the new light of myanmar (9 dec 2012)

7/30/2019 The New Light of Myanmar (9 Dec 2012)

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Volume XX, Number 233 11th Waning of Tazaungmon 1374 ME Sunday, 9 December, 2012

THE MOST RELIABLE NEWSPAPER AROUND YOU

New Light of MyanmarExaggerating Rakhine conict as a genocide is totally contrary to the truthDiplomats supports efforts of government for restoring peace and

stability in Rakhine State Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk

Kham, accompanied by

General Hla Htay Win of the

ofce of the Commander-

in-Chief (Army), Union

Minister for Border Affairs

Lt-Gen Thein Htay, Union

Minister for Immigration and

Population U Khin Yi, Union

Minister for Social Welfare,

Relief and ResettlementDr Daw Myat Myat Ohn

Khin, deputy ministers and

departmental heads, left

here for Yangon with the

Tatmadaw aircraft yesterday

morning.

The Vice-President

then proceeded to Sittway

with the special ight of

Myanma Airways, together

with ambassadors of

Bangladesh, Cambodia,

Indonesia, Pakistan and

Turkey, diplomats and

ofcials of UN agencies.

On arrival at Sittway

airport, they were welcomed

by the Rakhine State chief

minister, the commander and

state ministers.

The Vice-President held

a meeting with ambassadors,

diplomats, members of UN

agencies, the state ministers,

personnel working for

restoring stability in the

state, the supervisory

committee for restoringpeace and stability, relief

and rehabilitation in Rakhine

State and departmental

heads.

At the meeting, Vice-

President said that despite

the governments efforts,

which were witnessed by

diplomats and officials

from UN agencies during

their tr ips to Rakhine

State, to restore peace

and stability in Rakhine

State since the conflict

out broke, some accused

the government of using

over force to control the

situation, and some media

had portrayed the conict

as a genocide and that

were totally contrary to the

truth.

The vice-president

also reafrmed that there

was no racial or religious

discrimination by local

authorities in Rakhine State

when they made efforts for

restoring peace and the

rule of law. The fabricated

Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

The water levels of the

Ayeyawady river are forecast

to fall below the present

water levels by (15) cm

(about -foot) at Myitkyina,

Bhamo and Katha, (30) cm

(about 1-foot) at Mandalay

and Sagaing, and (45) cm(about 1-feet) at Pakokku,

NyaungU, Chauk, Minbu,

Water level forecast for second

(10) days of December 2012

Magway, Aunglan, Pyay,

Seiktha, Hinthada and Zalun.

The water levels of the

Chindwin river are forecast

to fall below the present

water levels by (15) cm

(about -foot) at Hkamti and

Homalin, and (30) cm (about

1-foot) at Mawlaik, Kalewaand Monywa.

NLM

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham providing relief aid to locals at Sambalay

Village Relief Camp in Minbya Township.mna

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham gives encouragements to villagers at Taungbway Village in Kyauktaw

Township.mna

reportage and information

can arise misunderstanding

among the international

community over the actual

situation in Rakhine State,

he added.

(See page 9)

Egyptian military urges dialogue to avert

catastropheCairo, 8 DecEgypts

military said on Saturday

only dialogue could avert

catastrophe, stepping into

a crisis pitting an Islamist

president against opponents

of his drive to reshape anation in turmoil since Hosni

Mubaraks overthrow.

An army statement,

which state radio and

A member of the Republican Guard stands behind a barbedwire barricade, as the Guard blocks a road leading to the

presidential palace in Cairo on 7 Dec, 2012.ReuteRs

television interrupted their

programmes to read out,

told feuding factions that

a solution to the upheaval

in the most populous Arab

nation should not contradict

legitimacy and the rules ofdemocracy.

That sounded like a

swipe at protesters who

have besieged the palace

of freely elected President

Mohamed Mursi and who

have called for his removal,

going beyond mainstream

opposition demands for

him to retract a decree that

expanded his powers.

The statement also

called for a serious

national dialogue - perhaps

one more credible than

talks convened by Mursi

on Saturday in the absenceof opposition leaders. They

insist he must rst scrap his

22 November decree, defer

next weeks popular vote

on a new constitution and

allow the text to be revised.

D e e p r i f t s h a v e

emerged over the destiny

of a country of 83 millionwhere Mubaraks ouster

after 30 years of autocratic

rule led to a messy army-led

transition, with the Muslim

Brotherhood and its allies

winning two elections.

Many Egyptians crave

a return to stability and

economic recovery. The

army, which ran Egypt for

months after Mubarak fell

in February 2011, again

cast itself primarily as the

neutral guarantor of the

nation and a military source

said there was no plan to

retake control of the countryor its turbulent streets.

Reuters


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Sunday, 9 December, 2012 3

WORLD

New Light of Myanmar

Rebels circle Damascus Airport; Russia, US

downbeat Damascus, 8 Dec

Rebels fighting to toppleSyrian President Bashar al-

Assad declared DamascusInternational Airport a battlezone on Friday, while Moscowand Washington both soundeddownbeat about the prospectsof a diplomatic push to endthe conict.

Fighting around thecapital city has intensiedover the past week, and

Western ofcials have begunspeaking about faster changeon the ground in a 20-month-old conict that has killed40,000 people.

But Russia and the UnitedStates, the superpowers thathave backed the opposingsides in the conflict, both

played down the chance of adiplomatic breakthrough aftertalks aimed at resolving theirdifferences.

I dont think anyonebelieves that there was some

great breakthrough, USSecretary of State HillaryClinton said of a meeting

with Russias ForeignMinister Sergei Lavrovand international mediator

Lakhdar Brahimi.No one should have any

illusions about how hard thisremains. But all of us, with anyinuence, need to be engagedwith Brahimi for a concerted,sincere push.

The rebel brigades whohave been putting the airportunder siege decided yesterday

that the airport is a militaryzone, said Nabil al-Amir,a spokesman for the rebelsDamascus Military Council.

Civilians who approachit now do so at their own risk,

he said. Fighters had waitedtwo weeks for the airport to beemptied of most civilians and

airlines before declaring it atarget, he added. He did not saywhat they would do if aircrafttried to land. Foreign airlineshave suspended all ights toDamascus since ghting has

approached the airport in thepast week, although some

Syrian Air ights have used

Kazakh pr esident, Chinese vice pr emier meet on relations

astana, 8 DecKazakh President NursultanNazarbayev and visiting

Chinese Vice Premier WangQishan met here on Friday todiscuss the development of

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (R)shakes handswith Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan during their

meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 7 Dec, 2012.Xinhua

Clinton to testify on Benghazi attack r eportWashington, 8 Dec

US Secretary of State Hillary

Clinton will testify on areport expected to be releasednext week on the deadly

attack on the US diplomatic

post in Benghazi, Libya, atop Republican lawmaker

said on Friday.I have just received

conrmation from SecretaryClintons office that the

relations between their twocountries, with emphasison cooperation in energy,

communication and trade.Since China and

Kazakstan established

diplomatic ties 20 yearsago, their relations havemaintained a good momentumof development, Wang said.

Political mutual trustbetween the two countrieshas been constantly enhancedand bilateral cooperation in

various elds has movedforward smoothly, he said.

The two sides havesupported each other onmajor issues concerningtheir core interests andclosely cooperate in bothregional and global affairs,

Wang said. The efforthas promoted regionalstability and contributed tothe development of both

countries, Wang said.N a z a r b a y e v s

successful visit to China inJune injected new impetusinto the development of thecomprehensive strategicpartnership between the two

countries, he said.China apprec ia tes

Kazakhstans strong support

on issues including crackingdown on the EasternTurkistan terrorist forceand will firmly supportKazakhstans choice of adevelopment path that tsits national conditions, Wang

said.Xinhua

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listens to aquestion during a joint news conference with Irish

Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the government bu ildingin Dublin on 6 Dec, 2012.ReuteRs

Frances Hollande to attend Nobel

Peace Prize award ceremony in OsloParis, 8 DecFrench

President Francois Hollandewill attend award ceremonyfor the Nobel Peace Prize tothe European Union (EU)in Oslo next on Monday,

a statement from FrenchPresidency said on Friday.

Second bomb this week kills three in Nairobi suburb

nairobi, 8 DecAbomb blast in a predominantly

Somali district of the Kenyancapital of Nairobi on Fridaykilled three people andwounded at least eight, theKenyan Red Cross said.

There was no immediateclaim of responsibilityfor the attack in the run-down Eastleigh suburb, thesecond explosion there since

Wednesday night. Locallawmaker Yusuf Hassan wasamong the injured, Nairobispolice chief Moses Ombatisaid.

One Eastleigh resident,Said Abdullahi, said he heardtwo gunshots followed by an

explosion outside a mosque.Some of those injured

were worshippers leaving

the mosque, Abdullahi toldReuters.

Ombati said it wastoo early to tell whether agrenade or a bomb caused theexplosion and it was possible

the casualty toll would rise.Kenyan authorities have

blamed Somali militants andtheir sympathizers for a waveof grenade and gun attacksin Kenya after Nairobi sent

Policemen inspect the secured section at the scene of th e

blast in Eastleigh suburb of Kenyas capital Nairobi on7 Dec 2012.ReuteRs

soldiers into neighboringSomalia last year to drive out

Islamist rebel ghters withlinks to al-Qaeda.

Kenyas governmentaccuses al Shabaab rebels ofmaking cross-border attacksand blamed the group forthe kidnapping of Western

tourists and aid workers.Abdirashid Hashi,

a Somalia analyst at the

International Crisis Group,said lawmaker Hassan was anopen critic of the al Shabaabrebel groups almost six-year campaign againstSomalias Western-backedgovernment.

Tensions have risenin the past two months in

Eastleigh, a part of Nairobicommonly dubbed LittleMogadishu because of itslarge Somali population.

Its too early to say whowas behind this ... but I dontthink mosques are off-limitsto al Shabaab, Hashi told

Reuters. It was not clear ifHassan, a former journalist

at the BBC, was the targetof the attack.Reuters

the airport in recent days.The meeting of rebels in

Antalya, Turkey, was aimed at

forming a structure to run theconict in conjunction witha new opposition NationalCoalition, which someEuropean and Arab stateshave recognized as Syriaslegitimate representatives.

One delegate at themeeting, who asked not to be

identied, said two-thirds ofthe 30 members of the newlynamed command had ties withthe Muslim Brotherhood orwere its political allies.

We are witnessing theresult of the Qatari and Turkishcreations, said the delegate,referring to leading anti-Assadcountries that are seen as

backing the Brotherhood.Colonel Riad Asaad,

founder of the Syrian FreeArmy rebel force, and GeneralHussein Haj Ali, the highest-ranking ofcer to defect from

Assads military, were amongthose excluded.

Reuters

secretary of state willappear before the House

Committee on ForeignAffairs to discuss, in an

open hearing, the ndingsand the recommendations inthe report, RepresentativeIleana Ros-Lehtinen said ina statement.

R o s - L e h t i n e n i schair of the House ofRepresentatives ForeignRelations Committee, whichhas already held severalhearings and classified

briengs on the attack.The attack killed US

Ambassador ChristopherStevens and three otherAmericans, and raised

questions about the adequacyof security in far-ung posts.

Reuters

As the international community strives toachieve the Millennium Development Goals by2015 and forge an agenda for economic and socialprogress in the years beyond, addressing theproblem of corruption becomes all the more urgent.

The cost of corruption is measured not justin the billions of dollars of squandered or stolenGovernment resources, but most poignantly inthe absence of the hospitals, schools, clean water,roads and bridges that might have been built withthat money and would have certainly changed thefortunes of families and communities.

Corruption destroys opportunities and createsrampant inequalities. It undermines human rightsand good governance, sties economic growth anddistorts markets.

Corruption also aggravates environmentalproblems through the illegal dumping of hazardouswaste and the illegal trade in animal and plant lifefacilitated by bribery and under-the-table incentives

that determine who is awarded contracts, especiallyfor highly lucrative, large-scale infrastructureprojects.

Preventing corruption is critical to securingthe rule of law. The United Nations Conventionagainst Corruption has 164 States parties, but weneed universal adherence. The General Assemblyshistoric high-level meeting on the rule of law, heldin September, stressed the importance of addressingand preventing corruption. Governments must playtheir part and citizens must raise their voices.

Corruption is not inevitable. It ows fromgreed and the triumph of the undemocratic fewover the expectations of the many.

On International Anti-Corruption Day, I callon everyone to work towards a sustainable futurewhere corruption is exposed and rejected, where

integrity prevails, and where the hopes and dreamsof millions are realized.

UNIC/Yangon

UNSGs message on International

Anti-Corruption Day9 December 2012

The European Unionwas awarded on 12 Oct the2012 Nobel Peace Prizefor advancing peace andreconciliation, democracyand human rights in Europe

for over six decades.

Xinhua


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4 Sunday, 9 December, 2012

Sci ence & Techn ology


Science

Tech

Chinas mini Apple takes slice of smar tphone pie

Lei Jun,founder andCEO of Chi-nas mobilecompany Xi-aomi, speaksat a launchceremony of

Xiaomi Phone2 in Beijingin this on 16

August, 2012fle photo.ReuteRs

Beijing, 8 DecChi-nas Xiaomi Technology isa fairy tale for nerdy entre-preneurs.

Less than three yearsafter its founding, thesmartphone maker is val-ued at $4 billion and evokesApple-like adoration fromits fans, some of whom aredesperate enough to skipwork for a shot at buyingthe latest product the day itgoes on sale.

Founder Lei Jundresses like the late SteveJobs, in jeans and a blacktop. He has created a fer-

vent fan base for Xiaomismoderately priced high-endsmartphones by mimickingApple Incs marketing tac-tic of attaching an aura ofexclusivity around its prod-ucts.

Before Xiaomi, the42-year-old Lei was a keyinvestor in Chinas earlyInternet scene, co-foundingstartups including Joyo.cn,which was eventually soldto Amazon.com Inc, andthe recently listed YY Inc.

Born in Xiantao, asmall city in Chinas cen-tral Hubei Province bet-

ter known for breedingOlympic gymnasts thanbillionaire technocrats, Leibrushes off comparisons toJobs but concedes that theApple visionary was an in-spiration.

Chinas media say Iam Chinas Steve Jobs,Lei toldReuters in an inter-view.

I will take this as acompliment but such kindof comparison brings ushuge pressure, said Lei,who grew up assemblingradios as a hobby. Xiaomiand Apple are two totally

different companies. Xiao-mis based on the Internet.We are not doing the samething as Apple.

Xiaomi has alreadysold 300,000 of its latest

phone model, launched inOctober.

The Xiaomi phone 2has specications similar tothose of Samsung Electron-ics Galaxy S3 and ApplesiPhone5 but a top-of-the-line model sells for about$370, half the price of aniPhone5.

Unlike the big domes-tic smartphone players,such as Lenovo Group,ZTE Corp and HuaweiTechnologies, which workwith telecom carriers to sella large volume of smart-phones, Xiaomi sells mostof its phones online and insmall batches.

This small volumestrategy creates pent-updemand that gives Xiaomifree marketing buzz.

The rst batch of50,000 phones released on30 October sold out in lessthan two minutes. Subse-quent larger batches havealso sold out in minutes.

Reuters

Private rm plans affordable lunar missionfor $1.5 billion

San FranciSco, 8DecA Colorado start-up run by former NASAmanaagers plans to con-duct missions to the moonfor about $1.5 billion perexpedition, a fraction ofwhat a similar government-run operation would cost,company ofcials said onThursday.

Our vision is to cre-ate a reliable and afford-able US-based commercialhuman lunar transportationsystem, said former Apol-lo ight director Gerry Grif-n, who serves as chairmanof the rm, named GoldenSpike.

The expeditions woulduse existing rockets andspacecraft now under de-velopment to y NASA as-tronauts to theInternationalSpace Station.

Depending on how

many customers sign up,the company said it couldbe ready to y its rst mis-sion by 2020. It did notelaborate on any existing orpending contracts with cus-tomers or suppliers.

The rst mission wouldrequire an investment of $7billion to $8 billion, saidGolden Spike PresidentAlan Stern, NASAs formerassociate administrator forscience. Once established,mission costs would drop toabout $1.5 billion to y twopeople to the moon for up totwo days.

This is a game-chang-er, Stern told reporters in

Washington and on a con-ference call. We can yhuman lunar missions forthe cost of a robotic mis-sion. Stern declined tospecify how many missionsthe company would need to

sell to turn a prot.If we only sell three or

four expeditions, its com-pletely upside down. Weneed to sell a bunch. But wedo not need to sell ridicu-lous numbers, he said.

A market study shows15 to 25 nations can affordlunar exploration and maywant to do so, he added.

Potential customersinclude civilian space agen-cies, corporations, researchinstitutes and some ex-tremely wealthy individu-als.

We can make it af-fordable for mid-sizedcountries like a Korea, an

Indonesia, or a South Af-rica to be in the businessof lunar exploration, whichwould cost them a greatdeal more to invent that ca-pability, Stern said.

In addition to advanceticket sales, the companyis counting on advertisingand marketing campaignsto raise funds.

Golden Spike is not therst company proposingprivately funded missionsto the moon. Other rmsinclude Moon Express, amining outt, and com-panies participating in a

Google-sponsored competi-tion to land a robotic probeon the satellite.Reuters

A man looks at the f ull moon atop a hill in Sydneyon 14 June, 2003.ReuteRs

In this photo illustration, a Facebook logo on a com-puter screen is seen throu gh a magn ifying glass held by

a woman in Bern on 19 May, 2012.ReuteRs

Italian tax police visit Facebooks Milanofces

Milan, 8 DecItalianpolice have been carrying

out checks at the Milan of-ces of Facebook to assesswhether it regularly de-clared its income in Italy,an investigative source andthe US company said onFriday.

Italian ofcials have

Japans Hitachi to cease production of chipsby 2014

Tokyo, 8 DecJapans Hitachi Ltdsaid on Friday it would cease productionof chips used in information and telecomshardware at the end of March 2014.

The semiconductor industry has seenan increasingly horizontal division of la-bour in terms of development, design andmanufacturing in recent years, said Hi-tachi in a statement.

Hitachi, an industrial manufacturerthat makes goods ranging from nuclear re-

actors to washing machines, said efforts toboost cost efciency and competitivenessdrove the decision.Reuters

A Hitach i logo is seen at an electron icsshop in Tokyo on 27 Oct, 2012.

ReuteRs

stepped up their effortsto collect taxes in recent

months and have alreadytargeted other big corpo-rate names such as Googleto check whether they arepaying their dues.

The investigative sourcesaid tax ofcials rst wentto the ofces of Facebook

in Milan nearly a monthago to collect documents.

Facebook pays taxesin Italy as part of its busi-ness activity in the countryand strictly complies withItalys scal rules, Face-book said in an emailedstatement.

Facebook has fullycooperated with tax policeduring the investigation andintends to continue to dothat. Italian police openeda new tax probe into Goog-le Italy last week, ve yearsafter an earlier investigationinto transfer pricing.

Google has said itcomplies with the tax laws

in every country in which itoperates.Reuters

San FranciSco, 8

DecGoogle Inc will no

longer offer its Web-basedofce productivity softwarefree to small businesses,the Internetcompany's lat-est move to expand revenuebeyond its core advertisingservices.

Google said on Thurs-day that businesses with 10or fewer people will nowneed to pay $50 per userper yearthe same ratethat larger businesses payto use its Google Appssoftware which includesemail, word processing,spreadsheet and presenta-tion tools.

The change will letGoogle offer a more con-sistent service to businesscustomers, the companysaid in a post on its com-pany blog.

Businesses quicklyoutgrow the basic versionand want things like 24/7customer support and largerinboxes, Google said.

Individual consumerswill still be able to get a

Google to charge small

businesses for Web-basedApps software

free version of many of theproducts, such as Gmail,

Google said. And existingbusiness customers who usethe free version will contin-ue to get it for free, thoughthey will not receive the ad-ditional services included inthe premium version.

More than 5 millionbusinesses use Google'sApps, Google said earlierthis year, though it did notdistinguish between cus-tomers who use the free orpaid versions.

The move marks thelatest change to GoogleApps, which until 2011 wasavailable for free to busi-nesses with 50 or fewerpeople.

In June, Googlelaunched the Google Com-pute Engine, which pro-vides online computingservices to a limited set ofcustomers.

Google, the world'sNo1 Web search engine,generates the bulk of itsrevenue from online adver-tising.Reuters


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Sunday, 9 December, 2012 5

BUSI NESS & HEALTH


US Air makes merger offer, AMR pilots

appr ove labour deal

A US Airways plane passes American Airlines plan es atRonald R eagan Nation al Airport in Washington on 13

April, 2012.ReuteRs

Goldman Sachs ned $1.5 million fortr ading glitch

Washington, 8 DecGoldman Sachs Group Inc

was ned $1.5 million tosettle charges it failed tosupervise its traders andallowing one futures dealer tohide billions in dollars fromsight and causing a $118million loss.

Ex-Goldman traderMatthew Marshall Taylorin 2007 camouaged an $8.3billion position, manuallyentering fake trades, theCommodity Futures TradingCommission (CFTC) saidon Friday.

Goldman failed tohave policies or proceduresreasonably designed to detectand prevent the manual entryof fabricated futures tradesinto its front ofce systems,

the top US derivativesregulator said. As a result,on seven trading days inNovember and December2007, Taylor circumventedGoldmans risk management,compliance, and supervisionsystems, the CFTC said.

In a lawsuit in NewYork in November, theCFTC sought a $130,000civil penalty against Taylor,who at the time was a vicepresident at the banksCapital Structure Franchise

Traders work in the Goldman Sachs stall on the oor ofthe New York Stock Exchange on 16 July, 2010.

ReuteRs

neW York, 8 DecBeing overweight is knownto increase the risk of need-ing a knee replacement, buta new study nds that kneereplacement surgery mayalso raise a persons risk ofgaining weight.

Analyzing the medicalrecords of nearly 1,000 knee-replacement surgery patients,researchers found that 30percent of them gained vepercent or more of their bodyweight in the ve years fol-lowing surgery.

One possible explana-

tion for the counterintuitiveresults, experts said, is thatif people have spent yearsadapting to knee pain by tak-ing it easy, they dont auto-matically change their habitswhen the pain is reduced.

After knee replace-ment we get them strongerand moving better, but theydont seem to take advantageof the functional gains andbecome more active, said Jo-seph Zeni, a physical therapyprofessor at the University ofDelaware, who was not partof the study. I think that hasto do with the fact that we

dont address the behavioralmodications that have hap-pened during the course of

Knee replacement linked to

weight gainarthritis before the surgery,he added. Hundreds of thou-sands of people in the USundergo knee replacementsurgery each year.

The goal of putting ina new knee is to alleviatepain and get people mov-ing around more, but DanielRiddle, lead author of thenew study and a professorat Virginia CommonwealthUniversity, said his team hadnoticed that patients tendedto gain weight after surgery.

To see whether this wascommon, Riddles group

used a patient registry fromthe Mayo Clinic in Roch-ester, MN, which collectedinformation on 917 kneereplacement patients beforeand after their procedures.

The researchers foundthat ve years after surgery,30 percent of patients hadgained at least ve percent oftheir weight at the time of thesurgery. Thats 10 pounds ormore on a 200-pound person,for example. In contrast, lessthan 20 percent of those in acomparison group of simi-lar people who had not hadsurgery gained equivalent

amounts of weight in thesame period.Reuters

neW York , 8 DecUS Airways Group Inchas made a formal mergerproposal to AmericanAirlines parent AMR Corpand its creditors that couldvalue the combined airlineat around $8.5 billion, twopeople familiar with the

matter said on Friday.Details of the proposalemerged as AmericanAirlines pilots voted toratify a new union contracton Friday, ending a years-long labor dispute andstabilizing the carrier asit tries to emerge frombankruptcy. Under anall-stock merger that USAirways proposed in mid-November at a meeting withAMRs unsecured creditorscommittee, AMR creditorswould own 70 percent of

the merged company andUS Airways shareholders30 percent, the people said.

US Airways and AMRare negotiating toward apotential merger agreementthat the smaller rival hopescould come as soon asJanuary, one of the people

added, asking not to benamed because the matteris not public.

The combined AMRand US Airways could havea value similar to Delta AirLines Inc, which has a marketcapitalization of around $8.5billion, the person said.

At the same time, AMRis still pursuing a plan toemerge from bankruptcyp r o c e e d i n g s a s a nindependent airline, whichwill be compared againstthe merits of a merger with

US Airways, the peoplesaid. The companies haveyet to narrow differenceson a number of signicantissues before any deal

could be agreed, includinghow much of the combinedcarrier each side shouldown, the people said.

AMR creditors thinkthey should get an equitystake of closer to 80 percentin a merged entity, rather thanthe 70 percent proposed byUS Airways, the people said.AMR and US Airways alsodisagree on potential costand revenue benets froma merger as well as laborintegration challenges, theyadded.

In a note to AmericanAirlines workers, AMR

CEO Tom Horton saidthe company is weighingwhether a merger couldcreate value for our ownersand a positive outcomefor our people and ourcustomers. We expect tohave a conclusion on thissoon.

Representatives of USAirways and the creditorscommittee declined tocomment. The Wall Street

Journal reported detailsof US Airways proposalearlier on Friday.Reuters

Trading desk, and later went

to work for Morgan Stanley.Goldman Sachs took

a $118 million loss inunwinding the position ine-mini S&P 500 futurescontracts.

Taylors activity wasagged by our controls on 14December, with no impact tocustomer funds, GoldmanSachs said in an emailedstatement. Since theseevents, we have enhancedour controls. Were pleasedto have settled this matter.

Taylor had established

the position on December13, 2007. Bart Chilton,a Democrat and one theCFTCs commissioners,thought the penalty wastoo low.

I believe that themonetary penalty should besignicantly higher in orderto represent a sufficientpunishment, as well asto denote a meaningfuldeterrent to future illegalactivity, Chilton said in astatement.Reuters

Mittal to ramp up investment at French

site from the rst-quarter

General view of the ArcelorMittal Florange-Hayange blast furnace in Hayange,

Eastern France, on 3 Dec, 2012.ReuteRs

Paris, 8 DecSteel-maker ArcelorMittal vowedon Friday to kick-start a180-million-euro (145million pounds), ve-yearinvestment programme atits Florange site in easternFrance in the rst quarter of2013, seeking to allay unionconcerns over job cuts.

The fate of Florangestwo idled blast furnaces,

which employ just overa quarter of the 2,000metalworkers at Florange,

has become a headachefor Frances Socialistgovernment, which strucka deal last week with thecompany to avoid job cutsamid union pressure.

While ArcelorMittalsaid it would keep the twoblast-furnaces shuttered,it pledged to work withunions to reach a labourdeal involving transfers

to other jobs at the site,retirement packages andvoluntary redundancies.

The groupsmanagement calls onworkers to construct with ita new phase in the history ofFlorange, which is destinedto remain an important sitefor steelmaking in Europe,the rm, 40 percent ownedby the Mittal family, said ina statement.

Frances rebrandMinister for Industrial

Revival Arnaud Monte-bourg raised the stakes in thedispute with ArcelorMittal

last week by threateningto nationalise the Florangeplant, raising workershopes that were dashed bylast Fridays deal.

Unions angrilydenounced a trick onThursday when thecompany announced it wasditching its bid to run anEU-funded green steelproject at Florange dueto technical difculties.The ULCOS project wasregarded as crucial toreviving the furnaces.

A r c e l o r M i t t a l ,

however, said on Fridayit would plough 13million euros into itsnearby research centre ofMaizieres-les-Metz in a bidto overcome the technicalproblems.

A successful bid forEU-funding would allowone of blast furnaces to beused in a pilot project, itsaid.

The investmentcalendar for the Florangesite will be detailed at a 13December meeting withunions, ArcelorMittal said,promising to meet all its

commitments to the Frenchgovernment.Reuters

BusinessHealth


6/16

Sunday, 9 December, 2012

WORLD

6 New Light of Myanmar

Visitors watch at Shanghai Civil Administration Museumin east Chinas Shanghai Mun icipality, on 7 Dec, 2012.The museum, displaying some 1,300 items, opened to the

public for free Friday. It is the rst civil administrationmuseum in China.Xinhua

Lithuanian

President

approves new

cabinet

Riga, 8 DecLithu-anian President DaliaGrybauskaite on Fridayapproved 12 members ofcabinet as proposed by thePrime Minister-designateAlgirdas Butkevicius,though the post of twoministers remained va-cant, according to newsreaching here.

Grybauskaite stressedthat the government muststart working immediately,saying in a statement thatimportant work and deci-sions are waiting ... thatswhy I signed the decree toapprove the governmentwhose composition is in-complete.

The heads of the Min-istry of Social Security andLabor and the Ministryof Science and Educationwere still undecided, asGrybauskaite rejected twoof the Labour Partys can-didates.Xinhua

Cuba dismantles 2 illegal telecom networks

Havana, 8 DecCubanauthorities have crushed twounderground telecommuni-cations networks operatingfrom abroad to provide xed

and mobile phone services,ofcial media reported Fri-day.

The clandestine net-works were run by two com-panies owned by Cubansliving abroad, respectivelyin Canada and in Spain. Bothcountries have seen a grow-ing number of Cuban expa-

triates.According to of-

cial daily Granma, the tworms illegally used chan-nels owned by state-runtelephone company Etecsapurely to make a prot,

having robbed Etecsa of es-timated revenues of 3 millionUS dollars.

One of the two net-works, starting operation in2009, offered Cuban expatri-ates long-distance call ser-vices for 50 cents a minute

and text message services for5 cents a piece.

Nine Cuban citizenshave been charged, four ofwhom are in custody, sincethe investigation began inSeptember.

The suspects, includingtwo Etecsa employees, facecharges of fraud, which canland them in prison for upto 10 years, and illegal eco-nomic activity, which carriesa maximum jail term of three

years.Xinhua

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of theHouse Oversigh t and Government Reform Committee,

speaks during The Security Failures of B enghazihearing on Capitol Hill, Washington DC on 10 Oct,

2012.ReuteRs

Police probing jewelry theft

at home of congressmanKHaRtoum, 8 Dec

The Sudanese army onFriday acknowledged at-tacking forces of the Dar-fur Liberation and JusticeMovement (LJM), a sig-natory to a peace deal withthe Sudanese government,holding the movement re-sponsible of being presentat an area it does not be-long to, Sudans AshrouqNet reported.

The armys attack-ing of an armed group atEl-Sheikh area in NorthDarfur State comes withinthe context of performing

its duty, Ashrouq quotedAl-Sawarmy Khalid Saad,spokesman for the Suda-nese army, as saying.

The LJM forces made

a big mistake as they po-sitioned themselves at anarea which, according to aceasere committee, doesnot belong to them, saidSaad.

We have performedour duty by responding toan armed group reportedabout by the citizens of El-Sheikh village, west of ElFasher, he said.

Saad reiterated thatwhat has happened wouldnot affect the Doha Docu-ment for Peace in Darfur(DDPD), a ceasere com-mittee signed between the

government and the LJMin the Qatari capital lastyear, afrming the gov-

Sudanese army acknowledges attacking

LJ M forcesernments determinationto implement the deal. OnThursday, the LJM ac-cused the Sudanese armyof attacking its militaryunits and threatened towithdraw from the agree-ment.

The Sudanese armydeliberately attacked themovements forces onWednesday near El Fash-er, capital city of NorthDarfur State which re-sulted in the killing of twomembers of the move-ment, said Al-TiganiSessei, LJM chairman, ata Press conference Thurs-day. Our movementswere known for the army,but we were surprised bythis deliberate attack, he

added.Sessei criticized what

he termed as mislead-ing campaign by theSudanese government toshow that the Sudanesearmys attack was againstthe forces of the Revolu-tionary Front, an alliancethat brings together majorDarfur armed movementswhich are rejecting theDDPD.

On Wednesday, LocalSudanese media reportedthat the Sudanese armyclashed with a group be-longing to the Revolution-

ary Front as they were try-ing to bombard El Fasher,and killed three of the

group.Violence escalated

in the Darfur region dur-ing the past two months,which pushed the UnitedNations-African UnionMission in Darfur (UN-AMID) to express con-cerns over the mountingviolence in the region andurge the conicting parties

to avoid whatever mightthreaten the fragile peacein the restive region.

Xinhua

San Dieco, 8 DecThe San Diego-area homeof Representative DarrellIssa was broken into last

week by a burglar whostole jewelry, and policewere investigating severalleads into the crime, theSan Diego County SheriffsDepartment said on Friday.

A spokesman for Issa,the Republican chairman ofthe House of Representa-tives Oversight and Gov-ernment Reform Commit-tee, conrmed the burglary

but directed further inquir-ies to local authorities.

The San Diego Un-

ion-Tribune reported thatthieves took $100,000worth of jewelry, number-

ing more than 50 pieces in-cluding watches, earrings,rings and bracelets.

The items that weretaken were irreplaceablefamily heirlooms that wereinherited by the Issa fam-

ily, Issas spokesman,Frederick Hill, told the pa-per, adding that the fam-ily considered the piecespriceless.

Hill conrmed the re-mark to Reuters , and SanDiego County SheriffsDepartment spokeswomanJan Caldwell conrmed

that jewelry was stolen inthe burglary, which tookplace on the evening of 29November.

This is an ongoinginvestigation and theresvery little we can say,Caldwell said. Detectives

are investigating severalleads.Reuters

Motorcycle gang members convicted of racketeering, mur derKanSaScity, 8 Dec

A federal jury in Missouriconvicted motorcycle gangmembers on Friday of rack-eteering, murder and othercrimes as part of a broadcrackdown on motorcyclegang activity.

The convictions in StLouis, following a month-long trial, come on the heelsof indictments and arrestsof members of other mo-

torcycle gangs in Indiana,Michigan and Californiaearlier this year.

An indictment un-sealed in June said somemembers of the Wheels ofSoul Outlaw MotorcycleClub murdered a rival inSt Louis in 2009, commit-ted murders in Illinois andOhio and were involved indrug dealing or other crimesin multiple states.

The indictment saidgang members also tookpart in a drive-by shooting

in Colorado and a stabbingduring a gang ght in Chi-cago. Gang members used

explosives, committed ar-son and were ordered tocarry guns, hammers andknives, the indictment said.

In all, 21 Wheels ofSoul members were in-dicted in what FBI SpecialAgent Dennis Baker calleda nationwide takedownthat disrupted and disman-tled the group by targetingits senior leaders.

Seven of eight defend-

ants tried in St Louis werefound guilty of conspiracyto commit racketeering,

some of whom were alsowere convicted of murder,attempted murder and tam-pering with evidence. Aneighth defendant was ac-quitted.

The other 13 membersindicted had pleaded guiltybefore the trial, said JanDiltz, spokeswoman for theUS attorney.

The federal investiga-tion targeted gang leaders

considered to be particu-larly criminal and violent,authorities said.Reuters

Government heading for political

blow from debt downgradeLo n D o n , 8 Dec

Britain is lurching closerto an embarrassing loss ofits prized triple-A creditrating as the economicoutlook darkens, and thepolitical pain for PrimeMinister David Cameronsgovernment from a once-unthinkable move mayexceed the economic

damage. Chancellor GeorgeOsborne warned of weakergrowth and more austerityin a budget update onWednesday. Althoughhe avoided the political

Chancellor George Osborne speaks at the GlobalInvestment Con ference 2012 in Lon don on

26 July, 2012.ReuteRs

mis-steps for which themedia lambasted him afterMarchs budget, there nowlooms the more menacingspectre of a downgrade

before an election due in2015.Ratings agency Fitch

said his admission that hewill miss a key debt-cuttinggoal weakened his fiscalcredibility. That fuelledfears Britain may be strippedof a top credit rating thathas arguably helped keepborrowing costs at recordlows. Losing that crownwould be a blow to Osborneand Cameron, who havestaked their reputations onrebuilding an economy thatsuffered its biggest shocksince World War Two duringthe nancial crisis.

Their Conservative

Party was forced to sharepower with Liberal Democratrivals after the electionin 2010, and the partysleaders had hoped to win

a full mandate from votersby proving their economiccredentials.Reuters


7/16

Sunday, 9 December, 2012 7New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar archery team aims for gold in coming SEA GamesNay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

Archery sport which had

brought honour to the State

secured three gold medals

each in 2009 and 2011.

At present, Myanmar

archery team is undertraining for achieving victory

in the XXVII SEA Games

to be hosted in Myanmar.

Altogether 24 tentatively

selected archers are taking

vigorous exercises in Nay

Pyi Taw.

Genera l Secre ta ry

of the Myanmar Archery

Federation U Kyaw Oo

(Deputy Head of Ofce of

the Ministry of Sports) said

that Myanmar archery team

started its training in Yangon

as of 1 January for the coming

SEA Games. On 11 October,

the training camp moved to

Nay Pyi Taw. At present,six men and six women in

compound and six men and

six women in recurve event

are taking exercises.

He said he satises

their training. Aung Hngein

and womens compound team

who secured gold medals in

the Indonesian SEA Games

secured better points than

that of the previous SEA

Games. Records of Aung

Hngein are better than thatof Asia.

The coming SEA Games

will award 10 gold medals in

the archery event. Myanmar

team is making preparations

for securing all 10 medals and

expects to win ve of ten.

Athletes are under training

at the Gold Camp in Nay

Pyi Taw. The athletes are

facilitated with hotel services

at the camp. They have the

opportunity to take exercises

at tness centre to have better

styles.

As part of preparations,

MyanmarArchery Federation

plans to host an internationalarchery competition before

the SEA Games. The Pre-

SEA Games Archery Contest

will take place at Archery

Range in Nay Pyi Taw on 8

to 12 January 2013.

Our federation had

hos ted SEA Archery

Championships for three

times. First, second and

fourth times were hosted in

Myanmar, and the third time

in the Philippines. ExceptTimor and Brunei, we invited

the remaining ASEAN

member countries to take

part in the contest. We plans

to award 18 gold medals to

the winners. Myanmar will

participate in the contest with

24 players.

S i x m e n a n d

women each will take

part in the compound and

recurve events. As the

players secured gold, silver

and bronze medals in the

previous four SEA Archery

Championships, we hope for

them to win medals so as to

uplift prestige to the State,said U Kyaw Oo.

Myanmar archery team

for the coming SEA Games

is led by General Secretary

of the federation U Kyaw

Oo together with co-leader

Dr Mya Thura Soe, manager

and eld manager U Than

Kyaing, Assistant managers

U Tin Aung Ko and Daw

Thida Win, leader of the

organizing the contest Daw

Kathy, deputy leader Daw

Aye Thida, member Daw Tin

Zin Ei, Chief Coach Mr LeeSang Bong (South Korea),

coaches U Aung Thura, U

Aung Naing Oo, U Ye Min

Swe, U Zaw Win Htaik, Daw

Myat Thuza Myint, Daw

Kathy Win, new generation

coach Mr Kim Sung Jin

(South Korea), archers Zaw

Win Htaik, Nay Myo Aung,

Aung Myo Thu, Wai Lin Tun,

Nyein Sithu, Maung Aye,

Thin Thin Khaing, San Yu

Htwe, Thazin Aung, Zargyi

Win, Thanda Soe and Nan

Kyi Kyi Shwe in recurve

event, Lin Naing, Myat Zaw

Tun, Aung Cheint Baw, SaiZin Min Htet, Shein Htet

Kyaw, Moe Kyaw Naing,

Aung Hngein, Hla Hla San,

Yaw Sein Ya, Poe Ei Ton,

Marlar Khin Nyunt and

Aye Aye Thin in compound

event.Myanma Alinn

General Secretary of

the Myanmar Archery

Federation U Kyaw Oo

(Deputy Head of Ofce of

the Ministry of Sports)

yaNgoN, 8 DecA

c e r e m o n y t o h o n o u r

outstanding students who

secured distinctions in the

2011-2012 academic year

matriculation examinationwas held at Mya Nyila Hall of

No. 2 Basic Education High

School in Latha Township

on 4 December.

A total of 257 students of

278 passed the matriculation

examination for 2011-2012

academic year, accounting

for 92.45 per cent. Thus, the

school stood second in the

best pass rate in the nation. In

addition, the school produced

four students who stood the

best positions from rst to

10th in the examination.

With regard to the

Outstanding students honoured

at Latha BEHS No. 2efforts made for securing

best pass rate of the school,

Headmistress Dr Daw

Theingi Kyaw explained,

The root cause of securing

the best pass rate of theschool is concerted efforts

of parents, teachers and

students.

Ma Pyone Le Wai Lwin,

who stood third in the entire

nation and secured Latha

Yadana award, expressed

her aim that she tried hard

to win the distinctions in

all subjects. She studied old

questions and followed the

teachings of teachers. She

wants to be a doctor. She

wishes to uplift prestige of

the State and the school, she

said.Myanma Alinn

Lashio, 8 DecA

vehicle driven by Myo Min

Htut on Pyidaungsu Road

near 2500 Sasana Pagoda

Road Junction in Ward 1 of

Lashio bumped the trafc

landscaping block due to out

Speedy car on trafclandscaping block

of control with high speed at

11.30 am on 3 December.

In the incident, the

car stopped on the block.

Although it was trafc busy

time, there was no casualty

not only on the road but also

abroad.

The trafc police force

opened a le of lawsuit against

driver Myo Min Htut, 22 of

Chanmyathazi Township of

Mandalay under the law.

Myanma Alinn

yaNgoN, 8 DecTo be

able to easing trafc jams

due to growing number of

cars in Yangon City as a

commercial hub, an overpass

is under construction at

Bayintnaung Junction in

Mayangon Township ofYangon Region.

At 6 am on 4 December,

Yangon Region Minister

for Development Affairs

Mayor of Yangon U Hla

Myint inspected progress of

construction tasks.

After that, the mayor

looked into nine feet each

expansion of both sides on

road shoulders along the

section from Danyingon

Junction to Bogyoke Road

in Shwepyitha Township,

functions of Concrete Pipe

Factory in Insein Township

and works of Leingon Bridgein Shwepyitha Township.

At Yangon City Water

Development tasks of Yangon

City supervisedSupply Project (Ngamoeyeik)

as second phase, the mayor

inspected laying of HDPE

pipes along Khayebin Road,

laying of 56-inch diameter DI

underground pipelines along

No. 3 Highways and HDPE

pipes along No. 3 Highwayin Kontalabaung Village of

Mingaladon Township and

repaving of Khayebin Road

with asphalt concrete.

Later, the mayor viewed

progress of building Hledan

Overpass in Kamayut

Township.

Myanma Alinn

gaNgaw, 8 DecAs

cold season crops have

harves ted in Gangaw

T o w n s h i p , p r i c e o f

vegetables remarkably

fall. Before harvesting the

vegetables, cauliflower,

tomato and bean were

Price of cold season crops fallstransported from Monywa

by car and Kalay by train

to Gangaw.

Therefore, the prices of

vegetables were added with

transport charge.

At present, price of

cabbage declined to K 400 per

viss from K 800, cauliower

K 400, tomato K 500 and

bean K 500.

When the production

of crops increases, price of

vegetables and crops will

be cheaper.

Myanma Alinn

Tailoring, domestic science courses concludeyaNgoN , 8 Dec

M y a i n g T o w n s h i p

Information and Public

Rela t ions Depar tment

reported that the Womens

Vocational Training School(Myaing) of Education and

Training Department under

the Ministry of Border

Affairs concluded the

advanced tailoring course

No. 17 and the basic domestic

science course No. 21 at its

hall in Myaing Township ofMagway Region at 8 am on

30 November.

On the occasion, Acting

Administrator U Hla Shwe

of Myaing Township made

a speech.

Deputy Principal of the

school Daw Yi Yi Aungexplained matters related to

the training courses.

Also present on the

occasion were departmental

ofcials, the chairperson of

Township Womens Affairs

Organization, responsible

persons of non-governmental

organizations, townselders,

ward administrators, traineesand course instructors.

Myanma Alinn

Reading habit

raisedLashio, 8 DecWith theaim of developing libraries

and raising reading habit

of the local people, Falam

District Information and

Public Relations Department

held roundtable discussion

and literary talks at its hall on

3 December morning.

The staff ofcer of the

District IPRD expalined

purpose of discussions.

Commander of Township

Police Force Police Major

Mya Htay discussed literary

affairs. Those present focused

on development libraries andliterary affairs.

Myanma Alinn

LOCAL NEWS


8/16

Sunday, 9 December, 20128 New Light of MyanmarLOCAL nEWS

PERSPECTIVESSunday, 9 December, 2012

Corruption kills developmentCorruption is a global issue that aficts all

countries around the world. Corruption weakensdemocracy, destabilizes governments, and sets

countries back economically and politically.

Although corruption comes in various forms, there

are no signicant differences among them in its

devastation blow to democracy and development.

Today is the International Anti-Corruption Day

which is observed on 9 December each year in order

to heighten the public awareness of corruption and

ways to ght it.

All of us have a responsibility in the battle

against corruption which is like cancer. Because

corruption is one of the serious impediments to

the nations bold moves taken towards building a

peaceful, prosperous and harmonious democratic

society. Corruption can be detrimental to reform

processes, killing development, breeding inequality

and undermining the rule of law. When public money

is stolen for personal gain or foreign aid desperately

needed for development funds diverted from the

State budget toward private bank accounts, poor

and vulnerable people who are marginalized by

corruption suffer rst and worst.

Tax evasion is a kind of corruption and it can

distort development. A shortfall in tax revenue has a

tremendous negative effect on the nations nancial

resources needed to be invested in bolstering national

economy and addressing urgent social problems. If

a developing country successfully collected all the

taxes, it will then not have to depend on foreign aid

in the long-term. When tax evasion is larger than

the spending on education and health sectors or

almost as large as the countrys export earnings, it

is sure that such kind of country will never breakthe cycle of poverty.

On this International Anti-Corruption Day,

schools are to serve as a good basis for good

governance. Being an auspicious ground where the

best chance is ourished to instill good morals that

stay with people through to adulthood, students,

from early childhood, are to be taught to be deeply

ashamed of committing corruption and they are to be

equipped with a culture that values ethical behavior.

It is imperative to put commitment, consistence,

capacity and constancy together while cracking

down on the corruption problems which are complex

and difcult to address within the short period of

time. Transparency must go hand-in-hand with all

the steps we are taking in both private and public

sectors. Corruption will always be with us if we lacktransparency in every step we take, no matter how

many different ways we try to ght it.

Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk

Kham who is on tour of

Sittway of Rakhine State

and party, accompanied

by ambassadors f rom

Bangladesh, Cambodia,

Indonesia, Pakistan and

Turkey embassies based

in Myanmar, diplomats,

members from UN agencies

and departmental heads,

arrived at Kyeinnipyin

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham inspects regional

development and rehabilitation tasks in Rakhine State

v i l l a g e o f P a u k t a w

Township by helicopters

this morning.

The Vice-President and

party cordially greeted local

people at relief camp in

Kyeinnipyin village. After

that, the Vice-President and

party, the ambassadors, the

diplomats and members

from UN agencies, asked for

local peoples daily needs,

running of agricultural and

livestock businesses and

health, and then provided

them with relief aids.

Afterwards, the Union

Minister, the diplomats and

members from UN agencies

met with local people and

visited the old Kyeinnipyin

village. There, the Vice-

President held discussion

on drinking water supply

of the village with the State

Chief Minister and ofcials

from UNICEF, and Deputy

Minister for Health gave a

supplementary report.

With respect to the

reports, the Vice-President

coordinated. Upon arrival at

Ohntawgyi rescue camp via

Sittway, the Vice-President

and party encouraged the

local people there and

provided them with relief

aids. On arrival at Bawduba

relief camp, they asked for

local peoples daily needs,education and health and

presented personal goods

and foodstuff to them.

Then, they proceeded

to Mingan relief camp

and encouraged local

people there. The Vice-

President and party asked

for local peoples health,

e c o n o my , e d u c a t i o n ,

social and daily needs and

presented relief aids to

them. In the afternoon, the

Vice-President and party

left Sittway by Myanma

Airways Special Flight and

arrived back in Nay Pyi

Taw.MNAVice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham presents reliefaid to local people at Ohntawgyi Relief Camp in

Sittway Township.mna Quantity

matters,

so does

quality!

Challenges

Cartoon

Maung Maung San Lwin

(GAD)

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham cordially greeting locals at Kyeinnipyin Village in Pauktaw

Township.mna

Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

As December mass walk is

held nationwide annually in

December the second week

of December mass walk was

held this morning.

Among the participants

were Chairman of Union

Election Commission U

Tin Aye, Union ministers U

Tint Hsan and U Aye MyintKyu, deputy ministers,

departmental heads, staff

Second week of December

mass walk heldpersonnel and their families.

Around 8000 participants

walked from Myoma Market

to Gems Museum on Yaza

Thingaha Street through

Thabyaegon Roundabout

along Taungnyo-Pyinmana

Road.

Wellwishers served the

walkers with refreshments

and snacks and the walkerstook exercise in front of the

gems museum.MNA

Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

Myanmar Ecumenica l

Central Committee marked

Christmas by holding a

S e r v i c e a t My a n ma r

Convention Centre on

Mindhamma Road in

Ma y a n g o n To wn s h i p

yesterday evening.

Union Minister for

Religious Affairs Thura

U Myint Maung andofcials from the ministry,

Myanmar Ecumenica l

X mas service held at MCCCentral Committee members

and Christians attended the

Service. Rev K D Tulum

of Yangon Kachin Baptist

Church gave blessings

and the Central Committee

Patron Col Aung Din (Retd)

extended greetings at the

ceremony. Then, the union

minister expressed words

of honour.

Dinner was hosted tothose present.

MNA

IT age.Education

Economic

Social


9/16


Nati oNal

9New Light of Myanmar

Nay Py i Taw , 8

Dec Accompanied by

Ms. Baroness Valerie

Amos, United Nations

Under-Secretary General

and Emergency Relief

Coordinator and party,

United Nations Coordinator

in Myanmar Mr. Ashok

Nigam and ofcials of Border

Area and National Races

Development Department,

Union Minister for Border

Affairs Lt-Gen Thein Htay

arrived Myitkyina Airport by

special ight on 6 December

morning.

The talk between Union

Minister Lt-Gen Thein

Htay, Ms. Baroness Amos

and members and Kachin

State Chief Minister U La

John Ngan Hsaing, state

ministers and department

of f ic ia l s was he ld a t

Myitkyina Airport. At the

talk, Kachin State chief

minister said that armed

conicts had occurred in the

state since June 2011. Local

people had to ee to nearby

region due to the conicts.

Th o s e f a mi l i e s we r e

provided with food, shelter,

healthcare, education under

the supervision of Kachin

State government, joining

hands by UN agencies,

d e p a r t me n t s , I NGOs ,

social organizations and

wellwishers.

The union minister and

party together with Kachin

State chief minister visited

relief camp in Janmancong

ward in Myitkyina where

they cordially greeted to

families sheltering at the

camp.

The Union minister and

party left Myitkyina for Nay

Pyi Taw by special ight in

the evening.

MNA

Union Border Affair s Minister and UN

delegation look round relief camps in Myitkyina

Exaggerating Rakhine(from page 1)

To dispel the suspicion,

the Government would

provide correct facts and

information and the diplomats

and UN agencies can witness

the actual situation.Th e Mi n i s t r y o f

Information also issued

a press release strongly

opposing the fabricated news

and reportages.

With the aim of building

a society which can live

in peaceful coexistence

in Rakhine State, the

government has been making

efforts at most to settle the

issue, he said, and he also

stressed the need for assisting

in social and economic

development of the local

people in Rakhine State as

part of efforts for settling

out the issue.

For the social and

economic development

of the state, necessary

arrangements have been

made and the government

itself has been providing

humanitarian aids to the

needy people in Rakhine

State in a non-discriminatory

manner, he added.

The government has

been working together with

UN agencies UNHCR, WFP,

OCHA, NGOs, INGOs, other

governments of the countries

which are interested in

implementing the socio-

economic development, and

such way of cooperation is

a meaningful and positiveapproach to help the people

in Rakhine State.

Vice-President Dr Sai

Mauk Kham also expressed

his belief that the diplomats

and members of the UN

agencies would witness the

actual situation in Rakhine

State, saying that he expected

that the UN agencies would

submit the reports which

reect the actual situation

in Rakhine State to their

respective headquarters.

Union Minister Lt-

Gen Thein Htay briefed

on June and October

incidents, rehabilitation and

humanitarian aids.

U N R e s i d e n t

C o o r d i n a t o r N i g a m

thanked the government

for arranging the trip. He

pointed out the formation

of the commission as

one of the government

measures. He called for

immediate response to

the humanitarian issues.

He called for providing

shelter to displaced persons,

allotment of land, ending

hostilities of the local

people towards the aids

groups, social harmony

between two societies, and

granting citizenships to the

eligible persons in accord

with 1982 citizenship law

which he said is key toaddress the issue. He also

thanked donor countries

and urged them to donate

more.

The ambassadors of

Indonesia, Bangladesh,

Turkey and Cambodia said

they would continue to

support of the governments

ef for t s regarding the

Rakhine State incident,

acknowledging it is very

subtle issue. They said their

support was echoed at 21 st

ASEAN Summit, calling

for addressing root issues.

Vice-Pres ident Dr

Sai Mauk Kham in his

concluding remarks thanked

those present for their

discussions and reiterated

it was a fragile issue. He

said the understanding of

the history of the Rakhine

State is required to resolve

the issue. The Rakhine State

incident is an obstacle while

the government is initiating

political, economic and

social reforms. The June

and October incidents were

based on deep hostilities

between the two societies.

It would take time to resolve

the issue, he said. He vowedthe most possible effort of the

government to overcome the

challenge.

On arrival at Sambalay

village in Minbya Township,

the Vice-President and party

met the local people and

presented aids.

They comforted and

interviewed the local

people of Taunbwe village

in Kyaktaw Township and

presented them with aids.

The Vice-President

met local people at thebrieng hall of Shwe Yin

Aye village in Maungtaw

Township and the diplomats

interviewed the villagers. U

Tha Sein of Shwe Yin Aye

Village said he thanked the

government for taking relief

and rehabilitation measures.

The Vice-President and

party viewed construction

of make-shift tents for local

people in Thayaykonbaung

vi l lage in Maungtaw

Township and cordially

greeted the local people.T h e y l e f t

Thayaykonbaung village for

Sittway with helicopters. The

Ministry of Social Welfare,

Relief and Resettlement

and the Rakhine State

government provided rice

bags, oil, salt, pulses and

beans, instant food and

blankets to the local people

of the villages.MNA

Vice-President Dr Sai M auk Kham gives encouragement to villagers at

Taungbway Village in Kyauktaw Township.mna

National Day celebrated in townships of

Nay Pyi Taw Council Area Nay Pyi Taw, 8 Dec

92nd

Anniversary National DayCeremony for 2012 took place

at Yadanamon Hall of No 1

Basic Education High School

in Nay Pyi Taw Pyinmana

this morning, attended

by Central Committee

Chairman for holding 92nd

National Day Union Minister

for Education Dr Mya

Aye, Central Committee

Members Deputy Minister

for Education Dr Ba Shwe,

Deputy Minister for Home

Affairs Brig-Gen Kyaw

Zan Myint, Deputy Minister

for Culture Daw Sanda

Khin, Nay Pyi Taw Council

Member U Than Aung and

department heads, ofcialsconcerned, members of

social organization, teachers

and students.

First, students from No.2

BEHS opened the ceremony

by singing Pyimyanmar

song.

T h e n , P y i n m a n a

Township Administrator U

Kyaw Tint read out the 92nd

Anniversary National Day

message sent by President of

the Republic of the Union of

Myanmar.

Union ministers, deputy

ministers and department

heads presented prizes to

students who got awards at

92nd

Anniversary NationalDay Commemorative essay

and poem contests.

The Union ministers

and party also attended

92nd Anniversary National

Day at No6 BEHS in

Zabuthiri. At the ceremony,

Zabuthiri Township Acting

Administrator U Thein

Zaw Win read out the 92nd


message sent by the President

of the Republic of the Union

of Myanmar.

Union minister and

Deputy Ministers Dr Ba

Shwe and Daw Sanda Khingave awards to students

who secured prizes at 92nd


Commemorative essay and

poem contests.

Similar ceremony held

at Myoma Golden Jubilee

Hall in No 1 BEHS in Lewe,

attended by Deputy Minister

for Home Affairs Brig-Gen

Kyaw Zan Myint, Nay Pyi

Taw Council Member U

Than Aung, director-general

of Myanmar Examination

Board and officials. 92nd


Ceremonies were celebrated

across the nation on grand

scale this morning.MNA

Union Border Af fairs Minister and party at Janmancong ward relief camp in

Myitkyina.mna

Union Minister for Education Dr Mya Aye gives

prize to a student at 92nd Anniversary National Day

commemorative essay and poem contests.mna


10/16


WORLD

10 New Light of Myanmar

World Bank says youth employment to dr ive

economic growth in Kenya

Rescuers carry a rescued miner to an ambulance at theooded Furuixiang Coal Mine in Qitaihe, northeastChinas Heilongjiang Province, on 7 Dec, 2012. Four

miners who have been trapped in the ooded Furuixi-ang Coal Mine for more than ve days were rescuedearly Friday morning. Rescuers are still searching for

seven others who have been missing after the mine wasooded on Saturday. A total of 22 miners were working

underground when the accident occurred. Six minersescaped, with another two escorted out of the mine at

noon Sunday. Three miners have been conrmed dead.Xinhua

New York, 8 DecCablevision Systems Corp,the New York-based cableoperator, said on Thursdayit would raise its Internetprices by $5 in January,

representing an averagehike of 3.2 percent for cus-tomers total monthly bills.The company said in astatement that prices for itsvideo and phone serviceswill not be affected andthat prices for promotionalpackages, which generallylast one year, will not rise.

But all customers whohave Internet service aspart of their video or phonepackage will see prices rise.

Cablevision said it hadnot raised Internet pricesin a decade. It raised videoprices in 2011, which sawcustomer bills rise by 2.88

Podgorica, 8 DecMontenegro plans to rebuildits trade eet with Chinese

help, Prime Minister MiloDjukanovic told Xinhua inan interview a day after be-ginning his seventh term.

These ships will notbe only able to pay off costsof their building, but also to

HoustoN, 8 DecBrit-ish oil giant BP said Thurs-day it is building a new fa-cility in Houston that willhouse what it says will bethe worlds largest complexof supercomputers for far-

ther and faster search for oiland gas.BP ofcials said con-

Cablevision to r aise Internet pr ices by $5 a monthpercent on average.

The company said ithas invested $140 million inimproving its Internet net-work, deployed more than50,000 WiFi hotspots,

and puts no usage caps onits service, unlike somecable competitors. Canac-cord Genuity analyst TomEagan downgraded his Ca-blevision rating from buyto hold on 27 Novemberand said that Cablevisionwould lose customers if itwere to decide to raise pric-es not long after SuperstormSandy. Given the massiveservice outages among itssubscribers (after Sandy),we dont believe the com-pany can raise rates ... with-out incurring material cus-tomer churn, Eagan said.

The cable provider,

which is controlled by theDolan family, said in earlyNovember that costs fromSandy, which knocked outservice for as many as halfits customers, would be

substantially higher than its$16 million bill from Hur-ricane Irene in 2011.

Like bigger operatorsComcast and Time WarnerCable, Cablevision hasbeen losing customers to ri-vals such as satellite televi-sion provider DirecTV andtelephone operator VerizonCommunications.

Reuters

BP to build new supercomputing facility for

oil, gas sear ch

Montenegro to rebuild trade feet with

Chinese help

struction has already be-gun on the three-storey,110,000 square foot (about9,900 square metre) facil-ity, part of the companysve-year, 100-million-US

dollar investment in high-

performance computing,according to The HoustonChronicle website.

The new high-perfor-mance computing center,scheduled to open in 2013,will enable scientists toproduce clear images ofrock structures deep under-ground that can be used to

identify potential drillingtargets for oil and naturalgas.Xinhua

contribute and create meansfor new ships to be built inorder to completely renewthe Montenegrin trade eet,Djukanovic said.

While Montenegrohas had a strong tradition inshipping dating back severalcenturies, its trade eet waspractically non-existant until

recently.Due to UN sanctions on

former Yugoslavia during

the 1990s, of which Mon-tenegro was a part, its eet

slowly decayed trapped inforeign ports until it wasreduced to a ghost eet of

ships usable only for scrapmetal.Xinhua

Nairobi, 8 DecEx-panding income generatingopportunities for the youthis critical to enhancing eco-nomic progress, social co-

hesion and political stabil-ity in Kenya, a World Bankreport launched in Nairobion Wednesday said.

The report, Kenyaat Work, Energizing theeconomy and creating

jobs, stresses that youthemployment will acceler-ate economic growth andattainment of Kenyas Vi-sion 2030.

Kenya is in the midstof a critical transition evi-denced by a dramatic shiftfrom agriculture basedto wage and service sec-tor employment where the

skills and expertise of theyouth are in huge demand,the World Bank Country

Director for Kenya, Jo-hannes Zutt told journalistsin Nairobi.

Zutt noted that Kenyahas a dynamic youth pop-

ulation which should betapped to propel economic,social and economic trans-formation in the east Afri-can nation.

He challenged the gov-ernment to prioritize youthemployment in the nationaldevelopment agenda.

Kenya needs to cre-ate more jobs to cater forthe large number of peopleentering the workforce. Thecountry is on the verge ofa signicant demographic

opportunity, as the workingage population is increas-ing faster than the number

of dependants, both youngand old, Zutt said.

He added that Ken-

yas demographic dividendpresents an opportunityfor growth of modern andknowledge based economy.An estimated 800,000 Ken-

yans enter the working ageannually yet only 56,000are absorbed in the formal

job market.Zutt regretted that nep-

otism, corruption, sexualharassment and skills mis-match prevent the youthfrom securing well paid

jobs.The country director

pointed out that upgrad-ing skills alongside ght-ing graft and discrimina-tory practices will expandemployment opportunitiesfor the youth. Kenya mustmaintain macroeconomic

stability to create jobs forthe burgeoning youthfulpopulation.Xinhua

UN Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon arrivesat the refugee campin the border town of

Islahiye of Gaziantep,Turkey, on 7 Dec, 2012.UN Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon, during

his visit to Turkey onFriday, urged all sidesin Syria to stop violence

immediately.Xinhua

Intl community urged to address

cor ruption pr oblemuNited NatioNs, 8

DecThe United Nations

Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called onthe international communityto deal with the problem ofcorruption, which he saidhas become all the moreurgent.

As the internationalcommunity strives to achievethe Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) by 2015 andforge an agenda for economicand social progress in theyears beyond, addressingthe problem of corruptionbecomes all the more urgent,Ban said in a message

marking the InternationalAnti-Corruption Day, whichfalls on 9 December.

The cost of corruptionis measured not just inthe billions of dollarsof squandered or stolengovernment resources,but most poignantly in the

absence of the hospitals,schools, clean water, roadsand bridges that might havebeen built with that moneyand would have certainlychanged the fortunes offamilies and communities,he said.

The UN chief noted

that corruption destroys

opportunities and createsrampant inequalities, whichundermines human rightsand good governance,stifles economic growthand distorts markets.

C or rup t ion a l soaggravates environmentalproblems, through the illegal

dumping of hazardous wasteand the illegal trade in animaland plant life facilitatedby bribery and under-the-table incentives thatdetermine who is awardedcontracts, especially forhighly lucrative, large-scaleinfrastructure projects, Bansaid.Xinhua

Insurgent

leader killed

in eastern

Afghan

operationkabul, 8 DecAn

insurgent leader was killedon Tuesday in an operationin eastern Afghan province

of Kunar, the NATO-ledcoalition forces conrmed

on Saturday.Afghan and coalition

security forces conrmed

today that the insurgentleader, Numan, and severalother insurgents were killedduring a security operationin Nari District, Kunarprovince, on Tuesday, thecoalition or InternationalSecurity Assistance Force(ISAF) said in a statement.

Numan facilitated themovement of weaponsand money in Kunar andprovided direct support to

senior insurgent leaders inthe province, some 180 kmeast of Kabul.

In addition, the Afghanand ISAF forces arresteda Taleban leader in Nahr-eSaraj District, Helmandprovince 555 km south ofKabul earlier Saturday,according to the statement.

T h e c a p t u r e dTaleban leader distributesimprovised explosivedevice (IED) materials,the statement said, addingduring the operation, thesecurity force also detainedone suspected insurgent

and seized IED-makingmaterials,Xinhua

Residents

watch a

reworks

show

during the

celebration

called Day

of the Little

Candles,

which mark

the beginning

of the

Christmas

in the city

of Bogota,

capital of

Colombia, on

7 Dec, 2012.Xinhua


11/16


R e gi o n a l

11New Light of Myanmar

Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong (L) shakeshands with Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime

Minister Men Sam An in Phn om Penh , Cambodia, on7 Dec, 2012. Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong

arrived here on Friday for a two-day ofcial visitaiming to fu rther enhance bilateral ties. Xinhua

Eight died, two injured in blaze in Cambodias

Siem Reap cityPhnom Penh, 8 Dec

Eight persons died and twoothers injured in a strongre early on Saturday in anight market in Cambodiastourism hub Siem Reap city,Siem Reap provincial policechief Sath Nady said.

Four adults and fourchildren were killed in theblaze, and other two men

Head of UN

anti-drug

agency visits

Southeast

AsiaUnited nations, 8DecYury Fedotov, theexecutive director of theUnited Nations Ofce onDrugs and Crime, is on a visitto ve countries in Southeast

Asia for discussions onillicit drugs, transnationalorganized c r ime and

environmental crimes,deputy UN spokesmanEduardo del Buey toldreporters here on Friday.

During the 12-daymission, he discussed illicitdrugs, transnational organized

crime, anti-corruption, and

environmental crimes,including the illegal trade intimber and protected wildlifewith heads of state, ministers,and experts, del Buey saidat a daily news brieng here.

After visiting Thailand,Myanmar, Vietnam, andLao Peoples DemocraticRepublic, Fedotov is on Fridayin Indonesia. He will conclude

his Southeast Asia visit onSunday, said del Buey.

The UN ofce, set upin 1997, is a global leaderin the struggle against illicitdrugs and transnationalorganized crimes. It iscommitted to achieving

health, security and justicefor all, and to delivering legaland technical assistance toprevent terrorism.Xinhua

Typhoon death toll in S Philippines hits

456manila, 8 DecThe

death toll of Typhoon Bopha( local name Pablo) hasclimbed to 456 as more bodies

were dug out from disaster-affected areas in southernPhilippines, the NationalDisaster Risk Reductionand Management Council(NDRRMC) announced onFriday. The NDRRMC alsoreported that 445 peopleare injured and 533 othersremain missing.

Some local media haveput the death toll above 500.

As typhoon Bophatoppled down 28,000 houses,5.3 million disaster victims in27 provinces in southern andcentral Philippines ed theirhomes while 210,000 people

were huddling in temporaryshelters.

Philippine PresidentBenigno Aquino III led

a high-level governmentdelegation to visit areashardest hit by TyphoonBopha on Friday and orderedacceleration of disasterresponse operations to ndand rescue the missingresidents in typhoon-affectedareas in Mindanao.

At a news briefingafter inspecting areas inCompostela Valley andDavao Oriental, Aquino saidhe would declare a state ofnational calamity soon.

Under the national stateof calamity, the governmentcould freeze the prices of

basic commodities.Aquino also ordered

the interior minister, MarRoxas, to lead a multi-

agency investigation team toprobe into the cause of highcasualties brought about byTyphoon Bopha. The teamwill look into allegationsthat massive logging andmining activities contributedto the occurrence of deadlymudows that killed over120 people in the New

Bataan town alone. Theinternational communityincluding China, Canada,the United States, Australia,Canada, Malaysia has eitherrendered or promised todonate relief funds for thevictims.Xinhua

Photo taken on 7 Dec, 2012 shows the typhoon-affected area in southern Province of

Compostela Valley, the Philippines. The death toll of T yphoon Bopha, locally knownas Pablo, has climbed to 456 as more bodies were dug out from disaster-affected areas

in southern Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and ManagementCouncil (NDRRMC) announced on Friday. Xinhua

Six gunned down in Pakistans Kar achiislamabad, 8 DecAt

least six people were killedand several others injured in

separate incidents of ring inPakistans southern port cityof Karachi on Friday, localmedia and Police said.

T h e i n c i d e n t s o f violence broke out earlyin the morning where twopeople were gunned downin Haji Camp area of the

city, stirring tension in thearea. Later, two bodieswith eminent marks oftorture were found from theNazimabad area.

Two men were killedand several others injured inseparate incidents of ring

by unknown motor-cyclistsin Abul Hassan IsphahaniRoad and New Mianwaliareas of the city.

C o m m e r c i a l a n deduca t iona l ac t iv i t ieshalted in the affected areas

and residents demandeddeployment of more police

force in the area.The history of violence

in Karachi dates back toearly 1990s but the situationbecame uncontrollable since

the last two years, mainly

because of the increasingsectarian, ethnic and political

clashes in the city that ishome to over 21 millionpeople.

According to Karachipolice, over 2,000 peoplehave been shot down in thecity since the beginning of2012. Police is conductingsearch operations in various

areas of the city to apprehendthe people involved indeteriorating law and ordersituation of Karachi.

Earlier last week, the

Sindh Police chief said that165 target killers have beenarrested by police since the

beginning of this year, andthey are hopeful to apprehendmore killers by informationprovided by the arrestedconvicts.

Addressing a session ofSenate on 19 Nov, InteriorMinister Rehman Maliksaid that an estimated 2,339

police encounters have beenreported in 2012, in which145 armed bandits and over100 policemen were killed.

Xinhua

were seriously injured, hetold Xinhua over telephoneon Saturday morning. Thevictims are vendors and theirchildren who slept in their

houses in the market whenthe accident occurred.

The accident happened

at 2:00 am local time andwas completely extinguishedat around 5:00 am, he said.

Besides the human casualties,the re destroyed hundredsof stalls in the market,which sold souvenir thingsto tourists.

Electric fault wasblamed for the accident,he said.

Siem Reap Provincehouses the world heritageAngkor Wat temple, which is

the countrys largest culturaltourism destination. It islocated some 315 kilometersnorthwest of Phnom Penh,the capital of Cambodia.

The cultural provinceattracted 1.64 million foreignvisitors in the rst ten months

of this year, up 28 percentcompared with the sameperiod last year.Xinhua

7.3-magnitude quake jolts off

east coast of Honshu, J apantokyo, 8 DecA

7.3-magnitute earthquakejolted off the east coast ofHonshu, Japan, resulting in

a tsunami warning for thecountry's northeastern coast-al areas, according to JapanMeteorological Agency(JMA).

The quake occurred at

5:18 pm local time on Fri-day (08:18:24 GMT) . Theepicentre was initially deter-mined at 37.8 degrees northlatitude, 144.2 degrees eastlongitude, with a depth of 10

km, the JMA reported. The

tremor was followed by a6.2-magnitute aftershock offthe east coast of Honshu, at08:31:14 GMT, the US Geo-logical Survey said.

The epicentre, with

a depth of 29.20 km, wasinitially determined to be at37.9387 degrees north lati-tude and 143.7626 degrees

east longitude. A warning fora two-metre tsunami was is-sued for the coast of Japan'snortheastern Miyagi Prefec-ture. Injuries and damagesare not immediately known.

Xinhua

Thailand plans to run Chinese

high-speed railway systembangkok, 8 Dec

Thailand has planned to run

Chinese- made high-speed

railway systems designed

to have time-saving, inex-

pensive trains for long-dis-

tance commuters shuttling

between Bangkok and the

northern city of Chiang Mai

and between the capital and

the northeastern province of

Nong Khai, a senior ofcialsaid here on Friday.

Thai Transport Minister

Chatchat Sitthipan disclosed

that the Thai government has

decided to go ahead with the

multi-billion-US dollar rail-

way projects under which the

so-called Hexie Hao or China

Railway Highspeed train sys-

tem will be used. Construction

of the initial stage of the rail-

way project for the Bangkok-

Chiang Mai route is scheduled

to begin by the middle or

second half of next year. Therailway project for both routes

will be completed until 2015,

he said.Xinhua

Local residents in a restauran t react after a strong

earthquake hit the area in Iwaki, Fuku shima prefecture,in this ph oto taken by Kyodo on 7 Dec, 2012.Kyodo news


12/16


ADVERTI SEMENT & GENERAL


Fireghters work at the site of a re in the Paraesop-olis slum, south of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 5 Dec, 2012.The re that lasted about 45 minutes caused damagesat least to eight homes. So far no deaths or injuries

reported.Xinhua

Buenos Aires, 8 DecA pesticide container thatcugt re in te port re

of Argentinas capital Bue-nos Aires blanketed the cityin a toxic cloud of smoke onThursday, local Civil De-

fence Chief Daniel Russosaid.

Authorities warnedresidents to stay indoors to

Buenos Aires covered in toxic cloud from chemical re

Bas cs

ds c f

San

caa, n

nDAmAscus, 8 Dec

At least one person waskilled and 29 others in-

jured when terrorist blastrocked the Syrian District

of al-Mazzeh 86 on Thurs-day evening, the state-run

SANA news agency said.The blast rocked the

area between a bakery anda school bus stop in al-Mazzeh 86, the report said,adding that children were

among the injured.The blast is the latest in

a series of explosions thathave become daily routinesrecently.

Earlier on Thursday,one person was killed whena roadside bomb went offnear a branch of the Syrian

Arab Red Crescent in Da-

mascus. Syria accuses al-Qaeda of carrying out suchblasts.Xinhua

Bb sn as ac nv wnds

Afan s cfKABul, 8 DecA

Taleban suicide bomberposing as a peace messen-ger wounded Afghanistansintelligence chief in Ka-bul on Thursday, anothersign that the governmentis struggling to improvesecurity ahead of a NATOpullout in 2014. Asadul-lah Khalid was woundedwhen the bomber struck ina meeting at a guesthouseused by the National Direc-torate of Security (NDS).

The bomber was apeace messenger sent by theTaleban to the Afghan gov-ernment, around 3 pm in a

meeting with the head ofNDS, detonated his explo-sives, said NDS spokes-mn Squll Tiri.

Right now the headof the NDS is in good con-dition. The surgery was asuccess. The Afghan Tale-ban claimed responsibil-ity for the bombing, whichhighli

the new light of myanmar (9 dec 2012)

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