Darfur women describe gang-rape horror

on 28.05.2007

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer

KALMA, Sudan - The seven women pooled money to rent a donkey and cart, then ventured out of the refugee camp to gather firewood, hoping to sell it for cash to feed their families. Instead, they say, in a wooded area just a few hours walk away, they were gang-raped, beaten and robbed.

Naked and devastated, they fled back to Kalma.

"All the time it lasted, I kept thinking: They're killing my baby, they're killing my baby," wailed Aisha, who was seven months pregnant at the time.

The women have no doubt who attacked them. They say the men's camels and their uniforms marked them as janjaweed — the Arab militiamen accused of terrorizing the mostly black African villagers of Sudan's Darfur region.

Their story, told to an Associated Press reporter and confirmed by other women and aid workers in the camp, provides a glimpse into the hell that Darfur has become as the Arab-dominated government battles a rebellion stoked by a history of discrimination and neglect.

Now in its fourth year, the conflict has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and rape is its regular byproduct, U.N. and other human rights activists say.

Sudan's government denies arming and unleashing the janjaweed, and bristles at the charges of rape, saying its conservative Islamic society would never tolerate it.

It has agreed to let in 3,000 U.N. peacekeepers, but not the 22,000 mandated by the
U.N. Security Council. It claims the force would be a spearhead for anti-Arab powers bent on plundering Sudan's oil.

RM22,500 fine for selling Milo at RM1.80

KUALA TERENGGANU: Traders had better think twice before raising prices following the recent pay rise for civil servants.

A mamak restaurant here, which charged RM1.80 for a glass of iced Milo – about 20sen to 30sen more than the usual price – has been hit with a RM22,500 compound fine.

As a deterrent to others, enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry also seized food and drinks worth about RM750 and tore down the shop’s signboard.

State enforcement chief Abdul Ghani Harun said the fine was the maximum for the offence and the operator had 14 days to settle the summonses.

“This is the first time that the state enforcement squad had meted out the maximum penalty against a trader for failure to display the price of goods and for indiscriminately increasing the price,” he said.

In Banting, Selangor, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said its enforcement officers had inspected 15,206 premises since the pay rise was announced.

Crazy government, go and catch some real thieves, and I will give you my best applaud, but instead working for good better society, you guys pounding on the mamak guy for the petty change in your pocket? Go home and sleep la....... really bullshitting all these officials....

true words from me .... ........ ..

Please read this if you wear contact lens

If you wear contact lens please read this ....

ATLANTA - Government officials are warning people to throw away a contact lens solution after an investigation linked it to a rare eye infection.

The warning concerns AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, used for cleaning and storing soft contact lenses, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness

The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating 138 confirmed cases.

The solution is made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a publicly traded company based in Santa Ana, Calif. The company issued a statement Friday night saying it was “immediately and voluntarily recalling” the solution.

Toss it all, Center of Disease Control says
CDC officials said people should discard the solution, throw out their current contact lenses and toss the lens storage case. All of them may harbor the infecting amoeba, said Michael Beach, team leader in the CDC’s division of parasitic diseases.

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Making the ringgit go further

OSAKA: Conserve energy, use fuel efficiently and if possible, switch to green energy, such as using solar panels to harvest the power of the sun, as this can not only stretch the ringgit but also help protect the environment.

This is the message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to all Malaysians.

“If we do this, we can cut down on our expenses. Try using less energy and buy cars that use less petrol. If we do this, we will be able to manage our expenses even without salary increases. If we do not learn how to cut costs, whatever we earn will never be enough,” he told Malaysian reporters on the last day of his five-day working visit to Japan here yesterday.

He pointed out that many Malaysians were now living in a “temperate condition” – driving air-conditioned cars, working in air-conditioned offices and living in air-conditioned homes.

Rebuilt lorries not ‘lori potong’

JOHOR BARU: Lorries rebuilt with parts from different manufacturers are not lori potong and are thoroughly tested for roadworthiness.

Commercial Vehicles Rebuilders Association president David Ngu said the confusion arose because some manufacturers marketed and distributed their vehicles using other brands.

“For example, a lorry made by Isuzu with the model number NPR71 is marketed under Nissan. So it carries the Nissan logo on the outside. But the engine is Isuzu’s.

“At the same time, you can also find the exact same model, which is fully Nissan, with the model number APR71,” he said.

He said the same applied to Hino and Daihatsu models.

“It is like how you find Mitsubishi engines in Proton cars.

Duo ordered to pay 50 times the value of loot

JOHOR BARU: Two odd-job workers paid a heavy price for stealing RM50 worth of metal window railings – they were hit with a fine amounting to 50 times the value.

Magistrate Rasidah Roslee ordered Rosli Ahmad, 39 and Zamri Osman, 32, to pay a RM2,500 fine for the offence.

Both the accused, who were unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stealing 13 window railings worth RM50 from businessman Tian Choon Ming, 45, at a house in Taman Masai at 11.45am on May 24.

Rasidah said the accused would be jailed for eight months if they could not pay the fine.

At the same court, a 40-year-old jobless man pleaded guilty to drug possession.

Rasidah fined Khoo Kay San RM6,000 or in default eight months imprisonment.


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System to completely disable stolen handphones

on 25.05.2007

CYBERJAYA: Handphone thieves and their fences may soon be out of business.

A national database for lost and stolen handphones will be set up and any handphone reported lost will be completely disabled. This means a stolen handphone cannot be sold to anyone to be used even with a new SIM card, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie.

Similar schemes launched in Britain and Australia had proven to be successful. Statistics in Britain had shown that in the first six months following the launch of the programme in November 2002, almost 500,000 lost or stolen mobile phones were blocked.

In Australia, there was a 23% drop in mobile phone thefts within 12 weeks of the launch of the scheme.

Dr Halim said the Government was setting up the database to curb the alarming increase in handphone thefts in the country. Last year, some 100,000 handphones were reported lost; the actual figure could be much higher than that as most Malaysians are reluctant to report the loss of items like handphones.

The move will also incorporate a nationwide handset blocking service, meaning that those who lose their handphones will be able to render the devices useless upon reporting their loss to the database operators.

Police cripple car and house break-in syndicates

KUALA LUMPUR: Two syndicates specialising in car and house break-ins as well as motorcycle thefts have been crippled by the Sentul police since May 14.

Sentul OCPD Asst Comm K. Kumaran said 10 people were arrested at various places in the Klang Valley.

He said the first syndicate carried out car and house break-ins and was smashed when police nabbed three men in front of a shop on May 14.

The arrest led police to nab another two members of the syndicate hours later.

They also seized seven laptops, and 21 mobile phones.

Fujian couple caught with fake DVDs

KUALA LUMPUR: Looking at their passports and seeing the number of Malaysian immigration stamps on them, you would think they were just tourists who fell in love with the country.

But yesterday, a husband and wife from Fujian, China, were caught red-handed peddling pirated DVDs in Cheras here.

City commercial crime chief, Asst Comm Mohd Aris Ramli said the 25-year-old woman, who was toting a bag with 303 DVDs, was arrested at a restaurant in Taman Maluri.

“Half an hour later, a team led by Chief Insp Rasha Azwadi Shafii raided a disused mechanic shop in Taman Maluri and found a 29-year-old man there, with 4,682 DVDs of the latest English and Chinese movies.”

ACP Mohd Aris added that the couple has been in and out of the country no fewer than three times this year and 11 times since 2005.

Woman driver survives plunge from car park

PENANG: A 27-year-old woman miraculously survived when her Proton Iswara plunged from the sixth floor of Mutiara Heights multi-storey car park in Jelutong here.

Clerk Jenny Tan, who broke her left arm, was said to have been negotiating a sharp turn at her flat's car park at about 8.15am yesterday when she lost control of the vehicle and rammed it into a wall. The car landed on its top, with both the front and rear badly damaged.

Tan's 32-year-old husband, who declined to be named, said his wife could have accidentally stepped on the accelerator or the brakes might have failed.

A housewife said she was on her way home after a morning walk when she suddenly heard a loud crash.

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Court complex hit by calamity again

KUALA LUMPUR: Yet another calamity hit the brand-new Jalan Duta court complex yesterday when a faulty pipe burst, causing the cafeteria floor to be flooded.

At about 9.15am yesterday, a burst pipe end cap caused water to gush out from a service room at the basement cafeteria, resulting in much of the floor being covered in 7cm of water.

The incident was the latest in a series of major incidents in less than a month to hit the RM290mil complex, touted as the world's second-largest court complex.

Public Works Department (PWD) director-general Datuk Dr Judin Abdul Karim said the incident was caused by a pipe end cap at a T-joint.

“The end cap was made of UPVC material which is different from the T- joint which was made from ABS class 15. The end cap has been replaced with an ABS elbow class 15 as per the original specification,” he said in a written statement.

Boob job gone wrong

KUALA LUMPUR: Believing that big is beautiful, a 31-year-old woman went for a boob job. The result devastated her.

The woman, who wants to be known only as Tay, said she went for plastic surgery to enlarge her breasts in November 2005 at the advice of a beautician.

After a month, she felt an excruciating pain where the so-called surgeon had injected her.

She had paid RM6,400 to beautify her assets and received half the money back after she went back to the Taiwanese surgeon to complain about her condition.

He promised to refer her to a “specialist,'' saying that the other surgeon would remove whatever substance was causing the pain in her breasts.

The doctor, who claimed to have dozens of certificates from all over the world, went missing after six months and the “specialist” he promised never surfaced.


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Double high

on 23.05.2007

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares on Bursa Malaysia surged to a new high yesterday as investors welcomed the pay increase announced by the Prime Minister for the nation's 1.6 million civil servants and pensioners as a big boost to the economy.

At the close, the benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) soared 20.34 points, or 1.5% to a record 1,367.51.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said yesterday the pay increase would add as much as half a percentage point to the country's economy and accelerate growth in the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, the ringgit continued to strengthen yesterday and hit 3.382 against the US dollar. The currency had risen 4.1% year-to-date.

Ministry suspends school milk programme

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry has suspended its school milk programme nationwide following several cases of food poisoning in schools around the country.

Schools Division director Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim said the temporary suspension took effect from Monday.

The ministry, she said, wanted all relevant parties to seriously look into the school milk programme.

“It has directed that all milk found to be contaminated must be returned to the factories. Replacement stock supplied to schools must have quality verification from Sirim,” she added in a statement on Tuesday.

Noor Rezan said the suspension would only be lifted when Sirim gave the green light.

Samy Vellu told to stop passing the buck

on 22.05.2007

TOKYO: Stop blaming others. It is your duty, so just do it, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Works Minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu today.

Abdullah was commenting on the issue of the lack of maintenance of the Parliament building resulting in its leaking roof and faulty wiring.

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Govt servants get big raise

on 21.05.2007

Govt servants get big raise

PUTRAJAYA: Government servants will get a pay raise of between 7.5% and 35%, effective 1 July, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced Monday.

The cost of living allowance will also be increased by 100%, he said.

Members of the police and the armed forces will receive 20% over and above the announced increase in pay.

Penang monorail project to kick off early next year

PENANG: The RM1.2bil Penang monorail project will be implemented early next year, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said.

He said the state was now actively working out the project details with Syarikat Prasarana Nasional Berhad (SPNB) and hoped to complete them by December.

"Three local companies have so far submitted their proposals to carry out the monorail project in Penang.

"But, we want to first determine the monorail alignment before picking the company to do the job," he told reporters at the fourth sitting of the 11th state legislative assembly here Monday.

Dr Koh said SPNB was still negotiating with the state and federal governments on the project alignment and the necessary stations.

To my beloved Avanza.....

A tribute to my car.....

on the 21.05.2007 morning, approaching 9am my car is hijacked right in front of my house and its driven away by one Indian guy.

Tell you the truth, from that days onwards, Indians is not even the lowest kind of people in my list, in my thoughts they should be exterminated, kapish from the surface of this earth....

华健 20 大马演唱会

华健 20 大马演唱会

Mechanic killed in armed attack by group of 20

2007.05.19

KOTA BARU, FRI.: A 24-year-old motorcycle mechanic was killed while three of his relatives were injured in an attack by about 20 people armed with iron rods, hammers, sickles and hockey sticks last Wednesday.
Mohamad Ramzi Ibrahim, the eldest of seven children, died 10 hours after he was admitted to the Hospital Universiti Sains (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian. His 47-year-old father Ibrahim Harun, his 17-year-old brother Mohamad Ramzan and a cousin identified only as Zulhilmi received outpatient treatment after the attack at the family’s food stall.

Ibrahim believes the attack was in retaliation for his decision to complain to the school authorities that his 15-year-old son was being bullied. He claims some of the students who were bullying Mohamad Shafai took part in the attack.

Mohamad Shafai later said his schoolmates would hit him if he refused to give them money.

Mohd Ramzi’s mother Rohana Seman said he rushed from their home next to the stall in Jalan Kebun Sultan and and tried to fend off the attackers. She said she recognised relatives of the schoolmates who had been bullying Mohd Shafai.
"They turned on abang (Mohamad Ramzi) and hit him on the head with a hammer. I saw him fall down with blood on his head," the 42-year-old said, adding that the attackers fled when police arrived.

Kelantan Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Mazlan Lazim said the incident is being investigated as a murder.

No arrests have been made at the time of this report.

Jasin MP denies making ‘bocor’ comment

Wednesday May 16, 2007

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Mohd Said Yusof, one of the two Barisan Nasional MPs, who uttered sexist remarks against women in Parliament, refused to say if he would apologise or not.

The Jasin MP even denied making such statements saying that the media had blown it out of proportion.

This is despite Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s plan to bring up the matter in today’s Cabinet meeting to see if it is possible to amend the Standing Orders to include a requirement that the language used in Parliament be gender sensitive.

Shahrizat also said on Monday that it would be an honourable thing for the MPs to apologise.

When asked if he would apologise, Mohd Said said: “Let it be. The press exaggerated it. I didn’t say it. I don’t want to comment anymore.”

Mohd Said said he would issue a statement on the matter in Parliament today .

Last week, Mohd Said and Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin uttered a sexist remark against Fong Poh Kuan (DAP – Batu Gajah) while they were in a heated argument over the ceiling leakage in the Parliament building.

Both of them said: “Mana ada bocor? Batu Gajah pun bocor tiap-tiap bulan juga (Where is the leak? The Batu Gajah MP leaks every month too.)”

A video footage of the incident is posted on YouTube. The footage, which received four-and-a-half star rating, was viewed more than 18,000 times.

Bung Mokhtar could not be reached.

Tangga Batu MP Datuk Idris Haron, who earlier reportedly said that the remark should not be seen as a gender issue and accused Fong of using it to get publicity, said if the remarks truly intended to hurt women at large, it would be wise for Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar to apologise but it was up to them to do so.

Idris said MPs had to be accountable for what they said.

Maybe they have Parkinson Disease or something like that.... or else how they cannot able to account for what they have said ?


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Dr M's lungs congested, but he's recovering

2007.05.18

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed was diagnosed with lung congestion associated with a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and chest infection (basal bronchitis) by the attending consultant cardiologist Datuk Dr Nasir Muda on Thursday.

The former Prime Minister was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Tuesday after having breathing difficulties while in Langkawi.

His son Datuk Mokhazani Mahathir said that Dr Mahathir was still not talking much, but his appetite has continued to grow and he had asked for "Maggie Tom Yam" instant noodles for lunch.

A statement released by IJN said that Dr Mahathir’s medication has been tapered down as he continued to show positive response to chest physiotherapy and light exercise.

He will remain at the cardiac care unit for continuous monitoring and treatment.

Visitors are only allowed in the waiting area but doctors have advised him against receiving anyone apart from close family members.

Get well soon, my favourite prime minister ......

对不同职业的信任度

对不同职业的信任度

1 消防员 97%

2 药剂师 96%

3 飞行员 95%

4 护士 94%

5 医生 91%

6 老师 83%

7 警察 74%

12 汽车推销员 8%

13 政客 7%

来源：《读者文摘》

Leadership failures found in GIs' murders

Updated: 11:08 a.m. ET May 17, 2007

2 officers lose commands for not properly protecting slaughtered soldiers


WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers slaughtered in a grisly kidnapping-murder plot south of Baghdad last June were not properly protected during a mission that was not well planned or executed, a military investigation has concluded.

Two military officers have been relieved of their commands as a result of the litany of mistakes, but neither faced criminal charges, a military official familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

A report on the investigation said the platoon leader and company commander — whose names were not released — failed to provide proper supervision to the unit or enforce military standards.

A seven-page summary of the investigation provided to the AP also said it appears insurgents may have rehearsed the attack two days earlier, and that Iraqi security forces near the soldiers’ outpost probably saw and heard the attack and “chose to not become an active participant in the attack on either side.”

“This was an event caused by numerous acts of complacency, and a lack of standards at the platoon level,” said the investigating officer, Lt. Col. Timothy Daugherty, in the summary.

Three 101st Airborne Division soldiers were killed in the June 16 attack. Spc. David J. Babineau, of Springfield, Mass., was found dead at the scene. Pfc. Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Pfc. Thomas Tucker of Madras, Ore., were abducted; their mutilated bodies were found three days later, tied together and booby-trapped with bombs.

Details of the attack and what led up to it came as thousands of U.S. and Iraqi forces were scouring the same area near Youssifiyah, in what’s called the Triangle of Death, for three soldiers believed to have been abducted last Saturday by an al-Qaida-related group

Placing yourself in a war is bad enough, and yet these soldiers are sent to a mission no more than facing their own death

I shall not blame the wrong tactic or foul play if any by the officers but, still make less war and more friends seem to be a better choice than what you have now ....


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New Jersey blaze blackens 20 square miles

2005.05.17

• Fire started when military jet drops flare on bombing range
• 2,500 homes evacuated; three homes burned
• Blaze on Florida-Georgia 50 percent contained

(CNN) -- Firefighters in New Jersey kept an anxious eye on the weather Wednesday as they battled a massive wildfire that had consumed more than 20 square miles of brush after a military jet dropped a flare on a bombing range.

With the dry conditions, strong wind gusts quickly fanned the blaze through the Warren Grove Gunnery Range about 25 miles north of Atlantic City.

No deaths or injuries had been attributed to the fire, but it forced the evacuation of about 2,500 homes along the border between Ocean and Burlington counties. Lt. Col. James Garcia, a spokesman for the New Jersey Air National Guard, said the fire was believed to have been started Tuesday afternoon with a flare dropped from an F-16 fighter jet.

The same range had been involved in 2004 when a National Guard jet accidentally strafed an elementary school with large-caliber rounds during a training exercise.

May seem weird but true, accidents happen and it can happen anywhere in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand or... even in USA.... Just be more careful and be extra careful....


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Nicolas Sarkozy takes over as France's president

France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy shakes hands with his son Louis (L) as his wife Cecilia (C), his step-daugther Jeanne-Marie Martin and his son Pierre applaud after the handover ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, May 16, 2007. REUTERS/ Charles Platiau

PARIS (Reuters) - Nicolas Sarkozy succeeded Jacques Chirac as French president on Wednesday, promising to usher in an era of change while holding up wartime sacrifices as an inspiration for the new France he wants to build.

In a day of high pageantry and symbolic gesture, Sarkozy made his inaugural speech under the chandeliers of the Elysee Palace, which will be his home for the next five years.

"I will defend the independence of France. I will defend the identity of France," said the conservative leader, who is the first French head of state to be born after World War Two

"There is a need to unite the French people ... and to meet commitments because never before has (public) confidence been so shaken and so fragile," he said in an apparent dig at Chirac, a former political mentor with whom he now has strained relations.

Sarkozy, who scored a comprehensive election victory on May 6, also pledged to put the fight against global warming and the defense of human rights at the heart of his foreign policy.

His first act after his speech was to greet family members, including his wife, Cecilia, who has hardly been seen in public this year, fuelling speculation about their marriage.

Following a private lunch, Sarkozy rode in an open-top car up the Avenue des Champs Elysees, escorted by the mounted Republican Guard, and rekindled the flame at the tomb of the unknown soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

Congratulations Mr. Sarkozy, its good to have you on board, hope you will do mankind goodness and leave the devil far away.....

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Datuk Soh Chee Wen was fined RM6 million

2007.05.15

SHAH ALAM: Datuk Soh Chee Wen was fined RM6 million yesterday — the highest in recent years — after admitting to two counts of making false statements to the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange 10 years ago.

The 45-year-old businessman paid RM2 million hours later with the rest to be settled before July 16.

Soh had pleaded guilty to two alternative charges of conspiring to provide false statements to the KLSE. He also faced a third alternative charge.

He admitted to conspiring with Datuk Tony Tiah Thee Kian in providing false statements to the stock exchange pertaining to 44,592,000 shares of Omega Holdings Bhd, between Sept 2, 1997 and Jan 12, 1998.

Sessions Court judge Azimah Omar fined him RM3 million, in default 30 months’ imprisonment, on each charge.

Soh also admitted guilt to the second of two principal charges of defrauding the now-defunct Omega Securities Sdn Bhd of RM95,972,375. The other charge involved RM424,930,597.50.

Azimah took Soh’s admission of guilt in the alternative charges and the principal charge in sentencing.

Earlier in mitigation, his counsel, Ng Aik Guan, had urged the court to impose a non-custodial sentence besides applying for the fines to be paid in three instalments within six months.

He said Soh had shown remorse as he had pleaded guilty at an early stage of the trial.

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Dense wildfire smoke chokes Florida

Dense smoke that closed parts of two major interstates was expected to keep choking Floridians and traffic until at least midmorning Sunday. The smoke was generated by huge wildfires burning in northern Florida and southern Georgia. There were several crashes involving injuries before the freeways were shut down, police said........

Lord have mercy on they..... dont punish them so much ....



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Please release me ....

Posted 2007-05-12

This little girl name is Madeleine McCann and she was lost while her visit in Algarve, Portugal. If you see her please do contact your local authorities.
If not you may also contact me at jeffayn@gmail.com.

I just wish she can return to her parents safely.... my blessing is with her......

Chips on DVDs could prevent theft

2007-05-12

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- New technology designed to thwart DVD theft makes discs unplayable until they're activated at the cash register.

A chip smaller than the head of a pin is placed onto a DVD along with a thin coating that blocks a DVD player from reading critical information on the disc. At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable.

The radio frequency identification chip is made by NXP Semiconductors, based in the Netherlands, and the Radio Frequency Activation technology comes from Kestrel Wireless Inc., based in Emeryville.

The two companies are talking to Hollywood studios and expect to announce deals this summer, Kestrel Wireless Chief Executive Paul Atkinson said.

The companies said their technology also can be used to protect electric shavers, ink jet cartridges, flash memory drives and even flat-screen TV sets by preventing some critical element from functioning unless activated.

Retail theft of entertainment products, including video games, accounts for as much as $400 million in annual losses, according to the Entertainment Merchants Association.

Many retailers now keep consumer-entertainment products behind glass cases, but that can inhibit browsing. With technology that renders stolen products useless, retailers could display items openly, thus encouraging more sales, said Mark Fisher, vice president for strategic initiatives at the EMA.

"It will also get product into a lot more outlets that are afraid of theft, including grocers," Fisher said.

They will not only stop the theft but also increase the chances to prevent piracy... good job !

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Dewan Rakyat: Barring loan defaulters from leaving ‘last resort’

2007/05/08
Dewan Rakyat: Barring loan defaulters from leaving ‘last resort’




STOPPING student loan defaulters from leaving the country may sound cruel but it was the last resort as many had been given ample opportunity to pay up, the House was told yesterday.


"This is a last resort when we have exhausted all avenues to recover the debt," Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said in reply to points raised during the debate on the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (Amendment) Bill.Several members of the House had cried foul over the clause which allowed the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to seek police and immigration help to bar loan defaulters from leaving the country.Mustapa said the loan recovery rate had not been encouraging. Up to March 31, the PTPTN had disbursed loans totalling RM19.06 billion to 982,066 students.


He said 438,755 had graduated and PTPTN had collected only 30 per cent of the loans disbursed to them.PTPTN had sent out 61,016 reminders for the third time to defaulters but only received response from 29 per cent, while the response rate for 17,382 letters of demand was three per cent."We have no choice but to resort to preventing the defaulter from leaving the country. It may be cruel but what other choice do we have?" Mustapa said defaulters should not complain if they faced the prospect of not being able to travel."If they can’t repay RM100 a month, how can defaulters afford to travel overseas?"


He, however, gave an assurance that his ministry and the PTPTN were not shutting the door on all defaulters who needed to go abroad. "They can always come to us and negotiate. We may have the measure in place but it does not mean we are unwilling to talk." On measures to continue topping up the fund, Mustapa said PTPTN had stopped converting the loans of students who graduated with a first-class honours degrees to a scholarship from 2005."This was done to ensure the fund continuously received money." The PTPTN receives its funds from three sources: A RM5.2 billion grant from the government and two loans, one each from the Employees Provident Fund and the Pension Fund.


On calls to write off loans of poor students who remained unemployed, Mustapa said by doing this, PTPTN would not be able to replenish its coffers."What these students can do is to seek to defer their loan repayments."


Great move and its a brilliant one, maybe you all should step even one step further, that is to deduct the load automatically from their salary pay like the EPF does.... Great idea isnt it... think aboout it man...






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PAY RISE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

2007/05/08
PAY RISE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

PUTRAJAYA: A salary increase is in store for the country’s 1.2 million civil servants.

The amount is already in the final stages of being worked out by the Public Service Department.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday the time had come for a salary revision for civil servants, both in the support and management categories, because they deserved it.

"It is only appropriate for the salary to be increased but the question is how much. It is up to Tan Sri (Ismail Adam who is PSD director-general) to make the recommendations. "When the time comes, an announcement will be made," he told civil servants attending a Prime Minister’s Department gathering."I chose to talk about this today because you (civil servants) do not want to hear about anything else." The revision, Abdullah said, should consider many aspects, particularly the gap between higher- and lower-ranking officers."This should be deeply analysed and considered. We do not want such a big gap as the high cost of living has been affecting everyone, especially the lower-income groups."Abdullah also reminded civil servants to always remember that the public service delivery system needed to be improved further.

The people would be satisfied only if civil servants could work faster and function more efficiently."Don't just deal with 10 files when there are heaps of other files on your table. "It becomes our duty and responsibility to pay serious attention to our work."Serve the people faster, efficiently and in all fairness. This should be the goal for all of us. With this, the country’s development will continue to be dynamic and we can achieve what we have set out to do."Earlier this year, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) had proposed a pay increment of between 10 and 40 per cent.The congress had proposed a rise of 40 per cent for support group II (Grades 1 to 16), which makes up the lowest category of public employees, and an increase of 30 per cent for support group I (Grades 17 to 26 and Grades 27 to 40).For the management and professional group (Grades 41 to 54), Cuepacs had proposed an increase of 20 per cent and for the premier grade of the public sector, a salary rise of 10 per cent.Cuepacs president Omar Osman, when contacted by the New Straits Times, praised Abdullah, saying the latter had always been sensitive towards the plight of civil servants, especially those in the support category.Omar said he met the prime minister during the Labour Day celebration and the latter, in his speech, dropped hints of a pay rise for civil servants."When we met after the event, PM told me that civil servants must work harder for the good of the country and the government if their salary is increased."

Omar said Cuepacs leaders had gone to a few states, including Kelantan, to motivate civil servants to perform better."With the pay rise in the air, it is only fair for all civil servants to give our prime minister the assurance and commitment that we will do our job, faster and more efficiently, the quality work that our PM has always asked for."We do not want workers to remain stagnant and unproductive although their salaries have been increased. This will not be fair to the people and the government. Stop coming late for work but strive to maintain a good image and discipline."

Does we really need to be overwhelming over this issue? Because as we all should had know that pay increase is something I would say mandatory in a healthy working environment. Is the Malaysia goverment trying to tell us that we had not given the civil servants what they deserve all this time?

Seriously... time to reflect

time to check out Datco.com.my....

Sarkozy: I have mandate for change

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy greeted news of his election Sunday to a five-year term as France's president with a vow to serve as a leader for all people of France.

"The president of the republic must love and respect all the French," he told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters. "I will be the president of all the French people.

Sarkozy won with 53 percent of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, according to preliminary results issued by the French Interior Ministry. Socialist Segolene Royal took 47 percent of the vote.

"The French people have called for change. I will carry out that change, because that's the mandate I have received from the French people."

Sarkozy added that he wanted to tell his "American friends that they can rely on our friendship ... France will always be next to them when they need us."

But, he added, "Friends can think differently."

He then called on the United States "not to impede" in the fight against global warming. "On the contrary, they must lead this fight because humanity's fate is at stake here." (Watch Sarkozy's victory speech )

U.S. President George W. Bush called Sarkozy to congratulate him on his victory, a White House spokesman said in a written statement.

Sarkozy said he would also work to form a link between Europe and Africa. "We have to overcome hatred to give way to the great dreams of peace and civilization," he said. "It's time to build a great Mediterranean union."

Sarkozy said he would put in place an immigration policy "that is going to be controlled" and a development policy "that is going to be ambitious."

But he said that France would "stand next to" those who are persecuted by tyrants, dictatorships."

"We are going to write together a new page of our history. This page, my dear fellow citizens, I am sure it will be great."

Socialist Segolene Royal, a 53-year-old mother of four, acknowledged her defeat -- with 47 percent of the vote -- in a speech to supporters moments after the polls closed at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. ET).

"Keep the faith, keep intact your enthusiasm," she said at her party's headquarters. "I will keep on fighting the fight that we have started today." (Watch Royal's speech )

Sarkozy, a former interior minister, and Royal were in a run-off after emerging as the top candidates from the first round of voting on April 22.

Sarkozy will replace Jacques Chirac, a conservative who has been France's president since 1995. His election makes him the first French president born after World War II.

Voting was brisk. According to official figures, more than 75 percent of registered voters had been to the polls by 5 p.m. (11 a.m. ET).

Sarkozy voted in the affluent Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine where he lives, while Royal cast her vote in the western Poitou Charentes region, where she is regional president.

The campaign has been dominated by a debate over how to improve economic growth and reduce unemployment among the young, but its most explosive moments focused on immigration.

Appealing to right-wing voters, Sarkozy said France could not provide "a home for all the world's miseries."

On Friday, Royal said a Sarkozy presidency could trigger violence and brutalities in suburbs with high immigrant populations, prompting Sarkozy to condemn her "threatening comments."

CNN correspondent Hala Gorani reported extra security in some areas around Paris where police have previously clashed with youths of North African origin. There are no official figures on the number of North African immigrants and their French-born descendants in France. Unofficially, the number is estimated at between 3 and 6 million.

Prior to the election results being made public, Sen. Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, said a Sarkozy victory would be favorable to the United States.

"Clearly, his views are more in line with ours," Lugar told CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, concurred: "I do. I do," he told CNN. "I mean, it would be nice to have someone who is head of France who doesn't almost have a knee-jerk reaction against the United States.

I didnt expect this guy to blur out that to expect tighter relationship with US... :)

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Second wave of tornadoes rakes Plains

(CNN) -- Tornadoes tore across the nation's midsection for a second night Saturday, 24 hours after a storm leveled Greensburg, Kansas.

A tornado struck Sweetwater, Oklahoma, about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, causing major damage to a high school and other buildings.

"The tornado came through and just dead-center punched Sweetwater," Roger Mills County Sheriff Joe Hay told KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. He said there was extensive damage but just one minor injury in the small town.

Video of the high school in Sweetwater showed a collapsed wall of the gymnasium. An all purpose building at the school was severely damaged.

The storm continued to grind north through northwestern Oklahoma toward Kansas for more than 45 minutes.

More than 75 tornado touchdowns were reported on Saturday -- 40 of them between 6 and 9 p.m., the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said.

KOCO's Matt Leinbauer reported seeing damage from another confirmed tornado just east of Arnett, Oklahoma.

A massive tornado killed at least nine people in southwestern Kansas on Friday night and destroyed nearly everything in its path.

Rescue crews pulled some people alive from the rubble, and more are expected to be found in upcoming days, Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt said. (Watch Hewitt tour devastation that includes his own home )

The Red Cross said about 90 percent of Greensburg, home to about 1,500, was destroyed or heavily damaged.

"My town is gone," Hewitt said after surveying the wreckage earlier Saturday.

Eight of the deaths were in Kiowa County, where Greensburg is located, and one was in Stafford County, to the northeast, Watson said.

News from http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/05/06/severe.weather/index.html

Its the god whom intent to punish for all the sin, Hope that no one will need to get hurt from such act. Send my sincere regards to those who need it.

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