News in pictures

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Cheerleaders perform during the first half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on Oct 18 in Tampa, Florida. -- PHOTO: AFP

Murder most foul. You have done it.

2- An Afghan shepherd tries to guide his sheep away from US Marines as they conduct a patrol in the Helmand province, Afghanistan. -- PHOTO: REUTERS


3- A Nihang, or Sikh warrior, Babe 'Balwant' Singh, wears a 700m long and 60kg turban as he poses for photographs in Amritsar, India. -- PHOTO: AP


4- A bodybuilder flexes his muscles during the Kosovo National bodybuilding championship on Oct 18 in Pristina. -- PHOTO: AFP


5- Brawn GP's driver Jenson Button of Britain waves his country's flag after he secured the F1 World Championship by arriving fifth during Brazil's Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo on Sunday. -- PHOTO: AP


6- Two pugs walk across a stage dressed in pirate costume to compete in the fifth annual Times Square Dog Day Masquerade in New York. The contest aims at raising awareness for homeless and abandoned animals. -- PHOTO: REUTERS


7- Six-month-old Airelle McDonald sits in a pumpkin costume surrounded by pumpkins at Saunders Farm in Munster, Ontario, just west of Ottawa. -- PHOTO: AP

China has 130 billionaires

Mr Wang, the founder of rechargeable battery and electric car maker BYD, leapt 102 places to top the rich list after his fortune increased more than five-fold to US$5.1 billion (S$7.13 billion). -- PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING - CAR battery tycoon Wang Chuanfu topped a new list of China's 1,000 richest people released on Tuesday, which has 130 billionaires in an emphatic declaration of the Asian giant's economic arrival.

Most of the super-wealthy on the Hurun Rich List, unlike Mr Wang, made their fortunes in the property and stock markets - the focus of Beijing's massive government stimulus efforts over the past year.

'China's wealth is growing at breakneck speed,' Rupert Hoogewerf, the founder of the Shanghai-based Hurun Report which publishes the annual list, told a press conference. 'You can double the real number of billionaires in China to 260. There are still a large number of billionaires off the radar screens, managing to build up substantial wealth away from the public spotlight from property, the stock market and investments.'

Mr Wang, the founder of rechargeable battery and electric car maker BYD, leapt 102 places to top the rich list after his fortune increased more than five-fold to US$5.1 billion (S$7.13 billion), said Mr Hoogewerf.

The rich list gained 180 new members - despite the entry criteria for the latest list rising by 50 per cent to US$150 million.

Seven people moved into the top 10, in the biggest shake-up since the report started publishing the rich list in 1999. -- AFP

Raja Petra afraid to face trial

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin does not dare return to Malaysia and face his sedition trial, a former PKR supreme council member claimed.

Lokman Noor Adam, who is currently an Umno Youth exco member, alleged that Raja Petra tended to post articles on his news portal without verifying facts and now that he is facing several civil suits, he had to flee the country.

“He is the kind of person who often criticises without considering if it is true or not. That is why his news portal churns out such allegations,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Lokman Noor, who has known Raja Petra for more than 10 years, cited an example in 2004, when he was lambasted by Raja Petra in the news portal.

“Raja Petra reprimanded me in his news portal when I exposed the alleged wrongdoings of senior PKR leaders back then. Later, when former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor joined Umno, he (Raja Petra) changed his stance and praised me for my earlier criticism.

“This shows that he is not consistent,” he said.

In 2004, PKR expelled Lokman for allegedly bringing disrepute to the party by making wild claims against leaders through the media, wanting to rejoin Umno and getting party members to follow him.

On another matter, Lokman Noor said Barisan Nasional’s recent big victory in the Bagan Pinang by-election showed that the Prime Minister’s hard work had paid off.

“The Opposition will give all kinds of negative comments to divert attention from the fact that the people’s support is back with Barisan,” he said.

The World's Sexiest Women

Britney Spears is one of the best selling female artists in American music history. She is best known for her sexy songs and suggestive music videos. Her personal life has been subject to a lot of media attention in recent years. Her marriage and later divorce to back-up dancer Kevin Federline has been highly publicized and her stints in rehab and child custody battle has been followed attentively. However she still has a loyal fan base that has stuck with her through thick and thin. She continues her effort to revive her career. So enjoy this feature we created on her which includes pictures, biography, filmography, discography, videos, ringtones, links, posters, a store with amazon and related news.



Christina Aguilera is a multi-platinum selling pop singer. She has an extremly sexy body that matches her great singing voice. Enjoy this feature that includes biography, discography, dvd, pictures, videos, ringtones, links and posters.


Paris Hilton is one of the most talked about people in the world. She is the master of self-promotion. She is the heiress of the Hilton Hotel family and has a huge trust fund. She is the ultimate socialite and can be seen at high society party's with big household names. Paris is also an actress, a recording artist, an author and a convicted felon. Hilton served 22 days in detention for driving without a license and violating her drinking and driving probation. Enjoy this feature on Paris Hilton that includes biography, pictures, discography, filmography, videos, posters and links to related sites.


Jessica Simpson came into the spotlight for remaining a virgin till marriage. However she has distanced herself from the virgin look and has gone with a more sexualized image in recent years, making her a Top Sexy Woman. Enjoy this feature on Jessica Simpson that includes biography, pictures, filmography, discography, ringtones, videos, posters, wallpapers and links to related sites.

Forging invoices at National Blood Bank

KUALA LUMPUR: A former despatch clerk has been ordered to enter his defence for 17 counts of using forged invoices to make payments at the National Blood Bank.

David Santhakumar Nachiappan, 41, who is now a driver, was said to have used 17 fake invoices when he made payments for more than 300 packets of blood purchased at the payment counter of the blood bank between Jan 8, 2003 and Feb 13, 2003.

Sessions Court judge Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab ruled that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against the accused.

“I found from the evidence that David knew that the invoices were forged and had used such documents to make payments at the ... blood bank,” he said on Wednesday.

Upon hearing the verdict, David, who was accompanied by his wife, was expressionless.

The judge set Oct 2 for David to enter his defence.

A total of 14 prosecution witneses had testified in the forgery trial since July 1.

His lawyer, V. Rajadevan, confirmed to the judge that only David, who is on RM10,000 bail, would testify in the defence’s case.

Mohd Zaki had on Aug 26 freed David of 254 similar charges after the prosecution said they only wanted to proceed with the remaining 17 charges.

DPP Fazril Sani Mohamed Fadzil had on Aug 26 applied to the court to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal against David for the 254 charges. However, the judge acquitted and discharged him.

David, who was formerly attached to the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, had on Aug 22, 2005 claimed trial to 271 counts of forgery. He was alleged to have committed the offences between January 2002 and December 2003 at the same place.

He had also faced 271 alternative charges of cheating seven assistant financial administrators at the payment counter throughout the same period.

He was accused of deceiving them into believing that the forged invoices were genuine which resulted in them accepting payments ranging from RM20 to RM180 for the bags of blood stated in the documents.

DPP Fazril told The Star later that the prosecution had filed an appeal over David’s acquittal of the 254 charges.

More Penan woes: 1,000 to be uprooted by dam project

KUCHING: Some 1,000 Penans from seven interior settlements will be uprooted from their ancestral homes to pave way for the proposed Murum hydroelectric dam project in Belaga district, Kapit Division.

The villagers are from Long Wat, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long Menapa, Long Singu, Long Malim and Long Uba.

Besides the Penans, about 20 Kenyah-Badeng families will also be affected by the 944MW dam project, the construction of which started last year.

The Kenyah-Badengs, who were affected by the Bakun project, have opted for alternative resettlement in Murum after refusing to move to the Bakun resettlenment scheme at Asap-Koyan in upper Belaga river about 10 years ago.

Murum is the second largest hydroelectric dam to be built in Sarawak after the 2,400MW Bakun dam scheduled for completion next year.

The proposed RM3bil Murum dam, sited about 60km upstream of the Bakun dam, is expected to be ready by 2013.

Sarawak Conservation Action Network’s national coordinator for dam development Raymond Abin said the Penans had called on the Government to stop the Murum dam project as they did not want to move out from their settlements.

He said they were against resettlement, claiming that the authorities had not looked after the welfare of some 30 Penan families from Long Belangau who were relocated in the Asap-Koyan scheme.

“The Penans in Murum have rejected the proposed resettlement sites, including Penyuan in upper Sungai Bala and in Sungai Mali,’’ Abin said after presenting a paper at a community forum on dam development in Sarawak at Telang Usan hotel here on Tuesday night.

Abin, who visited the Penans in Murum last week, said the affected villagers were in the dark as the authorities had not revealed the details of the proposed resettlement programme.

“The Government has promised them they would have a better life in the resettlement scheme as they will be provided with amenities like schools and health facilities,” he said.

Two Penan representatives, Suei Alung from Long Luar and Bujang Jalong from Long Tangau, who spoke at the forum, said they were worried as the dam project would destroy their land, crops and burial grounds.

They said they did not want to be moved to resettlement scheme as it was not suitable for their way of life.

First batch of applicants receive citizenship

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is moving closer to his KPI (Key Performance Indicators) target with the first batch of applicants to be awarded citizenship Wednesday.

The ministry has been conducting an “operation” to inform the successful applicants with officials knocking on their doors even at odd hours.

Officials said at least 100 would attend the presentation ceremony at the National Registration Department in Putrajaya.

This will be a major breakthrough for Hishammuddin who is spearheading the drive to clear 32,927 citizenship, 16,812 PR and 93,360 late registrations of birth certificate applications, which has been made his ministerial KPI, by the year-end.

The ministry has so far cleared about 70% of the backlog (as of Jan 2009) in all three categories of applications.

Hishammuddin, who took over as Home Minister in April, said he was confident that the year-end target he had set was within reach.

“I have set a deadline and intend to meet that deadline. What keeps us going is the thought that the more efficient we are, the more relief we bring to someone’s life. I will do my best … it can be done if everyone does their part,’’ he told The Star.

A dedicated taskforce has been conducting interviews daily for between 150 and 200 citizenship applicants since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the ministry’s new accountability measures in April.

About 5,110 citizenship applicants were called for interviews since July 9.

On the ministry’s National KRA (Key Result Areas) target of enhancing public safety and reducing street crimes announced by Najib in July, Hishammuddin said plans had been set in motion.

“For the ministry KRA, one KPI target will be imposed on each agency under the ministry. This should be ready by the end of the month,’’ he added.

The minister made his first visit to one of the 50 identified crime hotspots, Puchong, last week to check on the anti-crime drive and is next expected to focus on SS15 in Subang Jaya.

Fuel supply increased by 40% for Raya

KUALA LUMPUR: The fuel supply to all petrol kiosks nationwide has been increased by 40% since Sunday to cope with high demand during Aidilfitri.

The increase in the fuel supply will be until Sept 27 and all petrol kiosks must remain open during the festival, Petroleum Dealers’ Association Malaysia president Abu Samah Bachik told Bernama.

He said the percentage of the additional supply was concluded at the meeting between the association and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism two weeks ago. -- Bernama

M'sia excited about role in F1

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA was jubilant Tuesday as it won a place on the Formula One grid in an alliance between Lotus, the government and entrepreneurs including AirAsia's flamboyant founder Tony Fernandes.

This is not only a dream, it is a reality. Malaysia is part of Formula 1 and we are determined to do our best to make our mark in this arena,' said Prime Minister Najib Razak. 'I believe this is a meaningful development that will boost Malaysia's image,' he said.

The team will be Asia's third in the glamour event, after Force India and Toyota. Honda pulled out last December under pressure from the economic crisis.

Mr Najib said the racing cars would be designed, manufactured and tested at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.

'They will become made in Malaysia and they will be made by Malaysians,' he said, adding that six shortlisted local and international drivers were being evaluated. 'We hope to officially introduce you to our two drivers by Oct 31, 2009,' he added.

The Malaysian alliance beat off competition from BMW Sauber to be named as the 13th team to compete in next year's Formula One World Championship, motorsport's governing body the FIA announced.

The team is backed by 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, a public-private partnership. Mr Fernandes, who has created South-east Asia's biggest budget airline, will be team principal.

The role of technical director falls to Mr Mike Gascoyne, who has more than 20 years of experience in Formula One having previously performed the same role for the Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

'The 1Malaysia F1 Team will rapidly integrate a Malaysian technical and pit crew totalling some 200 people managed by one of Formula One's most respected and accomplished technical directors,' Mr Najib said. -- AFP

Who Wants To Marry Me?

This picture belong to Aishwarya Rai and she has no problem of getting marry or remarried.

The problem face by one Malaysian old woman!!! What a shame!!

KUALA BERANG: Afraid that her current husband might leave her after completing his drug rehabilitation programme, centenarian Mek Wok Kundor is looking to marry again -for the 23rd time.

The 107-year-old, who married Mohd Noor Che Musa, 37, in 2005, said they lived blissfully until he volunteered to treat his drug habit in Kuala Lumpur in July.

Tok Wook, as she is fondly known, now believes her husband might leave her after his programme ends and settle down in Kuala Lumpur besides marrying a woman younger than her.

“Lately, there is this kind of insecurity in me,” she said.

Tok Wook, who lives in Kampung Bukit TokBat here, said she planned to visit Mohd Noor on the second day of Hari Raya if her neighbours were willing to drive her to Kuala Lumpur.

“I want to express my feelings and tell him that I am lonely without him and if he reciprocates, I will wait for him without thinking of another marriage,” she added

She said she felt lonely without a companion during Ramadan.

“I am not searching for a man as handsome as our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), but someone to accompany me in my twilight years,” she said.

“I realise that I am an aged woman. I don’t have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone.

Still going strong: The centenarian’s wish for a husband is so that she can fill her ‘forlornness and nothing more than that’.

“My intention to remarry is to fill my forlornness and nothing more than that.”

She, however, declined to talk about her past marriages and the number of children she has.

All she said about her kids was that they were old and dependent on their children.

While she spent her last Hari Raya with Mohd Noor’s family in Bachok Kelantan, Tok Wook will celebrate it this year with her neighbours.

“I will wear a baju kurung that was given as gift by my husband in January,” she said.

Principal in SX scandal held

HANOI (Vietnam) - A POLICE officer says a high school principal in northern Vietnam has been arrested for allegedly having SX with at least three students, including two 13-year-old girls.

Vi Xuyen district police chief Tham Quang Bien said on Friday that the case against the former principal of Viet Lam High School in Ha Giang province started in late August when the family of one girl went to police.

Mr Bien said the man was taken into custody earlier this week.

Mr Bien said the principal told police he paid three girls, aged 13 and 18, to have ssex with him. -- AP

MIC assembly: Delegates tick off Dr Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR: Delegates to MIC’s general assembly took to task former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his criticism of MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in the run up to the party polls.

One delegate said that the MIC leaders were capable of handling party affairs by themselves and did not need outsiders to interfere.

“Please mind your own business. We know what we are doing. MIC is a big banyan tree and he (Samy Vellu) is the protector,” he said.

He said if there was no MIC, then the Indians would be orphans without an effective representation for them in the country.

Another delegate said the party election had strengthened the hands of Samy Vellu and was a strong rebuke for Dr. Mahathir.

N. Muniandy of Ampang also took a dig at Dr Mahathir who had said that MIC had not done anything for the Indians.

“Whenever he came to the MIC general assembly, we heaped lots of praises but he did not speak of anything for the community.

“We gave him our resolutions but what did he do with them? He has done nothing for the community,” he said.

However, Samy Vellu interjected when Muniandy called on the delegates to move a resolution to condemn Dr Mahathir for his actions, saying that Dr. Mahathir had done a lot for the country.

S’wak govt asked to probe abuse of Penan women

KUCHING: The Sarawak government should take genuine action to investigate and punish those guilty of sexually abusing Penan women, said Sarawak Native Women's Association (Wadesa) president, Hellan Empaing.

"Wadesa is very disappointed with some government politicians who treated this matter as a petty issue," she said in a statement here.

Empaing said it was also disheartening to know that Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu himself denied hearing of such problems from ethnic chiefs when he visited Ulu Baram.

She said he had instead claimed to be doubtful of the Sept 8, 2009 report on the sexual abuse of the Penan women submitted by the National Action Committee that was spearheaded by the Women Development Department and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and even venturing that the non-governmental organisations had manipulated the research.

"If Jabu is still doubtful of the report, Wadesa wants the government to seriously investigate the allegations...because he is also Sarawak's Rural Development Minister and the head of the Penan Social Affairs Committee," said Empaing. She said Wadesa also wanted Sarawak police not to delay, but to expedite investigations.

The report released by the National Action Committee had stated that allegations that Penan children and women were sexually abused by traders and people working with the timber companies in the Ulu Baram area were genuine. - Bernama

PM to all BN leaders

TAWAU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on all leaders in the ruling coalition to serve in fairness to all Malaysians not just look after their power bases.

“I am stressing the need to put people first as in the democratic system, the voice of the people is sacred.

“We must be popular with the people not just at the party level,” he said Sunday, expanding on his speech at the opening of the MIC general assembly on Saturday.

“As president of Umno, I can defend my post if I look after the 2,500 delegates, I will definitely remain president.

“I do not want to just look after 2,500 delegates but I want to alss look after 27mil Malaysians, he said in his speech at a fast breaking ceremony Masjid Al Kauthar here.

He said the same message goes to division leaders not to just look after some 40 branches to retain their position but also look after the thousands of people living in their respective areas.

“What is the use of holding positions in a party when we lose power in a parliamentary democratic system,” he said, adding that everyone must continue to work and prove that Umno and Barisan Nasional were close to the people’s heart.

He said that since he took over as Prime Minister he had gone down to the ground to hear the grouses of the people and find ways to help people.

“I am sure with such actions, the people will support us,” he said in his speech that touched on his 1-Malaysia agenda.

He noted that Sabah among all states in the country already reflected the 1-Malaysia as the state with over 32 ethnic groups of various religious beliefs coexisting in harmony.

'I am also very happy that thousands of people from all walks of life have turned up to join me in breaking fast,” he said, adding that usually when he broke fast it was with political leaders and heads of government department.

MIC to recruit new members via online MIC portal

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC will recruit new members, especially the youths and the educated people through an online MIC portal, president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said here.

“We will also be opening more youth branches, with opportunities provided to graduates to lead them, he said.

Speaking at the closing of the two-day MIC general assembly, he said 2,000 graduates have already been identified for the task.

“We have asked the MIC Youth and Putera MIC to streamline their machinery to actively recruit the youths,” he said.

Samy Vellu said that his deputy Datuk G. Palanivel would spearhead the MIC move to woo the more than 20% Indian electorate for the Bagan Pinang by-election.

He assured that each of the elected leaders would carry out their work and responsibilities entrusted to them with dedication and renewed spirit.

“This new team is capable of working with me to strengthen the party machinery and regain the Indian community’s support for Barisan Nasional,” he said.

Samy Vellu took a dig at his former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam when he said that he could work well with Datuk G. Palanivel who is in his second term as deputy president.

“I am not a bad person. I don’t know why I can’t work with Subramaniam even after 27 years,” he said.

He said some people claimed delegates did not listen to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s call for a change.

“Anybody can talk but the final decision is your right. When you make the decision, we will follow.

“Be with me and I will be with you and let us talk to the community in our own way. We speak to the community to attract them by not putting up shows but go to the house to explain what is the problem and how we can overcome them,” he said.

Samy Vellu said MIC will strive to fulfil the desire of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to get the Indians back to Barisan.

He said the women would also be given a bigger role to identify women leaders to lead the branch and divisions.

The women wing and the Puteri MIC need to be more active and creative to plan and implement more programmes for the women, he said.

Samy Vellu said a comprehensive programme had to be formulated and implemented from time to time for the two wings.

All programmes undertaken have to be disseminated to the public through the media and internet to enable the society to know the party’s activities, he said.