Monday, December 24, 2007
Hard-plastic bottles raise worries
Story Highlights
There is little dispute that BPA can disrupt the hormonal system
Patagonia pulled polycarbonate water bottles from its 40 stores worldwide in 2005
Mountain Equipment: It removed mostly polycarbonate water bottles, containers
BPA is found in dental sealants, CDs and DVDs
China gets tough on texting
BEIJING, China (AP) -- A Beijing city regulation clamping down on people who send text messages that "spread rumors" or "endanger public security" is a threat to freedom of expression, a watchdog group said Monday.
China Human Rights Defenders, an international network of activists and rights monitoring groups, said the recent regulation on text messages "raises serious concerns over the restriction of freedom of expression in China."
The group said in a statement that an average of 180 million text messages are sent every day and that text messaging has become one of the most important means of receiving information unavailable in the mainstream media.
The 2008 Olympics, which Beijing is hosting, offer a high-profile opportunity for protesters to air their grievances against China on issues like religious freedom, human rights and Tibetan independence.
Beijing police will work with government agencies and telecommunications companies to investigate and punish those using text messages to "spread rumors" or "endanger public security," the city government said in a notice posted on its Web site late last month.
Chinese authorities commonly use vague charges such as those to detain dissidents or others it views as a threat to the ruling Communist Party.
Although the notice did not detail specific punishments, a story in the city's Communist Party mouthpiece newspaper, the Beijing Daily, earlier this year said people who spread rumors or other false information are subject to detention for up to 10 days and a fine of up to $70.
China has more than 500 million cell phone users and text messaging has become an increasingly effective way to spread word of meetings or demonstrations.
This summer, plans to build a chemical plant in the southern coastal city of Xiamen were suspended after residents sent nearly 1 million text messages to friends and family, urging the government to abandon the project because of its alleged health and environmental risks.
Meanwhile, a Tibetan language online discussion forum was shut down this month for having content that was against Chinese law, according to a notice on its Web site.
The popular forum, which was hosted at www.Tibet123.com, was shut down for containing "illegal content," according to a notice on the Web site.
The notice says it "strongly condemns the 'rotten apple in the barrel' who published harmful information."
The notice then invites people to leave comments. It is not clear if the notice is from the site moderator or the government.
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders has called the site "the most dynamic forum in the Tibetan blogosphere" with over 6,200 registered members.
The Paris-based group said the site has been closed since December 6. It was still inaccessible Monday.
Its good to have control and warnings but putting in the people in Jail ? well, is communisst, what you think whom you are dealing with ? haha...
China Human Rights Defenders, an international network of activists and rights monitoring groups, said the recent regulation on text messages "raises serious concerns over the restriction of freedom of expression in China."
The group said in a statement that an average of 180 million text messages are sent every day and that text messaging has become one of the most important means of receiving information unavailable in the mainstream media.
The 2008 Olympics, which Beijing is hosting, offer a high-profile opportunity for protesters to air their grievances against China on issues like religious freedom, human rights and Tibetan independence.
Beijing police will work with government agencies and telecommunications companies to investigate and punish those using text messages to "spread rumors" or "endanger public security," the city government said in a notice posted on its Web site late last month.
Chinese authorities commonly use vague charges such as those to detain dissidents or others it views as a threat to the ruling Communist Party.
Although the notice did not detail specific punishments, a story in the city's Communist Party mouthpiece newspaper, the Beijing Daily, earlier this year said people who spread rumors or other false information are subject to detention for up to 10 days and a fine of up to $70.
China has more than 500 million cell phone users and text messaging has become an increasingly effective way to spread word of meetings or demonstrations.
This summer, plans to build a chemical plant in the southern coastal city of Xiamen were suspended after residents sent nearly 1 million text messages to friends and family, urging the government to abandon the project because of its alleged health and environmental risks.
Meanwhile, a Tibetan language online discussion forum was shut down this month for having content that was against Chinese law, according to a notice on its Web site.
The popular forum, which was hosted at www.Tibet123.com, was shut down for containing "illegal content," according to a notice on the Web site.
The notice says it "strongly condemns the 'rotten apple in the barrel' who published harmful information."
The notice then invites people to leave comments. It is not clear if the notice is from the site moderator or the government.
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders has called the site "the most dynamic forum in the Tibetan blogosphere" with over 6,200 registered members.
The Paris-based group said the site has been closed since December 6. It was still inaccessible Monday.
Its good to have control and warnings but putting in the people in Jail ? well, is communisst, what you think whom you are dealing with ? haha...
Express bus rams and kills mechanic fixing stalled car
SEREMBAN: A driver whose car had stalled and a mechanic summoned to check his vehicle were killed when an express bus ploughed into them at the 263rd kilometre of the North-South Expressway near here, yesterday. Mohd Hanif Mohd Noor, 29, from Kg Air Tawar in Merlimau, Malacca, was driving to Bandar Baru Bangi with his mother and two younger siblings to visit a sister when his car broke down
Mechanic Palaneysamy Ratnam, 26, from Taman Mambau Jaya, near here, had arrived to check the car parked on the emergency lane. However, as both stood on the driver’s side of the car to check the engine, the express bus which had just entered the highway hit them, killing both instantly. They were flung some 30m from the car.
“The bus just came out of nowhere and hit my brother and the mechanic,” Mohd Hanif’s sister, Siti Aishah, 15, said. The bus driver said the two appeared suddenly from the front of the car.
None of the bus’ 40 passengers was injured. They were taken to their destination in another bus.
The bus driver, who went to the district police station to lodge a report, has been detained to facilitate investigations. The accident caused a traffic snarl for several kilometres on both sides of the highway.
Its dangerous to stay on road and some more let the motorist to repair the car ? How can plus allowed that ? They should ban car repariing without proper arrangment
Mechanic Palaneysamy Ratnam, 26, from Taman Mambau Jaya, near here, had arrived to check the car parked on the emergency lane. However, as both stood on the driver’s side of the car to check the engine, the express bus which had just entered the highway hit them, killing both instantly. They were flung some 30m from the car.
“The bus just came out of nowhere and hit my brother and the mechanic,” Mohd Hanif’s sister, Siti Aishah, 15, said. The bus driver said the two appeared suddenly from the front of the car.
None of the bus’ 40 passengers was injured. They were taken to their destination in another bus.
The bus driver, who went to the district police station to lodge a report, has been detained to facilitate investigations. The accident caused a traffic snarl for several kilometres on both sides of the highway.
Its dangerous to stay on road and some more let the motorist to repair the car ? How can plus allowed that ? They should ban car repariing without proper arrangment
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Cinemas allowed ‘with conditions’
KOTA BARU: After the last cinema was closed down in 1995, the state government is now willing to consider allowing them or cineplexes.
However, only movies with strong moral values could be screened.
State Finance Planning Committee chairman Datuk Husam Musa told a press conference yesterday that the state government would welcome investors keen to set up cinemas or cineplexes.
Actress Maya Karin, during a visit to Kota Baru on Tuesday, supported the revival of the cinema or cineplex industry in the state, saying that it could boost the local film scene.
State Education Committee chairman Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said that the state had not banned cinemas or cineplexes but that they died a “natural death” due to the advent of VCDs, DVDs and the Internet.
Husam said the approach to invite local celebrities such as Mawi and Maya Karin was to bring about a positive effect to an Islamic form of entertainment.
“We must bring stars such as Mawi or Maya as they can woo the public on advocating an Islamic form of entertainment which dwells more on strong morals, spiritual and human qualities rather than the current crop of commercialised movies which border on excessive sex and violence.”
Husam said he was delighted to see Maya donning a headscarf and was polite during her brief visit here.
At another function, Husam said he welcomed the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to investigate corruption and abuse of power claims made against him.
Hisham: It’s another lie
SINGAPORE: Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the latest malicious SMS made against him is another lie by unscrupulous people who are trying to disrupt racial harmony in the country.
“I read this SMS today, which is untrue, a deception, and is laced with racism. It accused me and my deputy Khairy Jamaluddin of planning to go to Kampung Baru to incite hatred of the Malays against other races on Dec 19.
“The intentions (of the sender) is evil. It is an act to worsen the situation. Just like the earlier SMS, which claimed that I do not need the support of the Indians and Chinese, it is a lie,” he said.
Hishammuddin said neither he nor Khairy has any intention to go to Kampung Baru to incite the Malays against the non-Malays.
“That is not how we work in Barisan Nasional. That is not something we will ever do,” he said.
He called for Malaysians not to be easily influenced by lies and deception that can disrupt harmonious society, saying that those spreading them wanted to create chaos in the country.
While the earlier SMS quoted Bernama as the source, Hishammuddin said the new one did not quote anybody.
“When Bernama was framed, Bernama denied sending it and that shows that the SMS was a complete lie.
“This recent SMS did not quote Bernama, so they have learnt from their mistake,” he said.
He vowed to expose those behind the rumours and said that they will continue to monitor the SMS although he would not lodge a police report.
“We will expose them, their evil intentions, and their narrow-minded aim. If I am to lodge police reports over SMSes, then I will be at the police station every day,” he said.
Gunman opens fire at Omaha mall, kills 8, self
OMAHA, Neb. - A gunman opened fire at a busy Omaha mall Wednesday, killing at least eight people, wounding at least five others and then killing himself, police officials said.
The gunman left two suicide notes and a will that were found at his home, said a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak. Police told NBC affiliate WOWT-TV that the note said he was "going out in style."
The official identified the gunman as 20-year-old Robert A. Hawkins. Hawkins' vehicle was found in the mall parking lot. Police later detonated a device near the car.
Witnesses said Hawkins pointed a rifle over a third-floor balcony and opened fire in the Von Maur department store at Westroads Mall.
A Von Maur employee said he heard a burst of five to six shots followed by 15 to 20 shots. Witnesses said Hawkins appeared to be firing randomly. Authorities gave no motive for the attack and did not know whether he said anything during the rampage.
Police received the first 911 call at 1:42 p.m. from someone inside the mall, and shots could be heard in the background, Sgt. Teresa Negron said. By the time officers arrived six minutes later, the shooting was over, she said.
Hawkins was found dead on the third floor with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his victims were discovered on the second and third floors, police said. The Omaha World-Herald reported that he had a military-style haircut and a black backpack and wore a camouflage vest.
Negron said every officer in the city was sent to the mall.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Hindus, police clash in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Thousands of Hindu protesters met water cannons and tear gas in Malaysia's capital on Sunday while demanding equal rights and consideration from the government. CNN confirmed at least 5,000 protesters marched in Kuala Lumpur, but The Associated Press placed the figure as high as 10,000. Some protesters threw rocks at the water cannon trucks, but others were urging peaceful demonstrations.
The AP quoted witnesses who saw people being beaten and dragged into trucks by police. Public transportation into the city was stopped, hindering protesters from coming in. Police stopped protesters as they tried to take a petition to the British High Commission. Talks were under way for authorities to allow six protesters to deliver the petition, should the crowd disperse. The rally -- rooted in complaints that the ethnic Malay Muslim-dominated government discriminates against minorities -- was the largest protest in at least a decade involving ethnic Indians, the country's second-largest minority population after ethnic Chinese.
The ethnic Indians are generally the most underprivileged. Earlier this month, riot police used water hoses and tear gas against thousands of protesters demanding electoral reform, the largest demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in nearly a decade. Street demonstrations are considered rare among the multiple ethnic groups in Malaysia, which prides itself on its communal and political stability. Malaysia has maintained racial peace since 1969, when some 200 people were killed in riots sparked by Malay frustration over the economic clout of Chinese.
The violence spurred the creation of programs that give Malays privileges in government jobs, contracts and education.
All Malaysian please beware of the current situation...................
Friday, November 09, 2007
Seven killed in Dubai bridge collapse
DUBAI (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and about 15 injured on Thursday when a Dubai bridge under construction collapsed near luxury hotels and high-rises in the Gulf tourism hub.
Police said the incident in the new part of the city, where thousands of housing units are being built, appeared to be the result of a construction problem.
"According to initial reports, seven are dead and about 15 are injured," deputy police chief Jamal al-Marri told Reuters by telephone.
A Reuters witness saw three bodies being pulled out and taken away in police vehicles. "They had orange overalls and were covered as they were carried on stretchers," she said.
Nine workers were rushed to a government hospital with bad injuries, a police officer at the site said.
Dubai, one of seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, with a building boom involving the construction of scores of skyscrapers, including the world's tallest building. The world's largest theme park is also under construction in Dubai.
Policemen and rescue workers at the site said that about 40 construction workers were on top of the overpass when a crane hit a segment of the structure, bringing it down.
Matar Saeed al-Tayer, director general of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, was quoted as saying that the incident apparently happened after workers placed an excessive amount of steel on the bridge, causing it to collapse.
"The amount of steel placed was more than allowed. There are certain safety rules that any contractor should adhere to," the official WAM news agency quoted Tayer as saying.
Dubai police chief, Dahi Khalfan Tamim, said rescue crews were on the scenes within four minutes of the accident with helicopters and ambulances.
The police brought sniffer dogs to search for any victims buried in the rubble.
Most workers in Dubai hail from the Indian subcontinent.
Two workers were killed and about 60 injured in January when a fire broke out in a tower block under construction in Dubai, the trading and tourism hub of the United Arab Emirates.
(Additional reporting by Firouz Sedarat, Fouad Juez and Ola Galal; Editing by Sami Aboudi)
Mafia's '10 commandments' revealed
ROME, Italy (AP) -- Thou shalt be faithful to the Mafia. Italian police said Thursday they have found a list of 10 commandments for mobsters in a house near Palermo, where a top Mafia boss was arrested this week.
Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who had been on the run since 1993, was vying to become the next "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian Mafia, according to Italian investigators. He was apprehended Monday by police raiding a house in the countryside outside Palermo, the Sicilian capital.
The list was found among his coded notes about the administration of Cosa Nostra that were delivered by Lo Piccolo's aides.
Police in Palermo said that the list opened with a preamble that said: "I swear to be faithful to Cosa Nostra. Should I betray, my flesh will burn." Under the category "Rights and Duty" were the 10 entries, meant to be a sort of users' manual for the good mobster. The list was typewritten in uppercase letters, police said.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica published a photo of what it said was the list, under the headline: "The Godfather's Ten Commandments."
The list bars mobsters from hanging out in bars, from befriending police and being late for appointments. It also bars them from "taking possession of money that belong to others or other families."
How to treat women also features in the decalogue.
"You shall not look at wives of our friends," says one entry. "You shall respect your wife," says another. However, the Mafia comes first, as the fifth "commandment" orders a mobster to "be available for Cosa Nostra at any moment, even if your wife is about to give birth."
The last part of the list sets out application rules, saying that those who have a very bad behavior and no moral values cannot join.
Investigators believe that the 65-year-old Lo Piccolo could have eventually emerged from a power struggle as the Mafia's new top boss following the capture of Bernardo Provenzano, the reputed No. 1 of the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. Provenzano was arrested on a farm near Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006, after more than 40 years on the run
Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who had been on the run since 1993, was vying to become the next "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian Mafia, according to Italian investigators. He was apprehended Monday by police raiding a house in the countryside outside Palermo, the Sicilian capital.
The list was found among his coded notes about the administration of Cosa Nostra that were delivered by Lo Piccolo's aides.
Police in Palermo said that the list opened with a preamble that said: "I swear to be faithful to Cosa Nostra. Should I betray, my flesh will burn." Under the category "Rights and Duty" were the 10 entries, meant to be a sort of users' manual for the good mobster. The list was typewritten in uppercase letters, police said.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica published a photo of what it said was the list, under the headline: "The Godfather's Ten Commandments."
The list bars mobsters from hanging out in bars, from befriending police and being late for appointments. It also bars them from "taking possession of money that belong to others or other families."
How to treat women also features in the decalogue.
"You shall not look at wives of our friends," says one entry. "You shall respect your wife," says another. However, the Mafia comes first, as the fifth "commandment" orders a mobster to "be available for Cosa Nostra at any moment, even if your wife is about to give birth."
The last part of the list sets out application rules, saying that those who have a very bad behavior and no moral values cannot join.
Investigators believe that the 65-year-old Lo Piccolo could have eventually emerged from a power struggle as the Mafia's new top boss following the capture of Bernardo Provenzano, the reputed No. 1 of the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. Provenzano was arrested on a farm near Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006, after more than 40 years on the run
Oil discovery rocks Brazil
Story Highlights
- Petrobras president: Oil found would give Brazil the world's eighth largest reserves
- Petrobras: Tupi field has equivalent to 40 percent of all oil ever discovered in Brazil
- Brazil became a net oil exporter only last year
- Presidential chief of staff: Oil find will put Brazil on level of Venezuela, Arab nations
Bhutto's home surrounded
# Story Highlights
- NEW: CNN and BBC taken off air for a second time
- Security forces surround Bhutto's house and cordon off nearby streets
- Crackdown comes hours before massive political rally
- Elections to be held by February 15, Pakistan's president says
Police have not served Bhutto an official house arrest notice, the sources said, but her movements have been limited, according to local media reports.
The action comes hours before her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were to begin a massive rally in Rawalpindi against the state of emergency imposed by the government on Saturday.
President Pervez Musharraf's emergency order outlawed the rally, but Bhutto has been hoping fellow opposition parties will put their differences aside and participate as a challenge to Musharraf's government.
In addition Friday, the government also took CNN and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) off air for a second time as part of a media blackout, CNN's Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad reported.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Asian drug warlord dies in Myanmar
Story Highlights
# One-time drug warlord Khun Sa has died in Myanmar aged 74, an official said
# He claimed to be fighting for autonomy for the Shan, an ethnic minority
# The United States had offered a $2 million reward for his arrest
PM disowns daughter for being gay
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodian's prime minister said Tuesday he was severing ties with his adopted daughter, who is a lesbian, but appealed to people not to discriminate against gay people.
"My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed," Hun Sen said.
He made the rare revelation about his closely guarded family life during a public speech at a student graduation ceremony. Cambodian society, like that of neighboring Thailand, is generally tolerant of homosexuality. In 2004, then-King Norodom Sihanouk announced his support for gay rights, including the right to marry.
Hun Sen said he plans to file a civil court case to disown his adopted daughter so that she cannot claim any inheritance from his family. "We are concerned that she might one day cause us trouble ... and try to stake her claim for a share of our assets," he said.
The prime minister and his wife, Bun Rany, have three sons and two other daughters. He said they adopted their third daughter in the mid 1980s when she was 18 days old. She has carried his family name, "Hun," just like his biological children.
Despite his action toward his daughter, Hun Sen in his speech to the graduating class at the National Institute of Education appealed to parents and society not to discriminate against gay people
"My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed," Hun Sen said.
He made the rare revelation about his closely guarded family life during a public speech at a student graduation ceremony. Cambodian society, like that of neighboring Thailand, is generally tolerant of homosexuality. In 2004, then-King Norodom Sihanouk announced his support for gay rights, including the right to marry.
Hun Sen said he plans to file a civil court case to disown his adopted daughter so that she cannot claim any inheritance from his family. "We are concerned that she might one day cause us trouble ... and try to stake her claim for a share of our assets," he said.
The prime minister and his wife, Bun Rany, have three sons and two other daughters. He said they adopted their third daughter in the mid 1980s when she was 18 days old. She has carried his family name, "Hun," just like his biological children.
Despite his action toward his daughter, Hun Sen in his speech to the graduating class at the National Institute of Education appealed to parents and society not to discriminate against gay people
Final resting place for Goh Tong
GENTING HIGHLANDS: Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong will forever remain on this vast hill he so dearly adored.
His wish of being buried here was fulfilled yesterday as his widow, Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, 79, and six children laid him to rest at the Gohtong Memorial Park, located some 600m from his residence, Gohtong Villa. The hill had meant so much to Goh Tong that he chose the villa to spend the last few years of his life here, although he owned many other residential properties.
The burial ground was also a personal choice. Friends mentioned how Goh Tong fell in love with this piece of land and made known his intention to be buried here after feng shui masters declared the site a prosperous “dragon’s head”, which was good for Goh Tong and the generations after him.
Simultaneously yesterday at Goh Tong’s birthplace in Anxi, China, a memorial ceremony was held at the community hall to honour a filial “son” who successfully made his fortune overseas but continued to pour money back to the village to build schools, construct roads and uplift the local economy.
Eight eulogies were delivered paying tribute to Goh Tong's “can do” spirit, his philanthropic deeds and his humility.
Widow’s grief: Lee by herself during the funeral ceremony at Gohtong Villa.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting described Lim as a great man who left a legacy that contributed to the country’s economy and nation-building.
The funeral yesterday ended five days of wake beginning on Wednesday after Goh Tong died at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre the day before.
More than 20,000 people, including royalty, Asia’s rich and famous, politicians, friends, business allies and members of the public paid tribute to Goh Tong in their own ways. They either attended the wake, sent wreaths or penned messages of sympathy.
The wreaths alone took up almost a kilometre, lining the road up to Gohtong Villa.
Asia’s richest man, Li Ka Shing, sent a personal condolence note to the bereaved family, offering words that perhaps best captured the essence of who Goh Tong was.
”I am feeling very sad but be comforted that he enjoyed a long life with his children and grandchildren. He led a full life without anything to be regretted about. I hope your mother and others in the family will take good care, and this is my prayer too,” he wrote.
The Lim family had opened up Gohtong Villa for friends and the public to pay their respects. However, the burial at 1.18pm was a private affair restricted to the family.
Honouring a friend: Hanif reading his eulogy at the beginning of the funeral ceremony at Gohtong Villa Monday.
Words of farewell
“From harvesting lettuce and maple syrup, we have now become the most profitable casino in the world. Before Lim, we only knew poverty. It was with his faith and trust that we are what we are now.”
- Michael Thomas, chairman of the Native American Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
“He was a young man of 19 who left his country never to see his mother again, to come and work in Malaya as a carpenter.”
- Tun Hanif Omar, deputy chairman of Genting Group.
“He had undergone more difficulties and challenges than any other entrepreneur, before he became successful in his business. However, he remained a friendly, sporting and humble person who was actively involved in charitable activities.”
- Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia.
“Even though he was a wealthy man, he still lived a simple life. He also understood that he needed to repay society after benefiting from it.”
- Dr Tan Tat Chin, a member of the Tung Shin Hospital Board of Directors.
“He is a source of inspiration and we salute his accomplishment. He will continue to live in the heart of those who have been touched by him.”
- Tan Sri Dr Ng Lay Swee, president and chief executive officer of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
"Life come with a time frame, without this frame, our life will be meaningless"
- Lee Teck Jun, good bye uncle lim...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
EPF scheme to help members save more for retirement
KUALA LUMPUR: All Employees Provident Fund contributors will, from Feb 1, be able to withdraw part of their funds and channel them to approved investment programmes.
Under the new scheme, contributors, irrespective of age, will be able to withdraw from Account One what is in excess of a “required amount” of savings as determined by the EPF and invest the money in unit trusts.
Currently, contributors can only do so if they have in excess of RM50,000.
This is one among a range of changes that the EPF is implementing in stages to make it easier for contributors to exercise the option to augment their savings for their retirement.
Using the tagline “Beyond Savings”, the EPF also hopes the changes will ensure that contributors have enough money for retirement.
Other changes include:
# MORE flexible withdrawals for contributors at age 55;
# ALLOWING withdrawal of any amount irrespective of age for savings in excess of RM1mil;
# ALLOWING withdrawals from Account Two for critical illness insurance; and
# WITHDRAWALS for housing loan instalments.
These changes were revealed by EPF chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Zainol at the fund's headquarters here yesterday.
Azlan said the EPF has established a set of “required amounts” for contributors depending on their age.
The amounts are based on the assumption that a person would need at least RM120,000 – or RM500 a month – from retirement at 55 to age 75.
He said a contributor could withdraw 20% of the amount in excess of the required amount for investments in unit trusts.
“For example, if a 25-year-old has RM20,000 in Account One, he can take 20% of the excess to invest once every three months. This is because his required amount is only RM9,000,” he said.
For those who have reached 55, Azlan said that from Nov 1 they would have several options: withdraw everything they have, go for monthly withdrawals of at least RM250 for at least one year, or withdraw at least RM2,000 at any one time.
Currently, members aged 55 can only choose to withdraw the entire sum, withdraw only annual dividends, or take out monthly amounts but for at least five years.
Azlan said there would also be changes to the procedures for age 50 withdrawals.
From Jan 1, 2013, those who reach 50 would only be able to withdraw any amount from Account Two if their Account One has at least RM90,000, the required amount for that age.
On using EPF withdrawals to pay housing loan instalments, Azlan said that although the money would be banked straight into the contributors' accounts, it would be liasing with the banks to ensure that the loans are properly serviced.
“If they fail to pay their instalments for three months, the bank will inform us and we will stop payment to the contributors,” he said, adding that this scheme would start from Jan 1.
Azlan said that from Nov 1, those who had more than RM1mil in their savings could withdraw and invest the excess amount anytime. He said there were about 4,700 contributors who had more than RM1mil in their accounts.
DEATH OF A GIANT.....
PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, founder and honorary life president of Genting Group, passed away at 11.20am Tuesday at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre.
The tycoon, who turned 90 in April this year, was renowned for his vision in transforming Genting Highlands from an unexplored hilltop to one of the world's most successful casino resorts.
The fifth child in a family of seven children, Lim migrated from China's Fujian province in 1937 at the age of 19 with only a small suitcase and US$175.
The idea of a hill resort was chanced upon by Lim amidst the crisp air of Cameron Highlands in 1964. Lim was then working on a hydro-electric power project at the popular hill resort, patronised mostly by British colonials seeking cool refuge from the tropical heat, when he foresaw a prosperous Malaysia of the future desiring a cool mountain holiday resort within the reach of all Malaysians.
To date, Genting Highlands Resort has five hotels and two apartment blocks at the hilltop and Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort.
The company, founded in 1965, has since expanded and diversified from its initial hotel and resort activities to plantations, properties, paper manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas, electronic commerce and information technology development under Genting Group.
According to Forbes Asia, the Genting Group founder was third richest in the country with a net worth of US$4.3bil (RM14.6bil).
Lim is survived by wife Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, and their six children and 19 grandchildren.
One of the greatest man has gone....... we pray for his goneness
Friday, October 05, 2007
Witnesses: All gold miners freed from South Africa mine
CARLETONVILLE, South Africa -- The last of 3,200 gold miners trapped by a power failure reached the surface late Thursday after nearly two days underground, witnesses reported.
The workers were stuck 1.3 miles (2 kilometers ) underground in the cavernous Elandstrand New Mine after a large compressed air pipe fell down a shaft about 6 a.m. Wednesday (midnight Tuesday ET). The accident knocked out power and disabled elevators in the mine, which is built like an underground city, complete with trains, trucks and cars.
No one was hurt during the ordeal.
"I'm happy now because we are out and we are alive," said Granny Makau, one of the freed miners and one of scores of women working at Elandstrand.
"No one died so we are happy," she said.
"This was a situation where the people were not really in danger, they were underground," said Graham Briggs, the president of Harmony Gold Mining Company, which oversees operations at the mine.
"It's not really an accident in the sense of an underground accident -- in the sense of a falling rock," Briggs said.
More than a thousand miners had surfaced by midmorning Thursday.
The workers were stuck 1.3 miles (2 kilometers ) underground in the cavernous Elandstrand New Mine after a large compressed air pipe fell down a shaft about 6 a.m. Wednesday (midnight Tuesday ET). The accident knocked out power and disabled elevators in the mine, which is built like an underground city, complete with trains, trucks and cars.
No one was hurt during the ordeal.
"I'm happy now because we are out and we are alive," said Granny Makau, one of the freed miners and one of scores of women working at Elandstrand.
"No one died so we are happy," she said.
"This was a situation where the people were not really in danger, they were underground," said Graham Briggs, the president of Harmony Gold Mining Company, which oversees operations at the mine.
"It's not really an accident in the sense of an underground accident -- in the sense of a falling rock," Briggs said.
More than a thousand miners had surfaced by midmorning Thursday.
Airbus boss denies insider trading
PARIS, France (AP) -- Airbus Chief Executive Thomas Enders denied insider trading allegations stemming from the sale of shares in parent company EADS amid problems with the A380 superjumbo.
In a letter sent late Thursday to Airbus employees, Enders said that when he exercised stock options in November 2005, "there was no reason to believe it would be improper." The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter Friday.
For more than a year, the French Financial Markets Authority, or AMF, has been investigating share sales between November 2005 and March 2006 by 21 top managers of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.
A preliminary report by French regulators leaked to the press on Wednesday suggests "massive insider trading" took place at EADS.
Problems with the A380 and the mid-range A350 came to light publicly in June 2006, sending EADS shares tumbling 26 percent in one day.
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Enders sold 50,000 shares for a profit of €711,750 ($1 million), according to the AMF. Airbus Chief Noel Forgeard in March 2006 made a profit of €2.5 million ($3.2 million).
"To be clear to you all, I have never committed any insider trading, and I have not been accused of insider dealing by anyone, including the AMF," Enders wrote in the letter. "I categorically deny the allegations and insinuations in the press.
In a letter sent late Thursday to Airbus employees, Enders said that when he exercised stock options in November 2005, "there was no reason to believe it would be improper." The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter Friday.
For more than a year, the French Financial Markets Authority, or AMF, has been investigating share sales between November 2005 and March 2006 by 21 top managers of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.
A preliminary report by French regulators leaked to the press on Wednesday suggests "massive insider trading" took place at EADS.
Problems with the A380 and the mid-range A350 came to light publicly in June 2006, sending EADS shares tumbling 26 percent in one day.
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Enders sold 50,000 shares for a profit of €711,750 ($1 million), according to the AMF. Airbus Chief Noel Forgeard in March 2006 made a profit of €2.5 million ($3.2 million).
"To be clear to you all, I have never committed any insider trading, and I have not been accused of insider dealing by anyone, including the AMF," Enders wrote in the letter. "I categorically deny the allegations and insinuations in the press.
Spain arrests Basque leaders
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police have arrested 23 leaders of an outlawed Basque pro-independence party on suspicion of aiding the armed separatist group ETA, a judicial source told CNN.
Authorities raided a meeting on Thursday involving the 23 in the Basque town of Segura, where they were suspected of secretly trying to transfer the leadership of the outlawed Batasuna party from veteran activists present to a new set of leaders, who were also present, the source said.
The arrests were seen as part of broad crackdown on ETA and its supporters after ETA formally called off its cease-fire last June.
ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths over four decades in its fight for Basque independence and is listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Judge Baltasar Garzon, who has long sought to untangle ETA's web of armed fighters, financial support, logistical apparatus and clandestine support from the outlawed Batasuna, ordered the latest arrests, the source said
Southwest Airlines makes man change T-shirt
TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- Southwest Airlines said it will apologize to a passenger who was told he would be removed from a flight if he didn't change clothes, the second time in recent months the budget carrier has been forced to do so.
Joe Winiecki, of Largo, Florida, boarded a Southwest flight in Columbus, Ohio, wearing a fictional fishing shop T-shirt which featured the words, "Master Baiter."
Winiecki, who was traveling home, said he was in his seat when an employee told him he had to change his T-shirt, turn it inside out, or get off the plane.
Winiecki protested that the airline was infringing on his right to free speech, but changed his shirt fearing he would miss the flight and a day's work.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday the employee made a mistake because the Dallas-based airline does not have a dress code.
The airline apologized this summer after a college student wearing a denim miniskirt and a sweater over a tank top was told to change her outfit or get off a flight departing from San Diego.
Kyla Ebbert, who was 23, told the story on "The Dr. Phil Show." She was read a printed apology from Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly on the show.
Ebbert was allowed to fly after agreeing to alter her outfit. The airline offered Ebbert free tickets and tried to make light of the mix-up in humorous advertising.
Ebbert declined the tickets.
After the Ebbert encounter, Southwest President Colleen Barrett sent employees a generally worded e-mail reminding them that the airline has no dress code, Mainz said.
Southwest, like other airlines, has language in its contract of carriage that states it reserves the right to deny service to customers whose clothing is "lewd, obscene or patently offensive."
Joe Winiecki, of Largo, Florida, boarded a Southwest flight in Columbus, Ohio, wearing a fictional fishing shop T-shirt which featured the words, "Master Baiter."
Winiecki, who was traveling home, said he was in his seat when an employee told him he had to change his T-shirt, turn it inside out, or get off the plane.
Winiecki protested that the airline was infringing on his right to free speech, but changed his shirt fearing he would miss the flight and a day's work.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday the employee made a mistake because the Dallas-based airline does not have a dress code.
The airline apologized this summer after a college student wearing a denim miniskirt and a sweater over a tank top was told to change her outfit or get off a flight departing from San Diego.
Kyla Ebbert, who was 23, told the story on "The Dr. Phil Show." She was read a printed apology from Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly on the show.
Ebbert was allowed to fly after agreeing to alter her outfit. The airline offered Ebbert free tickets and tried to make light of the mix-up in humorous advertising.
Ebbert declined the tickets.
After the Ebbert encounter, Southwest President Colleen Barrett sent employees a generally worded e-mail reminding them that the airline has no dress code, Mainz said.
Southwest, like other airlines, has language in its contract of carriage that states it reserves the right to deny service to customers whose clothing is "lewd, obscene or patently offensive."
Tenn. man kills himself at city council meeting
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A barber with strong ties to the military community pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head at a City Council meeting after his request for a rezoning measure was rejected.
Ronald "Bo" Ward sought the rezoning to increase the property value of his home, allowing him to secure a loan to offset debt he incurred when he expanded his barber shop.
After the 5-7 vote Thursday night, Ward stood and walked toward the council.
"Ya'll have put me under. ... I'm out of here," he said before shooting himself in the head with a small handgun.
Fire and police officials attending the meeting immediately ushered the audience of about 50 into the hallway, where several people were sobbing.
At least one police officer is always on duty during council meetings, officials said. However, visitors are not required to go through a metal detector or any other screening.
"When a gun gets whipped out like that, someone is going to get shot, but I didn't know who," Councilman Bill Summers said. "You could've been right next to him, and I don't think you could have stopped that."
Mayor Johnny Piper said Thursday's council meeting would be the last held in that room.
Second heart transplant for Hui Yi
KUALA LUMPUR: Tee Hui Yi’s body was rejecting her new heart and doctors at the National Heart Institute (IJN) were getting desperate.
Miraculously, a second donor heart became available and the 14-year-old girl got a second chance – thanks to the parents of a 20-year-old mechanic in Johor who died in a road mishap.
Hui Yi had shown signs of organ rejection after a 10-hour heart transplant surgery at the IJN which began at 1.30am on Thursday.
The first heart had come from a 15-year-old boy who was declared brain dead on Wednesday in Ipoh and the organ was harvested by IJN surgeons and brought back on a mercy flight to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
On Thursday, the young mechanic Chin Yoon Keong was declared brain dead in Johor, and his father offered to donate his son’s heart to Hui Yi after having read in the newspapers about her one-year-wait for the organ.
“Hui Yi would not have made it if she had not received the second heart,” said IJN heart and lung transplant unit clinical director Dr Mohamed Izani Md Taib.
He said the IJN received an average of one donor heart in six months, but in the past one year, there was none at all.
“However, in the last two days we received two. This must be divine intervention,” he said yesterday.
When Hui Yi’s own heart began to fail, doctors at IJN had put her on a mechanical heart device which could only last two years.
From the day she got the the artificial heart, she had been warded at the IJN, with her mother by her side.
At the end of the first year on Sept 29, a tearful Hui Yi told pressmen at a media conference that she had been suffering frequent bouts of fever, vomiting and body ache – besides anxious, sleepless nights worrying that time was running out.
On Wednesday night, IJN assembled a team of 35 medical personnel as Hui Yi was wheeled into the operating theatre about 10.45pm, upon hearing that a heart had been harvested from a boy in Ipoh who was killed in a road accident.
Hui Yi’s heart was removed and replaced with the donor heart but unfortunately, the implanted heart failed to function, said IJN’s chief cardiothoracic surgeon Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub.
“Blood pressure was unstable even though the heart was in good condition when we procured it in Ipoh,” he said.
The symptoms pointed to her immune system rejecting the heart, said Dr Mohamed Izani, who explained that in any organ transplant, despite the matching blood type, there was a 5% to 10% chance of rejection.
“When we heard that there was a second donor in Johor Baru and that the blood group and height of the donor match the girl’s, and because her condition was not stable, we decided to carry out the second transplant,” he said.
The same team of surgeons performed the second transplant which started at 1am yesterday and ended about seven hours later.
“Her condition is now stable and the heart’s blood pressure is satisfactory. However, her condition remains critical,” said Dr Mohd Azhari, who headed the transplant team together with Dr Mohamed Izani.
Anwar declines to reveal his source
PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declined to reveal the origins of the Lingam video clip during a two-hour interview by Anti-Corruption Agency officers yesterday.
Only eight minutes of the 14-minute video clip have been made public so far. Keadilan has said the remainder has not been released to protect the sources.
“I am willing to come out in the open and co-operate with the ACA but I am very concerned about the personal security of the sources. The ACA said they were willing to protect the sources, but personal security is not within the ACA’s power, and we will not compromise on their personal safety,” Anwar said.
He said the sources, which he referred to as Mr X and Mr Y, were willing to come forward if they were assured of their personal security, and would reveal themselves “when the time is right".
Come one, what if the guy is dead when you reveal them?
Ministry looks for win-win situation in toll hike
JELI: The Works Ministry will try to strike a balance between the needs of the people and highway concessionaires in the coming toll hike.
“We are considering several proposals. Our aim is to avoid burdening the rakyat.
“The concessionaires have the right to request a review of the toll rate under their agreements with the government, but we will make sure it is a win-win situation,” he said after performing the groundbreaking of a RM70 million upgrading project on the Jeli-Jelawang-Gua Musang road on Thursday.
The project, due for completion in two years, is one of six road projects in Kelantan under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
“Jeli town has the potential to grow, especially with several major projects like the new Sekolah Menengah Sains and the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan branch campus here.”
A surprise in his loaf of bread
SEREMBAN: A construction supervisor and his wife nearly had a little “extra protein” in their sandwiches on Thursday.
Mohd Rafi Mohd Kamal found a dead cockroach in a loaf of bread he bought from a grocery shop near his Seremban 2 home.
“I didn’t notice anything wrong with the bread until I got to the last few slices. I found a dead cockroach sandwiched between them,” said the 31-year-old.
He says his wife Shukrina Abdullah fell ill after eating a few slices from the same end of the loaf where the cockroach was found.
“She was vomiting and had diarrhoea. The doctor said it might have been caused by the contaminated bread,” said Rafi, adding that he noticed a few spots of mould on the bread even though the expiry date on the label was Oct 6.
Shukrina lodged a police report on the same day but Rafi said when he contacted the manufacturer, the company tried to brush off his complaint.
“They asked me to send the bread to them so they could conduct tests and investigate the matter.
“I declined because I want the tests to be done by a neutral body,” he said.
He lodged a report and submitted the bread to the Negri Sembilan health department for testing yesterday.
“My next move depends on the test results,” he said.
The manufacturer’s Nilai facility was temporarily closed down last year because it was unhygienic, and the company was employing illegal workers as well as using cooking oil without a halal certification.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Blackwater faced bedlam, U.S. Embassy finds
WASHINGTON - The initial U.S. Embassy report on a Sept. 16 shooting incident in Baghdad involving Blackwater USA, a private security firm, depicts an afternoon of mayhem that included a car bomb, a shootout in a crowded traffic circle and an armed standoff between Blackwater guards and Iraqi security forces before the U.S. military intervened.
The two-page report, described by a State Department official as a "first blush" account from the scene, raises new questions about what transpired in the intersection. According to the report, the events that led to the shooting involved three Blackwater units.
One of them was ambushed near the traffic circle and returned fire before fleeing the scene, the report said. Another unit that went to the intersection was then surrounded by Iraqis and had to be extricated by the U.S. military, it added.
The report, by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, details the events as described by Blackwater guards -- details that are now at the center of an intense debate in Iraq and in Congress over the larger role of private security firms in Iraq. Tens of thousands of armed, private guards operate in Iraq, protecting everything from U.S. and Iraqi officials to supply convoys.
The shooting incident is being scrutinized in at least three separate investigations.
The two-page report, described by a State Department official as a "first blush" account from the scene, raises new questions about what transpired in the intersection. According to the report, the events that led to the shooting involved three Blackwater units.
One of them was ambushed near the traffic circle and returned fire before fleeing the scene, the report said. Another unit that went to the intersection was then surrounded by Iraqis and had to be extricated by the U.S. military, it added.
The report, by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, details the events as described by Blackwater guards -- details that are now at the center of an intense debate in Iraq and in Congress over the larger role of private security firms in Iraq. Tens of thousands of armed, private guards operate in Iraq, protecting everything from U.S. and Iraqi officials to supply convoys.
The shooting incident is being scrutinized in at least three separate investigations.
Another senior court official held for alleged graft
KUALA LUMPUR: A second senior official of the Perak syariah court has been arrested for alleged graft in just three weeks.
The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) detained the 38-year-old man at 11.45am yesterday after he was summoned to the Perak state ACA office. It is learnt that the official had allegedly demanded and accepted bribes totalling about RM4,000 to settle a khalwat (close proximity) case.
ACA director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate as investigations are still under way. On Sept 6, another senior Perak syariah court official was arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes to expedite the settlement of a case involving a VIP.
He was arrested at his office by ACA officers following complaints from the public.
Sources said the complainant in the second case contacted the ACA after the official said he could drop the case for a fee. He allegedly asked the victim to deposit the money in his bank account, which the victim did after lodging a report with the ACA.
Argentine Court OKs Sex Change for Teen
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - A 17-year-old Argentine has won a court battle to undergo surgery to become a female, the first decision of its kind involving a minor in Argentina, news reports said Thursday.
Ending a three-year legal battle, a court in the central province of Cordoba authorized the surgery earlier this week.
In Argentina, the surgery requires court approval because of laws against mutilation.A judge in 2004 initially ruled the teenager must wait until age 21, but the parents appealed and persuaded a court panel, the reports said.
Courts have withheld the name because the teenager is still a minor and the local media have not published the teen's identity. In the U.S., no court permission is necessary but most doctors are hesitant to operate on minors, said Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education in Waltham, Mass.
An August court decision in Brazil required the public health system to pay for sex reassignment surgeries. At least eight other countries, including Canada, have similar policies.
But in most of Latin America, the surgery still requires a judge's permission, according to Alejandra Victoria Portadino, legal counsel with the Homosexual Community of Argentina.
Five arrested in connection with Nurin's murder
SHAH ALAM: Five people including a woman have been arrested in connection with the murder of eight-year-old Nurul Jazlin Jazimin here on Thursday.
A team of police officers from the Petaling Jaya and Selangor police at about 11.30pm picked up the five aged between 27 and 33 from several locations in Section 7 here.
It is learnt one of the five, a man in his 30s, has a string of criminal records including sexual assault cases here and in several other states. CID director Commissioner Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee said the arrests were made possible following information from the public.
"Two cars and five cellular phones were seized from the suspects,'' he said, adding that they were detained to assist police in their investigation into the murder of Nurin Jazlin.
The arrest of the five is the first major breakthrough police have made since Nurin Jazlin was first reported missing from her Wangsa Maju flat on Aug 20.
Police have been working tirelessly to nab the killer/s and have reopened several old cases with similar modus operandi to narrow down their suspects. Nurin Jazlin went missing on Aug 20 after she went to a night market by herself near her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju, in Setapak.
Her body was found stuffed in a sports bag at a three-storey shop lot in Petaling Utama on Sept 17. A post-mortem showed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Chinese lover to die for deadly smooch
Suspecting man's infidelity, she passed him a poison-laced pill during kiss
SHANGHAI, China - A Chinese woman who killed her lover with a rat poison-laced kiss when she suspected him of being unfaithful was sentenced to death, a Chinese newspaper reported on Thursday.
Xia Xinfeng, from the central province of Henan, passed a capsule with rat poison from her mouth to her long-time lover, Mao Ansheng, during a kiss, the Shanghai Daily said.
Mao swallowed the capsule and died soon afterwards.“The couple had said that if either one of them cheated on the other, he or she would have to die,” the paper said in explaining the mouth-to-mouth assault.
Xia found Mao had been “talking” with another woman and deemed that he had broken their promise.
FBI to help in Nurin murder probe
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the investigative arm of the US Department of Justice, has agreed to assist police here to enhance the clarity of the blurred web-camera image of the person carrying the sports bag in which Nurin Jazlin Jazimin’s body was found.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the FBI had the technology to get a clearer image.
“One of our officers left last night for the United States with the web-camera recording and we hope they can help produce a clearer image so that we can pick up the person for questioning.
“We are doing everything we can to arrest whoever murdered Nurin. There will be no let-up in our investigations,” he told reporters after presenting Hari Raya goodies to his men in Bukit Aman yesterday.
Musa said police had some good leads and his officers were working tirelessly to identify Nurin Jazlin’s killer. He appealed to the public to continue to provide information and vowed to follow up on every tip-off given to them. Nurin Jazlin went missing on Aug 20 after she went to a night market by herself near her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju, in Setapak. Her body was found stuffed in a sports bag at a three-storey shop lot in Petaling Utama on Sept 17.
A post-mortem showed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Boy returns home to find mum dead
KLANG: A 16-year-old boy returned home from school to find his mother dead with her throat cut and her back slashed.
The victim, 53-year-old Tan Li Chu, was found sprawled on the floor near the kitchen. The home had been ransacked.
It is learnt that the boy found the gate opened and the sliding door leading to the hall unlocked when he returned home in Taman Chi Liung at about 6.50pm yesterday. The boy ran to the house of a relative nearby and they contacted the police. Tan, a mother of three, was alone at home while her husband, a factory worker, was at work.
A police spokesman said a 21-year-old suspect had been picked up and police were still investigating the motive.
China bans push-up bra advertisements
Officials have stopped 'saucy' ads ahead of a major Party meeting
BEIJING, China - Days after banning "sexually provocative sounds" on television, China has now stopped networks showing "saucy" adverts for push-up bras and figure-hugging underwear ahead of a major Communist Party meeting next month.
Other targets of the crackdown are "low-brow and base" commercials for sex toys and those featuring famous people or experts attesting to the efficacy of medicines, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said on its Web site on Friday.
"Every television advertisement management bureau and television station must strengthen their political consciousness and responsibility towards society," Tian Jin, deputy head of the regulator, was quoted as saying.
The order is the latest in a raft of measures which have included axing reality shows featuring sex changes and plastic surgery and banning talent contests during prime-time.
The media watchdog's edicts have reached fever pitch in recent weeks, ahead of a meeting of the 17th Party congress, a sensitive five-yearly meeting at which key national leaders are appointed and policy set for the next few years.
BEIJING, China - Days after banning "sexually provocative sounds" on television, China has now stopped networks showing "saucy" adverts for push-up bras and figure-hugging underwear ahead of a major Communist Party meeting next month.
Other targets of the crackdown are "low-brow and base" commercials for sex toys and those featuring famous people or experts attesting to the efficacy of medicines, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said on its Web site on Friday.
"Every television advertisement management bureau and television station must strengthen their political consciousness and responsibility towards society," Tian Jin, deputy head of the regulator, was quoted as saying.
The order is the latest in a raft of measures which have included axing reality shows featuring sex changes and plastic surgery and banning talent contests during prime-time.
The media watchdog's edicts have reached fever pitch in recent weeks, ahead of a meeting of the 17th Party congress, a sensitive five-yearly meeting at which key national leaders are appointed and policy set for the next few years.
Musharraf wins ruling on army role
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed legal challenges to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's bid for a new five-year term.
The 6-3 decision in favor of the military leader allows him to contest the October 6 election while army chief and removes the main obstacle to his staying in office.
"These petitions are held to be non-maintainable," presiding Judge Rana Bhagwandas told the court, drawing howls of protests from lawyers in the gallery.
"Shame, shame!" and "Go, Mushharraf, go!" they said as they pumped their fists in the air in the packed, cavernous courtroom.
Bhagwandas gave no reason for the ruling, which was decided by a 6-3 vote among the justices.
The government has insisted all along that Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, is a qualified candidate. Critics have countered that he cannot run because he has retained his position as powerful army chief. With his popularity and clout eroding, the general has said he would take off his uniform if he wins a new presidential term in the vote by federal and provincial legislators.
Musharraf has faced growing political opposition since his failed attempt to oust Pakistan's top judge in March. He is struggling to contain growing Islamic militancy. Friday's ruling will bitterly disappoint activists from the opposition and the legal fraternity who saw the ruling as an acid test of whether the military could be divorced from politics.
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Farid Piracha, a lawmaker from Pakistan biggest religious party Jamaat-e-Islami, which had filed one of the several petition challenging Musharraf's eligibility to run -- said he refused to accept the ruling.
"The judges have not fulfilled their constitutional obligation," Piracha said. "Now our fight against dictatorship will be on the streets ... This decision does not reflect the sentiments of the people, and it will not be accepted."
The 6-3 decision in favor of the military leader allows him to contest the October 6 election while army chief and removes the main obstacle to his staying in office.
"These petitions are held to be non-maintainable," presiding Judge Rana Bhagwandas told the court, drawing howls of protests from lawyers in the gallery.
"Shame, shame!" and "Go, Mushharraf, go!" they said as they pumped their fists in the air in the packed, cavernous courtroom.
Bhagwandas gave no reason for the ruling, which was decided by a 6-3 vote among the justices.
The government has insisted all along that Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, is a qualified candidate. Critics have countered that he cannot run because he has retained his position as powerful army chief. With his popularity and clout eroding, the general has said he would take off his uniform if he wins a new presidential term in the vote by federal and provincial legislators.
Musharraf has faced growing political opposition since his failed attempt to oust Pakistan's top judge in March. He is struggling to contain growing Islamic militancy. Friday's ruling will bitterly disappoint activists from the opposition and the legal fraternity who saw the ruling as an acid test of whether the military could be divorced from politics.
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Farid Piracha, a lawmaker from Pakistan biggest religious party Jamaat-e-Islami, which had filed one of the several petition challenging Musharraf's eligibility to run -- said he refused to accept the ruling.
"The judges have not fulfilled their constitutional obligation," Piracha said. "Now our fight against dictatorship will be on the streets ... This decision does not reflect the sentiments of the people, and it will not be accepted."
Student with gun at high school surrenders
OROVILLE, Calif. - A student was in custody Friday after surrendering to police at a northern California high school where shots reportedly had been fired, authorities said.
A Butte County Sheriff's dispatcher said a 911 call came in from Las Plumas High School just after 9 a.m. He said deputies were talking to the student.
About an hour later, the sheriff's office told NBC News the gunman was in custody. A message posted on the Oroville Union High School District Web site said all six schools in the district were locked down during the brief standoff.
"The Butte County Sheriff's Office has the campus under control," the district said in a statement on its Web site. "If your student is at the Las Plumas campus you will not be able to pick them up at this time.
A Butte County Sheriff's dispatcher said a 911 call came in from Las Plumas High School just after 9 a.m. He said deputies were talking to the student.
About an hour later, the sheriff's office told NBC News the gunman was in custody. A message posted on the Oroville Union High School District Web site said all six schools in the district were locked down during the brief standoff.
"The Butte County Sheriff's Office has the campus under control," the district said in a statement on its Web site. "If your student is at the Las Plumas campus you will not be able to pick them up at this time.
Mistake costs dishwasher $59,000
MIAMI, Florida -- For 11 years, Pedro Zapeta, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, lived his version of the American dream in Stuart, Florida: washing dishes and living frugally to bring money back to his home country.
Two years ago, Zapeta was ready to return to Guatemala, so he carried a duffel bag filled with $59,000 -- all the cash he had scrimped and saved over the years -- to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
But when Zapeta tried to go through airport security, an officer spotted the money in the bag and called U.S. customs officials.
"They asked me how much money I had," Zapeta recalled, speaking to CNN in Spanish.
He told the customs officials $59,000. At that point, U.S. customs seized his money, setting off a two-year struggle for Zapeta to get it back. Video Zapeta describes how he lost his money »
Zapeta, who speaks no English, said he didn't know he was running afoul of U.S. law by failing to declare he was carrying more than $10,000 with him. Anyone entering or leaving the country with more than $10,000 has to fill out a one-page form declaring the money to U.S. customs.
Officials initially accused Zapeta of being a courier for the drug trade, but they dropped the allegation once he produced pay stubs from restaurants where he had worked. Zapeta earned $5.50 an hour at most of the places where he washed dishes. When he learned to do more, he got a 25-cent raise.
After customs officials seized the money, they turned Zapeta over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS released him but began deportation proceedings. For two years, Zapeta has had two attorneys working pro bono: one on his immigration case, the other trying to get his money back.
"They are treating me like a criminal when all I am is a working man," he said.
Zapeta's story became public last year on CNN and in The Palm Beach Post newspaper, prompting well-wishers to give him nearly $10,000 -- money that now sits in a trust. Robert Gershman, one of Zapeta's attorneys, said federal prosecutors later offered his client a deal: He could take $10,000 of the original cash seized, plus $9,000 in donations as long as he didn't talk publicly and left the country immediately.
Zapeta said, "No." He wanted all his money. He'd earned it, he said.
Now, according to Gershman, the Internal Revenue Service wants access to the donated cash to cover taxes on the donations and on the money Zapeta made as a dishwasher. Zapeta admits he never paid taxes. CNN contacted the U.S. Attorneys office in Miami, U.S. Customs and the IRS about Zapeta's case. They all declined to comment.
Police find older of two girls on sex tape
Video apparently depicts suspect sexually abusing young child
LAS VEGAS - A girl was found "safe and well" after authorities released images of her from a videotape that also showed a man performing explicit sex acts on a younger girl.
The girl who was found, who detectives earlier said they believed was 10 to 12 years old, was not sexually abused and "never suffered as a victim at the hands of the perpetrator as the first girl has," Nye County Sheriff's Detective David Boruchowitz said.
The part of the video showing the older girl was shot in Nye County, a rural county near Las Vegas, Boruchowitz said. Details were not disclosed, and no additional information about the identity of the girl or the circumstances of how she came to be on the video was made public.
But Boruchowitz said investigators feared the younger girl was in danger. Sheriff's detectives were also seeking a man whose image was seen on the video.
Boruchowitz earlier characterized a segment of the tape showing the older girl as "some kind of peep show" filmed from a different room. Investigators were examining whether parts of the tape showing the younger girl were filmed with the same video camera, he said.
A 26-year-old Pahrump man, Darren Tuck, surrendered the tape to Nye County sheriff's investigators Sept. 8 after another man reported seeing it, Boruchowitz said. Tuck was later arrested on charges of promoting child pornography and possession of child pornography, both felonies, and released without bail pending an appearance Nov. 26 in Pahrump Justice Court. The top charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.
Tuck told detectives he found the videotape in the desert outside Pahrump more than five months ago. Boruchowitz said investigators don't think Tuck made the tape.
Pahrump is a small town 60 miles west of Las Vegas.
The Associated Press generally does not identify or release photos of suspected victims of sexual abuse but is doing so in this case in the interest of the girl's safe recovery.
Internet cut in Myanmar, blogger presses on
# Internet connection in Myanmar has been cut off
# London-blogger vows to keep up the fight
# Woman on phone: "Who can help us?"
# Student sent video to CNN because people "should know what is happening"
(CNN) -- The Internet connection in Myanmar was cut Friday, limiting the free flow of information the nation's citizens were sharing with the world depicting the violent crackdown on monks and other peaceful demonstrators
# London-blogger vows to keep up the fight
# Woman on phone: "Who can help us?"
# Student sent video to CNN because people "should know what is happening"
(CNN) -- The Internet connection in Myanmar was cut Friday, limiting the free flow of information the nation's citizens were sharing with the world depicting the violent crackdown on monks and other peaceful demonstrators
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Death claims amid Myanmar crackdown
YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- At least five protesters have been killed by Myanmar security forces Wednesday, according to opposition reports, as the anticipated crackdown began.
Speaking to CNN, Aye Chan Naing of Oslo-based opposition group Democratic Voice of Burma, said it had heard that at least five monks had been killed.
And speaking from neighboring Thailand, the spokesman for the resistance organization the National Council of the Union of Burma (Myanmar), Soe Aung, told CNN that at least one monk died after clashes with security forces in Yangon. It is not known if this fatality was in addition to those alleged by Democratic Voice of Burma.
Meanwhile, an opposition Web site gathering information from sources inside Myanmar reported security forces have shot at least two protesters near Sule Pagoda, a Buddhist monument and landmark located in Yangon's city center.
"One protester reportedly died, according to people who took part in the demonstration," the Web site said. "The soldiers continued firing at the demonstrators, who numbered several thousand."
Speaking to CNN, Aye Chan Naing of Oslo-based opposition group Democratic Voice of Burma, said it had heard that at least five monks had been killed.
And speaking from neighboring Thailand, the spokesman for the resistance organization the National Council of the Union of Burma (Myanmar), Soe Aung, told CNN that at least one monk died after clashes with security forces in Yangon. It is not known if this fatality was in addition to those alleged by Democratic Voice of Burma.
Meanwhile, an opposition Web site gathering information from sources inside Myanmar reported security forces have shot at least two protesters near Sule Pagoda, a Buddhist monument and landmark located in Yangon's city center.
"One protester reportedly died, according to people who took part in the demonstration," the Web site said. "The soldiers continued firing at the demonstrators, who numbered several thousand."
Sarkozy plans pension 'reform'
France's president has announced an overhaul of the pensions system for about 500,000 mainly public-sector workers. Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday that the "special regimes" pensions of some workers should be brought into line with the civil service scheme.
The move is being seen as a test of his ability to change France's generous welfare system. Sarkozy said the details of the changes would be worked out in the next "few months".
The "special regimes" allow state rail and power employees, as well as some other workers, to retire early on higher pensions than the private sector. Sarkozy said he would consult labour unions to prevent the mass protests that have derailed previous attempts to alter the system.
Overhauls of pension system in 1993 and 2003 left the system untouched for fear that strikes by transport and utility workers would bring the country to a halt.
In 1995, three weeks of protests forced Alain Juppe, the prime minister at the time, to abandon changes to the "special regimes".
Iran: US is world's real threat
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has accused the US of being the world's "real threat" and defended his country's nuclear programme. In a 40-minute speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad accused Washington and its allies of carrying out human rights abuses.
He said: "Human rights are being extensively violated by certain powers, especially by those who pretend to be their exclusive advocates.
"Setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process ... have become commonplace."
Government sets up three-man panel headed by retired judge
MALAYSIA
PUTRAJAYA: A three-man special independent panel headed by a retired top judge has been formed to investigate and determine the authenticity of a video clip showing a senior lawyer purportedly brokering the appointment of judges.
The panel’s terms of reference include holding a full inquiry, analysing the evidence and making the necessary conclusion.
The panel comprises former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor as chairman, National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced the formation of the panel yesterday, said the findings would be submitted to the Government and made public.
“The Government decided to set up the panel in view of speculation and allegations related to the video clip that could affect the credibility and integrity of the judiciary,” he said at a press conference.
“The panel will also work closely with the Anti-Corruption Agency and police (the two law enforcement agencies also investigating the case) to determine the authenticity of the video clip,” he added.
Najib said the panel members were of impeccable character and there was no reason for the public to protest over their appointment.
“I personally called the members and they agreed to be in the panel,” he said, adding that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hasan would assist the panel in carrying out its duties.
“They will do whatever is necessary and get the full support of the various government agencies,” he said when asked if those implicated in the video would be interviewed by the panel.
“The key thing is their findings and we (the Government) will take it from there.
“I don’t have to go into too much detail, let the panel decide on how it wants to proceed,” he said.
On the Bar Council’s planned march at Putrajaya today, Najib said “that’s up to the Bar Council and the authorities to decide.”
“I am confident that the police are up to the task. I am sure the police would be able to handle the situation,” he said.
He said the setting up of the panel was not due to the Bar Council’s request for an inquiry, but out of the concerns of the public about the integrity of the country’s judiciary system.
“At this moment, there is no intention of setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry but the independent panel will suffice,” he added.
PUTRAJAYA: A three-man special independent panel headed by a retired top judge has been formed to investigate and determine the authenticity of a video clip showing a senior lawyer purportedly brokering the appointment of judges.
The panel’s terms of reference include holding a full inquiry, analysing the evidence and making the necessary conclusion.
The panel comprises former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor as chairman, National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced the formation of the panel yesterday, said the findings would be submitted to the Government and made public.
“The Government decided to set up the panel in view of speculation and allegations related to the video clip that could affect the credibility and integrity of the judiciary,” he said at a press conference.
“The panel will also work closely with the Anti-Corruption Agency and police (the two law enforcement agencies also investigating the case) to determine the authenticity of the video clip,” he added.
Najib said the panel members were of impeccable character and there was no reason for the public to protest over their appointment.
“I personally called the members and they agreed to be in the panel,” he said, adding that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hasan would assist the panel in carrying out its duties.
“They will do whatever is necessary and get the full support of the various government agencies,” he said when asked if those implicated in the video would be interviewed by the panel.
“The key thing is their findings and we (the Government) will take it from there.
“I don’t have to go into too much detail, let the panel decide on how it wants to proceed,” he said.
On the Bar Council’s planned march at Putrajaya today, Najib said “that’s up to the Bar Council and the authorities to decide.”
“I am confident that the police are up to the task. I am sure the police would be able to handle the situation,” he said.
He said the setting up of the panel was not due to the Bar Council’s request for an inquiry, but out of the concerns of the public about the integrity of the country’s judiciary system.
“At this moment, there is no intention of setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry but the independent panel will suffice,” he added.
Myanmar police beat protesters
Hundreds of Buddhist monks and protesters are reported to have been arrested and scores beaten by police in the first major outbreak of violence after weeks of protests against the country's military rulers.
Riot police used tear gas, batons and reportedly fired warning shots as a group of monks attempted to stage further protests on Wednesday.
An eyewitness speaking to Al Jazeera from near the Shwedagon pagoda said police armed with heavy weapons had blocked all roads leading to the area.
"It looks like there are hundreds of police with tear gas and guns," she said. "We can still hear the monks and the people chanting."
The witness said she had seen some monks beaten on the head as authorities tried to stop protesters gathering.
Monks are highly revered by Myanmar's majority Buddhist population.
Shwedagon is one of Myanmar's most important spiritual sites has been a focus on what, until Wednesday, had been peaceful protests. Other witnesses reported seeing riot police beat their shields with batons as they chased some of the monks and supporters from the scene. Defying government warnings thousands of monks and other protesters were taking to the streets undeterred on Wednesday, witnesses said.
The violence marks the first major action taken by Myanmar authorities after weeks of escalating tensions, raising fears of a repeat of a 1988 crackdown when the military crushed a pro-democracy uprising killing thousands.
May peace with them.....
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
李顯龍：新加坡不是澳門
（新加坡訊）新加坡總理李顯龍表示，新加坡決定興建包括賭場在內的綜合度假設施是為了與時並進並借此擺脫守舊的形象，新加坡的賭場將不會像澳門那樣成為國家經濟的重心。
他是在出席於澳洲悉尼舉行的亞太經濟合作組織首腦峰會期間接受彭博社訪問時如此指出。
對新加坡政府為何在拒絕開設賭場長達40年之後改變主意，李顯龍說︰“新加坡並不是個博物館，我們是個活生生的城市，需要不斷地改變。這不是在50年代的新加坡，這是處在21世紀的新加坡，政府的政策必須作出相應的調整。”
要隨亞洲發展起飛
他也指出，新加坡不會單靠賭場來發展經濟，“這裡並不會變得像澳門那樣，由賭場主導整個經濟的發展。”
他說，在允許開設賭場的同時，政府也在研究那些設有賭場的國家是採取怎樣的措施以避免濫賭、洗黑錢及其它違法活動的發生。
除了興建賭場以吸引游客之外，新加坡也希望隨著亞洲整體發展而乘勢起飛。新加坡未來5年至10年的經濟增長估計介於4%至6%的水平。
他指出，世界兩大發展最快的主要經濟體中國和印度，正在推動本區域的增長，如果新加坡保持競爭力，將能隨著亞洲取得良好的經濟表現。
美仍是最大出口市場
而美國依然是新加坡最大的出口市場，去年10月至今年7月，新加坡對美國的電子出口量下降了9次。
盡管如此，在建築業和金融業的推動下，經濟依然取得迅速的增長。
談到新加坡同海外各主要經濟體的依賴程度，他說，本區的發展中國家非常依賴出口，他們有約六成的出口產品是運往美國、歐洲和日本。同區域這些發展中國家相比，新加坡對美國的經濟依賴較小。
他也說，目前，美國經濟對新加坡的影響還是很顯著的，“如果美國經濟走下坡，新加坡仍會到影響，只不過受影響的程度已經減緩了。”
Clinton to return disgraced fundraiser’s money
WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign said Monday it will return $850,000 in donations raised by Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who is under federal investigation for allegedly violating election laws.
Clinton, D-N.Y., previously had planned only to give to charity $23,000 she received from Hsu for her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to her political action committee, HillPac.
The FBI is investigating whether Hsu paid so-called straw donors to send campaign contributions to Clinton and other candidates, a law enforcement official said Monday.
“In light of recent events and allegations that Mr. Norman Hsu engaged in an illegal investment scheme, we have decided out of an abundance of caution to return the money he raised for our campaign,” Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a statement Monday night. “An estimated 260 donors this week will receive refunds totaling approximately $850,000 from the campaign.”
Wolfson said the Clinton campaign also will vigorously review its fundraisers, including thorough criminal background checks, in the future. “In any instances where a source of a bundler’s income is in question, the campaign will take affirmative steps to verify its origin,” he said.
The amount that the campaign identified as raised by Hsu would make him one of her top fundraisers. During the first six months of this year, her presidential campaign raised $52 million from individual contributors, second to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who raised $58.5 million.
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