7 die as Ukraine cargo plane crashes in Sahara

7 die as Ukraine cargo plane crashes in Sahara
McCartney urges Scots to stick with UK
Bureau: Orphans can succeed if they’re spunky
Identiti 9 mangsa dibawa pulang 2 Sept belum dapat didedah: Rohani
MPOB: We’ll accept credible explanations
Voices urging Sabah to secede will affect unity — Muhyiddin

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 06:08 PM PDT

ALGIERS: A Ukrainian cargo plane crashed in the Sahara desert early on Saturday (Aug 30), killing all seven people on board, Algeria's transport ministry said.

The Antonov 12, which had come from Glasgow in Scotland and was bound for Equatorial Guinea, came down near Tamanrasset airport at around 2:40 am (0140 GMT), a ministry statement said.

"Unfortunately, rescue teams did not find any survivors at the scene of the crash," the statement added.

The aircraft had been transporting petroleum industry equipment. It had made a stopover for unspecified technical reasons at Tamanrasset, an Algerian city deep in the Sahara 2,000 kilometres south of Algiers. Previously, it had made another technical stop at Ghardaia, 600 kilometres south of the capital.

Rescuers found debris from the aircraft in a mountainous area, local officials said.

An inquiry into the crash has begun, Transport Minister Amar Ghoul said. - AFP

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McCartney urges Scots to stick with UK

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 05:58 PM PDT

LONDON: Paul McCartney has signed a letter urging Scotland to stick with the United Kingdom in next month's independence referendum, organisers said on Saturday (Aug 30). The Beatles star has put his name to the Let's Stay Together campaign as organisers sought support on the streets of his native Liverpool in northwest England.

More than 200 British celebrities, including Mick Jagger, Stephen Hawking and Judi Dench, have signed the letter. Oscar, Grammy and Nobel Prize winners, Olympic gold medallists, lords, knights of the realm, professors and novelists are among the signatories.

Only people who live in Scotland get to vote in the September 18 referendum on whether to end the 307-year-old political union with England. The letter signatories calling for a "No" vote – Scots included – do not have a vote but are hoping those who do will keep the union together.

"The decision on whether to leave our shared country is, of course, absolutely yours alone," the letter says. "Nevertheless, that decision will have a huge effect on all of us in the rest of the United Kingdom. We want to let you know how very much we value our bonds of citizenship with you, and to express our hope that you will vote to renew them. What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together."

McCartney released the hit song "Mull of Kintyre" in 1977 with his band Wings. The song was a tribute to the area in Scotland where he has owned property since the 1960s.

Other signatories from the world of music include Bryan Ferry, World War II forces sweetheart Vera Lynn, Cliff Richard, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sting. - AFP

Bureau: Orphans can succeed if they’re spunky

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 12:00 PM PDT

MIRI: Over the years, five orphans under the care of Masjid Darul Ehsan Piasau's Orphans Welfare Bureau successfully pursued higher education in religious studies in Indonesia.

This shows that orphans can go far in their lives if they have the drive to succeed, said the bureau's secretary, Mohd Sabri Lampan, yesterday.

Speaking at the mosque's Hari Raya cum National Day eve celebrations, he said orphans must make it a point to prove they are strong and able to face the challenges of life in the absence of their parents.

"For us, we are only able to help them financially and in kind. Emotionally, they (orphans) need to be tough and strong."

Mohd Sabri said the cash donations given to the orphans from time to time only served to motivate them to study hard.

Present at the gathering was Masjid Darul Ehsan Piasau chairman Datuk Wan Morshidi Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Identiti 9 mangsa dibawa pulang 2 Sept belum dapat didedah: Rohani

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 11:58 AM PDT

KUCHING: Identiti sembilan mangsa nahas pesawat MH17 yang akan tiba di tanah air pada 2 September ini masih belum dapat didedahkan kepada umum sama ada membabitkan mereka yang berasal dari Sarawak.

Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim berkata, identiti itu masih tidak dapat didedahkan kerana mengambil kira sensitiviti keluarga yang terlibat.

Menurutnya, lima jenazah dan empat abu mayat dijangka tiba pada jam 8.30 pagi di Kompleks Bunga Raya Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) dari Amsterdam.

Malah, jumlah rasmi jenazah yang akan dihantar pulang hanya dapat disahkan selepas mesyuarat akhir berlangsung hari ini.

"Setakat hari ini (semalam), jumlah jenazah dan abu mayat yang akan dihantar pulang Selasa depan masih sama iaitu sembilan orang," katanya ketika dihubungi, semalam.

Insiden pesawat malang itu mengorbankan tujuh penumpang dari negeri ini termasuk enam sekeluarga dan mendiang Meling Mula, 48.

Dua daripada tujuh mangsa iaitu Allahyarhamah Ariza Ghazalee, 46, dan anak sulungnya, Allahyarham Muhammad Afif, 19, telah selamat dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Semariang pada 22 Ogos lalu.

Bagaimanapun, jenazah suami dan tiga lagi anaknya iaitu Tambi Jiee, 49, Muhammad Afzal, 17, Marsha Azmeena, 15, dan Muhammad Afruz, 13, masih belum diketahui termasuk mendiang Meling yang berasal dari Bintulu.

Beliau menjelaskan, pihaknya hanya dapat memaklumkan kepada waris mangsa sejurus menerima maklumat pengesahan daripada Lembaga Pengenalpastian Identiti Mangsa MH17 sebelum mereka diterbangkan ke Amsterdam untuk tujuan pengecaman.

"Setiap kerja mengenal pasti jenazah adalah berlandaskan Prosedur Operasi Standard oleh pihak lembaga.

"Saya juga ingin menasihatkan waris mangsa yang terlibat untuk menerima sesiapa sahaja ahli keluarga mereka yang telah dijumpai kerana jenazah yang telah dikenal pasti tidak dapat disimpan terlalu lama di Amsterdam berikutan faktor-faktor tertentu," katanya.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, kementerian tersebut telah menambah lima sesi intervensi kaunseling daripada 35 kepada 40 sesi yang bertujuan untuk menenangkan waris mangsa nahas pesawat tersebut.

MPOB: We’ll accept credible explanations

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 11:56 AM PDT

KUCHING: Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) yesterday said replies from those issued with show-cause letters would be vetted in accordance with the law.

Recently, MPOB issued the letters to millers, dealers, and smallholders for suspected breach of licensing regulations.

"As of today, MPOB has issued show-cause letters to a miller and 11 fresh fruit bunch (FFB) dealers for buying from doubtful sources. We have also issued a show-cause letter to a smallholder for selling FFB that exceeded the acreage stipulated in the licence," said a MPOB spokesman in a statement.

"The show-cause letters were to get additional information from the mentioned miller, smallholder, and FFB dealers with regards to the buying or selling of FFB from doubtful sources."

The statement was issued in response to Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa)'s recent call to MPOB to assure everyone on the validity of allegations made against those issued with show-cause letters.

Soppoa was reported saying in a news report on August 28 that the allegations included illegal harvesting of FFB, trading in stolen FFB, and buying fruits beyond permitted levels.

One MPOB allegation that affected mills and dealers, according to the association, was that smallholders were selling FFB beyond the expected yield based on their planted acreage.

Stressing that millers should not be punished, Soppoa said MPOB should verify practices at the mills before resorting to drastic action against them.

Meanwhile, on Soppoa's call to its member mills to assist all smallholders/farmers who are located within their vicinities by accepting their crops when delivered, MPOB said it supported such call, but it must "only accept FFB from licensed smallholders".

Voices urging Sabah to secede will affect unity — Muhyiddin

Posted: 30 Aug 2014 11:54 AM PDT

SIPITANG: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said voices urging that efforts be made to take out Sabah from Malaysia will adversely affect the spirit of cooperation, security and unity of the people.

The government did not want to hear voices raised by a small group stridently claiming there was no development in Sabah and urging for efforts to take Sabah out of Malaysia.

"The effort is opposed to the national and state constitutions.

"It is seditious in nature and if allowed to go on will affect the prevailing spirit of cooperation, security and unity in Sabah," he said when officiating at the Sipitang International Gata Festival here yesterday.

Also present was Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Sipitang MP Datuk Sapawi Ahmad.

In this regard, Muhyiddin said the voices should not be tolerated and stringent action would be taken against them for trying to create such a situation. — Bernama