• Thursday, March 11, 2010

Asia News Network

Man armed with hammer assaults pre-school children in class

MUAR: The happy chatter of children turned into screams of horror when an unidentified man armed with a hammer barged into a kindergarten here and bludgeoned three six-year-olds.

Source: The Star

Bangit: I never received illegal orders

The general known as the “emperor” Wednesday sought to dispel suspicion that the military under his watch would be used to sabotage the election results and “destroy” national democracy.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

PNP chief: I won’t support Bangit if ...

Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa will not back the newly designated military chief, Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, should he attempt to install President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as holdover president in the event of a failure of the May 10 election.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Business jittery that failure of election real risk

The possibility amid recent power outages of the first national computerized elections failing to produce a president, whether real or imagined, is sending chills to the financial community.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Slow printing of 50M ballots triggers alarm

Yet another glitch in the May 10 automated elections looms.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

CA junks ‘Morong 43’ plea for habeas corpus

The “Morong 43” will remain in military detention on the strength of a martial law doctrine, the Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. Defense lawyers called it an antiquated doctrine.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pacquiao says speed key vs bigger Clottey

DALLAS, TEXAS—Filipino ring king Manny Pacquiao said his lightning fast speed would be enough to nullify Joshua Clottey’s size advantage when the two meet here in Texas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Legarda says Roxas asked her to withdraw

Sen. Loren Legarda said Wednesday that her rival, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, had tried to arrange a deal with her to withdraw from the vice presidential race.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Now, it’s Madrigal’s turn: Villar offered me P1B

“P1 billion.” Such a staggering “bribe offer” may be enough to make any presidential candidate sing: Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng pera? (Have you taken a dip in a sea of cash?)

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Int’l electoral watchdog to monitor May 10 polls

An international electoral watchdog is sending a team to observe if the May 10 automated elections will work in other parts of Asia.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

SMSs will be sent to tell Cabinet Secretariat if it's working on Monday

As part of contingency plans and emergency measures taken to cope with the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra group's mass rallies from Friday, text messages will be sent to tell members of the Secretariat of the Cabinet on early Sunday as to whether they would be excused from work on Monday.

Source: The Nation

Showers bring cool relief

THE hot, dry spell that has baked Singapore for well over a month may finally be coming to an end.

A prolonged shower yesterday - the second in as many days - brought day-time temperatures down to a more comfortable 29 deg C in some parts of the island, the 'coolest' Singapore has been for several days.

Source: The Straits Times

RP chairs UN body based on Gen. Romulo proposal

The Philippines has been elected chair of a United Nations body tasked with promoting the world organization’s goals and enhancing its role in international affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Plan to ease Mindanao power crisis in the works

Before the end of the week, Malacañang will unveil a plan to ease the worsening power shortage in Mindanao, which is now facing a power deficiency of 750 megawatts, from the 400 MW last week.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

Public order officers raid resident over terror jitter

A resident of Maracang village in the West Java town of Purwakarta was surprised on Wednesday by the arrival of dozens of public order and subdistrict administration officers for a search in connec

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Source: The Jakarta Post

House of glass

WITH the heat wave we're experiencing in Singapore right now, the last thing you'd expect to see along the busy walkways of Orchard Road would be a house made of glass.

Source: The Straits Times

Election law bars Aung San Suu Kyi from polls

Rangoon - Burma's new election laws have barred opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2,000 other political prisoners from contesting polls planned this year, state media said Wednesday.

Source: The Nation

AGO names new suspects in airfare case

The Attorney General’s Office has named another two former Foreign Ministry officials as suspect

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Source: The Jakarta Post

Cracks in Putrajaya govt quarters, 515 evacuated

Over 500 residents of 76 apartment units of government quarters in Precinct 11 here were evacuated to enable maintenance works to fix cracks and leakages at their premises.

Source: The Star

Moves to lift English proficiency

'Unresistable offer', 'Shop theft is a crime', 'This is a self-cleaning cafeteria' - these are instances of English misuse that can be found around us.

Source: The Straits Times

Revision to means-testing

THE Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) will align the means-testing criteria for its residential care and community programmes with that of the Health Ministry from April.

Source: The Straits Times

Legislators hail police for raid on top terror suspect

House of Representatives legislators hailed on Wednesday the police for their crackdown on terrorists in the country that killed long-time fugitive Dulmatin on Tuesday.

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Source: The Jakarta Post

Cops asked to investigate parents of child abuse victim

Around 40 residents from the Kampung Sungai Ara flats here have lodged a police report to urge the authorities to investigate the parents of child abuse victim K. Hares-varran.

Source: The Star

Mandatory 'journey' for PRs

PERMANENT Residents who intend to be citizens will now have to go through a mandatory Singapore Citizenship (SC) Journey, which will include a tour, a sharing session with grassroots leaders, an online tutorial, and a citizenship ceremony, said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday.

Source: The Straits Times

Floods hit Boyolali

Floods have submerged hundreds of homes in several villages in Boyolali, Central Java, following torrential rain.

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Source: The Jakarta Post