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EDITION

17

www.tgifedition.com

ISSN 1172-4153 | Volume 1 | Issue 19 |

| 12 December 2008

on the Govt Obama tainted in corruption sting INSIDE toughens up bail laws LONG LAG

By Ian Wishart

Wellington, Dec 12 – Government legislation that strengthens bail provisions has passed its first hurdle in Parliament with the support of Labour.

The Bail Amendment Bill reverses changes made to the test for imprisonment passed last year that raised the bar for remand in custody from “a risk” the defendant might offend, abscond, or interfere with witnesses to“a real and significant risk”.

A second change meant the court only took breaches of bail conditions into account when they were relevant to the“real and significant risk”factor in the first change.

The bill passed its first reading today by 106 votes to seven, with only the Maori Party and the Greens opposing it.

Justice Minister Simon Power said it showed the Government was taking swift action to put public safety first.

Justice Ministry estimates suggested the move would lift the prison population by 50 to 100, but officials had noted it could be more as the judiciary was likely to take the new law as a signal the bail threshold had been raised.

“Everyone should have the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty and the right not to be arbitrarily detained ,”he said.

“However, these rights must be balanced against the safety of the New Zealand public.”

US President-elect Barack Obama has become mired in a corruption controversy before he even takes office, after the arrest this week of Democrat colleague and Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.

Blagojevich was charged Wednesday by the FBI on corruption offences after wiretaps revealed the Democrat governor was trying to sell Obama’s now vacant senate seat.

Under the Illinois constitution, the Governor has sole responsibility for filling the seat with a nominee of his choice, but transcripts released Thursday show the governor was out to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

On Nov. 5, while discussing his authority to name Obama’s replacement, Blagojevich said Obama could use his influence to name the governor to a lucrative spot with a private foundation.

Blagojevich told Adviser A: “I’ve got this thing and it’s (expletive) golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there.”

26 years behind bars Page 2

NUDE MEN Kids calendar?

Page 4

GREECE FRIGHTENING

Read more, page 8

More riots Page 10 UPI

Continue reading

Muriwai beach gets speed limit Wellington, Dec 12 – Speed restrictions have been placed on a popular Auckland beach after local residents expressed concern about the dangers of speeding vehicles.

Traffic on Muriwai Beach, 45km west of downtown Auckland, has been restricted to 30kmh from the southern end to Coast Road beach access.

A 60kmh restriction has been placed from the beach access to the New Zealand Defence Force Bombing Range.

“Muriwai is an extremely popular beach, and

vehicle traffic on the beach has increased noticeably in recent years,” Rodney District Council western sector project manager Gavin Flynn said.

“Local residents have expressed concern about the dangers of speeding vehicles on the beach as traffic has grown.”

Mr Flynn said there were already some restrictions controlling where vehicles were allowed on the beach and these would continue to operate.

“Signage is in place on the beach showing where the speed restrictions will apply.

“The police will be monitoring the beach area and issuing speeding tickets to anyone caught breaking the rules,”he said.

Last summer a quadbiker was seriously injured after a collision with a trailbike rider on Muriwai beach.

And last NewYear’s Eve a 13-year-old girl died in hospital after being struck by a motorbike at Ripiro Beach, 17km southwest of Dargaville.The 15-year-old male rider was alleged to have been racing his unregistered motocross machine without a headlight at night.

– NZPA

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12 December 2008 FROM FRONT PAGE

He said those that had benefited from the previous Labour-led government’s amendment were not “low risk”.

If reversing the changes has an equal and opposite effect, the operating cost would be $7 million a year, with a capital cost of $38 million.

Despite supporting the bill, Labour leader Phil Goff and law and order spokesman Clayton Cosgrove attacked it as a flimsy branding exercise.

Mr Cosgrove said Labour was supporting the bill as the 2007 change was merely a“clarification”of an unclear law and the reversal would make little difference.

Mr Goff said about 15,000 people were already remanded in custody every year and the legislation would only affect an additional 50 to 100 people.

He said some Justice Ministry estimates had suggested only 10 more prison beds would be needed.

“This bill is entirely without substance. It is simply window dressing.”

The previous Labour-led government had raised the prison muster by 3000 through tougher sentencing laws and between 2004 and 2008 the number of people remanded into custody went up 30 percent.

“That is the biggest increase in history.”

He urged the Government to adopt a measure of the previous government to bar inmates from parole before serving two thirds of their sentence, which he said would make a real difference to public safety.

But Mr Power said the bill was just the first stage of a wider overhaul of bail laws.

Other possible future changes included: making it clear bail could not be granted to alleged offenders in return for information; considering whether people remanded on drug offences should be barred from bail with electronic

OBAMA HUNG UP ON, AGAIN! BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., (UPI) – A U.S. congressman-elect says he mistakenly screened out a call from U.S. President-elect Barack Obama that came in on his cellular phone.

U.S. Rep.-elect Gary Peters, a Democrat from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., told Wednesday’s Detroit Free Press he’s sorry now about his policy of sending calls bearing restricted identifications to voice mail. It turns out the one he got a few days after the Nov. 4 election was from Obama himself, calling to congratulate him on his victory over incumbent Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg.

Peters decided not to interrupt the call he was on when the restricted call came in, rolling it over to voice mail, the newspaper said. But when he checked his messages later that evening, a distinctive voice said, “Gary, this is Barack Obama. I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory. You don’t need to call me back.”

Peters said he would have loved to return the call, yelling at his phone, “I want to call you back, what’s your number?” So the lesson is: Answer those restricted calls when you get them.

– NZPA Back to the front page

The 36-year-old has been on trial before for abducting a woman, sexually violating her, and attempting to murder her during a session of experimental sex he described as “cool”

KFC’S SPICY SECRET ANDERSON, Calif., Dec. 12 (UPI) – Three Kentucky Fried Chicken workers in California have been fired after being accused of using a restaurant sink as a bathtub, a company spokesman said.

KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said the three unidentified female employees were initially suspended for allegedly bathing in a dishwashing sink in Anderson, Calif., but were later fired over the incident, the (Redding, Calif.) Record Searchlight said today.

“KFC has zero tolerance for violations of our operating standards, and our franchisee has taken immediate action by terminating the employees who were involved,” Maynard said in an e-mail.

The incident came to light after photographs of the female workers that allegedly show them bathing in the sink were posted on a MySpace profile.

The suspected bathing incident at the fast food restaurant could have significant repercussions for the Anderson eatery as well, senior environmental health specialist Fern Hastings of Shasta County’s Environmental Health said.

Hastings told the Record Searchlight the photos appear to indicate the employees allegedly wore only swimsuits or underwear while bathing, a violation of a clean employee clothing state regulation.

Italian court mandates divorce cell phones ROME, Dec. 12 (UPI) – Italy’s top court said today that children involved in a divorce must receive cell phones as part of maintenance payments.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that, according to a Cassation Court ruling, divorced parents will be required to buy their children cell phones to use as daily forms of communication.

The court’s ruling came from a case involving a 51year-old divorced father identified only as M.D. The father had been accused of avoiding payments to his ex-wife, Luise, regarded as maintenance payments for necessary supplies for his son, Lorenzo.

The court ruled that maintenance payments should extend beyond mere lodging and food, but should also include cell phone services and similar daily services.

ANSA said the court ordered M.D. to pay more than $13,300 in missing maintenance payments during the last four years.

monitoring and home detention.

The Government would also be reviewing the Bail Act to increase compliance.

ACT MP David Garrett said the proposed change was minor, merely returning the law to the pre-2007 status quo. He said stronger changes were needed to prevent cases like that of Michael Curran who killed two-year-old Aaliyah Morrissey while on bail for killing his former partner Natasha Hayden.

Green MP Metiria Turei said the Curran case was shocking but due to mistakes in the application of the law rather than the law itself.

It was important such cases were not presented as the norm. She said the courts should err on the side of keeping non-violent and young offenders in the community rather than prison.

Liam Reid looks to the Public gallery during his sentencing for the rape and murder of Emma Agnew, Christchurch High Court.

NZPA/John McCombe

Bondage & discipline killer goes down for life Christchurch, Dec 12 – The violent life of Liam James Reid culminated today in a sentence of preventive detention with no chance of parole for 26 years.

His sentence was in response to being found guilty of raping and murdering deaf Christchurch woman Emma Agnew and the violent rape and attempted murder of another woman just nine days later.

The 36-year-old has been on trial before for abducting a woman, sexually violating her, and attempting to murder her during a session of experimental sex he described as “cool”.

He was acquitted of all those charges in October 2002, but convicted of fraudulently using the victim’s bankcard while he was on the run, when he knew she had gone to the police.

He had a different name then,Julian Heath Edgecombe, which was mentioned during his four-week

trial on charges of raping and murdering Emma Agnew, and raping, sexually violating, attempting to murder, and robbing another woman in Dunedin.

The Dunedin woman told of being attacked in the street by a man who put a rope around her neck and choked her during the rape.

Emma Agnew was found near Spencer Park, naked and choked to death with a sock stuffed into the back of her throat, blocking her airway.

Handcuffing, spanking, and asphxia were part of the sex games Edgecombe admitted playing with the woman he was accused of trying to hang in 2002.

The pair argued and he said that when they were going to have “reconciliation sex”he told her that he needed to protect himself because of the threats she made to have him charged and to harm his daughter.

She then wrote a note, saying she had not been

raped and it referred to spanking.

Edgecombe told of having sex with her involving spanking and asphyxia using a power cord. He denied that he had tried to hang her with a phone cable.

As he did at the murder trial this month, Edgecombe gave evidence in his own defence. He told the court he and the woman had“hard out, furious, fast, deviant, experimental, disgusting sex. It was cool.To us it was normal”.

After the acquittals on all the sex charges, Edgecombe was remanded for sentence on the bank card charge and got a three-month jail term.

His time in prison on remand had been marked with violence.

In November 2002 he admitted attacking two other prison inmates in a frenzied bashing with a broom handle.

He broke the broom handle over one man, who was struck repeatedly.The second victim was bashed over the head when he tried to intervene.

Judge David Holderness referred to Edgcombe’s bad list of previous offending, including violence, and jailed him for 27 months.

He was acquitted in 2003 on a charge of assaulting another inmate with intent to injure – a charge that alleged he had thrown a mug of boiling water in the other man’s face and then punched him 15 times.

Edgecombe also attacked a convicted paedophile in prison. His attack may have left George Darren Cant – in jail for molesting five children at a church camp – eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in compensation.

When Edgecombe was cuffed by a prison officer he claimed $40,000 compensation but it was refused in a decision by Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen Erber in July 2005.

Cant would have been eligible to claim any compensation money that Edgecombe had received.

The prison officer lost his job over the incident.

Edgecombe claimed the compensation for“hurt feelings”.

After Judge Erber refused compensation, Justice Minister Phil Goff said:“It vindicates the Government’s judgment that this legislation (the Prisoners and Victims Claims Act) would be effective in stopping golden handshakes for inmates where disciplinary action against an errant prison officer dealt more effectively with the problem.”

During the hearing, there was reference to Edgecombe’s previous convictions for assault, possessing unlicensed firearms, and making threats to kill.

Now the little man with all the tattoos has added convictions for rape, sexual violation, attempted murder and robbery to his record.

– NZPA

NEW ZEALAND

12 December 2008

Left in a spin over job law

By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington – New workers in small businesses can be sacked within 90 days of starting their jobs under a law passed today.

The probation period may be extended to larger firms in future.

Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said the Employment Relations Amendment Act would encourage small businesses – with 20 or fewer workers – to take a risk and hire more staff knowing they would not be caught up in expensive and time consuming personal grievance processes if the person was not right for the job.

The bill was passed under urgency, meaning there was no select committee process where views could be heard and changes made – Ms Wilkinson said fast action was needed because of tough economic times.

A similar bill put up by National’s Wayne Mapp had been well canvassed, she said.

However, Labour claims the bill strips rights and will open workers up to abuse.

The new law is effective from March after the Government agreed to an ACT Party amendment to bring it forward by a month.

“This bill is a win-win for employers and employees, it is not about taking away rights,”Ms Wilkinson told Parliament this morning.

“It is about giving opportunities.”

She said mediation was available and protections against discrimination remained.

“It gives businesses the confidence to take on new employees. This bill dramatically reduces compliance costs for small to medium businesses associated with recruitment and dismissive.”

Bad employers were unlikely to abide by rules anyway, she said.

Labour’s Lianne Dalziel said compliance costs increased in Britain when a similar move was done.

More employment cases would be taken on discrimination grounds as workers tried to get their rights. Often it was cheaper to agree to a settlement.

Labour’s Trevor Mallard criticised the Govern-

ment for refusing amendments to give people notice in writing and for them to be told the reason for their sacking. The Government also refused an amendment to exclude schools.

He said most employers would treat people fairly, but there were “scumbag employers” who would abuse it.

Protections were useless if people did not know why they were sacked and, if not backed up with legal enforcement, were toothless.

Green MP Sue Bradford said the law was an affront to workers.About 100,000 at any time would be under probation.

Ethnic workers and the most vulnerable – such as migrants unfamiliar with their legal rights – would be worst affected.

Ms Wilkinson has said beneficiaries who lose their jobs under the probation period would not face a stand down period for benefits, but Ms Bradford said that would not help other workers who had not been on welfare before taking the job.

ACT’s David Garrett said the left was scaremon-

gering and there was no advantage for employers to sack good workers.

The Maori Party, which has a support agreement with National, is also opposing the bill, saying it would hurt Maori and Pacific workers.

Unions were outraged by the bill and EPMU was to petition Governor General Anand Satyanand today, asking he delay or refuse royal assent.

That won’t happen but was indicative of opposition to the change and the rushed process.

Business groups welcomed the change.

Business NZ chief executive Phil O’Reilly said most developed countries had similar policies.

“Most important, we are facing an economic downturn when jobs are most at risk and small businesses are least likely to hire,”he said.

“It is a pro-worker policy.The least skilled, most marginal employees – currently most at risk of not gaining jobs – will get the most benefit from it.”

The bill passed by 63 votes to 51 with National, ACT and United Future in favour.

– NZPA

Tagger’s mum laments killer’s decision Auckland, Dec 12 – The mother of a teenage boy who was stabbed and killed after tagging a fence says her son should not have died that night.

Leanne Cameron said she did not support what her 15-year-old son had done, and had previously signed a petition against graffiti to make parents more accountable for their children’s actions.

Bruce Emery, a 50-year-old businessman, was convicted of manslaughter for stabbing her son, Pihema Clifford Cameron, 15, with a knife.

Emery confronted the teenager and a relative after he found them tagging in Manurewa on January 26.

Ms Cameron said Emery should not have taken the law into his own hands. She pointed out there is an 0800 graffiti number which people can call.

“No one should take the law into their own hands, no matter what. It’s not their place,” she told The New Zealand Herald.

Ms Cameron said her son was raised in a loving, caring family but had stopped attending high school late last year because he hated it, much to the disagreement of his separated parents.

Pihema had been brought up knowing tagging was wrong, but had got into a bit of trouble, like many teenagers.

His parents even caught him tagging a table about a year ago.

Ms Cameron said she gave him a bucket of water and a cloth with cleaning product and made him scrub it off, which she hoped would teach him a lesson.

Ms Cameron said Pihema would be remembered as being very family-oriented and he enjoyed working

on cars.He played in the ripper tag touch competition for a team called the Strickly Green Tag Team.

Ms Cameron moved to Australia last year, and her children joined her later. She said Pihema had been living with his father Pihama Edmonds, who was a tetraplegic.

“He was his dad’s hands and legs. He helped his father heaps. That’s the hardest part now – who’s going to be there for his dad?”she said.

Pihema was a student at Papakura High School until last year, but had not re-enrolled, despite his parents’ best efforts. The plan was for him to join his mother in Australia this year, to work part-time while doing a course.

Pihema’s grandfather Brian Cameron said the jury’s manslaughter verdict was a huge disappointment.He believed it sent the wrong message to people who hate tagging that it was okay to kill someone.

“He’s 15-years-old, he never started tagging until he was 14, so I hear.We never knew he was out tagging at midnight, he used to go out with his mates when everybody went to sleep,”he told Radio New Zealand.

“They portrayed him as an alcoholic and a drug addict. He had a couple of puffs of dope each with his mate and a couple of beers but they tried to say he drank a couple of boxes of booze and it was just out of hand.”

Mr Cameron said he had asked Pihema a few times why he went tagging and warned if he caught Pihema tagging his property“I’d snap your fingers off”.

The family of 15-year-old Pihema Cameron who was fatally stabbed by businessman Bruce Emery after he suspected the 15 year old of tagging his house, leave the court after Emery was found guilty of manslaughter but not of murder by. NZPA / Wayne Drought

– NZPA

NZ dollar mixed as international events prevail Wellington, Dec 12 – The New Zealand dollar had a decidedly mixed day, especially around the local close when markets around the world were side-swiped by news US Senate negotiators failed to reach a compromise deal to bail out US carmakers.

Equities markets in Asia dropped on the news and the US dollar hit a seven-week low against the yen.

The New Zealand dollar tested below US55c late in the session but overnight it peaked around US55.70c, its highest level in 18 days, as the market’s appetite for risk improved.

By 5pm the NZ dollar was US55.03c, down from the US55.32c open and the US54.60c close yesterday.

Imre Speizer, senior market strategist at Westpac, said the interesting thing about the US market overnight had been that it received bad news in jobless

claims data but the US dollar fell.

In recent times bad news supported the US dollar as a safe haven argument.

“It is too early to say whether it is a turnaround and a recognition that bad data should punish the US dollar,”he said.

The kiwi fell against the aussie to be at A82.89c by the local close from A83.10c yesterday.

It had risen on the cross yesterday as traders with long Australian dollar positions sold to square up.

“That’s been a big crowded trade and it has made people a lot of money,”he said.

Against the euro the kiwi slipped to 0.4108 at 5pm from 0.4183 at yesterday’s local close, and against the Japanese currency it fell to 49.84 yen from 50.46 yen.

The trade weighted index was 54.54 from 54.82 yesterday.

– NZPA

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NEW ZEALAND

12 December 2008

Broadband unbundling makes an impact Wellington, Dec 12 – Services offered over Telecom’s copper local loop by its competitors are proving popular, according to a monitoring report by the Commerce Commission.

“Unbundled copper local loop is a new product wholesaled directly by Telecom’s local access network operator, Chorus, to Telecom’s retail competitors, and is proving very popular,”the commission said in its September quarterly report on telecommunications markets.

The commission finalised the price and non-price terms on which Telecom must make this service available to other telecommunications providers in November last year.

Between the launch in May and the end of September, telecommunications companies have purchased over 12,000 lines from Chorus, which they are using to provide competing retail services to customers, including broadband and telephone services, the commission said.

Telecommunications Users Association (Tuanz) chief executive Ernie Newman said that in many aspects of telecommunications New Zealand was improving its relative OECD ranking, but cell phone pricing was a conspicuous exception.

“Kiwis are typically paying between 23 percent and 46 percent more for mobile calls than the average of the OECD countries,”he said in a statement.

Although some alternative service providers were emerging, they were dependent on the two existing networks for their connectivity and therefore, for their pricing.

“To break out of this we desperately need a third network. One has been under construction for some time, but it is being slowed by resource management issues and delays in establishing proper competition policy in relation to sharing of cell towers,”Mr Newman said.

The commission’s report found that Telecom’s shares of the retail DSL (digital subscriber line)

market decreased from 76 percent in June 2006 to 66 percent in September.

Most broadband connections in New Zealand are provided over standard copper telephone lines using DSL technology.

One third of DSL connections provided over Telecom’s network are wholesale connections provided to another retailer.

Telecom’s retail connections have been growing more slowly than the total DSL market.

The recent downturn in Telecom’s share of growth in retail DSL connections has been the largest experienced by Telecom, with its increase in retail DSL customers equal to only 6 percent of growth in retail customers for the quarter.

This could be due to the end of its $16.95 broadband at dial-up prices promotion and the high charge for extra data usage in the basic plan in this promotion.

– NZPA

Australia announces big spend-up Canberra, Dec 12 – The federal government is introducing a $A4.7 billion ($NZ5.80 billion) nation building plan to combat the affects of the global financial crisis, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

The latest injection of funds comes on top of its $A10.4 billion economic stimulus package.

Flanked by Treasurer Wayne Swan, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr Rudd said the government was focusing on infrastructure because it was a major driver of economic growth.

Mr Rudd said the package announced on Friday was capable of creating 32,000 jobs.

“This package will deal with critical infrastructure in transport, it deals with rail, it deals with roads, it also deals with education, it also deals with

how we support private investment,” he said.

Mr Rudd said the government will bring forward $A711 million in spending in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 financial years to accelerate the commencement of 14 road projects.

It will also double funding for the federal Black Spots program from $A50 million to $A110 million.

“This ... effectively brings forward a total of $A4.7 billion in the Auslink 11 program,”Mr Rudd said.

Mr Rudd said the government would spend $A1.2 billion on rail infrastructure,the largest single investment in rail in the history of the commonwealth.

He said that investment over two years in the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) was more than the former coalition government invested during its almost 12 years in office.

“We will inject $A1.2 billion in new funds into the ARTC,”Mr Rudd said.

“For example, $A580 million of today’s investment will be used to expand capacity and rail corridors to service the Hunter, the Hunter Valley Coal mines, and of course their connection to the Port of Newcastle,”he said.

Mr Rudd said this investment would more than

double the export capacity at Newcastle from 97 to 200 million tonnes of coal a year.

Businesses with an annual turnover under $A2 million will be allowed to postpone 20 percent of their next Pay As You Go (PAYG) tax instalment until they make their annual return.

The measure will help 1.3 million small businesses, Mr Rudd said.

It would keep $A440 million in their bank accounts instead of sending it to Treasury’s coffers.

The third component of the plan is a $A1.6 billion investment in education.

This is made up of 11 specific education research projects and $A1 billion to be directed towards the immediate capital needs of universities andTAFE colleges to deal with additional teaching and learning.

MedRecruit’s ‘Dr December’, Sam Hazledine, says he’s disappointed his charity calendar has been dissed by KidsCan.NZPA / MedRecruit

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Wellington, Dec 12 – Children’s charity KidScan is horrified its name has been linked to a calendar of nude men, and is refusing to accept money from its sale.

Men with links to medical recruit firm MedRecruit bared all in the calendar, saying all the money raised would go to KidScan, a charity for underprivileged children.

The men, many of them doctors, were shown in a range of poses, from lying in bed looking sultry, to mountainbiking and surfing. No wiggly bits were shown.

But KidScan general manager Julie Henson told NZPA the calendar was “inappropriate”, and she would not touch the money it raised.

While she had seen some of the text used, she had not seen the nude photographs until shown them by NZPA. “We didn’t have final approval,”she said.

“Now that we’ve see it we don’t think it’s appro-

priate. We’ve communicated with them that we’re not happy about it.

“They might want to chose another charity,like prostate cancer – something for men, not for children.”

MedRecruit managing director Sam Hazledine, who appears clad in a stethoscope as Mr December, was surprised to learn Ms Henson was upset.

There was nothing inappropriate about the photos, as no male bits were showing, Dr Hazledine said.

“We see the calendar as a fun way of drawing attention to and raising money for a very worthy cause,”he said, before finding out that KidScan disapproved.

“In my experience boring doesn’t work, so we decided to get a bit creative so that people would be excited to get behind this charity.

“And it’s worked, we are getting hundreds of orders for calendars so we’re raising a lot of money for KidsCan. “I don’t think a calendar of watercolour landscapes would have had quite the same effect!”

All Blacks Doug Howlett and Ali Williams are KidScan patrons.

EDITORIAL

12 December 2008

Editorial

Letters

The spin is incredible It’s getting harder to hold one’s head up in these parts and admit to being a journalist these days.The leftwing spin emanating from some of my colleagues is now so open it leaves me gasping for breath.

Now, before I get stuck into some of them, I’ll admit my own editorial position is right of centre. But let’s be honest, I’ve worn that badge on my sleeve for a long time, and everyone knows it and can adjust the weighting accordingly.

It’s very different when news agencies are the culprits.

I was staggered to read one offering from a news agency tonight on the Government’s new employment probation law.You’d think barbarians were storming the gates of western civilisation. If the reports were factual, that would be one thing. But they’re not. Instead, the journalist involved went out of their way to source the most outlandish scaremongering known to man and run it, with no byline, as a supposedly“neutral”news story.

If I believe the news agency, the 90 day proba-

tion period means people can be sacked at will, and they have “no rights” in any sense within that 90 day period.

Rubbish. From my reading of it, the 90 day clause simply states that the contract can be terminated within 90 days if the employer doesn’t wish to continue with the contract. For that matter, the employee is also free to quit within that period. If the employer acts unfairly in other areas, they can still be stung. Nothing else changes.

One group of“employment lawyers”, presumably touting for business, warned of a hairdresser who might be poached to work at a rival salon, and then sacked after 90 days.

Hello? If the hairdresser has been ‘poached’, then there won’t be a 90 day clause in her contract unless she or he asked for it. Poaching is invariably a scenario that puts bargaining chips in the worker’s hand, not the other way around.

Secondly, I don’t know what planet the lawyers or their fellow travellers in the news agency live

on, but in the real world employers don’t like hiring and firing staff. It’s expensive, particularly in small businesses who don’t have a dedicated“human resources manager” to train up staff. Job ads cost money.Training costs money and time. Employers want to make the right choice.

There’s nothing sinister in this law.

Then there’s the Barack Obama controversy in the US. I have witnesses numerous mainstream media outlets bending over backwards to paint Obama as “entirely innocent” of any involvement in this nefarious scheme.

Newsflash: Obama is a veteran of Chicago politics.

Some of his mates and fundraisers are already in federal penitentiaries,serving time on corruption charges.

Now another mate is facing the clink.The FBI noted wryly this week that if Illinois was not the most corrupt state in the US, it was“a very close second”.

An Obama presidency is going to be fascinating.

The liberal love affair with“The One”won’t survive.

SUBSCRIBE TO TGIF! I guarantee it.

Comment

Mumbai’s terrifying logic

By Brian Michael Jenkins

WASHINGTON – We tend to describe terrorism as senseless violence, but it seldom is. If we look at the attacks from the attackers’perspective, we can discern a certain strategic logic.

Terrorists from the galaxy of fanaticisms collectively called jihadism seek three goals: They want to attack targets that have symbolic or emotional value. They want to cause economic damage. And they want to run up high body counts.The surviving member of the Mumbai attack team reportedly has told his captors that their orders were to kill the maximum possible number of people.

Why India? The jihadists see India as a Hindu nation, which makes it an enemy of Islam along with the Christians and Jews. Muslim Kashmir, ruled with shaky legitimacy and a sometimes heavy hand

by Hindu-majority India, provides a further cause.

So does India’s increasingly close alliance with the United States. Jihadi terrorist attacks in India also tend to exacerbate antagonism between the nation’s Hindu and Muslim communities and can provoke reprisals like the 2002 massacre of more than 1,000 Muslims in Gujarat.That, in turn, facilitates recruiting among Indian Muslims by extremists.

Why Mumbai? As India’s Wall Street and Hollywood, it is an obvious target. This was the third devastating terrorist assault on the city. Mumbai is also a tolerant city, where Hindus and Muslims have tended to get along. Now it is rent by fear and suspicion.

The terrorists chose the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels for their final stand.They fulfil all three target criteria. The Taj, in particular, is a national landmark, a gathering place for foreigners and locals.

Killing foreigners guarantees international attention.The terrorists were hunting for Americans and Britons. The message to the local Indian elite is: Nowhere is safe.

Moreover, the three days of media-covered mayhem already have resulted in travel to India being cancelled or postponed. Tourism is exquisitely sensitive to security concerns, and some reports in Indian media say it is already off by as much as 15 percent. Bookings from the United States had fallen by 40 percent as of last week, the Times of India reported.

Western media focused on the carnage at the hotels. They paid less attention to the killings of ordinary Indians at Mumbai’s train station or at the Cama Hospital – a deliberately chilling target choice calculated to inspire fear and rage, and divide India’s religious communities.

It is highly unlikely that Pakistan’s newly elected

leaders ordered the Mumbai attack. But India accuses Pakistan of creating and supporting the extremist organizations as part of its continuing proxy war in Kashmir, of not rooting out rogue elements within its intelligence services, and of not turning over wanted terrorists believed to be living in Pakistan. If the United States can go after al-Qaida and Taliban leaders holed up in Pakistan, cannot India claim the same right?

Pakistanis already perceive India as a major threat to their national security. While I suspect that most Pakistanis were appalled by the terrorist attack, the prospect of a fourth war with India, or of India conducting military attacks on suspected terrorist training bases in Pakistan, will provoke anger and strengthen the hand of those who support a hard line against India.That will ease the pressure on terrorists based in Pakistan.

An immediate outcome may be the redeployment of Pakistani forces from the frontier tribal areas, where they have been pursuing militant jihadists, to take up defensive positions against India.Yet any slackening of Pakistani force in the frontier areas could further complicate things for NATO and American forces fighting Pakistan-based Taliban

-They charge by the pound: flesh, that is Have you considered an article on the dairy industry? My wife and I own a café and have noticed milk prices still rising – latest one four weeks ago.

How can this be when Fonterra first stated that the reason why milk, butter and cream started rising in price two years ago was due to the rising international commodity prices for these items and New Zealanders would have to buy in a competitive market. I unwillingly had to swallow this and watched as these commodity prices rose over the next 2 years, some by 250%!!

I note now however that over the last 3 months international commodity prices for dairy products has fallen by 30-40% (I believe) yet our domestic prices are rising.

This, even with the exchange rate moving to the benefit of the exporter.

The cynic in me would suggest that we in the domestic market are propping up the dairy payouts, whilst the “New Zealanders must buy these commodities at internationally competitive prices” line no longer applies. The international price is substantially cheaper now.

I would suggest an inquiry into this would make excellent reading – I would love to understand the justification ( Like courier companies instituting a fuel surcharge 8 months ago and still charging it today, even though fuel costs have plummeted ) Greg Garratt Editor responds:

and al-Qaida insurgents in Afghanistan.

All terrorist operations are recruiting posters: Terrorist attacks are intended not only to cause fear and alarm but also to inspire terrorist constituencies and attract recruits. For the planners of the Mumbai attack, it was a strategic masterstroke.

But what motivates the attackers themselves, all but one of whom were killed? The attack provides an opportunity to demonstrate their conviction – their prowess as warriors. As martyrs for jihad, they anticipate a swift passage to paradise.

Their homicidal-suicidal fanaticism, however, runs deeper than their declared beliefs.It reflects a peculiar personality type, if not outright psychopathology.

With today’s globalized grievances, one can download reasons for aggression from the Internet.

The young men who carried out the attack appear to have been self-radicalized, disposable killing instruments.The planners had only to insert a SIM card to program them into action.

Brian Michael Jenkins, author of the just-released book Will Terrorists Go Nuclear? (Prometheus, 2008), is senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corp., a non-profit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis.

– UPI

Fair comment. The same applies to a vast range of businesses who imposed fuel surcharges, and also trading banks and finance companies who are still charging interest rates far higher than their cost of borrowing.

Marac finance, for example, is still charging 16.95% interest on loans, despite the lowest OCR in five years.

-A new blog is born You wouldn’t believe the number of times I get driven to total frustration trying to cope with new technology.

From talking around, it seems there are plenty others in the same situation.

So I have set up a new weblog called “Coping in a Technological World...” which is intended to be a combination of practical ideas and (hopefully fun) thinking about the topic. As far as I can discover, there is no other blog of this kind around this part of the world.

I would really appreciate any feedback that readers care to give, and you would be very welcome also to contribute to the blog.

John McNeil, South Island Editor Challenge Weekly Letters to the editor can be posted to: PO BOX 302188, North Harbour, North Shore 0751 or emailed to: letters@tgifedition.tv

ANALYSIS

12 December 2008

Not a healthy outlook

By Peter Curson

The recently released WHO World Health Report 2008, Now More Than Ever calls for a return to the values, principles and approaches of Primary Health Care. Globalisation, the report argues, has transformed the world and placed many countries and their health systems under particular stress with the result that many health systems are not delivering the goods and failing to provide even the most basic of health care.

Thirty years ago, the Alma-Ata Conference advanced the world Primary Care Movement, a set of broad principles designed to tackle the health inequalities in all countries, to place people at the centre of health, to stress social justice, and to place emphasis on the right to better health for all. The sad reality is that in many ways these values have not been realised, and while access to health care for all is espoused by many world political leaders, success in actually delivering it has been profoundly disappointing and decidedly uneven.

There seems little doubt that moving towards health for all, produces challenges in an ever-changing globalised world, and while it is true that generally people are healthier and living longer lives today than 30 years ago, that many essential drugs have become commonplace, that there have been major advances in sanitation and water supply, and that the resources for health have never been better, the fact remains that inequality still reigns supreme and that there are still many health peaks to be climbed. Certainly there have been many successes.

If children still died at the rate they did 30 years ago, there would be about 16 million child deaths in the world today. In fact there are only about 9.5 million.This represents the equivalent of about 18,000 children’s lives saved every day.

So despite some important victories why has the global community failed to deliver on the promises made 30 years ago? A number of reasons seem to stand out.

Firstly, global progress in health has been deeply unequal with some countries progressing in leaps and bounds while others have actually gone backwards. In the latter case, Zimbabwe comes to mind.

Secondly, many countries failed to anticipate and satisfactorily manage the impact of broad demographic and social change, particularly things like falling fertility, rapid population ageing, increas-

ing population movements and urbanisation, and such trends have significantly changed the nature of health problems and impacted on health in a variety of unexpected ways. Increasing population movement has, for example, transformed the health scene and raised the issue of infections, both old and new, to a new pedestal, while the burden of increasing chronic and degenerative disease concomitant on population ageing and ‘Westernisation’ is fast taking central stage. At the same time childhood infections, while declining in significance, still feature significantly in many developing countries.

All this has placed extraordinary strain on health systems and health care delivery. In addition, a complex web of other factors is also at work. This includes climate change, challenges to energy, water and food security, and social, economic and political tensions. Health systems, particularly in the developing world, are not immune from such factors and are particularly sensitive to political and economic crises. The current health crisis in Zimbabwe is a good example as is the HIV/AIDS crisis and the way it was managed in the Republic of South Africa.

There also seems little doubt that the health sector remains massively under-resourced in many countries producing a substantial mismatch between broad expectations and actual performance.

Globally, annual government expenditure on health varies from as little as $US20 per person to well over $US6,000. Striking inequalities also exist throughout the world in access to health and health care and what people have to pay for care. For billions of people in low and middle income countries, more than 50 percent of all health care expenditure must be met from personal resources. Of approximately 136 million women expected to give birth this year in the world, 58 million will receive no medical care or assistance. Equally striking differences in life expectancy between the richest and the poorest countries continue to persist and the gap now exceeds 40 years. In Australia and New Zealand, life expectancy now exceeds 82 years. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa life expectancy remains below 45 years.

In an unequal world a return to primary health care principles would seem more relevant than ever before. Quite possibly, inequalities in health care are today much more marked than they were 30 years ago, and that is a major failing of world societies.

We now live at a time of increasing polarisation of many societies where the well-off are generally

healthier and have the best access to health care, while those at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum have much poorer health and are largely left to cope for themselves. Even in our own society we see evidence of this polarisation albeit on a more moderate scale.

In the final analysis, the WHO report argues that all societies must aim to diminish inequalities in health, eliminate all forms of health exclusion,

develop health care systems that reflect people’s needs and expectations and become responsive to changing societal circumstances, to ultimately ensure that health care is available to all.The past 30 years suggests that we have made some progress in achieving these aims, but not nearly enough.

Peter Curson is Professor in Population & Security, at the Centre for International Security Studies, Faculty of Economics & Business, the University of Sydney. He is also a TGIF Edition subscribe

THIS CHRISTMAS, THERE’S ONE BOOK YOU SHOULDN’T MISS… WHAT THE REVIEWERS SAY “Wishart takes up the gauntlet laid down

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ANALYSIS

12 December 2008

Walker’s World: Britain and the euro a good reason to join the euro. The euro has never been primarily an economic project, it’s a political one. Once you share a currency and a central bank, the pressures for closer political union become ever more powerful. Monetary union will only increase the pressure for closer political union. That’s not what the British people want, and under a Conservative government they can be confident that it’s not what they’ll get.”

Osborne’s argument makes sense, as far as it goes.

The British people repeatedly tell opinion pollsters that they want neither to join the euro nor to be part of a single European superstate. But those who put these issues at the top of their political

euro on bilateral trade have continued to rise during the second half of the eight-year history of the euro,” says Frankel’s report, published by the non-profit National Bureau of Economic Research.

This is the more striking in that Frankel is something of an intellectual hero to advocates of the euro, after another report he published earlier this year suggested the euro could overtake the dollar as the world’s leading currency by the year 2015. It may match it by then, but on the whole, the world’s markets and bankers and investors tend to think that currencies backed up by unrivalled military might and technological prowess are likely to be more reliable than those that aren’t.

Majority opinion in Britain wants to leave matters unchanged, to keep the pound, but also to keep their membership in the European Union, which now accounts for 60 percent of British trade.

And they want, sensibly, to keep their options open

By Martin Walker

WASHINGTON – As the British economy slides deeper into recession, the pound has dropped from US$2 in the summer to less than $1.50 today, and the relative strength of the euro means that just 1.14 euros will buy a pound. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to see renewed speculation about the British joining the European single currency and exchanging their pounds for euros.

Despite the speculation, fed by European Commission President Jose Barroso’s claim that the people who count in Britain have floated the prospect with him, this is not going to happen in the foreseeable future.

There are a number of reasons for this, of which the most obvious is that the decline of the overvalued pound is a useful development for the British, making their exports cheaper and thus making their recovery more likely.

It is widely believed that the British official whom Barroso had most prominently in mind was Peter Mandelson, until recently the EU trade commissioner and now ennobled to the House of

Lords and appointed Britain’s minister for business.

Equipped with great political skills and a feline cast of mind, Mandelson is a known enthusiast for Europe and for the euro. But he is also the likely choreographer and chief strategist for the re-election of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government.

Any speech or leak from him in what is becoming Britain’s pre-election period therefore should be weighed with great care.

The fuss over Britain joining the euro is, in the light of the pound’s weakness, just plausible enough to be possible. It therefore has excited the opposition Conservative Party, whose chief economic spokesman, George Osborne, had denounced Labour’s eurofanatics and for the first time given a solemn promise that the Conservatives will never take Britain into the single currency.

“We will not join the euro – in the present or the future,”Osborne declared, breaking the first rule of politics, which is never to say “Never”.

“It didn’t take long for the eurofanatics in the Labour Party to seize on our economic difficulties for their own political ends,”Osborne went on.

“Our deteriorating economic performance is not

priorities (a relatively small minority of voters) are already voting Conservative, or for the fringe U.K. Independence Party or the far-right British National Party.

Majority opinion in Britain wants to leave matters unchanged, to keep the pound, but also to keep their membership in the European Union,which now accounts for 60 percent of British trade.And they want, sensibly, to keep their options open. If the economic situation worsens to the point that the euro appears a safe port in a storm, they might well take it.

So far, the evidence suggests that the euro has neither hurt British trade nor damaged Britain’s position as the financial centre of Europe. Indeed, the euro does not appear to have done much for Europe.

The orthodox view that the single currency would double or even triple the trade in goods between its members has been undermined by Harvard Professor Jeffrey Frankel, who finds that trade within the eurozone grew by just 10 percent to 20 percent during the first four years of the currency, and then the growth stopped.

“The most surprising finding of this study was the absence of any evidence that the effects of the

But there will be at least two British general elections before the year 2015, and the wily Mandelson is focusing on the next one, which must take place

by May 2010 and may well take place next year.

The Conservatives are now locked into their no euro pledge, which is unlikely to do them any good save with their eurosceptic faithful, and may do them harm with that pragmatic majority of the British public that prefers to keep its options open.

Indeed, this week they witnessed something close to a love-in on the steps of Downing Street between Prime Minister Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Barroso, all urging a concerted European stimulus package to match that announced by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. In the midst of the worst recession most Britons can remember, that was a smart move, tying together the economic strength of Europe with the huge popularity of Obama.

It left Brown looking like a world statesman and the Conservatives like so many Little Englanders.

Mandelson, in short, set a trap, and the Conservatives have walked into it.

Democrats and Republicans alike the levelheaded practitioner one would hope to find at the top of the military. In his speeches he reveals that he is a balanced man, if anything.

But at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs earlier in the year, Gates criticized what he deemed to be a lack of balance in the military, an ailment he diagnosed as Next War-itis. Harmful enough to be given the suffix of an illness, but one sounding more chronic than debilitating, Gates was describing the tendency of the military establishment to focus on future wars to the detriment of preparing for and fighting the wars America currently finds itself in.

In September, in another speech, this one at the National Defence University, Gates again picked up this issue and expounded upon it.

“When referring to‘NextWar-it is’,”Gates explained, “I was not expressing opposition to thinking about and preparing for the future. It would be irresponsible to do so – and the overwhelming majority of the people in the Pentagon,the services and the defence industry do just that.My point was simply that we must not be so preoccupied with preparing for future conventional and strategic conflicts that we neglect to provide,both short term and long term,all the capabilities necessary to fight and win conflicts such as we are in today.”

It may seem odd that a defence secretary would find it necessary to say to the military, essentially, “Win the wars you’re fighting”. But it’s not quite as simple as that. Gates is walking a tightrope between adapting to the realities of a complex world today and hampering the ability to deter or respond to large-scale, conventional conflicts in the future.

And in doing so, he’s asking: Is the country more likely to see another Iraq or Afghanistan – a failed state in need of fundamental rebuilding – than it is to see a conventional war with a belligerent state,like China or Russia? Gates, and many others, says yes.

“It is true that the United States would be hardpressed to fight a major conventional ground war elsewhere on short notice, but as I’ve said before, where on Earth would we do that?”Gates asked.

And despite Russia’s recent mischief in Georgia, which ignited in many renewed fears of the Cold War, Gates explained in his speech that the Kremlin’s motivations and capabilities differ greatly today and are a result of a desire to exorcise past humiliation and dominate their ‘near abroad’ – not an ideologically driven campaign to dominate the globe.

As such, Gates said,“the U.S. response must not be a return to the military and nuclear buildup seen in the 1980s.”

Instead, Gates is touching on the issue of whether the adaptations that have occurred over the last five to seven years as American troops adjusted their tactics, equipment and weaponry in Iraq and Afghanistan – thus far paid for through emergency supplemental bills outside the baseline defence budget – should be institutionalized.

While few question the effectiveness of the tactics, there are those asking whether the military should really be a one-stop shop for nation-building.And they worry that as U.S. troops build roads, pick up trash, provide electrical generation and train police,they lose their ability to fight and win the wars of tomorrow.

– UPI

What is the next war?

By Frank N. Carlson

WASHINGTON – Opportunity cost is a term economists use to describe the price of not doing something: the consequences of choosing one thing and thus forgoing another.

A consumer who drives to work each day must buy a car and pay expenses like insurance, garage bills and gas.The benefits of the car are obvious, but they come at the cost of other possible purchases, like a remodelled kitchen or a new home closer to work.

People make decisions with opportunity costs dozens of times a day, often with little or no reflection. Most times this does not matter – the decisions are small and so are the consequences. But every so often the consequences are huge and lasting, and when that happens, the risks and rewards must be weighed and the consequences of choosing incorrectly seriously considered.

The U.S. military is now in such a period.As military chiefs describe Iraq in a fragile and reversible state and the nation’s collective attention moves toward rising difficulties in Afghanistan, there is a debate heating up – visible mostly on the pages of military journals, at Washington think tanks and in defense colleges – on issues that will directly affect the lives of American troops and their families, the welfare of developing nations and the influence America projects around the world.

The debate centres on this question:Should the U.S. military adapt its institutions to reflect the hard lessons learned in Iraq? And second, but no less important, does America wish to engage in nation-building?

It may be surprising that the answers individuals give to these questions are not neatly predictable along political lines. Many of those who opposed the Iraq War on the grounds that it was fought on the basis of faulty or perhaps cherry-picked intelligence would now have U.S. forces draw down there to intervene in more humanitarian causes like Darfur.

But the lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan, and indeed the broader War on Terror, would be central to precisely that sort of protracted undertaking.

Meanwhile,those who claim ousting Saddam Hussein was a legitimate end based on the proposition that pre-emptive wars should be fought to protect America’s strategic interests or punish those who harbour terrorists – essentially the Bush doctrine – might oppose using American troops to police the world, protecting schoolchildren in Myanmar or building hospitals in Haiti. But it was their decisions that pushed the military into a conflict in which its lack of capability in stability and peacebuilding operations was painfully obvious.

The coming change of administrations presents a natural opportunity to reconsider the familiar but fading admonition that the world changed on Sept.

11, 2001, and so too must America’s willingness to confront its enemies. At this historic juncture, it is worth asking: Do Americans actually still believe this? And if so, are they willing to pay the price – measured in troops, time and money – as well as the price of not doing something else?

Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, who took over after Donald Rumsfeld resigned following the midterm elections in 2006, represents to many

– UPI

WORLD

FROM FRONT PAGE

During a two-hour telephone conversation with various people on Nov. 12, Blagojevich talked about securing high-paying jobs for him and his wife in exchange for the Senate seat. He said he is “struggling”financially and does“not want to be governor for the next two years.”

An approach was evidently made to Obama’s team, who named their preferred candidate but offered no immediate cash.

Blagojevich said advisers are telling him he has to“suck it up”for two years and give this (expletive) (Obama) his senator. (Expletive) him. For nothing?

(Expletive) him.”

Blagojevich raised the idea of creating a nonprofit group for him to lead. On Nov. 11, he asked Adviser A if “they”(believed to be Obama and his associates) “can get Warren Buffett and others to put $10, $12 or $15 million into the organization.”

During a conversation with his own adviser John Harris on Nov. 11, Blagojevich said he knew Obama wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. (Expletive) them.”

On Nov. 12, Blagojevich told Harris his decision about the open Senate seat would be based on three criteria in the following order of importance:“(O)ur legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation.This decision, like every other one, needs to be based upon that. Legal. Personal. Political.”

On Dec. 4, Blagojevich told Adviser B he was going to give Senate Candidate 5 greater consideration for Obama’s seat because the person would raise money for Blagojevich if he ran for another term as governor.

12 December 2008 In an earlier telephone conversation recorded on Oct. 31, Blagojevich described an approach by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as“ ‘pay to play.’

That, you know, he’d raise 500 grand. An emissary came.Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a senator.”

Blagojevich told Fundraiser A on Dec. 4 that if Senate Candidate 5 wanted to be appointed to Obama’s seat, the candidate should follow through on promises to raise money for Blagojevich.“(S)ome of this stuff’s gotta start happening now ... right now ... and we gotta see it.You understand?”But Blagojevich told Fundraiser A that“you gotta be careful how you express that and assume everybody’s listening, the whole world is listening.You hear me?”

Senate Candidate 5 has now been confirmed as Jesse Jackson Jr, son of the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Junior denies offering money for the senate seat.

Obama, too, has denied having discussions with Blagojevich, but his credibility’s been undermined by comments from his own adviser, David Axelrod, to Fox News on November 23: “I know he’s talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them,”Axelrod said on the record.

Obama’s team now claim Axelrod“misspoke”, but commentators are more sceptical. And with good reason. The ties between Obama and Blagojevich are significant.

On July 21st this year, The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza reported on Obama’s position as adviser to Governor Blagojevich in his successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign:

Governor Blagojevich and Obama in happier times. MCT

“That year, [Obama] gained his first high-level experience in a statewide campaign when he advised the victorious gubernatorial candidate Rod Blagojevich, another politician with a funny name and a message of reform,”wrote Lizza.

Rahm Emanuel,now Obama’s Chief of Staff,told the magazine that he and Obama were among“the top strategists of Blagojevich’s 2002 gubernatorial victory”.

Again, the Obama camp now insists Emanuel “overstated”Obama’s role.

It’s hard to see how,though.In 2006,despite controversy swirling around Governor Blagojevich,Obama continued to endorse him, as he told journalist John Patterson in the Chicago Daily Herald of July 27: “If the governor asks me to work on his behalf,

I’ll be happy to do it.”

An Associated Press report of August 16, 2006 quoted Obama: “We’ve got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois.”

Both Obama and Blagojevich were intricately linked in the business and social affairs of their friend Tony Rezko, a fundraiser for both men indicted in October 2006 on federal corruption charges.

President-elect Obama maintains his hands are clean in the latest scandal; only time will tell.

– With extra reporting from the Chicago Tribune, and National Review Online Back to the front page

Lashkar terror group going global

By Jonathan S. Landay McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON – A United Nations Security Council committee put three Pakistani leaders of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba and a Saudi operative on a terrorist watch list today as new evidence surfaced that the group blamed for the Mumbai attacks has expanded its activities and its fundraising well beyond South Asia.

A U.N. document obtained by McClatchy Newspapers said that LeT has sent operatives to attack U.S. troops in Iraq, established a branch in Saudi Arabia and been raising funds in Europe.The group may also have received money from al-Qaida, suggesting that it has close ties with Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network based along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, the document said.

Although Pakistan’s government outlawed LeT in May 2002, it “continues to operate and engage in or support terrorist activities abroad,”the document said.

“Is there real concern about Lashkar trying to expand its footprint? The answer is yes,”said a U.S. counterterrorism official in response to questions about the document, which the U.N. committee reviewed before voting to add the four to the watch list. He requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

New Zealand’s Investigate magazine reported last year of LeT members in that country, with documents urging them to set up local support networks.

The documents cited attendance at guerrilla train-

ing camps, and study leave for members in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. intelligence officials worry that as the U.S.led campaign against al-Qaida has taken a toll on its leaders, restricted the movement of its members and curbed its financial support, bin Laden and his second-in-command,Ayman al-Zawahiri, have cultivated ties with other militant Islamist groups, especially non-Arab ones such as LeT. The U.N. document, which describes some of LeT’s activities and fundraising, names LeT founder Muhammad Saeed as the group’s “overall leader and chief,”and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged military coordinator who was arrested by security forces on Sunday on the Pakistan-held side of the divided Kashmir region.

The U.N. Security Council al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee also added Haji Muhammad Ashraf, whom the U.N. document calls Lashkar’s finance chief, and Mahmoud Mohammad Ahmed Bahaziq, whom it describes as a key propagandist who once coordinated fundraising activities in Saudi Arabia, to the watch list.

The committee said in a statement that three of the four reside in Pakistan: Saeed, who insists that he left LeT to run a charity that the U.S. considers a LeT front organization, Lakhvi and Ashraf. It said that Bahaziq is from Saudi Arabia.

Individuals and groups placed on the U.N. list are subject to international sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans. LeT was included on the list in May 2005.

The U.S. and India sought to have the U.N. desig-

nate the four as part of an crackdown on LeT, which is accused of training and sending the 10 gunmen who attacked two luxury hotels, a Jewish center, a train station and other targets during a three-day rampage last month in Mumbai. More than 170 people died, including six Americans.

India also sought to have the U.N. committee include on the list Hamid Gul, a retired Pakistani Army general who headed the country’s main intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, in the late 1980s. However, China, a close ally of Pakistan that has veto power on the Security Council, apparently blocked Gul’s inclusion.

Gul, a harsh critic of the U.S., insists that he has no connections to any extremist groups.

The U.N.document said that Saeed plays“a key role” in LeT’s operational and fundraising activities.

“In 2005, (LeT founder) Saeed determined where graduates of an LeT camp in Pakistan should be sent to fight, and personally organized the infiltration of LeT militants into Iraq during a trip to Saudi Arabia,” the document said.“Saeed also arranged for an LeT operative to be sent to Europe as LeT’s European fundraising coordinator.”

Lakhvi, the group’s alleged military coordinator, “has directed LeT operations,including in Chechnya, Bosnia, Iraq and Southeast Asia. In 2006, Lakhvi instructed LeT associates to train operatives for suicide bombings,”the document said.“In 2004, Lakhvi sent operatives and funds to attack U.S. forces in Iraq, having directed an LeT operative to travel to Iraq in 2003 to assess the situation there.”

The document alleged that Lakhvi has also

been involved in fundraising activities,“reportedly receiving al Qaida-affiliated donations on behalf of LeT.” Ashraf has overseen Lashkar’s finances since 2003, the document said. It alleged that he traveled to the Middle East to collect money and help the “Saudi Arabia-based LeT leadership with expanding its organization and increasing fundraising activities.”

Bahaziq was “credited with being the main financier behind the establishment of the LeT,”which was founded in Afghanistan in the late 1980s, the document said. He then went on to become the group’s leader in Saudi Arabia and coordinated fundraising with Saudi nongovernmental groups and businessmen, it said.

“As of mid-2005, Bahaziq played a key role in LeT’s propaganda and media operations,” it continued.

The Mumbai attacks have fueled serious tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

The Bush administration has been pressing Islamabad to crack down on Lashkar and other extremist groups in an effort to dissuade India from launching retaliatory military strikes against Pakistan.

Washington fears that Indian retaliation could spark a fourth Indo-Pakistan war that would free al-Qaida and other Islamic militant groups to intensify their insurgency in Afghanistan.

ON THE WEB Read the press release of the U.N. Security Council al Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee

Obama climate policy has fishhooks

By Laurie Goering Chicago Tribune

POZNAN, Poland – President-elect Barack Obama’s administration is prepared to embrace mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States but will push through Congress a new international climate treaty only if China and other big emitters join in a “global solution,” Sen. John Kerry warned at the latest round of climate talks today in Poland.

Kerry, widely viewed as Obama’s unofficial repre-

sentative at the U.N. meeting, praised China – which recently surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas producer – for taking a variety of climate-friendly actions, including establishing auto emissions standards tougher than those in the United States and setting ambitious goals to improve energy efficiency.

But unless China and other developing world powerhouses agree to quickly follow the U.S. toward large-scale emissions cuts,“there’s no way for us to get from here to there”in terms of holding climate change to less than catastrophic levels, he said at a

news conference.

International climate negotiators trying to craft a new global treaty to both stem and prepare for the consequences of climate change face extraordinary new challenges and opportunities as they draw closer to a December 2009 deadline for replacing the expiring Kyoto Protocol.

Since last year’s negotiations in Bali, much of the world has plunged into a global financial crisis that is threatening to rapidly turn into a deep global recession. That has distracted political attention from climate concerns and led some nations that

once promised deep emissions cuts – Germany, Canada and Japan among them – to try to soften their pledges.

The economic downturn has also sent oil prices plunging, weakening what once were powerful incentives to pursue cheaper – and cleaner – alternatives. And Europe, once the leader in pushing global emissions cuts, now finds itself embroiled in bitter wrangling over how the economic burden of reductions should be shared between richer and poorer members.

– MCT

WORLD

12 December 2008

US: Mugabe lied about cholera Washington – The United States warned today that the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is worsening and announced millions of dollars in spending to combat the disease.

US officials refuted a declaration by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe that the cholera epidemic was over.The US Agency for International Development announced it will provide 6.2 million dollars to fight the cholera outbreak in addition to the 4.6 million dollars already spent.

“We are not seeing that it has stopped,” Henrietta Fore, head of USAID, said.“We currently have a report that there are approximately 800 deaths (and) 16,000 people infected.This is a cholera outbreak that is ongoing and urgent.”

Fore and the US ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, briefed reporters in Washington on the dire situation in Zimbabwe, where water supply, sanitation and state health and education services have crumbled as the country’s economy caves under eight years of hyperinflation and mismanagement.

“Mugabe said that there is no longer a crisis,” McGee said.“This just shows how out of touch he is with the reality on the ground in Zimbabwe.”

President George W Bush on Tuesday joined a growing group of world leaders calling on Mugabe, 84, to step down and end the tyrannical rule that included murdering and beating political opponents.

Mugabe has heavily cracked down on dissidents

to maintain a grip on his 28-year-rule as the country deteriorates toward a failed state.

“One man and his cronies,Robert Mugabe,are holding this country hostage,”McGee said.“And Zimbabwe is rapidly deteriorating into failed state status.”

Mugabe, told a gathering of party supporters at the funeral for a senior member of his Zanu-PF party on Thursday, that the West was exaggerating

Terminator warns of ‘financial Armageddon’

the threat posed by cholera to justify a military invasion.

“Now there is no cholera, there is no cause for war,”he said.

The United Nations has warned that half of the country’s population will suffer from food shortages unless there is greater international assistance.

San Francisco – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger warned today of a“financial Armageddon”in the most populous US state and the world’s eighth largest economy.

The warning came as lawmakers continue to stonewall his attempts to make up for plummeting revenues by cutting services and raising taxes. The state’s budget director Michael Genest warned that California now faces a deficit of US$42 billion dollars over the next two fiscal years.That’s up from a prior 28-billion-dollar deficit projection as revenues continue to plummet.

“California faces a growing financial crisis,” Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said.“If we don’t put aside our ideological differences and negotiate and solve this problem we are heading toward a financial Armageddon.”

The financial crisis prompted Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services late on Thursday to lower its rating on California’s recently issued 5-billion-dollar revenue anticipation notes and to place 46.6 billion dollars of the state’s general bonds on negative credit watch for a possible downgrade.

– DPA

– DPA

Toyota and Honda as certified by the Secretary of Labour.”

Companies also would be forced to cut outstanding unsecured debt by at least two-thirds. Health and benefit plan funds would get half their scheduled payments in company stock. It was unclear whether the United Auto Workers, let alone rank-

pany restructuring.Money could go quickly to General Motors and Chrysler,which otherwise would face bankruptcy. Ford has said it doesn’t need immediate aid.

Many Republicans have been concerned that the loans would only prop up faltering companies, which would then seek more money next year when a friendlier, more Democratic Congress and Democratic president will be in office.

The Corker plan, and McConnell’s stance, reflected new unity among Republicans, eager to show they could band together on a tough economic issue and separate themselves from Bush.That unity solidified on Thursday, when senators met privately with Vice President Dick Cheney and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. Senators said the guests were surprised by the tough tone of the session.

Despite pleading from Cheney and Bolten, most Republicans would not budge from their long-held reluctance to have government rescue failing private companies.

“There’s a group of Republicans who don’t care what anyone says; they’re willing to let the companies go into bankruptcy,”said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, the only senator in his party who backed the Bush plan.

US carmakers teeter on the brink

By David Lightman McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON – The congressional bid to provide US$14 billion in emergency aid to Detroit’s automakers suffered a huge blow this morning when Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he’d oppose the effort.

“In reality, this proposal isn’t tough enough,”said McConnell, of Kentucky, in a Senate floor speech as he broke with President George W. Bush, who has pushed the plan hard.

McConnell’s opposition helped stiffen the resolve of many Senate Republicans to oppose the bailout on principle and in the belief that bankruptcy is a better process to force Detroit automakers to restructure. Some are threatening to block a vote by endless debate, and finding the 60 votes needed under Senate rules to shut off debate could prove impossible.

Uncertainty about the bailout’s fate helped send the Dow Jones industrial average down 196.33 points, or 2.24 percent.

The White House and Democratic leaders made last-ditch efforts to save the bill. Administration

officials were calling senators, and White House spokeswoman Dana Perino issued a tough warning: “We believe that the economy is in such a weakened state right now that ... another possible loss of 1 million jobs is just something our economy cannot sustain,”she said.

In Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama joined

Many Republicans have been concerned that the loans would only prop up faltering companies, which would then seek more money next year when a friendlier, more Democratic Congress and Democratic president will be in office the chorus, saying an industry collapse “would lead to a devastating ripple effect throughout our economy.”

Inside the Capitol, lawmakers scrambled to craft a last-ditch deal.They worked on a draft authored

by Senate Banking Committee member Bob Corker, R-Tenn., that would require labour costs for the domestic Big Three carmakers to be “immediately brought on par with companies like Nissan,

and-file Democrats who are loyal to unions, would agree to such changes.

Even if the Senate approved Corker’s blueprint, it would still need the backing of the House of Representatives, which late Thursday approved the emergency loan package supported by Democratic congressional leaders and the White House.

That measure would create a “car czar”appointed by the president with authority over loans and com-

Suicide bomber kills 55

By Yaseen Taha and Adam Ashton

BAGHDAD – A suicide attack at a posh restaurant in the northern city of Kirkuk killed 55 people this morning and wounded 102, security authorities said, shattering a calm that had settled over Iraq during the four-day Eid al-Adha religious holiday.

The Abdullah restaurant was packed with a lunchtime crowd that included Kurdish leaders and members of an Arab district council that represents the western half of Kirkuk (formerly Tamim) province.They reportedly were preparing to meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

One official from the Kurdistan Democratic Party was thought to be dead,along with an official fromTalabani’s party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kirkuk police said.The Iraqi Islamic Party,a Sunni Muslim bloc, said that one of its Kirkuk representatives, Imad Hus-

sein Ali, also had died.Two members of the governing council were reported to have been injured.

Talabani plans to meet local representatives tonight, according to a government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he isn’t authorized to give out the information.

Kirkuk is a disputed region in northern Iraq, where Kurdish,Arab and Turkomen groups compete for power. Kurds want to annex the oil-rich city to their semi-autonomous regional government, but other ethnic groups want to block that move.

Brig. Gen. Sarhad Kardir, the chief of Kirkuk’s district and suburban police, said it was possible that someone had tipped off a terrorist cell, such as one from al-Qaida in Iraq or Ansar al-Islam, about the presence of Arab tribal leaders on the district council in the restaurant.

Witnesses said the restaurant was bustling with chil-

dren and holiday travellers moments before the blast.

“You could hear their laughter and playing, but suddenly everything ended,” said Allen Raouf, 30, who was eating lunch at the restaurant when the attack occurred.

“The sight was tragic after the explosion,”he said.

“The bodies of adults and children were torn apart and strewn on the floor.”

Shirzad, a restaurant worker who declined to give his last name for fear of retribution from the attackers, couldn’t bring himself to leave the scene while emergency crews hauled away bodies.

“I was sitting on the blood that was covering everything, uncontrollably crying because of the loss of my friends who work with me here in this restaurant,”he said.“I shouted and shouted, and I didn’t know who did this or why? Why?” – MCT

File

WORLD

10

12 December 2008

A big, fat, Greek fretting tions, hurling firebombs, bottles and stones in ongoing violence, MAC. which threatens to topple the Students’ “December rebellion” ALB. conservative government. puts pressure on the unpopular conservative government.

Aegean TURK. Authorities said at least one GREECE Sea man, a passerby in the Athens Population 50 km 10.7 million district of Halandri, was injured 50 miles Athens Religion and taken to a hospital. At least Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim five people were detained.

1.3%, other 0.7% Ionian Hundreds of stores have been Government Sea burned or gutted since the riots President Karolos Papoulias (since 2005); Prime Minister began last Saturday as gangs of Greece Kostas Karamanlis (since 2004), hooded youths and self-styled anarleader of ruling conservative Political background party New Democracy; one seat chists smashed windows, looted • 1967 Military dictatorship majority shops and set up flaming barricades • 1973 Student uprising at Economy Athens Polytechnic crushed in streets across the country.

Major beneficiary of EU aid; by military Within hours of the police ongoing economic reforms; • 1974 Democratic elections; tourism provides 15% of GDP; shooting of the teenager, the viomonarchy abolished growth rate 4% (2007) • 1981 EU membership lence spread to more than eight Source: CIA World Factbook, AP, BBC cities across the country.

Graphic: Jutta Scheibe, Eeli Polli © 2008 MCT The protests also spread abroad as the Greek embassies or consustations in the port cities of Thessaloniki, Patras, lates in London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Rome, Paris, Ioannina and Kozani. In many cases police retali- New York, Moscow and Cyprus were occupied by ated by firing tear gas into the crowds. demonstrators in the past few days in what appear Despite the renewed clashes, Athens was calmer to have been coordinated actions. than in previous days, but authorities braced themScores of people have been injured and hundreds selves for more civil unrest as tensions remain high. arrested.

Many fear the riots that have gripped Greece Analysts insist that violence was the result of could spill over to other European countries due to long-simmering discontent with the government the recent economic turmoil and lack of jobs. over a series of financial scandals and unpopular Angry youths have reportedly also smashed economic, pension and education reforms. shops, attacked banks and damaged police vehicles The shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoin Spain, France and Denmark. ropoulos was seen as the last straw by many young Earlier Thursday in Athens, hundreds of high Greeks, whose economic future is bleak in a country school students, many of them led by members of with a high unemployment rate and low wages. anarchist groups, attacked more than 20 police staCommentators in Greece have pegged the new

Greece

Athens – Just as Athens residents thought it was safe to venture into the city centre after angry leftwing students and police had transformed it into a war zone, more clashes broke out this morning causing passersby to run for cover.

Nearly 4,000 Greek students marched in a sixth straight day of anti-government protests, triggered by the police shooting of a teenager but also fuelled by corruption and economic and education reforms.More demonstrations were planned tonight and Monday.

Students, many of them wearing gas-masks, threw chunks of marble and hurled firebombs in a clash with police in the middle of Athens, while helicopters hovered overhead.

Other clashes reportedly took place at police

BULGARIA

generation of young people as the “600-euro-amonth generation of workers,” as many earn less than that amount, or NZ$1500 dollars, a month.

The government, which has seen its popularity ratings fall sharply behind the opposition Socialists in recent months, promised once again to compensate businesses for the millions of euros of damage suffered - announcing loans, emergency subsidies and tax relief measures.

Store owners have accused authorities of leaving their businesses unprotected as rioters smashed and burned their way through popular shopping districts. Although police have responded when attacked by firebombs, they held back when youths turned their rage against buildings and cars.

Dimitris Katsaridis, president of the Federation of Business in the northern port city ofThessaloniki,told Greek radio that the measures were not enough.

“We are doubtful about how quickly these measures will be implemented; we need them immediately and do not have the luxury to wait,”he said.

Victims of devastating forest fires more than a year ago claim that government promises of emergency subsidies for homes and livelihoods lost were never kept.

Meanwhile, as the world economic crisis reached Greece,the government immediately implemented a series of tax measures and a 28-billion-euro bail-out plan for Greek banks. Unlike the banking systems of other countries, Greek banks were not exposed to toxic assets and had no capital adequacy problems.

“The students are out demonstrating on behalf of all the poor, the pensioners and for the average worker who has constantly been taxed to the bones,” said a 68-year-old civil servant, who rallied in Athens along with thousands of strikers on Wednesday.

– DPA

Eurocrats still pushing for ‘superstate’ Brussels – Ireland is expected to hold a fresh referendum on the European Union’s stalled Lisbon Treaty after Dublin won a series of concessions today at the bloc’s end-of-year summit in Brussels.

But Libertas, a political movement that headed the “no” campaign in the June vote, promised more trouble ahead as it vowed to field candidates for the European Parliament’s elections in the summer.

“The Irish government and the powerful elite in Brussels are showing utter contempt for the democratic decision of the Irish people in rejecting the Lisbon Treaty,”Libertas leader Declan Ganley said as he launched his pan-European party.

The six-month institutional stalemate on a treaty which aims to speed up decision-making within the EU effectively ended when heads of state and government backed“in principle”a series of proposals by the French presidency of the EU, diplomats said.

One such concession involves allowing each member state to nominate a member of the European Commission beyond 2014.

Irish voters rejected the Lisbon Treaty in the June plebiscite, partly out of concerns that their country would lose the right to nominate a“cabinet member”of the EU’s executive.

The Lisbon Treaty states that the commission’s size should be reduced to two-thirds of its current size of 27 from 2014.

However, the treaty also contains a proviso allowing member states to alter its future size, as long as a unanimous decision is taken by EU leaders.

Leaders agreed to act on such a proviso, despite “regret”being expressed by representatives from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

A draft statement tabled by the French government also included a declaration designed to address a number of additional concerns expressed by the Irish in their no vote.

These include guarantees that Ireland’s traditional policy of neutrality will be maintained, that the Lisbon Treaty does not impinge on Ireland’s tax rules, and that it does not force the country to change its abortion rules.

However, Ireland’s insistence that such concessions be legally binding prompted Britain to object that it might have to renegotiate the treaty with parliament.

Legal experts were to work overnight and in the coming weeks on finding a solution to the impasse.

“In the light of the above commitments by the European Council ... the Irish government is committed to seeking ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of the term of the current commission,” a draft statement from the French said.

The treaty must be ratified by all member states before it can come into force. Diplomats hope that it can take effect by the end of next year, following a fresh Irish plebiscite to be held in all likelihood in October.

During a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels today, the French EU presidency issued draft conclusions which set out a “path”for the Irish government to call a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Open Europe, a British think-tank, slammed Thursday’s deal.“This whole process is nothing but a charade to make it look as though people’s concerns about the treaty have been addressed.The Irish ‘no’ vote is being ignored in a most dishonest way,”said its director Lorraine Mullally.

– DPA

Europe backpeddles on climate change Brussels – European Union leaders are heading for a deal on making a pledge to cut greenhouse-gas emissions legally binding, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said today.

But the proposed compromise would be disastrous for world efforts to stop global warming, seriously damaging the EU’s own credibility, environmental group WWF said in a statement.

“We are heading towards a deal. Italy is obtaining everything it requested,” Berlusconi told journalists on the fringes of the EU’s year-end summit in Brussels.

In particular, the EU’s fourth-largest state has won assurances that the bloc will protect industries which might face competition from countries with less-strict climate laws, and will allow member states to take more credit for supporting emissions-reduction projects in developing countries, he said.

The EU has also pledged to review its climatechange policies if world powers reach a deal on fighting global warming in Copenhagen in December 2009, and to put more money into experimental power stations that pump their greenhouse gases underground, Berlusconi said.

EU leaders are currently debating a set of laws aimed at cutting the bloc’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2, the gas most linked with global warming) to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, in line with a pledge they made in March 2007.

Early today NZ time, the French government, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, set out a compromise proposal offering concessions to all the package’s key critics.

Diplomats said that the compromise was well received by most member states, with one EU source telling Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the atmosphere in the first round of talks had been “better than expected.”

But WWF expressed dismay at the proposal, saying that it was “abysmal” and would reduce emissions “significantly less than the proclaimed 20-per-cent target by 2020.”

And observers warn that the proposal weakens the laws so much that it runs the risk of rejection in the European Parliament, which is set to have the final say on the package on Wednesday.

– DPA

SPORT

12 December 2008

11

Herbert promotes young gun for Glory Wellington, Dec 12 – Troy Hearfield is champing at the bit for some action after Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert gave him the nod to start in midfield for an A-League soccer match against Perth Glory in the capital tomorrow night.

Despite some fine performances when used, Hearfield, 21, has had to make way for Brazilian import Fred in the last three games.

However, Fred has returned to Brazil following the sudden death of his father midweek, and Herbert plumped for the youngster to fill the role of attacking midfielder. “ It’s obviously a very sad time for Fred and his family, and it’s not the ideal way to be promoted to the starting lineup, but I’ll be doing everything I can to make the most of it,”Hearfield said today.

“Ricki’s put his faith in me and I’m aware how important this opportunity is – not only for me but also our goal to make the playoffs.”

Hearfield was the unluckiest player following the addition of Fred to the squad.

He started in the midfield in the Phoenix’s 2-1 win against Sydney in round 11 before Fred took over the attacking role in the first of his three matches.

“I was disappointed, but that’s football,” Hearfield said.

“When a great signing like Fred comes in then you know you’re probably going to have to make way . . . I tried to learn as much as I could from him.”

Hearfield aims to break open the Glory defence and create scoring chances for his strikers.

He also hopes to add to his own goalscoring tally for the Phoenix,having nailed his maiden goal in the 2-0 win against the Newcastle Jets as a substitute in round 12. “ Ricki’s told me to stay high in the front three and feed as much ball to the strikers as I can.

“I’m really looking forward to getting at the defenders and hopefully finding the back of the net again.”

Herbert said picking a replacement for Fred had been tough,with Hearfield getting the nod ahead of Daniel. “ We used Troy in that role against Sydney and now he gets his chance back.

“He’s trained really well this week, and we’re confident he can do a job for us.”

Having lost both matches to the Glory in Perth this season, the Phoenix have plenty of motivation to get one back against the West Australians.

The Phoenix want to maintain their unbeaten

record against the Glory at Westpac Stadium,having won 3-0 and 4-1 in both home matches last season.

A win will be a real fillip to the Phoenix’s playoff hopes. “ We’ve quite simply got a game that we really want to win.

Fast start goes awry for Lee

By Mark Geenty of NZPA

Sydney, Dec 12 – Leading New Zealand amateur golfer Danny Lee faded after a rapid start to the Australian Open as he just scraped past the cut today.

The US Amateur champion began the second round three shots behind co-leaders Stephen Dartnall, Matthew Goggin and Ewan Porter after shooting an excellent four-under 68 yesterday.

But in calm, wet morning conditions at Royal Sydney, Lee’s compass went awry with his prodigious driver and the putts failed to drop as he signed for a second round three-over 75.

It left him one-under overall, 10 shots behind clubhouse leader Dartnall, the relative unknown who shot 68 to go with his first round of 65.

The projected cut was even-par,meaning Lee would maintain his impressive record of making four cuts from five attempts in professional events this year.

“We’re only two points out of the four and three points on Saturday night will put us right in the thick of it,”Herbert said.

The Phoenix will wear black armbands in tomorrow’s game as a mark of respect to Fred and his family.

Phoenix’s Troy Hearfeld, right, holds off Melboune Victory’s Jose Luis Lopez in an A-League football match, Westpac Stadium, Wellington. NZPA / Ross Setford

– NZPA

Lee opened with a bogey on the par-four 10th,then gave his rapidly growing gallery something to cheer about on the 12th when he smacked his drive 280m then hit a wedge to tap-in distance for birdie.

But that was one of just two birdies in his round which included a double-bogey six on the par-four fourth when his drive and second shot both hit the trees.

“I played all right the first nine then it was the same thing, my driving was really bad and today I didn’t putt it very well and the scores just kept rolling out,”Lee said.

“It’s not the weather, it was just where I was hitting it and where I putted it.... it just didn’t happen today.

“I’ll just try to practice on my drivers and putting and hopefully I’ll play a bit better tomorrow.”

Lee’s compatriot Gareth Paddison also made the cut with an even-par 72 to leave him two-under after he shot 70 on day one.

It meant a welcome payday for the European Tour player who’d missed the cut in his previous four events: the Australian Masters, Madrid Masters, British Masters and European Masters.

The left-hander threatened a low score when he birdied his second and third holes, but bogeys on eight, 12 and 18 to go with a birdie two on the 17th halted his charge.

“A little bit disappointed but I’m always happy to make the cut. I’ve missed a couple and it would have been nice to finish on a good note. I’ve made the cut now and I’ll see what I can do from here,” Paddison said.

Leading New Zealanders Mark Brown and David Smail had just begun their rounds in rapidly deteriorating weather after both shot 67 yesterday.

Windies rained out Dunedin, Dec 12 – The second day of the first cricket test between New Zealand and the West Indies has been washed out without a ball being bowled at University Oval here today.

The match officials determined no play would be possible at 2.30pm local time as rain swept the ground intermittently.

New Zealand were 226 for four in their first innings when bad light curtailed an hour early yesterday. Heavy rain fell overnight drenching the outfield.

The forecast is brighter for tomorrow though the ground will take some time to dry out.

Jesse Ryder will resume on 54 and Brendon McCullum four when the New Zealand innings eventually resumes.

– NZPA

t s e t a l issue n o o s t ou

WEEKEND

12 December 2008

13

TV & Film

The Day The Earth Stood Still

Frost/Nixon is a tale of the tapes

By Rafer Guzmán Newsday

NEW YORK – “Why didn’t you burn the tapes?”

That blunt question, not exactly a softball, was the very first posed by British journalist David Frost to former president Richard Nixon on March 23, 1977, the start of an unprecedented series of interviews stretching over 12 days and nearly 29 hours. Broadcast in May of that year, the interviews covered nearly every aspect of Nixon’s presidency in four 90-minute instalments. But it was the first episode – the one dealing with Watergate – that drew 45 million viewers, then the largest television audience in history. Clearly, Americans were still scarred by their long national nightmare.

For sheer depth and breadth, the Nixon interviews remain unparalleled in television journalism, and they’ve since become a kind of cottage industry.

Nearly 30 years later, in 2006, British playwright Peter Morgan staged Frost/Nixon,a dramatization of the marathon sessions starring Michael Sheen as the journalist and Tony Award winner Frank Langella as the haunted president.On Friday,Universal Pictures will release Ron Howard’s film adaptation,also with Sheen and Langella.Frost himself has published not one but two books on the subject.

And for completists, Liberation Entertainment released Frost/Nixon:The Original Watergate Interviews, a DVD of the broadcast with new commentary by Frost,Tuesday.

“Obviously, there may never be anything quite like the Nixon interviews again,”Frost said recently, “because he’s the only president who was forced out of office.And he’s the only president who’s been interviewed for 28 and three-quarter hours. And obviously, he’s the only president who came to say what he did.”

Frost, sitting with a glass of chardonnay at the bar of a Manhattan hotel one recent weekday afternoon, was referring to the extraordinarily candid apology that Nixon offered during their conversation. Revisiting those gruelling and often contentious talks, Frost – now 69 and properly known as Sir David, a title conferred on him in 1993 – vividly recalled even small details, and no wonder:The interviews were long enough, but the preparations took even longer.

They began in June 1975, when the late Clay Felker, then editor of New York magazine, phoned Frost after a weekend in the Hamptons. Felker had a tip: Talent agent Irving “Swifty” Lazar, famous for representing figures from Humphrey Bogart to Vladimir Nabokov, was handling a book deal for Nixon. Spotting an opening, Frost contacted Lazar and began the delicate process of securing an interview with a man who, to all appearances, would be the last person to grant one.

The pivotal moment came when Frost, abandoning the notes on his clipboard and speaking “from the heart,” as he later put it, suggested that Nixon stop equivocating and apologize to the country.

And to the amazement of 45 million viewers, he did

Yet Nixon agreed. He would be paid US$600,000 and receive 20 percent of any profits.The interviews would take place in a rented house in Monarch Bay, Calif.,not far from Nixon’s home in San Clemente.Most important,he would not see the questions beforehand and would give Frost total editorial control.

At the time, the Watergate scandal – a knotty string of break-ins, cover-ups and taped phone calls – was well-covered territory. Nixon had resigned in 1974; Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post had released their groundbreaking expose All the President’s Men; and the Senate Watergate Committee had issued its 1,250-page report. But Frost wasn’t satisfied, and he believed the American people felt the same way.

“Very few of the questions had been answered,” Frost said.“And he’d never had his account of Watergate tested – and ‘testing the account’ became the key phrase we used.”

Both Frost and Nixon prepared for battle by assembling small teams. The journalist relied on Robert Zelnick, a longtime political reporter, and James Reston Jr., an English professor at the University of North Carolina, among others.The former president’s group included speechwriter Ken Kachigian and future 60 Minutes correspondent Diane Sawyer, who served as a liaison between the two camps.As the interviews progressed, it became clear that Frost had become as well-versed in Watergate as Nixon himself. At one point Nixon even says as much, albeit with a pained smile.

But the pivotal moment came when Frost, abandoning the notes on his clipboard and speaking “from the heart,”as he later put it, suggested that Nixon stop equivocating and apologize to the country. And to the amazement of 45 million viewers, he did.

“I let down my friends,”the president said, dryeyed but clearly emotional.“I let down the country.

I let down our system of government.”And later:“I let the American people down, and I have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life.”

For Frost, it was the culmination of years of work; for Americans, it was something much deeper.

“I do think we got the truth out of Richard Nixon,” Frost said.“And as to what we got, we got more than we could have hoped.”

Watch the trailer

0Director: Scott Dickerson 0Cast: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Jaden Smith 0Length: 103 minutes 0Rated M ( for medium level violence) How much you will enjoy The Day the Earth Stood Still will depend on how familiar you are with the original 1951 film.

If you consider the original a classic, then the new version will feel more like “The One Hour and Forty-Three Minutes the Earth Stood Still.” If you’ve never seen the first movie, then the bar for the updated version is not so high.

The new Day features a wooden Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, a representative for a group of alien civilizations. He has not come in peace. These cosmic buttinskies are upset that we are ruining the planet. The solution is to get rid of any trace of humans.

Hope for salvation comes through Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly). She’s a scientist. She’s a mum. She’s the last chance to prove humankind is worth a second chance.

The reasons the new Day is but a pale copy of the original are too numerous to mention. Here’s just a few: The original film was more than aliens vs. humans. It was released during the era of the Cold War. Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were so thick, the end of the world looked near. The movie had a serious message about the end of civilization. The new version is just about nosey intergalactic neighbours taking matters into their own hands.

Michael Rennie’s portrayal of Klaatu had an elegance about it. He came across as someone who would listen to reason. That’s why the scenes where he sees the beauty of the human race resonate with hope. Reeves, on the other hand, is stiff, emotionless and cold. It never seems like he is open enough to change his mind about his mission.

Director Scott Derrickson opts to go for big special effects in his updated effort rather than use them as a background for the more personal story that drove the original. Derrickson might have gotten away with this ploy if the effects weren’t so mediocre.

Klaatu’s way of making his point about the power of the aliens in the first film – that whole Earth-standing-still trick – works because it is so passive-aggressive. Derrickson’s decision to use the Earth standing still as a weapon rather than a warning changes the movie from being a cautionary tale to a standard action movie.

But forget about the original movie. Based solely on its own merits, the new version of The Day the Earth Stood Still lacks tension, conflict and a smart script. It ends up being predictable, lacklustre sci-fi fare.

Watch the trailer

– By Rick Bentley

REVIEWS

14

12 December 2008

Music

Noel Gallagher talks Oasis, past and present Q. Any lingering physical or mental effects from the attack?

A. No. It was two months with three broken ribs Of all the excuses Oasis has doled out for cancel- and five bruised ones. Mentally, no, not at all. I’m not ling gigs, at least the one that made headlines in that fragile upstairs.

September can be easily verified.

Q. Is it true Liam tried to kick the crap out of “Just go to YouTube – it’s there for all the world the guy? to see,”guitarist and bandleader Noel Gallagher said, A. Yeah, you can actually see that on YouTube, referring to the Sept.7 attack by an audience member too. It’s very embarrassing. who rushed the stage during a concert in Toronto.

Q. So he does like you.

The online clips show Gallagher getting tackled A. No, no. Of course, he doesn’t.We have a mutual from behind with linebacker-like force and landing understanding in that department. Nothing has awkwardly on his stage monitors. Don’t look for the changed there.At best, we have a hostile relationship.

British rocker to make any more excuses, though, At worst, it’s nasty. I can live with that, though. on the current tour with Ryan Adams.

Q. One thing that has changed: Liam is writing “I’ve been given the all-clear and everything’s healed,” more songs (three on the new record). Is it a case of he said in a phone interview before the tour kicked off you letting him, or him insisting on it? last week.“I’m back to the way I was before.”

A. Yeah, I don’t like that term “letting him.”I’m Indeed, Oasis’ new album,“Dig Out Your Soul,” not letting anybody write songs. It’s our band. It offers the same Beatles-&-Stones-copping sound belongs to the four of us. Going back to the early that made the band famous in the mid-’90s, which days, everybody was required to write songs, but it is to say it’s their best album since their heyday. just so happened that I wrote more than everybody Likewise, Gallagher showed the same flashes of else, and mine were better than everybody else’s. arrogance and inhibition that have made him one Q. How do you rate Liam as a songwriter? of rock’s great characters – and the same contempt A.He tends to write a lot of ballads, which is quite for his brother, Oasis singer Liam Gallagher. annoying. I’ve got to say, though, if I didn’t like them, Q. What do you remember about the incident I’d say so. But I generally think his songs are pretty in Toronto? good.The best thing about him is his music.The rest A. I don’t remember a great deal about it and, of him I could live without. of course, I’m not able to discuss it much because Q.You guys get a steady balance of criticism and there’s a legal case going on at the moment. Any- praise for not trying to reinvent the wheel from thing I say can be used against me. But I really album to album. Do you consciously follow the same don’t have any recollection of it. I was just playing formula? away in my own little world. I had my back turned, A. I genuinely don’t care what people say. I write and the next thing I know it was total chaos all of my songs on guitar. I can’t write on keyboards. I do a sudden. what I do. I don’t analyze it. Other people do, and

By Chris Riemenschneider Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

I don’t care what they say about it. When we first arrived on the scene, and everybody was saying I was the greatest songwriter since Lennon/McCartney, I never believed it.And then in the middle bit, when they said it wasn’t happening for me, I didn’t believe that, either.

Q. You’ve admitted you were in a creative rut around 2000’s“Standing on the Shoulder of Giants.”

What happened?

A. Yeah, I personally had a great lack of inspiration around me.That particular album,we were kind of doing it for the sake of it.There’s some good stuff on it,but when it was time to go make another record, I didn’t want to be bothered. If I had that time over again, I’d have resisted making that record. But in the grand scheme of things,you’ve got to go through some of the (expletive) to get to some of the stuff that’s good.You can’t be brilliant all the time. Even the Beatles had some (expletive), you know?

Q. Can you credit some of your turnaround to you guys mellowing out a bit and avoiding a lot of the excess?

A. Oh, yeah, definitely. Liam would try to convince you that he hasn’t mellowed, but he has.We’re all fathers now. If that doesn’t change your life, then you’re a bit of an idiot. But all the stuff that goes on outside of what’s on the stage is kind of irrelevant anyway. All the scandals surrounding “Definitely, Maybe” and “Morning Glory,” you can’t remember any of it now, can you? What you’re left with is the music. So as long as you get that right, who gives a (expletive)?

Q. Oasis fans definitely demand those old songs at shows.Are you cool with that?

A. I love it. I only get to do it every three years or so, so it stays fun. I also particularly like play-

ing the songs from “Morning Glory” because that album kind of annoys me a little bit.We only spent 12 days in the studio recording it. It’s really a bunch of demos. I think those songs now sound way, way better live than they do on record.

Q. I understand you became a Ryan Adams fan after he covered your song“Wonderwall.”What did you like about it?

A. That song is essentially a blues song, and he kind of found something in it that I never knew existed. Like the point I was making before about that album,“Morning Glory.”Ordinarily, I’ll have put songs on a demo a year before and make constant changes to them until we put them out.That song was just captured in an embryonic state. I maybe would have gotten to that version he made if I had a year to work on it. He found something I thought was really quite moving.

Q. Do you have a favourite album or song of his?

A. Well, he’s made so many (expletive) records and written so many songs, where do you start with him? He’s doing stuff on tour with us that he did on that Nashville album (2000’s “Heartbreaker”).

He’s doing those but in more of a rock style, and they sound great.

Q. Ryan has a reputation for being a bit of an ego case and troublemaker.Any worries that could be a problem on a tour with, um, Oasis?

A. No, no, no.You’ll find that most rock stars who are known like that are not really like that.A lot of them just get nervous around journalists. I’ve always found him to have a bit of nervous energy. I think people who come off like that are trying to mask something. He’s actually sort of a shy American rock star.

Watch “Wonderwall”

REVIEWS

12 December 2008

NEW CD RELEASES

15

Books

From Goths to geriatric superstars, seemingly every singer, at some point in a career, releases a Christmas album. Some musicians boldly create their own yuletide tunes, in hopes they catch on, while others simply provide their own take on timeless, traditional fare.Whatever your musical tastes might be, we offer a bunch of new Christmas albums worth a spin and perhaps a place under a tree or in a stocking.

Tony Bennett

0A Swingin’ Christmas As if a Tony Bennett holiday album would be anything other than slick.The classiest pop crooner in the biz teams up with Count Basie Big Band and doles out standards smooth as bourbon, including the can’t-miss“I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”The ideal disc to put on and curl up with in front of a roaring fire.

Harry Connick Jr.

0What a Night! A Christmas Album It’s hard to hear any of the 15 songs on the crooner’s third Christmas album and not immediately race out to buy a tree. His 1993 holiday debut,“When My Heart Finds Christmas,”remains one of the best-selling holiday discs of all time, and this CD will doubtless be lodged in many a player for Christmases to come.

Natalie Cole

0Caroling, Caroling: Christmas With Natalie Cole Another yuletide veteran, Cole is back with her third holiday disc, featuring a duet with her dad, the late Nat King Cole, on “The Christmas Song.”At eight tracks, it’s a bit slight, not to mention that it recycles tracks from her previous two Christmas albums. Only die-hard fans need apply.

Bishop T.D. Jakes

0The Gift That Remains The Dallas-based pastor throws his hat into the Christmas album fray, blending snippets of sermons with tunes featuring Brian McKnight, CeCe Winans and Kirk Whalum. An odd mixture, maybe, but a welcome reminder of the reason for the season.

Enya

0And Winter Came Since most Enya albums could easily be classified as snow-dusted soundtracks, it’s logical that the Irish vocalist would finally record a holiday-themed album, littering the disc with multi-tracked melodies and spartan renditions of standards like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”There are several moments of frosty beauty, but mostly, it’s business as usual.

Melissa Etheridge

0A New Thought for Christmas The raw-voiced rocker balances traditional tunes like “O Night Divine” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with a few freshly-penned songs that find Etheridge still mining the lyrical vein that produced “The Awakening” (hint: lots of socio-political awareness).

– By Preston Jones

The inner Obama: Interpreting presidentelect’s Dreams Dreams From My Father 0By Barack Obama 0Crown Publishers

Maybe at age 29, Barack Obama was fantasizing about running for president.

But Dreams From My Father – the 442-page memoir he began drafting in his final year at Harvard Law School – is proof that he hadn’t given the idea serious thought. It’s just too open, too frank, to have been written by someone planning a conventional political career.

Take his casual reference to smoking pot and sniffing cocaine in high school.“I had learned not to care,”Obama writes.“Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it.”That’s oceans away from the carefully homogenized writing that typically is produced, often by staff members, under the byline of an American politician.

As it turned out, that forthrightness helped Obama. By pointing out such skeletons in his closet, he didn’t leave much for investigative reporters or enemy operatives to dredge up. (Some conspiracy theorists contend that’s exactly why he wrote the book, as part of a very long term agenda but I contend that, if he had been so calculating, he would have given a tighter focus to the book, particularly in relating his five-week visit to Kenya, which sprawls for nearly 240 pages.)

Now, as Inauguration Day approaches, Dreams From My Father, published in 1995, provides help of another sort – an unusually unguarded look into the complex mind and heart of the 47-year-old president-elect. Here are some interpretations that can be made about the inner man: Obama sees himself as a black American: Dreams is a book about Obama’s struggles to find his racial identity in a nation and world where race complicates everything. He honours his white mother and grandparents, but he consistently describes himself as a black man whose life is rooted in the United States.

Obama notes that his appearance is black, but he also recognizes that, with his intelligence and education, he could have turned his back on his African roots and let himself become subsumed into the white mainstream culture.

His head rules his heart: Obama tells of a wealthy white woman he loved while living in NewYork. One weekend, he was invited to her family’s ancestral country home.“I realized that our two worlds ... were as distant from each other as Kenya is from Germany,”he writes.“And I knew that if we stayed together I’d eventually live in hers. ... Between the two of us, I was the one who knew how to live as an outsider.”He began picking fights with the woman, and, in tears, she said she wasn’t black and couldn’t be.After a year together, the couple broke up.

Not only is this an instance of Obama’s identifying with his black heritage, but it also shows that he isn’t a captive to his emotions, even romantic love.

He reads – a lot: Obama is a man of books.

Throughout Dreams, he mentions reading works by black writers, history books about Africa and classics, such as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

He read Conrad’s book“to help me understand just what it is that makes white people so afraid.Their demons.”

He’s not afraid of being alone: Obama writes much about his search for community and family, and by the end of the book, he has met and married Michelle Robinson.Yet the man at the centre of Dreams is someone who is comfortable in his own head and who looks inside himself for validation.

For instance, during his years as a community organizer in Chicago, he writes,“When I wasn’t working, the weekends would usually find me alone in an empty apartment, making do with the company of books.”

He sees all of us as strangers in the world: The epigraph for the book is from the Bible:“For we are strangers before them, and sojourners, as were all our fathers.”Over and over again, Obama describes himself as straddling the white and black worlds, an outsider in both.

And not just him, but all blacks and whites as well.“The emotions between the races,” he writes, “could never be pure; even love was tarnished by the desire to find in the other some element that was missing in ourselves.”

He looks to the past to figure out the future: Throughout Dreams, Obama is obsessed with trying to understand his father in order to understand himself. In Kenya, he learns that both his father and grandfather, through curiosity and ambition, left the safety of their black villages to find success by reinventing themselves in the white world. There was a cost, though.They didn’t fit in either place.

The climax of the book comes when, standing at their graves, Obama makes peace with the memory of his father:“Oh, Father, I cried.There was no shame in your confusion. Just as there had been no shame in your father’s before you. No shame in the fear. ...

There was only shame in the silence that fear had produced.”

He is a believer in community: In Dreams, Obama’s religious conversion comes in the midst of a community of believers during a sermon by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright – yes, that Jeremiah Wright – on the“audacity of hope,”the phrase that became the title of his second book.

Then, at the book’s end, Obama comes to understand that his father and grandfather were left bitter and estranged from the world because they failed to reach out to others.What they needed, and what everyone needs, he writes, is“a faith born out of hardship, a faith that wasn’t new, that wasn’t black or white or Christian or Muslim but that pulsed in the heart of the first African village and the first Kansas homestead – a faith in other people.”

The Way of Innovation: Master the Five Elements of Change to Reinvent Your Products, Services and Organization 0By Kaihan Krippendorff 0Platinum Press,(US$10.17 via Amazon)

Krippendorff’s 2004 book, Art of the Advantage, was a fascinating glimpse at traditional Asian philosophical thinking,making it comprehensible and actionable for Western business minds.He looked at stratagems found in books such as SunTzu’s The Art of War and extrapolated them into hypothetical scenarios that could be replicated within modern commercial settings.

This new book picks up the thread by examining the nature of innovation, the forces that drive it and ways to jump-start the process. Using Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist ideas and principles, Krippendorff cites a number of companies and tells how they utilized these philosophies – consciously or not – to drive innovation and success.

It’s an interesting and potentially mind-blowing exploration, and Krippendorff certainly knows his stuff, though I didn’t know what to make of this jawdropping assertion, coincidentally concerning one of his current clients:“Many believe Wal-Mart uses size to negotiate lower prices from its suppliers. But there is no meaningful evidence to support this.”

From Concept to Consumer: How to Turn Ideas Into Money 0By Phil Baker 0FT Press, ($16.49 via Amazon)

Baker takes a decidedly pragmatic view of innovation, and his new book is a mostly no-frills primer on what it takes to get it going. He looks at the various factors including product design, engineering, testing, manufacturing and distribution. There’s nothing arcane or mystical here, though he does write expansively on the use of Asian resources for design and manufacturing.

As you would expect, he employs ample examples to illustrate his advice, many of which are derived from primary experiences rather than analyses of case studies.Though his prose is clean and precise, there’s plenty of good information herein for those attempting to capitalize on their inspiration.

Mastering the Hype Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time

0By Jackie Fenn and Mark Raskino 0Harvard Business School Press, ($19.77 via Amazon)

– By Patrick T. Reardon

Books offer advice on harnessing creativity How do we get out of this mess we’re in? Some observers say that small business will take the lead and will aggregate the necessary critical mass for economic growth, and that may well be the case.

Innovation could serve as the fuel to power the engine. As corny as it may sound, ingenuity is a formidable force and could be our salvation.Three recent books look at ways to foster and capitalize on innovation.

Timing is everything.The world apparently wasn’t ready for Apple’s Newton when it was introduced, though the BlackBerry and other PDAs – including tricked-out iPhones – are now all the rage.

Fenn and Raskino lick their thumbs, check the winds and look at the best times to ride the waves of innovation.As vice presidents and fellows of Gartner Research, they back up their assertions with solid research.They seem to understand the intuitive part of the equation too, which is exactly right, as the creative process is one that draws from many sources (see Krippendorff, above), and not every action can be quantified. But benefitting from the lessons of one’s predecessors is never a bad idea.

– By Richard Pachter

HEALTH

16

12 December 2008

Protein plays crucial role in fight against cancer

By Robert S. Boyd McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON – It’s a tiny molecule with a nondescript name –“p53”– but it has an awesome responsibility: preventing more than half of all human cancers.

Some scientists call it the “guardian angel,” “guardian of the genome” or the “dictator of life and death.”

P53 is a protein, a string of 393 chemical units stored in the DNA of most of the body’s cells. Normally, p53 works to suppress malignant tumours.

When it’s missing or mutated, however, it can’t carry out its lifesaving mission and lets cancerous cells run amok.

Scientists are developing drugs to repair or restore damaged p53 in mice, but so far none of those drugs is ready to treat human cancers.

Almost 50,000 papers about p53 have been published in scientific journals, but its workings are still not fully understood, and it’s little known outside the worlds of biology and medicine.

P53 is “certainly the most studied protein in the whole history of cancer,” Magali Olivier, an expert at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyons, France, wrote in the journal Cancer Gene Therapy this fall.

Arnold Levine,a cancer expert at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., who discovered p53 almost 30 years ago,said,“We have uncovered and explored a process central to life – how a cell responds to stress or perturbation in its environment.”

Here’s how it works:A normal p53 protein detects a patch of DNA in the nucleus of a cell that has been damaged by accident, a virus, radiation, smoking or other environmental assaults, raising the chance that the cell will turn cancerous. P53 triggers a complex biochemical program that stops the precancerous cell from dividing until it repairs its DNA or commits suicide.

When p53 itself is flawed, however, it allows other cancer-causing genes (known as oncogenes) to hijack the cell’s control machinery and set it free

Despite the vast amount of research, work is only beginning on cancer therapies based on fixing damaged p53. Nevertheless, hopes are rising that the immense body of knowledge about p53 will lead to better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat cancer to spread wildly – the hallmark of cancer.

“Loss of p53 function in cells leads to uncontrolled proliferation and promotes cancer development,” Olivier wrote in a summary of recent p53 research.

The gene that carries the instructions to make p53 is called TP53. Mutations in the gene may be inherited, which is why some cancers run in families.

Living with children

By John Rosemond This is Part 2 and the conclusion of Parenting 101, an overview of the fundamentals of effective parenting. Last week’s class dealt with such basics as having a more active relationship with your spouse than you have with your children, saying “No” more than “Yes,” and the much overlooked fact that the discipline of a child is accomplished through the conveyance of proper leadership, not reward-ship or punishmentship. Having built a strong foundation, we will now move into a set of specifics that are equally essential to raising a child who will be well-equipped to deal successfully with the realities of independence. After all, the purpose of raising a child is to get him or her out of your life and into a life of his/her own.

1. Put yourself at the centre of your child’s attention, not the other way around. It is a simple matter to discipline a child who is paying attention to you and nigh-unto impossible to discipline a child who is not. In that regard, always keep in mind that the more attention you pay a child, the less attention the child will pay to you.

2. Put your child into a meaningful role in your family, one that is defined in terms of responsibilities known as chores (remember them?). By the time your child is 4 years old, he should be contributing significant time and effort on a daily basis to the maintenance of the household. Your child’s chores should not be assigned haphazardly, but should be established as a routine. In addition to picking up after himself and keeping his own living space clean and orderly, he should be working in “common areas” of the home, doing such things as dusting and vacuuming. You do tell people that your child is gifted,

do you not? Without chores, a child is a mere consumer, on a perpetual entitlement program, and entitlements do not strengthen people or culture.

Grow a strong child!

3. Keep television and other electronic media out of your child’s life until your child has learned to read well and is self-entertaining. The research is clear that electronic media shortens attention span, interferes with the development of certain critical thinking skills, and develops a dependency that leads to frequent complaints of boredom. Remember that an average of just two hours of “screen time” a day means your child is absorbing electronic stimulation to the tune of 730 hours a year. That’s the equivalent of eighteen 40-hour work weeks! Think of the creativity that’s being lost! Grow a child with a strong brain!

4. From day one, keep clutter out of your child’s life by keeping toys and other “stuff” at a minimum. Paradoxically, children who entertain themselves well (low-maintenance children) tend to have few toys. These children are also more grateful for and take better care of what they have. Grow an imaginative, creative child!

5. Emphasize manners, not skills. Sixty years ago, most children came to overcrowded first grades not knowing their ABCs, yet at the end of the year were reading at a higher level than today’s kids, most of whom are already reading in kindergarten. That happened because parents of 60 years ago taught proper behaviour, not skills; therefore, teachers taught skills, not proper behaviour. Grow a polite child!

6. Love your child enough to grow a happy child!

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his Web site at www.rosemond.com.

TP53 is “the most mutated gene in human cancer, and these mutations are correlated with more than 50 percent of all human cancer,” said Ronen Marmorstein, an expert on gene regulation at the Wistar Institute in West Philadelphia, Pa. According to Gerard Evan, a researcher at the University of California’s Comprehensive Cancer

Centre in San Francisco, p53 mutations are also associated with more aggressive cancers, resistance to treatment by radiation and chemotherapy, and decreased patient survival.

Despite the vast amount of research, work is only beginning on cancer therapies based on fixing damaged p53.

Nevertheless, hopes are rising that the immense body of knowledge about p53 will lead to better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat cancer.

“The growing number of p53-targeting strategies raises hope for more efficient cancer therapies in the future,”reported Swedish researcher Klas Wiman in the journal Cell Death and Differentiation.

In an experiment in his San Francisco lab, for example, Evan restored damaged p53 in mice suffering from lymphoma.

“The tumours were completely dead within hours,” Evan said.“This result is very good news to the many of us who are thinking about trying to restore p53 function in established human cancers.”

Unfortunately, restoring p53 may cause accelerated aging, at least in mouse experiments.

“Cancer and senescence may be seen as two alternative fates in aging organisms, the secret of longevity being to find the best possible trade-off between these two options,”Olivier reported.

Many questions remain about the workings of p53.

“Complete understanding still remains elusive,” Antony Braithwaite, a New Zealand researcher, wrote in Cell Death and Differentiation.“How p53 makes decisions to do one thing or another, or turn on one gene or another, is far from clear.”

To accomplish its job, p53 has to scan 3 billion letters in the human genetic code to decide which genes it’s going to activate or repress.“This is a tall order,”Braithwaite wrote.

ON THE WEB:

For more information on p53: http://p53.bii.a-star.edu. sg/aboutp53/index.php

To see Cancer Gene Therapy’s summary of recent p53 research: http://www.nature.com/cgt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html#19092008

A key to controlling anger is to not let it control you

By Liz Reyer

Q. I’ve learned to manage my temper pretty well over the years, but when I’m stressed, I fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. I don’t like this behaviour. How can I avoid it?

A.Combine a hotheaded disposition with regular day-to-day stresses, then add a dose of holiday pressure and worries about the economy. It’s a recipe for blowups, but you can bring them under control.

THE INNER GAME Remind yourself what has worked before.What have you done to manage your temper? Consider preventive strategies as well as steps you’ve taken in the moment to remain in control.

Understand your triggers. For example, if you know that last-minute changes or people who don’t follow through will flip the switch for you, plan ahead. Think,“What will I do if ...?” so that your plan can mitigate your reaction.You might not see your own triggers, so ask trusted colleagues for their perspectives about what sets you off or even what seems to help you stay calm.

Look for role models. Identifying strategies that others use can give you ideas for ways to be more effective. In addition to people you know, consider public figures and characters in movies and books.

Most important, bring down your general temperature. The stresses in life aren’t likely to go away, but you can influence your overall tolerance.

In particular, look at your self-care. It’s not new advice, but it bears repeating: Notice what you eat, get some regular exercise and get enough rest. If you

don’t already do these things, consider the barriers that prevent them and look for small ways to get started.

Transform your feelings. When little things get to you, look inside and notice what is driving your reactions. Focus on ways that you can have some control so that anger won’t be your default.

THE OUTER GAME Start your day with a few minutes of quiet. Reflecting on your day, the tone you want to have and how you’d like to feel at the end of the day can get you off on the right foot.

Manage your environment. Our society can have an angry tone these days, and these moods are contagious.Try to buffer yourself from anger, whether it comes from people, media or other sources.

Model calmness.You can’t live in a bubble, but you can handle situations calmly and help defuse them.

Find ways to practice. For example, if traffic gets to you, take a deep breath and relax. If you’re with a negative person, point out the positives instead of falling into their mood. Continue to pay attention to your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, too. It’s great preventive maintenance for keeping your temper in check.

If you have to, apologize _ and forgive yourself.

You won’t be perfect, but a sincere apology will earn respect from others and ease the damage your temper might do.

THE LAST WORD It takes courage to tackle a personal habit such as losing your temper. Determination and consistency in approach will bring greater success.

SCIENCE & TECH 17

12 December 2008

Blue streetlights may prevent crime, suicide

Central Japan Railway Co. has set up blue lights at 10 railway crossings in Aichi, Gifu and Mie prefectures since August to find out whether they work in preventing suicide.

TOKYO – Blue streetlights are believed to be useful in preventing suicides and street crime, a finding that is encouraging an increasing number of railway companies to install blue light-emitting apparatus at stations to prevent people from committing suicide by jumping in front of trains.Although experts are split over the effectiveness of the blue lights,railway companies that already have installed the lighting say they have played a successful role in preventing suicides.

Glasgow, Scotland, introduced blue streetlighting to improve the city’s landscape in 2000.Afterward, the number of crimes in areas illuminated in blue noticeably decreased.

The Nara, Japan, prefectural police set up blue street lights in the prefecture in 2005, and found the number of crimes decreased by about 9 percent in blue-illuminated neighbourhoods. Many other areas nationwide have followed suit.

Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. changed the colour of eight lights on the ends of platforms at Gumyoji Station in Yokohama, Japan, in February.

In January, a person jumped in front of a train from a deserted end of the station platform on two consecutive days.

According to the company, a few people attempt to commit suicide every year at the station.

A company employee in charge of train safety operations said,“We introduced the blue lights as part of our efforts to try do all we can to prevent suicide.”

Since the blue lighting was introduced, no suicide attempts have occurred at the station.

Central Japan Railway Co. has set up blue lights at 10 railway crossings in Aichi, Gifu and Mie prefectures since August to find out whether they work in preventing suicide.

East Japan Railway Co. and Kyushu Railway Co. also are discussing the introduction of blue lighting.

West Japan Railway Co. was the first railway company to introduce blue lighting at its facilities.The

company was concerned by cars attempting to traverse railway crossings despite the approach of trains.

Since December 2006,JRWest has set up blue lighting at 38 crossings along lines, including the Hanwa Line connecting Osaka and Wakayama prefectures.

Since the installation, no accidents involving a car ramming into a train at crossings has occurred, and no one has committed suicide at the sites.

According to the Construction and Transport Ministry,640 suicides and suicide attempts involving the jumping in front of trains occurred in fiscal 2007, about a 20 percent increase from the previous year.

According to railway companies, suicides often occur at night.

A JR West spokesman said,“We’re confident that blue lighting is effective to a certain extent in preventing suicide.”

Blue illumination is used for other purposes than preventing crimes and suicides.

A total of 152 blue lights were introduced along a 1.8-kilometer stretch of theTomei Expressway near the Tokyo interchange in 2001 to try to prevent accidents.

A spokesman of Central Nippon Expressway Co. said,“(The illumination was introduced) as part of our efforts to encourage people to drive safely by instinctively and emotionally appealing to them to calm down.”

According to the expressway operator, after bluecoloured lighting was installed near trash cans at the Yoro rest area of the Meishin Expressway in Yorocho, Gifu Prefecture, the volume of domestic garbage brought in by visitors decreased by more than 20 percent.

Prof. Tsuneo Suzuki at Keio University said: “There are a number of pieces of data to prove blue has a calming effect upon people. However, it’s an unusual colour for lighting, so people may just feel like avoiding standing out by committing crimes or suicide under such unusual illumination. It’s a little risky to believe that the colour of lighting can prevent anything.”

– The Yomiuri Shimbun

REVIEW: “Winterface” – a Christmas present for your PDA

By Ian Wishart

The buzz about Apple’s 3G iPhone is that whilst it’s a cute consumer phone, it’s not so hot on business applications or some of the other whizz-bang tricks common to high-end smartphones and PDA’s like Blackberry or Palm’s Treo range. Power users need the superior functionality of a high-end PDA/smartphone, but look enviously at the iPhone’s design.

Now Treo users can get the best of both worlds – an iPhone screen interface coupled with the Treo’s own unique features.

Software developers VITO have released Winterface Version 1.2, which essentially turns your Treo or other Windows mobile device into an iPhone lookalike.

The two megabyte file runs best when loaded directly into device memory, rather than the storage card, and essentially puts applications, settings, files and contacts right onscreen, and the screen icons move just like an iPhone does.

If your contacts already have photos loaded against them, they’ll appear in Winterface with those photos – simply touch to call.

On the Treo 700wx, Bluetooth has been more stable since Winterface was loaded; where previously the phone mysteriously and often dropped its Bluetooth signal requiring a“settings”reset, the link has remained open and operational throughout the Winterface trial, with an onscreen icon alerting whether Bluetooth is on or off.

Of particular use has been the ability to load website favourites into the Winterface screen, so I have icons that hyperlink directly to streaming audio

Dark stars close by

The two megabyte file runs best when loaded directly into device memory, rather than the storage card, and essentially puts applications, settings, files and contacts right onscreen, and the screen icons move just like an iPhone does from National Radio, Newstalk ZB and other stations, which turns the Treo into a de-facto AM/FM radio, as well as other websites I frequently visit.

Winterface is available with a fully-working free trial version for 14 days, after which it’ll cost you

US$19.95 if you want to keep using it. I purchased after just four days.

WEBLINKS Download the 14 day trial version View a YouTube demonstration of Winterface in action

PASADENA, Calif – U.S. space agency officials say the Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered the dimmest known star-like objects in the universe.

The record goes to twin brown dwarfs, or failed stars, each of which shines with only one-millionth the light of our sun, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

Astronomers previously thought the faint image was that of just one brown dwarf. But when the Spitzer Space Telescope observed the object in infrared mode, it measured the extreme faintness and low temperature for the first time. That data revealed the brown dwarf was, in fact, twins.

“Both of these objects are the first to break the barrier of one-millionth the total light-emitting power of the sun,”said Adam Burgasser of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brown dwarfs are compact balls of gas floating freely in space, but they are too cool and lightweight to be stars, yet too warm and massive to be planets, NASA said.The newly identified brown dwarfs are located about 17 light-years from Earth, toward the constellation Antlia.

The Spitzer Space Telescope is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.The discovery is reported in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

– UPI

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19

NEWSFOCUS

12 December 2008

A villager walks by a wall of graffiti just outside of Faridkot village in Pakistan. The graffiti written in Urdu reads, “Go for jihad. Go for jihad.” Markaz Dawat ul-Irshad”, MDI, is the parent organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Saeed Shah/MCT

Lashkar-e-Taiba

This Pakistan-based Islamic militant group is alleged to have links to the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

CHINA

Claimed by Pakistan

AFGHANISTAN

• Name means “Army of the Pure” • Military wing of Markaz

Dawa-ul-Irshad (MDI), formed to oppose the Soviet presence in Afghanistan

PA K I S TA N

• Strength Several thousand

250 km

• Targets Indian troops, civilians in

Kashmir; high profile attacks in India

who has written widely acclaimed books on the Taliban and the rise of Islamic terrorists. But he added that the civilian government, elected in February LAHORE, Pakistan – For a terrorist leader watched after more than eight years of military rule, could

by Washington and wanted in New Delhi, Hafiz not yet do much about men like Saeed.“I don’t think Mohammed Saeed seems remarkably carefree. the civilians can question these people, because it’s He lives openly in the eastern city of Lahore, and the military that’s backed them.” on Friday, he led prayers at his group’s mosque, lecThe country’s powerful spy agency, Inter-Services turing about sacrifice to almost 10,000 followers as Intelligence,or ISI,helped create most of the Kashmiri three armed men stood behind him. groups,experts say.But it’s not clear what role the ISI The extradition of Saeed, founder of the Islamic or the army has had with the groups recently. Most militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, or “army of the analysts doubt any government agency had a role in pure,”was demanded by the Indian authorities after the Mumbai attacks, although rogue and former govthe 60-hour siege in Mumbai that killed at least 171 ernment operatives may have been involved. people. He is a suspect in several other spectacular Since winning power, the civilian leaders have attacks in India; the U.S. has listed both Lashkar tried to rein in the ISI. Last summer they attempted, and its parent organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, as without success, to place the agency under the conterrorist organizations. trol of the Interior Ministry.They also nominated a But Saeed’s apparently lax treatment in Pakistan new ISI chief, considered a U.S. ally, and pushed to highlights the challenge now faced by the fledgling dismantle the agency’s political wing. civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari Analysts said that it was extremely unlikely that and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani: how Pakistan would turn over Saeed or 19 other men on to restrain guerrilla groups once supported by the India’s wanted list, or two Lashkar leaders Indian security forces but now refuelling animosity with authorities say masterminded the Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan’s arch-foe India and bringing immense If they did so the already weak government would new pressure from the U.S. face a major backlash.

Without directly pointing fingers on her visit to Saeed and the Jamaat group are also very popular Islamabad last week, U.S. Secretary of State Con- here in Lahore. On Thursday, the group’s spokesman doleezza Rice demanded that Pakistan actively offered reporters a tour of classrooms and dormitories respond to India’s allegations that Lashkar or at the group’s elaborate compound outside the city. other Pakistani terrorists were responsible for the At Friday prayers, everyone waited quietly to Mumbai attacks. hear every word Saeed said. He talked about the Lashkar and other groups were founded in the upcoming Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, where 1980s and early 1990s with the help of the country’s animals are sacrificed to commemorate when Ibramilitary and spy agencies, to fight in the conflict him, also known as Abraham, prepared to sacrifice over India-controlled Kashmir, disputed since his son and leave his family for God. the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947.

According to a Pakistani journalist who heard Although Pakistan banned the groups in 2002 the sermon, Saeed said Muslims should not fear under U.S. pressure, most continued to operate and bloodshed nor sacrificing themselves for Islam but simply took new names. denied that Jamaat-ud-Dawa had anything to do For many Pakistanis,Saeed,63,is a hero.His group, with the attacks in Mumbai. which reverted to its original name of Jamaat-udHe is hardly the only terrorist wanted by the Dawa after being banned, now professes to perform Indian government who appears to operate freely only charity work. His group’s spokesman claims in public in Pakistan. Maulana Masood Azhar, a that Saeed is barely involved with Lashkar and guerilla leader released by India in exchange for describes the group as based in India. And Saeed hostages on a hijacked airliner in 1999, is building is allowed to go wherever he wants. a giant mosque in Bahawalpur.

“There’s no restrictions on him at all, it seems,” Jamaat also seems more out in the open than ever, said Ahmed Rashid, an expert on insurgent groups even though many experts say the group uses relief

Claimed

by India New Delhi

I N D I A

mainly Pakistani, Afghan; support from other terror groups

By Kim Barker Chicago Tribune

KASHMIR

Islamabad

• Began late 1980s, early 1990s

Leashing the dogs of war

Controlled

by China

250 miles

Goals India out of Kashmir;

restore Islamic rule in SE Asia

Mumbai

© 2008 MCT

Source: U.S. State Department, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), ESRI

work to recruit new militants.

Last month, it held two large meetings in Lahore’s Punjab province, the first large meetings Jamaat held since Lashkar was banned. Saeed talked about the idea of jihad,and some women were so impressed with his speeches, they gave the group their gold jewellery, said Jamaat spokesman Muhammad

Yahya Mujahid.

“We will keep talking about jihad, but we are not training anyone,”he added.

There now are also posters, even in relatively moderate Lahore, advertising the group. One billboard in the heart of the city proclaimed:“We can sacrifice our lives to preserve the holiness of the Prophet.”

NZ CLASSIC

20

12 December 2008

The escape

Acclaimed science fiction writer Jules Verne didn’t just write Around the World in 80 Days, he also wrote an epic about New Zealand and Australia called In Search of the Castaways, published in 1867. If you missed the previous instalment of this serial, you can download it here.

It was the hand of a woman or child, a European! On neither side had a word been uttered. It was evidently the cue of both sides to be silent.

“Is it Robert?”whispered Glenarvan.

But softly as the name was breathed, Mary Grant, already awakened by the sounds in the hut, slipped over toward Glenarvan, and seizing the hand, all stained with earth, she covered it with kisses.

“My darling Robert,”said she, never doubting,“It is you! It is you!”

“Yes, little sister,” said he,“it is, I am here to save you all; but be very silent.”

“Brave lad!”repeated Glenarvan.

“Watch the savages outside,”said Robert.

Mulrady, whose attention was distracted for a moment by the appearance of the boy, resumed his post.

“It is all right,” said he.“There are only four awake; the rest are asleep.”

A minute after, the hole was enlarged, and Robert passed from the arms of his sister to those of Lady Helena. Round his body was rolled a long coil of flax rope.

“My child, my child,” murmured Lady Helena,“the savages did not kill you!”

“No, madam,”said he;“I do not know how it happened, but in the scuffle I got away; I jumped the barrier; for two days I hid in the bushes, to try and see you; while the tribe were busy with the chief’s funeral, I came and reconnoitred this side of the path, and I saw that I could get to you. I stole this knife and rope out of the desert hut.The tufts of bush and the branches made me a ladder, and I found a kind of grotto already hollowed out in the rock under this hut; I had only to bore some feet in soft earth, and here I am.”

Twenty noiseless kisses were his reward.

“Let us be off!”said he, in a decided tone.

“Is Paganel below?”asked Glenarvan.

“Monsieur Paganel?”replied the boy, amazed.

“Yes; is he waiting for us?”

“No, my Lord; but is he not here?”inquired Robert.

“No, Robert!”answered Mary Grant.

“Why! have you not seen him?”asked Glenarvan.“Did you lose each other in the confusion? Did you not get away together?”

“No, my Lord!”said Robert, taken aback by the disappearance of his friend Paganel.

“Well, lose no more time,”said the Major.“Wherever Paganel is, he cannot be in worse plight than ourselves. Let us go.”

Truly,the moments were precious.They had to fly.The escape was not very difficult,except the twenty feet of perpendicular fall outside the grotto.

After that the slope was practicable to the foot of the mountain.

From this point the prisoners could soon gain the lower valleys; while the Maoris, if they perceived the flight of the prisoners, would have to make a long round to catch them, being unaware of the gallery between the Ware-Atoua and the outer rock.

The escape was commenced, and every precaution was taken.The captives passed one by one through the narrow passage into the grotto.

John Mangles, before leaving the hut, disposed of all the evidences of their work, and in his turn slipped through the opening and let down over it the mats of the house, so that the entrance to the gallery was quite concealed.

The next thing was to descend the vertical wall to the slope below, and this would have been impracticable, but that Robert had brought the flax rope, which was now unrolled and fixed to a projecting point of rock, the end hanging over.

John Mangles, before his friends trusted themselves to this flax rope, tried it; he did not think it very strong; and it was of importance not to risk themselves imprudently, as a fall would be fatal.

“This rope,”said he,“will only bear the weight of two persons;therefore let us go in rotation.Lord and Lady Glenarvan first;when they arrive at the bottom, three pulls at the rope will be a signal to us to follow.”

“I will go first,”said Robert.“I discovered a deep hollow at the foot of the slope where those who come down can conceal themselves and wait for the rest.”

“Go, my boy,”said Glenarvan, pressing Robert’s hand.

Robert disappeared through the opening out of the grotto.A minute after, the three pulls at the cord informed them the boy had alighted safely.

Glenarvan and Lady Helena immediately ventured out of the grotto.

The darkness was still very great, though some grayish streaks were already visible on the eastern summits.

The biting cold of the morning revived the poor young lady. She felt stronger and commenced her perilous descent.

Glenarvan first, then Lady Helena, let themselves down along the

rope, till they came to the spot where the perpendicular wall met the Grant leaned on the arm of John Mangles; Robert, radiant with joy, top of the slope.Then Glenarvan going first and supporting his wife, triumphant at his success, led the march, and the two sailors brought began to descend backward. up the rear.

He felt for the tufts and grass and shrubs able to afford a foothold;tried Another half an hour and the glorious sun would rise out of the them and then placed Lady Helena’s foot on them.Some birds,suddenly mists of the horizon. For half an hour the fugitives walked on as awakened,flew away,uttering feeble cries,and the fugitives trembled when chance led them. Paganel was not there to take the lead. He was now a stone loosened from its bed rolled to the foot of the mountain. the object of their anxiety, and whose absence was a black shadow They had reached half-way down the slope, when a voice was heard between them and their happiness. But they bore steadily eastward, from the opening of the grotto. as much as possible, and faced the gorgeous morning light. Soon they “Stop!”whispered John Mangles. had reached a height of 500 feet above Lake Taupo, and the cold of the Glenarvan, holding with one hand to a tuft of tetragonia, with the morning, increased by the altitude, was very keen. Dim outlines of hills other holding his wife, waited with breathless anxiety. and mountains rose behind one another; but Glenarvan only thought Wilson had had an alarm. Having heard some unusual noise out- how best to get lost among them.Time enough by and by to see about side the Ware-Atoua, he went escaping from the labyrinth. back into the hut and watched At last the sun appeared and It was of vital importance the Maoris from behind the mat. sent his first rays on their path. that before the decisive At a sign from him, John stopped Suddenly a terrific yell from a Glenarvan. hundred throats rent the air. It moment arrived they should put One of the warriors on guard, came from the pah, whose direcstartled by an unusual sound, themselves beyond the reach of tion Glenarvan did not know. rose and drew nearer to the Ware- the savages, so as to put them off Besides, a thick veil of fog, which, Atoua. He stood still about two spread at his feet, prevented any their track. But their progress paces from the hut and listened distinct view of the valleys below. with his head bent forward. He was slow, for the paths were steep But the fugitives could not remained in that attitude for a doubt that their escape had been minute that seemed an hour, his ear intent, his eye peering into the discovered; and now the question was, would they be able to elude darkness.Then shaking his head like one who sees he is mistaken, he pursuit? Had they been seen? Would not their track betray them? went back to his companions, took an armful of dead wood, and threw At this moment the fog in the valley lifted, and enveloped them it into the smouldering fire, which immediately revived. His face was for a moment in a damp mist, and at three hundred feet below they lighted up by the flame, and was free from any look of doubt, and after perceived the swarming mass of frantic natives. having glanced to where the first light of dawn whitened the eastern While they looked they were seen. Renewed howls broke forth, sky, stretched himself near the fire to warm his stiffened limbs. mingled with the barking of dogs, and the whole tribe, after vainly “All’s well!”whispered Wilson. trying to scale the rock of Ware-Atoua, rushed out of the pah, and John signalled to Glenarvan to resume his descent. hastened by the shortest paths in pursuit of the prisoners who were Glenarvan let himself gently down the slope; soon Lady Helena and flying from their vengeance. he landed on the narrow track where Robert waited for them.

The rope was shaken three times, and in his turn John Mangles, preceding Mary Grant, followed in the dangerous route.

He arrived safely; he rejoined Lord and Lady Glenarvan in the hollow mentioned by Robert.

Five minutes after, all the fugitives had safely escaped from the Ware-Atoua,left their retreat,and keeping away from the inhabited shores of the lakes, they plunged by narrow paths into the recesses of the mountains.

They walked quickly, trying to avoid the points where they might be seen from the pah.They were quite silent, and glided among the bushes like shadows. Whither?

Where chance led them, but at any rate they were free.

Toward five o’clock, the day began to dawn, bluish clouds marbled the upper stratum of clouds.The misty summits began to pierce the morning mists.The orb of day was soon to appear, and instead of giving the signal for their execution, would, on the contrary, announce their flight.

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