Egypt's Mursi to meet judges over power grab

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi meets senior judges on Monday to try to defuse a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of the revolution last year that led to the rise of his Islamist movement.

The justice minister said he believed Mursi would agree with the country's highest judicial authority on its proposal to limit the scope of the new powers.

But the protesters, some camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square, have said only retracting the decree will satisfy them, a sign of the deep rift between Islamists and their opponents that is destabilizing Egypt two years after Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

"There is no use amending the decree," said Tarek Ahmed, 26, a protester who stayed the night in Tahrir, where tents covered the central traffic circle. "It must be scrapped."

One person has been killed and about 370 injured in clashes between police and protesters since Mursi issued the decree on Thursday shielding his decisions from judicial review, emboldened by international plaudits for brokering an end to eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas.

The stock market is down more than 7 percent.

Mursi's political opponents have accused him of behaving like a dictator and the West has voiced its concern, worried by more turbulence in a country that has a peace treaty with Israel and lies at the heart of the Arab Spring.

Mursi's administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms and complete a democratic transformation. Leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak.

Mursi's office said he would meet Egypt's highest judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council, on Monday, and the council hinted at compromise.

Mursi's decree should apply only to "sovereign matters", it said, suggesting it did not reject the declaration outright, and called on judges and prosecutors, some of whom began a strike on Sunday, to return to work.

Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky, speaking about the council statement, said: "I believe President Mohamed Mursi wants that."

LIBERALS ANGRY

The protesters are worried that Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood aims to dominate the post-Mubarak era after winning the first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections this year.

A deal with a judiciary dominated by Mubarak-era judges, which Mursi has pledged to reform, may not placate them.

A group of lawyers and activists have also challenged Mursi's decree in an administrative court, which said it would hold its first hearing on December 4. Other decisions by Mursi have faced similar legal challenges brought to court by opponents.

Banners in Tahrir called for dissolving the assembly drawing up a constitution, an Islamist-dominated body Mursi made immune from legal challenge. Many liberals and others have walked out of the assembly saying their voices were not being heard.

Only once a constitution is written can a new parliamentary election be held. Until then, legislative and executive power remains in Mursi's hands, and Thursday's decree puts his decisions above judicial oversight.

One Muslim Brotherhood member was killed and 60 people were hurt on Sunday in an attack on the main office of the Brotherhood in the Egyptian Nile Delta town of Damanhour, the website of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said.

The party's offices have also been attacked in other cities.

One politician said the scale of the crisis could push opponents towards a deal to avoid a further escalation. Mursi's opponents have called for a big demonstration on Tuesday.

"I am very cautiously optimistic because the consequences are quite, quite serious, the most serious they have been since the revolution," said Mona Makram Ebeid, former member of parliament and prominent figure in Egyptian politics.

Mursi's office repeated assurances that the steps would be temporary, and said he wanted dialogue with political groups to find "common ground" over what should go into the constitution.

Talks with Mursi have been rejected by members of a National Salvation Front, a new opposition coalition that brings together liberal, leftist and other politicians and parties, who until Mursi's decree had been a fractious bunch struggling to unite.

MILITARY STAYING OUT

"There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says 'let us split the difference'," prominent opposition leader and Mohamed ElBaradei said on Saturday. He has said he expected to act as the Front's coordinator.

The military has stayed out of the crisis after leading Egypt through a messy 16-month transition to a presidential election in June. Analysts say Mursi neutralized the army when he sacked top generals in August, appointing a new generation who now owe their advancement to the Islamist president.

Though the military still wields influence through business interests and a security role, it is out of frontline politics.

Egypt had hoped to stop the economic rot by signing an initial deal last week for a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. As well as tumbling share prices, yields at a Sunday treasury bill auction rose, putting even more pressure on the government that faces a crushing budget deficit.

"We are back to square one, politically, socially," said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm.

(Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Patrick Werr and Marwa Awad in Cairo; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Giles Elgood)

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More public companies in the Philippines eyeing Singapore market for funds

SINGAPORE: More Philippine companies may be looking at the Singapore market to raise funds, with some eyeing a dual listing while others an initial public offering (IPO), say analysts.

Public companies in the Philippines that seek to list on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) usually do so to raise their profile and broaden their investor base.

Filipino food producer Alliance Select Foods International is seeking to list on Singapore's SGX-Catalist board in 2013, a move that will make it the first publicly-traded Filipino company to debut in Singapore.

Alliance Select Foods International was incorporated in 2003 and listed on the Philippines Stock Exchange in 2006, with Singapore investors forming its largest shareholders.

"Singapore is a regional hub for finance especially in ASEAN. We felt very strongly because of our strong Singapore based shareholders, we felt that it was natural for us to seek a dual listing here in Singapore," said Jonathan Dee, president and CEO of Alliance Select Foods International

"The interest rate in Singapore is (also) much lower than that of the Philippines… we chose the Catalist primarily because of our size. Our market cap today is 50 million dollars and so Catalist would fit perfectly with that," he added.

Experts also said that it was time for local investors to start looking at investment opportunities in the Philippine stock exchange, as the Filipino market gains attention in the international arena.

The Philippines' stock market is Asia's 12th largest with a market capitalisation of about US$212 billion.

"There are international investors, especially banks, which are actually overweight in the Philippines in terms of their Asia exposure, primarily because they see Philippines as a re-flation story," said Daryl Liew, head of Portfolio Management at Reyl.

"It's pretty much a domestic consumption play which is a pretty hot theme at this point in time. And actually if you look at the stock market performance, the Philippines stock market is probably the best stock market performance year to date," said Mr Liew.

"Last I checked it's up about 27 per cent, which is higher than the Thai stock market, the Indian stock market and the Hang Seng," he added.

Some public companies in the Philippines are already popular with international institutional investors.

Once the Philippines stock exchange is connected with the ASEAN trading link, analysts say these new linkages will help elevate its profile as well as increase retail investors' interest in Filipino public companies.

The ASEAN trading link comprises seven exchanges in six countries, with the Singapore Exchange and Bursa Malaysia being the first two exchanges to connect in September 2012. The stock exchange of Thailand followed suit on 15th October.

- CNA/jc

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Retired CAG officers ready for debate on 2G spectrum report

NEW DELHI: Joining the controversy over the CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation, retired senior officers of the public auditor have expressed their keenness to debate the issue with government functionary on any platform.

"If the Minister and his colleagues having been outdone on television debates and still desire another public debate, we -- retired senior officers -- are willing for any debate on any platform of their choice. After all, their star performer is also a retired Indian Audit & Accounts Service officer," B S Gill, former deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on behalf of senior retired officials, said in a statement.

The statement comes in response to a call by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari who sought an open debate on the 2G spectrum report with Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai.

A new twist to the controversy had been added earlier by retired CAG Director General R P Singh who had distanced himself from the report which had said that government suffered a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore on account of allocation of 2G spectrum without auction.

The CAG, the statement said, is too high and dignified a Constitutional authority to engage in any unseemly public debate.

"It is for good reasons that the founding fathers of our Constitution have compared his (CAG) position to that of a Supreme Court judge. Even when Ministers preferring to ignore Constitutional decorum, make such unreasonable statements, we would never advise the CAG to be a party to such an extraordinary impropriety," Gill said.

Noting that government finding CAG reports uncomfortable was not a new phenomenon, he said, "never has there been such a strident attack in the media against the institution of the CAG. To prop up a retired officer and have him make disparaging remarks against the professional practices of the department is a new low."

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AP PHOTOS: Simple surgery heals blind Indonesians

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — They came from the remotest parts of Indonesia, taking crowded overnight ferries and riding for hours in cars or buses — all in the hope that a simple, and free, surgical procedure would restore their eyesight.

Many patients were elderly and needed help to reach two hospitals in Sumatra where mass eye camps were held earlier this month by Nepalese surgeon Dr. Sanduk Ruit. During eight days, more than 1,400 cataracts were removed.

The patients camped out, sleeping side-by-side on military cots, eating donated food while fire trucks supplied water for showers and toilets. Many who had given up hope of seeing again left smiling after their bandages were removed.

"I've been blind for three years, and it's really bad," said Arlita Tobing, 65, whose sight was restored after the surgery. "I worked on someone's farm, but I couldn't work anymore."

Indonesia has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world, making it a target country for Ruit who travels throughout the developing world holding free mass eye camps while training doctors to perform the simple, stitch-free procedure he pioneered. He often visits hard-to-reach remote areas where health care is scarce and patients are poor. He believes that by teaching doctors how to perform his method of cataract removal, the rate of blindness can be reduced worldwide.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally, affecting about 20 million people who mostly live in poor countries, according to the World Health Organization.

"We get only one life, and that life is very short. I am blessed by God to have this opportunity," said Ruit, who runs the Tilganga Eye Center in Katmandu, Nepal. "The most important of that is training, taking the idea to other people."

During the recent camps, Ruit trained six doctors from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

Here, in images, are scenes from the mobile eye camps:

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New Congress: Fewer Moderates Make Deals Harder

When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and 11 fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010 who sought a second term.

Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans.

That could leave the parties more polarized even as President Barack Obama and congressional leaders talk up the cooperation needed to tackle complex, vexing problems such as curbing deficits, revamping tax laws and culling savings from Medicare and other costly, popular programs.

"This movement away from the center, at a time when issues have to be resolved from the middle, makes it much more difficult to find solutions to major problems," said William Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a private group advocating compromise.

In the Senate, moderate Scott Brown, R-Mass., lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who will be one of the most liberal members. Another GOP moderate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, fell in the primary election. Two others, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Olympia Snowe of Maine, are retiring.

Moderate Democratic senators such as Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, James Webb of Virginia are leaving, as is Democratic-leaning independent Joe Lieberman.

While about half the incoming 12 Senate freshmen of both parties are moderates, new arrivals include tea party Republican Ted Cruz of Texas, conservative Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and liberals such as Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Hawaii's Mazie Hirono.

There's a similar pattern in the House, where 10 of the 24 Democratic Blue Dogs lost, are retiring or, in the case of Rep. Joe Donnelly, R-Ind., are moving to the Senate. That will further slash a centrist group that just a few years ago had more than 50 members, though some new freshmen might join.

Among Republicans, moderates like Reps. Judy Biggert of Illinois and New Hampshire's Charles Bass were defeated while others such as Reps. Jerry Lewis of California and Steven LaTourette of Ohio decided to retire.

"Congress seems to be going in the opposite direction of the country, just as the country is screaming for solutions to gridlock," said Democratic strategist Phil Singer.

Whether the changes are good is often in the eye of the beholder.

Seventy-one of the 83 House GOP freshmen of 2010 were re-elected Nov. 6, but 11 lost, including one of the group's highest profile members, conservative Rep. Allen West, R-Fla. Another faces a runoff in December.

"Some of the people who are the anti-government ideologues, some of them are gone," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "And that message has been rejected by the American people."

Sal Russo, strategist for the Tea Party Express, said such departures would be balanced by newly elected conservatives, including the Senate's Cruz and GOP Reps.-elect Ted Yoho of Florida and Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

"Pretty much everybody that ran in 2012 was talking about the economic woes we face, stopping excessive spending, controlling unsustainable debt," he said.

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Egypt stocks plunge after Mursi power grab

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's stock market plunged on Sunday in its first day open since Islamist President Mohamed Mursi seizure of new powers set off street violence and a political crisis, unraveling efforts to restore stability after last year's revolution.

More than 500 people have been injured in protests since Friday, when Egyptians awoke to news that Mursi had issued a decree widening his powers and shielding them from judicial review.

Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood supporters were expected to turn out again on the streets in a show of support after prayers on Sunday afternoon. His supporters and opponents are both planning massive demonstrations on Tuesday that many fear will lead to more violence.

Sunday's stock market fall of nearly 10 percent - halted only by automatic curbs - was the worst since the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in Feb 2011. Images of protesters clashing with riot police and tear gas wafting through Cairo's Tahrir Square were an unsettling reminder of that revolution.

"We are back to square one, politically, socially," said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm.

Judges announced on Saturday they would go on strike. Liberal politician Mohammed ElBaradei called Mursi a "dictator".

Forged out of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, the Mursi administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms that will complete Egypt's democratic transformation.

Yet leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak, while Islamist parties have rallied behind Mursi.

"There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says 'let us split the difference'," prominent opposition leader ElBaradei said.

"I am waiting to see, I hope soon, a very strong statement of condemnation by the U.S., by Europe and by everybody who really cares about human dignity," he said in an interview with Reuters and the Associated Press.

Activists opposed to the Mursi decree were camped out in central Cairo for a third consecutive day. State media reported that Mursi met for a second day with his advisers.

"I am really afraid that the two camps are paving the way for violence," said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University. "Mursi has misjudged this, very much so. But forcing him again to relinquish what he has done will appear a defeat."

WARNINGS FROM WEST

Mursi's decree drew warnings from Western countries to uphold democracy, a day after he had received glowing tributes from the United States and others for his work brokering a deal to end eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas.

"Investors know that Mursi's decisions will not be accepted and that there will be clashes on the street," said Osama Mourad of Arab Financial Brokerage.

Investors had grown more confident in recent months that a legitimately elected government would help Egypt put its economic and political problems behind it. The stock market's main index had risen 35 percent since Mursi's victory.

Just last week, investor confidence was helped by a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan needed to shore up state finances.

Issued late on Thursday, the Mursi decree marks an effort to consolidate his influence after he successfully sidelined Mubarak-era generals in August. Analysts say it reflects Muslim Brotherhood suspicions of sections of a judiciary that is largely unreformed from the Mubarak era.

The decree defends from judicial review decisions taken by Mursi until a new parliament is elected. That vote is expected early next year.

It also shields the Islamist-dominated assembly writing Egypt's new constitution from a raft of legal challenges that have threatened the body with dissolution, and offers the same protection to the Islamist-controlled upper house of parliament.

Many of Mursi's political opponents share the view that Egypt's judiciary needs reform. But they see the decree as a threat to the country's nascent democracy.

(Editing by Peter Graff)

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SMTOWN Live World Tour in Singapore electrifies fans

SINGAPORE: It was a sell-out concert for the SMTown Live World Tour III last Friday.

About 25,000 tickets were sold with prices ranging from S$168 to S$268.

The star-studded show, which cost some S$5 million to put together, featured eight iconic Korean pop acts: Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, f(x) and EXO.

Organised by Korean record label SM Entertainment, the concert was held at the Float@Marina Bay for the first time in Singapore.

The stage took more than 200 people and 96 hours to set up.

For local K-pop fans, SMTOWN might have well been the concert of the year.

There were earlier reports of fans who queued for days to get a good vantage point of the stars at the mosh pits.

"Even though you don't understand the language, you can actually follow the music," said a fan.

"I also love their songs, because it's catchy and fun to listen to and I never get bored listening to them," said 11-year-old Jannah, a fan of the artistes.

Some international fans had also travelled to Singapore to see their idols.

The stars themselves were thrilled to be in Singapore although they were one-and-a-half hours late for their press conference.

"It's been almost 10 years since I was in Singapore in 2003 for MTV Music Awards in Asia," said BoA. "So I'm very happy to be back in Singapore and I can't wait to see all of my fans, of course."

"I think Singapore is such a beautiful place and this is the first time for us here. We want to thank all the fans that came to the airport," said Kris from the boy band EXO.

Stars also shared their memorable experiences backstage, showing that preparations are not always all work and no play.

"Backstage, be it seniors or juniors, we'll always chat, and encourage each other in their performances," said Victoria, the leader of girl group f(x).

"There was once we had a chance to have a drink with our senior, Yunho (from TVXQ), and he got a little bit tipsy after a few drinks," revealed Super Junior member Donghae.

"After that, he did this dance move which was really fantastic, which we'll like to show you one day. It is not a charismatic sort of dance move, it is something you can't imagine him doing."

The mood was electrifying as fans screamed and cheered throughout the four-hour long concert.

The heavy rain towards the end of the concert did little to dampen fans' spirits.

The artistes performed a whopping 50 songs with slick dance moves and ended the concert by performing together and mingling with the fans.

- CNA/xq

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Shatrughan joins Jethmalani and Yashwant, calls for Gadkari's exit

PATNA: In mounting dissidence, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday joined Ram Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha in demanding the resignation of party President Nitin Gadkari facing allegations of corruption.

"The issue raised by them (Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha) should be looked at seriously," Shatrughan Sinha, BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, told reporters here in replying to a question whether he agreed with the other two BJP leaders' demand for Gadkari's resignation.

The actor-turned-BJP leader said "he (Gadkari) is a friend but a person occupying a responsible post should not only be honest but should also be seen as honest."

Jethmalani, while demanding Gadkari's resignation, had claimed some other BJP leaders were with him on the demand for Gadkari's exit as party chief.

The campaign for the resignation of beleagured Gadkari had recently got fresh ammunition with Yashwant Sinha demanding that he step down immediately. Earlier, Jethmalani and his son Mahesh had made the demand in the wake of reports of alleged dubious financing of Purti Sugar and Power Group, which was promoted by Gadkari.

Praising Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani, Shatrughan Sinha said they are capable persons and have all the qualification to become Prime Minister of the country. "But among the present leaders in BJP, LK Advani is the best candidate for the PM's post."

Shatrughan Sinha endorsed Jethmalani's views on the appointment of Ranjit Sinha, a Bihar cadre IPS officer, as CBI director.

"An important organisation like CBI cannot be kept headless ... The appointment of its new director has been done in a fair manner," he told PTI.

Ranjit Sinha is the senior most IPS officer and a "competent" officer to occupy the responsible post of CBI Director, he added.

Jethmalani flayed BJP during the day for criticising the appointment of new CBI Director and had said the government's decision has averted a national calamity".

Leaders of the opposition in Parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that the decision on the appointment of Ranjit Sinha be kept in abeyance.

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AP PHOTOS: Simple surgery heals blind Indonesians

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — They came from the remotest parts of Indonesia, taking crowded overnight ferries and riding for hours in cars or buses — all in the hope that a simple, and free, surgical procedure would restore their eyesight.

Many patients were elderly and needed help to reach two hospitals in Sumatra where mass eye camps were held earlier this month by Nepalese surgeon Dr. Sanduk Ruit. During eight days, more than 1,400 cataracts were removed.

The patients camped out, sleeping side-by-side on military cots, eating donated food while fire trucks supplied water for showers and toilets. Many who had given up hope of seeing again left smiling after their bandages were removed.

"I've been blind for three years, and it's really bad," said Arlita Tobing, 65, whose sight was restored after the surgery. "I worked on someone's farm, but I couldn't work anymore."

Indonesia has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world, making it a target country for Ruit who travels throughout the developing world holding free mass eye camps while training doctors to perform the simple, stitch-free procedure he pioneered. He often visits hard-to-reach remote areas where health care is scarce and patients are poor. He believes that by teaching doctors how to perform his method of cataract removal, the rate of blindness can be reduced worldwide.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally, affecting about 20 million people who mostly live in poor countries, according to the World Health Organization.

"We get only one life, and that life is very short. I am blessed by God to have this opportunity," said Ruit, who runs the Tilganga Eye Center in Katmandu, Nepal. "The most important of that is training, taking the idea to other people."

During the recent camps, Ruit trained six doctors from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

Here, in images, are scenes from the mobile eye camps:

Read More..

'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Dead at 81

Larry Hagman, who emerged in the 1960s as the slightly befuddled astronaut in "I Dream of Jeannie," then became a major star in the 1980s primetime soap "Dallas," playing evil oil baron J.R. Ewing, has died. He was 81.

Hagman's cause of death was due to complications related to his battle with cancer according to his family.

Linda Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife on "Dallas" was at the actor's bedside when he died.

"He brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest," Gray said in a statement released through her publicist.

Warner Bros."Dallas" executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, and the show's cast and crew released the following statement today: "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the "Dallas" family is deeply saddened by Larry's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time."

Hagman inherited the acting gene from his mother, Broadway musical legend Mary Martin. He'd had roles in television programs 20 years prior to "Dallas," including "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965-70.

"Dallas," which debuted in 1978 on CBS and had an astonishing 13-year run, centered on the Ewings, a family of Texas oil barons who had money, cattle, and more scandals and power struggles than the Kardashians.

AP Photo/Dr. Scott M. Lieberman

The original strategy behind "Dallas" was to focus on the newly-married Bobby and Pam Ewing. But Hagman made his role more than the producers had intended, and he quickly became the focus of the program.

When TNT revived the program earlier this year, he was the undisputed power villain.

"All of us at TNT are deeply saddened at the news of Larry Hagman's passing. He was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor," TNT officials said in a statement. "We will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate Larry through his performance as J.R. Ewing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.

VIEW: "Dallas" Then and Now

But though he may be best known as a villain, Hagman used his fame to try to give back.

In addition to actively supporting charities like the National Kidney Foundation and, in what might seem an irony, efforts to develop solar power, Hagman just last month announced the formation The Larry Hagman Foundation, to fund education programs promoting the fine arts and creative learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged children in Dallas.

Hagman began his acting career in the late 1950s, but it wasn't until "I Dream of Jeannie" premiered in 1965 that he found himself a star. He played Anthony Nelson, an astronaut who during a mission finds an unusual bottle, and when he opens it, out pops a genie named Jeannie -- Barbara Eden.

Through the series' five-year run, Jeannie found new ways to make Hagman's life difficult, as she tried to serve her "master."

Though Hagman continued to work regularly after "I Dream of Jeannie" ended in 1970, it wasn't until "Dallas" hit the air in 1978, that he again struck a chord with audiences.

The show was originally only supposed to be a five-episode miniseries, but the show caught on so quickly, that it was extended and eventually became a series that would become the highest rated TV show of all time.

Unlike many TV stars, who find themselves playing variations on the same character over and over, the Hagman viewers saw in J.R. Ewing was worlds away from Major Nelson.

While the astronaut was always at wits end, trying to keep Jeannie a secret and trying to prove to the base psychiatrist that he was sane, Ewing was a man who seemed completely in control of his world, wheeling and dealing, backstabbing and cheating on his wife.

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