Fiq

Marquez equaliser frustrates South Africa

2010-06-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Rafael Marquez denied South Africa a dream start to their FIFA World Cup™ with a late equaliser for Mexico in a 1-1 draw in an absorbing Opening Match at Soccer City.

Carlos Parreira's hosts appeared on course for three points when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired them in front with a superb 55th-minute strike. But after Teko Modise had missed two clear chances to seal victory, Marquez rescued the draw that Mexico's first-half dominance deserved with a close-range finish 11 minutes from time.

South Africa's players were singing as they came down the tunnel before stepping out into a wall of noise inside Soccer City. But after referee Ravshan Irmatov blew the first whistle of these finals, it was Mexico who looked the team in tune. Their positive start might have yielded the earliest goal of any FIFA World Cup Opening Match as Alessandro Dos Santos nearly struck inside two minutes. Paul Aguilar delivered a low cross and when goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune failed to smother it, Dos Santos looked poised to bury the loose ball only for Aaron Mokoena to make a vital block.

Javier Aguirre's Mexico created a steady supply of chances as they dominated possession in the first half-hour. After Guillermo Franco had sent a header over from a corner, the lively Dos Santos threatened again when he surged upfield from the centre-circle before slicing a shot wide from the edge of the box. After 32 minutes Carlos Vela sent a dinked ball over the Bafana backline to Franco but he was foiled by Khune. When that pair next combined, Mexico got the ball into the net but Vela was offside as he turned in Franco's flick-on from a corner.

Once or twice South Africa’s interpassing almost opened up the Mexico rearguard only for the final ball to go astray. But it was not for nothing that South Africa entered this contest unbeaten in 12 games and home hopes rose before the break when Tshabalala whipped in a dangerous ball that Katlego Mphela just failed to get his head to. It was Tshabalala himself who made the breakthrough by concluding a four-man move in spectacular style ten minutes after the restart.

Latching on to a long diagonal through-ball by Kagisho Dikgacoi, he broke into the penalty box on the left before unleashing a superb left-footed shot high into the opposite corner. Soccer City exploded in celebration and after Khune had turned behind Dos Santo's rising shot, Modise could have put the game out of sight. With 66 minutes on the clock, Mphela's effort deflected to the feet of the Bafana No11 but with just Oscar Perez to beat, he shot wide.

Modise got through again but under pressure from Francisco Rodriguez, failed to get the power on his shot to trouble Perez. The hosts paid for their profligacy when Andres Guardado picked out the unmarked Marquez at the far post and he gave Khune no chance with a near-post finish. Even then South Africa might have snatched a winner only for Mphela's left-foot strike to rebound to safety off the post.

Polystyrene window frame shock for house buyers

2010-05-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Several house buyers in Taman Ampang Jajar here had a rude shock when they checked the houses – the outer frames of their windows were made from polystyrene.

A buyer, Lee Kim Tatt, 35, claimed that the polystyrene pieces were covered with a thin layer of cement.

“What would happen if a person steps on the window sill, thinking that it was made of concrete?” he asked when Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) president Mokhtar Mohd Jait visited the project site yesterday.

A representative for the project’s architect said the frames were merely decorative pieces that should not be stepped on.

Another buyer, Yan Wei Seong, 33, claimed the houses did not follow the original plan as per the sale and purchase agreement (S&P) signed in 2006.

“Some units in a particular row have double steps leading to the back lane while some in the same row only have one step, which shows that the ground is uneven,” he alleged.

Barisan Nasional’s Bagan parliamentary constituency co-ordinator David Chua, who was present, said he was surprised that the relevant departments and agencies had given the green light for the MPSP to issue the Certificate of Fitness (CF) to a majority of the units in 2008.

“How could the CF be given when some of the units are not in good condition?

“Access to these houses is also blocked with hoardings and there are no street lights in this area,” he said.

Mokhtar said the developer had agreed to extend the defect-liability period for the housing units by another two years.

“Disgruntled house buyers are advised to list down their grouses, so we can hold further discussion with the developer.

“We will try to come up with amicable solutions,” he added.

Mokhtar said of the 101 housing units, 22 units as well as 17 shophouses had yet to receive their CFs, pending approval from the relevant departments and agencies.

Husband of late reality TV star sentenced

2009-04-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

The husband of reality television star Jade Goody, who died of cancer last month, has been jailed for 12 weeks for attacking a cab driver.

Jack Tweed, 21, was sentenced Tuesday at Harlow Magistrates' Court northeast of London. He had denied the assault charge.

Tweed's wife died March 22 after a highly publicized battle with cervical cancer. The couple married in a media extravaganza two months before her death.

Goody's last months were marked by an outpouring of public sympathy, but Tweed has been dogged by legal problems.

In September, he was given an 18-month jail sentence for beating a teenager with a golf club. He was granted early release on that charge.

Defense lawyer Tania Panagiotopoulou says Tweed has matured since Goody's illness and had pleaded for a lesser sentence.

2009-04-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Jessica Simpson's courtship with country music seems to have had a shorter shelf life than her marriage.

After lackluster sales for her country debut, "Do You Know," Simpson and her Nashville record label have parted ways, leaving many wondering what's next for the 28-year-old entertainer.

"Right now it seems like she's taken a break from recording. There is nothing else on the books," said Ian Drew, senior music editor at Us Weekly magazine.

A spokeswoman for the one-time pop princess says Simpson remains part of the Sony Music Group on the Epic label, but is no longer working with the company's country division, Sony Music Nashville.

"She was on loan to Sony Nashville for her country album," said Lauren Auslander.

As for her future in country music? "We don't know yet," she said.

"Do You Know" started strong but faded fast. The lead single, "Come on Over," a flirtatious, steel guitar-laced slice of country pop, peaked at No. 18 last summer and the album debuted at No. 1. But the second single, "Remember That," stalled at No. 42, and the third, "Pray Out Loud," failed to chart.

To date, the disc, Simpson's fifth studio release, has sold around 178,000 copies — a long way from her 3 million-selling 2003 disc, "In This Skin."

"Everywhere I saw her around the U.S. at different radio station events she was always well-received," said Lon Helton, editor and publisher of the industry trade publication "Country Aircheck." "For whatever reason, the music did not resonate."

Simpson came to country after her 2006 pop outing, "A Public Affair," fell flat. The Texas-born blonde touted the move as a return to her roots. She performed on the Grand Ole Opry, signed autographs at the Country Music Association's annual festival, and toured with country's multiplatinum trio Rascal Flatts.

But she got more publicity for her life outside of music, most of it far from positive. She was ridiculed when it seemed as if she had gained a few pounds, and the status of her romance with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was constantly scrutinized.

She was also criticized for a few erratic concert performances. At a February show in Michigan, Simpson apologized to fans after she forgot the lyrics to a song and asked her band to start over on another.

Some detractors viewed her country career as a calculated attempt to follow other pop stars who have found success on country radio.

"Working the country market is very different. You really have to work it at country. You have to spend your life on the road building an audience and she didn't really put the work in," Drew observed. "She walked the walk and talked the talk, but she didn't have the street cred that she needed to make it work."

But others say Simpson shouldn't bail too soon. She may just need more time to find an audience.

"It doesn't seem like she was even on the country music scene long enough to prove what she is capable of doing for this industry. She never got the chance," said Neely Yates, music director for country station 96.3 in Lubbock, Texas.

Helton wondered whether the singer was a victim of bad timing. Pop rockers Darius Rucker and Jewel were crossing over to country about the same time, which he called unusual in country music.

"What was the ability of the market to absorb and focus on more than one pop singer at a time coming over?" he asked.

The question now is whether Simpson will keep her record deal. After two disappointments, Epic may be ready to move on without her.

"She's never really sold a lot of records except for the album out at the height of 'Newlyweds,'" said Drew, referring to her popular reality TV show, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," which chronicled her ill-fated marriage to Nick Lachey. "Other than that, she's never been able to sell much of anything."

But in a recent interview, Rascal Flatts' Gary Levox said Simpson is in a no-win situation with her critics: "She's in a spot where whatever she does, they pick her apart. They need to just leave her alone and just let her sing."

"She's a wonderfully gifted singer," added bandmate Jay DeMarcus. "All the other stuff overshadows what she's really about and it's unfortunate, because there's more to her there than just tabloid fodder."

Castro insists US go further, lift 'cruel' embargo

2009-04-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Fidel Castro says the Obama administration did not go far enough in softening sanctions, and criticized it for leaving in place the embargo that bars most trade and travel between the two countries.

The White House said Monday that Americans will now be able to make unlimited transfers of money and visits to relatives in Cuba. Under Bush administration rules, Cuban-Americans were eligible to travel here only every three years and send up to $300 to relatives every three months.

Monday's action eliminated those limits in the hope that less dependence on their government will lead Cubans to demand progress on political freedoms.

Castro responded in an online column Monday night. The ailing former president wrote that the U.S. had announced the repeal of "several hateful restrictions," but had stopped short of real change.

"Of the blockade, which is the cruelest of measures, not a word was uttered," he wrote.

Castro noted that several U.S. senators favor lifting the trade embargo and urged Obama to seize the opportunity.

"The conditions are in place for Obama to use his talent in a constructive policy that ends something that has failed for nearly half a century," he wrote.

While analysts say the U.S. policy change could usher in a new era of openness between the two countries, few here think it will mean the end of the trade embargo, which has choked off nearly all U.S. trade with the island for 47 years and counting.

"I'm not hoping for much more from Obama," said 43-year-old office worker Layna Rodriguez. "I don't know that he can do much more since to him, the important thing is what the Americans in his country do."

But many Cubans are happy that relatives in America will now be able to come whenever they want, stay as long as they want and send as much cash home as they can. About 1.5 million Americans have relatives in Cuba, which turned to communist rule after Fidel Castro seized control in 1959.

For Olguita Sierra, the shift in U.S. policy allowing Cuban-Americans to make unlimited trips and money transfers to the island came a month too late.

The 72-year-old's son Sergio lives in Miami and had not been eligible for a trip to Cuba until next year. His request for an emergency visa was pending in March when his father passed away.

"What hurts me most is that my husband died just a little while ago without seeing him," Sierra stammered, tears welling in her eyes. "If only Obama had made this decision sooner."

Jose Pilar Ramos, a 20-something looking for work in the Old Havana tourist district, said his cousin in Miami does not have enough money to visit Cuba — regardless of what U.S. law now allows.

"Obama can do what he wants, but the problem is here. People don't want to work for $4 a week, even if they get more money from family members over there," he said, nodding toward the waters of the Florida Straits, which lap at the Havana coastline.

Nearly all Cubans work for the government, earning an average of 414 pesos — just $19.70 — a month. Ramos said he lost his state job after trying to flee Cuba three times by small boat, most recently in February when he was picked up on the high seas by the U.S. Coast Guard and sent home.

As he spoke, a police officer approached, demanded his identification card and detained him for venturing outside of his neighborhood in East Havana. Police keep close watch on tourist areas, ensuring that foreigners and Cubans don't mix more than necessary. Nobody had bothered Ramos until he began speaking to a foreign journalist.

Other steps taken Monday by the White House include expanding items allowed in gift parcels sent to Cuba. The administration also will begin issuing licenses for companies to provide cellular and television services to Cubans, and letting family members pay for relatives on the island to get those services.

But for many, the moves are only a beginning. Alberto Sal, a 68-year-old retiree, said he had high hopes when Obama was elected but is still waiting for significant action.

For instance, the president said nothing Monday about bipartisan measures in both houses of Congress that would effectively allow all Americans to travel to Cuba.

"He should do more and lift travel restrictions for all Americans," Sal said. "Until he does that, I don't think he's doing much."

N. Korea says it will restart its nuclear reactor

2009-04-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea vowed Tuesday to restart its nuclear reactor and to boycott international disarmament talks for good in retaliation for the U.N. Security Council's condemnation of its rocket launch.

China, the country's main ally, appealed for calm. Russia called on Pyongyang to return to the talks in the interests of denuclearization, reports said.

North Korea's swift denunciation of the council's "hostile" move came hours after all 15 members, including Beijing and Moscow, unanimously agreed to condemn the April 5 launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions and to tighten sanctions against the regime.

The U.N. statement, issued eight days after the launch, was weaker than the resolution Japan and the United States had pursued but still drew an angry response from Pyongyang, which called it "unjust" and a violation of international law.

North Korea claims it sent a communications satellite into space as part of a peaceful bid to develop its space program.

The U.S. and others call the launch an illicit test of the technology used to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, even one eventually destined for the U.S.

A Security Council resolution passed in 2006, days after North Korea carried out an underground nuclear test, prohibits Pyongyang from engaging in any ballistic missile-related activity — including launching rockets that use the same delivery technology as missiles mounted with warheads, Washington and other nations say.

The council on Monday demanded an end to the rocket launches and said it will expand sanctions against the communist nation. The council also called for quick resumption of disarmament talks.

President Barack Obama called the statement a "clear and united message" that North Korea's action was unlawful and would result in real consequences, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

North Korea, following through on earlier threats to withdraw from international disarmament talks if the council so much as criticized the launch, announced Tuesday it would boycott the 5 1/2-year-old negotiations hosted by China.

"The six-party talks have lost the meaning of their existence, never to recover," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, declaring it would never participate in the talks again and is no longer bound to previous agreements.

Since 2003, envoys from six nations — the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan — have been meeting in Beijing for sporadic negotiations on getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and other concessions.

Under a 2007 six-party deal, North Korea agreed to disable its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon north of Pyongyang — a key step toward dismantlement — in return for 1 million tons of fuel oil and other concessions. Disablement began later that year.

In June 2008, North Korea famously blew up the cooling tower at Yongbyon in a dramatic show of its commitment to denuclearization.

But disablement came to halt a month later as Pyongyang wrangled with Washington over how to verify its 18,000-page account of past atomic activities. The latest round of talks, in December, failed to push the process forward.

On Tuesday, the North said it would restart nuclear facilities, an apparent reference to its plutonium-producing reactor at Yongbyon. North Korea already is believed to have enough plutonium to produce at least about half a dozen atomic bombs.

It also threatened to gird against what it called "hostile acts" by the U.S. and its allies.

"We have no choice but to further strengthen our nuclear deterrent to cope with additional military threats by hostile forces," the Foreign Ministry said in the statement carried by state media.

Analyst Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University, called Pyongyang's move yet another tactic in the regime's bid to get Washington to the negotiating table outside the six-party framework.

"The U.N. statement humiliated North Korea internationally, and that's why North Korea angrily reacted to it," said Atsuhito Isozaki, assistant professor of North Korean politics at Keio University in Japan. "Since China and Russia supported the statement, North Korea feels betrayed."

However, Prof. Yoo Ho-yeol of Korea University in Seoul said Pyongyang will find it difficult to boycott the talks entirely, since that would only serve to further isolate the impoverished country, one of the world's poorest.

"We hope the relevant parties will proceed from the overall interest, exercise calmness and restraint," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Russia' Foreign Ministry said it regrets Pyongyang's response and called on the regime to return to the talks, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.

South Korea, expressing "deep regret," also decided Tuesday to fully join the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative, a program launch in 2003 to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the presidential office said.

The move is bound to further infuriate Pyongyang.

$80,000 for a Year Off? She’ll Take It!

2009-04-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

This year may be a disastrous one for the global economy, but it’s shaping up to be one of the best that Heather Eisenlord has enjoyed in a good long while. Granted, that might not be saying much: For the past five years, Ms. Eisenlord has been an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a notably grueling place for a lawyer to work.

But even by more stringent standards of fun, the coming year looks pretty good. Ms. Eisenlord, 36, who works in Skadden’s banking group, will be buying a plane ticket that will take her around the world for a year, and she’s been stocking her apartment in Brooklyn with Lonely Planet travel guides.

Although she’s not yet sure exactly what she’ll be doing on her trip, she has some ideas. She would like to teach English to monks in Sri Lanka and possibly help bring solar power to remote parts of the Himalayas. She’ll probably hit 10 to 15 destinations around the world, most likely practicing not-for-profit law wherever she can be helpful.

The best part of all: Skadden is paying her about $80,000 to do it.

For a sixth-year associate at a New York law firm, $80,000 isn’t exactly competitive pay. But for someone cruising around the world, doing good wherever she sees fit and, let’s face it, probably hitting a beach or two, the pay is excellent.

Only in a financial world turned upside down would an arrangement like this one make sense. Looking to cut costs like everyone else, but not prepared to lay off associates, Skadden has chosen instead to offer all of its associates — about 1,300 worldwide — the option of accepting a third of their base pay to not show up for work for a year. (So far, the partners have no equivalent arrangement.)

The company is helping associates find pro bono work, and is encouraging them to do so. But the lawyers could also spend the year catching up on every episode of “Top Chef” that they missed during the boom years, or traveling around the world, “all of which is O.K. by us,” said Matthew Mallow, a partner at the firm. Other firms have adopted similar strategies, but Skadden’s program is unusual in that it has no pro bono requirements.

As of Friday, about 125 associates had expressed interest. “I think it’s fair to say that the numbers are in excess of our expectations,” Mr. Mallow said.

Only at a corporate law firm would the managers underestimate employees’ interest in taking a year off from the grind for what most of America would consider a small fortune.

Not everyone could cover monthly living expenses on a third of one’s pay, and naturally some skeptical lawyers grilled the partners about job security. If there are layoffs in a year, they wondered, is it really possible that the lawyers who’d been defending trees in British Columbia wouldn’t be disadvantaged, compared with the lawyers who’d been slaving away on contracts in Midtown?

Not only were the lawyers assured that their time away wouldn’t hurt them; in some ways it would be protective: If there are layoffs while they are away, they will be immune.

So far, the majority of the lawyers are looking for worthwhile legal work, Skadden says, to keep them as competitive as possible; but yes, some will take the year off to spend time with their children or look after a sick relative. Someone’s planning to wrap up his Ph.D., someone else is looking into legal work for a news organization, and another associate will be joining Ms. Eisenlord on her round-the-world adventure.

Ms. Eisenlord says she fully intends to go back to Skadden after her trip, and will be eager to return to the work she loves and the co-workers she admires. It’s possible that after a year teaching monks English, installing solar panels in the Himalayas and working on human rights in developing nations, she will come to the conclusion that there is no more fulfilling life than the one she has spent in corporate law.

But maybe she will have some kind of revelation. If there is any silver lining to this financial catastrophe, it’s that business as usual has come to a grinding halt. Sometimes it takes getting thrown out of the office to notice there is a life outside.

Protests Reveal Deep Divisions

2009-04-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

Thailand, the land of politeness and smiles, is also famous for kickboxing. The street battles in Bangkok this week were a window into the country’s pugilistic side, an outpouring of frustration by protesters who say they feel injustice and discrimination in the workings of Thailand’s troubled democracy.

Although the protests ended peacefully on Tuesday, the grassroots resentment and anger are likely to linger.

“Whoever wins or loses this round, the stalemate and tension will remain,” said Thongchai Winichakul, a professor of Southeast Asian history at the University of Wisconsin.

The “red shirts,” as the protesters are known, draw their strength from the north and northeastern parts of Thailand. Many of them are farmers and small businessmen, and they portray themselves as battling an unelected but influential elite, notably the judiciary, the military and the powerful advisers of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

A central lament of the red shirts is that the will of the electorate has been repeatedly thwarted: three prime ministers since 2006 have been forced from office — one in the military coup of 2006 and two removed by the courts in highly political trials.

“They chased out governments that were elected,” said Thongdee Wongsamart, a middle-aged protester who recently lost her job as a cleaner in a tour company. “I’m angry.”

Many of the red shirts are followers of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister ousted in the 2006 coup. But they are often quick to point out that their grievances about the state of Thai democracy are more important than their support for Mr. Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon.

“This is not only about Thaksin and his money,” said Mr. Thongchai of the University of Wisconsin. “These are people against the coup who are targeting an unelected bureaucratic elite.”

Many red shirts say they do not trust the Thai media, which they accuse of siding with the government. Those from the provinces say they resent being looked down as people who speak funny dialects.

They draw the contrast between the light touch used by security forces last year against royalist protesters and the thousands of troops who forcibly dislodged the red shirts from Bangkok’s streets this week.

The royalists crippled the country late last year by blockading Bangkok’s two commercial airports for a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors. They surrounded Parliament and trapped legislators inside, receiving moral support from the king’s wife, Queen Sirikit.

“This country has a double standard, has no justice and will never be peaceful,” read a comment on pantip.com, an Internet chat site that has a popular political section. “There will be civil war because people see that injustice has become an acceptable thing.”

The royalists are seen as having an invisible hand protecting them.

“I don’t understand why the army did nothing when the PAD seized the airports,” said a user on pantip.com referring to the royalist People’s Alliance for Democracy. “They cannot touch the PAD but they can suppress red shirts.”

The leaders of the royalist protests were eventually arrested but then quickly released on bail.

The case against the group “has not proceeded very far and it appears that its leaders may eventually be indicted with lesser charges, if at all,” David Streckfuss, an expert in Thai politics, wrote in The Bangkok Post on Tuesday.

The government has closed down several Internet sites linked to the red shirts as well as a satellite television station that carried live broadcasts of the protests. By contrast ASTV, a satellite television run by one of the royalist leaders, Sondhi Limthongkul, was never shut down.

While he was still in power Mr. Thaksin sought to keep Mr. Sondhi off the airwaves. The red shirts gloss over this dark side of the former prime minister. Mr. Thaksin was very popular for lifting incomes in rural areas, cracking down on drugs and paying off the country’s debts to the International Monetary Fund.

But he often mixed his personal business interests with those of the government. He intimidated journalists. And his crackdown on drugs may have came at the cost of what human rights groups say were hundreds of extrajudicial killings.

“Thaksin is a minor point in my opinion, and the major point is democracy,” said Somchai Luangtant, 49, who sells graduation gowns in Bangkok. “People should know that the Thai people want real democracy, not like what we have right now.”

First View of the Dark Side of the Sun

2009-01-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Soon we may get the first ever glimpse of the dark side of the sun.

Well, no, there's no actual dark side of a luminous ball of burning gas, but there is an effective dark side, as in, the side of the sun we can't see at any given time.

Scientists aren't content to get just half of the picture, so they've launched the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories) mission, a pair of NASA spacecraft that will orbit the sun simultaneously to provide a complete view of all sides of the star at once.

"Then there will be no place to hide and we can see the entire sun for the first time," STEREO project scientist Michael Kaiser of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told Wired.com.

The perfect spherical view will come on Feb. 6, 2011. Right now the satellites, which were launched in October 2006, are about 90 degrees apart, which allows a picture of about 270 degrees of the sun — the fullest view yet.

"The who goal of all of this is to try to get a better handle to try to predict solar storms, which cause cell phone disturbances, and disruptions to communications and power." Kaiser said. "We'd like to be able to predict these things as far in advance as possible to give us a longer warning time."

Solar storms are magnetic disruptions on the sun that release violent sprays of charged particles into space. These storms can produce magnificent displays of the Northern Lights. But some past storms have also cost airlines and satellite communications industries millions of dollars, and have led to large scale power blackouts (including one across the entire province of Quebec, Canada). Being able to reliably forecast these tempests in advance could make a huge difference in preventing disturbances on Earth.

Predicting solar weather is also important for the future of manned spaceflight. If astronauts are exposed to the intense radiation from solar storms while traveling beyond the protective magnetic field of the Earth, they could suffer serious harm. Even astronauts close to home who venture out for a spacewalk during a storm are put in danger.

"For future missions going to the moon and Mars, that's very important," Kaiser said. "Some of these solar storms can be very intense. If the astronauts were completely exposed to one of these storms the radiation could be high."

The STEREO mission also aims to improve our basic scientific understanding of the dynamics within the sun, which could shed light on the workings of stars in general.

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2009-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

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2009-01-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

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Is Rihanna Already Married and Pregnant?

2009-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Rihanna and Chris Brown have always denied any sort of relationship beyond being friends. The couple continue to spend a ton of time together and recently, Rihanna has been sporting a wedding ring.

For all we know they are already married and are expecting a baby!

SAMMI Cheng is back

2009-01-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

SAMMI Cheng is back, and she’s loving it. The 36-year-old singer-actress has been on a three-year, self-enforced hiatus from the entertainment industry, in which her output consisted of a measly feature film, no albums but a concert tour in 2007.

Nevertheless, be prepared to see more of the Cantopop star in 2009, starting with her first movie since 2005 – Lady Cop and Papa Crook.

Directed by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, the movie features Cheng as Szeto, a police detective who is assigned to help a triad boss, John Fok (Eason Chen), find his kidnapped son. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse as Szeto moves her base of operations into John’s house as he tries to hide his illegal activities from her.

Cheng first entered the entertainment industry in 1988, at the age of 16 after win-ning a talent contest. Her first album, Sammi, was released in 1990, and her film debut was in 1992 in Life Of His Own alongside Jacky Cheung. She has since acted in over 21 movies and released more than 30 albums, and is widely recognised as one of the most successful and highest-paid celebrities in Hong Kong.

Lady Cop and Papa Crook is the first movie Cheng has made since 2005’s Everlasting Regret (in which she earned a nomination for “best actress” at the Venice Film Festival).

In a phone interview from Hong Kong, Cheng expressed delight to be back making movies, though it took a little getting used to at first.

“I haven’t made a movie in two years, so I was stressed out and nervous at first. After the first three days, I had to ask the director to give me three days off,” she said.

“During that time, I tried my best to do things that would calm me down. I got up early in the morning and did a lot of sports to release stress; then in the afternoon I watched movies and TV, and at night I just prayed and read the Bible (during her three-year break, Cheng became a born-again Christian).

“It was strange ... to me those three days off were like a test. If I could not get my act together and try to eliminate the stress, I would not have finished the film.”

But finish the film she did, and she now looks back at it with fondness, especially at her first role as a policewoman, which the directors modelled after Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs.

“They wanted to turn me into a female version of Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs, with the black suits and long trench coats.

“It was fun to be a lady cop, plus this character is actually quite close to my own personality. Work-wise, I’m always rushing around, but when it comes to love, I’m always very blur and very bad at it!” she said with a laugh.

Lady Cop and Papa Crook also marks the first time Cheng is acting alongside Eason Chen, and she is looking forward to working with him again.

“I was very happy to work with him. I feel he has a lot of potential as an actor, and is also good-looking in a very alternative kind of way,” she said. “We got along very well, and we were even complaining that we never got to be lovers in the movie! Hopefully we can get together to do a crazy romantic comedy ... I think it would be quite good!”

For now though, Cheng has plenty of work lined up for 2009, including two movies that were written specifically for her, as well as another major period film which is still in the pre-production stage. She is also planning to complete her comeback with a new album – the first in almost four years – this year.

So be prepared ... 2009 may just be the Year of Sammi.

Female newscaster among 26 nabbed at sex party

2009-01-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR Police arrested a female newscaster of a private television station and 25 others who took part in a sex party at a hotel room in Jalan P. Ramlee on Thursday.

Nine tested positive for drugs, said ASP Mahani Ahmad of the vice, gambling and secret society branch.

All those arrested during the 3.30am operation aged between 18 and 31 years, she said when contacted.

She said the police also found liquor and various drugs like ketamine, cocaine and syabu in the room on the 11th floor of the hotel.

A 20-year-old student of a private college in Kelana Jaya, believed to be the drugs supplier, was among those held.

During the raid, three couples were on the bed while the rest were entertaining themselves and believed to have been intoxicated, she said.

She said preliminary investigations showed the sex party was hosted by two men and those who attended it knew each other through Friendster, a social network in the internet.

Those arrested were taken to the Kuala Lumpur contingent police headquarters. Meanwhile, about 40 people were arrested for various offences during the new year's eve party in Bukit Bintang where several fights took place between drunken youths.

A number of people including foreign tourists also lost cash, passports and electronic gadgets to pickpockets and 10 police reports were lodged at the mobile police station deployed there.

Bush withdraws 1 of 19 pardons he issued Tuesday

2008-12-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush on Wednesday revoked a pardon he had granted only a day before — a step unheard of in recent memory — after learning in news reports of political contributions to Republicans by the man's father and other information.

Bush pardoned 19 people on Tuesday, including Isaac Robert Toussie of Brooklyn, N.Y., who had been convicted of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and of mail fraud. On Wednesday, the White House issued an extraordinary statement saying the president was reversing his decision in Toussie's case.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the new decision was "based on information that has subsequently come to light," including on the extent and nature of Toussie's prior criminal offenses. She also said that neither the White House counsel's office nor the president had been aware of a political contribution by Toussie's father that "might create an appearance of impropriety."

"Given that, this was the prudent thing to do," she said.

The new information came to the White House's attention from news reports, Perino said.

A story in the New York Daily News said Toussie's father, Robert, donated $28,500 to the national Republican Party in April. It came just months before Toussie's pardon petition, the newspaper said.

The counsel's office generally doesn't include vetting of political contributions in its reviews on such matters, as that would be "highly inappropriate on many levels," she said. The White House decision on Toussie had come without a recommendation from the pardon attorney, Ronald L. Rodgers, as Toussie's request for a pardon came less than five years after completion of his sentence, so that eliminated another step in the review process.

The Justice Department advises the president on who qualifies for pardons. Only people who have waited five years after their conviction or release from prison can apply for a pardon under the department's guidelines. Criminals are required to begin serving time, or otherwise exhaust any appeals, before they can be considered for sentence commutation.

But the president can forgive people outside that process if he chooses. Under the Constitution, the president's power to issue pardons is absolute and cannot be overruled — meaning he can forgive anyone he wants, at any time.

Perino said she did not know of another instance of a pardon reversal in "recent memory," but that the White House couldn't say for sure it never had happened before.

"The counsel to the president reviewed the application and believed, based on the information known to him at the time, that it was a meritorious application," she said. Bush now believes the case should rest with the pardon attorney.

The Daily News story on Wednesday, and another in Newsday and on blogs, shed light on Toussie's record. He pleaded guilty for lying to HUD and mail fraud, admitting that he falsified finances of prospective homebuyers seeking HUD mortgages. He was sentenced to five months in prison and five months' house arrest, a $10,000 fine and no restitution, the Daily News reported.

In another case, Toussie pleaded guilty to having a friend send his local county a letter that falsely inflated property values.

The Daily News also located a lawyer representing hundreds of ex-customers who have sued Toussie in federal court, accusing him of luring poor, minority homebuyers into buying overpriced homes with mortgages that had hidden costs.

The attorney, Peter E. Seidman, said Wednesday that news of the pardon was "gut wrenching for his clients" and left him "baffled."

"I am glad somebody at the White House woke up," he said in an interview.

Maxine D. Wilson, 42, bought one of Toussie's homes on Long Island in 1996. She later sued Toussie, claiming the house started to fall apart after she moved in in 1997. She said she was shocked when she learned Bush was going to pardon Toussie.

"I was angry at how money, power and influence seemed to trump justice," she said. But on Wednesday, she said, "I feel today that somebody paid attention. Somebody stepped back and made us feel equal."

Federal Election Commission records show a number of donations to Republicans this year by Robert Toussie and by a Laura Toussie who lists the same address. Between them, they gave $4,600 to Minnesota GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and another $4,600 to Oregon Republican Sen. Gordon Smith, all on Oct. 15. Coleman is locked in a still-undecided race against Democrat Al Franken, and Smith lost in November to Democrat Jeff Merkley.

On Oct. 30, Robert Toussie also gave $2,300 to GOP Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.

His contribution to the Republican National Committee came as part of a fundraiser in March for GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Out of a total donation of $30,800 by Toussie, $2,300 went to McCain's campaign and $28,500 went to the RNC.

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University and a close follower of presidential clemency decisions, said the White House decision strikes him as unprecedented, but he said it's not inconceivable that it had happened in the past.

"It's, at best, embarrassing. At worst, it's an extraordinary example of this White House's ability to bollox up one bit of presidential authority that he clearly has," Berman said.

Bradford Berenson, an associate White House counsel during Bush's first term and Isaac Toussie's lawyer, said in a statement that his client remained confident the pardon attorney would grant his request.

"Isaac Toussie is deeply grateful that both the counsel to the president and the president himself found Mr. Toussie's pardon application to have sufficient merit to be granted," Berenson said. "Mr. Toussie looks forward to the pardon attorney's expeditious review of the application."

Berenson declined to elaborate further on the case and its developments.

With the Toussie reversal, Bush has granted a total of 189 pardons and nine commutations. That's fewer than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their two-term tenures.

TOP 10 Celebrity Brat Pack

2008-12-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

If there are two things that Hollywood is constantly looking for, they are the next big thing and the latest celebrity scandal.

In 2008, tabloid staples cleaned up their acts due to court-ordered conservatorships (Britney Spears), pledges of sobriety (Lindsay Lohan), and motherhood (Nicole Richie). As a result, celebrity rags and bloggers shifted their focus to a new, younger set of headline makers: the New Brat Pack.

Like their 1980s counterparts, the New Brat Pack appear in each other's movies, music videos, and social circles. They're all young (21 and under), popular, and major money makers. Their youth, though, subjects them to greater public scrutiny.

Camp Rocky
Disney stars are abundant in Search, and for good reason. When one of the wholesome brand's stars breaks the happy family façade, chaos ensues. A December Vanity Fair cover featuring 33-year-old actress Kate Winslet in nothing but an overcoat and heels barely raised an eyebrow, but an earlier photo shoot that showed a teenaged Miley Cyrus with an exposed back caused a national furor.

The "miley cyrus photo scandal," as people referred to the incident in Search, threatened the reign of the Teen Queen, a title she's earned for good reason. The 16-year-old is the face of the billion-dollar "Hannah Montana" Disney brand and a platinum-selling pop star. While kids may eat up Cyrus' sugary-sweet persona, her real-life actions had grown-ups talking, and not just the parents of her fans.

Following the photo shoot, Cyrus issued a public apology, saying she was embarrassed by photos she thought were supposed to be "artistic." Parent company Disney swooped in to protect its young star, claiming that the shoot was manipulated to sell more covers.

The backlash—online and off—forced renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz to defend her work. Vanity Fair posted a behind-the-scenes account that showed Cyrus' parents and handlers on the set. The furor didn't let up when shots of the bikini-clad star goofing off with friends surfaced online and news came out about her recent relationship with 20-year-old underwear model Justin Gaston. Taking flirty photos and hanging out with older guys may be typical adolescent girl behavior, but for the Teen Queen, they became royal scandals. Fans responded, and for the first time, searches on "miley cyrus" outpaced those of her alter-ego.

Cyrus wasn't the only Disney star with a photo scandal. When nude shots of actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens hit the Web in 2007, there was speculation that she would be dropped from the Mouse House's hit "High School Musical" franchise. What could have been a public relations nightmare for Disney became a boon: Hudgens became a household name and even got a pay raise to star in the feature-film version. Thanks to her and boyfriend Zac Efron, "High School Musical 3" became one of 2008's biggest box-office hits.

Like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers—Kevin, Joe, and Nick—parlayed their Disney series into a successful recording career and the original movie "Camp Rock." Unlike Cyrus, the brothers remained relatively immune from scandal. The rockers still found themselves as tabloid fodder for, of all things, their insistence on . That inspired fans to search on terms like "purity rings."

Songbirds and Lovebirds
R&B singers Chris Brown and Rihanna each have major followings, but their relationship catapulted their online popularity to another level. Although they've been photographed kissing and vacationing together, Brown continually downplayed their relationship—denials that only fueled more interest.

Taylor Swift owed her quick ascent to her girl-next-door looks and catchy country songs. The 18-year-old singer made her way into the New Brat Pack after she began dating Joe Jonas, and model Gaston starred in her "Love Story" music video as her romantic interest. Fame came at a cost, or at least heartache: Swift topped headlines and pulled searches in November after revealing she was unceremoniously dumped in a 27-second phone call.

Growing Up Fast
Although the NBC cult favorite "Heroes" slipped in viewers in 2008, series breakout Hayden Panettiere continued to generate interest. The 19-year-old's relationship with her 31-year-old costar Milo Ventimiglia .

However, nothing was more shocking than pregnancy of 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney's younger sister. The actress broke the news in late 2007. Executives at Nickelodeon, the network that aired her show "Zoey 101," considered pulling the show out of concern for the message her condition might send to young viewers. However, the show's fourth and final season (which was pre-taped) aired through May, and Spears gave birth to daughter Maddie Briann in June.

The younger Spears' situation fueled discussions on pop culture's influence and some say glamorization of teen pregnancy—a hot online topic fueled by the 2007 film "Juno," the ABC Family series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," and the pregnant daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The Next Generation's Next Generation
The life cycle of a teen star lasts only about four to six years. Afterwards, they must move onto adult celebrity or fall forever out of favor.

Selena Gomez, the latest in the line of Disney TV stars with musical aspirations, has already been dubbed "the next Miley Cyrus." Gomez didn't escape 2008 entirely scandal-free—she and peer Demi Lovato posted a YouTube video mocking Cyrus. The mild smackdown wasn't the same order of magnitude as other teen stars' troubles, and, as her fellow New Brat Packers have proved, a little scandal actually can take a career to the next level. And if she doesn't make it, the next big thing is ready to take her place.

Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa - Picture

2008-12-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: A massive landslide occurred in Bukit Antarabangsa at about 3.30am Saturday. One resident is still missing while four have been found dead, said Selangor Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

However, police have not ruled out the possibility that passers-by may also be trapped. "We are confident (the last resident) is still alive. We are expecting to save someone. "Only one resident is unaccounted for but we are not ruling out the possibility that passers-by may be affected.

"The operations will continue until we are sure that no one is trapped under the rubble," said Khalid. The four others who had previously thought to be missing had escaped the landslide and have contacted the police.

Three of the dead have been identified as veterinarian Dr N. Yogeswari, 40, accountant Ng Yee Ping, 30, and Shaiful Khas Shaharuddin, 20. The body of Indonesian maid Surina was removed from the rubble at around 7.40pm Saturday. A total of 93 people have been rescued.

At a 9pm press conference at the site, Khalid assured evacuated residents that their homes will be kept safe by patrolling officers. The Pasukan Gerak Am will watch over the houses including those at the top to ensure there are no intruders, he added.

Khalid said a bridge was also being built across a monsoon drain near the operations centre to enable residents living at Taman Bukit Mewah to have easy access out and to remove their vehicles.

The residential area is located a short distance from the landslide scene but residents were told to evacuate for safety reasons. Residents were currently walking on a tiny plank over a small drain with their suitcases and baby prams. Khalid said the search and rescue operation will continue for 24 hours a day.

Those who have been evacuated were sent to Sekolah Kebangsaan Ulu Klang. Food and shelter will be provided there. Khalid said as of now, there are 14 teams with dogs and electronic equipment trying to locate the last missing victim. “After 5pm, it will be 12 hours (since the incident happened early Saturday morning). We will start using heavy machinery to find those still stuck in the rubble.

“We’ll take careful measures when looking for the victim,” he said. When asked if the rain would make it more dangerous, he said: “I don’t know. I hope there are no more landslides but I cannot be sure.” The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.

As of 2.20pm Saturday, more than 2,000 residents have been evacuated, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan. As of 6pm Saturday the police had airlifted 13 people who needed immediate medical attention including two pregnant women, two elderly women with weak hearts, a man who is a stroke patient and another man who needed haemodialysis treatment.

The last man is said to have made it to the hospital just in time for his treatment. Also affected are 14 houses in Jalan Bukit Mewah and Jalan Mewah Utama. The 15 injured people and the remains of the dead were rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

There are more than 600 people involved in the search and rescue operations from the military, Civil Defence Department, Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue (Smart) team, Fire & Rescue department, Red Crescent, hospitals and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

According to BERNAMA, the injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to hospital. At least 12 ambulances were spotted at the scene on Saturday morning.

Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.

The site of Saturday's landslide is believed to be 1.5km from the Highland Towers apartment building which collapsed on Dec 11, 1993, killing 48 people.

Picture Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa

Major Earthquake Hits Indonesia, Tsunami Warning Lifted

2008-11-16T20:06:00.001-08:00

JAKARTA (AFP) - A major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Monday, destroying houses and triggering a tsunami warning but there were no reports of fatalities, officials said.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), which initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.8 before downgrading it to 7.5, said it struck 136 kilometres (84 miles) off the coastal town Gorontalo at a depth of 21 kilometres.

US officials issued a tsunami warning for an area within 1,000 kilometers of the epicentre, but a similar warning from Indonesian authorities was withdrawn shortly after being issued.

The Indonesian state-run Antara news agency said thousands of people fled their homes and hotel rooms in Gorontalo, with a population of several hundred thousand, when the quake struck around 1:02 am (1702 GMT Sunday).

It said one person had been injured and several buildings had collapsed in Gorontalo. One official told AFP that residents of Tolitoli, around 250 kilometres away, had also reported collapsed buildings.

"In an earthquake like this I think it's likely there will be victims," Indonesian geological official Sutiono said. Police on Sulawesi were not immediately available for comment.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that "this earthquake has the potential to generate a destructive regional tsunami along coasts located within a thousand kilometers (620 miles) of the earthquake epicenter." It advised that authorities in the region "take immediate action to evacuate coastal areas."

"This earthquake is located outside the Pacific. No tsunami threat exists to coastlines in the Pacific," it added. The USGS reported two powerful aftershocks.

The Indonesian archipelago straddles several continental plates in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire where seismic and volcanic activity is recorded on an almost daily basis.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami in December 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries across Asia, including over 168,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Monday's quake comes less than a week after Indonesia launched a high-tech tsunami warning system in a bid to prevent a repeat of tragedies like that in 2004.

The 1.4 trillion rupiah (130.2 million dollar) system is able to detect an earthquake at sea and predict within five minutes whether it could cause a tsunami.

The system, built with German technology and funding from a number of foreign nations, will eventually include 23 or 24 buoys linked by cables to detectors on the ocean floor.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the launch Tuesday that Indonesia was "living on the edge."

"Three tectonic plates -- the Eurasian, Indo-Australian and Pacific -- meet here," Yudhoyono said. "This kind of disaster can strike at any time."

Pelakon INDONESIA - Nia Ramadhani SEXY

2008-11-12T02:33:00.000-08:00

Nia Ramadhani SEXY

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Modern Version of Leaning Tower of Pisa: Capital Gate, Dubai

2008-11-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

If you thought the Leaning Tower of Pisa was messed up, get a load of the Capital Gate tower currently being constructed in Abu Dhabi. Actually, saying it is “messed up” is incorrect given that the 18 degree westward incline was completely intentional.

In fact, the project’s architects have submitted a joint application to the Guinness Book of Records to recognize the tower as the ‘most inclined in the world’. In order to support the awkward angle of the 35-story structure, the design called for a foundation of extremely dense reinforced steel mesh and 490 piles sunk nearly 100 feet into the ground.

Simon Cowell’s $9 Million Gift To His Ex-Girlfriend

2008-11-06T19:01:00.001-08:00

Both sides say that the split was amicable. In fact, Simon Cowell says he and his ex, Terri Seymour, will remain good friends. It’s totally possible since he has been generous to his ex. According to reports, Simon gave Terri US$5 million in cash plus a home in Beverly Hills worth about US$4 million as a goodbye gift.

And, the reason for the split? Terri wanted to settle down and have kids but Simon didn’t want that. “I don’t want to marry anyone, because whoever marries me will end up hating me,” he has said. “She wants a different path in life and I totally respect her for it. We will be the best of mates, but I think in relationships, you have to be totally honest.”

Simon was apparently honest about not wanting to marry and have kids from the start but the idea just didn’t sink in with Terri until recently. Other reports though claim that Simon buying a house for Leona Lewis also had something to do with it.

In any case, there is no one new in his life right now: “I can honestly say some of my best friends are girls, but we’re not dating, and that is that.”

Court frees Raja Petra

2008-11-06T18:58:00.001-08:00

SHAH ALAM: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin is to be freed Friday.

He succeeded Friday in his bid to obtain a release order from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) via his habeas corpus application.

The judge ruled that the Home Minister had acted outside his jurisdiction when he issued the two-year detention order under Section 8(1) of the ISA.

The High Court here also allowed Raja Petra to be brought to court to be released today.

He was detained for a second time under the ISA on Sept 12.

On April 11, 2001, Raja Petra along with 10 other activists were detained under the ISA for allegedly plotting to overthrow former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Raja Petra was released 52 days later.

Razak cancels press conference

2008-11-06T18:57:00.001-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Abdul Razak Baginda, acquitted last week of abetment in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, cancelled a press conference scheduled for yesterday.

Daughter Rowena later apologised for her “still adjusting” father.

In an e-mail sent yesterday to the press, Rowena said her father would be staying in Malaysia for the coming weeks owing to concerns about his health.

Local and international reporters had turned up at the hotel in anticipation of Razak breaking his silence since his acquittal.

Although several media organisations had received information on Wednesday night that the press conference had been cancelled, reporters and photographers still turned up at the hotel yesterday morning in case Razak changed his mind.

A retired couple living in Bangsar also made their way to the hotel because they wanted to personally hear what Razak had to say.

Apart from publicly expressing relief over the acquittal and about his daily fasting when under remand, Razak had not spoken to the press – despite the media occasionally gathering outside his house in Damansara Heights hoping for a chance to speak to him.

Rowena, in her e-mail, apologised for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of the press conference.

“We apologise profusely for any inconvenience and confusion in this matter,” she wrote. “As you can imagine, there is much readjustment that my father has yet to do. He is still adjusting to life as a free man after being in prison for close to two years.”

She added that Razak had assumed he could readjust as soon as he was released.

“But it seems that it will take a little more time. He is also concerned with his health, and as such he will be staying on in Malaysia for the coming weeks,” she said.

Last night, Razak held thanksgiving prayers at his house.

His father, Datuk Abdullah Malim Baginda, said besides holding thanksgiving prayers for his son, a tahlil was also held for the late L/Kpl Othman Abdul Rahman, 47.

L/Kpl Othman died after complaining of breathing difficulties while accompanying Razak, and the other two accused in the murder case, C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, at the Shah Alam High Court on July 25.

Abby: I still want to divorce Norman

2008-11-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

ACTRESS Abby Abadi is determined to divorce her husband Norman Hakim although he has tried to make up with her through the short messaging service, reported Harian Metro.

“I still want to get a divorce although I have received some SMS from him seeking reconciliation.

“I am no longer bothered to know about him and Memey. I do not know if they are getting married, the only thing I am sure is, I do not want to stand in their way,” she said.

On Norman expressing his willingness to take starlet Memey Suhaiza as his second wife, Abby said Norman was talking about marrying again when he had not fulfilled his responsibility to the family.

“My heart is really closed. Before he announce his intention, he needs to be sure that he is capable of doing so. The wife is not properly cared for now,” she said.

Abby said her intention to divorce Norman was not due solely to his khalwat case as she had wanted to do it sometime back.

“All I can say is, I can no longer take it. Many things have happened but I do not want to talk here,” she said, adding that she would win the divorce petition because Norman’s khalwat case was proof of “the bad things he had done to me.”

Memey told Harian Metro she had continued to keep silent although she had been flooded with telephone calls and SMS asking her to tell her side of the story.

Result UEFA (6/11/2008)

2008-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Kumpulan A

Manchester City 3 (Wright-Phillips 2, Robinho 57, Mwaruwari 62)

FC Twente 2 (Elia 17, Wielaert 65)

Racing Santander 1 (Tchite 57)

Schalke 4 1 (Engelaar 61)

Kumpulan B

Metalist Kharkiv 0 - Hertha Berlin 0

Benfica 0 - Galatasaray 2 (Emre Asik 51, Umit Karan 69)

Kumpulan C

VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gomez 76, 80) - Partizan Belgrade 0

Standard Liege 1 (Mbokani 38) - Sevilla 0

Kumpulan D

Spartak Moscow 1 (Rodriguez 17) - Udinese 2 (Quagliarella 12, 60-pen)

Tottenham 4 (Bent 30, 33, 70, Huddlestone 59) - Dynamo Zagreb 0

Kumpulan E

VfL Wolfsburg 5 (Dzeko 34, 60, Grafite 39, Misimovic 53, Krzynowek 71) - Heerenveen 1 (Vaayrynen 31)

AC Milan 1 (Ronaldinho 90+3) - Sporting Braga 0

Ajax 1 (Suarez 41) - MSK Zilina 0

Slavia Prague 0 - Aston Villa 1 (Carew 26)

Kumpulan G

St Etienne 3 (Ilan 59, P. Machado 62, Mirallas 76) - Rosenborg 0

Valencia 1 (Morientes 61) - FC Copenhagen 1 (Santin 85)

Kumpulan H

Lech Poznan 2 (Peszko 5, Stilic 22) - Nancy 2 (Malonga 10, Zerka 81)

Feyenoord 1 (van Bronckhorst 29) - CSKA Moscow 3 (A Berezutski 13, Vagner Love 40, 81) - AFP

Injuries force Malaysian team to reshuffle line-up

2008-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

SETIU: Injuries to two riders have forced the Malaysian team to reshuffle their line-up at the 11th hour for the 12th FEI-World Endurance Championship (FEI-WEC), which begins at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, yesterday.

Malaysian team manager Mohd Din Muhamad said the duo — Bakar Aman and Yusran Yusof — had been replaced by Datuk Abdullah Taib and Che Ahmed Yusri Muhamad.

“Bakar, 55, is suffering from ligament injuries on his left leg, while Yusran, 20, has a back injury,” said Mohd Din yesterday.

Regal presence: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin (left) chatting with a team-mate during training at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong Wednesday. — Bernama

“With the two replacements, we have finalised the line-up for registration.”

The FEI-WEC will see 133 riders from 33 countries competing in a 160km race.

The Malaysian team will be led by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who would be riding Taljari Moonlight Pharaoh. — Bernama

Inter Milan coach Mour praises tiny Famagusta

2008-11-06T09:07:00.001-08:00

NICOSIA: Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta twice came from behind to tame Italian giants Inter Milan in a thrilling 3-3 draw in this action-packed Group B Champions League game here on Tuesday.

Anorthosis showed dogged determination and enjoyed a large slice of lady luck against their more illustrious opponents who will be wondering how they let three points slip from their grasp.

The draw keeps the Italian club atop Group B with eight points, although it failed to clinch a spot in the last 16. Anorthosis earned more respect in Europe’s top competition by holding on to second place with five points and keeping their undefeated home record intact.

Inter twice took the lead against Anorthosis, but the Cypriots bounced back every time and even took the lead in the 50th minute through Nikos Frousos.

Inter substitute Julio Cruz managed a late equaliser nine minutes from the end to save the Serie A side’s blushes.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho praised Anorthosis but said his side were too complacent.

“We came here to win, it was easy to win but we gave the game away ... we could have scored four or five but conceding three was too many,” Mourinho told reporters. “Anorthosis played a fantastic game and I hope this serves as a landmark for progress in Cypriot football.”

After the game Mourinho walked on the pitch to personally congratulate the Anorthosis players.

Home coach Temuri Ketsbaia called the outcome a “just result” and said his team deserved their good fortune as they played with “desire and passion”.

“This result was not an accident,” said the ex-Newcastle player. — Agencies

Parliament: Former judges paid RM10.5m

2008-11-06T09:05:00.001-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and five supreme court judges were paid a total of RM10.5mil as ex-gratia payment.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz said Tun Salleh was paid RM5mil; Supreme Court judges the late Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawan Teh and George Edward Seah Kim Seng RM2mil each; while Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Mohd Salleh, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin and the late Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader were paid RM500,000 each.

Nazri said this when he replied on behalf of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department during the committee stage.

Nazri said the six were also paid monthly pensions, of which Salleh received RM5,102, Wan Suleiman RM4,815, Seah RM5,917, Eusoffe (last pension received prior to his death) RM4,815, Wan Hamzah RM6,549 and Wan Azmi RM5,917.

“The payments do not consitute an admission of guilt on the part of the Government. I wish to clarify that their services were terminated, so they have been given pensions for the past 20 years.

“Does that mean that they were considered guilty?,” he said when queried by Wee Choo Keong (PKR-Wangsa Maju) on why the judges were given pensions.

Nazri said that there would be no end to arguments on whether the payments were too high or too low.

“The ex-gratia payments are not about closure (of the issue), they are about moving on.

“We cannot quantify the quantum that should be given to them based on their services,” he added.

On why the ex-judges were given pensions, Nazri said since it involved early retirement and not dismissal, the Pensions Department had to follow the law and give them their payments.

“They were not sacked, the Government told them to retire early. So they chose to retire and they received their pensions,” he said.

Nazri told the MPs to refer to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s speech during the Malaysian Bar dinner in April, in which Abdullah had said the Government wanted to recognise “the contributions of these six judges, their commitment towards upholding justice and to acknowledge the pain and loss they have endured.”

Khalid Abd Samad (PAS-Shah Alam) said there should be a proper closure of the issue.

“If we really want to clear their names, then the Government has to come clean.

“The Government should admit that there was abuse of power by the Executive against the judiciary. If not, the lesson from this experience would not have been learnt,” he said.

Nazri said MPs cannot bring media reports into the House and claimed that the judges were sacked, because the media had its own “slant” on the issue.

To a question from Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS-Tumpat), Nazri said there would not be a judicial review of the case if no fresh evidence was found.

‘Many have gained from Shah Rukh’s work in Malaysia’

2008-10-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended Malacca’s decision to confer a Datukship upon Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

However, he said local artistes deserving of awards should be rewarded as well.

In an Oct 23 posting in his blog chedet.com, Mahathir said he was embarrassed over the controversy arising from Malacca’s decision to confer Shah Rukh with a Datukship.

Dr Mahathir said such titles had been previously bestowed upon foreigners deemed to have contributed to the nation, and that some of them “even contributed less than Shah Rukh.”

He said Shah Rukh was among the handful of famous names willing to make films here.

“I had previously tried to encourage Bollywood filmmakers to shoot here, to introduce the country as a tourism draw.

“Shah Rukh responded to the invitation. Many of his films feature famous Malaysian attractions.

“Not only are we able to attract tourists, but filming here incurred huge expenses for the Bollywood companies. Locals and many others gained,” said Dr Mahathir.

He added Shah Rukh had also performed for free to help charities raise funds.

“His choosing to film here had encouraged other Bollywood film makers to do the same as well,” said Dr Mahathir.

Meanwhile, Bernama clarified that Shah Rukh will receive his Datukship on Nov 29, and not Oct 29 as was reported.

An officer from the Chief Minister’s office said the conferment ceremony at the Seri Negeri Hall in Malacca would be telecast live at 10am on that day.

Can Google Analytics improve your Google AdSense earnings?

2008-10-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

That’s a very tough question (one of my Twitter friend posed me the question) but Google is optimistic, they have confidence that the integration of Google AdSense data with Google Analytics will do the trick for Google AdSense publishers.

In their post announcing the holy matrimony of Google AdSense data with Google Analytics, Google said that the integration can:

Help AdSense publishers discover untapped markets

True!

Take a look at your Google Analytics data if you have an account of your own. I’m sure that you will notice that you have visitors from all over the world (I sure do!). Some AdSense publishers thought that they can only get high-paying AdSense ads from US visitors. By doing so, they are ignoring visitors from other parts of the world thus putting their AdSense earnings potentials in jeopardy!

Remember, folks! The world is bigger than the big old US of A!

Help AdSense publishers find profitable traffic

I think experienced AdSense publishers already knew all about high-paying/profitable traffic. :-)

What AdSense publishers want to know most is their profitable pages, pages that generate the most AdSense clicks or have high-paying AdSense ads. Unfortunately, Google Analytics do not provide (probably never will) such data for AdSense publishers. Shucks!

Help AdSense publishers dig deeper into their AdSense reports

What!? Who the f*ck wants to dig deeper?

Google AdSense reports are so damn mysterious. Nobody knows (other than Google) what they’re all about. Besides, Google AdSense earnings are inconsistent. It could be amazingly high today but pathetically low tomorrow! Nobody in the right frame of mind would want to look at their AdSense data every single day.

But I do agree that AdSense publishers must learn to look for and identify certain trends from their AdSense data if they want to make good money from them. I wish I could reveal what those trends were but they’re trade secrets. Sorry folks, I could not say much about it. :-)

So, can Google Analytics improve your Google AdSense earnings?

Yes, but the problem is that Google has the capability to help AdSense publishers earn even more but they are not willing to do so at the moment. Too bad! :-(

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2008-09-06T16:44:00.001-07:00

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2008-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

About Me

2008-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

About Me

My name is Muhamad Shahfiq, Call Me FiQ... Difficult to describe about me but anyone who know me better will know.. A quiet person, don't talk too much. Very unpredictable and low profile... And of course i'm not a talkative person but when i feel comfortable with someone i can talk more and making jokes too.. :p Maybe an intelligent and also a good thinking person can understand me.. My HOBBY is chatting, playing games, sms-ing, reading... I can FORGIVE EASILY but NEVER FORGET..<--(MOST IMPORTANT) Coz my BRAIN is FUCKING GOOD... I live in PENANG with my family.. Sumtimes I'm GOOD, Sumtimes I'm BAD, Sumtimes I'm REAL BAD, but NEVER too GOOD.. I pluck advice from songs e.g. "Drowning,why do i love u,this i promise u ,show me the meaning ,my love ,i need you ,fool again ,evergreen and song from KRU, Innuendo, VE", Siti Nurhaliza, Anuar Zain, Awie .. If u LOVE me, I love you MORE... If u HATE me, I dunno u... But if u ANNOY me, u'll regret it...