Friday Weekly News (Week 4 International News)

The Fallen of Mummyland

The Egyptians have finally got what they wished for. The corrupted leader, Hosni Mubarak has finally stepped down from his position as the President of Egypt. The chaos has finally come to an end. The people have proven to have the ultimate power to manipulate the politics.

A leader found guilty for political corruption and yet to stay in power for 30 years is going to get a lot of backlash. Mubarak has lost the people’s support from the very beginning for being such a greedy leader. After all he hasn’t lead Egypt to any great heights. How dare he took the people’s money for he has done no contribution?

After all Egypt has been through, it united all the people into one. It will surely be a better tomorrow for the Egyptians. Let’s just hope there’s no more protest or chaos.

Friday Weekly News (Week 4 Local News)

Suicide Trend

3 suicide cases happened in just 2 days. Two truly sorrow and dark days in Malaysia. A 17 year s old girl chose to commit suicide for love. A mother jumped down from her apartment after she threw her baby down. Another young lady jumped off her condo roof over sickness issue.

People nowadays just don’t appreciate life anymore. Once they come across any problem and the only solution in their mind is death. How pathetic. Have they ever thought of their loved ones? How much their friends and family would suffer for their sudden death? How can they be so selfish to leave behind their loved ones and just left like that? Not to forget how their parents raised them up from young. That baby has his rights to choose either to live or die and not up to his selfish mother to sentence him to death by throwing him down a high rise building.

The world has changed. It changed to a living hell. Everyone is born to die. Only if we humans are least selfish, the world could be a better place to live…

Friday Weekly News (Week 3 International News)

Snow, cold make Dallas feel more like Green Bay

A fresh blast of snow and ice canceled hundreds of flights Friday, transformed highways into ribbons of white. Football fans whose flights had been canceled struggled Saturday to get to Dallas for Sunday's championship game, while those already in town for the Super Bowl were contending with temperatures and snow typical of Pittsburgh and Green Bay but unusual in Texas.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area received as much as 5 inches (13 centimeters) of snow overnight - nearly twice its annual average. The temperature in Dallas on Friday stood at 20 F (-6 C) - the same as Pittsburgh. Green Bay was slightly colder at 17 F (-8 C).

The blizzard attack has paralyzed half of the United States and causing economy activities to be delayed due to flights being canceled. 49 out of the 50 states currently have snow on the ground – yes, even Hawaii. The only state that has avoided this icy blast is Florida. The snow and cold started early this winter and has been extreme for most of the country. Guess Obama is praying hard for spring to come as soon as possible.

Friday Weekly News (Week 3 Local News)

A child caught in between

In a divorce, it is always a case of ‘he says’ ‘she says’, especially when children are involved. This happens in a broken family where mother, Tan Siew Siew decided to leave her three-year-old daughter behind in Malaysia with her estranged husband and to build a new life for herself in the United Kingdom more than eight years ago. She couldn’t stand to keep paying for the never-ending debt to the loan sharks, owed by his husband who is a gambling addict.

Now, the 38-year-old Londonbased restaurant manager and her 41-year-old ex-husband Low Swee Siong are embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their 12-year-old daughter Low Bi-Anne, even though she was awarded custody by the High Court in 2008. The custody battle caught the nation’s attention last year when Low was sent to jail for not complying with a court order to surrender Bi-Anne to his ex-wife. After friends and family paid a RM20,000 fine to have him released, he was further ordered to pay a fine of RM400 for each day he delayed in handing the girl to Tan.

Both mother and father have confronted the media to speak out their voices. But the true story behind those lies is only known to those who knew both of them. Justice shall make the best out of everything.

Friday Weekly News (Week 2 International News)

Myanmar court upholds dissolution of Suu Kyi party

A special appeals court in army-ruled Myanmar on Friday rejected a move by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to have her political party reinstated after it was dissolved for boycotting last year's election.

The Special Appellant Court in Naypyitaw ruled that the National League for Democracy (NLD), whose 1990 election victory was ignored by the military junta, will remain an "unlawful association" for its failure to register for the Nov. 7 poll.

The decision leaves Myanmar's biggest opposition force on the sidelines of a new, army-dominated political system. This raises questions about the hugely popular Nobel laureate's ability to initiate any change in the former British colony, despite her release on Nov. 13 from a seven-year stint of detention.

"Since it was the last legal avenue, the right to appeal has finished here," Nyan Win, an NLD lawyer and spokesman of the now-defunct party said by telephone.

"We will do whatever we can after discussing with our leaders as soon as we get back to Yangon," he said.

The NLD might serve as some kind of social organisation but warn any moves against a new government due to be formed in the next few weeks could result in the re-arrest of many of its members, including Suu Kyi.

Friday Weekly News (Week 2 Local News)

PM announces toll restructuring to ease people's burden

Several toll operations have been restructured following a review on the transportation costs to ease the people's burden.

There would be no hike in the toll rates for the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the Phase 1 of the East Coast Expressway in the next five years. The termination of the toll operations for the East-Coast Link Expressway connecting the Salak interchange and Taman Connaught interchange in Kuala Lumpur, expected to take effect in May this year, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“In line with the 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now concept, I've asked toll concessionaires to carry out a review of their respective toll structures to help the government prosper the country and lessen the burden of the people,” he told a news conference in his office.

"The closure will take effect once the documentation process is completed, expected to be in May," Najib said, adding that the exercise showed the government's determination to find a prudent solution to the toll issue.

"I'm also calling on other toll concessionaires to take the cue from these initiatives for the benefit of the people," he said.

With this good news, dear Malaysians would access the highways at a lower cost to be home with their loved ones.

Friday Weekly News (Week 1 International News)

France will pay for Afghan policy - bin Laden tape

Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has released an audio recording, saying that the release of French hostages depends on France’s soldiers leaving Muslim lands. President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy’s refusal to remove his forces from Afghanistan is just like allowing the killing spree to start. However, we won’t do that at the time that he can still make that decision that could save his fellow citizens, said Bin Laden.

From the released tape, the al Qaeda’s leader is believed to be hiding in the mountainous boarder areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, has seem to be linking the French presence in Afghanistan to the kidnapping of its nationals in Niger. Seven foreigners, including five French employees of Areva and Vinci, were kidnapped in Niger in September.

Though France has never been attacked by terrorists at home, but the nation has eight hostages held across the world. So far all the rescue actions have failed and caused the death of their citizens. At the end of the day, the men are fighting and the women are crying. What’s the point of it? Violence stops nothing.

Friday Weekly News (Week 1 Local News)

Malaysian navy to the rescue!

Malaysian navy commandoes thwarted an attempt by Somali pirates to hijack a Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) tanker early Thursday. It seems that the Royal Malaysian Navy's Bunga Mas 5 were on a routine escort of MISC’s chemical-laden MT Bunga Laurel. Just when the navy was about to retreat, the pirates struck.

Sources said at least seven pirates began attacking the tanker by firing their weapons when trying to board the vessel. The crew on MT Bunga Laurel activated the alarm so that to alert the commandoes, which were about 30km away, reacted immediately by sending a helicopter to the scene.

Soon the commandoes boarded the tanker and effectively brought down the pirates. At least three pirates were injured in the shoot out and the 20 plus Malaysian crew were saved.

The Malaysian Navy’s swift action saved the day and secured the tanker from the pirates. Once again the Malaysian enforcers did a good job in protecting Malaysian’s property and made us proud.

What kind of information consumer I am?

When I was young, due to my dad’s job as a photographer, I’ve been exposed to camera since then. However I didn’t know much about it until I joined the course for Photography and Digital Imaging in college. Having that advantage enables me to cope with my assignments easily. My dad’s printing company inspired me a lot too. All my assignments were done there. I get to know about the latest in fashion, fragrances and watches even before they hit the market. I even get to use the latest stuff before anyone else. I got my sense of fashion of the higher class today, all thanks to my dad.

As a kid, I always watch cartoon as any other kid would watch. For instance, Jungle Book, I have watched for over uncountable times until the tape spoilt. And also other classic Disney cartoons whose moral value I learnt from have shaped the person I am today. The way I see things in life and the way I treat people. Cartoons have been part of my life even until now. However, cartoons are getting more lifeless nowadays. I watch only a few cartoons that still contain the moral value and the imagination boost. How sad…

I always have high demand for good food. Maybe it’s because my dad is a good and my mum isn’t that bad. I don’t know how to cook but my sense for good food to give comments have convince my parents to improve better.

I still remember when I was a baby, my dad sang those classic Chinese songs to me just to put me to sleep. Bee Gees and MJ were my childhood favourites under the influence of my dad. As I grew into a teenager, I’m no longer into the mainstream music. I turned into Rock n’ Roll music eventually as I started to pick up music instruments. Now it’s all about METAL! It’s fun to hook up with some bandmates or headbangers and jam once in a while. Do covers for metal songs. Sadly, our ‘species’, Metalhead is the rare ones in Malaysia. I always wish to spread the ‘METAL disease’ across our land. I also wish I could learn music in my earlier age.

I have been playing sports my whole life now. I love playing football the most. Having the ball under your foot and controlling it is the best feeling I can ever had. This sport has shaped me physically and also mentally strong. Having my passion in football, I always keep track of the football world. Knowing that I’ll never become a pro, at least my passion for it never dies…

My family isn’t that religious. However, we still continue the Chinese tradition festival among our relatives. Guess that makes me a traditional minded person I am today. I would insist the next generation to pass down the traditions to the next as our ancestors did. I believe that these traditions could keep a family united together for generations and also tighten their relationships.