Public warned of rising fraud - Oman Daily Observer

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14 KOREA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 Things can go out of control: Ban Japan Self-Defence Forces soldiers walk near Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo. — Reuters Japan deploys Patriot missiles TOKYO — Japan has deployed Patriot missiles in its capital as it readies to defend the 30 million people who live in greater Tokyo from any North Korean attack, oficials said yesterday. Two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile launchers were stationed at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo before dawn, a ministry spokesman said, while Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said "we are proceeding with measures including deployment of PAC-3 missiles as we are on alert". Local reports said batteries would be deployed in another two locations in the greater Tokyo area. "The government is making utmost efforts to protect our people's lives and ensure their safety," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters yesterday morning. "As North Korea keeps making provocative comments, Japan, co-operating with relevant countries, will do what we have to do. "For the moment, the most important thing is to implement sanctions under the UN Security Council resolutions," Abe said. Tokyo's response thus far to the threats emanating from Pyongyang has been low key and yesterday's moves are the most visible yet that it is rattled. On the streets of the capital, some people gave voice to that disquiet. "If they ire a missile, there's deinitely going to be some damage. I am quite scared," Yoshiharu Urata said. PAC-3 batteries will also be installed in the semi-tropical island chain of Okinawa, Onodera told a television programme broadcast on Monday. He said Okinawa was "the place that is most effective in responding to emergencies... so we should deploy the unit in Okinawa on a permanent basis". Japan's armed forces are authorised to shoot down any North Korean missile headed towards its territory, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Monday. In addition to the PAC-3s, Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based interceptor missiles have been deployed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the defence oficial said. North Korea's bellicose rhetoric has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, with near-daily threats of attacks on US military bases including in Japan and South Korea in response to military exercises. ROME — UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon yesterday warned that a small incident could provoke an "uncontrollable" situation on the Korean peninsula after North Korea warned of impending "thermo-nuclear" war. "The current level of tension is very dangerous, a small incident caused by miscalculation or misjudgement may create an uncontrollable situation," Ban said during a visit to Rome. "I have urged the countries concerned in and around the Korean peninsula to exercise their inluence on the North Korean leadership," he said. "I have spoken to the Chinese leadership and I am going to discuss this with President (Barack) Obama on Thursday," he added. "The level of tension on the Korean peninsula is not helpful to anybody," he said, adding that all parties should "calm down the tensions and initiate dialogue". Ban also called on North Korea to re-open the Kaesong industrial complex saying it was "one of the most successful co-operation projects between South and North" and could help build ties. North Korea said yesterday the Korean peninsula was headed for "thermo-nuclear" war and advised foreigners in South Korea to consider evacuation — a warning that was largely greeted with indifference. It followed a similar warning last week to foreign embassies in its capital Pyongyang to consider evacuating by today, with the North saying it could not ensure the safety of their personnel if conlict broke out. Meanwhile, the European Union would consider tightening sanctions on North Korea if it stoked already high tensions with more missile or nuclear weapon tests, a senior EU oficial said. The oficial, who declined to be named, said the seven EU countries with embassies in the North Korean capital had not seen any preparations for war on the ground and "they are not considering evacuation at the moment." Last week, North Korea told the embassies to consider withdrawing by Wednesday as it could not ensure the safety of their personnel if conlict broke out. Britain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania and Sweden have diplomatic posts in Pyongyang. North Korea has steadily ramped up its war rhetoric in recent months, claiming that the United States planned to attack it and that it was ready to use nuclear weapons. The senior oficial said the EU was closely following a "very volatile" situation, adding that member states were looking at what further sanctions could be imposed. The EU imposed sanctions, in line with UN approval, following a North Korean ballistic missile test in December and its third nuclear bomb test in February. Nato chief plans to visit Seoul, Tokyo BRUSSELS — Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will travel to South Korea this week, the alliance said yesterday, at a time when North Korea has intensiied threats of an imminent conlict against the United States and the South. A Nato oficial said Rasmussen's April 11-13 visit to South Korea, which will be followed by a trip to Japan, was long scheduled and not linked to the situation in North Korea. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Japan can count on German solidarity in the face of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula. "There is a clear message from the government of our country... that Japan can count on solidarity and other peaceful countries can count on that solidarity," Westerwelle told journalists in The Hague. "It is very important that we send a clear message," Westerwelle said at the end of a meeting of oficials from the 10-country Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) bloc. "We strongly urge the leadership in Pyongyang not to inlame the conlict on the Korean peninsula," he said after the meeting between senior oficials including from Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Australia and Japan established the initiative in 2010 which aims to get all countries to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and rid the world of nuclear weapons. Japan said yesterday it has deployed Patriot missiles in Tokyo in an effort to defend itself against any possible nuclear attack from North Korea. Two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile launchers were stationed at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo, a ministry spokesman said, while Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said "we are proceeding with measures including deployment of PAC-3 as we are on alert". Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the world needed to send a "very strong message" to Pyongyang that it should urge restraint "rather than repeat violent rhetoric." South Korean activists shout slogans during an anti-war rally urging peace talks with North Korea in Seoul yesterday. — AFP North tells foreigners to leave South A South Korean soldier checks vehicles of the media on the Grand Uniication Bridge before they go to South's CIQ, just south of the demilitarised zone in Paju. SEOUL — North Korea intensiied threats of an imminent conlict against the United States and the South yesterday, warning foreigners to evacuate South Korea to avoid being dragged into "thermonuclear war". The North's latest message belied an atmosphere free of anxiety in the South Korean capital, where the city centre was bustling with trafic and ofices operated normally. Pyongyang has shown no sign of preparing its 1.2 million-strong army for war, indicating the threat could be aimed partly at bolstering Kim Jong-un, 30, the third in his family to lead the country. The North, which threatens the US and its "puppet", South Korea, on a daily basis, is marking anniversaries this week that could be accompanied by strong statements or military displays. The warning to foreigners in the South, reported by the KCNA news agency, said once war broke out "it will be an all-out war, a merciless, sacred, retaliatory war to be waged by (North Korea). "It does not want to see foreigners in South Korea fall victim to the war," the agency quoted the Korea Asia-Paciic Peace Committee as saying. "The committee informs all foreign institutions and enterprises and foreigners, including tourists... that they are requested to take measures for shelter and evacuation in advance for their safety." None of the embassies in Seoul appeared to have issued any directives to their nationals and airlines reported no changes in their schedules. Schools catering to foreign pupils worked without interruption. The warning, read out on North Korea's state television in a bulletin that interrupted normal programming, was the latest threat in weeks of high tension following UN sanctions slapped on Pyongyang for its latest nuclear arms test. It followed the North's suspension of activity at the Kaesong joint industrial park just inside North Korea, all but closing down the last remnant of co-operation between the neighbours. North Korean workers failed to turn up yesterday. North Korea had said South Korea was trying to turn the Kaesong complex into a "hotbed of war". Speculation remained high that the North may launch some provocative action this week — perhaps a missile launch or a nuclear arms test. In a previous appeal, its authorities urged diplomats in Pyongyang to leave on grounds their safety could not be assured beyond today. None appeared to have taken any such action. Also featured in broadcasts were country-wide reports of celebrations marking Saturday's 20th anniversary of the current leader's father, Kim Jong-il, taking over North Korea's leadership and next Monday's birth date of his grandfather, post-World War II state founder Kim Il-Sung. A spokeswoman for South Korea's presidential Blue House dismissed the warning, saying no one felt under threat. "We understand that not only South Koreans, but also foreigners residing here remain unfazed as they have great trust and con- idence in our military and the Republic of Korea," Yonhap news agency quoted Kim Haing as saying. She was referring to South Korea by its oficial name. A government source in Seoul said a North Korean medium-range missile, reported to have been shunted to the east coast, had been tracked and was believed to be ready for launch. "Technically, they can launch it as early as tomorrow," the source said. — Reuters
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 THE WORLD 15 Kenyatta sworn in as new president Austrian President Heinz Fischer (L) and Prince of Liechtenstein Hans Adam II review an honour guard in Vienna yesterday. — AFP Lower house passes labour bill amid protests PARIS — France's lower house of parliament voted yesterday to pass a draft law overhauling the labour system despite widespread union protests against the bill, opening the way for a debate in the Senate later this month. The vote came as Socialist President Francois Hollande spent the last week fending off accusations of a cover-up after his former budget minister admitted lying about a secret foreign bank account at a time when the government is already struggling to reverse a rise in unemployment and meet its economic targets. Accusations among some on the left that Hollande has abandoned Armenian oppn cries foul as president is re-installed YEREVAN — Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan yesterday against the inauguration of President Serzh Sarksyan for a second term, alleging that his election had been ixed. Across town, Sarksyan said in his inauguration speech that developing the economy, ensuring the rule of law and deepening democracy were his top priorities, along with the peaceful resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute with Azerbaijan. European monitors had said the Feb 18 election was generally well conducted, but bemoaned a lack of competition after leading candidates pulled out fearing the outcome would be rigged. Sarksyan's tally of 58.6 per cent was in line with opinion polls. Yesterday's peaceful crowd of some 12,000 was the biggest of the intermittent protests since the election. Demonstrators led by Rafi Hovannisian, who came second to Sarksyan according to the oficial count but alleges that he won the vote, rallied in Yerevan's central Freedom Square as the inauguration was held a few kilometres away. WASHINGTON — The US Navy said it is preparing to roll out a sea-based laser weapon capable of disabling small enemy vessels and shooting down surveillance drones. The laser system will be deployed in 2014, two years ahead of schedule, aboard the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship retroitted as a waterborne staging base, the Navy said on Monday. Chief of Naval Research Admiral Matthew Klunder said the cost of one blast of "directed energy" could be less than $1. "Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to ire a missile, and you can begin to see the merits of this capability," he said in a US Navy statement. The Ofice of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Sea Systems Command successfully tested Socialism could drag down his already dismal approval ratings, stuck around 27 per cent, and hurt his party's performance in municipal elections next year. The National Assembly adopted the draft bill, which ushers in a series of measures to loosen iring and hiring rules, by 250 votes in favour versus 26 against as scores of opposition conservatives abstained and thousands protested outside. Socialist lawmakers and centreleft allies backed the bill but the Greens Party, part of Hollande's government and supposed to be a parliament ally, abstained in a rebuke to the man they helped bring to power last year. "We say 'No' to false oaths, 'no' to false presidents," Hovannisian, a USborn former foreign minister, told supporters. With security tight, demonstrators marched through the city after the rally but were stopped by police when they tried to approach the presidential residence and turned back toward Freedom Square. There has been no repeat of the violence that erupted after round-the-clock protests following Sarksyan's irst election in 2008. Eight activists and two police were killed. Foreign governments are watching for signs of instability in Armenia, a nation of 3.2 million that hosts a Russian military base and is at odds with its oil-rich, neighbour Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The mountain territory is in Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a war that ended in 1994 with a shaky truce. There is still sporadic shooting and Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry said yesterday that an Azeri oficer had been shot dead on Monday evening by a sniper near the "line of contact". — Reuters "This is a small revolution," said Annick Lepetit, head of the Socialist group in the National Assembly. Thirty-ive Socialist deputies joined Greens dissidents in abstaining from the vote, hinting at a growing rift in Hollande's camp as tens of thousands of protesters led by the hardline CGT union marched against it in 170 towns and cities. In all, 178 lawmakers abstained, mainly conservatives. Street protests will not block the reform from becoming law because Hollande, whose Socialist Party has a majority in parliament, is likely to ind enough support in the Senate to pass the law when the debate moves there later in April. But hardline unions, aided by their left-wing allies in parliament, aim to mobilise public opinion against the bill and obtain as many amendments as possible during the debate. Members of the CGT, France's second-largest union by membership, branded the draft law as "traitorous", splitting with its bigger rival, the CFDT, which backed the labour overhaul in an accord reached after weeks of talks. In the southern city of Marseille, marchers bore banners reading: "No to breaking the labour code", against a text seen as the most comprehensive labour reform since World War Two. — Reuters Bersani to meet Berlusconi, rules out ‘grand coalition’ ROME — Italian centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani conirmed yesterday he would meet his centre-right rival Silvio Berlusconi soon, but held out little hope of a breakthrough in the political stalemate since February's inconclusive election. Bersani, who won a majority in the lower house but fell short of the Senate majority which would have allowed him to form a government, has so far refused Berlusconi's demands for a "grand coalition" between the two rival forces. He said he would meet Berlusconi "some time in the next few days" to discuss the election of Italy's next president, a process involving both houses of parliament as well as representatives from the regions which begins on April 18. However he stuck to his rejection of Berlusconi's demands to share power in a "grand coalition" or "governissimo" saying the centre-right leader had shown during the technocrat government of Mario Monti that he could not be trusted. "When I meet him, I will say, 'We haven't forgotten. We know you even if you try to disguise yourself'," he told RAI state television. "We're trustworthy and we look for trustworthiness in others, if there are proposals we'll see. Only they shouldn't come with proposals for a 'governissimo' because that's not possible. If they've got other ideas, we can talk about it." The comment underlines how set the deadlock between the two main formations in parliament remains more than 40 days after the election which left no party able to form a government. The other main force, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement led by ex-comic Beppe Grillo has refused any alliance with either of the big parties it blames for Italy's deep social and economic crisis. — Reuters US Navy readies 'laser attack' weapon The Laser Weapon System (LaWS), technology demonstrator temporarily installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey seen in this ile image in San Diego, California. — AFP high-energy lasers against a moving target ship and a remotely piloted drone. "The future is here," ONR oficial Peter Morrision said. "The solid-state laser is a big step forward to revolutionizing modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords." The laser runs on electricity, so the weapon "can be ired as long as there is power," and is a lot safer than carrying explosives aboard ships. The New York Times, which said the USS Ponce would deploy to the Gulf, noted the Pentagon had a "long history of grossly in- lating" claims for experimental weapons. Navy oficials had acknowledged that the prototype laser was not yet strong enough to bring down a jet ighter or a missile, although those remained the long-term targets, The Times reported. — AFP NAIROBI — Uhuru Kenyatta took the oath of ofice as Kenyan president yesterday, presenting Western states with the challenge of how to deal with a leader indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Uganda's president praised Kenyans at the ceremony for rejecting what he called the court's bid to sway the vote by "blackmail", a relection of the distrust or resentment of the court felt by many Africans. Kenyatta is charged with crimes against humanity for orchestrating intercommunal violence that followed the previous presidential election ive years ago, an accusation he denies. Kenyatta pledged to "be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Kenya" in his oath, taken on a Bible used by his father, Jomo Kenyatta, who was Kenya's irst president after independence from Britain in 1963. The peaceful transition of power has helped to rebuild Kenya's reputation as one of Africa's most stable democracies, after the violence ive years ago, when 1,200 died. Analysts say the ICC row may have spurred some people to vote for Kenyatta. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told the ceremony in a Nairobi stadium: "I want to salute the Kenyan voters on ... the rejection of the blackmail by the International Criminal Court", to cheers from tens of thousands. Washington and European capitals sent ambassadors to Kenyatta's inauguration — a level of representation diplomats said was not unusual and in line with their contacts policy. Sitting alongside the Western envoys were about a dozen African heads of state, as well as prime ministers and other top oficials. China and India, neither a signatory to the statutes that set up the ICC, sent senior government oficials. Many Kenyans hope Kenyatta will deliver on a promise to be a president for all and not just work for his own ethnic group, a practice they have come to expect from politicians. French begin Mali pullout PARIS/BAMAKO — France has begun withdrawing troops from Mali, the military said yesterday, conirming that a irst group of around 100 soldiers had already left the country at the end of March. "Around 100 troops were redeployed from Tessalit (in the north-east) to Abidjan (Ivory Coast) about a week ago," military spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard said. The troops belong to parachute regiments that were pursuing Islamist rebels in their mountain strongholds near the border with Algeria. From Ivory Coast they were brought to Cyprus to recuperate before being repatriated to France. The start of the withdrawal, which had been announced for the end of April, comes three months after France launched a ground and air offensive to stop thedissidents who seized northern Mali advancing on the capital Bamako. Since then, Operation Serval has grown to include 4,000 troops, who are working with African forces to rout the Al-Qaeda-afiliates from the entire country. Within two weeks of the start of the intervention, French and Malian forces had recaptured most northern towns from the dissidents. But the insurgents have continued to launch sporadic attacks from their bases in the hinterland. On Sunday, the French army launched a major offensive north of the town of Gao in pursuit of dissidents. — dpa European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso with Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek (L) ahead of a meeting at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels yesterday. — Reuters Man kills 13 relatives and neighbours in Serb village VELIKA IVANCA — A veteran of the 1990s Balkan wars shot dead 13 people, including his mother, son and a two-year-old child in a dawn rampage through a small village in central Serbia yesterday, authorities said. The man, identiied by police as Ljubisa Bogdanovic, also shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. Both were in critical condition in hospital, police said. "Most of the victims were shot in the head as they slept," police chief Milorad Veljovic told reporters at the scene in Velika Ivanca, about 40 km southwest of Belgrade. He said the victims were relatives and neighbours of the man: six men, six women and a child in ive houses. "We've never had such a tragedy in Serbia and we have to ind out what drove this man to kill so many people as they slept," said Veljovic. The government called a cabinet session. The motive for the killings, carried out with a semi-automatic 9-mm pistol, was not known. Veljovic said Bogdanovic, born in 1953, had fought the 1991-95 war in Croatia during the collapse of federal Yugoslavia and had a irearms permit. He and his son had lost their jobs in Serbia last year. Serbian media reports said the man's father and uncle had both committed suicide several years ago. Police said Bogdanovic turned the gun on himself after seeing a police patrol car approach the village. "He's a good man, everyone would open their doors to him, he helped everyone in the neighbourhood," said neighbour Milovan Konstantinovic. "Something must have snapped in his head," he said. In 2007, a man in the eastern Serbian village of Jabukovac shot and killed nine people and wounded two, and in 2002, in the southern town of Leskovac a man shot dead seven people.— Reuters
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Public warned of rising fraud - Oman Daily Observer

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