THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT !!!

[kueytoc]

Indonesia rages over luxury jail cells for wealthy

By NINIEK KARMINI, Associated Press Writer - Thursday, January 14

JAKARTA, Indonesia – It's a bedroom most poor Indonesians can only dream about _ air conditioned with a spacious double bed, flat-screen television, private bathroom, adjoining karaoke suite and serviced by maids and assistants.

But this bedroom is the prison cell of a woman serving a five-year sentence for bribing an Indonesian prosecutor.

News that business tycoon Artalyta Suryani had bought comfort behind bars using the same tactics for which she was punished has enraged ordinary Indonesians and embarrassed authorities in a country already known as one of the world's most corrupt.

The details of the luxury living conditions of Suryani and other rich prisoners have been splashed across the front pages of national newspapers and dominated television coverage this week, the result of a surprise visit to Jakarta Pondok Bambu women's penitentiary by a team set up by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to eradicate the so-called "Judicial Mafia."

"We found a number of wealthy inmates had been provided with exclusive facilities," team member Denny Indrayana said Wednesday. "They allegedly paid some corrupt individuals in the prison to get all they want. It shows the weakness of our judicial system."

Yudhoyono's government has made fighting corruption the centerpiece of its agenda, securing the convictions of several governors and legislators in recent years. But progress is slow in a country where graft is endemic especially among poorly paid law enforcers.

Transparency International still ranks the Southeast Asian nation among the most corrupt in the world, and scandals like this one still regularly embarrass the government.

Suryani was sharing her 8-by-8 meter (26-by-26 foot) room with her adopted child, who slept in a cot and was cared for by a full-time nanny.

A normal Indonesian prison cell is a cement cubicle a fraction of the size, often shared by dozens of inmates. Overcrowding is a serious and widespread problem.

Other perks in Suryani's cell included unlimited and unregistered visitors, private drivers to collect and drop off goods, beauty treatments, a private office with leather chairs and sofas, Tempo magazine reported.

"This total madness," Tri Agustine, a Facebook user, said in a posting on the popular social networking site. "Corruptors will not be deterred for committing graft again and again if the prison cells provided are like this."

Suryani has reportedly been moved to a general population cell, shared with three other prisoners, since the details became public.

"Investigation into other prisons is now under way to eradicate such practices," said Untung Sugiyono, director general of prisons at the Justice Ministry.

[kueytoc]

More young people turning to aesthetic procedures

Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, January 2

SINGAPORE: The need to look and feel better has been driving Singapore’s multi—million—dollar aesthetic industry for many years.

According to aesthetic doctors, more people are turning to minimally—invasive treatments to spruce up their appearance, even during the downturn.

Lately, doctors said patients are getting younger, from those in their forties to those in their twenties. And they are seeing more customers despite the slow economy.

Dr Kevin Teh, Singapore Lipo, Body and Face Centre said: "It is partly an issue of greater accessibility, greater affordability, and awareness among the general population.

"They are the younger set, working adults, who really want to look their best. Sometimes to climb the corporate ladder, it does make a difference if you look fit and trim."

Non—invasive procedures, such as acne treatment and hair removal, are fast gaining popularity, even among the very young.

Dr Yeak Hwee Lee, medical director, Singapore Aesthetic Centre said: "I can recall a very young girl, an 11—year—old, who was brought in by her parents.

"That is because she was going into Secondary School and she had lots of hair on her legs, and her parents decided that in order for her to blend in and to have less social stigma, they wanted her to have her hair permanently removed."

Dr Yeak said 50 per cent of her clients are less than 20 years of age.

"When students come in, they come in groups. They hang around here, they have their drinks, some of them bring their computers.

"And their friend goes in, and then they go off as a group, for their movie, for their lunch. So it is almost like a social occasion," Dr Yeak added.

Another reason for the popularity of these treatments is affordability. It costs S$15 for one botox injection, and less than S$1,400 for fat removal.

CNA/sc

[kueytoc]

Jordan wants Dead Sea Scrolls back from Israel

By DALE GAVLAK, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 14, 8:22 am ET

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordan's tourism minister said Thursday that her country was seeking the help of Western nations to regain possession of the Dead Sea Scrolls Israel seized from a Jerusalem museum during the 1967 Mideast war.

Maha Khatib said Jordan has given up hope that Israel would directly give back the more than 2,000-year-old scrolls and now hoped Western nations would return them to the Arab kingdom when they host them in exhibitions.

Israel rejected the Jordanian claim to the scrolls, which include the earliest known version of portions of the Hebrew Bible and have shed important light on Judaism and the beginnings of Christianity. Their origin is the subject of an insular, but notoriously heated, academic debate.

They will next be exhibited in Milwaukee, WI, starting Jan. 22.

Jordan says Israel seized 14 scrolls kept in a museum in the eastern sector of Jerusalem when its army occupied that Jordanian-controlled part of the city along with the West Bank in the 1967 war. Israel annexed eastern Jerusalem soon after the war and now says the entire city is its unified, eternal capital.

In Jerusalem, foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Jordan's claims were "ridiculous" and that the scrolls were an "intrinsic part" of Jewish religion, culture and history and have no connection to Jordan. "This claim is totally unfounded," he said.

But Khatib said: "The Dead Sea Scrolls are owned and will always be owned by the government of Jordan and we'll continue emphasizing our right to get them back."

She told The Associated Press: "We know very well that the Israelis will not give them back."

Jordan, she added, would contact countries where the scrolls are put on exhibition and ask them not to return them to Israel, but to Jordan instead.

"We are very keen on getting them (the scrolls) by reminding different countries of the international accords on cultural wealth they signed," she said, citing the 1954 Hague Convention governing the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.

Earlier this month, Canada refused a Jordanian request to stop the scrolls' return to Israel, after they were displayed at a Toronto museum. It also refused a similar request made by the Palestinian Authority, according to Canadian diplomats.

The scrolls were found in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956.

[kueytoc]

WAH !!!...got LCD TV also.

Indonesian govt red-faced over prison perks

AFP - Wednesday, January 13

JAKARTA (AFP) - – The Indonesian government -- which has promised to stamp out corruption -- was embarrassed by revelations Tuesday that rich and powerful prisoners are living in luxury behind bars.

Details of the perks for influential inmates were front-page news after a team established by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to probe judicial corruption conducted a snap inspection of a women's jail in Jakarta.

Businesswoman Artalyta Suryani, convicted last year for bribing prosecutors, was reportedly interrupted in the middle of a laser beauty treatment in her 64-square-metre (690-square-foot) apartment-style "cell".

Her perks included a double bed, air conditioning, flat-screen television, a refrigerator, private kitchen and bathroom, and a playpen for children, according to The Jakarta Globe newspaper.

"We deeply regret that several prisoners might have received special treatment," presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha told AFP.

"President Yudhoyono believes that all inmates should receive equal treatment. There shouldn't be any privileges or special dispensations for prisoners."

Yudhoyono has promised to crush what he has called the "court mafia" that runs the country's judicial system, although critics say his fact-finding team lacks authority and point to Yudhoyono's failure to take more decisive action.

The ex-general won re-election in July but his second five-year term has been hit by a steady flow of scandals that have cast doubt on his oft-repeated promises to tackle pervasive corruption.

"All the problems related to the judicial mafia can't be solved overnight," Pasha said.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar suspended the head of the Pondok Bambu (Bamboo Hut) women's prison in Jakarta that was inspected by the fact-finding team and promised to reshuffle other prison chiefs.

This would prevent them creating their own "kingdoms" by selling favours and privileges, he added. He made no promise to prosecute any prison chiefs who had profited from such illegal behaviour.

It is well known in Indonesia that wealthy and powerful inmates are able to buy special treatment and even shorter sentences, while the poor and vulnerable are crammed into overcrowded cells and subjected to extortion and abuse.

An anonymous former inmate told Metro TV that new prisoners faced torture in the form of daily beatings unless they paid money. Other prisoners worked with the guards to extort money from newcomers, he said.

"When I was new, I was asked for money but I didnt have any. The consequences were painful, I was beaten up every day," he said.

"The most expensive fee for privileges like a/c was two million rupiah (218 dollars) a month, but everything is negotiable."

The son of late dictator Suharto reportedly enjoyed luxuries including four fish tanks and personal staff, although he was convicted of killing a Supreme Court judge.

One of six children, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra Suharto served just a third of a 15-year jail term for the murder. He was released in October 2006 and made an unsuccessful bid to run for president last year.

Yudhoyono pledged to crack down on the court mafia late last year after police and prosecutors were caught allegedly conspiring to frame two senior anti-graft investigators on behalf of a corrupt businessman.

One of the prosecutors has resigned without further punishment, while the chief detective at the centre of the scandal remains on the force and no action has been taken against the so-called broker who acted for the businessman.

[iskay]

Jan 20, 2010

Man dies after watching Avatar

TAIPEI - A 42-YEAR-OLD Taiwanese man with a history of high blood pressure has died of a stroke likely triggered by over-excitement from watching the blockbuster Avatar in 3D, a doctor said on Tuesday.

The man, identified only by his surname Kuo, started to feel unwell during the screening earlier this month in the northern city of Hsinchu and was taken to hospital.

Kuo, who suffered from hypertension, was unconscious when he arrived at the Nan Men General Hospital and a scan showed that his brain was haemorrhaging, emergency room doctor Peng Chin-chih said.

'It's likely that the over-excitement from watching the movie triggered his symptoms,' he told AFP.

Kuo died 11 day later from the brain haemorrhage, and the China Times newspaper said it was the first death linked to watching James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar.

Film blogging sites have reported complaints of headaches, dizziness, nausea and blurry eyesight from viewers of Avatar and other movies rich in 3D imagery. -- AFP

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Singapore snorts over McDonald's toy pig blunder

Reuters - 1 hour 11 minutes ago

SINGAPORE, Jan 22 - McDonald's apologised to Singapore on Friday and brought a pig back to its toy menu, after a decision to leave the animal out of its Chinese zodiac collection upset many in the predominantly ethnic Chinese nation. McDonald's this month started selling cartoon character miniatures depicting the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar, but the pig was replaced by love god Cupid as McDonald's said it did not want to offend Muslims.

But the move, just ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday and Valentine's Day in February, backfired as many Chinese customers complained in chatrooms and blogs that they would not have a chance to buy the animal sign of their birth year.

"We're sorry, and we're grateful," the fast food chain said in a half-page advertisement in the Straits Times newspaper, saying it never intended to offend anyone.

Multi-racial Singapore has successfully avoided racial tension since deadly riots in the 1960s, though the government sees race as the biggest potential fault line in society.

"I understand that we need to respect our Muslim citizens as Singapore is a multiracial and multicultural society," Pauline Koh, whose daughter was born in the Year of Pig, wrote to the Straits Times.

"However, in this case, the Pig is one of the Chinese zodiac signs -- part of Chinese culture and customs -- and it is just a soft toy, not food," she wrote. Around 75 percent of the nearly 5 million population in Singapore is ethnically Chinese and 15 percent is Malay or Indian Muslim. McDonald's and many other fastfood chains sell food that is halal, or acceptable to Muslims.

Pork and other pig products are not halal food.

Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan and Fabian Ng; Editing by Miral Fahmy

[kueytoc]

China teen seen as hero for killing local official

By GILLIAN WONG, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 21, 10:07 am ET

BEIJING – When Li Shiming was stabbed through the heart by a hired assassin, few of his fellow villagers mourned the local Communist Party official many say made their lives hell by seizing land, extorting money and bullying people for years.

Instead, villagers in the northern town of Xiashuixi have made Li's teenage killer something of a local hero. More than 20,000 people from the coal-mining area petitioned a court for a lenient sentence.

"I didn't feel surprised at all when I heard Li Shiming was killed, because people wanted to kill him a long time ago," said villager Xin Xiaomei, who says her husband was harassed for years by Li after the two men had a personal dispute. "I wanted to kill Li myself, but I was too weak."

The murder trial has again cast a harsh light on abuses of power by communist cadres and the frustration many ordinary Chinese feel with a one-party system that sometimes allows officials to run their districts like personal fiefdoms.

China's leaders have identified corruption as a threat to the country's progress, but an opaque political system dominated by the ruling Communist Party — which brooks no dissent — and the lack of an independent judiciary contribute to the problem.

In the case of party secretary Li, the young man who confessed to the stabbing — 19-year-old Zhang Xuping — has been sentenced to death for the September 2008 killing, his mother and lawyer said Wednesday. The sentence was quietly handed down last week and an appeal was filed this week, they said.

Zhang Xuping was paid 1,000 yuan ($146) by another villager, 35-year-old farmer Zhang Huping, to commit the murder after Li allegedly harassed the farmer for years, local newspaper reports said. The elder Zhang was reportedly routinely detained on trumped up charges ever since he led a group of farmers to seek the help of provincial authorities after Li razed 28 acres of trees belonging to them without permission or compensation in 2003.

The teenager entered a school where Li was attending a meeting, found the official alone and stabbed him through the heart. Li staggered out of the building and into his luxury sports utility vehicle but died before he could make it to a hospital, reports said.

The case quickly turned into an outpouring of sympathy for the young killer — and expressions of hatred for Li.

Zhang's trial, which was originally scheduled for August, had to be postponed to late November because thousands of people showed up outside the courthouse wanting to watch the proceedings, news reports said.

Nearly 21,000 people from the area around Xiashuixi petitioned the court for leniency for Zhang — to no avail.

In Xiashuixi, villagers contacted by the AP said that for years they had lived in fear of Li, who they say extorted money and used his influence to have those who resisted him detained or jailed.

Zhang Weixing, 58, said Li illegally seized his land of 3.3 acres and built houses on it three years ago, and he hired thugs to beat him, his wife and children when they tried to stop him.

"When we heard Li Shiming was dead, we felt happy because he did so many evil things and really made us villagers suffer," said Zhang Weixing, who is unrelated to the family of the accused, by phone. "We all hated him."

During his trial, the defendant apologized to Li's family, the state-owned Beijing Youth Daily newspaper said. But Li's eldest son rejected the apology in court and said he hoped judges would sentence his father's killer to "death by firing squad."

Li's death has dealt an immeasurable blow to the family, the son said, adding that his younger brother and sister were unable to focus on their studies and may stop going to school for the time being. Attempts to reach the Li family by phone were unsuccessful, and family members have not publicly addressed the allegations that he was corrupt.

Zhang's case echoes two other instances of ordinary Chinese who became anti-heroes after killing people in positions of power.

In June, a Chinese woman who fatally stabbed a party official to fend off his demands for sex was freed by a court in a decision that was likely made to avoid a storm of criticism.

But in 2008, Yang Jia, a man who confessed to killing six Shanghai police officers in revenge for allegedly being tortured while interrogated about a possibly stolen bicycle was executed despite an outpouring of sympathy.

Unlike those cases, China's state media after initially following Zhang's case did not report his conviction nor his death sentence — a likely indication the government ordered a media blackout.

A Beijing-based lawyer and legal blogger, Liu Xiaoyuan, said the court should have taken public opinion into account given the large number of people who had spoken out in Zhang's defense.

"If the village secretary had acted illegally and aroused the anger of the mass of villagers, then lenient punishment should have been considered by the court," Liu said. "It has become the will of people. The death sentence is too heavy."

The case reflects the desperation that China's rural poor are driven to when bullied by their leaders, wrote Chinese social commentator Yan Changhai on his blog.

"Zhang Xuping is guilty. His biggest crime is that he dared to resist a bandit-like official, and refused to be obedient and to be a slave," Yan wrote.

Yan blamed the murder on collusion between officials and local police and courts.

"If the authorities did not indulge Li Shiming's evil deeds, if even one of his evil deeds was punished by law, he would have avoided death under Zhang Xuping's knife," he wrote.

Associated Press researchers Xi Yue and Yu Bing contributed to this report.

[kueytoc]

China lashes back at U.S. over Internet criticism

1 hour 35 mins ago

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech against Internet censorship on Thursday raised contention with Beijing over cyber policy, which flared after Google Inc last week warned it could pull out of China over hacking and restrictions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the U.S. criticisms could hurt ties between the two nations -- the world's biggest and third biggest economies -- already frayed over trade imbalances, currency values and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.

"The U.S. has criticised China's policies to administer the Internet and insinuated that China restricts Internet freedom," said Ma, in a statement carried on the Foreign Ministry website www.mfa.gov.cn.

"This runs contrary to the facts and is harmful to China-U.S. relations.

"We urge the United States to respect the facts and cease using so-called Internet freedom to make groundless accusations against China," Ma said without mentioning Clinton by name.

But the spokesman also indicated that his government did not want to see the dispute overwhelm cooperation with the Obama administration, which has sought Beijing's backing on economic policy and diplomatic standoffs, such as Iran and North Korea.

Ma said each side should "appropriately handle rifts and sensitive issues, protecting the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations."

Clinton's speech criticised the cyber policies of China and Iran, among others, and demanded Beijing investigate complaints by Google Inc, the world's biggest search engine operator, about hacking and censorship.

"A new information curtain is descending across much of the world," said Clinton, calling growing Internet curbs the present-day equivalent of the Berlin Wall that contravene international commitments to free expression.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are blocked in China, which uses a filtering "firewall" to prevent Internet users from seeing overseas web sites with content anathema to the Communist Party.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters Washington had discussed the Google case with China several times from "working levels to very senior levels."

It was unclear how the United States could prod China into opening up the Internet. Some fear strong-arm tactics could backfire and make China control content even more tightly.

TESTING TIMES

Ties between China and the United States have been put to the test in recent months over trade, currency, climate change and arms sales to Taiwan.

This month, China denounced the U.S. sale of Patriot air defence missiles, capable of intercepting Chinese missiles, to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.

China announced its own anti-missile test soon after.

Beijing has warned that more U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan could badly bruise relations with Washington, and has urged President Barack Obama not to meet the Dalai Lama, the exiled Buddhist leader of Tibet who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

"I think over the short haul (the Google issue) is going to go away because other problems that the U.S. and China face are rather numerous," said Niu Jun, an international studies expert at Peking University.

"I think economic and trade issues are still more important. Both sides will find a positive solution through talks. But this is not necessarily just a simple commercial issue. I don't know what the solution will be. But it won't take a long time."

Among other issues, Beijing accuses Washington of protectionism in anti-dumping cases against Chinese exports like tyres and steel, while Washington says Beijing stokes global economic imbalances and the U.S. trade deficit by undervaluing its currency.

(Additional reporting by Lucy Hornby and Yu Le; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

[kueytoc]

China: Clinton Internet speech harms ties with US

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press – 40 mins ago

BEIJING – China rejected Friday a call by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the lifting of restrictions on the Internet in the communist country, denouncing her criticism as false and damaging to bilateral ties.

A state-run newspaper labeled the appeal from Washington as "information imperialism."

Clinton's speech Thursday elevated the issue of Internet freedom in the U.S. human rights agenda as never before. She urged China to investigate cyber intrusions that recently prompted search engine Google to threaten to pull out of the country.

"Regarding comments that contradict facts and harm China-U.S. relations, we are firmly opposed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement posted Friday on the ministry's Web site.

"We urge the U.S. side to respect facts and stop using the so-called freedom of the Internet to make unjustified accusations against China," the statement said.

In her speech in Washington, Clinton cited China as among a number of countries where there has been "a spike in threats to the free flow of information" over the past year. She also named Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

Ma defended China's policies promoting the Web, saying the nation boasted more than 380 million users, 3.6 million Web sites, and 180 million blogs.

"The Chinese Internet is open and China is the country witnessing the most active development of the Internet," Ma said, adding that China regulated the Web according to law and in keeping with its "national conditions and cultural traditions."

Internet control is considered a crucial matter of state security in China, and Beijing is not expected to offer any concessions to the U.S. Beijing promotes Internet use for commerce, but heavily censors content it deems pornographic, anti-social or politically subversive.

Chinese cyber police troll the Web for sensitive content, and many foreign news and social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, are permanently blocked. Following ethnic rioting in Xinjiang last summer, authorities cut off public Web access entirely to the western region, portions of which they have only recently begun restoring.

Clinton's speech came on the heels of a Jan. 12 threat from Google to pull out of China unless the government relented on rules requiring the censorship of content the Communist Party considers subversive. The ultimatum came after Google said it had uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting Chinese policies.

Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, said Thursday that the company hoped to find a way to maintain a presence in China but intended to stop censoring search results within "a reasonably short time."

U.S. State Department officials have said they intend to lodge a formal complaint with Chinese officials soon over the Google matter. Clinton not only urged China to investigate the cyber intrusions but openly publish its findings.

China has sought to downplay the Google dispute and Ma repeated China's standard line that its laws ban hacking and that it was a leading target for cyber crime.

On Thursday, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as saying the Google case "should not be linked with relations between the two governments and countries; otherwise, it's an over-interpretation."

Clinton's speech was also denounced by an official newspaper Friday as part of a U.S. campaign to impose its values and denigrate other cultures, labeling it "information imperialism."

China must defend itself from information from the West that comes "loaded with aggressive rhetoric against those countries that do not follow their lead," said the English-language Global Times, published by the Communist Party's official People's Daily as part of a government-sponsored campaign to develop international media and influence opinion about China overseas.

"Unlike advanced Western countries, Chinese society is still vulnerable to the effect of multifarious information flowing in, especially when it is for creating disorder," the newspaper said. It offered no examples.

As part of Washington's promotion of Internet freedoms, U.S. diplomats in China have reached out to bloggers as a method of skirting Beijing's Internet controls, sometimes called the "Great Firewall of China."

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou were hosting Internet-streamed discussions with members of the blogging community to "share insights and answer questions about Clinton's speech," the embassy said.

[kueytoc]

Emmanuelle Chriqui voted "Most Desirable Woman 2010"

Reuters - Wednesday, January 20

LOS ANGELES - Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui has topped an annual poll of the world's 99 most desirable women, with organizers saying her appeal was boosted by the fact that she does not feature heavily in celebrity magazines.

The 32-year-old actress, best known for the TV series "Entourage," was on Tuesday named by men's website AskMen.com as the woman with the qualities most men would want in a girlfriend or wife, taking the title from last year's winner Eva Mendes.

Previous winners of the annual list of the world's "Top 99 Most Desirable Women," now in its 10th year, include Katherine Heigl, Beyonce, Jessica Alba and Adriana Lima.

"Hearing what the vote is made of is the biggest compliment of all because it's about being a well-rounded woman. That's really empowering and is just a massive compliment to me," Chriqui said in a statement after coming 12th last year.

In second place in the 2010 poll, which involved about 8 million votes, was American model Marisa Miller and in the third slot was British actress Kate Beckinsale.

AskMen.com's editor-in-chief James Bassil said Chriqui's role in "Entourage" as a sweet, ideal girlfriend had helped her in the survey -- but so had the fact that she is not over exposed.

"We don't see a lot of her. She is not a very public person so it leaves some room to the imagination. She is not out there making a spectacle of herself which could sully her image," he told Reuters.

"A lot of the behavior we see in the media is not the kind of behavior that you want to see in a girlfriend or wife. You can get over-saturation and we don't want to see their real and sometimes stained and depressed sides of their lives."

Chriqui has appeared in a list of films including "Don't Mess With The Zohan," and TV series "The O.C." and "Entourage."

Celebrities like Paris Hilton and ###### who appear regularly in the media did not feature at all in the 2010 list. Spears reappeared on the list in 2009 after a few years' absence but was out of favor again in 2010.

"It has to do with a lack of mystery and enigma," said Bassil.

He said it was interesting to note that Megan Fox has fallen from second place to No. 11 in 2010 after a year of heavy publicity for the American actress.

"She has become very much the type we see everywhere, getting a lot of publicity but with not a lot of success driving this. Sure, she's had massive roles in massive movies but they are few and far between compared to many others," he said.

Newcomers to the list for 2010 included Italian model/actress Elisabetta Canalis, 31, debuted at No. 43, which Bassil put down to the fact that she is dating Hollywood idol George Clooney.

He said it was interesting that French actress Marion Cotillard came in at No. 54 as the movie "Nine" has not been that successful in North America.

The list by AskMen.com, a unit of News Corp's Fox Interactive Media, had the perennial favorites like Jessica Alba at No.5 followed by Beyonce in sixth place and Angelina Jolie at No. 88.

"All the top women we see in this list are pretty well behaved and respectable women. We don't see a lot of them parading around in public unless it is in the framework of their careers," said Bassil.

Following is a list of the top 20 women in the list of 99 with their position in last year's poll in brackets where relevant:

1. Emmanuelle Chriqui

2. Marisa Miller

3. Kate Beckinsale

4. Alessandra Ambrosio

5. Jessica Alba

6. Beyonce

7. Penelope Cruz

8. Cheryl Cole

9. Eva Mendes

10. Miranda Kerr

11. Megan Fox

12. Gisele Bundchen

13. Bar Refaeli

14. Erin Andrews

15. Padma Lakshmi

16. Kelly Brook

17. Natalie Portman

18. January Jones

19. Monica Bellucci

20. Paz Vega

[kueytoc]

Romanian diplomat involved in hit—and—run accident suspended

Channel NewsAsia - Friday, February 5

SINGAPORE: The Romanian diplomat who is a suspect in a fatal hit—and—run accident in Singapore has been suspended from his duties by his country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The announcement was made by the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday morning.

This comes after reports said Dr Silviu Ionescu was charged with manslaughter by Romanian authorities on Wednesday.

Romanian media reports quoting the general prosecutor’s office said Dr Ionescu faces three charges for manslaughter, for fleeing the scene, and for giving false statements.

Dr Ionescu was previously his country’s Charge d’Affaires in Singapore.

Singapore Police said that on 15 December 2009, the embassy car driven by Dr Ionescu hit three pedestrians in two separate incidents in Bukit Panjang.

One of the pedestrians’, Mr Tong Kok Wai later died.

Separately, the coroner’s inquiry will begin in Singapore on March 3.

After the incident, Dr Ionescu called police and reported that the car was stolen. It was recovered later that morning, locked and abandoned at Sungei Kadut Avenue.

The Romanian embassy tells MediaCorp that the suspension will hold until criminal investigations are complete.

CNA/vm

[kueytoc]

Resorts World at Sentosa awarded casino licence

Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 5 minutes ago

SINGAPORE: Resorts World at Sentosa has been awarded its casino licence. It is the first of Singapore’s two integrated resorts to get the go ahead for its casino operations.

Although a date has not been confirmed for the opening of the casino at Resorts World, preparations are in full swing.

Resorts World Sentosa chairman Lim Kok Thay said: "We are very happy to have received the casino licence. This was made possible by the dedicated team, consultants, contractors and government officials, especially the Casino Regulatory Authority, which worked tirelessly to set up the regulatory framework within a very agressive timeline."

Lunar New Year decorations have already been put up at the lobby of the casino.

Resorts World staff were in the midst of an orientation when the MediaCorp news team visited.

Although the doors remain shut, visitors are excited about the prospect the casino may be opening soon.

Some are hoping the casino will be open in time for the Lunar New Year which begins on February 14.

While foreigners do not have to pay the US$100 levy before entering the casino, locals will have to do so at this booth.

Before arriving at the booth, visitors to the casino will be segregated according to whether they are Singaporeans or overseas guests.

The S$6.6 billion integrated resort at Sentosa is opening in phases, starting with its hotels last month.

Many are also waiting for the theme park, Universal Studios Singapore to open.

Some of the staff at the resort have been busy testing out the amusement rides and more.

Andrea Teo, vice president, Entertainment, Resorts World Sentosa, said: "we are in full swing, getting ready for the theme park. We have been testing and commissioning the rides. Some of our people have been experiencing this — going from ride to ride to ride and having a very good time. And we have all been eating at restaurants, trying out the food at very good prices.

"We are at various percentages of finishing the different rides and resorts. But I would say that we are on an actually pretty fast track to completely everything. Our hotel opened on the January 20 and since then, we’ve had 90 per cent occupancy. Festive Hotel and Hard Rock have been fully booked. And for Chinese New Year, we are fully booked.â€

And while casino staff are busy gearing up for the opening day, Singapore’s Police have also been started serving the Exclusion Orders to those with a history of crimes such as those related to drugs and illegal moneylending.

So far, about 3,500 people with serious criminal records have been barred from the two casinos when they open.

The latest exclusion orders are on top of what the National Council on Problem Gambling has issued.

Some 28,000 undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance have also been banned from entering casinos.

CNA/vm

[kueytoc]

Sodomy accuser: Anwar showered me with attention

By SEAN YOONG,Associated Press Writer - Friday, February 5

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The young man who accused Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy claimed in court Friday that the Malaysian opposition leader showered him with special attention including offering to sponsor his university education.

Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 24, testified on the third day of the trial that Anwar seemed to take an immediate liking to him when they met during the campaign for the March 2008 elections. Saiful was subsequently appointed Anwar's personal aide.

"He was a charismatic leader as well as my idol since I was little," he said.

Anwar denies that he sodomized Saiful on June 26, 2008, dismissing it as a government conspiracy going right up to Prime Minister Najib Razak to prevent him from dislodging the ruling coalition. Anwar's People's Alliance coalition made huge gains in the 2008 elections and sees itself as coming to power in the next polls, due in 2013.

Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by up to 20 years in jail in Malaysia. Even a sentence of one year if he is convicted would bar Anwar, 62, from politics for five years from the date of his release from jail.

Saiful, a college dropout, said Anwar told him after the elections that he appreciated his help as a volunteer and later gave Saiful his own office despite his lack of qualifications.

He said that when he resigned _ a day after the alleged sodomy _ Anwar tried to persuade him to stay. Anwar also offered to pay for his education while continuing to pay his salary.

Saiful said Anwar gave him a pair of black slacks as a gift which he had worn on the day of the alleged incident, and later handed to the police as evidence.

On Friday, the court examined physical evidence submitted by the prosecution including Saiful's gray underwear and swabs taken during his medical examination.

The relevance of the physical evidence wasn't explained publicly, but part of Saiful's testimony was given behind closed doors Thursday because of its graphic nature.

Saiful said he went to a private and a government hospital two days after the alleged act.

Anwar said his lawyers have advised him not to comment until Saiful has been cross-examined on Monday, but added that "clearly there are major factual errors."

Anwar was previously tried for sodomy in 1998 when he was deputy prime minister under then leader Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir fired Anwar during a power struggle, accusing him of sodomizing his family driver.

Anwar spent six years in prison from 1998 to 2004 for alleged corruption and sodomy before the sodomy conviction was overturned. Anwar maintains his innocence, insisting he was framed by Mahathir.

Mahathir denies that, just as the current prime minister, Najib, denies conspiring against Anwar.

Any doubts in the public mind about the fairness of the charge or the trial would boomerang on Najib, whose government is under pressure because of rising religious tensions following recent attacks on churches.

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Rise in number of statutory rape cases in 2009

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, February 9

SINGAPORE: Police are concerned about the rise in the number of statutory rape cases.

In its annual crime brief, the police said there were 83 statutory rape cases involving females under 14 years of age last year. This was a 36 per cent increase from the 61 cases in 2008.

The police said 88 per cent of the offenders were people the victims knew: boyfriends, friends and acquaintances.

They said the widespread use of social—networking websites among youths may be one reason why the cases have increased. Such websites may expose youths to situations that lead to statutory rape.

Police highlighted two other areas of concern. One is the rise in petty thefts to 20,400 cases, up 2.4 per cent. And the other is the increase in break—ins at HDB flats, and education and care centres.

However, the overall crime situation in Singapore remained under control. The number of crime cases dipped about half a per cent to 32,968 cases.

There were significant reductions in violent property crimes such as robberies, and miscellaneous crimes such as disorderly behaviour and trespass.

CNA/sc

[kueytoc]

Rise in number of statutory rape cases in 2009

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, February 9

SINGAPORE: Police are concerned about the rise in the number of statutory rape cases.

In its annual crime brief, the police said there were 83 statutory rape cases involving females under 14 years of age last year. This was a 36 per cent increase from the 61 cases in 2008.

The police said 88 per cent of the offenders were people the victims knew: boyfriends, friends and acquaintances.

They said the widespread use of social—networking websites among youths may be one reason why the cases have increased. Such websites may expose youths to situations that lead to statutory rape.

Police highlighted two other areas of concern. One is the rise in petty thefts to 20,400 cases, up 2.4 per cent. And the other is the increase in break—ins at HDB flats, and education and care centres.

However, the overall crime situation in Singapore remained under control. The number of crime cases dipped about half a per cent to 32,968 cases.

There were significant reductions in violent property crimes such as robberies, and miscellaneous crimes such as disorderly behaviour and trespass.

CNA/sc

[kueytoc]

Honda adds 437,000 cars to global air bag recall

In latest defect woe, Honda adds 437,000 cars to existing global recall over faulty air bags

Shino Yuasa, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO (AP) -- Honda Motor Co. is adding 437,000 vehicles to its 15-month-old global recall for faulty air bags in the latest quality problem to hit a Japanese automaker.

The company will replace the driver's side air bag inflator in the cars because they can deploy with too much pressure, causing the inflator to rupture and injure or kill the driver.

Japan's No. 2 automaker originally announced the recall to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in November 2008 and the total of number vehicles recalled since then is approaching 1 million.

The latest expansion of the air bag recall includes 378,000 cars in the U.S., some 41,000 cars in Canada and 17,000 cars in Japan, Australia and elsewhere in Asia. The North American recall was announced Tuesday and followed Wednesday by the recall in Asia.

The recall now affects 952,118 vehicles, including certain 2001 and 2002 Accord sedans, Civic compacts, Odyssey minivans, CR-V small sport utility vehicles and some 2002 Acura TL sedans.

Honda's announcement comes at a time of increased attention on automotive recalls. Though the problems are unrelated, rival Toyota Motor Corp. is in the process of recalling more than 8 million cars and trucks due to faulty gas pedals. On Tuesday, Toyota said it would recall nearly 440,000 of its flagship 2010 Prius and other hybrids due to a braking glitch.

"There is a heightened sensitivity right now to anything to do with recalls," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda.

Honda said it is aware of 12 incidents linked to the problem -- one death in May 2009 and 11 injuries. The company said it is not aware of any problems happening after July 2009.

Honda decided to expand the recall after a company investigation found that more cars might contain defective air bag inflators, made by supplier Takata Corp., based in Tokyo.

The problem, the company found, could be traced to a stamping machine that sometimes used insufficient pressure to make the inflators. Honda company decided to recall all vehicles using the compressed inflator propellant produced by that machine, it said in a release.

"It took time to come to that conclusion because we had to do many tests," said Natsuno Asanuma, a manager of public relations at Honda in Tokyo. "We have concluded this is the cause."

One analyst suggested Toyota's woes may have lowered the bar for recalls, prompting automakers to announce full-fledged recalls for problems that would normally be handled during regular car inspections or service campaigns calling in cars at the owner's convenience.

"With Toyota's big problems, Honda probably realized it couldn't avoid a recall in these other models," said Toshirou Yoshinaga, an analyst at Aizawa Securities in Tokyo.

But Honda's Asanuma denied Toyota's problems had any impact on Honda's actions, while acknowledging increased consumer sensitivity to safety issues.

"We are following the normal procedure, so it doesn't mean customers' feelings changed our attitude," she said. "There are strict regulations regarding recalls."

Honda's latest U.S. air bag recall affects certain 2001 and 2002 Accord sedans, Civic compacts, Odyssey minivans, CR-V small sport utility vehicles and some 2002 Acura TL sedans.

In Japan, the recall covers three models produced in 2001 and 2002, including the Inspire, Saber, Lagreat.

The automaker's original announcement to NHTSA in November 2008 involved fewer than 4,000 2001 Accords and Civics. The recall was expanded in July of 2009 to 440,000 vehicles including the 2001 and 2002 Accord and Civic, as well as certain 2002 Acura TL sedans.

Honda says owners should take their vehicles to dealerships as soon as they are notified by the company in writing. Notification will begin during the month of February.

Last month Honda recalled 646,000 Fit hatchbacks worldwide because of a glitch that could cause water to enter the power window mechanism, causing components to overheat.

The Fit recall affects 2007-2008 models. The Fit is sold in other countries as the Jazz and City. The recall affects Asia, Latin America, Europe, South Africa and North America. About 140,000 vehicles are affected in the U.S.

Associated Press writer Malcolm Foster contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

[kueytoc]

Tiffany Leong's lips injured from kiss scene

Xin.sg - Saturday, February 13

Being a lead actress has a price. In the case of Malaysian actress Tiffany Leong, it was a split lip from doing a kiss scene with actor Zzen Chang for the drama Priceless Wonder. For the record, it's both the actors' first time playing lead roles.

Best remembered for starring as one of Zoe Tay's gal pals in La Femme (2008), the former beauty queen joined the entertainment industry in 2006. She has also lent her hosting chops to the travelogue info-ed programme A Sensational Experience, which also featured Shanghainese heartthrob Dai Yang Tian.

"It's real and intense" described Tiffany on her liplock with Zzen, who also hails from Malaysia.

Though there's only one kissing scene in the drama, the actors had to lock lips several times from various camera angles.

For the final shot, it was a long and awkward five minutes before the director finally called them to stop kissing.

Even though the two felt that there was enough face-sucking, Tiffany recalls the director saying, "Continue kissing. Don't stop if I didn't say anything."

The 25-year-old added, "If he still didn't say stop, I wouldn't have anywhere else to put my hands! My heart was racing already, and after that I realized my lips had split as the kissing was too intense!"

Luckily, the two are good friends off the set. The drama happens be their third TV show together, but their friendship goes further back.

"Zzen and I go a long way back," said Tiffany. "And I also know his fiancée. She agreed to lend him to me for three months," but as she later revealed, Zzen forgot to tell his fiancée about the kiss scene.

She confessed that she's envious of their bond, having seen them go from dating to being one step away from marriage.

The lady herself has been single for two years, though she admitted that "there is someone in Malaysia" and prefers to let things take their natural course at the moment.

So what does she look for in a partner?

Smart, mature and dependable are a must, but most importantly her Prince Charming should also be able to take care of the damsel in distress.

Because of her busy schedule, the actress has once forgotten to take her meals for three straight days, managing to somehow survive on just water. She's also fallen ill from work exhaustion, which took her half a year to recuperate.

Priceless Wonder debuts 17 Feb, 9pm, on Channel 8.

[kueytoc]

Tutankhamun not effeminate: Egypt antiquities chief

AFP - 2 hours 2 minutes ago

CAIRO (AFP) - – The pharaohs were not effeminate despite the appearance of Tutankhamun on his golden bust, Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said Wednesday as he unveiled new evidence about the life and times of the famed boy king.

The results of an extensive study showed King Tut's father Amenhotep III, the pharaoh and his forebears were unlikely to have had the feminine physiques they are depicted as having in 3,000-year-old artefacts.

"People said he was deviant and effeminate... (but) he was a sound man like all of us," Hawass said.

The antiquities boss announced the results of the study involving DNA tests and computerised tomography (CT) scans on Tutankhamun's mummy at a packed media conference in the Egyptian Museum.

It also revealed that the boy king died of malaria after a fall, used a cane and was the son of the monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaten. Related article: Tut probe shows power of technology -- but raises questions too

"We found evidence from DNA that proves he had very severe malaria," Hawass said.

"He was ill, weak, walked on a cane. When he was 19, and got malaria, he fell, how we don't know, maybe he fell in the bathroom," he said.

"When he fell, and was weak from malaria, he died."

Researchers from Egypt used DNA testing to draw a family tree for Tutankhamun, and their results were reviewed by German scientists.

The researchers, led by Hawass, analysed DNA taken from 11 mummies, including the boy king himself.

They scanned all but one of the mummies to determine if they were related, looked for evidence of genetic disorders and infectious diseases, and determine what killed Tutankhamun at the age of 19.

Tutankhamun -- who is often referred to as King Tut -- died just nine years into his reign, which lasted from 1333 to 1324 BC.

Hawass said what seemed as an injury to the back of Tutankhamen's skull, which some had taken as evidence that he was murdered, was in fact a hole made by embalmers.

The testing also showed he was fathered by Akhenaten, the controversial pharaoh who ruled from around 1351 to 1334 BC and tried to radically transform religion in ancient Egypt.

The antiquities chief added that researchers were able to determine that the previously unidentified mummy found in the KV 55 tomb belonged to Akhenaten.

His mother was determined to have been an unidentified queen whose mummy, known as the Younger Lady, was once believed to have been Queen Nefertiti.

Hawas also ruled out Nefertiti as Tutankhamun's mother.

She was found by a French archaeologist in 1898 in tomb KV35, along with the mummies of Amenhotep II and other pharaohs.

The testing showed that one of the mummies, known as the Elder Lady, was the powerful Queen Tiye, Tutankhamun's grandmother and wife of Amenhotep III.

The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday.

Tut also sired two children, both girls, but they died in the womb, the study found.

[kueytoc]

Glenn: "I can propose anytime already."

Xin.sg - Friday, February 19

Some people say the official length of that 'honeymoon period' in a new relationship for dating couple is between eight and twelve months - that is how long it takes to get the relationship 'itch'. Well, not for Glenn Ong and Jean Danker.

Forget about dishing out ugly arguments and catching sights of the slightest signs of complacency from the couple. The ostentatious display of affections coupled with a diabetic dose of lovey dovey-ness by the pair of lovebirds during this interview almost got my partner into deep shit, I kid you not.

According to this Class 95FM DJ couple, nobody gives in or out-talks each other; instead arguments are always "talked-over and managed in a way that a relationship is supposed to be managed".

"That was what I was unable to do before with my other partners," Jean said. "Even in the way in which he phrases things to me in order not to hurt my feelings."

Admittedly, Jean revealed that Glenn mostly has the last say but in a good way. "He's a little more experienced when it comes to handling relationships [and] he obviously has had some lessons to impart and I think I've a lot to learn in that respect."

Glenn added: "The most important thing is that you become wiser and a better person from previous failed relationships. I hope I'm managing this relationship well."

"Yes you are," came the fast-and-furious loving reply from Jean.

One year on, this couple still radiates with such passionate affection you wouldn't think twice about grinding them into pieces if you'd just been dumped. Love was clearly in the air when I met with Glenn and Jean last week - they had just celebrated their first anniversary last month - for a chat on their love journey thus far.

"I definitely feel that I love him more than I have at the start. He's been really great and really sweet, I can't ask for more," Jean mused.

Glenn said gushingly: "I'm just really glad that everything's been so perfect. She's very kind, sweet, sexy and giving, couldn't ask for more."

Their year-old romance, till this day, has remained quite a discussion topic ever since their love story ignited a media storm over a year ago. Love them or hate them, Glenn Ong and Jean Danker are 'soul' connected that Glenn is "ready to propose anytime already".

Do we hear wedding bells ringing for the couple?

"Well he has to ask!" the affable Jean replied with a gleeful chuckle before she took to a slightly more serious tone: "If we want to, we should really think about it seriously and not do it because everybody wants us to."

Cooingly, Jean added: "It's a feeling, it's been right so far and I can say that very certainly. I haven't been this sure about anyone ever."

Snuggling up to each other on the couch with the ever doting Glenn gushing over his ladylove and Jean getting all teary-eyed at some point talking about her beau, one can't help but feel the genuine love and respect they have for each other.

So, perhaps wedding bells in the later part of 2010 then? "Hmm, we'll see," Jean replied in a near whisper before she burst into laughter.

"Yes we'll see but I definitely want to be with this woman. I can't get enough of this girl!" Cosying up to Jean, Glenn added: "There's a good feeling and very positive vibe." To which, Jean turned to look at her beau and said: "Ditto."

[kueytoc]

Where got LAW ???

Let due process of law handle Romanian hit—and—run case: Minister Yeo

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, February 23

SINGAPORE: Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo has said there are due processes of law in Singapore and Romania to deal with the hit—and—run accident linked to Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Mr Yeo said Singapore must take one step at a time and and not act in haste. He appealed to Singaporeans not to speculate but let the law take its course.

The Bukit Panjang accident on December 15 last year claimed the life of a pedestrian, 30—year—old Tong Kok Wai.

"Some have criticised the Singapore government for not acting immediately to detain him (Dr Ionescu). I fully understand the outrage many Singaporeans feel over the hit—and—run accident and the tragic death of Mr Tong," said Mr Yeo.

"However, we should never do anything that is not in keeping with due legal process, nor descend into trial by media. Otherwise, we will weaken our own case."

Mr Yeo also highlighted efforts to get Dr Ionescu, who left Singapore two days after the accident, to attend the coroner’s inquiry next month.

"If Dr Ionescu was, as he had claimed, not the driver, then it would clearly be in his own interest to attend or to have a lawyer to represent him at the inquiry to present his version of the events, as well as to question witnesses," said Mr Yeo.

Another request was for Romania to waive the diplomatic immunity of another central figure — Dr Ionescu’s driver Marius Trusca — so that he could testify at the inquiry.

As both sides communicate on the official level, conflicting reports were flying in the media on the status of the driver’s immunity. Some said his immunity has been waived while others claimed it had not.

Singapore’s hope is that the Romanian Embassy will act without undue delay as the inquiry is starting early next month.

Mr Yeo stressed that Singapore will not tolerate any abuse of diplomatic immunity and believes the Romanian authorities share this view.

CNA/ir

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MFA finds Ionescu’s comments "puzzling"

Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, February 27

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has said it is puzzled by comments made to the media by the former Romanian Charge d’Affaires linked to a hit—and—run case here.

Dr Silviu Ionescu had said that prosecutors in Singapore were accusing him long before they had the right to do so.

The Ministry said this in response to Dr Ionescu’s remark that there should be a preliminary inquiry first and that this was clearly a sign that he should not return to the island—state.

In a statement released Friday, MFA said no charges have been made and no judgement has been passed on Dr Ionescu.

"As Singapore has made clear, the Coroner’s Inquiry to be held from 3 to 10 March 2010 into the death of Mr Tong Kok Wai is not a criminal trial. The Coroner’s Inquiry is simply to ascertain the facts and circumstances of the death," MFA said.

It reiterated that police investigations have revealed that the driver of the vehicle at the time of the two accidents was Dr Silviu Ionescu.

It noted that Dr Ionescu has denied this.

"As we have said many times, if Dr Ionescu was not the driver as he claims, then he should take the opportunity to attend the Inquiry to give his account of the events and pose questions to the witnesses, in order that the true circumstances surrounding the accidents may be determined," MFA said.

"Singapore’s legal system is well—known internationally for its integrity and transparency. The Coroner will make a finding based on the evidence presented before him."

There is a Coroner’s Inquiry next Wednesday into the death of Tong Kok Wai.

MFA has sought the assistance of the Romanian Embassy to request Dr Ionescu to return to Singapore to attend the Coroner’s Inquiry as an "interested person" and not as a potential defendant.

It said that the Public Prosecutor has not decided whether it is appropriate to charge Dr Ionescu for any offences.

It added that the decision will be taken only after all the facts have been clarified at the Coroner’s Inquiry.

"If the Coroner rules that Dr Ionescu was not the driver, no charges against him will be made. For this reason, it is in Dr Ionescu’s interest to return to Singapore to put his version before the Coroner or to appoint a lawyer in Singapore to do so on his behalf," MFA said.

It also said found another comment made by Dr Ionescu "shocking".

Dr Ionescu had reportedly said: "Someone died. It’s not something solitary, but happens all over the world. There are bigger stories out there".

"We trust the Romanian authorities do not share Dr Ionescu’s irresponsible and callous attitude," MFA said.

CNA/yb

[kueytoc]

Model exposes affair with S'pore director Jack Neo

Posted: 07 March 2010 1427 hrs

SINGAPORE : Singapore director Jack Neo should take some lessons from his latest film "Being Human" - you reap what you sow.

The filmmaker's life has been thrown into chaos after his two-year affair with 22-year-old model Wendy Chong was exposed.

Chong, who plays the sister-in-law of actor Mark Lee's character in "Being Human", turned up at the director's home on Friday and demanded to speak to his wife.

She told a local Chinese daily that she was upset that Neo, 50, did not answer her phone calls and decided to confront him at his Pasir Ris home. When he finally came home at about 3pm, he returned Chong's calls and agreed to let her in to speak to his wife, Irene Kng.

Chong said she was shocked by Kng's reaction to the affair. Kng, 46, appeared "calm" and told her that she "did not care who Jack was involved with as she was content that she loved him".

As Neo's children and maid were home, the three headed to a restaurant at Changi Airport's Crowne Plaza hotel where they were joined by Chong's father and sister, as well as Neo's manager, pastor and friend.

There, Neo admitted to the affair and apologised to Chong's father who was shocked by the affair. He said both parties were "rash" and the affair was a mistake.

Chong and Neo met when she landed a bit part in his film "Money No Enough 2". The model said Neo had initiated the relationship by asking for a number and then invited her to watch him film a movie. He also took her on trips to Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia.

She added that she did not get together with the director for fame and thought they "would only be together for three months" but her love for him grew deeper.

Neo confessed that he had let his wife down but could not end the affair as Chong had threatened to harm herself.

Kng who was not surprised that Chong had turned up at their home revealed that had already known about the affair but did not confront her husband and instead chose to forgive him. She said she learnt about it a year ago after friends saw Neo and Chong together.

The couple who have been married for 27 years have four children - three boys and a girl aged between seven and 19.

- CNA/il

[kueytoc]

Mao's grandson asks: 'Comrade, where's my car?'

AFP - Saturday, March 6

BEIJING (AFP) - – The grandson of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong lost his bearings Friday at the symbolic heart of the nation his grandfather founded and had to rely on aides to rescue him from a press pack.

Mao Xinyu, who holds the rank of senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army, was mobbed by journalists upon leaving the opening session of China's rubber-stamp parliament in Beijing.

Mao, 40, refused to answer reporters' questions as two emergency response personnel in bright orange jumpsuits and white helmets pushed journalists aside while escorting him out of the Great Hall of the People, venue for the session.

But his escape from the press was delayed as he was unable to find his car in a parking area next to Tiananmen Square just a few hundred metres from where his grandfather's embalmed body rests in a huge mausoleum.

After several frantic minutes avoiding journalists and searching for his car, a group of military aides came running up to take him away.

"Where is the car?" Mao was heard asking the aides.

"It is at the north gate," an aide said.

"Well, where are we?" Mao responded.

"You are at the east gate," an aide said.

Unscripted media encounters by Chinese officials and political figures are extremely rare in China, where the Communist Party strictly controls access to information.

The heavy-set Mao, who bears a resemblance to his grandfather, currently works as a researcher at China's Academy of Military Sciences.

He has written several books including "My Grandfather Mao Zedong."

The National People's Congress, China's parliament, opened its annual 10-day gathering on Friday. It is widely viewed as a rubber-stamp body that exists to endorse the directives of the ruling Communist Party.

Mao is a delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a body that in theory "advises" the main congress on political matters. The two assemblies' sessions run concurrently.

[kueytoc]

Thailand's 'Red Shirts' kick off decisive week

AFP - Monday, March 8

BANGKOK (AFP) – Around 3,000 supporters of Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra demonstrated on Sunday a week ahead of a crucial mass anti-government protest.

The so-called "Red Shirts" say they expect hundreds of thousands of people, mostly the rural poor, to gather in Bangkok on March 14 -- just over two weeks after a court seized 1.4 billion dollars of the deposed tycoon's fortune.

In an attempt to motivate protesters, who resent what they see as an elitist and undemocratic government, Red Shirt leaders have planned meetings throughout the week in central, northern and western Thailand.

On Sunday senior members of the movement met the rank-and-file in Rayong, a major industrial hub near Bangkok, where police said 3,000 Reds had gathered peacefully by 9:00 pm (1400 GMT) and were expected to disperse at midnight.

Around 1,300 provincial security staff were overseeing the gathering.

Next weekend's rally promises to be the biggest since last April, when up to 100,000 Reds protested against current prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and ensuing riots left two people dead and derailed a major Asian summit.

The Reds have held a string of protests since another court decision removed Thaksin's allies from government and brought Abhisit to power in December 2008, after a blockade of Bangkok's airports by rival, royalist "Yellow Shirts".

Thaksin was toppled in a coup in 2006 and is living in exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a two-year jail sentence for graft imposed in absentia. He has vowed to fight the confiscation of his wealth.

"I would like to urge those who love democracy, justice, equality, and those who think that I have been bullied without mercy and humanity, to join the rally," Thaksin wrote on Saturday on Twitter.

The country remains deeply divided between the largely Thaksin-loving Reds and the Yellows, who view Thaksin as corrupt and are backed by the Bangkok-based elites of the palace, military and bureaucracy.

Around 200 mainly taxi-driving Reds besieged a Bangkok police station late Saturday after the arrest of Phornwat Thongthanaboon, a Thaksin supporter accused of posting a YouTube video warning of violence after the court ruling.

Police also said Sunday they had arrested a 23-year-old male student linked to the Reds, in connection with one of two grenade explosions directed at branches of the country's biggest bank on the day after the verdict.

Abhisit, who plans to push ahead with a trip to Australia from March 13 to 17, told local media that intelligence reports indicated the possibility of a sabotage next weekend, although organisers say the rallies will be peaceful.

"Our aim is to topple the government, to force them to make a choice between suppressing us and stepping down," Red Shirt leader Jaran Ditsatapichai told reporters earlier this week.

But the number of supporters they actually draw to Bangkok will be crucial in deciding whether the Reds have any chance of pushing out the government before Thailand's next elections, due in December 2011.

Paul Chambers, a Thailand expert at Germany's Heidelberg University, said the demonstration and its ability to match last year's turn-out will be a "crucial event to prove whether their cause will persevere."

"Whether these numbers reach higher than 100,000 will be a good measure of their continuing political potential," Chambers added.

The Red Shirts said earlier this week that they expected anywhere between 400,000 and 600,000, with many coming from Thaksin's stronghold in the northeast in thousands of buses and pick-up trucks.

The Reds' success will also depend on building support among Bangkok's traditionally pro-Yellow Shirt middle class, and in the ranks of Thailand's powerful army, which so far has backed Abhisit.

The government is deploying extra troops and police, setting up checkpoints around the country to look for weapons and says it may impose harsh security laws if the protests become violent.

[kueytoc]

Li Nanxing once racked up S$2m in debt, thought of suicide

Posted: 08 March 2010 1226 hrs

SINGAPORE: Veteran Singapore actor Li Nanxing revealed that he once indulged in gambling, drinking and even had suicidal thoughts when he could not pay off his mountain of debts, said media reports.

Li told his story to a large crowd on Sunday night at an event at the church Lighthouse Evangelism where many showed up after hearing that he would be speaking.

The television actor reportedly said that he racked up almost S$2 million in debt after making a bad investment decision.

He explained that while he was quite popular the first nine years of his career, his career came to a virtual halt after he said he "was fine with it" when he went on stage to receive an award for his role in the 1997 drama "Rising Expectations".

Li did not manage to get many roles after that incident and decided to try his hand in business, so he took out S$900,000, his entire savings from nearly a decade of acting, and opened a members-only club with his friends.

"I was the largest shareholder at the time! When I finally got a chance to shoot a drama in China, I 'pre-signed' a number of cheques and left my business partners in charge of the venture," said the 45-year-old.

"The six months I was in China, I only communicated with my business partner over the phone. I only found out later that the general manager was dishonest. Besides losing my S$900,000 investment, I still owed suppliers and developers S$500,000. That S$900,000 was everything I had from nearly a decade of work."

Things started getting from bad to worse for the then-penniless Li. He lost his driving license for drink driving, owed S$45,000 in taxes and even had to borrow S$30,000 from loansharks to avoid losing his house after defaulting on loan repayments in 2002.

Li added that at one point, he even had to scrounge for loose change to buy food. He only had something good when his pay cheque finally came in at month's end.

Facing such enormous pressure, Li turned to gambling, drinking and smoking almost three packets of cigarettes a day to numb himself. However, this only served to land him deeper in debt and made him think of taking his own life.

"I did not have any friends, I could not sleep... I thought of suicide, to end it all with my death," said Li who went on to describe those years as the "darkest days of [his] life".

Li said it is only after he chanced upon religion that he was miraculously "saved".

His business partner wanted to settle their differences out of court and offered Li S$210,000 while his creditors stopped going after him and instead went after his other two business partners. He also signed with a new management company and managed to get a number of jobs overseas.

All this allowed him to clear all his debt within a year.

"After that, I no longer gambled, drank or smoked. I sleep peacefully every night and have a better temperament. I am a changed man," said Li.

- CNA/ha