Dalai Lama's surgery ends successfully: aide

The Associated Press , New Delhi Fri, 10/10/2008 1:44 PM World Surgeons successfully removed a gallstone from the Dalai Lama on Friday, just days after doctors had cleared the Tibetan spiritual leader during a medical checkup, a spokesman said. Chhime R. Chhoekyapa called the surgery "a simple, routine procedure." The Nobel Prize-winning Buddhist elder, seen by many as the embodiment of Tibet's struggle for more freedom in China, was hospitalized in New Delhi on Thursday. He had arrived in New Delhi earlier in the week for a checkup, his second in as many months, and aides said afterward that the 73-year-old had been cleared to resume foreign travels. In August, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. His aides said then he was in good condition but doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion. The Dalai Lama normally spends several months a year traveling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetan struggle. He lives in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala, where he set up his government-in-exile after fleeing Tibet following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. He was originally scheduled to return to Dharmsala on Thursday. News of the surgery sparked worries in Dharmsala, where the Dalai Lama remains the central figure - both spiritually and politically - for thousands of exiles. While the exile community has become increasingly divided in recent years between followers who support his pacifist approach and a bitter younger generation demanding stronger action against China, he remains deeply revered. "I have been thinking about this for a long time. He is 73 and will not always be around," said Tenzin Ngodup, a 28-year-old exile who escaped from Tibet into India in 1997. "What would happen to us when he is not around? I get very worried. People in Tibet have a lot of hope and faith that since he is here, something good will happen in Tibet. If the Dalai Lama goes, they will lose all hope." After a March outbreak of violence in Tibet, China stepped up its campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, blaming him for the unrest, which Beijing says was part of a campaign to split the Himalayan region from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for Tibet to protect its unique Buddhist culture.

Finland's Martti Ahtisaari wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Associated Press , Oslo Fri, 10/10/2008 4:19 PM Headlines Finland's ex-president Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to build a lasting peace from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Middle East."The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. These efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to 'fraternity between nations' in Alfred Nobel's spirit," the committee said in announcing the prize.Ahtisaari's efforts in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East drew much praise from the five-member committee."For the past 20 years, he has figured prominently in endeavors to resolve several serious and long-lasting conflicts," the citation said, mentioning his work in conflicts from Namibia and Aceh to Kosovo and Iraq."He has also made constructive contributions to the resolution of conflicts in Northern Ireland, in Central Asia, and on the Horn of Africa," the citation said.Speaking to NRK Norwegian TV, Ahtisaari said he "was very pleased and grateful" at receiving the prize.Asked what he considered his greatest achievement, he spoke of peace talks in Namibia in 1989 and 1990, which the committee said "played a significant part in the establishment of Namibia's independence."By selecting Ahtisaari for the prize, the Nobel committee returned to traditional peace work after tapping climate campaigner Al Gore and the U.N. panel on climate change last year.Ahtisaari, 71, has had a broad career in politics and in peacemaking.A primary school teacher who joined Finland's Foreign Ministry in 1965, he spent 20 years abroad, first as ambassador to Tanzania and then to the United Nations in New York.He was U.N. undersecretary of state for administration and management from 1987 to 1991, heading the U.N. operation that brought independence to Namibia in 1990.In 2007, Ahtisaari's office - Crisis Management Initiative - started secret meetings in Finland between Iraqi Sunni and Shiite groups to agree on a road map to peace.He told NRK he hoped that winning the prize would make it easier to raise more money for his initiative.The talks, based on the format of peacemaking efforts in South Africa and Northern Ireland, included 16 delegates from the feuding groups. They "agreed to consult further" on a list of recommendations to begin reconciliation talks, including resolving political disputes through nonviolence and democracy.In August 2005, Ahtisaari helped end 30 years of fighting between Aceh rebels and the Indonesian government with peace talks in Finland, which he initiated and mediated with Crisis Management Initiative. A peace agreement, signed in Helsinki, followed seven months of negotiations between the two parties, which he initiated and mediated.Ahtisaari was also chairman of the Bosnia-Herzegovina working group in the international peace conference on former Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993, and was special adviser to the U.N. secretary-general on former Yugoslavia in 1993.

Aceh’s Hasan Tiro arrives in Kuala Lumpur

The Jakarta Post Sun, 10/05/2008 3:01 PM National
Former supreme leader of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) Muhamad Hasan Di Tiro arrived in Kual Lumpur on Saturday where he met with several former GAM leaders, an activist said.
"The latest news we have is that he stays at the home of the Swedish ambassador to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur," Sahdan, a non-governmental organization (NGO) activist in Aceh, said as quoted by state news agency Antara on Sunday.
Sahdan and a number of reporters from Aceh who have also been here tried to meet and interview the former GAM leader but they lost his trace and did not know where Hasan Di Tiro was.
"He is possibly staying at Concorde hotel in Kuala Lumpur, or Vistana hotel, Klang, Selangor where GAM leaders held a meeting, but latest rumors have it that he is staying at the Swedish ambassador's house," Sahdan said.
The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that the former GAM leader who lived in exile in Sweden had arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday morning.
Hasan Di Tiro planned to stay in Kuala Lumpur for several days to meet representatives of the Indonesian government. He would then be taken to Jakarta before being flown to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, his home town.
"According to plan, there will be representatives of the Indonesian government who will meet him and take him to Jakarta before he returns to Aceh," the source said.
A spokesman of the Aceh Transitional Committee (KPA), Ibrahim Bin Syamsudin, said Hasan Di Tiro would be greeted by KPA officials and Ulemas from Aceh.
During his stay in Kuala Lumpur, Hasan Di Tiro will be accompanied by figures who were involved in the peace negotiations between the Indonesian government and GAM in Helsinki.
It was reported that former Indonesia's chief negotiator Hamid Awaluddin (now Indonesian ambassador to Russia) was accompanying the GAM former supreme leader, while leaders from GAM who accompanied him were Malik Mahmud and Zaini Abdullah.
Besides, peace initiator of the Interpeace Juha Christensen also accompanied him.
It was also reported that Hasan Di Tiro would fly directly from Subang Airport of Malaysia to Sultan Iskandar Muda International airport of Aceh. They have hired two airplanes with a capacity of 72 seats.
Whether or not Tiro would fly to Jakarta first before heading to Aceh will depend on Jakarta's lobby. (and)

China milk scandal spreads

SEOUL - SOUTH Korea, Australia and Japan on Saturday pulled melamine-contaminated sweets and drinks from supermarket shelves amid a widening scandal over Chinese milk products tainted with the toxic chemical.
Authorities in Seoul ordered Mars and Nestle to pull three products after melamine, which is usually used for making plastics, was detected in snacks made in China by the multinationals.
The industrial chemical had been found in M&M's milk chocolate snack and Snickers peanut Fun Size, both produced by Mars, and Kit Kat chocolate bars imported from Nestle Tianjin in China, Korea Food and Drug Administration said.
'Mars is recalling these products because it is legally obligated to do so following the announcement by the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA),' Mars said in a statement.
Melamine has been blamed for making thousands of infants ill and killing four in mainland China after it tainted baby milk powder in one of the country's worst ever product safety scandals.
China is struggling to limit the damage to its food safety reputation as a growing number of countries have decided to suspend imports of Chinese milk products or withdraw them from sale over the scandal.
Mars said while it was complying with the South Korean request, the melamine levels detected were too small to pose a health risk, and called for a standard reporting limit of the industrial chemical across Asia.
'Minute traces of melamine are commonly found throughout the global food chain and melamine levels below 2.5 ppm are not deemed to indicate adulteration with melamine,' it said. There was no immediate comment from Nestle Korea.
A KFDA official said South Korea does not allow any level of melamine in food. 'No melamine in food is our standard,' he said.
World Health Organisation food safety expert Peter Ben Embarek said earlier this week that many countries had only recently fixed limits for melamine in food as 'melamine has nothing to do with the food chain'.
The chemical was added to milk before being sold to dairy manufacturers in a bid to falsely boost protein readings, Chinese authorities have said.
A fourth Chinese milk product has been withdrawn from sale in Australia after tests revealed it was tainted with melamine, Food Standards Australia New Zealand said in a statement.
'Consumers are advised not to consume Kirin milk tea made in China,' the organisation said.
The Australian food watchdog has already recalled White Rabbit sweets and Chinese-made Cadbury chocolate eclairs, while importers of Lotte Koala Biscuits have undertaken a precautionary withdrawal of the product.
A Japanese importer, meanwhile, began recalling Chinese chocolates suspected of being contaminated with melamine.
The western Japanese city of Osaka said a test showed the chemical had been detected in 'Chocolate Pillows' imported from China by Osaka-based NS International.
While there had been no reports of health problems, the city ordered the importer to recall some 86,000 packages of the chocolates on the grounds that the company may have violated the food sanitation law.
A growing number of countries throughout Asia as well as Africa are banning products over the scandal but it has also hit Europe.
The European Union recently banned all imports on Chinese milk-related products for children such as biscuits and chocolate on top of a long-standing embargo on Chinese dairy products like milk and yoghurt. -- AFP

Zahid to run for deputy president because it will be vacated once Najib becomes president

Saturday, 04 October 2008 00:57 zen

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said that he has decided to run for the deputy president’s post in the upcoming party elections after coming to a conclusion that current deputy vice-president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be taking over the president’s post. He said "I have no intention of stepping ahead of any leader. My decision is based on my conclusion that Najib will take over the president's post. Why should I delay the announcement? The divisions will start their nominations on that day... let the grassroots members decide," -Zen, MalaysiaToday

12 Indonesians drown in Malaysia boat accident: Police

Wednesday, 01 October 2008 01:51 WIB
WASPADA ONLINEKUALA LUMPUR - Twelve Indonesians heading home for the holidays drowned early Tuesday when their wooden boat overloaded with more than 100 people capsized off the coast of Malaysia, maritime officials said.The boat, believed to be carrying 130 mainly illegal migrant workers, sank 1.2 nautical miles off Port Klang on Malaysia's west coast en route to Indonesia's Sumatra island."We suspect the boat was overloaded. It is a wooden boat meant for carrying goods and not for ferrying people. But it is usually used to carry illegals," local marine police chief Marzuki Ismail told AFP.Eleven of the victims were women, including one who was pregnant, said local police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop."This has been certified after a hospital post mortem," he said.Police said they believed the Indonesians were heading home for the Eid al-Fitr holidays, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Survivor Nur Najihah, 22, said the boat capsized so quickly that she lost her grip on her 14-month-old son, Indra Putra Asli, the state Bernama news agency reported.She swam into the open sea to search for him before discovering that he had been rescued by other passengers.The bodies were found floating near where the boat capsized 10 minutes after setting sail from a forested area near Westport in Port Klang, heading for Tanjung Balai in northern Sumatra.Malaysia has launched a 60-strong search and rescue operation involving teams of divers and has recovered 112 survivors - 79 men, 30 women, two toddlers and an 8-month old infant.It is not known how many people remain in the water.Mohamad said the survivors would be brought to the local police station."We are investigating six of the survivors who are believed to have masterminded this operation of illegaly ferrying Indonesians across the borders," he said.There are an estimated 1.1 million legal foreign workers, mostly Indonesians, in neighbouring Malaysia, officials have said, and unknown number of illegal workers.(j01/ann)

More BN MPs interested to defect - Wan Azizah

Monday, 22 September 2008 13:21 zen

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the President of the PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) said that there has been more Barisan Nasional MPs who are keen to cross over to the opposition and that her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been holding discussions with them. She said Anwar is making extra effort to meet more MPs as some were sent to Taiwan and Hong Kong,” -Zen, Malaysiatoday