Heineken Takeover of Tiger Beer Maker Approved

Photos of Heineken and Tiger beer. (Photo: Raj Nadajan)

Shareholders in the parent company of the Singapore-based brewer that makes Tiger Beer on Friday approved the firm’s takeover by Dutch giant Heineken.

The nearly unanimous vote at an extraordinary general meeting of Fraser and Neave (F&N), which held 40 percent of Asia-Pacific Breweries (APB), clears the way for Heineken to take full control of APB.

Heineken, which is seeking to expand its Asian sales as demand falls in western markets, already held 42 percent of APB when it made a bid.

“I declare the resolution carried,” F&N chairman Lee Hsien Yang said after 98.73 percent of shareholders voted for the deal.

A Thai faction in F&N led by beverage billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi had earlier emerged as a potential rival to Heineken but later gave its approval to the sale of APB, which also makes Indonesia’s Bintang Beer.

Heineken offered F&N Sg$5.6 billion ($4.6 billion) for its stake in the brewer.

Before Friday’s meeting in Singapore, Heineken bought an additional 8.6 percent in APB held by Thailand’s Kindest Place Groups, also linked to Charoen. AFP

‘Earlier Version’ of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Unveiled

A painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci representing Mona Lisa, is displayed during a presentation in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Sept.27, 2012. The Mona Lisa Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Zurich, presents a painting and historical, comparative and scientific evidence, which demonstrates that there have always been two portraits of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the ‘Earlier Version,’ made ten years earlier than the ‘Joconde’ that is displayed in Le Louvre in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Keystone, Yannick Bailly)

What could be an earlier version of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was unveiled in Geneva along with research hinting the piece was indeed the work of the Italian master, although some experts said the claim was unlikely.

Carefully pulling back long velvet white drapes, members of the Zurich-based Mona Lisa Foundation revealed what looks like a younger version of the world’s most famous painting to a room crammed with reporters and television cameras.

Foundation president Markus Frey said the purpose of the event was to “present all the evidence showing that the great artist Leonardo da Vinci did in fact paint two versions of the Mona Lisa portrait.”

It was time, he insisted, to “give that stunning earlier version the place in history which it deserves after such a long period in obscurity.”

The woman in the radiant, gold-framed painting — which had been locked for more than 40 years in a Swiss vault — bears a striking resemblance to the Mona Lisa, although her oval face is clearly younger, and she is flanked by two columns with an unfinished-looking landscape in the background.

This, according to the foundation, corresponds with historical descriptions of an unfinished version of the Mona Lisa that featured columns, as well as early copies and sketches of da Vinci’s famous painting by fellow Italian master Raphael, among others.

The painting, known as the “Isleworth Mona Lisa”, was long owned by Henry Pulitzer. But an international consortium bought it from the estate of Pulitzer’s late partner in 2008 for an undisclosed sum and asked the Mona Lisa Foundation to try to verify that it was the work of da Vinci.

The consortium members, presided over by art dealer David Feldman, remain anonymous, so it is unclear who would benefit from the portrait being attributed to da Vinci.

At Thursday’s presentation, Frey would not estimate how much the portrait was worth or specify plans for the painting.

But he said he did not think it would be sold into private hands, insisting it should be accessible to the public.

The foundation gathered experts in Geneva to testify to the probability that the portrait was painted but left unfinished by da Vinci about a decade before he completed its famous “sister”, now on display at the Louvre in Paris.

John Asmus, a professor at the University of California and a specialist in the digitalisation of artwork, said he was struck by “the same ideas about geometry that showed up” in both paintings.

“The ellipses in both paintings show a very complex interaction,” he said, adding he “was greatly impressed by the loveliness of the figure”.

Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Vinci, Italy, and a world-renowned expert on the artist and the Mona Lisa, was more cautious.

He nonetheless whetted the appetites of the 100 journalists present for the occasion, describing the painting as “an important work of art.”

He said the foundation’s claim that the two paintings portray Lisa del Giocondo at two different moments of her life was “a fascinating possibility”.

Joe Mullins, a forensic specialist trained at the FBI, described how he had been asked to “age regress” the original Mona Lisa to determine what she would have looked like 11 to 12 years earlier.

He described himself as a “digital plastic surgeon”, giving the painting “a digital facelift and Botox”.

Showing digital photographs of what Mona Lisa would have looked like, and then skimming away shadows and “the effects of gravity” for reporters, he said: “Everything lined up perfectly. Based on my experience… the facts and the images speak for themselves.

“This is ‘Mona Lisa’, two different images at two different times in her life.”

But several experts not at Thursday’s presentation said they suspected the Italian master had not painted an earlier version.

“The ‘Isleworth Mona Lisa’ mistranslates subtle details of the original, including the sitter’s veil, her hair, the translucent layer of her dress, the structure of the hands. The landscape is devoid of atmospheric subtlety,”

Oxford University art historian Martin Kemp said in a statement.

“The head, like all other copies, does not capture the profound elusiveness of the original,” he added.

Several other experts also voiced scepticism to AFP about the “earlier version” claim, but they refused to be cited.

Foundation representatives said Thursday the sceptics were welcome to take a closer look.

The Mona Lisa Foundation also released a 320-page book entitled “Mona Lisa — Leonardo’s Earlier Version”, presenting evidence that da Vinci painted the work. AFP

Producer of Inflammatory Anti-Islam Film Arrested, Ordered Held Without Bail

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is led out of his home by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officers in Cerritos, California, September 15.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man allegedly behind the inflammatory film “Innocence of Muslims,” was ordered held without bail Thursday after being arrested in California and accused of violating his probation.

“He engaged in a likely pattern of deception both to his probation officers and the court,” Judge Suzanne Segal said in issuing her ruling.

The preliminary bail hearing began with Segal asking the defendant — dressed in gray slacks and a white and yellow striped T-shirt, with handcuffs and chain around his waist — what his true name was.

“Mark Basseley Yousseff,” he replied.

The judge then asked again, what is your name?

“Mark Basseley,” he said this time, again without spelling the name out.

The lawyer for the suspect, who has used at least 17 false names, according to court documents, but is mostly referred to as Nakoula, then argued for $10,000 bail.

Attorney Steve Seiden said his client had always maintained contact, in person and by telephone, with probation officers who have been monitoring him since his 2010 bank fraud conviction. But the main reason

Nakoula shouldn’t be jailed, his lawyer argued, was for safety reasons, saying the anti-Islam film would make him a target of fellow inmates.

“It is a danger for him to remain in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles because there are a large number of Muslims in there,” Seiden said. “We are extremely concerned about his safety.”

Making no mention of aliases, the lawyer added that Nakoula had made no attempt to flee Southern California and never would.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Dugdale then addressed the judge, claiming the man — who he referred to as Nakoula or Bassil — had engaged in a “pattern of deception” and “a person who cannot be trusted.”

Dugdale pointed to a probation report citing eight allegations in which Nakoula had allegedly violated his probation. One of those was a requirement not to use aliases without permission from his probation officer, something the prosecutor said Nakoula did on at least three instances: during his fraud case, when he tried to get a passport in 2011, and during the making of the film. Dugdale said Nakoula had deceived the cast of the film, as well as his probation officers.

The prosecutor also noted that Nakoula was able to afford to make payments during the making of the film, saying it further raised concerns about his possibly fleeing the area while the legal case against him proceeds.

“He poses a flight risk and poses a danger to others,” Dugdale said, alluding to the probation report’s recommendation that Nakoula be sentenced to 24 months in prison.

The prosecutor added that he had received assurances from the Metropolitan Detention Center that Nakoula would be placed in protective custody if he was ordered jailed, meaning he would not have contact with other inmates.

The judge, who ordered a future identity hearing to determine the defendant’s actual name, cited the many instances in which he misrepresented his name. She also noted his “unstable” residence and work history, referring to the film project, as also among the reasons for denying him bail.

When asked if he understood the nature of the hearing, Nakoula answered, “Yes.”

The judge then waived his right to a preliminary hearing and left open a future date for a revocation hearing. Immediately following Thursday’s hearing, Nakoula was escorted away by the U.S. Marshall service in a three-car caravan and driven two blocks to the Metropolitan Detention Center.

‘Innocence of Muslims’ actress sues filmmaker, YouTube in federal court

Earlier this month, Nakoula met with a probation officer in the wake of a federal review of his five-year supervised probation in the 2010 case.

Nakoula was cooperative at that voluntary interview, authorities said. He was bundled up in a coat, hat and white scarf when he was escorted from his house for that interview. He wasn’t under arrest at that time.

Having served one year in federal prison at Lompoc, California, officials couldn’t determine this month whether Nakoula paid any of the court-ordered restitution of $794,700, according to probation department officials and court records.

While on probation, Nakoula was prohibited from using aliases as well as accessing computers or any device that can access the Internet without approval from his probation officer.

Iran blocks YouTube, Google over Mohammed video

He came to the world’s attention after his movie, a trailer of which had been posted to YouTube, was highlighted earlier this month by media in Egypt. Violent protests subsequently erupted in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories, with some of them targeting U.S. diplomatic missions.

As the protests raged, Nakoula remained out of public view and ensconced with his family in their home in Cerritos, California, about a 20-mile drive southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Actor: Anti-Islam filmmaker ‘was playing us along’

When news of his movie first broke, the filmmaker identified himself as Sam Bacile and told the Wall Street Journal that he was a 52-year-old Israeli-American real estate developer from California. He said Jewish donors had financed his film.

But Israel’s Foreign Ministry said there was no record of a Sam Bacile with Israeli citizenship.

A production staff member who worked on the film in its initial stages told CNN that an entirely different name was filed on the paperwork for the Screen Actors Guild: Abenob Nakoula Bassely. A public records search showed an Abanob B. Nakoula residing at the same address as Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

Another staffer who worked on the film said he knew the producer as Sam Bassil. That’s how he signed a personal check to pay staff. CNN

Achieve Religious Harmony in Indonesia First, Activists Tell SBY

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono speaks about religious tolerance at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. Activists responded by telling the president to address religious intolerance at home first. (Agency Photo)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs to protect minority groups from violence inside his own country before telling others to embrace religious tolerance, activists and lawmakers say.

On Tuesday, Yudhoyono attracted world attention when he discussed the need to “lower the temperature of warm peace” by adopting a new strategic mind-set and perfecting instruments of global diplomacy and order during his address to the UN General Assembly.

Citing the UN’s inability to resolve a prolonged crisis in Syria, Yudhoyono asserted that the international community needs new approaches to conflict resolution, including a refined approach to resolving religious conflicts around the globe.

Against that backdrop, he proposed the adoption of an international protocol to prevent denigration of religion as part of “a universal culture of mutual tolerance and mutual appreciation of one another’s religious convictions.”

“As a nation that celebrates its diversity of culture and religions, Indonesia calls for mutual respect and understanding among peoples of different faiths. Despite initiatives undertaken by states at the United Nations and other forums, the defamation of religions persists. We have seen yet another one of its ugly face[s] in the film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ that is now causing an international uproar,” Yudhoyono said.

The Democratic Party president called for an international mechanism to be put in place to thwart instances of religious antagonism. He said that “this instrument, a product of international consensus, shall serve as a point of reference that the world community must comply with.”

Yudhoyono did not specifically mention which UN resolution should be utilized to put in place such a plan.

Political analysts said on Thursday that in 1981 the UN General Assembly had adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, which could be used as the anchor for the proposed protocol.

But Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the credibility of Yudhoyono’s proposal depended on his success in taking action against those who attacked minority groups in Indonesia.

Ahmad Muzani, secretary general of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), said that in order to convince the global community of Indonesia’s sincerity it must first set the right example within its own borders.

Gerindra backed Yudhoyono’s plan, he said, but the country that proposes it must be the role model for the world in terms of religious harmony.

“The government has the responsibility to ensure … religious tolerance in society,” Muzani said.

He added that if Indonesia could become a beacon of fair treatment against transgressors of religious harmony laws, the rest of the world would follow.

The Jakarta-based Human Rights Working Group said Yudhoyono’s proposal was a setback for Indonesian diplomacy because it would exacerbate tensions between religious groups and limit freedom of speech.

The Muslim United Development Party (PPP) backed the proposal, urging all members of the Organization of Islamic Conference follow the Indonesian lead and press the UN General Assembly to issue the protocol.

But even if the UN adopted such an instrument, its implementation would be problematic. Analysts claimed that as an international protocol, signatories would not be obliged to enforce it among their citizens.

The term “protocol” is used for an additional legal instrument that complements and adds to an existing treaty.

Addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday, President Barack Obama made it very clear that the US government will never discourage its citizens from expressing themselves freely in any form.

“I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video. And the answer is enshrined in our laws: our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech,” Obama said.

“Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense. Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs. As president of our country and commander-in-chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day — and I will always defend their right to do so.”

With Obama having drawn such a red line, the effectiveness of Yudhoyono’s proposal is in question.

The Indonesian leader’s answer is that he has to communicate what he believes is right, “remaining focused, sharp, and constructive, by using the kind of language that can be measured, so all parties will understand and accept it. What is important is that we have conveyed the message.”

During the visit to New York, Yudhoyono received an award for his leadership in promoting world peace and cooperation. It was presented to him by Noel Lateef, president of Foreign Policy Association, during a panel discussion at the PricewaterhouseCoopers building on Thursday.

George Soros, founder of Open Society Foundation, acknowledged Indonesia’s economic growth, supporting Yudhoyono’s remark that the country has become a new global economic power.

Soros, a wealthy businessman, came under fire in the late 1990s for his currency speculation, which some senior figures in Southeast Asia blamed for a financial crisis that imperiled development. JG

April Indonesia Quake Broke the Records

Illustration

An 8.7 earthquake that struck west of Indonesia on April 11 was the biggest of its kind ever recorded and confirms suspicions that a giant tectonic plate is breaking up, scientists said on Wednesday.

The quake, caused by an unprecedented quadruple-fault rupture, gave Earth’s crustal mosaic such a shock that it unleashed quakes around the world nearly a week later, they said.

“We’ve never seen an earthquake like this,” said Keith Koper, a geophysicist at the University of Utah in the western United States.

“Nobody was anticipating an earthquake of this size and type, and the complexity of the faulting surprised everybody I’ve spoken to about this,” said Thorne Lay, a planetary sciences professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The quake occurred around 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of Sumatra in the middle of the Indo-Australian plate, a piece of Earth’s crust that spans Australia, the eastern Indian Ocean and the Indian sub-continent.

It was initially reported as measuring 8.6 on the “Moment magnitude” scale.

But a new calculation places it at 8.7, which under this logarithmic scale means the energy release is 40 percent greater than thought, according to investigations published in Nature.

It was the biggest “strike-slip” earthquake ever recorded, meaning a fault which opens laterally rather than up or down, and the 10th biggest quake of any kind in the last century.

It was followed two hours later by an 8.2 event on another fault a little farther to the south, and both were felt from India to Australia.

Earthquakes of such intensity are typically “subduction” quakes, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another at a plate boundary, causing vertical movement that can displace the sea and unleash a tsunami.

The December 26 2004 9.1 quake off Sumatra, whose waves killed a quarter of a million people around the Indian Ocean, is one such example.

But the April 11 event caused no tsunamis because the movement was sideways. Fatalities, too, were few — 10, according to the Indonesian authorities — because it occurred under the Indian Ocean.

Taking a scalpel to what happened that day, the seismologists believe there was a near-simultaneous rupturing of at least four faults, stacked up and lying at right angles to one another.

They ripped open one by one, all within 160 seconds, in a process known by the French term “en echelon.”

Even more remarkable, though, was where the event took place.

It occurred nowhere near a boundary between the plates which like a jigsaw puzzle comprise Earth’s crust.

Instead, it occurred in the heart of the Indo-Australian plate, tearing a gash up to 40 meters (yards) wide and confirming long-held suspicions that the plate is fragmenting.

According to this theory, the process began roughly millions of years ago, and is caused by a pulling-apart of the plate: the western part is colliding with Asia, which stops its movement, while the eastern part is gliding beneath Sumatra.

“It will take millions of years to form a new plate boundary and, most likely, it will take thousands of similar large quakes for that to happen,” Koper said.

Another study in Nature found that quakes occurred around the world for at least six days afterwards.

They included a 7.0 quake in Baja California, Mexico, and in Indonesia and Japan.

Mercifully, the big shakes occurred in rural areas, not in urban areas where the outcome “could potentially have been disastrous,” said Roland Burgmann of the University of California at Berkeley.

“Until now, we seismologists have always said, ‘Don’t worry about distant earthquakes triggering local quakes.’ This study now says that, while it is very rare — it may only happen ever few decades — it is a real possibility if the right kind of earthquake happens.”

Agence France-Presse

Explore The Ocean With Google Maps

Google offers virtual dives in world’s coral reefs. (Screen grabbed from Google Maps).

San Francisco. Google late Tuesday began letting users of its online mapping service take virtual scuba dives to explore precious living reefs being surveyed by scientists.

The first underwater panoramic images were added to Google Maps with the help of Catlin Seaview Survey scientific expedition, which hoped that the up-close view of underwater wonders would inspire people to protect them.

“This is a critical decade for coral reefs,” Catlin project director Richard Vevers told AFP while providing a preview of the Google reef mapping project.

“We need to be recording them as fast as we can and involving people to halt the decline, which is alarming at the moment.”

A small team of Catlin divers used a special camera to capture panoramic imagery woven together at Google Maps and in a special Street View online gallery to let people swim along without getting wet.

“With these vibrant and stunning photos you don’t have to be a scuba diver or even know how to swim to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs,” said Google Maps and Earth vice president Brian McClendon.

“Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii.”

The underwater locations include the Great Barrier Reef, the Molokini Crater, and the Apo Island marine reserve.

“We’ve published images in seven continents, down the Amazon and in the Arctic,” said Google Oceans Program manager Jenifer Austin Foulkes.

A channel at the Google+ social network devoted to the Catlin expedition, which has the potential to discover new species of marine creatures during a “deep reef” phase, has attracted about 1.4 million followers.

Undersea imagery could be seen online at maps.google.com/ocean.

“This is a project that can engage people,” Vevers said.

“We need to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and public awareness… We need people to be able to experience the ocean.” AFP

IMF : Energy Subsidies Not As Helpful

Energy subsidies are bad because too many people are using fuel, thus creating more air pollution, an NYU professor says. (PedomanNEWS.com Photo)

The Indonesian government should replace its existing inefficient energy subsidy bill with direct cash transfers to help the country’s poor from being impacted by rising energy costs, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released on Wednesday.

The Washington-based IMF, which helped provide billions of dollars to Indonesia more than a decade ago, said that Indonesia should use the energy bills as a buffer in case risk from China’s hard lending and Euro crisis continue to intensify.

“This [the energy cost] would create greater fiscal room to spend on pressing infrastructure, health, and education needs. It would also enhance economic equity,” said Sanjaya Panth, the IMF mission chief for Indonesia.

Thomas J. Sargent, William R. Berkley Professor of Economics and Business at New York University, and a 2011 Nobel laureate in economics, said that a direct payment scheme would be the most efficient way to target one who needed it most.

“Using artificially suppressed prices is a very bad way to subsidize … It destroys price signals and there would be too much pollution because too many people are using the fuel,” Sargent said in Jakarta on Wednesday. He warned that when Europe and China suffers, it impacts trade.

“So, what the countries in periphery can do is try to be prudent, and the country can save so it can have flexibility in its fiscal policy,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, that’s what Indonesia is trying to do.

The IMF forecast Indonesia’s economic growth to slow to 6 percent this year, lower than its earlier projection of 6.1 percent, with global demand to remain weak. The IMF forecast is less than the projection made by the government. The Indonesian government targeted GDP growth rate at 6.5 percent this year. In the first half of this year, the economy grew by 6.3 percent.

The largest economy in Southeast Asia would grow 6.3 percent next year or below its government target of 6.8 percent, the IMF said, as the country’s fundamentals are still robust.

“Corporate and financial sector balance sheets are healthy, and the sharp reduction in the public sector debt burden has provided the authorities with room to respond if further stimulus is needed,” Panth said.

Such stimulus would be needed if growth in China — one of the main destinations for Indonesia commodities — slowed down. The IMF estimated that a reduction of 1 percent in China’s growth could lower

Indonesia’s GDP growth by up to half a percentage point. Further deterioration in Europe would mean that foreign investors would leave local capital markets, especially the bond market.

The IMF report said the the government’s budget deficit at 2.3 percent of GDP in 2012 is supportive to growth, yet not burdening the country with excessive debt. However, it noted that the allocation and administration of government spending needs to be improved, especially regarding subsidies.

The government has allocated Rp 274.7 trillion ($29 billion) for energy subsidies next year, which is equivalent to 18 percent of the budgeted spending. The energy subsidy is forecast to reach Rp 306 trillion this year, more than the Rp 202 trillion set in the revised state budget. JG

GKI Yasmin Still Unsettled

GKI Yasmin

The Bogor administration’s plan to relocate the GKI Yasmin Church to Jalan Semeru in Kotaparis, Bogor, has been met with rejection from local residents.

Residents in the area slated for the relocation of the long-troubled church argued that relocation will not solve the problem.

“Our rejection is based on the fact that the relocation of the Yasmin Church will not just be a physical relocation. Its problems will also be relocated,” said Yayat A. Suhendar, the head of the Kotaparis neighborhood watch unit, on Tuesday. “The Yasmin Church should stay at the Taman Yasmin housing complex,”

Yayat pointed out that the Eben Haezar Protestant Church is already on Jalan Semeru, where it’s been for almost 30 years.

“If you insist on relocating it, then the distance between one church and the other will only be about 100 meters. We’re just concerned about the impact, that it could create antipathy from the residents against church followers, not to mention the traffic jam it will cause. Basically, one church is enough for us in our area.”

The Bogor administration has allocated Rp 3.5 billion ($365,000) for the relocation of the GKI Yasmin Church.

Jayadi Damanik one of the advocates for GKI Yasmin, said that the church no longer trusts the Bogor administration to solve the problem.

“Can you imagine, the first person who recommended that the church be built in Taman Yasmin in 2002 was Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto, and he gave his appreciation for the building of the church during the ground-breaking ceremony,” said Jayadi.

Diani later bowed to pressure from residents opposed to the church, sealing off GKI Yasmin even after a Supreme Court ruling ordered that the church be allowed to reopen. The Bogor mayor asked Yasmin followers to wait for protests to cool down and promised that the administration would take care of the problem once it was over.

“The mayor has played with our feelings and we no longer have confidence, therefore we’re against the relocation,” Jayadi said.

The Wahid Institute said that the relocation of GKI Yasmin will not solve any problems.

“Looking at the solutions given by the government on cases related to religious intolerance such as the Sampang, Cikeusik, HKBP Filadelfia cases, which just recommended relocation, we see that it will not solve the root of the problem,” said spokesman for Wahid Institute Subhi Azhari in a discussion in Bogor last week.

He said the central government cannot rely on the local administration to solve the GKI Yasmin case because the mayor is involved in the dispute. “Intervention from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is needed to solve the problem,” he added.

In the years since the onset of the reform era, sectarian conflicts have increased nationwide. JG

Ahmadinejad Tells U.N. That Iran Is Threatened

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, takes a seat with his delegation during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, September 26, in New York. The event gathers more than 100 heads of state and government for high-level meetings on nuclear safety, regional conflicts, health and nutrition, and environment issues.

European delegates got an unusual reprieve at United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday when the Iranian President offered them no reason to get up and walk out, a move that has become a bit of tradition for western delegations.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a history of controversial statements, but in his eighth and final appearance in front of the assembly’s iconic green marble podium his tone seemed to shift from blustery to almost conciliatory.

He said Iran was committed to peace, though he also accused world powers of double standards in pursuing an arms race.

Ahmadinejad then told delegates that Iran has a “global vision and welcomes any effort intended to provide and promote peace, stability and tranquility” in the world.

Bill Clinton not persuaded by Iran on nuclear weapons

The world is at a “historic juncture” now that Marxist systems are virtually gone and “capitalism is bogged down in a self-made quagmire,” he said, which could allow for other nations to “play a more active role” in global decision making.

However, the seats set aside for the U.S. delegation were empty as he spoke. The Canadian delegation also did not attend the speech, and Israel’s representatives were absent in observance of Yom Kippur.

“Over the past couple of days, we’ve seen Mr. Ahmadinejad once again use his trip to the U.N. not to address the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people, but to instead spout paranoid theories and repulsive slurs against Israel,” said Erin Pelton, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

Earlier this week, the Iranian leader stoked controversy at the session when he declared that Israel has “no roots” in the Middle East.

But on Wednesday he offered a more subdued discourse, after being widely expected to serve up a rebuttal to a series of sharp jabs from Western leaders, who accused him of fostering instability in the region by backing international militants, supporting Syria’s embattled president and forging ahead with its nuclear program.

Though Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes, Western leaders believe Tehran wants to build a nuclear weapon. U.N. inspectors have also expressed doubts about the program’s aims.

Iran’s president talks Israel, slams homosexuality

Still, Ahmadinejad managed to draw American ire with generalized comments about its election spending as well as with comments about inequality of U.N. leadership.

He also told delegates that the body should be restructured, noting that many global issues are the result of poor management, and that “self-proclaimed centers of power … have entrusted themselves to the devil.”
An “arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent,” he added, noting that Iran has now found itself under threat.

“Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality,” he said. “A state of mistrust has cast its shadow on the international relations, while there is no trusted or just authority to help resolve world conflicts.”

Though Ahmadinejad’s speech was not as provocative as some had predicted, his presence in New York nonetheless drew demonstrations outside the United Nations, with Gotham’s former Mayor Rudy Giuliani among the speakers.

“I’m here to oppose Ahmadinejad and (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad,” said Ahmad Tawfik, an 18-year-old protester from Ottawa. “I lost a friend last week, and he was killed by Assad’s regime with Ahmadinejad’s weapons.”

President Barack Obama, who’s campaigning for re-election, blasted the Iranian president the previous day, suggesting that Iran and Syria are on the losing end of a sweeping tide of democracy in the region.

A viewer’s guide to the assembly

The United States “will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Obama said Tuesday, reminding other leaders in attendance that a “nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained.”

World leaders this week continue to discuss a range of issues, including poverty, global warming, women’s empowerment and the prospect of renewed conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa.

But Syria’s 18-month civil war and renewed violence in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to continue to dominate the session.

British Prime Minister David Cameron joined the chorus of voices at the U.N. Wednesday who oppose turning a “deaf ear to the voices of suffering” in Syria.

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought to keep world attention focused on the worsening crisis in North Africa’s Sahel region, which has been plagued by a deadly mix of drought, famine and Islamic militancy.

“The Sahel is at a critical juncture,” he said Tuesday. “Political turmoil, extreme climatic conditions and fragile economies are combining to create a perfect storm of vulnerability.”

“The people and governments of the region need urgent international support,” he added.

Mali’s prime minister said Wednesday at the U.N. that his country has requested the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing military force to help retake the northern part of his country.

Following a military coup in the capital in March, Islamists seized control of roughly two-thirds of the Texas-sized nation.

Mali, seen as a stable democracy and an example for other less stable countries in the region, was thrown into chaos.

Obama stresses use of diplomacy, humanity during speeches in N.Y.

Earlier Wednesday, Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi took the podium, reaffirming his nation’s commitment to the fight against Islamic militants. But he also offered to talk with extremist groups, including al Qaeda, provided they put down their weapons and repent.

President Mohamed Morsy of Egypt also addressed the assembly Wednesday, marking what is regarded as an important foreign policy speech for a nation still reeling from the effects of a popular revolution that brought down Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally.

Morsy used the opportunity to draw attention to the issue of Palestinian statehood, calling for “measures to put an end to colonization, occupation, settlement and the alteration in the identity of occupied Jerusalem.”
He also sought to contextualize recent violence in the region after an anti-Islam film spawned protests and attacks against U.S. diplomatic facilities across the Middle East and North Africa.

Egypt will work to strengthen “mutual understanding between Islamic countries and the rest of the world,” he said, and get rid of the “causes of misunderstanding used by fanatics on both sides to wrongly prove that differences between us are great.” CNN

Google Brazil Chief Arrested Over YouTube Video

A user checks a Google website in a cybercafe in Brasilia. Police announced Wednesday the arrest of the head of Google Brazil over his refusal to remove YouTube videos that allegedly slander a mayoral candidate.

Police arrested the head of Google Brazil over his refusal to remove YouTube videos that allegedly slander a mayoral candidate.

But as the crime that Fabio Jose Silva Coelho is accused of has "low potential to offend" he will not remain in custody, federal police said in a statement.

Rather, he will be released after he agrees in writing to appear in court, the statement said.
An electoral court has said Silva Coelho committed the crime of "disobedience" by not removing two videos that "slander, insult and defame" Campo Grande candidate Alcides Bernal.

The videos accuse the candidate of "instigating abortion, drunkenness, physical injury of a minor, illicit enrichment, and contempt as well as prejudice against the underprivileged," according to the indictment.

The tribunal, in the southwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul, also asked Google to block YouTube in the town of Campo Grande, or the entire state, for 24 hours.

The first round of municipal elections in more than 5,000 Brazilian cities is scheduled for October 7.

Also Wednesday, a Brazilian court said it ordered Facebook to pay a female user $1,500 in moral damages for failing to promptly remove a fake profile containing her name and personal data.

In a statement sent to AFP, the Federal District court in Brasilia said Facebook Brazil had to pay reparation "for moral damage caused by the improper use of (the woman's) image".

The fake page on the social networking site, according to the plaintiff, contained her pictures and personal data posted by third parties.

"I reported this but Facebook did not remove the page. I did all that they asked me to, I sent proof of my identity and fiscal number, but they only removed my profile after I took legal action," Nadya Pereira Justino told the GI news portal.

Facebook Brazil argued it was not the administrator of the social network's website and that the request for removal of the fake page should have been made through Facebook.com.

But the court ruled that the Brazilian unit was responsible for "damage caused by the firm of the same group based abroad."

The cases mark the latest chapter in the legal saga embroiling Google and Facebook in the South American nation.

In August, an electoral judge in the southern state of Santa Catarina ordered a 24-hour suspension of Facebook for failing to remove a page which attacked a town councillor running for reelection in next month's vote.

Facebook eventually reached a deal with the court to escape punishment or a daily $25,000 fine in case of non-compliance.

Tuesday, a Sao Paulo court gave Google 10 days to remove from YouTube any video containing scenes from the "Innocence of Muslims," an anti-Islam film that has unleashed violent protests.

Roughly 40 percent of Brazil's estimated 12-million strong Muslim population live in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area, home to 20 million people.

The Sao Paulo court said failure to comply would mean "a daily fine of $4,950.

The business daily Valor reported that Google failed to comply with another order from the electoral court of Mato Grosso do Sul to yank a video that offends Gerson Garcia, the mayoral candidate in the town of Nioaque.

And ten days ago, an electoral judge in the northeast state of Paraiba took similar action against Edmundo Balthazar, a Google director in Brazil, for failing to comply with an order to remove from YouTube a video in which a mayoral candidate was described as "a donkey".

Google appealed the decision and the court decided that Balthazar could not be held responsible for the video content. The jail sentence was suspended. AFP

Indonesia Clamps Down on Minimarts

The Trade Ministry has warned 7-Eleven that it violated its permit. (prioritas photo)

Jakarta. Around the corner of a large shopping mall in downtown Jakarta is a popular spot filled with young people sitting at outdoor tables, surfing the web on their gadgets or singing along to a band.

"It is a cool place to hang out because we can people-watch, snacks are affordable, and we can sometimes watch live soccer matches," said college student Edhie Wira, 18.

But while 7-Eleven has become a popular hang-out since its first store in Jakarta opened three years ago, it is now being pursued by the Trade Ministry for failing to secure a permit to operate a convenience store.

Lawson, a minimarket owned by a Japanese company and an Indonesian partner, was also warned for incorrectly declaring its license under its name and not its Indonesian partner's.

The two cases reflect the increasing scrutiny over the growth of minimarkets owned by large corporations, for fear they may hurt small local operators. Many Indonesians shop at 7-Eleven and other mini-markets instead of supermarkets or hypermarkets.

The Trade Ministry is pushing for a new law on franchises that will limit the number of outlets for any one franchise, beyond which they must be operated by local small investors. This has drawn cries of protectionist behavior from retailers.

The Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo) said the number of minimarkets in the country jumped to 16,720 last year, up 63 percent from 2008, on the back of a booming economy and expanding middle class.

A McKinsey report released last week predicted "a revolution in the (retail channels) sector to 2030, led by convenience stores," fueled by an estimated 90 million Indonesians who could enter the country's consuming class then.

By contrast, the number of supermarkets dipped to 1,229 across Indonesia, or shrank 17 percent, from 1,477 stores in 2008.

Many of these minimarkets operate without licenses. The Jakarta administration said that only 15 of the 57 7-Eleven outlets in the capital had proper licenses.

Starting next month, it said, violators will get written warnings and, at worst, be forced to shut down.

The Trade Ministry's director of domestic trade Gunaryo said, "We want 7-Eleven to amend its operations to adhere to the license it got, (that is) the one for cafeteria. In reality, it sold not only fresh food and beverages... but more of convenience goods."

Officials said the Japanese-owned 7-Eleven chain opened restaurants in Indonesia to skirt a rule that allows only local investors to operate mini-markets and small convenience stores.

Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan told reporters, "Retail stores (such as minimarkets) must be 100 percent owned by local investors, so (7-Eleven) probably obtained the permit for restaurants because it did not violate the negative investment list."

Indeed, a 7-Eleven store in the Menteng district in central Jakarta reflects its unique restaurant-cum-convenience store model. It sells goods on the first floor while the second level is for dining. Chairs and tables are found outside the store, shaded by big umbrellas.

Others have copied this concept.

While Lawson's Indonesian partner has quickly sent documents to amend its name, the local partner for 7-Eleven in Indonesia, Modern Internasional, said it had the right licenses.

Aprindo's deputy secretary-general Satria Hamid urged the government to issue a permit that accommodates 7-Eleven's unique model.

"The retail business is very dynamic and evolves according to changes in consumers' lifestyles," he said. "The government should recognize this diversification."

Observers said this clampdown and a revision to a franchise law that limits the number of company-owned outlets is anti-competition and protectionist.

Amir Karamoy of the Indonesia Franchising and Licensing Society said some of the eight foreign companies planning to set up franchises worth a total of 12 billion rupiah ($1.25 million) are waiting for the new rule before plunging into the market.

But Gunaryo said the number of franchises for mini-markets and restaurants has simply grown too quickly. "This has to be followed by a regulation that ensures business opportunities are given to the smaller and medium-scale businessmen, (for them) to own and manage them and also sell locally made products."

Reprinted courtesy of The Straits Times

Psy Vows Topless Show if 'Gangnam Style' Tops Billboard Chart

PSY - GANGNAM STYLE

Seoul. South Korean rapper Psy finds his success with "Gangnam Style" so unreal that he wonders if he's being tricked into believing it — like Jim Carrey in "The Truman Show."

Psy who has taken the pop world by storm, topping Apple's iTunes downloads and getting 270 million YouTube views, has vowed to perform his "Gangnam Style" hit topless if it reaches number one.

The rapper who does the foot-stomping "horse dance" and goes by the name Psy, returned on Tuesday to the upmarket Seoul suburb that he put on the world music map.

"If it ranks number one in the Billboard chart, then I will perform 'Gangnam Style' topless in a place where everyone can watch," Psy told a news conference on his return from the United States. The song's at number 11 this week.

Gangnam is the most upmarket neighborhood in the South Korean capital. Known as Seoul's "Beverly Hills," its streets are lined with designer-brand shops and trendy bars and restaurants.

Psy, who sums up his style as "dress classy, dance cheesy," has became a surprise hit in the United States where he was feted on chat shows and signed a deal with Island Records.

Psy, whose real name is Park Jai-Sang, has always stuck out as an oddity compared with the svelte, well-scrubbed members of Korean girl and boy bands that have swept to fame in Asia and beyond.

After gaining recognition with a 2001 debut album, he landed in hot water several times. He says he was caught smoking marijuana and later had to repeat his mandatory military service after not taking it seriously the first time.

The 34-year-old was raised in Gangnam and went to the Berklee College of Music in the United States. He dropped out of a U.S. business school which his traditional parents hoped would prepare him for taking over the family business.

Referring to his kitschy image, he said: "Honestly, I like being 'second class'... I was born 'B' class."

His hit, released in mid-July, was intended to be fun, he said. Doing a bit of his horse-riding dance, Psy declared in English that his aim was to have "fun by music."

While he hasn't taken over the family business, his new-found fame seems to have helped it considerably.

The value of his father's technology company, D I Corp's, which is listed on the Seoul Stock Exchange, has doubled since July. Its market capitalization has surged to 113.5 billion won ($101.29 million) since he shot to fame.

Psy plans to release a new record in the United States in November.

Reuters, AP

Chris and Daud Set to Defend Boxing Titles

Chris John, left, and Daud Yordan will each have another title bout in Singapore on Nov. 9. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)

Top Indonesian boxers Chris John and Daud Yordan will step into the ring in Singapore once again, this time to defend their respective titles on Nov. 9.

The fight organizer, Mahkota Promotion, confirmed the date and place on Tuesday but has yet to announce who each of them will fight against.

“We set the date after discussing with our main sponsor and the boxing associations. But we can’t publish the opponent’s names yet, as it still might change any time,” Wahju Prasetyo, Mahkota Promotion’s project manager, said on Tuesday. He added that the promoter was still in negotiations with sponsors about the venue of the fight.

For Chris, it will be his 17th title defense bout since taking the World Boxing Association’s featherweight crown in 2003.

His latest fight was when he defeated Japanese boxer Shoji Kimura by unanimous decision at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on May 5, continuing his unbeaten record with 47 wins (22 KOs) and two draws.

Given his record, the 33-year-old was awarded the super champion title by the WBA. He was also honored as the WBA’s fighter of the decade at the association’s 19th awards dinner, in Panama in February.

Meanwhile, Daud will defend his International Boxing Organization’s featherweight title for the first time since claiming it by knocking out Lorenzo Villanueva in the second round, also on May 5 in Singapore.

Both Chris and Daud have been training the past three months. Chris has been training at Harry’s Gym in Perth, Australia, since July with coach Craig Christian.

Last month, Chris’s fight adviser Sampson Lewkowicz told ESPN that Chris’s next opponent will likely be Thailand’s Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo, who is also unbeaten in 44 fights with 27 KOs. But Wahju said that isn’t likely.

“There’s a long queue of boxers who want to fight Chris, especially because he has a great record. We’re still sorting out proper opponent for Chris,” he said.

Daud, who is now 29-2 with 23 knockouts, said that Mahkota Promotion only told him that a British boxer would be his next opponent.

“I don’t even know his name. I’ve never fought against a British boxer before but I’m ready to fight anyone,” the 24-year-old said on Tuesday.

Even though he does not yet to know his opponent, Daud said he has been in rigorous training in his hometown of Ketapang, West Kalimantan, since July.

“I’ve been training for five hours a day and also have sparring sessions with local boxers. I’m sure I will defend my title whoever I fight against,” he said. JG

Bill Clinton not persuaded by Iran on nuclear weapons

Clinton: I don’t trust Ahmadinejad – Photo snapshot from The Piers Morgan Interview

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Tuesday he does not trust Tehran’s assertions that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and he urged the international community to pressure Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to allow inspectors to verify his claims.

“What they’re really saying is, in spite of the fact that we deny the Holocaust, that we threaten Israel, and we demonize the United States, and we do all this stuff, we want you to trust us,” Clinton told CNN’s Piers Morgan in an interview to air Tuesday night. “They don’t have a tenable position.”

If Tehran were to obtain a nuclear weapon, “the retaliation would be incomprehensible,” and others in the region would attempt to join the elite club of nuclear powers, Clinton said.

Day one of the U.N. General Assembly

As the number of such weapons grows, the more likely they may be stolen or transferred to terrorists, he said.

“Even if the government didn’t directly sanction it, it would not be that much trouble to get a Girl Scout cookie’s worth of fissile material which, if put in the same fertilizer bomb Timothy McVeigh used in Oklahoma City, is enough to take out 20%to 25% of Washington D.C. — Just that little bit.”

In 1996 McVeigh detonated a truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.

Ahmadinejad has said his country’s nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

Clinton said the current concern over possible weapons of mass destruction in Iran differs from the situation that occurred in Iraq in 2003, when the United States led an attack on the government of Saddam Hussein after accusing him of harboring such weapons. None was found.

In Iraq, “there was never — to me — any credible nuclear intelligence,” Clinton said. “This is quite different. They don’t even pretend that they don’t have centrifuges” of the sort needed to make weapons-grade material.

Victims of Indonesian Communist Purge Still Waiting for Apology

A family member of a victim of Indonesia’s 1965 communist purge laying flowers in Jakarta in July 2012. Family of the massacre’s victims have urged the government to probe human rights violations. (Antara Photo/M. Agung Rajasa)

At 72, Sri Sulistyawati still remembers the day when two Indonesian soldiers placed a wooden plank across her belly and used her body as a see-saw, before she fainted from the pain.

Her tale is a lost footnote in one of the last century's bloodiest atrocities, when between 500,000 and two million suspected communists were killed in purges in 1965 and 1966 under general Suharto, who was toppled in 1998.

After being swept under the carpet for nearly fifty years, those atrocities were this year acknowledged for the first time by the government's own human rights body, providing some solace to victims such as Sulistyawati, whose pain and disgrace have gone ignored for decades.

In an unprecedented move, Indonesia's official human rights body Komnas HAM announced in July that it has found evidence of widespread gross human rights violations nationwide during the purges.

The report, based on a three-year investigation and the testimony of 349 witnesses, urged that military officers be brought to trial for crimes including murder, extermination, slavery, forced eviction, torture and mass rape.

The report demanded that the government issue an apology and compensate victims and their families — a move it said it intends to make despite resistance from retired military commanders and the nation's largest Muslim body.

Sulistyawati lives in a two-storey nursing home in the Indonesian capital Jakarta with a dozen other survivors, mostly women aged between 70 to 90.

"They tied my arms and legs with a rope and dragged me on the ground with my face down for a kilometer to a military post," recalled Sulistyawati, whose crime was being a journalist for a nationalist newspaper that backed the country's first president, Sukarno.

"Two soldiers put a wooden plank on my belly, then got on each end and used my body as a see-saw," she remembered. "I fainted from the unbearable pain and had internal bleeding."

The purge had its roots in the tense Cold War politics that marked the final years of the reign of Suharto's charismatic predecessor Sukarno. He had fostered the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) as a political force to balance the power of mass religious organizations and pro-Western generals.

This delicate balance collapsed in September 1965, with an abortive coup — which was swiftly blamed on the PKI. But some historians say the military orchestrated the putsch to tighten its grip on power and wipe out communism thriving in the nation.

'In my dreams, I am reunited with my children'

After enduring four years of torture in detention that included electric shocks and nail-pulling for an alleged communist connection, in 1969 Lukas Tumiso landed in a prison labor camp on remote Buru island in eastern Indonesia.

He would stay there for the next 10 years, together with 10,000 other prisoners.

"On the island, we built our own prison, a bamboo hut where we slept at night. We also built our own civilization there," Tumiso, now 73, told AFP, adding that the island was at the time swampland and jungle.

Besides clearing forests with their bare hands to plant rice and cassavas, prisoners also built roads, dams and sewerage under strict military supervision, he added.

In one of the interviews with Komnas HAM, an unnamed survivor said he was jailed with hundreds of other prisoners in a cramped five by 25-meter room.

"It was a place where prisoners were slowly killed. Many only survived for a few months. About a dozen people died every night," said the witness, who was jailed for 12 years on Kemarau island on Sumatra island with his wife.

After the Komnas HAM report was released, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the country's Attorney General Office to follow-up on the findings.

For victims such as Sulistyawati, a formal apology would provide some solace, even if it comes decades late.

"People must know that we were innocent, we did nothing wrong. Restore our good reputation, we are not human garbage," she said.

For others such as 81 year-old Lestari, now toothless and hunched over with age, there is the hope that a public apology would help fulfill her dream of reuniting with her children.

In 1979, when she was released from 11 years in prison for being a women's rights activist under the PKI's umbrella, her five children refused to accept her.

"After I was released from prison I went straight to see my kids. But they refused to be with me. They were afraid of being labelled communists," she said.

"In my dreams, I always see myself reunited with my children," said Lestari, whose husband, one of the communist party's leaders, died in his cell while awaiting an execution order, and whose four-year old daughter was killed when soldiers raided her home to arrest her.

Decades of discrimination
During Suharto's rule people suspected of having had links with the PKI suffered decades of stigmatization and discrimination. They were not allowed to become civil servants, teachers, or lawmakers.

After Suharto was toppled in 1998, a new government removed some anti-communist regulations. But spreading the ideology is still considered a crime.

Presidential advisor Albert Hasibuan said in April that Yudhoyono intended to make an apology to families and victims of past human rights abuses, including the anti-communist purges, before his second term ends in 2014.

But retired military commanders and organizations including the country's largest Muslim body Nahdlatul Ulama, which has been allegedly implicated in the purges, have rejected any apology.

The NU's deputy chairman As'ad Said Ali said in August that the identity cards of former PKI suspects had been cleansed of their previous history.

"They must not ask more than they deserve. The mark has been removed from their ID cards, and some of their grandchildren have become lawmakers now.

"We can forgive them but we cannot forget. For us, this is a non-negotiable price: No apology or compensation."
Agence France-Presse

China's Super-Rich Get Poorer

Zong Qinghou, chairman of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., is China's richest man

Many of China's richest people have grown poorer over the past year and the number of its US dollar billionaires has fallen for the first time in seven years, according to the Hurun Rich List, which tracks Chinese wealth.

In its annual report on China's super-wealthy, released on Monday, Hurun said China had 251 people worth $1bn or more, down 20 from last year but still sharply up from 2006, when there were just 15. And for the first time since Hurun began publishing the list in 1999, property lost pride of place as the sector that generates the most wealth.

Nearly half of the 1,000 richest people in China saw their wealth shrink in the past year, 37 of them by more than 50 per cent. The average wealth of the top 1,000 also fell 9 per cent to $860m, at a time when growth in the Chinese economy has also decelerated, the property market has declined and the stock market has fallen sharply. Chinese GDP growth hit a three-year low of 7.6 per cent year on year in the second quarter of this year.

Heading this year's list with a fortune of $12.6bn was Zong Qinghou, of beverage company Wahaha, who reclaimed the top spot he lost last year to Liang Wengen, co-founder of machinery company Sany. Mr Liang fell to fifth place this year.

In second place is Wang Jianlin, with wealth of $10.3bn, founder and chairman of property developer and cinema operator Dalian Wanda Group, which recently bought AMC Entertainment in one of the biggest recent overseas acquisitions by a Chinese company.

Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun report chairman and chief researcher, said that despite the "bloodletting" this year, "it is worth remembering that these entrepreneurs are still up 40 per cent on two years ago and almost 10 times 10 years ago". And though the cut-off to make the list fell 9 per cent to $290m, that was three times the cut-off of five years ago, he said.

Despite signs that the slowdown in the Chinese economy is hitting manufacturing output, manufacturing took over as the sector that generates the most Chinese wealthy, with over with 20.7 per cent of those on the list.

Seven of those on the list are not just rich but politically powerful as well: they have been named as delegates to the 18th Party Congress, expected to take place sometime next month, including Mr Liang. CNN

Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying

A Buddhist statue overlooks a Chinese government-owned mining compound in Logar province, Afghanistan. Mes Aynak, a 2,600-year-old Buddhist site, could be destroyed in December to create a massive copper mine.

Please bear with me as I ask you to briefly use your imagination. Close your eyes. Imagine Machu Picchu at dawn cloaked in fog. Now imagine the fog slowly lifting to reveal an enormous ancient city perched on the edge of a mountain.

Picture a sense of mystery being immersed in thousands of years of history as you walk between antiquated hewn stone structures. There is tranquility in the wind-blown stillness of the primeval site. You feel a renewed sense of kinship with the past and with your ancestors and feel a deep reverence for their lives and accomplishments.

Now imagine the menacing sound of bulldozers closing in and men at work. Their heavy machinery rattles the ground. You hear workers rigging dynamite to these massive stone structures. There is a brief lull and then the deafening blow of multiple explosions as Machu Picchu is razed to the ground.

Be at ease, Machu Piccu is a UNESCO protected site. But a very similar 2,600-year-old Buddhist site in Logar province, Afghanistan isn't so lucky.

This site is called Mes Aynak and is nothing short of awe-inspiring: a massive walled-in Buddhist city featuring massive temples, monasteries, and thousands of Buddhist statues that managed to survive looters and the Taliban. Holding a key position on the Silk Road, Mes Aynak was also an international hub for traders and pilgrims from all over Asia.

Locals from relocated villages near Mes Aynak remove dirt and rocks to expose buried artifacts.

Hundreds of fragile manuscripts detailing daily life at the site are still yet to be excavated. Beneath the Buddhist dwellings is an even older yet-unearthed Bronze age site indicated by several recent archaeological findings.

Mes Aynak is set for destruction at the end of December 2012. All of the temples, monasteries, statues as well as the Bronze age material will all be destroyed by a Chinese government-owned company called China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC). Six villages and the mountain range will also be destroyed to create a massive open-pit style copper mine.

In 2007, MCC outbid competitors with a $3 billion bid to lease the area for 30 years. MCC plans to extract over $100 billion worth of copper located directly beneath the Buddhist site. Ironically, the Buddhists were also mining for copper albeit in a more primitive fashion.

MCC says they weren't told about the archaeology site's existence until after the contract was signed. Following significant international pressure and perhaps sensing an impending PR nightmare, MCC in 2009 gave archaeologists three years to attempt to excavate the site.

Archaeologists say they need at least 30 years to do the job but had no choice but to accept MCCs brief timetable. Specialists on site are working with extremely limited funding and the crudest of tools.

Afghan archaeologists, who do the majority of the excavation, don't have access to computers or digital cameras and have been sleeping on the floor in a wooden shack when staying on the site overnight.

Today, three teams of international archaeologists led by DAFA, a French archaeological delegation, scramble to save as many relics as they can. These experts are performing rushed rescue archeology, which focuses on removing movable objects and not on preserving structures.

A gold-plated Buddha head found at Mes Aynak. A team of international archaeologists is scrambling to save relics.

Archaeologists now have less than four months to do three decades worth of excavation. They are also risking their lives daily as locals of Logar Province, angry at the loss of their villages partner with the Taliban to regularly attack both the MCC site and the archaeology location with rockets and land mines.

In July, a Logar worker unearthed a landmine that exploded in his face. Later that month, four Afghan policemen were killed by a landmine on the road leading to the archaeology site.

I am often asked, "Why save it? It is, after all, just another remnant of the past, right?" Wrong.

Mes Aynak is the missing link that shows Afghanistan's interconnectivity throughout Asia on the Silk Road. Afghanistan needs to see the value of learning its own cultural history as too often the country's story is co-opted by the lens of another.

Afghans need to claim their cultural significance in the world for current and new generations. And the findings at Mes Aynak will be the key to doing that.

In addition to Mes Aynak's historical significance, the site is breathtaking to behold in person. I can't help but feel privileged and honored to have been able to set foot inside its ancient walls, to have been able to bare witness to massive Buddhas, many of which are still coated in gold paint overlooking their ancient city.

These statues have miraculously survived looting, survived the intense heat and cold, and survived over three decades of continuous war.

There is a magic to Mes Aynak -- an ability to draw in people from around the world who will risk their lives to save it. I fell in love with this ancient site and will do everything in my power to try to help save it.

People work at one of the many archaeological excavation sites at Mes Aynak. In 2009, the mining company gave archaeologists three years to excavate the site.

It sickens me to know that in a short time this site will be destroyed in the same violent and disrespectful way the Buddha of Bamyan was destroyed. This desecration shows no reverence to culture or religion.

Imagine someone bulldozing your grandparents' graves and blowing up their cemetery. How could the world look away letting such crime happen in the name of capitalism?

Unfortunately, Mes Aynak has gained some powerful enemies. MCC, The World Bank and Afghan ministries all want mining to start ASAP.

In my opinion, they want Mes Aynak to set a precedent -- to be a model for resource extraction of the one trillion dollars plus of valuable minerals like oil, copper, lithium and iron buried underneath Afghanistan.

According to archaeologists that I spoke with, every mining location holds cultural heritage. On every potential mine lies an ancient site like Mes Aynak. So, even worse than the senseless destruction of Mes Aynak, is the thought that this kind of cheap destructive process will be replicated all across Afghanistan.

I often hear talk about mineral extraction being somehow good for Afghanistan, but I promise you this is not the case.

Given the country's out of control corruption there are a privileged few who will see any payout from such endeavors. Afghan citizens have absolutely nothing to gain from this copper mine or any other international extractive industry.

I believe Chinese will bring in their own laborers to manage the mine and Afghans will be given only low level and terribly paid positions working in slave-like conditions.

And I have said nothing about the environmental devastation. Many mining experts have told me the toxic pollution from the mine will likely turn Mes Aynak into a site so toxic that in the future people will be advised against even setting foot on the ground. They tell me this pollution will be permanent, rivers will be polluted and the toxins will travel to other areas -- and the locals have never been educated about these risks to the area.

So not only will Afghanistan lose an ancient site, a key to unlocking its important history, but the country will lose the land and everything living on it. And what happens when Afghanistan needs copper or oil or iron for its own development? Will they have to buy it back from China at inflated rates?

My fear is that in the future Afghanistan will consist of hundreds of these gaping toxic craters and the resources the country needs for its own development will be lost. Afghans will see no benefit. They will suffer from irreversible environmental devastation and the permanent loss of invaluable cultural heritage.

So as a final request I want you to close your eyes once again. Imagine a city-sized toxic crater in the ground where the majestic Machu Picchu once stood. That sight, unfortunately, is the future of Mes Aynak unless we do something to stop it. By Brent Huffman

US slams Pakistani minister’s filmmaker bounty

Pakistani demonstrators take part in a rally against the anti-Islam film in Karachi. The United States denounced a $100,000 bounty offered by a Pakistani cabinet minister for killing the maker of an anti-Islam film that has triggered a wave of deadly, violent protests.

The United States denounced a $100,000 bounty offered by a Pakistani cabinet minister for killing the maker of an anti-Islam film that has triggered a wave of deadly, violent protests.

Pakistan’s Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour on Saturday offered the “prize” for killing the filmmaker of “Innocence of Muslims” and invited the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to take part in the “noble deed.”

But the bounty offered was slammed by the State Department.

US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “have both said the video at the core of this is offensive, disgusting, and reprehensible,” a State Department official said.

“But that is no justification for violence and it is important for responsible leaders to stand up and speak out against violence,” the official added in a statement.

“Therefore we find Mr. Bilour’s announcement is inflammatory and inappropriate.”

Pakistan on Sunday distanced itself from Bilour’s comments, with Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf rejecting the bounty offer even as new protests erupted from Turkey to Hong Kong.

“This is not government policy. We completely dissociate (ourselves) from this,” a spokesman for the prime minister’s office told AFP.

Fresh rallies were held across Pakistan Sunday to condemn the film after violent nationwide protests Friday left 21 people dead when police used tear gas and live rounds to fight back protesters. AFP

An Open Letter to Abu Bakar Bashir

Convicted terrorist Abu Bakar Bashir called on Indonesia’s Muslims to follow the lead of Libyan militants and wage violent protests against the US Embassy in Jakarta.

Dear Abu Bakar Bashir,

I read a news article that you recently urged Indonesia’s Muslims to attack the US Embassy in Jakarta, because of a contemptible, provocative anti-Islamic film made by a filmmaker in the United States. "What happened in Libya can be imitated," you announced. "If it is defaming God and the Prophet [Muhammad], the punishment should be death." As a born and raised American residing in Jakarta, I received a text message from our embassy on Thursday, warning me and fellow US citizens that US Embassy in Jakarta and consular offices in Surabaya, Medan and Bali would be closed on Friday for safety concerns.

You issued your call for attacking the US Embassy from your jail cell. Apparently, you think this is a good idea, even though you've been imprisoned because of your role in organizing the 2002 Bali suicide bombings, which murdered 202 people. But since you believe the US Embassy staff in Jakarta also deserve death, allow me to first describe who exactly your followers would be attacking, if they decide to follow through with your request:

Your followers would be attacking your many fellow Indonesian Muslims who also work side-by-side with Americans in the embassy, in the areas of advancing Indonesia's science and technology, economic growth, education, environmental conservation, and most recently, anti-human trafficking. I have personally met many of them, and I can assure you that they are by and large friends of Islam.

Your followers would be attacking the office of the US Ambassador to Indonesia, Scot Marciel. Like his counterpart the late US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens who was killed by Islamists in Benghazi on September 11th, Ambassador Marciel is one of the greatest advocates and allies whom Muslims could ever have. He has logged hundreds of miles of travel throughout the archipelago, visited mosques, madrassas and Islamic organizations, promoted interfaith harmony between Indonesian Muslims and non-Muslims, opened constructive dialogue with Muslim leaders and imams like yourself, championed bilateral trade and foreign direct investment in Indonesia, overseen millions of dollars in American humanitarian aid directed to Indonesian communities, and personally worked hard to strengthen Indonesia's economy and its role in the international system.

Your followers would be attacking the staff of the US Agency for International Development, which is housed in the embassy. USAID staff and contractors have improved thousands of Indonesian Muslims' lives by tirelessly laboring through dozens of projects in the areas of educational advancement, healthcare, disaster relief, poverty reduction, youth development, biodiversity protection, and humanitarian assistance from Sumatra to Jakarta to the Maluku islands to Papua. USAID staff have also championed inter-faith cooperation and peace-building activities between Muslims and non-Muslims, by focusing on super-ordinate goals and common ground — not on the petty differences that divide us.

Your followers would be attacking the embassy staff who collaborate with the US-Indonesia Society, the American-Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF), the Joint US-Indonesia Council for Higher Education, the @america cultural center, the US Mission to ASEAN, the government of Indonesia, the ASEAN Secretariat, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Peace Corps, and numerous Indonesian NGOs, universities, charitable foundations, companies, multi-laterals and civil-society organizations that have been striving to make Indonesia a better place to live — for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Our President, Barack Obama, who lived here in Jakarta as a child, recently made the following comments about the hateful YouTube video that spurred you to issue your call for violence: "I have made it clear that the United States has a profound respect for people of all faiths. We stand for religious freedom. And we reject the denigration of any religion – including Islam." Like him, most fellow Americans and I feel the same way. This is why the federal police in California are currently interrogating the misguided creator of that repulsive, deliberately provocative video. Both the United States and the international Muslim community are quite well-aware of the long history of incidents that have caused mistrust and tensions between our two communities, but America has never been at war with Islam — only violent extremism in all forms. I hope you see that America's friendship with the global Muslim community has been growing.

In a changing international system where all actors are increasingly inter-dependent, when I see Americans and Indonesians working together, I'm inspired to advance our bilateral relationship as well. In all of my years of traveling the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, some of the Indonesian Muslims whom I've met are a few of kindest, most hospitable and authentic people I have ever encountered on this planet. The national motto of Indonesia is "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," which is parallel to our own motto: "E Pluribus Unum — Out of Many, One." I can confidently rest assured that the vast majority of Indonesian Muslims believe in inter-faith cooperation, peace-building and cross-cultural respect, and that they don't think or feel the same way you do.

I urge you to call off your followers and lead them away from extremism. Our responsibility as human beings is to reduce suffering, not increase it, and I hope you change your mind about the feasibility of violence.

Sincerely,

Niruban Balachandran


Niruban Balachandran is an author, international speaker and foreign policy expert from Los Angeles, California. JG