Iran says ‘slow’ progress in nuclear deal talks

Iran says ‘slow’ progress in nuclear deal talks

Iran says ‘slow’ progress in nuclear deal talks

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:08 PM PST

GENEVA, Switzerland: Technical talks between Iran and world powers on how to implement a landmark nuclear deal clinched last month are making progress, but slowly, a senior Iranian negotiator said Saturday.

The negotiations began Thursday in Geneva on the accord reached in the Swiss city that is aimed at buying time for a diplomatic solution to a decade-long standoff over Iran's nuclear drive.

"The talks that extended to a third day are making progress but slowly," deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, who himself is not attending the talks, told a state-run television network in Tehran.

Araqchi did not give any other details.

The official IRNA news agency cited him as saying the negotiations could stretch into a fourth day on Sunday.

Experts had held four days of inconclusive talks in Vienna last week, but the Iranians walked out after Washington expanded its sanctions blacklist against Tehran.

Iran agreed to resume the talks after saying it was give given an "assurance" by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six powers, that the talks would continue in good faith.

Under the landmark deal struck on November 24, Iran agreed to roll back or freeze parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions.

During this period, which has not yet begun, Iran and world powers will seek to hammer out a long-term comprehensive accord to allay suspicions that Tehran's nuclear activities mask a military objective.

Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear work is solely aimed at peaceful purposes of generating energy and producing medical isotopes. -AFP

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Liow is new MCA president, Wee is deputy

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:05 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai was elected the new MCA president after beating his two contenders at the party's presidential election yesterday.

Liow, who was deputy president, obtained 1,186 votes in a three-cornered fight against vice-president Gan Ping Sieu (1,000 votes) and former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (160 votes).

The official results were announced by the party 'speaker', Datuk Yik Phooi Hong at 7.15pm.

The election, involving 2,352 delegates party delegates, began at 12.15pm and closed at 2pm. It was held at the party headquarters, Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang.

Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek did not defend his president's post.

The deputy president's post was won by former Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong , who garnered 1,408 votes against vice-president Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai (927 votes).

Meanwhile, the candidates who won the four vice-president posts are Datuk Lee Chee Leong, with 1,642 votes, Dr Hou Kok Chung (1,475 votes), Dr Chua's son, Datuk Chua Tee Yong (1,343 votes) and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (1,230 votes).

The five candidates who lost in the contest for the vice-presidency are secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, Datuk Chong Itt Chew, Lee Wei Kiat,  Tanjung Piai Member of Parliament Datuk Wee Jeck Seng and Gurun Assemblyman Dr Leong Yong Kong.

The party delegates also elected 25 candidates for the 25 seats in the party's Central Council (CC).

They included Datuk Toh Chin Yaw, Datuk Gan Tian Loo, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Datuk Hoh Khai Mun, Datuk Koh Nai Kwong, Dr Por Choo Chor, Datuk Paul Kong Sing Chu, Yoo Wei How and Datuk Ti Lian Ker.

Also elected are the Datuk Mah Hang Soon, Datuk Ei Kim Hock and Datuk Tan Chin Meng. — Bernama

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Taiwan woman kidnapped in Semporna returns home

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:04 PM PST

TAIPEI: A Taiwanese tourist whose husband was killed by gunmen in a kidnapping at a Malaysian island resort returned to Taiwan yesteday after she was rescued in the southern Philippines.

Television footage showed Evelyn Chang An-wei, 58, dressed in a loose T-shirt and wearing sunglasses, walking to a minibus parked at an airport near Taipei after she arrived in the early afternoon, waving briefly to the media and giving a thumbs-up sign.

Local media said she is expected to go to a hospital in Taipei for medical check-ups later Saturday.

Chang was found by Philippine marines at a village near Talipao, a town on the remote Philippine island of Jolo where Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants are known to operate, and was taken to a local military hospital for a medical check-up on Friday.

"I think I just want to say I deeply appreciate the Philippine military for giving me such a big help and assistance to rescue me. Thank you very much," Chang said in English in a pre-recorded message aired by several Taiwanese news channels on Saturday.

Chang and her husband Hsu Li-min were holidaying on Pom Pom island in Sabah state, which is near the Sulu island group that includes Jolo, when gunmen attacked on November 15, kidnapping her and killing her husband, according to Taiwanese officials and media.

Foreign ministry officials in Taiwan said that Hsu's body was cremated in Malaysia and that his family brought back his ashes to Taiwan last month.

Taiwanese media said Chang's family allegedly paid the kidnappers around $300,000 in ransom to secure her release.

Philippine authorities said the identities of Chang's kidnappers were unknown, though Abu Sayyaf gunmen who are known to carry out kidnappings operate in the area.

A Jordanian television reporter, Bakr Atyani, walked free from a Jolo jungle earlier this month, 18 months after he was abducted by the Islamist militants. The Abu Sayyaf is a small Islamist movement that has been blamed for a string of terrorist attacks and kidnappings of foreigners in the Philippines.

US Special Forces have been rotating through Jolo and other parts of the southern Philippines for more than a decade to train local troops battling the group, which is on Washington's list of "foreign terrorist organisations".

Abu Sayyaf gunmen are believed still to hold a number of foreign as well as Filipino hostages on Jolo, including two European birdwatchers and a Japanese treasure hunter, according to Philippine officials. – AFP

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Tomb raiding brothers nabbed

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:02 PM PST

by Margaret Ringgit, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 22, 2013, Sunday

MIRI: Four men, three of them siblings, were nabbed during an ambush yesterday on suspicion of raiding a tomb at an SIB cemetery in Morsjaya here early this month.

The four are aged 16, 21, 22 and 31 years.

They were caught by a team comprising personnel from Miri CID and Miri Criminal Prevention Unit in Lopeng at about 11am.

Police seized several electrical items, believed to be stolen goods, from the suspects, and confiscated a shovel that was believed to have been used to raid the tomb.

Miri Police chief ACP Mun Kock Keong, when contacted, confirmed the arrests made.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 297 of the Penal Code for trespassing on burial places. The penalty upon conviction is imprisonment for a term that may extend to a year, or with fine, or both.

On Dec 7, a human skull was found in a drain, while a decomposing body was found  outside a grave in Morsjaya.

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Esscom DG thankful kidnapped Taiwanese safe

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:02 PM PST

KOTA KINABALU: East Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek is thankful that the Taiwanese woman who was kidnapped on Pulau Pom Pom, Semporna, Sabah, on Nov 15 was saved by the Philippine authorities.

"I congratulate the security forces of the Philippines for successfully rescuing the woman," he said in a statement here yesterday.

In this regard, Mentek said he hoped the incident would not be repeated and that the security forces would work hard to ensure the East Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) is safe.

"We also hope tourist resort operators would also cooperate with the security forces especially those working in the areas where the resorts are located," he said.

The confirmation of the news was made by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar via his Twitter account.

Khalid said the woman, who was saved in Sulu, was now at the Merin Hospital, Sulu and would be flown to Zamboanga City yesterday.

At 1am on Nov 15, a 57-year-old Taiwanese man was found dead with gunshot wounds while his 58-year-old female companion went missing, apparently abducted by a group of armed men who burst into their hotel room on the island. — Bernama

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End of the road for carjackers

Posted: 21 Dec 2013 03:02 PM PST

by Jeremy Lanson, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 22, 2013, Sunday

Army personnel stop vehicle robbed from assistant minister from crossing into Kalimantan, two suspects arrested

BAU: An attempt to smuggle the Toyota Fortuner robbed from Culture and Heritage Assistant Minister Liwan Lagang to Indonesia via the Serikin border crossing was thwarted by army personnel manning the border post yesterday morning.

A press statement from the army revealed that army personnel manning border posts along the Sarawak- West Kalimantan border were put on alert following the carjacking of Liwan's vehicle at Kota Sentosa last Monday morning.

Soldiers under the command of Sergeant Norazam Ramli stationed at the Serikin border post stopped a four-wheel drive vehicle driven by a man and a male passenger trying to drive to Kalimantan through the crossing at 7.40am.

Upon inspection it was found that the licence plate and documents of the vehicle were fake and further check revealed that the Toyota Fortunner fit the description of Liwan's vehicle.

The two men were immediately detained and handed over to the Bau police station together with the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Bau District Police chief DSP Mohd Sabri Zainol confirmed the arrest of the two suspects aged 47 and 29 and the recovery of the vehicle.

"The suspects are believed to have attempted to smuggle the vehicle across to Indonesia but it was found that the car plate number was fake.

"Further inspection by the army personnel on duty found that the vehicle the two suspects used was reported stolen in Kota Sentosa in a carjacking case on December 16," he said.

Both suspects and the vehicle were later transferred to Padawan police station for further action.

Padawan district police chief Superintendent Pauzi Bujang  told the press that the suspects would be placed under remand while investigations are being carried out.

"The suspects are both locals. We are still investigating, but we believe both have been actively involved in vehicle thefts," he said.

On December 16, at around 6:10am, Liwan was approached by two strangers at the parking lot in the vicinity of Kota Sentosa market.

According to reports, one of the men threatened Liwan with a knife and demanded for his car keys.

Instead of giving in the assemblyman fought back and in the struggle was wounded and overpowered by the robbers who drove with his vehicle.

Liwan, when contacted, expressed his appreciation to the army personnel as well as the police for recovering his vehicle.

"I have been informed of the situation and I'm glad for the competence of the army and police in handling the case," he said.

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