China rules out scrapping death penalty for graft

China rules out scrapping death penalty for graft

China rules out scrapping death penalty for graft

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:46 AM PDT

BEIJING, Sept 29 — China has never considered scrapping the death penalty for those found guilty of corruption, state media quoted a senior official as saying, even as the country mulls reducing the number of capital crimes. Rights groups regularly criticise China over its high execution rate, secrecy about its use of the punishment, and range of ...


Japan urges resolution on nationals held in China

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:23 AM PDT

TOKYO, Sept 29 — Japan urged China today to quickly settle the case of four detained Japanese and said Beijing would also suffer from a worsening of ties in a bitter territorial feud between Asia's two biggest economies. Tokyo and Beijing have been bickering over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat skipper whose trawler collided this month ...


Study shows how scientists can find missing species

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:14 AM PDT

SINGAPORE, Sept 29 — More than a third of mammal species considered extinct or missing have been rediscovered, a study says, and a lot of effort is wasted in trying to find species that have no chance of being found again. Species face an accelerated rate of extinction because of pollution, climate change, habitat loss and hunting and that this ...


Hanoi residents snub 1,000-year birthday party

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 03:19 PM PDT

By Ian Timberlake

FOCUS HANOI: Hanoi is all dressed up and ready for a 10-day party to mark its 1,000th birthday, beginning Friday, but many residents of the Vietnamese capital are snubbing the event they dismiss as wasteful propaganda.

Freshly-hung coloured lights flash along the capital's major roads, artists have created a ceramic mosaic stretching for kilometres on a dyke wall, and state media said the city allocated funds to beautify offices and houses.

As well as projects carried out before the anniversary event, hundreds of cultural performances and exhibitions have been scheduled during the festival itself.

"I am not really interested in any activities for the 1,000th anniversary," said Vu Thuy Duong, 31, an office worker. "I don't feel I can be proud of anything in Hanoi."

Communist authorities two years ago tripled the size of the city to include surrounding rural areas. It is now home to more than six million people and challenged by traffic congestion, flooding and other problems, residents say.

"Our capital is dirty and chaotic. Not many tourists return after the first trip", said Nguyen Thi Lan, 44, a doctor.

An official at the city's local government, the People's Committee, said US$63 million (RM194.4 million) was allocated for the millennium event.

Tran Van Lam, 65, a retiree, said the money would have been better spent on improving infrastructure.

"I don't like any of the activities or projects for the 1,000th anniversary," he said, describing many of them as "weird".

Soaring dragon

Among the more unusual events for Hanoi's birthday are exhibitions of 1,000 rare turtles and 1,000 farm tools, local media reported.

On Facebook and blogs, Vietnamese have aired many complaints about the celebration but the administrator of one local social networking site shut down discussion of the topic, saying it was "inappropriate".

King Ly Thai To moved the capital of Vietnam from Ninh Binh to Hanoi in 1010 and called it Thang Long, or "soaring dragon".

In the 19th century, King Gia Long transferred the seat of government to Hue in the centre of the country, but the Red River Delta city of Hanoi regained its role as capital in 1945 when founding President Ho Chi Minh declared independence from French colonisers.

The city's millennium will also be marked by the inauguration of bridges, a boulevard, monuments, and a new museum.

Celebrations will peak on Oct 10 with what officials describe as Vietnam's biggest-ever parade. There will be 31,000 participants, about one-third of them from the military, officials said.

"I think, as with many other events, the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi has been used for political and propaganda purposes," said Lam, the retiree.

Communist Vietnam is rated as one of the world's most corrupt nations and Tran Quoc Hung, 38, a motorcycle taxi driver, alleged that the grand celebrations are a chance for officials to spend state money.

"Many people will get rich thanks to these celebrations, I guess," Hung said with a laugh. "What a waste of money and effort."

A rush job

Some residents said millennium projects were finished in a rush. "This is typically the Vietnamese way of doing things," said one man, Nguyen Duc Thang, 42.

Anniversary preparations caused weeks of chaos on city roads and sidewalks as workers put Hanoi's spaghetti-like collection of overhead telecommunications cables underground. The project left residents at risk of sprained ankles as they tried to walk on the excavated pavements that were later filled in with fresh stonework.

Residents now fear more chaos as the festival begins. "Transport will be a mess then," Lam said.

Officials have issued a page-long list of roads that will be closed for the anniversary, which Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung earlier this year said must be impressive.

"We must spare no effort to make lasting impressions on our countrymen and foreign guests," the official Vietnam News Agency quoted him as saying.

- AFP

Rockers blasted over Indonesia tobacco deal

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 02:31 PM PDT

By Stephen Coates

FOCUS JAKARTA: Australian, British and US rock bands including The Smashing Pumpkins and Stereophonics have been urged to withdraw from a music festival in Indonesia because of its tobacco sponsorship.

Anti-tobacco activists and health experts from Australia, the United States and Wales have expressed their concern that the bands' actions will encourage youths to smoke in a country with high and rising addiction rates.

The country of some 240 million people is one of the last lightly-regulated major tobacco markets in the world and is paying the price in terms of growing rates of addiction, especially among women and children.

Its reputation as the wild west of tobacco control was graphically illustrated earlier this year with the release of a video on the Internet of a two-year-old Javanese boy with a 40-cigarette-a-day habit.

The Washington-based Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids said it had written to US bands The Smashing Pumpkins, MUTEMATH and Dashboard Confessional asking them to cancel their appearances at the Java Rockin'Land festival next month.

"As long as this event is sponsored by a tobacco company, any band that participates should know that it is helping market cigarettes to children," Campaign president Matthew L Myers said.

"If these bands reject tobacco sponsorship, they can send a powerful message that they care about the health of the world's children and will not allow their name and talent to be used to market deadly tobacco products."

In Australia, health experts have accused local bands The Vines and Wolfmother of ignoring the connection between tobacco marketing and smoking-related deaths.

"Tobacco industry marketing is a key factor in what is killing people from tobacco-caused disease -- about six million a year in fact," Simon Chapman and Becky Freeman of the University of Sydney's School of Public Health wrote in an article on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's website.

Indonesia has "virtually no tobacco control policies", making it a "tobacco industry paradise where publicity for music festivals like the one Wolfmother and The Vines will participate in wallpaper the country's media," they said.

Rock'n'roll values

In Britain, anti-smoking group Ash Wales has similarly condemned Welsh band Stereophonics for agreeing to play at the Oct 8 to 10 festival in Jakarta.

"We urge the Stereophonics to demand the withdrawal of tobacco sponsorship and any associated branding from the festival or alternatively to pull out," Ash Wales chief executive Tanya Buchanan told Wales Online website Tuesday.

"If the Stereophonics go ahead with a tobacco-sponsored concert they are, by choice, being spokespeople for the tobacco industry and helping them to market to children."

In all, 14 foreign bands are scheduled to play at the festival, along with a host of local acts. Advertising for the event includes cigarette branding and tickets are being sold at a discount to students.

The festival, billed as the biggest in Southeast Asia, is being sponsored by Gudang Garam, a major Indonesian producer of clove cigarettes.

The company regularly sponsor music events targeted at young people, saying it wants to promote Indonesian bands and associate its product with rock'n'roll values.

Wolfmother has responded to the criticism by issuing a statement on its website saying it does not "support or condemn the sponsors" and will play the gig for the fans who have "parted with their very own cold hard cash".

In the past two years, US artists Alicia Keys and Kelly Clarkson refused to play in Indonesia until their promoters dropped tobacco sponsorships.

But several other Western musicians -- most recently former Guns'n'Roses guitarist Slash -- have played with the backing of the tobacco industry.

Indonesia earns billions of dollars a year in tax revenues from tobacco companies, which employ millions of people across the country.

Cigarette consumption in the Southeast Asian archipelago soared 47% in the 1990s, according to the World Health Organisation.

- AFP

CGames: Worries over ticket sales emerge

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:22 AM PDT

NEW DELHI, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - With only four days to go to the opening of the troubled Delhi Commonwealth Games, thousands of tickets are still unsold, even for the opening and closing ceremonies and 100-metre finals.

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Strike looms as Philippine Airlines and union talks fail

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:21 AM PDT

MANILA, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines was facing strike action on Wednesday after the union representing cabin crew said talks with management over pay and conditions had broken down.

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Region watches Beijing closely

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:21 AM PDT

China has demanded an apology and compensation from Japan for its detention of a Chinese trawler captain, though the Japanese released the captain last Friday (24 September 2010). Is this Beijing reaching for a foot after gaining an inch -- decun jinchi? Or is it merely posturing to drive home the point that it does not recognise Japan's claims of sovereignty over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, which China also claims?

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China manufacturing hit five-month high in September: HSBC

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:20 AM PDT

SHANGHAI, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - Manufacturing in China hit a five-month high in September as production and new orders rose, according to an independent survey published Wednesday.

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Singapore's GIC sees faster economic growth in Asia

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:19 AM PDT

SINGAPORE, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - Singapore state investment agency GIC expects Asia's economic growth to outpace developed economies' and will concentrate its investments in the region, a top executive said Wednesday.

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Gates and Buffett to host banquet for China's super rich

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:18 AM PDT

BEIJING, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - Bill Gates and Warren Buffett will Wednesday host a banquet for China's super-rich that has sparked debate about Chinese philanthropy, amid reports that wealthy invitees have been reluctant to attend.

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The Asian way beckons the US

Posted: 29 Sep 2010 12:05 AM PDT

The Asian way is far from perfect -- especially its lack of support from internal private consumption. That shortfall must be addressed in the years to come. But Asia offers a discipline and a focus on stability that is sorely lacking in post-crisis US.

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Dong Zong raps Jamal for advocating assimilation policy

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 11:46 PM PDT

PETALING JAYA, Wednesday 29 September 2010: The United Chinese Schools Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) has taken to task former 988 Chinese radio station host Jamaluddin Ibrahim for proposing and promoting single-stream schools.

According to Dong Zong, Jamal has been repeating the call for the implementation of the national assimilation policy of "one nation, one culture and one language", which has been advocated by the extreme racists.

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Staunch Thaksin foe takes command of Thai army

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 02:27 PM PDT

By Daniel Rook

BANGKOK: A new commander-in-chief is taking the helm of Thailand's powerful army -- a staunch royalist who is expected to pursue a hardline stance against the "Red Shirt" anti-government protest movement.

General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, 56, takes charge on Friday at a crucial juncture following the deadliest political unrest in decades and in light of uncertainty over what royal succession will eventually mean for the kingdom.

Thai society remains deeply divided following the Red Shirt protests, which triggered a series of confrontations between demonstrators and armed troops in April and May, leaving 91 people dead, mostly civilians.

Prayut is seen as a strong opponent of the red-clad movement and its hero Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive ex-premier accused by the Thai authorities of bankrolling the protests and inciting unrest from overseas.

Prayut is reported to have overseen the deadly military assault on the Reds' fortified encampment in the retail heart of Bangkok in May.

"I think with this man taking charge, the prospect of the Red Shirts coming back will be even more difficult because we know he's taking a hardline approach," said Thailand expert Pavin Chachavalpongpun.

"It also reflects how desperately the traditional elite want to hold on to power by putting their own people in key positions in the military," said Pavin, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Prayut, who is being promoted from second in command, has long been seen as the top contender to replace retiring chief General Anupong Paojinda.

So it was no surprise when he was named for the top job by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who himself came to power with the support of the army in a 2008 parliamentary vote.

Prayut is seen as a close ally of Anupong. Both are former commanders of the 21st Infantry Regiment, whose special role is to provide protection for the queen.

Both were also central to the 2006 coup that ousted tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin, who is hailed by the Reds for his policies for the masses but seen by the establishment as corrupt, autocratic and a threat to the revered monarchy.

Paying back time

During the April-May crisis, Anupong appeared reluctant to use force to disperse the red-shirted demonstrators, calling for a political solution in a country that has seen 18 coups or attempted coups since 1932.

In contrast, "Prayut would more likely deal quickly and proactively in quelling pro-Thaksin anti-government demonstrators", said Thailand analyst Paul Chambers, a senior research fellow at Heidelberg University.

"He may be more prone to publicly vocalise military displeasure with civilian governments -- and threaten coups as Thai generals did 20 years ago."

The appointment of the general, who could stay in the post until 2014, is expected to shore up the Thai establishment's grip on power at a time of considerable uncertainty for the kingdom.

"With the rise of Prayut, we will witness the continuing clout of the Queen's Guard over the army and the armed forces," said Chambers.

A recent string of grenade blasts in Bangkok and the return of thousands of Red Shirts to the streets earlier this month for a short rally have reinforced the view of many observers that the political crisis is far from over.

Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, seen by some Thais as a demigod, has been a stabilising force for the country but he turns 83 in December and has been hospitalised for a year.

Abhisit, accused by critics of being a "puppet" for an unelected elite and the army, said in an interview in July he hoped the military would remain out of politics and "respect the constitution and the parliamentary system".

Some observers think Prayut could enjoy a better relationship with the government than his predecessor Anupong.

"Abhisit owes a lot of favour to the military because of the way he came to power," said Pavin. "And now you see Abhisit paying back... so I guess at many levels the military now owes Abhisit."

- AFP

Galas: Notice of vacancy sent to EC

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 11:16 PM PDT

State assembly speaker Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud confirmed today that the notice of vacancy for the Galas state seat had been sent to the Election Commission.

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Don't overreact on racial and religious issues: Koh

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 11:15 PM PDT

The people were reminded not to succumb to their emotions and react extremely over any arising racial or religious issue so as to preserve unity and harmony in the country.

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Staunch Thaksin foe takes command of Thai army

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:39 PM PDT

BANGKOK, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - A new commander-in-chief is taking the helm of Thailand's powerful army -- a staunch royalist who is expected to pursue a hardline stance against the "Red Shirt" anti-government protest movement.

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Hanoi residents snub 1,000-year birthday party

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:35 PM PDT

HANOI, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - Hanoi is all dressed up and ready for a 10-day party to mark its 1,000th birthday, beginning Friday, but many residents of the Vietnamese capital are snubbing the event they dismiss as wasteful propaganda.

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Philippines aiming to put more rice on plates of poor

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:34 PM PDT

MANILA, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - After 36 years working as a warehouseman, Billy Vallejera deems sparrows to be the most serious threat to the Philippines' rice granaries, their sharp, sack-ripping beaks more than the equal of tiny rice weevils.

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Taiwan media decry 'cover-up' over China police visit

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:33 PM PDT

TAIPEI, Wednesday 29 September 2010 (AFP) - A Chinese vice minister for public security visited Taiwan this month but his trip was only revealed 10 days later, prompting local media to protest Wednesday about a "cover-up."

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