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Gov. Christie faces federal probe over Sandy relief funds - Chicago Tribune Posted: 13 Jan 2014 09:13 AM PST A lawmaker said Monday, that a federal agency will investigate whether New Jersey improperly spent Hurricane Sandy relief money on an ad campaign that featured the governor while he was running for re-election. U.S. investigators are looking into whether embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie misused about $2 million in Superstorm Sandy relief funds for an ad campaign that put him in the spotlight in an election year, a lawmaker said on Monday. Already enmeshed in a scandal over snarled traffic at the George Washington Bridge, Christie, a rising star in the Republican party, is now being audited by the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., a Democrat. The inspector is focusing on a federally financed $25 million Jersey Shore marketing campaign that included a television commercial featuring Christie and his family, which cost $2 million more than a competing bid without them. "It is inappropriate for taxpayer-funded dollars that are critical to our state's recovery from this natural disaster to fund commercials that could potentially benefit a political campaign," Pallone said in an August 8, 2013 letter requesting the investigation. "While promoting tourism at the Jersey Shore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy is certainly a worthy endeavor, recent reports have led me to believe that the state has irresponsibly misappropriated funding allocated by Congress from the Sandy aid package and taken advantage of this waiver for political purposes," the letter said. The winning ad, with the tag line that New Jersey was "Stronger than the Storm," aired in the spring as Christie headed into a re-election campaign to win a second term. On October 29, 2012, Sandy devastated New York, New Jersey and other parts of the East Coast. The historic storm killed at least 159 people, and damaged or destroyed more than 650,000 homes, many in Pallone's district on the Jersey Shore, where the storm made landfall. "Had Governor Christie chosen the less expensive firm, $2.2 million in federal disaster aid could have potentially been directed elsewhere, for example, to provide 44 Sandy-impacted homeowners $50,000 grants to raise their homes," Pallone said in a press release. There was no immediate response to calls and emails to Christie's office for comment. News of the audit arrives in the shadow of a scandal dubbed "Bridgegate" by tabloids, in which a massive traffic jam was orchestrated by Christie's staff in September, apparently as political payback against the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, who didn't endorse Christie for reelection. Christie, a likely contender for the White House in 2016, last week fired a top aide who called for the closure of lanes to the George Washington Bridge, and has denied knowledge of the scheme. The Democratic Assembly speaker-elect said he planned to call the New Jersey Legislature into a special session this week to continue to investigate the four-day incident, which paralyzed Fort Lee, on the Jersey side of the bridge. U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, whose job Christie held before being elected governor, has opened an investigation into the decision to close the lanes. The governor also faces a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday by Rosemarie Arnold, a lawyer charging that area residents suffered financially from being trapped in traffic. Reuters

Israel Retaliates to Gaza Fire After Sharon Burial - ABC News Posted: 13 Jan 2014 09:18 AM PST The Israeli air force retaliated to Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Monday, hitting sites used by militants after rockets were fired from the territory near the end of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's funeral. The location in southern Israel where Sharon was later buried is within range of rockets from the Palestinian territory, and rockets have hit the area in the past. Israeli police said they exploded about 10 kilometers away from the ceremony. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said "The Terrorists and their infrastructure operating in the Gaza Strip will not succeed in their grotesque intentions. The IDF will seek them out, eliminate their capabilities and pursue them wherever they may hide," he said. In Gaza, a security official said training sites used by militants from Islamic Jihad and Hamas were hit. Some damage was caused but no injuries were reported, the official said, speaking anonymously as he is not allowed to speak with the media. Israeli media reported that the Iron Dome anti-missile system was deployed near Sharon's ranch in southern Israel to protect against rockets during the funeral. The military declined to comment. Hundreds of Israeli VIPs and international dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, attended the state memorial ceremony for Sharon, who died Saturday after a stroke left him in a coma for the last eight years. He was 85. A convoy with Sharon's casket left the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem and drove toward the site of a 1948 battle in which he was wounded. From there, it traveled to Sharon's private desert ranch for burial. Palestinian militants in Gaza fired two other rockets toward Israel a few hours before the funeral the military said, but they did not explode inside Israel.

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FTSE Bursa Malaysia update: 10.30am Posted: 12 Jan 2014 06:33 PM PST At 10.30am today, there were 325 gainers, 260 losers and 248 counters traded unchanged on the Bursa Malaysia. The FBM-KLCI was at 1,836.10 up 9.49 points, the FBMACE was at 5,994.40 up 33.22 points, and the FBMEmas was at 12,717.09 up 57.64 points. Turnover was at 674.981 million shares valued at RM359.745 million.-- Bernama

KL shares traded firmer in early session Posted: 12 Jan 2014 06:16 PM PST Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were firmer in the early session today after opening slightLy lower on profit-taking. Thirty three minutes after trading, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 6.84 points to 1,833.45 after opening at 1,825.42. Dealers said the key FBM KLCI will probably range-bound with a marginal upward bias today. On the chart, the benchmark index could pull away further from the immediate support level of 1,825 towards the resistance threshold of 1,840. On the scoreboard, the Finance Index firmed 59.77 points to 16,790.789, the Plantation Index rose 25.91 points to 8,650.26 and the Industrial Index was 3.08 points higher at 3,090.49. The FBM Emas Index surged 46.41 points to 12,705.85, the FBMT100 Index perked 45.55 points to 12,405.5, the FBM Ace garnered 32.86 points to 5,994.04, with the FBM 70 gaining 49.14 points to 14,142.67. Gainers outnumbered losers by 264 to 153, with 1,143 counters unchanged. Turnover amounted to 314.6 million shares worth RM155.5 million. Among actives, Minetech Resources earned 1.5 sen to 22.5 sen, Iris Corporation inched up 2.5 sen to 40.5 and Malaysia Airlines added half-a-sen to 31.5 sen. Heavyweights, Maybank added two sen to RM9.83, Tenaga gained 16 sen to RM11.74, Axiata and CIMB were flat at RM6.75 and RM7.30, respectively.-- Bernama

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What did West Virginia officials know? - MSNBC Posted: 12 Jan 2014 08:59 AM PST West Virginia authorities were aware of the hazardous chemicals stored at Freedom Industries' facilities long before Thursday's chemical spill, a newly released document reveals. According to the Charleston Gazette, Freedom Industries, the company at the center of the massive spill, filed the required "Tier 2" form with the state back in February informing officials that one million pounds of the coal-cleaning chemical 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) were being stored in tanks at the Etowah River Terminal along the now-polluted Elk River. Under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, Freedom Industries was required to alert the state of the presence of hazardous chemicals at its facilities so authorities and emergency responders were aware of the potential risks. "Obviously, the whole idea of the chemical inventory reports is to properly inform local emergency officials about the sorts of materials they might have to deal with," chemical safety expert Fred Millar said, according to the Gazette. "It's just head-in-the-sand to be ignoring this type of threat." Officials seemed surprised to learn that MCHM was being stored in Freedom Industries' facilities, and they did not appear to have an emergency plan in place to respond to the spill. "This was not a chemical we were familiar with," West Virginia American Water Company spokesperson Laura Jordan told the Wall Street Journal Saturday.  At Friday's press conference, West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Romblin called the spill "unacceptable," and is continuing to advise residents not to use tap water. As many as 300,000 residents remain without potable water as officials continue to investigate how the leak occurred. The West Virginia Poison Center by Saturday morning logged nearly 800 calls from residents reporting symptoms of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, and skin irritation.

Ariel Sharon lies in state as Israeli public tell their stories of his life - Telegraph.co.uk Posted: 12 Jan 2014 08:48 AM PST Mr Sharon, who died on Saturday after spending the last eight years of his life in a coma following a devastating stroke, will be buried at his ranch in the Negev desert next to the grave of his late wife, Lily. Israelis of all ages – including schoolchildren too young to recall Mr Sharon's career – gave a variety of reasons for paying homage to one of Israel's most controversial figures. Some acknowledged that the former prime minister had made serious mistakes, such as the 1982 invasion of Lebanon that led to the massacre of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Christian forces allied to Israel. But many agreed that he showed a strength of leadership unique in their country's 65-year history. "He was a great man. He did a lot of things that were good for the country and maybe some things that were not good," said Ronen Yekutieal, 25, a law student from Holon, near Tel Aviv. "He was the last real leader that grew up here and there will be no other leader like him in the years ahead." "As a leader, as a politicians and as a Zionist, he was a symbol. He was part of the history of this country," said Daniel Bergfeld, 44, a web designer from Jerusalem, who had allowed to his 12-year-old son, Gad, a day off school to attend. Perhaps the most unusual mourner was Yehudi Dudevani, 69, a former brigadier-general who served under Mr Sharon in the Israeli paratroopers. Mr Dudevani said his father, Moshe, had fought alongside Mr Sharon at Latrun, near Jerusalem, during Israel's 1948 War of Independence, when they were the commanders of parallel regiments. Both men were wounded in the fighting, but while Mr Sharon allowed himself to be removed from the battlefield, Mr Dudevani snr insisted on staying with his comrades and perished. He was given a military funeral after his remains were discovered 50 years later. His son kept his own identity hidden from Mr Sharon, despite being in frequent contact, until they met at the Knesset after both had left the army. "When I told him who my father was his hands starting shaking and he broke out in a sweat," said Mr Dudevani. "Then he told me the most important thing in my life. He said, 'I was wounded and left my injured men in the field. Your father was injured and stayed with his men. The most important message I can give to the army is what your father did. He symbolises the message that we don't leave injured men in the field.' "He was criticising himself for what he didn't do. That's why I'm here today."

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Insight: A man of war, was Sharon the last leader able to bring peace? - Reuters Posted: 11 Jan 2014 08:23 AM PST Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon smiles as he speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office in this January 2, 2005 file photo. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Frayer/Pool/Files (Reuters) - As Israel prepares to bury former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, it might also be saying goodbye to the last man capable of enacting the sort of tough decisions needed to secure peace with the Palestinians. Eight years after a stroke pitched him into a coma, Israelis and Palestinians continue to grope for a deal in terms bequeathed by Sharon, a war hero at home and a war criminal to Arabs, a hawkish prophet of settlement on occupied land who dramatically gave up Gaza in what he called a bid for peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who replaced Sharon as head of the right-wing Likud when the party rebelled in 2005 against the withdrawal of settlers from the Gaza Strip, has since endorsed relinquishing land for peace, in principle - a minimal condition for any accord with the Palestinians. Surveys show as many as two Israelis in three could accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, on lines first promoted after U.S.-brokered talks by left-wing, Labour leaders - notably Yitzhak Rabin, another war hero, who was assassinated by a fellow Israeli in 1995 for offering to end the occupation. But Netanyahu's current struggles to run a coalition that includes hardliners who oppose giving up any territory suggest Israel lacks a leader with "Bulldozer" Sharon's credentials to persuade, or bully, settlers to quit most of the West Bank. As housing minister in the 1990s, Sharon was behind many Jewish settlements that dot the West Bank, which was captured in the 1967 war. The security barrier he ordered to be built in 2005 is still under construction through occupied land. His uncompromising vision of Israeli security remains in place. Yet at the same time, his shock move to drag Israeli settlers - in some cases literally - from the Gaza Strip showed to many that Israel could roll back its occupation, given sufficiently robust leadership. "His defeat of the settlers might be the most important aspect of his legacy," said David Landau, the former editor of the liberal newspaper Haaretz, whose biography of Sharon, "Arik", is due to be published later this month. "Before the Gaza disengagement there was serious apprehension that the settlers might be able to prevent a government from doing what it wanted. ... The memory of what happened leaves intelligent people here to have confidence and conviction that the state is ultimately the main power." STATURE However, Sharon, who died on Saturday aged 85, had unique standing within Israel that helped him drive through change by dint of his personality - a decorated soldier who played a decisive role in every war since Israel's founding in 1948. He was reviled in the Arab world, particularly for his role in the 1982 refugee camp massacres in Beirut following Israel's invasion of Lebanon. But his superhawk image gave him a stature at home that successors could not match. "Sharon was the last leader of the 1948 generation with a long, illustrious military career. He had the moral authority needed to push through very painful decisions," said Raanan Gissin, who was a senior aide to Sharon. "We don't have those sort of people around today." When illness felled him, Sharon was on course to win an imminent general election and although he himself categorically denied it at the time, aides say he had been planning further unilateral withdrawals from the West Bank. "We would have started taking certain measures in the West Bank under a project known as the realignment plan," said Dov Weisglass, chief of staff when Sharon was prime minister. "If Sharon had stayed well, we would be closer to peace today. No question." Weisglass was famously quoted in 2004 saying the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza was a way to "freeze" bilateral talks with the Palestinians, though he later said peace remained the goal. Palestinians ridicule the idea of Sharon as a peacemaker. They remember him as a ruthless tactician and blame him for sparking the second Palestinian Intifada (uprising) with a provocative visit to Jerusalem's al Aqsa mosque plaza in 2000. When the evacuated Gaza Strip became an arena for faction-fighting and Hamas Islamist rule, hobbling their negotiators, many Palestinians saw that paralysis as part of Sharon's plan. "He was instrumental in the expansion of settlements and the Gaza disengagement was just meant to consolidate the Israeli occupation of the West Bank," said Ghassan Khatib, an academic and former Palestinian minister. "In all his history, he played a negative role here." Israeli analysts say Sharon's about-turn on Gaza showed he had realized the occupation represented a long-term threat to the Jewish state and had to be wound down. His deputy, Ehud Olmert, forged ahead enthusiastically with the peace process when he took over as prime minister, and ended up offering the Palestinians more concessions than any Israeli before him. But two years later a corruption scandal cost Olmert his job and any immediate prospects of a deal disappeared with him. When Likud won an election in early 2009, Netanyahu apparently persuaded Washington that the starting point for renewed talks should not be the unofficial Olmert offer. Instead, the reference point was a document given to Sharon in 2004 by U.S. President George W. Bush. Crucially, it said "new realities on the ground" had to be taken into account - a clear nod to Israel's ever-expanding Jewish settlements. "Sharon got these letters from Bush which clearly envisaged the settlement blocs would remain part of Israel," said Sharon biographer Landau. "He considered this as his major success as prime minister." SETTLERS REGROUP However, even if the big blocs stay a part of Israel in a future accord, many settlers would find themselves marooned in Palestine - and that could prove an insurmountable problem. In 2004, the number of such settlers was put at 50,000. Today, unofficial tallies suggest the figure might be more than 150,000 of the half million or so Israelis living in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. This compares to just 9,000 who were hauled out of the Gaza Strip. The settler movement was bruised by the Gaza pullout, but it has since regrouped and bolstered its numbers. Some militant settlers have taken to damaging Arab property in attacks they call "price tagging" for any concessions by Netanyahu's government, while the group's political leaders have racheted up the their influence within the establishment. This is especially true in Likud, where settlers play a crucial role in the selection of parliamentary candidates and helped oust leading moderates from the party ticket ahead of the last general election early in 2013. Political commentators question whether Netanyahu might eventually have to "do a Sharon" and quit Likud himself, knowing that most of his party is opposed to the contours of the long-mooted peace deal. However, only two or three of his party's 20 parliamentarians have publicly backed the two-state solution, suggesting that if he did quit, few would follow him. Netanyahu himself did not follow Sharon out of Likud in 2005, branding the Gaza withdrawal "evil", and there is much skepticism in the media about how far he is prepared to go this time around to secure peace. But if he cannot, or will not, go all the way, there are no plausible alternatives at present. "Looking around, I don't see the sort of charismatic leaders with the kind of credentials that Sharon had," said Uri Dromi, who was a spokesman for slain prime minister Rabin. "Not the sort of people who could make the bold moves needed for peace, while at the same time being able to convince Israelis that they weren't being sold cheap to the Arabs." (Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Chris Christie Bridge Scandal: The Next Shoes to Drop - ABC News Posted: 11 Jan 2014 08:10 AM PST More than 100 minutes of anger, denial, declarations of disappointment and apologies were insufficient for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to put to rest lingering questions about what exactly inspired his aides to gin up an ill-conceived traffic ploy. To hear Christie tell it in his news conference Thursday, he was blindsided, "misled" and lied to by his aides. And with that acknowledgement, topped off by an apology, the case should be closed. On the horizon, however, are a slew of potential issues that could keep Christie on the defensive for some time to come. 1. Blanket denial. "I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here, regardless of what the facts ultimately uncover," Christie said. If that turns out to be untrue, for any reason, Chris Christie's political career could be irreparably damaged, all because his staff staged the closing of bridge lanes for political reasons that are still unclear. See Our Full Coverage of the Unfolding Scandal 2. Thousands of documents. New Jersey Democrats smell blood in the water and they're going to keep pushing for what answers they can get from Christie's people about what caused his aides to apparently target the mayor of the town of fewer than 40,000 people in a political vendetta. And, most importantly, they'll be probing to find out who else was involved. A cache of about two dozen pages of emails and text messages blew the case wide open this week, but Jersey Democrats are about to release nearly 5,000 more. What's in those documents, almost no one knows for sure. In this case, what Christie doesn't know can hurt him. WATCH: Christie Apologizes 20 Times for Bridge Scandal 3. Unknown unknowns. Christie didn't know a lot of things that were going on with his staff, and he indicated Thursday that he still didn't want to know. The two aides Christie fired Thursday -- deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly and a top political aide, Bill Stepien -- didn't get an exit interview. Christie said he didn't want to know yet what they knew about what caused them to launch into a political vendetta. "She was not given the opportunity to explain to me why she lied because it was so obvious that she had," Christie said of Kelly. "And I'm, quite frankly, not interested in the explanation at the moment." But what Kelly and Stepien know is essential to how long this scandal will continue to trail Christie. Christie appears to be gambling that it's better for him to have plausible deniability about other damaging information that might emerge. But not knowing what is out there will make it more difficult for his political operation to respond swiftly and effectively. Not to mention that not knowing what his aides were up to got him into this mess in the first place. READ: Christie Fires Top Aide, Apologizes 4. Is Christie protecting anyone? Orchestrating the closing of lanes on a major multistate bridge for a nonexistent traffic study is no small undertaking, and only two people have faced consequences so far. There's also the curious case of Christie's appointee to the chairmanship of the board of the Port Authority, David Samson, whom Christie appeared to go out of his way to protect Thursday. "He was one of my interviews. I am convinced that he had absolutely no knowledge of this, that this was executed at the operational level and never brought to the attention of the Board of Commissioners until ... [Port Authority] Executive Director [Patrick] Foye wrote his email to the Board of Commissioners," Christie said. The trouble is this excerpt from a series of emails between Christie's aides about the lane closings.

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Federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in Utah - Fox News Posted: 10 Jan 2014 09:17 AM PST WASHINGTON –  Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday the federal government will recognize more than 1,000 same-sex marriages in Utah, despite an earlier announcement this week from the state's governor saying the state would not.  The decision means those Utah couples will have access to federal benefits that are available to married couples in other states, including the ability to file joint tax returns. It also adds to the confusion in the state following a surprise ruling last month against the state's same-sex marriage ban.  Hundreds of gay couples got married before another court put those weddings on hold. The Justice Department statement marked the first time the Obama administration formally weighed in on the debate with any action.  "Recently, an administrative step by the Court has cast doubt on same-sex marriages that have been performed in the state of Utah. And the governor has announced that the state will not recognize these marriages pending additional Court action," Holder said. "In the meantime, I am confirming today that, for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages."  He added: "These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds. In the days ahead, we will continue to coordinate across the federal government to ensure the timely provision of every federal benefit to which Utah couples and couples throughout the country are entitled - regardless of whether they in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages."  On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert that the state will not recognize same-sex marriages performed since last month, leaving gay couples in the lurch amid the raging court battle.  The directive from Herbert's office came in the wake of a federal judge's Dec. 20 ruling against the state's same-sex marriage ban. During a two-week period, hundreds of gay and lesbian couples in one of the country's most conservative states got married -- in those counties willing to offer licenses.  But the Supreme Court on Monday once again put gay marriage on hold while the state appeals.  Herbert Chief of Staff Derek Miller went a step further on Wednesday, saying in an email to Cabinet members that the ruling means Utah cannot perform or recognize gay marriages.  "Based on counsel from the Attorney General's Office regarding the Supreme Court decision, state recognition of same-sex marital status is ON HOLD until further notice," he wrote.  That means state agencies are barred, going forward, from extending state services -- normally available to married couples -- to gay couples who wed last month.  According to the Salt Lake Tribune, more than 1,300 gay couples got married after Dec. 20. Based on the state's decision, their status is now in limbo.

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Malaysia's November IPI beats expectations Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:25 PM PST Industrial output in Malaysia sprang a pleasant surprise in November, posting a 4.4 per cent annualised growth and beating market expectations. Research houses expect the industrial output to gain traction in 2014. The stronger reading in November came from an improvement in the manufacturing sector said the Statistics Department yesterday. Major sub-sectors which improved were electrical and electronics products, transport equipment and other manufactures. The mining sector also grew by 4.8 per cent in November on the back of a healthy growth in the natural gas index by 17.4 per cent. Electricity output also recorded an increase by 6.1 per cent on a yearly basis. Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Dr Chua Hak Bin is confident that the manufacturing sector recovery will gain traction this year. "The robust IP reading is consistent with the visible pick-up in exports of manufactured goods (that is electronics and machinery)." The mining sector, he added, surprised on the upside, following three consecutive months of contraction. "Manufacturing sales have also recorded five consecutive months of expansion, following contractions in most of the first six months of 2013. "A pick-up in global demand and resilient consumer spending will underpin the recovery, and help offset a slowdown in government expenditure." Chua expects generous government handouts and subsidies to give way to fiscal consolidation and, towards this end, the government has already raised fuel and electricity prices, and abolished sugar subsidies. CIMB Investment Bank expects the improved growth traction in the industrial output next year to be backed by the recovery in the advanced economies and improving export demand for semiconductors. Ongoing implementation of the Economic Transformation Programme and property development projects supporting domestic-market oriented industries will also support the growth. Based on the overall industrial production and manufacturing growth in November and October, CIMB expects the third quarter GDP growth to reach 5.3 per cent. Meanwhile, the Statistics Department said the manufacturing sector enjoyed a 4.4 per cent growth to record RM53.2 billion in sales.

Ringgit set for best week since October Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:31 PM PST Malaysia's ringgit was headed for the best week since October after data signaled a sustained recovery in Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy. Exports exceeded imports by the most in 20 months in November, while factory output growth accelerated to a four-month high, according to official figures released this week. US employers added more workers than projected in December and claims for jobless benefits dropped last week, reports showed, backing the case for the Federal Reserve to continue trimming stimulus. "The positive local data are helping the ringgit a lot, even though Fed tapering noises are still very real," said Choong Yin Pheng, senior manager for bond and economic research at Hong Leong Bank Bhd in Kuala Lumpur. "That boosted the outlook for the new year." The ringgit strengthened 0.5 per cent since January 3, the biggest five-day gain since the week ended October 18, to 3.2736 per dollar as of 10am in Kuala Lumpur, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The currency advanced 0.1 per cent today. One-month implied volatility, a measure of expected moves in the exchange rate used to price options, dropped 58 basis points this week to 7.05 per cent. The rate climbed five basis points, or 0.05 percentage point, today. Malaysia's trade surplus widened to RM9.7 billion in November, the biggest gap since March 2012, a January 8 report showed. Industrial production increased 4.4 per cent from a year earlier, the fastest growth since July, according to official data released yesterday. The nation recorded a current-account surplus of RM9.8 billion in the third quarter compared with RM2.6 billion in the previous three months. The ringgit will climb to 3.15 per dollar in 12 months, with the improvement in Malaysia's trade balance supporting the forecast for a stronger current-account position, Goldman Sachs Group Inc analysts including Singapore-based Mark Tan wrote in a January 8 research note. Fed officials said in December that they will cut monthly bond purchases in January to US$75 billion from US$85 billion. Policy makers will trim stimulus in US$10 billion increments over the next seven meetings before ending them in December, according to a Bloomberg survey on December 19. The Federal Open Market Committee will announce its next policy decision on January 30. The yield on Malaysia's 3.26 per cent sovereign notes due March 2018 fell 11 basis points this week, the biggest five-day drop since the period ended October 18, to 3.59 per cent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It was little changed today.-- Bloomberg

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Christie fires aide in New Jersey bridge scandal; prosecutor launches probe - Chicago Tribune Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday fired a top aide at the center of a brewing scandal that public officials orchestrated a massive traffic snarl on the busy George Washington Bridge to settle a political score. Christie told a news conference he was stunned and heartbroken by revelations that his staff was behind the traffic jam designed to punish a local mayor who declined to endorse Christie's re-election bid. The office of the U.S. attorney in New Jersey said it had launched an investigation. The scandal and potential legal problems come as Christie has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the Republican Party as head of its governors association and a possible contender for the White House in 2016. "I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Christie said. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully." Christie said he has dismissed his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman - whose job Christie held before he was elected governor - has opened a probe into the lane closures, his spokeswoman said. "The Port Authority Office of Inspector General has referred the matter to us, and our office is reviewing it to determine whether a federal law was implicated," Rebekah Carmichael said in a statement. The controversy erupted with the public release of incriminating emails showing that a top aide to Christie played a key role in closing some lanes to the bridge, in a ploy to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey. The George Washington Bridge, one of the busiest spans in the world, connects New York City to Fort Lee. The abrupt four-day lane closures in September caused hours-long traffic jams and held up the passage of school buses and ambulances. A local newspaper reported that emergency responders were delayed in attending to four medical situations. One involved an unconscious 91-year-old woman who later died of cardiac arrest and another, a car accident, in which four people were injured. "SOUL-SEARCHING" Christie has enjoyed immense popularity at home since his election in 2009, particularly for his handling of recovery and rebuilding efforts after Superstorm Sandy devastated his state in late 2012. He was re-elected in a landslide in November. He has also touted his ability to work with political opponents as a mark of his skill at overcoming partisan divisions and forging alliances to get things done. But the blunt-talking governor is known as well for engaging in shouting matches, hurling insults and belittling challengers. Christie said he had been misled by his staff and knew nothing of the lane closings before they occurred and that he had been led to believe the closures were part of a traffic study. He also said he was "blindsided" and heartbroken by the emails, and that he was doing some "soul searching." "What did I do wrong to make these folks think it was okay to lie?" Christie said. "What I want the people of New Jersey to know is that this is the exception, not the rule." EMAILS RELEASED WEDNESDAY Despite earlier denials that anyone in his administration would shutter the bridge entrances as retaliation, emails released on Wednesday showed that at least one of his top aides, Bridget Anne Kelly, was involved in discussions about the closures weeks beforehand. "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Bridget Anne Kelly, wrote to a Port Authority executive in August. The executive, David Wildstein, replied in an email: "Got it." In another message sent amid the gridlock, an unidentified author wrote: "Is it wrong that I'm smiling," and Wildstein responded: "No." The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the bridge, had previously said it was the result of a last-minute traffic study. The emails were supplied to the media by Wildstein, the Port Authority executive, in response to a subpoena issued by a panel of state lawmakers. A long-time Christie ally, Wildstein previously has admitted ordering the lane closures and resigned in December. Kelly was fired prior to Thursday's press conference. EMS DELAYED

Dennis Rodman apologizes for his rant on CNN over North Korea trip - Los Angeles Times Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:11 AM PST CAPTIONS Dennis Rodman sings "Happy Birthday" Dennis Rodman sings "Happy Birthday" to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang. (Kim Kwang Hyon / Associated Press /January 8, 2014) By Alexandra Zavis January 9, 2014, 10:03 a.m. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for an outburst on CNN during which he launched into an expletive-laden rant against a TV anchor and implied that an American being held by North Korea was at fault for his captivity. Rodman brought six fellow retired NBA players to the country for an exhibition basketball game Wednesday with North Koreans at which he sang "Happy Birthday" to leader Kim Jong Un, who turned 31. The trip has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and some members of Congress. The critics are concerned that the purported goodwill gesture sends the wrong message to a ruthless dictatorship that has threatened the United States and its regional allies with nuclear annihilation. The National Basketball Assn. and its retired players' affiliate have said they do not support the venture. During an interview broadcast this week on CNN's "New Day,"  anchor Chris Cuomo asked Rodman whether he would use the visit to raise the case of Kenneth Bae, a Korean American tour guide and evangelist who has been imprisoned in North Korea for more than a year on charges of "hostile acts against the state." "Do you understand what he did in this country?" Rodman responded. When Cuomo asked him to explain, Rodman turned on the anchor. "I want to apologize," Rodman said in a statement released Thursday, in which he admitted to have been drinking before the CNN interview. "It had been a very stressful day. Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates. My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart." Here is the full statement sent to the Los Angeles Times by Rodman's publicist, Jules Feiler: "I want to apologize. I take full responsibility for my actions. It had been a very stressful day. Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates. My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It's not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It's not an excuse, it's just the truth. I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae's family. I want to apologize to my teammates and my management team. I also want to apologize to Chris Cuomo. I embarrassed a lot of people. I'm very sorry. At this point I should know better than to make political statements. I'm truly sorry." ALSO: German man, 88, charged in 1944 Nazi massacre in France Beauty queen's slaying a 'blow' to Venezuelans, leader declares Dennis Rodman sings 'Happy Birthday' to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Twitter: @alexzavis alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

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