Malaysia down to 15th in world competitiveness

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia slipped one rung to 15th spot in the world competitiveness ranking but scored high marks in low unemployment and encouraging gross domestic product growth rate.

IMD, a top-ranked global business school based in Switzerland, said Malaysia's ranking was now ahead of countries such as Australia, Britain, South Korea, China and Japan.

"Malaysia registered significant improvements in the economic performance which increased from 10th to 7th position and in the business efficiency to 4th place from 6th last year," said an IMD statement released in conjunction with its 25th anniversary world competitiveness rankings.

The business school assessed countries according to four main competitiveness factors namely economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure to measure how well countries manage their economic and human resources to increase their prosperity.

Malaysia recorded 1.7 per cent of the consumer price inflation in 2012, as measured by the consumer price index which reflected the annual percentage change in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals.

IMD World Competitiveness Centre director Professor Stephane Garelli said the United States regained the first place in 2013 due to a rebounding financial sector, an abundance of technological innovation and successful companies.

"China and Japan are also increasing their competitiveness.

Report: The Star

Agregat 6-5: Kelantan melangkah ke pentas akhir Piala FA

Itu dia The Red Warriors!

KUALA TERENGGANU: Kelantan melangkah ke pentas akhir Piala FA, biarpun tewas 4-2 kepada Terengganu selepas masa tambahan dalam aksi dramatik di Kuala Terengganu.

Terengganu mendahului Kelantan 4-1 tamat 90 minit perlawanan, tetapi dua gol Kelantan membolehkan mereka mara 6-5 secara agregat.

Skuad Peteh hanya memerlukan lima minit untuk membuka tirai jaringan, menerusi sepakan percuma Vincent Bikana.

Belum sempat pelawat bangkit, Terengganu meraih jaringan kedua menerusi O Puaneswaran pada minit ke-27.

Pengausaan Terengganu berterusan di babak kedua, apabila Jean effa Owona meraih jaringan ketiga pada minit ke-71.

Tuan rumah seakan mengesahkan kemenangan, apabila Abdul Manaf Mamat meraih jaringan keempat, pada minit kedua masa kecederaan.

Namun, Kelantan mengheret perlawanan ke masa tambahan, apabila berjaya menemui sasaran pada minit terakhir masa kecederaan.

Masuk masa tambahan, Kelantan berjaya meraih jaringan kedua, oleh Dickson Nwakaeme untuk mengesahkan kemaraan mereka.

Lisa Surihani is the queen of tweets

KUALA LUMPUR: With well over 1.3 million Twitter followers, Lisa Surihani is hailed as the current local queen of tweets.

When The Star Online hosted an #AskLisa On The Spot live tweet session, tweeters submitted hundreds of questions for the bubbly 27-year-old.

“It was a lot of fun! A lot of different questions were raised - mind-boggling ones, cute ones, silly ones,” said the articulate actress of her interactive interview experience.

Her immense cyber popularity also caused the #AskLisa hashtag to enter the Malaysia Trends list, with queries streaming in long after the session had ended.

When asked who she wants to see in a live tweet session, Lisa's first choice was her all-time favourite actress, Anne Hathaway.

Chirpy lass: Lisa Surihani hopes to see her husband going on On The Spot.

As for local personalities, Lisa hopes to see her husband Yusry Abdul Halim going On The Spot out of sheer curiosity.

“He's shy and not that inclined to social media, but I'm curious about the kind of (good-natured) questions he will get.

“Especially when it comes to his line of work and the things he does with visual effects,” said Lisa.

Other top picks include TV personality Daphne Iking and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Lisa's use of the Twitter was humble in the beginning. She just wanted to stay connected and certainly did not anticipate the avalanche of virtual followers.

“Everybody was on social media, so I started off with Facebook, then Twitter, then Instagram,” she said.

Being in a position where her voice is so amplified, Lisa takes care with the kind of stories she shares.

Credit: The Star

Employee returns RM11,000 left in hotel room

Honesty the best policy: Shafinah (second from left) receiving praise from colleagues at the Holiday Inn Malacca while Ong (right) looks on.

MALACCA: House-keeping staff member Shafinah Ahmad, 24, was cleaning a hotel room when she saw a briefcase with several bank notes sticking out from its side.

Though the bag was shut, she suspected it contained a lot of cash and she panicked.

“Although I was alone in the room, I felt scared to even look at what was inside the bag,” she said, adding that she was stunned when she learnt later that the briefcase carried RM11,000 in cash.

Shafinah said she quickly took the bag, found in a locker when she was cleaning the room on Saturday, to the management's office.

In the meantime, a businessman in his 50s, was travelling back to Kelantan after a stay at the Malacca Holiday Inn for a business trip to the city.

Halfway through the journey, he received a call from the hotel, telling him to turn back to Malacca over an urgent matter.

Holiday Inn Malacca marketing manager Eric Ong said the guest, who did not realise he had left his cash-filled briefcase at the hotel, returned about two hours after he checked out.

“He was surprised and was delighted to have the bag and money returned intact,” said Ong, who had contacted the businessman based on the guest list.

The guest, who declined to be named, said he totally forgot the briefcase when he lugged out all his other baggage upon leaving the hotel.

(Sourced from The Star)

Boat with 100 passengers capsizes in Rajang River, Sarawak

This is sad.

Tragic incident: A photo of the overturned boat taken by Liwan.

BELAGA: An express boat, said to be overloaded with more than 100 passengers returning to their villages for the Gawai festival, capsized in the Rajang River at about 9am on Tuesday near Belaga town.

The boat was travelling from Bakun to Kapit and Sibu.

Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang had spotted the overturned vessel and people swimming away from it towards the riverbank when he was flying by helicopter to Kuching.

On dry land: Some of the survivors who swam ashore looking out at the overturned vessel.

He immediately landed at Uma Tevok Long Buyun where he met the survivors and organised a rescue.

He said it was not immediately known if there were any fatalities and what had caused the boat to capsize.

"We haven't done a head count.

"But according to those who swam to safety, there are people trapped in the boat," Liwan said when contacted.

Meanwhile, BERNAMA reported Kapit district councillor Daniel Levoh saying that the boat was believed to have carried more than 100 passengers, although its official load capacity was for 67 seated passengers.

"The boat was supposed to have made the normal transit stop at Belaga but it did not do so as it was already packed.

"Many passengers were seen sitting on its roof which is not allowed.

"There were more passengers waiting for it at the Belaga wharf so that was why it only stopped in midriver to allow crew members to buy food for the journey to Kapit and Sibu," he said.

Daniel said he had received information that a pregnant woman was the only casualty in the incident but this had yet to be verified by the police, who were still at the scene.

Source - Credit to The Star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/5/28/nation/20130528131920&sec=nation

1 million visitors expected for Malacca River Fest

MALACCA: A million visitors from all over the country and abroad are expected to enjoy the thrills and join the fun-filled Malacca River Festival that starts here on June 1.

The month-long festival, introduced in 2007, has proven to be one of Malacca’s main annual events with the number of visitors growing each year, said Chief Minister Datuk Idris Haron.

“We have all the reasons to expect a huge turnout, further boosted by the rebranding of the event, known previously as Pesta Sungai Melaka,” he said after opening the International Scout Jamboree in Tehel near here yesterday.

“The festival is a crowd-puller as, beside the aesthetics of the rehabilitated Malacca River, there will be various activities organised by both government agencies and the private sector throughout the festival,” he said.

Idris added that this year’s festival would also showcase a river procession of decorated boats and fireworks.


Source: The Star

Nude photo: Woman claims extorted by friend

Another reason to be extra careful.

                      (illustrative image)


Sandakan: A 29-year-old woman lodged a police report on Friday claiming she was extorted RM3,000 by another woman who threatened to disseminate her naked photos taken some three years ago.

The victim was said to have been brought to a hotel in town where she became unconscious after a drinking session, only to find herself naked when she awoke the next day.

The victim was then approached by a female friend who demanded money from her and threatened to make her naked photos public if she failed to do so, prompting the victim to lodge a police report.

District Police Chief ACP Rowell Marong said the case is being investigated under Section 384 of the Penal Code. - Daily Express

Anwar broke agreement to accept election results?

Former Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of reneging on a secret deal to respect the outcome of Malaysia's 13th General Election which he brokered between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the opposition leader.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday that Jusuf had revealed that a written agreement was made between Najib and Anwar in April, refraining from personal attacks during the campaign and to accept the outcome of the May 5 polls, which was first proposed by Anwar.

According to Jusuf, Anwar approached him on the agreement two months ago, asking the latter to reach out to his opponent and secure his commitment for a peaceful election outcome.

However, WSJ said Anwar had claimed that Jusuf was the one who reached out to him to offer his assistance in ensuring an orderly outcome to the elections.

It reported that Anwar acknowledged he had made the agreement with Najib, with Jusuf as mediator, but he claimed that the Barisan Nasional (BN) had revoked it by the way it ran its campaign.

Jusuf also said that he had contacted Anwar, a day after the May 5 polls, to ask the opposition leader to accept the result.

"We had a commitment," Jusuf was quoted as saying. 

"On Monday, I asked Anwar to accept it and look at reality."

But they said, 'No, no, no, no."

The general election saw Najib-led Barisan Nasional returned to power by winning 133 of the 222 parliamentary seats, which saw the dissatisfied Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat staging rallies across the country since May 8.

Without criticising any party, Jusuf said he felt that both sides met their commitment to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign.

Jusuf had brokered peace agreements in various conflicts across the troubled Indonesian archipelago during his time as vice-president from 2004 to 2009, and had roles in peace negotiations in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

- Bernama via Daily Express, May 26, 2013

Tian, Tamrin and Haris released after remand denied (updated)

Part of the group gathered outside the Jinjang lockup.

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR vice-president Tian Chua, PAS member Tamrin Ghafar and Anything But Umno head Haris Ibrahim have been released from police custody after the Magistrate rejected the police's application for remand.

Earlier, about 100 people gathered outside the Jinjang lockup to protest the detention of the three opposition figures.

The gathering took place at the barricade put up about 50m from the entrance to the lockup, with people holding placards and shouting slogans.

Bersih 2.0 co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong were among those seen.

The three were detained on Thursday in connection with alleged seditious statements made during a forum on May 13 held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

It was reported that during the forum, several pro-Pakatan groups including the trio, had called for massive street rallies to topple the Government.

Lawyers N Surendran, R Sivarasa, among others, represented the three men.

Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim dan Tamrin Ghafar ditahan polis

KUALA LUMPUR:  Polis telah mengesahkan penahanan Ahli Parlimen Batu Tian Chua, aktivis politik Haris Ibrahim dan anak bekas timbalan Perdana Menteri  Tun Ghafar Baba, Tamrin Ghafar.

Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur Datuk Mohmad Salleh berkata ketiga-tiga mereka ditahan di bawah Seksyen 4 (1) Akta Hasutan 1948 ekoran ucapan mereka pada malam 13 Mei di Dewan Himpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur-Selangor.

“Tian Chua ditahan di Terminal Tambang Murah (LCCT), Tamrin ditahan di Bangsar dan Haris ditangkap di Segambut. Mereka telah dibawa ke Balai Polis Jinjang. Kami akan ambil keterangan dari mereka.

“Polis belum membuat keputusan samada untuk mereman atau membebaskan mereka,” kata beliau dalam satu siding media di sini.

Pada awalnya, penangkapan tersebut didedahkan melalui akaun Twitter Tian Chua dan beberapa akaun Twitter yang lain.

I've been arrested at LCCT about 5min ago, just b4 the security check. Now in police vehicle being transported to Balai Polis Jinjang.
— Tian Chua (@tianchua) May 23, 2013

Haris ibrahim ABU baru ditahan polis di Segambut semasa sedang makan tengahari. Kini beliau dibawa ke Jinjang Pusat Tahanan
— Parti Sosialis MY (@partisosialis) May 23, 2013

According to ASP Buba, I'm detained under Section 4(1) Sedition Act. #black505
— Tian Chua (@tianchua) May 23, 2013

FLASH - Tamrin Ghafar says police waiting to arrest him now. Tian Chua,Haris Ibrahim held earlier for sedition.
— Insider (@insider_latest) May 23, 2013

Berita mula diterbitkan pada: May 23, 2013 01:12 MYT

Sumber: Astro Awani

We'll find life in space!

Scientists say no matter what, they'll find life in space. Eventually.


This diagram lines up planets recently discovered by Kepler in terms of their sizes, compared to Earth. Kepler-22b was announced in December 2011; the three Super-Earths were announced April 18, 2013. All of them could potentially host life, but we do not yet know anything definitive about their compositions or atmosphere.


Kepler or not, we'll find life in space - Meg Urry

(CNN) -- On Wednesday, NASA officials announced a serious problem with the Kepler satellite, the world's most successful planet-finding machine.

Since its launch four years ago, Kepler has found more than 2,700 possible planets orbiting stars other than our Sun, of which more than 100 have been confirmed. A few of these exoplanets resemble the Earth in size or mass. Recently, three Earth-like planets were even reported to be in the habitable zone: close enough to the star they orbit that water is liquid, yet not so close that it is boiling. Planets with liquid water may well harbor life.

Now, the second of four of the Kepler spacecraft's reaction wheels, which aim the vessel's instruments, appears to have failed. It remains to be seen whether full repairs are possible. For the spacecraft to point accurately, at least three reaction wheels are needed, corresponding to the three dimensions (up-down, north-south, east-west). The fourth wheel serves as a backup and provides cross-comparisons of data among the wheels. The first wheel failed last summer; now Kepler has too few reaction wheels to keep pointing with sufficient stability.

When a major component like a thruster fails on any spacecraft, operations software points the craft's solar panels toward the sun to ensure a continuous power supply. Power is a satellite's lifeblood: Lose it and you lose communications, so the satellite can't be oriented properly or take data. Backup batteries allow the solar panels to be misdirected for a few hours or so, before all power is lost. But batteries drain quickly, so engineers design software to make sure that when something goes wrong, the spacecraft points in a direction that preserves power.



Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/20/opinion/urry-kepler-malfunction/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Don't travel with pressure cooker. It's considered a dangerous weapon!

If you plan to travel abroad, don't bring along a pressure cooker!

You'll be in a lot of of trouble if you travel to the US with one packed in your luggage because pressure cooker is now considered a dangerous weapon. Two pressure cookers were used in last month's Boston Marathon bombing.

Read on to find out why:-

: :        : :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :

The following is an extract from what AP reported on Monday, but you can read more at at Yahoo News:-

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) - File photo shows jets outside Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Saudi man, Hussain Al Kwawahir was arrested Saturday at the airport after lying about why he was traveling with a pressure cooker. 

Saudi man traveling with pressure cooker arrested 

A Saudi man was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after federal agents said he lied about why he was traveling with a pressure cooker, but his nephew said Monday that it was all a misunderstanding about a device he simply wanted for cooking. 

Two pressure cookers were used in last month's Boston Marathon bombings. 

Hussain Al Khawahir was being held in Detroit on allegations of lying to Customs and Border Protection agents and of using a passport with a missing page. He was arrested Saturday. 

His nephew, Nasser Almarzooq, told The Associated Press that he had asked his uncle to bring him the pressure cooker so he could make lamb. The college student said two pressure cookers he bought in the U.S. were "not good at all," and said the ones available in Saudi Arabia are higher quality. 

Almarzooq said his uncle was coming to visit him for a couple weeks.

A criminal complaint alleges that Al Khawahir arrived at the airport Saturday on a flight from Saudi Arabia via Amsterdam, and that he told agents he was visiting his nephew. 

He originally said he brought the pressure cooker with him because pressure cookers aren't sold in America, then later said his nephew had bought one but it "was cheap" and broke after one use, according to the complaint. 

Agents said they also noticed a page was missing from Al Khawahir's passport from Saudi Arabia. He told them he didn't how it had been removed, and said the document had been locked in a box that only he, his wife and three children have access to in his home, according to the complaint.

Read more: http://www.thegreenmechanics.com/2013/05/save-yourself-trouble-dont-travel-with.html#ixzz2U82ynOXF

Marilyn Monroe exhibit stolen on way to Prague

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Part of an exhibition displaying outfits and photographs of Marilyn Monroe was stolen while being transported to the Czech Republic from Italy, the event's curator said on Wednesday.

The exhibition, commemorating the 50th anniversary of her death, was created by the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence last year.

Ferragamo was the actress' favourite shoemaker and she owned a dozen pairs of his hand-made shoes.

Curator Jan Trestik said a truck carrying mannequins and photographs was raided in an apparently coordinated attack in the central Czech Republic on trucks carrying luxury goods from Italy.

David Sebek, spokesman for Prague Castle, which is due to host the show, said most of the exhibits, including her dresses, had already arrived intact.

Prague police spokesman Tomas Hulan said officers were investigating the case but refused to give any details.

Toyota Camry upgraded for 2013 - and pricing

The top range Camry 2.5V variant with its new value added features retains the same starting price as before at RM180,917.10.

The mid-range 2.0G has a small increase of RM1,000 to RM158,915.30, and the Camry 2.0E retains its RM149,915.30 starting price.

Features added

The 2013 Toyota Camry now comes with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), which includes Traction Control (TRC), in the 2.5V and 2.0G variants.

In a statement, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd said the system detects wheelspin during high-speed cornering or cornering on slippery surfaces, a condition which can cause the car to skid out of control and possibly crash.

Whenever such a condition (oversteer or understeer) is detected, the system applies the appropriate amount of braking force on certain wheels and also cuts back on engine power to allow stability and grip to be regained.

All variants of the latest Camry now has ISOFIX attachment points at the rear.

With these attachment points, compatible child seats can be easily and securely installed in the rear seating area. Also, Camry 2.5V now has a black interior (instead of beige), in response to customers' feedback.

The black interior can also be found in the Camry 2.0G. The leather upholstery for the 2.5V and 2.0G has also been upgraded to a smooth grain type.

Owners of the Camry 2.0G now also have the convenience of the Smart Entry & Start System, which has been standard for the Camry 2.5V.

This system makes locking/unlocking of the doors and boot lid more convenient while starting the engine requires just the press of a button.

The upgraded Camry 2.5V maintains its price tag, while there is a RM1,000 price increase for the 2.0G variant.

Report says faster iPad Mini coming this year

If you are still looking to get a mini tablet for yourself, it maybe a good time to hop in when the new, improved version of the iPad Mini is launched soon.


FASTER and BETTER: According to a report, the next iPad Mini will have a better screen, camera, processor and battery life. - ©AFP


Get prepared to be excited.

Yet more leaked details point to an iPad Mini with improved screen and camera coming later this year.

According to Mobileak's sources, the next iPad Mini will get an upgraded HD screen boasting 324ppi and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.

It will also feature a reduced bezel so that the display will seem to run right to the left and right edges of the device (like on the latest iPhone) while, thanks to a bigger battery, the tablet is expected to increase in thickness to 7.5mm.

The bigger battery is needed because as well as a juice-sapping screen, the next generation of the iPad Mini will have a faster dual-core processor.

Although new reports citing sources and leaks relating to Apple products appear almost daily, Mobileak's sources seem to corroborate a recent report from NPD Display Search.

The research and analytics firm, which monitors supply chain activity claimed earlier this month that the next-generation iPad Mini was scheduled for launch in time for the holiday season and would be getting a Retina Display quality screen upgrade.

However, where the reports differ is on the subject of processors. NPD believes that the processor will not be upgraded in 2013 but it is predicting that a more powerful version of the small tablet would instead be launching in early 2014. - ©AFP/Relaxnews 2013



Source: The Star TechCentral

Senarai Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri Malaysia 2013

Berikut adalah senarai barisan Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri Kabinet Persekutuan Malaysia 2013 yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak baru-baru ini.

Perdana Menteri: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Timbalan Perdana Menteri: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri:
Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom
Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar (akan dilantik sebagai senator)
Datuk Seri Idris Jala (Senator)
Tan Sri Joseph Kurup
Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim
Nancy Shukry
Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun
Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan (Senator)
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Razali Ibrahim
Timbalan Menteri: P.Waythamoorthy (akan dilantik sebagai senator)

Kementerian Kewangan
Menteri I : Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Menteri II: Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Ahmad Maslan

Kementerian Pelajaran
Menteri I: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Menteri II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh
Timbalan Menteri I: Datuk Mary Yap
Timbalan Menteri II: P.Kamalanathan

Kementerian Dalam Negeri
Menteri: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Kementerian Komunikasi dan Multimedia
Menteri: Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Jailani Johari

Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri
Menteri: Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed
Timbalan Menteri: Hamim Samuri

Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar
Menteri: Datuk Seri G. Palanivel
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk James Dawos Mamit

Kementerian Pengangkutan
Menteri: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (pangku)
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Aziz Kaprawi

Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan
Menteri: Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Joseph Salang (telah menarik diri dari jawatan)

Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani
Menteri: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman

Kementerian Pertahanan
Menteri: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

Kementerian Kerja Raya
Menteri: Datuk Fadillah Yusof
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin

Kementerian Kesihatan
Menteri: Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam
Timbalan Menteri:Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya

Kementerian Belia dan Sukan
Menteri: Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk M Saravanan

Kementerian Sumber Manusia
Menteri: Datuk Richard Riot
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Ismail Abdul Muttalib

Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan
Menteri: Datuk Hasan Malek
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (akan dilantik senator)

Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat
Menteri: Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun

Kementerian Luar Negeri
Menteri: Datuk Seri Anifah Aman
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Kementerian Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan
Menteri: Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Halimah Sadique

Kementerian Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi
Menteri: Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Noriah Kasnon

Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah
Menteri: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi

Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan:
Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Dr. J. Loga Bala Mohan

Kementerian Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan air
Menteri: Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili
Timbalan Menteri: Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah

Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi:
Menteri: Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin
Timbalan Menteri Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah


SELAMAT MENUNAIKAN TANGGUNGJAWAB KEPADA SEMUA. RAKYAT BERHAK MENDAPAT YANG TERBAIK DARIPADA ANDA.

Is this (finally) our flying car?

Fancy a flying car for $279,000 (approx. RM843,000)? You may get to have your wish come true pretty soon!


                           Image courtesy of CNN. See link below.


It's one of science fiction's greatest unfulfilled promises, right up there with teleportation and time travel.

This week, Terrafugia, a Woburn, Massachussetts-based aerospace company announced it has begun feasibility studies on a car capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. The TF-X would be a four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, according to the company.

“We are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation,” Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich said in a media release.

“Terrafugia is about increasing the level of safety, simplicity, and convenience of aviation. TF-X is an opportunity to provide the world with a new dimension of personal freedom!”

The new TF-X project comes as work on the Transition shifts "from research and development to certification, production, and customer support activities," the company said.

Terrafugia says it has about 100 orders for the Transition, which goes for $279,000.


Source

Candice Glover wins 'American Idol' 2013

Candice Glover gestures to the audience.



Candice Glover, a soul singer from rural South Carolina, was named American Idol on Thursday, becoming the first female singer to win the television singing competition since 2007.

The 23-year-old defeated country vocalist Kree Harrison in the popular vote with her powerful voice in what judges deemed a close contest to take the title on season 12 of the popular Fox network show.

"You are officially our American idol," host Ryan Seacrest said as the crowd of 7,000 in Los Angeles cheered. "Three years, persistence, determination and a lot of talent. You deserve it."

It was third time lucky for Glover, who appeared in two earlier seasons of the show, and finally won the crown by making songs like Somewhere from the musical West Side Story, and the jazz tune You've Changed all her own.

"Oh, my God," a shocked Glover said with tears streaming down her face after hearing Securest call her name. "Three years."

Seacrest announced Glover as the winner at the end of the two-hour finale show, which featured performances by judges Keith Urban and Mariah Carey, as well as Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Lopez, rapper Pitbull and South Korea's Psy, who sang his new single Gentleman.

Glover, the first woman to be crowned Idol since Jordin Sparks six years ago, won a record deal, which could help propel her to the stardom enjoyed by other women Idol winners such as Grammy Award winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. - Reuters



Source

2013 Europa League final: Chelsea win Europa League with 2-1 win over Benfica

Chelsea made it back-to-back European wins as they claimed the Europa League with a 2-1 win over Benfica in the Amsterdam Arena.

The final had appeared to be heading for extra-time as Oscar Cardozo had levelled from the penalty spot just eight minutes after Fernando Torres had put Chelsea ahead on the hour.

But it was won in injury-time as Branislav Ivanovic rose brilliantly to head home a Juan Mata corner to give Chelsea yet more European silverware just 12 months after claiming the Champions League title.

As early as the second minute Cardozo headed over, whilst Nico Gaitan twice fired wide and Enzo Perez and Eduardo Salvio were constantly probing and driving forward from midfield.

One-time Bolton loanee Rodrigo probably had the best chance of the half when a free-kick was taken short and came into him just six yards out, but he twice lost his footing and missed the chance to test Cech.

Chelsea were limited but Artur had to pull off an exceptional save just before the break when Frank Lampard made a rare foray to the edge of their box and unleashed an archetypal thunderous drive, but the Brazilian managed to tip it over when he looked to be going the wrong way.

Into the second half and the expected reaction from Chelsea did not materialise with Benfica pushing forward in numbers again. Gaitan saw a half-volley fly wide before Cardozo had a header ruled out for offside.

On the hour mark Cech made a good save from Salvio's back-post header - but from that nobody expected what was to come as Chelsea were ahead within seconds.

Cech threw the ball long for Mata in the centre-circle, he flicked it on and Torres was away, holding off Luisao and going past Artur before finishing clinically.

Chelsea's lead though lasted just eight minutes. Cesar Azpilicueta handled in the box as substitute Lima flicked the ball on and Cardozo stepped up to hammer the ball past Cech.

Both teams pushed on for the winner and they both had their chances. Cech was at his best as he tipped over a brilliant dipping volley from Cardozo.

Then captain Lampard came within inches of winning it in the final minute of normal time but his stunning effort from 30 yards cannoned back off the bar.

But, just when the game looked to be heading into extra-time, Chelsea won it. Ramires chased down a long ball to win a corner, Mata took it and Ivanovic rose unmarked to head into the corner of the net.

Still there was time for Cardozo to almost be presented with a chance to take the match to extra-time, but he was denied by a great lunge from Gary Cahill and Chelsea celebrated as the full-time whistle went just moments later.

Popular actor arrested for khalwat

Is this the accepted norm of today's entertainment industry? Read on....


This happened in Selangor:

SHAH ALAM: A popular actor was arrested by Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) officers for khalwat (close proximity) at Apartment Taman Sri Subang here early Thursday.

The 25-year-old actor, who was engaged in December last year, was arrested at 3.30am in an apartment unit by a Jais enforcement team following a tip-off from members of the public.

"He was arrested under Section 29 (1) A and B of Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995," said Jais director Datuk Marzuki Hussin in a statement here.

The actor was romantically linked with an older woman and a young actress but both relationships ended abruptly. - Bernama

Branson dresses in drag to honour bet with Fernandes

SEPANG: Virgin Group's Sir Richard Branson sportingly donned AirAsia's iconic red stewardess outfit complete with make-up and a hairdo as he finally made good on a bet with Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.




Branson and Fernandes had wagered on their respective Formula One teams finishing ahead of the other during their 2010 debut season in Abu Dhabi.

They agreed that the loser would serve as a female flight attendant on board the winner's airline.

The normally suave and manly Branson made quite an arresting sight in drag as he batted his false eyelashes and smiled at the crowd upon arriving at LCCT after serving as an air stewardess on a special AirAsia X charity flight from Perth, Australia Sunday morning.

The billionaire entrepreneur also shaved his legs as promised but insisted on keeping his beard, which made a startling contrast to the lipstick he had slicked on.




However, Branson also made sure he got his revenge on Fernandes by purposely tipping a tray full of orange juice over the AirAsia boss.

"I looked at him and said 'don't you dare'. I wanted to kill him!" said Fernandes with a laugh.

He then told reporters he had to be in his underpants for a while as he did not bring a change of clothing, but that another flight member had kindly lent him a pair of shorts while his jeans were being dried.

He also promptly "fired" Branson upon landing, and gave him a certificate to recognise he had "graduated" as an AirAsia stewardess.

Branson on his part said he had huge respect for the "fabulous flight attendants" who performed their jobs everyday.

He spent the five-and-a-half hour flight pouring coffee or tea, serving meals, distributing goodies, entertaining as well as making in-flight announcements.

Around RM600,000 (AUD$200,000) was raised for the charity flight which will go to the Starlight Children's Foundation in Australia. The foundation is dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families across the country.



Source: The Star

Penembak bermotosikal: 10 das tembakan dilepaskan

KULIM: Dua hari selepas kejadian tembak mati seorang penarik kereta di Taman Setia Jaya, Alor Setar, satu lagi kejadian tembak berlaku di negeri itu malam tadi.

Namun kali ini, sepuluh das tembakan dilepaskan terhadap mangsa di persimpangan lampu isyarat, Taman Kuchai, Lunas, Kulim, Kedah.

Menurut Ketua Siasatan Jenayah (JSJ) Kedah, ACP Mohd Nashir Ya, kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira 8.45 malam itu mangsa Tagarajah a/l Krisnan, 31, dipercayai diekori dua suspek yang menaiki motosikal sebaik keluar daripada rumahnya di taman perak, lunas kulim.

Namun sebaik tiba di persimpangan lampu isyarat simpang tiga jalan paya besar mangsa yang memberhentikan kenderaan ekoran lampu merah bagaimanapun secara tiba-tiba dihampiri dari cermin sebelah kanan pemandu dan suspek yang membonceng motosikal secara tiba-tiba melepaskan beberapa das tembakan.

Mangsa bagaimanapun sempat bertindak memecut kenderaan namun kenderaan mangsa terbabas di bahu jalan ekoran suspek menembak berulangkali sehingga mangsa tersemban di dalam kereta.

“ Kita percayai berdasarkan kepada keterangan yang kita dapat lebih kurang sepuluh das berdasarkan kepada kelongsong yang kita kesan di tempat kejadian....kita belum pasti pasal keadaan mangsa telengkup tak pasti kena bahagian mana, pasal sukar kita nak ni...kecuali ada pihak pathology dan sebagainya, so kita akan tentukan tempat mana kesan tembakan tu di badan, kita kena buat post morterm lagi,” kata Nashir pada sidang media.

Pihak polis yang tiba sejurus menerima laporan kejadian berjaya menemui kenderaan mangsa jenis produa alza berwarna silver tersadai di bahu jalan di persimpangan lampu isyarat dengan keadaan enjin masih hidup dan badan mangsa berlumuran darah.

Tambahnya lagi, hasil semakan pihak polis mangsa mempunyai tujuh rekod jenayah lampau serta di buang daerah.

Mangsa yang bekerja sebagai pemandu lori besi buruk itu, berkemungkinan dikenali suspek, bagaimanapun polis akan menyiasat kejadian ini mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman mati jika disabit kesalahan.

Dalam pada itu, Beliau juga menyeru orang awam yang menyaksikan kejadian itu tampil membantu siasatan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Kulim.

Mayat mangsa bagaimanapun dibawa ke Hospital Kulim untuk bedah siasat.



Sumber: Astro Awani, Mei 12, 2013

Health risks related to WiFi ?

Radio waves emitted through Wi-Fi technology are at much lower intensities.


It is good that most of your computing works today are seamless and done wirelessly, thanks to WiFi technology. But the more you use it the more you'll be wondering if there've been health risks linked to it.


What is Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is the name of a wireless networking technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly and it provide high-speed Internet and network connections. It is based on radio waves whose frequency is similar to that of microwaves.


Any ill health effect?

Given what microwave ovens can do to, say, meats, chicken nuggets, it is perhaps not surprising that there has been concern that exposure to Wi-Fi could be unhealthy. Fortunately, however, while they are found to be used everywhere, Wi-Fi waves are emitted at far lower intensities than microwaves in ovens. As a result, they cannot produce anything like the same heating effect.

Even so, some people still worry that perhaps even this far weaker effect could cause damage after years of exposure. To date, epidemiologists have failed to uncover any consistent evidence for even long-term effects.

It does, however, suggest that the health effects, if there are any, are pretty weak, and that we should worry about more hazardous things, such as tripping over all the cables we would need if we did not use Wi-Fi devices.

Technology, as it seem, is something you cannot go without.

Read more:
http://www.thegreenmechanics.com/2013/02/wi-fi-what-are-health-risks-related-to.html#ixzz2T3rdliiQ

56-year-old man detained over Customs deputy D-G murder

KUALA LUMPUR: A 56-year-old man was detained in connection with the murder of Customs deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh said the suspect was detained by a special task force in Petaling Jaya at about 8.30am on Saturday.

“We believe the suspect is a person of interest.

“He has been detained to faciliate investigations into the murder of Shaharuddin,” he said in a statement Sunday.

He added the suspect would be remanded. Asked whether police would be making more arrests, he declined to elaborate.

However, DCP Mohmad said police would utilise all of its resources to catch the culprits responsible for the shooting as it is a high profile case.

“The police is still investigating the matter and we aim to uncover more leads.

“I hope the media and the public can give us room to investigate the case thoroughly,” he said.

As of today, more than 35 people have been questioned by police in connection with Shaharuddin's murder.

The police questioned these individuals in a bid to ascertain the motive for the shooting but detailed information could not be divulged as it may jeopardise investigations.

Shaharuddin, who headed the Customs and Internal Tax Unit division, was a year away from retirement when he was shot on April 26. He left his house in Dengkil at 7.55am in a Nissan SUV and was shot at a traffic light at the Lebuh Wawasan-Lebuh Sentosa flyover 20 minutes later by two men on a motorcycle.

The pillion rider fired three shots with an automatic weapon.

The Negri Sembilan-born Shaharuddin served the department for over 30 years. His work earned him the moniker “Mr Clean”.



Source: The Star

Two men shot after drunken fight with group

Two men were shot following an argument at a restaurant near Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur.

Sources revealed the men, both 29, believed to be intoxicated, got into an argument with a group of people at the restaurant located along Jalan Budiman 19 at about 7.30pm on Saturday.

After a scuffle with the group the two men fled the scene on their motorcycles.

However, the group of men gave chase and fired several shots when they caught up with the victims some 500m away.

The victims suffered multiple injuries and was rushed to University Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital by passers-by. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohan Singh said the victims are in stable condition.

"So far we have not arrested any suspects but we have some leads to trace the suspects," he said when contacted Sunday.

He urged anyone with information to contact the nearest police station.


The Star online

Barcelona clinch title after Real Madrid draw

 

Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions without kicking a ball after Espanyol held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw. 

Madrid had needed to win the match to keep their faint title hopes alive but fell behind when Christian Stuani prodded home from a corner.

Madrid rallied early in the second half and levelled when Luca Modric’s delivery was glanced in by Gonzalo Higuain before the game descended into a series of fouls and bookings.

A late horror challenge from Victor Sanchez on Higuain earned a straight red and soured a feisty encounter which saw no fewer than eleven yellow cards.

After a week of speculation linking Jose Mourinho with a return to England, the clash provided the Portuguese manager the opportunity to turn his attention to matters on the pitch.

He elected to field a weakened side ahead of Madrid’s Copa del Rey final date with local rivals Atletico Madrid, leaving the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema on the bench, and it showed from the start with Espanyol causing them all sorts of problems.

Espanyol did take the lead soon after when Joan Verdu’s corner was knocked back across the goal by Sergio Garcia leaving Stuani to prod home from inside the area.

The second half started sluggishly as Espanyol frustrated Madrid, not allowing their more illustrious opponents any time or space, but the introduction of Ronaldo altered the complexion of the game with the Portuguese frontman drawing a foul on the left touchline with his first involvement.

From the resulting free-kick Higuain met Modric’s cross to head Madrid level.

Despite needing another goal to prevent their fierce rivals taking the La Liga title, Madrid lacked passion and drive with even Ronaldo struggling to break down a resolute Espanyol defence.

The home team almost snatched it with ten minutes to go when Forlin fed Stuani in the area but the forward, under pressure from Michael Essien, couldn’t get his shot away.

The game turned sour as a series of a yellow cards broke up the play with both teams seemingly content with a draw.

Sanchez’s late challenge on Higuain, and subsequent red card, rounded off an encounter which will be remembered more by the amount of cards – twelve in total – and Barcelona’s title victory than the actual football on display.



Source: Eurosport

Sabah is 3rd highest in alcohol consumption

Sabah recorded the third highest consumption of alcohol in Malaysia, at 18.4% after Kuala Lumpur (20.3%) and Sarawak (19.7%).

State health principal assistant director (non-communicable diseases) Dr Nirmal Kaur said the statistics were based on a National Health and Morbidity Survey carried out between August 2011 and July 2012.

She said alcohol was present in most of the traditional food and drinks and a favourite among 95 percent of the indigenous community in the 20 to 60 age-group.

"According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol consumption should not exceed two glasses to avoid non-communicable diseases.

"A glass of alcohol is equivalent to one can of beer, 70ml of 'montoku' (a traditional drink of the Kadazandusun community), 100ml of 'tapai' or 40ml of whisky or brandy," she told reporters after a health-related seminar here on Saturday.

Dr Nirmal said habitual consumption of alcohol in excessive amounts could lead to heart attack, diabetes, stroke, cancer and liver damage.


Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/5/11/nation/20130511210116&sec=nation

Honda Civic Hybrid gets more features, price remain the same

Price of the Honda Civic Hybrid will remain the same at RM119,980 (On-The-Road) with 3 colour choices i.e. White Orchid Pearl, Frosty White Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl.

This is despite the few add-ons to its list of standard equipment - a Reverse Camera, and a Hands-Free Telephone (HFT) System.




These 2 new features will be integrated into the Civic Hybrid’s i-MID (intelligent Multi-Information Display) and will certainly be a welcomed addition to its current Smart Entry and Push Start button features.

The reason for these new add ons, as explained by Honda Malaysia, is that the company has received much feedback from their customers in looking for new and additional features when purchasing a Honda vehicle.

Hence, it has prompted Honda Malaysia to include these two new items in order to help maximise their customer’s joy of driving a Honda – specifically a Civic Hybrid.

This is also in a bid to help increase sales numbers of their Civic Hybrid, since their sales target was raised from 1,200 units in 2012 to 3,200 units for 2013; requiring them to sell roughly 270 units on a monthly basis.

Upon booking the Civic Hybrid, the current waiting period is between 1 to 2 months for this Completely Built Unit (CBU), which now hails from their a production facility located in Ayutthaya, outside Bangkok, Thailand.

Together with the Civic Hybrid comes a 5-year warranty with unlimited mileage including the IMA battery, an extension of preventive maintenance interval from 5,000km to 10,000km and free labour service of up to 6 visits for every alternate paid service until 100,000km.


Source

8 steps to become Best Employer

There are many ways, but these are worth looking into:




The first step on any journey is to seek to understand where your organisation currently stands. Having line of sight of your organisation’s current standing in the minds of your employees is crucial in determining what your current strengths and opportunities are.

1 DIAGNOSE

Diagnosis can be in the form of employee surveys and focus groups ideally in collaboration with a neutral party to ensure confidentiality of employee responses.

2 PLAN

Based on feedback collected during diagnosis, develop a plan to achieve your organisation’s goals. Taking the time to articulate where you want to be, and how your organisation will get there keeps the organisation and HR focused on strategic vision and tactical initiatives.

3 ENROL

Build a business case to obtain buy-in from the organisation’s management team and subsequently, work to enrol the broader employee population. In best employer organisations, people practices are never solely HR’s job – but rather, every manager’s responsibility.

4 BENCHMARK

Once all plans have been set in motion and the organisation is feeling the impact and improvements, it would be a good time to take stock of the level of improvement. Benchmarking against the industry you operate in, or participating in studies that seek to identify best employers are a great avenue to see how well your organisation is doing in terms of engaging your employees and measuring consistency and improvement over time.

5 REFINE/REFOCUS

All organisations are unique in their own way – and any plan/initiative could always be reviewed and refined to better suit the changing needs of the organisation. There should not be hesitation to refocus efforts if a plan clearly does not work.

6 MEASURE

Measures of success not only provide an indication of how effective a plan or initiative is, they also help justify a business case for sustaining successful plans and programmes. Measuring the success of any plan/initiative would provide valuable insight into how you would like to proceed, by refining, refocusing or maintaining status quo.

7 PILOT

Some people programmes/initiatives which impact the entire organisation may be a leap of faith. Instead of launching immediately, a pilot programme on a smaller employee group can be considered to assess effectiveness.

8 EXECUTE, EXECUTE, EXECUTE

There is no single magical recipe to being a best employer. Getting there is actually as much about innovative people programmes, as about getting the basics (e.g. total rewards, performance management, talent development, career management, managerial effectiveness) executed flawlessly. More often than not organisations get caught up with new ideas and lose sight of the fundamentals of execution via people managers.

New: Olympus goes full retro with E-P5

This is new from Olympus.

In a change from the usual kit lens bundle which is usually a zoom, the E-P5 will be bundled together with the black M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 lens for RM4,499. A body-only option will also be available for RM3,499.

OLYMPUS has gone full retro with its latest Micro Four Thirds camera, the Pen E-P5.

While previous Pen models already share a similar design to the original Pen half-frame film cameras, the E-P5 takes it a step further with a design and logo that looks very close to the classic Pen F camera.

However, in this case the design is only skin deep, and underneath the sleek exterior, the E-P5 features everything you'd expect from a modern mirrorless interchangeable lens camera plus a few features unique this model.

The E-P5 shares many features with the OM-D E-M5 camera, including the 16-megapixel Live MOS image sensor and excellent five-axis built-in image stabilisation system.

Also unchanged is Olympus' extremely fast contrast detect autofocus also taken from the OM-D, but now with a new "short release time lag" mode which will allow for faster shot-to-shot times, although at the expense of battery life.

New design, updated feature set

With the E-P5, Olympus has once again taken a look at the features of its previous cameras and improved on them.

In keeping with the sleek retro looks, the company has redesigned the camera to have no visible screws on the top and sides. In fact, the only screws are on the bottom plate of the camera.

More importantly, Olympus has also introduced a new LCD screen that is even thinner than the one found on their previous cameras - it now sits almost completely flush with the lines of the body.

Unfortunately, like in the OM-D E-M5, the LCD screen still only tilts forwards and backwards and cannot be rotated.

The E-P5 also comes with a new more reliable shutter unit, and now boasts a 1/8,000sec mechanical shutter speed.

However, the most interesting new addition to the E-P5's feature set is built-in WiFi, which allows iOS and Android device users to not only transfer images from the camera but also to obtain a live view image and snap photos.

While this in itself is not unique in the digital camera market, the method by which the smartphone or tablet pairs with the E-P5 is - when WiFi is turned on, the camera will actually generate a QR code which can be read using the smartphone/tablet camera and appropriate QR code reader.

If the smartphone or tablet does not yet have the Olympus OI.Share software, the user will be prompted to install it from Google Play or the iOS App Store.

If it's already installed, the OI.Share app will be launched and the camera and the smartphone/tablet will be paired together using information obtained from the QR code.



Source

Nokia introduced RM296 smartphone in emerging markets

Pretty affordable,  the 3-inch screen, WiFi and Internet-enabled phone is expected to go on sale in India and Europe in June, 2013.

Entry level SMARTPHONE: Elop holding a Nokia Asha 501 at an unveiling ceremony in New Delhi. ©AFP/Relaxnews 2013

NEW DELHI: Struggling Finnish mobile giant Nokia unveiled Thursday a US$99 (RM295.96) touchscreen smartphone as it battles to gain traction in India and other emerging markets to reverse falling sales.

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop released the Asha 501 in New Delhi, targeting users moving up from no-frills handsets, and said he believed the model would "reinvent the affordable smartphone" line.

Elop told reporters that analysts estimate the lower-cost Internet-enabled smartphone category could be a US$40bil (RM119.58bil) market globally by 2015.

Analysts suggest the once-dominant phonemaker's future may lie in selling budget smartphones in fast-growing emerging markets such as India, Africa and parts of Latin America where customer penetration is still relatively low.

"Global players are looking at price points below $100 where there are serious volumes to be had," independent New Delhi telecom consultant Kunal Bajaj told AFP.

The Asha 501 - Asha means "hope" in Hindi - borrows some of its looks from Nokia's higher specification Windows-based Lumia and offers an array of social networking content. It will start shipping to vendors in June and be available in 90 countries.

"There is a huge opportunity in the sub-US$100 (RM298.95) range in India and other emerging markets - that price is definitely the sweet spot for users," Anshul Gupta, analyst at global consultancy Gartner, told AFP.

Just 10% of the phones sold in India last year were smartphones but the segment is expected to grow by 45% to 50% this year, said Gupta.

Gartner's Gupta called the phone, which claims 17 hours' talk time - vital in a country such as India with chronic power shortages - "a leapfrog experience" and said it raised the bar for what was available at under US$100 (RM298.95).

Elop, fresh from a bruising meeting in Helsinki earlier in the week with shareholders unhappy over Nokia's earnings losses, said India is a "bellwether" for and a leading indicator of "new consumer requirements".

"People in India are gravitating to better-looking, more feature-rich phones," said analyst Bajaj.

Elop, who took the reins of Nokia three years ago, did not comment directly on the firm's finances. Nokia trimmed first-quarter losses to 272 million euros (RM1bil or $355 million) from 928 million euros (RM3.61bil) a year ago but sales fell 20 percent.

In India, the second-largest mobile market after China, Nokia faces a stark challenge with its smartphone market share diving to 13.3% in 2012 from 38.4% the previous year, according to Telecom Lead Asia.

Competition is cutthroat from Samsung and Apple as well as from Chinese, Taiwanese and Indian handset-makers.

The device will initially be a 2G phone "as 80% of the world operates in a 2G environment and 2G has the largest footprint in emerging markets," said Elop, but the range will expand to include 3G phones. - ©AFP/Relaxnews 2013

Credit: source

Kejam. Doktor gigi dedahkan pesakit kepada HIV

Perkara ini berlaku di US, tapi ia boleh berlaku di mana sahaja, termasuk di tempat anda sendiri.

Tidak bermaksud menakutkan anda, cuma ambil ini sebagai peringatan untuk memilih klinik gigi yang mengamalkan kebersihan dan meletakkan 'hygen' dan pelanggan sebagai keutamaan. Risikonya besar - HIV, Hepatitis A dan B, serta lain-lain penyakit yang berjangkit melalui sentuha oral.

US dentist put 7,000 patients at risk of HIV, other diseases

CHICAGO: A dirty dentist placed 7,000 patients at risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases after failing to properly sterilize equipment at his Oklahoma practice, health officials warned Thursday.

Officials do not yet know if any patients were infected but urged everyone who had ever been treated at the Tulsa oral surgery practice to be tested at a free clinic.

"We do not know how long these improper practices have been occurring, so we recommend that all patients of Dr. (Scott) Harrington's be tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV," the Oklahoma health department said in a statement.

"It should be noted that transmission in this type of occupational setting is rare."

Inspectors discovered a host of problems with the Tulsa dental practice earlier this month and Harrington voluntarily shut his doors until the investigation is complete.

In addition to the rusty equipment, inspectors also found expired drugs - including a vial that should have been thrown out in 1993 - and a host of other violations, the Tulsa World reported.-AFP

Sumber.