9 dead in Negros ambush

Photo released by the Philippine National Police shows casualties from an attack by suspected communist rebels in La Castellana, Negros Occidental yesterday.

BACOLOD City, Philippines  – Nine people, including a policeman and three barangay officials, were killed while nine others were wounded in an ambush by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas yesterday morning in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

The fatalities were identified as Police Officer 1 Richard Canja of the La Castellana police station; barangay councilmen Lito Lucban, Teotimo Espleguera and Mario Ricablanca; Ulysses Camayor, Jonathan Mateo and Ramil Trompeta who were members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) assigned in the Barangay Cabacungan police outpost; driver Ricky Dingcong, and civilian Virginia Ordoñez.

The wounded were PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez and PO3 Constantino Villegas, Roger Behar, Jerry Lacuedo, Jamil Roma, Jason Oximar, Bonifacio Bayate, Cristituto Perolino, and Victoriano Donasco.

Investigators said the victims were on board a Fuzo Canter truck, driven by Dingcong, when the suspects ambushed the victims at around 3:45 a.m. in Barangay Puso, La Castellana.

Police said the victims were on their way home to La Castellana town proper after securing the fiesta celebration in Barangay Puso.

La Castellana police chief Senior Inspector Gary Alan Resuma said the three policemen and the BPAT members were assigned to help secure the fiesta celebration.

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Resuma said BPAT member Edwin Sevilla, who survived the ambush, noted that the armed suspects - positioned at the sugarcane field along the road - fired at their vehicle and later shouted, “Mabuhay ang NPA” before they fled.

The suspects also took two M16 rifles from the policemen before they escaped, Resuma said.

Senior Superintendent Celestino Guara, acting director of the Negros Occidental police, said the ambush was allegedly staged by at least 30 suspected NPA members.

La Castellana Mayor Alberto Nicor who inspected the ambush site condemned the attack as an “inhuman act” perpetrated by the suspects, who reportedly shot the victims in the head.

Empty shells of AK 50 and M16 assault rifles, and .45 caliber pistol were recovered from the area.

Resuma and Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said they could not confirm yet the involvement of the NPA in the ambush.

Troopers of the 1st Scout Ranger and 11th Infantry Battalions, 6th Regional Public Safety Management and 5th Maneuver Platoon of the Negros Occidental Public Safety Company have launched manhunt operations against the suspects, Lactao said.

Road checkpoints were immediately set up and government troops launched a manhunt for the attackers, who fled toward a forest in Negros Occidental, a poor, sugar-producing province about 470 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of Manila.

Lactao said the attackers might have been members of an illegal logging group. Suspected illegal loggers killed a forest ranger in the area last year.

The killings are the latest in a flurry of gun violence that has revived calls for tighter gun controls. The country has long grappled with communist and Muslim insurgencies, crime, and armed groups controlled by politicians, warlords and powerful families.

Police estimate there are more than half a million unlicensed firearms in the country, down from more than a million a few years ago.

Sunday’s attack occurred despite a national 150-day ban on the carrying of firearms outside residences imposed by election officials to prevent violence ahead of congressional and local elections on May 13.

Meanwhile, a militiaman was wounded last Saturday after NPA rebels attacked a military outpost in Barangay Sta. Juana in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur.

1Lt. Jolito Borces, spokesman for the Army’s 75th battalion, said the NPA attacked the detachment but the militiamen repelled the attack and forced the guerrillas to withdraw.

Borces said some rebels were wounded during the firefight but he could not provide details.

Army troops discovered last Saturday an abandoned NPA camp in Barangay Mckinley in Catarman, Northern Samar.

Lt. Col. Noel Vestuir, chief of the Army’s 20th battalion, said the camp has 15 bunkers that could accommodate 15 to 20 people, a kitchen and a toilet.

“The government troops have dislodged them from their guerrilla camps and cut off their supply support lines that they forcibly take from the residents in the area,” Vestuir said.

Welcome to Flash Gordon, a village in Malaysia

Flash Gordon is not just a heroic character in comic books and movies, but also the name of a small village in Penampang, Sabah, where a large family resides.

Was the village named after the sci-fi hero or is there a more interesting tale to the origins of its unique name? Avila Geraldine finds out AT a junction just a 10-minute drive from Donggongon town in Penampang, Sabah, there's a signboard, almost unnoticeable, that leads to a quiet residential area.

It's like many other residential areas populated by large families in Sabah, but this one stands out because of its unique, some may say bizarre name.

After all, how many residential areas do you know carry the name of the well-known science-fiction hero, Flash Gordon?

But that's exactly what this small village in Kampung Kivatu is called -- Taman Flash Gordon. For anyone who is familiar with American comics, Flash Gordon was the hero in an adventure comic strip published in 1934 in the United States. In later years, the adventures of the space hero were adapted into films and a TV series.

Well known among the Penampang folk, the area has been in existence since the 1950s.

Its name never fails to arouse the curiosity of outsiders who come into the district and stumble upon the broken signboard beside an old Shell station along Jalan Penampang-Tambunan with the curious name of "Flash Gordon" on it.

"Oh, it's named after the comic book hero Flash Gordon," is the first thing that crosses people's minds when they see the signboard, and the second inevitable question will be: "How in the world did that name come about?"

It all started 50 years ago with a young Kadazan lad named Linus Tokuyuk, the village athlete and strongman.

He can be solely credited for lending "his" name to the residential area.

His son Lucian, who is in his 60s, sits down patiently to tell a story he has repeated many times.

"The first Flash Gordon movie hit the district in the 1950s. At that time, my father was already married to my mum (Josephine Poon Kandavu) and the movie was screened at an open space near Sekolah Menengah St Michael.

"I think almost everyone went to watch it. The movie was so popular that all the men who watched it wanted to be like Flash Gordon."

One day, the men held a competition among themselves. Whoever could jump from one betel nut tree to another would be crowned the district's "Flash Gordon". The race was apparently inspired by one of the movie's scenes.

Tokuyuk, who was in his 30s then, was literally bursting with enthusiasm and eager to show off his prowess. He tied a piece of cloth around his head and psyched himself up. Becoming "Flash Gordon" would definitely be a proud achievement for him.

"My father was certain he could do it and even said 'I am the real Flash Gordon'.

"He got ready and made the leap. He must have jumped six feet or more. He did it and we were all elated.

"Since then, everyone nicknamed him Flash Gordon and the name was emblazoned everywhere. No one called him by his real name any more after that."

Not only that, his sons later inherited the name. Their friends called them Flash Gordon, too.

Lucian, who is the third child among seven siblings, said his father was like Flash Gordon in character, too -- he was tough but jovial, friendly and loveable. He was a good father to his children, and a good husband to his wife.

Tokuyuk, a carpenter who built his own house and was also a farmer, never heard the end of his amazing feat.

When Tokuyuk was in the company of friends, they would talk and banter about the day he leapt from one tree to another, and also his nickname.

Lucian, a retiree, said the family managed a small resort which carried his mother's family name, Tamanza, about 10km away.

"Sometime before his death, my father asked us why there's a place named after his wife and not after him. So, we decided and told him okay, we will name the area where we lived, Taman Flash Gordon, as a tribute to him."

Tokuyuk died on Sept 24, 1999, and his wife on Dec 13, 2008.

Taman Flash Gordon is now occupied by Tokuyuk's children.

There are five family homes in the area, including Tokuyuk's old wooden house, with a kindergarten close to the junction and main road.

A new signboard will soon be set up to replace the broken one. When it is completed, the name will once again attract passers-by and the story of Penampang's own Flash Gordon will continue to be told.

Japan to launch 4K TV broadcasts in July 2014

During CES week, European television network Eutelsat launched the first-ever 4K TV channel, and while it’s only for experimental and demonstration purposes, it’ll set the tone for the future of television broadcasting. Case in point: Japan is planning on launching 4K TV broadcasts in July 2014, which is two years ahead of schedule.

According to a report from the Asahi Shimbun, the 4K transmissions will first begin using communication satellite channels before moving to broadcast satellites, with digital broadcasting arriving at a later date. Not a lot of details are available at this point, but it should only be a matter of time before we hear more about 4K TV broadcasting.

However, the report notes that the 4K broadcast is set to be up and running by the time the final match of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off, which will no doubt excite avid soccer fans in Japan. Plus, since 4K broadcasts are two years ahead of schedule, they’re also moving up 8K broadcasts as well, which should be launching in 2016.

The biggest story of CES 2013 was the rise of 4K televisions. It’s certainly not the first time we’ve heard about them this year, but companies like Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and LG are just now putting their respective models up for sale, but of course, it’ll cost you a pretty penny to afford one of these new panels.

Lenovo plans to buy BlackBerry-maker RIM

The company may consider RIM as a takeover target, sending RIM's shares up 2 pc just a week before it launches a make-or-break line of redesigned smartphones.

Toronto: A senior Lenovo executive said that the Chinese computer maker may consider Research in Motion as a takeover target, sending the Blackberry maker's shares up 2 per cent just a week before it launches a make-or-break line of redesigned smartphones.

But Levovo, which vaulted into the personal computer market with its 2005 purchase of IBM's PC division, would face formidable hurdles if it tried to buy a company that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper once described as a national "crown jewel." The Chinese company would also encounter tough regulatory scrutiny in Washington, cybersecurity experts say.

Lenovo, on track to become the world's largest PC maker, has held talks with RIM and its bankers about various combinations or strategic ventures, its chief financial officer, Wong Wai Ming, said on Thursday.

"We are looking at all opportunities - RIM and many others," Wong told Bloomberg in an interview at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We'll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along."

A spokesman for Lenovo said Wong was asked about RIM by the Bloomberg journalist and that Wong was speaking broadly about Lenovo's M&A strategy.

Crucial juncture

RIM, once a pioneer in the smartphone industry, has struggled in recent years as its aging line-up of devices have ceded market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and devices based on Google Inc's Android operating system.

RIM hopes its new touch-screen and keyboard devices, powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, will help it claw back some of the lost ground. Optimism surrounding the launch has powered the stock higher in recent weeks.

Last May the Waterloo, Ontario-based company announced a far-reaching strategic review under which it was expected to examine all options, from software licensing deals to an outright sale of the company.

Earlier this week, RIM shares surged to a 13-month high after Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said RIM might consider strategic alliances with other companies after next week's BlackBerry 10 launch.

In an interview with a German newspaper on Monday, Heins said RIM's ongoing strategic review could lead to the sale of its handset business or the licensing of its software to rival smartphone companies.

Even so, analysts expressed skepticism about a Lenovo bid.

"Anybody who's serious about buying a company doesn't go talking it up... It sounds to me like a comment made more for publicity's sake than a serious approach for RIM," said Charter Equity analyst Ed Snyder. "It is a very long shot at the best.'

Net benefit test

Any bid for RIM would face a rigorous review by the Ottawa to determine whether the deal would bring a "net benefit" to Canada. The Investment Canada Act gives the government the authority to kill deals that could harm Canadian interests or threaten the country's national security.

In response to the comments by Heins, Canada's Industry Minister Christian Paradis told Reuters earlier this week that Canada may even go to the extent of reviewing a sale of RIM's handset business if such a deal was proposed.

"Research in Motion has made an important contribution to information and communications technology in Canada, a sector that is so important to the Canadian economy. We hope they continue to do so well into the future," Paradis said in an emailed response to the Lenovo comments on Thursday.

Lenovo's acquisition trail over the past few years, such as the purchase of Germany's Medion in 2011 and IBM's PC business in 2005, has sparked market talk that it could be interested in handset makers such as RIM and Nokia Oyj.

Lenovo executives have denied on separate occasions last year that there were such plans.

Cybersecurity experts said Lenovo would likely go up against tough US government scrutiny as well since the Defense Department and other agencies rely on the Blackberry, which is considered more secure than other smartphones.

Should Lenovo acquire RIM, it could lose a major client - the US government - as US officials would be reluctant to use products owned by a Chinese company due to national security concerns, analysts say.

"A potential acquisition of RIM by Lenovo would raise a number of important security issues," said Michael Wessel, a Commissioner on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, appointed by Congress.

"Government employees are one of the largest users of RIM's BlackBerry products and the security of their communications has to be of paramount concern," said Wessel, adding that he was speaking on behalf of himself and not the Commission.

After the comments from Lenovo, a RIM spokesman said the company had nothing new to report on its strategic review.

RIM shares closed 2.2 per cent higher at $17.74 on Thursday the Nasdaq. The Toronto-listed shares closed 2.9 per cent higher at C$17.80. RIM is a volatile stock, and moves of 3 percent and more are not uncommon.

Its shares are down almost 90 per cent from an all-time high of over $148 in 2008, but the stock has rallied in the last four months as the launch of the BlackBerry 10 devices nears. The company's shares have nearly tripled in value since dipping as low as $6.22 in late September.

Lenovo's shares fell 2.73 per cent in Hong Kong during Friday trade, after closing 6.6 per cent higher in the previous session.

Thai tycoon ups bid for Singapore's F&N

SINGAPORE — A Thai billionaire early Saturday raised his bid for Singapore's Fraser and Neave (F&N), topping an offer by an Indonesian rival ahead of a planned auction of the conglomerate next week.

In a press release issued at midnight, TCC Assets -- controlled by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi -- said it was increasing its offer for F&N shares it does not own from Sg$8.88 ($7.24) a share to Sg$9.55.

TCC's latest Sg$13.75 billion offer trumped the Sg$13.1 billion, or Sg$9.08 per share, bid tabled by property firm Overseas Union Enterprise (OUE) in mid-November.

However, TCC's new offer is lower than F&N's closing price of Sg$9.58 per share on Friday.

OUE is controlled by Indonesia's Lippo Group, whose founder is Indonesian tycoon Mochtar Riady. His son Stephen is OUE's executive chairman.

F&N became a takeover target in September after selling off its most prized asset, Tiger Beer maker Asia Pacific Breweries, to Dutch brewer Heineken.

A takeover contest between the Thai and Indonesian tycoons has dragged on since then, with both parties seeking several extensions of deadlines to submit their final offers.

The impasse prompted stock market watchdog Securities Industry Council (SIC) to call for an auction, saying that investors needed certainty with regards to the competing offers.

TCC's higher offer is unlikely to derail the auction scheduled to commence on Monday unless one party withdraws its bid. Both parties will still be able to table fresh bids, with OUE under pressure to top TCC's new offer.

Under the auction rules set by SIC, a daily bidding process will take place from Monday until one party gives up.

F&N shareholders had reacted coolly to the original bids, hoping for the offers to be increased.

Japan keen to attract Malaysian tourists

KUALA LUMPUR: The Japanese tourism industry is keen to attract Muslim tourists and Malaysia is one of the countries with the largest potential, said Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura.

He said Japan had seen a steady growth of visitor arrivals from Malaysia, especially following the implementation in September last year of the multiple entry visa for Malaysians travelling to Japan.  

 

"From January to November last year, Malaysian arrivals in Japan totalled about 113,100, an increase of 16.5 per cent from the corresponding period in the previous year.  

 

"Promotion of tourism between Japan and Malaysia will contribute and enhance people-to-people relations," he told Bernama.  

 

Nakamura said the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) will be hosting a technical visit to Japan from Jan 29 to Feb 3. 

 

He said that in conjunction with the visit, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Matta in Yokohama on Jan 30.  

 

The MoU is to promote cooperation and exchange of ideas on inbound tourism between Malaysia and Japan.  

 

"I hope this MoU will provide additional momentum to the Malaysia and Japan tourism collaboration to further promote the Japanese tourism industry," said Nakamura. -- BERNAMA

Waterbeds: First underwater hotel to be created in Dubai

Dubai boasts the world's tallest building and world's largest mall. The new challenge is to create the world's largest underwater hotel, The Water Discus.

The hotel will boast 21 excusive suites designed by Polish company Deep Ocean Technology and Swiss BIG InvestConsult AG. It’s expected to comprise two discs, one under the water and the other above.

"The Water Discus Hotel project opens many new fields of development for the hotel and tourism sector, housing and city sector in the coastal off-shore areas, as well as new opportunities for ecology support by creation of new underwater ecosystems and activities on underwater world protection," President of BIG Bogdan Gutkowski told World Architecture News.

"Additionally we would like to create here in the UAE the International Environmental Program and Center of the Underwater World Protection – with Water Discus Hotel as a laboratory tool for ocean and sea environment protection and research," he added.

The ambitious project isn’t the first attempt to create an underwater hotel. The Maldives’ Rangali Islands resort has one underwater suite; the one-room Utter Inn can be found on Lake Mälaren, in Sweden; and the three-room Jules’ Undersea Lodge is said to be the only underwater hotel in America.

Japan launches 2 satellites as concerns of N. Korean rocket tests grow

An H2-A rocket carrying two intelligence satellites lifts off from its launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center, southwestern 

TOKYO -- Japan launched two intelligence satellites into orbit on Sunday amid growing concerns that North Korea is planning to test more rockets of its own and possibly conduct a nuclear test.

Officials say the launch Sunday of the domestically produced HII-A rocket went smoothly and the satellites - an operational radar satellite and an experimental optical probe - appear to have reached orbit.

Japan began its intelligence satellite program after North Korea fired a long-range missile over Japan's main island in 1998. North Korea conducted a launch last month that it says carried a satellite into orbit but has been condemned by the U.S. and others as a cover for its development of missile technology

The latest Japanese launch was in the planning stages long before the current increase in tensions with North Korea, but underscores Japan's longstanding wariness of its isolated neighbor's abilities and intentions.

The radar satellite, which can provide intelligence through cloud cover and at night, is intended to augment a network of several probes that Japan already has in orbit. The optical probe will be used to test future technology and improvements that would allow Japan to strengthen its surveillance capabilities.

Japan still relies on the United States for much of its intelligence.

Its optical satellites are believed to be about as good as commercial satellites, meaning they are able to detect objects of about 40 centimetres in size from their orbits. With the additional radar satellite, Japan hopes to be able to glean intelligence on any specified location once a day.

Japan, which hosts about 50,000 U.S. troops, is especially concerned about North Korea because its main islands are already within range of the North's missiles. Along with developing its own network of spy satellites, Japan has cooperated with Washington in establishing an elaborate missile defense shield.

North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission declared last week that the country would carry out a nuclear test and launch more rockets in defiance of the UN Security Council's announcement that it would punish Pyongyang for its long-range rocket test in December with more sanctions, calling it a violation of a ban on nuclear and missile activity.

North Korea's state news agency said on Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un vowed at a meeting of top security and foreign officials to take "substantial and high-profile important state measures."

Hacker Builds the Voice-Controlled Raspberry Pi R2-D2 You’re Looking For

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a dozen roses may look like a lackluster gift for the robot-lover in your life after seeing what Lingxiang Xiang built to woo his girlfriend — a Raspberry Pi-powered, voice-controlled R2-D2.

Funnily enough, it turns out this actually was not the droid he was looking for. “My original plan was to build a Wall-E robot, which seems more cute and therefore might be more attractive to my girlfriend,” says Xiang, a computer science Ph.D. student. “Unfortunately, Wall-E toys available in the market are too small for Raspberry Pi hacking. The R2-D2 toy is larger and I happened to find that one guy was selling several unworkable R2-D2 toys for a low price. So I bought one immediately and started to hack it.”

Like Anakin Skywalker, Xiang knows how to tinker with droids. His Artoo tracks faces and motion, is motorized for movement, and has the ability to respond to voice commands — but sadly doesn’t have a spring-loaded lightsaber or holographic projector.

Xiang executed the project with the stealth of a Jedi. “It was a secret project,” he explains. “My girlfriend didn’t know anything about it until her birthday. The first word I heard was ‘WOW.’ Then I came out from another room, told her it’s her birthday gift, and taught her how to play with it. She said it’s the best gift she ever received.”

A detailed tutorial and blueprints are coming in February for bot builders interested in making a RPi2D2 droid of their own.

RPi-D2 brings a dash of geekiness to a relationship, with no Jedi mind tricks required. Photo: Lingxiang Xiang

Exxon overtakes Apple as biggest public company

APPLE has lost its position as the biggest public company in the world, amid growing concerns that its extraordinary growth trajectory of recent years is coming to an end.

Shares in the iPhone and iPad maker stood at more than $700 as recently as September, but had fallen 2pc to $440.75 by lunchtime on Friday, giving it a market capitalisation of $414.4bn (£262.4bn).

In doing so, the US technology giant slipped behind Exxon Mobil, the oil and gas business which it overtook in August last year. Exxon shares climbed 0.23 to $91.58, handing it a market capitalisation of $417.4bn (£264.3bn).

Investors cashed out of Apple for the second day running after the American technology giant’s fourth quarter results. Although Apple delivered a record profit of $31.1bn, its figures showed only a slight improvement on the previous year, causing alarm on Wall Street.

More than $50bn was wiped off the value of the company on Thursday as shares fell more than 12pc – its biggest fall for more than four years.

The disappointing results prompted more than 20 brokerages including Credit Suisse and Barclays, to lower their target prices on Apple shares.

They dropped by an average of $132 to $612. Analysts warned that the slowdown in sales of Apple’s gadgets could be “here to stay”, because of increasing competition from rivals likeSamsung and an apparent slow down in new products from Apple.

Factory Fire Kills 7 In Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A fire swept through a two-story garment factory in Bangladesh's capital, killing at least seven female workers and injuring five others, police and fire officials said.

The fire Saturday at the Smart factory occurred just two months after a blaze killed 112 workers in another factory near the capital, raising questions about safety standards and treatment of workers in Bangladesh's $20 billion garment industry that exports clothes to leading Western retailers. The country has more than 4,000 garment factories.

The cause of the latest fire was not immediately known, fire official Abdul Halim said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Monzurul Kabir said the bodies of seven women were recovered from the top floor of the factory in Dhaka's Mohammadpur district. He said the factory was making pants and shirts, but could not provide further details.

Halim said it took firefighters about two hours to bring the blaze under control.

Volunteers joined firefighters in battling the fire as a large crowd gathered outside the factory awaiting word on the fate of relatives. Family members were seen crying near the body of a female worker named Josna, who was only 16.

Earlier this month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alerted its global suppliers that it will immediately drop them if they subcontract their work to factories that haven't been authorized by the discounter. The stricter contracting rule, along with other changes to its policy, come amid increasing calls for better safety oversight after the deadly fire in late November at a factory owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd. that supplied clothing to Wal-Mart and other retailers. Wal-Mart has said the factory wasn't authorized to make its clothes.

Wal-Mart ranks second behind Swedish fast fashion retailer H&M in the number of clothing orders it places in Bangladesh. Before the November fire, Wal-Mart had taken steps to address safety, such as mandating fire safety training for all levels of factory management.

Building fires have led to more than 600 deaths of garment workers in Bangladesh since 2005, according to research by the advocacy group International Labor Rights Forum.

Suu Kyi still fond of Myanmar Army

Myanmar's pro-democracy icon and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi says she is still "fond" of her country's army, even though it kept her under house arrest for 15 years.

Suu Kyi told BBC her Buddhist faith helped her defy her country's dictatorship, and later face them when taking a seat in parliament.

The Nobel Prize winner's father, Aung San, is considered the father of modern Myanmar, and founded its army.

"It's genuine, I'm fond of the army," Suu Kyi said.

"People don't like me for saying that. There are many who have criticised me for being what they call a poster girl for the army."

"Very flattering to be seen as a poster girl for anything at this time of life, but I think the truth is I am very fond of the army, because I always thought of it as my father's army," she said.

Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest before the 1990 elections in Myanmar.

She had returned to the country from Britain to nurse her mother, and was held after giving a speech.

Suu Kyi had been living in Britain with her husband Michael Aris, and their two sons. Aris was refused a visa to visit her before he died of terminal cancer in 1999.

She was released after the November 2010 polls that formally ended military rule in Myanmar. Her party later rejoined the political process and secured a small presence in parliament after winning the by-elections in April 2012.

Obesity is set to soar

OBESITY is now a global pandemic that could see more than half of the world's adults overweight in two decades.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, health,nutrition and fitness experts said the increasingly deadly obesity crisis needs to be tackled with the determination policy-makers once took to fighting smoking.

They said it was vital to address the crisis that is driving up diabetes, boosting heart disease and killing 2.8 million adults per year.

The current figure of 1.4 billion adults overweight globally is set to soar.

"In another 20 years it may well be that 50 to 60 per cent of the world's adult population will be overweight," said Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Quit smoking by 40, live nine years longer: Editorial

It’s easy to fantasize about being Jessica Alba or Brad Pitt with a cigarette dangling loosely from your lips. Or to distract yourself from that cheesecake calling from the fridge. But smoking kills. And the odds are getting uglier for some of us faster than we’d like to think.

When Grandma started puffing away in the 1950s, she was three times more likely to die from lung cancer as her non-smoking girlfriends. But women today have come a long way, baby. Those who smoke are 25 times more at risk. They now face the same dismal odds as their cigarette-sporting male friends. Smoking has become an equal-opportunity killer, a new study of two million American women in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms.

We’re not just pulling a cool image out of cigarette packs. We’re pulling out fatal cancers, lung disease, heart disease and strokes.

But the good news, as the Star’s Joe Hall reports, is that smokers can cheat the Grim Reaperby butting out. Smoking statistically chops 10 years off a person’s life. However, those who quit by the time they turn 30 have “pretty much the same survival curves” as people who have never smoked, says Dr. Prabhat Jha, who heads the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

His research, also featured in the journal, indicates that even those who quit by 40 can gain back nine of those years. While smokers remain at high risk for lung cancer, quitting at 40 cuts down the chances of dying from heart attacks, strokes and the like.

“The message really is, it’s best to quit as early as possible,” says Jha. “But if you can’t, quitting at any age will have benefits.”

Make the Reaper wait. Sounds like the title of a Hollywood hit that anyone can star in, just by butting out.

Education vital to improve M'sians' oral health: CM

Kota Kinabalu: Education is vital to improve the oral health status of Malaysians, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman Saturday.

He said oral care and healthcare services must be further extended to suit a growing population.

"Even though the ratio of the profession to population is down to six for every 6,810 patients, we need to find ways to improve the status," he said when opening the Third Borneo Dental Congress, here.

His speech was read by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai.

Musa said continuously educating the public such as on good brushing techniques would help keep dental diseases away, including, the common fear of visiting the dentist.

He said for dentists, knowledge transfer is equally important to strengthen the dental healthcare services.

He said today, knowledge attainment could be received through scientific courses, meetings and conventions such as the Dental Congress.

Musa said there should be no excuse for practitioners not to keep abreast with the latest in the industry.

"With the presence of speakers from overseas, I am sure that delegates will gather more knowledge and learn from experiences of dental experts from beyond our shores," he said. He hoped with the convention dentistry will continue to grow in providing the best oral healthcare.

Meanwhile, about 350 delegates of all sectors in the dental fraternities gathered for the Third Borneo Dental Congress, Scientific Convention and Trade Exhibition.

The Congress from Jan 25 to 27 will include activities like Hands-on Workshop, Best Dental Scientific Posters Competition as well as booths from dental care companies.

Ford Focus a bestseller in China

SHANGHAI: The Ford Focus was China's best-selling nameplate in 2012 according to independent industry sales data, said the American automaker in a statement.

For the full year, sales of the Focus totaled 296,360 vehicles, more than any other domestically manufactured passenger car, according to industry consultancy IHS Automotive.

The IHS data illustrate Ford’s growth momentum entering 2013 as it launches two new SUVs (sport utility vehicles) in the world’s largest auto market.

Ford China recently announced an annual sales record last year, after selling 626,616 units (up 21% from a year earlier).
“It’s really exciting for us to see how enthusiastically Chinese consumers have taken to the Focus, making it the best-selling passenger vehicle in 2012,” said John Lawler, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor China.

“And now with the all-new Kuga and EcoSport, we’re preparing to go even further in 2013 as we aggressively expand our SUV lineup.”

The Kuga and EcoSport SUVs will be produced at Changan Ford’s facility in Chongqing, thus giving Ford a strong position in the SUV market, the fastest-growing segment in China’s auto industry.

Toyota and BMW expand tie-up on green technology

 


TOKYO: Toyota and Germany's BMW on Thursday said they were deepening ties on developing fuel-cell technology and vehicle batteries as the auto giants push into the green market.

The automakers said they reached binding agreements on several strategies which also include the possible joint development of a mid-sized sports vehicle, with a feasibility study expected to be completed by the year's end.

"Toyota and the BMW Group are seizing this unique chance to lead the industry towards the future of mobility," Herbert Diess, a member of BMW's management board, said in Tokyo. 

Toyota president Akio Toyoda and BMW AG Board of Management chairman Dr Norbert Reithofer shaking hands to seal the deal.

"By doing so we will play a central role in defining tomorrow's vehicles."

The agreement would also see the pair work together on developing lightweight vehicle bodies and next-generation vehicle batteries.

The development of fuel-cell systems has a target completion date of 2020, they said.

"The companies are convinced that fuel cell technology is one of the solutions necessary to achieve zero emissions," said a joint statement.

Under an earlier deal, the German automaker agreed to provide diesel engines for Toyota, a major player in environmentally friendly vehicles, as the Japanese firm looks to boost sales in Europe, where more than half of passenger cars are diesel powered.

Demand for lower-emission diesel vehicles is forecast to grow, with further technological advances in the field seen as crucial due to toughening emissions standards. - Relaxnews

Federal Administration Centre road good alternative, says ministe

KUCHING: Road users have been advised to use the alternative route, especially the Federal Administra–tion Centre (FAC) road, while waiting for Jalan Lundu-Sempadi to be repaired.

Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin said for the time being, the road had not been closed since the contractor had already built a diversion lane running alongside the damaged stretch.

“The public are advised not to use this road, especially big lorries, because heavy vehicles can worsen the road and the soil structure.

“The FAC road is a good alternative for users and it is a dual carriageway,” he said after visiting the site of the landslide yesterday.

Manyin, accompanied by officers from the Public Works Department, spent about 30 minutes checking the damaged stretch.

Manyin said the state would seek funds from the Federal Government for repair works. — Bernama

12,500 Customs officers to receive special ‘reward’

PUTRAJAYA: About 12,500 Customs officers can expect to receive a special allowance amounting to half of their monthly salary.

The incentive is given in recognition of the Customs Department’s achievements, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said.

“Last year, the department performed way ahead of its previous achievements, hence we decided to offer this incentive,” he added.

An announcement would be made later on when the allowance would be given out, Ahmad Husni said at the World Customs Day 2013 celebrations here yesterday.

Deputy Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said the department had collected at least RM32.3bil in taxes last year, or 6.5% more than the preceding year.

“We are proud of this collection by the department and we hope that all government agencies will continue to work harder as the amount collected will be used for the country’s development,” Lim said in a press conference.

Customs director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad thanked the Government for the half-month salary incentive.

“This will further motivate all Customs staff to intensify its enforcement efforts as well to work towards our target of achieving a RM34bil collection this year.

“Enforcement is our core business and we will work hard to ensure that there are no (avenue for) leaks, such as in smuggling attempts,” said Khazali.

He also reminded companies to file their sales and service tax returns by the stipulated date.

“Companies that do not comply with the requirements of the tax returns may be charged in court,” Khazali warned.

Offenders can be fined up to RM5,000 or three years’ imprisonment for failure to submit sales tax returns and a fine of up to RM5,000 or two years’ jail for failing to submit service tax returns.