Farmers consider how much corn to plant

DES MOINES, Iowa - As spring planting nears, farmers are making a choice that could affect what Americans pay for everything from car fuel to chicken wings.

If they choose to plant as much corn as possible, prices that have soared to record highs above $5 a bushel could stabilize. But if many farmers rotate their plantings to other crops such as soybeans, or the season is disrupted by bad weather or drought, the price of this key ingredient could soar even further.

That would leave other food producers — especially poultry, beef and pork companies, where corn feed comprises up to three-quarters of their operating costs — with little choice but to raise their prices as well.

Muslims condemn Dutch lawmaker's film

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Organization of the Islamic Conference on Friday added its voice to the growing criticism of a film released by a Dutch lawmaker, which features disturbing images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based OIC, released a statement condemning "in the strongest terms the release of the film 'Fitna' by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders."

The organization added that the film defamed and denigrated "the Holy Quran, causing insult to the sentiments of more than 1.3 billion Muslims in the world. The film was a deliberate act of discrimination against Muslims" that aimed to "provoke unrest and intolerance," the organization said.

The OIC has 57 member states over four continents and claims on its Web site to be the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. In its statement, it urged the international community to condemn the showing of the film and asked the Dutch government to prosecute the author of the documentary under Dutch law.

The 15-minute film, posted Thursday on a London-based Web site, has also drawn condemnation from the European Union and others. The European Union said the film inflames hatred, and Iran's Foreign Ministry called the movie "anti-Islamic and insulting."

The foreign ministry called on the EU, the Netherlands, and Britain to take action to put an end to its showing, the official IRNA news agency reported. The Danish Union of Journalists said it was suing Wilders for using a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed drawn by one of its members, newspaper political cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. It said Wilders used the picture -- which shows Mohammed with a turban shaped like a bomb -- without permission.

The film, titled "Fitna," opens with Westergaard's controversial caricature, followed by translated portions of Islam's holy book, the Quran. The passages are interspersed with graphic images of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States juxtaposed with audio from 9-1-1 calls made by the victims trapped inside the World Trade Center in New York and other video clips.

The video includes disturbing images of other terror attacks; bloodied victims; beheadings of hostages; executions of women in hijab, the traditional full-body attire; and footage, with subtitles, of Islamic leaders preaching inflammatory sermons against Jews and Christians.

The film concludes with scrolling messages reading in part: "The government insists that you respect Islam, but Islam has no respect for you" and "In 1945, Nazism was defeated in Europe. In 1989, communism was defeated in Europe. Now the Islamic ideology has to be defeated."

Wilders, the filmmaker, is a member of the Dutch parliament from the conservative Party for Freedom. He has been outspoken in his criticism of Islam and called the religion a threat to the world.

"It's not a provocation, but the harsh reality and a political conclusion," Wilders said of the film Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Friday condemned Wilders and the UK-based Web site hosting the film, LiveLeak.com, for showing the "provocative and anti-Islamic movie."

"He said such a 'dirty act' of the Dutch lawmaker and of a British institute at the end of the Islamic Unity Week reveals continued enmity and deep hostility of such western nationals against Islam and Muslims," IRNA reported.

"Warning against consequences of such 'provocative' acts, Hosseini asked the Dutch and British governments as well as (the) European Union to step in the case as soon as possible and prevent and put an end to showing of such (an) 'insulting, anti-Islamic and anti-cultural' film," IRNA wrote.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Thursday that the film equates Islam with violence. "We reject this interpretation," Balkenende said in a statement. "The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence. In fact, the victims are often also Muslims."

Slovenia, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Friday that it supports the Dutch government's position and believes the film does nothing to promote dialogue among religions.

"Mutual tolerance and respect are universal values we should uphold. We believe that acts, such as the above-mentioned film, serve no other purpose than inflaming hatred."

The U.S. government warned the film could spark protests and riots. The title of the film, "Fitna," translates in Arabic to "strife" or "conflict" of the type that occurs within families or any other homogenous group.

LiveLeak issued a statement Thursday saying there was no legal reason not to allow Wilders to post the film. It said the site's policy is to remain unbiased and allow freedom of speech. Some in the Muslim community rejected the film as nothing more than dangerous anti-Islamic propaganda.

"This film is a direct attempt to incite violence from Muslims and help fan the flames of Islamophobia," Arsalan Iftikhar, a contributor to Washington-based Islamica Magazine, told CNN on Thursday. "Any reasonable person can see this is meant to spit in the face of Muslims and insult our religion."

Iftikhar said he doubted the film would spark the same type of violence that followed the publication of the caricature of Mohammed, but he called on Muslim leaders to react peacefully. Westergaard's caricature was one of a dozen printed in a Danish newspaper in late 2005. Violent protests erupted early the next year after other European newspapers reprinted the images as a matter of free speech.

Some Muslims believe the Quran forbids showing an image of the prophet

Arms dealer's dad wanted 'nice' doctor son

(CNN) -- Efraim Diveroli's father hoped his son would become a doctor or lawyer.

What he got instead is a 22-year-old international arms dealer who faces a congressional inquiry for allegedly selling old Chinese ammunition to the U.S. military to equip allies in Afghanistan.

Diveroli is president of AEY Inc., a South Florida company which, according to U.S. government documents, has done more than $10 million of business with the U.S. government since 2004.

The papers also reveal the company struck it big in 2007 with contracts totaling more than $200 million to supply ammunition, assault rifles and other weapons to the Afghan National Army and police. The company's contract said it would get the ammunition from Hungary. But Army investigators found what the Afghan military got included corroded ammunition made in China as long as 46 years ago.

The New York Times reported Thursday that AEY shopped stockpiles and ammo dumps in old Soviet bloc allies, from Albania to Kazakhstan. Albania was a big customer for Chinese armaments in the 1960s and '70s, the Times reported. Angelo Diveroli, Efraim's grandfather, told CNN affiliate WPLG-TV that his grandson is being targeted by "jealous competitors" in the international arms market.

Since he was a boy, the grandfather said, Efraim Diveroli has known his way around weapons


In America anything is also possible, I wish I can have such opportunity too....

British Airways: Heathrow chaos not our 'finest hour'

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Airways officials say flight cancellations may extend into Saturday as delays and baggage problems continued to plague Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five.
Officials hope to operate 80 percent of scheduled Terminal 5 flights Friday, but cancellations include BA flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen

British Airways, the only airline operating from the new $8.6 billion terminal, canceled 20 percent of its flights from the site on Friday, a spokesman said, and predicted possible delays for the remaining 80 percent. On Friday, passengers were initially allowed only hand luggage on flights from the terminal, but the airline later allowed checked-in luggage as well, the spokesman said.

British Airways CEO Willie Walsh Friday issued a statement admitting the chaos was not the airline's "finest hour."

He said: "Yesterday was definitely not British Airways' finest hour.

"We disappointed many people and I apologize sincerely. I take responsibility for what happened.

"The buck stops with me. A number of issues led to the events we saw yesterday. There were problems in the car parks, airport areas, computer glitches and the baggage system."

He added: "In isolation, they would not have had the impact they did, but in combination they led to a level of disruption we never took control of during the day." "Our performance was not good enough. We did not deliver for our customers and we should have."

The problems are an embarrassment for British Airways and Heathrow, which spent two decades building the terminal. Airport operator BAA promised that the terminal would be able to handle dozens of planes at the same time and process 12,000 bags an hour

Tata buys Jaguar in £1.15bn deal

Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 14:38 GMT

Car giant Ford has sold its luxury UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata.

Tata, India's biggest vehicle maker, is paying $2.3bn (£1.15bn) for the British brands after months of negotiations over price and supply relationships. The negotiations started last June when Ford announced its intention to sell the companies as a package.

Jaguar and Land Rover employ about 16,000 staff at UK plants in the West Midlands and Merseyside. Although Land Rover remains profitable, Ford has never managed to make money from its investment in Jaguar.

Mugabe in final election appeal

Saturday, 29 March 2008, 00:25 GMT

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has accused the main opposition party of being a Western puppet as the country prepares to vote in elections.

Mr Mugabe, 84, is facing his strongest challenge since he gained power at independence from Britain in 1980.

The opposition MDC party has warned the poll will be rigged - a charge denied by the government in Harare.

Zimbabwe's security forces have been put on full alert amid fears of violence after the election.

Rice and wheat minimum purchase prices raised again

CHINA has raised its minimum purchase prices for rice and wheat for a second time this year to encourage grain production and curb inflation, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said yesterday.

The increases were announced one day after the government pledged an increase of 25.25 billion yuan (RM11.56bil) to this year’s rural budget, a step aimed at boosting farm production and quelling an inflationary surge blamed on rising food prices and tight supplies.

The NDRC said in a statement that the minimum purchase prices for rice would range from 77-82 yuan (RM35-RM37) per 50kg, while that for wheat would be 72-77 yuan (RM33-RM35).

The previous hike this year, on Feb 8, lifted the minimum prices for rice and wheat to 75-79 yuan (RM34-RM36) and 70-75 yuan (RM32-RM35), respectively.

The NDRC also said that the minimum price system would be expanded to cover the north-eastern province of Liaoning, which would become the third province – after Heilongjiang and Jilin – to have minimum prices.

The Consumer Price Index, in which food prices have a large weight, hit a near 12-year high of 8.7% in February. The government earlier froze prices of grain, cooking oil, oil products and other basic goods in an effort to cool inflation.

Costs of farming inputs, including fertilizers and seeds, have risen, adding upward pressure to farm produce prices.
These new moves will help curb fast-rising prices and ensure sufficient grain supplies to combat inflation, said Song Hongyuan, the deputy director of the Research Centre for Rural Economy under the Ministry of Agriculture.

It sends a signal to farmers that planting crops means making money, which is important because grain prices will only stabilise if supplies are guaranteed, Song said. – China Daily / Asia News Network

$11m claim dropped

March 28, 2008 - 9:55AM

A high-profile workplace sexual harassment claim against an accounting giant has been withdrawn after mediation.

No details of any settlement were released when Christina Rich, a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, announced she would no longer pursue her case for $11 million in the Federal Court.

"After a mediation with PwC on 20 March 2008, Christina Rich has withdrawn the legal action initiated against PwC in the Federal Court by Ms Rich in October 2005," a statement said today.

Ms Rich sat smiling in court as Judge Catherine Branson wrapped up proceedings and congratulated the parties for coming to an agreement.

Outside the court, Ms Rich told reporters she was happy with the result.

"I would like to thank my family, my friends, my many supporters and my legal team,'' she said. She described her case against PwC as having been a "long process'' and she was glad it was over.

Ms Rich had claimed a boys' club culture held her and other women back during her career with the firm from 1999 to 2004, a claim denied by PwC.

She also claimed to have been sexually harassed, and that offensive notes had been left under her door at a conference.

Ms Rich was employed as the firm's transfer pricing partner and was paid more than $900,000.

Asia faces a rice supply crisis

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine activists warn about possible riots. Aid agencies across Asia worry how they will feed the hungry. Governments dig deeper every day to fund subsidies.

A sharp rise in the price of rice is hitting consumer pocketbooks and raising fears of public turmoil in the many parts of Asia where rice is a staple.

Part of a surge in global food costs, rice prices on world markets have jumped 50 percent in the past two months and at least doubled since 2004. Experts blame rising fuel and fertilizer expenses as well as crops curtailed by disease, pests and climate change. There are concerns prices could rise a further 40 percent in coming months.

The higher prices have already sparked protests in the Philippines, where a government official has asked the public to save leftover rice. In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a ban on rice exports Wednesday to curb rising prices at home. Vietnamese exporters and farmers are stockpiling rice in expectation of further price increases.

Prestoline Suyat of the May One Labor Movement, a left-wing workers group, warned that "hunger and poverty may eventually lead to riots."

The neediest are hit hardest.

Rodolfo de Lima, a 42-year-old parking lot attendant in Manila, said "my family will go hungry" if prices continue to rise.

U.S. suspends supplier of arms to Afghanistan

Story Highlights
# AEY Inc. is under investigation for reportedly dealing in Chinese ammunition
# According to government contract, company cannot buy munitions from the Chinese
# Army memo: Government awarded AEY contracts worth in excess of $200 million
# Army Documents reveal ammunition arrived in Afghanistan corroded, poorly packed

Selangor exco sworn in

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor executive council members were sworn in on Monday.

They were
Teresa Kok (DAP),
Datuk Dr Hassan Ali (PAS),
Yaakob Sapari (PKR),
Rodziah Ismail (PKR),
Dr Xavier Jayakumar (PKR),
Dr Halimah Ali (PAS),
Iskandar Abdul Samad (PAS),
Ronnie Liu (DAP),
Elizabeth Wong (PKR)
and Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP).

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Istana Bukit Kayangan here.

Pope baptizes prominent Muslim editor

VATICAN CITY - Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator, who has long spoken out against Islamic fanaticism and received death threats as a result, converted to Roman Catholicism on Saturday during the Vatican's Easter vigil service presided over by the pope.

Magdi Allam, 55, is the deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper and writes often on Muslim and Arab affairs. He was born a Muslim in Egypt, but was educated by Catholics and says he has never been a practicing Muslim. Allam's criticism of Palestinian terrorism prompted the Italian government to provide him with a sizable security detail in 2003, after Hamas singled him out for elimination, Allam told the Il Giornale newspaper in a December interview.

Pope Benedict XVI baptized Allam and six other adults during the service in St. Peter's Basilica. The Easter vigil marks the period between Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus' crucifixion, and Easter Sunday, which marks his resurrection. As a choir sang, Benedict poured holy water over Allam's head and said a brief prayer in Latin.

No longer 'in opposition'In his homily, Benedict reflected on the meaning of baptism, saying through the sacrament, the Lord enters into the heart of the new Catholic.

"We no longer stand alongside or in opposition to one another," Benedict said.

"Thus faith is a force for peace and reconciliation in the world: distances between people are overcome, in the Lord we have become close."

As he pronounced the words, Vatican television zoomed in on Allam, who sat in the front row of the basilica along with the other candidates for baptism.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said of Allam before the service that anyone who chooses to become a Catholic of his or her own free will has the right to receive the sacrament.

Lombardi said the pope administers the sacrament "without making any 'difference of people,' that is, considering all equally important before the love of God and welcoming all in the community of the Church."

Taiwan's Ma win Presidential Election

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Taiwan's president-elect said Sunday he had no immediate plans to visit China and would work to fulfill his campaign pledge to improve relations with the communist neighbor, starting direct flights, allowing more Chinese tourists to visit and helping the island's financial industry go to the mainland.
art.ma.afp.gi.jpg

Taiwan's president-elect Ma Ying-jeou and his wife celebrate his victory in Taipei on Saturday.

Ma Ying-jeou, a former Taipei mayor, trounced his ruling party rival, Frank Hsieh, in Saturday's vote after a long campaign that focused on relations with China. Ma was widely viewed to be favored by Beijing, which insists this self-ruled island of 23 million people is part of the mainland.

A sitting Taiwanese president hasn't set foot on the mainland since a bloody civil war split the two sides in 1949. Ma told reporters on Sunday that he had no plans to visit China in the near future.

"I think the most urgent job for us to do is to solve many of the urgent problems in terms of our relations with mainland China," said Ma of the Nationalist Party. "For instance, direct flights, to allow mainland tourists to come to Taiwan, to allow our financial services industry to go to the mainland."

Although thousands of Taiwanese companies have invested in China in recent years, the island still maintains a ban on direct shipping and air links across the 100-mile (160-kilometer-wide) Taiwan Strait. The government has also been cautious about relaxing restrictions on sensitive or strategic industries -- like finance and technology -- that want a bigger piece of China's booming market.

The main worry is that Taiwan would become too vulnerable or dependent on China, which still threatens to use its massive military to unify the two sides.

Ma, who won 58 percent of the vote, endured an often nasty campaign by Hsieh, a former premier who got 41 percent of the ballots. Hsieh tried to paint Ma as a softy who would quickly cave in to China and sell out Taiwan's interests.

The 57-year-old Ma has proposed a common economic market with China, and Hsieh told voters the policy would trigger an invasion of cheap Chinese laborers who would steal away Taiwanese jobs.

马英九先生，恭贺您的成功，希望在未来的日子里，您能带领台湾进入新时代！

Man wanted for murder goes on stabbing spree

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- One person was stabbed to death and at least seven others were hurt by a man who went on a knifing spree outside a shopping mall in eastern Japan on Sunday, police said.

The suspect, who carried two knives, slashed the victims while walking along a short hallway connecting a railway station to the mall in the city of Tsuchiura, about 62 kilometers (38 miles) northeast of Tokyo, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

Chaos broke out after the attacks, with the sirens of several ambulances blasting through the mall compound and frightened shoppers trying to escape the bloody scene, said local police official Takahiro Nakajima.

At least seven people, including shoppers and a police officer, were injured and an eighth -- a 27-year-old man -- died as he was being rushed to a nearby hospital, said Kiyoto Ogata, a police spokesman.

China puts out its Tibet version

# Story Highlights
# China's official media report restive areas under control
# Communist Party newspapers accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating Tibet riots
# The Dalai Lama denies being behind the riots, advocates nonviolence
# Xinhua: Remains of baby, four adults found after Lhasa garage was burned down

Zaid: Govt has to apologise to victims of 1988 judicial crisis

KOTA BARU: The Federal Government must make an open apology to those victimised by the judicial crisis in 1988 that led to the sacking of the then Lord President Tun Mohd Salleh Abbas, said newly-appointed de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

“We should seek forgiveness. In the eyes of the world, the judicial crisis has weakened our judiciary system,” he said.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said that although the issue was 20 years old, an apology was needed as it was wrongly handled and Tun Salleh's sacking was inappropriate.

From 1988, the judiciary's independence was eroded and led to allegations of corruption and abuse of power, he said.

The open apology would be one of his three main goals and would give a mandate for a fresh chapter to unfold in the country’s judiciary system, Zaid said at a thanksgiving feast to mark his appointment as a federal minister.

His second goal would be to strengthen judicial independence and the delivery of justice by revamping the appointment and promotion process of the country's judges and magistrates.

Capable judges of integrity were important to help lure foreign investors, who had, in the past, expressed doubts about the country's judiciary, he said.

Zaid said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was serious about revamping the judiciary and making it transparent.

The minister said his third aim was to strengthen the judiciary with the help and cooperation from all stakeholders such as the Judges, Attorney-General, the Bar Council and law enforcers such as the police.

Zaid said the judiciary must attract the best minds and good legal officers who were only loyal to the law.

“Their loyalty should not be to politicians or businessmen.

“Their moral and good judgment practices must be guided by the legal compass,” said Zaid,.

He added that this would restore public trust in the judiciary.

“I am not a play-safe politician. I want to accomplish things and do what is right for the country,” he said.

A sequence of political events led to Tun Salleh's sacking after a judiciary-appointed Commonwealth Tribunal found him guilty of “misbehaviour.”

He was then dismissed as Lord President and this led to local and international protests, including from the Bar Council, International Commission of Jurists meeting and from the Law Asia Association.

MUHAMMAD TAIB: Party hopping detrimental to democracy

The practice of switching camps by elected representatives will not benefit the people, but instead would be detrimental to the democratic process, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib.
Describing the practice as a betrayal of the people’s trust, he said elected representatives were not only voted on their personality and personal traits but also on the party they represented.

“Should elected representatives hop from one party to another, they are deceiving the people who had given them the mandate.

“They will be perceived as dishonest persons who are merely pursuing their personal interests,” he told reporters here today.

He was commenting on a proposal by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim that an anti-hopping law be legislated to prevent the malpractice.

Sultan's choice of MB stripped of Umno membership

KUALA TERENGGANU: Kijal assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Said, who was supposed to have been sworn in as Terengganu Mentri Besar Sunday, has been stripped of his Umno membership for disobeying the party's leadership, a state Umno official confirmed Sunday morning.

The office of the Sultan of Terengganu announced Saturday that Ahmad Said would be the new Mentri Besar of Terengganu instead of Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, ending 14 days of uncertainty.

Ahmad Said: Scheduled to be sworn in at 10am today.
The swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to have taken place at Istana Tamu at 10am today but was likely to have been boycotted by 22 state assemblymen who are supporting Idris, the former Mentri Besar. They were planning a protest walk from Seri Iman, the MB’s official residence, to Istana Tamu, about 500m away at 7.30am.

“In accordance with Clause 14 Paragraph (2) (a) of the Terengganu State Constitution (Chapter 2), the Regency Advisory Council, in undertaking the function on behalf of the Regent, hereby appoints Datuk Ahmad Said as the Mentri Besar of Terengganu to head the Terengganu State Executive Council,” said the palace statement released to Bernama at 3.30pm.

It is learnt that 51-year-old Ahmad, a former exco member in the Idris-led state government, had the support of seven of the eight Umno division leaders in the state who lobbied for his appointment at the last moment. At 3pm Saturday, the state Umno Youth and Wanita wings held emergency meetings and unanimously pledged their support for Idris half an hour later.

All the assemblymen, except for Ahmad, gathered at Idris’ official residence here for a meeting at 5pm. At 5.45pm, state Umno liaison secretary Datuk Rosol Wahid said the assemblymen who attended the meeting would boycott the swearing-in ceremony if Idris, who is also Terengganu Umno liaison chairman, was not appointed the Mentri Besar.

He said some of the elected representatives concerned were willing to resign if someone else was appointed Mentri Besar. Rosol, who is the assemblyman for Ajil, also warned that the assemblymen concerned would pass a vote of no confidence at the State Legislative Assembly if Idris was not reappointed Mentri Besar.

Show of support: Terengganu Umno liaison secretary Datuk Rosol Wahid (seated, third from right) with some of the 21 Barisan Nasional state assemblymen at a press conference to register their support for Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh to be retained as Mentri Besar at Seri Iman, Kuala Terengganu, Saturday. They have also threatened to boycott the swearing-in ceremony if Idris was not reappointed. – Bernama

He said the assemblymen concerned had signed a letter stating their support for Idris which would be forwarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Terengganu Regency Advisory Council today.

Asked whether the move could be construed as an act of revolt, he said it was not because Idris had received the letter of appointment as Mentri Besar from the Prime Minister.

“We don’t believe it is an act of revolt because we unanimously represent the people and respect the decision of the (Umno) president. We were elected as the people’s representatives because we were appointed and given the mandate by the (Umno) president,” he said.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said in Putrajaya yesterday that Ahmad should obey the Umno president’s directive or face disciplinary action.

He said Ahmad should realise the consequences of his action should he go against the president’s decision.

On Friday, the 22 assemblymen sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister to retain Idris as the Mentri Besar after rumours spread that he may be dropped following the purported fallout between Idris and the palace.

State Umno Youth information chief Razali Idris said the wing hoped that there would be no change in the appointment of Mentri Besar.

“We have waited for a long time, 13 days is very long time in politics, Datuk Seri (Idris) has been patient all this while.

“If there are any changes, it should be done at a much earlier stage. Everyone waited for such a long time and we don’t want to hear any upsetting news now,” he said.

The standoff over the Mentri Besar’s post began soon after the last-minute postponement of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for March 10. Numerous meetings were held between the assemblymen and the Regency Advisory Council and the Prime Minister last week to find a solution to the problem.

Annan: 'Hypocrisy' in global response to Darfur

Story Highlights
# Former U.N. chief: Security Council nations not meeting responsibilities on Darfur
# Sudan accused of atrocities, genocide in Darfur
# 200,000 people dead, 2.5 million displaced by conflict
# Also says military action in Iran would be 'real disaster'

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan questioned whether all countries on the Security Council have lived up to their responsibility to protect civilians in Darfur from atrocities.

Annan said there was "quite a bit of hypocrisy on all sides" in trying to resolve the five-year conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, especially in encouraging the African Union to take on peacekeeping without sufficient resources.

The overwhelmed A.U. force struggled for years to stem the bloodshed in Darfur until it was replaced by a joint A.U.-U.N. force that began deploying in January after months of wrangling with the Sudanese government.

The new force is authorized to have 26,000 troops and police but only a fraction are on the ground. Annan criticized well-equipped countries for refusing to provide essential helicopters for the mission despite repeated appeals from the U.N.

At a dinner in his honor on Thursday, Annan said U.N. member states had placed the duty to protect civilians threatened by genocide or war crimes in the hands of the members of the Security Council.

"It is fair to question whether all of them have yet fully lived up to that responsibility -- notably in Darfur," Annan said.

He did not single out any countries on the council, which unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a joint A.U.-U.N. force last year.

China and Russia, two of the five permanent members of the council, have been reluctant to impose new sanctions on the Sudanese government, which has been accused of atrocities in a conflict that has left more than 200,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million.

Recently Russia proposed sanctioning the ethnic African rebels fighting the Arab-dominated government. But the other three permanent council members -- the United States, Britain and France -- have stressed that Sudan's leaders must also be targeted.

The Security Council adopted a resolution in March 2005 authorizing an asset freeze and travel ban on individuals who defy peace efforts, violate international human rights law, or are responsible for military overflights in Darfur. The council has also imposed an arms embargo against the government and rebels

第12任總統副總統選舉

2008 3月 22日

今天是『第12任總統副總統選舉』投票日，台北市警察局預估，會有許多民眾主動到候選人競選總部，及主要辦事處聚集，等待開票結果。為了維持交通秩序，馬英九全國競選總部及台灣維新館周邊，整天都會有彈性交通管制，提醒駕駛人注意。(林麗玉報導)

為了維護台北市的交通秩序與安全，22號投票日當天，謝長廷競選主辦事處--臺灣維新館、及馬英九全國競選。 總部周邊道路，會視現場群眾人數及交通流量彈性交管，管制範圍台灣維新館周邊管制，中山北路以東、南京東路以南，新生北路以西、市民大道以北範圍、禁止車輛進入。馬英九全國競選總部周邊則是管制中華路東側。 慢車道--愛國西路至貴陽街之間，禁止車輛進入。如果群眾聚集眾多，會擴大第2階段交管為中華路雙向快車道及東側慢車道等，禁止車輛進入。

第3階段交管則是從中華路以東、成都路、寶慶路以南，博愛路以西、愛國西 路以北範圍，禁止車輛進入。台北市警察局表示，如果駕駛人要行經這些路段，請提前改道行駛。

马先生， 我支持你！

Rafidah, Good Bye !

KUALA LUMPUR: For 20 years, she was the 'Iron Lady'. She stood up and spoke forcefully on issues that mattered to the country, not giving an inch without getting a yard.

For two decades, reporters who did not do their homework got a lashing from her acid tongue.

Yesterday, it was no different. For close to 40 minutes Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz was her confident self, poised and regal when answering questions thrown at her.

She was feisty and, if the question was not to her liking, sarcastic.

But when it was time to end the press conference and say her goodbyes, the tears flowed.

Earlier Rafidah, the world's longest serving international trade and industry minister, showed why she is called the "Iron Lady" when she stoically accepted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's decision to drop her from the new cabinet.

"I accept Abdullah's decision with an open heart because everybody should know when it is time to retire," she said.

"I was told at 9am on the day of the announcement that he would not be including me in the cabinet.

"I asked him why and he said it was because he wanted new faces. I accepted it because I have already served for so long and the time for retirement has arrived."

Rafidah said she didn't say anything to Abdullah, except to thank him and wish him luck with his new cabinet.

Not only did Rafidah dismiss speculation that she would step down as Wanita Umno chief, she vowed to defend her post.

She also denied that she had been made a scapegoat for Barisan Nasional's poor showing in the elections.

However, Rafidah, who was accompanied by more than 20 senior Wanita Umno members, indicated that there was a lot of unhappiness with the prime minister's decision.

"I advise all Wanita members at all levels to stay calm. I know that many of them will have doubts and sadness.

"My advice to those who have expressed their concern, is to hold your peace. Accept this with an open heart. We are still Umno members. We have to stay united."

She said that she wished Abdullah had told her not to contest in the general election if he had no intention to include her in the cabinet.

"I'm speaking very frankly. He didn't say I should not contest. He allowed me to contest.

"I'm a human being, you know. When I was chosen to contest, I did not imagine that I would be dropped from the line-up."

Rafidah said she was not sad, as she had spent half her life working for the government.

"There's a sense of happiness. I can hold my head high and say I have served with integrity and accountability."

She bristled when asked about a letter she purportedly wrote to the prime minister, discussing her cabinet post.

"I can write it in all frankness. That's it. No copies made. Recipient received. Finished. What comes out of it, is not my doing."

She also vehemently denied that the decision to drop her had anything to do with the handing out of approved permits for imported cars -- an issue which was harped upon by the opposition over the last few years.

"You are all barking up the wrong tree."

She paid tribute to the women's wing and said BN would have fared much worse in the elections if not for the work they put in.

RAFIDAH ON...

• The absence of Wanita Umno representatives:

“I am shocked. This is the first time in history that Wanita Umno doesn’t have a representative in cabinet. I feel saddened and let down. But more importantly are the Wanita members who have never seen a scenario where their leader doesn’t have a spot in the cabinet.”

• Wanita Umno’s support for the party leadership:

“Oh yes. It is party discipline to support the leadership.”

• How much longer she would be involved in politics:

“You cannot ask questions like that. Any of us can drop dead as we walk out the door. Of course I don’t plan to retire. As long as Wanita wants me, I will be there. I will continue to serve as Kuala Kangsar MP.”

• Whether she has any grudges towards the party leadership:

“Don’t even bother to ask if I will merajuk (sulk). I don’t even do that with my husband, what more with the party! There is no need to judge the prime minister. Choosing the cabinet is his absolute right. He has made his decision, so we must accept it.”

• Attempts by the opposition to woo Wanita Umno members to defect:

“Members have reported to me that people had approached them with money and monthly allowances to jump ship and help them form grassroots support. That is why I’m going down to the ground. To remind them to remain loyal to the party.”

• Whether there had been any attempts by the opposition to woo her:

“You must be out of your mind! Don’t even think of that silly question. They wouldn’t dare.”

• Her memories of more than 20 years as international trade and industry minister:

“Twenty years! I will have to write a book on it! If I ever do write a book, my memoirs will contain a number of things about many people. A number of them are still alive. Some of the things may not be nice to say. I don’t like to hurt people, so my memoirs will probably be never written. But I will write a book on the light and funny things that happened during my tenure.”

Rafidah is a woman with power and with intelligent as well, from her speeches and way of conducting herself, she is no lesser than the Thatcher of Malaysia. However due to long years in the cabinet and enormous seduction and opportunity of the luxuryto be captivate, she made some poor decision.

Over all, I give her a 5/10 rating as a minister

Teen charged with killing Ah Long

IPOH: A teenager was charged in a magistrate’s court here with killing a loan shark in Taman Kledang, Menglembu, two weeks ago.

Choo Wai Fatt, 19, a shoe factory worker, was charged with the murder of Chong Ah Fatt, 48, between 7.15pm and 8pm on March 6.

No plea was recorded yesterday.

Magistrate Radzilawatee Abdul Rahman fixed May 21 for mention.

Wai Fatt, who was not represented, faces the death penalty if convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

It is learnt that his father and grandfather, who had also been picked up by police for questioning, were released yesterday.

news collect by jeffayn.com ...

Khir Toyo Quit

SHAH ALAM: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo has quit as the Selangor Umno and Barisan Nasional chairman with immediate effect.

The two posts will now be taken over by newly-appointed Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, who is also the Selangor Umno deputy chairman.

Speaking at a press conference at the Selangor Umno, held midway through the state Umno meeting, Dr Khir said he felt responsible for Barisan’s poor showing in the state during the recent general election and decided it was best for him to quit.

He said he made the decision to quit two to three days ago and discussed the matter with Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“The Prime Minister asked me to do what is best for the state Umno and Barisan Nasional and I feel this is the best way.

“The party president has accepted my resignation and also agreed with my decision to hand over the state leadership to Tan Sri (Muhammad),” Dr Khir said, adding that he would leave the decision on the other state Umno posts to Muhammad.

“It is not a hasty decision, I decided to announce it now (before the post-mortem on the general election is concluded) because I fear that if delayed it would give rise to problems that will split the party and hamper efforts to win back the state,” he said.

Muhammad, who was also at the press conference, said he was shocked by Dr Khir’s decision and was not prepared to say anything on the matter.

MALAYSIA CABINET n0. 12

PM announces new Cabinet (updated)

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his new administration on Tuesday, trimming his Cabinet from 32 to 27 seats, of which more than half featured new faces.

He also scrapped the post of parliamentary secretary and dropped big guns such as Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz (former International Trade and Industry Minister), Datuk Azmi Khalid (Home Affairs Minister) and Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis (Science, Technology and Innovations Minister).

He also merged the Home Affairs and Internal Security ministries, saying that they had many overlapping functions, and named former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar as its minister.

The full list:

Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim
Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz

Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
Datuk Johari Baharom
Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
Datuk K. Devamany
Datuk Hassan Malik


Finance
Minister - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Finance Minister - Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Deputies - Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha

Defence
Minister - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Deputy - Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

Internal Security and Home Affairs
Minister - Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Deputies - Datuk Chor Chee Heong, Senator Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh

Housing and Local Government
Minister -Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Deputies - Datuk Robert Lau , Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Works Minister
Minister - Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
Deputy- Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Energy, Water and Communications
Minister - Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy- Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister - Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy - Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim

International Trade and Industry
Minister -Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies- Loh Wei Keong, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Affairs
Minister -Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy- Tunku Azlan Abu Bakar

Education
Minister -Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies -Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail

Higher Education
Minister - Datuk Khaled Nordin
Deputies - Khoo Kok Choong, Datuk Idris Harun

Transport
Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy - Anifah Aman

Human Resources
Datuk S. Subramaniam
Deputy- Datuk Noraini Ahmad

Women, Family and Community Development
Minister-Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy- Noriah Kasnon

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister- Datuk Shafie Apdal
Deputy-Datuk Teng Boon Soon

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister- Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy- Fadilah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development
Minister - Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy- Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah

Natural Resources and Environment
Minister - Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Deputy - Datuk Abu Ghapur Salleh

Rural and Regional Development
Minister - Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Deputy- Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister - Datuk Shahrir Samad
Deputy - Jelaing Mersat

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister - Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy- Senator A. Kohilan

Youth and Sports
Minister - Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob
Deputy - Wee Jack Seng

Health
Minister - Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy- Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Information
Minister - Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy- Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Tourism
Minister - Datuk Azalina Othman
Deputy - Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abu Taib

FT
Minister - Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique
Deputy- M. Saravanan

done by jeffayn.com ...

Women NGOs urge Sultan to delay MB swearing-in, consider BN minority government

Nine women NGOs have made an urgent plea for the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah to postpone the swearing-in ceremony scheduled tomorrow and to consider instead the option of a minority BN government.

In a hastily called press conference leading to it being held at the coffee house of a hotel here, the group representatives said they were worried and had no confidence that the coalition government of DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS would be able to achieve a stable state government.

The group, naming themselves the Perak Malay Women NGO Meeting, cited the much-publicised bickering of the three parties as a pointer to this assumption which they reached in a meeting on Saturday. The nine organisations are the districts Perak Women and Family Development Council, the (WI) Women Grouping, Gerakwanis Belia 4B, Perak Malaysian Muslim Women Welfare Body, Perak Women Cooperative, members of the Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK), Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK), the Henry Gurney Alumni and the women members of the Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS).

Menteri Besar-designate Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin declined comment. Private secretary to the Sultan of Perak, Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohamad Nor had earlier during the day announced that Perak Regent Raja Dr Nazrin Shah had consented to the swearing-in of Mohammad Nizar as the Menteri Besar at the Istana Iskandariah tomorrow.

The group’s chairman Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim, who is also Wanita Umno Exco member, said the respective organisations undertake to submit their individual memorandum on the matter to the Sultan Azlan Shah as soon as possible.
They also agreed to submit written legal submissions from both lawyers and constitutional experts to Sultan Azlan Shah on the matter of the minority state government proposal.

"The coalition government of DAP, PKR and PAS is a mere marriage of convenience simply set up to form the state government. The important fact here is there for that BN had won 28 seats and needing only another three seats to form the majority while the other three had contested individually," she said.

Kamilia said this could well lead to problems later as the respective partners may not be suitable. "Although the law states that with the majority, they could form the government but there are provisions in the State Constitution for the Ruler has the discretion to decide that a minority government led by BN is instead formed," she said.

Decision on Md Isa came after ruler, PM meeting

KANGAR: Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu is expected to be sworn in as the new menteri besar of Perlis today.

A palace insider said the Raja of Perlis had finalised the appointment after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The insider, who declined to be named, said they had agreed on appointing Md Isa as the state's sixth menteri besar. Md Isa's appointment was also confirmed by assemblymen Abdul Jamil Saad (Sena) and Datuk Seri Syed Radzlan Putra Jamalullail (Pauh) when contacted in Kuala Lumpur.

The two were among nine assemblymen, including Md Isa, who went to see the ruler and conferred with the Barisan Nasional leadership on the menteri besar's appointment.
Md Isa is scheduled to be sworn in at Istana Arau at 5.30pm.

Yesterday, Md Isa and the other assemblymen were still in Kuala Lumpur. Most of them are expected to catch a flight today and arrive at the Sultan Abdul Halim airport in Kepala Batas, Alor Star.

More than 5,000 Umno members are expected to welcome the new menteri besar and Md Isa is due to give his first public address at the Stadium Utama here.

An aide to Md Isa, Ahmad Senapi, said Pas deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din had instructed party members to welcome the new menteri besar at the airport. On Saturday, Perlis Pas had thrown its support behind Md Isa, saying "it was the right time" for a change of leadership in the state.

Perlis' sole Pas assemblyman, Rus'sele Eizan (Simpang Empat), also supported Md Isa's appointment. More banners have been put up here in support of the Raja of Perlis and the new menteri besar. Police were still manning roadblocks at Istana Arau and Istana Fauzana. Police erected a tent in front of Md Isa's house in Taman Guru Jaya here.

Static police checkpoints were set up at the menteri besar's official residence in Jalan Kolam and the state Legislative Assembly Complex in Jalan Lintasan Kangar.

Liquid lightning: fat man's weight halved in a year

An extremely low calorie liquid diet can help severely obese people shed almost half their body fat, experts have found.

Specialists have helped a Victorian man lose more than 70kg in a year by putting him on a strict portion-controlled, calorie-precise diet.

Reporting the case in the latest Medical Journal of Australia, endocrinologists from the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne said the 59-year-old man suffered from diabetes and hypertension and weighed 170kg.

The morbidly obese man was given meal replacement formulas for five months, and slowly added in low-fat meals over the following seven months.

"Over the 12 months, the patient's weight fell steadily," wrote lead author Priya Sumithran.

"At one-year follow-up he had lost 43 per cent of his initial weight."

His body mass index (BMI) dropped from 47 to 27, in the "overweight" range, a loss comparable to bariatric surgery, regarded as the current most effective long-term weight loss treatment option for obesity.

The specialists said the trial was the first proof very low calorie diets could be used safely and effectively beyond the usual two to four month diet period.

However, they warned it could only be undertaken under close medical supervision and they could not be certain that he would be able to maintain his new slimmer shape.

"Weight maintenance will be his next major challenge," Dr Sumithran said.

Statistics show 2.4 million Australian adults have a BMI over 30. Most are regarded as "obese", with smaller but growing numbers fitting the morbidly obese or even super obese category for BMIs over 40 and 50, respectively.

Very low calorie diets have had safety concerns in the past, mostly stemming from the deaths of more than 60 people on one popular diet liquid protein diet in the 1970s.

Dr Sumithran said the diets in current use "contain high-quality protein and appear to be safe".

JPMorgan to buy Bear Stearns for $2 a share

NEW YORK - JPMorgan Chase said Sunday it will acquire rival Bear Stearns for a bargain-basement $236.2 million — or $2 a share — a stunning collapse for one of the world’s largest and most storied investment banks.

The last-minute buyout was aimed at averting a Bear Stearns bankruptcy and a spreading crisis of confidence in the global financial system.

The Federal Reserve and the U.S. government swiftly approved the all-stock deal, showing the urgency of completing the deal before world markets opened. Early indications, though, pointed to continued fear about the stability of the U.S. market, as the dollar hit fresh record lows against the euro, gold broke through $1,015 an ounce and Asian stocks sank.

“This is going to go down in very historic terms,” said Peter Dunay, chief investment strategist for New York-based Meridian Equity Partners. “This is about credit being overextended, and how bad it is for major financial institutions and for individuals. This is why we’re probably heading into a recession.”

The Fed will provide special financing to JPMorgan Chase for the deal, JPMorgan Chase said. The central bank has agreed to fund up to $30 billion of Bear Stearns’ less liquid assets. Meanwhile, JPMorgan said it will guarantee all business — such as trading and investment banking — until Bear Stearns’ shareholders approve the deal, which is expected to be completed during the second quarter.

JPMorgan Chase Chief Financial Officer Michael Cavanaugh did not say what would happen to Bear Stearns’ 14,000 employees worldwide or whether the Bear Stearns name would survive. He told analysts and investors on a conference call that JPMorgan was most interested in buying Bear Stearns’ prime brokerage business, which completes trades for big investors such as hedge funds.

Risky bets on securities tied to subprime mortgages — loans given to customers with poor credit history — crippled Bear Stearns, the nations’ fifth-largest investment bank. So far, global banks have written down some $200 billion worth of securities slammed amid the credit crisis.

At almost the same time as the deal for control of Bear Stearns was announced, the Federal Reserve said it approved a cut in its lending rate to banks to 3.25 percent from 3.50 percent and created another lending facility for big investment banks. The central bank’s official meeting is on Tuesday. Before the emergency move to lower the discount rate, which is the rate at which banks lend each other money, the Fed was widely expected to again cut its headline rate by as much as a full point to 2 percent.

“Having taking Bear Stearns out of the problem category, and the strong action by the Federal Reserve, we would anticipate the market will behave quite differently on Monday than it was Thursday or Friday,” JPMorgan Chase Chief Financial Officer Michael Cavanaugh told analysts during a conference call.

Dalai Lama: China causing 'cultural genocide'

(CNN) -- The Dalai Lama on Sunday called for an international probe of China's treatment of Tibet, which he said is causing "cultural genocide" of his people.

The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet spoke at a news conference Sunday in Dharamsala, India, two days after violent clashes between pro-autonomy demonstrators and Chinese security forces in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

A spokesman for the self-declared Tibetan exile government said it has confirmed at least 80 deaths in Friday's violence and that protests were continuing outside the capital Sunday, further undermining China's hopes of a smooth run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tibet Watch, a group based in Dharamsala, India, said 34 people have died in the Nwaga County area of Sichuan province in western China.

The dead include women and children, the group said in an e-mail, adding they were killed by Chinese police attempting to stop the protests. Eight bodies were brought to the Nagaba Kirti monastery, the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Dharamsala said. Of the eight, two are the bodies of monks, the center said.

The streets of Lhasa were silent and deserted Sunday night, a contrast to the violent protests of days earlier.

Glass baby bottles make a comeback

NEW YORK - Meg Robustelli had heard reports that a chemical in most plastic baby bottles could be dangerous, but she had not done anything about it. That's when her mother stepped in and bought her glass bottles.

"She's an alarmist, but I'm grateful," said Robustelli, whose daughter, Mia, is 14 months old. "I switched because of all the concerns about the plastic."

She made the change about six months ago, becoming one of a relatively small but growing number of parents turning to glass bottles amid concerns over a chemical used to make plastic bottles, bisphenol A.

Orkopoulos found guilty

The former NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Milton Orkopoloulos, has been found guilty on 28 charges by a Newcastle court today.

The charges include eight counts of having homosexual intercourse with a minor, 13 counts of supplying cannabis, four counts of supplying heroin, and three counts of indecent assault on a minor.

The offences related to three men who claimed the MP offered them drugs and sexually assaulted them when they were teens.

The three testified that Orkopoulos gave them cannabis before making sexual advances ranging from indecent assault to oral and anal sex.

One victim told the court he got him hooked on heroin then demanded sexual favours in return for his drug debt.

Orkopoulos met two of the boys at Labor party functions and regularly met his second victim for sex at the Swansea electorate office late at night.

Witnesses told the court that the MP took a raft of drugs including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine and heroin and had sex with men and boys at the office, including during his wife's pregnancy.

The jury today delivered a decisive indictment on his guilt, convicting him of 28 of the possible 29 charges on which they deliberated.

The panel of six men and five women took little more than a day to reach its verdict.

Orkopolous bowed his head with his eyes closed as the jury read out the verdict.

He was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was announced and refused bail. Sentencing proceedings will begin next Thursday.

His defence counsel, John Fitzgerald, refused to comment outside court.

Detective Chief Inspector Brad Taylor, who led the investigation since August 2006, said: "I'd like to thank the investigators who worked on the case and more importantly I would like to thank the young boys who had the courage to stand up and come forward."

Joking with journalists outside the court yesterday, Orkopoulos speculated that the jury would return on Friday at 11.30am - the precise moment at which he stepped into the dock.

Orkopoulos's sister Sofia, who has supported the MP throughout the trial, was today conspicuously absent as Orkopoulos learned of his fate.

Spitzer's 'call girl': I'm no monster

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The woman alleged to have been hired by New York governor Eliot Spitzer reportedly revealed Thursday she had gone without sleep since the scandal broke earlier this week and said she did not want to be thought of as a monster.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre, reportedly identified in court documents as a call girl known as "Kristen," appeared in court on Monday as a witness against four people accused of operating a high-class prostitution ring allegedly used by the disgraced Democrat.

Spitzer, an ally of Hillary Clinton and a rising star within the Democratic Party who made his name as a corporate crime-busting district attorney, announced his resignation Wednesday after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP prostitute ring emerged.

Neither Dupre or Spitzer are accused of any crime.

Dupre, born Ashley Youmans, from New Jersey, told the New York Times: "I just don't want to be thought of as a monster. This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated."

Writing on her MySpace page, the 22-year-old said she had been "broke and homeless" and had abused drugs since leaving home aged 17 to pursue a singing career in New York.

"It was my decision, and I've never looked back," she writes. "Left my hometown. Left a broken family. Left abuse... Left and learned what it was like to have everything, and lose it, again and again.

Clinton apologizes to black voters

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton apologized to a gathering of black newspaper publishers Wednesday for a top fundraiser's controversial comments that Sen. Barack Obama's race has helped his candidacy.

The New York senator found herself in the hot seat after the remarks by Geraldine Ferraro -- a former New York congresswoman, Democratic vice presidential candidate and Clinton supporter.

"I rejected what she said and I certainly do repudiate it," Clinton said at the National Newspaper Publishers Association meeting in Washington.

Ferraro resigned from the campaign Wednesday after widespread criticism over her comments about Obama's race, originally published late last week in the Torrance, California, Daily Breeze.

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," she said

Alleging unlawful contract signing, DAP lodges report against Khir Toyo

The DAP lodged today a police report against former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo for allegedly signing a deal with Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad a day before polling day to operate and maintain the Sungai Sireh water treatment plant.

DAP Central Committee Member Ronnie Liu lodged the report against Khir at the Selangor police headquarters at 3.30pm.

“We are questioning the manner the contract was signed,” Liu said. “The signing of the deal just before elections is unlawful.”

Liu said according to the law, when parliament is dissolved, a Government standing as a candidate for elections cannot sign any deals pertaining to Government projects.

“Any dealings should be done only after the new Government is formed,” he said. “Maybe Khir Toyo thought he would win this election again and that is why he signed.”

Khir had denied signing any contracts or that he had any knowledge of a deal signed. The Bursa Malaysia on Tuesday, the same day Khir Toyo denied knowledge of contract signing, made an announcement that a contract was signed with the Selangor Government for Puncak Niaga to operate, manage and maintain the raw water intake and the treatment plant situated on a 6.72 acre piece of land located beside a canal near Sungai Sireh, Tanjung Karang in the district of Kuala Selangor.

The actual contract is expected to take effect on April 1.

Swearing-in called off

IPOH: The swearing-in of the new Perak Mentri Besar has been postponed indefinitely.

The ceremony, which was scheduled for 4pm at Istana Iskandariah here yesterday, was called off after leaders of the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition government had an audience with the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

Comptroller of the Royal Household at Istana Iskandariah Datuk Seri Raja Mansor Raja Razman announced the postponement.

Perak PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was initially scheduled to take his oath of office as the Mentri Besar before Raja Nazrin.

Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming said that Raja Nazrin wanted a letter of undertaking from all 31 opposition assemblymen indicating their support for the formation of the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition government.

“The letter should also state that all 31 of them supported the appointment of Pasir Panjang assemblyman Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the new Mentri Besar,” said Nga, who is also Pantai Remis assemblyman.

Nga explained that Raja Nazrin had summoned the leaders to meet him at 2.30pm at Istana Kinta. The meeting lasted until 4pm.

On Monday, Raja Nazrin had consented to the formation of the coalition government.

He also named Mohammad Nizar as the new Mentri Besar after selecting from three names including Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham and PKR treasurer Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.

BN wins federal govt but opposition takes five states

KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional will form the next Government as it has won more than half the parliamentary seats.

However, the coalition suffered some of the greatest defeats in its history. Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in accepting the results, said this was clear proof of democracy at work in the country.

Among the results yesterday were:


-The Barisan lost Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor,
-PAS strengthened grip on Kelantan,
-Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting won in their seats,
-Among ministers who lost their seats were Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin,
-Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon lost to Dr P. Ramasamy in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, party leaders urged for calm and police have banned all victory celebrations