25.03.2012
U.S. President Barack Obama looks through binoculars to see North Korea from Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone, the tense military border between the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, on Sunday.
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Repeat Divorces on the rise, trend expected to continue
25.03.2012
A small but rising number of Singapore couples are seeing their marriages crumble repeatedly.
The number of men and women who have been divorced at least twice has quadrupled over a 20-year period, and experts expect this rising trend to continue.
In 2010, 213 men in civil divorces had been divorced before - almost four times more than the 59 such men in 1990. These men made up 3.9 per cent of all men in civil divorces in 2010, up from 2.7 per cent in 1990.
The number of women divorced at least twice is not far behind, going by Department of Statistics data.
24 Pakistani soldiers Killed and NAT (no action taken) by US
25.03.2012
The United States military has decided that no service members will face disciplinary charges for their involvement in a NATO airstrike in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an accident that plunged relations between the two countries to new depths and has greatly complicated the allied mission in Afghanistan. An American investigation in December found fault with both American and Pakistani troops for the deadly exchange of fire, but noted that the Pakistanis fired first from two border posts that were not on coalition maps, and that they kept firing even after the Americans tried to warn them that they were shooting at allied troops. Pakistan has rejected these conclusions and ascribed most of the blame to the American forces.
The American findings set up a second inquiry to determine whether any American military personnel should be punished. That recently completed review said no, three senior military officials said, explaining that the Americans fired in self-defense. Other mistakes that contributed to the fatal cross-border strike were the regrettable result of battlefield confusion, they said.
“We found nothing criminally negligent on the part of any individual in our investigations of the incident,” said one senior American military official involved in the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the results of the review had not been made public.
The military’s decision is expected to anger Pakistani officials at a time when the two countries are gingerly trying to patch up a security relationship left in tatters over the past year from a series of episodes, including the shooting of two Pakistanis in Lahore by a C.I.A. contractor, the Navy SEALs raid in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden and the deadly airstrike in November.
Pakistan’s Parliament is scheduled to resume debate as early as Monday on a major review of relations with the United States.
No such thing as 'free education': Indonesian Minister
25.03.2012
Administrative Reforms Minister Azwar Abubakar says he wants regional governments to stop making misleading comments about providing people with a so-called free education.
“We should stop using the term 'free education'. In reality there is actually no such thing,” Azwar said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Saturday.
“Some citizen tax money went to the regional budget. It's normal if they don’t need to pay anything for education services funded by the budget.”
The law mandates that the central and regional governments allocate 20 percent of their annual budgets for education.
Indonesia: Kissing festival – Bali Style
25.03.2012
Balinese teenagers gather at a main road in Denpasar, Bali during the Kissing Festival, known locally as Omed - Omedan, on Saturday. Organized annually, the festival is held the day after Balinese Hindus observe Nyepi, the Hindu day of silence. The festival allows teenagers to kiss each other in public which participants engage in prayer and dancing while being doused with water, culminating in hugs and kisses among couples as well as strangers.
Singapore: S. Iswaran Appointed Minister Representing Eurasian interests
25.03.2012
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, S Iswaran, has been appointed the Minister representing Eurasian interests in Cabinet.
This was announced by the President of the Eurasian Association, Mr William Jansen, on Saturday at the Eurasian Reunion Gala Dinner at the Singapore Recreation Club.
The community was previously represented by former foreign minister, Mr George Yeo.
Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Punggol East, Mr Michael Palmer, said the Eurasian Community was well represented in Cabinet by Mr Yeo.
He said that through that very able representation, the community realised the importance of having a representative in Cabinet.
Mr Palmer said Mr Iswaran is familiar with the Eurasian Association and a friend of the community. He believes he will be more than able to represent Eurasians in Cabinet.
He added that he is confident that through Mr Iswaran, along with MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher de Souza and himself, the Eurasian community will be well represented in both the government and in Parliament.
Mr Christopher de Souza said this will be a team effort by Mr Iswaran, Mr Palmer and himself to present the interests of Eurasians in Parliament.
He said Mr Iswaran is well-received by the Eurasian community and added that the community is glad he will be representing its interests in Cabinet.
Mr Timothy de Souza, Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights and former president of the Eurasian Association, said he had the privilege of working with Mr Iswaran in the mid-1990s, when he was the CEO of Indian self-help group, SINDA.
He said they worked on a number of programmes which benefited the Eurasian community.
He said the SINDA tuition classes gave many Eurasian children access to tuition in key subjects and added that Mr Iswaran was always far-sighted and generous in his belief in inter-community cooperation.
This was announced by the President of the Eurasian Association, Mr William Jansen, on Saturday at the Eurasian Reunion Gala Dinner at the Singapore Recreation Club.
The community was previously represented by former foreign minister, Mr George Yeo.
Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Punggol East, Mr Michael Palmer, said the Eurasian Community was well represented in Cabinet by Mr Yeo.
He said that through that very able representation, the community realised the importance of having a representative in Cabinet.
Mr Palmer said Mr Iswaran is familiar with the Eurasian Association and a friend of the community. He believes he will be more than able to represent Eurasians in Cabinet.
He added that he is confident that through Mr Iswaran, along with MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher de Souza and himself, the Eurasian community will be well represented in both the government and in Parliament.
Mr Christopher de Souza said this will be a team effort by Mr Iswaran, Mr Palmer and himself to present the interests of Eurasians in Parliament.
He said Mr Iswaran is well-received by the Eurasian community and added that the community is glad he will be representing its interests in Cabinet.
Mr Timothy de Souza, Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights and former president of the Eurasian Association, said he had the privilege of working with Mr Iswaran in the mid-1990s, when he was the CEO of Indian self-help group, SINDA.
He said they worked on a number of programmes which benefited the Eurasian community.
He said the SINDA tuition classes gave many Eurasian children access to tuition in key subjects and added that Mr Iswaran was always far-sighted and generous in his belief in inter-community cooperation.
Hong Kong picks new Leader on Sunday
25.03.2012
Hong Kong picks its new leader on Sunday as the city's elites decide between two pro-Beijing candidates for the top job after weeks of intense campaigning defined by unprecedented mudslinging.
The overwhelming majority of Hong Kong's seven million residents have no right to vote, in a "small circle" poll that will be decided by a 1,200-member election committee packed with pro-Beijing social and business elites.
Former government adviser Leung Chun-ying, widely seen as China's preferred choice, is tipped to beat his main rival Henry Tang after Leung's campaign was boosted by the support of the city's biggest pro-Beijing party.
Polling will open at 9am (0100 GMT) for two hours, with results expected around 12.30pm (0430 GMT), according to the city's electoral affairs commission, which runs the poll.
Election committee members, which include Asia's richest man Li Ka-shing who backs Tang, will cast their vote through paper ballots.
To win, a candidate must secure at least 601 votes - or over half the votes - and if two rounds of voting fail to produce a winner, a fresh election will be scheduled for May.
Tang, the heir to a textile fortune and the city government's former Number Two was believed to have Beijing's backing until a series of personal scandals and gaffes reportedly prompted a shift in support to Leung.
Leung, a policeman's son, has also come under media scrutiny and faced claims he has links to triad figures and harbours a secret communist agenda - allegations he denies.
Leung has consistently ranked ahead of Tang in public opinion polls, which count for little under the current system that critics say is weighed in favour of the city's China-backed tycoons.
Analysts say a third candidate, democracy campaigner Albert Ho, is unlikely to win.
Beijing has not openly backed any candidate but Premier Wen Jiabao has said the next chief executive must command the support of the "vast majority" of Hong Kong people.
The election has been complicated by the behind-the-scenes machinations of mainland China's own once-in-a-decade leadership struggle, with various factions seeking to flex their muscles ahead of the transition later this year.
The overwhelming majority of Hong Kong's seven million residents have no right to vote, in a "small circle" poll that will be decided by a 1,200-member election committee packed with pro-Beijing social and business elites.
Former government adviser Leung Chun-ying, widely seen as China's preferred choice, is tipped to beat his main rival Henry Tang after Leung's campaign was boosted by the support of the city's biggest pro-Beijing party.
Polling will open at 9am (0100 GMT) for two hours, with results expected around 12.30pm (0430 GMT), according to the city's electoral affairs commission, which runs the poll.
Election committee members, which include Asia's richest man Li Ka-shing who backs Tang, will cast their vote through paper ballots.
To win, a candidate must secure at least 601 votes - or over half the votes - and if two rounds of voting fail to produce a winner, a fresh election will be scheduled for May.
Tang, the heir to a textile fortune and the city government's former Number Two was believed to have Beijing's backing until a series of personal scandals and gaffes reportedly prompted a shift in support to Leung.
Leung, a policeman's son, has also come under media scrutiny and faced claims he has links to triad figures and harbours a secret communist agenda - allegations he denies.
Leung has consistently ranked ahead of Tang in public opinion polls, which count for little under the current system that critics say is weighed in favour of the city's China-backed tycoons.
Analysts say a third candidate, democracy campaigner Albert Ho, is unlikely to win.
Beijing has not openly backed any candidate but Premier Wen Jiabao has said the next chief executive must command the support of the "vast majority" of Hong Kong people.
The election has been complicated by the behind-the-scenes machinations of mainland China's own once-in-a-decade leadership struggle, with various factions seeking to flex their muscles ahead of the transition later this year.
Australian government blow as Labour crushed in Queensland
25.03.2012
Australia's fragile ruling Labour coalition government suffered an embarrassing blow on Saturday when the party was crushed by the Liberal Nationals in Queensland elections.
Labour had ruled in the state for 14 years but Premier Anna Bligh was dealt a devastating defeat at the hands of Campbell Newman, a former lord mayor of the Queensland capital Brisbane.
There was a massive swing against the party with the Liberals taking 75 seats to Labour's six by late Saturday evening.
State broadcaster ABC projected the Liberals would win 77 of the 89 seats in parliament to just eight for Labour when all votes were counted with minor parties claiming the rest. Forty-five were needed for victory.
The defeat has compounded the problems for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Labour which is lagging in national opinion polls and still reeling from a damaging leadership ballot which split the party.
"It's clear tonight that the people of Queensland have spoken with the strongest possible voice and they have voted for a change of government," Bligh said in conceding defeat.
She pointed to her government's leadership during the state's deadly floods and cyclones last year as its finest moment.
In his victory speech Newman told the electorate: "You have spoken decisively and emphatically and delivered a strong government so that we can deliver for you and get this great state back on track.
"I pledge to you that we will conduct ourselves with humility, grace and dignity."
When Labour took federal office in 2007 it controlled all the state parliaments, but since then New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and now Queensland have fallen to the Liberals.
It now only holds power in the smaller states of South Australia and Tasmania, as well as the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
This makes it more difficult for Gillard's party to push through its agenda nationally with Labour holding fewer seats in the lower house of parliament.
Labour had ruled in the state for 14 years but Premier Anna Bligh was dealt a devastating defeat at the hands of Campbell Newman, a former lord mayor of the Queensland capital Brisbane.
There was a massive swing against the party with the Liberals taking 75 seats to Labour's six by late Saturday evening.
State broadcaster ABC projected the Liberals would win 77 of the 89 seats in parliament to just eight for Labour when all votes were counted with minor parties claiming the rest. Forty-five were needed for victory.
The defeat has compounded the problems for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Labour which is lagging in national opinion polls and still reeling from a damaging leadership ballot which split the party.
"It's clear tonight that the people of Queensland have spoken with the strongest possible voice and they have voted for a change of government," Bligh said in conceding defeat.
She pointed to her government's leadership during the state's deadly floods and cyclones last year as its finest moment.
In his victory speech Newman told the electorate: "You have spoken decisively and emphatically and delivered a strong government so that we can deliver for you and get this great state back on track.
"I pledge to you that we will conduct ourselves with humility, grace and dignity."
When Labour took federal office in 2007 it controlled all the state parliaments, but since then New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and now Queensland have fallen to the Liberals.
It now only holds power in the smaller states of South Australia and Tasmania, as well as the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
This makes it more difficult for Gillard's party to push through its agenda nationally with Labour holding fewer seats in the lower house of parliament.
Thailand plans US$70 billion infrastructure investment: PM
25.03.2012
Thailand will spend more than US$70 billion on infrastructure over the next five years, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said as she outlined the challenges facing the country after 2011's floods.
In an address late on Friday to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, Ms Yingluck said her government would pursue an economic policy aimed at boosting domestic demand.
It would also 'approve a five-year plan to invest around US$72 billion in infrastructure and property enhancing Thailand's long-term competitiveness and to improve the quality of life of Thai people,' she said, pointing to a planned high speed train line from Bangkok to the northern city of Chiang Mai.
Separately, she said the country would invest US$11.4 billion in water management measures to ensure there was no repeat of the devastating floods which left more than 800 dead and deluged hundreds of thousands of homes.
Whitney Houston’s cause of death Revealed
25.03.2012
Whitney Houston died from accidental drowning and the effects of cocaine use and heart disease, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said Thursday.
The singer, who died at age 48 in a Beverly Hills hotel room bathtub last month, had cocaine in her body which contributed to her death, it said in a statement.
The manner of death was described as an “accident,” according to a coroner’s office statement, while the cause was listed as drowning, and “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.””How injury occurred: found submerged in bathtub filled with water; cocaine intake,” it added.
“No trauma or foul play is suspected,” added the statement, saying that a final Coroner’s report will be available for release within two weeks.
Other drugs found in her system but which did not contribute to her death included marijuana, alprazolam (Xanax), cyclobenzaprine (Flexiril) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), it said.
Houston was found dead on February 11, a day before the music industry’s biggest annual awards show, and hours ahead of a glittering pre-Grammy party in the Beverly Hills hotel where she died.
The singer of hits including “I Will Always Love You” sold over 170 million records during a nearly three-decade career, but fought a long battle against substance abuse while trying to keep her performing talent alive.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Singapore Shells Out for Security
24.03.2012
If arms imports are a measure of a region’s dominance, then the balance of power has definitely shifted in Asia’s favor. It shouldn’t be a surprise that India, South Korea, Pakistan and China are the world’s top arms importers. But right below these Asian military powerhouses comes… Singapore.
According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released Monday, the city-state is the fifth-largest importer of arms for the 2007 – 2011 period, accounting for 4% of global arms purchases – surprising for a country with a population of just 5.1 million residents. The U.S. benefited most from the city-state’s military acquisitions, with its defense contractors involved in 43% of Singapore’s arms purchases.
But as tensions in the South China Sea rattle nerves in the region, Singapore is finding that it is not alone in prioritizing defense spending. Across Southeast Asia, arms imports grew by 185% during the 2007 – 2011 period from the previous five year period, reaching their highest level since the end of the Vietnam War, according to the report. Deliveries to both Malaysia and Singapore surged by nearly 300% and Indonesia-bound deliveries rose by 144%, while deliveries to Vietnam grew 80%.
Singapore, worried about its relative size and geographical position, has always spent an amount on defense disproportionate to its population. Since independence, it has instituted mandatory military service for all males. Though some residents have questioned spending such a large amount on defense and have called for greater social spending, analysts say the country is particularly sensitive to its geopolitical location as it is surrounded by countries with ethnic and religious make-ups quite different from its own.
For the rest of Southeast Asia, though, the spike in imports can largely be credited to the region’s growing importance as tensions between the US and China escalate, particularly as America shifts its focus away from the Middle East in its much-discussed “pivot” to Asia.
“There are strong tensions in the region over maritime borders, mainly in the South China Sea, and ships and other weapons with a maritime role as well as aircraft and other weapons with a dual maritime and over-land role accounted for most of the imports,” SIPRI said in the report.
Bahrain Unjust Ruler: Elderly Woman dies, Boy allegedly tortured
24.03.2012
An elderly woman has died after Bahraini security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at opposition rallies. Meanwhile, activists claim a young boy was beaten and sexually harassed by police during the latest crackdown.
A 59-year-old woman, Abde Ali, has died on Friday from inhaling tear gas fired by the Bahraini security forces. She had been exposed to the tear gas on Thursday, her family said, as the security forces were using the gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of protesters in several towns outside the capital Manama.
Thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets to mourn her death on Friday.
Meanwhile, the activists have released a video showing a handcuffed child with bruises and cuts on his hands, claiming he had been kidnapped, beaten and sexually harassed by the police. Activists said security forces targeted the teenager repeatedly because he refused to work with authorities as an informant.
The video uploaded to YouTube shows a group of locals trying to remove the tight plastic handcuffs from the boy’s hands with a pair of pliers.
The 16-year-old was found unconscious and semi-naked with his hands tied behind his back near the village of Sanabis, outside of Manama, Lebanon’s Al-Manar reported.
The ongoing protest against the Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime faces violent crackdowns by Bahraini security forces for the past 12 months.
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil will remain as head of UMNO Women's Wing: PM Najib
24.03.2012
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said the embattled leader of his party's Women's Wing will stay on in her position. This, despite Shahrizat Abdul Jalil stepping down next month as a cabinet minister due to corruption allegations involving her husband.
The decision was made at a specially convened closed door assembly of the 1.3 million strong Wanita wing.
The backbone of the ruling UMNO party pledged to unite and rally behind Ms Shahrizat in the coming general election, as she survived a leadership challenge within her own party's women's wing.
She received thunderous support from members of the women's wing who wanted her to continue to be their leader, and every time her name was mentioned at the assembly, they clapped and cheered for her.
Speaking after the assembly, Mr Najib said Shahrizat has taken the moral responsibilty to quit the cabinet post, even though her husband was not found guilty of any wrongdoing.
Adding that she was elected by the members of the women's wing, Mr Najib said there is no reason for her to give up that post, because under the party's constitution she has not done anything wrong.
Mr Najib said: "We will ensure that they will work together, closely together as a team. It's important that Wanita, as a wing, is fully intact and able to function well and with full vigour and commitment."
Meanwhile, her deputy Kamilia Ibrahim, who had earlier pressured Ms Shahrizat to step down as she was a liability, has promised to close ranks, unite, and rally behind Ms Shahrizat to ensure victory for UMNO in the coming election.
The decision was made at a specially convened closed door assembly of the 1.3 million strong Wanita wing.
The backbone of the ruling UMNO party pledged to unite and rally behind Ms Shahrizat in the coming general election, as she survived a leadership challenge within her own party's women's wing.
She received thunderous support from members of the women's wing who wanted her to continue to be their leader, and every time her name was mentioned at the assembly, they clapped and cheered for her.
Speaking after the assembly, Mr Najib said Shahrizat has taken the moral responsibilty to quit the cabinet post, even though her husband was not found guilty of any wrongdoing.
Adding that she was elected by the members of the women's wing, Mr Najib said there is no reason for her to give up that post, because under the party's constitution she has not done anything wrong.
Mr Najib said: "We will ensure that they will work together, closely together as a team. It's important that Wanita, as a wing, is fully intact and able to function well and with full vigour and commitment."
Meanwhile, her deputy Kamilia Ibrahim, who had earlier pressured Ms Shahrizat to step down as she was a liability, has promised to close ranks, unite, and rally behind Ms Shahrizat to ensure victory for UMNO in the coming election.
Malaysia: Political and Construction Hurdles for Malaysia Rare Earths Plant
24.03.2012
A controversial rare earth metal refinery in Malaysia encountered further obstacles this week, with the country’s political opposition refusing to participate in a parliamentary committee set up to investigate the safety of the plant and with hints that the refinery could face further construction delays. The plant, which is being built by the Australian company Lynas, is one of two giant projects intended to break China’s near-monopoly on the production of rare earths; the other is in the California desert near Death Valley. But the Malaysian project, on the outskirts of Kuantan, one of the country’s largest cities, has become a lightning rod for activists and residents concerned about possible radiation leaks.
Rare earths are used for a wide range of high-technology products, including smartphones, smart bombs and electric cars. They are found in nature with radioactive contaminants that must be separated and disposed of during refining.
Lynas says that its ore, mined in the Australian desert, has a lower concentration of these contaminants than many rare earth deposits elsewhere.
The refinery has received a temporary operating license from the Malaysian government, but the project has already had a series of delays and protests. Last month, demonstrations in Kuantan and at least three other cities around the country, including Kuala Lumpur, attracted thousands of protesters.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday directed Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board to provide details of the temporary license that it gave Lynas. The court acted after a group of residents near the refinery filed an application for a judicial review of the license, said K. Shanmuga, one of the group’s lawyers.
Lynas originally planned to finish the factory by last September, despite warnings by engineers that it would not be ready then. But the company ran into delays and ended up announcing in the fall that the project would not be finished until the second quarter of this year.
An engineer with a detailed knowledge of the project said Wednesday that another delay had come up in recent days. Complex electronic components that require a long time to manufacture were ordered late and will not be ready for the first phase of the refinery’s construction until November, said the engineer, who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation by Lynas in the close-knit mineral processing industry.
Parts of the refinery can be commissioned without the components, including kilns for drying ore, the engineer said, but other sections of the production process require the components.
Lynas denied that it was facing further construction delays, saying in a statement that any parts arriving late this year would be for either a spare parts inventory or a planned second phase that would double the capacity of the refinery.
“Attempts to characterize it otherwise are either misinformed or a deliberate distortion,” the company said.
The engineer disagreed, insisting that the parts were needed for the first phase.
The United States, the European Union and Japan filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization last week against China, accusing it of violating free trade rules with its quotas and taxes on rare earth exports. Japan announced Wednesday that Steven Chu, energy secretary of the United States, would join senior European and Japanese officials for talks in Tokyo next Wednesday on ways to recycle rare earths or develop alternative supplies.
Attempts by Lynas to reassure the public that the plant is safe have failed to satisfy activists and opposition parties.
The Malaysian government announced Saturday that it would establish a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate public concerns about the safety of the plant. Critics assailed the move as a public relations exercise in advance of elections widely expected to be held later this year.
The committee was to include four members from the governing coalition, three from the opposition and one independent member. But on Tuesday, the opposition announced that it would boycott the panel.
Fuziah Salleh, the opposition member of Parliament for Kuantan who has been a leader of the protest movement, said the opposition had decided not to take part in the committee because the government was using the panel to try to quell public worries. She contended that the government would allow the plant to go ahead regardless of the committee’s findings.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has said that the committee was being set up to engage with the public but that it would not decide the fate of the project, according to a report Saturday by the national news agency Bernama.
“It’s a fait accompli right from the beginning,” Ms. Fuziah said. She said the opposition had requested a number of conditions, like a stop-work order on the plant while the committee’s investigation took place and a revocation of Lynas’s temporary license until the committee had issued its findings. But she said the government had refused to accept the opposition’s requests.
“We made it clear that for the committee to be effective, the select committee should be given the mandate to decide on the safety and what is the final outcome,” she said. “However, the government side is only keen to use the select committee as a public relations tool to engage with the public to allay the fear and concerns regarding the safety.”
Ms. Fuziah said she had been hopeful that the opposition could participate in the committee, but “finally we decided that it would be a waste of time because they have already decided,” she said.
According to the Bernama report, Mr. Najib said he hoped the committee could raise awareness of the project so that “we can achieve comfort in terms of better public acceptance.”
Khaled Nordin, the minister of higher education and the head of the committee, said Wednesday that Parliament had approved the establishment of the committee and that he expected the names of the committee members to be announced Thursday.
He said the opposition’s decision not to participate in the committee was “political.”
James Chin, a political scientist and the director of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at Monash University in Malaysia, said that under the rules of Parliament, the government could still proceed with the panel even if the opposition refused to take part.
Mr. Chin said that the safety of the plant could become a concern for more voters but that for now it was mainly an issue for people who lived near the refinery.
“For the other members of the general public, it’s not really a big issue yet,” he said. “It has the potential of becoming a really big issue, so it depends on how the government handles it.”
Ms. Fuziah said another rally was planned for next month.
The New York Times
French say - Evidence Shows Shooter was Not an Al-Qaeda
24.03.2012
French authorities have no evidence that al-Qaeda commissioned a French gunman to go on a killing spree that left seven people dead, or that he had any contact with organized groups, a senior French official said Friday.
The official, who is close to the investigation into the attacks by 23-year-old Mohamed Merah, said there is no sign he had "trained or been in contact with organized groups or jihadists."
Merah was killed in a gunfight with police Thursday after a 32-hour standoff with police. Prosecutors said he filmed himself carrying out three attacks since March 11, killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three French paratroopers with close-range shots to the head.
He had travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and prosecutors said he had claimed contacts with al-Qaeda and to have trained in the Pakistan militant stronghold of Waziristan. He had been on a U.S. no-fly list since 2010.
The official said Merah might have made the claim because al-Qaeda is a well-known "brand." The official said authorities have "absolutely no element allowing us to believe that he was commissioned by al-Qaeda to carry out these attacks."
Saudi Prince Nayef gives Saudi sportswomen go-ahead on Olympic games
24.03.2012
Saudi Arabia reports say Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz has given his blessing to sportswomen seeking to represent the conservative country at the upcoming summer Olympic Games in London.
The Olympic event would be the first for Saudi female athletes, who often struggle to access basic training and equipment in a highly traditional country.
Prince Najef, the nation's hyper-conservative heir-apparent, said female athletes can participate provided they “meet the standards of women’s decency and don’t contradict Islamic laws".
Prominent female Saudi sports commentator Reema Abdullah will also help carry the Olympic torch on behalf of her country in London's July 27-August 12 games.
Pope arrives in Mexico
24.03.2012
Pope Benedict XVI began a pilgrimage to the New World on Friday calling on Mexicans to conquer an "idolatry of money" that feeds drug violence and urged Cuba to leave behind a Marxism that "no longer responds to reality."
Mexican President Felipe Calderon and first lady Margarita Zavala greeted the pope and escorted him along a red carpet amid a clanging of church bells and cheers from a crowd waving Vatican flags. A swelling throng gathered to cheer him along his path from the airport on his first visit to Spanish-speaking Latin America.
EU bans Syrian First Lady from Travel & Shopping
24.03.2012
The European Union banned the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from travelling to the EU or shopping with European companies in a move to stop her buying the Chanel dresses and Louboutin shoes she apparently craves.
The EU's latest round of sanctions, which also targeted the president's mother and sister, is notable for including Assad's London-born wife Asma, whose luxury shopping habit was laid bare this month in a cache of hacked emails.
She was once admired for her cosmopolitan glamour, but has over the past year turned into a hate figure for many Syrians, standing by her husband as he conducts a crackdown against a popular uprising in which thousands have been killed.
Singapore expects up to 10% rise in 2012 visitor arrivals
23.03.2012
Singapore hopes to attract up to 10 percent more visitors this year.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has projected visitor arrivals to be between 13.5 and 14.5 million this year, an increase of up to 10 percent from 2011.
The growth will be slower than the 13.8 percent pace achieved in 2011.
STB also projected tourism receipts to reach S$23 billion to S$24 billion this year, an increase of up to 8 per cent from last year.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran revealed the figures at the annual Tourism Industry Conference on Friday.
It was held at the MAX Atria @ Singapore Expo and attended by more than 800 industry partners.
Singapore's tourism industry has done well in the past two years, but STB wants to focus on growing Singapore's share of the tourism pie by increasing the amount of money visitors spend while in Singapore.
From a low of S$12.6 billion in 2009, tourism receipts have more than doubled to S$22.2 billion in 2011.
The government will pump S$640 million to seed new tourism projects over five years.
Three new areas of growth have also been identified.
One area is to build up the cruise tourism, starting with the opening of the new International Cruise Terminal later this year.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has projected visitor arrivals to be between 13.5 and 14.5 million this year, an increase of up to 10 percent from 2011.
The growth will be slower than the 13.8 percent pace achieved in 2011.
STB also projected tourism receipts to reach S$23 billion to S$24 billion this year, an increase of up to 8 per cent from last year.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran revealed the figures at the annual Tourism Industry Conference on Friday.
It was held at the MAX Atria @ Singapore Expo and attended by more than 800 industry partners.
Singapore's tourism industry has done well in the past two years, but STB wants to focus on growing Singapore's share of the tourism pie by increasing the amount of money visitors spend while in Singapore.
From a low of S$12.6 billion in 2009, tourism receipts have more than doubled to S$22.2 billion in 2011.
The government will pump S$640 million to seed new tourism projects over five years.
Three new areas of growth have also been identified.
One area is to build up the cruise tourism, starting with the opening of the new International Cruise Terminal later this year.
Riau Islands to Host Indonesia’s First Trauma Center for Migrant Workers Who Returns From Malaysia
23.03.2012
Indonesia is set to soon open in Riau Islands the country’s first trauma center for psychologically troubled Indonesian migrant workers.
The center, currently under construction, will sit on 2.5 hectares of land in Tanjung Pinang.
The provincial administration officially gifted the plot of land to the Ministry of Social Affairs, which will run the center, during a ceremony in Batam on Thursday.
Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri, speaking after the ceremony, said Riau Islands was chosen as the location for the new center because the province was frequently visited by migrant workers on their way to destination countries, especially Malaysia, or
on the way back to their hometowns.
Some of these workers, especially those having faced problems in their workplaces, were often traumatized and needed psychological treatment.
“We can’t just send them back to where they come from. We must first take care of them until their mental health recovers,” Salim said.
He said the construction of the center was expected to be completed within the next three months.
Riau Islands recorded an average of 30,000 migrant workers stopping by in the province every year since 2003, including 16,000 troubled workers deported from Malaysia last year.
The center, currently under construction, will sit on 2.5 hectares of land in Tanjung Pinang.
The provincial administration officially gifted the plot of land to the Ministry of Social Affairs, which will run the center, during a ceremony in Batam on Thursday.
Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri, speaking after the ceremony, said Riau Islands was chosen as the location for the new center because the province was frequently visited by migrant workers on their way to destination countries, especially Malaysia, or
on the way back to their hometowns.
Some of these workers, especially those having faced problems in their workplaces, were often traumatized and needed psychological treatment.
“We can’t just send them back to where they come from. We must first take care of them until their mental health recovers,” Salim said.
He said the construction of the center was expected to be completed within the next three months.
Riau Islands recorded an average of 30,000 migrant workers stopping by in the province every year since 2003, including 16,000 troubled workers deported from Malaysia last year.
Indonesian President Visits China
23.03.2012
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Chinese President Hu Jintao inspect military troops on Friday during a state military ceremony held by the Chinese government to welcome the Indonesian head of state. President Yudhoyono, First Lady Any Yudhoyono and a number of Cabinet ministers will be in China until March 24.
Meet Asia's most Powerful Young Businesswomen
23.03.2012
Bollywood producer and Joint MD of Balaji Telefilms, Ekta Kapoor is the youngest lady in Forbes' list of Asia's Power Businesswomen.
'India is a loser', says Sri Lankan media India-SriLanka ties hang in balance after UNHRC vote
23.03.2012
After India joined a majority of UNHRC members to support a resolution censuring Sri Lanka for alleged rights violation of its Tamil minority, focus now is on its impact on Colombo-New Delhi ties.
Opinion in India seemed divided with DMK expressing its happiness over India's stand
Opinion in India seemed divided with DMK expressing its happiness over India's stand
and Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy calling it a "monumental blunder".
"It's a monumental blunder. India has shown that we don't care for our backyard. We became a junior partner and destroyed our independence," Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy told CNN-IBN.
After the resolution Sri Lanka said it was unhappy with New Delhi.
But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "We don't want to infringe on Sri Lanka's sovereignty but our concerns should be expressed so Tamils get justice and dignity."
India voted in favour of the UN resolution against Colombo to placate the UPA's ally DMK with party chief M Karunanidhi taking a hard line on the issue.
"Most important is making sure that Tamils get their rights and they get justice," DMK leader Kanimozhi said.
Address accountability – Hillary Tells SriLanka
23.03.2012
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton urged Sri Lanka on Thursday to take steps to address "accountability" vis-a-vis the human rights abuses in the war against the Tamil Tigers.
After 24 other countries voted for a US resolution at the UN human rights council in Geneva, Clinton
After 24 other countries voted for a US resolution at the UN human rights council in Geneva, Clinton
said "a strong signal" had gone to Colombo that only "real reconciliation and accountability" can lead to lasting peace.
"Today’s action ... encourages Sri Lanka to continue on the path toward reconciliation following 27 years of civil war.
"The next steps are clear. We look to Sri Lanka to implement the constructive recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and take necessary measures to address accountability.
"We are committed to working with Sri Lanka to help realize this goal.
"We will continue the productive working relationship we have with Sri Lanka based on shared values, respect and constructive dialogue."
Madonna vows to defy anti-gay law on Russian tour
23.03.2012
U.S. pop singer Madonna has promised to defy a recent law against homosexual “propaganda” in Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg on her upcoming tour through Russia this summer.
Calling the legislation, which imposes fines for promoting homosexuality among minors, a “ridiculous atrocity” on her Facebook page, she said she would address the issue during her show.
“I will come to St Petersburg to speak up for the gay community, to support the gay community,” she said. Her Russian tour begins in August, months after the Moscow opening of her private gym named after the artist's 2008 album “Hard Candy.”
Calling the legislation, which imposes fines for promoting homosexuality among minors, a “ridiculous atrocity” on her Facebook page, she said she would address the issue during her show.
“I will come to St Petersburg to speak up for the gay community, to support the gay community,” she said. Her Russian tour begins in August, months after the Moscow opening of her private gym named after the artist's 2008 album “Hard Candy.”
Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union, was only decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but much of the homosexual community remains largely underground as anti-gay prejudice runs deep.
Afghanistan’s Taliban says it has no faith in trial of U.S. soldier
23.03.2012
Afghanistan’s Taliban said on Friday it had no faith in any court proceedings against a U.S. soldier who was charged in connection with a shooting rampage in two southern Afghanistan villages that shocked Americans back home and further roiled U.S.-Afghan relations.
A U.S. official said on Thursday U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales will be charged with 17 counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder, along with other charges.“This was a planed activity and we will certainly take revenge on all American forces in Afghanistan and don’t trust such trials,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.The Taliban’s Mujahid reiterated claims held by many Afghans that there must have been more than one soldier involved in the massacre, claims U.S. authorities have consistently denied.
“Now America tries to deceive the people and tries to blame the act on one soldier. This is a crime by the American government. Using such cleverness and deception is a huge crime,” Mujahid said.
The slaughter of Afghan villagers was yet another blow to U.S-Afghan relations, following a series of missteps, including the mistaken burning of Qurans, which prompted violent protests and revenge killings of American troops in the war zone.
A U.S. official said on Thursday U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales will be charged with 17 counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder, along with other charges.“This was a planed activity and we will certainly take revenge on all American forces in Afghanistan and don’t trust such trials,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.The Taliban’s Mujahid reiterated claims held by many Afghans that there must have been more than one soldier involved in the massacre, claims U.S. authorities have consistently denied.
“Now America tries to deceive the people and tries to blame the act on one soldier. This is a crime by the American government. Using such cleverness and deception is a huge crime,” Mujahid said.
The slaughter of Afghan villagers was yet another blow to U.S-Afghan relations, following a series of missteps, including the mistaken burning of Qurans, which prompted violent protests and revenge killings of American troops in the war zone.