Australian PM Abbott ‘revolted’ by imminent Indonesian executions

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• Australian PM Abbott ‘revolted’ by imminent Indonesian executions
• British shop prices drop in February
• HTC’s Vive: A remarkable 360° immersive virtual reality experience
• Study reveals financial crisis widens pay gap in America, Asia
• Marion Cotillard’s best kept secrets (VIDEO)
• HTC unveils its first virtual reality headset at MWC in Barcelona (VIDEO)

Australian PM Abbott ‘revolted’ by imminent Indonesian executions Posted: 03 Mar 2015 05:01 PM PST Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott listens to a question in the Australian Parliament in Canberra February 23, 2015. — Reuters picSYDNEY, March 4 Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott today said he was "revolted" by the looming execution of two convicted Australian drug traffickers as preparations were under way to move the men to an island where they will be shot. The planned executions of Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31, have ratcheted up diplomatic tensions amid repeated pleas of mercy for the pair. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has adopted a tough stance on carrying out harsh penalties for drug traffickers. Executions were resumed in 2013 after a five-year gap and nationals from Brazil, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Vietnam have been among those put in front of a firing squad. Widodo has denied clemency to 11 convicts currently on death row, including the Australian nationals, and warned other countries to stay out of Indonesia's sovereign affairs. "At every moment, I'm making Australia's position clear. We, frankly, are revolted by the prospect of these executions," Abbott told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. "I think there are millions of Australians who feel sick to their stomachs about what's happened to these two men who committed a terrible crime, a terrible crime," Abbott said. "But the position of Australia is that we abhor drug crime but we abhor the death penalty as well, which we think is beneath a country like Indonesia." Indonesia's chief prosecutor has said Chan and Sukumaran will be moved from Bali today to the island of Nusakambangan, where executions are carried out, according to media reports. Australia's ABC TV showed live footage of a large contingent of police officers arriving pre-dawn at Bali's Kerobokan prison, where the two men have been held for a decade. The pair were convicted in 2005 as the ringleaders of the so-called Bali Nine, who were arrested at Bali's Denpasar airport for attempting to smuggle 8 kg (18 lb) of heroin to Australia. The Australian government has stressed that Sukumaran and Chan have been rehabilitated in prison, where they mentor younger inmates. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said pardoning them would be a show of "strength" for Widodo and a vote of confidence in Indonesia's ability to rehabilitate offenders. Abbott said Australia's lobbying on behalf of the men had previously shown some promise, but he no longer wanted to hold out false hope. "There were some suggestions earlier that perhaps at least some people in the Indonesian systems were having second thoughts but I'm afraid those signals seem to be dissipating," he said. — Reuters

British shop prices drop in February Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:54 PM PST Pedestrians walk past a sale sign on Oxford Street in central London December 29, 2013. — Reuters picLONDON, March 4 — Prices in British shops fell at a faster pace in February as tough competition drove down clothing and furniture costs, while food prices fell for a second month in a row, an industry body said today. The British Retail Consortium said shop prices in February fell 1.7 per cent compared with a 1.3 per cent decline in January. Food prices dropped by 0.4 per cent, the pace of decline easing slightly from 0.5 per cent in January. "Since the start of the year, we have seen some very competitive pricing across both the food and non-food channels and this is helping to keep prices low for shoppers," said Mike Watkins of data company Nielsen, which compiles the survey. Last month Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said he expected Britain's broader official measure of consumer price inflation would soon dip into negative territory for the first time too. Sharp falls in the price of oil and other commodities have lowered the wholesale prices paid by retailers, and come as Britain's major supermarkets are trying to fend off a challenge from German discounters Aldi and Lidl. — Reuters

HTC’s Vive: A remarkable 360° immersive virtual reality experience Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:47 PM PST Duration: 1:13, Published 4 Mar 2015 At MWC in Barcelona, the Taiwanese manufacturer HTC presented the Vive, its first virtual reality headset. Due to launch in late 2015, the new device will be one of just a handful of similar products available to consumers. — AFP-relaxnews

Study reveals financial crisis widens pay gap in America, Asia Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:47 PM PST A recruiter for Cigna greets a job seeker at a career fair within the 2013 National Urban League conference in Philadelphia July 25, 2013. — Reuters picLONDON, March 4 — The pay gap between senior managers and lower-level employees has widened much more sharply in North America and Asia than in Europe since the financial crisis, a study showed today. The report by Hay Group, a global management consultancy, showed that pay disparity between the likes of clerical or graduate-entry jobs and senior managers had increased in every region worldwide since the start of the global recession. In North America the pay gap rose by 7.2 per cent between 2008 and 2014, while the gap in Asia increased by 12.5 per cent. Europe experienced the smallest widening at 2.2 per cent. "Despite an average global increase in the job-level pay gap, Europe and America have diverged, in part due to local employment practices," Hay Group consultant Ben Frost said. The International Monetary Fund warned last year that income inequality could lead to slower or less sustainable economic growth. Many companies in Europe introduced across-the-board pay cuts to avoid job losses while businesses in the United States cut jobs more often and raised senior management pay to reflect increased duties, the Hay report showed. The pay gap in the United States widened by 10.6 per cent between 2008 and 2014, with workers in senior management roles paid an average of four times the amount earned by workers in lower-level jobs last year. Within Europe, the gap in Britain increased 5.3 per cent to 3.3 times but by only 0.3 per cent in Germany to 2.8 times. In Asia, the gap in China grew by 7.8 per cent to 12.7 times and in Japan it rose by 2.1 per cent to 3.3 times. Hay Group said the increase in the pay gap was driven by the increasing automation of low-level jobs or their transfer to lower-pay countries. Such cost-cutting resulted in increased competition for remaining jobs, keeping pay down. In contrast, senior management pay has risen to reflect increased responsibilities and more complex work, it said. Hay Group said the data used for the study was drawn from more than 16 million employees in 24,000 organisations. — Reuters

Marion Cotillard’s best kept secrets (VIDEO) Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:46 PM PST LOS ANGELES, March 4 ― We look at some unknown facts about french beauty Marion Cotillard. ― Cover Media  French actress Marion Cotillard stars in 'The Immigrant'. — Cover Media pic

HTC unveils its first virtual reality headset at MWC in Barcelona (VIDEO) Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:44 PM PST BARCELONA, March 4 — At MWC in Barcelona, the Taiwanese manufacturer HTC presented the Vive, its first virtual reality headset. Due to launch in late 2015, the new device will be one of just a handful of similar products available to consumers. HTC teamed with video games specialist Valve to develop the Vive, a solution that promises a remarkable 360° immersive virtual reality (VR) experience, "letting you get up, walk around and explore your virtual space, inspect objects from every angle and truly interact with your surroundings," according to a press release. The headset achieves this namely through two HD screens, one in front of each eye, with 1200x1080 pixels each and a 90fps refresh rate. The entire solution is based on Valve's Steam VR technology, which HTC hopes will allow users to travel, attend sports events or even shop without leaving home. To this end, the manufacturer has already announced partnerships with Google, HBO and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. A developer edition is due out this spring, but consumers will have to wait until the end-of-year holidays to get their hands on the Vive. The HTC Vive is slated to launch before the end of the year. — Picture courtesy of HTCA VR headset and its dedicated smartphone Also in Barcelona, Samsung revealed a headset designed specifically for use with its new Galaxy S6 smartphone and its curved-screen equivalent, the S6 Edge. The new model joins the Gear VR, Samsung's headset designed exclusively for its Galaxy Note 4, which is already available in the US for US$199. Along the same lines, Samsung's rival LG presented the VR for G3 last month. Naturally, the headset is compatible with the South Korean manufacturer's G3 high-end smartphone. Other manufacturers have also attempted to enter the burgeoning VR headset space, including the French company Archos, which sells its VR Glasses—compatible with any Android, iOS or Windows Phone smartphone measuring less than 6 inches—for the unbeatable price of €29.99. The company with the most riding on this technology is still Oculus VR, the Facebook-owned start-up that collaborated with Samsung on the Galaxy Gear VR.  Since 2012, the brand has developed several prototypes and has even mentioned a potential dedicated apps platform, which could launch just ahead of its first market-ready VR headset. The highly anticipated device is due to launch before the end of 2015. — AFP-Relaxnews

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TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

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• TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION
• Good night Malaysian 370
• Jailed parents out soon
• Street crime in KL down 25pc till May
• Cabinet reshuffle announcement today?
• Expats eagerly await kick-offAWAY VIEWING: Foreigners in Malaysia will be supporting their teams with a touch of home

TOWARDS GREATER EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST 31 December 2014| last updated at 12:08AM By ZAFIRA ANWAR | news@nst.com.my He said the blueprint, which will be implemented in three different waves, is aimed at producing human capital to fulfil the nation's future agenda that underlines the importance of a world-class and quality education in achieving the nation's goals. "The first wave (2013-2015) will rationalise 25 out of the 100 initiatives introduced by the government focusing on revamping the current education system and teacher quality on three key aspects; numeracy, literacy and language," he said, adding that the blueprint would transform the entire education system to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive global environment. The teaching profession will be enhanced to create outstanding pupils and students to drive the country's development. The gap between students in urban and rural areas will be bridged, with other areas of focus being the socio economic level and meeting a 50 per cent gender achievement by 2020. He said the Ministry will raise teacher quality while improving the existing pool of teachers in terms of school leadership, recruitment and training of principals, and also improving student literacy in Bahasa Malaysia, English and other languages. The blueprint also focuses on enhancing the status of Bahasa Malaysia while giving serious attention to the English language which will be made a must pass subject for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination by 2016. "'Strong implementation rapid execution', that is my approach in realising the education blueprint," he said at a press conference at his office yesterday. "Strong implementation would consist close monitoring starting from the management of the education system right up to the classroom environment," he said adding that as the Director-General, he would go to different schools to closely analyse and look at issues faced by teachers and students first hand. "The Ministry has developed a set of KPIs anchored on the system goals of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. These KPIs have been cascaded downwards from the Ministry to schools, ensuring consistency and coherency of targets throughout the system. "The implementation of initiatives towards achieving these KPIs will be monitored by the Inspectorate of Schools." He said teachers must understand and embrace the blueprint in order to fully implement the plan. "This is called rapid execution -- we must know where we stand and how far are we from reaching our goal in order to realise each plan or initiative successfully," he said, adding that under the 2014 Budget RM54.6 billion, which is almost 21 per cent of the Budget, was allocated for education purposes. "The Budget shows commitment by the government in providing the education system with better opportunities for improvement." The Ministry also carries out special programmes for students identified as gifted, as well as runs the School in Hospitals programme to ensure students who are hospitalised get the opportunity to learn. There are Integrity Schools for juvenile delinquents and Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih in Kuala Lumpur for underprivileged children. "For poor students, Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin was established with those excelling in exams given priority for entry into fully residential schools. "With this there is no question of students being left behind because every opportunity is given to them," he said.

Good night Malaysian 370 Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:17 PM PDT An unexcepted error occurred: javax.servlet.ServletException: com.polopoly.service.cm.standard.storage.CMSStorageException: Unable to repair persistent storage

Jailed parents out soon Posted: 05 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT 06 July 2014| last updated at 12:16AM The children were told by Ketereh member of parliament Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who had visited Shalwati recently, that Azizul Raheem would be released next month, while Shalwati would be released in September. The couple's eldest child, Aishah, 15, said she and her three siblings were elated by the news. "I am very happy to hear the news that mummy and daddy will be released soon. "We are surprised, as we thought that they would be in prison for a longer time. "We will wait patiently for their return." Azizul Raheem, 38, who is Tourism Malaysia director in Sweden, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while Shalwati, 46, was handed a 14-month sentence for gross violation of the integrity of their children. The couple have been in the custody of Swedish authorities since December last year. The children, Aishah, Ammar, 12, Adam, 11, and Arif, 8, have been living with their aunt here since returning from Sweden early this year. Aishah said Ramadan this year would be extra meaningful, as it would be the first time the siblings would fast in their home country. She said they were glad that their father would be here with them. She said Arif was excited by the news of their father's impending return, as he was closest to him. "We miss mummy and daddy very much. "It has been more than six months since we last saw them."

Street crime in KL down 25pc till May Posted: 05 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT 06 July 2014| last updated at 12:15AM Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Ahmad said a 25.9 per cent reduction in serious crime was recorded in the district in the same period. "This is proof of our commitment and continuous effort to fight crime, especially street crime, in the district," he said, attributing the success to Op Cantas Khas. He said regular checks and police presence at several hot spots, such as Bukit Bintang, Jalan Silang, Central Market and Kota Raya, were among the initiatives that had led to the development. Zainuddin added that random checks on suspicious-looking individuals at hot spots in the Golden Triangle had led to the arrest of 92 suspects.

Cabinet reshuffle announcement today? Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT 13 June 2014| last updated at 11:22PM Talk about the reshuffling of ministries and swapping of portfolios began when MCA publicly expressed its desire to represent the Chinese community in federal cabinet. "This cabinet reshuffle is vital for the component parties to rejoin the cabinet to help the prime minister implement his transformation plans," said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to Bernama at the Parliament lobby yesterday. It was a desire endorsed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, following a more than year-long hiatus of Chinese community representatives from the cabinet. Furthermore, Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, promised that Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong would become a minister if he emerged victorious in the Teluk Intan by-election. Thus, the upset against DAP in the by-election ensures that at the very least, a mini reshuffle of the cabinet was needed. The focus now is on the inclusion of Chinese leaders in the cabinet. Other than Mah, the other two Chinese leaders most likely to make the cut as full ministers are Liow and his MCA deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. Universiti Sains Malaysia's Associate Professor Sivamurugan Pandian said he expected the next cabinet reshuffle to change the current "deficit line-up" to better represent communities in the country. "It is going back to the power sharing formula practised by BN component parties. Gerakan will be represented by Mah, who is the party president, while MCA will likely be represented Liow and Wee." Sivamurugan said Liow, Wee and Mah could then use their ministerial positions to better strategise their approach against waning support from the Chinese community for the ruling coalition. "New positions in the cabinet for Gerakan and MCA would also mean a new platform for the two parties to rebuild their voting base. "They need to focus on the needs and demands of the Chinese community while assessing the reason behind the loss of support." MCA grassroots members had proposed a "3+5" formula, meaning the appointment of three ministers and five deputies. "But he (Najib) does not want the change to be merely lip-service. The proposed MCA formula may not be fully met. The prime minister wants the new line-up to be of substantial leaders equipped with capabilities to realise the projected outcome of nation building policies," says Sivamurugan. Independent analyst professor Hoo Ke Ping speculated that expectations to return the health ministry portfolio to Liow remained, with the same fate for Wee, who might be appointed transport minister. "Mah is likely to be a minister in the prime minister's department in charge of unity and performance management."

Expats eagerly await kick-offAWAY VIEWING: Foreigners in Malaysia will be supporting their teams with a touch of home Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT 13 June 2014| last updated at 11:36PM Brazilian embassy Minister-Counselor Jose Soares said the much-awaited quadrennial games would be watched with the same level of excitement and intensity in Malaysia as in his home country, this year's host of the World Cup. He said the Latin American community in Malaysia had always embraced their roots and their undying love for football, regardless of the geographic distance. "We have more than 2,000 Latin Americans residing in Malaysia and our community had always come together for festivals and events. "As for the World Cup this year, we have planned and arranged many activities for the community throughout the month, such as private parties at bars and restaurants and going house-to-house to watch the games," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Although, Soares missed the energy and spirit of football in Brazil, he was sure Malaysians would show the same enthusiasm. Soares' countryman, Cristiano Genuino Da Silva, 39, said the World Cup atmosphere was different in Malaysia. "My friends would go to different people's houses each day, hours before the game started, just to get into the mood. "We would be served a variety of food and drink everywhere we go." Unlike in Brazil, watching football in Malaysia was different in many aspects, especially in terms of the spirit, he said. The Camara'Malaysia capoeira instructor said his capoeira team had been fully booked the entire month to perform at private parties, bars and events throughout the country for football fans. England-born Geoff Siddle is determined to go full throttle in embracing World Cup fever with a mix of English and Malaysian styles. The 46-year-old who operates the "Sid's Pub" chain of neighbourhood pubs around Kuala Lumpur, said his outlets would be open until 6am throughout the month. "We will be offering discounts of up to 50 per cent all day long on selected beverages and also be serving local and western dishes for customers until the wee hours of the morning." Siddle, who came to Malaysia 17 years ago, said he had arranged for a gathering with other British expatriates to watch the England-Italy match on Sunday morning. "I have prepared an Englishmen's get-to-together to cheer and support our countrymen in winning the World Cup this year," he said, adding that the spirit and enthusiasm would be larger than life despite watching it with a small group of people.

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‘Fifty Shades’ eclipses ‘Ted’ to top list of highest-grossing ‘R’ rated movie

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• ‘Fifty Shades’ eclipses ‘Ted’ to top list of highest-grossing ‘R’ rated movie
• Range Rover offers new convertible version of Evoque
• Zahid passing buck on Anwar’s Parliament attendance, PKR lawyers insist
• AFP Video: Testing of new Range Rover Evoque Convertible
• UK to classify child sex abuse as a ‘national threat’
• Anti-Islamist general named Libya army chief

‘Fifty Shades’ eclipses ‘Ted’ to top list of highest-grossing ‘R’ rated movie Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:58 PM PST Director of the film Sam Taylor-Johnson, cast members Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson and author EL James arrive for the British premiere of the movie 'Fifty Shades of Grey' in London February 12, 2015. — Reuters picLOS ANGELES, March 3 — "Fifty Shades of Grey" has overtaken "Ted" to become Universal Pictures' highest-grossing international movie rated "R" after raking in US$338.4 million (RM1.2 billion) at the box office. The raunchy flick has eclipsed Seth MacFarlane's comedy, which previously held the record after making US$330 million, Variety reports. Current estimations put the film, which had a budget of US$40 million, on track to hit US$500 million next week. The steamy tale, based on the bestselling trilogy of novels by E. L. James, tells the story of S&M-loving billionaire Christian Grey and literature student Anastasia Steele, played by Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson respectively. ­— AFP-Relaxnews

Range Rover offers new convertible version of Evoque Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:54 PM PST LONDON, Mar 3 — British luxury SUV brand Land Rover is to offer its most popular off roader as a convertible. Just 24 hours before the 85th Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the world's motoring press, the company has decided to release the first official teaser images of what it claims will be the world's first premium compact SUV convertible. To try and keep the car's development a secret, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible was tested underground in the tunnels currently being created for the London Crossrail train project — the largest construction project currently being undertaken in Europe. And, a film has been posted to YouTube of the stunt. Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes said: "The tunnels are still under construction, so we had a unique opportunity to explore the vehicle's all-terrain ability in unchartered territory." When the convertible goes on sale later in 2015 it will line up alongside the face-lifted two-door and four-door hardtop versions of the Evoque, both of which will also be getting their official unveiling at this year's Geneva show. — AFP-RelaxnewsNew Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the world's first premium compact SUV convertible. — AFP pic

Zahid passing buck on Anwar’s Parliament attendance, PKR lawyers insist Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:53 PM PST According to PKR's N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya, the prerogative to allow jailed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to attend Parliament lies solely with the Prison Department director-general. ― Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The prerogative to allow jailed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to attend Parliament lies solely with the Prison Department director-general, according to two lawyers from PKR. By virtue of Section 13(1) of the Prisons Act stating that the director-general was answerable to the home minister, PKR's N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya said this meant the decision is, by extension, entirely Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's. "It is not the responsibility or jurisdiction of the Speaker, AG or Pardon's Board to bring Anwar Ibrahim from prison to Parliament "Only the Prisons Director General has the legal authority to release Anwar Ibrahim to attend Parliament. ... The Prisons D-G and the prison's department fall under the control and responsibility of the home minister," the two said in a statement today. They then rubbished Ahmad Zahid's claim that the decision was also dependent on the Pardons Board meeting to hear Anwar's petition, saying that any decision by the board would render the appeal moot as the opposition leader will either be freed or disqualified if his appeal is rejected. "We are astonished at the lengths to which the home minister is prepared to go in order to evade responsibility regarding the attendance of the leader of the Opposition at Parliament," they added, Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid claimed that the request for Anwar to be granted permission to leave the Sungai Buloh Prison could not be processed as the Pardons Board that is hearing his petition has not been convened. The minister also added that the matter was for Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to decide. On February 10, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal's 2014 ruling that reversed Anwar's acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, and sentenced the Permatang Pauh lawmaker to five years' jail. He remains an MP and federal opposition leader by virtue of the petition for a royal pardon filed on his behalf by his family, which stays the disqualification from his jail sentence pending the disposal of the petition. PKR insists that Anwar is entitled to be present during next week's Parliament sitting as federal opposition leader, but lawyers previously told Malay Mail Online that there is specific legal provision that provides Anwar with such a right.

AFP Video: Testing of new Range Rover Evoque Convertible Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:51 PM PST Duration: 01:34, Published 3 Mar 2015 British luxury SUV brand Land Rover is to offer its most popular off roader as a convertible. — AFP-Relaxnews

UK to classify child sex abuse as a ‘national threat’ Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:47 PM PST Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron will propose criminal sanctions for senior public workers who fail to protect children from abuse.— Reuters picLONDON, March 3 — British Prime Minister David Cameron will make child sexual abuse a national priority on a par with organised crime today, as he announces a series of measures to prevent systematic abuse. Britain has been rocked by a series of child sex abuse revelations, including a case in Rotherham, northern England, where some 1,400 children, some as young as 11, were abused by gangs of predominantly Asian men. Classifying child sexual abuse as a national threat will create a duty for police forces to collaborate across regions to safeguard children, Cameron's office said. Cameron will also announce other measures to improve coordination between public bodies and a helpline to encourage whistleblowers. In addition, Cameron will propose criminal sanctions for senior public workers who fail to protect children from abuse, as he speaks to a meeting of victim groups, police and child protection experts in his official London residence. "We have all been appalled at the abuse suffered by so many young girls in Rotherham and elsewhere across the country," Cameron will say, according to extracts released in advance by his office. "Children were ignored, sometimes even blamed, and issues were swept under the carpet — often because of a warped and misguided sense of political correctness. That culture of denial which let them down so badly must be eradicated." The government has begun an inquiry into decades of child abuse and whether powerful public figures covered it up. Yesterday, British police charged 10 men with sexual offences, including several involving children, as part of a wider police investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, another northern English town. — Reuters

Anti-Islamist general named Libya army chief Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:43 PM PST Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and opposing militias have since been battling for control of its cities and oil wealth. — AFP picBENGHAZI, March 3 — A once-retired general leading a sweeping offensive against Islamists has been named Libyan army chief, an official said yesterday, in a move expected to deepen divisions in the conflict-riven country. "I've chosen Major General Khalifa Belgacem Haftar for the post of commander-in-chief of the army after promoting him to the rank of lieutenant general," Aguila Salah, the speaker of the internationally recognised parliament, told AFP. Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and opposing militias have since been battling for control of its cities and oil wealth. It has two rival governments and parliaments, those recognised by the international community sitting in the far east of the country and the others with ties to Islamists in the capital, Tripoli. The internationally backed legislature created the post of army chief under a new law passed last week. A member of parliament said at the time that the law was adopted to "legitimise" Haftar, who calls himself chief of the Libyan National Army. Army spokesman Colonel Ahmed al-Mesmari said Haftar would be sworn in today before the assembly. His appointment threatens to derail efforts by UN envoy Bernardino Leon to relaunch a political dialogue in Libya, which has rival governments and parliaments and is flush with armed militias. Yesterday night, however, the internationally recognised parliament voted to return to the UN-brokered talks a week after suspending its participation, a lawmaker told AFP. Last May, Haftar launched an offensive against Islamists in the country's east, prompting the then-government to accuse him of trying to stage a coup. But after Islamists-led militias seized Tripoli, following disputed elections in June, the internationally recognised authorities have gradually allied themselves with him. Last month, they formally requested that he and 129 other retired officers return to active service. In addition to the insecurity since Kadhafi's overthrow, there have been growing fears in Libya and beyond about efforts by the Islamic State jihadist group to establish a stronghold in the country. UN-sponsored talks The international community faces a daunting task to find a political solution to the lawless nation's political and military crisis. Fajr Libya, a coalition of militias that seized Tripoli and which backs a rival government based in the capital, has rejected any political settlement that includes Haftar. And Haftar has branded the Fajr Libya coalition—which includes moderate militias considered as the armed wing of the Libya branch of the Muslim Brotherhood—as "terrorist" groups. Haftar's convictions are not shared by many, with analysts saying that Fajr Libya has a role to play in UN-brokered talks just as much as the general. Western countries also do not share Haftar's views and believe "he is putting moderate Islamists and extremist ones in the same bag," a Western diplomat said. Yesterday UN envoy Leon shuttled between the rival parliaments to persuade them to resume talks on a political solution to the crisis. Lawmakers said Leon met representatives of the General National Congress, the parallel parliament backed by Fajr Libya, in Tripoli and with the legislature based in the eastern city of Tobruk. After meeting with Leon, the Tobruk-based parliament voted to return to the talks, said lawmaker Abu Bakr Beira. Last week the elected parliament had decided to suspend its participation in the UN-brokered talks over what is said was Western pressure to include Islamists in a future government. The suspension came days after 40 people were killed in suicide car bombings in the eastern town of Al-Qoba claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Since launching efforts at dialogue in September, Leon has been unable to bring together leading players from the rival camps. The United Nations had invited the two parliaments to the new round of talks on Thursday in Morocco but the meeting has been postponed. On February 11, Leon met separately with officials from both sides in southern Libya and reported that the indirect talks were "positive and constructive". — AFP

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Tragedi pusingan 'U'

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• Tragedi pusingan 'U'
• Bawa pisau naik bas nombor sama
• 'Imam Rock' cetus fenomena
• Tak bayar aku bakar!
• Korban 10 minit
• Budak kritikal jatuh kolam

Tragedi pusingan 'U' Posted: 07 Oct 2014 04:40 AM PDT Bintulu: Tiga maut termasuk seorang kanak-kanak lelaki berusia 10 tahun manakala tiga lagi parah selepas kereta dinaiki dirempuh sebuah lori tangki dalam kemalangan di Jalan Hulu Simpang Sebauh, Bintulu-Tatau, petang tadi. Kemalangan dipercayai berlaku pada jam 4 petang apabila kereta dinaiki enam sekeluarga cuba membuat pusingan 'U' sebelum belakang kereta itu dirempuh lori dalam perjalanan ke Bintulu. Jurucakap polis berkata, rempuhan itu menyebabkan dua mangsa lelaki dan perempuan berusia lingkungan 30-an serta kanak-kanak terbabit tersepit dan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian. Mereka terbunuh adalah Cecilia Roja anak Dunstan Kemarau, 21; Radian anak Sunek, 24, dan seorang kanak-kanak lelaki berusia lapan tahun yang juga anak pemandu kereta Joseph anak Jawa, 29. MANGSA yang maut di tempat kejadian. FOTO ihsan Bomba ANGGOTA bomba dan penyelamat membantu mengeluarkan mangsa tersepit dalam kemalangan. FOTO ihsan Bomba Semua mereka meninggal dunia akibat cedera di kepala dan kaki. Selain Joseph, mereka cedera adalah Raini anak Jilan, 24, dan Oliver anak Empran. Katanya, Bomba dan Penyelamat Bintulu terpaksa dipanggil bagi mengeluarkan mangsa tersepit. Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

Bawa pisau naik bas nombor sama Posted: 07 Oct 2014 04:37 AM PDT Georgetown: Wanita kurang siuman yang menikam pemandu bas Rapid Penang, semalam ditahan ketika dia sedang menaiki bas bernombor sama di Jalan Paya Terubong, di sini, hari ini. Pekebun sayur berusia 48 tahun itu ditahan oleh pemandu bas yang mengenali wanita terbabit kerana dia dikatakan hampir setiap hari menaiki bas Rapid Penang bernombor 502 laluan dari Jeti ke Balik Pulau untuk ke pasar. Selepas menahan wanita terbabit, pemandu bas itu menyerahkan suspek kepada polis dan hasil pemeriksaan ke atas beg wanita itu polis menemui sebilah pisau disyaki senjata kes serangan semalam. Difahamkan, setiap hari wanita itu akan menaiki bas untuk ke pasar berhampiran bagi menjual hasil tanamannya secara kecil-kecilan kepada peniaga di pasar berkenaan. SUSPEK direman empat hari bagi bantu siasatan. FOTO Muhammad Mikail Ong Ketua Polis Daerah Timur Laut Asisten Komisioner Mior Faridalathrash Wahid berkata, polis mendapatkan perintah tahanan reman selama empat hari ke atas wanita terbabit bagi siasatan kes serangan berkenaan. Katanya, polis percaya dapat menyelesaikan kes itu berikutan senjata yang dipercayai digunakan dalam kejadian berkenaan sudah ditemui. "Pisau itu ditemui dalam beg yang dibawanya dan suspek kini direman selama empat hari bagi membantu siasatan mengikut Seksyen 324 Kanun Keseksaan kerana mendatangkan kecederaan menggunakan senjata," katanya. Semalam, pemandu bas Rapid Penang Aisyamudin Yaacob, 27, tidak sedarkan diri apabila dia ditikam di paha kanan oleh wanita berkenaan yang dikatakan tidak berpuas hati kerana mangsa tidak memberhentikan bas di depan rumahnya berikutan hentian bas terletak di kawasan berdekatan. Tikaman itu terkena urat saraf utamanya membuatkan mangsa mengalami pendarahan teruk Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

'Imam Rock' cetus fenomena Posted: 07 Oct 2014 01:20 AM PDT Kuala Lumpur: "Rock macamana pun kita, Allah jangan lupa bro." Itu pegangan bintang rock Facebook (FB), Mohd Azlan Ahmad, 33, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Alen Castello yang mencetus fenomena apabila videonya menyanyikan lagu 'She's Gone' menjadi viral selepas dimuat naik di laman FB Harian Metro (HM) pada 10 September lalu. Lebih membanggakan, selain memiliki vokal hebat, Azlan juga adalah seorang imam di Masjid Ar Rahman, Batu Ferringhi sejak dua tahun lalu. Terbaru, dia memuat naik video yang dirakam ketika dia membaca khutbah Aidiladha di masjid berkenaan Ahad lalu. Setakat ini video berkenaan yang turut dimuat naik di laman FB HM mendapat 17,592 likes, 177,379 tontonan dan 2,263 kongsian. MOHD Azlan Ahmad yang juga dikenali sebagai Alen Castello. FOTO NSTP "Syukur Alhamdulillah, apabila video yang dipaparkan HM sebelum ini menjadi viral usaha saya berdakwah menjadi lebih mudah kerana semakin ramai pengguna FB mengenali saya," kata bapa kepada tiga anak itu. Jelasnya disamping berhibur, dia turut menggunakan akaun FB untuk berdakwah dengan menyelitkan nasihat keagamaan dan semakin hari ramai pengguna memberi respon yang baik. "Bagi saya genre muzik seperti rock jika diselitkan dengan unsur dakwah dan nasihat boleh memikat hati pendengar khususnya di kalangan generasi muda," jelasnya ketika dihubungi hari ini. Lazimnya dia bertugas sebagai imam pada siang hari iaitu pada waktu solat Zohor dan Asar, dan kemudian memulakan perniagaan char kuetiau di Batu Ferringhi selepas waktu Maghrib. "Saya juga menjadi imam solat Jumaat dua kali sebulan, dan kadang kala bertugas menjadi bilal jika diperlukan jemaah masjid," katanya yang mengaji sekolah pondok sejak berusia 13 tahun. Pada mulanya dia khuatir jika video yang menjadi viral memberi imej yang tidak baik kerana tugasnya sebagai seorang imam namun jemaah masjid memberi sokongan kepadanya kerana beranggapan ia adalah kaedah yang baik untuk menarik orang muda mendekati agama. "Setakat ini mereka (jemaah masjid) tiada masalah untuk saya teruskan tugas sebagai imam malah mereka memberi kata-kata semangat," katanya lagi. Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

Tak bayar aku bakar! Posted: 06 Oct 2014 11:07 AM PDT Kuala Lumpur: Sebuah premis menjual kereta import terpakai musnah dipercayai dibakar kumpulan kongsi gelap selepas pemilik premis itu dikatakan enggan membayar wang perlindungan kepada kumpulan terbabit dalam kejadian di Batu 4, Jalan Ipoh, awal pagi semalam. Menurut sumber, dalam kejadian jam 2.30 pagi, seorang pekerja premis dikatakan melihat kelibat dua lelaki mencurah petrol sebelum membakar tempat meletak kereta terpakai yang mengakibatkan 18 kereta pelbagai model hangus terbakar. Sumber berkata, sebaik melihat pekerja terbabit, dua suspek itu melarikan diri dengan memanjat pagar di belakang premis dan terus menghilangkan diri. "Pekerja berkenaan tidak sempat mengejar dua suspek kerana api marak merebak ke belakang premis sebelum dia menghubungi bomba bagi memadamkan kebakaran," kata sumber. ANTARA kereta yang musnah dalam kebakaran disyaki dilakukan kumpulan kongsi gelap. Harian Metro difahamkan, ini adalah kejadian ketiga dalam tempoh setahun di mana premis itu cuba dibakar kumpulan kongsi gelap di kawasan Sentul, di sini selepas pemilik premis tidak menurut kemahuan mereka untuk membayar wang perlindungan RM10,000, sebulan. Dapatkan akhbar Harian Metro untuk berita selanjutnya. Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

Korban 10 minit Posted: 06 Oct 2014 11:04 AM PDT Kangar: Buat julung kali, empat ekor lembu dikorbankan menggunakan peralatan sangkar sembelihan hidraulik hasil cetusan idea anak tempatan yang disifatkan lebih mudah sempena program ibadah korban di Masjid Ar-Raudhah, Sungai Batu Pahat, di sini, semalam. Sangkar berkenaan yang melalui proses inovasi disumbangkan oleh Taman Teknologi Malaysia (TPM) dengan kerjasama Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM) pada Mei lalu sebelum digunakan penduduk untuk aktiviti korban yang hanya mengambil masa 10 minit bagi menumbang dan menyembelih setiap ekor lembu. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) Sungai Batu Pahat Hamzan Hashim, 45, yang juga pencipta sangkar berkenaan berkata sebelum ini pihaknya menggunakan sangkar mudah alih untuk membaringkan lembu dan memerlukan tenaga manusia yang ramai sebelum disembelih. Menurutnya, apabila menggunakan sangkar sembelihan hidraulik bernilai RM20,000 berkenaan, proses sembelihan menjadi lebih mudah dan cepat sekali gus mengurangkan risiko kecederaan sama ada kepada manusia atau ternakan selain dapat mengurangkan tekanan pada haiwan terbabit. AJK Masjid Ar-Raudhah memasukkan lembu ke dalam sangkar sembelihan yang boleh dibaringkan dengan bantuan alat hidraulik, semalam. "Sebelum ini, kami mengalami masalah untuk menguruskan program ibadah korban kerana memerlukan masa antara 30 minit hingga satu jam selain memerlukan ramai tenaga kerja hanya untuk membaringkan seekor lembu sebelum disembelih tambahan pula jika lembu itu sukar dikawal. Dapatkan akhbar Harian Metro untuk berita selanjutnya. Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

Budak kritikal jatuh kolam Posted: 06 Oct 2014 10:59 AM PDT Georgetown: Kanak-kanak perempuan berusia enam tahun kritikal selepas dia dikatakan tergelincir ke dalam kolam renang di sebuah kondominium di Bandar Baru Air Itam, di sini, semalam. Dalam kejadian 6.30 petang itu, mangsa Ooi Zhi Ting dikatakan mengikut bapanya ke rumah terbabit untuk berjumpa kenalan bapanya. Bagaimanapun, dia kemudian bersama anak kenalan bapanya serta beberapa lagi remaja berusia lingkungan 15 dan 16 tahun turun ke kolam renang berkenaan. Namun, mangsa yang dikatakan berjalan berseorangan berhampiran kolam tergelincir dan terjatuh dalam kolam itu. OOI diberi bantuan kecemasan selepas lemas di kolam renang di sebuah kondominium di Bandar Baru Air Itam, semalam. Mangsa ketika itu diselamatkan dan dibawa naik sebelum diberikan rawatan kecemasan oleh bapanya sendiri bagaimanapun keadaan kanak-kanak terbabit tidak bermaya kerana dipercayai tertelan air. Dapatkan akhbar Harian Metro untuk berita selanjutnya. Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2014/10/07

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