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Teachers to get new tools to teach toddlers

Moe reviewing framework, launches picture books for kindergartens
nG JinG YnG
jingyng@mediacorp.com.sg
SINGAPORE In a move that will be music to parents ears, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is embarking on a review of the kindergarten curriculum framework. It has also, for the first time, introduced standard teaching materials in the form of six picture books which aim to inculcate in toddlers positive character traits. Overall, the review seeks to refresh key teaching and learning principles so as to better prepare our children for living and working in the 21st century, said Minister of State (Education) Lawrence Wong, who had been tasked with looking at the preschool education sector. Mr Wong, who was speaking at the Kindergarten Conference yesterday, reiterated the importance of pre-school education. He said: Evidence in many studies show that quality early learning programmes work for our children and for our society. Participation in high-quality preschool programmes results in both short- and longterm positive outcomes for children, including their willingness to persevere through adversity, their motivation in learning and their ability to acquire future skills. The existing framework for kindergar-
ten curriculum was published in 2003. Said Mr Wong: Many of the broad principles in the existing framework are still relevant. But we want to update (the framework) with the latest research about how children develop and learn. Last month, speaking at the 25th anniversary dinner of the Peoples Action Party Community Foundation, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean noted that the quality of its pre-schools is uneven. Noting that some centres are not doing so well in terms of curriculum content, staffing and outcomes, Mr Teo had said: We still have some way to go to bring all our centres to the level we desire them to be. Earlier this year, the MOE had engaged pre-school teachers and principals to provide preliminary feedback to the framework. A draft was distributed to all kindergarten teachers. A revised version will be available at the end of next year. The new framework includes more details on desired outcomes and explicit examples to meet learning objectives. For instance, the new framework suggests getting a child to talk about his family or recognise his feelings in order to teach him self-awareness. It also places greater emphasis on partnerships between schools and the community, as well as the professional development of teachers. The six picture books are all by Singaporean writers. Instead of focusing on academic traits, the books carry tales of positive char-
acter traits. For instance, in one of the books titled I can do it!, children learn about perseverance through a parrot who did not give up trying to speak well despite getting teased by other parrots. Other books teach pupils to reflect and be inventive in their thinking as well as having a sense of wonder and curiosity. The books have been piloted in PCF kindergartens as well as private ones. Evangel Kindergarten principal Alice Chan said: The books are suited to our local context with elements like the MRT ... it becomes real to the children as they are able to identify the story with their everyday life.
Ms Chan noted that in the past, teachers have used story books from Western countries which may feature foreign elements such as snow. And the children tend to be less receptive as they were unable to relate to the stories. PAP Community Foundation (Nee Soon East) teacher Nur Khairunisah Mohamad Nasir recounted how a child with special needs finally agreed to perform in the school concert after learning about perseverance through one of the books. Other students also learnt to encourage him. Still, she stressed: These books are just resources ... teachers must still have the initiative to adapt (their teaching) to the students profiles and needs.
QualifiCationS of eduCatorS iMProvinG
The qualifications of pre-school educators have improved over the years, with 87 per cent of kindergarten teachers and principals receiving diplomas or undergoing diploma training as of June. Five years ago, the figure stood at 52 per cent, said Minister of State (Education) Lawrence Wong at the opening of the Kindergarten Conference yesterday. In recent years, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has given out 165 awards to support pre-school educators in professional upgrading. And for the first time this year, five scholarships will be awarded for a masters programme in early childhood education. Acknowledging the importance
of continuous training opportunities, Mr Wong also announced a part-time music and movement certificate course, offered by the MOE and Republic Polytechnic, that will start in January. Several educators told Today that it is essential for pre-school educators to attend upgrading courses, given the changing pre-school landscape that includes higher parental expectations and children who are exposed to technology. Principal of Living Sanctuary kindergarten Elsie Chua said: When we want the kids to be life-long learners, teachers also ought to always look for ways to improve themselves so that they can be role models. nG JinG YnG
today Wednesday november 23, 2011
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Govt to make it crystal clear casinos cannot target domestic market

SINGAPORE The Government is studying ways, including looking at the experiences of other countries, to deter frequent gamblers from visiting the casinos. It will also soon amend the Casino Control (Advertising) Regulations to make it crystal clear to both casinos that they cannot target the domestic market, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said yesterday. Mr Chan added that as of Oct 31, there were more than 26,000 self-exclusion orders issued to foreigners. He was responding to questions tabled by Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah. In a written reply, Mr Chan said: The regulations will also be widened to cover not only advertisements but any promotion of the casinos, which should prevent incidents like the heartland shuttle buses. We will make further announcements in due course. Noting the difference between frequent gamblers and impulsive gamblers, Mr Chan reiterated his ministrys concern on the former group. Mr Chan said that in Holland, for example, the authorities look out for frequent gamblers and interview them. Said Mr Chan: Depending on their assessment, they may subsequently limit the patrons visits to the casinos or even exclude them. Depending on our assessment of the problem, we may consider different measures to deter frequent gamblers. What we put in place eventually, if any, will have to suit our local context and meet our needs and situation. Ms Lee also asked if the Government planned to raise the casino levy for Singaporeans in an effort to discourage gambling. Mr Chan reiterated that the S$100 entry levy is to signal that gambling is an expense and not a means to make a living, and to discourage casual and impulse gambling. He added: Some believe that a higher levy will be a more effective deterrence. Others worry that increasing the levy will only cause Singaporean visitors to intensify their gambling so as to max out the upfront cost of the entry levy. The jury is still out as to which is the likely behaviour of Singaporeans if we raise the levy. On Ms Lees suggestion to impose an casino entry levy on foreigners as well, Mr Chan said the ministry was focusing on a targeted approach of combining education and casino exclusions. He added: Such an approach also emphasises individual responsibility. For an individual, self-exclusion can be a much more effective upstream safeguard against problem gambling than even a downstream monetary quantum. The National Council on Problem Gambling will continue to work with the Ministry of Manpower and employers to advise
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MhA urges public not to inflame situation

SINGAPORE As another Internet user was being investigated for allegedly publishing religiously offensive comments online, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) yesterday urged the public to refrain from adding comments that may further inflame the situation. Responding to media queries, an MHA spokesperson said the public should let the investigation take its course. Confirming that the police are investigating several complaints of offensive postings on religion on the Internet, the spokesperson said: The right to free speech does not extend to making remarks that incite racial and religious friction and conflict. The authorities take a very serious view of all instances of racial and religious incitement. The spokesperson added: Any person who re-posts or contributes offensive comments to the postings that are the subject of ongoing investigations and is also found to have committed an offence, will be dealt with in accordance with the law. Blogger Donaldson Tan is the latest to be in trouble over a picture he had put up on his Facebook wall. This is the third such case in a week. The other cases involved Mr Jason Neo, a former member of the Peoples Action Partys youth wing, and full-time National Serviceman Christian Eliab Ratnam.
What we put in place eventually, if any, will have to suit our local context and meet our needs and situation.
acting minister for Community development, youth and sports Chan Chun sing
foreign workers to apply for self-exclusion, Mr Chan said. Mr Chan stressed that the safeguards while stringent for foreigners and Singaporeans should not and cannot replace individual responsibility. Individuals must make the correct decision to gamble responsibly. In our Asian context, we also encourage families to play their part in helping their family members to do what is right, he said.
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invited guests at the launch of toggle (above), which will allow viewers to access mediaCorps local television content via a set-top box (left).
Photos: ernest Chua
toggle: A new tV experience

alvin Chong
AlvinChongGL@mediacorp.com.sg
SINGAPORE Imagine catching the latest episode of The Noose on your smartphone or tablet computer while on your daily commute. And when you reach home, you can stretch out your legs on a sofa and catch it on a widescreen television set. MediaCorp will make that a reality with Toggle, its new interactive service. Toggle will allow viewers to access MediaCorps local television content via a settop box, on computers, or mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. While users will have the option of streaming all seven free-to-air channels to a device of their choice, users can also use Toggles video-on-demand function to catch a TV show anytime. We are very pleased to launch this new TV viewing experience that ushers a new era of enhanced entertainment experience for our local audience who are increasingly mobile, said MediaCorp managing director, Convergent Media Division, Mr Philip Koh. Toggle was created to cater to a television audience that is mobile and connected, and to reduce the need for viewers to switch, or toggle, between different devices while watching. Toggle integrates the online and TV viewing experience, so that users dont have to toggle between alternative devices to get more information, but everything can be retrieved from a single screen, explained
MediaCorp senior manager, Sales, Product and Marketing (OTT), Ms Heather Ang. The free technical trial for Toggle will include more than 200 hours of classic and current MediaCorp drama serials, such as The Unbeatables, The Little Nyonya and Breakout. As a bonus, Toggle users will be able to catch current dramas a week in advance (or five episodes) before they air on television. The interactive service features other goodies too. While watching a drama, for instance, you can call up information related to the show, such as actor bios, pictures and behind-the-scenes video. If its a food show, for example, you can find out a restaurants opening hours and pinpoint its location on an on-screen map. Bargains can also be obtained when coupons for the related restaurants are featured on the Toggle service. In addition to all that, you can listen to any MediaCorp radio station through Toggle. Songs played on the Internet radio stations will include album artwork and lyrics, if available. Entertainment in the form of interactive quizzes and casual games will also be available. MediaCorp will invite 200 households for Toggles free technical trial, which will begin in the first quarter of 2012 and include access to the service via a set-top box. Toggle will be a paid subscription-based service when it launches commercially. You can sign-up for the trial at www.preview.toggle.sg.
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spaIn pays more than GreeCe to borroW
In an ominous sign that Europes debt problems will deepen, Spain yesterday paid more than Greece and Portugal to borrow short-term funds, as the newly-elected Peoples Party called for a European agreement to save the nation. Spains three-month borrowing costs doubled as it sold bills at an average yield of 5.11 per cent, more than twice the rate at the previous auction a month ago. the
rate was more than the 4.63 per cent for 13-week bills sold on nov 15 by Greece and the 4.89 per cent on three-month bills paid by Portugal the following day. Ms Maria Dolores de Cospedal, the deputy leader of the Peoples Party that ousted the ruling Socialists on Sunday, yesterday called for a euro-region accord to save and guarantee the solvency of Spains 650 billion (S$1.14 trillion) debt. Spain cant afford
to continue financing itself at 7 per cent, she said, referring to the yield on 10-year debt that led Greece, Portugal and Ireland to seek European Union aid. the yield on Spains 10-year benchmark bond rose 5 basis points to 6.6 per cent yesterday in Madrid, nearing the euro- era high of 6.78 per cent reached on nov 17. Spanish Prime Minister-elect Mariano Rajoy told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call on Monday that countries
that meet their obligations and responsibilities must be helped by European institutions, Ms Cospedal said. the European Commission said it had no knowledge of any Spanish request for aid or plans to seek it. Germany dismissed calls for Europe to come to Spains assistance. We dont have any new bazooka to pull out of the bag, said Mr Michael Meister, finance spokesman for Ms Merkels Christian Democratic bloc. aGenCIes
Despite debt deal failure, US ratings stay intact for now

NEW YORK Standard & Poors and Moodys have no immediate plans to downgrade their credit ratings for the United States after the failure of a congressional super-committee to reach an agreement on debt reduction, but Fitch, the third leading ratings agency, has indicated it could cut the outlook on its rating, with a downgrade a possibility. US stock index futures, down about 0.3 per cent, pointed to a soft opening on Wall Street yesterday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 2.1 per cent on Monday. Sentiment was also hurt by news that the worlds largest economy grew at a slower pace than previously estimated in the third quarter. US gross domestic product grew an annualised 2 per cent in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate yesterday, down from the previously estimated 2.5 per cent. Republicans and Democrats on the 12-member panel announced on Monday they had abandoned their effort to rein in the countrys debt in a sign that Washington will not be able to resolve a dispute over taxes and spending until 2013 after next years presidential and congressional elections. The failure to agree on US$1.2 trillion (S$1.6 trillion) in deficit reduction over the next decade sets up a year of uncertainty on taxes and spending that could further rattle investors already shaken over euro zone debt woes. The collapse automatically triggers across-the-board spending cuts to domestic and defence programmes set to take effect starting in January 2013. Fitch said that, when it had affirmed the US AAA ratings with a stable outlook in August, it had also commented that failure by the supercommittee to reach agreement would likely result in a negative rating action. It added such action was most likely a revision of the rating outlook to negative, which would indicate a greater than 50 per cent chance of a downgrade over a two-year horizon. S&P, which in early August sent global markets plummeting after it downgraded the US on concerns over the budget deficit and rising debt burden, said its current rating was not affected by the failure. S&P said: The fiscal committees inability to agree on fiscal measures that would stabilize US government debt as a share of GDP is consistent with our Aug 5 decision to lower our rating to AA plus. S&P currently has a negative outlook on its AA-plus rating. Moodys, which put its triple A rating for the US on negative outlook in August, said the deadlock wouldnt on its own cause the US to lose its top rating because of the automatic cuts. The US now sits on US$15 trillion in national debt. The US$1.3 trillion budget deficit in the fiscal year ended Sept 30 was about 8.7 per cent of gross domestic product, the thirdlargest percentage in the past 65 years, exceeded only by the deficits in 2009 and last year, according to Treasury statistics. U S P re s i d e n t B a ra ck Obama, seeking to calm jittery financial markets, said the US was not facing an imminent threat of default as it did in August and that one way or another there would be at least US$2.2 trillion in deficit cuts over 10 years. In addition to the US$1.2 trillion in automatic cuts that are to be triggered after the supercommittees failure, there are US$1 trillion in cuts agreed in August that are locked in. aGenCIes
Parliament
most low-income families will not ask for help: Halimah

teo XuanWei
xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg
Spore hospitals operating at near capacity: Health minister

SINGAPORE Hospitals here are running on tight capacity, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong acknowledged in Parliament yesterday. Said Mr Gan: Most of our public hospitals are running at about 85 per cent capacity on average. Mr Gan added that the Government is taking steps to address the issue. For example, it increased the number of specialists last year by about 8 per cent, from 1,850 to 2,000. We are also expanding our infrastructure, Mr Gan noted. In response to a question by Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng, Mr Gan said that Government subsidies for patients in public hospitals amounted to some S$2.2 billion last year. Public hospitals saw 4 million outpatients last year and more than 67 per cent of these were subsidised patients. Out of the 345,000 inpatients who were discharged during that time, close to 85 per cent received subsidies. About 250,000 stayed in subsidised B2 and C class wards, including patients in B1 wards who received some form of subsidy. Subsidised services accounted for close to 85 per cent of total inpatient workload. Services that are not subsidised, such as Class A ward admissions or private day surgeries, are generally charged on a cost recovery basis. Non-subsidised services accounted for about S$11 million, or 1 per cent of hospital revenue, said Mr Gan. On infrastructure, Mr Gan said that public sector acute hospital beds have seen an increase by about 10 per cent between 2000 and last year. But he noted that the number of beds is just one measure of healthcare capacity. As hospitals come up with new ways to reduce the average length of stay of patients, such measures will allow more patients to be admitted with the same number of beds, Mr Gan said. Two new hospitals are in the pipeline the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Sengkang Hospital will be ready in 2014 and 2020, respectively. Mr Gan added that by streamlining their procedures, existing hospitals are able to maintain the median waiting time for admission from the Emergency Department of about 1.4 hours in 2009 and last year, despite a 4.5 per cent increase in admissions.
sumita sreedHaran
SINGAPORE She lost her father when she was just eight. And although her familys income level was in the bottom 10 per cent of the population, Madam Halimah Yacobs mother never considered getting social assistance. Very often, when I was in school, my teacher always told me: Why dont you go and ask your mother to get social welfare, social assistance? the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports shared with the House, in response to a question by Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) about the number of needy families who choose to fend for themselves instead of getting financial aid. Mdm Halimah had shared the findings from a survey of 2,000 low-income families that showed that 60 per cent of them preferred to be self-sufficient. But my mother would be terribly horrified with any suggestion that she should go and get social welfare or social assistance. Because when my father died ... my mother said that so long as she has two hands and two legs, we will all survive, Mdm Halimah said, blinking back tears. Mdm Halimah made the point that we have to respect peoples desires to say that
We should adopt a philosophy where we provide them with the dignity and support, and the level of assistance and the kind of assistance that they need.
mdm Halimah yacob, minister of state for Community development, youth and sports
they have ownership of their lives. We cannot say that just because you are in the bottom 20 per cent, I must therefore extend my help to you whether you want it or not. I think that should not be the philosophy that we should adopt, she said. Rather, we should adopt a philosophy where we provide them with the dignity and support, and the level of assistance and the kind of assistance that they need. Still, Mdm Halimah noted that there is room for improvement in terms of coordinating help for needy families from various agencies so that no one falls through the cracks. She added that the ministry is working with its partners to find ways to adopt an even more client-centric approach in the delivery of social assistance and services to the needy.
Parliament
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8,800 Prs served nS in last five years

SINGAPORE Over the last five years, about 8,800 permanent residents (PRs) served National Service (NS), Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a written reply to a parliamentary question. These males had become PRs under their parents sponsorship. Of these, about 6,100 have since taken up citizenship, Dr Ng added. In the same period, however, another 4,200 men who were enlisted renounced their PR status before serving NS. They too had become PRs under the sponsorship of their parents. Dr Ng said their failure to serve NS would be taken into account when they subsequently apply to study or work in Singapore. They were warned about the consequences of their decision before they renounced their PR status, he added. teo XuanWei
Singapore committed to fighting human trafficking

teo XuanWei
SINGAPORE The inter-agency task force on human trafficking is studying whether new laws are needed to enhance Singapores ability to tackle the menace, Second Home Affairs Minister S Iswaran said yesterday. These could include greater powers for enforcement agencies, increased care provisions for victims and harsher penalties for offenders, among others, he said. The task force, set up last year and co-chaired by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), is expected to finalise its antitrafficking plans by the middle of next year, Mr Iswaran said in an update to the House. There are four key thrusts to the plan: Prevention, prosecution, protection and partnerships. To foil traffickers, the Republic enforces its borders strictly through immigration checks, proactive enforcement and public education, said Mr Iswaran. The police and the MOM also frequently conduct operations to find victims and sniff out traffickers, he added, with successfully prosecuted cases publicised widely as a form of deterrence. Foreign workers are also educated on their rights and the obligations of their employers before they arrive here, while orientation and various outreach education programmes are conducted while they are in Singapore. On the protection of victims, Mr Iswaran said the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the MOM already fund shelters and dormitories that offer accommodation, medical care, counselling and translation services.
Noting that effective anti-trafficking requires close cooperation among different countries, Mr Iswaran said the task force will continue working with Singapores partners to find measures to prevent exploitation from as early as possible.
The task force is looking at ways to improve the care and support programmes available, he added. Noting that effective anti-trafficking requires close cooperation among different countries, Mr Iswaran said the task force will continue working with Singapores partners to find measures to prevent exploitation from as early as possible. He added: Singapore recognises that trafficking in persons is a significant transnational crime, which cannot be eradicated easily. But we remain fully committed to taking the necessary steps, both in the short term and long term, to fight this exploitative crime and to bring the perpetrators to task. In June, a United States State Department annual report on human trafficking accused Singapore of several lapses. This was strongly refuted by the task force, which provided evidence to knock down each claim in the report. Last year, the US report put Singapore on a humantrafficking watch list. But this year, it moved Singapore out of the Tier 2 Watch List and up to Tier 2, acknowledging the countrys significant efforts to combat human trafficking.
Parliament
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Getting tough on illegal cigarettes

First-time and repeat offenders face harsher penalties
teo XuanWei
SINGAPORE Come Jan 1, first-time offenders caught with contraband cigarettes will face at least a S$2,000 fine if they are taken to court. And drivers of vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG) must also ensure their fuel tank is three-quarters full when travelling to Malaysia. These are some of the changes in the new Customs Act that was passed by Parliament yesterday, enhancing enforcement and administration of the legislation. The Minister of State (Finance), Mrs Josephine Teo, said the number of tobacco-related customs offences jumped by about 24 per cent from 2005 to last year. The number of repeat offenders during the same period also rose by more than six times. Repeat offenders will be fined a minimum of S$4,000 under the new law, double the current sum. Those who bring in more than 2kg of contraband tobacco products will be packed off to jail. Mrs Teo explained that the doubling of court fines for first-time offenders was also necessary because the current minimum
penalty could sometimes be lower than the composition sum for minor offences. Under the new law, Singapore Customs will also be armed with greater powers against those who do not pay up or exploit others. It will be able to appoint a taxpayers bank or employer to recover unpaid duties. And those who commit minor customs offences but do not pay their composition fines will be automatically taken to court. Traders who furnish false information to third-party agents making declarations on consignments on their behalf will also be liable. Currently, only those who make the false declarations are liable. Another change relates to the disclosure of information by Singapore Customs to other domestic public agencies. Currently, all declarations by traders are strictly confidential to protect sensitive commercial data. The information can only be disclosed with their consent or if the information is needed for an investigation, enforcement or prosecution under the Customs Act or the Goods and Services Tax Act. But Mrs Teo said there may be overriding reasons for such information to be given to other public agencies here, for instance, when national security, public health and safety are concerned. The change allows information declared by traders to be provided, with safeguards, where public interests are concerned.
Hawker stall rentals are still lower than those of food courts
SINGAPORE They may be pegged to market rates but hawker stall rentals are significantly lower than those of food courts. Also, rentals are but one component that determines the price a hawker charges, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament yesterday. The viability of a hawkers business is a combination of what the market can bear, traffic, competition and the hawkers fame, he told Parliament. Dr Balakrishnan also reminded the House that hawker centres came about in the interest of hygiene and public safety by bringing itinerant hawkers under a central infrastructure and not out of social policy. He was responding to Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten), who wanted to know if the National Environment Agency would review the policy of pegging hawker stall rentals to market rates. Increasing the supply of hawker centres would add downward pressure on market rentals, said Dr Balakrishnan, but whether hawkers lower their prices in response to that is a market test which time will prove in one way or another. Ms Denise Phua (Moulmein-Kallang GRC) pointed to the prevalence of Cash Over Valuation as high as S$300,000
Increasing the supply of hawker centres would add downward pressure on market rentals, said Dr Balakrishnan, but whether hawkers lower their prices in response to that is a market test which time will prove in one way or another.
when transferring stalls and wanted to know what action the ministry would take. Dr Balakrishan said he was aware of such practices and that his ministry would look into it. He reiterated that hawker stalls should be operated by the person who had tendered or rented the stall. As for the suggestion by Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) to build more than 10 hawker centres in less than the announced period of 10 years as that would put downward pressure on hawker rentals, Dr Balakrishnan said: Another general rule in politics is always under-promise. I hear your request and will consider it. Im not making any promises at this point. Dr Balakrishnan announced last month that the Government would resume building hawker centres in new towns, such as Pasir Ris and Punggol, after a 26-year hiatus. esther ng
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parliament
Changes to the Income Tax Bill included a one-off personal income tax rebate of 20 per cent (up to S$2,000) on resident individuals income tax assessment this year and allowing start-ups to claim tax deductions for expenses incurred prior to them earning revenue.
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middle-income earners to enjoy largest percentage cuts in taxes

esther ng
esther_ng@mediacorp.com.sg
SINGAPORE The Income Tax Bill, which will bring about a more progressive income tax structure, was passed by Parliament yesterday. However, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Lina Chiam felt that the new personal income tax regime was not progressive enough and proposed a re-think on income tax policy on Singapores top 5 per cent earners. She also suggested that capital gains tax be made compulsory for foreigners. Citing Europe as an example, Mrs Chiam noted that the billionaires there had offered to be taxed more so as to get the continent out of the financial crisis. Britains Prime Minister David Camerons Conservative government, she added, had also been seriously considering raising taxes on the rich to ensure better social equity. The Minister of State (Finance), Mrs Josephine Teo, noted that Singapores personal income tax rates were already very low and progressive. Only 43 per cent of Singapores resident workforce pay income tax, while lower-income earners do not pay income tax at all, she added. With this round of enhancements, all taxpayers will pay less personal income tax, but the middle-income earners will enjoy the largest percentage reductions in their taxes, Mrs Teo said. Changes to the Bill included a one-off personal income tax rebate of 20 per cent (up
to S$2,000) on resident individuals income tax assessment this year and allowing startups to claim tax deductions for expenses incurred prior to them earning revenue. The Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) Scheme, aimed at encouraging productivity and innovation, will also be improved. The PIC deduction has been increased from 250 per cent to 400 per cent, with a corresponding increase on the cap on qualifying expenditure to S$400,000 from S$300,000, and raising the cash payout in lieu of deduction to S$30,000. Mrs Chiam questioned whether extending tax relief on research and development (R&D) that occurred overseas was a mechanism to evade taxes and whether it would lead to an exodus of R&D activities here. Mrs Teo said that, as far as the Government was concerned, what mattered was for Singapore companies to get started on R&D and not where it was conducted. Therefore as an exception, weve been prepared to be generous to allow the expenses incurred in R&D, whether done in Singapore or abroad, to enjoy the PIC deductions up to the expenditure cap of S$400,000, she added. Other amendments passed yesterday included tax deductions of 250 per cent for donations to Institutions of a Public Character extended for another five years to December 2015; a one-off corporate income tax rebate of 20 per cent (up to S$10,000); and a smallmedium enterprise grant of up to $5,000 to help companies cope with rising costs.
800 cyclists summoned each year

SINGAPORE In the past three years, about 800 summonses have been issued each year to cyclists who flout traffic rules. The common infringements were failure to ride in an orderly manner, riding during hours of darkness without a front light or red reflector and riding a motorised bicycle without wearing a protective helmet. In a written reply to a parliamentary question from Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean reiterated that the Traffic Police takes a strong view against cyclists who flout traffic rules, particularly those who display dangerous cycling behaviour such as riding without due regard to the safety of others. Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said: The Traffic Police will continue to maintain ground presence to ensure that cyclists and other motorists abide with the traffic rules. Stepped-up enforcement is also conducted against specific traffic offences and in areas where road accidents commonly occur. However, Mr Teo noted that enforcement alone is not sufficient. We must also inculcate a safety mind-set in cyclists to take responsibility for their own safety and accord due care to the safety of other road users. As such, the Traffic Police continues to engage the community on the importance of safe riding, he said. For instance, it conducts road safety talks and exhibitions at schools, workplaces, worker dormitories, and community events. The Traffic Police also works with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority to create a safer environment for cyclists through the development of suitable infrastructure and facilities.
353 suicides last year: mha
there were 353 suicides last year and 401 in 2009. Foreigners accounted for 57 and 52 suicides in the respective years. these figures, based on data compiled by the ministry of Home affairs, were provided by Deputy prime minister teo Chee Hean in a written reply to a question filed by nonConstituency mp lina Chiam. mrs Chiam had
wanted to know the number of suicides committed by foreigners and Singaporeans here and the probable causes of suicides among the foreigners. mr teo, who is also Home affairs minister, said: We do not know the exact reasons why these foreigners choose to commit suicide.
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tear gas, scuffles as south Korea approves us trade deal
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South Koreas ruling party forced a longstalled free trade deal with the United States through Parliament yesterday, enraging opposition lawmakers who blasted their political rivals with tear gas. South Korean lawmakers voted 151 to 7 in favour of ratifying the landmark trade agreement in a surprise legislative session called by the ruling Grand national Party, parliamentary officials said.
Shouts and screams filled the national Assembly as ruling party lawmakers forced their way onto the parliamentary floor. Amid the scuffling, one opposition lawmaker doused rivals with tear gas (picture). Security guards hustled him out of the chamber as he shouted and tried to resist. outside the national Assembly building,
opponents of the deal scuffled with the police mobilised to maintain order. the pact is Americas biggest freetrade agreement since the 1994 north American Free trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. two-way trade between the US and South Korea totalled about US$90 billion (S$117 billion) last year, according to the South Korean government. ap
ap
Doubts raised over new law for demonstrations

KUALA LUMPUR The Malaysian government yesterday tabled a law in Parliament regulating public gatherings, two months after Prime Minister Najib Razak first pledged reforms to laws on security and public assembly. The Peaceful Assembly Bill, however, proposes a range of curbs on the public, prompting analysts to say that the new law would do little to boost civil liberties. The legislation, which Parliament is likely to approve as early as next month, effectively rejects many of the reforms demanded by the opposition and human rights groups, which accused Mr Najib of reneging on his promise to make Malaysia a more liberal society. The planned law makes one concession it removes a requirement for demonstrators to get a police permit, which in many cases is denied to opposition parties. Demonstrators will nevertheless be required to give a 30-day notice to the police, who can impose various restrictions or even reject the proposed time and place for the demonstration. They also cannot take to the streets, effectively forcing them to be confined to stadiums or public halls, and public gatherings would not be allowed in or within 50m of a number of places. These include petrol stations, hospitals, airports, railways, places of worship, schools as well as dams and reservoirs. According to the text of the bill, demonstrators are prohibited from making statements that can promote feelings of ill will. Individuals under 21 years of age would not be allowed to organise assemblies, while children under 15 would be barred from participating, except for cultural and religious
This new Bill should be called the illegal assembly Bill; it is worse than the previous laws ...
democratic action party secretary-general lim guan eng
assemblies or events approved by the Home Minister. Protesters could be fined up to RM20,000 (S$8,200) if they break the rules, while organisers could be fined up to RM10,000 if no advance notice of a planned assembly is given to the authorities. The new regulations aimed to ensure that, where necessary, all citizens have the right to hold or participate in assemblies, peacefully and without weapons, according to the Bill. But opposition leaders said it was worse than Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 it is meant to replace. Democratic Action Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said: This new Bill should be called the illegal assembly bill; it is worse than the previous laws ... Malaysia is full of places of worship, so looking at the prohibited areas, you cannot gather anywhere in Malaysia. Analysts also doubt it will provide for greater freedom of expression. Its the same old story, said Mr James Chin, a political analyst at Monash University in Malaysia. The expectation is that Najib is a reformer but this goes to show that he can say one thing but, when the Home Minister and the Attorney-General get together, they will do another. agencies
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hot nEWS
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Bionic contact lens to project emails before eyes

LONDON Emails and text messages can one day be read on contact lenses linked to the Internet, say scientists. The futuristic technology has taken a step nearer with the development of a prototype lens that could potentially provide the wearer with hands-free information updates. Researchers constructed a computerised contact lens and demonstrated its safety by testing it on live eyes, and there were no signs of adverse side effects. At the moment, the contact lens device contains only a single pixel, but the researchers see this as a proof-of-concept for producing lenses with multiple pixels which, in their hundreds, could be used to display short emails and text messages right before your eyes. Until now such technology has only been seen in science fiction like The Terminator films and in Dr Who spin-off Torchwood. The researchers said the device could overlay computer-generated visual information on to the real circuit to store this energy and transfer it to a transparent sapphire chip containing a single blue LED. One major problem the researchers had to overcome was the fact that the human eye, with its minimum focal distance of several centimetres, cannot resolve objects on a contact lens. Any information projected on to the lens would probably appear blurry. To combat this, the researchers incorporated a set of Fresnel lenses into the device; these are much thinner and flatter than conventional bulky lenses, and were used to focus the projected image on to the retina. The team, whose study was published in the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, is not the only one working on this type of technology. A Swiss company called Sensimed has already introduced a smart contact lens that uses inbuilt computer technology to measure pressure inside the eye to help monitor the eye condition glaucoma, reported the BBC.
agencies
high-achievers likely to have autistic children?
world and be of use in gaming devices and navigation systems. It could also be linked to the users body to provide up-to-date information on glucose or lactate levels, which could prove medically important. The contact lens created by researchers at the University of Washington and Aalto University, Finland, consists of an antenna to harvest power sent out by an external source, as well as an integrated
A team of researchers at Cambridge University is exploring the link between high-achieving parents such as engineers, scientists and computer programmers and the development of their children. Professor Simon BaronCohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at the university, said there were signs that adults who work in science and maths-based jobs were more likely to have autistic children. Autism, which affects one in every 100 persons, inhibits the ability to communicate, recognise emotions and socialise, and can take a mild or severe form. Prof Baron-Cohen said the study will involve recruiting graduates to survey the development of their children along with the subject they studied at university to test the theory, which has already been highlighted in other research. Results are expected in a year. A clear test of the hypothesis will enable us to test if couples who are both strong systemisers, for example,
those who studied and worked in StEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) and other fields related to systemising, are more likely to have a child with an autism spectrum diagnosis than couples where only one is a strong systemiser, or where neither is, he said. Being a systemiser may be a symptom of an extreme male brain due to high levels of testosterone, he added. there is no specific known cause for autism. It has genetic factors, but also environmental ones including increased prevalence in premature babies. Experts say the trend in recent years for couples to meet at work as more women take highly-qualified jobs in technical fields once dominated by men may be behind the tripling in the number of cases since the 60s. In 2001, a report found mathematicians had higher rates of autism than other professions. Another study in 1997 found that the children and grandchildren of engineers were more likely to be autistic. agencies
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Comment&analysis
rIchard Waters
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identity and the net: From pixels to persona

a push to ban pseudonyms in social networking is raising concerns that profits are being put above privacy
profits as other companies tap into their stocks of personal data. As more social interaction moves online and users are drawn to where their friends and family already congregate, it will become harder to remain outside the worlds created by the social networks or to eschew the unitary, real-world identities they require of their users. One of the hallmarks of the Web has been the freedom it confers on users to act anonymously or, as in Mr Zhaos case, pseudonymously. That has promised a degree of liberation from the social and political constraints of the real world. Given the role social networks have played in organising political protests, human rights activists have been among the loudest objectors to the enforcement of real name policies. The licence to remain unknown has also mirrored important assumptions about the real world. We have an analogue society that gives us a lot of space to do things without revealing who we are, says Mr Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, professor of Internet governance and regulation at Oxford University. From the freedom to appear in a public place unrecognised, to being able to buy things for cash in a way that leaves no trace of the individual purchaser, anonymity is something most people in free societies take for granted. They also enjoy the freedom to alter the face they show the world depending on where they are and what they are doing, says Mr MayerSchonberger. That could be threatened by the insistence on a single, coherent and real online identity. Such an approach is too simplified, according to Mr Zhao. People use various identities, he says. Another casualty of this policy was Mr Salman Rushdie, the author whose Facebook account was briefly deactivated last week after the company ruled that he should have used his first name, Ahmed. But Mr Rushdies complaints on Twitter attracted enough attention to persuade Facebook to back down. Google has a similar policy to Facebook and has acted more aggressively to enforce it, ejecting users whose names did not appear to be real from its Google+ network. Those included the American sex writer Violet Blue though the search company was forced to backtrack after conceding that this was in fact a legal name. When it also rejected an account user known only as Skud, it added to the spreading backlash. Skud turned out to be the widely used handle of a former Google employee called Kirrily Robert, who went on to document the impact of the purge on early users of Google+. Many operated under wellestablished online pseudonyms and were exactly the type of early adopter that new services rely on to generate attention. Google has since tried to soften enforcement but has not materially changed its standpoint. a saFer envIronment? Google and Facebook both stand solidly behind the principle of bringing real identities to the Web. Forcing users to appear under >> contInued on page 20
Facebook, actIvIsts and the arab uprIsIngs
hao Jing recently suffered an unexpected parting of ways with his alter ego. The Chinese political journalist and blogger is better known as Michael Anti, the name under which he writes. The pseudonymous character was deemed real enough for Harvard university to award Mr Zhao a fellowship in that name. But Facebook decided earlier this year that Michael Anti did not exist. Under rules that require the social networks members to use their real names, he had to go. No matter that the fictitious Mr Anti had more than 1,000 Facebook friends; his account was suspended without notice. I have used the name for more than a decade my reputation is based on that, complains Mr Zhao. No one in the virtual world knows my real name. Facebooks increasing insistence on the use of real names, along with a similar policy enforced by the rival Google+ service launched this year, could end up having profound consequences for life online, changing a world that has long been free and easy into a more controlled place. That is not just because an increasing part of online life is taking place inside the networks. Both Google and Facebook see their social networks as stores of online identity that can be used to unlock other services on the Web. They hope to make themselves hubs for a wider range of activity, reaping
Facebooks insistence that its members always appear under their real names threatened to hamper the arab spring at the very moment it was starting to gather momentum. as protesters in egypt prepared for a big demonstration a year ago, a Facebook page that had been used to help organise the protests was suddenly taken offline. it was identified as belonging to mr Khaled said, whose name had become a rallying cry for dissidents following his arrest by egyptian police and subsequent death earlier last year. after discussions with Facebook, a way was found around the impasse. the real name of a supporter of the protests who was based outside egypt was added as an official administrator of the page, allowing it to be brought back online. the social networking site was subsequently credited with having played an important role in the successful political uprising. yet while the story ended well for the protesters, the sites policies have not endeared it to human rights activists. not every dissident can call someone up at Facebook and be listened to, says ms eva Galperin at the nonprofit electronic Frontier Foundation, based in san Francisco. this leaves activ-
ists and people who engage in unpopular speech particularly vulnerable. the experience also drew attention to what critics claim is a vulnerability left by Facebooks inconsistent policing of its real name policy. Usually, activists who appear on the site under false names go unnoticed among the throngs of other users, says ms Rebecca macKinnon of the new america Foundation, a Washington think-tank. But when a particular pseudonym becomes influential, it is more likely to be noticed by Facebook or reported by enemies. as a result, says ms macKinnon, there are many cases of activists having their Facebook pages and accounts deactivated at critical times, when they are right in the middle of a campaign or organising a demonstration. While twitter has revelled in its role as a network for the promotion of political dissent something made easier by its policy of letting users appear under pseudonyms Facebook has tried to avoid the glare of publicity. Facebook was not built as a tool for human rights activism, says one person close to the company: its policies are designed to make sure its members feel comfortable sharing their latest holiday snaps or favourite recipes, not to foment revolution.
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TOdAY WEdNESdAY NOVEmbER 23, 2011
comment&analysis
>> CONTINuEd FROm PAGE 18 their real names improves security and brings more civility to online discourse, they claim. We fundamentally believe this leads to greater accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for people who use the service, a Facebook official says. The ability of Facebook to get most of its members to use their real names represents a breakthrough in online behaviour, says Mr Fred Stutzman, a fellow at Pittsburghs Carnegie Mellon University and a researcher in online activity. The sense of security it projected encouraged users to reveal their identity widely on the Web for the first time. But the companys subsequent shifts in privacy settings making more of its users personal information public by default eroded some of that trust, he adds. Online communities where people are forced to disclose their true identities have also been welcomed by child safety advocates. Yet the rules also rob children of the ability to remain anonymous, something that could make them more vulnerable to bullying, according to critics. Conducting all your online activities under a single, real identity also promises to make the Web more useful in important ways, according to the Internet companies. Other sites that connect to Facebook, for instance, are able to use Facebook identity information to personalise the services they present to users. Mr Eric Schmidt, Googles chairman, appeared to have something similar in mind recently when he said that requiring Google+ users to appear under their real-world identities would enable the company to make its own future services more valuable. OR CORPORATE INTERESTS FIRST? Ambitions such as these have led some to question whether the Internet companies are putting their own interests ahead of those of their users. Mr Zhao, for one, says he has little doubt about what lies behind the shift to real names: I think Facebook and Google want to expand their power into the real world. As the primary stores of online identity, according to this view, they are out to make
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identity and the net: From pixels to persona

On one hand ... Google and Facebook stand solidly behind the principle of bringing real identities to the Web. Forcing users to appear under their real names improves security and brings more civility to online discourse, they claim. We fundamentally believe this leads to greater accountability and a safer and more trusted environment, a Facebook official says.
themselves the hubs around which activity on the Web revolves. Linking real identities from profiles to other information that social networks have about users such as browsing habits or histories of online purchases could make them formidable marketing machines. Recent missteps over privacy by both companies may have raised doubts about their motives. Yet the concerns are not new. A decade ago, Microsoft was the one in the line of fire over an ambitious online identity service called Passport, which anticipated parts of what Facebook has since achieved. The service was intended to act as a single repository of identity that users could take with them around the Web, authenticating themselves as they went. Coming at the height of Microsofts dominance of the information technology world, it was widely seen as an attempt by the software company to insert itself into all transactions online. In the event, people were not clamouring for a single Microsoft identity service to be aware of all their Internet activities, wrote Mr Kim Cameron, an expert on online identity at Microsoft. Nor, he added, did other Internet sites much like the idea of Microsoft becoming involved in their dealings with their own customers. The software company was eventually castigated by US regulators for collecting information about peoples Internet browsing habits without their knowledge, and admitted it had overreached.
On the other ... Armed with anonymous pictures of volunteers, the researchers were able to use facial recognition software to identify one-third of the subjects by linking to their public Facebook profiles. They were also able to uncover a wealth of other information such as the subjects personal interests and, in some cases, parts of their social security numbers.
Facebook has clearly learnt from that debacle. With four times as many users as Passport, it has progressively won over other Internet sites that are looking to lure visitors with social features that rely on tapping into Facebooks database. Users of Spotify and other online music services, for instance, can see what songs their friends are listening to when they log into the services through their Facebook accounts. THE PRIVACY CHALLENGE Yet the full implications of being associated online with a single, real-world identity are only dimly understood. Mr Stutzman at Carnegie Mellon, along with two other researchers, recently conducted an experiment that demonstrated the uses to which the information could be put. Armed with anonymous pictures of volunteers, the researchers were able to use facial recognition software to identify one-third of the subjects by linking to their public Facebook profiles. They were also able to uncover a wealth of other information such as the subjects personal interests and, in some cases, parts of their social security numbers. Aside from the obvious privacy concerns, demonstrations of this nature point to how the insistence on the use of a real identity can rob people of freedoms. Its built on the false analogy that in the real world you only have one identity, says Mr MayerSchonberger. In reality, he adds, people in the
physical world choose to identify themselves in different ways depending on the context or simply to remain anonymous. Facebook has made much of its attempt to map real-world social interactions onto online behaviour, but this is one area in which it has fallen short. Indeed, here as elsewhere, it sometimes appears to be challenging traditional ideas of privacy and social behaviour rather than simply emulating them. In The Facebook Effect, author David Kirkpatrick quotes Mr Mark Zuckerberg, its co-founder, on why a single online persona should suffice: Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity. Whatever the reaction to such comments, Facebooks emergence as a de-facto standard for online identity raises plenty of questions. Among the most important: Whose job will it ultimately be to verify, maintain and control identity information? As with other sources of important personal information the credit scores that US credit bureaus maintain for individual consumers, for instance there is a danger in relying on a single source of identity data, says Mr Vivek Kundra, a former White House chief information officer. A reliable system requires multiple sources to triangulate what the truth is, he says. Whether Facebook or any other Internet service is in a position to assume such a central role in online activity is still an open question. The tensions caused by real name policies suggest that such companies will find it hard to govern every aspect of online life, and that users will turn to alternative services if they sense their privacy is being compromised. Mr Zhao, for one, has moved on to Twitter a service that has made a virtue of allowing its users to operate under pseudonyms to give new life to his Michael Anti persona. With Facebooks rejection, he says, I felt like Id been disconnected. But in Twitter he adds that he has found a service that better suits his needs, and he no longer feels cut off: Facebook is not the Internet. THE FINANCIAL TImES Richard Waters is The Financial Times West Coast managing editor.
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comment&analysis
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comment&analysis
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Why protesters have returned to tahrir square

Its still mubaraks regime, without Hosni mubarak. Will egypts generals listen
davId blaIr
to demonstrators now?
ess than a year ago, when Tahrir Square was clogged by nothing more dangerous than Cairos notorious traffic, Egypts weary people would offer shrugs of cynical indifference over the self-serving transgressions of their rulers. The violence of the past few days, claiming some 20 lives and filling the centre of the capital with scenes of battle and clouds of noxious tear gas, serves as a vivid reminder that ousted President Hosni Mubaraks downfall has transformed the politics of his country. Emboldened by their successful revolution nine months ago, ordinary Egyptians are no longer prepared to tolerate the behaviour of their leaders. This message seems to have got through to the countrys
civilian Cabinet ministers, all of whom have offered their resignations. But it appears lost on the shadowy generals, styling themselves the Supreme Council Of The Armed Forces, who have been the real power in Egypt since Mr Mubarak fled Cairo. When they proposed last week to guarantee the military budget against any scrutiny, while also giving themselves the power to veto the new, post-dictatorship constitution that should be finalised next year, the generals appeared to calculate that the population would respond with nothing more dangerous than the traditional grumbles and hand-wringing. If that was their gamble, it has failed in spectacular fashion. Crowds have filled Tahrir Square. Egypts crucible of popular
discontent has been taken over by the regimes opponents once more. The military leaderships response to this challenge made matters even worse. Instead of tolerating the demonstrators in the spirit of the post-revolutionary times, security forces under the command of the Interior Ministry fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday. Some reports circulating on Monday suggested they had also resorted to live rounds. By their malign incompetence, the authorities have fanned the flames of popular anger, while failing to reclaim Tahrir Square, which remained under the de facto control of protesters last night. Meanwhile, Egyptians are preparing for the first election of the postMubarak era: Parliamentary polls are due on Monday and they appear likely to occur in a febrile atmosphere of unrest and uncertainty. For the central paradox remains: Everything has changed in Egypt, except the countrys rulers. True, the dictator has gone, but the system that he built and the political allies whose careers he nurtured are still in place. To its critics, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is nothing more than a symbol of the continuation of Mubarak-ism without Mubarak. Fury with the dictator has, perhaps inevitably, boiled over on his successors. This has been building for a while, says Ms Kate Nevens, head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House. People have been trying to find a way of coalescing around one issue and they found it in the militarys attempt to get involved in the writing of the new constitution. old Generals dont learn neW trICKs The key military figure is Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi, chairman of the Supreme Council and an authentic creation of the Mubarak era. Field Marshal Tantawi, 76, joined the inner circle of the ancien regime when he became Defence Minister and commander of the armed forces in 1991. He duly came to exemplify the obdurate, authoritarian instincts of the master he served for almost two decades. Other members of the ruling council come from exactly the same pedigree. General Murad Muwafi, head of the General Intelligence Service, was groomed to hold that particularly sensitive and powerful position for 10 years before being appointed by Mr Mubarak during his final days in power. The months of de facto military rule since the revolution have shown that old generals do not learn new tricks. When the dictator fell, Egyptians hoped that their countrys repressive Emergency Laws, constantly renewed by Mr Mubarak, would be repealed. The Supreme Council, having promised to get rid of them, promptly extended the laws until next June. In theory, Field Marshal Tantawi and his colleagues are responsible for nothing more than guiding Egypt through its transition to democracy. A road-map of sorts for the army to relinquish power has been laid out. When the newly elected Parliament assembles next
protesters at tahrir square on monday. ap
year, its main task will be to draft a new and democratic constitution. Then there should be a presidential election, after which the generals will hand over to the countrys new leader. The problem is that the timetable for all of the above remains as opaque as the power structure of todays Egypt. No one has access to the Supreme Council. We dont know where the power lies, adds Ms Nevens. At first, Field Marshal Tantawi said the army would rule for only six months, but this timing, never realistic, has gone by the board. Assuming that finalising a new constitution and holding presidential elections take up all of next year, the regime could stay in place until 2013. And many Egyptians fear the army will not hand over power even then. Until this year, those suspicions might have been voiced privately and furtively. Today, graffiti sprayed in English on a wall near Tahrir Square reads emphatically: Freedom of Thought! In keeping with the zeitgeist, Egyptians will not only say what they think but carry their emotions on to the streets as well. tHe end resUlt? How will this crisis play out? Next weeks elections will probably go ahead as planned. While unrest has spread to other urban centres, notably Alexandria, experts believe the protests have not reached a scale that would threaten the generals grip on power.
At first, Field Marshal Tantawi said the army would rule for only six months, but this timing, never realistic, has gone by the board. Assuming that finalising a new constitution and holding presidential elections take up all of next year, the regime could stay in place until 2013. And many Egyptians fear the army will not hand over power even then.
Television and radio are still state-run and there are still red lines around what they can say about the council, so people outside the cities are not necessarily getting the same picture of events as people in Cairo, says Ms Nevens. This is not necessarily a popular cause yet. Field Marshal Tantawi will aim to stick to his plan for a gradual transfer of power. In the nine months since the revolution, he has shown streaks of pragmatism, notably by allowing his fallen master to stand trial in the Cairo High Court. Assuming a credible outcome, the parliamentary elections could serve as a useful safety valve for public discontent. For the first time, Egypts largest opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, will be openly contesting the polls through a specially created political party, Freedom and Justice. But the Field Marshal will need to reassure Egyptians that the army really will stand aside when an elected leadership emerges. One option would be to set a firm and absolute date by which the Supreme Councils responsibility for the governance of Egypt will end. Meanwhile, the crowds in Tahrir Square are sending a message that must, eventually, get through to even the most obdurate general: Public opinion in post-revolutionary Egypt can no longer be disdained.
tHe daIly teleGrapH
David Blair is The Daily Telegraphs chief foreign correspondent.
>> eGypts mIlItary CoUnCIl In CrIsIs talKs 37
Voices
T oday
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TODAY WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2011
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clarify the land transport vision

Letter from Kenny Ching Hwe Seong
I WRITE as a concerned citizen about how the Governments repeated exhortations for residents to utilise public transport do not resonate with its actions. The North-South Expressway (NSE) and Bukit Brown redevelopment plans especially do not cohere with the Governments stated aims of reducing the number and use of cars. These developments will serve only to encourage residents to drive more as traffic congestion is alleviated temporarily. It is especially worrying when one considers the costs involved. For example, the NSE is expected to cost upward of S$7 billion. One wonders if the funds could have been used to expand MRT capacity or develop better bus services. Tremendous human costs are incurred as residents are displaced, and in Bukit Browns case, historical and institutional memories are destroyed. It may be worthwhile to consider if there is indeed an over-arching and coherent vision with regard to car use and public transport in general. If so, the relevant authorities need to articulate clearly what that is and reconcile development plans with it.
Lets not just wait for new trains

Letter from Jimmy Chan Yee Shun
IT IS not enough for the Minister of State (Transport) to state merely that there are Not enough trains to run at two-minute intervals during peak hours (Nov 22) and that 35 trains are being added within the next four years. Since these trains will be added gradually over this period, the increasing ridership, due to both population increase and those switching from cars to trains, will continue to stress the system. To manage the publics expectations, I hope the Transport Ministry can state more concretely how much the 45-minute period of two-minute intervals during peak periods could be increased to within the next six months, one year, etc. On the issue of advance planning, since the public-listed transport operators are rightly concerned with their bottomlines, who decides when and how many trains are to be ordered? Could this be one of the constraints?
ELDERLY-uNFRiENDLY ACCESS AT SERANgOON MRT STATiON
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i wish to highlight an elderly-unfriendly access at serangoon MRT station, which is an interchange station. commuters have to climb a steep flight of stairs at Access D. on many occasions, i have seen elderly people struggling up the stairs. The lifts are located elsewhere in the station. The authorities should replace the stairs with an escalator for the benefit of older commuters. LETTER FROM
KANg CHOON TiAN
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Voices
Letter from raymond Koh bock swi
I REFER to the letter Pet dogs must be leashed in public (Nov 22) and agree that education is the long-term solution to the problem of irresponsible pet owners. However, in spite of millions spent to beautify our parks in residential estates, we still have the problems of dog poo and, worse, the strong smell of dog urine in humid Singapore. Understandably, dogs have predictable habits. They will urinate at the same lamp post or bench legs in parks as they retrace their familiar smells. Many busy pet owners get their maids to walk their pets. If these owners are so busy in the first place, they should not have pets, which need time and attention.
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Not just dog poo, their indiscriminate urinating is also unacceptable

Then their maids end up walking with mobile phone in one hand, leash in the other and busy chatting away with other maids while the poor dogs relieve themselves whenever and wherever. That includes near landed homes as well as at park benches, lamp posts and shelters where people congregate. Dog urine will corrode lamp posts over time, a potential hazard to the public. Is it acceptable to allow indiscriminate dog peeing? Could owners be fined? Dog poo may be more unsightly, but dog urine smells, and owners must take responsibility for both their dogs defecation and urination in public places. I hope the authorities could also act on this, as it is a public health issue.
Waiting for a quiet leaf blower, but till then ...

Letter from Janice Chu bee Ing
IS IT possible to go back in time, I wondered after reading the letter Humble rake trumps noisy leaf blower (Nov 21). Machines may generate noise and can be pervasive, but they also help us greatly in homes, workplaces and outdoors. In the case of workers at the parks, gardens and nature reserves, it would be a massive job (and not therapeutic, if it is an everyday affair) if they were to return to the old ways of raking and sweeping fallen leaves. How often do we bump into them when we visit the parks? I suggest that the public should be availed of the time periods for when leaf blowers are in use, so that those who cannot tolerate the noise can avoid it. And if we do not want our green spaces to be entirely free of fallen leaves, how are the workers to decide on the right balance? It would be an unappealing sight if too many leaves are left behind. It would be more appropriate to ensure that the leaves are cleared more thoroughly, as mentioned in the letter Leaves are not picked up (Nov 19). We can hope that someone will invent a quiet motorised leaf blower or we can simply enjoy our existing nature walks and surroundings. There is still much to appreciate.
We can do our part to fund UNesco

Letter from Haj mohamed
I REGRET that Singapore abstained from voting on Palestines ultimately successful bid to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The world knows that Israel and Palestine are not on equal footing, and now the United States decision to cut funding to UNESCO has weakened the agency, as Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam noted in Parliament on Monday. This is part of the blatant US bullying in the UN over the issue of Palestine. But UNESCOs deficit of US$65 million (S$85 million) can easily be funded by the world community. Singaporeans, too, can do our part by donating directly to UNESCO on its website.
Wait, my Tiger Beer is a Product of china?

Letter from Joel Weiden
I WAS relaxing at home one evening last week, enjoying a bottle of Tiger Crystal beer. Then I got a shock when I saw on the label that it was a Product of China. How can it be that Singapores award-winning beer brewer is importing its beer? I love Tiger Beer, and I support my adopted country. If I want to drink a Chinese-made brew, I would. But in a time when so much else is made in China, I am disappointed that a variety of my favourite home brew is also being made there. Asia Pacific Breweries should brew it here.
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Singapore
Agents vying for Bedok Residences enlist their help on part-time basis
SumitA SReedhARAn
sumitas@mediacorp.com.sg
Students paid to queue
assistance for hearing-impaired students not lacking

SINGAPORE There are structured systems in place to help hearing-impaired students and they are not just based on human kindness, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education and Manpower) Hawazi Daipi yesterday. Responding to a proposal by MP Denise Phua (Moulmein-Kallang GRC) to provide free signing and note-taking services for the hearing-impaired in tertiary institutes, Mr Hawazi cited existing practices in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Management University. For instance, fellow students help in note taking and written instructions are available during examinations. He added that the number of students with learning disabilities in higher learning institutes is small at less than 1 per cent. When Ms Phua pointed out that current efforts were based on individual kindness and not systemic, and asked the Education Ministry to provide clear instruction to schools, Mr Hawazi reiterated that comprehensive measures had been taken. This ranged from identification of students with disabilities to providing direct assistance through peers. He told Parliament: We want to rely on the goodwill of fellow students to help because they can provide a powerful support system to those who need help. nG JinG YnG
SINGAPORE The appointed marketing agent for Bedok Residences has come out to explain why there were students being paid by agents to stand in line. The project a development by CapitaLand will be launched today. But since Sunday, a queue had formed, with students (picture) spotted among the hundreds of people who have been queueing. Contacted by Today, ERA Realty key executive Eugene Lim said: Agents can only queue for one space and they might have more than one buyer so they have to get people to help them out in the queue. He added: The reason why there are students in the queue is because it is the
ChAnnel newSASiA
school holidays and they see this as a part-time job. According to ERA, the queue had been forming since Sunday. As of yesterday, there were about 500 people in the queue, ERA added. Mr Lim noted it was not possible to determine how many of those in the qu e u e we re t e e n a ge r s hired by agents as some of
them could be relatives of genuine buyers. Meals are provided by the agents and as there is security, it is safe for the teenagers, Mr Lim noted. They are doing what they would usually do at home, playing on their phones or computers, and by sitting in the queue they get to earn money, said Mr Lim.
ERA also said that they had done an audit at midnight on Tuesday to ensure that all Ministry of Manpower guidelines on the age limit for part-time employment were strictly being adhered to. ERA staff also performed an identification card check on those in the queue. According to Mr Lim, only those over the age of 16 had been queuing overnight. Younger replacements aged 13 to 15 years relieved them in the day. He said that the students are mainly personal contacts of the agents and are mostly Singaporeans. The rate at which they are paid varies and is determined by the different deals struck by the agents and the students. They are paid either on an hourly basis or on a project basis,
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Shangri-La exec chairman to head Yale-NUS College board

SINGAPORE The governing board of the Republics first liberal arts college, the YaleNUS College, will be chaired by Shangri-La Hotel executive chairman Kay Kuok. Mdm Kuok is also a member of the National University of Singapores (NUS) Board of Trustees. The 10-member board includes Yale University president Richard C Levin, NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan, former Nominated Member of Parliament Gautam Banerjee and Ministry of Education Deputy Secretary (Policy) Ng Cher Pong. The board will serve a three-year term, providing strategic direction and oversight of the school, and will be instrumental in the appointment of the college president and faculty. The school, a landmark collaboration between Yale University and NUS, will open in August 2013 with an intake of 150 students. Said Mdm Kuok: It is a distinct honour to be the chair of Yale-NUS College, a groundbreaking partnership between two of the worlds leading universities ... We believe strongly that there is a need in todays changing world for a top quality undergraduate education that teaches
Sports and competitions for all students through programmes

nG JInG ynG
jingyng@mediacorp.com.sg
We believe strongly that there is a need in todays changing world for a top quality undergraduate education that teaches students to think critically and prepare them for leadership in all sectors of society.
Chairman of yale-nUs College and executive chairman of shangri-La Kay Kouk
students to think critically, prepares them for leadership in all sectors of society and offers a full residential college experience. She added: The lively co-curricular activities and exciting global study abroad and internship opportunities will contribute to developing the whole person. I see the opportunity to develop a novel, world-class educational experience as a rare privilege. The Yale-NUS campus will be built next to NUS University Town along Clementi Road, in close proximity to worldclass research and entrepreneurial hubs as well as the NUS Kent Ridge Campus.
CHanneL neWsasIa
SINGAPORE Not all students will be on their school sports team, but they will be able to participate in some form of sports and competitions through other school programmes. Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education and Manpower) Hawazi Daipi reiterated this point several times in Parliament yesterday, even as Members of Parliament (MPs) raised concerns over students who do not get a chance to participate in sports Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs). This could be because they do not make the cut for school teams, said MP Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC). Or, they are required to take part in competitions if they want to be involved in the sport, added MP Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten). Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong pointed out that there are too few sports CCA in schools and some schools do not have sufficient budget to hire sports coaches. Mr Hawazi told Parliament that 30 per cent of students participated in sports CCA. He also shared that 72 per cent of students had been able to take up sports CCAs as their top choice.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education and Manpower) Hawazi Daipi stressed that sports participation should not be confined to sports CCA or competitions. It could also be done through physical education lessons and school events.
But he stressed that sports participation should not be confined to sports CCA or sports competitions. It could also be done through physical education lessons and school events like inter-house games, he added. Mr Hawazi cited the Sports Education Programme, where some 90 per cent of schools had tapped onto the programme funding to offer short-term sports courses, ranging from basketball to wakeboarding. At Jurong West Secondary School, for instance, students who are not in sports CCA take part in games like frisbee. It can just be throwing of the disc but it can be very fun and they get involve in sporting activities, said Mr Hawazi.
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Better response rates from new pill for advanced lung cancer patients
JessICa yeo
jessicayeojl@mediacorp.com.sg
SINGAPORE Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in Singaporean men and the third most common in women. Now, patients in the fourth stage of the disease can opt to take a pill called IRESSA, if they carry a mutated gene known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). It is estimated that around 40 per cent of all patients in Singapore carry this mutation, which is more common in Asians, non-smokers and women. The Health Sciences Authority approved the drug in December last year. The pill targets an enzyme found in the mutated gene reactor, which helps to suppress the growth of cancer cells and is said to prolong the patients life. Dr Gilberto De Lima Lopez, a senior consultant with the Department of Medical Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre, said: This drug has a much better ratio of the benefits to the risks that they entail. Patients who receive this drug have better response rates and the disease stays under control for longer as well than when they use chemotherapy. Retiree Mohamad Yusof Johari, 58, was
This drug has a much better ratio of the benefits to the risks that they entail.
senior consultant with the department of medical oncology at the Johns Hopkins singapore International medical Centre dr Gilberto de Lima Lopez
diagnosed with cancer in April and has been on IRESSA since then. He said: (My) experience with this drug is that youll have less side effects unlike ordinary chemotherapy. After the third week when Im taking this drug, I see its effectiveness. Quite good. Channel NewsAsia understands that a months worth of IRESSA costs about S$1,600, after Medisave subsidies. The original cost of the drug is about S$2,600. Dr Daniel Tan, associate consultant at the National Cancer Centre, said: These targeted drugs at the moment are covered under the schemes that are available for patients with cancer and the price of the medication is equivalent to chemotherapy in terms of out-of-pocket expenses. IRESSA is currently available in most hospitals and clinics.
Doctor suspended for 3 months for prescribing drugs irresponsibly

SINGAPORE A doctor has been suspended for three months for inappropriately prescribing benzodiazepine and codeinecontaining cough mixtures which may result in addiction in the long term. The Singapore Medical Council also imposed a S$5,000 fine and censured Dr Tan Teck Hong of Excelsior Clinic and Surgery at Block 283, Bukit Batok East Avenue 3, for the offences. Dr Tan, 54, faced 16 charges of professional misconduct and pleaded guilty to all. A disciplinary committee, held on Oct 11 following a complaint last year from the Ministry of Health, considered the duration of the treatment with these drugs and the amount prescribed by Dr Tan. It found the degree of failure to be significant. The committee also noted that without proper management, Dr Tans patients could have become addicted to the hypnotic drug, benzodiazepine, and the codeinecontaining narcotic medication. In the worst case scenario, it said, Dr Tan could have been simply fuelling an existing addiction. The committee said there was a clear need to deter medical practitioners from committing such acts. Dr Tans three-month suspension took effect on Nov 11. He also has to provide a written undertaking that he will not engage in similar conduct and has to also bear the costs and expenses of the proceedings. CHanneL
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new Moe partnership to address education issues

SINGAPORE The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be setting up a new Partnership in the Education Office by next month to support outreach efforts to parents and the community on education issues. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat told Parliament yesterday that this office will help to better address stakeholder concerns and enhance regular two-way communication channels. Some platforms of engagement and consultation will include dialogues, forums and seminars. Mr Heng was responding to questions by Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade GRC) and Dr Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) on efforts to engage parents on the new values-driven education initiative. Mr Heng said: Schools alone cannot undertake this mammoth responsibility of building character of the young. We need the concerted efforts of schools, parents and the community to succeed in this important endeavour. He said the new office will coordinate training and facilitate the sharing of good practices among schools. There will also be close partnership with other ministries and community organisations to provide schools with additional opportunities to form more active and constructive partnerships, Mr Heng added.
the 9,700 sq m birdz of Play playground at jurong bird Park was launched yesterday.
Photo courtesy of jurong bird Park
Birdz of play at Jurong Bird park

SINGAPORE The Jurong Bird Park has added another attraction this holiday season a new childrens playground which was launched yesterday. The 9,700 sq m Birdz of Play playground consists of wet and dry zones for toddlers as well as older children. The bird park said in a press release yesterday that throughout the December school holidays, it is organising a series of programmes for families at the playground. The bird park is managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS). WRS chief executive Isabella Loh said the playground symbolises our commitment to the family unit by engaging them and providing a venue which is all about good, clean fun. She added: This new, interactive attraction is also an important milestone for Wildlife Reserves Singapore, as we continue to come up with interesting and original family-centric activities and facilities at all our award-winning parks.
1,170 ex-convicts found jobs through score last year
nearly 1,300 inmates sought help from the singapore Corporation of rehabilitative enterprises (sCore) in securing jobs last year and nine in 10 of them successfully landed jobs, Minister of state for Home affairs Masagos Zulkifli said yesterday. He was answering Mp Dr intan azura Mokhtars (ang Mo Kio grC) question in parliament on the re-employment rate of ex-convicts. Mr Masagos said sCore provided job coaching for 1,292 inmates last year, including topics such as interview and communication skills, and 1,170 of these inmates
found jobs. sCores employment assistance Unit also helped 345 released offenders last year, with more than three in five securing jobs. on Dr intans question about the number of ex-offenders employed in the public sector, Mr Masagos said there were no statistics available. This is because the public service Division amended the civil service job application form in 2006, which allowed those who have had their criminal records spent to not declare their past offence when applying for jobs. teo xuanWei
World
as countrys economy grows, children get left behind by parents
What price Chinas rise?
SHANGHAI One sad side effect of Chinas economic miracle: About 23 million children under the age of five now live apart from both their parents, who have left home to find work in the countrys cities, according to a newly released statistic. In scenes reminiscent of wartime Britain, villages across Chinas countryside have emptied of all working-age adults, leaving only the elderly and young behind. For three decades, Chinese workers have been migrating from the countryside to the cities in search of work. In the beginning, only the men left, their wives remaining to look after the family. But as the world demanded more and more Made-in-China goods, the women began to join them. Now, a third of all kindergarten-age children in China have been left behind by both parents, often in the care of their grandparents or other relatives, according to Mr Deng Li, an official at the All China Womens Federation (AWCF), a government-run campaign group. They see their mothers and fathers only once or twice a year, usually during national holidays. Their parents often work in a different province for several years, according to the AWCF. It is the first time that China has released statistics broken down by age group, and the research raises questions about the social cost of Chinas rapid rise to wealth and about the problems being stored up for the future. The fact that they have released a
about 23 million children in China live apart from their parents, who have left to find work in other cities. BloomBerg
specific and detailed account of the problem shows how concerned both the public and the government is, said Mr Liu Chongshun, the former head of the sociology department at Wuhans Academy of Social Science. Although each child in China is entitled to nine years of free schooling, the parents of migrant children are fined for enrolling their children in schools away from their home town. Mr Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor of sociology at Renmin University in Beijing said: These parents have no option. They have to make money. More than half of the economy in rural areas comes from migrants working elsewhere. Without the money, their families would collapse. But for the kids, there is little hope and their future is bleak. Of course they will grow up with defective personalities. The Daily Telegraph
Chinese villagers demand return of illegally seized land

HONG KONG Thousands of villagers angry that officials failed to address their grievances after riots two months ago marched to a government office in southern China to demand the return of land they say was illegally seized, witnesses and the media said. The protest came after a series of industrial strikes over pay and benefits in Guangdong province, Chinas economic powerhouse, as overseas demand for Chinese goods weakens amid a sluggish western economy. Rural land disputes are increasing and spreading to the undeveloped west of the country, according to a poll published last month in a magazine run by the official Xinhua news agency. One witness said 4,000 villagers and farmers from Wukan surrounded government offices in Lufeng City on Monday. The protesters denounced local officials as greedy and corrupt. They dispersed after an hour without incident. A villager surnamed Zhang, who sent photographs of the protest to Reuters, said the authorities had failed to tackle collusion between developers and local officials. No progress had been made in renegotiating inequitable land deals back to 1998. Residents of Lufeng had ransacked government offices two months ago over the same issue. reuTers
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PhiliPPine massacre victims kin sue arroyo
The relatives of 57 people massacred in 2009 in the southern Philippines sued former President Gloria Arroyo yesterday over the killings, which they claim she could have prevented. Arroyo was arrested last week on charges that she ordered the former Governor, Andal
Ampatuan Sr, and another official to commit election fraud two years before the massacre. Arroyo has condemned and denied any knowledge of the killings, but lawyer Harry Roque said she should have known that Ampatuan and his son were a danger. Mr Roque filed the lawsuit yesterday, seek-
ing 15 million pesos (S$451,830) in damages. In court documents, he argued that Arroyo turned a blind eye to a decade of human rights abuses in the region and instead she cultivated ties with the Ampatuans, who would prove indispensable to her continued hold on political power. Reporters, drivers and assistants were
accompanying the family and supporters of the political rivals of the Ampatuans en route to file for candidacy in regional elections when gunmen allegedly led by former town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr stopped them and led them to a hilltop clearing where they were mowed down and hastily buried in mass graves. aP
Defendants share blame with Pol Pot: Prosecutor

PHNOM PENH Pol Pots close confederates cannot solely blame their late leader for the atrocities that took place under Cambodias Khmer Rouge regime, a prosecutor at the countrys United Nations-backed genocide tribunal said yesterday. Mr Andrew Cayley said that like Pol Pot, the three ageing former members of the regime now on trial exercised life-anddeath authority over Cambodia while in power in 1975-79. The accused cannot credibly claim they did not know and had no control over the crimes that occurred when the group ruled what they called Democratic Kampuchea, he said. An estimated 1.7 million people had died of execution, starvation, exhaustion or lack of medical care as a result of the Khmer Rouges radical policies, which sought to create a pure agrarian socialist society. Mr Cayley was speaking on the trials second day, continuing the prosecutions opening statement. On Monday, prosecutors related a litany of horrors, large and small, recalling how the Khmer Rouge sought to crush not just all its enemies, but seemingly the human spirit. The defendants are 85-yearold Nuon Chea, the Khmer Rouges chief ideologist and No 2 leader; 80-year-old Khieu Samphan, an ex-head of state; and 86-year-old Ieng Sary, the former Foreign Minister. All three avow their innocence. The charges against the surviving inner circle of the communist movement include crimes against humanity, genocide, religious persecution, homicide and torture. The defence is expected to respond to the prosecutions statement today, and actual testimony is slated to begin on Dec 5. aP
Tibet groups video shows nun engulfed in flames

BEIJING A Tibetan rights group has released graphic video of what it says is a Buddhist nun engulfed in flames on a city street in one of several apparent self-immolation protests against Chinese rule. The video, released on Monday by Students for a Free Tibet, purports to show Palden Choetso whose death on Nov 3 in predominantly Tibetan Ganzi prefecture in Sichuan province had previously been reported. The video shows a woman in a nuns robe standing on a street corner covered in red flames. She collapsed to the ground after about 15 seconds. It also shows Chinese security forces in riot gear shadowing monks and nuns taking part in a protest march, and a column of armoured paramilitary police patrol vehicles travelling down a country road. The New Yorkbased Students of a Free Tibet said it obtained the video from sources in the region. At least 11 monks, nuns and former monks have self-immolated this year in what are seen as acts of desperation in the face of tightening controls over Tibetan life and Buddhist culture. Most ignited the flames while calling for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. It is a new chapter in the way that Tibetans try to communicate their concerns to the Chinese government, said Mr Robbie Barnett, head of modern Tibetan studies at New Yorks Columbia University. aP
World
WASHINGTON In an apparently serious setback for United States intelligence operations against Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia has succeeded in identifying and arresting informants within its ranks who were working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), current and former US officials said. Separately, counter-intelligence officers in Iran also succeeded in uncovering the identities of at least a handful of alleged CIA informants. Some former US officials said that the CIA informants, believed to be local recruits rather than US citizens, were uncovered, at least in part, due to sloppy procedures known in the espionage world as tradecraft used by the agency. Some of the handlers reportedly used trackable mobile phones and used the code word pizza when agreeing to meet at a Pizza Hut with informants. But Mr Bob Baer, a former CIA operations officer whose books inspired the Hollywood movie Syriana, said that Hezbollahs counter-intelligence capabilities are formidable and should not be underestimated. Hezbollahs security is as good as any in the worlds. Its the best. Its better than that of the KGB, the former Soviet spy agency, Mr Baer said. Hezbollah, founded with Iranian help during Lebanons 1975-1990 civil war, has grown from a militia that fought Israeli forces in south Lebanon into the most powerful political and military force in the country. Hezbollah and its allies dominate the Lebanese government formed in June. Mr Baer said one reason Hezbollah has been successful in rooting out spies is because it is so powerful, it has forced Lebanese government security forces to hand over sensitive communications and spy gear supplied by the US government. Hezbollah then used this US equipment to identify and track down CIA informants. US officials were coy about the extent and seriousness of CIA losses, but they said damage to US intelligence was serious enough for extensive briefings and discussions to have been held with congressional oversight committees. A congressional source said any discussions remain classified. Hezbollah, which the US government labels a terrorist group, and Iran, which it accuses of developing a nuclear weapon and sponsoring attacks on US troops in Iraq, are major targets of interest for US spy agencies and the White House. There was no word on the fate of the unmasked operatives. agencies
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Hezbollah uncovers CIA informants Some nations step up sanctions on Irans energy and financial sectors
WASHINGTON The United States, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions on Monday on Irans energy and financial sectors, steps analysts said may raise pressure on Tehran but were unlikely to halt its nuclear programme. The US named Iran as an area of primary money laundering concern, a step designed to dissuade non-US banks from dealing with it. It also blacklisted 11 entities suspected of aiding its nuclear programmes and expanded sanctions to target companies that aid its oil and petrochemical industries. The US stopped short, however, of targeting Irans central bank, a step that could have cut it off from the global financial system, sent oil prices skyrocketing and jeopardised US and European economic recovery. In a coordinated action, Britain ordered all British financial institutions to stop doing business with their Iranian counterparts, including the Iranian central bank. A source familiar with the sanctions said the steps would not directly target trade in Iranian oil. Canada said it would ban the export of all goods used in Irans petrochemical, oil and gas industry and block virtually all transactions with Iran. While not taking concrete actions, France urged European Union and other nations to immediately freeze the assets
The US named Iran as an area of primary money laundering concern, a step designed to dissuade non-US banks from dealing with it.
of Irans central bank and to suspend purchases of Iranian oil, steps it called sanctions on an unprecedented scale. The series of announcements were in response to a Nov 8 International Atomic Energy Agency report that presented intelligence suggesting Iran had worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be secretly carrying out related research. But analysts said they did not believe the steps would dissuade Iran from pursuing its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is entirely peaceful. Is this the straw that will break the camels back? No, said Mr George Perkovich, director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think-tank. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr Ramin Mehmanparast, said yesterday that the new set of sanctions will have no effect and denounced them as propaganda and psychological warfare. agencies
World
Tunisias newly elected assembly held its inaugural meeting yesterday, ready to start shaping the constitution and democratic future of the country that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings. A moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, won the most seats in the Constituent Assembly, and it has announced a coalition with a liberal and left-of-centre party to make up
Protesters clash with the army and riot police at tahrir square in cairo yesterday. reuters
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tunisias neWly elected assembly gets to Work
the interim government. The coalition holds a comfortable majority of 139 seats in the 217-member body. The coalition will present the assembly its candidate for interim president, veteran rights activist Moncef Marzouki, who heads the liberal Congress for the republic Party. He will then appoint Ennahdas No 2, Mr Hammadi Jebali, as Prime
Minister and Mr Mustapha Ben Jaafar of the Ettakatol Party as leader of the assembly. We will seek to ensure that the national constituent assembly will complete its tasks, write a new constitution for the country and call for new elections within a period that should not exceed one year, said the statement signed late on Monday by the new coalition. aP
Egypts ruling military council in crisis talks

CAIRO A swelling crowd of tens of thousands filled Cairos Tahrir Square yesterday, answering the call for a million people to turn out and intensify pressure on Egypts military leaders to hand over power to a civilian government. The ruling military council held crisis talks with political parties across the spectrum to try to defuse growing cries for a second revolution. The military head of state, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, was expected to address the nation as protests in Cairo and other major cities carried on for a fourth day. Security forces stayed out of Tahrir itself to lower the temperature. But there were clashes on side streets leading to the square that was the epicentre of the uprising that ousted long-time leader Hosni Mubarak in February. The new wave of protests and violence around the country has left 29 dead and has thrown Egypts politics into chaos less than a week before landmark parliamentary elections were to begin. Further confusing the situation, the military-backed civilian government submitted a mass resignation in response to the turmoil on Monday. In a sign it was struggling over how to respond to the fast-changing events, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces the military body that rules the country still had not responded to the resignation offer by last night. But the military has been backed into a difficult corner. Protesters are demanding it surrender the reins of power or at least set a firm date in the very near future. aP
Gaddafis son may face death penalty

TRIPOLI The International Criminal Courts (ICC) chief prosecutor conceded yesterday that the captured son of Muammar Gaddafi may be tried in Libya rather than in The Hague, meaning he faces the death penalty if convicted. While ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo met officials in Tripoli, the National Transitional Council (NTC) prepared to unveil a new government line-up that would have to reconcile regional and ideological interests whose rivalry threatens to upset the countrys fragile stability. Three months after Gaddafis control over Libya ended and a month after the former leader was killed on a roadside near his hometown, Libya is struggling to build new institutions out of the wreckage of his 42-year rule. Earlier, an NTC source said the council had decided to appoint as the new defence minister the commander from Zintan whose forces captured Gaddafis son, Saif Al Islam. The ICC has indicted Saif Al Islam for crimes against humanity. But Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he could be tried inside Libya as long as the trial complies with ICC standards. If they prosecute the case here, we will discuss with them how to inform the judges and they can do it. But our judges have to be involved, said Mr Moreno-Ocampo.
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AussiE PolicE officErs ProTEsT
new south Wales police officers staged a protest rally outside the state parliament house in sydney yesterday. more than 3,000 officers took part in the rally and marched from Hyde Park to Parliament House in a protest that lasted about two hours. the officers are upset at plans to alter the states death and disability scheme, which would restrict some compensation payouts and place more emphasis on getting injured officers rehabilitated and back to work. the government said the current scheme is too expensive and it has no choice but to make the changes. aP
Epic Pr fail for Qantas Twitter competition

CANBERRA Australias Qantas Airways has been left redfaced after an ill-timed public relations campaign and Twitter competition backfired, drawing thousands of angry responses. It yesterday invited users of the micro-blogging site to enter a Qantas Luxury competition, asking people to describe their dream luxury inflight experience and possibly win a pair of Qantas first-class pyjamas and a toiletry kit. The timing of the PR exercise was questionable, coming just a day after Qantas and its unions broke off contract negotiations and after Qantas grounded its fleet late last month, a drastic move that stranded thousands of angry customers. PR experts said the campaign was perhaps Australias greatest public relations failure and a classic example of the dangers of unpredictable social media. Epic PR fail, excellent case study in corporate cultural tone deafness. Simply dont get it, said social media commentator Peter Clarke. Twitter user stanofid called the campaign the Hindenburg of social media strategies. Other unimpressed Twitter users set a stream of responses ranging from caustic jokes about the carrier to ordinary abuse. Twitter user ChanArmstrong said Qantas luxury was more than 3mins notice that the whole airline is on strike, while another user, describing themselves as thesuspecto, said their answer was, chose Singapore Air luxury instead. Qantas last week hired four social media monitors to keep tabs on what people were saying about it on Twitter and Facebook after the fleet grounding. The carrier has also promised generous compensation for stranded passengers. Qantas put on a brave face yesterday, taking to Twitter again to quip, at this rate our #QantasLuxury competition is going to take years to judge. The discussion came as the Australian governments labour regulator began work to impose a new wage agreement between Qantas management and workers. reuters
romney runs His first tv ad of Presidential race
former Massachusetts Governor Mitt romney is turning united states President Barack obamas own words against him in the republican hopefuls first television advertisement for his 2012 White House bid. The ad started airing in New Hampshire yesterday, hours before the President was due to visit the state. it compares Mr obamas promises as a candidate to turn around the economy, stem foreclosures and rescue the middle class with economic
statistics that suggest the President has come up short. Mr romney then pledges a new direction, turning to his biography as a successful businessman. His 60-second ad features clips of an obama campaign stop in New Hampshire in october 2007 and fresh footage from romney events from recent days. it is slated to run through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend at a cost of us$134,000 (s$174,454). aP
World
NEW YORK Whats in a name? About US$3 billion (S$3.9 billion), if you happen to spell it T-r-u-m-p. Real estate mogul, reality television star and author Donald Trump estimates his net worth at US$7 billion in a forthcoming book. In his latest tome, Mr Trump, known for promoting everything from his real estate projects to board games, vodka and reality television shows, spells out his net worth. He came up with a figure billions more than the estimate made by Forbes magazine, which in September put the amount at US$2.9 billion. Much of the US$4-billion-plus discrepancy lies with something Mr Trump calls
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Trumps name spells out s$3.9 billion, nearly half his net worth
brand value, in the financial detail contained in Time to Get Tough, due out Dec 5. On page 182, Mr Trump lists holdings including US$1.37 billion in New York City commercial properties and US$1.22 billion in club facilities and related real estate. Liabilities include some US$374 million in loans and mortgages. At US$3 billion, his biggest asset by far is his brands value which, according to a note, has been established by Predictiv, the highly respected brand valuation company. The company, the note continues, measures the financial impact of intangibles such as brand, strategy execution, innovation and post-merger integration.
reuters
a cemetery employee places offerings on a grave, while another records a video which will be sent to the customer. aP
Vietnam cemetery lets kin order offerings online

KY SON (Vietnam) This is where Vietnams rising middle class is dying to flaunt its bling: A new cemetery at the end of a golden-gated Highway to Eternity where relatives can order graveside offerings of cognac online. The Lac Hong Vien Cemetery is drawing tomb shoppers by the busload through its Las Vegas-style marquee to choose from state-of-the-art resting places for themselves and their dearly departed. Ms Bui Mai Phuong, a 53-year-old accountant who surveyed the grounds during a recent bus tour for two dozen Hanoi residents, said she was considering investing 500 million dong (S$31,200) or about half a lifetimes earnings for the average Vietnamese for a 30 sq m plot. We have to take care of our parents spiritually, she said. The graveyards online ancestor worship service is the first of its kind in Vietnam. Busy relatives can purchase afterlife gifts from flowers to boiled chickens to expensive cognac by the mouse click. Cemetery staff bring the items to the tombs and send videos or photos of the display by email. The posh new grounds highlight some of the contrasts emerging across the predominantly Buddhist country. It is a place where ancient traditions meet a frenetic consumer culture stoked by one of Asias fastest-growing economies. The 98-ha cemetery, which sits about 50km west of Hanoi in northern Hoa Binh Province, hopes to cash in on the trend by selling upscale burial plots. At 8 million dong per sq m, it retails for nearly four times the going rate of housing property in nearby towns. Tombstones sell for up to 1 billion dong. Mr Tran Tuan Anh, deputy manager of the private company running the graveyard, says about 10,000 sites have already been reserved. But so far only 30 bodies have been buried, with a mere handful of relatives using the online ancestor worship service. Ms Phuong, whose parents are pushing 90, said she understands how online ancestor worship may appeal to the younger generation. The best thing would be for our children to visit our graves, she said. But if theyre too busy, we have to accept that. aP
today Wednesday novembeR 23, 2011
World
CHICAGO People who are underweight have a 40-per-cent higher risk of dying in the first month after surgery than patients who are overweight, according to new research. The findings suggest that body mass index, or BMI, may be useful in predicting which patients are at the greatest risk while recovering from surgery, researchers in the United States reported in the journal Archives of Surgery of the American Medical Association on Monday. Prior studies looking at the role of BMI in surgery have been mixed, said Dr George Stukenborg of the University of Virginia, who worked on the study. The researchers used data on nearly 190,000 patients who underwent a variety
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Underweight people at higher post-surgery risk

of surgeries at 183 hospitals between 2005 and 2006. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 are of normal weight, those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are overweight and those with a BMI of 30 and above are obese.
Even when the researchers adjusted for type of surgery and other risk factors, those with a low BMI still had a greater risk of dying in the first month after surgery. Dr Stukenborg said it is not clear why. The study did not track recent weight loss, so it could be that people who weighed less were sicker to begin with. Either way, he said doctors should consider BMI when they plan surgeries.
ReuteRs
acupunctuRe geneRally safe foR childRen
Acupuncture treatment appears to be safe for those who are under 18, with very little risk involved when qualified practitioners are wielding the needles, although there may be minor side effects in a small number of cases, a study has shown. Acupuncture is used as an alternative therapy for a range of conditions including pain, headaches and constipation but few large, long-term studies until now have examined either its effectiveness or its safety in young people. Based on the available evidence, in trained hands, acupuncture is safe for children, said dr Sunita Vohra, from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, who worked on the study.
Serious side effects were rare and likely to be caused by substandard practice, researchers wrote in a report in Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study reviewed 37 others, ranging from randomised trials that compared side effects with acupuncture and other treatments, to single reports of acupuncture illness and injury. We calculated a mild adverse incidence per patient of 168 in 1,422 patients, or 11.8 per cent, the researchers wrote. Mild side effects included pain, bruising, bleeding or worsening of symptoms. Acupuncture is not recommended for children under two.
ReuteRs
43
BUSINESS
doW
tUesday cLose
monday Friday thursday Wednesday 11,547.30 q 11,796.20 p 11,770.70 q 11,905.60 q 2.11% 0.22% 1.13% 1.58%
44
11,493.70 (-0.46%)
nyse toP 5 by voLUme

name voL Price cHange
bank of america general electric Janus capital Hewlett Packard Pfizer
265.5m 74.6m 51.5m 49.8m 49.2m
$5.37 q 2.19% $14.99 q 1.64% $6.12 q 1.29% $26.65 q 0.78% $18.90 q 0.32%
Council calls for tighter rein on corporate governance

Lynda Hong
lyndahong@mediacorp.com.sg
Us
nasdaq 2,521.28 (-0.07%) s&P500 1,188.04 (-0.41%)
overnigHt
Us markets euro zone fears spark sell-off
Stocks continue their free fall yesterday, having lost more than 5 per cent over the last week as borrowing costs in Spain hit a 14-year high. News that the International Monetary Fund would release short-term credit for struggling euro-zone countries boosted stocks temporarily, but the gains quickly evaporated. The United States economy grew at a 2 per cent annual rate in the third quarter, while down from the governments estimate of 2.5 per cent, solid consumer spending could result in better-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter.
eUroPe
Ftse100 5,206.82 (-0.30%) daX 5,537.39 (-1.22%) cac40 2,870.68 (-0.84%)
SINGAPORE More disclosure on remuneration. Rigorous reviews for directors who have served more than nine years. Half of the board to be made up of independent directors. These were some of the final recommendations on corporate governance standards for locally listed companies submitted to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) yesterday. The Corporate Governance Council, a panel set up by the MAS, has proposed that a director who serves on a companys board for more than nine years be subject to a rigorous review, and the board be required to explain why the individual should still be considered independent. The Council had previously recommended barring such directors
in its previous proposal in June. Some of us believe that nine years offer perspective on the history of the company and can be very healthy. But others feel that the board needs to be refreshed, said Mr David Conner, chief executive officer of OCBC Bank and Council member. The panel also recommended that independent directors make up at least half of a companys board where the chairman is either also the chief executive or a close relative of the chairman. That proposed rule would also apply if the two are part of the same management team or if the chairman is not independent. The Council is also seeking more disclosure on the remuneration of directors to the nearest thousand dollars although this was a contentious issue. Council chairman Alan Chan,
who is also the CEO of Singapore Press Holdings, said: For many of us who are in listed companies, we have many competitors who are not listed. And in that sense, if some of these companies show the details of their top five executives, they risk having their key personnel poached by non-listed companies. Other recommendations include making it the responsibility of the CEO and CFO to assure the board that financial statements are properly maintained and they have a policy on dividend payment. If dividends are not given, it would be good policy for the company to share its reasons, with the shareholders, to put them at ease, said Mr David Gerald, president of Securities Investors Association (Singapore) and Council member. The Council is recommending that the revised code be implemented in July next year.
45
today Wednesday novembeR 23, 2011
Business
HiGH-end HousinG pRoject bReaks GRound at capitol site
46
A high-end residential project will soon rise at the site of the iconic Capitol Building and stamford House as it broke ground yesterday for a possible launch between March and April next year. The residential project, which is expected to house 34 units, is part of a landmark mixed-use development plan that will comprise retail, hotel, residential and theatre
facilities when completed. The Capitol Theatre will be conserved and transformed into a cinema with 800 seats. its developer, Capitol investment Holdings, said it has awarded the s$338 million contract to Japanese firm shimizu Corp for the restoration of the site. The entire project is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014.
Govt will release land when necessary, monitor market

millet enRiquez
emelita@mediacorp.com.sg
boc aviation oRdeRs 15 embRaeR e190 jets
Aircraft leasing firm BOC Aviation said yesterday it has ordered 15 embraer e190 aircraft, worth us$642 million (s$836.6 million) at list price, to meet demand from airlines for smaller passenger jets to develop new markets.
The singapore-based firm, a subsidiary of Bank of China, said delivery of the planes will begin from the fourth quarter of next year through 2014.
ReuteRs
Hls Wins Gambas industRial site WitH s$78.1-million bid
The urban Redevelopment Authority said yesterday it has awarded the tender for a 60-year leasehold industrial site at Gambas Avenue/Gambas Crescent to HLs Development. The firm had submitted the highest bid
of s$78.1 million for the 230,635 sq ft site. The tender closed on nov 17 with five bids. The price translates to about s$136 per sq ft per plot ratio for the site, which has a maximum gross plot ratio of 2.5.
SINGAPORE The Government said yesterday it will release more land when necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable market for industrial property as it continues to keep a close watch on the sector. Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said this in a written response to Mr Zaqy Mohamad, MP of Chua Chu Kang GRC, on whether the ministry has assessed the real estate investment trust segment which operates industrial properties. The MTI said that prior to its divestment exercise, the nations industrial infrastructure developer JTC Corporation had 4.4 million sq m or 12.8 per cent market share of industrial space, in terms of lettable area. It sold 1.2 million sq m to Mapletree
Investments in 2008, and more than 300,000 sq m of property space to Soilbuild Group Holdings and Mapletree Industrial Trust this year. The buyers are required to cap rental rates at 5 per cent per annum for three years to ensure business continuity with existing tenants. Tenants with more than 10 years of continuous tenancy are also extended discounts, MTI said. MTI said that apart from monitoring the industrial property sector together with JTC, it plans to release additional land from the Industrial Government Land Sales programme. It will also look into implementing other measures if needed, MTI said. Singapore has seven industrial REITs, who together own 17 per cent or 6.6 million sq m industrial space.
aiRasia q3 pRofit falls 53% on HiGHeR fuel costs
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AirAsia, Asias largest discount carrier, said thirdquarter profit fell 53 per cent to RM152.3 million (s$62.4 million) as higher fuel costs eroded gains from flying more passengers. Revenue rose 10 per cent to 1.08 billion ringgit as the carrier added more routes, the Malaysia-based carrier said yesterday. AirAsia spent 45 per cent more on fuel
in the quarter after jet kerosene prices rose and CeO Tony Fernandes introduced new destinations to tap rising demand for budget travel in the region. AirAsia carried 13.5 per cent more passengers in the quarter from a year earlier through its Malaysian, Thai and indonesian operations. bloombeRG
cHina cuts ReseRve Ratio foR five RuRal banks
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China has cut reserve requirements for five rural banks in the eastern province of Zhejiang as part of long-standing efforts to support the rural economy, industry insiders said yesterday. The reserve requirement ratio for the five banks will fall by 50 basis points to 16 per cent, effective Friday, a source said,
citing a recent notice from the Peoples Bank of China. The sources declined to name the five banks but said the cut is effective from nov 25. The cuts do not apply to Chinas official required reserve ratio for most large banks, which now stands at 21.5 per cent.
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47
Business
48
Retail investors shun PCCWs trust iPO: sources

HONG KONG Retail investors are shying away from PCCWs initial public offering of HKT Trust that could amount to HK$11 billion (S$1.84 billion), leaving the Hong Kong company to lean on institutions and fund managers to fill orders for the deal. Controlled by Mr Richard Li, PCCW braved volatile global markets to launch the IPO on Nov 9 in an offering that analysts said would have a bearing on the future of other deals. The retail portion, accounting for about 10 per cent of the HKT Trust global offering, was only about half covered when the applications closed on Monday, the Hong Kong Economic Times reported yesterday, citing market sources. PCCW declined to comment on demand for the offering. Given the market conditions now, investors are sitting back to see what will happen. They dont want to put money in the primary market and thats what is causing lower subscriptions, said Mr Jasper Chan, corporate finance officer at Phillip Securities in Hong Kong.
Given the market conditions now, investors are sitting back to see what will happen. They dont want to put money in the primary market and thats what is causing lower subscriptions.
Phillip securities corporate finance officer Jasper chan
The telecommunications trust, the first business trust to list in Hong Kong, is being offered at a 2012 yield of 7.5 to 8.9 per cent. Hong Kong moved to allow business trusts, a structure that allows investors to receive dividends from operating cash flow, after Hutchison Whampoa controlled by Mr Lis father, billionaire Li Ka Shing picked Singapore for the US$5.5 billion (S$7.2 billion) IPO of its Hutchison Port Holdings Trust in March. reUters
China doubles foreign exchange swap with HK

BEIJING Chinas central bank yesterday doubled the size of a foreign exchange swap with Hong Kong to 400 billion yuan (S$81.9 billion), a move aimed at giving the financial centre a bigger relief valve to cope with rising demand for trade settlement in the Chinese currency. The expansion will boost confidence that Beijing intends to internationalise the yuan. More than 9 per cent of Chinas total trade has been settled in yuan so far this year, up from only 0.7 per cent a year earlier. Of all China trade settled in yuan in the first half of this year, 84 per cent was carried out by Hong Kong banks, up from 73 per cent in all of last year. The explosion in yuan-settled trade has boosted deposits of the currency in Hong Kong to 622 billion yuan as of the end of September, totalling more than 10 per cent of total deposits, up from around 1 per cent last January, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. reUters
Hong Kongs october cPI steady at 5.8%
The consumer price index (CPi) in Hong Kong increased at a steady clip last month, signalling inflation has nearly peaked, the government said yesterday. Headline CPi rose 5.8 per cent last month from October a year earlier, unchanged from september and slightly above the median 5.7 per cent forecast of nine economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires. excluding the effects of government relief
measures, underlying CPi rose 6.4 per cent in October from a year earlier, also unchanged from september. Higher private housing rentals and food prices were the main drivers of the CPi rise last month, but inflation is likely to peak during the fourth quarter amid easing global food and commodity prices and a slowing local economy, a government spokesman said. doW Jones
Business
SINGAPORE Economic growth in East Asia continues to moderate, mainly due to weakening external demand, underscoring the need for governments to focus on driving local demand and productivity amid uncertainties in Europe and a global growth slowdown, the World Bank said in a report. it expects gross domestic product growth in developing East Asia, which excludes Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and India, to be 8.2 per cent this year and 7.8 per cent next year, according to its East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released in Singapore yesterday. That follows the regions growth slowing from 9.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2010 to 8.5 per cent in the second quarter of this year. Most Asian nations have room to use fiscal stimulus to protect their economies from a deterioration of the European debt crisis that may have substantial spillovers on the region, the World Bank said. Fiscal positions, while not as strong as before the 2008 crisis, leave sufficient space for fiscal stimulus in most middleincome countries, should this become necessary, it said. Some Asian policymakers have already shifted their focus to shielding growth, rather than stemming inflation, as Europes debt woes and a struggling US economy increase the risk of another global recession.
49
east Asia growth to moderate next year amid uncertain outlook

Australia and Indonesia have cut interest rates this month, while the Philippines unveiled a fiscal stimulus package to spur the economy last month. However, although inflation appears to have peaked in the region, negative real interest rates mean that some countries are likely to remain reluctant to use such cuts to pre-empt the impact of a global slowdown, according to the report. The World Bank said it is important for governments to take precautionary steps against financial risks arising from sudden downward movements in asset prices. agencies
the Kingkey 100 building, illuminated at night in shenzhen. Price corrections in the property market could lead to financial risks in china. bloomberg
China could see soft landing, says World Bank

BEIJING Chinas economy faces growing risks from Europes sovereign debt crisis and from a weakening property market but it could engineer a soft landing by easing monetary policy, the World Bank said in a report yesterday. In its semi-annual East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, the bank nudged up its growth forecast for China this year but it expects growth to moderate from next year as overseas economies slow and Beijing steers the economy to rely less on investment and manufacturing. China will grow 9.1 per cent this year, the World Bank said, slightly higher than the banks previous forecast of 9 per cent issued in March. Next year, growth will slow to 8.4 per cent, it said. Chinas property market could face a correction that would affect the countrys consumer demand, banks and local governments, it warned. Because real estate is usually used by formal and informal lenders as collateral or as an investment, it is a growing risk for the banking system and for informal creditors, the report said. Because Chinese households tend to put more money down and have smaller mortgages, a deleveraging of the magnitude seen in the US is unlikely. Even so, real estate price corrections would still have a strong impact on domestic demand and consumer sentiment. The dependence of local governments on land sales for revenue means they will also be affected by a correction in the property market, the report said. Nonetheless, China still has ample room to inject monetary and fiscal stimulus if necessary, especially since inflation has peaked and is on the wane, the World Bank said. As such, while adjustments in the property markets may well happen, there could still be a soft landing for China, it said. agencies
Business
50
HPs Q4 profit plummets 91%

SAN FRANCISCO Hewlett-Packard, the worlds largest technology company by sales, has suffered a 91-per-cent plunge in fiscal fourth-quarter profit on restructuring charges and weak computer sales. In the three months ended Oct 31, HP earned US$239 million (S$311.2 million), or 12 cents a share, on revenue of US$32.1 billion. The performance was hit by the US$2.1 billion the company paid for restructuring, mainly affecting its webOS business that powered the ill-fated TouchPad. In the corresponding quarter a year ago, HP reported earnings of US$2.5 billion on revenue of US$33.3 billion. HP also gave a modest earnings forecast of at least US$4 per share for fiscal 2012, setting a low bar for new chief executive Meg Whitman in what she called
a reset and rebuilding year. Analysts on average had forecast the company to earn US$4.54 a share for the full year. Ms Whitman, who took over in September following the ouster of her predecessor Leo Apotheker, also warned of serious challenges to growth from a worsening external environment, including dwindling demand from Europe. Adding to HPs problems, the flooding in Thailand has choked off the supply of hard drives, pushing up prices for the
crucial components in personal computers. Within the company, Ms Whitman said: We have got some HP-specific challenges. We have got to improve execution, we have got to turn our services business, we have got to manage down our IPG channel (imaging and printing group) inventory. HP plans to boost its research and development spending next year, following a 10 per cent rise in the groups budget last fiscal year. aGenCIes
MF Global units bite the dust, us shortfall doubles

HONG KONG Liquidators for MF Global Holdings businesses in Hong Kong and Australia said yesterday they were unable to sell the units as going concerns, as trouble mounted at the failed brokerages parent company in New York, where it was revealed that the shortfall of customer funds may be twice the amount initially estimated by regulators. Mr Patrick Cowley, a principal at KPMG China who is handling the affairs of the Hong Kong unit, said: Our priority is now to resolve the various operational, legal and regulatory issues standing between clients and their margin funds, with a view to returning some portions of these funds at the earliest opportunity. Down Under, administrators said the Australian unit had received no offers and would be closed over the course of the coming months. Joint administrator Chris Campbell from Deloitte said the Australian Securities Exchange advised that after closing out client positions, the balance of client funds at MF Global was about A$34 million (S$43.6 million). In New York, the trustee liquidating MF Global Holdings said on Monday that the deficit of commodity customer funds may be around US$1.2 billion (S$1.6 billion), or double the US$600 million initially estimated. The news was a blow to customers still hoping to get more of their cash out of frozen broker accounts and raised new questions about why the authorities managed to locate only about 60 per cent of the segregated customer funds three weeks after the parent firms Oct 31 bankruptcy. Im flabbergasted, said retired Chicago Board of Trade member Tom Ward, whose two sons cleared their futures trades through MF Global and have been blocked from accessing their money. The bottom line is that theres going to be a haircut involved. Its devastating what this has done to the industry. Mondays announcement was trustee James Giddens first public statement on the size of the shortfall, which regulators initially said was about US$600 million. Regulators are investigating what happened to the money and whether MF Global may have improperly mixed customer money with its own a major violation of industry rules. No charges have been filed yet. aGenCIes
51
Impact
aligning media, message and medium
Universal mcCanns global Ceo shares her views on forging the unique relationship between agencies and media owners, and why singapore is an ideal test bed for mobile engagement
eLIsabetH Lee
55
couldnt get a copy of today on sunday?

todayonline.com/sunday
SINGAPORE It is all a question of accountability, says Universal McCanns (UM) Jacki Kelley. Agencies and media owners must be willing to measure more and embrace the idea that we should be compensated based on performance. Most importantly, everything we do must be aligned against the business outcomes that matter for clients sales and share, said the international media agencys global chief executive officer. Ms Kelley, who is in her 40s, was recently in Singapore as a panellist at the inaugural Festival of Media Asia. We are big supporters of C Squared and the festival, and are thrilled to be a part of their expansion into Asia, she said. C Squared, the UK-based publishing and events company, is the founder of the Festival of Media. Appointed global CEO of UM in January, Ms Kelley is redefining the relationship the agency forges with media owners and driving home the importance of aligning the media, message and medium. She added: At UM, we have been concentrating a lot on the enormous benefits to our clients when media owners and agencies align efforts more closely and together begin to guarantee results. Technological advances are certainly driving this revolution. Sophisticated technology and advanced analytics will also help inspire media creativity and innovation because knowing which portions of our investments are working and being fully aligned with our partners and held accountable for pre-specified goals gives us the freedom to take bigger risks, explained Ms Kelley. Technology gives us respondent-level signals from consumers about what they pay attention to and find valuable. This allows us to make better marketing investment decisions and gain insights around customer behaviour and attitudes. But technology does more than improve analytics. We can then use technology to create the right set of user experiences that will convince shoppers to turn into customers and customers into brand advocates, she added.
Technology gives us respondent-level signals from consumers about what they pay attention to and find valuable. This allows us to make better marketing investment decisions and gain insights around customer behaviour and attitudes.
Um global Ceo Jacki Kelley (picture)
John Jenkinson plays the messenger in ads for Progressive Insurance.
ad character engages customers face to face

NEW YORK A character introduced by an insurance company is leaving the studio for the real world. He is a nameless nomad known only as the Messenger and has been appearing in ads for Progressive Insurance since last December. The character, played by an actor named John Jenkinson, is intended to complement another Progressive brand character, a sales clerk named Flo, who has been featured in campaigns since 2008. Since the Messenger was introduced, he has been featured in commercials with settings that are, well, sets, including a diner, a clothing store and a mattress store. Now, though, the Messenger is turning up in the real world and is interacting with real people. And rather than chit-chatting about saving money by buying insurance from Progressive, the character performs random acts of savings and works in a pitch for Progressive. Among the ways the character is saving it forward, to quote the ads, are that he pays for petrol for customers at service stations, baggage fees for passengers at airports and tolls for drivers at toll booths. The initial batch of new commercials was filmed in locations like California, Florida and Ohio. The Messenger is shown driving from place to place in a vintage Pontiac GTO that matches his vaguely 70s clothing and moustache. The new spots also deliberately have lower production values than the commercials in which the Messenger was working with other actors. The goal of the new ads is to be less of a campaign and more of a movement, said Mr Jeff Charney, chief marketing officer at the Progressive Corporation in Mayfield Village, Ohio. The new ads are taking a deeper look at savings than insurance companies have in the past, Mr Charney said, by featuring pain points that confront consumers in the real world. The idea for the change in the Messenger campaign came after Jenkinson was observed talking with actual consumers. Or, as Mr Charney put it: We found with this guy that when you put him face to face with people, hes good. The new batch of commercials is being created by an internal team, Mr Charney said, and Progressives agency, Arnold Worldwide, part of the Havas Worldwide unit of Havas. The difference between the Messenger and Flo, who is played by Stephanie Courtney, is that he is talking to people who are not considering buying policies or changing insurers; she, as evidenced by her job as a sales clerk in an insurance superstore, is talking to consumers who are already in the market for insurance. Other pain points that the Messenger may address in subsequent ads, Mr Charney said, include the cost of food and beverage items in hotel minibars, ATM fees and perhaps even the wait for a repairer after making an appointment with a cable company. During production of the new commercials, consumers have been offering suggestions to the character, Mr Charney said, and as time goes on, he will go address those situations. The commercials are being shown on television and can also be watched on progressive.com.
tHe neW yorK tImes
enGaGInG asIa Singapore is a particularly great place to test drive new technology and build brands, given its sophisticated consumer base and high smartphone penetration rate. According to a survey in June by The Nielsen Company, Singapore has the highest smartphone use in South-east Asia, and almost half of those surveyed said they already own a smartphone. Thirty-nine per cent of online consumers also plan on buying a smartphone within the next year. Singapores high smartphone usage allows advertisers to use it as a test bed for mobile engagement, said Ms Kelley. Most marketers are reluctant to leverage mobile in this market since the fragmentation in the media landscape is far less than others due to its size. However, the sophistication of its consumer base is high. Singapores usage of smartphones today will, in a way, be replicated in other South-east Asian countries over the next couple of years. With a large iPhone and Android base, this provides fertile ground for marketers to experiment with apps and location-based services. Marketers should soon be able to link their marketing activity with retail through mobile platforms, she said.
Digital
Whats separating you and anyone else? less than 5 mutual friends
NEW YORK The world is even smaller than you thought. Adding a new chapter to the research that cemented the phrase six degrees of separation into the language, scientists at Facebook and the University of Milan reported on Monday that the average number of acquaintances separating any two people in the world was not six but 4.74. The original six degrees finding, published in 1967 by the psychologist Stanley Milgram, was drawn from 296 volunteers who were asked to send a message by postcard, through friends and then friends of friends, to a specific person in a Boston suburb. The new research used a slightly bigger cohort: 721 million Facebook users, more than one-tenth of the worlds population. The findings were posted on Facebooks site on Monday night. The experiment took one month with the researchers using a set of algorithms developed at the University of Milan to calculate the average distance between any two people by computing a vast number of sample paths among Facebook users. They found that the average number of links from one arbitrarily selected person to another was 4.74. In the United States, where more than half of people over 13 are on Facebook, it was just 4.37. When considering even the most distant Facebook user in the Siberian tundra or the Peruvian rain forest, the company wrote on its blog, a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend. The caveat there is Facebook user like the Milgram study, the cohort was a self-selected group, in this case people with online access who use a particular website. Though the study was by far the largest of its kind, it raised questions about definitions of terms like friend on Facebook. A Microsoft study in 2008, using a more conservative definition of friend, found an average chain of 6.6 people in a group of 240 million who exchanged chat messages. Mr Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft researcher who led the study in 2008, said that a network was based on people who exchanged messages, rather than those who identified as buddies. There is an issue of how many friends you actually have, he said. But, he said, the Internet might have altered the definition.My own notion of what a friend is has evolved, he said. Mr Jon Kleinberg, a computer science professor at Cornell and a faculty adviser to an author of the new study, said some links might be more meaningful than others. He offered the example of a man wanted for a crime. A random Facebook user might discover that she took a class with someone who rented an apartment from someone who grew up with the suspect. They may all be connected as Facebook friends. We are close, in a sense, to people who dont necessarily like us, sympathise with us or have anything in common with us, Dr Kleinberg said. Its the weak ties that make the world small. Still, he noted that such ties were hardly meaningless. We should ask what things spread well on weak ties, he said. News spreads well on weak ties. Those people I met on vacation, if they send me some cool news, I might send that to my friends. If they send me something about a protest movement, I might not. Mr Matthew O Jackson, an economist at Stanford who studies social networks, raised questions about the bias built into a study based on random samples. He said the study confirmed Facebooks success in being where millions of people communicate. Its more evidence that theyve been enormously successful at connecting a large number of people very well, he said. The research underscores the growing power of the emerging science of social networks, in which scientists study the ways people interact by crunching gigantic sets of Internet data. These social network tools provide individuals with tremendous reach, said Dr Horvitz. People can share ideas with only a few jumps to a large portion of the worlds population and with even fewer steps to the entire population of a nation. In addition to social scientists, a new generation of Internet commerce is using social network research to market products, and Pentagon sleuths are using similar techniques to identify networks of insurgents. The six degrees concept dates to a 1929 short story, Chains, in which Frigyes Karinthy, the Hungarian author, suggested that no one is more than a string of six friends away from any other person. After Milgram published his famous paper The Small World Problem in 1967, the playwright John Guare made Six Degrees of Separation, the title of a 1990 play that explored Milgrams premise. And that gave rise to the parlour game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, in which disparate Hollywood personalities are linked to one another. The Facebook paper, titled Four Degrees of Separation, notes that Milgram posed both an optimistic interpretation of his findings and a pessimistic one. On one hand, it is a startling notion that reaching someone on the other side of the world takes only a small group of social connections. On the other hand, Milgram said, the result could also be evidence of psychological distance: That we were actually, on average, five worlds apart. From this gloomier perspective, the new paper says, it is reassuring to see that our findings show that people are in fact only four worlds apart, and not five.
the neW yorK tImes
53
When considering even the most distant Facebook user in the Siberian tundra ... a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend.
scientists from the University of milan and Facebook
Kindle Fire 2 and iPad 3 to go head-to-head next year: Reports

LONDON Amazon and Apple are preparing new versions of the Kindle Fire and iPad tablets for a showdown in the first half of next year, according to the technology rumour mill. The updated Kindle Fire is said to have an 8.9-inch touch screen, compared to the current versions 7-inch display. News site The Register, citing Taipei-based Citigroups Investment Researchs hardware research analyst Kevin Chang, said TMS a division of Hon Hai, Foxconns parent company was manufacturing the 8.9-inch Amazon tablet. According to the Taiwanese technology blog Digitimes, the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn will begin production of the new Kindle Fire in the first quarter of next year, in time for launch in the second quarter. Apples third-generation iPad will reportedly debut around the same time. Citing our most reliable source, Apple news site iLounges editor-in-chief Jeremy Horowitz said that the tablet will get the extra girth thanks to twin light-bars necessary to support a higher-resolution display thought to be the retina screen which made its debut on the iPhone 4. The report said that
the tablet is scheduled for a March release the usual for Apple up to this point though it speculated that it could be publicly shown as early as January. According to IT news site Techradar, the iPad 3 will have a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel display, which will require another LED lightbar to sustain the displays bright colours. Digitimes which has had a spotty record on Apple speculation reinforced that belief with a report earlier this month that Apple was considering the extra bar. The Digitimes report added that LED bars addressed concerns about heat and battery consumption. It would set up an intriguing head-to-head clash next spring between Amazon and Apple; the iPad has so far dominated the tablet computing market. The Android-based Kindle Fire, introduced in the United States this month, is widely seen as the most credible challenger yet. It costs half the price of an iPad 2, but has received mixed reviews saying that it lacks polish. A quick update with improved specifications could mark the start of the real contest with Apple. The iPad 3 is expected to keep the technological pressure up on
Critics say that the Kindle Fire still needs improvements if it is to challenge the iPad. bloomberG
rivals with an upgraded processor for increasingly demanding tablet apps. The Apple A6 is thought to be based on the British firm ARMs new four-core architecture. The iPad 2s A5 processor has only two cores. Rounding off the rumours, iLounge reported the next iPhone may have a bigger 4-inch display and be 8mm longer. It will not have the rumoured tear-drop design and is still in very early stages of development. The iLounge report rounded off its speculation by saying Apples MacBook Pro will also get a design refresh, with the tagline think thinner. aGenCIes
SportS
Fireworks light up the night sky as the SEa Games came to an end last night, closing the 26th chapter to the biennial event that was marred by controversy. PHoToS bY ooi boon KEonG
The Singapore contingent at the SEa Games closing ceremony.
Glittering end to troubled Games

as curtain falls, organising chief admits indonesia could have done a better job handling SEas biggest sporting event
Tan Yo-Hinn
yohinn@mediacorp.com.sg
Traditional dances and performances by the indonesian hosts.
PALEMBANG Two Indonesian fans were killed in the stampede at Jakartas 88,000-capacity Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on the penultimate day of the 26th SEA Games. The tragedy struck before the mens under23 football final between Indonesia and arch-rivals Malaysia on Monday, as a ticketing booth was also set ablaze by fans without tickets. Those were the last in a string of issues and incidents that had plagued the Nov 11-22 Games, which was jointly-hosted by Palembang and the Indonesian capital. Speaking before the closing ceremony here last night, Indonesia SEA Games Organising Committee president Rita Subowo told Today that they could have done better. Weve worked very hard to deliver these Games in a good way, but have had difficulties. But we still started on time...A lot of things have happened, and as organisers, we wished we had more time to deliver the Games, she said. Were happy the Games are done, but were not satisfied that so many things happened. When asked how she rated her countrys staging of the biennial
event, Subowo would only say: Were the organisers, not politicians. Our duty is to deliver the Games on time. She also expressed her sadness at the deaths of the two Indonesian fans (see story on page 57), while Indonesias Vice-President Boediono conveyed his condolences when he officiated the closing ceremony at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in the Jakabaring Sports City. But despite the troubled backdrop, last nights final event to bring the curtain down on the Games was a spectacle for the 40,000 spectators, who paid between Rp250,000 (S$36) and Rp1.5 million to watch the show that culminated in the events theme song Kita Bisa. Some 3,000 security personnel, including 2,000 from the military and 700 police officers had been deployed to it to ensure it was trouble-free. It brought to an end a controversial Games, which attracted widespread criticism for its high-profile corruption scandal, and issues over accommodation, transport, food and security problems, as well as inadequate media facilities. Last week, Myanmars chef-demission Naw Tawng told Today these issues will not happen when Myan-
mar are hosts in 2013. In reply, Subowo, who handed the SEA Games flag to Myanmar Sports Minister Tin Sann, reiterated the organisers duty is to deliver the Games on time. Of course, were not satisfied with what weve done because at the beginning we planned it well, but a lot of things have since happened, she added. More than 6,000 athletes from 11 ASEAN nations participated at the Games, which featured 42 sports and 545 events. Indonesia topped the 11-nation medal standings with 182 gold, 151 silver and 143 bronze medals, with Thailand second (109-100-120) and Vietnam third (96-92-100). Singapore was fifth (42-45-73). It was Indonesias best showing since the 1997 Jakarta Games, where they won a record 194 golds, and now aim for a top-20 finish at the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. A total of 25 Indonesian athletes have qualified for the 2012 London Games, and Subowo said: It will strengthen unity and prepare our athletes for the Asian and Olympic Games. Its also the reason why we organised the SEA Games. The flame for South-east Asia is there, and we hope future organisers will keep the flame alive.
bEST momEnTS oF THE 2011 SEa GamES

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26th SEA GAMES INDONESIA 2011
This medal machine faces one final peak

Tao Li, the SEA Games most successful athlete, will resume training today with London 2012 on her mind
TAn Yo-Hinn
yohinn@mediacorp.com.sg
PALEMBANG Over the last year or so, she has constantly brought up the subject of the 2012 Olympic Games, and her grand ambition to make history in London. Singapore has never won a medal in the pool at the Olympics, and Tao Li wants to change that next year. All along, she has chosen to express her desire to succeed even against great odds. She has pointed to previous examples of how she has consistently come through, when written off. But here, basking in the afterglow of seven gold medals and one bronze, the most successful athlete of the 26th SEA Games dropped her guard somewhat and said she faces an uphill task in making history next year. Tao Li clocked 58.84sec to win the 100m butterfly gold here. It is way off her personal best of 57.54sec, which she clocked at the 2008 Beijing Games, when she became the first Singaporean to qualify for an Olympic final, finishing fifth in the event. Speaking to Today just before the Singapore swim team flew home, she admitted: Im not that happy with my time. I can do better in the 100m fly. Ive trained much harder than Ive used to ... time is definitely against me. The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London from July 27 to Aug 12. There are eight months to go and Tao Lis coach Ian Turner is under no illusions. A low or sub-57sec will be what con-
With her, the closer a major event comes, the more serious she gets. Shes not frightened of hard work. But whether we will get her back to being a medal contender, only time will tell.
Tao Lis coach ian Turner
her previous mark of 1:02.72. Unlike in previous years, Tao Li, a member of Singapores elite Olympic Pathway Programme, will not be heading for her annual holidays in her birthplace of Wuhan, China next month. Instead, after a three-day break, she will resume training today with Turner at the Singapore Swimming Club. She will compete at the New South Wales State and Open Championships in February and the British Olympic trials in London in March. While in Britain, she will visit the 17,500-capacity London Aquatics Centre, venue of the swimming programme for the Olympics. Already feeling the excitement, Tao Li knows what she has to do. At this SEA Games, I could swim one race after the next, and this is only after six weeks with Ian. My endurance is also getting a lot better ... Its all about a mind-set change, she said.
PHoTo bY TAn Yo-Hinn
tenders in the 100m fly will be clocking, and Turner said: Tao Lis 50m and 100m fly still needs considerable back-end speed, but Im sure we can put that right over the next five months. With her, the closer a major event comes, the more serious she gets. Shes not frightened of hard work. But whether we will get her back to being a medal contender, only time will tell. In an Olympic final, anything can happen, she has to move forward significantly ... But she realises that and knows what she has to do. The swimmer has shed a few kilos off her 1.60m, 57kg frame since Turner succeeded Barry Prime as her coach in September.
They have come up with a plan and if all comes together, she is optimistic she can crack her personal best by the middle of next year. Im confident that his training programme is very suitable for me ... I still believe my (preparations) are on track, if not I would have lost confidence because I will be resuming training (this week), she said. The two-time Asian Games 50m fly champion plundered in the pool here, collecting golds in the 100m backstroke, 50m and 200m fly, the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x100m medley relays, as well as a bronze in the 200m backstroke. She also set a national record of 1min 02.11sec in the 100m backstroke, eclipsing
INASOC chief Subowo saddened by deaths of two football fans

PALEMBANG After enduring a controversy-riddled SEA Games, the last thing Indonesia SEA Games Organising Committee (INASOC) president Rita Subowo wanted was the tragic scene before Monday nights mens Under-23 football final between the hosts and arch-rivals Malaysia. A stampede ensued when at least 20,000 fans without tickets tried to enter the 88,000-seater Gelora Bung Karno Stadium before the final, resulting in the deaths of two Indonesian fans. Speaking to Today before the Games closing ceremony at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium last night, Subowo said: We are very saddened by it. In spite of our happiness and joy so close to the end of the SEA Games, this hurts us. We have to make sure this does not happen again in the future. We feel very sorry about that. A ticketing booth was also set on fire by irate fans unable to get tickets for the final, which Malaysia won 4-3 on penalties to defend the gold medal they won at the 2009 Laos Games. The incident is the latest controversy to hit the SEA Games, jointly hosted in Palembang and Jakarta for the past fortnight. There was a corruption scandal before the Games kicked off, and issues over transportation, accommodation, food and security cropped up during the competition period in both cities. According to reports of the incident on Monday, the two casualties, wearing red and white Indonesian jerseys, were rushed to hospital around 90 minutes after the stampede erupted at about 7pm, leading to a human crush as fans pushed forward. Many other spectators were also affected, including a nine-year old boy who fell into a coma as a result of the stampede. Tensions before the match were already high, given the two nations long and bitter political, economic and sporting rivalry.
In spite of our happiness and joy so close to the end of the SEA Games, this hurts us. We have to make sure this does not happen again in the future. We feel very sorry about that.
inASoC president Rita Subowo
Subowo felt one of the problems was that the 49-year-old Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, formerly known as the Senayan Stadium, was not adequately equipped to deal with issues like over-crowding, even though its original capacity of 100,000 was reduced to the current 88,000 for the 2007 Asian Cup. Gelora Bung Karno is a very old stadium, we need to have a new one, she said.
TAn Yo-Hinn
indonesian police evacuating an unconscious man from the crowd at the SEA Games football final on Monday. AP
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Canon is a proud member of the Singapore National Olympic Council Official Partnership Programme, dedicated to supporting sports in Singapore. As part of our ongoing commitment, we are delighted to present these inspiring moments from the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia brilliantly captured by the winners of the Canon Photomarathon Singapore.
Lim Heem Wei on the balance beam, practising for the individual all-around event. Fu mingtian retrieving a drop shot.
Gary GoH
tan benG KWanG

It professional, photography enthusiast
A once in a lifetime experience and a great honour thats how Id describe my stint at the SEA Games. No doubt, the pressure was intense but Ive also learnt a lot. Sports photography is a real challenge. Everything happens in the blink of an eye so I only had a shooting window of a few minutes for each event. What I did was observe the professional photojournalists where they positioned themselves, how they approached each shot and from there, I started to plan and execute my own shots. My favourite photograph is of Singapore shuttler Fu Mingtian at the womens singles semi-final. Her determination and fighting spirit were unbelievable. Being able to get so close to the action is something Ill never forget. I am proud to have been a part of the SEA Games and its something I look forward to sharing with my friends and family.
student, part-time photojournalist

Covering the SEA Games was definitely a challenge, but one that I was more than happy to take on. The opportunity to get so close to the athletes, to experience the adrenaline rush, especially when Singapore won gold, was something I couldnt refuse. When capturing the action, I wanted every shot to be unique. I explored different angles, different vantage points, and made sure I was familiar with all the events. That helped me anticipate when to shoot. My favourite shot has to be that of Singapore gymnast Lim Heem Weis performance on the balance beam. Another moment Ill never forget would be the Opening Ceremony. It was pouring but that didnt dampen the spirits of anyone in the stadium. The sense of pride that washed over me when the Singapore contingent marched out was truly unforgettable.
the heavy downpour did not dampen the high spirits at the opening Ceremony. Jasmine ser is a picture of concentration. Jasmine yeong-nathan aiming for a strike.
sea Games 2013 host myanmar showcasing their culture.
an ecstatic Fu mingtian after winning the womens singles final.
singapore captain Hariss Harun in combative mood.
dancers in traditional Indonesian costumes, in the opening act titled Harmony in Victory.
Lee Cheng Wei powering home in the 200m final.
tan yi Jun, emily sin and tay yu Juan showing off their medals.
ang Xuan yi pinning her opponent down before winning bronze in womens judo.
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top prize must go to the best

asian Player of the year award always leaves out best footballers; former aFC gen sec calls for rethink
SEOUL Arsenal host Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League game that could pit South Korea captain Park Chu Young against Japanese star Shinji Kagawa tonight (tomorrow morning, Singapore time), but their turnout in club footballs biggest theatre is also the cause of their disqualification from being named 2011 Asian Player of the Year. This controversy crops up every November because the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decrees that only players who attend the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are eligible to receive the continents major individual football prize. Peter Vellapan, former general secretary of the AFC, believes the rule has to change. We are the only confederation that does this. They should look at all Asian players, whether they are playing in Asia or overseas, said the Malaysian. These days, many of the top national teams call their players from different leagues. Since the rule came into effect in 2005, the continents biggest names including Park Ji Sung of Manchester United and Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow have been deprived of Asias highest football prize because of club commitments during a busy period in the European season. Park moved to Europe in 2002 and has become arguably the most successful Asian player in history. The South Korean forward has won four
We are the only confederation that does this. They should look at all Asian players, whether they are playing in Asia or overseas.
Former aFC general secretary Peter vellapan
for many to make it, then only the English Premier League-based players would have a problem. Of the six players named on the shortlist this year, only two are likely to travel to the Malaysian capital for the awards Iranian defender Hadi Aghily and Uzbekistans Server Djeparov. Another point of contention is how players make it onto the shortlist for the award, as performances for clubs in domestic leagues are not considered. Players win points, if they are named most valuable player in certain competitions. For national teams, these include World Cup and Olympic qualifiers and the Asian Cup. The only club matches that provide points are the Asian Champions League and the confederations competition for second-tier Asian nations, the AFC Cup. aP
theyve made it in europe, but will Japans shinji Kagawa (left) and south Koreas Park Chu young (right) get their dues from the asian Football Confederation one day? Getty imaGes, aP
English Premier League titles, two Dutch championships and the Club World Cup title. He is the only Asian to appear in the final of the UEFA Champions League and the first to score at three consecutive World Cups. Despite such a record, the 30-year-old has never been named Asias best player formally. Last years recipient of the prize, Sasa Ognenovski, believes the AFC should at least reconsider when it holds the ceremony
to allow more players to attend. I think the rule that players must attend does diminish the award a little, said the Australian defender, who plays for South Koreas Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. The timing of it is an issue, Ognenovski added. They should consider the boys in Europe; the ones in Asia are usually available to attend. Perhaps if it was held in December, then it would be easier
Elusive 100: Will he, wont he?

MUMBAI Sachin Tendulkar returned to his home venue for the final test against the West Indies yesterday amid the familiar pressure of expectation of hitting another century. Getting it at the Wankhede Stadium this time around would be extra special because it would be Tendulkars 100th international ton, which he has been chasing since the World Cup earlier this year. But the 38-year-old has dismissed the landmark as just another number. When I got my 90th international century, nobody said anything, Tendulkar told the Mid-Day newspaper on Saturday. Even before my 99th century, nobody said anything. So why now? I dont understand. The West Indies made the most of ideal batting conditions at Wankhede yesterday and were on course for a big first innings total at the close of the first day in the third and final test against India. Openers Kraigg Brathwaite (68) and Adrian Barath (62) gave the visitors an ideal start with a 137-run stand after captain Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to bat first on an easy-paced pitch in the hope of avoiding a 3-0 series whitewash. Kirk Edwards (65 not out) and Dar-
Marina Bay floating platform to host its first football camp

PhiliP Goh
philipgoh@mediacorp.com.sg
aP
When I got my 90th international century, nobody said anything.

Cricketer sachin tendulkar (picture)
ren Bravo (57 not out) then scripted an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 117 runs to further consolidate the West Indies position and took the team to 267 for two wickets at the close yesterday. reUters
SINGAPORE The floating platform at the Marina Bay will be turned into a football camp for about 200 young footballers from six to 16 for three days next month. Organised by the Singapore Soccer Academy (SSA) a privately owned football school the Soccer Fiesta 2011 from Dec 16 to 18 will also include under-privileged children from Beyond Social Services and those with special needs from the Singapore Disability Sports Council. This is the first time the platform is being used for a football camp and event manager R Vengadasalam said the camp aims to do more than just improve the technical skills of these budding footballers. We want the December holidays to be special for these young footballers and also do our bit for the community, said the former manager of S-League club Woodlands Wellington. If we are fortunate, this could also be the starting point for the next generation of Singapores football heroes. There are so many different things competing for a kids attention these days and we want to emphasise the value of playing football because we know that if these
young people are not having fun playing football, they will not stay in the game long enough to fulfil their potential. The site of the opening and closing ceremonies of last years inaugural Youth Olympic Games, the floating platform was built in 2007 as an alternative venue for sports and cultural events. A synthetic turf was laid two years ago to accommodate football, according to Patrick Lee, the Singapore Sports Councils senior director for sports and recreation centres. The field has since been used for several football activities including amateur competitions and recreational matches for corporate organisations. Former and current S-League players have been roped in for the SSA camp, which will be able to accommodate up to 120 players for each of the three-hour morning and afternoon sessions. Said Venga: Players such as Marko Kraljevic and Esad Sedjic have stepped forward to help with the camp, and Im sure the kids will be thrilled to meet our current internationals in Lionel Lewis and Safuwan Baharudin, whove agreed to come. For more information on the camp, visit singaporesocceracademy.com.
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Villas-Boas game of russian roulette

Clock ticking for Chelsea boss, as qualifying disaster in berlin will trigger first step out of the bridge
european Champions League group e bayer Leverkusen vs Chelsea BERLIN The pistol has been raised, the chambers loaded and all that remains is for the pull of the trigger, which may come for Andre Villas-Boas (picture) if Chelsea fail to secure victory at Bayer Leverkusen tonight (tomorrow morning, Singapore time) in their Champions League Group E game. By claiming his job at Stamford Bridge is safe despite Chelseas worst start to the Premier League season in the Roman Abramovich era, the Portuguese is playing a dangerous game of roulette with his Russian billionaire boss, who is known for his notorious impatience. The trigger-happy Abramovich, who took control of Chelsea in 2003, has shown in his eight-year tenure that he is not afraid of making ruthless calls if managers fail to meet his high expectations. He hired the relatively inexperienced Villas-Boas as his seventh manager after firing Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian coach winning the league-FA Cup double in his first campaign in charge in the 2009/2010 campaign and then finishing second in the league last season. Luiz Felipe Scolari, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, lasted barely half the 2008-09 season before he was dismissed. Jose Mourinho had previously lost a power struggle with Abramovich in 2007, even though the Portuguese coach presided over the most successful period in the clubs history in his three years in charge winning two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup. Villas-Boas may have boasted Abramovich didnt pay 15 million (S$26 million) to get me out of Porto to pay another fortune to get me out, but perhaps he shouldnt be so sure. Mourinho, Scolari and Ancelotti received sizable compensation packages following their dismissals but that hardly concerned Abramovich, one of the worlds richest men. After five months on the Bridge, the honeymoon is over for Villas-Boas and the first murmuring of discontent are already discernible in west London. Sundays lacklustre 2-1 loss to Liverpool was Chelseas third defeat in four league matches, it was also the first time since 2002 that the team had lost two straight league matches at home. Things are slightly better in the European theatre though. The Blues are top of Group E with eight points from four games, two ahead of Leverkusen. Valencia, who take on Belgiums Racing Genk on Wednesday, are third on five points. Villas-Boas said he needed to sort out their defensive vulnerability after the 5-3 thrashing by Arsenal three-and-a-half weeks ago. However, he added that the controversy surrounding skipper John Terry, facing the police and FA investigations over alleged racist remarks made to Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers last month, was not an issue. I dont think its affecting what he does on the pitch, said the Portuguese. Chelsea have not won an away match in the group stage of the Champions League since a 2-0 victory at Spartak Moscow 13 months ago and were held 1-1 at Valencia and Genk this season. Defeat in Leverkusen, coupled with a win for Valencia over Genk, would make the London clubs final match at home to the Spanish team on Dec 6 a tense affair. Chelsea are under pressure, said Leverkusen captain Michael Ballack of his former club. This is a crucial game. We have won our home games against Genk and Valencia but we will need to be in top shape, added Ballack who scored in a 2-0 Bundesliga victory at Kaiserslautern on Friday. agenCies
other fixtures valencia vs racing genK marseille vs olympiakos arsenal vs borussia dortmund Zenit st petersburg vs apoeL shakhtar donetsk vs porto bate borisov vs viktoria plzen aC milan vs barcelona
hoW muCh it WiLL Cost to fire andre viLLas-boas
getty images
Chelseas under-fire manager Andre Villas-Boas was not joking when he confidently said: the owner didnt pay 15 million (s$26.3 million) to get me out of porto to pay another fortune to get me out. According to The Sun, billionaire owner roman Abramovich will have to shell out 20 million to get the 34-year-old out of stamford Bridge. Villas-Boas was signed in June this year on a three-year contract and he is reported to be earning 150,000 per week. A contract termination now will mean the price tag on his short reign will amount to a whopping 33 million or more. the russian oligarch has been known to be quick with dispensing with managers who fall short of his high expectations, and he was reported to have spent over 69 million in compensation fees alone since 2004. the manager who received the biggest payout of 18 million was Jose Mourinho, who had 20 months left on his contract when it was cancelled. Avram Grant and Claudio ranieri were both given the axe with three years remaining on their deals and Carlo Ancelotti is still being compensated for the final year of his contract. Luiz Felipe scolari holds the record of being the fastest manager to get fired in the Abramovich era just seven months into his contract. But if Chelsea fall to Bayer Leverkusen tonight (tomorrow morning, Singapore time), Villas-Boas could very well be the next record holder.
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Gunners fancy their advancement prospects

european Champions League group f arsenal vs borussia dortmund LONDON Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund meet in a Champions League Group F match in north London tonight with both teams hoping the momentum of their recent excellent domestic form will sweep them towards the last 16 of the competition. But confidence is brewing in the English camp they will be the first one into the knockout round
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for the 12th successive season. Arsene Wengers (picture) side lead with eight points, one ahead of Olympique Marseille, while Dortmund have four and Olympiakos are in last place on three. And Wenger, who allayed fears that he may leave Arsenal at the end of the season, has rallied his side together following a disastrous start to the season and inspired them to a fifth successive Premier League win at Norwich City on Saturday to take their recent unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions. Five weeks ago we were 17th
in the league and I had to answer a question about whether I thought we would battle relegation, Wenger said yesterday. At the time I said no but in football things change quickly. We are back in a stronger position. There is a fantastic spirit in the side, and it is a great pleasure to work with the players. We have to show we can go very far. In fact, with only one other match left to play in the Champions League, a draw at the Emirates Stadium will suffice for Arsenal, should the other tie between the
French and Greeks end in similar fashion. But Dortmund must win to keep their hopes alive and they arrive in London from their sixth league win in their last seven matches, a 1-0 defeat of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich over the weekend. We are really looking forward to Wednesday, said midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz. We beat Bayern and had no real time to celebrate. But we are fit, we are young and we are hungry for success so we want to put in a super performance in London. agenCies
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Man Utd pay the price for sloppy play

red devils Champions League hopes suffer a major setback as they fail to overcome a stubborn benfica side
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MANCHESTER Benfica reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2005 when they held a sloppy Manchester United side to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford yesterday (this morning, Singapore time). The English champions paid a heavy price for defensive blunders and need at least a draw in their final Group C match at Basel to advance to the knockout stage. United got off to the worst possible start when defender Phil Jones turned Nicolas Gaitans left-foot cross into his own net in the third minute. Somewhat shell-shocked after conceding their first goal in six games, United struggled to impose themselves until Nanis cross found Dimitar Berbatovs head and the Bulgarian nodded in a 30th-minute equaliser. Darren Fletcher put the hosts ahead in the 59th minute before Benfica immediately hit back through the constantly dangerous Pablo Aimar after another United defensive mistake. It was disappointing, said United manager Alex Ferguson. We made a bad start but we got ourselves back into the game. They were bad goals to give away but these things happen in football. They played really well and we should have maybe been two or three up at halftime, but we kept on playing and made lots
United must avoid defeat in their final group game to qualify for the knockout stage. Getty ImaGes
of chances in the second half and I think its very unfortunate that we didnt win that game. United, whose defensive frailties had been exposed several times this season before a recent tightening up, made it hard for themselves when Jones, not under pressure from any Benfica players, inexplicably directed Gaitans pass past David de Gea. The 19-year-old hung his head in shame, while his team mates seemed to
have their confidence drained away as Nani and Ashley Young could only muster weak shots in reply. That changed when Berbatov, who had been barely noticeable after being selected for a rare start as Wayne Rooney was absent with a hip injury and Javier Hernandez was on the bench, met Nanis cross from the left with a powerful header. Young could have doubled the lead less than a minute later but Benfica keeper
Artur saved well and Aimars shot at the other end was parried by De Gea as the game opened up. United swung the game in their favour 13 minutes after the restart when a wonderful Patrice Evra cross found Fletcher, whose initial shot was blocked by Artur before the midfielder stabbed home the rebound. Celebrations were short-lived however, with the hapless Jones once again involved in shambolic United defending. His back pass to De Gea was poorly cleared by the Spanish keeper as the ball came to Bruno Cesar, whose cross was not dealt with by United centre back Rio Ferdinand and Aimar was on hand to smash in from close range. Berbatov had a golden chance to snatch victory in the 78th minute when he was unmarked with only the keeper to beat but he fired over the crossbar. United travel to Basel in their final group game next month, while Benfica host Otelul Galati. Benfica top the group on nine points, level with United and one point ahead of Basel. reUters
other resULts Group a bayern munich 3 villareal 1 Group b CsKa moscow 0 Lille 2, trabzonspor 1 Inter milan 1 Group C otelu Gulati 2 basel 3 Group d Lyon 0 ajax 0
NAPLES Edinson Cavani scored twice to give Napoli a 2-1 win over Manchester City moving them ahead of their big-spending opponents in Champions League Group A yesterday (this morning, Singapore time). Mario Balotelli replied for City who had lots of possession but failed to make it count. Cavani put the Serie A side ahead from a corner in the 18th minute and side-footed the winner early in the second half in front of a passionate San Paolo crowd. The win put Napoli up into second place, a point ahead of City, with one game remaining and both clubs still in the hunt for a place in the knockout phase. Lets enjoy this beautiful moment. We knew we could do it from the very first day, Cavani said. We always prepare to give our maximum and today we were at our best. Balotelli replied for City in the 33rd minute in a generally subdued performance by his standards and also had a late effort stopped by Morgan De Sanctis. Napoli looked dangerous with every attack. Marek Hamsik headed straight at Joe Hart after Ezequiel Lavezzis cross picked him out, then Lavezzi himself fired wide after a one-two with Cavani. The Uruguayan, struggling to repeat
Cavani brace leaves City on the brink of elimination rampant real crush Dinamo
to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, manchester City have to beat bayern munich in their next match and hope napoli lose to spains villareal.
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last seasons prolific scoring this term, gave Napoli the lead when he flicked on a corner and the ball deflected off two City players into the net. Almost immediately, Cavani struck the side-netting following another quick break to the right but the Napoli storm then blew itself out and City levelled. Edin Dzeko crossed, Salvatore Aronica sent a dreadful clearance straight to David Silva in the penalty area and, although his angled shot was saved by De Sanctis, Balotelli was on hand to snap up the rebound.
City appeared to be on top but it was Napoli who regained the lead four minutes after the restart. Lavezzi worked an opening for Andrea Dossena on the left and he pulled the ball back into the middle for Cavani to score. We didnt deserve to lose, but in the Champions League you cant allow your opponent certain types of chances, said City manager Roberto Mancini. Napoli is a sneaky Italian side. We had our chances and it just didnt go in.
aGenCIes
MADRID Karim Benzema and Jose Callejon scored two goals each yesterday (this morning, Singapore time) as a rampant Real Madrid won Group D by crushing Dinamo Zagreb 6-2 in the Champions League. It was never a contest at the Santiago Bernabeu as Benzema netted after just 84 seconds before Callejon and Gonzalo Higuain put the already-qualified Madrid 3-0 up inside nine minutes. Mesut Oezil scored in the 20th minute for Madrid to go into the break with a comfortable margin, which Callejon and Benzema added to in the 49th and 66th minutes respectively. Madrids 12th straight win in all competition was spoiled by the Croatians first goals of the competition which prevented Madrid from becoming the first club to finish group play without conceding. Madrid has 15 points while Ajax is second with eight points after drawing 0-0 at Lyon, which has five points. Dinamo remains in last with zero points. It was a night to enjoy, to close out the group mathematically, Callejon said. Were very happy, we just need to keep on this way. aP
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roger Federer, who is gunning for a record sixth atP World tour title, is the first player to book his place in the semi-finals following his dominating win over arch-rival and world no 2 rafael nadal. Getty ImaGes
NBA players merge lawsuits to speed up

NEW YORK New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (picture) and other professional basketball players dismissed their anti-trust lawsuit against the National Basketball Association in Oakland, California, on Monday (yesterday morning, Singapore time) to join a Minnesota case. The players attorney, David Boies, told reporters in New York that the Minnesota case may now move faster. The point is to expedite this and move it along, said Boies. The likelihood is that wed get a faster result in Minnesota than California. The players allege that the leagues lockout is an illegal group boycott that violates federal anti-trust law, according to the complaint. We assume that Mr Boies was not happy with either the reassignment of the case from Oakland to San Francisco or the fact that the new judge scheduled the first conference
Getty ImaGes
Gone in 60 minutes
roger Federer wins in straight sets to qualify for the next round of the atP World tour Finals
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LONDON Defending champion Roger Federer produced an hour of sublime quality to crush Rafa Nadal 6-3 6-0 at the ATP World Tour Finals yesterday (this morning, Singapore time) and clinch a place in the last four with a match to spare. The 17,500-capacity crowd crammed into the O2 would have expected something longer from the eagerly anticipated 26th clash of the great rivals but the 60 minutes of magic Federer served up will live long in their memories. Firing winners to all corners of the court, the Swiss 16-times grand slam champion was simply unstoppable as he recorded his most emphatic victory against the man who had beaten him in 17 of their previous encounters. This win ranks high because its against my biggest rival, probably, Federer said. It was a great match for me from start to finish. Ive felt the power of Rafa in the past, so this is a great match for me, a nice win.
World number two Nadal now faces a do-or-die clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tomorrow in his final Group B match after the dangerous Frenchman Tsonga produced fireworks of his own to beat American Mardy Fish 7-6 6-1 and stay in contention. Federers dazzling display softened the blow for the home crowd and organisers after Andy Murray withdrew from the season-ending showpiece when his superb season was cut short by a groin injury. Murray, the world number three, announced that he was pulling out after aggravating the injury during his opening Group A defeat against Spains David Ferrer on Monday. Serbias world number nine Janko Tipsarevic will take Murrays place for the remaining matches in Group A. There was something of a novelty value about that match as it was the first time the two dominant players of the last decade had met with neither at number one in the ATP rankings and the first time they had met in a round-robin match. Federer trailed 17-8 in their head to head record but had won all three previous meetings indoors, including last years final at the O2, and once again the court proved perfect for his game as winners flowed from his strings like liquid gold. There was no real hint of what
was to come as the first five games went with serve, although the pace and precision of Federers ground strokes was ominous for Nadal. Federer, who is bidding for a record sixth title at the tournament in three different cities, took charge in the sixth game when he won a sensational 33-shot rally on break point to lead 4-2 and from that moment on never looked back. He needed just 32 minutes to seal the first set and, try as he might, Nadal was powerless in the face of the onslaught as Federer swept to a victory every bit as ruthless as Nadals thrashing of the Swiss in the 2008 Roland Garros final when he offered up just four games in three sets. Weve played so many times, sometimes it just derails for you, like it derailed for Rafa today and it did for me at the French Open, Federer said. You know what good frontrunners, the top guys are. Once you start rolling, its hard to stop the player. Next thing you know, youre facing a debacle. Nadal, winner of 10 majors but never the season-ending title, can still redeem himself although Tsonga will fancy his chances after a convincing display against weary debutant Fish who can no longer reach the semis. reUters
for March 2012, said Rick Buchanan, NBA executive vicepresident and general counsel. This is consistent with Mr Boies inappropriate shopping for a forum that he can only hope will be friendlier to his baseless legal claims. NBA players dissolved their union last week, a first for the group, to allow for anti-trust lawsuits against the league after negotiations over a new labour agreement collapsed. The league was supposed to start on Nov 1 but was delayed after talks on a new deal to split money from a league that had about US$4.3 billion (S$5.6 billion) in revenue last season broke down. In a 57/43 per cent split that favoured players, owners said they lost US$300 million last season and had been seeking a redistribution of revenue under a new contract. An offer for a 50-50 split was rejected by the players union. aGenCIes
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November 23, 2011

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INTERVIEW
A FIRST lOOk AT MARTIN SCORSESES HUgO >>T5 TECH: UlTRAbOOkS ARE UlTRA SHIOk! >>T8
OUR
HOW R-PATTZ AND HIS SCRUFFY CHARM WON US OVER >>T2

Photo: AP
VAMPIRE
WITH THE
Today Wednesday november 23, 2011
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him as one of 100 Most influential People In The World; Forbes magazine said he was the 50th most powerful celebrity in the world; Vanity Fair dubbed him the most handsome man in the world. However, none of that had any impact on me until I sat down for a chat with the man himself at Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, that is. He was, of course, promoting Breaking Dawn Part 1, the first of the two-part finale to The Twillight Saga film series. Scruffy, with a baseball cap worn backwards, dirty fingernails and unkempt stubble, I wondered where the Byronic hero girls scream at and cry over was. The guy was actually wearing a ratty white T-shirt with big gaping holes! And not in a trendy way. But thats exactly when I finally got why the world was going rah-rah over R-Pattz. Hes personable, easy-going and constantly snickering, and is the polar opposite of the sullen Twilight hero. He crunches ice while listening to questions and then laughs when he realises cannot answer because hes gobbled one too many cubes. He laughs all the time and unguardedly touches my arm when hes making a point. And one can see how in love he is with Kristen Stewart (who plays Pattinsons onscreen love, Bella.) His funniest moment making Breaking Dawn is the fact that Taylor Lautner, who plays werewolf Jacob, has a relationship with a seven-year-old girl, Renesmee (the half human-half vampire daughter of Edward and Bella). I thought that was very funny! Haha! I dont think I have ever laughed so much than at the scenes of them together, he said, with a twinkle in his eye. A wickedly funny ice-cruncher with a devil-may-care attitude? I get you now, R-Pattz. How different is prepping for Edward compared to the last three times? I guess the hardest thing about the Twilight movies every single time is thinking how not to repeat yourself. Especially when youre playing the same character and especially when its so specific that your image never changes. (Edward) never sweats. He never cries. He never gets dirty. His hair never changes ... its very difficult not to look exactly the same all the time (smiles). As more movies go by, its harder and harder to think of it. But I guess this one is specifically different because, he actually changes for a second. Its a slightly different part and it actually became easier to prepare for it. I felt that it was more natural ... Was filming your last scene all tears or all whoops of joy that it was over? I remember I had to go for the international press tour for Water For Elephants the next day and we were on a night shoot. So two hours later, I had to go home and pack, and then go out again! That was my last day and that was really exciting! (Laughs) But Kristen and I did another last day, in the Caribbean when we had to do one or two additional shots part of the honeymoon stuff. Now that was amazing! That felt like a really good farewell. Because it was just me, Kristen, and the crew just spending all night on the beach. And then the sun started coming up and everybody had cocktails ... that was a really nice way to say goodbye to the series. Did you nick anything off set for remembrance? Well, as the series went on, I started getting them to order more clothes for
Scruffy charm
R-Putz, who? Twilight star Robert Pattinson breaks the ice and wins over this writer
genevieveloh@mediacorp.com.sg
GENEVIEVE LOH in Los Angeles
I DONT get the allure of Robert Pattinson. You heard me. And in possible danger of being mauled by almost every member of the female species, I admit that Ive never understood the mass hysteria surrounding good ol R-Putz, I mean, R-Pattz. Sure, that Pattinson plays Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies might have something to do with it. Truth be told, when the British actor was cast as Cullen, the 17 million-or-so fans of the Twilight books duly erupted with the kind of hatred usually reserved for animal abusers or hipsters. They all thought Pattinson was way too ugly to be Mr Perfectly Undead. Cullen, by the way, is described as the most beautiful creature who has ever been born by Twilight author Stephanie Meyer. The laughs on them, of course. Pattinson, 25, is the king of that ridiculously popular and successful film franchise the first three films have already grossed over US$1.8 billion (S$2.34 billion) worldwide. Pattinson has gone from being a Harry Potter supporting actor (remember Cedric Diggory the one who died in The Goblet Of Fire?) into one of the sought-after men on the planet. The hysteria he causes wherever he goes is often compared with Beatlemania or er, Bieber fever. Time magazine listed
the character that I liked. And so I got a bunch of jeans and stuff. (Laughs) What was it like to shoot the honeymoon scene? We shot all the exterior stuff in Brazil and in the Caribbean as well. And that was really easy and fun. We were just messing around. It was the first time that Edward and Bella could actually be a normal couple instead of just hanging out. Then we shot all the sex scenes and stuff back in Baton Rouge and it was fun but it was a strange thing. Especially when you know that so many people are anticipating what youre doing. And especially when there are only so many things you can do ... as a
human being. Hahaha! So that was kind of odd. But Bill (Condon the director) made it a nice situation. It was easy. How about your shirtless scene? Did you enjoy it? It was one of the most traumatic experiences in my life! I dont like my photo taken for one thing, so as soon as you get your shirt off and knowing that everyone is going to be saying things like, does he have a six pack ... I dont want to be judged in those terms anyway. So thats why I have tried to avoid it in all the other movies, because I dont care (what) people think. Ive avoided playing someone elses game. I dont want to play.
After spending so much time filming together, tell me a quirk about Kristen that no one else knows. Kristen is really good at the trumpet. I didnt realise no one knew that. I always thought she talked about it but I only realised yesterday she never told anyone. And she learned how to play it on the set of Breaking Dawn! Shes a natural. What about Taylor? The workout regime that he has? Its pretty crazy. He works out right up to the moment when someone says Action! Its insane. (Laughs) He would be standing >> Continued on T4
He makes girls go pale: Robert Pattinsons allure is in his sloppy, down-to-earth manner that boys next door have.
Photos: AP, summit entertainment
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movies The scruffy charm of R-Pattz

>> Continued from T3 with his trainer right till just before and his trainer would be pulling his arms apart! Literally, about 10 seconds before (his scenes). I dont understand how he has the concentration to do that. I cant even have people saying anything to me (when were shooting). Ever! At any point during the day! (Laughs) Are you coping better with the crazy Twi-mania? Yeah I guess so, you just come to accept some things. But its so utterly unnatural. Itll always be on the sidelines of my life and Ive kind of compartmentalised it. For the first couple of movies ... with people going crazy and stuff, I was very much there, and I really know
He SAId
Its so unnatural. Itll always be on the sidelines of my life and Ive compartmentalised it. Robert Pattinson, on the madness of Twi-mania
these movies, it was strange, because you really could have played anything.You could have played an old woman or something, and no one would really care because you had another Twilight movie coming out. So it just gets forgotten about! (Laughs) Whereas now, in order to stay at the level in the industry where Im at, I have to have big movies coming out, so you have to think about that a bit more. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 opens in cinemas tomorrow.
what that felt like. Its crazy! I remember then, we did a mall tour for the first movie; I had to go to bed afterwards. It was exhausting. So now I got a sort of alter ego where I can deal with huge crowds and stuff. If you go acknowledging all your insecurities and all the other problems in your life when youre dealing with whole crowds, youd go totally crazy. But how do you feel right now that its all over? I feel a little bit relieved. But at the same time, in-between
FANGTASTIC Check out the full interview with R-Pattz! Download the free Tag Reader app for your smartphone from http://gettag.mobi and scan the Tag, or visit http://blogs.todayonline.com/ratedG on your browser.
Tin Tin
STILL SHOWING The Adventures Of Tin Tin: Secret Of The Unicorn (PG) The Ides Of March (M18) You Are The Apple Of My Eye (NC16) Happy Feet Two (PG) Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler 2 (PG) Immortals (M18)
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ScENEr E StEaL
MOVIEs
HUGO: Martin Scorsese directing a family movie? Is the Oscar-winning director moving from Mean Streets to Sesame Street? Many will be surprised to know that the mans latest movie is the film adaptation of the beloved childrens book, The Invention Of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Scorseses first 3D project is both a tale of a young orphan named Hugo (Asa
Butterfield) who lives in the walls of a Paris train station, as well as the story of real-life French film-maker Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley). Melies was a magician before he started making movies around 1900, and author Selznick has said that his book was inspired in part by the film-makers 1902 film A Trip To The Moon. Scorsese has stressed how important this film is to him.
I was fascinated by the sleight-of-hand concept, he said in an interview. (Melies) saw the potential in these moving images, and these images that came up on the screen ... absolutely took me to another planet. Hugo also stars promising young actress of the moment, Chloe Moretz of Kick Ass and Let Me In fame. GENEVIEVE LOH | Opens: March 15
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entertainment
No Emmy for The Noose, but a milestone all the same
IT WAS a night to remember for the team behind The Noose. MediaCorp TV Channel 5s very own news spoof was nominated in the comedy category at the 39th Annual International Emmy Awards in New York City, but unfortunately lost out to Belgian hidden camera show Benidorm Bastards. The ceremony at the Hilton New York Hotel on Monday night kicked off with a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga, who presented the International Emmy Founders Award to Britains Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance?. British TV was the big winner of the night, taking five Emmys, including two for the BBC crime anthology Accused. Written and created by Jimmy McGovern, Accused received the Emmy for Best Drama Series, with Christopher Eccleston winning Best Actor. While The Noose didnt score an Emmy, it was a night to celebrate nonetheless. As a judge said to us, we are now part of the Emmy family. We are part of Emmy history, said actor Chua Enlai, who attended the ceremony in New York with co-star Alaric Tay. Let this be the first of many more international award ceremonies.
MOVIE REVIEW: PUSS IN BOOTS / PG, 100MIN
Shrek, who?
SHREK may be gone from the big screen, but his friend Puss In Boots finally gets his own movie feature. Puss In Boots (the movie) is sort of an origins story, telling how Puss In Boots (voiced again by Antonio Banderas) came to be, and how he goes from being the town hero of San Ricardo to being their No 1 outlaw. Along the way, he bumps into Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), who persuades him to help find Jacks beanstalk, go to the giants castle and steal the golden eggs laid by the golden goose. Thinking hell redeem his name by providing the town he left behind with the wealth of such a booty, Puss agrees. But things arent quite what they seem. Like the Shrek movies, Puss In Boots has some rather interesting characters, such as Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), a professional snatch thief/cat; the criminal duo of Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris); and even Jack of the beanstalk fame, whos now an old man in prison. The Mexican outlaw story may be a genre thats been worked to death, but thanks to the sharp script, there are hardly any dud moments. In fact, youll probably find that Puss In Boots hits you with one gambit after another, whether it is clever cinematic allusions (Rule one of Bean Club:You dont talk about Bean Club); wicked twists to the fairy-tale and nursery rhyme ethos; or just some engaging action sequences that work well with 3D (youll probably never look at goslings in the same way again). It has more gumption than footsie penguins, and the star is cuter than that Belgian reporters dog, Snowy. A fun ride for the year-end season.
CHRISTOPHER TOH
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entertainment
MOVIE REVIEW:TWIlIghT Saga: BREakINg DaWN PaRT 1 / Pg13, 117MIN
Vampires ... they suck

Edward and Bella, sitting in tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the much hullabaloo-ed supernatural love-making so passionate and dramatic that bruises are formed, furniture gets broken and half human-half vampire babies get made. welcome then, to Part One of the big finale to The Twilight Saga film series. Based on the final book in Stephenie Meyers wildly successful novels about broody teen vampires, super-buffed werewolves and that one human girl that gets them going all gaga, Breaking Dawn has shrewdly followed the footsteps of that other box-office fantasy juggernaut Harry Potter and has split its highly anticipated conclusion into two separate films. So whats there left to say about a film series that, despite a continual stream of horrendous reviews, has made billions of dollars, sparked frenzied fan mania and launched the careers of Kristen Stewart (who plays Bella the human), robert
Pattinson (Edward the vampire) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob the werewolf)? Ive never been a fan of the Twilight films. The first two (Twilight and New Moon) were yawn-worthy soap operatic melodramas that moved like a slug, the third (Eclipse) only slightly picking up the pace and the laughs. So it stands to reason that this latest instalment is the best of the lot. Its mostly because its directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon and something actually happens. There is, at least, a smidgen of Condons story-telling sensibilities. That said, Breaking Dawn still lags in the first half but picks itself up in the second. Blood spills, a violently unsettling birthing process and a vampire-werewolf square-off combine to hurtle the film towards the finish line and whet fans appetite for Part Two. Sure, there are way too many groanworthy lines and eye-rolling flimsy plot devices; but who are we kidding here? The die-hard fans are going to love, devote and adore. The haters are going to scorn, loathe and abhor. and everyone else? well, well just have to lie down till the feeling passes. gENEVIEVE lOh
ShE SaID
Breaking Dawn still lags in the first half but picks itself up in the second. Blood spills, a violently unsettling birthing process and a vampire-werewolf square-off combine to hurtle the film towards the finish line.
MOVIE REVIEW:alREaDy FaMOuS / Pg, 118MIN
Not quite experienced

TO Say that Michelle Chong is an overachieving, multi-tasking triple-threat is an understatement. The MediaCorp artiste took a seven-month sabbatical to write, produce, direct and act in her very first film, Already Famous. and she even reportedly sold her condominium to finance this labour of love. with all that on the line, did it pay off? The story about small-town Malaysian ah Kiao who moves to Singapore for a shot at TV stardom isnt the freshest on the fruit stand, but props must be given to Chong for trying hard. She surrounds herself with support, enlisting the help of Taiwanese singerhost alien Huang, who plays her pining coffee-boy love interest, as well as her gaggle of celebrity friends including
Chua Enlai, Kumar, Irene ang, Patricia Mok, Cynthia Koh and even hairstylist david Gan. But while our local lass shines when it comes to the acting, nailing the accent and naivete, she stumbles with the overall helming of the ship. and it shows in her awkward over-long pacing and obvious inexperience with scripting. The greenness of her directorial skills is most evident with the inability to make the most of her celebrity cameos, leaving them to their own devices which doesnt necessarily work all the time. That said, for her maiden voyage, Chong survives, with just enough earnestness and effort. Lets hope for confidence and flair next time. after all, shes already famous. gENEVIEVE lOh Already Famous opens Dec 1, and sneaks start tomorrow.
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the weight Conscious toShibA portEgE Z830 Toshibas Portege Z830 weighs in at 1.12kg almost 200g lighter than its closest competitor. While 200g may not seem like much, it will start to feel like lead weights as the day draws on. The Portege also comes with a backlit keyboard for typing in dark places, and at 15.9mm thick, it is no slouch in the thickness area too. The Portege Z830 costs s$1,999, and will be launched at sITEX. Size: 316mm x 227mm x 15.9mm (thickness) weight: 1.12kg Display: 13.3-inch HD display with 1,366x768 resolution battery: up to 8.28 hours Media: sD card reader
Christmas is in the cloud

Spread the Christmas cheer with these new Ultrabooks
Alvin Chong and ryhan yazid
alvinchonggl@mediacorp.com.sg
Dial S for Sexy

Sony Ericssons Xperia Arc S may look identical to its predecessor, but it packs a lot more punch
fAns of sony Ericsson who missed out on the slim model Xperia Arc launched in April earlier this year have reason to gloat. The newly launched sony Ericsson Xperia Arc s is just as svelte as its predecessor but comes with a few upgrades that make it sexier. you wont be able to tell the Arc and the Arc s apart at first glance: They both sport the same slim, elegant shell and have the same plastic back panel which feels brittle. But power up the set and all complaints are forgiven. Powered by a faster 1.4GHz Qualcomm single-core processor, the Xperia Arc s starts up, snaps photos and consumes media at the speed well, as the press release says of delight. Watching movies or video clips on its large 4.2-inch display is a joy because of the smartphones Bravia Engine; yes, the same Bravia Engine that makes sony televisions almost addictive. Photographers will be impressed with the Xperia Arc s 8.1-megapixel camera, packed with functions such as 16x smart Zoom, Aperture f2.4, face Detection, scene Detection, smile Detection, face Recognition,Video Light and more. The added 3D sweep Panorama feature the first Xperia set to add this detail lets you view your photographs, sweeping panoramas at that, in 3D when
If you are wondering where laptops are heading to, we think it is going into thin air or the cloud. The proof is irrefutable: Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are built for the cloud as it enables them to be tiny and light. And, from what
we have seen, notebooks are getting thinner and shedding some of their onceobligatory bulk like DVD drives to be even slimmer and lighter. These new-generation ultraportables, known as ultrabooks, consume content off sD cards and, of course, the cloud. Chipmaker Intel has provided manufacturers with ultrabook specifications so they can roll out an entire range of thin, light and beautiful portables, and according to PC World, ultrabooks are defined as laptops that have Intel Core processors, a thickness of not more than 21mm and a long battery life (of at least 7 hours). Their displays should range between 11- and 13-inch, they should weigh under 1.4kg and, thanks to solid state drives, should spring to life from sleep mode. While Apples MacBook Air technically qualifies as an ultrabook, it has been excluded from the club simply because ultrabook is a marketing term that Intel trademarked a sign of the laptops comeback attempt in a world filled with tablets and smartphones. In short, ultrabooks are designed to be inexpensive, high-performance, svelte laptops. With Christmas a little more than a month away, we have picked three new ultrabooks that will set that size- and weight-conscious, head-in-the-cloud road warriors heart aflutter.
the Specs Junkie ASUS ZEnbook UX31E-i5 It may not be the slimmest nor the lightest, but the stylish Asus Zenbook uX31 comes with the extra bells and whistles for the spec-junkie. It weighs 1.31kg and is a comparatively chunky 17mm thick, but the Zenbook uX31s 13.1-inch monitor boasts the highest screen resolution of 1600x900. Movie buffs will be happy with the added pixels and even more impressed with its built-in Bang & olufsen ICEpower speakers. However, the 0.3-megapixel webcam is quite a disappointment in todays increasing need for face time, and media can only be accessed via the mini-HDMI port. Like the Lenovo u300s, the Zenbook uX31 does not have a LAn connector. The Zenbook uX31 is available for s$1,498 at all leading IT stores. Size: 297mm x 196mm x 17mm (thickness) weight: 1.31kg Display: 13.1-inch HD display with 1,600x900 resolution battery: up to 7 hours Media: sD card reader
the Size Conscious lEnovo U300S UltrAbook If your bag is packed to the brim, every remaining real estate counts, which makes the Lenovo u300s a life (and space) saver. At only 14.9mm thick, the u300s is a whole millimetre thinner than its closest competitor. sadly, Lenovo has left out any sD card readers from the u300s as well as a wired LAn port for more stable connections. The u300s retails for s$1,899 and is available at all Lenovo authorised shops. Size: 324mm x 216mm x 14.9mm (thickness) weight: 1.32kg Display:13.3-inch HD display with 1,366x768 resolution battery: up to 8 hours Media: no sD card reader
plugged via HDMI into a 3D TV. Getting dark? sonys Exmor R for mobile CMos sensor lets you shoot in poor light conditions with great results. But what good are photos if you cant put them on your social feeds, right? The Xperia Arc s connects conveniently on facebook and other social tools via the Timescape app.your friends will know what youre up to as soon as you do. Running on the Android platform, users will have access to thousands of apps for free on the Android marketplace. for chronic text messagers, the Xperia Arc s offers a gesture-based typing method
that lets you tap on the first key and swipe to the next without lifting your finger. Messages are typed out at up to speeds of 40 words a minute.your mates will never have to wait to read what youre thinking. However, we think you should think about what youre sending before you let fly a missive you will live to regret. The sony Ericsson Xperia Arc s is now available in singapore in the colours Pure White, Midnight Blue and sakura Pink at a recommended retail price of s$788 without contract. hirAnAnD SUnny
SEE whAt thE fUSS iS All AboUt Download the free Tag Reader app for your smartphone from http://gettag.mobi and scan the Tag, or you can visit www.todayonline.com/ techanddigital on your Web browser.
MiSS rESErviSt trAining? gEt thE fUll EXpEriEnCE MinUS thE lACk of SlEEp, SwEAt AnD blooD with thiS rEAliStiC gAME. oUt nEXt yEAr. Download the free Tag Reader app for your smartphone from http://gettag.mobi and scan the Tag on the left, or you can visit www.blogs.todayonline/techtalk on your Web browser.
Ultrabooks are designed to be inexpensive, high-performance, svelte laptops.
T10
things to do
Wonder: Art in Our Dreams A simple thought can spark the beginning of learning. It is this awe and curiosity that triggered the start of the artworks presented by the young artists of The Little Arts Academy in their first group exhibition. Wonder: Art in our Dreams exhibits the array of possibilities that can be fulfilled and signifies the beginning of their journey as young artists.
Until Dec 2, 10am to 8pm, Gallery, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane. Free admission.
Batik Painting Class Learn how to execute this traditional technique for fabric design which originated in Java.
The eight-lesson course will introduce participants to the history of batik, its relation to our Asian heritage and its traditional methods. Participants will also be guided on the proper use of tools like the tjanting and managing the dyeing process. If it all sounds difficult, dont worry, no prerequisite skills are required to join this class.
Every Wednesday, 7pm to 9.30pm, Kamals Artshop Block E #03-31, Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Road. Registration fee of S$300 for eight sessions. For enquiries, call 6297 8313.
Fair to bring home some of your favourite Dora merchandise.

Until Dec 4, 1pm and 7pm, Tuesdays to Fridays with additional 1pm performances on weekends, Level 3, Raffles City Shopping Mall. Free admission.
Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2011 Finalists Exhibition Curators Tour The Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize is an award to recognise artists whose works represent a significant development in contemporary visual art in the Asia-Pacific region. Join SAM senior curator Joyce Toh as she takes you on a tour to view the artwork of this years 15 finalists.
Today, 7.30pm, Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Brasah Road. Tickets at S$11 from Sistic. www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
UPCOMING Contact 2011 A Week of Dance Initiated by THE Dance Company and now in its second year, Contact hopes to engage audiences at a deeper level so that they can experience contemporary dance firsthand instead of just viewing it. Dont miss an exciting line-up of performances by groups like Frontier Danceland, Singapore Dance Theatre, workshops and technique classes which will be conducted over a span of 10 days.
Nov 25 to Dec 4, various timings, Goodman Arts Centre and Esplanade Theatre Studio. Tickets ranging from S$10 for performances to S$180 for workshops. For more information, visit www.the-contact.org.
John Little Christmas Fair With Christmas just around the corner, its time to go on a gift-buying spree. Pick up some gifts for your loved ones, friends and colleagues at John Littles Christmas Fair. There is also a wide selection of Christmas novelties and decorations to add a little Christmas cheer to your home.
Until Jan 2, 2012, Central Atrium, Marina Square Shopping Mall. Free admission. www.marinasquare.com.sg
Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day Live Show Especially for the little fans of Dora the Explorer, celebrate Three Kings Day with Dora, Boots and her cousin, Diego in their very first live show together. Get ready to welcome Christmas with the trio and discover a world of animals, treats and extraordinary fun. Dont forget to go to Doras Corner at the Robinsons Toy
oktos WHOA! Event Always wanted to be a superhero? Dont miss the chance to challenge yourself in the exciting obstacle course at oktos WHOA! event and see if you can jump, run, climb and crawl your way to defeating the villains. Whats more, be the first to catch the members of the all-new Mat Yoyo cast this Friday at 1pm and 4pm only at oktos WHOA! Present your copy of Today and get 15 per cent off tickets at all Sistic outlets.
Nov 25 to 27, 11.30am to 8.30pm, The Max Pavilion at Singapore Expo. Tickets at S$10 each or pay S$30 for four tickets from Sistic. www.xinmsn.com/oktowhoa
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The rules are easy. Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
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T11
t 12 on mediacorp
10.00 The X Factor (Encore) MN 24 VIII (Season Premiere; PG-Violence) 1.00AM CSI IX 2.00 The Noose 2.30 Project Runway V (Finale Part 1) 3.30 Chase 4.00 The Dr Oz Show 5.00 The Martha Stewart Show VI
on mediacorp tHe X factor (encore)

Channel 5, 10pm
6.00AM Films & Stars Asia 6.30 AM Live! 9.00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show IX 10.00 The Dr Oz Show 11.00 Americas Funniest Home Videos XX 11.30 Great Ideas From JML 1 2.30PM Parental Guidance 1.00 First Touch 2.00 The Two Of Us 3.00 The Dr Oz Show
CHANNEL
4.00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show IX 5.00 Video Zonkers 5.30 Unbeatable Banzuke 6.00 Just For Laughs Gags IX 6.15 Americas Funniest Home Videos XXI 6.45 Dont Forget The Lyrics IV (Season Finale) 7.45 Amazing Magic With Lu Chen Special II 9.30 News 5 Tonight
tHe tHresHold of a persona

Channel U, 10pm
CHANNEL
6.00AM 6.30 7.00 10.00 NOON 1 2.30PM 1.00 1.30 2.00 Frontline Get It Right (Last Episode) Good Morning Singapore The Unforgettable Memory Gracious Planet Timeless Treats (Last Episode) News 8 At One Celebrations! Stranded 2.30 3.30 4.30 5.30 6.30 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00 My Teacher, My Friend Just In Singapore Pay It Forward Mrs P.I. Singapore Today Kampong Ties (PG) Your Best Bet A Song To Remember News Tonight 10.30 Healthy Dining 11.00 Golden Ferris Wheel (PG) MN On The Fringe 11 (PG-Juvenile Delinquency) 1.00AM Wonderful World VI 2.00 Hero Of The Times (Last Episode) 4.00 Golden Ferris Wheel
An upset Kelvin blames his father, Mai Qi Ming, for sending immigration officers to arrest the three top models who were engaged from China to perform at the opening of his public relations company.
The Top 9 finalists sing their hearts out for the viewers and judges LA Reid, Nicole, Paula and Simon. After the performances, America votes to pick the Top 8.
marUpakkam
Vasantham, 10pm
kampong ties (pg)

Channel 8, 7pm
Yueman works at the hospital and accidentally discovers that Xiuyuan has been putting up an act all along. Yueman intends to inform Youbao but misses the chance when he is unexpectedly assaulted. Youbao guesses someone is out to seek revenge on him and steps up his guard.
1 1.00AM 3.00PM 3.30 5.00 6.00 7.00 Home Shopping World This Week Variety Big Brother 100% Entertainment D.I.E. (Last Episode) The Great Queen
CHANNEL
Seon Deok 8.00 Super King 9.00 Lets Talk 10.00 The Threshold Of A Persona 11.00 News Tonight 11.30 1 2.30AM 1.30 2.30 Super King Lets Talk 100% Entertainment Close
9.00AM Sunshine Station 9.30 Little Princess

(prescHool) (prescHool)
10.00 LazyTown (prescHool) 10.30 Little Robots (prescHool) 11.00 Sunshine Station 11.30 City Of Friends
(prescHool) (prescHool)
ON SINGTEL MIO TV
NOON The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That! 1 2.30PM 1.00 Sunshine Station
(prescHool) (prescHool) Hi-5 (prescHool)
1.30 Thomas & Friends 2.00 2.30

(prescHool) Mr Moon (prescHool) Chuggington (prescHool)
3.00 Art Factory 3.30 Kids Rock 4.00 Record Breakers Singapore Edition 4.30 Sketch 5.00 The Jungle Book 5.30 Monster Allergy 6.00 Blazing Teens 6.30 Dragon Snooker 7.00 Phineas And Ferb 7.30 Tricky TV 8.00 Youre History 8.30 Spellz 9.00 Dangerous Encounters: Shark Bite 10.00 Making It Abroad Fashion Design (Last Episode) 10.30 Celeb Portraits 11.00 A World Of Luxury MN Close
4.00PM 5.00 6.00 6.30 7.00 8.00 8.30 9.00 9.30 10.30 11.00 11.30 MN
Ku Milikmu Semanis Janji Yok Bajet! Periuk Malaysia, Belanga Brunei Na-O-Mei (Debut) Berita Makan Story Makcik Kaypop Embun Di Tengah Hari Detik 2011/2012 Budaya 360 II Berita Close
This programme aims to educate todays youth on the issues and problems that are common during this phase of their lives, as well as provide them with possible solutions to cope with those challenges. This week, perceptions of beauty will be analysed.
ON STARHUB CABLE TV
Battle for terra
HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601), 8.30pm
When the peaceful inhabitants of the beautiful planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship, the stage is set for an all-out war between the two races for control of the planet. But will an unlikely friendship between a rebellious young Terrian and an injured human pilot somehow convince their leaders that war is not the answer?
Uefa cHampions leagUe matcH day 5: ac milan vs Barcelona

mio Stadium (mio TV Ch 102), Nov 24, 3.45am (Live and Exclusive)
In their previous encounter, these two teams battled it out to an exciting 2-2 draw. AC Milan will look to use their home advantage against the defending champions. With their extensive European heritage and know-how in this competition, they may just be able to show Pep Guardiolas team a thing or two.
3.00PM 3.30 4.00 4.30 5.00 5.30
Anjaraipetti II Sathy Leelavathi Silanthi Mythilli Chinna Papa Periya Papa Sagalakala Student
6.00AM 6.30 7.00 9.00 9.38 10.00 10.33 11.00 11.33 NOON 1 2.32PM 1.02 1.32 2.00 2.33 3.00 3.32 4.00 4.33
6.00 7.00 7.30 8.00 8.30
(Super Kids) Yaar Antha Star IV Villakku Vecha Nerathilla Indian Beat Anandha Bhavan Tamil Seithi
9.00 10.00 10.30 11.00 11.30 MN
Idhayam Pesugirathu Marupakkam Nijangal II Sollamaley Tamil Seithi Close
Headlines
12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm, 6pm, 6.30pm, 8pm, 8.30pm, 9.30pm, 10.30pm, 11.30pm, 12.30am, 1am, 1.30am
Headlines/spore Updates
9.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm, 4.30pm

Headlines/spore market report
10.30am Programmes may be pre-empted due to breaking news
Asian Home News AM Live! Early Edition AM Live! Asia Today Amazing Asia World Today Mind Your Money World Today Asian Home News World Today Amazing Asia Get Rea! X Its Organic Asia Today AM Live! Bite-size Asia Today Clickability Asia Today Amazing Asia
5.00 5.32 6.02 6.32 7.00 8.02 8.32 9.00 9.31 10.00 10.31 11.00 11.31 MN 1 2.31AM 1.01 1.31 2.00
Asia Market Report Talking Point Buying Asia Geared For Growth Primetime Asia BlogTV.sg VI Super Science II Primetime News Scene.City-Singapore Singapore Tonight Asia Business Tonight Asia Tonight BlogTV.sg VI World Tonight Super Science II Singapore Tonight Asia Business Tonight Full Page Headlines
Hidden cities season 2 castle season 4

Season Pass (mio TV Ch 705), New Episode Every Wednesday, Anytime On Demand
A sniper on a killing spree is terrorising New York City. With the clock ticking down to the next murder and nothing to go on except a killer with no apparent motive but to instil terror, this could prove to be the teams toughest case yet. The hunt is made even more complicated when Beckett begins to experience increasingly strong moments of post-traumatic stress disorder moments she tries hard to hide from Castle and the detectives.
History (StarHub TV Ch 401), 9pm

In and around Asias most bustling cities lay hidden worlds filled with forgotten palaces and temples, abandoned towns and disused underground fortresses that shelter unbelievable relics and untold stories. In eight episodes and eight cities across Asia covering Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and China and with the help of local experts including writers, historians, archaeologists and scientists, Anthony Morse attempts to investigate and unearth these places, and reveal the tales they have hidden for so long.
Today is published by MediaCorp Press Ltd, Caldecott Broadcast Centre, Annex Building, Level 1, Andrew Road, Singapore 299939 Tel: 6333 3888. Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd, 57, Loyang Drive, Singapore 508968. Tel: 65432222

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MICA (P) 031/10/2011 A PublICAtIoN of

NEWS HotlINE 6822 2268

Wednesday November 23, 2011 www.todayonline.com we set you thinking

scores | anaLysIs | neWs

MiCa (P) 031/10/2011 a PubliCation of

neWS Hotline 6822 2268

Wednesday november 23, 2011 www.todayonline.com we set you thinking

liGHtninG exit for

Teachers to get new tools to teach toddlers

QualifiCationS of eduCatorS iMProvinG

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

Govt to make it crystal clear casinos cannot target domestic market

today file photo

MhA urges public not to inflame situation

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toggle: A new tV experience

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

8,800 Prs served nS in last five years

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

Getting tough on illegal cigarettes

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

middle-income earners to enjoy largest percentage cuts in taxes

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

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high-achievers likely to have autistic children?

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

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today Wednesday november 23, 2011

TOdAY WEdNESdAY NOVEmbER 23, 2011

identity and the net: From pixels to persona

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

Why protesters have returned to tahrir square

protesters at tahrir square on monday. ap

David Blair is The Daily Telegraphs chief foreign correspondent.

>> eGypts mIlItary CoUnCIl In CrIsIs talKs 37

TODAY WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2011

clarify the land transport vision

Lets not just wait for new trains

ELDERLY-uNFRiENDLY ACCESS AT SERANgOON MRT STATiON

MediaCorp Press Ltd

MediaCorp Advertising Enquiries

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

today Wednesday november 23, 2011

Not just dog poo, their indiscriminate urinating is also unacceptable

Waiting for a quiet leaf blower, but till then ...