SINGAPORE’S FORMER PM LEE KUAN YEW PASSES AWAY
Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of
Singapore, died early on Monday at the age of 91, according to a
statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.
"Mr Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3:18 AM," the statement said.
Lee, a Cambridge-educated lawyer, is
widely credited with building Singapore into one of the world's
wealthiest nations on a per capita basis with a strong, pervasive role
for the state and little patience for dissent.
He co-founded the People's Action Party
(PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born
country when it was separated from Malaysia in 1965.
Singapore's founding father also hailed for diplomatic
pragmatism and for inspiring Beijing's reform, opening-up.
Source: The China Daily...More...
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO RAISE TRANSPORTATION FARES
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia Transport Minister Datuk
Seri Liow Tiong Lai(photo) said the Government always listened to the voices of the people
and addressed their needs.Liow said the proposed fare increases for public transportation had been approved at an earlier date.
However according to Low, the only problem is the timing of the announcement. It is the wrong time to do so," he said at Wisma MCA.
Liow said both the approved rates and the dates of implementation date would be reviewed.
SPAD had on Thursday announced that fares for selected categories of taxis and hired cars would be raised by between 20 per cent and 67 per cent while the express bus fares would increase from 9.3 sen per km to 11.4 sen per km from May 15.
As KTM Komuter fares, the rates would be up by RM1.20 to a maximum of RM19.20 from May 1.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin(photo) said the Government understood the basis for hikes in public transport fares but this was not the time to implement it.
Muhyiddin said with the implementation of the of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on April 1, any rise in fares would only add to the burden of the people especially those who rely on public transportation.
He said Land Public Transport Commission(SPAD) must review the situation and wait for a suitable time later to announce the hikes.
Source: Agency
RAP MOGUL MARION COLLAPSES IN COURT AFTER BAIL IS SET $25 MILLION
LOS ANGELES, CA. USA - Rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight collapsed in court Friday and was
hospitalized as a Los Angeles judge set bail at $25 million over his
fatal hit-and-run case.Knight’s eye fluttered and he was sweating profusely before he fell to the ground, knocking his head on a table and falling unconscious, his lawyer said after the latest court hearing for the 49-year-old.
“He’s being treated worse than
Charles Manson,” his attorney Matthew Fletcher told reporters, referring
to Knight’s treatment including being held in solitary confinement
Knight’s bail had previously
been revoked as he was considered a flight risk. Prosecutors had asked
for it to be set at $25 million because of Knight’s past extensive
criminal record.
Knight’s lawyer argued that
prosecutors had made “a mockery of” the case by requesting $25 million
bail, which he called an “absurd” figure.”
- He suggested bail be set at $2 million, saying his client is “probably one of the most recognizable people in Los Angeles” and does not pose a flight risk.
- In response, prosecutor Cynthia Barnes said she was appalled” by Knight’s “extensive history of violence, both in this case and over the last 30 years.”
- The judge said $25 million bail was “reasonable, and it is so set,” noting that Knight could face multiple life prison terms if convicted.
- Knight, who faces charges of murder and attempted murder, has complained of medical problems since he was arrested in January.
- At his last court appearance he said he had lost 35 pounds in weight as well as the sight in one eye.
- On February 3, Knight was taken to hospital after complaining of chest pains, shortly after appearing in court over the hit-and-run that left one man dead and another in the hospital the previous week.
- He was taken to hospital again on February 19, shortly before he was due to appear in court for allegedly robbing a camera from a photographer. He was again hospitalized after his last court appearance on March 2.
Knight co-founded Death Row Records along with hip-hop music king Dr. Dre in the early 1990s.
The label launched stars such as
Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur but collapsed in 1996 when Knight was
jailed for violating a probation order by beating up a rival in Las
Vegas.
He again served a 10-month jail
stint in 2003 after getting into a fight outside a Hollywood nightclub.
Last year, he was shot six times at a music awards party.
Source: – AFP
142 KILLED IN YEMEN MOSQUES SUCIDE ATTACKS
Suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed at least 142 people Friday at mosques in the Yemeni capital, in an attack targeting Shiite worshippers including Huthi militiamen.
The multiple blasts were among the deadliest attacks yet in Yemen, which is grappling with growing instability and divisions along sectarian lines.
They came a day after clashes between forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and those allied with the Huthi Shiite militia in the southern city of Aden, where the leader fled last month.
- The suicide bombers targeted two mosques attended by Huthis, who have seized the capital Sanaa.
- One struck inside Badr mosque in southern Sanaa while another targeted worshipers as they fled outside, witnesses said.
A third suicide bomber targeted Al-Hashush mosque in northern Sanaa.Nashwan al-Atab, a member of the health ministry's operations
committee, told AFP that 142 people were killed and at least 351 were
wounded.
The Huthi militia's Al-Massira television said hospitals in the capital had made urgent appeals for blood donations.
The imam of the Badr mosque was among the dead, a medical source said.
The Huthi militia's Al-Massira television said hospitals in the capital had made urgent appeals for blood donations.
The imam of the Badr mosque was among the dead, a medical source said.
Source; Hindustan Times,,,More...
INTIMATES AND MEMORABLE ESCAPES IN NEW ZEALAND
Wherever you are in New Zealand, they say romance is never far away.
It whispers across a deserted beach, into a majestic forest glade, underneath
clear star-filled skies, and sets the scene to launch you headlong into shared
adventures.
Romance also provides a good excuse to enjoy some special
treats, and New Zealand’s hotels, lodges and spas will exceed your
expectations.
When you plan your romantic holiday in New Zealand, make
sure you have included some of these Top 10 experiences in your itinerary.
-
Gaze into the eyes of your loved one under the Southern Cross – New Zealand’s dark night skies and minimal light pollution will have you star struck.
-
Sail away together and explore the country's pristine coastline, with its paradisiacal islands and abundant marinelife.
-
Bubbles and balloons – clink your champagne glasses at
dawn as your balloon lifts you quietly into an unfolding New Zealand
landscape where you’ll drift away from all worldly cares.
-
Soar to new heights together as you are spirited away on a scenic flight over some of New Zealand’s most astonishing and accessible alpine and coastal landscapes.
-
Leap into the unknown from heart-stopping heights as you take a romantic tandem sky dive – ‘falling in love’ together in the skies over New Zealand.
-
Swoop in by helicopter to a secluded spot where a
gourmet picnic hamper, fine New Zealand wine and an intimate setting
just for two awaits your private indulgence.
-
Toast yourselves with a delectable local vintage as you cycle one of New Zealand’s gentle vineyard trails.
-
Settle in for a romantic escapade in one of New Zealand’s many boutique lodges where Kiwi style and service will set the tone for a unique experience.
-
Replenish yourselves with a spa treatment for two – you
can choose to go the natural way soaking in a Rotorua mud bath or opt
for a full luxury pampering designed to soothe mind, body and soul.
-
Saddle-up and ride off together into the dusk along an
endless deserted New Zealand beach - just you, your horses and the
whisper of waves lapping the sand.
MYSTICAL CAVE THAT ASTOUND THE WHOLE WORLD
A Farmer Saw A Hole In A Rock. But the inside has astound
the whole world. It has room for a skyscraper with 40 floors and it contains
both jungle and a river.
The Son Doong cave in Vietnam are the largest one in the
world and a tour inside this place is something out of the ordinary.
Tag along in this underground world and be astound by how
beautiful nature can be.
The enormous cave is situated in the Vietnamese national
park Phon Nha-Ke Bang, 280 miles south of the capital Hanoi.
Son Goong means ”mountain-river-cave” and crafts from two
too five million years ago. But for a long time it was undiscovered. It was
first found 1991 by a local farmer, but the first people who explored the cave
was British experts in 2009.
The cave as a whole is considered to be 87 miles long. It
contains its own animal life, a rainforest, lakes, beaches and a river.
A lot of caves has relics from a prehistoric age, like
statues or paintings on the mountain walls. But nothing like that has been
found in this cave.
The cave is also rich in rare pearls that has been shaped
for centuries by water drops that’s been dried and shaped a layer of lime on
the sand.
Source: Agency
MALAYSIA WEAK CURRENCY INCREASES PARENTS SACRIFICE WITH KIDS STUDYING IN USA
PETALING JAYA, Malaysia - Parents with children studying in the United
States are feeling the weight of the plunging ringgit against the greenback,
with some sacrificing luxuries and opting for cheaper alternatives.
A mother of two, known only as Liew, said she was planning
to transfer her 21-year-old son, who was studying in Washington to a different
American state with a more affordable cost of living.
"We are considering sending him to other states like
Minnesota and Kentucky to finish his remaining two years of study.
"If we do that, we can save about US$10,000. We didn't
expect the ringgit to depreciate so much," she said yesterday.
Liew, a 58-year-old factory general manager, said she had
sent her son to study computer engineering in the United States in 2012, when
the ringgit was at a steady RM2.89 (S$1.08) against the US dollar.
- "His education has taken up a big portion of our savings and now, we have to work harder," she said, adding that her family spent about US$60,000 (RM222,260) a year to fund her son's education.
- A total of 6,822 students from Malaysia were studying in the US in the 2013-2014 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education.
- The majority or 69.6 per cent were at the undergraduate level, while 17 per cent comprised graduate students, 11.6 per cent optional practical training and 1.8 per cent doing other courses.
Another parent, who wished to be known as Wong, said he had
to forgo his plans to buy a new car because of the weakening ringgit.
"My son is currently studying engineering in Texas and
the cost to fund his studies has increased. Just four months ago, things looked
rosy.
"But now, we have to cut down on expenditure like
family holidays," said the 56-year-old.
Wong, a manager in the oil and gas industry, said the
additional costs were taxing as he had to support three other children.
Mechanical engineering student Justin Chan, who is studying
at the Iowa State University, said he tried to cook at home more often instead
of eating out to save money since the increase in the exchange rate.
"My parents most probably won't be attending my
graduation in December if the exchange rate stays this high," said the
22-year-old who cut short his road trip in the US to save on expenses.
Sources: Agencies
GUNMEN KILLED 17 TOURISTS IN TUNISIA MUSEUM
Gunmen wearing military uniforms stormed Tunisia’s national
museum on Wednesday, killing 17 foreign tourists and two Tunisians in one of
the worst militant attacks in a country that had largely escaped the region’s
“Arab Spring” turmoil.Five Japanese, as well as visitors from Italy, Poland and Spain were among the dead in the noon assault on Bardo museum inside the
heavily guarded parliament compound in central Tunis, Prime Minister Habib
Essid said.They started opening fire on the tourists as they were getting out of the buses. I couldn’t see anything except blood and the dead, the driver of a tourist coach told journalists at the scene.
Scores of visitors fled into the museum and the militants took hostages inside, officials said. Security forces entered around two hours later, killed two militants and freed the captives, a government spokesman said. A police officer died in the operation.
The attack on such a high-profile target is a blow for the small North African country that relies heavily on European tourism and has mostly avoided major militant violence since
its 2011 uprising to oust autocrat
Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. Several Islamist militant groups have emerged in Tunisia since the uprising, and authorities estimate about 3,000 Tunisians have joined fighters in Iraq and Syria, igniting fears they could return and mount attacks at home.
- Accor, Europe’s largest hotel group, said it had tightened security at its two hotels in Tunisia.
Source: Africa Newswire
EU TELLS MALAYSIA TO UPHELD FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?
International pressure is mounting on Putrajaya over Nurul
Izzah Anwar's recent arrest, as the European Union today sounded a warning to
Putrajaya that it was closely monitoring police investigations against the
Lembah Pantai MP.
It also cautioned Malaysia to uphold freedom of expression
and the independence of the judiciary, after a spate of arrests against
opposition politicians over the past two weeks.
"We have been following closely developments leading to
the overnight detention and investigation of MP Nurul Izzah," said the
European Union High Representative's spokesperson in a statement.
"Freedom of expression, as well as independence of the
judiciary and the rule of law, are essential features of a democratic system
and need to be upheld.
"Trust in the administration of justice is a key
element of a democratic society," it added.
- Nurul Izzah, who is PKR vice-president, was arrested on Monday over the #KitaLawan rally and her remarks about the judiciary.
- She was released at noon yesterday, after having spent the night in prison.
- Her arrest and detention made headlines around the world, and again drew international attention to Putrajaya's use of the controversial Sedition Act 1984.
- Yesterday, the US State Department urged Putrajaya to apply the rule of law fairly.
- "The Malaysian government's recent investigations and charges of sedition against critics raise serious concerns about freedom of expression, rule of law, and the independence of the judicial system in Malaysia.
- "To further restrict freedom of expression will only lead to further erosion of important pillars of Malaysia's democratic system," the US State Department said in a statement.
A global jurists' group on Monday night condemned
Putrajaya's continued use of the Sedition Act and called for Nurul Izzah's
immediate release from prison.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch,
said yesterday that Nurul Izzah's arrest showed Putrajaya knew no bounds in
stifling free speech and criminalising dialogue considered normal in political
discourse.
Source: The Malaysian Insider
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