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M'sian Teen tricked into marrying GrandPa Tapper By News Desk in Kuala Lumpur/The Star | ANN – Tue, Mar 15, 2011 12:00 PM SGT Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - A Malaysian teenager's dream of marrying a good-looking young man was shattered when her groom was not the 30-year-old bank officer she had fantasised about, but a 63-year-old rubber tapper, reported Malaysian newspaper Harian Metro. The 18-year-old girl, who works at a supermarket in Kulim, said she got to know the elderly man last October after he purportedly dialled her number by mistake. The calls became more frequent and the man went to the extent of topping up the girl's phone credit and putting money into her younger sister's bank account for shopping and other needs. The teenager, who only gave her name as Lis, said the man claimed he was a 30-year-old bank officer and still single. "After several weeks we agreed to get married in Thailand," said Lis. It was then she found out that the groom was not the one she imagined to be, but a grandfather who had been married four times before with children aged seven months to 30 years! Lis said she declined to have the marriage consummated and asked to be separated after four days. On returning to Kulim, she lodged reports against the man at the police station and the religious department

Woman pleads guilty to Obscene Acts By Faris Mokhtar | SingaporeScene – 2 hours 59 minutes ago A 22-year-old woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of committing a sexual act on an underage girl, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Singapore. The court heard that the woman first committed the act on the girl in November 2008 at a staircase landing of a multi-storey carpark. She later performed a similar act on the girl in a room at Siloso Beach Resort in Sentosa in 2009. The woman, who is a student, cannot be named to protect the girl's identity. In both cases, the acts were performed on the then-13-year-old girl with her consent. The girl's mother soon learnt about her daughter's relationship with the woman and alerted the authorities. Deputy Public Prosecutor S Sellakumaran said the girl's classmate first introduced the youngster to the woman in November 2007. They became good friends after meeting each other face-to-face at the girl's birthday party later that month. Two months later, they entered into a homosexual relationship, added DPP Sellakumaran Soon after this, the woman would pick her up from school whenever the girl's mother was unable to do so. Defence Counsel Paul Tan urged the court to put his client on probation. He said the woman was 19 years old when she first became the girl's partner and the two of them were very close to each other. However, District Judge Low Wee Ping said the fact that the girl consented to the act may not be relevant. He stressed that the offence involved a young girl who is protected by the law. Judge Low has called for a pre-sentence probation report and the woman will be back in court on April 18. If convicted of the offence, for each charge, she could be jailed up to two years, fined a maximum of 5,000 dollars or both.

S’pore faces minimal risk of Nuclear Radiation: Gov’t By Faris – March 16th, 2011 The government said there was minimal risk of Singapore being affected by the radiological plume by the Fukushima nuclear incident and called on the public not to be unduly alarmed. In an inter-ministry statement on Tuesday, it said that the government has been closely monitoring the situation in Japan and assessing its possible impact here. It added that the various agencies were monitoring radiation levels and food imports from Japan, and that there was currently no need for aircraft and passenger screening. But as a precaution, returning Singaporeans who were within the evacuation zones on or after last Saturday should go for a medical consultation. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is in contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other overseas experts to get the latest information available. The IAEA currently categorises the nuclear incident in Fukushima as a Level 4 accident – on a scale that goes up in severity to 7. According to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, this means that it is an “accident with local consequences”. “Although the current situation remains serious in Japan, the incident site is more than 5,000km away,” the statement said. It added that NEA was conducting daily modelling studies. Its simulations, and those carried out by the World Meteorological Organisation-designated Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres for Environmental Emergency Response in Tokyo and Melbourne, have shown that “at such a distance, there is minimal risk of Singapore being affected by the radiological plume”. “The public is advised therefore not to be unduly alarmed about exposure to radiation in Singapore arising from the Fukushima accident,” the statement said. Nevertheless, the NEA has been tracking the impact on Singapore’s radiation levels through its radiation monitoring stations, and “no abnormal changes in Singapore’s radiation levels have been detected so far”. Surveillance of food imports The inter-ministry statement said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is working with its counterparts in Japan and continues to keep a close watch as well as increased its surveillance of food imports from Japan to ensure that they are safe for consumption. It added that as a precautionary measure, samples of fresh produce exported from Japan after 11 Mar 2011, such as seafood, fruits, vegetables and meat, are being tested for radioactive contaminants. On its part, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has been monitoring the potential impact of the incident on flights and airport operations. “Developments so far do not necessitate the screening of aircraft or passengers for radiation,” it said. But Changi Airport has in place contingency plans to deal with radioactive contamination, and developments are being monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The Ministry of Health (MOH) assesses that it is “highly unlikely” that any Singaporean who was outside the evacuation zones – currently a 20km radius from the Fukushima Daiichi plant and a 10km radius from the Fukushima Daini plant – will need any form of medical assessment “as there is negligible risk, if any, of impact on health”. However, any returning Singaporean who was within the evacuation zones on or after last Saturday should visit the emergency department of a public restructured hospital for a medical consultation when he arrives. Travel advisory The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) also reiterated its earlier advisory strongly urging Singaporeans to defer non-essential travel to Japan. Those who must travel there should register with the MFA at www.mfa.gov.sg Singaporeans in Japan should also take precautions, monitor the local news and take heed of the Japanese government’s advice. Those wishing to leave Japan should closely monitor the situation, check with the local authorities as the main access roads to airports may be closed and trains may not be running on schedule, and reconfirm their flights. Energy expert says Dr Hooman Peimani echoed the views by the government, saying that should there be a nuclear meltdown in Japan, the radiation will take years to reach Singapore and the impact should be minimal. He said that if the release of radiation is phenomenal and if the natural means of transportation of radiation, such as wind and water, are strong enough to carry the radiation, then it is possible that radiation could reach Singapore in the future. But he added that “the radiation strength would be insignificant to cause any damage by the time it reaches us.” Dr Peimani heads the Energy Security Division at the National University of Singapore’s Energy Studies Institute. Last August, he presented a paper on the viability of underground nuclear reactors in Singapore at the Nuclear Power conference. The MFA said it has also dispatched additional staff to its embassy in Tokyo. Consular assistance is available round the clock and the embassy number is +81 90-3208-4122 or +81 90-2435-5543, or e-mail: singemb_tyo@sgmfa.gov.sg The public can also get the latest updates from www.gov.sg the NEA website at www.nea.gov.sg or contact the NEA Call Centre at 1800-225-5632. For health-related queries, call the MOH hotline at 1800-333-9999.

SM Goh to S’poreans: Learn from Japan Disaster By Ewen Boey – March 13th, 2011 Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has urged Singaporeans to learn from Japan’s example in dealing with nationwide catastrophes. Speaking to local media at the annual REACH Contributors Forum on Saturday, he encouraged Singaporeans to consider the flash floods that plagued Singapore last year and put them into proper context. Mr Goh said, “How many of you followed the latest tragic events in Japan with the tsunami… and then put into context our floods in Singapore against that kind of disaster.” “I am not saying we shouldn’t do anything about the flood. But the amount of noise you made with just sporadic flood compared to the Japanese. I saw them on TV. Very stoic-looking. You don’t see them crying. This has happened, just get on, that’s the kind of spirit you want to have and you call it nation-building.” His comments have since triggered a flurry of comments from Singaporeans online. Most criticised the Minister for comparing the Japan tsunami, a natural disaster, to Singapore’s flash floods. Yahoo Fit to Post user yummygd commented, “Tsunami and the flood… it’s two totally different things. Tsunami can’t be prevented. Flooding… I think YES IT CAN BE. I’m not complaining and I’m saddened by Japan’s suffering but how can SM Goh even think of comparing?” Influential blogger Benjamin Lee, also known as Mr Miyagi, tweeted in reply, “SM Goh sir, they are not ‘stoic’, they are in shock.” Another FTP user Mark added, “One is something that you can’t control; the forces are too great… the other you can, with good planning and infrastructure”. Yet another user collin_tn also questioned if Singapore’s leaders would accept responsibility for failures. He said, ”We will follow them (the Japanese) if… Japanese minister step down if they made blunders… but our ministers never?? How to follow them?” Some like FTP user y t p said SM Goh’s comments had to be taken in the proper context. He said, ”I do agree that we should learn from the Japanese and be calm, civilised and carry on with our lives if something so unfortunate should ever happen to compare between the Japan tsunami and Singapore floods.”

Japan PM to nuclear power firm: "What the hell's going on?" - Kyodo By Jonathan Thatcher | Reuters – Tue, Mar 15, 2011 7:38 PM SGT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's prime minister was furious with executives at a power company at the centre of the nuclear crisis for taking so long to inform his office about a blast at its stricken reactor complex, demanding "what the hell is going on?". Kyodo news agency reported that Naoto Kan also ordered Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) on Tuesday not to pull employees out of the Fukushima plant, which was badly damaged by last week's earthquake and has been leaking radiation. "The TV reported an explosion. But nothing was said to the premier's office for about an hour," a Kyodo reporter quoted Kan telling power company executives. TEPCO has been struggling for days to prevent a catastrophic meltdown at several reactors at the 40-year-old Fukushima plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, where there have already been four explosions and the release of high levels of radiation, some of it being blown towards the capital. Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato phoned Kan to tell him that "the fear and anger of residents in the prefecture are reaching the limit", Kyodo said. The power company, Japan's biggest, has been plagued for years by scandal over its role in the nuclear industry. In 2002, the company's president and four of his top executives were forced to resign after TEPCO was suspected of falsifying nuclear plant safety records. A few years later it ran into trouble again over accusations of altering data. In late 2006, the government told TEPCO to check historical data after the company reported that it had found falsification of coolant water temperatures at its Fukushima Daiichi plant in 1985 and 1988. And in 2007, TEPCO reported that it had found more past data falsifications. (Writing by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by John Chalmers)

Japan Radioactivity could enter Food Chain By Tan Ee Lyn – Tue, Mar 15, 2011 9:48 PM SGT SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Radioactive materials spewed into the air by Japan's earthquake-crippled nuclear plant may contaminate food and water resources, with children and unborn babies most at risk of possibly developing cancer. Experts said exposure to radioactive materials has the potential to cause various kinds of cancers and abnormalities to fetuses, with higher levels of radiation seen as more dangerous. But they said they needed more accurate measurements for the level of radioactivity in Japan, and the region, to give a proper risk assessment. "The explosions could expose the population to longer-term radiation, which can raise the risk of cancer. These are thyroid cancer, bone cancer and leukaemia. Children and foetuses are especially vulnerable," said Lam Ching-wan, chemical pathologist at the University of Hong Kong. "For some individuals even a small amount of radiation can raise the risk of cancer. The higher the radiation, the higher the risk of cancer," said Lam, who is also a member on the American Board of Toxicologists. Radioactive material is carried by minute moisture droplets in the air. It can then be directly inhaled into the lungs, get washed down by rain into the sea and onto soil, and eventually contaminate crops, marine life and drinking water. Cow's milk was also especially vulnerable, experts said, if cows graze on grass exposed to radiation. Lee Tin-lap, toxicologist and associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Medical Sciences, said waters around Japan must be measured for radioactivity. "No one is measuring the levels of radiation in the sea," Lee told Reuters. "Steam that is released into the air will eventually get back into the water and sea life will be affected ... once there is rain, drinking water will also be contaminated." Emily Chan, a frontline emergency relief expert and public health assistant professor at the Chinese University, said radiation exposure has also been linked to miscarriage and infertility to both men and women. CHILDREN AT RISK Radiation is dangerous because it can cause changes or mutations in DNA, which may then go on to cause cancer. While the human body can repair DNA changes or damage, a person is only safe if the repair process happens faster than the time it takes for the damaged or mutated DNA material to replicate. Experts agree that growing children and foetuses are most at risk because their cells divide at a faster rate than adults. They also consume more cow's milk than adults, putting them at further risk, said a Japanese scientist who treated victims of the atom bomb explosion in Hiroshima. "Cows are like vacuum cleaners, picking up radioactive iodine that lands over a wide area of pasture, and then those particles very easily are concentrated and pass into the milk," said the expert, who declined to be identified. "This was what happened in Chernobyl, and unfortunately, information about the risk had not been supplied to parents." Asian countries like Thailand, South Korea and Singapore have begun checking Japanese food products for traces of radiation. In Hong Kong, authorities began monitoring radiation levels from 10 air monitoring stations able to detect radioactive isotopes such as iodine 131 and caesium 137, characteristic of nuclear power station leaks. Leung Wing-mo, assistant director of the Hong Kong Observatory, said the risk of radiation to Hong Kong was "very, very low" as wind and weather patterns would help disperse any radiation eastwards. However, he warned that radiation could be concentrated in liquid or solid form, so people should avoid rain or snow in the affected areas if at all possible. (Additional reporting by Mayumi Negishi in Japan and James Pomfret in Hong Kong, editing by Miral Fahmy)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Analysis: Japan Disaster costs seen at least $180 billion On Tuesday 15 March 2011, 4:39 SGT By Natsuko Waki LONDON (Reuters) - Quake-hit Japan faces a recovery and reconstruction bill of at least $180 billion, or 3 percent of its annual economic output, or more than 50 percent higher than the total cost of 1995's earthquake in Kobe. Even though some extreme projections of the longer-term costs project figures closer to $1 trillion over several years, standard tallies akin to those used after the Kobe quake hover around this level. The world's third-largest economy, already saddled with public debt double the size of its $5 trillion output, must rebuild its infrastructure -- from roads and rail to power and ports -- on a scale not seen since World War Two. Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the huge financing needs Japan faces may erode investor confidence in the country's ability to repay its debts, forcing up borrowing costs. "The earthquake may have shifted such a potential tipping point a bit forward, unless Japan's political parties are galvanized by the crisis to also address the country's long-term fiscal challenges," Moody's lead analyst Tom Byrne said in a statement. The quake and tsunami have killed at least 10,000 people, officials estimate, striking a northeastern region that accounts for an estimated 6-8 percent of gross domestic product, compared with around 12.4 percent from the areas affected by the Kobe quake in 1995. However, the loss of fixed assets and human capital from Friday's quake, which also triggered several explosions at a nuclear power plant north of Tokyo, looks to be far greater. It comes at a time when oil is hovering near a 2-1/2-year peak and other commodity prices remain elevated. The economic damage is likely only to shave a sliver off global growth and the tens of billions of dollars spent on the reconstruction bill should eventually boost Japan's economy and the Asian construction sector. But analysts also say costs could overshoot initial estimates. "From the experiences, there is a tendency to underestimate," said Brendan Brown, head of economic research at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities. "There are many uncertainties -- we don't know how long power outages will last and that's an ongoing cost in addition to reconstruction. There is a loss of output from dislocation. If that goes on for two months, that may dwarf the cost of reconstruction," he added. ROLLING BLACKOUTS The Kobe earthquake is estimated to have cost $115 billion to $118 billion, or 2 percent of GDP in 1995 terms. This time -- in a still unfolding disaster -- initial estimates from Credit Suisse and Barclays have put the cost at $180 billion. Mitsubishi UFJ Securities and Sarasin expect the cost could run as high as 5 percent of GDP. Mitsubishi's estimates take into account a wider economic cost including a loss of tax revenues, subsidies to various industries of the affected area, a loss of productivity following rolling blackouts on top of straight reconstruction costs. Rough estimates show that replacing a nuclear power plant alone may cost $5 billion. Desperate to avert a nuclear meltdown, Japan was forced to sacrifice three of its reactors by pumping seawater to cool reactor cores. Insured losses from Japan's earthquake could be as high as $35 billion, even without tsunami- and nuclear-related losses. Mitsubishi UFJ's Brown says historical estimates of the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 put destruction as equivalent to 50 percent of annual economic output at the time, but the economic context was so different as to not make a direct comparison very fruitful. Fitch Ratings said in a statement it believes that while the earthquake will be among the largest insured losses in history, the losses can be absorbed by the insurance and reinsurance industries without widespread solvency problems or undue financial strain. CAPITAL STOCK CALCULATIONS But some estimates of the reconstruction costs shoot far higher than these consensus forecasts as economists take into account the potential need to replace the country's devastated capital stock over a longer timeframe. Vanessa Rossi, senior research fellow at London-based think-tank Chatham House, estimates that 10 percent of Japan's capital stock was lost in the earthquake, which equates to around 20 percent of the country's GDP, or $1 trillion. "The bigger cost is rebuilding of capital stock. This type of problem really causes damage to capital stock. There's enormous damage to infrastructure -- installations, power plants, housing, factories, ports, coastline," Rossi said. "You couldn't possibly rebuild so extensively in the period of 1-2 years. I expect it would be 4-5 years of work." She also said Japan's rich private sector was likely to supplement the debt-ridden government by selling its overseas assets and possibly using foreign exchange reserves, which could weigh on international markets. Paul Newton, auto industry analyst for IHS Global, speaking of the damage to the auto sector, said the rebuilding had to encompass much more than just the country's production facilities to get the economy back on its feet. "The tragic loss of life and homes across the region means that even if infrastructure and facilities can be repaired, whole communities that have supported many of these plants have been uprooted or are still unaccounted for," he said.

Spider-Man comic sells for $1.1 mln AFP - 28 minutes ago NEW YORK (AFP) - – The inaugural 1962 comic book to feature Spider-Man netted a superhero-sized $1.1 million, the US online auctioneers said. The copy of the Marvel comic book, in excellent condition, sold through ComicConnect.com with a cover that shows the spidery avenger -- in his other life known as the meek Peter Parker -- swinging from a high building with a man under his right arm. Five decades ago, the comic went for just 12 cents. The big sale has been bested only by the $1.5 million price reached for Superman's 1938 debut comic book last year. The 1930s to 1950s are seen as comics' golden age and surviving copies are keenly collected. "The late 1950s and early 1960s are considered the Silver Age for comic books," said ComicConnect.com founder Stephen Fishler in a statement. "People have often wondered how much this near-perfect condition book would sell for, and today we found out," Fishler said.

MM Lee ‘stands corrected’ on Malay-Muslim integration By Alicia Wong – March 8th, 2011 Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Monday he “stands corrected” on how well-integrated Malay-Muslims are in Singapore. He referred to comments he made in the book, Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going. In it, Mr Lee said Muslims are “distinct and separate”, drawing a flurry of reaction from the Muslim community. In a statement issued on Monday night to the mainstream media, he said: “I made this one comment on the Muslims integrating with other communities probably two or three years ago. Ministers and MPs, both Malay and non-Malay, have since told me that Singapore Malays have indeed made special efforts to integrate with other communities, especially since 9/11, and that my call is out of date.” “I stand corrected. I hope that this trend will continue in the future,” said Mr Lee. The book is based on 32 hours of interviews Mr Lee gave to seven journalists from The Straits Times (ST). It was launched on Jan 21. Mr Lee was quoted as saying, “Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate.” When asked how they could integrate, he said, “Be less strict on Islamic observances, and say: ‘Okay, I’ll eat with you.’” He also said: “I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came, and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration — friends, inter-marriages and so on – than Muslims.” Various Muslim groups expressed unhappiness over Mr Lee’s comments. Some wanted him to apologise for the unfounded remarks, others wanted the government to clarify if it shared his views. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong later said his views on Muslims’ integration in Singapore differed from the Minister Mentors’. “Muslims are a valued and respected community, who have done a good deal to strengthen our harmony and social cohesion,” said the Prime Minister. The Minister Mentor’s statement was met with a positive reaction. MP Halimah Yacob, who spoke on racial cohesion in Singapore in Parliament on Monday, told ST, “This will go a long way towards assuaging the feelings of the community. … MM’s earlier comments caused a lot of unhappiness because many felt it was not a description of the reality.” She added, the statement show’s Mr Lee’s “humility”. Chairman of the Association of Muslim Professionals Nizam Ismail also welcomed the news. He said the “retraction” was a “necessary” move. ”The issue of integration is an important one especially for a young, heterogeneous and cosmopolitan nation-state. Integration still remains a work in progress,” he said. “The Malay-Muslim community remains committed to integration and hopes that all stakeholders, including other communities and especially the State, will take part in this process of rebuilding mutual trust and bonds which may have been frayed,” he added.

'I was forced to sleep with 31 men' - Jang Ja Yeon By Ben Tan Monday March 7, 2011 10:36 pm PST Police may reopen case into Korean actress' suicide. The Korean police are determining if they should reopen investigations into the case of actress Jang Ja-yeon's suicide, after broadcaster SBS made her posthumous letters public on Sunday. In over 50 letters, Jang alleged that she was made to offer sexual favours to prominent figures within the industry, as well as to heads and officials of private and media enterprises. The rookie actress, who was 30 when she hanged herself in March 2009, accused her agent of forcing her to have sex with 31 people over 100 times. The agent, known only as Kim, was arrested in July that year and served a one-year jail term last year. The other 31 men were under investigation as well, though they were all acquitted. The case caused a sensational scandal in Korea over who was on ‘Jang's list', as financial regulators launched their own investigations into an industry known for ‘enslaving' their up and coming stars.

SIGH !...the Deadly Evils of GAMBLING !!! :innocent: Man killed Children and committed Suicide By Faris March 3rd, 2011 Depressed by his failing marriage and consumed with jealousy, a man decided to kill his children, set their home on fire and plunge to his death. At a joint inquiry into their deaths on Wednesday, state coroner Victor Yeo said that 39-year-old Mr Ng Chee Kiang had smothered his two young children with a pillow before setting fire to their flat in Ang Mo Kio. On the fateful night of Nov 7, 2009, it was said that Ng had probably smothered his five-year-old son, Xavier Ng Wei Yi, first. He then went on to hold a pillow over the face of his three-year-old daughter, Cheryl Ng Shi Hui, when the family maid walked in on him. The maid did not suspect that her employer would harm his own children and left the room. The state coroner also said that Ngs death was caused by cranio-cerebral and lung injuries from his fall from the 12th storey of his block. He died in a hospital about three hours later. Mr Yeo added that Ng could have planned to carry out his acts as early as Nov 4, when he started staying home instead of going to work. He said that Ng was depressed by his failing marriage and his wifes request for a divorce. How the Tragedy started The tragic tale began in 2003 after Ngs wife, Madam Ong Lay Choo discovered that her husband was knee-deep in debt from gambling on football, horse racing, Toto and 4D. In November that year, he was made a bankrupt. More cracks surfaced in the marriage when Ng found out in March 2009 that his wife had other men in her life. Over the next eight months, he became so consumed by jealousy that they would quarrel whenever she went out with her friends for dinner. When Mdm Ong, now 29, a sales executive, wanted a divorce, Ng feared that she would remarry and their two young children would be treated as second-hand in another family. Hidden Secrets It was made known that Ng had kept personal problems to himself, including the debts he owed. When he died, he was still an undischarged bankrupt. He would not inform his wife how he spent his money or where he was. Instead, he would drink frequently with his friends and return home late. It is understood that by November 2009, the couple had become so estranged that quarrels about her meeting her friend had become common. During one dispute, he went up to their sleeping children and said he would kill them if their mother failed to return home by 6 pm. A week before the tragedy, Mdm Ong asked for a divorce as she was mentally stressed over their relationship and could not take it anymore. Ng initially agreed, but later changed his mind. On Nov 1, around the time his wife asked for a divorce, he wrote a letter addressed to his family and friends. The letter, written in red ink, revealed his depression over his family problems and how no one could help him. Mr Yeo said it was clear from the letter that Ng was harbouring the thought that Mdm Ong had other boyfriends and would remarry after their divorce. Ng had written that his wife could go to her boyfriends. He wrote that he had no choice but to choose this route - taking his own life and those of his children - as he did not want them to become second-hand in another family. He ended the letter by asking the police to investigate three mobile phone numbers, claiming that their owners had killed his family. Two of the numbers were traced to Mdm Ongs ex-boyfriend and a foodstall helper whom she had befriended in the earlier months. The third number was a pre-paid card registered under a foreigner. On Nov 6, Ng wrote on the same letter in black ink against the three phone numbers, stating again they were the one who killed his family. He then posted the letter to his best friend. The next day, Ng ended his life and those of his children. The investigating officer, Staff Sergeant Adel Yusnin Norman, told the court that the police had classified the case as murder-suicide. He was the only witness to take the stand. Neither did Mdm Ong nor any of Ngs family members turned up during the hearing. Feeling troubled or depressed ??? Here are the numbers you can call: » Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): 1800-221-4444 » Family Service Centre: 1800-838-0100 » Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 » Care Corner Mandarin Counselling Centre: 1800-353-5800 » Touchline (Touch Youth Service): 1800-377-2252

WORLD WAR III coming !!! Obama ups pressure, Libya rebels rule out talks AFP - 2 hours 18 minutes ago BREGA, Libya (AFP) – US President Barack Obama said all options were on the table for driving Libya's Moamer Kadhafi out of power as rebels angrily ruled out talking to a dictator with "blood" on his hands. Despite grave reservations expressed by the US military command, Obama said a no-fly zone was among the "full range" of options as he demanded that Kadhafi "step down from power and leave". Forces still loyal to the veteran strongman, who has ruled the oil-rich North African state for 41 years, have been bombing rebel-held positions in Libya's east and thousands of people are desperate to flee the country. The latest air raids around the vital oil installation of Brega were designed to scare the rebels off rather than inflict serious damage, Kadhafi's son Seif Al-Islam told Britain's Sky News. "This is the oil and gas hub of Libya," he said, vowing the regime would do all in its power to recapture the port. "All of us, we eat, we live because of Brega. Without Brega six million people have no future because we export all of our oil from there." Rebels managed to beat off a dawn attack on Brega on Wednesday in the first real military battle since the Libyan uprising began on February 15. Related article:Kadhafi counts on planes, militias to survive The patchwork Libyan opposition now controls swathes of eastern and western Libya including the city of Benghazi and some oil installations. Kadhafi remains firmly in control of the capital Tripoli. More than 100,000 people have left Libya to escape the violence, which has killed at least 1,000, according to conservative UN estimates. The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said in The Hague that Kadhafi and key aides would face investigation over alleged crimes against humanity. "We have identified some individuals with de facto or formal authority, who have authority over the security forces," Luis Moreno-Ocampo told journalists. "They are Moamer Kadhafi, his inner circle, including some of his sons." Kadhafi's ally President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela joined the diplomatic offensive, proposing an international mediation mission to pull Libya from what Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said was the "verge of civil war". The Chavez proposal got short shrift from the West, and Libyan rebels in their eastern fiefdom argued that Kadhafi was free to flee to Venezuela if he chose. "We have a very clear statement. It's too late. Too much blood has been spilt," Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the opposition's self-declared national council in Benghazi, told AFP. The rebels would "never negotiate with anybody on the blood of our people", he said. "The only way we can negotiate with Chavez is if Kadhafi goes to Venezuela (for good). Then we'll ask him to have Kadhafi back in Libya to be prosecuted by our justice." Obama told a White House news conference that Kadhafi's "appalling violence" on his own people showed that he had lost all legitimacy. Analysis:In Kadhafi, web finds a tragi-comic anti-hero "Going forward, we will continue to send a clear message: The violence must stop. Moamar Kadhafi has lost legitimacy to lead and he must leave," he said. Obama said he did not want to be "hamstrung" in his options and confirmed that a no-fly zone was under consideration. Britain and France back the idea, but there are divisions internationally and even within Washington. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top US military officials warned Wednesday that imposing no-fly zone would be a major military undertaking, and would necessarily require air strikes to take out Libya's air defences. "Let's just call a spade a spade," Gates told US lawmakers, decrying "loose talk" about a no-fly zone. A major European operation is under way to airlift from Tunisia thousands of people who have fled the bloodshed in Libya, and Obama also offered US planes to repatriate Egyptian refugees. Egyptians ferried from Tunisia to Cairo on a French-chartered plane said they had been singled out for ill-treatment in Libya, with Kadhafi accusing them of selling hallucinogenic drugs and stirring up the revolution. Mustafa Abdulrahim, a 40-year-old stonemason, said Egyptians were "beaten, tortured and imprisoned at the Tripoli international airport" as they tried to leave the country. Libyan National Oil Corporation head Shukri Ghanem told AFP that normal production -- estimated at 1.6 million barrels per day -- had been "halved" because foreign workers including key technicians had fled the nation. The Libya disruption has been a factor in driving up world oil prices of late, along with unrest against authoritarian regimes across the Arab world. In Sunni-controlled Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, cyber activists called for a "Day of Anger" on Friday in the country's eastern Shiite-majority region, following the arrest of a Shiite cleric.

Poly Student admits to being a PIMP By Kai Fong – March 4th, 2011 While his peers waited tables to earn some extra cash, 18-year-old Wong Jiong Yang held a relatively different part-time job. He would prowl the streets of Geylang at night, not looking out for women but for men. The Nanyang Polytechnic student was a pimp looking for customers for three Thai prostitutes under him. He would get a cut of the money they charged their customers for sex. But his part-time stint came to an abrupt end when his ‘co-workers’ told on him to the police after they were arrested on the morning of Jan 24 by a police officer attached to the Criminal Investigation Department. Yesterday, Wong pleaded guilty to two counts of living off the earnings of two prostitutes and one count of managing a place of assignation, reported the local media. The Women’s Charter established “a place of assignation” as any place where communication is established with a female –- directly or through an intermediary –- for any immoral purpose. Another charge of living on the earnings of a third prostitute will be taken into consideration when Wong is sentenced on April 4. The district judge has called for a probation report so that the court can access his suitability for probation. Wong, who was accompanied by a middle-aged man, did not have a lawyer. It was heard that the women – aged between 23 and 27 – took an express coach from Hatyai in southern Thailand to Singapore to work as prostitutes. Their agent, who was unknown, arranged lodging, where they would wait for “business calls”. Last December, Wong met a person known only as Zen at an online chatroom and accepted Zen’s offer to become a pimp. Zen would call Wong to tell him which lorong in Geylang had potential customers. Wong would pocket 10 per cent of every $50 that the women charged each customer. At the end of each workday, Zen would send someone on a motorbike to collect the earnings. Zen remains mysteriously anonymous to both Wong and the women. The former had no means of contacting Zen as Zen would initiate contact using a private mobile phone number. The number plate of the motorbike was also not provided as a different bike was used each time. For each charge of living on the earnings of a prostitute, Wong can be jailed five years and fined $10, 000. For managing a piece of assignation, he can be fined $3,000 and jailed three years. The youth is currently out on bail.

Mystery solved in death of legendary Japanese Dog By MARI YAMAGUCHI - Associated Press | AP – Wed, Mar 2, 2011 7:33 PM SGT Scientists have settled a decades-old mystery by naming a cause of death for Japan's most famous dog, Hachiko, whose legendary loyalty was immortalized in a Hollywood movie starring Richard Gere. They say Hachiko died of cancer and worms, not because he swallowed a chicken skewer that ruptured his stomach — as legend had had it. Hachiko was considered such a model of devotion that his organs were preserved when he died in 1935. For years, Hachiko used to wait at Shibuya train station for its master, a professor at the University of Tokyo. Even after the professor died, the dog went to the station to wait for his master every afternoon for a decade until he finally died. Tokyo residents were so moved that they built a statue of Hachiko at the station, which remains a popular rendezvous spot for Japanese today. He was also the hero of Japanese children's books. The dog's story turned into a 2009 Hollywood film, "Hachi: A Dog's Story," starring Richard Gere — a remake of a 1987 Japanese movie. Rumors had it that Hachiko died after wolfing down a skewer of grilled chicken — Japanese barbecue called yakitori — that ruptured his stomach. But University of Tokyo veterinarians examining his innards said Wednesday that they found Hachiko had terminal cancer and also a filaria infection — worms. Four yakitori sticks remained in Hachiko's stomach, but they did not damage his stomach or cause death, said Kazuyuki Uchida, one of veterinarians. "Hachiko certainly had yakitori given by a street vendor at Shibuya," he said. "But the sticks were unrelated to his death, and the rumor is groundless."

By Ion Danker – March 3rd, 2011 The Korea Herald/Asia News Network Seoul — Photoshop works digital wonders, and one piece of striking evidence is illustrated in the unaltered photos of a Chinese girl who created an Asia-wide buzz with her picture-perfect image. The newly revealed photos suggest that the widely circulated pictures showing her doll-like image with impeccable lines might have been highly edited and embellished. The girl, named Wang Jiayun, emerged as an online celebrity overnight in Korea and elsewhere when the apparently beautified photos hit the Web communities. Online users were particularly drawn to her almost “unreal” beauty, prompting a debate over whether the picture-perfect girl is a human or a doll. Wang’s unrealistically large eyes, pale face, perfectly structured nose and extremely slim figure resemble a human-sized doll. According to online news reports, Wang is a 17-year-old high school student in Shenzhen, China. Many netizens who praised Wang’s Barbie doll appearance seemed disappointed in her due to the artificial photo editing. Amid growing controversy, Wang has shut down her personal blog.

Lady Gaga: I didn't enjoy SEX By Cover Media Wednesday March 2, 2011 12:15 am PST Lady Gaga says she didn't enjoy having SEX until she was in a monogamous relationship. The eccentric pop star has confessed she found lovemaking unpleasant but is now satisfied with her boyfriend Luc Carl. She originally dated Luc when she 19 and the pair rekindled their relationship in June last year. Gaga says she only began to like having sex a few years ago when she had fallen in love and was feeling confident about herself. "I never actually enjoyed sex until two years ago. It was a proper monogamous relationship in which I felt free enough to trust and I had enough self love," she revealed in an interview with Grazia. "Sex is the ultimate expression of vulnerability and for me it was important to know that it was a proper relationship so it was sex as a source of love and nothing else." The 24-year-old singer is currently promoting her MAC Viva Glam lipstick, which is raising money for HIV and AIDS charities. Gaga has been campaigning about the importance of safe sex and insists it is something she always practices. She has also discussed the first time she had sex, admitting she wasn't ready for it. "I didn't lose my VIRGINity until I was 17. But I have to say even then I wasn't ready and it was an absolutely terrible experience. It wasn't good at all ," she added. "I have never not had safe sex, I have always asked a guy to be tested and to use protection, which was always my rule. Otherwise you're playing Russian Roulette. " Gaga went on to talk about her stunt at the recent Grammy Awards, where she arrived on the red carpet inside a giant egg. She claims she spent several days in the vessel before her performance of new single Born This Way, but is refusing to give any further details away in case her followers try and replicate her idea and endanger their health. "Three days, honestly. I stayed in the vessel for three days. I can't talk about it. I don't want my fans to think about copying, let's just say it was important as part of my rebirth to stay in there for three days," she explained. 'I have an idea or an idea comes and I just go with it, like my vessel at the Grammys. That was so perfect, the whole idea of my next album and single, Born This Way and then the vessel... or the egg as everyone kept calling it." The star also revealed her battle with Lupus and her hectic work schedule has left her feeling exhausted and she often sleeps for hours to recover. ©Cover Media

Wanna TRY ??? Breast milk ice cream seized amid health and safety complaints Afp - Tuesday, 1 March 2011 17:16 GMT Officials have seized supplies of breast milk from a London-based ice cream shop amid health and safety concerns. Health officials in London have put a deep freeze on supplies of breast milk ice cream after receiving health and safety complaints from two men. Ice cream salon The Icecreamists in Covent Garden garnered headlines around the world last week after debuting their "Baby Gaga," a vanilla and lemon-scented dessert churned with human breast milk. The ice cream sold out within hours of its launch on February 25 and more batches were in the midst of being prepared. Local health officials at Westminster City Council said the investigation began after receiving two safety complaints from the public. According to The Icecreamists' Twitter feed, the complainants were two men. "Ironic, eh?" they tweeted. Owners said the milk, donated by mothers who responded to online ads, was screened in line with blood donor requirements. "All milk rig screened at clinic. If bad for ice cream, bad for babies -- Close London's Milk Banks!" they tweeted in defense. Viruses like HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted through breast milk. The product is now being tested to see if it's fit for human consumption. The ice creamery touted the dessert as an organic and all-natural product and was being sold for £14 or (16 euros). The dessert was served in a martini glass with a bottle of breast milk cocktail on the side. It's not the first time restaurateurs have caused a stir by using human breast milk as a major ingredient in their food. Chef Daniel Angerer of Klee Brasserie in New York also used his wife's milk to make cheese for his restaurant. The cheese appeared on a canapé with figs and Hungarian pepper.

David Beckham shows off new tattoo on Facebook Posted By Yahoo Lifestyle, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 11:46 GMT David Beckham has revealed a heavenly new tattoo – an image of himself depicted as Jesus. The 35-year-old heartthrob has stretched his football messiah status even further by deifying himself in ink, surrounded by three cherubs that represent his own sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. Beckham unveiled the three-month-old art on Facebook on Saturday with a video message explaining the meaning behind the image above his left nipple. "Obviously, the cherubs are boys, so my thought behind it is that at some point, my boys are going to need to look after me, and that's what they're doing in the picture. Everything has a meaning," he said in the recording. "I don't plan on having a tattoo. It's just sometimes I wake up and I think, you know, I've got an idea of an image I would like on me. "Some people love tattoos, some people don't. It's just something that I have always found can kind of express how I'm feeling, or the thoughts that I have or memories." It took 12 hours and two sittings for Hollywood tattoo artist Mark Mahoney to complete the design. David first posted a picture of his new tattoo back in December of last year as it was being worked on by Mahoney, who has inked a long list of Hollywood names including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. “It was an 8-hour session which lasted until about 3 o’clock in the morning. I then went back a few weeks later and we did another 4 hours. It really is amazing,” said Beckham. Beckham already has a myriad of religion-inspired tattoos which include a six-inch tattoo of Victoria as a bare-breasted angel surrounded by stars, an angel across his back in the shape of a cross and “Pray for me” inscribed on his right wrist. He also has the names of the couple’s three boys on his body. Beckham's wife Victoria is pregnant with the couple's fourth child.

Get ready to PUNT the Markets !!! New York Crude Oil shoots back above $100 a barrel AFP - 16 minutes ago SINGAPORE (AFP) - New York's benchmark crude oil futures contract shot back above $100 a barrel in Asian trade as unrest in the Middle East and North Africa continued to rattle the markets. The contract for April delivery, known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI), climbed 63 cents to $100.26. The contract reached an all-time high of more than $147 a barrel in 2008. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April was up 70 cents at $116.12. "Clearly everyone is concerned" about turmoil in the Arab world, said John Vautrain, vice president for Purvin and Gertz international energy consultants in Singapore. He said investors were worried about unrest sweeping oil producing countries and disrupting supplies. Oil prices have been soaring after popular uprisings toppled the leader of Tunisia in January, followed by long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in February. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi is now fighting for his political life as a rebellion against his rule spread, while protests are rocking other parts of the oil-rich region, including Yemen and Oman. Western powers on Tuesday weighed whether military action was a viable option against Kadhafi as leaders of the revolt grew increasingly fearful of counter-strikes by the Libyan strongman's loyalists. While there was support in some quarters for at least the imposition of a no-fly zone, senior US officials warned that military action to speed Kadhafi's departure could be complicated and have potentially undesirable consequences.

Prepare for RAINY DAYS ahead folks !!! Bernanke warns on Oil Price 'threat' AFP - Wednesday, March 2 WASHINGTON (AFP) Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday warned a "sustained" rise in oil prices could threaten US growth and spark dangerous price rises, as he eyed turmoil in Libya. Bernanke told Congress he believed unrest in the oil-rich Middle East would result in "temporary" and "modest" increase in US prices, but acknowledged greater risks remain. "The most likely outcome is that the recent rise in commodity prices will lead to, at most, a temporary and relatively modest increase in US consumer price inflation." "That said, sustained rises in the prices of oil and other commodities would represent a threat both to economic growth and to overall price stability." He added there was a particular risk from unrest pushing up expectations about future price rises. The threat of higher prices could be enough to spook wary US shoppers, who are only reluctantly opening their wallets after the worst recession in a generation. Bernanke vowed the central bank would "monitor developments closely" and would respond if necessary, to ensure the economic recovery remains on track. Amid fighting between the Libyan opposition and forces loyal to leader Moamer Kadhafi, Libya's estimated 1.6 million barrel a day production has slowed to a trickle, sending global oil prices rocketing. Americans have seen the price of gasoline at the pump rise by an average of 21 cents a gallon in the last week, according to figures from the American Automobile Association. With much of the global economy still ailing from the financial crisis, many fear sharply higher oil prices could smother the recovery and send many nations spiraling back into recession. President Barack Obama's top economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, said prices were not yet at levels that could hurt the economy deeply. "We continue to monitor the events of the Middle East and the fuel markets, because high fuel costs do have a negative impact on the economy," he said. "Thus far we are not forecasting... that at these levels they would derail the recovery." But the price rises bring an extra headache for Benanke. In a bid to keep the recovery on track, the Federal Reserve is currently pumping $600 billion into the economy. That has brought criticism that the Fed could be stoking inflation. Bernanke and his allies insist the Fed has all the tools necessary to unwind their stimulus policies, if and when they need to. Federal Reserve policy makers, he said, "remain unwaveringly committed to price stability," he said.

Hope as rare Rhino Calves filmed in Indonesia AFP - Tuesday, March 1 SERANG, Indonesia (AFP) - Hidden cameras have captured proof that Javan rhinos are breeding in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park, the last redoubt for the endangered mammals, conservationists said Monday. Footage of two adults with two calves was taken in November and December last year by cameras hidden in the jungle of the rhino sanctuary on the southwestern tip of Java island, environmental group WWF said. "This is fantastic news because before these camera trap images surfaced, only 12 other Javan rhino births were recorded in the past decade," WWF-Indonesia Ujung Kulon programme chief Adhi Hariyadi said. "The population in Ujung Kulon represents the last real hope for the survival of a species that is on the brink of extinction." The video clip show two females with their calves, one a female aged about a year and the other a younger male. They enter a small clearing in the jungle and appear to approach the hidden camera. Environmentalists had believed there were only about 40 Javan rhinos left in the wild, but the camera data have led them to believe there could now be up to 50. Of five rhino species, three including the Javan are critically endangered, mainly due to the growing demand for rhino horn. The horns are ground into powder and used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicines, although they have no scientifically proven medicinal value. Ujung Kulon National Park authority chief Agus Priambudi said the new footage would help conservationists protect the last wild Javan rhino population. A handful of Javan rhinos are also believed to exist in Vietnam but conservationists say those individuals, if they are still alive, are not a sustainable population. "The camera enables us to know the position of the rhinos, their sex and whether there are pregnant rhinos among them. It's very important for the breeding process and conservation efforts," he told reporters. "It will also help us to protect them from poaching... By knowing exactly where the rhinos usually roam, it's easier for our rangers to provide security for them." Conservationists celebrated the discovery of the calves but warned that Ujung Kulon's rhino population remained extremely vulnerable. Threats include poachers, habitat loss due to illegal clearing, disease from livestock that wander into the park from surrounding paddocks, tsunamis triggered by earthquakes and eruptions from the nearby Anak Krakatau volcano. "We know that Ujung Kulon sits on a hot spot due to the active volcano, Anak Krakatau, and on plates with high seismic activity," WWF's Hariyadi said. "The risk of extinction due to natural disaster is quite high." With these threats in mind, officials are preparing to move up to five female and three male rhinos to another forest sanctuary on Java. "We're really careful about executing the project and we're involving many experts," Hariyadi said.

On the nose: Sharks are stunning Navigators AFP - 35 minutes ago PARIS (AFP) - – Sharks are famed for extraordinary hearing, motion sensing and smell, but new research shows some shark species can also navigate with pinpoint accuracy over long distances. "Simply put, they know where they are going," said Yannis Papastamatiou of the Florida Museum of Natural History, who co-authored the study published Wednesday. "Many people could walk to a known destination six to eight kilometres (five miles) away -- but imagine doing it in deep water and at night." US ecologists analysed data from eight tiger sharks, nine blacktip reef sharks and 15 threshers which had been tagged with trackers and released off Hawaii, Palmyra atoll in the Pacific or southern California before being followed for between seven and 72 hours. The blacktip reef sharks all swam apparently randomly within a narrow home range, while the tiger and thresher sharks travelled longer distances, often with a clear sense of direction. The biggest voyagers were the tiger sharks, which during the study period swam over eight kilometres. Some research has tracked this species heading to a goal 50 kilometres away. "Directed movement" reflects terrain that is familiar for the sharks, given that they have an interest in saving energy by heading straight towards a target, such as food, says the study. The mystery remains, though, of how sharks are able to accomplish navigational feats. "As anyone who dives knows, finding your way around underwater without a compass is very difficult, but this is what we found tiger sharks could do," Papastamatiou said. Theories to explain the sharks' tricks include "cognitive maps" built on knowledge of ocean currents and temperatures, which act in the same way as visual landmarks on the ground, or perhaps navigation by Earth's magnetic field. The study appears in a British publication, the Journal of Animal Ecology.

Maybe also change GIRLFRIEND ??? Hamilton to start F1 season under New Management Reuters - 1 hour 35 minutes ago By Alan Baldwin LONDON - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton plans to start the Formula One season under new management after a year-long search for the right person to take care of his business affairs. "Nothing has been signed or fully firmed up," said the 2008 world champion after giving Reuters a breathtaking blast around a wet southern English airfield circuit in a fiery orange McLaren MP4-12C sports car. "But I'm really hopeful in the next week or so we should hopefully have an announcement... definitely before Australia," he added. "It's a big decision to sign with someone for a period of time, but I'm confident with what I'm going to do, so you'll find out very soon." The season starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 27. Hamilton has been without a manager since he and his father Anthony decided this time last year to end their business relationship. That partnership had been one of the closest in the sport, with Hamilton senior guiding his son through the various junior series since Lewis started out in karting at the age of eight. The 26-year-old driver told Reuters last October that the move to distance himself professionally from his father had been difficult for the whole family but was not one that he regretted. Anthony Hamilton is likely to be more of a presence in the F1 paddock again this year since he now manages British rookie Paul di Resta, who will be making his race debut with Force India in Melbourne.