Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Kim Jong Il's son talks succession
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's eldest son is against his family holding power in the reclusive communist nation for another generation.
"Personally I oppose the hereditary succession for three generations," Kim Jong Nam told Japan's TV Asahi in an interview that aired Tuesday. "But I presume there were internal reasons. We should abide by such reasons if there are any."
Kim's comments were the first since his younger half-brother Kim Jong Un was promoted to the rank of four-star general just before a rare meeting of the country's ruling party this month. The announcement was the first formal mention of his name in official state communications. He was also named vice chairman of the Workers Party of Korea's central military commission.
The United States anticipates that Kim Jong Un will succeed his ailing father, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week.
Little is known about Kim Jong Un. He is thought to be 27 or 28, is believed to have been schooled abroad and is thought to be capable of speaking some English and German, and possibly some French. He is said to have a fondness for Michael Jordan and James Bond.
Following a suspected stroke in the summer of 2008, Kim Jong Il has appeared to be in frail health, fueling heated speculation in South Korea and elsewhere about when he will name his successor and who it will be. Since early 2009, a range of signs has pointed at Kim Jong Un as that man.
"I presume my dear father decided [his brother's succession]," Kim Jung Nam said in the TV Asahi interview that was recorded in Beijing Saturday. " I have no objection nor interest on the succession. I do not care about it at all."
At one point, the eldest Kim Jung Nam was considered the top candidate to succeed his father before he fell out of favor after he got caught trying to sneak a trip to Tokyo Disneyland using a forged passport.
"Personally I oppose the hereditary succession for three generations," Kim Jong Nam told Japan's TV Asahi in an interview that aired Tuesday. "But I presume there were internal reasons. We should abide by such reasons if there are any."
Kim's comments were the first since his younger half-brother Kim Jong Un was promoted to the rank of four-star general just before a rare meeting of the country's ruling party this month. The announcement was the first formal mention of his name in official state communications. He was also named vice chairman of the Workers Party of Korea's central military commission.
The United States anticipates that Kim Jong Un will succeed his ailing father, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week.
Following a suspected stroke in the summer of 2008, Kim Jong Il has appeared to be in frail health, fueling heated speculation in South Korea and elsewhere about when he will name his successor and who it will be. Since early 2009, a range of signs has pointed at Kim Jong Un as that man.
"I presume my dear father decided [his brother's succession]," Kim Jung Nam said in the TV Asahi interview that was recorded in Beijing Saturday. " I have no objection nor interest on the succession. I do not care about it at all."
At one point, the eldest Kim Jung Nam was considered the top candidate to succeed his father before he fell out of favor after he got caught trying to sneak a trip to Tokyo Disneyland using a forged passport.
"I would like my younger brother to do his best for the people of North Korea and their true wealth," Kim said. "I am ready to help him from outside of North Korea whenever he needs my help."
Entertainment | Film & Cinema (Crook)
Crook
Cast Emraan Hashmi, Neha Sharma, Arjan Baweja, Mashoor Amrohi, Gulshan GroverDirector Mohit Suri
If the lead actor's credibility lies mainly in his lip service (pun intended), and not in his acting calibre, then clearly Suri's decision to pitch his cousin Emraan Hashmi to spearhead the fight against colour politics appears misplaced. It's evident that Suri disregards the demand for a strong protagonist, an absolute prerequisite while dealing with a sensitive issue.
I'm not suggesting that Hashmi's absence would've altered the fate of Crook, but it would've definitely eased the pain. In fact, Suri's troubles appear far more deep-rooted: a weak script, lazy edit, an insubstantial supporting cast, amateur international actors, dull lines and a lacklustre musical score are just some of the glitches.
Ankur Tewari's tale fails to tackle the real issue, instead he races towards formulating an answer. He falters in his inability to steer away from Bollywood clichés. Instead, he laps up all the archaic formulae, making a mockery of the entire situation and passing the Indians and Australians off as bickering, juvenile brats.
It's shocking that Baweja allowed Suri to cast him in a role where he spends his entire screen time breathing fire for no apparent reason. His prejudice appears unfounded. Sharma's debut run leaves a lot to be desired. Her glycerine-coated gaze appears forced and monotonous, making us question her versatility. Hashmi, might've waltzed through to the box office with Suri's Awarappan and Kalyug, but Crook jinxes the hat-trick. Even his lip-syncing powers appear faded. Not one of Pritam's numbers deserves an applause, forget a mention.
As is customary, uncles - Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt - team up as producers, with Suri's sister Smilie also making a quick appearance. After a stunning performance in Kalyug, it's incomprehensible why Suri devotes only five minutes to her cause. But, it's the chubby Amrohi who emerges as an all-rounder. From cheeky humour to passionate outbursts, he tackles each emotion with sincerity.
Forget racial issues, even the love story appears jaded. May we suggest that Suri tackle horror for his next project. At least, he could save on the make-up!
I'm not suggesting that Hashmi's absence would've altered the fate of Crook, but it would've definitely eased the pain. In fact, Suri's troubles appear far more deep-rooted: a weak script, lazy edit, an insubstantial supporting cast, amateur international actors, dull lines and a lacklustre musical score are just some of the glitches.
Ankur Tewari's tale fails to tackle the real issue, instead he races towards formulating an answer. He falters in his inability to steer away from Bollywood clichés. Instead, he laps up all the archaic formulae, making a mockery of the entire situation and passing the Indians and Australians off as bickering, juvenile brats.
It's shocking that Baweja allowed Suri to cast him in a role where he spends his entire screen time breathing fire for no apparent reason. His prejudice appears unfounded. Sharma's debut run leaves a lot to be desired. Her glycerine-coated gaze appears forced and monotonous, making us question her versatility. Hashmi, might've waltzed through to the box office with Suri's Awarappan and Kalyug, but Crook jinxes the hat-trick. Even his lip-syncing powers appear faded. Not one of Pritam's numbers deserves an applause, forget a mention.
As is customary, uncles - Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt - team up as producers, with Suri's sister Smilie also making a quick appearance. After a stunning performance in Kalyug, it's incomprehensible why Suri devotes only five minutes to her cause. But, it's the chubby Amrohi who emerges as an all-rounder. From cheeky humour to passionate outbursts, he tackles each emotion with sincerity.
Forget racial issues, even the love story appears jaded. May we suggest that Suri tackle horror for his next project. At least, he could save on the make-up!
Fitness more important in fight against disease
Abu Dhabi: Despite the established connection between obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, being physically fit is more important than weight loss to decrease the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, a leading researcher told health care professionals in the capital yesterday.
A good level of fitness is effective protection against cardiovascular disease for everyone, including patients afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, Dr Silvano Zanuso, leading researcher from the University of Padua in Italy, said.
"We know that the complications arising from diabetes, not diabetes itself, cause death for diabetics. Ensuring proper fitness however reduces the mortality risk for these patients," Dr Zanuso told Gulf News on the sidelines of the MEED Arabian Public Health Forum 2010.
With 20 per cent of the UAE population being diabetic and another 20 per cent pre-diabetic, professionals at the forum discussed the benefits of exercise to reduce the incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the country.
Dr Zanuso said that a structured exercise programme combining aerobics and resistance training, along with regular physical activity and a proper nutritional plan, was the most effective way to reduce the mortality risk for both diabetics and pre-diabetic individuals.
Structured exercises
Structured aerobic exercises include activities like bicycling, swimming, running and skiing, whereas structured resistance training incorporates strength training and weight lifting.
Dr Zanuso said that while a workout type involving either only aerobic or only resistance exercises is effective, a programme that combines both produces the best results.
"To prevent the onset of diabetes more effectively, structured exercise should be undertaken weekly for a minimum of half an hour upto three hours, depending on intensity of the workout. In addition, about 2 hours of physical activity like taking the stairs should also be included," Dr Zanuso said.
A good level of fitness is effective protection against cardiovascular disease for everyone, including patients afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, Dr Silvano Zanuso, leading researcher from the University of Padua in Italy, said.
"We know that the complications arising from diabetes, not diabetes itself, cause death for diabetics. Ensuring proper fitness however reduces the mortality risk for these patients," Dr Zanuso told Gulf News on the sidelines of the MEED Arabian Public Health Forum 2010.
With 20 per cent of the UAE population being diabetic and another 20 per cent pre-diabetic, professionals at the forum discussed the benefits of exercise to reduce the incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the country.
Dr Zanuso said that a structured exercise programme combining aerobics and resistance training, along with regular physical activity and a proper nutritional plan, was the most effective way to reduce the mortality risk for both diabetics and pre-diabetic individuals.
Structured exercises
Structured aerobic exercises include activities like bicycling, swimming, running and skiing, whereas structured resistance training incorporates strength training and weight lifting.
Dr Zanuso said that while a workout type involving either only aerobic or only resistance exercises is effective, a programme that combines both produces the best results.
Paid parking in four new areas in Abu Dhabi
Motorists will have to pay to park in four new areas in Abu Dhabi from Sunday as authorities seek to create 75,000 spaces by 2012
Abu Dhabi: Starting Sunday, the paid parking system will roll out in four new areas with more than 4,000 spaces, a senior official said on Monday.
"As many as 4,427 parking spaces will be controlled by the scheme as part of the Mawaqif 2010 Plan revealed earlier this year, aiming to manage car parking facilities and spaces in Abu Dhabi," said Najib Al Zarouni, general manager of parking at the Department of Transport.
The new areas are W5, W6, W7-01, W8, where the first is between Corniche Road and Al Nasr Street, King Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street with a total of 817 spaces, the second is located between Al Nasr Street and Zayed First Street, King Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street with a total of 1,454 slots.
Third area
The third area is located between King Khalid Bin Abdel Aziz Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street, Al Nasr Street and Zayed First Street with a total of 628 spaces and the fourth one is between King Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Street and Al Khaleej Al Arabi, Al Corniche Street and Zayed First Street with a total of 1,528 spaces.
By the end of 2012, 75,000 paid parking spaces will be created in 43 areas in Abu Dhab. Of these, 35,000 spaces are planned by the end of this year.
The system is enforced from 8 am to 9 pm, Saturdays to Thursdays, at a rate of Dh3 per hour for premium parking (identified by turquoise and white kerbstones) with a maximum stay of 4 hours, and Dh2 per hour or Dh15 per day for standard parking (identified by turquoise and black kerbstones).
Al Zarouni said the Department of Transport has been extending continuous efforts gradually to increase Mawaqif parking capacity all over Abu Dhabi in a bid to ease the parking problems in some of the city's most congested areas which suffer from lack of parking spaces and illegal parking behaviours."
Residents in the area can apply for resident permits from the Mawaqif Customer Service Centers.
Documents: Residents' checklist
The documents required to obtain Mawaqif include: passport copy with valid residency visa; lease of contract or residency ownership proof; last electricity bill; vehicle ownership; relationship proof for the vehicle owner if different from the tenancy contract. Annual fees for the resident permits are Dh800 for the first vehicle, Dh1,200 for the second vehicle.
Processing of resident permits, takes a minimum of three working days. Customer service representatives are available at the Department of Transport Customer Service Centre on Hamdan Street, and Department of Transport Customer Service Centre is at Marina Mall.
Abu Dhabi: Starting Sunday, the paid parking system will roll out in four new areas with more than 4,000 spaces, a senior official said on Monday.
"As many as 4,427 parking spaces will be controlled by the scheme as part of the Mawaqif 2010 Plan revealed earlier this year, aiming to manage car parking facilities and spaces in Abu Dhabi," said Najib Al Zarouni, general manager of parking at the Department of Transport.
The new areas are W5, W6, W7-01, W8, where the first is between Corniche Road and Al Nasr Street, King Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street with a total of 817 spaces, the second is located between Al Nasr Street and Zayed First Street, King Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street with a total of 1,454 slots.
Third area
The third area is located between King Khalid Bin Abdel Aziz Street and Tareq Bin Zeyad Street, Al Nasr Street and Zayed First Street with a total of 628 spaces and the fourth one is between King Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Street and Al Khaleej Al Arabi, Al Corniche Street and Zayed First Street with a total of 1,528 spaces.
By the end of 2012, 75,000 paid parking spaces will be created in 43 areas in Abu Dhab. Of these, 35,000 spaces are planned by the end of this year.
The system is enforced from 8 am to 9 pm, Saturdays to Thursdays, at a rate of Dh3 per hour for premium parking (identified by turquoise and white kerbstones) with a maximum stay of 4 hours, and Dh2 per hour or Dh15 per day for standard parking (identified by turquoise and black kerbstones).
Al Zarouni said the Department of Transport has been extending continuous efforts gradually to increase Mawaqif parking capacity all over Abu Dhabi in a bid to ease the parking problems in some of the city's most congested areas which suffer from lack of parking spaces and illegal parking behaviours."
Residents in the area can apply for resident permits from the Mawaqif Customer Service Centers.
Documents: Residents' checklist
The documents required to obtain Mawaqif include: passport copy with valid residency visa; lease of contract or residency ownership proof; last electricity bill; vehicle ownership; relationship proof for the vehicle owner if different from the tenancy contract. Annual fees for the resident permits are Dh800 for the first vehicle, Dh1,200 for the second vehicle.
Processing of resident permits, takes a minimum of three working days. Customer service representatives are available at the Department of Transport Customer Service Centre on Hamdan Street, and Department of Transport Customer Service Centre is at Marina Mall.
Bill Clinton campaigns for Reid in Nevada
In a high school gymnasium packed with more than 1,000 supporters, former President Bill Clinton gave a rousing speech touting the achievements of embattled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and criticizing his Republican challenger in an attempt to energize Democratic supporters.
Polls show the race between Reid and Republican Sharron Angle neck and neck.
In his 40-minute speech, Clinton told the crowd "in a normal time ... Sen . Reid would be winning this race by 25 points especially for what his opponent has advocated."
But, he added, "this is a tough time."
As many Democrats have recently, the former president criticized the large number of third-party group television ads running in this midterm election.
A great majority of the organizations sponsoring those commercials are aligned with the Republican Party and don't have to disclose their donors.
"My mamma raised me to be man enough to stand up and say who I was if I criticized someone else," he said. "There's a reason these people running these ads under phony committee names, because if you knew who was behind ads you would know they were not true. And they will make money if Republicans run Congress."
Clinton then went into a spirited defense of the four-term senator.
"I am here because he has been good for America," he said as he recounted some of Reid's accomplishments, including saving construction and teaching jobs, pushing stimulus funds to build infrastructure and getting Bank of America to halt all foreclosures after problems with faulty paperwork, a line which draw a lot of applause.
One of Reid's problems stems from the fact Nevada leads the nation in unemployment at 14.4 percent as well as foreclosures.
Clinton told the crowd that Reid has made job creation his top priority and pushed tax credits and legislation that will bring new energy jobs to the state.
He also ripped into Angle and pointed out previous comments she made saying it's not the job of a U.S. senator to bring new jobs and said she would kill some of the tax breaks that will benefit Nevada.
Clinton said he recognizes "people are frightened and confused and mad," but urged voters not to cast ballots based on emotions.
"People are saying I'm mad and just mad and want to throw people out. I'm old enough to say if you make a decision when you are mad, there is an 80 percent chance you are going to make a mistake."
Clinton urged voters not to abandon their anger but "channel it so they can think clearly."
The former president went after Republicans on their budget history, and reminded the audience he left office after his administration had delivered several budget surpluses.
"I just want to gag when they say they want to balance the budget," he said. "If they just kept my budget, we'd be out of debt for the first time since 1942."
In introducing Clinton, Reid lavished praise on him, saying "during those eight years as president, he led us through the most prosperous" time.
Reid only mentioned President Obama once when he talked about the fiscal "hole" he inherited from the George W. Bush administration. Reid assured the crowd the No. 1 issue on his mind as well as theirs is the stagnant economy.
"We all wish things were better," he said "They are getting better ... just not fast enough."
While the audience lept to its feet several times for the 42nd president, it was also excited to see three Los Angeles Lakers basketball players who were surprise guests. Forward Ron Artest was joined by two rookies. The team is playing a preseason game Wednesday in the city.
The Las Vegas is part of Clinton's weeklong cross-country campaign swing. On Monday, he stumped in Kentucky for Jack Conway, who is running for Senate. On the same day, he stopped in West Virginia for Gov. Joe Manchin, who is in a tight Senate race.
Polls show the race between Reid and Republican Sharron Angle neck and neck.
In his 40-minute speech, Clinton told the crowd "in a normal time ... Sen . Reid would be winning this race by 25 points especially for what his opponent has advocated."
But, he added, "this is a tough time."
As many Democrats have recently, the former president criticized the large number of third-party group television ads running in this midterm election.
A great majority of the organizations sponsoring those commercials are aligned with the Republican Party and don't have to disclose their donors.
"My mamma raised me to be man enough to stand up and say who I was if I criticized someone else," he said. "There's a reason these people running these ads under phony committee names, because if you knew who was behind ads you would know they were not true. And they will make money if Republicans run Congress."
Clinton then went into a spirited defense of the four-term senator.
"I am here because he has been good for America," he said as he recounted some of Reid's accomplishments, including saving construction and teaching jobs, pushing stimulus funds to build infrastructure and getting Bank of America to halt all foreclosures after problems with faulty paperwork, a line which draw a lot of applause.
One of Reid's problems stems from the fact Nevada leads the nation in unemployment at 14.4 percent as well as foreclosures.
Clinton told the crowd that Reid has made job creation his top priority and pushed tax credits and legislation that will bring new energy jobs to the state.
He also ripped into Angle and pointed out previous comments she made saying it's not the job of a U.S. senator to bring new jobs and said she would kill some of the tax breaks that will benefit Nevada.
Clinton said he recognizes "people are frightened and confused and mad," but urged voters not to cast ballots based on emotions.
"People are saying I'm mad and just mad and want to throw people out. I'm old enough to say if you make a decision when you are mad, there is an 80 percent chance you are going to make a mistake."
Clinton urged voters not to abandon their anger but "channel it so they can think clearly."
The former president went after Republicans on their budget history, and reminded the audience he left office after his administration had delivered several budget surpluses.
"I just want to gag when they say they want to balance the budget," he said. "If they just kept my budget, we'd be out of debt for the first time since 1942."
In introducing Clinton, Reid lavished praise on him, saying "during those eight years as president, he led us through the most prosperous" time.
Reid only mentioned President Obama once when he talked about the fiscal "hole" he inherited from the George W. Bush administration. Reid assured the crowd the No. 1 issue on his mind as well as theirs is the stagnant economy.
"We all wish things were better," he said "They are getting better ... just not fast enough."
While the audience lept to its feet several times for the 42nd president, it was also excited to see three Los Angeles Lakers basketball players who were surprise guests. Forward Ron Artest was joined by two rookies. The team is playing a preseason game Wednesday in the city.
The Las Vegas is part of Clinton's weeklong cross-country campaign swing. On Monday, he stumped in Kentucky for Jack Conway, who is running for Senate. On the same day, he stopped in West Virginia for Gov. Joe Manchin, who is in a tight Senate race.
He heads back to his native Arkansas on Wednesday to campaign with Sen. Blanche Lincoln and finishes up Friday in California rallying support for Rep. Loretta Sanchez and California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown.
New York gubernatorial candidate apologizes for remarks about guys
New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino apologized for comments "that may have offended the gay and lesbian community" after his remarks to an Orthodox Jewish group drew fire earlier this week.
The Republican candidate said he doesn't want children "to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option [compared with heterosexuality]. ... it isn't."
Andrew Cuomo, the New York attorney general and Paladino's Democratic opponent, criticized the remarks Sunday, as did advocate groups for gays and lesbians.
In a letter Tuesday, Paladino acknowledged that he made "mistakes" when he told Jewish leaders that children should not be "brainwashed" into thinking that homosexuality is an acceptable option.
"I sincerely apologize for any comment that may have offended the gay and lesbian community or their family members," he said in the letter. "Any reference to branding an entire community based on a small representation of them is wrong."
Paladino said if he is elected governor, he will fight for the rights of all New Yorkers.
Paladino also criticized Cuomo for marching in New York's gay pride parade in June.
The Republican candidate said he doesn't want children "to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option [compared with heterosexuality]. ... it isn't."
Andrew Cuomo, the New York attorney general and Paladino's Democratic opponent, criticized the remarks Sunday, as did advocate groups for gays and lesbians.
"I sincerely apologize for any comment that may have offended the gay and lesbian community or their family members," he said in the letter. "Any reference to branding an entire community based on a small representation of them is wrong."
Paladino said if he is elected governor, he will fight for the rights of all New Yorkers.
Paladino also criticized Cuomo for marching in New York's gay pride parade in June.
Cuomo called Paladino's comments cynical and divisive.
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