministry said. Shipments to China fell 10.8% to RM7.66 billion while those to Japan fell 2.2% to RM7.04 billion. From January to September, exports rose 1.7% to RM525.50 billion, while imports grew 7.6% to RM457.24 billion. - AFP |
| China’s economy shows pick-up amid leadership transition Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:21 AM PST
The statistics bureau said output at the millions of factories, workshops and mines rose 9.6% year on year in October, from 9.2% in September, indicating the country is emerging from a slumber that has also dragged on the global economy. The news came as other figures released today by the bureau – including retail sales, fixed asset investment, and inflation – also showed an improvement. The data add to signs that China’s economy is rebounding after growth slowed for seven straight quarters, hitting 7.4% in the three months through September, its weakest performance in more than three years. “What a lovely dataset to welcome in China’s new set of leaders,” IHS Global Insight economists Ren Xianfang and Alistair Thornton wrote in in a research note Friday after the data release. “The stabilisation looks to be on firmer ground.” Retail sales, the main measure of consumer spending, rose 14.5% year on year in October, from 14.2% in September, while fixed-asset investment, a key gauge of infrastructure spending, rose 20.7% in the first 10 months of 2012, from 20.5% in January-September. China’s consumer price index, the main measure of inflation, slipped to a near three-year-low 1.7% in October, the sixth month out of the past seven it has slowed, giving lawmakers a little more room to loosen monetary policy. Ren and Thornton partially attributed the recent encouraging performance to aggressive central bank monetary support via net liquidity injections to bolster the economy ahead of the country’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition, which began Thursday. “The government could not risk a downside shock this month, and it appears their strategy to bolster growth has gained traction over the past couple of months,” said Ren and Thornton. Chinese President Hu Jintao in a speech yesterday to open the pivotal Communist Party Congress called for economic reform to boost domestic consumption in a bid to create a new growth model for the country’s economy. But he also insisted on the primacy of the party-led state sector, which has traditionally been and continues to be a major player in the country’s economy despite decades of increasing openness. Hu signalled continued state involvement in the economy was needed, especially in sectors that comprise the lifeline of the economy and are vital to national security. He told delegates at the congress in Beijing that therefore the government’s role and influence in the economy should be increased. While the October figures will give Beijing room to loosen monetary policy they have actually reduced the urgency for such a move, with analysts saying they will likely provide impetus to stimulate consumer spending. “The data provided fresh evidence of an economic recovery, so the government will likely continue with its current fiscal and monetary policies and there’s no need to step up efforts,” Liao Qun, a Hong Kong-based economist at Citic Bank International, told AFP. Authorities have taken steps to boost growth by cutting interest rates twice in less than a month earlier this year while they have also reduced the amount of funds banks must keep in reserve three times since December to encourage lending. Liao said that it was unlikely authorities would make further such cuts but would use other tools to support the economy. “The government will continue to implement its investment plan for infrastructure projects and maintain its subsidy programme to boost consumption,” he said. - AFP |
| Hanoi to host 2019 Asian Games Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:14 AM PST
The Vietnamese capital got the nod ahead of Indonesia’s second biggest city of Surabaya and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said after a meeting in the southern Chinese city of Macau. “The majority of the votes are for the city of Hanoi to hold the 2019 Asian Games,” OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah told a press conference. “The leaders of the country, the sports groups of the country, we have trust that they will reach their commitment, and as a partner we will work very closely with them to bring the best Games ever in Asia.” Vietnam Olympic Committee Secretary General Hoang Vinh Giang expressed jubilation at the decision. “We won! We won! We won! All our team is happy and pleased. All of Vietnam is happy for getting the games,” he told AFP by telephone from Macau. “We will be ready. We plan to host Games in Hanoi, in some provinces around Hanoi. Some Games will even be in Ho Chi Minh City — the football.” The Vietnamese government estimates the 18th Asian Games will cost some $150 million and require the construction of new sporting stadiums and an athletes’ village. “We will build new infrastructure. Not only for the Asian Games — the government has already approved a major development plan for Hanoi for the next 10 years,” Hoang said. “It will be big investment, big budget, new highways, new tunnels and so on.” Reactions on the streets of Hanoi were mixed. “I didn’t even know that Vietnam had applied to host the Asian Games. We won? Maybe it will be good as it will help Vietnam to develop our sports more,” said Tran Van Hoang, 30, a motorbike taxi driver. Sports fan Tong Dinh Truong, 41, said he feared that the money spent on the games would be a “huge waste.” “There will be no positive impact at all on people’s lives and national economic development,” he added. Hanoi was chosen by the 45 National Olympic Committees, which make up the OCA, the governing body for sports in Asia. All the candidate cities had a “very good chance of winning”, OCA Evaluation Committee chairman Syed Arif Hasan, who visited the three candidate cities in October, told AFP. Dubai pulled out at the last minute, saying it wanted to focus on future bids, to leave Surabaya as Hanoi’s only rival. The Asian Games features regular Olympic sports like swimming and athletics, as well as disciplines that reflect Asia’s diverse cultures such as South East Asia’s sepaktakraw, South Asia’s kabaddi and East Asia’s wushu. Indonesian Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng said Surabaya’s bid had been boosted by Palembang in Sumatra island and capital Jakarta’s experience of hosting the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) last year. “We have hosted successful multi-sports events and single sports events in recent years,” he told AFP before the decision was announced. His optimism came despite criticism of Indonesia’s organization of the SEA Games, where two people were killed in a stampede at the soccer final between Indonesia and Malaysia. The last major sporting event hosted by Vietnam was the SEA Games in 2003. Guangzhou in southern China held the previous Asian Games in 2010, and the next Games will be held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014. The Games are usually held every four years but the organizers decided to delay the 18th Games by a year for scheduling reasons. AFP |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:11 AM PST
Alyah menjadi artis Malaysia yang berjaya mengungguli senarai pencalonan kategori dalam majlis anugerah yang sudah masuk tahun ke-11 itu dengan lima pencalonan. Penyanyi lagu Kisah Hati ini tercalon dalam Artis Wanita Terbaik, Lagu Terbaik (Kisah Hati), Artis Serantau Paling Popular, Lagu Serantau Paling Popular & Ikon Media Baru. Sleeq juga berjaya menerima lima pencalonan untuk Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012 ini termasuklah untuk Ikon Media Baru, Artis Singapura Paling Popular & Kolaborasi Terbaik. Buat pertama kali juga, Anugerah Planet Muzik memansuhkan kategori Album Terbaik kerana tidak cukup penyertaan selain trend artis kini yang sering tampil dengan single. Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012 bakal berlangsung pada 15 Disember 2012 di MAX Pavilion, Singapura dan bakal disiarkan secara langsung di Astro Ria (saluran 104) yang juga penyiar rasmi majlis ini. [This content is provided by FMT content partner galaxtar.com, hiburan informasi terkini dan sensasi] |
| Ex-Goldman trader’s fraud caused US$118m loss US regulator Posted: 09 Nov 2012 12:23 AM PST
In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Manhattan, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Matthew Marshall Taylor had manually entered fake trades in November and December 2007, in an attempt to conceal an US$8.3 billion position in futures contracts. The scheme cost the bank US$118.44 million, the CFTC said. “By entering fabricated trades and concealing the position… (the) defendant engaged in fraudulent acts and practices,” the civil fraud complaint said. “Taylor’s fabricated trades had the effect of concealing and misrepresenting the size of his e-mini futures position within his employer’s internal systems.” The CFTC is seeking a US$130,000 civil penalty against Taylor, who currently resides in Florida, the complaint said. Ross Intelisano, a lawyer for Taylor, could not immediately be reached for comment. The CFTC complaint did not name Goldman but referred to Taylor’s employer at the time of the suspected fraud only as a “large Futures Commission merchant”. However, broker records from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Wall Street’s industry funded regulator, showed that Taylor was discharged from Goldman in Dec 2007 for “alleged conduct related to inappropriately large proprietary futures positions in a firm trading account". A Goldman Sachs spokeswoman said the bank had terminated Taylor’s employment after his suspected conduct had been discovered, and that customer funds had not been affected. “The trader provided false explanations when confronted about irregularities we detected in his account during the Dec 14, 2007 trading day,” Goldman spokeswoman Tiffany Galvin said in a statement. The complaint said that as Taylor’s supervisors began questioning him about discrepancies in his numbers, Taylor at one point “falsely represented that he had misbooked a trade or put too many zeroes in the quantity field.” At the time of the suspected offence, Taylor was a vice-president at the bank’s Capital Structure Franchise Trading desk, the complaint said. After leaving Goldman, he went on to work at Morgan Stanley, broker records showed. A spokesman for the bank declined comment. - Reuters |
| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:46 PM PST
DAP’s Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran said that no political party should use the temple ground to gain political mileage, especially during an auspicious day. "Deepavali is a cultural and spiritual day. I urge all Hindus to avoid this political function. Let us go pray at Batu Caves before and after the event," he said. Yesterday, MIC president G Palanivel announced that the party would hold its Deepavali celebration at the Batu Caves temple on Nov 13, between 9am and 1pm. They would also hold an open house event at the vicinity of the temple. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and other Cabinet ministers are scheduled to grace the function. “We decided to hold the open house in Batu Caves because the place was a popular location for people to visit. When we choose the right place, more people will be able to come,” Palanivel told Bernama. MIC secretary-general S Murugesan also defended the move and urged the public not to look at the celebration from a political perspective. "It’s purely an event for all Indians to celebrate. There is no political campaigning and speeches scheduled for the day. "Everyone is invited for the function. We are not saying only MIC members are allowed to attend it. There is no point politicising the matter," he said. |
| Allianz says profits up seven-fold in third quarter Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:45 PM PST
On the back of the strong performance, Allianz upheld its full-year forecast for operating profit of more than 9.0 billion euros (US$11.5 billion). Allianz said in a statement it booked bottom-line net profit of 1.344 billion euros in the period from July to September, compared with 196 million euros a year earlier. Operating profit grew by 32.8% to 2.532 billion euros on a 4.7% increase in revenues to 25.2 billion euros, the statement said. “In the third quarter, we continued momentum from the first half of the year,” the company boasted, saying that all three business segments – property and casualty, life and health and asset management – saw improvements. “Following the strong operating performance, we expect full-year operating profit to exceed 9.0 billion euros, assuming no adverse developments during the remainder of the year,” Allianz said. “Net income development will continue to be influenced by balance sheet strengthening including investment de-risking and restructuring activities,” it said. - AFP |
| Stosur hopes to put lean year behind her Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:38 PM PST
“Overall, finishing number nine in the world, it’s still pretty good,” the former US Open champion told local media. “It’s not as high as I wanted it to be, that’s for sure. “But taking a break and reflecting, parts of my game have improved and others can still improve.” Foremost on Stosur’s mind will be improving her game Down Under where nerves have got the better of her time and again. Stosur, 28, who has long consulted with a sports psychologist and made little secret of her yips in front of home fans, exited in the first round at this year’s Australian Open, where she has never gone beyond the third round. “I put far too much pressure on myself in the Aussie summer because I really, really wanted to do well,” she said. “You only get the opportunity to play at home for a few weeks and I probably built it up too big and didn’t handle the occasions on court very well at all.” Although in her twilight years in tennis terms, Stosur still believes she can capture a second grand slam title after her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows in 2011 where she upset Serena Williams in the final. “For sure. Now that I’ve done it once, you have to think ‘why can’t it happen again?’,” she said. “It was a great two weeks, I played unbelievable tennis and obviously that final was everything you want a grand slam final to be. “You do it once, you want to believe you can do it again.” -AFP |
| Asian markets extend losses on US fears Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:37 PM PST
The yen also remained at elevated levels after Barack Obama’s re-election as US president stoked concerns of political gridlock in Washington with a “fiscal cliff” approaching that could tip the country back into recession. Tokyo fell 0.94% by the break, Hong Kong lost 0.53%, Sydney shed 0.42% and Shanghai was 0.11% off, while Seoul slipped 0.88%. While Obama’s victory over Mitt Romney removed uncertainty traders have now turned their focus to the deep spending cuts and huge tax hikes that will come in on Jan 1 if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a deal. The package is a major threat to the economy after a protracted but possibly reckless compromise was reached last year – with the expectation a less painful plan could be agreed – to raise the country’s borrowing cap. If the automatic measures kick in, the United States’ slow recovery from the financial crisis could be reversed and the nation tip back into recession, dealing a blow to the global economy. The threat of a fiscal crisis sent Wall Street tumbling for a second day yesterday. The Dow, which suffered its worst one-day drop of the year on Wednesday, lost another 0.94 percent, the S&P 500 fell 1.22% and the Nasdaq lost 1.42%. However, US dealers were provided another set of upbeat data that indicate the world’s biggest economy is picking up. The commerce department said the country’s trade deficit narrowed in September to US$41.5 billion, from US$43.8 billion in August, thanks to a rebound in exports to a record level for the month. Expectations had been for the trade deficit to widen to US$45.4 billion. With optimism weakening investors sought out safer assets in the forex market, maintaining the yen’s strength and hurting the euro. In early Asian trade the single currency fetched US$1.2741 and 101.28 yen, from US$1.2748 and 101.27 yen in New York late yesterday. The dollar was at 79.47 yen against 79.43 yen in US trade. In comparison the euro bought US$1.2932 and 103.77 yen last Friday, while the dollar was at 80.21 yen. The euro was also weak after the European Central Bank said it would keep interest rates on hold, refusing to announce any cut and saying it was up to governments to work on getting the region’s finances back on a level footing. Regional finance ministers are due to decide whether to release the latest tranche of rescue cash for Greece, which on Thursday posted a record unemployment level of 25.4% of the workforce. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi welcomed a sweeping austerity package passed by Greek lawmakers on Wednesday to qualify for the money, saying it “really represents progress”. Investors are also keeping an eye on China where a week-long congress is underway at which the country’s next leaders will be anointed. On Friday official data showed Chinese inflation eased to a nearly three-year low in October, hitting 1.7% year-on-year, compared with 1.9% in September. Dealers saw the figures as providing the central bank more leeway to cut interest rates to spur the economy, which is showing signs of breaking out of a recent slumber. Oil prices were higher, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December gaining 13 US cents to US$85.22 while Brent North Sea crude for December delivery was up 20 US cents at US$107.45. Gold was at US$1,734.40 by 0345 GMT compared with US$1,714.90 late yesterday. - AFP |
| LRT project blamed for landslide Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:32 PM PST
Residents here said that the wall was the only thing between their housing area and the Sungai Kuyoh river, flowing about 20m away. Local resident Tan Tiong Chew, 62, told FMT that the landslide occurred at about 10.30pm last night. “I heard something at around that time, and I thought it was lightning, but I didn’t see anything. I checked the back of my house later, and I was wondering why the land behind it collapsed?” he said. He later found that the slope directly behind his corner house, a parallel jogging track and more than 30m of concrete perimeter wall, had turned into a pile of rubble.
Large white pieces were also seen sticking out of the ruins, which Tan described as “polystyrene chunks”, which appeared to be embedded behind the wall. Miraculously, a Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) substation next to his house was also left unscathed. However, both structures as well as the many houses and an adjoining commercial area teeter precariously by this fault line. Residents told FMT that they believed that a makeshift road cleared just beneath the foot of the 10m-high wall was the cause of the problem. Cracks in TNB substation area Extended into the river, they said that many of the trees along the riverbank had been chopped down over a year before, leaving only bushes and a dirt road. The Ampang Line LRT line could be clearly seen across the river. The project, expecting a 2014 completion date, was being managed by the Bina Puri-Tim Sekata joint venture, granted by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad. According to another local Sunny Chee, 53, the road was used by lorries serviced by Bina Puri contractors from 7am to 7pm daily. “They used to drive by down there,” he said, pointing to the destruction, before adding: “At breakneck speed! They are heavy lorries, carrying sand and concrete, how can they be driving so fast?”
Strengthening this was Tan, who said that he had informed TNB a few days prior about worrying cracks appearing in the TNB substation area. “They came two days ago, did a survey, but they never did anything,” he said. When FMT arrived at the scene this morning, Bina Puri contractors and Prasarana officials were already there. Bina Puri workers, it seemed, were already rolling tarps down the slopes affected by the landslide. An angry Tan approached them, asking what they were going to do about the ruins behind his house. One woman told him: “We will look into it.” They also declined to speak to FMT, adding that it would be best to get a response from their client, Prasarana. Meanwhile, Prasarana said in a statement that it was currently assisting Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in stabilising the damaged slope, and had informed DBKL’s Crisis and Natural Disaster Unit over the matter. It added that the incident was outside of the right-of-way, or legally granted access, of the Ampang Line LRT extension project. Company media affairs manager Azhar Ghazali said: “Prasarana would like to stress that there were no construction activities carried out by its appointed contractor at the time of the slope failure.” He said that DBKL will be advising over the stability and safety of the houses and TNB substation affected by the landslide. |
| Taman Manggis land: Lim now doubts BN honesty Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:22 PM PST
He said BN's failure to have its state leaders as shareholders and directors in Taman Manggis Fasa 2 Development Sdn Bhd – a RM2 paid-up capital company – raised suspicion that the coalition just wanted to set unreasonable conditions to sabotage the RM22 million land transaction. He said Penang BN's refusal to pay in full the RM22,407,300 land purchase price had increased his suspicion. "Why retain RM22,183,227 when it can be paid to the state government?" Lim, also the DAP secretary-general, asked in his blog posting. He said BN should concede that it was dealing with a properly constituted Pakatan Rakyat state government that would not run away with the money. He insisted that Penang BN also had a moral and public accountability to reveal the source of the RM22,407,300 and additional construction cost to ensure that the fund was clean. Lim, the Air Putih assemblyman, also expressed surprise that BN could find the money when it was in the opposition, and not when in power. The previous BN government has originally set aside the Taman Manggis land in Jalan Burmah to build affordable housing for urban poor. The BN government built a block of 18-storey affordable units on 4.9 acres Taman Manggis, leaving the remaining 1.1 acres for future development of a second block. An official internal memo from the state housing and local government director to the state secretary in July 2003 confirmed this. After initially denying it, Lim finally admitted that the state decided to sell the 1.1 acre land for nearly RM11.5 million or RM232 psf to Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre Sdn Bhd (KLIDC) as its size was not viable for housing project. The state government, he said, would use the proceeds of the land sales to fund its affordable city housing project in Jalan SP Chelliah, some 3km from Taman Manggis. When BN slammed the state government for selling the land to KLIDC below market price, Lim promptly offered BN to buy the land for over RM22 million or RM450 psf. BN state chief Teng Chang Yeow instantly agreed to purchase the land, which compelled the state government to make the sale offer. Last month, state BN Youth chief Oh Tong Keong led a group of BN Youth leaders and members to Komtar to deposit RM224,073 earnest money into a state Maybank account to facilitate the land purchase. When Lim insisted on BN to pay the full amount to seal the land deal, Teng urged the state government to issue the land sales and purchase agreement. The state government also imposed two conditions: one for BN to include its state leaders as company directors and another to engage a higher paid-up capital consortium to carry out the project. ‘It’s fraud’ Yesterday, Oh accused Lim of committing fraud by offering to sell the Taman Manggis land to BN when he had already sold it to KLIDC. Oh produced a print copy from Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) to prove that KLIDC had mortgaged the land to obtain a loan worth RM11,494,176 from AmIslamic Bank Berhad on Nov 10, 2011. The CCM document, certified on Nov 21, 2011, revealed the mortgaged Taman Manggis lots were No 305, 306, 313 and 314 under Section 16 in Jalan Burmah, George Town. Oh also produced a copy of an official receipt from the state treasury department to Taman Manggis Fasa 2 Development Sdn Bhd on the earnest money that BN paid for the same land on Oct 3, 2012. Oh argued that the KLIDC could only mortgage and obtain full loan to purchase the land if the state government had either transferred the land title or issued "some kind of supporting documents" to guarantee the land transfer. Oh gave Lim 24 hours to give a public explanation and if he failed to do so, BN would seek legal action. Lim said that so long as no land title had been issued, it would be the state government’s prerogative to sell land by issuing the title. "This sale is a special case not by open tender, but directly granted to BN Penang by alienation," he said, adding that an open tender would require an agreement in accordance to standard conditions established. He said it involved a state government land without a land title. He said BN’s insistence on a sale and purchase agreement revealed not just its ignorance of land rules but also a deliberate act to cause the transaction to fail. "Then BN can pin the blame on the state government," claimed Lim, without explaining on the double sales of Taman Manggis land. |
| Obama campaign says it won Florida Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:18 PM PST
Obama in the end did not need the biggest swing state as he won enough states across the country to romp to a decisive electoral college victory in Tuesday’s election, but his team believes they triumphed in any case. “On behalf of Florida Democrats, I wish President Barack Obama congratulations on his re-election and on winning Florida’s 29 electoral college votes,” Florida Democrats chair Rod Smith said in a statement Thursday. In the 2000 presidential election, the close Florida race led to a weeks-long standoff that was eventually decided by the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of George W. Bush despite his losing the nationwide popular vote. Mitt Romney’s senior campaign adviser in Florida hinted earlier that the Republican presidential challenger lost the state, where the result has yet to be announced more than two days after the election. Electoral officials have said all vote returns must be completed no later than Saturday, but the statement from Romney’s campaign published in the Miami Herald suggested his team had already accepted defeat. “The numbers in Florida show this was winnable. We thought based on our polling and range of organization that we had done what we needed to win,” senior campaign adviser Brett Doster said in the statement. “Obviously, we didn’t, and for that I and every other operative in Florida has a sick feeling that we left something on the table,” he added. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said he was confident the president would be declared the victor. The campaign’s voter model continues to show that Obama “will hold that lead and end with 332 electoral votes,” Messina said. In the state-by-state electoral college system, 270 votes are needed for victory, and Obama already has 303, with Florida’s 29 still outstanding. Votes are still being counted in three of Florida’s 67 counties, said Chris Cate, a spokesman for the state government. “Counties are required to report their results to us by Saturday at noon,” he told AFP. In 2000 Democratic Vice President Al Gore, who won the US popular vote, lost the election to Bush, who triumphed under the electoral college system when a divided US Supreme Court stopped a ballot recount in Florida. Republicans control both houses in Florida’s state legislature and the governor’s mansion, but a growing Hispanic and more liberal population are pushing the electorate toward Obama’s Democrats. Florida Deputy Elections Supervisor Christina White blamed the vote count delay on an unusually long ballot and a high voter turnout. “It’s not that there were any problems or glitches. It’s about volume and paper left to be processed,” she said. But at least two Florida vote experts saw the chaos as the result of a bare-knuckled Republican attempt to suppress turnout. Lance deHaven-Smith, of Florida State University, said the count was running late because “an entrenched Republican political class is trying to fend off a rising tide of Democratic voting.” Republican state officials have been “intentionally under-supplying voting places and equipment” to create bottlenecks in traditionally Democratic strongholds, he said. Charles Zelden, a history and law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, said the southern state’s Republican legislature wanted to dampen the vote for partisan purposes. He pointed to a law signed last year by Governor Rick Scott reducing the number of early voting days from 14 to eight and eliminating early voting on the Sunday before election day. Democrats tend do better in early voting. “The blame,” Zelden said, “lies with the fact we allow the partisans to run our elections.” Voting in the United States is “controlled by the states, which are run by politicians with partisan objectives. Hence the problems,” he added. -AFP |
| Penduduk bimbang berlaku tanah runtuh Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:16 PM PST
Seminggu yang lalu media melaporkan berhubung keresahan hampir 10 keluarga di kawasan perumahan tersebut berikutan kejadian hakisan cerun bukit dan tebing runtuh berhampiran depan rumah mereka. Para penduduk percaya kejadian tersebut berpunca daripada projek persimpangan bertingkat (fly-over) Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban yang turut membabitkan kerja pengalihan laluan Sungai Paroi. Penduduk mendakwa alihan sungai tersebut yang berdekatan dengan tebing curam perumahan menyebabkan struktur tanah terhakis. Justeru itu JKR Negeri Sembilan telah melaksanakan kerja-kerja penstabilan cerun berkenaan dengan menggunakan kaedah jangka panjang iaitu 'Hybrid Anchor'. Kerja 'Hybrid Anchor' telah dimulakan dan dijangka siap dalam temph enam bulan iaitu pada April 2013. Sementara itu bagi tindakan jangka pendek semua 'plastic sheeting' yang telah rosak akan digantikan dan ditambah bilangan. Tinjauan FMT petang semalam mendapati kerja-kerja penstabilan sedang giat dijalankan dan mendapati ada di kalangan penduduk yang tetap melahirkan kebimbangan. Mohd Azri Zabadi, 30, berkata walaupun kerja penstabilan telah dimulakan tetapi tempoh enam bulan untuk menyiapkan sepenuhnya kerja penstabilan cerun ini tetap merisaukan beliau sekeluarga. "Saya puas hati kerana kerja penstabilan cerun telah dimulakan dengan segera. Tetapi apa yang saya bimbang ialah seandainya kejadian tanah runtuh berlaku dalam tempoh enam bulan sebelum kerja penstabilan ini sempat disiapkan, kerana tempoh enam bulan memang lama. "Sekarang pun hampir setiap hari hujan. Masuk bulan Disember (musim tengkujuh) saya percaya taburan atau kekerapan hujan akan bertambah. "Walaubagaimanapun saya belum nampak sebarang kerja penstabilan atau pemulihan pada bahagian tebing tanah yang jatuh berhampiran dengan Sungai Paroi. "Dua minggu lepas besi-besi penghadang di bawah tebing tanah ini tegak di tebing sungai. Namun kini banyak besi penghadang ini telah jatuh. Sebahagian tanah dari tebing ini juga telah jatuh ke bawah tebing sungai," kata Mohd Azri. Mohd Azri berpendapat aliran Sungai Paroi sepatutnya tidak diusik. "Jangan usik benda yang dah ada semulajadi. Bila dah diusik macam -macam boleh berlaku,” katanya. Hakisan tanah Sementara itu Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Paroi, Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani yang membawa isu ini ke pengetahuan FMT berkata beliau percaya masalah hakisan tanah cerun dan tebing ini adalah berpunca daripada perancangan yang tidak betul. "Sepatutnya apabila projek ini dimulakan pihak berkenaan sepatutnya mengambil kira faktor hujan lebat. Kalau projek ini dibuat dengan perancangan yang betul kenapa masalah hakisan tanah cerun ini berlaku? "Penduduk masih bimbang jika runtuhan tanah yang besar berlaku memandangkan hujan semakin berterusan. "Jawapan Pengarah JKR Negeri Sembilan tidak meyakinkan saya dari segi keselamatan rakyat setempat. Tempoh enam bulan bermaksud setengah tahun baru kerja penstabilan cerun siap. "Saya juga belum nampak sebarang kerja penstabilan dilakukan di tebing Sungai Paroi buat masa ini', kata Mohd Taufek. Mohd Taufek juga kesal kerana aliran sungai semula jadi diusik semata-mata kerana projek pembangunan yang boleh mengundang bahaya kepada penduduk perumahan berhampiran. |
| Pilihanraya kariah masjid satu usaha pendemokrasian Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:11 PM PST
“Langkah mereformasi institusi masjid ini dijalankan untuk meningkatkan tahap ketelusan. Ia juga selaras dengan perjuangan PAS ke arah urus tadbir kerajaan yang baik,” kata Timbalan Pesuruhjaya 1. Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa yang juga ahli Parlimen Parit Buntar. Beliau turut menambah bahawa usaha pendemokrasian ini akan membendung isu-isu seperti penyalahgunaan kuasa dan sebagainya. “Sebelum ini ketua bahagian Umno menyokong pencalonan masjid dan mereka terus mendapat jawatan tersebut,” kata Mujahid. Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas kenyataan Exco Hal Ehwal Agama, Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna Pulau Pinang, Datuk Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim. Malik dilaporkan mengumumkan bahawa pilihanraya jawatankuasa kariah masjid telah menerima perkenan Yang Di Pertuan Agung. 200 masjid Pilihanraya tersebut akan dijalankan dari 15 Januari hingga April tahun hadapan. Rancangan mengadakan pilihanraya ini dicadangkan pada tahun lalu tetapi mendapat tentangan terutamanya dari Umno. “Pilihanraya yang akan dijalankan membabitkan 200 masjid masjid akan melihat 15 ahli jawatankuasa mereka dipilih untuk tempoh 2 tahun,” kata Malik yang menambah bahawa penamaan calon berlangsung sejak bulan lalu hingga akhir tahun ini. Malik turut menjelaskan bahawa rancangan menundakan pilihan raya kariah ini pada tahun lepas ialah bertujuan untuk membenarkan Majlis Agama Islam Pulau Pinang membentuk jawatankuasa bebas untuk mengkaji perkara ini dan membentangkan hasil kajian untuk mendapat perkenan Agong. Mujahid memberitahu FMT: “Secara rasional, pemilihan yang telus ini mencerminkan kehendak ahli qariah dan majlis agama pula memainkan peranan sebagai pemantau sahaja. “Majlis agama akan meneliti nama – nama calon dari aspek undang – undang. Kalau tiada kes, mereka boleh bertanding. Beliau turut menambah kuasa MAIPP kekal kerana ia mempunyai kuasa mutlak dalam isu ini. |
| Bantuan kewangan pada golongan miskin kurang berkesan Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:49 PM PST
GEORGE TOWN: Wakil rakyat Barisan Nasional (BN) hari ini mempersoal langkah kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang memberi bantuan kewangan Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) kawasan Teluk Bahang Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya berkata pemberian bantuan kewangan secara berstruktur itu tidak dapat menyelesaikan masalah kemiskinan di Pulau Pinang, selain menggalakkan kebergantungan rakyat kepada kerajaan negeri. Beliau berkata kerajaan negeri seharusnya memberi lebih tumpuan kepada usaha mewujudkan program keusahawanan yang dilihat mampu meningkatkan pendapatan golongan miskin di negeri itu. “Mana pendekatan komprehensif kerajaan negeri untuk mengeluarkan golongan miskin daripada status mereka sekarang? Sepatutnya mereka ini diberi latihan dan kemahiran yang boleh menjana pendapatan. “Kaedah pemberian wang tidak akan menyelesaikan masalah kemiskinan sampai bila-bila dan ia hanya bersifat sementara saja,” katanya ketika mencelah ucapan penggulungan usul Belanjawan Negeri 2013 oleh Ketua Menteri Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Air Putih) pada persidangan DUN di sini hari ini. Sementara itu, Datuk Jasmin Mohamed (BN-Sungai Dua) mempertikai keberkesanan langkah yang diambil kerajaan negeri menghapuskan masalah kemiskinan di Pulau Pinang yang dilihat tidak berjaya. Beliau mempersoal peningkatan jumlah golongan miskin tegar di negeri itu sedangkan kerajaan negeri berkata sasaran untuk menghapuskan masalah miskin tegar berjaya dicapai pada tahun 2009. “Tahun sebelum ini kita diuar-uarkan kononnya kerajaan negeri melaksanakan pelbagai program menghapuskan miskin tegar di mana kira-kira 700 miskin akan diberi bantuan dan dikeluarkan daripada senarai. “Bagaimanapun, pada tahun ini didapati seramai 833 miskin tegar berdaftar, ada peningkatan jumlah miskin tegar di Pulau Pinang dan kerajaan negeri perlu memperjelaskannya,” katanya. - Bernama |
| PJS1 housebuyers deliver 135 letters to MPPJ Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:44 PM PST
The Block E residents action committee chairman, M Sugumaran, said this after submitting 135 letters of undertaking to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) today. Also present was Hindraf Selangor coordinator MS Mahindrah. The letters were received by MBPJ’s public relations officer Zainun Zakaria, in the presence of councillor Ghazali Shaari. In 2003, about 200 former squatter settlers were promised low-cost houses by developer Peter Brickworks Sdn Bhd in exchange for development on the land. Although the developer had built four buildings of low-cost housing for some of the settlers, it reneged on its promise to build the fifth block, citing a court order barring them from working on the land specified. Last year, the Selangor state government stepped in and promised to resolve their housing problems. Sugumaran said that the residents had received complaints from several MBPJ officers who claimed that there were another group championing their cause, causing confusion to many. "So we have prepared this letters of undertaking, signed by the housebuyers, to confirm that we are the only committee. We also got the Commissioner of Oaths, Karam Singh, to endorse this. "In case there are any other groups, so be it. As far as the majority [of the housebuyers] are concerned, they have endorsed us as the mediator to resolve the matter," he said, adding the residents want their homes to be built on PJS1 itself. Sugumaran also voiced his reservation on Selangor executive councillor Iskandar Abdul Samad’s letter on Sept 20, who indicated that the buyers must consult the developer on late delivery charges, or liquidated ascertained damages (LAD). He added that Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Samad had promised the buyers that the state government would resolve all matters involving the housebuyers, during a meeting in July this year. "Khalid had said that he will resolve our woes. So why do we need to go see the developer for compensation? The state needs to make the arrangements," said Sugumaran. With the general election looming, he said that the housebuyers were concerned that they will be left in the lurch if the matter is not resolved by then. "We have spent a lot of money to get what we were promised in 2003 but nothing has come forth. Even to prepare this letters, we spent nearly RM500," he said. Also read: Give us free houses, Block E buyers tell MB |
| Anti-Lynas group to appeal against TOL licence Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:38 PM PST
The Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) group will appeal the Kuantan High Court’s decision to lift the suspension of Lynas temporary operating licence (TOL). Yesterday, the Kuantan High Court lifted the suspension of the Lynas TOL, allowing Lynas to proceed with its operations. SMSL spokesman Tan Bun Teet said that they will appeal to try to get the licence suspended again. "If our government fails us, then we the rakyat will have to do something," he said in a statement. Tan said the group will work with its legal team to appeal to reinstate the TOL suspension as soon as possible and for as long as possible. "If Lynas thinks that we will simply give up, then it has completely underestimated how strongly we are opposed to its rare earth refinery project. We want a future for our children and their children. "We do not want them and the future generations to bear the burden of having to deal with the pollution problems," said Ismail Abu Bakar, vice-chairman of SMSL. "SMSL will fight until the end to stop Lynas," said Tan. Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh, who has spearheaded protests against Lynas for over two years, said the fight is far from over. "We have not exhausted the legal avenues. As such, within these two days, we will file papers to bring this case to the Appeal Court," she said. She also said that on Nov 13, Himpunan Hijau chairman, Wong Tack, will walk from Kuantan to Parliament with fellow anti-Lynas supporters. "This is to show to what extent the people [will go] to stop the project. The government has not been listening to the people. "Just a few days ago, a group of mothers from Kuantan sent a memorandum to the prime minister, but the prime minister has been very quiet about it. "Since Pahang is his home state, he should at least say something. Why isn't he doing anything?" she asked. |
| Environment NGO takes Tawau council to court Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:34 PM PST
Sepa president Wong Tack, who filed the application at the High Court here for a judicial review, named the Tawau Municipal Council president, federal Environment Department director, Land and Survey Department director and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) as its first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively. Wong is seeking for the SESB to stop all further construction activities linked to the completion and eventual operation of the Kubota power plant. He is also seeking an order of mandamus to remove all onsite structures, buildings and machinery belonging to SESB which were either used or will be used for the project. His application also seeks another order of mandamus for Tawau Muncipal Council president and SESB – be it in their own capacity or through their agent – from proceeding with any or further works on the power plant. He is also seeking an order of certiorari to quash the Tawau Municipal Council president’s decision or any permissions or land given to SESB to construct, build and operate the power plant Wong is also seeking another order of mandamus directing the federal Environment Department director to require SESB to prepare and complete an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and for the Land and Survey Department director to prvent SESB from continued breaching of Section 30 of the Land Acquisition Ordinance and a declaration that the construction and operation of Kubota power plant in Taman Millenium is illegal and unlawful. He is also seeking damages, statutory interest, costs and any relief deemed fit by the court. In his supporting affidavit, Wong claimed that the Kubota power plant project was illegal and did not follow proper procedure, adding that it should not be built in a residential area. He said the project would have adverse direct health effects on residents including pregnancy complications and premature deaths. It would also cause residents to suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular effects and affect the pulmonary development in children. In a press statement, Wong said the Tawau residents and Sepa were worried about their safety, value of their properties, and long-term effect of their health being exposed to burning diesel, sound and vibration. He cited the power plant’s two diesel tanks with millions of litres of diesel which were built close to the road reserve. “If an accident occurs, the residents of Taman Millenium would be in great danger. “Also, the power plant with two tall chimneys built dangerously close to our electrical transmission station, have the potential of attracting lightning strikes to the station and causing a total blackout to many areas in Tawau," he said. |
| Picasso sells for US$41.5 million Posted: 08 Nov 2012 09:14 PM PST  NEW YORK: An erotically charged Picasso oil painting of his mistress alongside tulips and fruit sold yesterday for US$41.5 million on an otherwise anemic night for high-end art in New York.“Nature morte aux tulipes,” painted in 1932, was the star of Sotheby’s Impressionist and modern art sale in Manhattan. The pre-sale estimate for the work had been between US$35 million and US$50 million. The painting depicts the head of Marie-Therese Walter, who was Picasso’s lover and famous muse, poised over a suggestive flower arrangement. Its sale was one of the few bright spots for Sotheby’s, with 30 percent of lots failing to sell and the total haul of the evening amounting to US$163 million — below the low end of the overall US$169-245 million estimate. This followed a similar performance at the Christie’s auction on Wednesday. Another of the Marie-Therese series offered by Sotheby’s, “Femme a la fenetre (Marie-Therese),” sold for US$17.2 million, inside the US$15-20 million estimate. Other successes included the US$12.1 million paid for “Champ de ble” by Claude Monet, well above the US$5-7 million estimate.
However, numerous works failed to find buyers, including Picasso’s “Plant de tomate,” estimated to sell for US$10-15 million, and the same artist’s “Femme a la robe verte,” which was listed at US$6-8 million. Cezanne’s “La femme a l’hermine,” which had been hoped to fetch between US$5 million and US$7 million, also flopped. On Wednesday, Christie’s in New York sold a Monet water lily painting for US$43.8 million and saw a painting by Wassily Kandinsky sell for an auction record of US$23 million. However, the auction overall was seen as relatively muted, with a third of works not selling. Next week, the rival auction houses hold their contemporary art sales.—AFP |
| PRS jittery over PBDS possible return? Posted: 08 Nov 2012 09:03 PM PST
In a SMS message to FMT following reports that former PBDS leaders had met up at a reunion dinner and the party’s status was discussed, Nisson asked: “What are these ex-PBDS members up to in reviving the party? "Is it a response to PRS's stance? Or is it going to contribute to Dayak solidarity?" Nissom said it is crucial that protem officials of PBDS Baru, which is pending registeration, explain their status. “Is it [PBDS Baru] going to contest PRS' claim of being the continuation of PBDS? "Or is it going to recover the Dayak majority seats that PRS cannot claim back due to the fact that PRS is a member of the Barisan Nasional? "How PBDS Baru chooses to answer these questions will determine whether the party can be said to be good or otherwise for Sarawak and Dayaks in particular," he said. PBDS was deregistered on Oct 21, 2004 when Masing, who was then PBDS publicity chief and Sng Chee Hua, then PBDS senior vice-president, were attempting to dislodge Daniel Tajem as PBDS president in the 2003 party triennial delegates' conference. Tajem's team mate was Joseph Salang. 100,000 members partyless The challenge created an unresolved leadership crisis which led to the party to be deregistered in October 2004. It was the same day Masing formed PRS. Masing is the PRS president. Of 148,000 members, some 40,000 are now with PRS and other parties including BN component parties. But more than 100,000 of them have remained partyless until today and their anger against Masing is just like the "embers of a fire". They have blamed Masing for the crisis. Masing, they said, chose to side with Sng instead of Salang. In the effort to get rid of Tajem, Masing cooperated with Sng to destroy PBDS and was blind to the real character of Sng. The Ibans likened Masing's association with Sng to "Kumang nupi sawa" (Kumang rearing a python) which in the end would devour him. (When they formed PRS, Sng, who was deputy president then, tried to get rid of Masing in May 2006. Sng's efforts almost landed PRS in big trouble including deregistration.) Meanwhile, responding to Nissom’s questions, Louis Jarau, protem president of PBDS Baru, said there is nothing for Nissom or PRS to be afraid of as their efforts to register PBDS Baru do not concern him or his party. "It is yet to be registered, so why are you so concerned with PBDS Baru?" he said, pointing out that PRS should be more concerned with the coming general election as Sarawak Workers Party is after them. Jarau said that the purpose of reviving the party was to continue with the struggle left unfinished with PBDS' deregistration. "We don't want to pick quarrel with anybody. Whosoever is partyless and shares our struggle can join our party once it is registered. "As a Dayak-based party, PBDS Baru will be the platform for the Dayaks to voice their concerns. This will be the difference between PBDS Baru and PRS which is a multi-racial," he said. He lamented that as of now no party, especially in BN, has expressed concern over the way the Dayaks are being treated. On the coming election, Jarau said: "We never think about it. Our priority is to get the party registered. "If it cannot be registered under this present government, we will wait for a new government that can be more sympathetic to our cause. "I am sure things will change after the general election," he added. Before its deregistration, PBDS was the second biggest party in the state BN at one time with 15 state assemblymen and nine MPs. |
| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 09:01 PM PST
Chelsea accused the referee of using an offensive racial term during the 3-2 defeat by Manchester United in October. A decision on whether any action will be taken is expected early next week. The FA is understood to have interviewed Clattenburg, his assistants and fourth official Michael Jones. The referee denies the allegations and neither assistants Michael McDonough and Simon Long or the fourth official are understood to have heard anything that supports Chelsea’s allegations. All four officials wear microphones and ear pieces that allow them to hear what each other is saying during the game. Clattenburg, 37, will not officiate a match this weekend for a second successive week. Chelsea said the complaint was made following a thorough investigation, which they claimed was led by outside legal counsel and used information from interviews with Blues players and staff. The Metropolitan Police also started an investigation into the allegations after receiving a complaint from a source outside the game. -Agencies |
| ‘Kata putus pilih calon ialah Najib’ Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:57 PM PST
Mereka tidak percaya Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak akan menyerahkan tanggungjawab tersebut kepada Alies. Bekas pemimpin Umno dari Wangsa Maju, Shahbudin Husin mendakwa dalam blognya, http://shahbudindotcom.blogspot.com/ Alies turut memantau calon yang akan dipilih bertanding kelak. Beliau juga mendakwa peranan dan pengaruh Alies dalam proses penentuan calon ini bukan lagi perkara rahsia dalam Umno dan ia semakin menjadi bualan di mana-mana sekarang ini. Bekas Setiausaha Umno Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik yang juga bekas Menteri Pelancongan turut dilantik dalam jawatankuasa yang diketuai Alies tersebut. Setiausaha Umno Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Syed Ali Alhasbhee berkata, kata putus mengenai pemilihan calon ialah pada Najib. Katanya, sesiapa sahaja boleh mencadangkan nama calon tetapi akhirnya Najib yang membuat keputusan. “Tak kan Najib sebodoh itu untuk menyerahkan pemilihan calon kepada orang itu,” katanya ketika dihubungi hari ini. Manakala Setiausaha Politik Najib, Datuk Mohd. Shafei Abdullah memberitahu, dakwaan tersebut tidak benar. Katanya, Najib tidak berbuat demikian kerana beliau yang memilih sendiri calon. |
| Pakatan to protest over stateless Indians Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:49 PM PST
"We are going to come with tents, food and provisions and will not move from the area until the government resolves the problem of Malaysian Indians being denied identification documents," said PKR vice-president N Surendran. "We expect thousands to turn up, including victims, activists, civil societies, and members of Pakatan Rakyat. Although we cannot say the exact figure, we are already starting the mobilisation." Surendran stressed that only Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should be blamed if the NRD's operations were paralysed on that day – something that he said would be likely to happen. "We don't want to do this, but our hand has been forced due to the government's deliberate policy to marginalise and deprive the 300,000 stateless Indians from earning a livelihood in this country," he said. "Considering Najib's vast resources, he would have little trouble in resolving the issue before Dec 5," he said, adding that should the matter be resolved before that date, the protest would be called off. "Pakatan Rakyat holds Najib and [Home Minister] Hishammuddin Hussein personally responsible for the suffering of Indians' due to lack of documentation." Surendran pointed out that Pakatan had pushed for the proper documentation of Indian Malaysians for over a year, but to no avail. "It is easy for the government to say 'we will register the Indians, it is a small problem and their number is only 10,000 to 20,000.' "But I say there shouldn't be even one person in this country without his or rightful identification documents," said Surendran. "We want resolution, and we think this is the only way to get a resolution," he said, adding that the protesters were willing to camp outside the NRD for days if the situation called for it. ‘Government is lying’
"This is a deliberate policy on the part of the government to marginalise and push out Indians from mainstream society," he said. He also claimed the government was lying about the number of stateless Indians in the country. “The number of stateless Indians in this country is about 300,000. We state very clearly the government is lying to us when they say the number is 10,000 to 20,000. "I challenge the government to deny all this based on the evidence I provide." One example Surendran gave was Logeswaran Sarathrajan, 10, who was present at the press conference. The little boy shyly told reporters over the microphone that it was his dream to attend school, but he was not allowed to do so as he did not have a birth certificate. This was despite the fact that, according to Article 14(1)(b) in the second schedule of the Federal Constitution, he is officially a citizen, said Surendran. The article states that "every person born within the Federation of whose parents one at least is at the time of the birth either a citizen or permanently resident in the Federation…" is a citizen by operation of law. "One would think that the government would be fully aware of the provisions in the Federal Constitution. Logeswaran is, by operation of law, automatically a citizen," said Surendran. "Basically the education department is in conspiracy with the NRD to deny this child his right to education. And he is only one among 300,000 who suffer the same plight." Also present at the press conference was Logeswaran's father, Sarathrajan Raman, who had been denied an IC even though he possessed a birth certificate. Meanwhile, PKR supreme council member Latheefa Koya said that PKR would file police reports over every single officer who denied a person of their reghtful identification documents. "This is to prove that the NRD's actions are systematic rather than one-off," she said. |
| Desperate measures to discredit Nurul Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:45 PM PST
Nor do I intend to engage those among you that have consigned body and soul to the cause of Pakatan Rakyat unconditionally – for even in Pakatan today there are those whose conduct and beliefs bring into question their ability to be open, accountable and responsible should they be given the responsibility of government. For those of you that vehemently insist that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, or any other religion is the only salvation of the human race, I bid you to leave us and not trouble us with your self-righteous indignations. I intend to speak to those among you that have clarity of purpose to listen, hear, understand and debate this vexed issue of "compulsion" – especially in relation to religion – vis-à-vis to what Nurul Izzah Anwar did or did not say in her recent comments at a public forum. In truth, it is really as much an issue of compulsion as it is of politics. More of politics. I am not going to refer to any quotes from the Quran, the Bible, the Torah, the Tripitakas, the Bhagavad Gita or any other holy books for I am not that scholarly a person. I have no emotional revulsion against any religion for we must all realise the good all religions have also done. Today we live in wondrous time. On Tuesday night, I read Obama's tweet: "This happened because of you. Thank you," proclaiming himself winner over Mitt Romney. A few minutes later I receive an e-mail from my cousin MK in Kuala Pilah updating me about his lunch with AJ, earlier at the new Chinese restaurant at the Lake Club in KL. I am sharing what happened on Tuesday night because what happened in the US and the news from Kuala Pilah reached me instantly at the click of my mouse. Now if you know this, then you will also know that what Nurul said or did not say in the name of religious freedom also reached me the same night. Desperate politicians Now we know that others have waded into this issue – each for his or her own personal gain and I do not intend to give them further gain by quoting what they have said. Suffice to remind you of what Andy Warhol said: "In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes." So let them look for their 15 minutes of fame elsewhere. What I want to try and do here is this: gaze into the abyss, into a Malaysia without Umno. It is as worrying to me as it is exhilarating. It fills me with apprehension at a future without Ketuanan Melayu and that "Bumiputera" safety net in business at work or play for us Malays and yet invigorating for my senses as I face a future that will demand much of the Malays – as much as it would demand of anyone else that calls Malaysia their home. Whoever wins or loses in this general election, there is no denying that we are on the verge of changing Malaysia for the better. We are no longer fighting hubris, our politicians are. And none more so than those desperate politicians from Umno-led Barisan Nasional. And how desperate are they? Let me tell you how desperate. They troll the ranks of Pakatan looking for who will be their nemesis. They seek here, there and everywhere for who in Pakatan could become the rallying point for that final surge needed to knock BN into that "lintang pukang, helter skelter" mode triggering Umno’s free- fall towards oblivion. Who will rally the rakyat into stampeding towards the opposition ranks? Who? We know Anwar Ibrahim is a constant. Everything you would expect a leader to have endured physically and mentally, Anwar has endured. He has been to hell and is now back with us. But Anwar, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang are yesterday’s people. Still relevant but age is a punishing master and sometimes politics asks for more than what the aged will give. So who will venture against Umno? Only one name emerges. One solitary name: Nurul Izzah. Future is Nurul Umno has now lined up the big guns against Nurul. JAIS, Ibrahim Ali, Nazri Aziz, Hishammuddin Hussein, Muhyiddin Yassin, Mahathir… did I forget anybody? Umno has already told us that Anwar is pro-Christian. Now Nurul is blasphemous towards Islam. To be honest, I do not know what it is that she has said, nor do I care to read the countless articles by all giving their spin on what she was supposed to have said against Islam. I have held my peace so far – one, because I did not want to wade through all that has been written so far for and against her on this matter, and two, I did not want to add my writings to the lot. I ask that each and every one of you go and read what you can read about what Nurul said or did not say. I have made up my mind about this matter and it is this. This will not go away. Like an old, hungry, desperate toothless crocodile that has seized a baby antelope for lunch, Umno, in all its wisdom, has decreed that this (Nurul) is its most dangerous opponent and so the attacks on Nurul will not stop. It won’t stop because Umno, like that old desperate, hungry and toothless crocodile, will not let go until and unless we shoot it dead so that Nurul can live. For Nurul, I would suggest that she move on. Do not give credence to those who seek to discredit, defame or cause you distress by hurling accusations that you support apostasy. We know you for what you are: a courageous daughter, a dutiful wife, the proud mother of two cuties and the defection-proof member of parliament for Lembah Pantai. And even if she does not say so, she is our future. CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat's ideologies. He is a FMT columnist. |
| Petronas removes ‘Do the Dappan’ ad Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:42 PM PST
In a statement, the national oil company said that its complementary series of television and print greetings, plus its Deepavalli exhibition at Galeri Petronas, will continue as planned. "It has always been Petronas' intention to help promote the common underlying values from our diverse heritage, tradition and cultures to bring multi-ethnic Malaysians together," read the statement. The advertisement on YouTube runs for over three minutes, and it shows a youth named Raj doing the Dappan Kuthu dance and getting unlikely people to join his dance routine. Petronas defines the Dappan Kuthu dance as an energetic dance routine which is prominent in Tamil cinema. However, the video received brickbats from Internet users, who claimed that the advertisement did not reflect the spirit of Deepavali. MIC secretary-general S Murugesan welcomed Petronas’ decision to heed public feedback on the matter. "I would also like to encourage Petronas to continue making effort in promoting Malaysia’s multi-cultural diversity. Just do thorough research before putting up anything," he said. Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAman) secretary-general S Bharatidasan also thanked Petronas for removing the advertisement out of respect to the Hindu community. "Just be more careful next time around," he said. Also read: 'Do the Dappan' not in Deepavali spirit |
| Invasion of the mind snatchers Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:38 PM PST
A son who is given free rein with the family car, might not return until he has run out of money or petrol, or both. A daughter given the go-ahead to go out partying, might not be seen for days. A house where the maid has unlimited time-off, might look messy. The same "runaway" factor holds true for the Malay intellect. Umno is aware that the Malay mind is receptive to new ideas and concepts, and if unfettered, could be uncontrollable. When a tiny seed is planted in the Malay mind and with the right conditions, is nurtured into a vigorous, healthy plant, then that person is capable of greatness and not mediocrity. With the Malay mind freed, all of Malaysia would benefit, and Umno become irrelevant. That is what Umno politicians fear most. Malays do not need Umno but Umno cannot exist without the Malays. The reality is that for the past 55 years, Umno has used the 4 "Rs" – race, royalty, religion and the rural divide – to control the Malay mind and manipulate the other races into doing its (Umno's) bidding. How many Malays have dared question the ethics of the New Economic Policy (NEP)? With benefits in housing, education and investment, Umno would not expect many Malays to complain. Both rich and poor Malays are entitled to the same benefits but would the average Malay moan about this disparity? Does it bother him that other Bumiputeras are not entitled to the same privileges? He also turns a blind eye when programmes to aid non-Malay Malaysians are neglected. Would anyone dare question the morality, finances and lifestyle of the VVIPs? Human rights activist Irene Fernandez, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, and former Perak menteri besar Nizar Jamaluddin, have faced trumped-up charges for sedition. Engineer Chan Hon Keong was jailed for one year and fined RM50,000. Quantity surveyor Ahmad Abd Jalil was made the latest example of the intolerance of criticism of VVIPs. When the people in the rural areas are deprived of knowledge and basic amenities, it is easy for the government to manipulate them. Pliable, desperate communities fall for the usual inducements like money, gifts and free meals. Force is used without hesitation when the people resist, such as the violent tactics used against the indigenous peoples of Sarawak who have been evicted from their lands. Last week, opposition MP Nurul Izzah Anwar entered a political minefield when she said that Malays should not be compelled to adopt a particular religion. She was quoting from the Quran, the verse in Surah al-Baqarah. Umno rebuked her for encouraging Muslims to be apostates. Despite what Article 11 of the Malaysian Constitution says, that every Malaysian has the right to practise his religion, Umno claims otherwise. Nurul was right So, if Malays are not allowed freedom of worship, then one should ask, "why not?" Are Malays not Malaysians too? If Malays are not allowed to exercise their full rights under the constitution, then they are just as victimised as the Chinese and Indians whom the Ketuanan Melayu call "pendatang". Some people claim that Nurul should not have allowed herself to be made an easy target by Umno and the Umno media. Even former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad accused her of being influenced by the west. As expected, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has made no comment, as is his wont whenever controversial topics arise. He, like other Umno Muslims, does not care one jot for the religion, he is just desperate to control the rakyat. A few Malaysians are so cowed by Umno that they have warned non-Muslims not to participate in the discussion, or even post feedback, because "these issues of religion should not concern us". Nurul was right to bring this issue up. Malaysia belongs to the rakyat, not Umno. All of you – both Malay and non-Malay, both Muslim and non-Muslim – have a say in this issue. If you refrain from making your feelings clear and if you do not make your opinions heard, Umno will get stronger. Your silence is what gives Umno confidence to trample all over you. Umno feeds off weak and insecure people. Sensitive issues must be aired and discussed rationally. Umno should not be allowed to use these issues to divide us, or for scare-mongering. When the Malay, ten-pin bowler rapist was freed because he had raped a young Malay girl, there was a public outcry. There were some Malays who had voiced their disgust, but they were not vocal in their defence of the Penan girls, whose rapes have been brushed under the carpet. Are Malay victims the only ones who matter? Do Malays only defend injustices perpetrated on Malays? If your faith is strong, why should you flounder like a frog which jumps from party to party? Religion is a private matter and your practice of that religion is your business; but the many Muslims who wear religion on their sleeves, have hearts which are devoid of the true meaning and spirit of Islam. They are hypocrites. Few people will remember "Bunny" Suffian, the English wife of the Lord President of the Judiciary, Mohamed Suffian Hashim, who won a Queen's scholarship to read law at Cambridge. Suffian had married Bunny in England. Bunny was a life-long Christian and she wanted to be cremated as a Christian. When she died in 1997, Suffian was prevented from granting her last wish, because before he could bring her body for the final service at the Cheras crematorium, religious officials snatched Bunny's body from the morgue, and rushed it for a Muslim burial in Kuala Kangsar. Suffian was crushed by the treachery of his brother, the Attorney-General at the time, and the three witnesses who allegedly lied that Bunny had converted to Islam. Suffian, the son of a kadi, placed more importance on the teachings and spirit of Islam rather than its rituals. He once referred to Mahathir as "Papa Doc", and accused Mahathir of destroying our once well-regarded judiciary and for taking away its independence. The journalist MGG Pillai wrote that Suffian was disappointed that "what took generations to build could be destroyed in a day and would take years to rebuild". Umno's version of Islam, as it is practised in this country, is abominable. Corruption, injustice and hypocrisy are accepted. Umno needs to control the Muslim mind and if Umno loses that control, it has lost everything. Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist. |
| Orient-Express rejects Tata bid, again Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:38 PM PST
Bermuda-based Orient had earlier fought off an offer for a takeover by Tata in 2007, in a high-profile skirmish. In a letter addressed to Indian Hotels, details of which were posted on Orient-Express’s website on Friday, its chairman J. Robert Lovejoy said that “the proposal significantly undervalued Orient-Express and its future prospects”. “Now would be a highly disadvantageous time to sell the company. We have unanimously determined that it is not in the best interests of Orient-Express and its shareholders to pursue your proposal,” Lovejoy said in the letter written to Indian Hotel’s vice-chairman R.K. Krishna Kumar. A Tata official was not immediately available for comment. Orient-Express said it was “well positioned to deliver substantial value to its shareholders in 2013 and the coming years” adding that “it has a bright future as an independent company”. Orient-Express, which is based in Hamilton, Bermuda, owns or part-owns 49 properties including 40 deluxe hotels and also offers high-end train and cruise travel, according to its website. Indian Hotels, which owns the iconic seafront Taj Mahal Palace in the financial hub Mumbai that was targeted by Islamist extremists in a 2008 attack in which 166 people died, said it had already acquired a 6.9-percent stake in Orient-Express. While placing the $12.63-per-share unsolicited bid last month, Indian Hotels said it wished to buy the remaining 93.1 percent in an all-cash offer. Indian Hotels said that combining with Orient-Express would be “strategically compelling opportunity” for both companies and for shareholders. -AFP |
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