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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2014 INTERNATIONAL Thai flight forced to return by unruly Chinese passengers BANGKOK: A low-cost flight carrying pas- attacked a steward. “During the flight a by side but the pair started to argue with Chinese passengers, adding that they left behavior of some Chinese tourists overseas sengers from Thailand to China was forced Chinese female passenger was not satis- each other before the attack took place. the country on Friday. has caused embarrassment at home. In to return to Bangkok after a Chinese pas- fied with the service and when the cabin The captain of the flight, which was still in The cabin attendant received first aid on May 2013 a Chinese tourist was tracked senger threw hot water at a cabin atten- attendant came she threw hot water at the Thai airspace at the time, decided to return board from colleagues and was now fine, down by furious netizens after it emerged dant, the airline said Saturday. Thai AirAsia cabin attendant,” the airline said in state- to Don Mueang where four Chinese pas- the official added. China has seen rapid he had defaced an ancient Egyptian monu- Flight FD9101 departed Bangkok’s north- ment. sengers were ejected and detained at a growth in outbound trips in recent years, ment. ern airport Don Mueang for Nanjing at An official said the woman and her trav- police station. The flight departed Don and Chinese travelers are now the biggest The same month a top Chinese official 5:55 pm on Thursday with 174 passengers elling companion were initially angered at Mueang again at 10:45 pm on the same source of international tourism cash in the said the dire manners and “uncivilized and six crew on board but was forced to not being seated together. Other passen- day and arrived in Nanjing Friday morning. world, according to a the United Nations behavior” of some Chinese tourists overseas turn back after one of the passengers gers moved seats allowing them to sit side The airline official said police fined the World Tourism Organization. But the were harming the country’s image. —AFP Heavy snow feared to cast chill over Japan’s election TOKYO: Heavy snow hit large swathes of an unprepared and underwhelming opposi- Japan yesterday, the eve of a general elec- tion, political pundits have said. A recent sur- tion, fuelling speculation the ruling coalition vey has found just two-thirds of voters is on course to an easy victory on low voter expressed any interest in the vote, down from turnout. It was already snowing heavily in 80 percent ahead of the December 2012 elec- large areas of the country along the coast of tion when Abe rose to power. “Abe’s expected the Sea of Japan (East Sea) yesterday, victory is the result of the self-destruction of though Tokyo remained clear and sunny. the opposition,” Shinichi Nishikawa, professor The weather agency warned of snowfall of of politics at Meiji University in Tokyo, told as much as 80 centimeters in central and AFP earlier this week. “For many voters, there northern regions by the today morning, is no alternative but the LDP,” Nishikawa said. when polls open. The poor conditions could Abe has billed Sunday’s election as a referen- put off already unenthusiastic voters and dum on his pro-spending growth policy. push turnout to a record low for the elec- His two years in power have been charac- tions, which were called two years ahead of terised by his bid to reinvigorate Japan’s schedule. sagging economy with what he has called Early opinion polls have shown Prime the “three arrows” of Abenomics monetary Minister Shinzo Abe’s coalition is likely to easing, fiscal stimulus and structural secure more than 300 of the 475 contested changes. The first two arrows have largely seats, giving them the super-majority they hit their target-the once-painfully high yen BERLIN: Believers pray during the Friday prayer at a mosque of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam in need in the powerful lower house to force has plunged, sending stocks higher. But the Berlin. Members of a new group in Germany, calling itself the ‘Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the Occident’, or through legislation. The ruling coalition is reform arrow remains in the quiver; critics PEGIDA, protest against “criminal asylum seekers” and the “Islamisation” of their home country. —AFP made of Abe’s conservative Liberal say Abe has not been bold enough to take Democratic Party (LDP), supported by busi- on the vested interests that are the real key nesses and a network of campaign groups to reversing nearly two decades of econom- nationwide, as well as its junior partner ic underperformance. A new mandate from Greece faces tall order to Komeito which is backed by a big lay the electorate would give Abe a straight four Buddhist group. years’ run at some of the more difficult prevent early elections Their predicted victory is largely thanks to reforms. —AFP Juncker warns against ‘extreme forces’ ATHENS: Greece’s embattled govern- left Democratic Left and the creditors over its latest budget and fiscal went a step further by denouncing ment will be hard-pushed to forestall Independent Greeks, a nationalist party. reforms for the coming year. bribery allegedly used in ruling party cir- early elections-and a blow to fiscal The prospect of early elections strikes cles to sway a number of his deputies. In reforms-by steering a snap presidential fear into the markets and Greece’s EU- Failure to inspire an interview with the state parliament ballot through parliament next week, IMF creditors as radical leftist party But his candidate Dimas, known as a channel, former prime minister Costas analysts say. A successor to 85-year-old Syriza, which opposes the country’s longtime insider of the conservative Simitis lamented the culture of conflict President Karolos Papoulias must be bailout agreement, has a steady lead in New Democracy party, has so far failed in Greek politics. However, a preliminary found or under the constitution, parlia- opinion polls. to inspire, analysts note. “The candida- judicial investigation into the issue ment will have to be dissolved by ture of Stavros Dimas has failed to create found insufficient proof to probe further. February-right in the middle of crucial ‘Extreme forces’ a dynamic,” said analyst George Sefertzis. Greek politics is marked by “failure to talks between Greece and its EU-IMF European Commission President Political scientist Thanassis agree, exaggeration and a hunt for ene- creditors. The prospect of early elec- Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Diamantopoulos added that Dimas, 73, mies. There can be no progress like this,” tions has alarmed financial markets and Thursday that “extreme forces” could was “an emblematic figure of the old, Simitis said. caused Greek stocks to slide dramatical- take power in the crisis-hit country. “I discredited political class.” However, As the political uncertainty deep- ly for three days, although they showed think the Greeks ... know very well what independent MPs in particular faced a ened, Greek 10-year bonds spiked this signs of steadying on Friday. a wrong election result would mean for stark choice should they fail to back week and the Athens stock exchange The government will need 200 MPs in Greece and the euro-zone,” Juncker said Dimas, he added. “Most of them have lit- lost around 20 percent in three days. the first two votes to elect its candidate, on Austrian TV. “There is a chance that tle chance of re-election in a general Samaras has warned that early general former EU Environment Commissioner the helm of the country could be taken vote,” Diamantopoulos said. Among the elections could bring “turmoil.” “Markets TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Stavros Dimas, or 180 MPs in the third by extreme forces,” he said. Greece’s 24 independent deputies, some of in Greece and abroad ... are afraid that if leader Shinzo Abe (center) and party members gesture during election cam- and final vote. But it only has 155 MPs in presidential vote was supposed to be whom were originally elected with the a president is not elected and the coun- the 300-seat chamber. “We do not have held in February, but the government conservative and socialist parties in the try is led to early elections, there will be paigning in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP the number required,” deputy develop- suddenly decided to bring forward the ruling coalition, a few have declared in general turmoil,” the PM warned his ment minister Gerassimos Giakoumatos first ballot to December 17. The remain- favor of averting early elections. deputies. Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras, a admitted this week. ing two rounds will be held on But Democratic Left, which has 10 40-year-old former Communist, has France, US uneasy bedfellows Prime Minister Antonis Samaras December 23 and 29. Samaras said the deputies, and the Independent Greeks, pledged to raise wages and pensions, hopes to find the remaining 25 deputies decision was made to remove political with 12, have officially announced they halt privatizations and re-negotiate as they seek Iran nuclear deal from among independent MPs and the uncertainty as Greece is currently locked will oppose Dimas. The leader of Greece’s bailout agreement with the EU- deputies of two smaller parties-centre- in negotiations with its international Independent Greeks, Panos Kammenos, IMF creditors. —AFP WASHINGTON: Publicly, they are the sake of an agreement,” a European diplo- best of friends working to seal a historic mat said.”We should not rush for a deal. It deal to stop Iran’s march to a nuclear would be a mistake from the six (powers) bomb.