FMT News |  |
- Chief monk survives ouster attempt
- A vote for Pakatan is a vote for uncertainty
- Napoleon’s vow to blow up Kremlin
- Wonder cancels show at Israel Defense Forces fundraiser
- Underwood to star ‘Sound of Music’
- Lewis not on drugs at time of death
- More than 100 graves robbed in Benin
- Post-GE violence: Cops keep eyes on S’gor
- Seven missing after Japan tunnel collapse starts fire
- Extra fruit may not ward off daily hunger
- Grand Canyon may be as old as dinosaurs
- Top 10 Christmas lights displays
- Deepak: I will not be silenced
- Waythamoorthy: State should help Gatco settlers
- Benitez admits Chelsea malaise runs deep
- Celtic target European glory after part-time shock
- Villas-Boas defends Bale after fresh diving row
- Fergie demands end to United rescue acts
- Wenger calls for unity after Arsenal fans revolt
- City need killer instinct, says Mancini
- United pull away as crisis hits Chelsea, Arsenal
- Barcelona make record start, Real win derby
- Juve beat 10-man Torino to claim 60th derby win
- Hamas complains to Egypt after Israeli army kills Gazan
- Mursi calls Dec 15 referendum, Islamists rally
- Mexico’s Pena Nieto takes power vowing to end violence
- North Korea plans second rocket launch in December
- Syrian rebels bombed, opposition open to peacekeepers
- ‘Al Qaeda-linked’ Yemeni among four Pakistan drone strike dead
- Russian inmate’s beating puts spotlight on police brutality
- Iran’s Ahmadinejad gives new job to aide seen as possible heir
- Congo rebels quit Goma, saying it’s ‘for peace’
| Chief monk survives ouster attempt Posted: 02 Dec 2012 05:29 AM PST
The disgruntled members had called for the EGM to pass resolutions to remove Ven. K Sri Dhammaratana from being the chief monk of the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple in Brickfields, and to ask him to leave the temple premises within seven days. The Sasana Abhiwurdi Wardhana Society manages the temple and had obtained a court order to hold the EGM today. The three-hour meeting however ended with a dramatic twist as 76 of the temple management committee members voted against proceeding with the meeting to discuss the resolutions, with only eight voting in favour. Dhammaratana has come under fire for wearing a suit – and not his robe – when attending the conferment ceremony of his Datukship title in 2010. Buddhists have the general belief that a monk should never don the layman's attire unless he resumes a secular life. Some members of temple management committees also claimed that Dhammaratana have "misbehaved" in several circumstances and thus should be removed. As the committee's constitution does not allow discussions of chief monk's removal in its annual assembly, the disgruntled members obtained the court order in October to conduct the EGM. "Should the chief monk continue to stay, the other monks residing in the temple must think it is okay to behave inappropriately in public," they noted in the statement for the resolutions. However, other members of the society who supported the chief monk said the group was merely finding faults to remove Dhammaratana who was installed in 2006. Speaking to reporters after EGM today, the temple management committee president LJ Tilak said the committee decided that it was best for them to hold a dialogue instead of voting for the resolutions to remove the chief monk. He claimed that some members of disgruntled group have changed their mind to support the monk at the eleventh hour. Meanwhile, Dhammaratana praised the members for using the Buddha teaching to act wisely in the meeting. He urged everyone to work together after this instead of criticising each other.      |
| A vote for Pakatan is a vote for uncertainty Posted: 02 Dec 2012 12:45 AM PST
He said this was because the BN government had varied experience in administering the country since 55 years ago compared to the opposition pact which had no basic understanding in charting a good direction for the country. Najib said the BN government was sincere in helping all citizens and that after four years (since the last general election), its success was proven with the country recording an economic growth of 5.2 per cent, increased investments from domestic and foreign investors and more than 300,000 job opportunities created. “The future cannot be gambled away. A vote for the opposition is a vote for uncertain future. But a vote for BN is for a better, secure and prosperous future,” he said in his speech when opening the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) 59th Annual General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre, here, today. Also present were former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PPP president M Kayveas, its senior vice-president and Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Maglin Dennis D’Cruz, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Dewan Negara president Abu Zahar Ujang. BN experienced, Pakatan weak “People will continue to support BN as the government for the people since the past 55 years. People want a government with experience. “When they go to see a doctor, they will never go to a new doctor. They will find a senior doctor because he knows better through experience. “So for the next general election, there shouldn't be a problem for BN,” he told reporters during the PPP AGM. He also said Malaysia could face the same ‘fate’ like a few troubled countries in the world which handed over their government to the wrong people and this situation should not happen here. PPP president Kayveas meanwhile said parties that form the opposition pact are too weak to pose any threat to BN because they (opposition) would not be able to win over the people like what the BN has been able to do. “They (opposition) are walking on a vulnerable bridge. DAP at one time were PAS’ biggest ‘enemy’ but now they (DAP) can afford to sleep together in the same pillow although DAP is rooting for a secular country while PAS is determined to establish an Islamic state and enforce the hudud law. “PKR on the other hand have become the middleman to ensure PAS and DAP will not end up in a ‘divorce’. This so called ‘marriage’ between PAS and DAP is just to capture Putrajaya,” he said. Bernama    |
| Napoleon’s vow to blow up Kremlin Posted: 01 Dec 2012 11:56 PM PST
Written in code and dated October 20, 1812, the spidery missive reads as a series of figures, signed hastily from “Nap”. The original transcript, translated by secret services for foreign minister Hugues-Bernard Maret in Vilnius, also goes on sale, with its first fateful sentence: “I’m going to blow up the Kremlin on October 22, at 3 o’clock in the morning.” The letter is part of a collection of over 400 Napoleonic artifacts to be sold off by auction house Osenat on December 2, where it is expected to fetch between 10,000 and 15,000 euros (US$13,000-US$19,500). “It’s magical, we’ve actually got a piece of history in our hands… I wouldn’t miss this for an Empire,” said Jean-Pierre Osenat, head of the auction house. The letter was written at a difficult time for Napoleon, towards the end of his 1812 Russian campaign in which more than 300,000 French soldiers died. The battle outside Moscow in September is considered among the bloodiest day of action in the Napoleonic Wars, with at least 70,000 casualties. When Napoleon finally entered Moscow, he found the Russian Tsar had already evacuated and the city was in tatters. It was then he began the disastrous Great Retreat from Moscow, ordering the Duke of Treviso to destroy the Kremlin as he went. Several of the building’s towers were wrecked along with sections of its wall. The site was restored in subsequent years. “My cavalry is in tatters, a lot of horses are dying. Make sure we buy more as soon as possible,” Napoleon wrote to Maret, giving an insight into the horrors of the campaign. Given its explosive content and the fact that so few such letters survive, Osenat expects the letter to generate a great deal of interest. Whilst many Russian collectors still celebrate Napoleon’s legendary military prowess, they find it hard to forgive what they see as an act of vandalism. But he considers it possible that a Russian buyer may snap it up if a French collector or museum does not get there first. Two hundred years later, the historic piece of paper could end up headed back to where it came from.—Reuters    |
| Wonder cancels show at Israel Defense Forces fundraiser Posted: 01 Dec 2012 11:38 PM PST
The soul singer, 62, was scheduled to sing at a Dec 6 fundraising gala in Los Angeles hosted by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), an organization set up to help those serving in the Israel Defense Forces and families of fallen soldiers. “Given the current and very delicate situation in the Middle East, and with a heart that has always cried out for world unity, I will not be performing at the FIDF Gala,” Wonder said in a statement sent to Reuters by his spokeswoman. Wonder said he would make contributions to organizations that support Israeli and Palestinian children with disabilities. The singer added that as a Messenger of Peace, a title he’s held since 2009, “I am and have always been against war, any war, anywhere.” According to a statement from the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a coalition that aims to change US policy toward Palestine and Israel and support human rights and equality, Wonder’s decision came after a “growing outcry” from several organizations and three international signed petitions. The protest is part of a “cultural boycott” led by organizations that oppose Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, the statement said.—Reuters    |
| Underwood to star ‘Sound of Music’ Posted: 01 Dec 2012 11:29 PM PST LOS ANGELES: Country singer Carrie Underwood will perform “My Favorite Things” and other tunes from the musical “The Sound of Music” when she portrays Maria von Trapp in a live broadcast of the perennial favorite, NBC television said on Friday. In a production to be aired late next year, the five-time Grammy winner will star as the rebellious would-be nun who married Austrian Naval commander Georg von Trapp and fled the Nazis with him and his children. NBC did not say where the musical would be staged.
The musical was inspired by the 1956 German film “The Trapp Family” and its 1958 sequel, “The Trapp Family in America.” “Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn’t be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “She was an iconic woman who will now be played by an iconic artist.” The musical’s famous songs include “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.” The productions were based on Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers,” which recounts the family’s performing years, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria and their immigration to the United States. Maria died in 1987. NBC’s broadcast will be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the network’s musical drama “Smash.” Underwood rose to fame after winning Fox network’s musical talent contest “American Idol” in 2005. She made her film debut in 2011′s “Soul Surfer.” Some 15 million of her albums have been sold and her 2005 debut, “Some Hearts”, was voted the top country album of the past decade by Billboard.    |
| Lewis not on drugs at time of death Posted: 01 Dec 2012 11:09 PM PST
A toxicology examination detected no amounts of cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogenic drugs or prescription medications, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said in a report. Lewis, 28, was found dead in the driveway of a home he had been renting in Los Angeles and his 81-year-old landlady was found dead inside. Investigators initially suspected Lewis was under the influence of drugs or alcohol because he had spent time in rehab and had a criminal drug past. The actor had been released from jail five days prior to his death. Authorities ruled Lewis’ death an accident from partial strangulation and head trauma after the actor fell 15 feet from an elevated terrace onto a paved driveway. “We do not have definitive evidence that (Lewis) intended to kill himself,” Los Angeles County medical examiner James K Ribe wrote in the autopsy report. “We also do not at this time have any evidence that he was pushed.” Detectives believe Lewis may have killed his landlady, Catherine Davis, but said the motive was unknown. Lewis had pleaded guilty in August to assault with a deadly weapon. He also pleaded no contest to an attempted burglary in a separate case. He was sentenced to jail in both cases. Lewis played Kip “Half Sack” Epps, an Iraq War veteran, in the first two seasons of FX television drama “Sons of Anarchy” about an outlaw motorcycle club. The Los Angeles-born actor previously had recurring roles in the TV shows “Boston Public” and “The O.C.”—Reuters    |
| More than 100 graves robbed in Benin Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:57 PM PST
The incident is the most serious case of grave-robbing in the West African state, the world capital of voodoo where most of the country’s 9 million residents practice a benign form of the official religion. Authorities in Dangbo, a village 10 km from the capital Porto-Novo, began an investigation after a mason working at the cemetery said he spotted several masked men digging up the graves, from which organs and skulls were removed. “The desecration of graves is about money in this region,” said Joseph Afaton, director of the cemetery. “It is for sacrifices, or for bewitching.” Body parts of humans and rare animals are prized by some people in central Africa for their supposed supernatural powers, and are used in occult ceremonies. Traffickers often obtain human remains from grave robbers, but a recent spate of killings has also been linked to the gruesome trade. Authorities in Cameroon in September arrested five people suspected of trafficking human body parts after they were discovered at a checkpoint carrying a severed human head.—Reuters    |
| Post-GE violence: Cops keep eyes on S’gor Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:17 PM PST
The exercise saw the police enacting mock violent scenes and on how to combat them in the event things turn ugly after the polls. On hand to witness the exercise in person was the National Internal Security and Public Order chief Salleh Mat Rashid who was in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Oriental Daily today reported that some of the police personnel had acted as supporters from two opposing political camps, and a group of them who were upset with the election results confronted the other by using arms, throwing bottles and burning vehicles. Provocations between two rival groups lasted for 10 minutes before a contingent of LFS arrived at the scene to separate them.
The FRU was then deployed to disperse the rioters and Selangor police chief cited Section 31 of the Police Act to impose curfew, ending the exercise. At a press conference later, Salleh told Oriental Daily that Selangor was given prominence because it was picked by all state police chiefs as "the most sensitive area". He added that the exercise was meant to allow the police and the public to understand the authorities' actions if a public disorder occurred after the GE.    |
| Seven missing after Japan tunnel collapse starts fire Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:00 PM PST
Network television footage showed black smoke billowing from the 4.7 km tunnel in Yamanashi prefecture, about 80 km west of Tokyo on the main road connecting the capital to western Japan. Seven people were believed to be missing and two were injured, the fire service said. At least two cars were thought to be trapped. Motorists described narrow escapes from falling debris, and a long walk through the darkness after abandoning their cars. “When I was driving in the tunnel, concrete pieces fell down suddenly from the ceiling,” a man in his 30s told public broadcaster NHK. “I saw a crushed car catching fire. I was frightened, left my car and walked for about an hour to get out of the tunnel.” The fire service said the blaze was extinguished about 11 a.m. – some three hours after the accident occurred. Rescue work was then suspended for fear of further collapses. It was the worst such accident in Japan since 1996, when a tunnel collapsed and falling rocks crushed cars and a bus, killing 20 people. NHK reporter Yoshio Goto, caught in Sunday’s accident, hit the accelerator and managed to drive out. “But it was a bit too late and pieces of ceiling fell on my car. I kept pressing the pedal and managed to get out,” he said. “Then when I looked around, I saw half of the car ceiling was crushed.” One injured woman in her twenties told the fire service she had no idea what had happened to five others passengers from the car in which she was travelling. - Reuters    |
| Extra fruit may not ward off daily hunger Posted: 01 Dec 2012 09:35 PM PST
Eating apples and grapes before lunch helped people feel fuller and eat slightly less than when they drank an equivalent amount of fruit juice as an appetizer in the experiment. However, putting volunteers on a fruit- and vegetable-heavy diet for months made no long-term difference in their assessments of their own hunger and fullness, researchers found. Some doctors have hoped that encouraging people to eat greater volumes of fruits and veggies, which are less “energy-dense” than burgers and pizza, might help them feel full for longer and prevent overeating and weight gain. But the new study suggests loading up on more carrots, broccoli and oranges every day won’t ward off hunger over the long run. And having fruit in beverage form simply added calories to the day’s tally without displacing any. The findings follow results from the same trial showing 34 participants – some overweight or obese, some a healthy weight – gained between 3.5 and 5 pounds when they were given eight weeks of fruit juice to incorporate into their diet. Heavier participants, in particular, also gained weight when they received extra fresh fruit and vegetables. “If you tell people to add anything to their diet, you’re going to potentially have no weight loss, or weight gain, even with fruits and vegetables,” said Barbara Rolls, chair of nutritional sciences at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park. “You need to be careful to make sure that you emphasize substitution, not just, 'Eat more of this or that,’” Rolls, who was not involved in the new research, told Reuters Health. That’s especially true for beverages, she said, since the body regulates hunger and thirst differently – and people often don’t think to eat less to make up for juice or other calorie-filled beverages. Richard Mattes from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and his colleagues found that when they fed volunteers a regular lunch of all-you-can-eat macaroni and cheese, they ate an average of 785 or 821 calories of it, depending on the day. When the same participants started a meal with fresh and dried fruit, then went on to the main course, they ended up eating 678 calories of lunch, the fruit course included. When they started with fruit juice instead, the volunteers took in a total of 891 calories. People ate about 400 more calories, on average, during the test day when they started lunch with juice, compared to when they started with solid fruit, according to the findings published in the International Journal of Obesity. But those results in favor of fresh and dried fruit did not hold up over the longer-term, Mattes and his team found. When the researchers provided the volunteers with 400 to 550 calories of either fruits and vegetables or fruit juice each day for eight weeks, there was no change in how they rated their hunger or fullness at regular intervals during each test period. That means simply adding fruits and veggies to meet nutritional guidelines may not be enough to help people stay full and lose weight – and may actually make it harder for them to shed extra pounds, researchers said. Mattes and his colleagues advised “careful implementation of recommendations” through counseling or other nutrition programs to make sure people taking steps to improve their diet don’t end up accidentally putting on more weight.—Reuters    |
| Grand Canyon may be as old as dinosaurs Posted: 01 Dec 2012 09:28 PM PST
Instead of being shaped by the Colorado River 5 or 6 million years ago, a new analysis of the minerals in the 150 km gorge suggests it was formed by a much older river likely frequented by the dinosaurs that roamed North America some 70 million years ago. The research, published in the journal Science, adds a new component to 150 years of wrangling over the exact age of the mile-deep canyon in Arizona, according to University of Colorado Assistant Professor Rebecca Flowers. A new method of measuring radioactive decay from minerals in the soil suggests the gorge is 70 million years old, Flowers, who worked with Professor Kenneth Farley of the California Institute of Technology one of the project, said in a telephone interview. The team examined soil samples from both the western and eastern parts of the canyon, and their findings confirmed a similar study published last year based on a study of just one side of the canyon. It suggests that the canyon would have been carved by a river that existed before dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago and before the existence of the modern Colorado River system, a 2,333 km long body of water that flows from Colorado to Mexico. “At that time, the topography of the landscape in the Western US looked very, very different than today,” she said. In fact, the elevation of the land in the West was higher and that ancient river would have flowed in the opposite direction of the Colorado River, she said.—Reuters    |
| Top 10 Christmas lights displays Posted: 01 Dec 2012 09:08 PM PST
1. Singapore In recent years, the magic of Christmas lights has spread even further afield to countries throughout Asia. Every evening from Nov 20 to January 2, Orchard Road and Marina Bay in Singapore are lit up in full-on seasonal splendor with its Christmas in the Tropics light display. Singapore’s famous shopping district celebrates with twinkling street lights, dressed-up shop windows, concerts, musicals and exhibitions.
In Toronto, the annual Cavalcade of Lights marks the official start of the holiday season with music, skating, dancing and a whole heap of Christmas lights. Now in its 46th year, the Cavalcade was created in 1967 to showcase Toronto’s newly constructed City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. The festive usually falls on the final weekend of November when the Square and a giant Christmas tree are illuminated by more than 300,000 energy-efficient LED lights that shine from dusk until 11pm, November 17 to January 1. 3. Paris, France
4. Medellin, Colombia Christmas in Medellin, Colombia, is a time of families coming together to celebrate and enjoy the simple pleasure of looking at amazing decorations. In December, the city’s thoroughfares, roads and parks are covered in thousands of fairy lights, with the most impressive displays found in Avenue la Playa and the Medellín River. Every year thousands flock to the Medellin River to gaze at the million dollar displays, sample delicious food and enjoy street performances.
Seasonal illuminations around Christmas time have become a popular attraction in cities across Japan and none is more beautiful than the Kobe Luminarie. After the Kobe earthquake of 1995, Italy donated thousands of hand-painted bulbs to the city and these were transformed into an intricate, gothic-style luminarie designed by Valerio Festi and Hirokazu Imaoka. The tradition continues, and every year from December 1-12, around four million locals and tourists alike come to celebrate Japan’s enduring resilience near Higashi-Yuenchi Park. 6. Baltimore, Maryland For 11 months out of the year, 34th Street in Baltimore is like any other street in North America, but in the month of December something truly magical takes place. Now in its 62nd year, the “Christmas Street” light display sees thousands of visitors descend on this unassuming neighborhood to view some of the most fantastic, and quirky, lights in North America. Each house on the block is decorated in the owner’s unique style and some homes include toy trains on rooftops and hubcap Christmas trees.
For the Christmas season, Lithuania’s capital city Vilnius gets covered in colorful garlands of electric lights and the country’s largest 'Christmas tree’ (the Vilnius television tower under a vale of lights) is lit up. In the Old Town Christmas Markets, taste festive treats and mulled wine;, and then see if you can spot Santa or listen to carols in one of the city’s many churches. For a dazzling performance like no other, check out the popular Magic Christmas display. This state of the production sees the city’s cathedral transformed into a colorful storyboard with a “4D” projection of light, sound, and even scent. 8. Vienna, Austria If experiencing a traditional European Christmas is on your list, it doesn’t get more perfect than celebrating Weihnachten in Vienna, Austria. From mid-November 10 of Vienna’s city squares are transformed into beautiful Christmas Markets decorated with bushy trees and strings of twinkling fairy lights hanging from every available surface. Top this off with stalls selling crafts, gifts, local produce, season foods and festive drinks and you’ve got enough Christmas spirit to cheer even the biggest Grinch. 9. Berlin, Germany Germany is the home of Christmas Lights so it’s no wonder the country’s capital really shines during the holiday season. When the sun goes down on Berlin, the city’s historic buildings, streets and every available tree branch is lit up with colorful projections and row upon row of fairy lights. Berlin’s illuminations are such a draw that visitors with a passion for photography can sign up for special guided tours of the lights. Within the city squares and boulevards nearly 60 different Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Markets) provide even more glistening sights along with all the shopping, food and Glühwein (mulled wine) you’d expect from a Christmas market. You’ll find some of the best illuminations at the 368m Fernsehtur (TV Tower), Alexanderplatz Market, Opera Palace, National Opera and the famous Brandenburg Gate and Charlottenburg Palace. 10. Disney, Los Angeles, California USA The happiest place on earth gets even merrier over the holiday season as Disneyland is transformed into an extravagant winter wonderland right in the heart of California. Classic rides such as It’s A Small World and the Haunted Mansion are given luminous festive makeovers, while Main Street is decked out in the all the best Christmas trimmings. Heralded by trumpeting toy soldiers, prancing reindeer, joyful gingerbread men and skating snowflakes, the Main Street Christmas Fantasy Parade sees all of Disney’s most popular characters dressed up in their holiday best. The centerpiece of this magical display sees Sleeping Beauty’s Castle covered with snow-capped turrets, shimmering icicles and twinkling lights. Finally, everything is topped off by a dazzling pyrotechnics and fireworks spectacular.—Reuters    |
| Deepak: I will not be silenced Posted: 01 Dec 2012 08:53 PM PST
Late Friday night, Deepak said he received a call by a “senior Umno supreme council member” asking him to meet at the Grand Dorsett Hotel in Subang. The man, who he refused to name, seemed aggressive, Deepak claimed. Deepak said that he subsequently agreed to meet the person, but brought along some extra protection for his safety. The meeting was also attended by a few pro-government bloggers, and Deepak said he was told not to make any more noise, at least until the end of the Umno AGM which was yesterday. “They told me that I am under surveillance…I was given a caution because yesterday was their closing ceremony. They practically warned me not to have a press conference until they finish their convention,” he told FMT. “I told them you cannot stop me from having press conferences… even if I have to go to the Istana Negara, I would do it. If they really force me… I would go in front of the palace and petition the King lah," he said. However, Deepak said he agreed to “give due respect” and cancelled all his media interviews he had lined up for Saturday. He added that he originally thought he would be in danger but when he met the Umno man, “they were very civil”. When asked to reveal the names of the individuals he met, Deepak said:”Oh, then I’ll be in serious trouble. Then it would be messy.” But he added:”I’m not afraid. If I am afraid I wouldn’t have come this far. I’m not under any political umbrella or anything.” Asked if he was offered anything for his cooperation, Deepak said:” They offered me nothing. This is not something I would negotiate.” He said that he would be giving more press conferences to explain things in full soon. Fall-out with Najib's family Balasubramaniam's first SD had linked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the murder, while the second SD claimed otherwise. Balasubramaniam subsequently went missing. In the interviews, Deepak said that he got involved as a favour to a "female friend". Deepak also spoke about a land dispute case, involving him, a Selangor Umno leader and the Defence Ministry, which Najib had then helmed. Deepak has accused Najib of receiving "contributions" from him for the former's intervention in the land deal but was upset that the premier now refused to aid him in resolving the dispute. He also talked about a fall-out with Najib's family after his involvement in the Altantuya matter. Subsequently, Deepak also claimed to have been forced out of 26 companies that he was a director in. He said that he was also harassed by government agencies and had several government-linked contracts cancelled. Yesterday, Deepak cryptically alluded to a BN defeat in the next general election, suggesting that Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor was the weak link. Deepak had previously referred to Rosmah as an “older sister”. Also read:    |
| Waythamoorthy: State should help Gatco settlers Posted: 01 Dec 2012 08:38 PM PST
"Seeing things going the way they were going, Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan could easily have invoked provisions in the Land Acquisition Act and bought the land off the Lotus Group and returned it to the settlers. "Instead, the state government turns up intervening, for the rich and powerful Lotus group of companies and has become a party to all this terror unleashed upon its people," said Waythamoorthy. He urged for the state government to immediately reverse their decisions and to start the process of helping these settlers regain their lands. The settlers' representative C John meanwhile declared that "we have had six elections so far where the contesting BN representative would promise us a solution to our land problems each time, but nothing has happened. "If nothing happens to finally solve our problems before the coming elections, we plan to campaign around the state which has over 14 percent Indian voters and work to throw this government out, once and for all. Who needs a government that does not take care of its people?" he said. On Nov 29, Rela members were brought into the Gatco estate along with heavy machinery to uproot the rubber trees on the land in dispute, a 4,000-acre land disputed between Syarikat Thamarai (Lotus Group) and the settlers. There were some scuffling between Rela members and the settlers that went on for two hours. The Rela members were armed with thick batons and went after screaming women and beat male settlers who put up a fight with them. The 400 settlers had purchased the land in the late 1970s in a land resettlement scheme administered by Gatco corporation. In 1987, the settlers obtained a High Court declaration, after not being satisfied with Gatco for not giving them their land titles. In 1998 Gatco went bankrupt as a corporation. In 2004 the land was put up for auction. The settlers put up the necessary "Earnest Deposit" money of RM 320,000 for the auction. However they were not allowed to participate in the auction and the land was then auctioned to the Lotus Group of companies for RM16 million.    |
| Benitez admits Chelsea malaise runs deep Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:20 PM PST  LONDON: Rafael Benitez concedes that the task of reviving Chelsea could turn out to be a bigger challenge than he had envisaged in the wake of his side’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham United.After little more than a week in charge, Benitez has overseen two scoreless draws and an unexpected reverse that has left the club’s Premier League title ambitions severely dented. That run has done nothing to get those supporters disgruntled by the dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo and opposed to the appointment of Benitez onside, and the reaction of the visiting fans at Upton Park confirmed the strength of feeling against the new manager. Benitez’s focus now shifts towards Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Nordsjaelland, a game Chelsea must win if they are to have any chance of progressing to the knock-out stages of a competition they won last season. To have any chance of securing victory against the Danish side, the interim manager must lift the spirits of a team that capitulated alarmingly against West Ham on Saturday after establishing a first-half lead. Asked if he considered the job more challenging than he expected when he accepted the offer to replace Di Matteo until the end of the season, he said: “Could be. It’s a top side in the middle of the season, and things aren’t the best. We’ll try to improve things, but it will take some time.” The difficult start has inevitably raised questions about Benitez’s future, even after such a short time in charge. But he said: “My concern is improving the team. If we do that, and start winning games, we’ll be able to turn things around. The main thing for me is to improve the team. I’m not thinking about anything else.” And he insists he has the support of the players. “After one week, I’m 100 percent sure they want to improve and want to win,” he said. Juan Mata put Chelsea ahead in the 13th minute but Benitez’s side failed to build on that lead despite dominating the rest of the first half. West Ham were transformed after the break, clinching victory through goals from Carlton Cole, Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga, and sparking an angry reaction from Chelsea’s fans. Benitez said: “We have to improve on the pitch and the fans will be happy. “We need to win. Simple. In the first half we deserved to score more goals. Second half we had one or two chances, but we didn’t do enough. It’s about working still.” West Ham manager Sam Allardyce agreed Benitez needs to start winning games to win over the fans, but believes that he has no chance of success if he cannot get their backing. “You can’t do it, no, if the fans are not behind you,” said Allardyce. “The only way you get the fans behind you is win. You have to win. It’s all you can do. If you’re winning games of football, the fans will always be behind you.” Asked if he had sympathy for his opposite number, the West Ham manager added: “We don’t have sympathy for each other, do we? We compete against each other, we toil against each other, play mind games against each other. “In the end, we came out on top.” West Ham’s victory came after Andy Carroll, the on-loan Liverpool striker, was ruled out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury. “It (the news of Carroll’s injury) is sweetened by Carlton Cole’s performance,” said Allardyce. “And Maiga scoring, too, because we need him now more than ever to adjust to the Premier League. We’re back in the top half again, which shows how good and determined we are. “It’s a lateral ligament injury (for Carroll). He’s in a brace. He stays with us, yes. We’ve contacted Liverpool. “They have all the information. They sent a medical representative down when he visited the specialist, who is the same one we use, and there’s a diagnosis for what he has to do. Hopefully he will recover as they expect.” - AFP    |
| Celtic target European glory after part-time shock Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:18 PM PST  GLASGOW: Neil Lennon says Celtic are ready for their crucial Champions League match against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday despite watching his side held to a shock 1-1 draw with part-timers Arbroath in the Scottish Cup.The Hoops face the Russians at Celtic Park on Wednesday knowing they must better Benfica’s result against Barcelona if they are to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2008. With one eye on that crucial clash Lennon made nine changes for the match for the visit of Second Division Arbroath. However, his makeshift side, which still contained six internationals, couldn’t end Celtic’s dismal run of form at home where they have won just one of their last four matches – against Catalan giants Barcelona – and haven’t won on domestic duty since October 30 when they thrashed St Johnstone 5-0 in the League Cup. But Lennon insists his side will be fully focussed for Wednesday. “I haven’t got major problems at all. We have to shift this bogey off our back about winning at home but my disappointment is we didn’t win the game comfortably like we should have done,” the Celtic manager said. “It will have absolutely no reflection on our game on Wednesday whatsoever. “It will be a different team out there, it will be a different opposition, a different atmosphere and a different prize at the end of it. “So the players will be fully focussed on Wednesday and I’m hoping to get a different scoreline from my point of view anyway. “We have to rise to the occasion. We have to win the game. It’s got nothing to do with today.” Against Arbroath the Hoops struggled to create any meaningful chances before a ridiculous own goal handed them a 36th minute lead when defender Stewart Malcolm’s attempted clearance diverted off the backside of Alex Keddie and past Scott Morrison. The Hoops upped the tempo in the second half and Morrison made superb saves to deny Miku and Lassad Nouioui before Arbroath shocked the home support with an 87th minute equaliser. A Steven Doris free-kick took a wicked deflection on its way into the net to set up a December 12 replay at Gayfield. Despite several of his fringe players failing to shine against the part-timers Lennon said he didn’t regret ringing the changes for the match. “No, not at all. It was a good team we put out and that reflected in the play,” the Hoops boss said. “We made nine changes and should have won the game but we didn’t. We have hit the bar and their keeper has made a couple of good saves. We dominated possession and it wasn’t as if we weren’t trying to score. - AFP    |
| Villas-Boas defends Bale after fresh diving row Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:16 PM PST  LONDON: Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas leapt to the defence of Gareth Bale after the winger was booked for diving in his team’s 3-0 win at Fulham.Bale has been dogged by allegations that he is a serial diver and the Welsh international was back in the spotlight for his latest theatrics at Craven Cottage on Saturday. The 23-year-old had been booked for simulation against Liverpool in midweek and he was yellow carded again against Fulham when referee Chris Foy cautioned him for diving following a challenge by Cottagers midfielder Steve Sidwell. However, replays showed there was contact by Sidwell and Villas-Boas was quick to claim the booking was harsh on Bale. “Gareth is so fast so it is very difficult (for referees) to judge situations,” Villas-Boas said. “He has suffered big, big injuries to his ankles before and sometimes he wants to protect himself a little bit. “He might put his body in situations that the referee thinks that he is diving and he is suffering for it in these last two games. “He is now very near suspension for two unfair yellow cards and I think you gain a reputation for being a diver unfairly sometimes. This player has suffered a lot in his career. It’s a little bit harsh on him.” To compound a frustrating afternoon for Bale, the former Southampton player was forced off with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out of action for two weeks. Despite Bale’s woes, Tottenham still cruised to a third successive victory that moved them into fourth place in the Premier League. Brazilian midfielder Sandro opened the scoring with a blistering 35-yard drive in the 55th minute. Then England striker Jermain Defoe took over as he bagged his 11th and 12th goals of the season. Defoe converted Gylfi Sigurdsson’s cross from close-range in the 72nd minute and added his second soon after when he surged onto Clint Dempsey’s through-ball to beat Mark Schwarzer. Villas-Boas had compared Defoe to Colombia’s Radamel Falcao, the highly-rated Atletico Madrid forward, earlier in the week and he was full of praise for his striker’s latest heroics. “It was amazing,” Villas-Boas said. “Sometimes strikers look distant from the game but when the team sets them up it’s important that they have that clinical touch and he just has it. “He is having an amazing season with us. He is playing lots of games and is extremely motivated.” - AFP    |
| Fergie demands end to United rescue acts Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:14 PM PST  READING (United Kingdom): Alex Ferguson insists his Manchester United side cannot continue mounting “rescue jobs” if they want to wrestle back their Premier League title.United have fallen behind seven times this season before going on to record wins with their latest comeback victory being a 4-3 win at Reading on Saturday. But the Manchester United manager knows they will not be able to escape for that much longer with their charitable defending that has seen them concede 15 league goals already this season. With the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium looming on Sunday, Ferguson will know his side can ill-afford a repeat defensive performance. “I thought it would be a record score against Reading for the Premier League at half-time,” he said. “It was unbelievable. There was some real bad defending in the first half. The worst we have been this season, absolutely the worst. “We have to sort that out. We got battered and deserved to be but we are getting goals to rescue us all the time. “In the first-half I said to myself it would be a miracle if we win this one the way we were defending. I’m just glad we did win it. “It’s not a question of character. But if you make mistakes like that defending, then it’s going to be rescue jobs every week. Once again this was.” United conceded six goals, albeit on home soil, 14 months ago to next opponents Manchester City. It looked as though history could repeat itself at relegation-threatened Reading before Robin van Persie had the final say in the seven-goal thriller to send them back to the top of the league. The visitors fell behind to Hal Robson-Kanu’s fine opener before normal service was resumed when Anderson and Wayne Rooney’s penalty looked to have put them in control. But two headers from Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison, both from corners, would have left Ferguson fuming. It would have also had Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, sit up and take notice. United responded, as they so often do, with Rooney and van Persie wrapping up the win in this see-saw game that saw seven goals in the first 30 minutes. Rooney admits his teammates must heed the lessons. “It was not good enough defending set-pieces and it could have cost us,” he said. “We had to make sure we defended better in the second-half. The message at half time was to defend better, stay with our runners and get against them at set-pieces and we did that. “We always believe in ourselves. Even when we went behind twice. “It was important seeing the results earlier to get three points, regardless of the performance. And we did that. It was like a basketball match at times. I’m sure the fans were delighted watching it, but I’m not so sure you want that every week.” Reading remain rooted in the relegation zone but manager Brian McDermott says his players will take heart from a display which fell narrowly short. “We just have to remember where we a few years ago,” he said. “We lost 4-1 at Plymouth and it could have been 10 that day. We were staring the second division in the face. Where we are now is a phenomenal achievement for the club. It shows how far the club have come.” - AFP    |
| Wenger calls for unity after Arsenal fans revolt Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:13 PM PST  LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told the club’s unhappy fans he will bring happier times back to the club after Swansea City beat them 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.Saturday’s defeat followed a protest outside the ground by hundreds of supporters who are angry with the board of directors for constantly selling star players to Champions League rivals. Arsenal were also booed off at the final whistle, which confirmed they had dropped to 10th place in the Premier League — three places below Swansea — but Wenger was confident he could steer the club out of its current predicament. “We are in this job to turn it round and I am confident we will because of the quality of the players and the spirit we have in the team, so it is a good moment to stick together,” he said. “At the moment we are consistent away from home — our results are positive — but at home we haven’t produced the performances since the start of the season that you would expect from us, and that’s why we have to find a solution. “At the moment it looks like we are playing with the handbrake on at home and it’s not fluent, what we do. There might be a psychological component in there as well. “Of course it hurts but I am not so much worried about the places, even though of course that (10th place) is not where we want to be. “I believe that what is important is to get the quality of our game back. That is much more important.” And when the Frenchman was asked whether he felt his lengthy spell at the club might be coming to an end, he insisted he would still be in charge at the end of the campaign. “You make your assessment at the end of the season, like I said many times,” he said. “I know at the moment there is a lot of unrest everywhere, but I believe it’s a good opportunity to show we are a strong club.” Swansea had been arguably the better side before Michu, the Spanish forward, scored twice in the last three minutes, converting breakaway one-on-ones on both occasions. Michael Laudrup, the Swansea manager, said afterwards that this weekend’s winning feeling was no sweeter than any other, however. “For me it is not more special than winning at QPR or Newcastle,” he said. “It’s more for the people on the outside, the media and the fans, but for me, every away game is so difficult. But it is December and we have already won three (away games), so that is great for a club like us.” The Dane was also adamant that the score-line reflected how well his side had played as much as it exposed Arsenal’s current shortcomings. “Arsenal are still moving the ball around well but we play that way as well,” he said. “The big teams have players who have one or two chances and it’s a goal — that’s the difference between £2 million (US$3.2 million, 2.5 million euros) and £30 million — but we played as well as they did. “I wouldn’t say Arsenal have lost something — it’s because we are Swansea and people think you can’t come here and play like that. But we have shown in other games that we can.” Michu cost Swansea just £2 million and Laudrup was delighted with his goal haul of 11 in all competitions so far. “Obviously we are very pleased with Michu,” he said. “A guy who has scored many goals will always be a bargain, whatever the price. Goals give points and points give the possibility to play at this level, which is why they are so important.” - AFP    |
| City need killer instinct, says Mancini Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:11 PM PST  MANCHESTER: Roberto Mancini admits Manchester City need to be more ruthless after the champions were held to a 1-1 draw against Everton ahead of next weekend’s crucial showdown with arch rivals Manchester United.Mancini will take his City team to Germany in midweek for a final Champions League qualifying group game against Borussia Dortmund where even victory will not dull the edge of another early exit from Europe’s elite competition. But Mancini and his players are already focused on the first Manchester derby of the season when Premier League leaders United visit Eastlands next Sunday with a three-point lead over second placed City. Mancini accepts City are not firing on all cylinders and that was clear again on Saturday as Everton were prevented from leaving with a surprise win only by a Carlos Tevez penalty equaliser that Toffees manager David Moyes strongly disputed. “We played very well at Chelsea and didn’t win, we played well in the second half at Wigan. We are in good form at the moment,” Mancini said. “But we’re not 100 per cent, because we are missing the goals from our strikers that they scored last season.” And therein lies the conundrum Mancini has yet to solve this season. He has four top strikers who have somehow lost the killer instinct in front of goal that last season shocked United with a famous 6-1 victory at Old Trafford. Their latest failure to put an opponent to the sword came after Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini scored his eighth goal of the season — a tally City strikers Tevez, Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli cannot match — to put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute. Fellaini then conceded a penalty from a 43rd-minute corner when he tugged down Dzeko and Tevez sent goalkeeper Tim Howard the wrong way with a precise spot kick. Already supporters are fearing that if United win Sunday’s derby, then their neighbours could open up a lead that would take some catching given the lack of goal power at Mancini’s disposal currently. And the home fans’ gloomy mood on Saturday turned to anger when Mancini took off Tevez rather than Dzeko to give Aguero a chance against Everton. But Mancini hit back at his critics in the stands, saying: “I had my reasons for that, I’m not stupid. I thought Dzeko could score a goal, but Carlos played well. “It is very difficult to win all the games. We played three games in six days and had three or four injuries. “If you don’t pay attention you can lose three points, sometimes it is better to take one.” Moyes had no such reason for complaint and he was delighted with the way his players stood up to City. “We’ve been playing well recently and we showed that against the champions,” he said. “Manchester City tend to get better in the second half and they did against us, but we came through it and managed a few counter-attacks of our own. “It was a good draw for us; we’ve had some bad ones, but that was a good one.” - AFP    |
| United pull away as crisis hits Chelsea, Arsenal Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:07 PM PST  LONDON: Manchester United moved three points clear at the Premier League summit after beating Reading 4-3 in a remarkable game on Saturday, which was to prove a day of despair for Chelsea and Arsenal.All the goals came before half-time at the Madejski Stadium, equalling the Premier League record for first-half goals, as United overcame their defensive frailties to draw away from Manchester City — held 1-1 by Everton — ahead of next weekend’s Manchester derby. Chelsea are now 10 points off the pace in third place after seeing their run without victory stretch to seven games in a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United, while Arsenal tumbled to 10th after a 2-0 loss at home to Swansea City. A Wayne Rooney penalty put United 2-1 up in the 16th minute at Reading after Anderson had cancelled out Hal Robson-Kanu’s eighth-minute opener for the hosts, only for headers from Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison to restore the home side’s lead. However, Rooney tucked away Patrice Evra’s cross to equalise in the 30th minute before Robin van Persie put Alex Ferguson’s men back in front moments later by finishing from Rooney’s flick. Van Persie had a goal ruled out before half-time despite the ball appearing to cross the line and then blazed wide of an open goal in the second half after an error from Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, but 4-3 proved enough. “It must be agonising for the coaches and the fans to watch, but we always believes in ourselves,” Rooney told ESPN. “It was a bit like a basketball match.” Chelsea’s trip to West Ham was another game of two halves. The visitors led 1-0 at half-time, only for the hosts’ rousing second-half fightback to condemn the European champions to their longest sequence of top-flight games without victory since 1995. Juan Mata scored the first goal of the Rafael Benitez era to put Chelsea ahead at Upton Park but a revitalised West Ham roared back to prevail through goals from Carlton Cole and substitutes Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga. “At this level, you have to take your chances, and we had many clear chances to finish the game,” said interim coach Benitez, who has picked up two points from a possible nine since replacing the sacked Roberto Di Matteo. Michu was Arsenal’s scourge at the Emirates Stadium, the £2 million ($3.2 million, 2.5 million euros) signing from Rayo Vallecano claiming a late brace for Swansea to leave Arsene Wenger’s side five points below the top four. “We were not good and Swansea deserved to win,” said Wenger, whose side have made their worst start to a league season since he became manager in 1996. “Our fans cannot be happy when we do not win games and what we produced today is not enough to keep our fans happy.” Marouane Fellaini put Everton ahead in the 33rd minute at City, following in after Joe Hart parried his header, but the Belgian’s foul on Edin Dzeko allowed Carlos Tevez to bring the champions level from the spot before half-time. “It was a hard game,” City manager Roberto Mancini told the BBC. “We tried to break them down but this week we have played three games in six days so we are tired. We also have players injured.” A 75th-minute goal by Dean Whitehead gave Stoke City a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur capitalised on the Baggies’ setback to move into fourth place with a 3-0 win at Fulham. Brazilian holding midfielder Sandro set Spurs on their way with a wickedly swerving 30-yard effort in the 55th minute, before a quick-fire Jermain Defoe brace took the game away from Martin Jol’s side. Spurs lost both Michael Dawson and the in-form Gareth Bale to injury, but coach Andre Villas-Boas said: “They are not very serious (injuries) and hopefully we will have them both back soon.” Harry Redknapp’s home debut as Queens Park Rangers manager ended in stalemate after the top flight’s bottom club were held 1-1 by Aston Villa at Loftus Road. Brett Holman put Villa ahead in the eighth minute but Jamie Mackie’s fine 18th-minute header levelled the scores for QPR, who had Stephane Mbia taken to hospital following a collision with Gabriel Agbonlahor. Liverpool climbed one place to 11th after Daniel Agger’s 43rd-minute header secured a 1-0 success at home to Southampton. - AFP    |
| Barcelona make record start, Real win derby Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:05 PM PST  MADRID: Lionel Messi closed in on Gerd Mueller’s calendar year scoring mark as Barcelona crushed Athletic Bilbao 5-1 Saturday to set a new record for the best ever start to a La Liga season and stay 11 points ahead of Real Madrid.Defending champions Real edged city rivals Atletico 2-0 with Cristiano Ronaldo on target to keep their slender hopes of a title repeat alive. Barca have now put together 13 wins and a draw from their first 14 matches to beat the previous best start in the Spanish top flight set by Real Madrid in the 1991-92 season. “It is great to have achieved this but I am happier still with the performance of my players and that even at 5-1 we continued to keep pressing and trying to score,” said Barca coach Tito Vilanova. “There are still things we can improve on and we can still work harder.” Gerard Pique put the Catalan side ahead after 22 minutes followed quickly by Messi’s first, which came off defender Fernando Amorebieta on the line, before Adriano Correia hit the third on the point of half-time. Cesc Fabregas then added to the deluge of goals and Ibai Gomez got a consolation before Messi struck again. Messi is now just one goal off Mueller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year set for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972. The home side began at a high tempo but while they pushed Athletic back the visitors kept faith with coach Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking philosophy as they looked to bring the ball out from defence. Barca had their first sight of goal with a low drive from Andres Iniesta after 12 minutes which keeper Gorka Iraizoz saved comfortably. They got their breakthrough after a spell of pressure. Athletic failed to clear their lines from a corner and although Iraizoz repelled Fabregas’ shot, Pique pounced on the rebound to knock it home. Minutes later and Barca doubled their lead due in part to slack defending which has plagued Athletic’s season. Fernando Amorebieta failed to keep tight to Messi who through on goal slipped the ball past the keeper and a despairing dive from the defender only served to help the ball over the line. The Barca players were queuing up to score the third before the break with Fabregas having a shot saved and Messi hitting the post before Adriano burst in from the right and fired a Fabregas pass into the roof of the net. There was no let up after the restart and Iraizoz did well to block Messi but could do nothing to stop Fabregas who fired home an Iniesta pass inside the area. Barca were guilty of easing off as Gomez pulled a goal back but Messi had the final say with his second. Atletico Madrid, riding high in second place, felt they had their best chance to beat Real Madrid since their last triumph in October 1999 but they rarely threatened as they failed to settle in a highly-charged atmosphere. Argentine coach Diego Simeone has brought success based on solidity and the midfield of Gabi Fernandez and Mario Suarez were holding their own against their Madrid rivals and it was the visitors who had the first clear chance of the game. Radamel Falcao got in front of Pepe to prod a Diego Costa pass goalwards but keeper Iker Casillas managed to palm the ball behind from close range. Ronaldo has had a quiet run by his own high standards without a goal in three games but he responded on 15 minutes with a free-kick from fully 30 yards which nestled in the corner. The referee tried to allow the game to flow but the game was mainly compressed into midfield. It was Madrid who tried to circulate the ball more and after the break they managed to gradually take charge of the game. Ronaldo blazed wide from the edge of the area after 53 minutes and then he set up Mesut Ozil to volley home the second from 15 yards. The Portuguese also hit the post twice in the closing stages as Atletico dropped the intensity of their play. Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked as manager of Valencia following his side’s 5-2 defeat at home to Real Sociedad. The game swung on the first half dismissal of Jonas Goncalves with Valencia ahead through Roberto Soldado. Alberto De la Bella equalised before the break and further goals came from Mikel Gonzalez, Diego Ifran, Imanol Agirretxe and Carlos Vela from the penalty spot while Soldado also got a second. Earlier an Alberto Lopo header saw fourth-placed Malaga lose 1-0 away to Getafe. - AFP    |
| Juve beat 10-man Torino to claim 60th derby win Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:02 PM PST  TURIN (Italy): Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco scored second half goals as Juventus beat 10-man Torino 3-0 to rack up their 60th win in the ‘Derby della Mole’ yesterday.Juventus dominated throughout but apart from a solid performance from French midfielder Paul Pogba the bianconeri’s first half display lacked real bite and even included a penalty miss from Andrea Pirlo. Antonio Conte’s side made amends in the second half, however, with Giovinco’s 67th minute goal sandwiched by Marchisio’s brace on 57 and 84 minutes after the expulsion of Torino defender Kamel Glik. Juventus’ 11th win in 14 games took their lead to five points over Napoli, who host Pescara on Sunday. A week after suffering only their second defeat of the season, at AC Milan, and four days before a crucial Champions League decider against Shakhtar Donestk, Marchisio said: “It’s good to get back to winning ways. “It wasn’t as easy as it looked, the derby is always a particular match but thankfully we came out on top and that will build our morale for the match in Donetsk.” Both sides had their chances in the opening minutes however Juventus soon broke into their stride and Pogba came closest to the opener. On 26 minutes the Frenchman was robbed of a sure goal when Torino ‘keeper Jean-Francois Gillet dropped the ball at his feet following Paolo De Ceglie’s cross from the left. Pogba took possession and turned to shoot only for the referee to signal a freekick. Moments later Pogba first-timed Vucinic’s square ball on the turn from the edge of the area to force Gillet into action, with Torino’s defence clearing up the rebound. The Frenchman then hit a superb shot from 40 metres which dipped and had Gillet on his toes to tip over the bar. Torino threatened briefly, but Rolando Bianchi’s 40-metre drive went high and wide and the visitors’ hopes of causing an upset suffered a blow when centre-back Kamel Glik was shown a straight red card for a tough challenge on Emanuele Giaccherini. It looked to be the right decision and Torino coach Giampiero Ventura admitted: “It signalled game over for us. In Serie A it’s almost impossible to get a result with a man down.” Assistant Juve coach Angelo Alessio said: “It was a sure red card. Giaccherini was lucky he had one foot up or he would have suffered a serious injury.” Ventura replaced Meggiorini with Valerio Di Cesare, but moments later Juve won a penalty when Pogba’s gallop into the box came to an abrupt halt. The referee pointed to the spot, only for Pirlo to send a wild shot over the crossbar. Nicklas Bendtner replaced Giaccherini at the re-start and had an immediate impact, the Dane heading on Vucinic’s chip for Pogba at the back post only for the big Frenchman to nod over. From a corner on 52 minutes Leonardo Bonucci headed over the bar and then Giovinco sent in a delightful chip which Vucinic hit past Gillet’s post. Minutes later Juve’s persistence was rewarded when Marchisio bent to meet a right wing cross and send a bouncing header past Gillet. Juventus were cruising and when Giovinco latched on to a square ball on the edge of the area the ‘Atomic Ant’ took one touch before sending an angled drive through the legs of Danilo D’Ambrosio and past Gillet for Juve’s second. Gillet had to look smart a minute later when Pogba rose high to nod towards goal and then Bendtner missed a great chance on 73 minutes when he sent Marchisio’s chip straight at Gillet from close range Torino were suffering, and Marchisio put the finishing touches on Juve’s 60th win from 135 derbies when he sent a sublime shot past Gillet from 20 metres out after the ball was chested into his path by Vucinic. - Reuters    |
| Hamas complains to Egypt after Israeli army kills Gazan Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:57 PM PST
Medical officials said the 21-year-old man had been among six Palestinians wounded by gunfire during Friday’s demonstration near southern Rafah, and had later died in hospital. The Israeli military said the Palestinians had tried to vandalize the fortified fence and that soldiers shot at their legs after first trying to warn them away. The Gaza Strip’s Hamas government described the incident, as well as the Israeli navy’s seizure of nine Palestinian fisherman on Wednesday, as violations of a ceasefire mediated by Cairo to end a surge of cross-border fighting this month. “We have discussed this with Egyptian officials, so they guarantee a cessation to those violations,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. Increased Palestinian access to the Gaza fence and to fishing waters heavily patrolled by Israel were among conditions lodged by Hamas and other armed factions in the Cairo talks. Israel said it was willing to ease its military clampdown on the territory if the Palestinians did not pose a threat. Since 2009, the Israelis had enforced a 300-metre-deep no-go zone on the Palestinian side of the border, saying this kept away gunmen and would-be infiltrators. It had also denied Palestinians the means of working swathes of farmland. The army suspended zone enforcement after the Nov 21 truce, but killed another Palestinian in a similar fence protest two days later. Hamas, while condemning Israel, deployed police to evacuate other demonstrations. Abu Zuhri’s remarks did not indicate that the Islamist movement, which remains hostile to the Jewish state, wanted to abandon the ceasefire. The eight days of fighting this month killed 166 Palestinians, while Gazan rocket fire killed six Israelis. A smaller Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, was more threatening than Hamas, saying in a statement that “continued and so flagrant (Israeli) violations would put the calm at risk and push resistance factions to respond in a way they deem suitable”. - Reuters    |
| Mursi calls Dec 15 referendum, Islamists rally Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:55 PM PST
Approval of the constitution drafted by an assembly stacked with Mursi’s Islamist allies will override the Nov 22 decree that temporarily shielded Mursi from judicial oversight and triggered statements of concern from Western governments. The decree plunged Egypt into its worst crisis since Mursi won office in a June election and sparked countrywide protests and violence in which two people have been killed and hundreds injured. This hit an economy just showing signs of recovery. “I renew my call for opening a serious national dialogue over the concerns of the nation, with all honesty and impartiality,” said Mursi after receiving the final draft from the constituent assembly. “We must move beyond the period of confrontation and differences, and get on to productive work.” The constitution is meant to be the cornerstone of democracy after three decades of army-backed autocracy under President Hosni Mubarak. Yet drafting it has been divisive, exposing splits between newly empowered Islamists and their opponents. Protesters in an open-ended sit-in in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, which was also the focus of demonstrations against Mubarak, accuse Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood of trying to impose a flawed constitution. Leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei said on Twitter that “struggle will continue” despite the referendum and that the draft constitution “undermines basic freedoms.” Liberal figures including former Arab League chief Amr Moussa pulled out of the constituent assembly last month, as did representatives of Egypt’s Christian minority. The draft constitution contains Islamist-flavored language which opponents say could be used to whittle away human rights and stifle criticism. It forbids blasphemy and “insults to any person”, does not explicitly uphold women’s rights and demands respect for “religion, traditions and family values”. The text also limits presidents to two four-year terms, requires parliamentary approval for their choice of prime minister, and introduces some civilian oversight of the military – although not enough for critics. Mursi described it as a constitution that fulfilled the goals of the January 25, 2011 revolution that brought an end to Mubarak’s rule. “Let everyone – those who agree and those who disagree – go to the referendum to have their say,” he said. Judges to supervise vote To hold the referendum, Mursi will depend on a judiciary which has been on partial strike over the Nov 22 decree, and which he and the Brotherhood suspect of links to the Mubarak regime. Judges oversee elections in Egypt. Vice President Mahmoud Mekky said he trusted the judiciary would supervise the vote, state news agency MENA reported. Mursi is betting the Islamists’ core supporters and ordinary Egyptians fed up with instability will pass the constitution. While Mursi only secured the presidency by a slim margin, the Islamists have won all elections since Mubarak was toppled. The opposition must decide whether to urge a boycott or a “No” vote in the referendum. If they secure a “No”, the president could retain the powers he has unilaterally assumed. The referendum call met with cheers from the pro-Mursi rally at Cairo University. Streets were clogged with those sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood and more hardline Salafi parties. The rally was a show of strength by Islamists who feel under attack from leftist, liberal and socialist parties. By early evening, the crowd peaked at at least 200,000, said Reuters witnesses, basing estimates on previous Cairo rallies. Authorities declined to give an estimate for the crowd’s size. “The people want the implementation of God’s law,” chanted flag-waving demonstrators, many bussed in from the countryside. Tens of thousands of Egyptians protested against Mursi on Friday, chanting: “The people want to bring down the regime,” echoing a trademark slogan of the revolts against Arab leaders. Rival demonstrators threw stones after dark in the northern city of Alexandria and a town in the Nile Delta. Similar clashes erupted again briefly in Alexandria on Saturday, state TV said. Mohamed Noshi, 23, a pharmacist from Mansoura, said he had joined the rally in Cairo to support Mursi and his decree. “Those in Tahrir don’t represent everyone. Most people support Mursi and aren’t against the decree,” he said. Egypt cannot hold a new parliamentary election until a new constitution is passed. The country has been without an elected legislature since the Supreme Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Islamist-dominated lower house in June. The court is due to meet on Sunday to discuss the legality of parliament’s upper house. “We want stability. Every time, the constitutional court tears down institutions we elect,” said Yasser Taha, a 30-year-old demonstrator at the Islamist rally in Cairo. - Reuters    |
| Mexico’s Pena Nieto takes power vowing to end violence Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:53 PM PST
The 46-year-old Pena Nieto said the people had been let down since his centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, fell from power in 2000, and pledged a raft of changes to boost growth, create jobs and fight poverty. “The state has lost ground in important areas. Lawlessness and violence have robbed various parts of the country of peace and freedom,” Pena Nieto said in his inaugural speech at a ceremonial palace in the old center of Mexico City. “My government’s first aim will be to bring peace to Mexico.” Pena Nieto takes command of a country that was convulsed by the deaths of more than 60,000 people in violence between drug gangs and security forces during the six-year term of his conservative predecessor, Felipe Calderon. Pena Nieto says he is committed to fighting organized crime, but has also stressed his main goal is to reduce the violence. He paid tribute to Mexico’s armed forces early in his speech and then saluted them on the capital’s Field of Mars parade ground. The torrent of gangland killings in Mexico has worried investors and tourists alike, and voters in the holiday resort of Cancun said they expected Pena Nieto to calm things down. “I hope security improves, that there are no more decapitated bodies, that the drug gangs don’t continue shooting in the streets,” said Carlos Madrid, a tourism worker in the eastern city. “It’s no good for families, no good for business, no good for the population, it’s no good for anyone.” Protests Calderon’s National Action Party, or PAN, took power in 2000 pledging to reinvigorate Mexico, but it never had a majority in Congress and struggled to push through legislation it wanted to create jobs in Latin America’s second-biggest economy. Memories of the PRI’s unbroken 71-year rule are still vivid in Mexico, and the party was a byword for corruption, cronyism and vote-rigging by the time it left office. “It’s like the Communist Party of the Soviet Union making a comeback,” said Lorenzo Meyer, a left-leaning political scientist and historian at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “The PRI should be dead. Its time had passed.” Demonstrators sought to take the shine off Pena Nieto’s swearing-in ceremony, and several thousand protesters, mainly from leftist groups that supported Pena Nieto’s main rival and oppose his reform plans, massed earlier outside Congress. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters, who rattled metal barriers in a bid to disrupt the upcoming ceremony. Elsewhere, small groups of protesters threw Molotov cocktails. “They have imposed an illegitimate president. There’s lots of us here, this struggle is just beginning,” said a 16-year-old student who identified herself as Frida, her eyes stinging from the gas and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of a guerrilla leader. Married to a popular actress, Pena Nieto, the telegenic former state of Mexico governor, won the July 1 election with about 38 percent of the vote, more than 6 points ahead of leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who refused to accept the result. Lopez Obrador also rejected the outcome of his narrow election loss in 2006 to Calderon, and the protests on Saturday were slight by comparison with the demonstrations then. Two-speed country Having helped shepherd a labor reform through Congress since his election victory, Pena Nieto now wants to pass legislation to strengthen Mexico’s tax base and allow more private investment in lumbering state oil giant Pemex. “Mexico has not achieved the advances the people demand and deserve,” Pena Nieto said. “We are a country growing at two speeds. There’s a Mexico of progress and development. But there’s another one too that’s been left behind in poverty.” If he is successful, the reforms could help spur stronger growth and create jobs, blunting the allure of organized crime. Annual economic growth averaged less than 2 percent under the PAN over the past 12 years, far behind many other Latin American countries. That record and the drug war violence opened the door for a PRI comeback under Pena Nieto. Still, inflation has been kept in check, debt levels are low and growth picked up toward the end of Calderon’s term, with the economy outperforming Brazil’s in the past two years. Pena Nieto’s inner circle features several ambitious young economists and financial experts eager to prove the PRI can do a better job of managing the economy. For much of the PRI’s rule, Mexico enjoyed stronger growth than the PAN mustered, but memories linger of default on the country’s debts in 1982 and a financial crash in 1994 and 1995. “It’s very hard to believe in the PRI. They bankrupted Mexico,” said construction worker Jose Luis Mendoza. Supporting a family of four on 1,300 pesos (US$100) a week, Mendoza, 29, said he was worse off now than when Calderon took office, and doubted his life would improve under the PRI. “The cost of everything has gone up – but my wage hasn’t,” he said. Pena Nieto has pledged to put more money in Mexicans’ pockets and shake up competition in a country where large swaths of the economy are concentrated in the hands of a few, like telecom billionaire Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man. But Pena Nieto has been vague so far about how he plans to create a more level playing field, and pollster Jorge Buendia said it would be foolish to expect radical change. “Pena Nieto’s not a reformist guy. He never has been,” Buendia said. “He’s an establishment guy and I don’t think he’s going to rock the establishment that much.” - Reuters    |
| North Korea plans second rocket launch in December Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:52 PM PST
State news agency KCNA said yesterday that the launch of a rocket carrying a satellite would take place between December 10 and December 22. North Korea says its launches are for peaceful purposes, although Washington and Seoul believe the isolated, impoverished state is testing long-range missile technology with the aim of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. North Korea undertook a similar launch in April that was aborted a few minutes into its mission. The North is banned from conducting missile or nuclear-related activities under United Nations resolutions. The coming launch will take place around the time of South Korea’s presidential polls on December 19 and close to the first anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong-il. Kim died on Dec 17 last year and was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-un. - Reuters    |
| Syrian rebels bombed, opposition open to peacekeepers Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:50 PM PST
Warplanes attacked the Damascus suburbs of Kafar Souseh and Darraya, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked group. The air strikes follow intensified rebel activity in the capital, Assad’s seat of power, as well as stormings of government military bases in recent weeks. “Syrian regular forces are trying to control the areas surrounding the capital,” the Observatory said. Bombings targeted a continuous arc of rebel presence in the capital’s outer districts from the northeast to the southwest. Opposition activists reported clashes and air strikes in the provinces of Homs, Deir al-Zor, Idlib and in Aleppo, where they said 14 rebel fighters were killed during an assault on an army base in the town of Khanasser early yesterday. It is difficult to verify such reports due to government restrictions on media access to Syria. Syria’s Internet connections began working again on Saturday after a two-day blackout, the worst communications outage in the 20-month-old uprising against Assad in which 40,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee the country. Opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Coalition might allow an international peacekeeping force into Syria if Assad and his allies leave power, coalition spokesman Walid al-Bunni said on Saturday. Some opposition members have argued against international troops, saying their arrival could serve as a rallying call for Assad loyalists in an area near the Mediterranean where many of his minority Alawite sect live. Assad, whose family has ruled autocratically for four decades, draws much of his support from the sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam. Most of the rebels are Sunni Muslims. Bunni said the coalition was open to any proposal if Assad and his allies, including top officers in the military and security apparatus, were removed. “If this is the first condition then we can start discussing everything. There will be no political process until the ruling family and all those who underpin the regime leave,” he said. Bunni, a physician who spent most of the period after Assad inherited power from his father in 2000 in jail as a political prisoner, was speaking at a news conference marking the conclusion of the first full meeting of the opposition coalition in Cairo. Iron and blood Britain, France and Gulf countries have recognised the Syrian National Coalition as the sole representative of the Syrian people. Most foreign powers have condemned Assad, who has relied on his allies to stay afloat, especially regional powerhouse Iran. Russi, Syria’s main arms supplier, and China have vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions condemning Assad and reject the idea of sanctioning his government. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western states on Saturday of trying to advance democracy abroad through “iron and blood.” “Advancing democracy through iron and blood just does not work, and this has been made clear in recent months – the past year-and-a-half,” Lavrov said, [nL5E8N11A3]according to state-run news agency Itar-Tass. Russia repeated its opposition on Friday to NATO’s potential deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkley, which wants them because of fears of a spillover from the war in Syria. Syrian state television quoted an information ministry statement saying Damascus international airport was open on Saturday and that the road leading to it was safe. Since Thursday, clashes have been reported near the Aqraba and Babilla districts on the southeastern outskirts of Damascus which lead to the airport, effectively closing the road and leading EgyptAir and Emirates to suspend flights. US web tracking firm Renesys said in a blog post that it could confirm “a largely complete restoration of the Syrian Internet”. Rights groups said the communications blackout was a precursor to a wider offensive by government forces in the capital. Syrian security sources and diplomats say the government intends to seal off central Damascus from the restive suburbs. Authorities had attributed the Internet outage to a “terrorist” attack or a technical fault. On Saturday, state news agency SANA gave a third reason for the outage: “Maintenance work.” Residents contacted by Reuters in the capital, the central city of Homs, and northern Aleppo said they had connectivity. - Reuters    |
| ‘Al Qaeda-linked’ Yemeni among four Pakistan drone strike dead Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:47 PM PST
The strike at Sheen Warsak village in South Waziristan followed another drone attack in the same area two days earlier. A Yemeni fighter called Abdul Rehman, allied to al-Qaeda, was among the dead, government and intelligence sources said. It is difficult for journalists to verify the casualties from drone strikes since the government forbids foreign journalists from travelling to the area without a military escort and the Taliban often seal off the sites of strikes. Many Pakistanis say the strikes are a violation of national sovereignty and that civilian casualties encourage families seeking revenge to join the insurgency. But the US says civilian deaths are minimal and the drones operator in areas outside of Pakistani government control. - Reuters    |
| Russian inmate’s beating puts spotlight on police brutality Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:44 PM PST
Russia’s prison authority took action after video footage appeared on the Internet showing men in uniform hitting and kicking a prisoner who has his hands tied behind his back and his trousers down. Some of the violent footage, in which the inmate’s pleas for mercy are ignored after he falls to the floor, was shown on Russian television on Thursday. Russia’s human rights ombudsman said such abusive treatment has become almost “routine” and needed the government’s urgent attention because it discredited and weakened the state. The prison authority said the inmate had behaved “extremely provocatively”, disobeyed orders and refused to exchange civilian clothes for a prison uniform at the start of a 3-1/2 year jail sentence for robbery and assault. Acknowledging the guards at a prison in the southern city of Novocherkassk had used excessive force and violated the prisoner’s rights, it said three guards had been detained and three others were under investigation. “The suspects, both simultaneously and taking turns, delivered multiple blows to the convict’s head and body with their hands and feet,” Valery Chekryshev, a senior regional investigative official, told on state television. Reports of people being mistreated in custody are still frequent, six months into Putin’s third, six-year term as president. He was first elected president in 2000. “This kind of treatment of people in custody is becoming something like the routine in our country,” the human rights ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, told state-run Rossiya-24 television. In one particularly brutal case, human rights activists say Sergei Nazarov, an unemployed man of 52, died in March after being beaten by police officers and sodomized with a champagne bottle during questioning over a minor offence. Calls for reform Such reports have increased demands for Russia’s leaders to carry out reforms to strengthen the rule of law that were promised by Putin’s protégé Dmitry Medvedev, whose four-year presidency ended in May. Police, prison guards and other law enforcement officers who abuse people in custody “discredit the state, and thus weaken it”, Lukin said. The trial of three members of the Pussy Riot punk band over an anti-Putin protest in a church last February has also renewed criticism over Russia’s justice system, which human rights activists say is open to political manipulation. More than 700,000 Russians are behind bars and rights activists regularly complain of poor living conditions, cases of torture, beatings and disease in prisons. Allegations of abuse in jail are also in the spotlight following a protest by about 250 inmates at a prison in the Ural Mountains town of Kopeysk on Sunday. Human rights activists said the inmates demanded an end to beatings, humiliation and demands for bribes. Prison authorities said the only demand they made was for the release of fellow inmates from a punishment cell, and that eight police were wounded trying to disperse a crowd of relatives outside. International concern was also fuelled by the 2009 death in pre-trial detention of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who said he was being punished by the same officers he accused of stealing $230 million through fraudulent tax refunds. The United States is preparing to pass legislation to “name and shame” Russian human rights violators as part of a broader bill dropping Cold-War era trade restrictions. Magnitsky said he was denied the medical attention he needed over almost a year in jail and the Kremlin’s own human rights council said he was probably beaten to death. - Reuters    |
| Iran’s Ahmadinejad gives new job to aide seen as possible heir Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:42 PM PST
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie has provoked the ire of Ahmadinejad’s conservative rivals, who accuse him of trying to undermine Iran’s theocratic system. Ahmadinejad has defended his closest aide throughout the attacks. In a statement yesterday, Ahmadinejad thanked Mashaie for his service, appointing him to a position in the Non-Aligned Movement, the 120-member bloc of countries whose rotating chair is held by Iran. “I consider knowing and working with you to be a divine gift and great honor,” Ahmadinejad wrote in the statement addressed to Mashaie. Ahmadinejad, who has faced criticism from conservative rivals in parliament over his economic performance, is finishing his last year in office and by law cannot run again in presidential elections due in June 2013. Some analysts, and Ahmadinejad’s rivals, believe he has been grooming Mashaie to succeed him. Conservative politicians and allies of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have accused Mashaie of leading a “deviant current” bent on undermining the political role of the clergy, the ultimate authorities in Iran. He has been criticized for emphasizing the nationalist strain of Iranian history and culture over religion. Mashaie recently gave a speech praising Ahmadinejad and expressing hope for “lively” elections, Iranian media reported this week, boosting speculation that he is considering a presidential run. In a separate letter, Ahmadinejad appointed vice-president Hassan Mousavi to be his new chief of staff. - Reuters    |
| Congo rebels quit Goma, saying it’s ‘for peace’ Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:40 PM PST
The withdrawal of the M23 rebel movement from Goma on Lake Kivu, a strategic hub in Democratic Republic of Congo’s war-scarred east, was agreed in a deal brokered by presidents of the Great Lakes states under Uganda’s leadership a week ago. Kieran Dwyer, spokesman for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York, said the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, or MONUSCO, confirmed the pullout was completed. “The M23 has today withdrawn from Goma city in eastern DR Congo,” he said in a statement. “MONUSCO mobilized 17 rapid reaction units in the city throughout the day to monitor the M23 withdrawal which took place in a largely orderly manner.” “MONUSCO troops secured key installations including the Central Bank, Governor’s House and communications infrastructure at Goma Hill,” Dwyer said. Goma’s fall on November 20 to the Tutsi-led M23 insurgent group, which routed UN-backed government forces, triggered a diplomatic scramble to prevent a wider escalation of the eight-month-old rebellion in the conflict-prone region. The rebels had said they would fight to topple Congo’s president, Joseph Kabila, and march on the capital, Kinshasa, 1,600 km to the west. UN experts accuse Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the revolt, a charge both strongly deny. In the centre of Goma, blue-helmeted UN peacekeepers from Uruguay in white armored vehicles watched as camouflage-clad M23 fighters scrambled on to the back of flatbed trucks with battered suitcases and other belongings before driving off. Residents line streets Residents lined the streets leading out of the city to watch as the truckloads of singing rebels drove out, heading for previously agreed positions 20 km north of Goma from which M23 launched its lightning offensive two weeks ago. On the dusty road by the UN-controlled airport, about 100 rebels trudged out of town on foot. Some of the trucks leaving Goma carried crates of captured munitions and military supplies. M23 military chief Sultani Makenga, who is under a UN-imposed assets freeze and travel ban for leading the revolt, told reporters the rebel withdrawal was in response to a request from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. “We are leaving for peace,” Makenga said, following a brief ceremony in which a squad of around 40 M23 fighters, wearing mottled green camouflage uniforms, peaked caps and black gumboots, first paraded and then sang and danced. MONUSCO’s Sellassie said she expected the Congolese army to return to Goma within 36 hours. Congolese police officers brought in to help keep order were already on the streets. If there are no hitches, a full rebel withdrawal from lakeside Goma, which lies in sight of the towering Mount Nyiragongo volcano, will provide breathing space for possible follow-up negotiations between the rebels and Kabila. Humanitarian agencies say hundreds of people have been wounded and thousands displaced by the recent fighting. Goma lies at the heart of Congo’s eastern borderlands, which have suffered nearly two decades of conflict stoked by long-standing ethnic and political enmities and fighting over the region’s rich resources of gold, tin, tungsten and coltan. The latter is a precious metal used to make mobile phones. Way open for talks? The Congolese president has said he is willing to listen to the rebels’ grievances, but there is considerable mistrust between the two sides and Kabila faces pressure from within his own army to pursue a military solution rather than talks. “If Kabila provokes us, we will come back,” M23′s Makenga said. “If he wants peace, there will be peace, if he wants war, there will be war,” he added. Uganda’s junior foreign minister, Asuman Kiyingi, told Reuters that Kampala would encourage the two sides to talk. “Now that M23 has withdrawn, it’s important that the Kinshasa government also addresses the grievances of these people (M23),” he said. Asked about prospects for talks, Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende said, “It’s the president who has the intuitive and only him, it’s for him to decide how things proceed.” Some Goma residents jeered as the trucks carrying departing rebels lurched through the dusty streets, but no major incidents or disturbances were reported. On Friday, the pullback plan appeared to run into problems, including a dispute over abandoned army supplies the insurgents wanted to take with them. In the face of evidence supplied by UN experts about Rwandan involvement in the rebellion, a number of Western donors have frozen aid to Kigali. Rwandan President Paul Kagame has angrily rejected the charges against his government. In the latest move, Britain, Rwanda’s largest bilateral donor, said on Friday it was withholding 21 million pounds (US$34 million) of budget support. Rwanda has twice invaded its western neighbor Congo over the past two decades, at one point igniting a conflict dubbed “Africa’s World War” that drew in several countries. It has justified its interventions by arguing it was forced to act against hostile Rwandan Hutu fighters who had fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide that saw 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed by Hutu soldiers and militia. The M23 rebels said they took up arms over what they call the government’s failure to respect a March 23, 2009, peace deal that envisaged their integration into the Congolese army. They have since broadened the scope of their movement, which takes it name from the peace deal date, declaring their aim to “liberate” the entire Central African nation and oust Kabila. Aid agencies say more than 5 million people have died from conflict, hunger or disease in Congo since 1998. - Reuters    |
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