'Playboy' PM takes vow of sexual abstinence

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has surprised followers with an unusual pledge - to give up sex until after April's general election.

Mr Berlusconi, 69, reportedly made the vow at a campaign rally in Sardinia with a popular local TV preacher, Father Massimiliano Pusceddu, who had praised him for opposing gay marriage and defending family values and promised his support, prompting the PM's comments.

"I will try to meet your expectations, and I promise from now on, two-and-a-half months of absolute sexual abstinence, until 9 April," he said.

Mr Berlusconi has been criticised in the past for using sexual innuendo and making sexist jokes.

Last June, the prime minister stunned the Finnish government by saying he had used his "playboy" charms to persuade female President Tarja Halonen to give up attempts to house the EU food agency in Helsinki.

And in 2003 he told US business leaders they should invest in Italy because it had "beautiful secretaries... superb girls".

Correspondents say the twice-married Italian leader sees himself as something of a ladies' man.

Veronica Lario ~ no sex until April

He left his first wife 27 years ago to marry glamorous blonde actress Veronica Lario, but there have been rumours in recent years of marital problems.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

New Zealand woman makes faux pas

A New Zealand woman plans to send 6,000 packs of dehydrated dog food powder to starving children in Rusinga Island on Kenya's Lake Victoria as part of a relief effort for the area's starving children.

Kenya has declared a national disaster because of the food shortages, which follow poor rains across the north. There are four million people in Kenya who are in need of food aid.

Christine Drummond
Mighty Mix Inventor & Founder

Christine Drummond, the founder of the company which makes Mighty Mix dog biscuits said she originally wanted to send dog biscuits but when she heard how many people needed food aid, she decided to send 42 tons of powdered meal, the recipe of which has been modified for humans.

The powder, which just needs to be mixed with water is "a high-powered food full of nutrients," she said. "It tastes yummy." She even sprinkles some of the "nutritional supplement" on her porridge every morning.

She said it was made of freeze-dried beef, mutton, pork, chicken, deer velvet, green lip mussels, kelp, garlic, eggs, whole grain cereals and flax-seed flour - the same ingredients she puts into her company's dog biscuits.

"Kenyan children are not in such shortage of food to resort to eating dog food," Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua said. He added that any food aid must be up to standard.

Kenyan Director of Medical Services Dr James Nyikal, agreed, saying: "There is no way that the ministry can allow dog food mixture to be brought in for human consumption."

In Canterbury, New Zealand, Mighty Mix dog food agent Gaynor Siviter said that if the dog food mixture helped the Kenyan children as it helped dogs, it would be "marvellous."

"The dogs thrive on it. They have energy, put on weight. It's bizarre but if it's edible and it works for these people then it's a brilliant idea. It beats eating rice."

Oxfam New Zealand executive director Barry Coates said he had not heard of the scheme but it was unlikely to achieve the desired outcome.

As many as 12 million people need food aid across southern Africa, after a lack of rain last year exacerbated by a systematic crisis.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Let's boycott Danish & Norwegian goods

Palestinians burn a Danish flag outside Gaza's EU building, in protest at the publication of cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammed.

On 30 September 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten was insensitive and stupid enough to publish a series of 12 caricatures which showed the Prophet Muhammad as a stereotypical Islamic terrorist.

Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, even respectful ones, out of concern that such images could lead to idolatry. These cartoons were downright insulting and offensive: One drawing showed the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse; another portrayed him with a bushy gray beard and holding a sword, his eyes covered by a black rectangle; and a third pictured a middle-aged prophet standing in the desert with a walking stick in front of a donkey.

The drawings were reprinted on 10 January 2006 by Norwegian evangelical newspaper Magazinet in the name of defending free expression, renewing Muslim anger.

The Jyllands-Posten reported that two illustrators who produced the cartoons had received death threats. The daily published the series of caricatures, after a writer complained that nobody dared illustrate his book about Muhammad.

Instead of issuing an abject and unconditional apology, the newspaper has remained belligerent. It gave a weak apology for "wounding the sensitivities of Muslims," but said it was testing the boundaries of expression about Islam. At the same time Jyllands-Posten maintained its right to print what it likes.

"We must quietly point out here that the drawings illustrated an article on the self-censorship which rules large parts of the Western world," the paper said. "Our right to say, write, photograph and draw what we want to within the framework of the law exists and must endure - unconditionally!"

The ambassadors of 10 Muslim countries (including a number of Arab countries, Pakistan, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Indonesia) sent a joint letter of complaint to the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, asking him to take a stance on the issue.

Rasmussen refused to intervene and responded by merely stating that Denmark had a free and independent press. He said he could not tell newspapers what to print - or what not to. In his New Year's speech, Mr Rasmussen fell just short of an apology speaking of responsibility in exercising freedoms of speech.

Unsurprisingly, neither semi-apologies seem to have been accepted in a Muslim world which sees any depiction of the prophet as blasphemous.

A Saudi man shops at a supermarket in Jeddah where empty shelves read "Sorry! We don't sell Products made in Denmark".

There are now fears that the incident could affect Danish businesses. The Danish company Arla Foods, one of Europe's largest dairy producers, has placed advertisements in Middle Eastern newspapers to try to stop a boycott of Danish produce in Muslim countries.

Arla Foods said earlier last week that its customers in Saudi Arabia appeared to have stopped selling its dairy produce and had begun a boycott of Danish goods. Finn Hansen, a divisional director with Arla, on Thursday said "We fear that we will be hit by a wave of consumer anger." He added that there had been calls for boycotting Danish products in Friday prayers and on Saudi television and in newspapers.

"We are certainly afraid this will spread across Saudi Arabia and affect our business," he said.

Palestinians burned Danish flags on the streets of Gaza

There were street protests both in Denmark and in Muslim countries following the publication of the cartoons.

The Confederation of Danish Industries has now appealed to Jyllands-Posten to print an apology for having commissioned the drawings.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Denmark "for consultations in light of the Danish government's lack of attention to insulting the Prophet Muhammad by its newspapers."

Kuwait's state-supported supermarkets on Friday, 27 January announced a boycott of Danish products, and the Foreign Ministry called in a regional Danish ambassador to protest caricatures in a Danish newspaper that have been deemed insulting to Islam's prophet.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Friday, 27 January summoned the Danish honorary consul in Jordan to discuss the controversial cartoons deemed insulting to Prophet Mohammad and Islam.

Iran's Foreign Minister said on Friday, 27 January he had written to his counterparts in Denmark and Norway to protest over the publication of "ridiculous and revolting" cartoons.

Libya has said it is closing its embassy in Denmark in protest. "Because the Danish media had continued to show disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad and because the Danish authorities failed to take any action on that, Libya decided to close its embassy in Copenhagen," the Libyan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On the popular level, several Islamic organisations are conducting a campaign on the Internet for the boycott of Danish and Norwegian products.

---

February 01, 2006 16:20 PM
PPIM Urges Govt To Send Protest To Denmark

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) Wednesday called on the government to send a note of protest to the Embassy of Denmark over cartoon illustrations depicting Prophet Muhammad in a newspaper published in the country which had angered Muslims throughout the world.

PPIM project coordinator Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin said as an Islamic country, Malaysia should not be silent over actions by any quarters which insulted the prophet and Islam.

"We hope the government will send a memorandum soon and demand an apology from the government of Denmark for the action by a newspaper publisher in its country," he told Bernama today.

As chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Conference , he said, it was Malaysia's responsibility to fight against any act considered as an insult to the prophet and Islam.

A best-selling newspaper in Denmark, "Jyllands-Posten," had on 30 September 2005 published 12 cartoon illustrations of the prophet, including one wearing a turban in a shape of a bomb with a burning fuse.

This angered Muslims worldwide and the situation became worse when the cartoon illustrations were reprinted in the Christian magazine Magazinet in Norway on 10 January 2006.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Dog poo problem creates a stink

CCTV cameras may be used to snoop on people using dog poo bins in an area of West Sussex.

Horsham District Council said there was a recurrent problem of some of the red bins being filled to overflowing.

A spokesman said anyone caught engaging in the foul play could be in breach of anti-social behaviour legislation. He added that the problem was occurring at certain housing estates in the area, where bags of dog poo regularly ended up dumped around the base of bins.

The council's Ian Jopling said they suspected the bins were being misused by homeowners getting rid of large amounts of dog faeces from their gardens.

"They are in fact designed for walkers who are out with their dogs," Mr Jopling explained.

"We don't want overflowing bins because it messes up the emptying schedules.

They don't leave any identification behind
Ian Jopling, Horsham District Council

"We have to do extra runs to take the waste away, and it's costing us time and resources.

"It's not the biggest issue but it's one of those niggly little things that causes operational difficulties."

Mr Jopling said council officers had talked to residents and dog walkers in some affected areas in order to clarify the purpose of the bins.

However, surveillance from a mobile CCTV unit could be "a last resort" to try to target persistent offenders.

"It's obviously difficult to identify them otherwise because they don't leave any identification behind."

Only five or six of the 250 dog poo bins across the district are regularly overflowing, but Mr Jopling said it was still "quite an emotive issue."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/4583948.stm

Published: 2006/01/05 12:26:42 GMT

BBC MMVI

---

I've written to the BBC requesting them to "Kindly suggest to Mr Ian Jopling and his colleagues at the Horsham District Council that the obvious solution to their overflowing problem is to provide larger dog poo bins.

"After all, they had arbitrarily decided on the bin size in the first place and self-evidently they have made a gross under-estimation (pun intended)."

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Let's boycott Danish goods

In September 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten was insensitive and stupid enough to publish a series of 12 caricatures which showed the Prophet Muhammad as a stereotypical Islamic terrorist. In one cartoon, the prophet appeared to have a bomb in his turban.

Pictorial depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are forbidden in Islam.

The Jyllands-Posten reported that two illustrators who produced the cartoons had received death threats. The daily published the series of caricatures, after a writer complained that nobody dared illustrate his book about Muhammad.

Instead of issuing an abject and unconditional apology, the newspaper has remained belligerent. It gave a weak apology for "wounding the sensitivities of Muslims," but said it was testing the boundaries of expression about Islam. At the same time Jyllands-Posten maintained its right to print what it likes.

"We must quietly point out here that the drawings illustrated an article on the self-censorship which rules large parts of the Western world," the paper said. "Our right to say, write, photograph and draw what we want to within the framework of the law exists and must endure - unconditionally!"

The ambassadors of 10 Muslim countries (including a number of Arab countries, Pakistan, Iran, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Indonesia) sent a joint letter of complaint to the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, asking him to take a stance on the issue.

Rasmussen refused to intervene and responded by merely stating that Denmark had a free and independent press. He said he could not tell newspapers what to print - or what not to. In his New Year's speech, Mr Rasmussen fell just short of an apology speaking of responsibility in exercising freedoms of speech.

Unsurprisingly, neither semi-apologies seem to have been accepted in a Muslim world which sees any depiction of the prophet as blasphemous.

There are now fears that the incident could affect Danish businesses. The Danish company Arla Foods, one of Europe's largest dairy producers, has placed advertisements in Middle Eastern newspapers to try to stop a boycott of Danish produce in Muslim countries.

Arla Foods said earlier in the week that its customers in Saudi Arabia appeared to have stopped selling its dairy produce and had begun a boycott of Danish goods. Finn Hansen, a divisional director with Arla, on Thursday said "We fear that we will be hit by a wave of consumer anger." He added that there had been calls for boycotting Danish products in Friday prayers and on Saudi television and in newspapers.

"We are certainly afraid this will spread across Saudi Arabia and affect our business," he said.

There were street protests both in Denmark and in Muslim countries following the publication of the cartoons.

The Confederation of Danish Industries has now appealed to Jyllands-Posten to print an apology for having commissioned the drawings.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Denmark "for consultations in light of the Danish government's lack of attention to insulting the Prophet Muhammad by its newspapers."

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Fruit and veg 'cut stroke risk'

Eating more than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can cut risk of stroke, a study says.

People who ate three to five cut the risk by 11% compared with those eating fewer than three, The Lancet reported.

It was 26% lower for people who ate more than five servings, University of London researchers found in the study of data on more than 257,500 people.

The Department of Health says five or more daily portions cuts risk of heart disease, cancer and other problems.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the most common cause of disability in most developed countries.

STROKE
+ More than 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year
+ Strokes kill an estimated 67,000 people in the UK each year
+ More than 250,000 Britons live with a severe disability caused by stroke

The researchers pooled data from eight studies from Europe, Japan and the US.

Lead researcher Dr Feng J. He BSc, MSc, PhD - Cardiovascular Research Fellow [with the Blood Pressure Unit at St George's Hospital Medical School, London] said a diet including lots of fruit and vegetables was also likely to further reduce the risk of other forms of cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.

Professor Graham A. MacGregor, MA, FRCP, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician in the Blood Pressure Unit, Department of Medicine at St. George's Hospital Medical School in London, who also worked on the study, said: "It is a very important finding because it really shows that the quantity of fruit and vegetables you should be eating is more than five a day."

Fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients such as vitamin C, beta carotene and potassium as well as plant proteins and dietary fibre. They are also less dense in calories, have very little fat and contain beneficial antioxidants. However, the researchers suspect that potassium may be the most important factor in preventing stroke.

A SERVING
Vegetables: 77 grams (2.7 ounces)
Fruit: 80 grams (2.8 ounces)

Professor MacGregor said: "We know that if you give people additional potassium it lowers blood pressure.

"By increasing to five servings a day from three you would increase your potassium intake by about 50%."

Simple changes
Joe Korner, of the Stroke Association, said: "This latest research is very important because it shows just how significant this simple lifestyle change can be in reducing strokes.

"Simply increasing daily intake of fruit and vegetables to five or more a day could reduce the number of strokes by 26%. In the UK that would mean nearly 40,000 strokes a year.

"At least a further 20,000 (14%) strokes could be prevented by better control of high blood pressure through reducing salt intake, better exercise and stopping smoking."

Professor Gareth Beevers, from the Blood Pressure Association, said the study highlighted the need for health educators to provide clear, practical information about the sorts of foods which everyone should be eating.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4649508.stm

Published: 2006/01/27 00:56:45 GMT

BBC MMVI

Malaysia plans 'crooked' bridge

By Jonathan Kent
BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia says it will go ahead with controversial plans to build a crooked bridge across half the strait it shares with Singapore.

It took the decision unilaterally after talks about replacing an existing causeway failed to produce agreement.

The plan for the bizarre bridge was first put forward by Malaysia's former leader Mahatir Mohammad.

The bridge is one of many issues to strain ties between Malaysia and Singapore since their union ended.

The Malaysians want to replace the causeway that links it to the island state with a bridge.

The causeway hampers access to ports on the Malaysian side, benefiting Singapore whose economy relies heavily on its port.

So the Malaysians now say they will simply replace their half of the causeway.

But because the span is short and the bridge will need to gain height to allow shipping to pass beneath it, it will have to be crooked.

The Malaysians are calling it the "scenic bridge", but say if the Singaporeans want it to be straight and less scenic they will have to come back to the table and agree to replace the whole causeway with a single span.

One Malaysian politician told the Star newspaper that the shape of the bridge would be a reflection of relations between the two countries.

Singaporean sources told the BBC that this statement implies the Singaporeans are straight while the Malaysians are crooked. [With Sammy Vellu for a Works Minister, who can blame them for thinking so?]

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4652984.stm

Published: 2006/01/27 05:53:52 GMT

BBC MMVI

Scientists find 'smallest fish'

By Roland Pease
BBC science correspondent

Researchers have found the smallest known fish on record in the peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Individuals of the Paedocypris genus can be just 7.9mm long at maturity, scientists write in a journal published by the UK's Royal Society.

But they warn long-term prospects for the fish are poor, because of rapid destruction of Indonesian peat swamps.

The fish have to survive in extreme habitats - pools of acid water in a tropical forest swamp.

Food is scarce but the Paedocypris - smaller than other fish by a few tenths of a millimetre - can sustain their small bodies grazing on plankton near the bottom of the water.

Human threat
To keep their size down, the fish have abandoned many of the attributes of adulthood - a characteristic hinted at in their name.

Their brain, for example, lacks bony protection and the females have room to carry just a few eggs.

The males have a little clasp underneath that might help them fertilize eggs individually.

Being so small, the fish can live through even extreme drought, by seeking refuge in the last puddles of the swamp; but they are now threatened by humans.

Widespread forest destruction, drainage of the peat swamps for palm oil plantations and persistent fires are destroying their habitat.

Science may have discovered Paedocypris just in time - but many of their miniature relatives may already have been wiped out.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4645708.stm

Published: 2006/01/25 06:32:49 GMT

Copyright BBC MMVI

Johor to mount hunt for 'bigfoot'

By Jonathan Kent
BBC correspondent in Kuala Lumpur

The government of the Malaysian state of Johor says it is to organise an attempt to track down a legendary ape man reputed to roam its jungles.

After a spate of sightings, Johor's chief minister says he will launch an official search for the beast, dubbed Malaysia's Big Foot by local media but known in local legend as Hantu Gigi Jarang - ghosts with widely-spaced teeth.

The country has been gripped since November 2005 when three fishery workers claimed to have seen a Big Foot family that left footprints up to 45 cm long.

Conservationists say that damage to branches suggested that the creatures could have been up to 3 m tall.

There were similar sightings by members of the local indigenous minority who said they had seen a 'King Kong' covered in black fur.

Now, the chief minister of Johor, Abdul Ghani Othman, says a proper scientific expedition will track Big Foot's big foot-prints.

He is setting up two teams, one of which will scour likely locations, including the densely forested Endau-Rompin National Park.

Mr Abdul Ghani says it is important that the expedition should not harm or frighten the creatures.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4650388.stm

Published: 2006/01/26 12:50:18 GMT

BBC MMVI

A good initiative

Drink firms tackle child obesity

Global drinks firms, including Coca-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes, have unveiled a European initiative aimed at tackling the problem of obese children.

Unesda, the Union of European Beverages Associations, said it would limit youth advertising, control sales in schools and improve nutritional labels.

It also pledged a wide range of drinks, including sugar-free and low-calorie, in container sizes that limit intake.

The European Union has singled obesity out as a major threat to public health.

'Significant move'
Markos Kyprianou, the European Union (EU) commissioner for health and consumer affairs, last year set out plans to combat a rise in obesity and better educate consumers on how to live more healthy lives.

He called on drinks and food companies to liaise with Brussels, as well as health and consumer groups, and take steps towards finding a solution.

Stephen Kehoe, chair of the Unesda Task Force that will monitor the implementation of the plans and an executive at PepsiCo Europe, called the proposals a "significant move by the industry."

"This is the first time ever that the major beverage producers in Europe come together to jointly define their commitments related to responsible sales and marketing practices, especially to children and schools," he explained.

As part of the proposals, Unesda members have undertaken to not to put "any marketing communication in printed media, websites or during broadcast programmes specifically aimed at children under the age of 12."

It also will "avoid any direct appeal to children under the age of 12 to persuade parents or other adults to buy beverages for them."

Learning a lesson?
Direct commercial activity will halt completely in primary schools "unless otherwise requested by school authorities", while in secondary schools "a full range of beverages will be made available in appropriate container sizes, allowing for portion control" only after consultation with parents and educators.

Vending machines will not be branded and will promote healthy and active lifestyles, as well as balanced diet.

Nutrition labels on cans and bottles will be improved to let consumers know what they are drinking and help them control calorie intake.

One drinks company representative in the UK told the BBC that the main driving force behind the changes were the consumers themselves, many of whom were demanding healthier options.

As a result, the number of calories being drunk by consumers in the UK has already dropped, he explained.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/4646942.stm

Published: 2006/01/25 13:13:38 GMT
BBC MMVI

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Let's boycott Kellogg's

Parents sue over 'junk food' ads

Consumer groups in the US are suing cereal maker Kellogg's and children's TV network Nickelodeon in a bid to stop them showing adverts for sugary foods. They are demanding that both companies drop TV and website ads for so-called 'junk foods' aimed at youngsters.

TV ads for sugary and fatty snacks have been criticised by pressure groups in the US, who argue they are helping to fuel soaring child obesity rates.

But industry groups deny that food companies have acted irresponsibly.

They say that manufacturers have no direct control over which foods are bought by consumers.

Fatty foods
"Kids want these foods not because of ads, but because they're children"
Dan Mindus, Center for Consumer Freedom

The court action against Kellogg's and Nickelodeon-owner Viacom is being brought jointly by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and two Massachusetts parents.

They point to a recent study by the US government-backed Institute of Medicine, which suggested that companies were using TV ads to encourage more children to eat unhealthy foods.

The groups, which served notice of the lawsuit on Thursday, want Nickelodeon to stop showing ads for treats and snacks when more than 15% of the audience is made up of under-eight-year-olds.

They also want the companies to stop marketing junk foods on websites and through competition giveaways.

"The industry has had decades to clean up its act, but instead it has only intensified its marketing," said CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson.

More exercise
"Nickelodeon and Kellogg engage in business practices that literally sicken our children," he added.

However, Kellogg's and Nickelodeon said both companies had been encouraging children and families to lead healthy lifestyles.

Kellogg's - whose Tony the Tiger character famously promotes the firm's Frosties sugar-coated cereal - said it was committed to educating parents and children about nutrition and exercise.

Nickelodeon added it actively encouraged families to lead active and healthy lives.

Dan Mindus, a spokesman for campaign group the Center for Consumer Freedom, said: "Kids want these foods not because of ads, but because they're children."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/4630958.stm

Published: 2006/01/20 11:53:48 GMT

Satellite Image over Indian Ocean

Click on the infrared image for a larger view from METOESAT-5 and also for info about time and date the image was taken (updately daily). This info is at the bottom of the clicked image.

Best treatment options for depression

Antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy are the best treatment options for depression

Despite public and professional misgivings, antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are the most effective treatments for moderate to severe depression, state Professor Klaus P Ebmeier and colleagues in a Seminar which reviews recent developments and current controversies in depression.

In this review of the last 5 years' developments in research into depression published in The Lancet, the authors Klaus P Ebmeier, Claire Donaghey of the Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh and J Douglas Steele of the Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen focus on recent advances and current controversies.

They cover epidemiology and basic science as well as the treatment of depression in adults in all its forms. Depression in childhood and adolescence, as well as in old age has been covered in recent Seminars in The Lancet.

Depression in adulthood remains a very common and under-treated condition, resulting in a high degree of disability. Increasingly detailed knowledge about impairment of information processing in depression is being supplemented by quantitative studies of the brain processes underlying these impairments. Most patients improve with present treatments. The mechanisms of action of antidepressants are not fully understood; the hypothesis that reversing hippocampal cell loss in depression may be their active principle is a fascinating new development.

Moral panic about the claim that antidepressant serotonin reuptake inhibitors cause patients to commit suicide and become addicted to their medication may have disconcerted the public and members of the medical profession. The authors describe the considerable effort that has gone into collecting evidence to enlighten this debate.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Vaginal washing 'raises HIV risk'

Sex workers who perform internal vaginal washing are three times more likely to get HIV than those who do not, a 10-year study in Kenya suggests.

And those who used detergents were at four times the risk, the University of Washington team reported.

The report, published in the Aids journal, suggested vigorous internal washing may cause inflammation, making infection more likely.

It is thought women may wrongly believe washing could get rid of infections.

However, the only way to protect against infections from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is to practise safe sex by using condoms.

"The vaginal lining is sensitive and easily damaged"
~ Rod Watson
Terrence Higgins Trust

The team from Washington University's International Aids Research and Training Programme spoke to more than 1,000 women in their study of risk factors for HIV-acquisition over a decade.

They found that internal vaginal washing was highly prevalent and was reported in a third of women from various clinical settings and regions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Study author Dr Scott McClelland said: "This is the first prospective study to demonstrate a significant association between vaginal washing and HIV acquisition.

"A causal association between vaginal washing and HIV acquisition seems biologically plausible."

Education
He also argued that a thorough understanding of the beliefs surrounding the use of "intravaginal practices" was vital so that it could be tackled in a "culturally appropriate" manner.

The research team also said there was an urgent need for new initiatives to prevent HIV spreading to women, who account for a third of new infections.

Rod Watson, deputy head of health promotion at HIV/Aids charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said a link between HIV transmission and vaginal washing was not surprising.

"The vaginal lining is sensitive and easily damaged and the body's natural protection to some infections may be washed away.

"This means there's a greater chance that HIV or other sexually transmitted infections may be passed on.

"In an ideal world women would be educated about these risks and have access to condoms. Sadly, that kind of education is unavailable in many parts of Africa."

Chief Executive of HIV charity Crusaid Robin Brady said this kind of work was key to winning the fight against HIV/Aids in Africa.

He said: "Vaginal washing is commonplace in Africa and we need to understand how all intravaginal practices affect HIV transmission.

"The behavioural practices and cultural beliefs that lead to vaginal washing need to be better understood before any work to include the results of this study into prevention programmes on the ground can occur."

The research is published in Aids, the official journal of the International Aids Society.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Circumcision 'reduces HIV risk'

Cells under the foreskin are vulnerable to infection

Circumcision can reduce the rate of HIV infections among heterosexual men by around 60%, a study suggests.

The South African study, reported in Public Library of Science Medicine, found it had a protective effect for some of the 3,280 young men involved.

Circumcision is thought to help protect against HIV because cells under the foreskin are vulnerable to the virus.

UK experts warned some circumcised men in the study still became infected and condoms offered the best protection.

HIV infection rates are lower among groups in Africa who practise circumcision, but it was not known if this was due to cultural differences.

When the foreskin is removed, the skin on the head of the penis becomes less sensitive and so less likely to bleed, thereby reducing the risk of infection.

---

Circumcision 'helps to halt HIV'

Foreskin cells are thought to be more susceptible to HIV

New research suggests circumcision could be effective in preventing the spread of HIV among men.

The study of more than 3,000 men in South Africa was done by the French agency for Aids and Viral Hepatitis.

The data, outlined at a conference in Brazil, shows male circumcision prevented about seven of 10 infections.

UN health agencies have cautioned that more trials are necessary before they will recommend this as a method to protect against Aids.

Previous studies have suggested that men who are circumcised have a lower rate of HIV infection.

It is thought that the cells of the foreskin are much more susceptible to HIV than cells on other parts of the penis, so by removing the foreskin, the likelihood of infection drops.

---

AIDS risk 'cut by circumcision'
By Ania Lichtarowicz
BBC Health correspondent

Men who have been circumcised may be six times less likely to contract the HIV virus than uncircumcised men, research carried out in India suggests.

The study in the Lancet journal says that the thin foreskin tissue could be highly prone to HIV infection.

The latest study, which backs up earlier research in Africa, was carried out among 2,000-plus men in India.

Researchers say circumcision only reduces the risk of HIV infection - other sexual diseases are not affected.

A number of studies have shown that circumcision appears to lower the chances of contracting HIV.

Soldiers' books show Iraq's front line

My War:
Killing Time in Iraq,
by Colby Buzzell

One Bullet Away:
The Making of a Marine Officer,
by Nathaniel Fick

Just Another Soldier:
A Year on the Ground in Iraq,
by Jason Christopher Hartley

Love My Rifle More than You:
Young and Female in the US Army,
by Kayla Williams with Michael E Staub

No True Glory:
A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah
by Bing West

Ambush Alley:
The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War
by Tim Pritchard

By Richard Allen Greene
BBC News website

The war in Iraq may be far from over, but it has already produced a small crop of books by soldiers who fought in it (click on the jacket scans, above).

These books are not like Anthony Swofford's acclaimed marine memoir Jarhead, a searing but elegiac account of the first Gulf War written a decade after the events it describes. They are raw and immediate, based on blogs or letters home, and at their best they hurl the reader directly into experiences neither Hollywood nor 24-hour news channels can replicate.

While the authors, all Americans, describe similar events - endless waiting to go into action, sand in the eyes, nose and mouth, the chaos and confusion of actual combat - each has a unique perspective and voice.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Volunteers needed to sift stardust

By Helen Briggs
BBC News science reporter

Members of the public are being asked to help study cosmic dust samples returned by the Stardust space mission.

A capsule containing dust from stars millions of light years away is set to land in the Utah desert on Sunday, January 15 2005.

The particles are buried in gel that was exposed to the interstellar dust stream during the probe's seven-year voyage around the Solar System.

Scientists need volunteers to sift through millions of pictures of the gel to locate the few dozen tiny grains.

The project, known as Stardust@home, has been set up by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

"No-one has ever had a contemporary interstellar dust particle in the lab, ever, to study," senior fellow Andrew Westphal told the BBC News website. "It is really a unique opportunity."

Virtual microscope
Dr Westphal developed the technique that the US space agency (Nasa) will use to scan the ultra-light gel (aerogel) in which the interstellar dust grains are embedded.

The gel - which is contained within a "honeycomb" of collector trays - will be scanned by an automated microscope at a clean room in Nasa's Johnston Space Center in Houston shortly after landing.

The impacts are almost invisible and can only be found with a microscope with a field of view smaller than a grain of salt.

Volunteers will be able to access the images via a web-based "virtual microscope". To take part, they need a reasonably up-to-date computer with Netscape or Internet Explorer, patience and some spare time.

People who pre-register will have to go through a web-based training session to see if they are suitable. Dr Westphal believes the untrained eye may be better at spotting what amounts to a cosmic needle in a haystack.

"It's probably better for people to look who won't have any pre-conceived notion of what these things look like," said Dr Westphal.

Naming opportunity
Scientists think they will find only a few dozen interstellar grains. More than 1.6 million individual fields of view will have to be searched over the course of several months.

Once located, the particles will be extracted from the gel and analysed in research labs around the world.
"We will probably find the first grain within the first month," Dr Westphal said.

As well as the satisfaction of taking part in the space project, volunteers have another incentive - the chance to name any dust grains they find.

"There is a tradition in the interplanetary dust community that people name particles, usually those collected in the stratosphere by high flying aircraft," said Dr Westphal.

Examples to date included Florian and Benavente, he added.

Comet chase
Stardust's main mission was to chase a comet and capture material from its coma, the cloud of dust and gas that surrounds its nucleus.

But it also trapped a sprinkling of dust from the interstellar stream that flows through the Solar System.

The particles contain the heavy chemical elements that originated in stars.

"Ultimately, this is the stuff we are made of," said Dr Westphal.

"The fact that we really don't know what the typical interstellar grain looks like is outrageous - this is really a search for our own origins."

Paul S. Moller's Skycar Scam

I was so excited when I first saw the Moller M400 Skycar in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog.

However, a little research on the Internet revealed that it's "inventor," Paul S. Moller is a scammer according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Big Bully at it again

Bush is interfering with the sovereignity of other nations by preventing them from doing what they like with their money, in these cases, making aircraft purchases.

The US has blocked the sale of 12 military transport planes to Venezuela by a Spanish firm, Spain has confirmed. The US had objected to the US$1.5 billion sale when it was signed in November 2005, saying it could destabilise South America. The US ambassador to Madrid informed Spain's government of the decision to block the deal on Thursday.

Both Madrid and Caracas have said the equipment - including eight patrol boats - would have been used to combat drug-trafficking on the Colombian border.

Earlier this week, Venezuela had accused Washington of blocking the purchase of training jets from Brazil.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have grown in recent months, in part because of US criticism over Venezuela's purchases of military equipment.

---

Spain defies US on Venezuela deal

Spain has said it will go ahead with the sale of 12 military planes to Venezuela despite US objections.

However, the aircraft will be made with more expensive European parts because the US has blocked the use of its technology for Venezuela.

The US says Venezuela's Socialist President Hugo Chavez could use the planes to destabilise the region.

Both Madrid and Caracas have said the equipment - also including eight patrol boats - is for defensive purposes. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said Spain "did not share" the US reasons for blocking the deal. She said the deal would create 1,000 Spanish jobs over the next few years.

Drug-trafficking
Mr Chavez has condemned the US position as "horrific imperialism," Reuters news agency reports.

The US accuses Mr Chavez of harassing the opposition and spreading instability across South America.

Mr Chavez had said the patrol boats and military transport planes supplied by EADS-Casa will be used to combat drug-trafficking on the Colombian border.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Eminem contemplating retirement

Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers III, admitted recently that he was considering retirement from the music business.

"I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going," he said.

"This is the reason that we called [my greatest hits album] Curtain Call, because this could be the final thing. We don't know."

From what I've heard of his "music," retirement is probably a good idea. The rapper made the headlines last August when he was treated in rehabilitation for an addiction to sleeping pills.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Jogging your way to saggy breasts

Millions of women may be jogging their way to sagging breasts as they set off on New Year fitness regimes without suitable bras, research suggests.

Some 9.5 million British women could be irreversibly damaging their busts by exercising without a proper sports bra, the Portsmouth University team said.

They found breasts moved in a 3D figure of eight and that uncontrolled movement strained fragile tissues and ligaments.

The study suggested as a woman runs a mile, her breasts bounced 135 metres.

The report found each breast moved independently of the body by an average of 9cm for every step taken on the treadmill.

With the average breast weighing between 200 and 300 grams, this movement puts great stress on the breast's fragile support structure - the outer skin and connective tissues known as Cooper's ligaments.

Irreversible breast sag
The research team found breast movements resulted in temporary pain and discomfort.

But it also led to a more permanent stretching of the Cooper's ligament which leads to irreversible breast sag.

They claim that wearing an ordinary T-shirt bra reduced bounce by 38%, but wearing a sports bra by the firm Shock Absorber - which sponsored the research - reduced bounce by 78%.

Dr Joanne Scurr who carried out the research said women needed to be aware of the effects of exercising without properly supporting their breasts.

"People rightly spend time and effort to get the right footwear for exercise and it is equally important to wear the correct sports bra.

"Proper support for breasts will reduce the stretch to the Cooper's ligament."

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Minister with Humour

Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek has proven himself to be quite a joker when asked whether he would advise non-governmental organisations to be wary of dubious donation promises in the wake of the controversial RM1 billion "donation" to the Malaysian National Cancer Council (Makna) pledged by a Lebanese businessman.

Dr Chua replied: "I think most NGOs are run by people who are quite smart. That's why they have been giving advice to governments and ministers now and then -- all the time, in fact."

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Proton hammered as deal collapses

Proton faces increased competition from Japanese and Korean rivals

Shares in Malaysian carmaker Proton have taken a hammering after Volkswagen dropped plans to invest in the company.

The stock tumbled 19% to 5.10 ringgit, a four-and-a-half-year low, before recovering to trade at 5.60 ringgit.

Speculation has been swirling since the middle of last year that Volkswagen may buy into state-controlled Proton.

Volkswagen is looking to tap into the growing Asian market, while Proton wants access to new technology and help in protecting its market share.

'Not materialise'
Europe's biggest carmaker had been looking to buy a significant stake and gain a big say in the management of Proton.

However, Malaysia owns a 42.7% share in Proton through its investment arm Khazanah Nasional, and it is thought the state was unwilling to ditch its controlling 'golden share' in the company.

A 'golden share' gives the holder a veto right in any vote regarding plans for the company.

"We had a very specific idea how we wanted to proceed there," said Volkswagen's chief executive Bernd Pischetsrieder.

He explained that: "Unfortunately, the Malaysian government, Khazanah and Proton had different ideas. Therefore what we wanted in the cooperation with Proton will not materialise."

While the collapse of the talks will be seen as disappointing for Volkswagen, the implications for Proton are further reaching.

The company is facing stiff competition from other Asia rivals that have been eating into its market share.

Note:
On December 31, 2005 Proton Holdings Berhad had announced the disposal of 57,750,000 Class A shares representing 57.75% of the corporate capital of MV Augusta Motor S.p.A for a cash consideration of Euro 1.00 only. The Rationale? "The Proposed Disposal is consistent with Proton's direction of divesting non-core assets." The figure most Malaysians are asking for is: And how much did these losers pay for the 57.75% share in the first place?

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Duty Calls

"I asked him quietly what my duties as a wife would be," Eva wrote. "I wanted to know whether I should prepare meals for him, whether he needed me as a full-time housewife or whether I would be able to continue with my research and writing. 'You have to open your legs,' Alan replied briefly. At first, what he said seemed rude and vulgar. Then I had to laugh. I realised that this was how Englishmen think - at least how this Englishman of mine thought."
~ Hungarian historian and diarist Eva Haraszti-Taylor on her marriage to British historian Alan JP Taylor

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Salam Aidil Adha

Articles about the Hajj:

1) The Hajj
2) What is the Hajj?
3) Hajj ~ The Fifth Pillar of Islam
4) Guide to going to Mecca

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Elie Youssef Najem

Who is this "Dr" Elie Youssef Najem aka "Lord" Elie aka "Prince" Elie?

If he is such a rich billionaire, how come if you Google his name, you only get three hits, all of them recent, and pertaining to his declared but not actually given "donation" to MAKNA, the National Cancer Council of Malaysia? Surely, someone who has amassed a US$46.5 billion fortune would have some sort of publicly-available information about him?

Bill Gates, for example, with a net worth of US$46.6 billion is the world's richest man in 2004 according to Forbes.com and a lot more people have heard of him compared to this self-professed Najem. Second is Warren Buffet at US$42.9 billion. Nor surprisingly, Najem does not feature on the Forbes list.

Are we being taken for a ride by a con-man who married a 19-year-old Malaysian girl, Farinnie binti Mohd Farid?

Why would a 19-year-old girl marry someone who claims he has "brain cancer"?

Is she an Anna Nicole Smith-like gold digger after his alledged US$46.5 billion?

What is the relationship between Najem's Malaysian wife Farinnie Mohd Farid and MAKNA general manager Farahida Mohd Farid, if any?

Is Najem a money-launderer associated with terrorist groups?

How did Najem make his money?

These are some of the questions still left unsatisfactorily answered. And for as long as they remain unconvincingly answered, they leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth...

---

A 45-year-old cancer-stricken billionaire has pledged US$275 million to the National Cancer Council for the development of its research centre and children's cancer treatment hospital.

January 7, 2006

By Dawn Chan - Lebanese Dr Elie Youssef Najem, who owns a list of companies in the country and overseas, said he decided to approach Makna after facing difficulties to get treatment here when he arrived last May.

Elie, who is married to a 19-year-old Malaysian and lives in the city centre, is suffering from brain cancer. He is also suffering from multiple sclerosis (spinal cord cavity) since 1991.

He lost one of his daughters to throat cancer.

Elie said about RM760 million will be used to build the centre and hospital, about RM95 million to acquire land in the city centre, and about RM190 million for the centre and hospital's operating cost.

"I am also donating an ambulance helicopter," he said.

The hospital and centre is expected to be up and running in a year's time.

---

Najem blames woes on police
January 10, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: As more fresh allegations surfaced against Lebanese businessman Elie Youssef Najem, the self-professed billionaire showed up at the Lebanese Embassy to complain against the police here.

The 45-year-old man, who claims to be a lord and a prince, continued to claim that he was a "victim of trumped-up charges" and blamed the Malaysian police for it.


ANGRY: Najem who walks with the aid of crutches leaving the Lebanese Embassy yesterday.

Speaking to reporters who waited outside the embassy gates, he announced loudly that he would lodge "international reports" against the police.

The embassy refused to respond to press enquiries as to what transpired during the two-hour meeting.

Insisting he was not a fraud, Najem, who walks with the aid of crutches, was accompanied by his 19-year-old wife Farinnie Mohd Farid. He then left the embassy in a taxi.

Najem claimed to have 95 companies registered in Malaysia.

But a search done with the Companies Commission of Malaysia revealed he was involved in only two companies, namely Trident Pillar Sdn Bhd and Cash Discovery Network (M) Sdn Bhd.

Later in an interview with The Star at his home, Najem claimed that he was beginning to re-consider his pledge to donate RM1.04bil to Makna in the light of all the unwanted attention.

"If this harassment continues, then I'm sorry," he added.

He denied all allegations of cheating, claiming that complaints of him issuing bad cheques were all lies. He said that while he was in police custody, some of his employees had issued cheques on his behalf and withdrew all the money he had in the bank.

Najem also denied rumours that he owned a phone sex company in Canada.

"First of all, there's freedom of speech in Canada, and secondly, I never ever owned such a company."

Najem admitted that he had previously been investigated on a charge of sexually molesting a former employee, but said the charge was later dropped.

When asked why there were no Internet records of himself or the companies he purportedly owned, Najem said his website was in the midst of being constructed, but that he needed to get his servers up and running first.

When asked to show proof of his supposed wealth, he refused.

"I am more than a billionaire," said the man who claimed to be worth US$46.5 bil (RM174.3 bil).

"But I want to lead a simple life. Before I die, I would like to get rid of all my money."

"The money is ready, it's all up to Datuk Farid (Ariffin)," he said.

When asked why the Lebanese Embassy had not heard of him despite him being a lord, Najem dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Why should they know me? Who is the ambassador? He's just a civil servant!"

---

More complaints against 'billionaire' Najem
January 10, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: He says it with flowers but never pays for them, apparently.

Billionaire Lebanese Elie Youssef Najem has been accused of ordering flowers worth at least RM5,000 between September and October last year but did not settle the bill.

It seems that he had ordered bouquets for his office and wedding from blooming.com.my

Managing director Martin Cheah said: "Najem had ordered flowers for his wedding worth RM3,298 at his office in Megan Avenue."

"Prior to that, he had also placed orders for bouquets on several occasions amounting to RM1,840. When we sent him an invoice for RM5,138, he issued a cheque for partial payment but the cheque later bounced."

"We no longer accept any orders from Najem as he still owes us RM5,138," he said when contacted by The Star.

Businessman Tan Sim Chai said he had lost RM400,000 in cash and office equipment which he had supplied to Najem in September last year .

"To convince me that he was a legitimate billionaire, he produced a Barclays Bank’s statement saying that he had more than US$526 mil (RM1.9 mil) in his account."

He said Najem told him that he would settle the sum within 30 days as his courier was bringing the funds into the country the following day.

When the money did not arrive, Tan lodged a police report on Sept 21.

A licensed money lender John Sing, 30, claimed that Najem had borrowed RM176,000 from him.

"He said he was a prince and introduced himself to me as Lord Elie. I lent him the money after he showed me his overseas bank statement," he said.

Sing discovered eventually there were other "lenders" like him, when he saw them waiting at Najem's office to get their money back.

Tan and Sing spoke of their predicament at a press conference held by MCA Public Services and Complaint Department head Datuk Michael Chong yesterday.

One real estate agent called The Star, alleging that Najem had failed to pay RM28,000 in office rental for four months and that he threatened to make her "disappear" if she continued to harass him for payment.

Others faxed police reports and copies of dishonoured cheques purportedly issued by Najem.

---

Wife: No matter what they say, we are inseparable
January 10, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: The waif-like young wife of Lebanese businessman Elie Youssef Najem has pledged eternal love for her embattled husband.

"No matter what they say,
when it comes to love,
two hearts are inseparable.
No matter what they say,
when it comes to love,
nothing is impossible."

That was a poem penned by 19-year-old Farinnie Farid in response to talk suggesting that she was "sold" by her family to Najem, 45, and that she was a gold digger out to ensnare the wealthy businessman.


SO IN LOVE: Najem hugging Farinnie at their home in Kuala Lumpur during the interview yesterday. — STARpix by LOW BOON TAT

"Kurang ajar punya orang! How dare they say such things!" said Farinnie, who is three months' pregnant.

She wrote the poem on a piece of paper, giggling when she could not spell "inseparable" correctly.

In an interview yesterday, she said the negative publicity about her husband was very frustrating.

Farinnie, the fourth child in a family of five, recounted meeting the enigmatic Lebanese for the first time at a dinner early last year.

"There was just something about him," she said.

"It was just a crush at first, but when I saw the way he handled all the things he went through - like the kidnappings and the attempts on his life, I began to fall in love with him."

Farinnie said that they tied the knot six months ago, but declined to talk further about the marriage.

She said she used to study business in a college here but dropped out because she had lost interest.

"I was living with my parents at our Pandan Jaya apartment before meeting, and then marrying, Najem."

But her marriage, so far, has been no bed of roses.

"I couldn't even go on a honeymoon, as my husband's passport had been taken away by the police," said Farinnie, who wore a maroon baju kurung with no make-up or jewellery.

When asked why she had no fine jewellery, she made a face.

"I like to remain simple," she said, adding that her only possessions were a few nice watches, including a Rolex and teddy bears.

"I don't have the desire for lots of jewellery or other expensive things. He wants to buy me all the fancy stuff, but I just don't want them."

Asked about her home life, she burst out laughing.

"I can cook, but they are not the types of dishes that he likes, so most of the times he does the cooking instead.

"His specialities are spaghetti and stews," she said, grinning.

Farinnie turned pensive when asked about her husband who had said he was suffering from cancer.

"I just want to be with him to the fullest while I still can," she said.

---

A love nest nonetheless

KUALA LUMPUR: Billionaire or not, Elie Youssef Najem has a love nest for himself and his wife.

The apartment, which he claimed to pay RM10,000 monthly, seemed like a nice place to live in, if well kept.

The most "luxurious" place in the apartment, which also had a mini-office, was undoubtedly the master bedroom.


A BIT MESSY: The master bedroom and the attached bathroom (below) need some tidying up.


With a king-sized bed, sofa, air-conditioning, TV and DVD player, it was indeed a snug place for him and his 19-year-old wife to retire to if they got tired of watching the stacks of DVDs in the living room.

The 27th floor apartment has a superb view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. However, the place is definitely in need of some top-to-bottom cleaning-up.

Clothes were strewn about on the floor, ashtrays were filled to the brim and the dustbins were overflowing.

Taking The Star on a tour of his apartment yesterday, Najem apologised for the mess, saying that the house was being fitted with a state-of-the-art security system worth almost RM200,000.

"Everything is in chaos now due to the renovations," he said.

---

Penang Bridge Financed By Federal Govt, Says Samy Vellu
January 10, 2006 19:06 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Tuesday denied a claim by Lebanese businessman, Elie Youssef Najem, that he had helped Malaysia in the building of the Penang bridge by extending US$2 billion (RM7.6 billion) to the main contractor.

"Construction of the bridge was financed by the federal government," he said when contacted here.

He said no individuals were involved in the financing of the project.

Samy Vellu was asked to comment on Najem's allegation that he had helped Malaysia in the building of the Penang Bridge by extending US$2 billion to the main contractor.

The 13.5km Penang bridge, said to be Asia's longest and world's fifth largest, was built at a cost of RM800 million and opened in 1985.

Samy Vellu said he was the Works Minister when the bridge was built.

The Lebanese "billionaire" startled Malaysians with a RM1.07 billion pledge to the Malaysian National Cancer Council (Makna) last Saturday to fight cancer.

However, confusion arose over his pledge after Najem reportedly became the subject of several legal suits over various complaints.

-- BERNAMA

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

World's Oldest Quran

Tashkent's hidden Islamic relic
By Ian MacWilliam
BBC News, in Tashkent

In an obscure corner of the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent, lies one of Islam's most sacred relics - the world's oldest Koran.

It is a reminder of the role which Central Asia once played in Muslim history - a fact often overlooked after seven decades of Soviet-imposed atheism.

The library where the Koran is kept is in an area of old Tashkent known as Hast-Imam, well off the beaten track for most visitors to this city.

It lies down a series of dusty lanes, near the grave of a 10th century scholar, Kaffel-Shashi.

The Mufti of Uzbekistan, the country's highest religious leader, has his offices there, in the courtyard of an old madrassa.

Just across the road stands a non-descript mosque and the equally unremarkable Mui-Mubarak, or "Sacred Hair", madrassa, which houses a rarely seen hair of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, as well as one of Central Asia's most important collections of historical works.

"There are approximately 20,000 books and 3000 manuscripts in this library," said Ikram Akhmedov, a young assistant in the mufti's office.

"They deal with mediaeval history, astronomy and medicine. There are also commentaries on the Koran and books of law. But the oldest book here is the Othman Koran from the seventh century."

Sacred verses
The Othman Koran was compiled in Medina by Othman, the third caliph or Muslim leader.

Before him, the sacred verses which Muslims believe God gave to Muhammad were memorised, or written on pieces of wood or camel bone.

To prevent disputes about which verses should be considered divinely inspired, Othman had this definitive version compiled. It was completed in the year 651, only 19 years after Muhammad's death.
This priceless Koran is kept in a special glass-fronted vault built into the wall of a tiny inner room.

About one-third of the original survives - about 250 pages - a huge volume written in a bold Arabic script.

"The Koran was written on deerskin," said Mr Akhmedov. "It was written in Hejaz in Saudi Arabia, so the script is Hejazi, similar to Kufic script."

It is said that Caliph Othman made five copies of the original Koran. A partial Koran now in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul is said to be another of these original copies.

Historical text
Othman was murdered by a rebellious mob while he was reading his book. A dark stain on its pages is thought to be the caliph's blood.

It was Othman's murder that precipitated the Shia-Sunni divide which has split the Muslim world ever since.

Later disputes over the succession led to a division between the mainstream Sunnis, and supporters of Othman's immediate successor, Ali, who became Shias.

The story of how the Othman Koran came to Tashkent is a remarkable one.

After Othman's death it is believed it was taken by Caliph Ali to Kufa, in modern Iraq. Seven hundred years later, when the Central Asian conqueror, Tamerlane, laid waste to the region, he found the Koran and took it home to grace his splendid capital, Samarkand.

It stayed there for more than four centuries, until the Russians conquered Samarkand in the 1868. The Russian governor then sent the Othman Koran to St Petersburg where it was kept in the Imperial Library.

But after the Bolshevik revolution, Lenin was anxious to win over the Muslims of Russia and Central Asia. Initially he sent the Koran to Ufa in modern Bashkortostan.

But finally, after repeated appeals from the Muslims of Tashkent, it was returned once more to Central Asia in 1924. It has remained in Tashkent ever since.

Visiting dignitaries from the Muslim world often turn up to see the Othman Koran in the depths of old Tashkent, so it is odd that it is still kept in such an out of the way location.

But the authoritarian Uzbek government has inherited a Soviet-era distrust of Islam, and still views much of its own Islamic history with suspicion.

The mufti's official religious establishment is closely watched and takes care not to attract too much attention to itself.

As a result, its greatest treasure, the world's oldest Koran, continues to sit quietly in the medieval quarter of old Tashkent.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4581684.stm

Published: 2006/01/05 12:48:12 GMT

© BBC MMVI

Suicide Bomber

London bombs inspire Indian film
By Zubair Ahmed
BBC News, Mumbai


One of Bollywood's leading producers, Mahesh Bhatt, is making a film inspired by last year's London bombings.

The film, Suicide Bomber, is about a disenchanted British Asian Muslim from Bradford and is set in the UK and India.

Mahesh Bhatt says his film will seek to spread the message that Islam is a religion of peace and compassion.

Bhatt has a reputation for making films on controversial subjects and will direct the film himself.

He says he thought of making the film in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks on New York's World Trade Center "when Islam was being projected as a barbaric faith in the West".

"As I have understood Islam, it's a religion of peace. It talks about mercy and compassion," he says.

The account of a young British Asian Muslim, whose suicide mission failed, following the July 7th suicide bombings... inspired me to do a film on the subject
Mahesh Bhatt

Bhatt blames the US for terrorism and suicide bombings in the Islamic world.

He says that through his film he wants to demonstrate that "state terrorism by the West is the root cause of the birth of a suicide bomber".

"In my film, suicide bombers will be shown to be defaming true Islam," he adds.

'Radical Muslim'

The film is centred around a young British Asian Muslim, living in Bradford, who is out on a suicide bombing mission.

"We all heard the account of a young British Asian Muslim, whose suicide mission failed, following the 7 July suicide bombings.

"His account inspired me to do a film on the subject."

Bhatt's protagonist subscribes to a radical ideology to kill himself and others in the name of Allah.

But he fails in his mission and flees to India where circumstances lead to him beginning to question suicide bombings.

The lead role will be played by Bhatt's 21-year-old son, Rahul.

Filming will start in July and it will be ready for release in December.

Bhatt, who is known to speak out on issues close to his heart, has been a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4584610.stm

Published: 2006/01/05 15:42:24 GMT

© BBC MMVI

The new Jaguar XK Convertible

Click on the photograph above to go to the New Jaguar XK website.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice