Tobacco kills one person every 10 seconds

Zareena Amiruddin
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 5, 2010


EVERY 10 seconds, one person dies in the world from the use of tobacco, the Friday sermon warned Bruneians yesterday, as it highlighted the dangers of smoking in conjunction with the World No Tobacco Day which fell on Monday.

"Let World No Tobacco Day be a reminder of the bad habit of smoking, and let us take steps together to fight it," said the sermon, reminding Muslims in the country that the risks of tobacco products were not minor but could cause death, not only to the smoker but to others around them.

The sermon lamented that even though people knew full well the stark dangers of smoking, they just brush it aside as they continue using tobacco.

Let World No Tobacco Day
be a reminder of the bad habit of smoking,
the Friday sermon said.
Picture: BT file




"The teachings of Islam remind its followers not to do anything that can bring about harm to their minds and bodies, and Islam forbids all food and drink that destroy and harm oneself, such as alcohol, pork, illegal use of drugs and cigarettes."

The sermon said that smoking or the use of tobacco products is one of the causes of diseases, such as cancer and diseases of the lungs and heart. It pointed to studies which have shown that the use of tobacco is the cause behind the deaths of four million people every year worldwide.

It added that because of the danger posed by tobacco, many countries including Brunei have laws to control the supply, sale, use and advertising of tobacco products.

The sermon emphasised the ban on smoking in public places, such as school and hospitals.

"This is to protect the public who are present in these areas from being exposed to cigarette smoke, apart from making sure our air is clean and nice to breathe for all."

Under the 2005 Tobacco Order, anyone caught smoking in a public place can be fined up to $10,000. Those selling tobacco products without a licence can be fined $10,000, and those selling products without the health warning can be fined up to $20,000 and imprisoned.

"A maximum fine of $10,000 can be imposed on those who sell tobacco products to those under the age of 18," said the sermon.

"This is appropriate because the youth and children are the generation that will continue our efforts to develop and make our country prosperous."

The sermon also warned against the sale of tobacco replacement devices such as "electronic cigarettes".

It said that while these products are better for one's health, their sale in Brunei is prohibited because it is an imitation of a tobacco product and a fine of $10,000 can be imposed if one is caught.

"If we take care of our health, Insya Allah we can avoid suffering from chronic illnesses and we can save money for the country," said the sermon.

"In 2008, the government spent $20.7 million on healthcare. About 51 per cent of that was spent for the treatment of illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This does not take into account treatment for other ailments."

The sermon advised that in the effort to take care of one's health, we should take measures to avoid these diseases.

The Brunei Times

Rachel Corrie aid ship seized by Israeli navy

An Israeli navy boat maneuvers at the port of Ashdod June 5, 2010. The Israeli navy prepared to board another aid ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, as Washington condemned as "unsustainable" a blockade which Israel enforced earlier in the week by killing 9 people aboard a Turkish vessel. Irish and other activists on the Rachel Corrie ignored orders to divert to Israel's Ashdod port. Should it continue to approach the Palestinian enclave, the navy would board the vessel, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

An Israeli navy patrol boat maneuvers at the port of Ashdod June 5, 2010. Israeli forces seized an Irish-owned ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, boarding the Rachel Corrie close to the Gaza shore near the Mediterranean, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Details From
Xinhuanet.com 


Israel intercepts Rachel Corrie ship: activist

GAZA (June 5, 2010): Israeli forces intercepted and were following the MV Rachel Corrie, an Irish-owned ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the campaign group supporting the ship said.

"They are being followed," Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza group said by telephone. She said earlier that the Rachel Corrie was some 55 km (35 miles) west of Gaza in the Mediterranean.

Al Jazeera television quoted a journalist aboard the vessel saying: "We can see some Israeli ships a little away from us. They are following us. There has been no contact."

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no information.

Israel had said it would not let the ship through, five days after a convoy of six was halted, including a Turkish ship on which nine men were killed by Israeli commandos who stormed aboard.

Israel has said it would accept the goods aboard the Rachel Corrie at its port of Ashdod, for onward land delivery to Gaza, but the activists have insisted they will dock in Gaza.

"They are not going into Ashdod," Berlin said, adding that only if the Israeli navy seized the ship would that happen.

The vessel is named after an American pro-Palestinian activist killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

Among those aboard the Rachel Corrie are six Malaysians, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire from Northern Ireland and Denis Halliday, an Irish former senior official at the United Nations. - Reuters

MV Rachel Corrie may reach Gaza in 24 hours, Delay due to sabotage

Conflicting claims of 'Corrie' plans 

By JPOST.COM 
06/04/2010 11:10


Passengers aboard the Gaza-bound protest ship MV Rachel Corrie said Friday morning they intended to arrive in Gaza within 24 hours.

Those aboard denied reports that the ship’s arrival in Gaza would be canceled or significantly delayed.

Earlier Friday morning, two conflicting reports circulated concerning the ship, with one saying it had encountered technical difficulties while anchoring at Cyprus - causing organizers to delay or even cancel their plans to reach Gaza - and the other saying Israel had deliberately sabotaged the ship.

Irish flotilla organizer Audrey Bomse said in an interview that the trip would be put off due to an Israeli sabotage of two press and passenger ships intended to accompany the cargo ship, the Rachel Corrie.

The Jerusalem Post could not confirm either report.
Source: JPost.Com

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, Israel not to let any ship reach Gaza

JERUSALEM, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel will not allow any ship reach the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, specifically refering to the approaching international aid ship of Rachel Corrie

We shall not allow the ships to reach Gaza. Not now and not later on," Netanyahu was quoted by local news service Ynet as saying. He made the comment during a meeting of senior ministers convened to discuss how to deal with the Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship heading for Gaza in a bid to breach the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave. On board the vessel are a group of Irish and Malaysian peace activists.

The voyage is another attempt to challenge the siege following the "Freedom Flotilla," which is in the spotlight after engaged in a deadly Monday confrontation with the Israeli navy. Nine civilians were killed and dozens wounded in the highsea showdown.

Sources told Xinhua Thursday that the Israeli defense echelon is considering boarding the ship in case it doesn't follow Israeli order to dock at southern Israel's Ashdod port. They believe that taking over the vessel will be simple, inasmuch as this is a small craft capable of only containing several dozen passengers.

Editor: yan
Xinhuanet.Com

The police must be the rakyat ( people)

by Tunku Abidin Muhriz

SIR Robert Peel, Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, established London’s Metropolitan Police Service in 1829 according to certain principles, most importantly that "the police are the public and the public are the police". Here, that adage met the Malaccan tradition of policing, in which the Temenggung would act as Home Minister and oversee the general maintenance of law and order, while penghulus would be in charge of village security. The Royal Malaysian Police as we know it today is the product of several reincarnations and mergers as colonialism, war and federation took their course.

It has done some glorious things in its history. Its officers have shown gallantry on countless occasions: many forgotten, many unknown. But two things oft retold are the bravery of officers (and their wives) during the siege of Bukit Kepong – a metaphor for the gallant role of the security forces during the Emergency as a whole – and the testimony of those protected by police on May 13, 1969 as murderous political provocateurs prowled the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

There was a time when the words
"Special Branch" were regarded as comforting rather than intimidating, and numerous Royal
Mal-aysian Police personnel have been awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa. From this point of view it is no surprise that the "Royal" prefix has been bestowed upon the institution.

But it has suffered several dark moments too, and the shooting of Aminulrasyid Amzah is one of them. A boy’s life has been ended violently and prematurely, causing anguish and heartbreak. Despite calls not to politicise the issue, Facebook pages have taken party affiliations already. Many questions have been asked, from why our police officers statistically shoot citizens more often than in other democracies, to what an underage boy was doing driving a vehicle after midnight, and whether or not the reforms proposed by the Royal Police Commission of May 2005 would have prevented instances like this.

No one can say for sure, but it is a great shame that the ref-orms, in particular the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) have not been enacted. The government had an opportunity to address the revulsion at the institutions that are supposed to maintain law and order, but they dithered, and today public cynicism against the police (along with the courts and the Anti-Corruption Commission) is routine.

My own experiences with the police have been mixed. We have all heard (or participated in) stories about roadblock bribery. My friend once did a perfectly legal turn but was asked to pay RM80 anyway, and I once did a technically illegal U-turn in Petaling Jaya (I was lost, it was dark, there were no signs, no lights and lots of potholes) and the constable baited for duit kopi for about three minutes before giving up. I was lucky then, but apparently there are crests anyone can buy which act as passes at police roadblocks. It is almost assumed that the law doesn’t apply if the cops think you’re a VIP, but the integrity of our entire system of law is threatened once the police are scared to book someone because of their perceived status.

And yet, after my house caught fire, a very professional officer was on site within 15 minutes to take down a statement and put me at ease. A few days ago I had a chat with three cops serving as outriders – the sort who give thumbs-up to cooperative drivers and say "terima kaseh" over their loudhailers. I asked them about highlights of their job ("escorting foreign VIPs like Queen Elizabeth and Condoleezza Rice"), and whether they’re paid enough ("the thrill of the job keeps us going"). These guys love their job, and they know they’re making a positive difference to the country in doing so.

Yet the government and the police cannot be obdurate to reform. One idea that I’d like to see debated is decentralisation of the police force. As America has its NYPD and the LAPD, so we can have police forces subordinate to local government here too to address petty crimes, while major or cross-border crimes could be dealt with by a federal force. Such a setup – reminiscent of the Malaccan system – could increase local accountability and trust. Above all, it would make the police the rakyat once again.

Tunku ‘Abidin Muhriz is president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.

Updated: 10:04AM Mon, 10 May 2010

Sun2Surf 

Wake up to fact that coffee does not make us more alert

DICK AHLSTROM , Science Editor

COFFEE IS prized around the world as a helpful pick-me-up in the morning, but the notion it makes you more alert may be no more than an illusion according to new research.

The study showed that non-users or occasional coffee drinkers got no boost in alertness after having the caffeine from a cup-and-a-half of coffee.

And moderate to heavy users did no more after caffeine than reach their normal levels of alertness, the coffee only reversing their overnight caffeine deprivation.

This will come as a huge disappointment to those of us who just cannot function in the morning without the helpful effects of a cup of java.

Clearly the Irish have a grá for the beverage. We knock back 3.5kg of beans per capita each year according to 2008 statistics from the World Resource Institute. This puts us at 37th in a list of 181 countries, behind the US in 26th place with a per capita consumption of 4.2kg but ahead of the British who are 47th with a 2.8kg consumption.

Mind you, if we did not have tea available our coffee consumption would probably be in the top 10. This is dominated by the Scandinavian countries with Finland leading the way with 12kg per capita per year.
A decade ago Ireland had the highest per capita consumption of tea in the world, at 3.2kg per person per year.

We were knocking back the equivalent of an average of four cups of cha each every day.
As tea consumption slowed, the coffee began to flow.

But if you believe it gives you a genuine lift you could be mistaken, according to the researchers in Britain and Germany who published their findings yesterday in the academic journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
They were trying to separate the two effects of coffee which varies from person to person, depending on genetic make-up.

Some consumers feel a stimulating effect while others experience a state of mild anxiety.
The researchers gave either a placebo or caffeine to 379 subjects divided into two groups: those who avoided or seldom drank coffee and moderate-to-heavy users. They found that low-level users did not see any boost in alertness.

The moderate to heavy users, if deprived of caffeine as a result of receiving a placebo, reported headaches and a decrease in alertness. But those who got their caffeine hit returned to a normal level of alertness, the researchers said.

They put this down to caffeine “tolerance” due to frequent consumption.
The subjects may have felt better able to face the world, “but no net benefit for alertness is gained, as caffeine abstinence reduces alertness and consumption merely returns it to baseline”, they concluded.

Irishtimes.com 

MV Rachel Corrie heading for Gaza — with the full support of the Irish government

by Paul Woodward on June 1, 2010

This is a major development. The MV Rachel Corrie cargo ship, whose passage to join the Freedom Flotilla may have been delayed because of sabotage by Israelis, is now heading for Gaza — and it has the full support of the Irish government. This is no longer just a question of how easily Israel can trample on the rights of a humanitarian organization.
The Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, has warned Israel that it will face “the most serious consequences” in the event that any harm comes to Irish citizens on board the humanitarian relief vessel.
The Irish Times reports:

The cargo vessel is ploughing ahead with its attempt to deliver aid to Gaza despite yesterday’s deadly attack by the Israeli navy on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
Mr Cowen called today called for the immediate establishment of “a full, independent international inquiry into yesterday’s events, preferably under UN auspices”.
He called on Israel to release “unconditionally” Irish citizens who he said had been taken to Gaza by the Israeli authorities and asked to sign papers allowing for their deportation.
Speaking in the Dáil [Ireland's parliament] during Leaders’ Questions, the Taoiseach [prime minister] said the presence of Irish diplomatic personnel in Israel provided “better prospects” that the citizens would be released “sooner rather than later”
“But I will make this point. If any harm comes to any of our citizens, it will have the most serious consequences.”
Mr Cowen said Ireland’s longstanding position was that the Israeli blockade of Gaza was “immoral and counterproductive” and should be ended.
“Israel must listen and respond to the clear concerns of the international community on this issue. To do otherwise will only serve to reinforce the position of the extremists on both sides and jeopardise the hope of achieving some urgently needed political progress in the region, which the current proximity talks represent,” he said.
The Israeli army has warned that it will be stopped if it attempts to enter Israeli waters.
The Rachel Corrie, which has five Irish nationals and five Malaysians aboard, is due to arrive in Gazan waters over the coming days, a spokeswoman for the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign said. It became separated from the main aid flotilla after being delayed for 48 hours in Malta due to logistical reasons, and is currently off the coast of Libya.
Mr Martin, who called Israeli Ambassador Dr Zion Evrony to a meeting yesterday, said the boat should be allowed through peacefully.
Mr Martin said Israel was also obliged to respect its international obligations under the Vienna Convention and ensure Irish citizens have access to full consular support. He also expressed his condolences to the Turkish government and the families of the people killed when Israeli commandos raided the Turkish registered Mavi Marmara aid ship in international waters as it travelled from Cyprus, killing nine people.
Five Irish campaigners – including leading activists Dr Fintan Lane and Fiachra Ó Luain – are being held in the Be’er Sheva detention camp, from where they face deportation. Dr Lane and Mr Ó Luain were on board Free Gaza boat Challenger 1 which was boarded by Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports that Colonel Itzik Turgeman, a senior Israel Defense Forces officer, speaking before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, hinted that the IDF had sabotaged the engines of all the ships in the Freedom Flotilla other than the Mavi Marmara, saying that “they took care of them.”

warincontext.org 

Malaysians on board the MV Rachel Corrie will continue its mission to deliver aid to Gaza

KUALA LUMPUR: The second batch of Malaysians on board the MV Rachel Corrie will continue its mission to deliver aid despite a warning by the Israeli navy that it would stop the vessel.
Describing the six Malaysians on board the MV Rachel Corrie as being "in high spirits", Perdana Global Peace Organisation chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said they were determined to carry out the mission.

He had spoken to lawyer Matthias Chang, who is part of the mission to Gaza.

"They are very seasick.
"I don't think some of them can even talk. But they are determined to continue their mission," he said.

Dr Mahathir said an engine breakdown had caused the ship to be delayed.

"They are now two days away from Gaza.

"They have not been stopped by the Israelis.

"If the Israelis stop them, of course they cannot fight because they have no arms," he said after delivering the keynote address at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia International Conference yesterday.

In Kota Baru, the state government has called on Muslims to attend a special prayer at Sultan Mohamed IV Stadium tomorrow to seek divine help to save international aid volunteers under attack by the Israeli forces.

Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said this would be a sign of protest against Israel for its aggression on the Freedom Flotilla.

Nik Aziz said the state Religious Affairs and Malay Customs Council would be asked to arrange for special prayers at all mosques in the state and prepare a Friday sermon on the issue of Palestinians' plight.

He also called on the federal government to raise the issue with the United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Conference.

nst.com.my

Help Police by Dialing 06-9781222 - Woman raped in front of family

2010/06/03
TANGKAK: Four robbers raped a woman in front of her husband and 11-year-old daughter in anger over their "meagre" loot on Tuesday.
They then escaped in the family's Proton Wira with RM1,000 as well as gold jewellery and four handphones worth RM3,000.

The unmasked robbers, believed to be foreigners, broke into the family's home in Bukit Gambir about 3.30am by cutting the iron grilles of the back door. The house faces an oil palm estate.

Armed with parang, they made their way to the room where the couple was sleeping with their daughter, and threatened to kill them if they made any noise.
The robbers tied up and gagged the husband and daughter before raping the 40-year-old woman.

Four other children, aged 8 to 17, who were asleep in an adjacent room, only became aware of the robbery after the gang left.

Ledang district police chief Superintendent Harun Idris said the robbers abandoned the Proton Wira near Pagoh, about 20 km away.

Police have launched a massive manhunt for the robbers, including checking foreign workers' living quarters in the district.

Police urge anyone with information to call the Ledang district police station at 06-9781222 or the nearest police station.

Read more: Woman raped in front of family http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8zzhun/Article#ixzz0poWDAeGK

nst.com.my

Pray to God the Satan will be captured by police. People should give their helping hand to police until this fucking shit brought to justice.

Sinkhole in downtown Guatemala City

THE giant hole in the middle of Guatemala City that swallowed a house and a three-storey building could have been forming for thousands of years.

THE giant hole in the middle of Guatemala City that swallowed a house and a three-storey building could have been forming for thousands of years.

Sinkholes occur when groundwater percolates through layers of rock in the Earth's crust, dissolving it and forming a series of underground caves.

Malcolm Cox, a hydrogeologist at the Queensland University of Technology, said that if the caves became bigger and extended up towards the surface they could make the ground unstable and eventually collapse, swallowing the surface soil - and anything on top of it.

Sinkholes mainly formed where the ground was made up of layered rock, such as limestone, which could be dissolved or washed away with groundwater. Such areas were called karst formations, he said. The Jenolan Caves, three hours' drive from Sydney, are examples of local karst formations.

Bruce Hebblewhite, head of mining engineering at the University of NSW, said it was "highly unlikely" a sinkhole would ever form in NSW.

"There might be very localised areas in this country where we have such limestone but certainly not in urban areas and it's not common," Professor Hebblewhite said.

"If it were to happen it would only be the areas where we have similar geology, which are very few, and we would almost certainly be aware that there was such a development taking place.

"So it's just not on the agenda at all."

Associate Professor Cox said it generally took thousands of years for cracks and caves to form in the Earth's crust.

''But they can be enhanced by removing and pumping out groundwater, or extracting petroleum products in nearby formations,'' he said.

Rainwater seeping into the ground could also erode soluble rocks and further extend the caves. Depressions in the Earth's surface could also occur as a result of the same processes.

Sinkholes could vary in size and depth from a few metres to several hundred metres. They have formed in southern parts of Britain, the US and Europe.

Giant sinkhole swallows three-storey building

The sinkhole in Guatemala City, which formed below the northern part of the capital city, was probably triggered by tropical storm Agatha, which has devastated the region.

''When you get these heavy storms and cyclones that put a lot of water into the drainage system they might wash into these [caves] and erode the top of the cave,'' Associate Professor Cox said. ''[Then] it propagates upwards to the surface and all falls in.''

A local newspaper reported that only one person was killed.

with Georgina Robinson and agencies

Edited from the following sources :

A huge sinkhole caused by Tropical Storm Agatha has opened up in downtown Guatemala City. Photo: AP
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/world/giant-sinkhole-swallows-threestorey-building/20100601-wtj7.html

Hole that swallowed a three-storey building

NICKY PHILLIPS June 2, 2010

http://www.smh.com.au/world/hole-that-swallowed-a-threestorey-building-20100601-wvgg.html