Australia bans cattle exports to 11 Indonesia abattoirs over cruelty

Australian television yesterday aired footage of cattle being treated inhumanely prior to slaughter in Indonesia.

Australia suspended live cattle exports to 11 Indonesian abattoirs today and announced a review into the A$320 million (RM1 billion) trade after graphic footage was broadcast of Australian cattle being inhumanely slaughtered.

“I have decided to halt the trade of live animals to the facilities identified by the footage. I reserve the right to add further facilities to the banned list,” Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said in a statement.

“I will appoint an independent reviewer to investigate the complete supply chain for live exports up to and including the point of slaughter,” he said.

Australian television yesterday aired footage of cattle being beaten, whipped and kicked prior to slaughter in Indonesia, prompting a political outcry.

FIFA bribes

Two of football's biggest corporate sponsors have voiced concern over allegations of bribery at Fifa, saying the storm is bad for football.

World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola and German sportswear company Adidas, which have both ploughed millions into the sport, fear the corruption allegations could harm the game.

Last night, Coca-Cola said in a statement: 'The current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport. We have every expectation that Fifa will resolve this situation in an expedient and thorough manner

 Handed back: The cash which fell out of an envelope marked 'Bahamas'

 Fifa: Mohamed Bin Hammam (left) and Jack Warner (right)

Uncontested: Fifa President Sepp Blatter will stand unopposed at tomorrow's election for his role

Film claims discovery of nails from Jesus’s cross

Jacobovici holds one of the two nails alleged to have been used to crucify Jesus, presented in his new documentary film, at Tel Aviv University on April 6, 2011.


Could two of the nails used to crucify Jesus have been discovered in a 2,000-year-old tomb in Jerusalem?

And could they have mysteriously disappeared for 20 years, only to turn up by chance in a Tel Aviv laboratory?

That is the premise of the new documentary film “The Nails of the Cross” by veteran investigator Simcha Jacobovici, which even before its release has prompted debate in the Holy Land.

The film follows three years of research during which Jacobovici presents his assertions — some based on empirical data, others requiring much imagination and a leap of faith.

He hails the find as historic, but most experts and scholars contacted by Reuters dismissed his case as far-fetched, some calling it a publicity stunt.

Egypt's Mubarak Detained for Investigation - Egypt's Mubarak and two sons detained - Mubarak in intensive care with heart problems

Egypt’s Mubarak detained over graft, protest probe

Hosni Mubarak was ordered detained for 15 days today, a move that may help quell protests and quash suspicions that Egypt’s ruling army generals had been shielding their former commander from investigation.

Mubarak, toppled on February 11 after mass demonstrations against his 30-year rule, was admitted to hospital yesterday suffering what state media called a “heart crisis”. There were conflicting reports about the seriousness of his illness.

The public prosecutor had summoned Mubarak for questioning on Sunday over the killing of protesters and embezzling of public funds. His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, were also summoned for questioning over graft and ordered detained, state TV said.

“Former President Hosni Mubarak was detained for 15 days for investigation,” state television reported in a brief headline.

Berlusconi arrives in court for tax trial

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives at the Justice Palace in Milan April 11, 2011. A defiant Berlusconi arrived in court on Monday to face the latest in a series of trials over the coming weeks on charges ranging from tax fraud to paying for sex with a minor.

A defiant Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived in court today to face the latest in a series of trials over the coming weeks on charges ranging from tax fraud to paying for sex with a minor.

“I will not be convicted,” Berlusconi told reporters confidently as he entered the courthouse, with a crowd of supporters cheering him on.

He said magistrates, whom he has accused of being politically biased leftists, had hurled “an incredible amount of mud” at him “and the whole country”.

Bangladesh court upholds removal of Nobel winner as bank head

Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and managing director for Grameen Bank

A Bangladeshi court today upheld an order removing Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus as head of the microlending bank he founded, a move seen as part of the government’s vendetta with him over his political ambitions.

Yunus, 70, had been removed as head of Grameen Bank last week by the central bank at the government’s behest on grounds that he had stayed on past the legal retirement age of 60.

In 2007, while Bangladesh was ruled by an interim military government, Yunus tried to set up a political party, but later stepped back from the idea, saying it would not sit well with Bangladesh’s traditional politics and cycles of unrest.

Chirac corruption trial suspended

Paris judge delays long-awaited trial of former French president following a constitutional challenge by the defence. A Paris judge has suspended the long-awaited corruption trial of Jacques Chirac, France's former president, after a constitutional ...

India’s cornered PM vows to press on despite scandals

School students shout slogans during a protest against a corruption case in Jammu February 12, 2011.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vowed today to stay in office to press ahead with reforms, denying a series of massive corruption scandals had made him a lame duck leader.

Allegations the government may have lost up to US$39 billion (RM119 billion) in revenues after firms were awarded telecoms deals at rock-bottom prices in return for kickbacks have caused months of parliamentary paralysis, rocked the ruling coalition, and rattled India’s markets.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR SOFT DRINK Coca Cola

Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola was first sold in 1886

1886: Dr John Pemberton produced the syrup for for Coca-Cola and carried a jug down the street to Jacobs' Pharmacy, where it was sold for 5 cents a glass

1906: Countries outside the US - Cuba, Canada ana Panama - began bottling the drink

1916: The iconic contour bottle - so distinctive it could be recognised in the dark - was introduced to distinguish Coca-Cola from competitors

1931: Artist Haddon Sundblom's Santa Claus first appeared in ads for Coca-Cola. This image of Santa - shown as a plump, jolly, friendly man - helped shape the modern-day image of St. Nick

1969: The Beatles name-checked Coca-Cola in their song Come Together

1982: Soft-drink history was made with the introduction of Diet Coke, the most successful new soft drink since Coca-Cola itself. Within two years, Diet Coke had become the top low-calorie soft drink in the world

1985: The drink became the first soft drink to be consumed in space when astronauts tested the Coca-Cola Space Can aboard Space Shuttle Challenger

2006: Cheryl Cole signed up to promote Coca-Cola's sugar free drink Coke Zero

Present: The world's top soft drinks maker reported a net income of £3.58bn for the fourth quarter of 2010

HK feng shui master loses appeal for billionaire’s wealth

Happy family: Nina Wang siblings (from left) Kung Yan-sum, Yan-fum and Molly Cong hold a news conference in Hong Kong today February 14, 2011.Younger brother Kung Yan-sum: Greed doesn’t pay


The former lover of late Hong Kong billionaire Nina Wang today lost an appeal to secure control of her wealth, when the high court upheld a previous judgement in a bitter probate battle.

A little over a year ago, a Hong Kong court had ruled that a will leaving Wang’s entire US$4 billion (RM12.2 billion) estate, one of Asia’s largest fortunes, to her former lover and feng shui master, Tony Chan, was a forgery.

The court said the money would instead go to charity. Chan appealed against the decision.

In a brief hearing, a panel of three judges from Hong Kong’s court of appeal said they “had no hesitation in dismissing this appeal”.

Parents horrified as children run up massive bills Smurfing the web

Huge bills: Thousands of parents have downloaded the games assuming because they're free to download, they're free to play

Paying the cost: Kelly Rummelhart had an unexpected bill after four-year-old son Sawyer played The Smurfs' Village

Computer giant Apple has come under fire for introducing ‘hidden and underhand’ charges into children’s games which many parents thought were free to play.

The US firm has made millions of pounds by developing a new generation of games to play on gadgets such as the iPad and iPhone.

Thousands of British parents have downloaded the games, assuming that because they are free to download they are free to play.

But they have been horrified to discover that children have run up huge bills by buying credits which allow them to progress faster and farther through the game.

The offending games, which include The Smurfs’ Village, Zombie Farm and Tap Zoo, all operate along similar lines and encourage players to build up a virtual community.

Facebook admits its third-party developers have mishandled private data

In what could be potentially damaging to a company already being criticized over its privacy issues, Facebook admitted late Sunday that it had knowledge of developers passing information called user ..

Kremlin Fires Defiant Moscow Mayor Luzhkov

Long-time Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov accused President Dmitry Medvedev of leading the country back into Stalinism a day before he was sacked, a letter in a Russian magazine showed Wednesday.

A tale of two games exposes China-India gulf

The emerging Asian giants of China and India may be locked in a battle for economic supremacy, but on the sporting front at least, China has sprinted well ahead of its southern rival.

In an illustration of some of their relative strengths and weaknesses in tackling complex infrastructure and policy-making challenges for big events, China’s slick preparations for the Asian Games in Guangzhou have contrasted sharply with India’s chaotic Commonwealth Games preparations in New Delhi.

Children of labourers play on a roadside in front of a poster promoting the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi September 27, 2010.

Games-Delhi should not have got Comm Games-Aussie chief

Delhi should not have been awarded the Commonwealth Games, Australia's Olympic chief said on Friday, heaping further pressure on Indian organisers struggling to prepare the scandal-hit event.

"The games shouldn't have been awarded to Delhi in hindsight," Australia Olympic Committee president John Coates said on Australian radio.

"But the people who will decide whether we should be there is Steve Moneghetti, the chef de mission, and Perry Crosswhite, the secretary-general of the (Australian Commonwealth Games) federation."

Games fiasco highlights fissures in India government

The Commonwealth Games fiasco opens a weakened Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dissent within his government and may add to a policy drift over issues from economic reforms to dealing with a Kashmir revolt.

Singh’s Congress-party led coalition will likely stay in power to the end of its term in 2014. But a perception of a floundering and out-of touch leadership may bolster the rise of a more leftist inner circle led by family scion Rahul Gandhi.

The Games were meant to show India’s global clout, but filthy venues, a bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack have added to a sense the 77-year-old, increasingly overshadowed by Rahul, doesn’t control the reins of power six years in office.

Indonesia jails businessman over bid to bribe agency

An Indonesian businessman who played a leading role in a plot to undermine the graft eradication agency in one of Asia’s most corrupt countries was sentenced today to four years in prison.

Indonesia is attracting growing interest from foreign investors, but bribery is seen as a top political risk and a factor hampering growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Anggodo Widjojo, the brother of a fugitive graft suspect, was caught on tape last year conspiring with senior law enforcement officials to frame two officials at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to weaken the powerful agency.

The plot followed his failed attempt to bribe the two officials to drop a graft case against his brother, Anggoro Widjojo.

WikiLeaks founder warned of smear campaign

The founder of WikiLeaks, accused of molestation in Sweden, said Australian intelligence had warned him of plans to discredit the whistle-blower website as it prepares to release more secret US files on the war in Afghanistan.
Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Australian Julian Assange on suspicion of rape but dropped the charge abruptly on Saturday. Police are still investigating an accusation of molestation in a separate case.
“We were warned on the 11th by Australian intelligence that we would expect this sort of thing. They had some concerns that we would have something like that,” Assange told Al Jazeera television in an interview.
“Now, we have no direct evidence at this stage that this is an intelligence operation, or has been influenced by an intelligence operation, but certainly the surrounding context is disturbing.”

Assange was warned to expect a smear campaign to derail WikiLeaks’ plan to release more Afghan war material.

Sponsors pull-out delivers jolt to Delhi Games

Two Indian state-run firms have withdrawn their sponsorship of the Delhi Commonwealth Games due to “negative publicity” of the event stemming from allegations of graft and mismanagement.

India, which hopes to showcase its growing global clout by staging a successful Games, is relying on state-run firms for sponsorship as private companies have largely stayed away.

Struggling to get the venues ready before athletes start arriving next month, the October 3-14 Games is also facing serious corruption charges, which has led to the suspension of three senior officials, while the treasurer has quit following a contract row.

The country’s biggest power producer, NTPC Ltd, has decided to scrap its 500 million rupees (RM33 million) sponsorship deal and is seeking an audit of the 200 million rupees it has already paid.

Manmohan Singh has ordered probes into the corruption charges