Volume XX, Number 185 7th Waxing of Thandingyut 1374 ME Monday, 22 October, 2012 THE MOST RELIABLE NEWSPAPER AROUND YOU

NA Y PY I TA W, 21 Oct—Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Ye Myint called for economic viability of crops and switch to quality crops suitable to regions while visiting 200-acre Manawthukha paddy plantation in Nanda Village-tract and 40-acre Palethwe hybrid paddy plantation in Yankintaung Village-tract in Patheingyi Township in Mandalay District yester-day.

The reg ion ch ie f minister also visited 150-

President U Thein Sein meets local mediaGovernment’s actions will be translated into

success only through cooperation between the government and media, the fourth estate

It is required to give correct information about government’s actions to the people

Medal tally of region/state troupes at 19th Myanmar National Races’ Traditional Performing Arts

Competition(21-10-2012)

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct — President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Thein Sein met local media at the Credentials Hall of the Presidential Palace, here, this afternoon, attended by Un ion Min i s t e r s , departmental heads, local

journalists and foreign correspondents.

In his greetings, the President said he was very glad to have such opportunity to meet media. The President continued that he often met foreign media during his tour of

foreign countries, but it was a long time to have a meeting with local media. So, the press briefi ng was arranged to meet local media friendly. Media are eyes and ears of the government. It is not only required for both sides to have a mutual understanding of exchaing views between the

government and media but also very important to inform the people about it. Media plays the role in keeping the people informed. He said he believed that the government’s ac t ions would be translated into success only through cooperation between the government and media,

the fourth estate. So he ordered the ministries to collaborate with the media and to answer patiently and correctly the queries raised by the media.

Only when the media is informed of why and how the government is performing which activities and how it is trying to overcome obstacles and cha l l enges , wi l l t hey be able to assess and suggest the government. Accepting media as an

important communication tool of the government, the government is encouraging the media. The President requested the media to inform the people of activities of the government accurately to help the latter suggest the government.

T h e P r e s i d e n t answered questions raised by the journalists regarding US visit, peace process, education reform and anti-corruption measures.

MNA

Farmers urged to emphasize economic viability of crops

acre model paddy plantation zone in Ohnbinkyan Village-tract, Singaing Township, 100-acre Ayamin model paddy plantation zone in Taungnauk Village-tract in Kyaukse Township, 10-acre Palethwe hybrid paddy plantation and 40-acre F 1 hybrid paddy plantation in Thilin Village-tract in Myittha Township an and Shwetaung research farm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in Wundwin Township.

MNA

President U Thein Sein meets local media.MNA

Sr. Region/State Gold Sil-ver

Bro-nze

Spe-cial

Conso-lation

Hono-urary

Total

1 Yangon 37 31 24 - - - 92

2 Mandalay 15 15 13 - - - 43

3 Bago 8 2 3 - - - 13

4 Sagaing 5 6 6 - - - 17

5 Ayeyawady 4 7 7 - - - 18

6 Mon 2 3 2 - - - 7

7 Shan 2 - - - - 1 3

8 Rakhine 1 6 - - - - 7

9 Chin 1 2 1 - - - 4

10 Taninthayi 1 1 4 - - - 6

11 Magway 1 1 1 - - - 3

12 Kayin - - 3 - - 1 4

13 Kachin - - 2 - - 1 3

14 Kayah - - - - - - -

Total 77 74 66 - - 3 220

Race tightens for

Obama, Romney ahead of fi nal debate

Senior Chinese leader

arrives in Bangladesh for offi cial

visit

PAGE 6

PAGE 3

NATIONAL2 Monday, 22 October, 2012

YANGON, 21 Oct—The 4th Inter-Region/State Men’s Hockey Tournament, jointly organized by Ministry of Sports and Myanmar Hockey Federation, kicked off at Theinbyu artifi cial turf hockey pitch, here, at 3.30 pm yesterday, opened by Deputy Minister for Sports U Thaung Htaik.

4th IRS Men’s Hockey Tournament commences

In the debut, Yangon Region played against Bago Region.

T h e t o u r n a m e n t , participated by hockey

teams from Bago, Yangon and Mandalay regions, Shan, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Kachin and Kayah states, will be held up to 3 November.—NLM

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct—Concrete box-culverts and retaining walls are being placed by Yangon-Mandalay Expressway and Pyay-Paukkhaung-Oktwin-Toungoo road to prevent erosion of mountain walls.

Deputy Construction Minister U Soe Tint yesterday visited sites of repair and extension of roads.

He also met staff at Pyay District Superintendent Engineer Offi ce.—MNA

MOHNYIN, 21 Oct—The local people from in Mohnyin, Mogaung, Hopin and Nanma regions along Myitkyina-Mandalay railroad in Kachin State will enjoy sufficiency of electricity as of December this year, said Kachin State Minister for Electricity and Industry U Sai Maung Shwe in meeting with local people at the office of Mohnyin District General Administration Department on 15 October.

“The 99-megawatt hydropower plant built on Chipwe creek has completed. The 132 KV power line

Suffi cient electricity to be supplied to Mohnyin, Mogaung, Hopin, Nanma in Dec

linking Chipwe, Waingmaw and Myitkyina has been installed. At present, the power line bwteen Myitkyina and Mogaung (Namti power station) is under installation. In coming December, the local people can be supplied electricity,” he continued.

The 100 miles long Naba-Mohnyin 66 KV power line has completed by cent per cent. However, the electricity is yet to be supplied. Thus, the local

people consume electricity in rotation from small-scale Namkhamkha and Galkaichang hydropower stations built in 1990s.

Under the arrangement of Buga Company, Malichaung Power Station in Waingmaw Township supplies electricity to Myitkyina and Waingmaw townships at K 300 per unit for industries, K 160 per household and K 100 per religious organizations.

NLM-001

NA Y PY I TA W, 21 Oct— Union Minister for Commerce U Win Myint met a Japanese delegation led by former member of the House of Councilors Chairman of Japan-Myanmar Association Mr. Hideo Watanabe at the ministry, here, on 19 October.

The Union minister gave an account on economic reforms in Myanmar and relaxation on import and export matters, and answered the queries raised by Japanese businessmen.

MNA

Japan enquires

about import/export

relaxation

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct—Myanmar Text i le En-trepreneurs Association is agreed to be formed as textile entrepreneurs yesterday came face to face in Yangon to explore ways to penetrate the market with higher quality.

D e p u t y I n d u s t r y Minister U Thein Aung called for seeking strengths and weaknesses of textiles in the market to claim the market share in the competitive market.

Re t i r ed manag ing directors, general managers, factory managers and industrialists discussed possibility of joint ventures in the textile industry.

MNA

Textile industry eyes higher quality

Roads under repair

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct—Shwebo District emerged champions of inter-district U - 2 5 S e p a k T a k r a w tournament 2012 on 19 October.

Sagaing Region Chief Minister U Tha Aye watched the fi nal at Sagaing Region

Shwebo secure Sepak Takraw silverware

YANGON, 21 Oct—With a view to supply electricity t o N o r t h O k k a l a p a Township at full capacity, the Yangon City Electricity Supply Board of Ministry of Electric Power installed one 500 KVA, System Improvement transformer at the corner of Thunanda and Karuna roads in North Okkalapa Township, and the supply of electricity was launched through the transformer on 10 October,

Transformers installed in North Okkalapa

said an engineer-in-charge of Township Electricity Supply Board.

Preparations are being made for supply of electricity to Kyaukyedwin Ward and Tadagyi Ward at full capacity. In so doing, one more transformer of 315 KVA will be installed there. If the transformer has been installed, the electricity will be supplied by October.

Myanma Alinn

indoor stadium and presented individual awards and the cup.

The chief minister

visited construction site of Sagaing University and renovation of Kangyikan lake in Monywa a day before.—MNA

Women’s Development Centre inspected

News in Brief

Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin viewed works of weaving, tailoring and knitting at Women’s Development Centre of

Social Welfare Department on Thanlwin Road in Kamayut Township on 17 October afternoon and gave instructions on efforts to be concerted for achieving greater success.

Union Health Minister awards fi rst prize winner of amateur (fi rst class) narration contest.

(News on page 16)—MNA

Show Case Malaysia 2012 openedT h e S h o w C a s e

Malaysia 2012 was opened at Tatmadaw Convention Hall in Yangon on 19 October morning, attended b y Y a n g o n R e g i o n

Chief Minister U Myint Swe and Malaysian Ambassador Dr Ahmad Faisal Bin Muhamad. The show case will last till 21 October.

Instruction given to athletes

Land management coordinatedCentral Farmland

Management Committee and the Vacant, Virgin and Fallow Land Management Central Committee held

the first coordination meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation on 17 October.

Deputy Minister for Sports U Thaung Htaik met Myanmar athletes who will to attend the 7th Korea Open Invitational Taekwondo Championship, to take part in the 9th International

Invitational Taekwondo Championship and the Thai Track & Field Championship at the hall of Sports and Physical Education Department on 19 October afternoon.

Plan to open First Private Football Academy to turn out professional footballers

Mandalay, 20 Oct—With the aim of turning out the outstanding footballers to become professionals, the First-ever Private Football Academy will be opened at Super Star Professional Football Training Centre at 3383 on Sittoung Road in Ward 61 near Union National Races’ Village in Ward 61 in Dagon Myothit Seikkan Township on 18 October.

Football enthusiast

players wish to join football clubs of Myanmar National League but they do not have any linkage with the football clubs.

The foreigner coaches from the academy will give best training to the footballers to become professionals.

Moreover, the academy will provide linkage for the

trainees to football clubs.In the training, the trainees will be provided football techniques and tactics with the demonstration of former selected Myanmar athletes.

Those wishing to attend the academy may contact No 211 on the ground fl oor on Botahtaung Pagoda Road, Tel: 09-402704015.

Myanma Alin

District News

Drive safely

WORLDMonday, 22 October, 2012 33

US

West Bank

ISLAMABAD, 21 Oct — The US Special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, on Saturday arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit for talks on variety of bilateral issues and peace process in Afghanistan, offi cials and diplomats said.The Pakistani Foreign Ministry says that the visit is part of the ongoing engagements between the two countries and that the

Race tightens for Obama, Romney ahead of fi nal debate

WASHINGTON, 21 Oct — The race between President Barack Obama and rival Mitt Romney has tightened in the days before their fi nal televised debate, with the Republican closing the gap on Obama’s slight but steady lead in a Reuters/Ipsos online poll. Data from the daily tracking poll released on Saturday showed the Democratic incumbent with a small lead over the former

Massachusetts governor, but the margin has narrowed from Friday and from results earlier in the week. Forty-six percent of likely voters said they would vote for Obama in the 6 November election, while 45 percent said they would back Romney. On Friday, Obama was ahead by three percentage points at 46 percent compared to 43 percent for Romney. “Our numbers have shown ...

Obama fairly steadily ahead by three points over the last couple of days and today’s data does show a tightening in those numbers,” Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. “It’s very much neck and neck. I anticipate actually that we’re going to see these numbers neck and neck all the way to Election Day.”

Romney got a big boost from his strong performance in the first debate on 3 October with Obama, who was widely judged to have given a passive, lackluster performance. The president charged back with a sharper appearance in their second debate on October 16, com-forting frustrated Democrats. While opinion polls showed most viewers thought Obama won that debate, Clark said he did not, in the end, get a noticeable bounce in the polls as a result. “I wouldn’t say that we saw a second-debate bounce for either candidate,” she said, while predicting that the third and fi nal debate on Monday would not affect the race dramatically unless one of the candidates made

a signifi cant gaffe.The fi nal debate focuses

on foreign policy. Obama is spending the weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland to prepare, and Romney is doing the same in Florida, a battleground state where the debate will be held. Though national polls give a sense of the mood of the electorate, the winner of the White House race will be determined by electoral votes from a handful of states such as Ohio and Florida that swing, historically, between voting for Republicans and Democrats in presidential elections. A RealClear-Politics average of polls on Saturday showed Obama ahead in Ohio by 2.5 per-centage points and Romney ahead in Florida by 2.1 percentage points. The precision of Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points for likely voters.

Reuters

US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) are pictured

on stage at the 67th Annual Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation dinner in New York on 18 Oct.

REUTERS

US envoy arrives in Islamabad for bilateral talks

West Bank vote held to help plug Palestinian democracy gap

RAMALLAH, (West Bank), 21 Oct — Palestinians voted in elections in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for the fi rst time in six years on Saturday, but their scant choice of candidates put them out of step with democratic revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world. The results of the local ballots were expected to reaffirm the Western-backed, mainly secular Fatah party, which runs a de facto government in the slivers of land not policed by Israel, in the face of a boycott by its Islamist arch-rival, Hamas.

W h i l e u p r i s i n g s brought Arab governments from Morocco to Egypt to accommodate long-suppressed Islamist parties, single party rule in the West Bank persists along with Fatah’s feud with the more militant and anti-Israel Hamas, which has ruled the coastal Gaza Strip since the two groups clashed in 2007. “We do not recognize the legitimacy of these elections and we call for

them to be stopped in order to protect the Palestinian people and protect their unity,” Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said.Haniyeh, who took office when Hamas won a surprise majority in a parliamentary vote in 2006 - an outcome nullifi ed by the civil war that followed a year later - decried the latest poll as “unilateral elections removed from a national consensus”. Fatah fi nally found time ripe for the repeatedly-delayed local elections.

The party edged out Hamas in university ballots throughout the West Bank earlier this year. Opinion polls show support for the Islamist group has fl agged since it began the uphill task of governing impoverished and crowded Gaza.With Gaza not participating in Saturday’s vote and a

majority of West Bank residents living in areas where local councils are running uncontested, the election was less meaningful than in previous years. But fi ssures within Fatah lent some suspense to the polls. Some local leaders struck out on their own after being spurned from offi cial lists. They may garner a showing, giving them an infl uential say in local councils.

The fi nal tally of votes was due by Tuesday. According to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, some 54 percent of the half-million eligible voters took part — short of the 70 percent predicted by the West Bank government.Refl ecting the clout of Hamas’s boycott call, voter turnout in Hebron, an Islamist political bastion, was just 33.7 percent.

Reuters

Election offi cials count ballots after the polls closed for municipal elections at a polling

station in the West Bank City of Hebron on 20 Oct,

2012.REUTERS

Monti expects to see Italy recovery signs within months

CERNOBBIO, (Italy) , 21 Oct — Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Saturday he expected it would be only a few more months before signs of recovery start to emerge in the recession-hit Italian economy. Addressing an agriculture conference in northern Italy, Monti spoke of “a few months, just a few months I hope that we have left before we start seeing clear signs of

Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Monti attends a news conference at the

end of the second session of a two-day European Union leaders summit in Brussels on 19 Oct,

2012.— REUTERS

recovery.” Italy has been in a recession since the middle of last year, weighed down by austerity measures passed by Monti’s government to cut the country’s massive debt, including tax hikes, spending cuts and a pension overhaul.

Unemployment has risen to its highest since monthly records began in 2004 and unions are locked in growing disputes with companies over plant closures and layoffs. Monti defended the austerity measures, and said he believed his government would be remembered for having helped Italy pull itself out of a deep economic crisis without needing to resort to external aid. “I hope that one day we can say that thanks to us Italy was not colonized by Europe and it maintained its own dignifi ed sovereignty

in an increasingly integrated Europe,” he said.

He spoke at the same time as thousands of trade unionists were holding a rally in Rome against the government’s spending cuts and rising unemployment, at which union leader Susanna Camusso said his austerity policies had failed. Monti replaced former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last November when Italy’s bond yields were soaring and the country came close to a Greek-style debt disaster. This week the Treasury raised a record-breaking 18 billion euros through a retail bond sale, which Economy Minister Vittorio Grilli hailed as a sign of a turnaround in perceptions of the country’s debt.

Reuters

Putin fl exes muscle in big test of Russia’s nuclear arsenal

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with members of All Russia People’s

Front at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence

outside Moscow, on 18 Oct, 2012.

REUTERS

MOSCOW, 21 Oct — President Vladimir Putin took a leading role in the latest tests of Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal, the most comprehensive since the 1991 Soviet col-lapse, the Kremlin said on Saturday. The exercises, held mostly on Friday, featured prominently in news reports on state television which seemed aimed to show Russians and the world that Putin is the hands-on chief of a resurgent power.

Tests involving com-mand systems and all three components of the nuclear “triad” — land and sea-launched long-range nuclear missiles and stra-tegic bombers — were con-

ducted “under the personal leadership of Vladimir Putin”, the Kremlin said. An RS-12M Topol In-tercontinental Ballistic Missi le was launched from the Plesetsk site in northern Russia, and a submarine test-launched another ICBM from the Sea of Okhotsk, the De-fence Ministry said.Long-range Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers fired four guided missiles that hit their targets on a testing range in the northwestern Komi region, it said.”Exercises of the strategic nuclear forces were conducted on such a scale for the first time in the modern history of Russia,” the Kremlin statement said.—Reuters

two sides will discuss all issues of mutual interest as well as concern.

The visit comes at a time when diplomatic efforts for solution of the longstanding Afghan problems are gaining momentum as the endgame approaches . Pakis tan , Afghanistan and the United States have also an exclusive group to explore ways to push for the reconciliation process in Afghanistan ahead

of the 2014 withdrawal of foreign troops. His trip builds on recent engagements, including Secretary Clinton’s meetings with Foreign Minister Khar in Washington and President Zardari in New York, as well as the recent US-Pakistan Law Enforcement and Counter ter ror ism Working Group convened in Washington, earlier this month.

Xinhua

US

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY4 Monday, 22 October, 2012

Genius” inventor Stanford Ovshinsky dies

NEW YORK, 21 Oct—Stanford R Ovshinsky, the Michigan-based inven-tor whose development of the nickel-metal hydride battery helped the Toyota Prius become the world's fi rst successful hybrid car, died on Wednesday even-ing, aged 89.

Ovshinsky, a self-taught scientist, also de-veloped — and often pat-ented — a wide variety of breakthrough products and processes, from thin-fi lm solar cells to hydrogen fuel cells.

It was his work on the rechargeable NiMH bat-tery, however, that had the broadest reach and greatest impact on consumers.

Until being replaced by more advanced lithi-um-ion batteries, Ovshin-sky's patented NiMH bat-

Stanford Ovshinsky

Science

tery chemistry was used in millions of devices such as laptop computers, digi-tal cameras and mobile phones.

Ovshinsky was often hailed in the scientifi c com-munity and by the media. In 1987, he was profi led as "Japan's American Genius” in the PBS television series Nova.

In 1999, Time maga-zine named him a ‘‘Hero for the Planet.” Britain's Economist magazine in 2006 dubbed Ovshinsky ‘‘the Edison of our age.”

Ovshinsky held hun-dreds of patents in the United States and overseas and was awarded honor-ary doctoral degrees by at least seven schools, in-cluding the University of Michigan.

Reuters

Web-based technology system on food launched in TogoLOME, 21 Oct—Togo’s

agriculture, livestock and fi sheries ministry on Friday launched a web-based infor-mation technology system for food and agriculture at the national and sub- national level dubbed CountrySTAT, an offi cial source has said.

The system was launched in collaboration with technical support from

the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the fi nancial sup-port from the West African Economic and Monetary Un-ion (UEMOA).

CountrySTAT is a sta-tistical system that will help to organize, integrate and publish data on food and ag-riculture. It will provide in-formation in matters such as

production, prices, trade and consumption.

The system which was initiated by FAO, is regarded as a rapid window for access-ing, through the web, reliable information that will help decision-makers to formulate development policies.

Togo’s Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Min-ister Ouro Koura Agadazi

said that CountrySTAT-To-go is a tool that was initiated for decision makers and de-velopment partners to use in the fi ght against hunger and poverty in Togo.

He noted that it will facilitate planning and de-cision making in order to accelerate the process of re-ducing hunger and malnutri-tion.—Xinhua

Tech

HP to end storage resale deal with Violin Memory : Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO, 21 Oct—Hewlett-Packard plans to end its agreement selling solid-state storage devices made by Violin Memory, po-tentially complicating Violin Memory's plan for an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported.

HP will wrap up its deal with Violin Memory, one of a growing number of companies selling high-per-formance solid-state drives, to focus on selling storage machines from 3PAR, which it agreed to buy in 2010 for $2.4 billion, Bloomberg re-ported, citing an HP spokes-woman.

HP spokesman Michael

Thacker told Reuters: ‘‘HP 3PAR is our strategic plat-form for solid-state storage.” He declined to comment fur-ther.

Violin Memory, which could not be reached for comment, has been planning a stock listing for over a year.

Retrieving data from fl ash memory chips is much faster and more en-ergy effi cient than from hard drives, which read data from spinning metal disks.

While storing data on fl ash chips is still expensive compared to hard drives, IT executives see the extra cost as worthwhile for functions

A man walks past the Hewlett Packard logo at its French headquarters in Issy le Moulineaux, western Paris, in this

16 Sept, 2005 fi le photograph. REUTERS

where speed is important -- like operating social media

websites or banking transac-tions.—Reuters

AT&T will boost pension fund with $9.5 billion equity stakeWASHINGTON, 21 Oct—

AT&T said on Friday it will contribute a stake in its wireless business to the company's pension plan worth $9.5 billion in an effort to secure the fund, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission fi ling.

AT&T fi led for approval

for the proposal with the US Department of Labour on Thursday. It said the move would not signifi cantly affect company earnings.

AT&T's pension plan was underfunded by about $10.2 billion at the end of 2011, a company spokeswoman said. ‘‘We’re making this contribution,

which is many times above our estimated required funding for 2013, at a time when many companies have eliminated their pensions,” the spokeswoman said.

The proposal comes after rival Verizon Communications Inc said on Wednesday that it will transfer $7.5 billion

in pension obligations to insurer Prudential, removing a quarter of its long-term employee retirement burden with a single upfront payment.

The move follows a similar deal that General Motors Co did with Prudential earlier this year.

Reuters

Microsoft quarterly earnings lower than estimatesSAN FRANCISCO, 21

Oct—Microsoft on Thurs-day announced its latest quarterly fi nancial results, with numbers lower than analysts' expectation.

For the quarter ended on 30 Sept, the software giant reported revenue of 16.01 billion US dollars

and 5.31 billion dollars in operating income. Its profi t was 4.47 billion dollars or 53 cents in diluted earnings per share (EPS).

The revenue, operating income and EPS decreased by 8 percent, 26 percent and 22 percent respectively from the same period a year

earlier.Analysts surveyed by

Thomson Reuters gave an average estimate of 16.42 billion dollars in revenue and 56 cents in EPS.

Microsoft said the re-sults were suppressed by an accounting rule that the de-ferral of some revenue will be regained next quarter.

According to the company, the deferral af-fected 1.36 billion dollars of revenue and 13 cents of EPS from the Windows Upgrade Offer, pre-sales of Windows 8 to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) prior to general availability and the Offi ce Offer.

As the company's new Windows 8 operat-ing system will be gener-ally available on 26 Oct,

the Windows and Windows Live Division of Microsoft posted revenue of 3.24 bil-lion dollars, a 33 percent de-crease year over year.

"The slowdown in PC demand ahead of the Win-dows 8 launch resulted in a decline in operating in-come," Peter Klein, chief fi -nancial offi cer at Microsoft, said in a statement.

"The launch of Win-dows 8 is the beginning of a new era at Microsoft," noted Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive offi cer.

"Investments we've made over a number of years are now coming to-gether to create a future of exceptional devices and ser-vices, with tremendous op-portunity for our customers, developers, and partners," Ballmer said.—XinhuaMicrosoft Offi ce 365

Iran capable of launching

nano-satellites weighing below 10 kg

TEHERAN, 21 Oct—Iran Space Agency (ISA) Director Hamid Fazeli said the Islamic republic has the capability to launch nano-satellites weighing below 10 kg into space, Tehe-ran Times daily reported Thursday.

Some of Asian coun-tries and an Austrian uni-versity have announced readiness to set their sat-ellites into orbit using Ira-nian space shuttles, Fazeli was quoted as saying.

He said Iran is among a handful of countries in the world that are capable

of developing satellite-re-lated technologies.

In February, Iran launched an observation satellite into orbit. The spacecraft, named Navid (Herald), weighed 50 kg and could take pictures in low attitudes of about 250 km to 375 km from the earth.

Iran, a founding member of the United Nations Com-mittee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, launched its fi rst domestically-made data-processing satellite, the Omid (Hope), into space in 2009.—Xinhua

BUSINESS & HEALTHMonday, 22 October, 2012 5

Like girls, US boys may be hitting puberty earlier

NEW YORK, 21 Oct— Boys in the United States may be entering puberty earlier than in generations past, a new study has found, suggesting it’s not just girls who are developing at younger ages.

In comparisons with decades-old data, boys who were seen for well-child visits between 2005 and 2010 were maturing six months to two years sooner, based on their genital de-velopment. The fi nding is signifi cant for researchers seeking to understand why the age of puberty may be creeping down. The dis-covery is also important for parents, who have to know how and when to discuss changing bodies with their children, according to the lead author of the study published online Saturday by the journal Pediatrics.

“They need to talk to their boys earlier than they would have thought about puberty and sexual development and all of those related issues,” said

Health

Health

Business

A boy runs down a sand dune while playing after the sun sets at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, California on 13

Jan, 2009.—REUTERS

Marcia Herman-Giddens at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Recent studies from the United States and else-where have shown that girls are maturing at a younger age, with many

starting to develop breasts as early as age 7 or 8. Doctors haven’t necessar-ily thought the same early puberty trend applied to boys. Some doctors blame estrogen-like chemicals in the environment for girls’ earlier development. Those

same chemicals would be expected to delay sexual maturation in boys. But even if boys are develop-ing earlier than in the past, that doesn’t mean they are more mature socially and psychologically at younger

ages, researchers said.“Now there’s probably

a bigger disparity between their physical maturation and their psychosocial maturation,” said Dr Frank Biro, head of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Centre,

who wasn’t involved in the new analysis. “People are going to interact with them like they’re older,” he told Reuters Health.

Data for the new study came from 144 US pediat-ric practices and included 4,131 boys age 6 to 16.

Based on the so-called Tanner stages of develop-ment - a technique doctors use to measure how far along in puberty a young person is - genital changes in boys started around the age of 9 or 10, and pubic hair appeared between age 10 and 11 1/2, on average.

A study from the 1950s through 1970s of white boys in England - for which the Tanner scale is named - found boys started genital development at age 11.6, on average. Other data through the 1970s also put the start of genital changes between age 11 and 12, and pubic hair development typically between 12 and 13 - about two years later than in the new study.

Reuters

China’s FDI infl ow continues to dropBEIJING, 21 Oct—Foreign

direct investment (FDI) into China dropped 6.8 percent year-on-year to 8.43 billion US dollars in September, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday.

This is the fourth con-secutive monthly drop of the country’s FDI infl ow. The fi gure brought the total FDI infl ow for the fi rst nine months of the year to 83.42 billion US dollars, down 3.8 percent year-on-year, said ministry

spokesman Shen Danyang. “Investment from developed economies including the Euro-pean Union (EU), the US and Japan saw both rises and drops, but the drops have narrowed in general,” Shen said.

In the fi rst nine months, investment from the US dropped 0.63 percent year-on-year to 2.37 billion US dollars, down from a 2.9-percent drop in the January-August period.—Xinhua

BP, Rosneft set for $25 billion-plus TNK-BP dealBusiness

MOSCOW, 21 Oct— Ros-neft (ROSN.ME) and BP (LSE:BP) are preparing to announce a deal worth over $25 billion that could give the British oil company a stake of between 16 and 20 percent in the state-controlled Russian energy fi rm, sources familiar with the situation said.

The agreement, which has yet to be fi nalized but which could be made public on Monday or Tuesday, folds BP’s half of TNK-BP (TNBP.MM), Russia’s third-largest oil company, into Rosneft, in exchange for cash and Rosneft stock.

It allows BP to end a stormy relationship with its partners in the venture, AAR, and to pursue closer ties to a Russian government that exerts a much tighter hold on the oil industry than in it did in the 1990s when BP fi rst

invested there.TNK-BP is highly profi t-

able and provides a quarter of BP’s total production, but its fi elds are mature, and the Soviet-born business tycoons who own the other half through AAR were in the way of BP’s search for growth in oil-rich Russia through closer ties with Rosneft and its powerful boss.

The deal can be de-scribed as having two steps for a single transaction worth in excess of $25 billion, accord-ing to one source familiar with a proposal that was put to BP by Rosneft last week. Under step one, BP will receive a 13.4 percent holding of Ros-neft’s shares that belongs at present to Rosneft in the form of so-called “treasury stock”, and which is nominally worth about $10 billion based on a tiny free-fl oat of Rosneft

shares that put the value of the company at around $73.5 billion. It will also receive an amount of cash.

Under step two, BP will use some of that cash to buy more Rosneft stock, as it promised to do at a recent meeting between Sechin and BP’s chief executive Bob Dudley.

That would most likely to be sourced from the 75.2 percent holding of Rosneftegaz OAO (ROSNG.UL), a state energy holding company which is also headed by Sechin. The price and amount of shares was still being hammered out at the weekend, but based on a total deal value of $25 billion, a Rosneft stake of 16-20 percent would be worth about $12-$15 billion, leaving $10-$13 billion in cash, some of which share-holders hope will be returned to them.—Reuters

BP logo is seen at a fuel station of British oil company BP in St

Petersburg, on 18 Oct, 2012. State oil fi rm Rosneft

tightened its grip on the Russian oil industry on

Thursday, lodging a cash and shares bid for British oil

company BP’s 50 percent stake in the country’s third-largest oil producer, TNK-

BP.—REUTERS

Interview: Peru’s coffee producers look to Chinese market

Traders work on the fl oor of the New York Stock Exchange, on 19 October, 2012.—XINHUA

LIMA, 21 Oct—Peruvian coffee producers dreamed of entering the Chinese market and would conduct a feasibil-ity study to that end, a local coffee dealer said.

“We are trying to estab-lish trade ties now by doing a market study,” Julian Aucca Echarre, manager of the Coffee Growers Agrarian Cooperative, told Xinhua in an interview on the side-lines of the 2nd Peru Coffee Show 2012 that opened here Thursday.

“It’s important to diver-sify the market, not just sell to the Europeans and to the United States, when we have such a great potential as the

Asian market,” he said, un-derscoring the huge business potential of China, a market of some 1.3 billion people.

The feasibility study of the Chinese market would be complemented with a profi le of Chinese consum-ers, he said.

The biggest facilitator of the bilateral coffee trade came from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations that came into force in 2010, Echarre said

“Establishing closer ties with China helps a lot, especially for non-traditional products” such as coffee, he said. Echarre, who promotes cultivation and commerciali-

zation of top-tier Peruvian coffee from the central re-gions of Huanuco and Tingo Maria, said he was optimistic that with the FTA and the feasibility study, Peruvian producers will soon realize their dream of accessing the Chinese market. Accord-ing to Echarre, so far this year, his cooperative alone has exported more than 1.2 million kilos of coffee to international markets.

“We have developed our brand and we have sold our product in the most demand-ing coffee markets in the world, so we have no trouble in placing our products in Asia,” he said.—Xinhua

Deadly Marburg disease breaks out in southwestern Uganda

KAMPALA, 21 Oct—The deadly Marburg disease has broken out in the south west-ern Ugandan district of Ka-bale after samples taken to the Uganda Virus Institute tested positive, local media here reported on Friday.

State owned New Vi-sion reported that on Thurs-day police stopped the burial

of two family members after it emerged that their family had lost four people from a mysterious disease in just a month.

The Marburg virus was last reported in Uganda in 2008. According to the World Health Organization, Marburg is a severe and highly fatal disease caused by a virus from the same family as the one that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Xinhua

WORLD6 Monday, 22 October, 2012

Bangladesh

US

Colombia

Senior Chinese leader arrives in Bangladesh for offi cial visit

DHAKA, 21 Oct — At the invitation of the Bangladesh Awami League party, Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

(CPC), arrived here on Saturday afternoon, kicking off his two-day offi cial visit to the country.

Li delivered a written speech at the airport , applauding the robust growth of the bilateral

cooperation in political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fi elds since the two nations forged diplomatic relationship 37 years ago, and noting the bilateral cooperation and coo rd ina t i on on i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s s u e s delivered concrete benefi ts to the two peoples and help maintain the regional peace and prosperity.

“China and Bangladesh, both as developing countries, sha re comprehens ive common interests and potential for cooperation,” Li said in the statement, adding he was expecting to meet Bangladeshi leaders including President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Bangladesh is the fi nal leg of Li’s three-nation visit to South Asia. The trip already took him to Pakistan and the Maldives.— Xinhua

Li Changchun (C), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is

welcomed upon his arrival in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 20 Oct, 2012. Li kicked off his two-day offi cial visit to

the country on Saturday. — XINHUA

Five Colombian soldiers killed, fi rst deadly clash amid peace talks

BOGOTA, 21 Oct— Five Colombian soldiers were killed by FARC rebels in the first major incident since peace talks between the Andean country’s government and guerrilla leaders began earlier this week, the army said on Saturday.

The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) started a peace process on Thursday in Norway aimed at fi nding a negotiated end to the fi ve-decade-old conflict. The negotiations move to Cuba on 15 November.The Friday night attack with explosives

by rebels in the southern Putumayo region killed fi ve soldiers and injured 10 more, said army general German Giraldo. The attack took place in a FARC stronghold near the border with Ecuador.

“Our hearts are with the families of the soldiers that lost their lives in this despicable attack with explosives,” President Juan Manuel Santos said in his Twitter account.The peace talks are the latest in a long history of attempts to resolve the war, which has left tens of thousands dead and millions more displaced since the FARC fi rst took up

arms against the government in 1964.

Santos is betting that a decade of US-backed blows against the FARC has battered the group to the point it will seriously seek to end the fi ghting after so many previous peace efforts ended in shambles.

T h e C o l o m b i a n government has repeatedly rejected a FARC request that there should be a bilateral ceasefire during the negotiations. The FARC have said they are willing to discuss a ceasefi re deal at any point during the peace talks.— Reuters

Confusion in Libya over fate of former Gaddafi spokesman

TRIPOLI, 21 Oct — Libyan militias captured Muammar Gaddafi ’s chief spokesman on Saturday, the government said, but an audio clip posted on Facebook purporting to be the voice of Moussa Ibrahim denied his capture.

T h e r e w a s n o independent verifi cation of the authenticity or timing of the Facebook post, dated on 20 October, a year to the day after the dictator’s death.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said Ibrahim, who was the mouthpiece of the Gaddafi regime during last year’s war, was caught in the town of Tarhouna,

70 km (40 miles) south of Tripoli. “He is being transferred to Tripoli to begin interrogation,” the statement said.

The government has previously made false claims regarding the capture of Gaddafi loyalists, and produced no photographs on Saturday showing Ibrahim in detention.

His whereabouts have been unknown since the fall of the capital in August 2011. The government claimed to have caught him last October but he called Reuters to deny the report.

Libya’s new rulers have led the nation to elections but have struggled

to impose their authority on a country awash with weapons.

Leader Mohammed Magarief said some areas of the country still needed to be fully “liberated”.

I n t h e F a c e b o o k clip, a voice sounding like Ibrahim’s said: “I am addressing you a year after the martyrdom of the great leader and his free companions and the fall of the legitimate free nation of Libya under NATO’s bombings and their criminal allies.

“About the news of my arrest ... and the spreading of this news in the media, this is just to divert attention from the crimes that are being committed by NATO allies.”

The voice on the recording said Ibrahim, who held regular press c o n f e r e n c e s i n t h e luxury Tripoli hotel were journalists stayed during last year’s war, was no longer in Libya.

Former rebel fi ghters have maintained Gaddafi loyalists have used the town of Bani Walid, some 160 km (100 miles) south of Tripoli, as a safe haven, protected by the large Warfala tribe which has historically been loyal to Gaddafi ’s tribe.

Reuters

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim speaks to the media during a news conference in

Tripoli, in this 21 Aug, 2011 fi le photo. REUTERS

Libya

US says no plans for one-on-one meeting with Iran on nuclear issue

WASHINGTON, 21 Oct — The White House on Saturday denied a report in the New York Times that said the Obama administration had agreed

t o o n e - o n - o n e t a l k s with Iran on its nuclear programme.

Nat iona l Secur i ty Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement the United States would continue to work with fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council to resolve the issue.

“It’s not true that the United States and Iran have

agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections,” the statement said.

“ W e c o n t i n u e t o work with the P-5 (fi ve permanent members of the UN Security Council) on a diplomatic solution and have said from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally.”

Reuters

London-bound fl ight searched for bomb at Los

Angeles airportLOS ANGELES, 21 Oct—

A London-bound United Airline fl ight was searched at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday evening after a phone call of bomb threat.

The plane was taken to an isolated area at LAX, and a bomb squad with dogs searched the aircraft. The FBI, Los Angeles Police Department and the airport

police took part in the search, according to local media reports.

The United Flight 934, a Boeing 777, was scheduled to take off at 6 pm local time (0100 GMT Sunday) to London’s Heathrow Airport.The anonymous phone call was made from a pay phone at about 6 pm, the reports said.

Xinhua

Argentine leader orders evacuation of ship seized in Ghana

LI M A, 21 Oct — Argentina’s president on Saturday ordered 326 sailors to evacuate a Navy frigate that was seized in Ghana to help bondholders try to recoup debts from the South American country’s 2002 default. The Libertad, a training frigate, was detained in the Ghanaian port of Tema on 2 October under a court order obtained by NML Capital Ltd, an affi liate of investment firm Elliott Management.

The fi rm says Argentina owes it over $300 million on defaulted sovereign bonds and it will only release the ship if the country pays it at least $20 million.President Cristina Fernandez, according to Argentina’s foreign ministry,

said the crew’s human rights were being violated because the judge had prohibited fuel deliveries to the ship - leaving it without power needed for plumbing, electricity, keeping food fresh and responding to emergencies such as a fi re.

Argentina has condemned the seizure, said it could not be targeted by creditors due to the ship’s military nature, and vowed to press its case at the United Nations. A Ghanaian court ruled that Argentina forfeited such immunities when it issued the bonds.

Argentina declared a massive sovereign default a decade ago at the height of an economic crisis and now faces a raft of lawsuits in US courts by so-called holdout

bondholders seeking state asset freezes to recover the value of defaulted bonds. The bondholders, which the Argentine government calls

vulture funds, normally target foreign bank accounts held by state-run companies or government agencies.

Reuters

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gestures as she delivers a public address at the John F

Kennedy Jr Forum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 27 Sept, 2012.— Reuters

Argentina

NATIONAL7Monday, 22 October, 2012 7

MANDALAY, 21 Oct—Private entrepreneurs are allowed to engage in supply of electricity to the local people of Mandalay.

For the first phase,

Entrepreneurs permitted to supply electricity in Mandalay

the private electricity supply programme is being undertaken in Mandalay District. To be able to meet supply of standard voltage, 22 11.14 KVA transformers

are being installed in wards. In the past, Myayinanda, Kanthaya and Htunton wards of Chanmyathazi Township could enjoy about 160 volts in the evening.

P a c i f i c C o m p a n y p e r m i t t e d t o s u p p l y electricity extends and repairs power lines and construct power stations for minimizing the waste of electricity. The company announced that it will not change rate of meter bill, and now, the company is making preparations not to cut off the supply of electricity in the summer.

Kyemon

YANGON, 21 Oct—As the standings of FIFA was predicted for November, Myanmar stepped up 27positions included in the best mover lists in parallel with Niger, Bolivia and Macedonia.

In November, Myanmar will be standing at the 155th

position which leaped up 27 positions of previous month, above that of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Among the ASEAN

YANGON, 21 Oct—Myanma Economic Bank Branch-1 on Pansodan Street, here, announced that the MEB will collect remittance charge 15 Pyas per K 100 under K 100 million, 12.5 Pyas per K 1000 above K 100 million, K 0.5 per K 100 to the bank branches in Phakant, Mongshu, Putao, Tiddim, Haka and Mindat, K 500 for once fax or telegraph service remittance as of 1 September 2012.—Kyemon

Myanmar likely to leap up 27positions in FIFA standings

member countries, the Philippines stands 142nd

position due to playing tune-up matches.

As Vietnam plans to play against Turkmenistan, Laos and South Korea (U-23) in the VFF Cup, the former’s standing may be higher. Myanmar National Team won four wins and one draw in the Suzuki Cup qualifi er this month. FIFA will issue the standing on 7 November offi cially.—Kyemon

YA N G O N, 21 Oct—Organized by Myanmar Football Federation, the team managers meeting and press conference for the MFF AYA Futsal League 2012, with Ayeyawady Bank as title sponsor and Best Auto as main sponsor was held at MFF Offi ce, here, at 1 pm on 19 October.

Genera l Secre ta ry of Myanmar Footbal l Federation U Tin Aung made a speech.

In-charge of the Futsal sport of the federation U Ye Htut Tin, Secretary U Kyi Min Thein and media director U Soe Moe Kyaw explained matters related to the league.

A f t e r t h a t , t h e participants drew the match

Match fi xtures drawn for MFF AYA Futsal League

fi xtures. Eight Futsal teams will take part in the MFF AYA Futsal League 2012 through two legs system.

The contending teams are defending champion ACE team, Yangon City team, UPT team, Phyo Dana team, Thazin FC, Landsdawn Youth, Royal

Land team and MIC team as of 23 October.

T h e l a u n c h i n g ceremony will be held at 8 am. On the opening day, tentatively selected Myanmar women’s Futsal team will play against movie stars team in the tune-up match.—Kyemon

ZEYATHIRI, 21 Oct—The multiplier course on Township Level Farmland, Vacant, Virgin and Fallow Land Management Law and Bylaw was held at the meeting hall of Zeyathiri Township General Administration Department on 17 and 18 October.

Solid opium oil seized

L A S H I O , 21 Oct—Members of Lashio Special Anti-Drug Squad of Shan State (North) discharging duties of searching drugs and arms at the mile post No 80/4 at the entrance to Nawngkhio at 6 pm on 17 October, together with witnesses, searched a white van driven by Kyein Pi Chein and owner Yan Kya Hsan from Lashio to Mandalay.

They seized solid opium oil weighing 881.82 grams from the dashboard.

Nawngkhio Pol ice Station opened files of lawsuit against Yan Kya Hsan, 20, son of U Yin Haw of Awaiyan Road in Region 19 of Ward 12 in Kokang region and Kyein Pi Chein, 22, son of U Kyein Wam Hson of ringroad in region1 of Monwun China Ward 7 under narcotic drug and psychotropic substance law.

Myanma Alinn

YANGON, 21 Oct—With the aim of promoting bilateral trade, raising investment relat ions and f lowing Vietnamese entrepreneurs into Myanmar, the Ministry of Commerce of Myanmar

Farmland Law multiplier course lectured

Offi cials gave lectures to the trainees. A total of 34 trainees attended the multiplier course. The copies of the books on Farmland, Vacant, Virgin and Fallow Land Management Law and Bylaw were distributed to the trainees.

Myanma Alinn

Vietnam Expo 2012 in Myanmar 25-28 Octoberand Vietnamese Commerce Ministry will jointly organize the Vietnam Expo 2012 in Myanmar at Tatmadaw Convention Hall, here, from 25 to 28 October.

A total of 130 booths from 80 Vietnamese companies will showcase industrial, electrical and pharmaceutical p r o d u c t s , c h e m i c a l s , c o s m e t i c p r o d u c t s , foodstuffs, high quality goods, communication and

construction materials at the expo.

The business conference will be organized at UMFCCI Offi ce on Minye Kyawswa Road on 25 and 26 October. It is expected that about 3000 entrepreneurs and trade offi cials will attend the conference to discuss promotion of economic and trade between the two countries.

Myanma Alinn

YANGON, 21 Oct—My-anmar Posts and Telecom-munications emphasizes smooth communications for national brethren of the Union. Especially, the MPT extends its commu-nication facilities in rural and far-fl ung areas on a wider scale.

On 10 October, the installation of facsimile service has completed by

LASHIO, 21 Oct—A truck carrying bags of maize seeds driven by Maung Aung Myo, 26, hit the lamp-post and tree one after another due to out of control along the roadside near Water Fountain on Pyidaungsu Highway in Region 2 of Lashio Ward 2 at 12 noon on 19 October.

Car accident kills one

YANGON, 21 Oct—The fl ower market and fl owery nursery being opened at Mindhamma Ground in Mayangon Township will be moved to the plot near the tax-free market on Yamonna Road in Dawbon Township in November with the aim of ensuring convenience of fl ower lovers, according to the Parks and Playgrounds Department of the Yangon C i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Committee.

In the past, priority was given to allotment of shops to those who wishing to sell fl owers at the present fl ower market in Mindhamma Ground.—Kyemon

Flower market, fl ower

nursery to Dawbon

The car accident hit U Maung Maung from the compress shop and he died on the spot.

The traffi c police took action against driver Maung Aung Myo, 26, son of U Ban Than of North Zayan Village of Namhsam under the law.

Myanma Alinn

District News

Manton Radio Telegraphic Offi ce launches facsimile

serviceLashio MPT at Manton radio telegraphic offi ce in Palaung region.

Thanks to facsimile service, the local people save their time in com-munication for social and economic matters.

Likewise, Myanma Posts and Tele-communi-cations can earn increased income.

Myanma Alinn

YANGON, 21 Oct—The advanced swimming course, organized by Myanmar Swimming Federation, will kick off at National Swimming Pool on U Wisara Raod in Dagon Township from 27 October to 1 December.

Experienced trainers will give basic ideology on swimming to the trainees.

The training course will have two sessions—one from 7 am to 8.30 am and another from 4.30 pm to 6 pm.

Those wishing to attend the course may dial 378550, not later than 25 October.

MNA

Advanced swimming course

27 Oct-1 Dec

MEB announces remittance rates

ARTICLE8 Monday, 22 October, 2012

At the Jetavana Vihara in the kingdom of Savathi Lord Gotma Buddha Buddha narrated Suvannasama Jataka to the monks audience in 125 Pali stanzas. The reason why the Buddha told that story was that there was one monk who was feeding his poor old parents with alm foods he received from donors. Previously his parents were quite wealthy and he was the only son. They consented to the son’s persistent request to become monk. In old ages the parents became poor and lonely. So their monk son fulfi lled his fi lial duties to feed and care them. Other monks thinking that feeding alm food to laymen was sinful and they

Technology, capital and human resources Today, global countries have been transformed from natural resources based economy to human resources based economy or in other words knowledge based economy. While natural resources based economy is exhaustible, human resources based economy on the other hand is renewable. Besides, sustainable development, innovation and creative work force boosts a country’s competitive edge. Normally, every world country has to strive for economic development so that it can stand tall among the international community. With sound economic growth, it can promote health, education, social and research undertakings with might and main. What follows is the rise in living standard. Generally, human resources, natural resources, capital accumulation, and technology are development indicators of a nation. In general, industrial development has more important role than other business sectors for national economic growth. Only with industrial progress, will a nation be able to increase income through production growth. Actually, it is the industrial development that makes exports the principle income source of developed countries. Richness in natural resources usually facilitates industrialization. But we cannot exactly say a country small in size and poor in natural resources has no chance for industrialization. For example, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are industrial countries despite their lack of natural resources. We can import the required natural resources. Normally, a country like Canada developed in technology and rich in natural resources has greater advantage for development than others. Myanmar is a country with proper size and population having natural resources to a certain degree. Its location is geographically important. The country’s deep-sea ports and long coastline offers an excellent opportunity to explore and produce mineral resources. Myanmar will earn more foreign exchange only if she can systematically tap her resources and produce fi nished goods for export. Industrial development can be brought through cohesion of technology, capital and human resources.

Myanmar dramatic performance competitionSuvannasama Jataka

Maha Saddhamma Jotikadhaja Sithu Dr Khin Maung Nyunt

It is a long history to talk about Myanmar dramatic performance. With a tradition deep in the past, its origin is still the unfinished homework of the researchers. The late professor Dr Htin Aung in his doctorate dissertation he submitted to the University of Dublin and which was published “Burmese Drama” in 1937, says that Myanmar drama originated in the ritual performace of spirit mediums [nat kadaws]. Pre-Buddhist belief systems in Myanmar such as nature worship, spirit worship, ancestors worship, planet worship, Hindu deities prevailed and they still persist today. Spirit mediums [usually women] reenact the live staries of nat-spirits mostly trageolies with the accompaniment of song, music and mimetic actions, appealing to the spectators, and re-affi rming their belief. W h e n B u d d h i s m w a s i n t r o d u c e d a n d well established, jatakas [Buddha’s birth stories] were re-enacted in different genres at different periods. The fi rst of its kind, according to Dr Htin Aung, was “Nipatkhin” which was a dumb show, s imi la r to Chr i s tmas Pantomine. Major scenes from a well-known jataka were presented without dialogue, action, song, or music by some amature actors in the village, each scene on a bullock cart, followed at the end of the procession, a troupe of village youths playing folk music, songs and performing folk dances. Such Nipatkhin took place at annual religious festival. L a t e r , K w e t s e i k [drama-tic narration of jataka story by one person assuming all characters’ roles, miming voices, ac t ions , even mus ic ] appeared. Next followed Myey Waing Zat, a dramatic performance on a circular patch of ground in the village by a trio of one male actor, one female actress and one male extra with three to fi ve instrumentalists. In the light of torches set around the performance area, any jataka, begging or historical episo-de could be re-enacted. A full-fl edged drama whether by puppets or human actors developed later. All Myanmar dramatic performances whether

traditional or modern or post-modern are called Zat. Even movies are called Yoke Shin Zat because “Zat” is a derivative of Pali word “jataka” and Myanmar dramas basically were re-enacting jataka stories which are tragic, comic or melodramatic, which have all essential qualities of drama. Suvannasama Jataka, the story for dramatic performance competition of the 19th Myanmar National Races’ Traditional Perfor-ming Arts Competitions held in Nay Pyi Taw is the third Buddha’s birth story in the list of the Ten Pen-ultimate lives of the Buddha. These ten stories

are memorized by means of a Myanmar acronym “Tey-Za-Thu-Nay-Ma-Bu-San-Na-Wi-Wai” very familiar to all Myanmars. Each of the ten words in the acronym is the initial latter of each of the names of the Ten Pen-ultimate birth stories of the Buddha. They are (1) Temiya (2) Zanaka (3) Suvannasama (4) Neymi (5) Mahothada (6) Buridat (7) Sandakumara (8) Narada (9) Vidura and (10) Vessandara. In each of these ten lives, the future Buddha [Bodhisatta] tried to fulfi l successfully one or two kinds of perfection [Parami]. (1) Teymiya is the story of the fulfi llment of the fulfi llment of perfection in resolution. (2) Zanaka is the story of the fulfi llment of effort (3) Suvannasama is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in perfection in truthfulness and loving kindness (4) Neymi is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in renunciation (5) Mahothada is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in wisdom and truthfulness. (6) Buridhat is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in morality and forbearance (7) Sanda Kumara is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in truthfulness and resolution. (8) Narada is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in wisdom and truthfulness. (9) Vidura is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in wisdom and equanimity and (10) Vessandara is the story of the fulfi llment of perfection in giving.

brought the matter to the Buddha. Whereupon the Buddha exclaimed “Well-done” three times expressing appreciation as well as approving of what that monk was doing, saying to that monk “Oh monk, you are taking the path I had taken before. Like you, I had taken care of my old parents while living an ascetic life.” Then the monks entreated the Buddha to tell them about his past life. The following is the summary of Suvannasama jakata. ‘Long long ago, there was a village named Nesada gama, near the city of Veranasi. In that village lived a fi sherman. In another village across the river was also a fisherman. They were friends and they made promise to marry their son and daughter each other. A son named Dukula was born to one fi sherman and a daughter Parika was born to the other fi sherman. When they grew up their parents married them each other as promised. But the married couple detested marriage as they practised Brahmacariya — chaste life with moral precepts. So they went into the forest for recluse. As they sailed upstream the River Migathamata in the Himalayan Forest they came to an hermitage created by Sakka Deva. They moved in and lived as hermits. One day Sakka Deve foresaw the danger of isolated living in the forest to the two hermits. So he

advised them to marry to get a child. The two refused. Sakka Deva prescribed immaculate conception to Parika by letting Dukula’s hand stroking the navel of Parika. A son was born— so handsome that they named him Suvannsama — golden son, who grew up caring his aging parents cherishingly. One day, during their trip into the forest to gather some fruits, heavy showers came down. The sheltered under a big tree where there was a large ant hill in which lived a snake. Smelling the scent of human, the snake blew out his poisons which immediately entered into the eyes of the two hermits making them totally blind. The worried son feared some mishap had befallen to his old parents. He came out in search of them. Hearing the son’s footsteps the blind parents yelled out warning not to come near them as there was a poisonous snake around them. They wept when they were united. Suvannasama comforted the blind parents vowing that he would look after them. The three were happy at the hermitage, the son seeing to all the needs of his parents. Daily the son went out to gather fruits and bring water from the river. King Pi l i rekha of Beranasi kingdom was so fond of deer meat that he left his mother in charge of his kingdom and came out into the forest alone with his bow and arrow to hunt deer and eat its meat. One day he saw Suvannasama with a herd of golden deers around him coming to the river to take water. So astonished to see a handsome youth among the wild deers. To fi nd out his identity, human, spirit or naga, he shot an arrow at Suvannasama. Fallen Suva-nnasama tenderly asked who he was that shot an arrow at him. The king answered the reason of his shooting. When the king heard all about Suvannasama and blind parents, he was deeply moved and repented, promising to Suvannasama that he would take care of his blind parents forever. Suvannasama fell into deep unconsciousness due to the wound. The king thought he was dead and so went to the hermitage. The blind hermits

(See page 9)

You’ve consumed

me for years!Now, it is my

turn to consume you.

ALCOHOL

Kyaw Moe Hlaing Mingaladon

ARTICLEMonday, 22 October, 2012 9

Myanmar dramatic performance… (from page 8)knowing that the steps were not of their son, asked who the stranger was. The king explained all that had happened and told them that he would take their son’s place to do fi lial duties. They insisted to take them to their son and he returned to his capital as he was king. Upon reaching the scene, the blind parents touched their son’s body and they sensed that the son was not dead, only unconscious. So the father at the head and the mother at the feet began praying for the revival of their son on the oath of their truthfulness and loving-kindness. The truthfulness was that their son has always

done wholesome deeds, observed moral precepts, always fulfilled his filial duties to parents, loving-kindness was that they loved their son more than their own lives. Next, appeared the guardian goddess of the Forest Bahusondari who happened to be the mother of Suvannasama in the previous existence. She prayed for the recovering of Suvannasama from the wound on the strength of her truthfulness— that she loved her son so much and that all trees in that forest were scandal wood trees which she had been guarding for ages. Suvannasama recovered from the wound and the three were happily reunited.

The king after hearing the dhamma from Suvannasama gave up deer hunting and returned to this kingdom, doing good deeds till his death. In winding up this jataka, the Buddha identifi ed that Suvannasama became Gotama Buddha, King Pilirekha became his cousin Maha Thera Ananda, the guardian goddess Bahusondari became Maha Theri Upalavana, Dukula became Maha Thera Kassapa, Parika became Maha Theri Bhadda Kapilani and Sakka Deva became Maha Thera Anurudha. Although originated text in Pali of this jataka was silent about the appearance of Sakka Deva in the fi nal scene, some Myanmar versions of

Suvannasama mention the descent of this Deva from his celestial kingdom Tavatimsa to the fi nal scene to perfect the happy ending. To explain and illustrate one of the Ten Myanmar traditional arts of speaking with an intention to gain one’s aim called “Oh Tan Hsan Khat” [tactics of expressing oneself in a way appropriate to the situation, just as the right amount of rice should be put into a pot when cooking.] In the fi nal scene, after the blind parents and the guardian goddess had taken their oaths of truthfulness to revive Suvannasama Sakka Deva came down from Tavatimsa and asked the blind parents to choose only one of the three questions he

asked them to answer:(1) Do you want your son

revive? or(2) Do you want to regain

your eyesights? or(3) Do you want a pot of

gold? Whereupon the blind parents gave only one answer. “We want to see our son with a pot of gold on his shoulder.” With that stroke of one answer, all three wants were fulfi lled. It was Minbu Sayadaw monk U Awbatha in the reign of King Bodawpaya [1782-1819 A.D] who started translating Pali Texts of the Ten Penultimate birth stories of the Buddha into Myanmar. But he could finish only eight jatakas because he

passed away. The remaining two Buridat jataka and Suvannasama jataka were translated by his two monk disciples U Nandameda and U Pannatikha respectively. On the 8th waning moon of Nayone in Myanmar Era 1188 (1826 A.D) the royal clerk of King Bagyidaw, Maung Thar requested the dhamma lecturer Minbu monk U Pannatikha to translate the Pali text of Suvannasama into Myanmar. For many years, Myanmar translation of Suvannasama jataka was the prescribed text book for the middle schools. [Hai l ing the 19th Myanmar National Races’ Traditional Performing Arts Competition held in Nay Pyi Taw]

*****

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct— The prize presentation ceremony of the 19th Myanmar National Races’ Traditional Performing Arts Competition was held at the convocation of University of Veterinary Science, here,

Winners of Performing Arts Competition awarded

this morning. T h e p r i z e - g i v i n g ceremony was followed by an address delivered by Chairman of the leading committee for organizing the competition Union Minister for Culture U Aye

Myint Kyu. Next, Union Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Myint Hlaing, Union Minister for Health Dr Pe Thet Khin, Union Minister for Rail Transportation U Zeyar Aung, Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Ko Ko Oo, Deputy Minister for Culture U Than Swe, Deputy Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Dr Daw Khin San Yi, Deputy Minister for Information U Paik Htwe, Deputy Minister

for Health Dr Daw Thein Thein Htay and President of Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation Prof. Dr. Daw Swe Swe Myint presented prizes to winners of Maha Gita, drama narration (Kwetseik), harp, xylophone, piano, mandolin, orchestra, Ozi and dobet contests. Gold medalists and national race cultural troupes performed entertainment at the ceremony. — MNA

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct—Motto contest for national census to be taken by the Ministry of Immigration and Population from 30 March to 10 April, 2014 is open for all and the selected motto will be awarded K 300,000. The outlines for the motto are—it must be able to inform the taking of nationwide census in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; must stimulate the eager anticipation of the entire nation; must represent each and every one in the country is counted; must refl ect the vital part of accurate number of population in building new modern, developed nation; must enclose the

Motto for nationwide census open to alldefi nition of the message and terminological usage. The rules for the motto are—it must not harm the sovereignty of the nation; it must be self-invention; must be short and effective (must not be more than two lines); must not have been sent for any competition before; one can at most fi ve different mottos; must be sent by 14 November, 2012. The selected motto shall be under the copyright of Population Department which is vested to use it in all related works of taking census. The contestants shall send the motto attached w i t h l e t t e r o f s e l f -acknowledgement, and full contact address to Offi ce No.

40, Population Department, Ministry of Immigration and Population either in person or by express mail and the name of the composer of the selected motto will be announced in dailies with prize-presentation.

MNA

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct—Pyithu Hluttaw Banks and Monetary Development Committee Chairman U Aung Thaung and a mission led by Deputy Director Charles Enoch, Assistant General Council Barend Jansen and Sector Manager Hormoz Aghdaey from World Bank held a cordial discussion at

Banking service discussed

Pyithu Hluttaw Committee Hostel on 19 October morning. Rendering technical assistance related to banking service and rendering from World Bank and International Monetary Fund to the central bank enabling it to stand independently and draw laws were discussed at the meeting.—MNA

NAY PYI TAw, 21 Oct—Participants are invited for logo competition of country-wise census taking by Ministry of Immigration and Population during 30 May-10 April. The winner will deserve K 0.5 million. The logo must include the following facts;- must describe the

meaning to be held in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar;

Entries invited to country-wise census taking logo competition

- m u s t d e n o t e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f p o p u l a t i o n i n implementing important projects or building up a modern developed nation;

- must symbolize amity between national races;

- describe the defi nition of the content of paintings or graphic design and of colours used;

- should not include other organization’s seal and emblem that can undermine the State’s sovereignty;

- must be own creation;- must be ones that have

never sent to other competition;

- a competitor can send at most three logos;

- i t m u s t b e s e n t

t o P o p u l a t i o n Department not later than 14 November, 2012

The selected logo is Population Department’s patent, and the department has rights to use it in country-wise census taking processes. Paintings, g raph ic des ign and soft copy (CD) along with admission and full addresses, are to be sent to Offi ce No.48, Population Department under the Ministry of Immigration and Population, Nay Pyi Taw, in person and through express mail. Those selected will be released through daily newspapers, and prize-awarding ceremony, held.

MNA

U Thaung Nyo and family of Yankin

Township in Yangon Region donated K

300,000 to Hninzigon Home for the Aged

recently.NLM

Union A&I Minister U Myint Hlaing awards fi rst prize winner in

higher education level women’s singing

contest.MNA

NATIONAL

WORLD10 Monday, 22 October, 2012

CAIRO, 21 Oct — The Muslim Brotherhood’s political party, Egypt’s biggest, chose veteran conservative Saad al-Katatni as its new leader on Friday to replace Mohamed Mursi

SYDNEY, 21 Oct — A lucky sailor is back on dry land after passengers and crew on a commercial fl ight from Canada helped fi nd his crippled yacht adrift in rough seas hundreds of miles off the Australian coast, rescue authorities said.

The Air Canada fl ight from Vancouver to Sydney was one of two diverted on Wednesday to look for solo yachtsman Glenn Ey, who activated an emergency beacon after his 11-metre (36 foot) yacht fl ipped and was dismasted. The Boeing

BOSTON/NEW YORK, 21 Oct — Executives at the Boston-area pharmacy whose steroid shots have been linked to a deadly US meningitis outbreak have been sued in a bid to freeze their personal assets, while the death toll in the scandal rose to 21, with 268 cases of infection reported. Peter McGrath, a lawyer who is a former federal prosecutor, said he was spearheading a civil case that blames Massachusetts-based NECC and company officers Barry and Lisa Cadden and Greg Conigliaro for the tainted drugs. The lawsuit was fi led on behalf of an unnamed plaintiff in Middlesex County Superior Court in suburban Boston, court records show.

“We want to pierce the corporate veil and go after the individuals,” McGrath said Friday in a telephone interview. Fourteen new cases of fungal meningitis in patients who received the contaminated shots for back pain were reported on Friday, bringing the total to 268, and the death toll rose by one to 21, the US Centers for Disease Control and

TEHERAN, 21 Oct—A senior Iranian military commander said on Friday that Israel should expect hundreds of drones to enter its airspace, a situation he said the Jewish country is not capable of dealing with, Press TV reported. Earlier this month, the Israeli military announced that its warplane shot down a drone in the southern desert. Later, the Lebanese Shi’ite group of Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching the drone.

“Zionists must expect hundreds of other drones of 25 different models equipped with new flying systems that they don’t know how to confront,” Commander of Iran’s volunteer Basij Forces Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi told reporters on Friday.

“The infi ltration of the drone into the airspace of the occupied lands revealed only the smallest part of the power of Hezbollah and the resistance,” the commander, a member of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Last week, Iran’s Defence Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said the drone fl own by Hezbollah over the “occupied lands” was Hezbollah’s “natural right.”

Xinhua

B UENOS AIRES, 21 Oct — Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman warned on Friday that his country would resort to the UN if necessary over Ghana’s seizure of its frigate. Ghana’s seizure of Argentine warship Libertad is “illegal,” because “the warship has immunity established in several international conventions signed by the Republic of Ghana,” Timerman said at a press conference.

“Argentina keeps all the options open before the international law and, in case it’s necessary, it will come before the UN,” added the minister. The row started earlier this month

Argentina warns to bring Ghana’s warship seizure to UN

Saad al-Katatni gestures after winning majority of votes by members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)’s general committee, to be elected as

their new leader in Cairoon Friday. —REUTERS

Katatni elected as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood party chiefwho went on to become his country’s fi rst elected president. Katatni, 61, a microbiologist who joined the movement in 1979, is seen as more conservative than his main challenger for the post, Essam el-Erian, and less ready to compromise

with liberals and leftists.He was speaker of

the fi rst parliament after a popular uprising toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak, an assembly d o m i n a t e d b y t h e Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and ultraconservative Salafi s. L ibera l s occas iona l ly walked out of the assembly, protesting that their Islamist opponents were intent on railroading through their legislative agenda while ignoring the views of others. The legislature was dissolved by court order in June after the rules of the parliamentary election were challenged.

A court is to rule on 23 October on whether the assembly that is to draft Egypt’s new constitution is

legal. Katatni took 67 percent of 866 votes by members of the FJP’s general committee, or executive, on Friday.

Analysts expect no major policy change within Egypt’s best-organized Islamist group, saying it was Katatni’s calm, consensual stance within the movement that won him the leadership vote.”

I am indebted for this trust,” Katatni said in a speech after the result was announced. “Egypt is waiting for us, the Freedom and Justice Party, to lead the political scene.” He said the role of the FJP, which has around 400,000 members, was to “implement righteous rule based on Islamic sharia laws,” prompting loud applause from his audience.

Reuters

Egypt

A sample of Aspergillus fumigatus, the fi rst fungus diagnosed in the fungal meningitis outbreak sweeping the United States, in Nashville, Tennessee on 19 Oct,

2012. — REUTERS

when Libertad was detained at the eastern Tema Port during a “good-will mission.” On board were 220 crew members as well as 110 students, some of whom are from Uruguay and Chile.

The move to embargo the ship was sparked by a claim by NML Capital Limited, which is suing the South American country over its 2002 bond default. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has refused to pay 20 million US dollars as bail to free the warship and its crew. At Friday’s Press conference, Timerman said that “to negotiate with vulture funds isn’t and won’t be an option.”— Xinhua

LatAm

Meningitis toll rises; pharmacy owners sued

Prevention said. There were four new cases reported in both Michigan and Florida, one each in Indiana, Ohio and Virginia, and three in Tennessee, which has been the hardest hit of the 16 states with confi rmed cases. The latest death was in Michigan, its fi fth.

There have also been three cases of peripheral infections from injections into joints. Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong said NECC would no longer be allowed to do business in the state. “The company will cease to operate as a pharmacy in our state, immediately,” Armstrong said. “Further, the NECC may never re-apply for a pharmacy permit in the state of Florida.”US health regulators confi rmed on Thursday the presence of the deadly Exserohilum fungus in vials of the NECC steroid used for the pain injections. They estimate that as many as 14,000 people may have been exposed to the contaminated medication. T h r e e p o t e n t i a l l y contaminated lots of the drug, methylprednisolone, were shipped to 76 facilities in 23 states. —Reuters

Yachtsman Glenn Ey

(C) hugs his mother on

a wharf in Sydney

after being

rescued by the police

in this 18 Oct, 2012 handout picture.REUTERS

NEW YORk, 21 Oct — Dozens of screening offi cers and supervisors at Newark L ibe r ty In t e rna t iona l Airport, one of three main airports serving New York City, face dismissal or suspension for failing to search baggage properly, the Transportation Security Administration said on Friday.

The TSA, in the largest personnel action it has taken at an airport, said it

Newark Airport workers may be fi red over improper bag screening

Air Canada fl ight helps rescue Australian sailor

planned to fi re 25 workers and suspend another 19 for up to two weeks without pay as a result of an investigation into screening practices at Newark.

Eight other employees were fi red as part of the same investigation in June. TSA spokesman David Castelveter could not give details of any security lapses but said that roughly 250 bags affected last November and December were deemed

safe by other parts of the screening system, and passenger safety was not threatened.

“TSA holds all of its employees to the highest professional and ethical standards and has a zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace,” it said in a statement, adding the dismissals and suspensions were necessary to ensure public safety.

Reuters

777 dropped down to 5,000 feet and cut its speed while the crew peered out using binoculars borrowed from passengers.

“As we got to about two to three miles of this yacht, the fi rst offi cer said ‘there it is, I see it’,” Andrew Robertson, the captain of the Air Canada fl ight told Australian television. “A lot of passengers said it was very exciting to be involved in a search like this.” After a second Air New Zealand flight confi rmed the location, a

rescue crew battled heavy seas and strong winds to reach Ey, who had drifted some 270 nautical miles from the Australian coast.

“It is an adventure he will certainly remember,” Detective Inspector Anthony Brazzill from Marine Area Command told Australian Associated Press. “Sea and weather conditions were challenging and had been drifting further and further out to sea. He can consider himself very lucky to be alive.”

Reuters

Iranian commander

warns hundreds of drones may enter Israeli

airspace

US

USIran

REGIONALMonday, 22 October, 2012 11

Participants compete in the fi nal match of 2012 China Dragon Boat Open Tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, on 20 Oct, 2012. A total of 16 teams took part in the fi nal match in the Beijing-

Hangzhou Grand Canal on Saturday.— XINHUA

Kite fans fl y circle kites during a seaside kite festival in Daishan County, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on 20 Oct, 2012. The kite festival held here on Saturday attracted

fans across China who brought with them more than 400 kites. — XINHUA

BANGKOK, 21 Oct — The Thai government is now promoting Thailand tourist spots in the country’s southern region lying in the middle and along the shores of the Gulf of Thailand to further invigorate its already fl ourishing tourism industry. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was scheduled to leave for Koh Samui Island and nearby coastal areas on the weekend, beginning with Saturday’s fl ight from Bangkok to the world- renowned island resort. After landing at Koh Samui International Airport, the prime minister will proceed by boat to the islands of Koh Pa-ngan and Koh Tao.

On Sunday, she will

Thai gov’t to promote islands in the Gulf of Thailand as tourist spots

visit Nakorn Sri Thammarat, the mainland province just across the sea from Koh Samui.

She will then return to Koh Samui where she will preside over a “roving” Cabinet meeting on Monday. cording to deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ad, the Yingluck government plans to restore and promote the reputed tourist sites on those islands as well as along the shores of the Gulf, including those in Surat Thani, Chumporn, Pattalung and Nakorn Sri Thammarat Provinces. ingluck earlier visited Krabi and Puket, both world-renowned tourist destinations on the shores of the Andaman Sea, where

she had already approved plans to further develop and improve the area.

During her weekend trip to Koh Samui and nearby areas, the prime minister was scheduled to inspect the construction and repair of roads around Koh Pa-ngan Island where the arrival of foreign tourists has remarkably increased each year.She will also inspect the construction of a hospital on Koh Tao Island.

I n N a k o r n S r i Thammarat , Yingluck and her Cabinet will visit Wat Pra Mahathat Wora Mahaviharn temple which the government intends to promote as a World Heritage site.In Surat Thani, the prime

minister will be briefed on a project to build an international airport at Don Sak, where tourists usually ride on ferry boats to and from Koh Samui.

Several infrastructure projects, including anti-fl ooding facilities in those southern provinces on the coasts of the Gulf of Thailand, will be carried out as part of the government’s tourism promotion scheme, the deputy government spokesman said.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Nattavud Sai-kua, a native of Nakorn Sri Thammarat, will lead Yingluck on the planned itinerary to the southern tourist spots.

Thailand, which has fully recovered after it was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, is now back as among the top tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, along with Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. —Xinhua

China plans to improve social services for retired offi cersBEIJING, 21 Oct — The

Chinese government planned to improve social services for retired offi cers, especially senior and disabled ones, said on Sunday’s The Beijing News.The daily newspaper quoted a statement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs as saying that the ministry planned to introduce private nursing and day care services into the services for retired offi cers so as to improve effi ciency.

Elderly retired offi cers used to be taken care by armed forces but over the past few years they have been gradually handed

over to the civilian sector. According to the ministry, more than 240,000 retired offi cers have been under the civilian care. The government will provide housing and nursing services for them.

Efforts will be made to ensure the living quality of these elderly offi cers, especially those who are childless, at very old age or in poor health, the ministry statement said. Local governments are urged to allocate enough budget and resources for them, the statement added.

Xinhua

US carrier to pass through

waters around

Huang’ yan Island: media

BEIJING, 21 Oct — Philippine media say the US aircraft carrier, the George Washington, passed through the South China Sea on Saturday, on its way to the Philippines.

The ship will also pass through waters around Huang’yan Island. The aircraft carrier is accom-panied by at least two destroyers.

It will arrive in the Philippines on Wednesday, for a four-day visit. The US Embassy in the Philippines says the visit is aimed at improving historic relations between the US and the Philippines.

Xinhua

China calls for DPRK, ROK to remain calm, restrained

People visit the 30th China Jiangsu

International Bicycle/Electric Bicycle &

Parts Fair in Nanjing, capital of east China’s

Jiangsu Province, on 20 Oct, 2012. The

three-day fair, with the participation of 500

exhibitors from home and abroad, opened here on Saturday.

XINHUA

, 21 Oct — China on Saturday called for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea(ROK) to keep calm and restrained to safeguard the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. “China expects related parties to remain calm and restrained, not to take provocative or radical actions and jointly safeguard the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement.

Hong’s comments came as the Western Front Command of the Korean

People’s Army (KPA) on Friday warned that it might fi re on an ROK border area where Seoul plans to scatter anti-DPRK leafl ets next week while the ROK defense chief said the ROK would wipe out the attackers.

“China is concerned about the development of the issue,” Hong said. As a neighbor, China supports the DPRK and the ROK to resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation, Hong said, stressing China opposes any actions that might escalate the tensions or any military confrontations on the peninsula.— Xinhua

China-Vietnam bilateral business cooperation expected to strengthen

HANOI, 21 Oct — B i l a t e r a l t r a d e a n d investment cooperation between China and Vietnam are expected to strengthen in the future as the two countries have similarities in culture and governance structure, according to Gu Chaoqing, chairman of Business Association of China in Vietnam.In a recent interview with Xinhua, Gu, who has been in Vietnam for over ten years, said that he has witnessed many changes on investment environment and policies in Vietnam.

“Infrastructure has improved quickly in the past few years.When I just came here, there were only a few high buildings in Vietnam, but now people can see high and modern buildings mushrooming all over the country,” Gu said.Gu, however, said that Vietnam still has many things to do to further upgrade its infrastructure to meet the demands of its citizens and

for businesses to fl ourish.”For example, it takes at least one hour to travel only 30 kilometers of road, and an hour and a half if there is traffi c jam, while in China, we only spend 20 minutes for that distance. This is a big waste of time,” Gu said.

According to Gu, Vietnam also needs to further develop its support industries in order to create convenient conditions for businesses.Gu said that the global economic crisis has affected Chinese investments in Vietnam, adding that in the past few years,Chinese investments were in all fi elds, but now it has shifted from quantity to quality.Chinese investment in Vietnam now focuses mainly on garment and textile sector with two large-scale companies with investment of over 100 million US dollars and two companies with around 30 million US dollars, Gu said.

Gu said that in the past, Chinese investments

were mostly in southern Vietnam but now they are concentrated in the border areas that are closer to China, particularly in the northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, Nam Dinh and Thai Binh.Though facing many diffi culties, Gu still expressed optimism about the economic prospects of Vietnam since the government is serious in upgrading the country’s infras t ructure and in improving its investment e n v i r o n m e n t . “ I f t h e infrastructure and support industries are upgraded,this would attract more foreign investors, including those from China, to invest in Vietnam,” Gu said.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment,as the end of September, China invested in 869 projects in Vietnam, worth over 4.52 billion US dollars, ranking 14 out of 96 foreign investors in Vietnam.—Xinhua

Tourism

China

ADVERTISEMENT12 Monday, 22 October, 2012

Owl shaped money boxes are displayed at Hong Kong International Toys & Gifts Show and Asian Gift Premium & Household Products Show (MEGA Show) in

south China’s Hong Kong, on 20 Oct, 2012. The four-day MEGA Show kicked off Saturday at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, with exhibitors from 32

countries and regions. — XINHUA

D U B A I , 2 1 O c t — A passenger bus in southwestern Iran overturned on Friday evening, killing 26 female high school students on board, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Eighteen others were injured when the bus, carrying students from the town of Borujen, flipped on the Izeh-Lordegan road, about 700 km (435 miles)

Bus crash in Iran kills 26 schoolgirls

Canada blocks $5.2 billion Petronas bid for Progress Energy

NEW YORK, 21 Oct —News Corp said on Saturday reports that it is in discussions with Tribune Co or the Los Angeles Times are “wholly inaccura te .” The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported on Friday that News Corp Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch is looking to buy the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, two of the count ry’s l a rges t newspapers, when owner Tribune Co emerges from bankruptcy.

The paper also reported that News Corp executives are in the early stages of talks with Tribune Co’s debtholders including Oaktree Capital, with an eye toward securing footholds across the three top US markets of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune and Oaktree have declined

News Corp says reports of talks withLA Times, Tribune are false

TORONTO/KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Oct — Canada has blocked Malaysian state oil fi rm Petronas’ C$5.17 billion ($5.2 billion) bid for gas producer Progress Energy Resources in a surprise move that could signal problems for a much larger Chinese deal in the country’s energy sector. Canada’s announce-ment late on Friday, minutes before a deadline, was a blow to Petronas, whose domestic oil supplies are shrinking and which has been seeking to boost its resources beyond Malaysia and volatile areas such as Sudan.

It also raises doubts over Chinese oil group CNOOC’s C$15.1 billion offer for oil

to comment. News Corp declined to comment on whether there had been talks with debtholders, and would not say if it was asking the LA Times for a retraction.

Nancy Sul l ivan, a spokeswoman for the LA Times, said on Saturday the paper is standing by the report. News Corp is preparing to split into two companies next year, one housing its entertainment asse ts inc luding 20th Century Fox studios and its cable networks and the o ther hous ing i t s publishing assets such as the Wall Street Journal. Murdoch has long eyed the LA Times, the paper reported.

But any attempt by the media mogul to go after the two newspapers would have to get approval from regulators.

In June, The Wall

Street Journal reported that Murdoch in an interview played down his interest in the LA Times, saying it would have to be looked at “closely,” citing regulatory restrictions, among other things. Murdoch controls the Wall Street Journal - the largest-circulation U S n e w s p a p e r — and the New York Post. Federal Communications Commission rules prevent ownership of a newspaper and TV station in the same market.

News Corp now owns two Fox stations in LA, and two in Chicago. The commission however has considered eliminating the rule and has granted exceptions in the past, including a waiver that allowed the Tribune to operate both KTLA-TV Channel 5 and the Los Angeles Times.

Reuters

Kenya's President

Mwai Kibaki(C, Upper) at-tends the

celebration to mark the Mashujaa

(Heroes) Day at Nyayo National Stadium

in Nairobi, Kenya, on 20

Oct, 2012.XINHUA

producer Nexen and could weigh on other Canadian firms hoping for foreign investment to tap their vast energy reserves.

A rejection of the CNOOC bid would likely damage trade t ies Canada has been trying to build with China, underlining political sensi t ivi ty to Chinese corporate expansion in North America. “I have sent a notice letter to Petronas indicating that I am not satisfi ed that the proposed investment is likely to be of net benefi t to Canada,” Industry Minister Christian Paradis said in a statement. The government, which has said C$630 billion investment is needed in Canada’s energy sector over the next decade, has been trying to balance concerns over the deals with that requirement for capital.

The companies have 30 days to make the offer more palatable. Progress Chief Executive Michael Culbert said he was disappointed with the ruling and his company would take the next month to try to determine what concerns led to the rejection and what potential remedies might assuage them. Petronas had no comment on Saturday.

The bid had not been

expected to run into hurdles in a review process that asks whether a deal is of “net benefi t” to Canada. But in a sign that it was attracting greater scrutiny, Canada earlier this month lengthened its review period by two weeks. Investment industry sources said Progress offi cials had initially told them that Investment Canada wanted the unusual two-week extension because it was experiencing staffi ng and workload issues due to numerous fi les it was juggling, and that no serious issues had arisen or new information requests made.

Then at the last minute, Ottawa came back to Petronas to ask for another extension, a request the Malaysian company, already irked by the delays, refused, forcing Paradis’ hand, the Canadian and US sources said. The sources suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper wanted the extra time to allow his government to draw up a set of rules for takeovers by foreign state-owned enterprises, something he has said he would deliver with the Nexen decision. Some investors heaped criticism on Ottawa, saying the move and other recent deal rejections smacked of protectionism.

Reuters

southwest of the capital Teheran, Iranian media reported.

“Travelling at excess speeds on slippery roads was the cause of this accident,” Colonel Samad Esfandiari, a highway patrol offi cial, told the Iranian Students’ News Agency. The injured were taken to various hospitals in southwest Iran for treatment, state

television said.Road traffi c accidents

kill nearly 28,000 people and injure or disable 300,000 people a year in Iran, a country of 75 million people, according to statistics from Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund. Road accidents occur at a rate 20 times higher than the world average in Iran, Unicef said.— Reuters

Monday, 22 October, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT13

NEW YORK, 21 Oct—Michael Lohan is so worried about his troubled daughter following a number of recent incidents including a huge fi ght with her mother Dina and allegedly failing to show up for post-production work on her movie The Canyons this week that he got together a team of people to try to help her.

Michael reportedly believes the Liz & Dick actress - who has had numerous stints in rehab - has fallen off the wagon but he and those he arrived at her home with were reported for trespassing.

According to gossip website TMZ, a man claiming to be Lindsay’s boyfriend asked the group to leave and he said any problems she may have cannot be solved by her dad.

Michael recently blasted the party-loving crowd that Lindsay has been spending time with in New York City and blames their “misguided morals” for her recent bust-up with her mother- where she accused Dina of being high on cocaine before retracting her claim - and her public spat with a Congressional aide.

Venting in an email to a newspaper, Michael wrote: “I am very upset with the crowd around Lindsay. My advice to ALL the negative infl uences in Lindsay and my other children’s lives is, this time, you have crossed the line and bitten off a lot more than you can chew!

Michael recently blasted the party-loving crowd that Lindsay has been spending time with in New York City and blames their

“misguided morals” for her recent bust-up with her mother.

If I’m satisfi ed, I’d be creatively dead: Amitabh Bachchan

NEW DELHI, 21 Oct—Forty-three years in showbiz, over 180 fi lms, national and international honours in his kitty and not to forget a huge fan following - Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has achieved a lot, but as an actor he never wants to be satisfi ed. “I think every actor would wish there is some challenge that is left. I would consider to be creatively dead if I were to say that I am satisfi ed now,” Big B told IANS in an interview in his trademark baritone.

“I think no actor should be ever satisfi ed because there is always something new to do, something fresh to get challenged by... I do hope there are fi lmmakers who will challenge me, who will create stories and characters that would excite me enough and provoke me to perhaps take up a job; so, as I said, I hope I never get satisfi ed,” added the megastar who is called a “living legend” thanks to many milestones in his career.

From fl ops to stardom, from failure to scaling dizzying heights of success again, he has seen both good and bad times.

But he said he doesn’t feel like looking back to his past, and added: “I don’t spend much time looking back at what happened. I do remember it, but I don’t see any purpose of wanting to look back. I should only look back at moments that were disparaging, look down upon, negative for me - moments where I could learn something. And if I have been able to use that learning in future, then I am happy about it.”—PTI

“My family will not be subject to your misguided morals and ways! There WILL BE changes!! Just watch. (sic)”However, the actress has said she is “done” with her father after he betrayed her trust by making public a conversation they had about

her fi ght with Dina.Lindsay, 26, insisted: “I told my dad a really hurtful and untruthful lie about my mom. She was not on cocaine.“Daughters have fi ghts with their moms. It happens a lot. It’s normal.”—PTI

Halle Berry vomited on beau Olivier Martinez

Alleged Alec Baldwin stalker says Facebook could clear her

NEW YORK, 21 Oct—Canadian actress Genevieve Sabourin said she has been unable to obtain records of her Facebook conversations with American actor Alec Baldwin that would help clear her of

stalking charges.“I will appear before a New York jury (on November 27) without

my evidence. I wonder what my chances are of getting a fair trial,” she told AFP on Thursday.

Alec Baldwin fi led stalking charges against Sabourin earlier this year, accusing her of sending love-struck emails, asking him to marry her and showing up uninvited at his Manhattan apartment.

Ms Sabourin, who was arrested on April 8 and detained for 36 hours, said the stalking allegations are part of a “misunderstanding.”

Records of their Facebook messages would show that the interest was mutual and reveal the “true nature” of their relationship, she said.

“When I saw that he had begun seeing someone else, I decided to cancel our friendship on Facebook, and because of that I lost the entire content of our conversations.”

She said she had been working with her lawyer to obtain the content from Facebook but to no avail, saying the law did not oblige the social media giant to provide her with evidence she could use to defend herself.

As to US media reports of a “love triangle,” Sabourin said she had been “stoned in the public square.”

“My personal and professional reputation has been completely destroyed,” said the 40-year-old actress.— PTI

have not been sick one day since. “But that fi rst day there were very high waves it was very choppy. Half our crew was chucking up. I couldn’t help it but I threw up on Olivier’s shoes!”

Halle admits working on the film was a huge “challenge” because the cast

and crew were in such a confi ned space, which

meant preparation was diffi cult. She added: “We are out there in the middle of

nowhere on

a little boat and on most days there are around twenty men and women on that little boat trying to make a movie, with all these tight corners, in a very constricted space. Which is an acting challenge - something I had to learn how to do.

“We had to fi nd a little corner and deal with whatever the process is at that time, and sometimes we couldn’t prepare at all but just have to hit the deck running.” Dark Tide is released on DVD by Revolver Entertainment on 22 October.

PTIWASHINGTON, 21 Oct—

Justin Theroux’s proposal to Jennifer Aniston was “one of the sneakiest jobs” she has ever seen.

The 43-year-old actress was shocked when her boyfriend of just over a year proposed to her on his birthday in August but admitted she is happier than

The 43-year-old actress was shocked when her boyfriend of just over a year proposed to her.

she has ever been.She said: “The biggest

story right now is that I have a beautiful partner and a lot of joy. Every. Single. Day. I didn’t know what I wanted for a ring. He just knows what I like. The proposal was one of the sneakiest jobs I’ve ever seen. I had no idea.”

While Jennifer Aniston -

who was previously married to Brad Pitt - isn’t giving away any details on the wedding, she doesn’t plan to deviate from her own classic style for the big day.

She expla ined to People magazine: “A bride should look like herself. Just be yourself. If you try something new, you’ll feel uncomfortable.”

It was recently revealed Jennifer is planning a three-day wedding after initially wanting something quite small. A source said: “What started out as quite low-key is now looking more extravagant. They are still keen on a beach wedding in Hawaii or Mexico towards the end of the year, but Jen wants it to be more like a massive party and, at the moment, it looks like it could stretch over three days. Half of Hollywood will be there too.”—PTI

indsay Lohan is ‘done’ with her father?

New York, 21 Oct—Halle Berry vomited on Olivier Martinez’s shoes when they worked together for the fi rst time.

The couple met while working on drama Dark Tide and the Oscar-winning actress - who plays a shark n a t u r a l i s t whose life s p i r a l s o u t o f c o n t r o l following a tragedy at sea - admits she initially struggled with sea sickness.

She said: “My fi rst day on the boat I’m not ashamed to say I got terribly sea sick - I threw up about fi ve times, but it never happened since. I got my sea legs and

Jennifer Aniston was shocked when Justin Theroux proposed to her

Amitabh Bachchan

Hal

le B

erry admits

she s

truggled

sea s

ickness

Alec Baldwin fi led stalking charges against Sabourin earlier this year, accusing her of sending love-struck emails.

SPORTS14 Monday, 22 October, 2012

Barca win chaotic game to remain eight clear of Real Madrid

MADRID, 21 Oct— FC Barcelona maintained their eight point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the BBVA Primera Liga table in Spain thanks to a thrilling anarchic 5-4 win away to Deportivo la Coruna.

Barca were 3-0 up after just 17 minutes thanks to goals from Jordi Alba, Christian Tello and Leo Messi gave Tito Vilanova’s side a comfortable early lead.

Pizzi pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after a dreadful refereeing decision after Riki took a dive outside of the Barca penalty area and Bergantinos brought Deportivo right back into things with a low shot that Barca keeper Victor Valdes failed to deal with after 37 minutes, before Leo Messi scored his second of the night to make it 4-2 two minutes from the break after a fi ne Cesc Fabrigas pass.

Pizzi made it 4-3 with a free kick three minutes into

Argentine striker Barcos leads Palmeiras’ survival fi ght

R I O D E J A N E I R O , 2 1 O c t — A r g e n t i n e international striker Hernan Barcos scored two second-half goals as Palmeiras kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation with a 2-0 victory over Cruzeiro on Saturday.

Barcos gave the home side the lead in the 66th minute by heading in Marcos Assuncao’s lobbed cross before doubling his tally 10

MOSCOW, 21 Oct—Top seed Samantha Stosur reached her fi rst fi nal in eight months with a comeback 2-6 6-3

Stosur beats Ivanovic to set up Wozniacki fi nal

Australia’s Samantha Stosur hits a return against Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic during their Kremlin Cup semifi nal tennis

match in Moscow on 20 Oct, 2012. —Reuters

Record lap puts Lorenzo on pole in Malaysia

KULU LUMPUR, 21 Oct—Jorge Lorenzo’s record-shattering late burst put the MotoGP championship leader on pole position for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.

The Yamaha rider cranked up the pace in the closing stages of Saturday’s session to clock a record lap of two minutes 0.334 seconds and snatch his seventh pole position of the season ahead of title rival and fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (2:00.528).

While it was uncannily

Motorcycling

Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain takes a corner during a free practice session ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang on 20 Oct, 2012.

Furyk and Love III share McGladrey leadNEW YORK, 21 Oct—

United States Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III and Jim Furyk both carded a four-under 66 to share a two-shot lead after the third round of the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island, Georgia on Saturday.

Love, the tournament host, birdied his fi nal hole to get to 13-under and join Furyk, one of his Ryder Cup captain’s picks, who enjoyed a bogey free afternoon.

Furyk, a 16-times winner on the PGA Tour, has had a year of golfi ng heartache, losing to Luke Donald in a playoff at the Transitions Championship, blowing a late lead at the US Open to

minutes later by dribbling inside the area and chipping over goalkeeper Fabio.

T h e v i c t o r y i s Palmeiras’ second in four days and lifts the club to 17th

in Brazil’s Serie A standings, four points from 16th-placed Bahia. Teams fi nishing from 17th to 20th will be relegated to Brazil’s Serie B.

“The most important thing is that Palmeiras won,” a delighted Barcos said after the match.

“Nobody believes the team is going to go down. We are confi dent that we can get ourselves out of this

situation.” Barcos, capped three times by Argentina, has now taken his season tally to 25 goals across all competitions.—Xinhua

the second half and Barca then found themselves down to 10 men as Riki exaggerated and accidental contact with Javier Mascherano to earn the defender a second booking.

Messi then hit the bar, before Vilanova brought

on Xavi Hernandez, Adriano and Pedro

Rodriguez in an attempt to

control

t h e chaotic game better and was rewarded when Messi scored his hat-trick with a fi ne solo goal.

Again Barca’s 2-goal lead was short lived as Alba scored a bizarre own goal with 11 minutes remaining to make it 5-4.

Deportivo hurled everything forward but Barca were able to hold on, although it is clear they will have to improve in defense if they want to remain top

of the table for long.R e a l M a d r i d i n

comparison enjoyed a relatively comfortable home win 2-0 at home to recently promoted Celta Vigo.

C e l t a were fa r f r o m overrun b y a sluggish Madrid side in

which Kaka disappointed again, but did little to trouble a team missing its three specialist full backs.

Gonzalo Higuain scored a defl ected shot 12 minutes into the first half and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty after a questionable decision by referee Clos Gomez 22 minutes from time sealed the win for Jose Mourinho’s side, who are still eight points behind Barca.Malaga remain in third place after coming from behind to

defeat Valladolid 2-1. Manucho put

Valladolid ahead after nine minutes with a smart shot on the turn and a well-organized display by the visitors f r u s t r a t e d Malaga until t h e 3 8 t h minute when

Izco equalized following a fl owing

attacking move.Xinhua

Webb Simpson and coughing up a hefty fi nal hole lead at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational to Keegan Bradley. The misery

continued a t l a s t m o n t h ’ s Ryder Cup w h e n F u r y k

stumbled late against Spain’s Sergio Garcia as the Europeans complete a stunning comeback.Courtesy of his 20 career PGA Tour

wins, the 48-year-old Love is a life member on Tour but is looking for his fi rst title since 2008.

A 21st win would move him into

a tie for 29th place on the all-time

wins list w i t h Willie

Macfarlane, Lanny Wadkins,

Craig Wood and James Barnes.

Love admitted to having

mixed feelings heading into Sunday battling for the lead with Furyk.

“It’s nice to win, no matter what,” Love told reporters. “But I know to be able to cap off (with a win) would make the year feel a lot better to him.

“I hope I’m not impeding that but I’d love to keep him from it. We’re both very competitive. We stay competitive no matter what the situation is.

“That’s why I picked him for the Ryder Cup team. He competes hard every time he goes out there and he gives you everything he’s got.

Reuters

similar to his pole-grabbing outing in Japan last week, Lorenzo will be hoping to prevent a repeat of the Motegi race where Honda’s Pedrosa recorded his fourth win in fi ve races to maintain his late-season title push.

Lorenzo’s team mate

Andrea Dovizioso (2:00.567) briefl y held provisional pole in a thrilling qualifying session before fi nishing third on the timesheets to seal the fi nal place on the front row.

A u s t r a l i a n w o r l d champion Casey Stoner (2:00.811), still lacking speed following an ankle injury, struggled with the set-up of his Honda but still heads the second row, ahead of the Yamaha duo of Briton Cal Crutchlow and American Ben Spies. Lorenzo leads the championship standings on 310 points to Pedrosa’s 282

with Stoner a distant third on 197.

The Spaniard sealed his sole world title at Sepang in 2010 and can repeat the feat should he win and Pedrosa fail to fi nish, with just two rounds remaining after the Malaysia race.—Reuters

6-2 win over fourth-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic in the Kremlin Cup semi-fi nals on Saturday.

The Australian will face another former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday’s fi nal after the Danish third seed beat unseeded Swede Sofi a Arvidsson 6-3 6-7 6-4 in the fi rst semi-fi nal at the Olympic indoor arena.

Italian second seed Andreas Seppi, who is having his best season in 2012, will meet fourth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the men’s fi nal on Sunday.

After splitting the fi rst two sets, 2011 US Open champion Stosur broke Ivanovic in the fi fth game for a 3-2 lead after the Serbian missed an easy volley on break point. Ivanovic took a medical break after falling

behind but looked a shadow of her former self after coming back on court as Stosur reeled off the next three games for an easy victory.

“Ana played a very good fi rst set, forcing me on the defensive,” Stosur, who lost to world number one Victoria Azarenka in her last fi nal in Doha in February, told reporters.

“In the second set I think I started serving a lot better and I was more aggressive on the returns. That was the key.”

Ivanovic said once she felt a twinge in her side her level of play dropped. “I felt something in my hip. I tried to shake it off but it got gradually worse,” she said.—Reuters

Tennis

Golf

Hernan Barcos

GENERAL

R/489 Printed and published by the New Light of Myanmar press in Nay Pyi Taw, the News and Periodicals Enterprise, Ministry of Information.

Monday, 22 October, 2012 15

MYANMAR INTERNATIONAL

(22-10-2012, Monday)

* News* Asia Europe People

Forum-9* ASEAN Choral Dance* News* International Day for

Disaster Reduction Ceremony

* News* Myanmar -US Human

Rights Dialogue* News* Public and Fuel* The National Level

Workshop for Energy and Electric Sectors of Development Project

* News

* Equal & Included-Disability in 2012

* News* W h a t h a v e y o u

done for the Natural Environment?

* News* ASWAN Economic

Community (AEC) Workshop

* News* Shall We Beautify Fruits?* Myanmar Movie “Servant of Love”

7:00 am 1. Paritta By Hilly Region

Missionary Sayadaw7:25 am 2. To Be Healthy Exercise

7:30 am 3. Morning News7:40 am 4. Dhamma Puja Song7:50 am 5. Nice & Sweet Song8:00 am 6. Health Programme8:10 am 7. Song Of National Races8:15 am 8. Cute Little Dancer8:45 am 9. Documentary4:00 pm10. Martial Song4:05 pm11. Dance Variety4:15 pm12. Musical Programme4:25 pm13. Dhamma Sekka Thutta

Reciting Competition (1st Prize Winner)

(B.E.H.S (1) Thanlyin)4:55 pm14. University Of Distance

Education (TV Lectures) -Second Year (English)

5:10 pm15. Songs For Upholding

National Spirit5:25 pm16. Myanmar Language6:20 pm17. Sing & Enjoy7:00 pm18. TV Drama Series8:00 pm19. News20. Performance of National

Races Cultural Troupes at Prize-Distribution Ceremony of the 19th Myanmar National Races’ Traditional Performing Arts Competition (2012) (21.10.2012)

(22-10-12 09:30 am ~23-10-12 09:30 am)

MST

Focus Myanmar TV Programme

Learning English

BEIJING, 21 Oct— China on Saturday said it welcomes the statement by leaders of the United Nations and the League of Arab States (AL) which called for a ceasefire in conflict-torn Syria during the upcoming Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.

“China welcomes and supports the statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and AL Secretary-General Nabil El-Arabi, which appealed to all parties in Syria to heed the call of the Joint Special Repre-sentative Lakhdar Brahimi for a ceasefi re during the

China welcomes UN, AL leaders’ call for Syria

ceasefi re period of Eid al-Adha,” Foreign Ministry spokes-man Hong Lei said in a statement.

Hong said ceasefi re and cessation of all violence is the top priority to resolve the Syrian issue.

“We urge all parities in Syria to take into account the fundamental and long-term interests of the nation and the people, respond to and implement the call for ceasefi re so as to avoid more bloodshed and start the political dialogue and political transition at an early date,” Hong said.

Xinhua

BEIRUT, 21 Oct — French President Francois Hollande on Saturday warned against any political vacuum in Lebanon following a deadly attack in the capital Beirut a day earlier, the National News Agency reported.

Hollande said in a letter conveyed to his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman by French Ambassador Patrice Paoli

Middle East

France, Britain condemn assassination of Lebanese security chief, stress unity

that “It’s very important that Lebanon doesn’t fall in a political vacuum. The cabinet must carry on with its tasks.” Paoli denounced the assassination of Chief of Information Department of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, Wissam al-Hassan, saying “it’s a great loss.”

He urged the authorities to exert efforts to fi nd the culprits. A deadly car

bombing Friday in Beirut that killed eight people, including al-Hassan, and injured over 85 has received condemnation of the United Nations, the Arab League (AL) and many countries around the world.

For his part, British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher also denounced the assassination, calling on the Lebanese to unite.

A simulated collapsed building are seen at the rescue training site in Vancouver, Canada,

on 20 Oct, 2012. Urban search and rescue teams from across the country

gathered in Vancouver for a large rescue learning

to save people in the event of an earthquake

on Saturday. Teams from Alberta and Manitoba

are practising simulation rescues along with

metro Vancouver fi re departments.

XINHUA

HAVANA, 21 Oct — Guyanese President Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar on Saturday voiced his opposition to the 50-year embargo on Cuba imposed by the United States. During the three-day visit which started on Wednesday, Ramotar met Cuba leader Raul Castro and signed agreements to enhance cooperation in the fi elds of health, sports and visa between the two countries.

Ramotar stressed that the Caribbean Comm-unity and Common Market (CARICOM) also rejected

the decades-long embargo.Established in 1973,

CARICOM has become an important platform for its 15 members to promote regional cooper-ation, while Cuba, located in the north of the Caribbean, is excluded.

“I hope that my visit to Cuba will contribute to further the relations between the two countries,” said Ramotar. Guyana and Cuba have enjoyed close collaboration in health, education, culture and sports since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in December 1972. —Xinhua

“We will cooperate with the Lebanese authorities in the upcoming days to encourage unity, stability and sovereignty,” Fletcher said after meeting Suleiman.

He told reporters that those who are behind the assassination seek to destabilize the country and divided it and “we shouldn’t allow them to achieve their goals.”—Xinhua

KIEV, 21 Oct — Three people were killed Saturday when a light aircraft crashed in southern Ukraine, authorities said. The commercial plane, carrying two passengers and a pilot, crashed into a fi eld about 9:30 am local time (GMT 0730) in Crimea

Light aircraft crashes in Ukraine, killing three

peninsula, the country’s emergency ministry said in a report.

All of the three people on board died at the scene, the report said.Cause of the air crash is not immediately unknown.

Xinhua

People with their cats

take part in a training

contest during the Animalia 2012, Pet Animals

International Exhibition,

held in Lausanne of Switzerland on 20 Oct,

2012.XINHUA

GOLUMUD, 21 Oct — A Chinese rescue team on Sunday is expected to reach two Australian tourists who have been stranded in northwest China’s Qinghai Province for five days, rescuers said.

The rescue team, consisting of five police offi cers, two doctors and a telecommunications techni-cian, have walked 40 km to get closer to the two tourists

Chinese rescuers to reach lost Australian tourists in Qinghai

who entered the region on Wednesday, said Guo Haili, head of the public security bureau of the city of Golmud.

The r e scue r s a re expected to reach the tourists around 2 pm, Guo said. Two tourists from Australia entered Haixi Mongolian-T i be t an Au t onomous Prefecture on bicycle and then got lost near Zhuonai Lake in Hoh Xil Nature Reserve on the Qinghai-

Tibet Plateau, Guo said.In the latest contact

made on Sunday morning, the two tourists said they were in fine physical conditions. Rescuers told them to stay put and await rescue.

Xinhua

Donate Blood

Syria

Guyana backs Cuba against US embargo

MYANMAR TV

7th Waxing of Thadingyut 1374 ME Monday, 22 October, 2012

Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham leaves for Cambodia to attend former

Cambodian King’s funeral YANGON, 21 Oct — Vice-

President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Dr Sai Mauk Kham left here for Cambodia by air to attend the funeral of former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk this morning.

The Vice-President and party were seen off at Yangon International Airport by Yangon Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe and offi cials, and Charge d’ Affaires ai of Cambodian Embassy in Myanmar Mrs. Tuot Kunthea.

MNA

NAY PYI TAW, 21 Oct— 19th Myanmar National Races Traditional Per-forming Arts Com-petition has been held at Yezin Universities Campus starting from 16 October and some competitions were concluded.

The inter im pr ize awarding ceremony took place at Convocation Hall of University of Veterinary Science in Yezin Universities Campus this morning. The rest competitions will be held at designated places in Yezin Universities Campus from 22

Performing Arts Competition resumes

to 24 October.The ongoing performing

arts compe-titions are Maha Gita, modern song contest, old song contest, Donmin, Orchestra, Medolin, Xylo-phone, Oboe, Guitar, paino, marriott contest and Thuwana Thama Jataka contest.

The inter im prize presentation during the competition is fi rst-ever for prize winners. It is used to award to prize winners after the competition at the former competitions.

MNA

YANGON, 21 Oct—A prize presentation for the Ngwehsaung Zone Photo Show organized by Myanmar Hoteliers Association was held on the fi rst fl oor of Dagon Centre-2 in Myenigon of Sangyoung Township yesterday.

The first prize went to Ma Lin Phyu Phyu, the second to Frankie TunTin and the third to Kyaw Zaw Lay.

T e n c o n s o l a t i o n prizes were awarded to the respective winners.

The photo show and prize presentation ceremony was opened by Director in-charge U Hla Moe of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism in Ayeyawady Region, Director in-charge of Yangon Region U Ohn Myint, Secretary of Myanmar Tourism Federation U Tin

WASHINGTON, 21 Oct—Takahiko Kozuka took advantage of a mistake-fi lled free programme from Yuzuru Hanyu to win the Skate America for his fourth Grand Prix victory as Japan swept the podium in the season-opening event Saturday.

A night after setting the world record in the short programme, the 17-year-old Hanyu slipped to place third in the free as Kozuka had a clean skate for a total of 251.44 points, winning on the Grand Prix circuit for the fi rst time in two seasons.

Hanyu still managed second with a 243.74, and the 22-year-old Tatsuki Machida, who was second in the free and fourth in the shorts, took third with a 229.95.

“It’s been a while since I last won but this defi nitely adds to my confi dence,” said Kozuka, who was close to 10 points behind Hanyu after the shorts.

“I wasn’t thinking about

N P T , 21 Oct—A slight earthquake of magni-tude 4.9 Richter Scale with its epicenter outside Myanmar near Andaman Island, India about 220 miles South of

Taniguchi defends Bridgestone Open title

with last-gasp eagle

Slight earthquake jolts outside Myanmar

Kaba-Aye seismological ob-servatory was recorded at 14 hrs 24 min 45 sec M.S.T today, Meteorology and Hydrology Department announced.

MNA

Kozuka leapfrogs Hanyu as Japan sweeps podium at

Skate America

C H I B A , 21 Oc t—Toru Taniguchi drained a dramatic eagle on the last hole to come from behind and successfully defend his title at the Bridgestone Open on Sunday.

The 44-year-old started the day one shot behind fellow veteran Hiroyuki Fujita and South Korea’s Lee Dong Hwan, but a fi nal-round 66 at the par-71 Sodegaura Country Club in Chiba was enough to give Taniguchi a one-shot victory and his second title of the season.

His 19th career victory on the JGTO Tour earned him 30 million yen.

Taniguchi took the lead

at the 12th hole after making four birdies against no bogeys, but he allowed Fujita to regain top spot after consecutive bogeys from the 13th.

Another birdie at the 16th moved him within one shot of Fujita before his eagle snatched victory after Fujita could only par the 18th.

“This is the fi rst time I have tasted a victory like this. I am delighted,” said Taniguchi, whose win moved him into second on the money list behind Fujita. “When I hit the shot (for eagle) I couldn’t see because of the light but realized it had gone in when the cheers went up.—Kyodo News

Works depicting picturesque scenes of Ngwehsaung awardedWin, Chairperson of MHA (Ngwehsaung) Zone Dr Daw Moe Mya Mya and executives.

Hotels from the zone presented gift vouchers to the fi rst, second and third

prize winners.First prize winner Ma

Lin Phyu Phyu is a youth photographer.

The photo show was held for the fourth time with the aim of attracting public

attention to the beauties of Ngwehsaung Beach.

In the Ms Ngwehsaung Contest, Po Ei Phyu Sin secured the first prize in 2011.

Myanma Alinn

Vice-President of the Republic of the Union

of Myanmar Dr Sai Mauk Kham and party

being seen off at Yangon International Airport by offi cials before departure for attending funeral of former Cambodian King

Norodom Sihanouk.MNA

where I was in the standings. I d i d n ’ t h a v e a

performance I’m completely satisfied with, but it’s reassuring to be able to put up the points I did.”

Hanyu made no excuses for the defeat and vowed to bounce back in the 23-25 Nov NHK Trophy which will be staged in his native Miyagi Prefecture.

“I was truly pathetic,” Hanyu said. “Today’s performance was about as bad as it gets.

I had a hard time focusing during the six minutes before it.”

“Now I’ve got to win the NHK Trophy. It’s at home, and I want to win no matter what.”

In the women’s shorts, Haruka Imai finished a distant seventh with a 49.90.

The 19-year-old Imai, coached by former world champion Yuka Sato, was well behind last season’s Four Continents champion Ashley Wagner of the United States who led with a 60.61.

Kyodo News