The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
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The Star Online: World Updates
The Star Online: World Updates |
| Inquiry harshly criticizes U.S. State Department over Benghazi attack Posted: 18 Dec 2012 08:56 PM PST By Arshad Mohammed and Anna Yukhananov and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya was grossly inadequate to deal with a September 11 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three others because of failures within the State Department, an official inquiry found on Tuesday.
In a scathing assessment, the review cited "leadership and management" deficiencies at two department offices, poor coordination among officials and "real confusion" in Washington and in the field over who had the responsibility, and the power, to make decisions that involved policy and security concerns. The attack killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans and set off a political furore as Republicans used the issue to attack President Barack Obama before the November 6 election in which he won a second term in office. The report's harsh assessment seemed likely to tarnish the four-year tenure of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said in a letter accompanying the review that she would adopt all of its recommendations. "Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department ... resulted in a special mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," said the unclassified version of the report by the official "Accountability Review Board." The board specifically faulted the department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the regional office which is responsible for the Middle East and North Africa, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, its law enforcement and security arm. The five-member board said U.S. intelligence provided no "specific tactical warning" of the attack and that there was "little understanding of militias in Benghazi and the threat they posed to U.S. interests" in the eastern Libyan city, where the central government has little influence. The incident has raised questions about the adequacy of security at U.S. embassies around the globe and where to draw the line between protecting American diplomats in dangerous places while giving them enough freedom to do their jobs. Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the assessment reflected poorly on Clinton and its recommendations would probably make life harder for diplomats in the field "This is a mark against Secretary Clinton. While she was not singled out, the report highlighted the lack of leadership and organization on security issues, and those fall into her bailiwick," Alterman said. "The report, however, relies a little too much on bureaucratic fixes," he added. "Sprinkling people throughout the system who are not only empowered to say 'no,' but have an institutional interest in doing so, will make it harder for diplomats to get out of tightly guarded facilities." DID LOCAL GUARDS LEAVE GATE OPEN? The report faulted as "misplaced" the mission's dependence for security support on the "armed but poorly skilled" Libyan February 17 Martyrs' Brigade militia members and unarmed guards hired by State Department contractor Blue Mountain Libya. No Blue Mountain guards were outside the compound immediately before the attack to provide early warning, which was their responsibility. The report raised the possibility that Blue Mountain guards left the "pedestrian gate open after initially seeing the attackers and fleeing the vicinity. They had left the gate unlatched before." The board found little evidence that the February 17 guards alerted Americans to the attack or swiftly summoned more militia members to help once it was under way. There had been questions of reliability in the weeks preceding the attack. "At the time of Ambassador Stevens' visit, February 17 militia members had stopped accompanying special mission vehicle movements in protest over salary and working hours," the report said. The board recommended that the State Department create a new, senior position to oversee security at "high threat" posts, to strengthen security at such posts beyond what is usually provided by host governments, and to consult outside experts on "best practices" for operating in dangerous environments. The department should also hire more security personnel at dangerous posts, ensure key policy and security staff serve there for at least a year and consider making it easier to punish those who perform poorly in future security incidents. The political uproar in the United States over the Benghazi attack has already claimed one victim. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, widely tipped as a front-runner to replace Clinton when she steps down as secretary of state early next year, last week withdrew her name from consideration, saying she wished to avoid a potentially disruptive Senate confirmation process. Republican lawmakers had blasted Rice for comments she made on several television talk shows in the aftermath of the attack in which she said preliminary information suggested the assault was the result of protests against an anti-Muslim video made in California rather than a premeditated strike. The review, however, concluded that no protest took place before the attack. Rice has said she was relying on talking points drawn up by U.S. intelligence officials. (Additional reporting by Paul Eckert and Andrew Quinn.; Editing by Christopher Wilson)
Copyright © 2012 Reuters | ||
| Inquiry harshly criticizes U.S. State Department over Benghazi attack Posted: 18 Dec 2012 08:06 PM PST By Arshad Mohammed, Anna Yukhananov and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya was grossly inadequate to deal with a September 11 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three others because of systemic failures within the State Department, an official inquiry found on Tuesday.
In a scathing assessment, the review cited "leadership and management" deficiencies at two bureaus of the department, poor coordination among officials in Washington and "real confusion" on the ground over who had the responsibility, and the power, to make decisions that involved policy and security concerns. The attack killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans and set off a political furore as Republicans used the issue to attack President Barack Obama before the November 6 election. The report's harsh assessment seemed likely to tarnish the four-year tenure of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said in a letter accompanying the review that she would adopt all of its recommendations. "Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department ... resulted in a special mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," said the report by the official "Accountability Review Board." The report specifically faulted the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and its Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The incident has raised questions about the adequacy of security at U.S. embassies around the globe and where to draw the line between protecting American diplomats in dangerous places while giving them enough freedom to do their jobs. Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the assessment reflected poorly on Clinton and its recommendations would probably make life harder for diplomats in the field "This is a mark against Secretary Clinton. While she was not singled out, the report highlighted the lack of leadership and organization on security issues, and those fall into her bailiwick," Alterman said. "The report, however, relies a little too much on bureaucratic fixes," he added. "Sprinkling people throughout the system who are not only empowered to say 'no,' but have an institutional interest in doing so, will make it harder for diplomats to get out of tightly guarded facilities." The political uproar in the United States over the Benghazi attack has already claimed one victim. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, widely tipped as a front-runner to replace Clinton when she steps down as secretary of state early next year, last week withdrew her name from consideration, saying she wished to avoid a potentially disruptive Senate confirmation process. Republican lawmakers had blasted Rice for comments she made on several television talk shows in the aftermath of the attack in which she said preliminary information suggested the assault was the result of protests over an anti-Muslim video made in California rather than a premeditated strike. The review. however, concluded that no protest took place before the attack. Rice has said she was relying on talking points drawn up by U.S. intelligence officials. (Editing by Christopher Wilson)
Copyright © 2012 Reuters | ||
| Amid China tensions, Southeast Asia looks to India Posted: 18 Dec 2012 08:01 PM PST NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The dozens of vehicles that roared into northeast India this week on a rally from Indonesia symbolize deeper ties between the South Asian giant and Southeast Asia, but the dreadful roads along several parts of the 8,000 km (5,000 mile) journey also show how much remains to be done. The caravan crossed jungles and mountains in eight nations before reaching the remote Indian state of Manipur, bordering Myanmar, in an event promoting a high-level meeting between India and leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in New Delhi on Thursday and Friday. "The roads crumbled to begin with and then ceased to exist," said participants Bijoy Kumar and Vinod Nookla in a blog published by Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian company that supplied the XUV 500 vehicles that participated. "In place of tarmac there were boulders and the road started becoming narrower by the kilometre." The meeting in New Delhi will mainly be a ceremonial affair to mark 20 years of cooperation, India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told Reuters. But it is held against the backdrop of Chinese assertiveness in the potentially oil and gas-rich South China Sea. Some ASEAN countries contest claims by China in the waters, making it the biggest potential flashpoint in the region. The United States has called for calm, but some ASEAN nations are also looking to India, the other regional heavyweight, to get involved. "They want India to play a larger role. Those concerns are only increasing given the uncertain situation that is emerging," said C. Raja Mohan, a strategic affairs expert at the Observer Research Foundation think-tank. For India, improved relations with Southeast Asia will give it entry into one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the world and a source of raw materials needed for its own growth. But the broken-down roads between India and the nations to its southeast, a shortage of direct flights and constraints such as India's tiny diplomatic corps - comparable in size to New Zealand's - mean India trails China in relations with the region. Trade between India and the 10-member ASEAN was up to $80 billion (49.1 billion pounds) last year compared with $47 billion in 2008. An agreement on free trade in services and investment could be signed at the New Delhi meeting. Direct flights from Delhi to Myanmar on Indian airline SpiceJet are due to begin in the next few weeks. But India's role in the region is dwarfed by that of China, which enjoyed trade worth a record $363 billion with ASEAN countries in 2011 in an already established free trade area. "What we need is far greater connectivity," Khurshid said in an interview, mentioning roads, railways and flights as areas needing work. "There is still a lot that can done, and we hope that over the next few months and years we will see considerable improvement," said Khurshid, who also described a 10-year plan to double the number of diplomats to reflect India's growing global ambitions. PARTICIPANTS The first meeting of ASEAN leaders in India is a watershed in India's efforts to build ties with Southeast Asia. The prime ministers of Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam, the presidents of Myanmar and Indonesian, and the vice president of the Philippines are scheduled to attend. The other nations in the group are Thailand, Laos, and Brunei. India walks a delicate line to balance its increasingly close partnership with Washington as President Barack Obama steps up the U.S. presence in Asian, and the reality of living next door to China, Asia's fastest-growing superpower. Khurshid played down the possibility of any tension with China and reiterated that India had no territorial claims in the South China Sea. "I don't think this is something that will reach hostility or conflict, there are differences obviously - China has a very clear perception about its sovereignty and it also has a very clear idea of how it wants to resolve these issues. "It's not something that cannot be resolved, it is certainly not something in which we are directly involved, we've said categorically that there should be compliance and respect for the law of the sea." But India's "Look East" policy and a need to lock down energy supplies for its rapidly growing industrial sector are pushing it to gradually step up military activities in the region with more joint exercises and visits. This month, India's navy chief said his force was ready to deploy naval vessels to the South China Sea to protect its oil-exploration interests there if needed. India is exploring an oil and gas block with Vietnam in the disputed waters and in future is likely to bring more liquefied natural gas through the Malacca Straits. Khurshid said that along with counter-terrorism, energy security was among India's top foreign policy priorities. "We have become far more resource orientated because development is of course heavily dependent on resources. We import 80 percent of our fuel," Khurshid said. Ian Storey, senior fellow of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said India had yet to impress many ASEAN partners, despite strong ties to Vietnam, "India is not a serious player in Southeast Asia, it has aspirations to be a player, but it has a long way to go," he said. "A common view is that India talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk." (Additional reporting by John Chalmers; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Copyright © 2012 Reuters |
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The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
| Self-knowledge helps Nicol David towards greatness Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:56 PM PST GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands: Nicol David has discovered that greater self-knowledge is helping her deal with the pressures as she tries to extend her all-time record of world titles to seven. The already legendary Malaysian has made a flying start to her campaign here, but has had to take profound and very personal measures to help endure the stresses which only increase with time. David carries the relentlessly heavy burden of flag-bearer for an emerging nation, is subjected to constant media demands and appearance requests, and now, in her 30th year, finds herself expected to fend off a growing bevy of younger rivals. Hence the role of Frank Cabooter, a sports psychologist who works at the University of Amsterdam, specialising in burn-out and depression, has increased in importance for David. "In the last two to three years he has given me a lot of insight into who I am and how I can look at understanding myself better - not just on a squash basis, but on a personal note," she confides. "It means you have to admit to things you may not have seen or known. But at the same time if you can improve yourself if you can adjust. It's so fascinating (learning about) our mind and how it works. "We go into what works for me, what goes through my mind, and how I manage it," adds David, who here has been feeding off the vibes of the music, the warm climate, and the friendly seaside atmosphere. So far she has dealt impressively with Omneya Abdel Kawy, the 2010 World Open finalist from Egypt, and Annie Au, the world number nine from Hong Kong, both in straight games and in about half an hour each. But after more than six years unbroken as world number one, David knows her strengths and weaknesses are evolving. "As time goes on we all change, as we get older," she says. "I'm trying to use that to my advantage. There are a lot of things to learn from. And a lot of things to understand about myself as a squash player and my own growth. "All this changed me and kept me in tune (with my feelings)." David has occasionally revealed signs of human frailty, but when it has happened she has tried to learn why it emerged, and worked to develop her capacity to deal with it. A notable example was when she lost her British Open title three years ago with a hesitant quarter-final defeat to Ireland's Madeline Perry. That is why another quarter-final match with Perry here Wednesday may offer an insight into the champion's mental growth and personal development. David had a rest day Tuesday in which to prepare. But her focus is unlikely to be on the quality of her opponent's skills, but the entwining of her own tactical concerns with her state of mind. "It's always a good match with Madeline, but I know how important it is to focus more on my game and what I have to do," the record-breaking champion said. "I have to bring my game up - and make sure I bring it with me to the court." - AFP |
| Despite huge growth, Asian golf has problems Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:32 PM PST SINGAPORE: Rapid growth has made Asia the big new destination for world golf but there's an unmistakable sense of gloom as long-standing events face an uncertain future and local talent stalls. While rich tournaments and even richer stars continue to flood east, grabbing widespread attention and making large sums for the game's elite, for the home-grown scene it's a different story entirely. A bitter turf war between two rival circuits, which has spooked sponsors and divided players, shows little sign of easing, and Asian golfers are making slow progress on the world stage with just nine listed in the top 100. China, the great new market with an ever-increasing number of courses and recreational players, is developing at a glacial rate in competitive terms with only three men ranked among the world's best 800. Asia's inter-circuit rivalry even ended up before the courts with four struggling players, who were fined and suspended by the Asian Tour for taking part in OneAsia events, winning a restraint of trade case in Singapore. Meanwhile traditional cornerstone events are facing trouble. Prize money at the venerable Hong Kong Open was slashed to just $2 million, and organisers went cap-in-hand for government funds to pay appearance fees for top players. The Singapore Open, touted as "Asia's Major" and its oldest national open dating back to 1961, lost title sponsor Barclays and is missing from next year's European schedule, with its future date and backers unclear. While those events hit hard times, the European and American tours remain in a powerful position with a series of big, multi-million dollar tournaments that remain the season's highlights. The CIMB Classic in Malaysia, headlined this year by Tiger Woods, will become a full-status PGA Tour event next season - and with just 10 Asian Tour players in the field, according to current plans. The WGC-HSBC Champions, which featured just nine winners of Asian Tour events and four Chinese players at its last edition in November, has signed on for a five-year stint in Shanghai with Major-level prize money of $8.5 million. The European Tour also bypassed both the Asian Tour and OneAsia by co-sanctioning the $7.1 million BMW Masters, a much-criticised exhibition tournament when it emerged last year, with China's domestic circuit. But the year's most talked-about event, China's "Duel at Jinsha Lake", was unsanctioned, featured only Woods and Rory McIlroy and was over in just one day of spectator mayhem and gratuitous displays of wealth by the organisers. Perhaps not surprisingly, local players barely figured at the top tournaments and out of five European and PGA-backed events since late October, only three Asians, in total, finished in the top 10, and none in the top five. And among Asia's top performers this year, several, including Asian Tour merit winner Thaworn Wiratchant, and Thongchai Jaidee and Jeev Milkha Singh, who won the Wales and Scottish opens respectively, are in their forties. However those victories also show it's not all bleak for Asian golf, and there are other signs to cheer the optimist. In June, Beijing-born Florida resident Andy Zhang played the US Open at just 14, and China's Guang Tianlang, who is the same age and also trains frequently in the United States, is set to break the US Masters age record next year. Asians continue to dominate the women's game with four of the top five players, including world number one Yani Tseng and Park In-Bee, the highest earner on this year's US LPGA tour. And just this month, Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki's Asia team won the Royal Trophy in a play-off against a European side led by Jose Maria Olazabal, who masterminded September's famous Ryder Cup victory. The men in charge of Asia's rival tours both insist that the future is bright and that the trajectory, despite admitted problems, remains upward. Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said his organisation provides the "right balance" of tournaments to nurture players, adding in an email: "We are confident the future of professional golf in the region is secure." OneAsia chairman and commissioner Sang Y. Chun called Asia's development "alarmingly strong", and even held out the possibility of working with the Asian Tour to bring the region on to a more equal footing with Europe and the PGA. However for some observers, the current situation is very different from the high hopes of nearly 20 years ago, when the Asian Tour first came into being. "Some people on all sides are claiming they're working for the betterment of golf and in fact they're doing no such thing," Spencer Robinson, managing editor of Asian Golf Monthly, told AFP last month. "You just want to shake these guys, pick them up by the ears and bash their heads together and say, 'For Christ's sake, there's a big enough pie. Let's all sit down and work together'." - AFP |
| World champ takes time off from hectic schedule to play in Milo meet Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:40 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore's Shayna Ng was planning to sit back and just chill out after winning the AMF World Cup last month. But a phone call from Malaysian national coach Holloway Cheah changed all that. "I actually didn't plan on coming (to the the 13th Milo International Junior All-Stars 2012) at first because I have school to attend and my schedule is quite tight. But Holloway invited me to come over and I said okay. I'm very honoured that he invited me," said Shayna. The 24-year-old Shayna is pursuing a degree in Sport Science at the Edith Cowan University at the SMF Institute of Higher Learning in Singapore, said that "life after winning the World Cup (in Wroclaw, Poland) is pretty much the same". "Winning the World Cup has not really changed anything. Things are more or less the same. You can say it's given me added confidence ... but it has also brought on added pressure," she said. "But when I bowl, I leave all distractions aside. I just chuck them aside and focus on things that will help me do better during the game." At the World Cup, the hook bowler overcame a partisan crowd to beat defending champion Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic in the final. Now, she's hoping to bring out her A-game and clinch her second title in one month. "I was checking out the scores and you can see that competition here is quite tough. We're not just competing against the girls but the guys as well (in the Masters)," said Shayna. "The Malaysians boys and girls are quite strong ... I can probably name a handful who can really challenge for the title but I won't. It's really competitive, so I'll have to be on my very best if I want to win." Shayna bowled an impressive 781 to be placed second in the Masters qualifiers – just behind compatriot Suresh Elangovan (796) but ahead of Malaysia's Sin Li Jane (732). Qualifiers (Top 5 only, Malaysians unless stated) Masters 1. Suresh Elangovan (Sin) 796, 2. Shayna Ng (Sin) 781, 3. Sin Li Jane 732, 4. Muhamad Faiarel Haizem (Ina) 728, 5. Biansa Tafi Lau (Ina) 727. Boys' Open Local Pool: Cheah Yung Ren 772, 2. Muhd Aizudeen Mustaqim 761, 3. Yusof Raof 760, 4. Mohd Ash Ammar 752, 5. Syafiq Sajeli 750. Overseas Pool: 1. Nicholas Lee (Sin) 776, 2. Jayden Leming (Aus) 765, 3. Joel Tan Eng An (Sin) 763, 4. Suresh Elangovan (Sin) 734, 5. Nicholas Goh (Sin) 730. Mixed Pool: 1. Timmy Tan 720, 2. Chong Jun Fun 719, 3. Ahmad Muaz & Muhd Rafiq Ismail 718, 5. Syaffique Ikhwan 716. Girls' Open Local Pool: 1. Sheena Dina Rizal 753, 2. Natasha Roslan 748, 3. Cheryl Chong 739, 4. Sin Li Jane 716, 5. Steffira Zeandea Greater 715. Overseas Pool: 1. Nadia Pramanik (Ina) 708, 2. Kimberley Ooi (Sin) 682, 3. Tracey See (Sin) 672, 4. Chen Szu Min (Tpe) 667, 5. Desiree Sim Pei Ling (Sin) 662. Mixed Pool: 1. Jackeltn Ng Shuk Choen 665, 2. Fatin Azmira 664, 3. Qistina Zainal Fitri 662, 4. Victoria Chin 653, 5. Faten Najihah 638. Boys Graded: 1. Edmund Leung (Hkg) 740, 2. Adri Shahri (Ina) 737, 3. Muhd Faizal Rahmat 732, 4. J. J. Wong 729, 5. Imam Wiguna (Ina) 728. Girls' Graded: 1. Nerosha Keligit 723, 2. Nur Dyana Zhudi 706, 3. Isabelle Lee Xin Yu 685, 4. Farah Izzazaya 682, 5. Dayang Aida Natasha 663. |
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The Star Online: Business
The Star Online: Business |
| Malaysia Arilines slips, analysts neutral on RM3b planes purchase Posted: 18 Dec 2012 07:19 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) slipped in active trade on Wednesday as analysts were neutral on it purchase of 36 new ATR 72-600 aircraft worth RM3bil. At 11.03am, it was down one sen to 69.5 sen. There were 7.60 million shares done. The FBM KLCI rose 5.86 points to 1,665.30. Turnover was 225.02 million shares valued at RM312.65mil. There were 230 gainers, 197 losers and 253 counters unchanged. Of the 36 turboprop aircraft ordered, Firefly will take on 20 new aircraft whilst 16 will be inducted into the fleet of its sister company MASwings. Affin Investment research said this was MAS's move to capitalise and capture the domestic routes and compete with the impending entry of the new Indonesian airline, Malindo Airways, which is scheduled to commence operation in April 2013. "We believe the funding for the fleet could partially come from the proposed rights issue, which is expected to raise up to RM3.1bil," it said. The research house said RM1bil from the proposed proceeds would be for capital expenditure, RM1.3bil for working capital and the remaining RM770mil will be used to pare down debts. "In addition to that, we won't be surprised if MAS embarks on another capital raising exercise to fund its capex," it said. Affin Research said it was neutral on the development and it maintained its earnings forecast. "Share price has fallen to a low of 70 sen following the recent announcement of the capital raising exercise. Given the tough operating environment coupled with the group's financing risk for its huge capex programme, we maintain our SELL recommendation. "We have lowered our target price of to 64 sen (from 85 sen previously) based on a price-to-net tangible asset multiple of 1.0 time on higher risk of more capital raising exercise," it explained. |
| Prada-C1 call warrants tumble on last trading day Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:51 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: The call warrants of Italian luxury handbag maker Prada SpA, listed on Bursa Malaysia, Prada-C1 saw its trading value halved on Wednesday, which was the last trading day. At 10.26am, it was had fallen 16 sen to 16.5 sen with 200,000 units done. However, Prada-C2, which expires on Nov 26, 2013, rose 0.5 sen to 18.5 sen with 10,000 units done. Prada is listed in Hong Kong. The FBM KLCI was up 7.1 points to 1,666.54. Turnover was 179.59 million shares valued at RM205.76mil. There were 215 gainers, 154 losers and 236 counters unchanged. Prada-C1's conversion ratio is 30 CWs to one share and the last date and time for trading is Dec 19, 2012. The date and time of suspension is Dec 20. However, Prada-C2 was listed on Nov 27, 2012 and its expiry date is Nov 26, 2013. The issue price is 15 sen. The conversion is 40 Prada-C2 to one share. |
| Malaysia-Market factors to watch on Dec 19(Wednesday) Posted: 18 Dec 2012 05:47 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: Following is a list of events in Malaysia as well as news company-related and market news which could have an influence on the local market. GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares rally to 3-month high on hopes for US budget deal SE Asia Stocks-Malaysia at 7-week high; Philippine snaps losing streak WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MALAYSIA, IN TIMES LOCAL FOLLOWED BY GMT: * Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Maximus Ongkili witnesses handover of Nuclear Security Support Centre by International Atomic Energy Agency to Malaysia, Furama Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, Kuala Lumpur at 1145am (0345GMT) MARKET NEWS > Tokyo's Nikkei share average opens up 1.03 pct > US STOCKS-Wall St climbs on economy bets as it looks past 'cliff' > TREASURIES-Prices fall on hopes of fiscal deal > FOREX-Euro outperforms majors, yen still pinned down > PRECIOUS-Gold price falls nearly 2 pct on hopes of US fiscal deal > Oil rises on 'fiscal cliff' optimism, refinery issues > Palm dips in rangebound trade, weak exports hurt MALAYSIA IN THE NEWS: > Malaysia billionaire invests in Italian yacht maker Wider > Foreign funds seek redemption, cash out on SE Asia > Malaysian Airline signs MoU for $981 mln ATR turboprop order > Lynas Corp gives Malaysia court update > Illicit money flows grow in China, Iraq-report - Reuters DIARY - Malaysia 19/12/12 8:17:13(Wednesday) ALL TIMES ARE PROVISIONAL AND IN LOCAL TIME FOLLOWED BY GMT IN BRACKETS WEDNESDAY, DEC 19 KUALA LUMPUR - Release of Nov 2012 Consumer Price Index. * KUALA LUMPUR - Seminar Wawasan 2020: Transformasi Malaysia at Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumour at 0830am (0030). * KUALA LUMPUR - Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) Info-Media Sdn Bhd launches yellow pages for home at Starbucks Coffee, Bangsar Village, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur at 0900am (0100). * SHAH ALAM - Benalec Holdings Bhd holds AGM at Holiday Inn KL, Shah Alam at 1000am (0200). * PUTRAJAYA - Prime Minister's wife Rosmah Mansor opens the 2012 International Day of Combating Violence Against Women at the Dewan Seri Sarjana United, Kampus Putrajaya, Jalan Ikram-Uniten, Kajang at 1000am (0200). * KUALA LUMPUR - My E.G. Services Bhd's post-AGM press conference at Sime Darby Convention Centre at 1100am (0300). * KUALA LUMPUR - Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Maximus Ongkili witensses handover of Nuclear Security Support Centre by International Atomic Energy Agency to Malaysia at Furama Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, Kuala Lumpur at 1145am (0345). * SHAH ALAM - Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd holds EGM at The Saujana Hotel KL, Shah Alam at 1530pm (0730). * KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Najib Razak launches Royal Malaysian Police Motorcycle Patrolling Unit at the Padang Awam BKS, Bandar Kinrara Puchong at 1700pm (0900), and leaves for New Delhi, India to attend Asean-India Summit anniversary from Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 1900pm (1100). * KUALA LUMPUR - Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin attends Majlis Semai Bakti Felda 2012 at the Dewan Perdana Felda, Kuala Lumpur at 2030pm (1230). THURSDAY, DEC 20 * KUALA LUMPUR - Mimos Bhd ubiquitous nems-based sensor network and solutions media briefing at Mimos Bhd, Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur at 1000am (0200). * KUALA LUMPUR - Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd announces new chief executive officer at Double Tree Hilton, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur at 1030am (0230). * KUALA LUMPUR - FCW Holding Bhd holds AGM at Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort, Jalan Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur at 1100am (0300). FRIDAY, DEC 21 * KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 14 Dec 2012. * PUTRAJAYA - Greenyield Bhd holds AGM at Putrajaya Shangri-La Hotel, Taman Putra Perdana, Precinct 1, Putrajaya at 1100am (0300). TUESDAY, DEC 25 * KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Christmas Day. MONDAY, DEC 31 * KUALA LUMPUR - Release of Nov 2012 MNoney Supply data. NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. - Reuters VEGOILS-Market factors to watch Dec 19(Wednesday) KUALA LUMPUR: The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets. FUNDAMENTALS * Malaysian palm oil futures edged lower in rangebound trading on Tuesday, hurt by a slowdown in exports at a time when inventory levels remain at record highs. * U.S. soybean futures dropped 2 percent on Tuesday, their biggest daily decline in more than a month, due to China's decision to cancel a purchase of 300,000 tonnes of U.S. supplies, traders said. * Oil prices rose on Tuesday as apparent progress in resolving the U.S. budget crisis eased concerns that the world's top economy could slip into recession. MARKET NEWS * Global stocks advanced to their highest levels since September on Tuesday on signs of compromise in U.S. talks to stop automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could hurt the economy next year. * Oil rallied on Tuesday on growing optimism that a fiscal deal would be reached soon to avert a U.S. recession in 2013, but most other commodities, particularly agricultural markets, closed lower on poorer demand. RELATED NEWS > COLUMN-Soy market should shake off China-led jitters: Maguire > EU 2013 rapeseed crop to increase as sowings expand- Oil World > Oil World cuts Argentine 2013 soybean crop forecast by 1 mln T > Cargill to invest $91 mln in India's food processing boom DATA/EVENTS > Reuters to host Q&A with US farm co-op Topflight Grain > Cargo surveyors to publish Malaysian exports data for Dec. 1-20 on Thursday - Reuters |
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The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
| Unemployed man gets 27 yrs jail for raping Vietnamese girl and robbery Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:32 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR: An Unemployed man who raped a Vietnamese girl at a massage parlour, forced its caretaker to watch the act and then rob the centre, was jailed 27 years and ordered to be whipped nine times Tuesday. Mohamad Fadzlie M. Rosdi, 20, whose rape victim told the police that he had ball bearing in his private parts, cried when he was approached by his father, kissed his mother's hand and hugged his brother after the verdict was handed down. Former contractor, Mohd Khairell Idzham Hashim, 21, who slashed the caretaker's left ear (the victim required 120 stitches for his injuries) and a cosmetics salesman's hand, received 30 years' jail and 10 strokes of the rotan. The statement of facts revealed that Mohamad Fadzlie raped the 18-year-old girl on a sofa and forced the caretaker and another Vietnamese woman to watch it at Seasons House Theraphy Centre in Setapak at 1am on Nov 25. |
| Najib: Malaysia, Indonesia targeting two-way trade to reach US$30bil by 2015 Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:22 AM PST PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Indonesia are targeting bilateral trade between the two countries to reach US$30bil by 2015, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday. He said although the target is seen to be ambitious, the two countries believed the target was attainable, given the rapid pace of development taking place in the two neighbouring nations. "This is an ambitious target, reflecting the seriousness of the two governments to forge economic collaborations," he told a joint media conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Earlier, Najib held a bilateral meeting with Susilo to mark the Ninth Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultation. Between January and October, two-way trade between the two nations rose by US$1bill to US$15.9bil from US$14.9bil in the same period in 2011, said Najib, who is also Finance Minister. - Bernama |
| Malaysia, Indonesia to renegotiate maid agency fees Posted: 18 Dec 2012 06:20 AM PST PUTRAJAYA: Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to allow the joint task force (JTF) to renegotiate a more "reasonable" cost structure for agency fees to bring Indonesian maids here, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday. He said Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had agreed to Malaysia's request during their annual consultation meeting, hosted this year by Malaysia. "We had discussed matters related to manpower, referring to the Lombok agreement that we have signed which is the framework agreement that has already been followed," he said in a joint-statement with Susilo after the consultation meeting. "But there are some complications in terms of the agency fees, which are rather high, so Bapa President has agreed that the agency fee should be set at a more reasonable rate to allow the Lombok Agreement to be implemented in full," he added The influx of new Indonesian maids into Malaysia has been negligible despite the lifting of a three-year moratorium since Dec 1, 2011 following the Lombok Agreement due to complaints by agents that the fees stipulated under the agreement were too low to make a profit. Under the agreement, prospective employers need to pay a RM4,511 agent fee, which includes RM2,711 to be paid to the agency and a RM1,800 advance payment which employers can recover in instalments from the maid's salary over six months. |
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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
| 'Django Unchained' premiere canceled after Newtown shooting Posted: 18 Dec 2012 12:29 AM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The premiere for Quentin Tarantino's latest film Django Unchained, a violent spaghetti Western slave revenge tale, was canceled on Monday in the wake of the school shooting in Connecticut last week, the film's studio said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Newtown, CT and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event. However, we will be holding a private screening for the cast and crew and their friends and families," a spokesperson for The Weinstein Company said in a statement. Tuesday's premiere in Los Angeles was scheduled to have a red carpet and party, but instead will be a private screening with no media coverage. The film, which won five Golden Globe nominations last week, stars Jamie Foxx as a slave turned bounty hunter who wreaks revenge on slave plantation owners as he tries to rescue his wife. It features Tarantino's trademark style of extensive graphic and bloody violence, along with dark humor, and is due to be released in U.S. movie theaters on Christmas Day. A source at the privately held Weinstein Company told Reuters the cancellation was unrelated to the violence depicted in the movie. Paramount Pictures canceled a weekend premiere for Tom Cruise's new movie Jack Reacher and New York's Lincoln Center Film Society postponed a Monday screening and talk with Cruise out of respect for the Newtown families. A total of 27 people, 20 of them young children, died in Friday's shooting rampage in Newtown, Connecticut by a lone gunman, who then killed himself. |
| Hollywood quiet so far on gun control after Connecticut Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:34 PM PST LOS ANGELES: Pick a social cause and you'll often find a Hollywood celebrity speaking out. Gay marriage (Brad Pitt), Darfur (George Clooney), the environment (Robert Redford or Leonardo DiCaprio). Gun control? Not so much. Most of Hollywood's biggest action movie stars have remained silent, so far, on the divisive issue following last week's slaying of 20 young children and six adults at a Connecticut school. And pop culture experts say it's not hard to see why. "If you are known for being a star who carries around weaponry and fires it, when something like this happens, the last thing in the world you want to do is insert yourself ... unless you say you are never going to star in another action-adventure movie," Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, said on Monday. Longtime gun control advocates like actress Susan Sarandon and "Bowling for Columbine" documentary director Michael Moore were quick to take to Twitter after Friday's Connecticut massacre, and tens of thousands of Americans have since signed online petitions urging approval of stricter gun control laws. Yet major action heroes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, as well as Pitt and Clooney, have had little or nothing public to say. That may change, according to a veteran public relations executive who handles many Hollywood clients. "I think there will be a very public display of outrage from prominent people in the entertainment world and people wanting to do something about guns," said the public relations chief who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak for his clients. "I think the stereotypical Hollywood action star not wanting to touch an issue like this may be dated. There is a lot of talk about people wanting to express very public outrage. Let's see who joins, and how that manifests itself," he told Reuters. CRUISE IN SPOTLIGHT FOR "JACK REACHER" With Hollywood studios again under scrutiny for making violent movies, Paramount Pictures canceled Saturday's premiere in Pittsburgh of Tom Cruise's new film "Jack Reacher," in which Cruise plays a cold-blooded former military sniper. In New York, the Lincoln Center Film Society postponed a Monday screening and conversation with Cruise "out of respect for the families who lost loved ones in Newtown, Connecticut," according to a statement. "Jack Reacher," which opens with a sniper picking off and killing five apparently random targets on a riverfront promenade, is due to open in U.S. movie theaters on Friday. Cruise has said nothing publicly about the shootings in Connecticut, and maintained his silence on the subject during a Monday appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman" to promote the film. But "Jack Reacher" director Christopher McQuarrie told entertainment industry website TheWrap.com that the actor played a key role in the decision to cancel the red carpet premiere in Pittsburgh - where much of the movie was shot. "Tom and I insisted on it. Nobody should be celebrating anything 24 hours after a tragic event like that," McQuarrie told TheWrap on Monday. Letterman, however, spoke at length about the killings before Cruise joined him on the set, saying "it's a sad, sad holiday season." The talk show host also said that gun laws were not the answer to a "multi-faceted" social ill. "I'm not dumb enough to think that this is a problem of guns, because before there were guns people were killing each other," Letterman said. He added that he was mystified by the "need" for semi-automatic weapons like one reportedly used in the Connecticut massacre. In a lighter vein, he remarked: "I've never seen a deer worth 30 rounds of ammo and an automatic rifle." On television, the Fox broadcast network pulled graphic trailers for its upcoming serial killer drama "The Following," and replaced Sunday episodes of animated shows "Family Guy" and "American Dad" to avoid what a network source called the airing of "any potentially sensitive content." The finale of Emmy-winning drama "Homeland" - which included a massive car bomb scene - was preceded with a disclaimer warning that some scenes may be disturbing. AMERICAN PYSCHE AT FAULT? Hollywood is often irked when movies and videogames are held to blame for the actions of Americans, some of them with mental health issues, who have run amok with guns in recent years. "I think it's always unfair to single out the entertainment business for scrutiny. There is something deep in the American psyche that is much deeper than videogames or movie or records," the public relations executive said. Despite the 12 people killed and 59 wounded by a gunman at a Colorado movie screening in July of "The Dark Knight Rises," the Batman movie went on to make more than $1 billion at the global box office and is the second most-successful movie in the United States and Canada for 2012. Thompson at Syracuse University questioned how much influence celebrities wield when expressing their personal opinions - whatever the cause - and especially on an issue like gun control that raises such passion in the United States on both sides of the argument. "It is much more likely that that kind of speaking out gets people to change their opinion about a celebrity, not an issue," Thompson said Besides, he said, who really cares what random stars think about events as emotive as the Connecticut killings? "Celebrities weighing in after something like this is perceived by a lot of people as tacky. The idea of expecting (their) opinion to somehow make anything better or different is, I think, perceived by a lot of people as self-centered hubris," Thompson said. -Reuters |
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The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| CIMB-YFA emerge overall champions in football tourney Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:34 AM PST CIMB-Youth Football Academy (YFA) emerged as the overall champions in the Royal Selangor Club (RSC)-Datuk Chu Ah Nge International Junior Football competition at the RSC ground in Bukit Kiara recently. CIMB-YFA, the champions in the previous three editions of the competition with five age groups — Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-18 — had faced a strong challenge from JSSL Arsenal Singapore. Both the teams had qualified for four of the five finals. In the end, CIMB-YFA became the overall champions by edging JSSL by a mere one point — 14 against 13. CIMB-YFA were champions in the Under-11 and Under-15 categories and runners-up in Under-9 and Under-13 while JSSL Arsenal Singapore were champions in Under-9 and Under-13 and runners-up in Under-11. Points were the top four finishers in each age-group category with the winner get four points, the runner-up three points, third placing two points and fourth placing one point. The heavy rain on the final day of the two-day competition did not dampen the spirit of players, coaches, parents or spectators. Thanks to the excellent drainage system of the ground, the tournament resumed within two hours. A total 16 teams, an increase of two teams, took part in the competition. There was a keen competition among the participating teams as they came well prepared and with intentions to emerge champions. Organising chairman N. Rajenthiran said response was overwhelming and they had to turn down several teams. "The tournament is unique in this region as it is only open to clubs and academies that have a comprehensive junior soccer development programme. "The popularity of the tournament has also increased,'' said Rajenthiran. About 1,100 participants from 16 teams — Singapore Soccer Academy, JSSL Arsenal Singapore, Bintang Biru, Penang, ISA Singapore, BIFA India, Bangkok Soccer Schools, Pro-Harimau Remaja, SJCSC (Subang Jaya), Assumption FC Penang, Remaja Harimau Klang, Korean School, West Gremious Singapore, CIMB-YFA, KLYS and hosts RSC — took part in the competition. The sponsors were Milo and AMNIG. RSC soccer convenor said the tournament would not have been possible without the strong support of patron Ah Nge. Ah Nge, a prominent developer, was present on both days of the competition and made an additional contribution of RM3,000 towards the prize money. Ah Nge said it was a delight to see the children playing football in a carnival atmosphere. "The teams should be praised for being active in organising development programmes. I am happy to be part of this tournament and contribute a little to the development of the game too,'' added Ah Nge. ROLL OF HONOUR Overall champion: CIMB-YFA Under-9: Top Scorer: Mohamad Haikal Mohamad Sukimar (Assumption FC Penang) Best Player: Aryssa (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Best Goalkeeper: Angad (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Man of the Match: Emma (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Final: JSSL Arsenal Singapore beat CIMB-YFA 3-0 Under-11 Top Scorer: T. Saravanan (CIMB-YFA) Best Player: Toby McCallum (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Best Goalkeeper: Saiful Asnairi (CIMB-YFA) Man of the Match: Tobi Sctake (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Final: CIMB-YFA beat JSSL Arsenal Singapore 3-2 Under-13 Top Scorer: Benjamin Davis (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Best Player: Benjamin Davis (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Best Goalkeeper: Sean Hoet (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Man of the Match: Jordan Westening (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Final: JSSL Arsenal Singapore beat CIMB-YFA 3-2 Under-15 Top Scorer: Kogileswaran Raj (CIMB-YFA) Best Player: Callum Dunne (JSSL Arsenal Singapore) Best Goalkeeper: Callum Ritchie (KLYS) Man of the Match: Lyonnel Andziba (KLYS) Final: CIMB-YFA beat KLYS 2-1 Under-18 Top Scorer: Lee Haechan (Korean School) Best Player: Marcus Mah (RSC 1) Best Goalkeeper: Raj Kumar (RSC 1) Man of the Match: Danial Masran (Singapore Soccer Academy) Final: Singapore Soccer Academy beat Royal Selangor Club 2-0 |
| SRGC charges improving by leaps and bounds Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:33 AM PST THE foursome of Minami Fujimoto, Riko Karasawa, Annamae Ng Khye Wen and Audrey Tan Wei Yen from the Sarina Rhythmic Gymnastics Club (SRGC) had a perfect warm-up before they went on to gauge their strength in the stiffer Grade One contest at the Selangor classification programme at the SJK (C) Serdang Baru 2 recently. In the contest, decided over four disciplines including freehand, rope, hoop and ball at the Selangor meet, the promising Minami from Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur led the charge to finish fifth in the individual overall standings with a combined score of 32.80 points. Minami also settled for second in the individual rope event. Annamae provided the joy with her victory in the ball but she completed her campaign in eighth individual all-round position with a total score of 31.70. Riko finished ninth (31.40) overall while Audrey came in 13th (30.43) in a field comprising a total of 20 entries. Despite featuring two back-to-back competitions within a short period, SRGC principal Sarina Sundararajah said her charges had the chance to perfect on their routines at the earlier outing at the SRGC classification programme at the Tropicana City Mall in Petaling Jaya recently. "Minami was definitely the most consistent performer in both competitions. Despite following the recreational training programme going through the paces only two times a week, she was in good form in winning the appeal of judging panel," she added. At club level, Minami was in stunning form and produced superior scores in both the hoop and ball events against her peers. Minami and Riko will be acquiring the skills for clubs and ribbon to clear Grade One and are expected to accomplish their aim at the club's next assessment programme scheduled in June. "We have included the clubs and ribbon as the final two apparatus because both events are considered trickier disciplines for the Grade One candidates," said Sarina. Both Annamae and Audrey have just stepped up to learn the skills in Grade Two. Almost 70 beginners aged between four and 12 in the SRGC training camp's recreational group also gained exposure in the Little Gymnast section comprising the freehand and ball events on the opening day of the club's recent internal two-day meet. Meanwhile, the SRGC trainees, the majority comprising SJK (C) Puay Chai pupils, are preparing for the upcoming Selangor Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Petaling Utama district meet followed by the state schools' championships to be held early in the new season. |
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