Power shifts in Asia-Pacific bring unease |
- Power shifts in Asia-Pacific bring unease
- Nearly 1,000 dead foetuses found at Thai temple: police
- Rise of the middle class
- Rare earthquake felt in Hong Kong
- Sivanesan accepts Perak DAP vice-chairman post
- Zimbabwean women among six arrested for smuggling drug
- Danger zone reduced as Indonesian eruption weakens
- Four girls rescued in Philippine cybersex raid: rights group
- Saudis slammed over rampant abuse of migrants
- Thai ‘red shirt’ protesters return to Bangkok’s streets
- Police find clue in lawyer's murder case
- YTL Communications launches its Yes 4G network
- Google Instant now in Malaysia
- Court to hear Jenapala's suit against PKR Monday
- Jail for woman who bit off cop's ear
- Sri Lanka's powerful president sworn in for second term
- Indonesia to review sending workers to Saudi Arabia
- Fishmonger sentenced to death
- Zaid sends quit letter, says he may form new party
- Indian PM under pressure over huge telecom scam
| Power shifts in Asia-Pacific bring unease Posted: 19 Nov 2010 01:22 AM PST China's increasingly aggressive maritime activities have been a frequent source of friction between Beijing and its neighbours recently. Increasingly viewing China with wariness, the US, Australia and many South-East Asian countries are seeking to unify their strategies toward the middle kingdom.
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| Nearly 1,000 dead foetuses found at Thai temple: police Posted: 19 Nov 2010 01:18 AM PST BANGKOK, Friday 19 November 2010 (AFP) - Thai police found the remains of almost 1,000 illegally aborted foetuses hidden at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok Friday, with more grisly discoveries expected.
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| Posted: 19 Nov 2010 01:12 AM PST Many scholars and individuals are showing concern about what kind of social structure will bring the best stability.
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| Rare earthquake felt in Hong Kong Posted: 19 Nov 2010 01:11 AM PST HONG KONG, Friday 19 November 2010 (AFP) - A rare earthquake rattled Hong Kong on Friday, prompting alarmed residents to call local authorities to report feeling the tremor, officials said.
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| Sivanesan accepts Perak DAP vice-chairman post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:41 AM PST Sungkai state assemblyman A. Sivanesan today accepted the Perak DAP vice-chairman post that was offered to him and M. Kulasegaran after their defeat in the DAP state election.
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| Zimbabwean women among six arrested for smuggling drug Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:39 AM PST Two Zimbabwean women were among six foreigners arrested for attempting to smuggle in a total of 11.4kg of syabu worth RM2.8 million at KL International Airport between Nov 16 and yesterday, police said.
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| Danger zone reduced as Indonesian eruption weakens Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:36 AM PST YOGYAKARTA, Friday 19 November 2010 (AFP) - The deadly eruption of Indonesia's Mount Merapi has weakened allowing the government to further reduce the restriction zone around the mountain, a volcanologist said Friday.
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| Four girls rescued in Philippine cybersex raid: rights group Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:32 AM PST MANILA, Friday 19 November 2010 (AFP) - Police have rescued four Philippine teenage girls who were being made to perform sex acts for live broadcast on the Internet, a child rights group that is caring for them said Friday.
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| Saudis slammed over rampant abuse of migrants Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:59 PM PST JAKARTA, Nov 19: An Indonesia NGO says that a Saudi Arabian diplomat was not correct when he claimed that abuse of Indonesian workers in the Middle Eastern country was rare.
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| Thai ‘red shirt’ protesters return to Bangkok’s streets Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:15 AM PST Bangkok, Nov 19 — Thousands of anti-government protesters plan to return to Bangkok's streets on Friday to mark the six-month anniversary of a deadly military crackdown, but the demonstrations are not expected to turn violent. The red-shirted protesters will gather in the same shopping district they occupied during the April to May unrest that ...
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| Police find clue in lawyer's murder case Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:31 AM PST The police have obtained a clue to facilitate investigations into the murder of a lawyer in Ipoh, Perak last Tuesday, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.
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| YTL Communications launches its Yes 4G network Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:29 AM PST YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, a unit of YTL Power International Bhd, has launched what it claims to be the "most affordable" 4G Mobile Internet service with voice via the "Yes 4G network".
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| Google Instant now in Malaysia Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:27 AM PST Google Inc., an innovative search technology that connect millions of people around the world with information, today introduced Google Instant in Malaysia after its official launch in United States two months ago.
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| Court to hear Jenapala's suit against PKR Monday Posted: 19 Nov 2010 12:01 AM PST The suit by former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy secretary-general P. Jenapala, seeking an order to declare the party's election for the post of deputy president as invalid, will be heard on Monday.
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| Jail for woman who bit off cop's ear Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:03 PM PST JEONJU (South Korea): A 27-year-old woman was sentenced to 10 months in jail for biting off part of a police officer's ear while under the influence of alcohol, Yonhap news agency quoted court officials as saying today. Identified with only her last name, Yun was charged with spitting in the face of a female officer, and subsequently biting off a 1.5-centimetre piece of the officer's ear. In the ruling, Jeonju District Court said that although the defendant claims that she is mentally and physically unstable due to her drunkness, her excuse is unacceptable based on her actions at that time. Earlier, prosecutors had requested a three-year jail term but the court said that Yun had no previous record of crime other than fines, and that her actions had been unintentional. Yun had also offered 20 million won (US$17,676) in compensation to the officer, the court said. Yun has been under arrest after police resubmitted their request for a warrant along with a petition signed by the victim's colleagues. The court had rejected the initial request, saying Yun had already pleaded guilty, offered compensation money, and posed no threat of escape or destroying evidence. - Bernama
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| Sri Lanka's powerful president sworn in for second term Posted: 18 Nov 2010 03:05 PM PST
Rajapakse, who turned 65 yesterday, took the oath of office on an open-air stage overlooking the Indian Ocean, in a nationally televised ceremony that included a military march-past by thousands of troops. Security was tight for the ceremony in the capital Colombo, where a holiday was declared to mark the occasion 10 months after the president's re-election victory in January's presidential polls. Rajapakse had called the election two years early to take advantage of soaring approval ratings in the wake of last year's military victory in the decades-old civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels. The Supreme Court ruled that his inauguration should be delayed until the anniversary of his initial November 2005 presidential win. Rajapakse begins his fresh mandate in an unprecedented position of strength following a constitutional revamp two months ago that further extended his executive powers. With his personal popularity still running high, family members in key government positions, the opposition divided and his only serious political rival in prison, the president's control over the island republic seems complete. Brushing off concerns voiced by countries like the United States that his powers pose a threat to Sri Lanka's democracy, Rajapakse insists they are necessary to rebuild the country. Vowing to make Sri Lanka the "wonder of Asia," he has unveiled a series of ambitious infrastructure projects, including a US$1.5-billion (RM4.7-billion) port in the southern town of Hambantota that he opened yesterday. "When I came to power I promised an honourable peace and a new Sri Lanka. I have kept my promise and built a new country," Rajapakse said at the televised opening ceremony. While pursuing development, he has shrugged off attempts by the West to link aid and investment to human rights and turned to countries like Iran, Libya and China for help. Rajapakse has also rejected allegations that the army may have been responsible for substantial civilian deaths during its final offensive against the Tamil Tigers and has dismissed calls for a probe into possible war crimes. Economic recovery The central bank expects Sri Lanka's economy to grow 8% in 2010, up from 3.5% last year, and Rajapakse has promised to double GDP per capita to US$4,000 by the end of his second term in 2016. Political analyst Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu said Rajapakse's focus on economic recovery would leave the issue of reconciliation with the island's Tamil minority on the backburner. "Any talk about political reform is considered irrelevant at best and subversive at worst," said Saravanamuttu – an opinion echoed by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG). "There is no sign the government has any interest in doing any of the things necessary for reconciliation between and within communities damaged by so many years of war," said ICG's Sri Lanka project director Alan Keenan. Apart from being president and commander-in-chief, Rajapakse is the Minister of Finance, Ports and Aviation and Highways. His elder brother Chamal is the Speaker of Parliament, younger brother Basil the economic development minister and another brother, Gotabhaya, the powerful defence secretary. Rajapakse's main political rival, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, is currently serving a 30-month jail sentence after a court martial found him guilty of military procurement offences. Fonseka, who also has several criminal cases pending against him, was arrested shortly after his failed effort to unseat Rajapakse in presidential elections in January. With no visible political threat on the horizon, Rajapakse is able to look beyond even his second mandate thanks to the constitutional changes pushed through in September that also scrapped a two-term limit on the presidency. - AFP
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| Indonesia to review sending workers to Saudi Arabia Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:44 PM PST JAKARTA, Nov 19: After recent abuse allegations, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says that Indonesia will review sending migrant workers to "uncooperative, nontransparent" countries.
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| Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:25 PM PST A fishmonger was sentenced to death by the Penang High Court today, for the murder of a retail trader two years ago.
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| Zaid sends quit letter, says he may form new party Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:17 PM PST Former Federal Territory Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chairman Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today he had sent a letter to PKR leadership saying he would quit the party effective Dec 16.
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| Indian PM under pressure over huge telecom scam Posted: 18 Nov 2010 02:39 PM PST  NEW DELHI: India's Parliament adjourned in uproar today over a massive corruption scandal that has ensnared Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose popularity partly resides in his "Mr Clean" image. India's chief auditing body ignited a firestorm earlier this week when it announced that the botched sale of 2G telecom licences in 2008 at a small fraction of their value had cost the country up to US$40 billion (RM125 billion). Ahead of the announcement, tainted Telecom Minister A Raja, whose ministry was raided by police in October last year, was finally persuaded to step down after his position became untenable. The opposition has been blocking parliamentary business all week, calling for an all-party investigation into the scandal. Proceedings were adjourned today after angry MPs stormed the well of the house. Yesterday, India's Supreme Court upped the pressure on Manmohan by asking him to depose a sworn statement before the court by tomorrow explaining why no action had been taken against Raja earlier. The court said Manmohan had failed to reply to a request to approve the prosecution of Raja, adding "the matter is very, very serious in nature". Opposition parties say Raja, who presided over the world's fastest-growing mobile market, gifted the lucrative wireless spectrum licences to firms that he favoured. High-profile figures The story of the so-called "2G scam" has been splashed across all newspaper front-pages, becoming the focal point of anger against official corruption that has seen a number of high-profile figures toppled in recent weeks. Suresh Kalmadi, the chief organiser of October's Delhi Commonwealth Games, which was also mired in corruption, was forced to step down from a senior position in Manmohan's ruling Congress party earlier this month. Two of his aides have since been arrested as police and investigators probe a series of murky deals and suspected kickbacks in the multi-billion-dollar event. On the same day as Kalmadi stepped down, the chief minister of western Maharashtra state resigned over a housing scam involving apartments reserved for war widows that were sold to politicians and military officers. Kalmadi and the chief minister, Ashok Chavan, are from the ruling Congress party headed by supremo Sonia Gandhi, while Raja is from the regional DMK party, part of the Congress-dominated coalition that holds power in New Delhi. India's Comptroller and Auditor-General office said on Tuesday that the cost of the "2G scam", in which spectrum was sold off for mobile phone services, could reach US$39 billion. It said 85 of the 122 licences issued in 2008 were given to ineligible companies. - AFP
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