Friday 23 October 2015

Racist motive behind Swedish school attack

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: The attacker who stabbed two people to death at a school in Sweden before being shot and killed by police had a racist motive, police said Friday. 

Police labeled the stabbing in the industrial town of Trollhattan a so-called hate crime based on discoveries they made when searching the perpetrator’s home, the way he dressed, his behavior at the scene and the way he selected his victims. 

“All together, this gives a picture that the perpetrator had a racist motive when he committed the crimes at Kronan school,” police said in a statement. 

A 21-year-old masked man, who has not been identified by police, entered the school in southern Sweden Thursday and stabbed four people, two of whom died, before he was shot by police. He later died of his wounds. 

According to Swedish media, the assailant posed for photos with students before beginning his deadly rampage in the halls of the Kronan school in the town that has a large immigrant community. A majority of the students at Kronan are foreign-born. 

Many students thought the attacker was playing a Halloween prank. News outlets posted a photo of a black-clad man they identified as the attacker wearing a military-style helmet and a black mask with a sword in his hand. 

Panicked students fled the school, as police and ambulances rushed in. They found a dead male teacher and three people seriously wounded — two boys, aged 11 and 15, and another male teacher. One of the students later died of his wounds. None of the victims have been identified. 

Officers fired two shots, hitting the attacker with a bullet in the lower chest, and he later died at a hospital. --AP


Design, cost of two bridges linking Malaysia-Thailand to be finalised.

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the timeline, cost management and design of the two new bridges that link Malaysia and Thailand would be finalised soon. 

He said both countries should address challenges that were hampering the completion of the Rantau Panjang – Sungai Golok second bridge link and the new Pengkalan Kubor – Tak Bai bridge link. 

“Unless we complete these two key projects, it would be difficult for us to transition from the current Join Development Strategy (JDS) action plan to the second JDS action plan. 

“I urge both parties to immediately address whatever impediments so that our leaders can showcase these two projects when they meet again at the annual consultation meeting between the two countries,” he said before co-chairing the 13th Joint Commission (JCM) for Bilateral Cooperation and the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas here yesterday. 

Anifah in a statement also said both ministers had also agreed on the need to expedite the detailed design for the new bridge to ensure that they could officiate the ground breaking ceremonies for both projects next year. 

“The ministers reiterated the need for both sides to adhere to the agreed timeline in implementing the projects,” he said after meeting his counterpart Thailand Foreign Affairs minister Don Pramudwinai. 

The leaders also exchanged views on cooperation in rubber particularly on the rubber city establishment. 

“The ministers urged the officials to deliberate on a plan to link the two rubber cities to ensure that they could complement each other. 

“The designated location in Thailand is Chalung Industrial Estate in Songkhla province while in Malaysia it is Ladang Bukit Ketapang in Kedah,” he said. 

On the Southern Thailand peace dialogue, Thailand said it was committed to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner and expressed its appreciation to Malaysia’s role as the facilitator. 

“Malaysia also reiterated its continued commitment to assist in the capacity building programs particularly in education and vocational training".





Friday 16 October 2015

Good Air Quality Nationwide

KUALA LUMPUR: The haze situation in the country is showing positive development with good and moderate Air pollutant Index (API) readings recorded nationwide as of 9am today. 

According to the Department of Environment’s (DOE) portal, 14 areas recorded good API readings of between 24 and 50 and they included Kangar, Perlis (28); Langkawi, Kedah (37); Federal Territory of Labuan (24); Keningau, Sabah (36) and Limbang, Sarawak (31); Meanwhile, 36 areas recorded moderate API and they included Larkin (69); Pasir Gudang, Bandaraya Melaka and Bukit Rambai (74); Nilai and Port Dickson (73), Seri Manjung, Perak and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (61). 

Also with moderate API are Kuching (63); Banting (76); Port Klang (82); Shah Alam (70); Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur (62) and Putrajaya (65). 

An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous. Members of the public can check the status of the API reading in their respective areas by surfing the portal http://apims.doe.gov.my. -- Bernama





KUALA LUMPUR: The haze situation in the country is showing positive development with good and moderate Air pollutant Index (API) readings recorded nationwide as of 9am today. According to the Department of Environment’s (DOE) portal, 14 areas recorded good API readings of between 24 and 50 and they included Kangar, Perlis (28); Langkawi, Kedah (37); Federal Territory of Labuan (24); Keningau, Sabah (36) and Limbang, Sarawak (31); Meanwhile, 36 areas recorded moderate API and they included Larkin (69); Pasir Gudang, Bandaraya Melaka and Bukit Rambai (74); Nilai and Port Dickson (73), Seri Manjung, Perak and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (61). Also with moderate API are Kuching (63); Banting (76); Port Klang (82); Shah Alam (70); Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur (62) and Putrajaya (65). An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous. Members of the public can check the status of the API reading in their respective areas by surfing the portal http://apims.doe.gov.my. -- Bernama

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/10/good-air-quality-nationwide

Ringgit Opens Lower Against US Dollar

 KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against a rejuvenated US dollar today, said dealer.

At 9.15am, the local unit was quoted at 4.1400/1500 against the dollar from yesterday’s close of 4.1200/1250.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/10/ringgit-opens-lower-against-us-dollar-0

At 9.15am, the local unit was quoted at 4.1400/1500 against the dollar from yesterday’s close of 4.1200/1250. 

The dealer said the greenback rose following stronger-than-expected US inflation data released last night. 

The upbeat inflation data gave the US dollar some relief, after pausing its rally recently on concerns about China’s economy undermining prospects of the Federal Reserve hiking rates this year. 

The local note however was traded mixed against other major currencies. 

It declined against the Singapore dollar to 2.9948/0040 from 2.9914/9974 on Thursday and shed vis-a-vis the pound sterling to 6.4009/4180 from 6.3790/3892. 

It however rose against the yen to 3.4723/4818 from 3.4794/4842, and strengthened against the euro to 4.7035/7152 from 4.7120/7186 previously. -- Bernama