Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Sports

---

Football / EPL: Villas-Boas wants 'public' support, not jeers Posted: 21 Aug 2011 05:48 PM PDT LONDON: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has told the club's supporters they must be more tolerant with the players to have a chance of taking the Premier League trophy back off Manchester United. The former Porto manager, who is hoping a deal for Valencia forward Juan Mata is near completion, tasted competitive victory for his new club for the first time on Saturday when Chelsea came back from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Albion had led 1-0 at half time thanks to an early goal from Shane Long, the Republic of Ireland forward, and many Chelsea supporters booed the home team off at the break. Chelsea revived to win the game through goals from Nicolas Anelka and substitute Florent Malouda, moving to third in the table as one of four teams with four points from two games. Villas-Boas called upon the people he calls 'the public' to be more supportive in future however. "For us to go through an intense Premier League season we need support, a good environment and good commitment from the public," he said. "We need a good empathy from the public to this team to be champions again. "This team want to be champions again and the public demands it. We are listening to their demands and we want to perform but we need the full support." Chelsea had been poor in the first half, especially for a team with so much Champions League experience, and the goal they conceded in the fourth minute was certainly avoidable. Ramires, the midfielder, played a sloppy pass to centre-back Alex, who was robbed by Long, who sprinted away to score. Anelka's equaliser was helped past goalkeeper Ben Foster via a deflection off the leg of defender Jonas Olsson in the 53rd minute but Chelsea were already looking more cohesive by that point. Albion continued to create occasional chances themselves but were undone seven minutes from time by a fine move from Jose Bosingwa, who cleverly beat two opponents in one go and crossed to the back post where Malouda, who had come on before half time for Salomon Kalou, applied a cool finish. "Today (Saturday) was a very emotional game and the emotional part of the game was the main difference between the first half and the second," Villas-Boas explained. "In the first half we suffered a little bit from anxiety. "The players couldn't express themselves to their full talent and I don't think that was anything to do with the changes that we made. Our half-time talk was to free them from the anxiety. "The public was anxious, the players were anxious but there was still 45 minutes to play and anything could happen. And when you do find the back of the net then the emotional impact on the opponent is tremendous. We felt very confident to go in search of the second goal." The result was a second successive defeat for Albion, who had played well against Manchester United on the opening day only to be beaten by an own goal. Long also scored in that game, which also finished 2-1. "It feels like a little bit of deja vu as we didn't do badly against Manchester United, when we played some good football but conceded a late goal," said Albion manager Roy Hodgson. -- AFP

Football / EPL: City slickers Posted: 21 Aug 2011 05:43 PM PDT Mancini's men hold off fightback for top spot BIG-SPENDING Manchester City showed their Premier League title credentials with a 3-2 win over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium yesterday. Goals from David Silva, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko — three lavish signings from previous seasons — maintained City's 100 percent record as they moved to the top of the table. There was also a substitute appearance from Carlos Tevez, the unsettled Argentine striker who hopes to leave City before the transfer window shuts on August 31. Mancini gave a first start to Sergio Aguero after the Argentina forward's two-goal cameo appearance against Swansea on Monday. But it was Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen who played the key role as City took the lead in the 26th minute. Spanish midfielder Silva fired in a speculative shot from the edge of the area and Jaaskelainen made a complete hash of his attempted save, allowing the ball to spill through his hands into the net. There was no fortune about City's second goal in the 37th minute as England midfielder Barry smashed a ferocious effort past Jaaskelainen from 20 yards. Bolton mounted an immediate response and Ivan Klasnic got one back two minutes later when the Croatian met Martin Petrov's drilled low cross with a first-time shot that gave Joe Hart no chance. City restored their two-goal advantage two minutes into the second half when Bosnian forward Dzeko deftly flicked the ball over Zat Knight and ran clear to drive his shot beyond Jaaskelainen. But Bolton rarely surrender at home and Kevin Davies put the pressure back on City as he scored with a towering header from Petrov's free-kick in the 63rd minute. Wolves maintained their 100 percent start to the Premier League season as goals from Kevin Doyle and Matt Jarvis secured a 2-0 win over Fulham. Mick McCarthy's side had beaten Blackburn in their opener last weekend and they built on that solid victory with an equally impressive display in their first appearance of the campaign in front of their own fans at Molineux. Fulham were swept aside by two goals in three minutes just before half-time as Republic of Ireland striker Doyle struck first before England winger Jarvis put the hosts in complete control. At Carrow Road, Stoke striker Kenwyne Jones hit a stoppage-time equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw against 10-man Norwich City. — AFP

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Latest

---

Biden tells China: US will never default on debt Posted: 20 Aug 2011 10:05 PM PDT CHENGDU, China: US Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that the world's biggest economy would never default on its debts, during a visit aimed at boosting Chinese confidence in America's beleaguered finances. In a speech to hundreds of university students in the vast southwestern city of Chengdu, Biden also urged China to "cherish" a free flow of information between the government and public, as the communist state quells dissent anew. Biden said at Sichuan University that the United States remained the "single best bet" for investment — despite the historic downgrade this month of the country's top-notch credit rating by Standard & Poor's. "The United States has never defaulted and never will," he said, on the final day of his first official visit to China as vice president. China is the largest foreign holder of US debt, and Biden has used the five-day trip to assure its leaders that their massive investment remains safe after Washington narrowly avoided a catastrophic default earlier this month. Chinese leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping, have been publicly conciliatory with Biden — in sharp contrast to state media in recent weeks, which has accused US leaders of acting recklessly. Biden's visit has been aimed partly at building ties with his counterpart Xi, who is slated to become China's top leader next year but remains virtually unknown in US policy circles. On Friday, Wen expressed confidence in the US economy and said Biden had "sent a very clear message to the Chinese public that the United States will keep its word and obligations with regard to its government debt". "In spite of the difficulties facing the US economy at present, I have full confidence that the United States will overcome these difficulties and get its economy back on the track of healthy growth," Wen told Biden. During his speech, Biden also called the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran "a direct and serious threat to the security of the United States and our allies". He urged China to "send a clear message" to Iranian leaders that they "must live up to their international obligation", and also expressed concern about North Korea. Biden raised human rights concerns during his meetings with Chinese leaders last week, US officials have said, but they refused to go into details of whether any individual cases were brought up. Washington last week appealed to Beijing to free prominent rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has defended some of China's most vulnerable people including Christians and coal miners, and has not been heard of since last year. But police have stepped up surveillance on dissidents and warned them against making any high-profile protests or attempting to meet Biden during his visit, rights activists said. "China should cherish an exchange between its citizens and students and their government," Biden told the Sichuan University students. "Liberty unlocks a people's full potential and in its absence, unrest festers." In Chengdu, Biden was to meet Vice President Xi again and witness reconstruction efforts following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which left over 87,000 people dead or missing. Chengdu, a huge conurbation of 14 million people, is the capital of Sichuan province, where nearly 200 of the Fortune 500 largest firms in the world have invested. China and the United States have signed deals worth nearly $1 billion during Biden's trip, according to a US official who requested anonymity. Following his stopover in Chengdu, Biden will visit Mongolia and close US ally Japan. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Storm lashes pope, pilgrims at youth festival Posted: 20 Aug 2011 09:57 PM PDT MADRID: A violent storm lashed Pope Benedict XVI and around one million pilgrims at an open-air service in Madrid, forcing him to cut short his speech and drenching the faithful who had waited for hours in blistering heat. As the heavens opened during World Youth Day celebrations Saturday night, Benedict's skullcap was swept off and an assistant tried to shelter the 84-year-old pontiff with a large white umbrella. The pope, his white hair blown into disarray, gripped a copy of his sodden speech, the pages and his vestments flapping in the wind. A sea of pilgrims, by some reports more than a million, tried to take shelter under large white and yellow umbrellas at the vast esplanade — the size of 48 football fields — at the Cuatro Vientos (Four Winds) airbase outside Madrid. Others danced in the rain, but the vast majority with no shelter just got wet. When the rain eased some 20 minutes later, the pope declared to cheers: "Thank you for your joy and endurance. Your strength is greater than the rain. "The Lord with the rain has given us many blessings. In this too you are an example." The pope then left the stage to change and returned wearing a golden mitre, draped in a golden cloak and clutching a golden crucifix before resuming his speech. Firefighters were seen checking the stage for storm damage before the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics returned. Police prevented pilgrims sheltering under any structures. Six youths were slightly injured but needed no treatment when the wind blew a down a tent, a spokeswoman for the event said. The pope was seated on a large white throne on a vast white, wave-shaped stage and beneath a giant parasol "tree", made of interwoven golden rods, when the deluge broke. Also attending the service were Spain's Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia. The pilgrims are supposed to spend the night in the open air at the base, eight kilometres (five miles) southwest of Madrid, where Benedict is to celebrate the closing mass of the August 16-21 youth festival on Sunday morning. As he bade farewell to the crowds, the pope said: "We have lived through an adventure together. Firm in the faith, you endured the rain. "Before going I want to say goodnight to you all: May you rest well, with the sacrifice you are making and that I have no doubt you offer generously to the Lord, we will see each other tomorrow, God willing. He then thanked the pilgrims for the "marvelous example" they had given. "Just like tonight, with Christ you can always face the tests of life," the pope said. In the part of his speech that he was able to deliver he called on young people to "be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. "The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world." The deluge brought dramatic relief to pilgrims who had been desperately seeking any shade from the fierce August heat, some crouching behind emergency vehicles or portable toilets. The head of the Roman Catholic Church earlier warned against "false gods" as he celebrated mass in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral. In white cassock and a white, gold-embroidered mitre, he told 6,000 young people preparing to join the priesthood: "You may be shunned along with others who propose higher goals or who unmask the false gods before whom many now bow down. "Approach the priesthood only if you are firmly convinced that God is calling you to be his ministers, and if you are completely determined to exercise it in obedience to the Church's precepts." These include "the decision to live in celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and, leaving aside the world's goods, live in austerity of life and sincere obedience, without pretence". Thousands of child abuse claims, to which the pope made no direct reference, have forced the Roman Catholic Church to be more aware of the psychological maturity of those entering the priesthood. The pope drew a thunderous applause as he announced he would bestow an extremely rare honour on a Spanish saint, Saint John of Avila, by proclaiming him a doctor of the Church. Only 33 doctors of the Church — reserved for figures of eminent doctrine and remarkable holiness — have been proclaimed since 1295, and the last was in 1997. The sheer scale of the celebrations in Madrid has sparked angry demonstrations at a time of economic hardship, with unemployment for under-25s running at more than 45 percent. Thousands of protesters marched in central Madrid late Friday to protest the cost and to decry police crackdowns on earlier demonstrations. But organisers say most of the cost will be covered by a registration fee from the pilgrims, and the celebration will be a massive tourist boost for Spain. About 100 gays and lesbians protested on Saturday against the papal visit and the Vatican's fierce opposition to same-sex marriages. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Topnews

---

KEEP THE CENSORS AWAY Posted: 20 Aug 2011 05:50 PM PDT 2011/08/21 By G.Shanti, Shuib Taib and Audrey Vijaindren nsunt@nst.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: Media censorship should be done away with, except in "extreme cases", which can threaten national security, such as those which touch on racial and religious sensitivities. Pornography and excessive violence should also be on the chopping block. This is the consensus of a crosssection of Malaysians who feel that the government's move to review its media censorship policy is timely, as freedom of communication and access to information is instrumental in the shaping of a nation. They said any move to arbitrarily censor the media would be futile in this age, where information is available at the click of a mouse. "Censorship is no longer effective, so why not embrace freedom in communication? "If freedom of communication is used with responsibility and respect, it will be a great tool in shaping our nation," said Alan Hoo, founder of the Malaysian Association of Brand Image Consultants. But he stressed that the public must be held responsible for their actions. Concurring with him, AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said it was time for Malaysia "to get rid of media censorship", as it would ensure an open and transparent platform of communication which is important for national unity. By having little or no censorship, he said the country would become more innovative, adding that freedom of speech was important for innovation. "If someone makes defamatory or slanderous statements, there are legal avenues to deal with such matters. "And in the absence of media censorship, we can have media regulators to keep an eye on this." He was saying this in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement that the government would review its media censorship policy in line with the country's changing socio-political landscape. Najib said the measure was necessary so that the government would not be seen as failing to understand media censorship and how to deal with it. Educational psychologist Kenneth Phun said there was a need for more balanced reporting by the media and not the kind that was based on political patronage. He said the media should provide honest news without treating its readers or viewers as children who did not know how to think. "However, I'm not espousing abandonment in terms of zero censorship because I believe that things like pornography should be disallowed." Giving the media more freedom and allowing the public to express their views would also go a long way in moulding a mature society, said youth worker Michael William. "Everyone has the right to be heard and hearing different viewpoints helps us make informed choices. "I think Malaysians are able to do this if people begin to trust us." Professional image consultant Wendy Lee agreed that people should be allowed to express their thoughts without the fear of being judged or penalised. "Sometimes it's the bitter words that mould us into better people." While members of the film industry welcomed the review, they felt there was still a need to control pornography and extreme violence. Film producer and director Saw Teong Hin said as much as directors like to complain, some degree of censorship was necessary for scenes touching on sex, extreme violence, and racial and religious intolerance. "Having said that, I would like to qualify it by saying that if we were to ban violent or sex scenes, we need to see the context in which they are censored. It must be discussed. It is not as simple as black or white." Actor and writer Tam Suhaimi, who welcomed the prime minister's statement, said the film industry had long suffered from strict censorship. "Nevertheless, certain topics still need to be controlled such as pornographic flicks, sex scenes and things that can incite racial antagonism." Actor Tony Eusoff, however, felt that the question of censorship should not arise in an era where the public had access to various sources of information. "As far as film censorship goes, I don't think anything is worth censoring. After all, if we want to watch a pornographic movie, you can get it from the Net. "However, I feel that moviemakers should be responsible enough to know when and how much love scenes they need to have in their movies. If I were to ban something, I would do it if I felt that it was done in bad taste." Some, however, felt that existing censorship rules were still relevant, given the country's multi-ethnic and multi-religious mix, as issues deemed "sensitive" by some quarters could be blown out of proportion. As such, Hulu Selangor member of parliament P. Kamalanathan said media censorship was important because whatever was published or broadcast could be misconstrued. "If an interviewee has said something sensitive, the onus is on the writer to exercise some form of censorship so that it doesn't lead to a bigger problem. "The pen is mightier than the sword and that is why we need to be careful when we touch on race, religion, language or even culture." Prof Dr Suresh Govind, president of the Sathya Sai Baba Central Council of Malaysia, said media reporting should be done responsibly and with accountability, adding that "censorship should be part of journalism". "The benchmark should be our own families. Would we write anything sensational about our families just to sell the story? "The same should be applied to those who we are writing about." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Dam clogs up river travel for interior folk Posted: 20 Aug 2011 05:21 PM PDT 2011/08/20 By Desmond Davidson desmond@nst.com.my KUCHING: River travel for some 30,000 people living in remote areas along Sungai Rajang, between the Bakun hydroelectric dam and Kapit, has been disrupted as that section of the country's longest river is too shallow to navigate. "It was a problem the government had anticipated a long time ago, but no one took the warning seriously," Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said yesterday. Masing, who is also the assemblyman for Baleh, a constituency adjacent to the area facing the crisis, said: "There was a distinct lack of planning to tackle the anticipated problem." The express boats have long ceased operating regular services between the administrative town of Kapit and Belaga, a small rural trading town, as the water is too low for even these steel-hulled boats to safely shoot the series of rapids there. The most treacherous is the infamous Pelagus rapids, which had claimed many lives. The water level of the river had plummeted because of the diversion of the river's water in the current impoundment of the Bakun hydroelectric dam. The problem has been further aggravated by the current dry season. Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang said the exercise to divert water to fill the Bakun dam's reservoir had made Sungai Rajang in that area shallow, as sediments had built up on the riverbed as the water was too slow to move them. The plight of the people began soon after work to fill the dam's reservoir started in October last year. He said the ethnic group that were most affected were the Ibans from a few hundred longhouses. To get to Kapit to settle administrative matters like registering a birth or applying for MyKad, it's either "wait for a heavy rainfall" when the water level rises high enough for the express boats to start moving again, or take a long detour via logging roads to Bintulu, Sibu and back up Sungai Rajang to Kapit. Masing said the government had approved the construction of a road between Kapit and Belaga to bypass the Pelagus rapids, and funds had been allocated for it. But he is unsure of the status of works on the road. Liwan said so far, there had not been a food shortage for those affected. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Topnews To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Topnews

---

'Girl died of severe dehydration' Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:05 AM PDT 2011/08/19 By Elvina Fernandez elvina@nst.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: The death of a 11-year-old girl in Meru, Klang, last week was caused by severe dehydration. Health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said Nurdini Mohamad Ali suffered vomiting and diarrhoea due to food poisoning, which led to severe dehydration. "This caused a condition where her organs could not take it and led to a failure known as a hypovolemic shock," he said yesterday. Members of her family were admitted to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital when they showed similar symptoms after breaking fast with otak-otak and ais batu campur (ABC) bought from a stall at a Ramadan bazaar near their house in Taman Seri Mewah, Fasa 2, Meru. He said 152 stalls at the bazaar were inspected and three were closed, including the otak-otak, ABC and ayam panggang stalls. Dr Hasan said the ABC sample taken from the bazaar was positive for salmonella and the ice was contaminated with bacillus cereus emetic toxin. "This bacteria can cause vomiting and diarrhoea leading to severe dehydration and if not treated early can lead to death." Dr Hasan said two of Nurdini's siblings and the family's maid were tested positive for the salmonella bacteria. Meanwhile, random checks on the food and drinks sold at 47 Ramadan bazaars in the city showed that 19 per cent of the food was contaminated. The contaminated food included kuih sago, tepung pelita, ketayap, popiah basah (raw popiah), seri muka, and nasi lemak sambal while the drinks included soya bean, watermelon, corn and rose syrup City Hall health director Dr Sallehudin Abu Bakar said 53 out of the 278 food samples tested were contaminated with E-coli, coliform and staphylococcus aureus due to poor personal and food handling hygiene E-coli is caused by faecal contamination, and staphylococcus aureus can be transmitted via the skin while coliform is a proxy bacteria which can be found everywhere. "The contamination showed that the traders did not wash properly after going to the toilet, handled food with their bare hands and did not cover the food and drinks." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Help for Bumi firms on merit Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:04 AM PDT 2011/08/19 By Alang Bendahara alang@nst.com.my Datuk Seri Najib Razak addressing participants at the convention organised by the Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam. — NST picture by Roslin Mat Tahir SHAH ALAM: The concept of meritocracy will be practised in the agenda to assist Bumiputera entrepreneurs, and the Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) is in the process of listing 1,100 Malay companies that are capable of achieving success on Bursa Malaysia. The programme database is being prepared and will kick off soon. "This programme represents a new approach based on meritocracy among Buniputeras with no question of cronyism but only to help those who can truly succeed," Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib said yesterday. He said the switch in the approach towards assisting Bumiputera entrepreneurs based on meritocracy was seen as being better as previous methods, such as giving initial public offerings (IPOs) through the Bumiputera quota, did not last long as the shares were often resold on the market. "I want to state and you should not be shocked that of the 60 billion shares distributed to Bumiputeras at one time under IPOs, only two billion is left today. Why? Because the model is not sustainable. "If we want to help Malay companies, they must prove their worth as committed and hard working entrepreneurs. "I say to them, it is not who you know, it is not know who but know how," he said when opening a two-day convention, "Empowering the New Economic Model: A Bumiputera Economic Jihad", organised by the Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (GABEM) at Universiti Teknologi Mara, here, yesterday. Najib, who is also finance minister, said Bumiputeras involved in vendor development with Petronas and Tenaga Nasional Berhad as well as 'F' class contractors should be bold enough to venture out from their cocoon. "After five years they should migrate to other businesses or move to a higher contractor class." Teraju was set up as a unit in the Prime Minister's Department, reporting directly to the prime minister and the Majlis Tindakan Agenda Bumiputera. The main objective for the setting-up of Teraju was to lead, coordinate and drive Bumiputera transformation and participation in the economy to reduce the economic gap that exists between Bumiputeras and other races, he added. In his speech, Najib also told non-Malay businessmen to be grateful to the government and ruling party leaders for having created a conducive environment for businesses. He said in return, they should accept the government's plan to strengthen the participation of Bumiputeras in economic activities. "I say that it is true that the non-Malays became rich because of hard work but it is no less important to note that they became rich also because of our country's stability and sound administration." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Topnews To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Latest

---

900 hundred to benefit from 1MDB Foundation's aid programme Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:52 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Foundation is disbursing financial aid to some 900 recipients under its "Ihsan Ramadan and Aidilfitri" programme. The target groups comprise disabled children, single mothers and senior citizens at 16 locations in Penang, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur. Each will receive between RM100 and RM300. "The objective of the programme is to help ease their financial burden as people carry out the Ramadan fasting obligation and prepare for the Aidilfitri celebration," 1MDB Foundation said in a statement today. The body said it was one of its pro-active measures to assist Malaysians ahead of the festive season. The initiative, which began in Hulu Selangor on Aug 17, is being spearheaded by the foundation's corporate social responsibility director, Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to take part in the programme in Hulu Langat, Selangor, tomorrow. -- BERNAMA Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

34 Afghans dead in bus crash Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:48 PM PDT KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: A total of 34 Afghans were killed and 24 others injured on Saturday when a bus lost control and overturned on a highway in southern Afghanistan, officials said. The smash happened just outside Kandahar city in the Daman district of Kandahar province at around 3:00 am (2230 GMT Friday), on the main road from the capital, Kabul. "Unfortunately, 34 of our countrymen have been killed and 24 others have been injured in the accident," said Zalmay Ayubi, the Kandahar governor's spokesman. "Some of the injured are in a critical condition and have been taken to hospital." The director of the traffic department in Kandahar province, Mohammad Ullah Khan, told AFP the incident took place at 3:00 am and the coach was a mangled wreck. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Exclusive

---

<b><small>ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR:</b></small><br>Pas goes 'under the radar' Posted: 15 Mar 2011 03:57 AM PDT 2010/10/30 Zubaidah Abu Bakar news@nst.com.my Even the presence of Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat at a ceramah in Pas stronghold Sungai Terah on Thursday failed to draw the crowd. Many blamed the heavy rain which started to pour earlier but the rain had stopped before the Tok Guru took the microphone. There was an estimated crowd of about 200 people; its usually not the case as Pas supporters would braved the rain, willing to be soaked to the skin to listen to the party's spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar speak. The Sungai Terah polling district has about 95 per cent of Malay voters; in the 2008 general election, Barisan Nasional only managed 78 votes compared to Pas' 215 votes. That was how strong the Islamist party's influence there then. But Umno leaders are anticipating that the situation could change, they believe the level of support to Pas may dip when some 300 registered voters there go to the ballot again on Nov 4 to pick their new representative in the state legislative assembly. "Our candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff had done a good job in the area, the people know him well because he had served the area as a manager in the South Kelantan Regional Development Authority (Kesedar). "He could well be the reason behind the positive signs we are getting in the area," says Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan. The "ceramah perdana" in Sungai Terah are among the few big public rallies that Pakatan Rakyat had outlined for its bigwigs to speak -- the other speakers at the ceramah that day were Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Pas is adopting a "low profile, below the radar" campaign strategy for Galas and this had somewhat toned the otherwise heated campaigns like during the Manik Urai by-election, which is the first by-election in Kelantan, last year. Pas leaders wanted more direct contacts with voters be carried out; opting for small group ceramah and door to door campaigning, which ironically the same strategy that Umno and BN has adopted. No big rally had been planned on BN's side either, including the "Pentas Pemuda" that usually make its appearance in past by-elections. Only eight mini ceramahs involving between 30-40 people and similar number of 'salam sayang" programmes (chit chat sessions) by wanita Umno are being organised daily. Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and his troops have been knocking on doors of those identified as fence-sitters in several areas daily. They even bumped into their opponents during their campaign trails, like the on in Kampung Mentara where Pas had won by 11 votes in the area in 2008. A source also revealed there is a list of do's and dont's for Pas campaigners and that include not touching the Kelantan oil royalty issue and on Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is also the BN by-election director. Canvassing for votes in whatever forms will continue until the eve of polling. For Abdul Aziz and his opponent from Pas, Dr Zulkefli Mohamad, the days ahead will be long and tiring. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:34 AM PDT BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings 2010/10/30 By NST team in Gua Musang, Kelantan news@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: Barisan Nasional candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff said he would continue with his plan to personally meet as many voters as he could although such an approach could slow down his campaign trail. "I want to know them apart from introducing myself as BN candidate. I also want to know the problems faced by the voters here," he told a press conference at BN operations centre in Bukit Cekati here. Aziz, who is Gua Musang Umno division secretary, also refuted claims that the BN election machinery for Galas by-election was too slow. He said the party machinery was actually giving more focus on small gatherings which would enable them to understand the people's problems and needs. "From the feedback that I personally gathered from voters, they are frustrated with the Pas state government's failure to issue land titles and provide affordable homes for them," he said. Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan who was present said BN would continue with its present approach, which was to hold dozens of small gatherings at different polling districts daily. "We will use these gatherings to explain on BN government's development plan and counter all the allegations made by the opposition. "It's more effective compared to big ceramahs," he said. However, he said no gatherings would be held tonight as to allow BN campaigners and voters here to watch the Malaysia Cup final match between Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan. He said BN would put giant projector screens at 14 locations as to allow the people here to watch the final match live. Air your comment on this issue: BN aims for smaller, but effective meetings Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Exclusive To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online Business Times : latest

---

US stocks retreat on recession fears Posted: 19 Aug 2011 06:45 PM PDT NEW YORK: Recession fears sent US stocks down again Friday, with last-hour selling pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a 1.57 per cent loss for the day. The Dow fell 172.93 points to close at 10,817.65. The broader S&P 500 lost 17.12 points (1.50 per cent) to 1,123.53, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 38.59 points (1.62 per cent) to 2,341.84. Concerns about faltering US economic growth and the eurozone's debt crisis have wiped more than US$7 trillion in value from global stock markets since late July. "It's just a continuation of the fear factor. It's Friday, with no economic news, the market traders are continuing to sell," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist with Rockwell Global Capital. JPMorgan Chase cut its growth forecasts for the United States, slashing its estimate of fourth-quarter US gross domestic product growth from 2.5 per cent to 1.0 per cent. "The risks of a recession are clearly elevated," the bank said, although it stopped short of predicting that the US economy would contract. Shares of tech giant Hewlett-Packard plunged 20.0 per cent, weighing down the Dow's average of 30 blue-chip stocks. The steep losses came a day a day after HP lowered its projected earnings for 2011, announced that it was exploring a spin-off of its PC business and said it would acquire British software firm Autonomy for $10.24 billion. Financial stocks fared poorly amid the global uncertainty, with Citigroup sliding 4.3 per cent. Bank of America slipped 0.6 per cent after confirming it would cut about 3,500 jobs by the end of September. Gold, a traditional safe haven in times of financial turmoil, surged to a new record high of US$1,878.15 per ounce. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

You are subscribed to email updates from Business Times : latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my