MALAYSIAN EXCLUSIVE: Pakatan Rakyat hopes to bag 11 states in coming general election

Malaysia, Petalng Jaya: Pakatan Rakyat has set its sights on controlling 11 states in the next general election, said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

He said Pakatan had decided on three targets to retain Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor; win back Perak; and form governments in Johor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis.

Dubbing the upcoming election as the “battle of the century”, Lim said it was not just state governments but federal power that would be at stake.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was fully aware of the stakes involved and that a “5% swing in votes” would see Pakatan taking over Putrajaya.

“This is why Najib reminded the Selayang Umno division today (Saturday) that in a general election there is no such thing as a runner-up,” he said in his speech during a dinner in Teluk Intan on Saturday night. The speech was posted on his blog and copies sent to the media.

Lim claimed this was why Umno and Barisan leaders were “so panicky” about the Bersih 2.0 rally, fearing it might be more successful than the first in 2007.

Politics Exclusive: Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan accuses police of intimidation

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has accused the police of intimidation to frighten supporters of the July 9 rally by arresting 30 activists in Kepala Batas.

In a statement to a news portal, Ambiga, who is also the Malaysian Bar Council ex-president said the police were overreacting by arresting the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members under an archaic provision.

She said she was shocked by the way the people were arrested and the section under which they were being investigated.

The group, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jayakumar, was being investigated under Section 122 of the Penal Code for “waging war against the King”.

Bersih also expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's statement that its supporters would be held responsible should chaos broke out during the rally.

In a statement, it denied that its aim was to wrest political momentum from Barisan.

In a related development, City Hall will station its enforcement officers along the route of the planned rally to ensure that no public property is damaged.

Gervinho 'Gunner' move to Emirates

Gervinho inched his way closer to a £12mil switch to Arsenal last night after Lille admitted: He wants to move to the Emirates.

The Gunners could land the 24-year-old Ivory Coast striker in the next few days as his French club need to raise money to buy St Etienne winger Dimitri Payet.

Lille president Michel Seydoux said: "I have spoken with Gervinho and he wants to play for Arsenal next season.

"This is clear but now we must get an agreement between the two clubs.

"We have maintained contact but still the Londoners have not presented us with a formal offer.

"Negotiations are ongoing but Gervinho has demanded a solution to the situation soon."

Arsenal hoped to pay £10.5m for the World Cup star, who was a target for Spurs and Newcastle earlier this year, but are expected meet the asking price.

Gervinho scored 15 goals last season as he helped Lille to the French title.

The champs want to wrap up the Payet deal quickly as they fear Liverpool or Paris St Germain could hijack their move for the French international.

Selangor aims to allocate RM1.5bil for 2012 budget

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government aims to allocate RM1.5bil for the 2012 Budget by emphasising welfare programmes in the state, said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

He said that out of the total, RM700mil would be allocated for welfare programmes which, among other things, aimed to narrow income imbalance in Selangor.

"Our objective is to narrow the income gap which appears to be growing wider in Malaysia. Development for the haves must be continued, but we are fully committed to ensure that the poor will not continue to be trapped in the clutches of poverty," he said in a statement here.

Abdul Khalid said the allocation would not be used merely as a handout but as seed funding to encourage the people to be self-reliant and to develop their own economic base.

He said the state government also planned to reduce the profit margin of government contractors from 30 percent to seven percent.

"We do this to eliminate middlemen who resulted in serious leakage detrimental to the people," he said.

Technology Exclusive: Gadget charges cellphone over campfire

 
TOKYO: A Japanese company has come up with a new way to charge your mobile phone after a natural disaster or in the great outdoors - by heating a pot of water over a campfire.

The Hatsuden-Nabe thermo-electric cookpot turns heat from boiling water into electricity that feeds via a USB port into digital devices such as smartphones, music players and global positioning systems.

TES NewEnergy, based in the western city of Osaka, started selling the gadget in Japan this month for 24,150 yen (RM945), and plans to market it later in developing countries with patchy power grids.

Chief executive Kazuhiro Fujita said the invention was inspired by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 23,000 people dead or missing, devastated the northeast region and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

"When I saw the TV footage of the quake victims making a fire to keep themselves warm, I came up with the idea of helping them to charge their mobile phones at the same time," Fujita said.

The pot features strips of ceramic thermoelectric material that generate electricity through temperature differentials between the 550 degrees Celsius at the bottom of the pot and the water boiling inside at 100 degrees.

The company says the device takes three to five hours to charge an iPhone and can heat up your lunch at the same time.

"Unlike a solar power generator, our pot can be used regardless of time of day and weather while its small size allows people to easily carry it in a bag in case of evacuation," said director and co-developer Ryoji Funahashi.

TES NewEnergy was set up in 2010 to promote products based on technology developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan's largest public research organisation.

The company says the pot will be used mainly in emergency situations and for outdoor activities, but also has uses in developing countries.

"There are many places around the world that lack the electric power supply for charging mobile phones," Fujita said.

"In some African countries, for example, it's a bother for people to walk to places where they can charge mobile phones. We would like to offer our invention to those people."

Sports Exclusive: 2-time heart transplant recipient Compton wins

LEON, Mexico- Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton has won the Nationwide Tour's Mexico Open, closing with a 7-under 65 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Richard H. Lee.

The 31-year-old Compton was diagnosed at age 9 with cardiomyopathy, an enlarging of the heart that hinders its ability to pump blood. Three years later in 1992, he received a new heart. That one failed in 2008, and he needed another transplant.

Compton finished at 17-under 271 on the El Bosque Country Club course. He earned $126,000 to push his season total to $215,709, putting him in position to earn a 2012 PGA Tour card as a top-25 finisher on the developmental tour's money list.

Lee bogeyed the par-5 18th for a 69.

Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade

Pioneers of Android Tablet devices, French company Archos has turned its hand to the home phone in a bid to push the aging product into the digital age.

To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.

"Compatible with any ADSL box or phone line and using standard DECT protocols the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is a light and stylish home phone that brings users contact sharing with their Android smart phone, MP3 ringtones, caller photo display as well as access to thousands of Android apps, web surfing, emails and video calling," said Archos.

The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.

It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.

During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.

MALAYSIAN EXCLUSIVE: Opposition Leader says no BERSIH demo if PM can guarantee fair elections

Malaysia, SHAH ALAM: The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) will be asked to call off its planned illegal street demonstration for July 9 if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak can guarantee free and fair elections in the country.





Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was willing to ask Bersih chairman Datuk S.Ambiga to cancel the plan right away if Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak could give the assurance.

"If the prime minister can guarantee this and a clean electoral roll as well, we don't need to hold a mass procession," he said, when winding up his speech at the party's General Election Convention, here, Sunday.

Bersih plans to hold an illegal demonstration to demand for free and fair elections, the electoral roll to be cleaned up, postal voting to be reformed, the using of undelible ink for voters, and free and fair access to the media.

Anwar, in his speech, also reminded party members dissatisfied with the choice of candidates for the general election to bring up the matter through the right channels and not to lobby him to determine the candidates.

Exclusive: Cristiano's kid baptised amid high security



The safe arms of daddy... Cristiano Jr was babtised at an airbase, with military police toting machine guns to deter unwanted visitors

Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo needed armed security for his son's christening.

The Sunday Mirror says armed troops stood guard as footballer Ronaldo had his son baptised on his first birthday.

The Real Madrid star had the service for Cristiano Jr at an airbase, with military police toting machine guns to deter unwanted visitors.

Ronaldo’s model girlfriend Irina Shayk, 25, joined the celebration on Friday, at a ­chapel at the Alcochete air base near Lisbon, Portugal.

The 26-year-old former Manchester United player took guests to his sister ­Katia’s house for a party after the ceremony.

His nephew, Denis, was also baptised.

Katia said: "The baptism was fantastic, beautiful. We wanted to share this moment with people we love."

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr was born to a mystery mum in the US on June 17 last year.

Entertainment Exclusive: John Walsh tells 'AMW' viewers goodbye, for now

NEW YORK: John Walsh has said goodbye and thanked viewers of "America's Most Wanted" for helping bring almost 1,200 fugitives to justice over more than two decades.

Walsh told his audience in brief farewell remarks: "You've saved lives and gotten people justice."

The series aired its last weekly episode on Fox on Saturday. Fox has cited high production costs for pulling the plug on the series, which premiered in 1988.

But Walsh vows he'll return to television.

He said earlier this week he has heard from other networks, including Fox News Channel. A decision on a new TV home could be announced within two weeks, he said.

Walsh, 65, launched his crime-busting crusade in the aftermath of the abduction and murder of his 6-year-old son Adam in 1981.

MALAYSIAN NEWS: Identities of Malaysian hackers given to the police

Malaysia, KUCHING: A number of Malaysian hackers involved in attacks on more than 200 websites since last week have been identified.

Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said yesterday that their identities had been forwarded to the police.

Fadillah conceded that the attacks were a lesson for the Government on cyber security.

He declined to say how many hackers had been exposed or whether they would face prosecution.

“Please don't do this. Let us work together to develop a safer space in the cyber world,” Fadillah said.

Since the pre-dawn attacks began six days ago, many public and private sectors websites have been compromised.

Two days ago, the Ministry announced that it had traced about 90% of the attacks to Malaysian addresses.

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Fadillah confirmed that no more websites would be blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for now.

“Our policy is that we are free. We won't censor unless you breach the law,” he said

E Street Band sax player Clarence Clemons dies

NEW YORK: Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died. He was 69.

Clemons was hospitalized about a week ago after suffering a stroke at his home in Singer Island, Florida. He died of complications from the stroke, spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said Saturday.

Known as the Big Man for his imposing 6-foot (1.83-meter)-5-inch (12.7-centimeter), 270-plus pound (122.47-kilogram) frame, Clemons and his ever-present saxophone spent much of his life with The Boss, and his booming saxophone solos became a signature sound for the E Street Band on many key songs, including "Jungleland," a triumphant solo he spent 16 hours perfecting, and "Born To Run."

In recent years, Clemons had been slowed by health woes. He endured major spinal surgery in January 2010 and, at the 2009 Super Bowl, Clemons rose from a wheelchair to perform with Springsteen after double knee replacement surgery.

But his health seemed to be improving. In May, he performed with Lady Gaga on the season finale of "American Idol," and performed on two songs on her "Born This Way" album.

Clemons said in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press then that he was winning his battles - including severe, chronic pain and post-surgical depression. His sense of humor helped.

Man from Cameron Highlands, Malaysia is among Australia's richest

MELBOURNE: A man from humble beginnings in Cameron Highlands is today Australia's wealthiest Malaysian-born with a fortune of A$950mil (RM3.06bil) made from coal mining.
Sam Chong, 68, has kept a low profile and managed to avoid the limelight until last week when the Business Review Weekly (BRW) named him in its "Rich 200" list.

Publicity-shy Chong, a mining engineer, is rarely mentioned in the Australian media and when Bernama phoned him in Brisbane, where he lives, he was reluctant to talk of his success as one of Australia's biggest coal miners.

He also declined to talk of his dedication and hard work and the many years it had taken him to achieve his ambition.

According to the BRW, Chong's ascent to the ranks of Australia's richest illustrates the rapid rise in the price of coking coal used to produce iron from its ore.

Chong owns a substantial share of Jellinbah Resources, which operates two coal mines and is in the process of developing another.

Production has reached eight million tonnes a year but expansions are expected to boost production to 12 million tonnes a year by 2013.

BRW said Chong also benefited greatly from the quality of the ore in his deposits.

LNS Sports Exclusive: Nightmare start for Man United

See what LNS has to say...
Manchester United were handed a nightmare start to the new Premier League season yesterday. And it could cost the champs dearly if they make their traditionally slow start to the campaign.

Luckily for Alex Ferguson's men, they were not the only ones to suffer at the hands of the fixtures computer.

Tottenham face four of their rivals for a Champions League spot in their first seven matches. Boss Harry Redknapp admitted: "That's one of the toughest starts I've had in all my years as a manager."

And Arsenal are going to find it hard to juggle domestic and European commitments with a challenging first few weeks.
           
Last term, the battle for the title was a three-horse race right through to the beginning of May - and United grabbed the crown with just one game to spare.

This time things could become clearer early on, particularly as Chelsea's boss-in-waiting Guus Hiddink has been handed a gentle start to his second spell in charge.

That is in stark contrast to United, whose first nine games feature match-ups against their five closest rivals from last season.

They open at West Brom on the weekend of August 13 but then face both Tottenham and Arsenal at Old Trafford before the first international break at the end of the month.

Prem runners-up Chelsea head to the Theatre of Dreams on September 17 - and Fergie will have made a note of the middle of October.

United go to bogey ground Anfield on the 15th and a week later welcome neighbours City.

Douglas ex loses bid to revive NY suit against him

NEW YORK: Michael Douglas' ex-wife has lost a bid in New York to revive her quest for half his "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" earnings. Manhattan state Supreme Court Judge Matthew F. Cooper reiterated in a ruling Thursday that the dispute belongs in California, where the couple divorced in 2000 after 23 years together. The judge threw out Diandra Douglas' suit in November, but she asked him to reconsider.

Michael Douglas' lawyer said she hopes this will end the litigation. Diandra Douglas' lawyer didn't immediately respond to email messages but has said she will appeal the decision.

Diandra Douglas says a provision in the couple's divorce deal entitles her to half the actor's proceeds from last year's follow-up to 1987's "Wall Street." He says it does not.

MALAYSIAN EXLUSIVE: Where did RM15mil for publicity go to, MCA asks Selangor govt

Malaysia, KLANG: The Selangor state government spent RM15mil on propaganda and publicity, an amount higher than the RM1.8mil spent by the Tourism Ministry for social media advertising, said Selangor MCA.

Its publicity chief Dr Kow Cheong Wei said the state government must explain in detail where the money had gone to.

He said the RM15mil allocation was approved in Budget 2010 to spend on publicity and to promote the state government.

“In July 26 last year, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had announced that the Selangor government had set aside RM15mil to counter Barisan Nasional and that the amount would be used to establish Selangor's own radio station.

“However, to date these programmes are yet to be seen,” said Dr Kow in a statement.

Dr Kow, who is Selangor MCA Youth chief, said Pakatan Rakyat was using the people's money for its own gain.

“DAP conveniently criticises the Tourism Ministry for spending RM1.8mil for social media advertising, but they themselves use up to 10 times the amount spent just to let the people know who their Mentri Besar is.

Visit Latest News Station tomorrow to know what the Pakatan-led Selangor Goverment says...

Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Turkey

 
ALTINOZU, Turkey- UN envoy Angelina Jolie traveled to Turkey's border with Syria on Friday, sharing fruit and dessert with some of the thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled their government's bloody crackdown.

The Hollywood celebrity and goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees arrived in the Turkish province of Hatay on a private jet with boxes of toys for the refugee camps and visited one of the three refugee camps in Turkey, where nearly 10,000 Syrians have sought refuge.

Jolie spent two-and-a-half hours with about 1,700 refugees at a camp in Altinozu, 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the Syrian border, asking how they were in Arabic and then speaking with them through an interpreter, Turkey's NTV television reported. It said she took notes, showing particular interest in the women and children.

"The people in this camp have fled in fear for their lives, and many told me they were distraught about the safety of loved ones still in Syria." Jolie said in a UNHCR statement.

Jolie met with one woman who managed to leave Syria heavily pregnant, and has since given birth to her child in the camp, the statement said. She told how her husband had been killed. Another distraught woman told Jolie how she was sick with worry about the fate of her husband still in Syria and unable to cross the border.

"The woman claimed her husband was one of many, too afraid to cross," Jolie added.

The American actress praised Turkey for welcoming the refugees, saying it is critical in these situations that people have access to safety.

Endorsement from ex-PM the proudest moment, says Air Asia chief

MALAYSIA, Putrajaya: AirAsia received all the publicity and endorsement for its phenomenal growth in over a decade from none other than Malaysia's visionary leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister had suggested that AirAsia fly to African countries, saying that the world's fastest growing low-cost carrier was capable of boosting travel and trade between Kuala Lumpur and the continent.

He said this in his keynote address at the Malaysia-Africa Business Forum here Saturday in the run-up to the three-day Langkawi International Dialogue 2011.

"Tun Dr Mahathir is the father of modern Malaysia and he has been one of Malaysia's greatest visionary leaders. He gave me, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Datuk Aziz Bakar and Datuk Pahamin Rejab the chance to start AirAsia.

"To hear him say such great things about us, I've to say that it's one of my and AirAsia staff proudest days," said AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

Kamarudin described Dr Mahathir's remarks as an honour and an endorsement of what the company had built throughout the years.

"It was a pleasant surprise and honour to the whole group," he said.

Dr Mahathir, who initiated the LID, told the business forum participants that AirAsia was the better bet in enhancing connectivity between Malaysia and Africa.

Technology Exclusive: New Fidelio speakers for Apple devices

SoundSphere DS9800W

Philips has launched its latest Fidelio range of docking speakers - the SoundSphere DS9800W, DS9000 and DS7700 - that are designed to integrate seamlessly with the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
According to the company, the flagship SoundSphere DS9800W features a unique uni-directional sound design - its has a separate speaker with unique free-floating tweeters on top - to deliver sound in superb clarity for a deeper and wider audio impression with minimised interference.

Its lacquered piano-black finish and circular handcrafted wood speakers also ensures that users will be able to place the speaker seamlessly into any designer living room.

It supports the Apple AirPlay feature that allows users to stream music wirelessly over a WiFi network from their Apple devices without plugging in cables or even docking them. The SoundSphere DS9800W costs RM2,599.

DS9000

Its sibling, the smartly-designed DS9000, comes encased in premium components and natural wood. According to Philips, the clean lines and curves of the wooden back frame are meant to create a more effective structure for acoustics by randomising the direction in which sound waves are reflected inside the acoustic chambers.

It comes with audiophile-quality drivers to deliver incredible sound accuracy and detail along with bass management technology for deeper bass without distortion, Philips said.

Its docking port also charges the iPhone, iPad or iPod even with protective cases on. The DS9000, which costs RM1,799, also features a proximity sensor that activates a backlit control panel, and a wireless remote contol.

DS7700

Finally, for those who also wants to move their docking speaker around, there is the DS7700. As this RM999 speaker also operates on batteries, users can simply disconnect it from the power socket to continue listening to their favourite tunes while gardening or while lazing by the poolside.

It comes with an aluminium finish and a cover case for protection against bumps and knocks while it is on the move.

With the speaker's built-in Bluetooth connectivity, users can also stream their music from other compatible audio devices wirelessly.

For more information: www.philips.com/fidelio

LNS MALAYSIAN EXCLUSIVE DISCOVERY:

Hacker group tells why it wants to attack Malaysian Govt portal!

PETALING JAYA: Anonymous, the hacker group that has threatened to attack the Malaysian Government portal, just announced its reasons.

According to its statement on the Pastebin website, the group is acting against what it claims are various acts of censorship by the Malaysian Government, and also because of the recent move to block filesharing sites, like the Pirate Bay, in Malaysia.

Anonymous also accused the Government of censoring movies and television shows, and for restricting the Internet, which it says is a basic human right.

“We fear that if you make further decisions to take away human freedom, we are obligated to act fast and have no mercy,” the group said in its statement on Tuesday.

The message was also uploaded on video-sharing site YouTube. It featured a digitally-generated voice that read out the group's message.

Anonymous will launch the attack at 7.30pm GMT on Wednesday (3.30am Thursday Malaysian time) and has named it “Operation Malaysia.” It posted the threat in a graphic on this website.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at the F-Secure Corporation - a computer security software company based in Helsinki, Finland - tweeted about the threat at 4.42am Malaysian time Tuesday.

Meanwhile, online news site Epoch Times reported that Anonymous selects target countries based on input from users in those countries.

However, the report said, the hacker group has declined to say if there are any Anonymous members in Malaysia.

                      
In the exclusive interview with Epoch Times, Anonymous said it expects the Malaysian Government to “not be happy” over the coming attack.

According to the report, Anonymous has reminded its members taking part in Operation Malaysia to use Virtual Private Networks to encrypt their network connections, and to transfer data from remote locations that cannot be accessed without authentication.

This would help protect the identities of the hackers and their locations.

The attack on the Malaysian Government portal would be in the wake of several earlier attacks by Anonymous on Turkish Government websites for alleged Internet censorship.