Italy’s prime minister warned Europe not to be distracted by a leadership battle but concentrate on reforms, with his country leading the way.

Italy’s prime minister warned Europe not to be distracted by a leadership battle but concentrate on reforms, with his country leading the way.
Psy’s new music video to be unveiled June 8
Mah Siew Keong recaptures Teluk Intan seat
Awang Tengah proposes CIQ post, service centre for Ba Kelalan
More rural road links in 11MP
Chinese tourist abducted in Sabah to return home today

Posted: 31 May 2014 06:17 PM PDT

ROME: Italy's prime minister, who scored a dramatic win in the European Union (EU) elections, warned Europe on Saturday not to be distracted by a leadership battle but concentrate on reforms, with his country leading the way.

"Before we discuss names, let's agree on the agenda," Matteo Renzi said in an interview with La Stampa and other leading European papers amid growing tension over whether Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker should become the next EU Commission president.

While German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed Juncker on Friday, others – including British Prime Minister David Cameron – have called for a reformer at the helm of the EU executive.

Asked for his stance on Juncker, Renzi said he was "more interested in the [state of the] job market than positions of power", adding that whoever gets the post "must love Europe, but through innovative eyes."

The 39-year-old – whose Democratic Party won 40.8 per cent at last weekend's elections, giving it the highest number of MEPs among Europe's leftists – vowed Italy would lead the way on much-needed reforms.

The Eurozone's third largest economy, which was rocked by the financial crisis, "has chosen stability, which means serious, hard-hitting reforms. We can say we want to change Europe because we are starting with reforms at home."

Renzi praised Germany as a model for reform, but called for a change of economic policy, warning that austerity alone was not enough.

"I have an excellent relationship with Merkel. Germany is not an enemy. This does not mean there isn't the possibility of having different ideas on many issues," he said.

"It is very clear today that it is in Germany's interests for Italy to do well. And Italy has all the conditions needed, provided that Europe focuses not solely on austerity, but also on growth. On growth, employment and reforms," he added.

Italy takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July, and the PM suggested the issue of boat immigration from North Africa may be on the cards – though he ruled out reforming the Schengen agreement that specifies which countries have to process newly arrived immigrants.

"Watching three-year-old children die at the bottom of the sea and saying it's not our problem is barbaric and immoral. We are saving many people with our Mare Nostrum operation," he said, by which Italy's navy sweeps the seas off its coasts looking for people in trouble.

"But Europe must call on the United Nations (UN) to intervene in Libya and generally have the capacity to manage the immigration phenomenon. We think Frontex could be better used," he added.

Italy has long borne the brunt of migrants making the crossing from North Africa to Europe, but EU border agency Frontex says there has been a significant rise in numbers in recent months.

The Italian navy rescued around 3,000 boat migrants over the past 24 hours, bringing the number of arrivals so far this year to 43,000 – the same number registered in the whole of 2013, according to Italian media reports.- AFP

Psy’s new music video to be unveiled June 8

Posted: 31 May 2014 05:18 PM PDT

Fresh from conquering YouTube by surpassing two billion views with his mega-hit "Gangnam Style," handlers for Psy say the release of a follow-up video is just a week away, according to a report.

SAN FRANCISCO: Fresh from conquering YouTube by surpassing two billion views with his mega-hit "Gangnam Style," handlers for Psy say the release of a follow-up video is just a week away, according to a report on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal said the music star's next song – a collaboration with rapper Snoop Dogg – will get its worldwide release during a June 8 live broadcast of America's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" late-night talk show.

The new song – "Hangover" – will be "completely different," displaying Psy's hip-hop side, his handlers told the newspaper.

The South Korean pop phenomenon galloped into the record books Saturday when his "Gangnam Style" mega hit smashed through the two-billion views mark on YouTube.

It was a first at YouTube, where "Baby" by Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber in February became the only other video in the billion-view club.

"Gangnam Style" turned into a global sensation and fuelled a South Korean "K-Pop" trend after it was uploaded to YouTube in July 2012. - AFP

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Mah Siew Keong recaptures Teluk Intan seat

Posted: 31 May 2014 12:23 PM PDT

TELUK INTAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong recaptured the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat after defeating Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud of the DAP by a 238-vote majority in yesterday's by-election.

Mah, 53, obtained 20,157 votes as compared to Dyana Sofya, 27, who garnered 19,919 votes.

The results were announced by Returning Officer Datuk Ibrahim Ahmad at the vote tallying centre, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abdul Rahman Talib here, at 9.41pm.

Voter turnout was 66.67 per cent with 40,236 out of the 60,349 registered voters casting their votes. — Bernama

Awang Tengah proposes CIQ post, service centre for Ba Kelalan

Posted: 31 May 2014 12:22 PM PDT

by Philip Kiew, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on June 1, 2014, Sunday

BA KELALAN: Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said a service centre and a Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) post have been proposed for Ba Kelalan.

He said this when representing Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem to declare open the Irau Aco Lun Bawang Festival 2014 at Buduk Nur in Ba Kelalan yesterday.

"I will bring up the proposal of the service centre to our chief minister who has a sentimental attachment to Ba Kelalan and its people," he said to the applause of the crowd which gave him a rousing welcome upon his arrival in Buduk Nur.

Awang Tengah added that the state had also proposed to the Federal Government to build a proper CIQ post in Ba Kelalan to regulate cross-border movement of people and goods in safeguard security while maintaining good neighbourly ties with Indonesia.

Awang Tengah also urged the Lun Bawang youths to emulate the character of resilience and dynamism of their predecessors in overcoming hurdles in pursuit of education which enabled many of them to become professionals.

"The many Lun Bawang professionals were students who walked seven days from Ba Kelalan to Lawas, criss-crossing mountains and rivers, in their pursuit of education, and this resilience and spirit of wanting to progress must continue," he said.

"Remain true to your strength and spirit which spawned success in the Lun Bawang community," he said.

The minister also urged the community to support the construction of the Lawas-Long Sukang road as the project was already allocated RM 40 million under the federal government special allocation a few years ago but the appointed contractors abandoned the project.

Awang Tengah later approved a grant of RM 50,000 for the Irau Aco Lun Bawang 2014 festival this year.

Among those present at the function were Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, Bukit Kota assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Limbang Resident Maria Hasman and former Ba Kelalan assemblyman Datuk Nelson Balang Rining.

More rural road links in 11MP

Posted: 31 May 2014 12:21 PM PDT

Chief Minister says bridging rural-urban economic gap through better accessibility state's top priority

KUCHING: Sarawak wants to link more of its rural interior and coastal areas with roads and be provided with electricity and water supply under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem, who said this in his Gawai Dayak message yesterday, pointed out the government was aware of the needs to bridge the economic gap between urban and rural regions.

"There is a lot more of work when it comes to lifting the rural economy. Under the 11MP."

Adenan said the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) mega project would also help steer the rural areas particularly in the central region of Sarawak towards the development mainstream.

He added the construction of hydroelectric power dams had not just enabled the state to offer competitive power tariff to spur the development of several industries but also resulted in roads built in areas such as Hulu Rajang, Hulu Kapit and Hulu Baram.

"It is not easy to bring about development in rural areas in the state given its hilly terrains and the distance in between areas that require development.

"Without SCORE, it is not possible for us to achieve the developed status by 2020."

He thus urged the rural youths especially the Dayaks to take up technical education to equip themselves to take up jobs in SCORE development areas.

He noted that to date many youths were already employed in Samalaju industrial area, earning a decent income.

On a different note, Adenan said Sarawakians must be mindful of external and internal elements, which had been trying to cause discord in the community.

He added the state government would do everything in its power to thwart any threat to the state's peace and harmony.

The government, he said, had gone all-out to preserve social harmony and uphold political stability since Sarawak's Independence.

"As the chief minister to all races, I ask that all irrespective of races work hand in hand to maintain stability, both socially and politically so that our state could continue to enjoy progress."

Chinese tourist abducted in Sabah to return home today

Posted: 31 May 2014 12:20 PM PDT

SEPANG: Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29, who was rescued by Malaysian authorities after being abducted by seven-armed men last April, was sent back to her country of origin yesterday, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He said the Malaysian government was arranging for Gao's safe return to China to be with her family.

"She will be brought here (KLIA) from Sabah and then we will arrange for her to be back with her family as soon as possible, if possible today," he told reporters at the airport before leaving for London here yesterday.

He said arrangements would also be made to send Marcy Dayawan, 40, a Filipino hotel worker who was abducted with Gao, back to her country.

Asked whether the media would be given an opportunity to interview Gao before she was to be sent home, Khalid said it would be better to not disturb her.

"I don't think she want (to be interviewed). Don't disturb her. Furthermore,she has long being under duress. Let her meet her family first," he added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tweeted Friday night that no ransom was paid for the release of the two women and expressed his appreciation and thanks to the security forces for securing their release.

Najib attributed the success to the cooperation between the Philippines and Malaysian security forces.

Gao, from Shanghai, and Dayawan, an employee at the Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort, were kidnapped by a group of seven armed men who burst into the resort at about 10.30pm on April 2.

The 60-room resort is located about two nautical miles from Semporna town. There were 61 tourists at the resort then, comprising 59 Chinese nationals, an Iranian and a Malaysian.

Gao had travelled to the resort alone to attend a diving course to obtain her diving licence. — Bernama