Remaja 13 tahun pandu teksi bapa maut langgar pokok getah

Muhammad Nazrin Aziz, 13 tahun - Foto Bernama

SEREMBAN: Tindakan remaja berusia 13 tahun memandu teksi milik bapanya tanpa pengetahuan keluarga berakhir dengan tragedi yang meragut nyawanya dan rakan berusia 15, apabila teksi itu terbabas dan melanggar pokok getah dalam kejadian di Jalan Gadong-LBJ dekat sini malam tadi.

Jurucakap polis berkata dalam kejadian 11 malam itu, Muhammad Nazrin Aziz, 13, dan Muhamad Alif Mohamed Zabri, 15, dari Taman Gadong Jaya, maut di tempat kejadian.

Akibat rempuhan yang kuat kedua-duanya tercampak keluar dari teksi dan mengalami kecederaan parah pada badan dan kepala, kata jurucakap itu kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

Menurutnya siasatan awal polis mendapati Muhammad Nazrin bertindak memandu teksi bapanya untuk bersiar-siar bersama Muhamad Ali ketika keluarganya keluar membeli persiapan raya.

Mayat kedua-dua remaja itu dihantar ke Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Seremban untuk bedah siasat.

Sementara itu Ketua Polis Trafik negeri Supt Abdul Aziz Ali ketika dihubungi mengesahkan kejadian. - Bernama

Hanya disebabkan kemalangan kecil, pemandu sanggup acu pistol

Kejadian berlaku di ESDA, Manila. Sumber: YouTube/cisconix

KUALA LUMPUR: Di Malaysia, video Siti Fairrah Asyikin Kamaruddin, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Kiki, yang memarahi seorang warga emas yang dikenali sebagai Sim Siak Hong terus menjadi viral di media sosial tempatan. 

Di Filipina pula, lain pula ceritanya. Warga media sosial di sana dikejutkan dengan sebuah video dimana seorang pemandu teksi diacu pistol dalam satu insiden kemalangan kecil. 

Kejadian berlaku di EDSA di Manila melibatkan seorang pemandu yang menaiki kereta jenis Mercedes-Benz dan seorang pemandu teksi. 

Seorang pemandu yang memakai baju berwarna biru seolah-olah tidak membenarkan pemandu teksi itu keluar dari kenderaannya. Tetapi apabila pemandu teksi itu berjaya keluar, lelaki itu terus mengacukan pistol ke arah pemandu teksi terbabit.

Mereka terus bertengkar di tepi jalan raya sebelum menaiki kereta masing-masing. Namun, di akhir video itu, pemandu teksi itu berjaya memotong kereta Mercedes-Benz dan mereka terus bertengkar lagi.

Saksikan video penuh:

 

- ASTRO Awani 

British MP tweets support for Malaysian cyclist

GALLOWAY: A staunch supporter of Palestine who is known for his anti-war activism.

KUALA LUMPUR: Britain's Respect Party MP for Bradford West, George Galloway has expressed his support for national cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, who wore a pair of "Save Gaza" gloves during the quarterfinals of the men’s cycling event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The gloves, however, garnered a negative reaction from the Commonwealth Games authorities who view the act as a political protest.

Galloway, an anti-war activist, tweeted that he hoped the Commonwealth Games authorities will not penalize the cyclist for his actions during the games.

I do hope the Games authorities won't be so stupid as to try and punish this Malaysian cyclist hero #Gold4Couragepic.twitter.com/HdraXrCkRs— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) July 26, 2014

A spokesman at the Games said they have requested for the Malaysian chef de mission for a report in order to find out the facts before any actions are taken against Azizulhasni.

Galloway is known for being a staunch supporter of Palestine and a scathing critic of Israel, his hatred for the "Zionist state" echoes in all his rhetoric.

In 2013, he famously left a debate at Oxford University after he discovered his opponent was an Israeli and was heavily criticised for his actions for advocating the Palestinian cause.

Galloway had also opposed the 1991 Gulf War and was critical of Britain's involvement in attacking Iraq. - Astro Awani 

Could you go 99 days without checking Facebook?

In the "99 Days of Freedom" campaign, users set their profile picture to a "time-off" image provided on the 99 Days of Freedom website and receive their own personalized, 99-day countdown clock.

Facebook came under fire recently for experimenting with 700,000 of its users' moods by altering their newsfeeds, but an interesting counter-experiment that makes the site the subject of investigation is taking the Internet by storm.

"99 Days of Freedom" sees users stay away from Facebook for 99 consecutive days, filling in a "happiness survey" at 33, 66 and 99 days to see if taking a breather from the site affects their mood.

Users set their profile picture to a "time-off" image provided on the 99 Days of Freedom website and receive their own personalized, 99-day countdown clock.

The concept was dreamed up by Dutch-based creative agency Just and began as an office joke.

"Like a lot of Facebook users, many of us were bothered by reports of secret mood experiments," says Just's Art Director, Merijn Straathof.

"As we discussed it internally, we noted an interesting tendency: To a person, everyone had at least a 'complicated' relationship with Facebook.

"Whether it was being tagged in unflattering photos, getting into arguments with other users or simply regretting time lost through excessive use, there was a surprising degree of negative sentiment.

"Then someone joked, 'I guess that the real question is, 'How do you feel when you don't use Facebook?"

According to Facebook, its 1.2 billion users spend an average of 17 minutes per day on the site, which amounts to more than 28 hours over three months.

However, Straathof stresses that the initiative is neither an anti-Facebook protest nor an attempt to harm the web's most popular site.

"Facebook is an incredible platform, we're all fiercely loyal users and we believe that there's a lot to love about the service," he says.

To sign up to 99 Days of Freedom visit: http://99daysoffreedom.com/

Israel army says resuming Gaza attacks after rocket fire

There were reports of renewed shelling in eastern Gaza.

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said Sunday it is resuming its raids on Gaza by land, sea and air after Hamas continued firing rockets, ending a unilateral 12-hour humanitarian truce.

"Following Hamas' incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the welfare of the civilian population in Gaza, the IDF will now resume its aerial, naval and ground activity in the Gaza Strip," an army statement said.

"Due to flagrant violations of humanitarian remission by Hamas, the IDF is now resuming offensive activities," army spokesman Peter Lerner wrote on Twitter.

Following the announcement, explosions could be heard in Gaza City and there were reports of renewed shelling in eastern Gaza, an AFP correspondent said.

The announcement came 10 hours after the Israeli security cabinet had voted to extend a unilateral humanitarian lull for another 24 hours, in a move rejected by Hamas which continued to fire over the border. - AFP 

Philippines welcomes 100 millionth baby

Jennalyn Sentino received the symbolic designation of "100,000,000th baby"

MANILA: A baby girl born early Sunday has officially pushed the population of the Philippines to 100 million, highlighting the challenge of providing for more people in the already-impoverished nation.

The child, Jennalyn Sentino, was one of 100 babies born in state hospitals all over the archipelago who received the symbolic designation of "100,000,000th baby".

"This is both an opportunity and a challenge... an opportunity we should take advantage of and a challenge we recognise," Juan Antonio Perez, executive director of the official Commission on Population, told AFP.

While a growing population means a larger workforce, it also means more dependents in a country where about 25 percent of people are living in poverty, he said.

He said the Philippines had to find a way to bring services to the poorest families while also lowering the average number of children that fertile women will bear in their lifetimes.

"We'd like to push the fertility rate down to two children per (woman's) lifetime," from the current level of an average of three per woman, he said.

While celebrating the birth of the babies with cake and gifts of clothing and blankets, the government will also monitor each of the designated 100 children over the coming years to see if they are receiving the required health services, Perez added.

Jennalyn's father, 45-year-old van driver Clemente Sentino, said he was grateful for the government aid, but expressed confidence he could support his child and his partner.

He and the child's mother, Dailin Cabigayan, 27, are not yet married. "She just happened to get pregnant. But we do have plans to get married," he told AFP.

"I make just enough to get by but at least my job pays regularly. We will find a way to make it fit," he said.

Efforts to control the Philippines' population growth have long been hampered by the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, which counts about 80 percent of Filipinos as followers and which disapproves of all forms of artificial birth control.

It was only in April that the government finally overcame over a decade of Church opposition to implement a reproductive health law providing the poor with birth control services.

Perez said with the law's implementation, about two to three million women who previously did not have access to family planning now do.

Meanwhile, Father Melvin Castro, head of the commission on family and life of the country's Catholic bishops, was quoted by a church-run radio station as praising the ballooning population, as there would be more "young workers" to power the economy.- AFP 

Rooney inspires Man Utd win over Roma

Friendly match - International Champions Cup, Sports Authority Field, Denver - Roma 2 (Pjanic 75, Totti pen 86) Manchester United 3 (Rooney 35, 45 pen, Mata 39)

Wayne Rooney inspired Manchester United to a 3-2 win over AS Roma in the first match of the pre-season International Champions Cup tournament at Sports Authority Field, Denver.

The England striker scored twice and set up a third for Juan Mata as United went in at the break 3-0 up.

United manager Louis van Gaal made nine changes at the interval and Roma scored twice in the second half, with Miralem Pjanic netting a wonder goal that embarrassed United goalkeeper Ben Amos, and Francesco Totti converting from the penalty spot with four minutes remaining.

United had struggled in the first 35 minutes before Rooney took centre stage.

Again and again, Roma striker Mattia Destro looked to exploit the gaps behind the United defence and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

He failed to hit the target with an early lob that bounced over the United goal, then was caught offside on a number of occasions as he lurked on the shoulder of Reece James or Tyler Blackett.

It threatened to be a long afternoon in the heat and humidity of a Denver afternoon, until Rooney changed the game with two goals and an assist in ten minutes.

The first goal came on 35 minutes when the England striker took advantage of the retreating Roma defence to take an extra touch before shooting across his body from 25 yards to arrow the ball over Roma goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski.

Four minutes later, United made it 2-0 as Mata chipped over Skorupski from the left-hand edge of the box after a superb floated Rooney pass that bypassed the Roma defence.

Rooney scored the third from the penalty spot one minute before the break, after Danny Welbeck had been pulled down by Urby Emanuelson in the box as he ran on to an Ander Herrera pass.

Amos, on as half-time substitute for Johnstone, was beaten by a brilliant lob from Pjanic with 15 minutes remaining. Receiving the ball 10 yards inside his own half, the Bosnian looked up before floating a shot over the United goakeeper.

Totti then scored Roma’s second from the penalty shot in the 86th minute after Michael Keane handled in the area.

Van Gaal looked far from happy at the final whistle despite the three points, because in truth his United side were second best for long stretches of the game.

They next meet Inter Milan in Washington DC on Wednesday, before concluding their Group A campaign against Real Madrid on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

-- Eurosport 

Turn your Android phone into a PC gamepad

So you want a gamepad to play that new platformer on your Windows PC, but you don't relish the idea of buying an expensive peripheral that will collect dust after you're done. 

Are you stuck using the keyboard? Not if Ideum has its way -- it's updating its GestureWorks Gameplay virtual controller app with Android support, letting you use your phone or tablet to steer the action instead of either a real gamepad or on-screen buttons. 

You can still tailor the controls for specific titles, so you won't have to settle for a sub-par experience just because you jumped from Castle Crashers to Bastion. The new software supports more graphics standards, too, so more of your favorite games should be compatible.

You'll have to spend $15 to get the full version of the new Gameplay app, which should be available on Steam either now or very shortly. 

That's relatively costly for a utility, but the Android upgrade extends the software's usefulness beyond tablets -- it could save you from buying gamepads for most any Windows PC, and it will visiting friends join in on multiplayer sessions without having to bring dedicated hardware. - Engadget 

Kata dua buat Prince Tagoe

Imbas kembali Tagoe (dua,kiri) diperkenalkan kepada media pada satu majlis sejurus menandatangani kontrak dengan Kelantan, hujung April lalu. - Foto Sinar Harian

“LULUS ujian kecergasan atau berdepan penyingkiran”. Itu kata dua buat penyerang import Ghana, Prince Tagoe yang sehingga kini masih tidak muncul menyertai latihan bersama The Red Warriors bagi menghadapi saingan Piala Malaysia, bermula 13 Ogos ini.

Persatuan Bola Sepak Kelantan (Kafa) tampak seperti sudah hilang sabar dengan karenah dicetuskan pemain yang pernah beraksi dalam kempen Piala Dunia 2010 itu dan menuntutnya kembali segera ke pangkuan pasukan berkenaan.

Malah Penasihat Kafa, Tan Sri Annuar Musa sendiri tampil dengan nada lebih keras apabila membayangkan kesediaan pihaknya menamatkan kontrak pemain kebangsaan Ghana itu andai berterusan gagal memberi sumbangan bermakna untuk Kelantan.

“Kita tidak boleh berkompromi lagi dalam soal kecergasan. Sekarang sudah masuk kempen Piala Malaysia, tidak ada alasan lagi dan kalau kita dapati dia gagal ujian kecergasan, kita terpaksa tamatkan kontraknya.

“Ketua Jurulatih (George Boateng) beritahu saya, Tagoe sudah dua kali gagal ujian kecergasan. Kita mengesyorkan Tagoe tidak diberi cuti supaya menggunakan tempoh sebulan untuk mengembalikan tahap kecergasan tetapi dia buat pilihan pulang ke negaranya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang media sempena majlis berbuka puasa anjuran Pusat Khidmat Amal dan Aktiviti Masyarakat Parlimen Ketereh (Khadam) di sebuah hotel di Kota Bharu, malam kelmarin.

Hadir sama pengurusan bola sepak Kelantan diketuai Pengurus Pasukannya, Azman Ibrahim, Boateng serta barisan pemainnya.

Sinar Harian baru-baru ini melaporkan Tagoe sepatutnya kembali melapor diri menjalani latihan bersama Kelantan pada 15 Julai lalu, namun gagal berbuat demikian sehingga meninggalkan persoalan di kem skuad gergasi pantai timur itu.

Tagoe yang menggantikan penyerang Lubnan, Mohamad Ghaddar pernah mencetuskan kemarahan penyokong setia Pahlawan Merah sebelum ini, berikutan urusan sijil perpindahan antarabangsanya (ITC) berdepan masalah dengan kelab lamanya di Turki, Africain Club ketika pintu perpindahan pemain dibuka April lalu.

Annuar memberitahu, pihak Kafa berhak menamatkan kontrak Tagoe memandangkan pemain berusia 28 tahun itu telah menandatangani surat perjanjian sebelum pulang ke negara kelahirannya.

“Kita benarkan dia pulang dan apabila kembali ke Kelantan, dia wajib menjalani ujian kecergasan. Kalau dia gagal, kontraknya boleh ditamatkan. Sekarang ini, sepatutnya dia telah lapor diri tapi masih tak datang dan Kafa akan bermesyuarat untuk menentukan kedudukannya,” katanya. - Sinar Harian 

Australia to send 'non-threatening' force to MH17 site

Julie Bishop said some of the Australian team at the site would be armed to protect the crash investigators - filepic

SYDNEY: Australia said Sunday "a number" of armed personnel will enter the MH17 crash site next week, but stressed they would be a "non-threatening force" not accompanied by military troops.

Australia and the Netherlands have been readying their forces ahead of a possible deployment to rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine to secure the MH17 crash site and recover victims' remains and aircraft wreckage.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said some of the Australian team at the site would be armed to protect the crash investigators, but did not specify how many.

"The main focus is on having police investigators, those who are expert in body identification and those who are expert in investigations, Dutch and Australian at this stage," Bishop told broadcaster Channel Ten, speaking from Amsterdam.

"All we want to do is secure the site so that we can inspect it thoroughly and bring back any remains."

Her country's special envoy to eastern Ukraine, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said Sunday Australian Defence Force (ADF) troops would not be part of the police-led team that searches the debris zone.

Australia is sending 190 Australian Federal Police to the Netherlands, along with a small number of ADF troops, including a medical team, to participate in a planned Dutch-led operation to secure the crash site.

The rebels accused of shooting down MH17 with a missile from Russia have signalled they are only open to allowing a small group of Australian and Dutch officers in.

"Military personnel have been involved in some of the activity but on this one, it's a police-led mission and I think that's the right answer and I think it's going to be very important to posture a non-aggressive, non-threatening force so that nobody will interfere with it," Houston told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"If we go in white vehicles, which is what we're going to do with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, we're clearly going to be in the right sort of posture."

Houston said the "humanitarian operation" would start next week, and that "we will have a combination of armed personnel and unarmed personnel if that's the way the government decides to go".

He added that reconnaissance visits by some Australians to the crash site were "very successful" and the separatists they encountered were "professional and cooperative".

All 298 people onboard the Malaysia Airlines jet, including 28 Australian nationals and nine permanent residents, were killed in the crash. - AFP 

Pesta Mantai tumbang 300 ekor lembu, kerbau

Lebih 300 ekor lembu dan kerbau 'tumbang' dalam Pesta Mantai di Beranang

BERANANG: Lebih 300 ekor lembu dan kerbau dijual selama 48 jam tanpa henti bermula pada Jumaat malam sehingga Ahad di dalam Pesta Mantai di Beranang.

Ia merupakan acara tradisi yang mencecah lebih 50 tahun selain terkenal di seluruh Negeri Selangor dan Negeri Sembilan.

Dalam dialek Minang, mantai bererti kenduri atau acara makan-makan sebelum menyambut Syawal.

Menariknya setiap tahun, lembu dan kerbau yang dijual merupakan hasil penternak di kampung itu sendiri.

Menurut peniaga daging, Daud Kassim, pesta memantai itu merupakan acara tradisi keluarganya yang bermula daripada arwah bapanya.

"Sebenarnya pesta memantai ini merupakan acara tradisional yang bermula daripada arwah bapa. Apa yang seronok dan meriahnya apabila penternak lembu dan kerbau bersama-sama di satu lokasi dan mejual daging sampai malam hari raya.

"Kita sebagai generasi seterusnya mengambil tanggungjawab untuk meneruskan tradisi itu," katanya.

Katanya, paling penting, pembeli dapat menikmati daging segar kepada penduduk tempatan dan mereka yang dalam perjalanan pulang ke kempung di bahagian Selatan.

Dalam pada itu, Ketua Kampung Sesapan Kelubi, Norhamdan Nordin berkata, kira-kira 15 penternak membuka gerai di satu kawasan tradisi di Pekan Beranang.

"Kalau ikut tahun ke tahun, memang sentiasa penggemar daging akan datang di sini merupakan dari seluruh Selangor.

"Menariknya di sini, semua yang dijual adalah daging lembu tempatan asli, kebanyakannya lembu liar yang dibela di kandang penternak di kawasan ini," jelasnya.

Sementara itu, pengunjung, Shamsul Muhardzi mengakui akan ke Beranang setiap kali menjelang hari raya untuk mendapatkan bekalan daging segar.

"Sebenarnya saya datang ke sini kerana dua sebab, satu kerana mengikut kawan dan kita semua tahu kemeriahan Pesta Mantai setiap tahun di sini...yang keduanya kerana dagingnya segar," katanya.

Kemeriahan mantai turut diakui Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Semenyih, Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz.

"Saya dapat lihat respon Pesta Mantai ini cukup lama terkesan bukan sahaja kepada penduduk tempatan di sini malahan kita dapati penduduk Johor yang ingin balik ke kampung turut menggunakan jalan lama untuk ke sini," jelasnya.

Pesta Mantai dikatakan tradisi turun menurun yang diwarisi masyarakat Negeri Sembilan. - Astro Awani 

2014 Honda Jazz launched in Malaysia – RM73k-RM88k

The third-gen B-segment hatch, the 2014 Hinda Jazz is available in S, E and V variants.

Bearing little resemblance to its predecessor, the all-new Honda Jazz calls upon the “Exciting H Design” language to give it a more aggressive and angular appearance, as well as the “Solid Wing Face” you see on the City and HR-V/Vezel. The centre fuel tank layout has been retained.

Regardless of which variant you choose, you get a non-direct injected 1.5 litre SOHC i-VTEC engine developing 120 PS at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm of torque at 4,600 rpm (200 rpm lower than in the outgoing Jazz) and an ‘Earth Dreams’ CVT – essentially the same drivetrain as the Honda City’s. A fuel consumption of 17.81 km per litre is claimed.

Step inside and owners of the current Honda City will feel a sense of deja vu – but there are differences. The dashboard is mildly restyled, with fewer shiny satin bits than in the City.

Also, there’s a chrome ring around the central speedo, the driver’s side control panel loses the piano black finish and the mirror controls have migrated from there to the door, freeing up space for a cooled cupholder.

Across the range, you’ll find no shift paddles, ECON mode, cruise control, reverse camera or navigation (the latter is available as an option), but you still get the very practical rear Ultra Seats. Apart from folding flat, the seat bases can also be lifted up to make space for tall items. The front seats can also be reclined flat.

This is joined by increased dimensions – the new Jazz is 55 mm longer than its already-roomy predecessor at 3,955 mm. The wheelbase has been extended 30 mm to 2,530 (70 mm less than the City). Width and height maintain status quo at 1,695 and 1,524 mm respectively.

Boot volume is now 400 litres instead of the previous 337 (all seats up). The MacPherson strut-front, torsion beam-rear suspension setup features revised geometry to promote stable steering, better handling and less vibration. Like the City, the Jazz comes with a front-disc, rear-drum brake setup. Weight ranges from 1,067 to 1,088 kg.

Base kit includes halogen headlamps, LED tail lamps and a tilt/telescopic steering as well as ABS, EBD and brake assist, rear Isofix points and a four-point reverse sensor. The S grade features a black front grille, manual air-conditioning, manual side mirror adjustment, a single-DIN head unit and four speakers, keyed ignition as well as dual airbags and 15-inch steel wheels (wrapped with 175/65 rubbers) with plastic covers.

The E grade adds on a fair bit of equipment, including upping the 15-inch wheels to alloy units. It and the V grade get a high gloss black front grille, touch-panel auto air-con, powered side mirrors, a centre console storage bin (with armrest) and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, replete with steering-mounted audio controls.

The E still has a four-speaker system, but adds on a standard double-DIN audio system head unit, and it gets blue/white illumination for its multi-information combination meter (on the S, in amber). Like the S, there are only two airbags here, but the variant adds on hill-start assist, an emergency start-stop signal and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

The range-topping V grade of course gets the bells and whistles – on top of what’s found on the E grade, the airbag count goes to six (side curtain and side airbags in addition to the dual front), and the version rides on 16-inch alloys and packs a seven-inch touch-screen with HDMI, Siri Eyes Free Mode (for iPhones 4S and up), and the steering-mounted switchgear adds on hands-free telephone controls. The optional navigation system, a third-party unit co-developed with Honda Malaysia, is available for RM3,220.

You can customise your Jazz with the Modulo Package (bodykit + sports pedals, RM2,650), Utility Package (foot lights + cargo tray + trunk organiser + side step illumination, RM1,250) and, for the first time, a Mugen Package (bodykit + tailgate spoiler + Mugen badge, RM4,900). Having been tested at ASEAN NCAP last week, the hatch is aiming for a five-star safety rating.

Locally-assembled at Honda Malaysia’s No. 2 Line at its Pegoh plant in Melaka, the 2014 Honda Jazz is priced, OTR with insurance, as follows: S RM72,800, E RM79,800 and V RM87,800.

As for exterior colours, Tinted Silver (new), Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Tafetta White, Crystal Black Pearl and Modern Steel Metallic are available. A five-year warranty with unlimited mileage is offered. The service interval is 10,000 km and there’s six times free service alternating with paid service until 100,000 km.

Four cars are currently on display at the launch – V (Tinted Silver), E (Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic), E with Modulo (Tafetta White) and E with Mugen and optional navi (Tinted Silver). You’ll see pictures of the standard V and E in the gallery below (and two of the white Modulo); the rest are on their way to you in a separate post!

Source: Paultan.org

Hamas rejects Israel's 24-hour extension of Gaza ceasefire

Hamas rejected Israel's 24-hours extension of ceasefire

GAZA CITY: Hamas on Sunday rejected Israel's decision to extend by 24 hours a pause in hostilities in Gaza, saying Israeli tanks first had to withdraw from the territory.

"No humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement. - AFP 

Commonwealth Games: Malaysian cyclist warned over 'Save Gaza' gloves

Azizulhasni Awang said his message was humanitarian.

GLASGOW: A Malaysian cyclist was warned Friday he risked being thrown out of the Commonwealth Games if he repeated wearing gloves bearing the message "Save Gaza".

Azizulhasni Awang could have been ejected from the 2014 Glasgow Games after wearing the gloves in competition on Thursday.

Instead the 26-year-old, nicknamed the "Pocket Rocket", who was set to take part in the individual sprint quarter-finals on Friday, was given a reprimand and warned not to wear them again.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) seeks to avoid its competitions being used for political means. The multi-sport event, held every four years, is nicknamed the "Friendly Games".

Though Awang insists his message was "humanitarian" rather than politically-charged, he issued an apology.

"The actions were investigated and we spoke with the Malaysian team management and it's a matter for the management to address," said CGF chief executive Mike Hooper.

"It's inappropriate for any form of protest in a Games venue; we respect everyone's right to protest outwith.

"He has had a strong reprimand from his team management and he has apologised. In apologising profusely he now knows any repetition will see a removal of his accreditation."

On his Facebook fan page, which has more than 200,000 followers, he wrote: "I feel sorry to the people who misinterpret my message. There's no such thing with political protest.

"It's from the bottom of my heart to express humanitarian. Since when expressing humanitarian considered as political?

"Anyway, I apologise to those who think I'm doing wrong.

"I got a warning and still can race today but without my 'SaveGaza' glove.

"Thanks everyone for your support and really appreciate it.

"We all stand as a human."

Israeli fire on Friday pushed the Palestinian death toll in Gaza to above 800, as Washington pressed Israel and Hamas to agree a week-long humanitarian ceasefire and thrash out a durable truce. - AFP 

First MH17 crash victim identified: official

227 coffins with the remains of people of 17 nationalities have already been flown back.

THE HAGUE: Forensic experts have identified the first of 298 people killed in the MH17 disaster, the Dutch government said, as grieving relatives defied safety concerns to pay an emotional visit to the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

A truce has been called in the immediate area around the site by both the Kiev forces and pro-Russian separatists, but combat was raging just 60 kilometres (35 miles) away, with loud explosions heard at regular intervals in western and northern suburbs of rebel stronghold Donetsk.

Ignoring safety warnings, an Australian couple travelled to the scene of the crash without any escort Saturday, saying they were fulfilling a promise to their only child that they would be there.

"She was full of life," said Angela Rudhart-Dyczynski of their 25-year-old daughter Fatima, an aerospace engineering student who died when the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur plane was shot down July 17, killing all 298 people on board.

She and her husband Jerzy Dyczynski, who wore a T-shirt with the words "Fatima: We Love You", were overcome with emotion as they walked among the wreckage and scorched earth, and laid a large bouquet of flowers on part of the debris.

The Dutch government, which is in charge of identifying the remains found at the site, said that forensic experts had confirmed the identity of the first victim on Saturday, one of 193 Dutch citizens who had been on board.

An investigation into the downing of flight MH17 has been hampered by the violence plaguing east Ukraine, which claimed at least nine lives in the last 24 hours in insurgent holdout Lugansk.

Dutch experts sought to travel to the site on Saturday, but turned back because of safety concerns.

'Humanitarian mission'

The rebels who are accused of shooting down the plane with a missile from Russia have signalled they are only open to allowing a small group of Australian and Dutch officers in.

But Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose country lost 28 citizens in the crash, stressed that it was a "humanitarian mission".

"It's the presence of unrecovered remains that makes it more important than ever that an international team be dispatched," he said.

"Others can get involved if they wish in the politics of eastern Europe. Our sole concern is to claim our dead and to bring them home."

Abbott later on Saturday discussed plans with Russian President Vladimir Putin for "an independent and objective international inquiry", the Kremlin said in a statement.

After a few days when little activity was seen, recovery efforts appeared to restart again on Saturday, AFP reporters at the scene said.

The mission may not be imminent in any case as Ukraine's parliament, which needs to formally approve any international deployment, is only due to broach the issue at a session on Thursday.

The Netherlands is planning to send 60 officers, and said troops had been consigned to barracks and had leave cancelled ahead of the planned mission.

Australia is sending 190 police along with a small number of its defence forces to the Netherlands in view of the mission. - AFP 

Identiti mayat pertama mangsa nahas dikenalpasti

Identiti mayat pertama mangsa nahas dikenalpasti

THE HAGUE: Pakar forensik telah mengenal pasti mangsa pertama daripada 298 penumpang yang terbunuh dalam nahas pesawat MH17 yang ditembak jatuh di Ukraine minggu lalu, menurut kenyataan yang dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan Belanda pada Sabtu.

"Hari ini mayat pertama mangsa nahas pesawat MH17 telah dikenalpasti," kata menteri kehakiman dalam satu kenyataannya.

"Mangsa merupakan rakyat Belanda dan keluarga mangsa telah dihubungi."

Namun demikian, kementerian tidak mendedahkan identiti mangsa.

Kerajaan Belanda telah dipertanggungjawabkan untuk melaksanakan proses mengenalpasti identiti mangsa dalam nahas yang melibatkan 193 warga Belanda.

"Pasukan yang terdiri daripada 200 pakar kini sedang dalam proses mengenalpasti mangsa yang berkemungkinan besar mengambil masa sehingga beberapa bulan."

Terdapat beberapa mayat yang masih berada di lokasi nahas, namun setakat ini sebanyak 227 keranda mangsa yang terdiri daripada 17 negara telah diterbangkan ke Belanda.

Wakil kerajaan Belanda dan Australia sedang berusaha mendapatkan mandat untuk mengawal lokasi nahas bagi membawa keluar kesemua mayat di lokasi yang sedang bergolak di antara puak pemisah pro-Rusia dan tentera Ukraine. - AFP 

Mohd Hafifi raih emas pertama Komanwel buat kontinjen negara

Mohd Hafifi raih emas pertama Komanwel buat kontinjen negara

GLASGOW: Atlet angkat berat kebangsaan Mohd Hafifi Mansor menepati ramalan apabila meraih pingat emas pertama buat kontinjen negara pada temasya Sukan Komanwel ke-20 di sini, Sabtu.

Mohd Hafifi, 24, yang mengambil bahagian dalam kategori 69kg, menampilkan aksi cemerlang dengan jumlah angkatan 305kg menerusi snatch 135kg dan clean & jerk 170kg pada final di Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Precint di sini.

Pingat perak dimenangi oleh Yinka Ayenuwa dari Nigeria dengan 302kg manakala pingat gangsa menjadi milik Omkar Otari dari India dengan 296kg.

Sementara itu, peserta negara Mohammad Huzairi Ramli menamatkan saingan di tempat kelima dengan jumlah angkatan 290kg.

Mohd Hafifi menyifatkan kejayaan pingat emas itu merupakan hasil kesabaran dan mematuhi arahan jurulatihnya yang tidak mahu dia terjebak dengan perang psikologi daripada pihak lawan.

"Pada mulanya saya memang geram dan tercabar sebaik melihat atlet dari Nigeria (Yinka Ayenuwa) itu mahu membuat angkatan seberat 176kg bagi clean & jerk. Saya memang berniat untuk memintas berat angkatannya tetapi jurulatih enggan membenarkan saya berbuat demikian.

"Ini kerana beliau tahu ia lebih kepada serangan psikologi sahaja dan meminta saya bersabar. Hasilnya pingat emas milik kami," katanya kepada pemberita di sini.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Mohd Hafifi turut mengambil kesempatan mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin dan penyokong yang memberi sokongan menerusi laman sosial seperti Facebook, Twitter dan Instagram.

"Kemenangan ini adalah untuk Mak (Norizam Embong) di kampung (Kuala Terengganu), setiap kali saya membuat angkatan saya akan menyebut nama Mak, terima kasih Mak yang sentiasa menyokong serta mendoakan saya," katanya.

Mohd Hafifi turut meluahkan hajatnya untuk membantu keluarga dengan hasil duit ganjaran yang dijangka bernilai RM80,000.

"Saya mahu menggunakan duit ganjaran nanti untuk membantu ibu saya membeli rumah di Kuala Terengganu," katanya. - Bernama

"Kami terkejut dengan kerjasama yang diberikan puak pemisah"

Pegawai penyiasat yang menerima kotak hitam pesawat MH17, Mejar Muhammad Mustafa Omar tiba dari Kiev, Ukraine selepas menjalankan tugas untuk pesawat MH17 yang terhempas 17 Julai lepas. - Foto Bernama

Penerima kotak hitam MH17, Mejar Muhamad Mustafa Omar tidak menyangka kedatangan pasukan penyiasat khas Malaysia ke timur Ukraine diterima baik oleh anggota puak pemisah.

"Kami pun terkejut dengan kerjasama yang diberikan pihak pemisah, mereka menanti kedatangan kami untuk meneruskan proses rundingan," katanya yang ditemui di Balai Ketibaan Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa KL (KLIA) hari ini.

Mejar Muhamad Mustafa merupakan antara 65 anggota pasukan penyiasat khas Malaysia yang pulang ke tanah air pada kira-kira pukul 10.52 pagi ini setelah berada di Ukraine selama lapan hari untuk mengumpul bahan bukti, mencari kotak hitam dan membawa pulang mayat mangsa terlibat.

Gambar Mejar Muhamad Mustapa menerima kotak hitam itu daripada puak pemisah dirakamkan oleh media seluruh dunia.

Beliau berkata perjumpaan dengan ketua pihak pemisah Alexander Borodai juga berjalan lancar tanpa insiden yang tidak diingini.

"Walaupun Borodai adalah ketua kumpulan pemisah, tapi beliau layan kami dengan baik, "katanya yang enggan mengulas lanjut tentang butiran rundingan dengan Borodai.

Mejar Muhamad Mustafa berkata sepanjang melakukan proses penyiasatan, satu daripada cabaran yang dilalui beliau dan pasukannya adalah sekatan jalan yang banyak sama ada yang diadakan oleh pihak tentera Ukraine ataupun puak pemisah.

"Sebenarnya tugas saya adalah untuk mengiringi pasukan ini, kebetulan saya juga mempunyai latar belakang teknikal untuk pastikan kotak hitam yang kami terima adalah kotak hitam yang betul dan mempunyai nombor siri yang berpadanan dengan pesawat itu, dan tugas saya diberikan secara spontan di situ.

"Saya berbangga sebab dapat pikul tanggungjawab saya dan ia juga tugas saya dalam memastikan semuanya berjalan dengan lancar," katanya semasa menceritakan semula pengalamannya ketika kotak hitam diserahkan buat pertama kalinya kepadanya.

Sementara itu, bagi seorang daripada anggota Pasukan Penyelamat Pasukan Mencari dan Menyelamat Khas Malaysia (SMART) daripada Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, Koperal Constatine Anji, 29, tugas memindahkan mayat-mayat mangsa MH17 daripada kereta api ke dalam pesawat di Karkhiv merupakan pengalaman yang tidak akan dilupakannya seumur hidup.

"Tiada satu mayat pun yang saya lihat sempurna, kebanyakannya terpisah, dan hancur dengan bau kurang menyenangkan, dalam hati sebak, tetapi demi tugas untuk negara saya cekalkan hati memindahkan mayat berkenaan bersama anggota pasukan lain," katanya.

Beliau yang telah dua tahun menyertai SMART berkata ini adalah pengalaman pertama beliau mengendalikan bencana di luar negara dan melibatkan nahas kapal terbang.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, kawasan tempat memindahkan mayat itu merupakan kawasan selamat dan proses pemindahan yang mengambil masa tiga jam berlaku dalam keadaan lancar dengan kerjasama baik puak pemisah.

Bagi seorang daripada doktor Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) yang turut terlibat dengan pasukan itu Kapten Dr Mohd Zainizam Zainal, 31, beliau tidak akan lupa pengalaman mengiringi mayat-mayat mangsa dalam gerabak kereta api sambil dikawal ketat anggota puak pemisah.

"Kelibat anggota puak pemisah itu boleh dilihat di mana-mana sahaja tetapi mereka tidak mengapa-apakan kami. Mereka berjaga untuk keselamatan...maklumlah itu memang zon peperangan," katanya.

Zainizam, bapa kepada seorang anak berlepas ke Kiev, Ukraine pada 18 Julai dan sepanjang tempoh itu keluarganya termasuk isteri banyak berdoa bagi keselamatannya dan selamat pulang ke tanah air.

"Memang terdetik rasa takut tetapi diketepikan. Mujur juga isteri memahami dan sentiasa menasihati saya agar tabah menjalankan tugas dan kami sebenarnya baru menimang cahaya mata pada Jun," katanya yang telah berkhidmat selama lima tahun dengan ATM.

Penerbangan MH17 dalam perjalanan dari Amsterdam ke Kuala Lumpur dengan 298 penumpang dan anak kapal terhempas di Donetsk, Timur Ukraine pada Khamis lepas.

Pesawat itu dipercayai ditembak jatuh tetapi setakat ini tiada pihak tampil mengaku bertanggungjawab. - Bernama