Challenge Syariah law: Mosque break-ins rises

Challenge Syariah law: Mosque break-ins rises
Four killed as US army helicopter crashes in England
US expects UAE to free citizen after YouTube arrest
Four believed dead in suspected US military ‘copter crash in Britain
Twitter co-founder launches app for asking about what you see
‘Ultra HD’ takes center stage but skepticism remains

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:52 PM PST

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A mosque in Kg Kapok was broken into yesterday; making it the twelfth reported case of mosque theft in less than ten days recorded by the Police, Brudirect reported.

According to a spokesperson from Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), the safety boxes were forced opened with some type of objects before making away with donation funds for orphans. The spokesperson, who chose to remain anonymous, said that the string of mosque break-ins is somewhat related to one another and the perpetrators may belong to a syndicate.

The imam of Kg Kapok mosque Hj Shahbirin Hj Md Noor first discovered the incident when he arrived at the place of worship around 4.30am. Mosque officer's room was ransacked and the room's safety box was also opened although there was no money inside the safe.

Hj Shahbirin added that the gates were not locked but the thief or thieves broke into the mosque by opening the side door that had been locked for quite some times. From his observation, the imam suggested that thieves might be using saws to dismantle the safety boxes, indicating that they were armed and extremely dangerous.

Exasperated by the incident, Imam Hj Shahbirin theorized that the thieves wanted to challenge the implementation of Syariah laws in the Sultanate. However, the imam believed those responsible for the string of mosque break-ins will not get away with their crimes.

Hj Shahbirin suggested some ideas on how to improve and tighten the security of a mosque, such as installing CCTVs that were directly connected to mosque officials' cellphones, or alarm systems that were wired to speakers that would alert the entire neighborhood in case a mosque was broken into.

Only four out of twelve mosques were installed with security cameras.

He also mentioned the idea of hiring security personnel to guard mosques around the Sultanate but the plan was hindered due to budget constraints.

In the meantime, RBPF heightened its patrolling routine around mosques especially those located within remote areas of villages.

Muslims revere mosques as a sacred place of worship. Criminals on the other hand did not seem to exclude the symbols of Islamic faith from their to-do lists.

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

Four killed as US army helicopter crashes in England

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:47 PM PST

The helicopter was flying from the nearby US air base at RAF Lakenheath when it went down on the north Norfolk coast.

"We can confirm that one of our HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters went down outside Cley during a low-level flying exercise," a spokesman at the US base said.

"We are still piecing together details."

Norfolk Police said in a statement there four fatalities and a 400 metre (0.25 mile) area had been cordoned off.

The Lakenheath RAF base hosts US Air Force units and personnel and is home to Europe's only F-15 fighter wing.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) earlier revealed that it had been asked for three lifeboats to respond to reports that an aircraft may have ditched in the sea.

"Lifeboats Wells, Sheringham and Cromer were launched at the request of the coastguard but were stood down when it was confirmed that the aircraft had come down over land," said a spokesman.

Britain is suffering from a spell of stormy weather and high winds, but the west of the country has borne the brunt of the rough conditions, which have left seven people dead since the beginning of the Christmas period, while some 250,000 homes have suffered power cuts due to high winds.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

US expects UAE to free citizen after YouTube arrest

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:42 PM PST

The United Arab Emirates is expected shortly to free an American who was jailed with others over a YouTube video that mocked Dubai teenagers.

Shezanne Cassim, a 29-year-old from Minnesota, will likely be freed within days, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"We have received word that Mr. Cassim has been moved to a deportation facility for processing. We understand processing will take a few days at which point he will be returning to the United States," she said.

Psaki said that Cassim was allowed to leave on account of good behavior as well as time he spent in detention before his trial.

The 19-minute video, called the "Satwa Comedy School," gently parodies Dubai teenagers from the city's Satwa district who styled themselves as tough "gangstas" wearing hip-hop clothes and listening to rap music, but who in reality were known for very mild behavior.

In the mock documentary, Cassim and his friends learn the latest techniques of "Satwa G's combat" which include the correct way to throw a shoe at a newspaper, and how in extreme cases to use a mobile phone to call for back-up.

Cassim, a naturalized US citizen born in Sri Lanka who worked for the multinational company PricewaterhouseCoopers, has lived in the United Arab Emirates since 2006.

The newspaper The National said that Cassim was also fined 10,000 dirhams ($2,725) after being charged with endangering the security of the United Arab Emirates over the video.

The newspaper said that two Indian defendants received similar punishments and that two Emirati brothers, who were already behind bars, were jailed for eight months and each fined 5,000 dirhams ($1,362).

The United Arab Emirates has generally close relations with the United States and Dubai has fashioned itself as an international hub.-AFP

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

Four believed dead in suspected US military ‘copter crash in Britain

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:19 PM PST

Four people are believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash in eastern England on Tuesday, police said, with a local US Air Force base confirming they were "working on an incident".

Norfolk Police said in a statement that they were dealing with a single helicopter crash in the Cley area, on the North Norfolk coast.

"There are believed to be four fatalities," added the statement.

Officers have cordoned off a 400 metre area around the accident site.

A spokesman from the US Air Force base at nearby Royal Air Force (RAF) station Lakenheath confirmed they were "working on an incident" involving a Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft that had been "conducting low-level training in the area".

Lakenheath is situated in neighbouring county Suffolk, and, although an RAF base, hosts US Air Force units and personnel, including the 48th Fighter Wing.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution earlier revealed that it had been asked for three lifeboats to respond to reports that an aircraft may have ditched in the sea.

"Lifeboats Wells, Sheringham and Cromer were launched at the request of the coastguard but were stood down when it was confirmed that the aircraft had come down over land," said a spokesman.

Britain is suffering from a spell of stormy weather and high winds, but the west of the country has borne the brunt of the rough conditions.

Seven people have died in England since the beginning of the Christmas period while high winds left 250,000 homes without power.-AFP

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

Twitter co-founder launches app for asking about what you see

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:09 PM PST

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone on Tuesday took the wraps off a smartphone application that invites people to tap into their online social networks for answers about things they see.

Jelly, available free for Apple gadgets or mobile devices powered by Google-backed Android software, let people reach out virtually to friends, or friends of friends, when interested in finding out more about where one is or what is happening around them at a given moment.

"Say you're walking along and you spot something unusual," said a blog post at the Jelly website.

"You want to know what it is so you launch Jelly, take a picture, circle it with your finger, and type 'What's this?' "

Jelly queries are submitted to friends who also have the application, and notifications pop-up when answers are provided.

Jelly meshes with people's existing social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook last year modified its search features to allow members to tap into the social network's public data for answers to general questions such as "What kinds of films do Republicans like?" but Jelly promises to provide insights to what is around a person at any time.

Online forums at services such as Quora and Reddit let people delve into broad issues and topics, with Jelly again distinguishing itself by dealing with queries relevant to real-time moments in life.

Jelly also saw it as an advantage to let people ask questions with pictures.

"In a world where 140 characters is considered a maximum length, a picture really is worth a thousand words," Jelly said in its launch blog post.

"No matter how sophisticated our algorithms become, they are still no match for the experience, inventiveness, and creativity of the human mind."

San Francisco-based Jelly was co-founded by Stone, one of the creators behind globally popular one-to-many text messaging service Twitter, which made a blockbuster stock market debut last year.

Stone fired off word of the Jelly launch at his @biz Twitter account.-AFP

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

‘Ultra HD’ takes center stage but skepticism remains

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:42 PM PST

Television giants at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are touting the wonders of ultra high-definition screens despite doubts by analysts that people will buy them.

Screens offering picture resolution about four times more vivid than current high-definition sets starred at an array of press events staged on the eve of the CES showfloor opening on Tuesday.

Japanese entertainment and consumer electronics titan Sony made Ultra HD, also referred to as 4K, sets and matching content the centerpiece of a presentation that ran a gamut of gadgets.

"I can't stop talking about 4K," said Sony Electronics chief operating officer Mike Fasulo.

"I tell everyone it is like looking out a window."

Sony unveiled new cameras for capturing video in 4K as well as screens designed to display the rich footage in all its glory.

"But we all know that content is king," Fasulo said. "We have made significant advances there as well."

Sony's Video Unlimited service boasts a library of more than 140 titles, including the full catalogue of the hit series "Breaking Bad."

Sony is also working with Google-owned YouTube and popular online video streaming service Netflix to feature 4K content on television sets.

The Internet is the "natural medium to deliver 4K" shows or films to televisions, Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said during an appearance at the Sony presentation.

"It's a chance for the Internet to really shine," Hastings said.

"Creators are very excited about 4K and what it allows them to show in storytelling."

Sony also makes professional cameras for shooting films or television shows in 4K resolution.

4K refers to horizontal resolution on the order of 4,000 pixels boasted by new-generation televisions. Current-generation high definition screens, comparatively, have pixel density of 1,080.

"Creation of 4K content is on the rise," Fasulo declared.

South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung earlier on Monday showed off a "jaw-dropping" ultra high-definition television with a 105-inch, curved screen.

"It is a massive screen, and curved for a truly cinematic experience," Samsung Electronics America executive vice president Joe Stinziano said while unveiling what he billed as the world's largest curved U-HD television.

"Ultra-HD is going to drive the next change in the television industry."

Samsung also introduced a striking "Bendable TV" that can be converted from flat to curved screen with the touch of a button.

Stinziano said Samsung has 4K content partnerships with Netflix and Amazon, as well as film studios Paramount and 20th Century Fox.

Another South Korean consumer electronics powerhouse, LG, also weighed in with Ultra-HD televisions that featured curved screens.

Also among new LG television models was one with a frame to display art or personal photographs while screens are not in use.

LG announced an alliance with Netflix to stream 4K shows including "House of Cards" starring Kevin Spacey to new televisions.

But analysts remain skeptical that 4K will be enough to convince people to spend thousands of dollars to replace their current high-definition flat-screen televisions.

"TV makers are primed to be disappointed because the most important thing that will happen in TV in 2014 will be the continued expansion of online video into the TV screen via over-the-top solutions like the Xbox One, Roku, and Google's Chromecast," said Forrester analyst James McQuivey.

"Instead of raising the quality and cost bar like 4K does, these over-the-top devices and services lower consumer costs while expanding viewing options."

Roku technology is also being built into televisions.

Streaming rich 4K data smoothly requires high-capacity broadband connections, which can be costly or unavailable.

"Ultra HD is clearly the next big thing, but vendors are hoping it won't be like the last big thing — 3-D TV — which went nowhere," said Avi Greengart, research director for consumer products at Current Analysis.

"TV manufacturers have tried gimmicks to get people to replace TVs, but people don't think there is anything wrong with the ones they have."

Meanwhile, Dolby has developed technology that lets film or television show makers create more visually stunning content that can be displayed over televisions most people already own.

"While we are in this big debate about more pixels, we think the real opportunity is in making them better," Dolby director of technology Pat Griffis said while demonstrating Dolby Vision at a CES event.

"Some television makers are using this to leap over those drinking the 4K Kool-Aid."

He quickly noted that Dolby Vision could be the "icing on the 4K cake," with viewers benefitting from both.-AFP

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.