Om Mani Padme Hum
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Market
Last few days, the STI was hovering around 3000 points. This morning saw the STI dropped to 2988 to 2990. Will it drop further or will it hover around 2990?
- wong chee tat :)
- wong chee tat :)
Sky-gazers in awe of total eclipse
Wednesday November 14, 2012
Sky-gazers in awe of total eclipse
Families
watch a total solar eclipse from Ellis Beach north of Cairns in far
north Queensland, Australia, 14 November 2012. - EPA/BRIAN CASSEY All eyes and cameras turned to the heavens over tropical north Queensland as the moon began moving between the Earth and the sun, like a small bite which gradually increases in size.
Cloud cover threatened to spoil the party and huge cheers erupted when they parted to give tens of thousands of eclipse hunters a perfect view of totality - when the moon completely covers the sun and a faint halo or corona appears.
"Wow, insects and birds gone quiet," one tourist, Geoff Scott, tweeted.
Another, Stuart Clark, said: "This it it. Totality now. Utterly beautiful." The path of the eclipse got under way shortly after daybreak when the moon's shadow, or umbra, fell in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) east of Darwin.
The umbra then moved eastward before alighting in north Queensland - one of the few places it could be viewed by humans and where tourists and scientists flocked to witness the region's first total solar eclipse in 1,300 years.
Totality lasted just over two minutes from 6.38am (2038 GMT Tuesday). When it happened the early chatter of birds and animals was replaced by an eerie silence as the moon overtook the sun, casting a shadow that plunged the land into darkness, with temperatures dropping.
"Day into night, unbelievable, goosebumps, speechless, amazing," said Palm Cove eclipse watcher Simon Crerar. Fred Espenak, an American astrophysicist and world authority on eclipses, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that while eclipses can seem somehow magical, in fact they can be predicted accurately.
The
Diamond Ring effect is shown following totality of the solar eclipse at
Palm Cove in Australia's Tropical North Queensland on November 14,
2012. - AFP PHOTO/Greg WOOD"But the pattern of occurrence is a complicated one. They don't repeat on a time schedule like the seasons of the year."
He explained that when a total eclipse occurred "the darkest part of the moon's shadow sweeps across the earth's surface".
"Total solar eclipses occur once every one to two years but are only visible from less than half a percent of the earth's surface," he said.
The rare spectacle, which was viewed live by millions around the world, drew thousands of eclipse tourists to Queensland with the state government estimating that 50,000-60,000 people made the trip.
They include three charter flights with 1,200 scientists from Japan while six cruise ships were moored off the coast and hot air balloons dotted the skies. Accommodation was solidly booked - from five-star hotels to camping grounds.
Scientists will study the effects of the eclipse on the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's rainforest birds and animals while psychologists will monitor the impact on humans.
Total eclipses can be seen from a given point on Earth's surface only once every 410 years in the northern hemisphere, but only once every 540 years in the southern hemisphere.
The last total eclipse was on July 11, 2010, again over the South Pacific. The next will take place on March 20, 2015, occurring over Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway's far northern Svalbard archipelago, according to Espenak.
- AFP
- wong chee tat :)
SingTel subscribers cry foul over Champions League cut-off
SingTel subscribers cry foul over Champions League cut-off
Posted: 13 November 2012 2114 hrs
SINGAPORE: Some football fans in Singapore are crying foul over being cut off from the current UEFA Champions League season.
They found themselves without access to the games broadcast by cable television operator SingTel two weeks ago.
SingTel had re-packaged the Champions League offerings, and some existing subscribers will have to pay more to watch the matches.
SingTel cable television subscriber Royston Jalleh planned to catch a UEFA Champions League game early one morning, but was unable to.
It was only after making some calls that Mr Jalleh discovered that the league's games he previously had access to were just previews, and he had to upgrade to a new sports package to continue watching.
Mr Jalleh said: "I don't understand, being an existing customer, if there's a re-packaging, does that not automatically get you, you know, into that sort of like package? You know I'm trying to figure this out! So what, do I have to call somebody up? I have to go down to SingTel and actually sign something?"
Under cross-carriage regulations, cable television providers with exclusive broadcast rights to a programme would have to make it available on other similar platforms.
However, the providers can decide how they want to sell the programmes that they have the rights to.
SingTel said it offered the UEFA Champions League matches for the 2009-2012 seasons to its sports pack subscribers on a complimentary basis.
It said its subscribers were sent letters from early October 2012, informing them of changes to the way sports programmes were offered.
SingTel added that it also sent text messaging alerts to subscribers and advertised information about its channel restructuring, saying it had consciously exercised due diligence in ensuring that the information was clearly conveyed in a timely manner.
Ken Lai, who heads English team Manchester United's supporters' club in Singapore, said many existing subscribers had the impression that Champions League coverage would continue.
Some have to fork out about S$10 more to continue watching the league with SingTel's restructured sports offerings.
Mr Lai said: "Pretty upset, pretty upset. I mean, we are not going to cancel the subscription because we'll incur the penalty fund. If we incur the penalty fee, then it's not worth it for us to cancel especially for those who actually have signed at the beginning of the year."
SingTel said due to the rising costs of sports content delivery, Champions League coverage can no longer be provided on a complimentary basis.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 13 November 2012 2114 hrs
SINGAPORE: Some football fans in Singapore are crying foul over being cut off from the current UEFA Champions League season.
They found themselves without access to the games broadcast by cable television operator SingTel two weeks ago.
SingTel had re-packaged the Champions League offerings, and some existing subscribers will have to pay more to watch the matches.
SingTel cable television subscriber Royston Jalleh planned to catch a UEFA Champions League game early one morning, but was unable to.
It was only after making some calls that Mr Jalleh discovered that the league's games he previously had access to were just previews, and he had to upgrade to a new sports package to continue watching.
Mr Jalleh said: "I don't understand, being an existing customer, if there's a re-packaging, does that not automatically get you, you know, into that sort of like package? You know I'm trying to figure this out! So what, do I have to call somebody up? I have to go down to SingTel and actually sign something?"
Under cross-carriage regulations, cable television providers with exclusive broadcast rights to a programme would have to make it available on other similar platforms.
However, the providers can decide how they want to sell the programmes that they have the rights to.
SingTel said it offered the UEFA Champions League matches for the 2009-2012 seasons to its sports pack subscribers on a complimentary basis.
It said its subscribers were sent letters from early October 2012, informing them of changes to the way sports programmes were offered.
SingTel added that it also sent text messaging alerts to subscribers and advertised information about its channel restructuring, saying it had consciously exercised due diligence in ensuring that the information was clearly conveyed in a timely manner.
Ken Lai, who heads English team Manchester United's supporters' club in Singapore, said many existing subscribers had the impression that Champions League coverage would continue.
Some have to fork out about S$10 more to continue watching the league with SingTel's restructured sports offerings.
Mr Lai said: "Pretty upset, pretty upset. I mean, we are not going to cancel the subscription because we'll incur the penalty fund. If we incur the penalty fee, then it's not worth it for us to cancel especially for those who actually have signed at the beginning of the year."
SingTel said due to the rising costs of sports content delivery, Champions League coverage can no longer be provided on a complimentary basis.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
Sex blogger Alvin Tan loses scholarship
Wednesday November 14, 2012
Sex blogger Alvin Tan loses scholarship
By REGINA LEE
regina@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: The National University of Singapore has terminated sex blogger Alvin Tan’s scholarship over his Internet sexploits.
The prestigious university, however, stopped short of expelling the 24-year-old from law school but he will have to pay full non-subsidised fees as a foreign student should he resume studies, reported Singapore Straits Times, quoting unnamed sources.
Tan was an Asean scholar and had been on “leave of absence” from his classes for almost a year when he started uploading pornographic pictures and videos of himself and his girlfriend Vivian Lee on a blog titled “Sumptuous Erotica”.
Tan has refused to comment on the university’s decision.
“I’m sorry but I can’t comment. I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement,” he said.
The university has also kept mum, with the spokesman stating that the school’s disciplinary proceedings were confidential.
An estimate shows that it may have cost the Singapore government – the benefactor of the Asean scholarship programme – at least RM275,000 to fund all of Tan’s seven years of study in the city state.
The highly prestigious scholarship is awarded to only 170 undergraduates from nine Asean countries annually. It covers tuition fees, accommodation and also provides an allowance for the recipients.
Last week, after deciding on the punishment, the university said Tan’s actions were “inappropriate and was detrimental to the reputation and dignity of the university”.
Singapore Education Minister Heng Swee Keat also told Parliament on Monday that Tan’s behaviour was “reprehensible and unbecoming of a scholar”.
Tan said he apologised to the university during the disciplinary hearing on Oct 31.
Meanwhile, both he and Lee have deleted all of their Facebook posts referring to the blog.
- wong chee tat :)
Sex blogger Alvin Tan loses scholarship
By REGINA LEE
regina@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: The National University of Singapore has terminated sex blogger Alvin Tan’s scholarship over his Internet sexploits.
The prestigious university, however, stopped short of expelling the 24-year-old from law school but he will have to pay full non-subsidised fees as a foreign student should he resume studies, reported Singapore Straits Times, quoting unnamed sources.
Tan was an Asean scholar and had been on “leave of absence” from his classes for almost a year when he started uploading pornographic pictures and videos of himself and his girlfriend Vivian Lee on a blog titled “Sumptuous Erotica”.
Tan has refused to comment on the university’s decision.
“I’m sorry but I can’t comment. I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement,” he said.
The university has also kept mum, with the spokesman stating that the school’s disciplinary proceedings were confidential.
An estimate shows that it may have cost the Singapore government – the benefactor of the Asean scholarship programme – at least RM275,000 to fund all of Tan’s seven years of study in the city state.
The highly prestigious scholarship is awarded to only 170 undergraduates from nine Asean countries annually. It covers tuition fees, accommodation and also provides an allowance for the recipients.
Last week, after deciding on the punishment, the university said Tan’s actions were “inappropriate and was detrimental to the reputation and dignity of the university”.
Singapore Education Minister Heng Swee Keat also told Parliament on Monday that Tan’s behaviour was “reprehensible and unbecoming of a scholar”.
Tan said he apologised to the university during the disciplinary hearing on Oct 31.
Meanwhile, both he and Lee have deleted all of their Facebook posts referring to the blog.
- wong chee tat :)
新电信季度净利跌1.6%
Thoughts
Waited and chanced onto an opportunity, yet it turned out to be time and money waster and it did not turned out expected.
Hopefully the last 2 months in the year 2012, nov and dec, bring me lots of good news and lots of opportunities.
- wong chee tat :)
Hopefully the last 2 months in the year 2012, nov and dec, bring me lots of good news and lots of opportunities.
- wong chee tat :)
Anti-virus legend McAfee wanted for murder in Belize
Anti-virus legend McAfee wanted for murder in Belize
Posted: 13 November 2012 1154 hrs
BELIZE CITY: John McAfee, founder of the eponymous anti-virus company, is on the run for killing another US citizen in a resort town, Belizean police said.
Police raided McAfee's mansion on the island of Ambergris Caye, in northeastern Belize, late Sunday to question him about the murder of American Gregory Faull. But McAfee was nowhere to be found, said the head of the country's anti-organized crime brigade, Marco Vidal.
McAfee "is wanted so that he can be interrogated for homicide," Vidal told reporters.
Vidal's officers had searched McAfee's mansion several months ago looking for weapons and drugs, and detained him for several hours.
McAfee claimed he was arrested because he refused to make a donation to a local politician's campaign.
Florida native Faull, 52, was found dead at his home by his housekeeper on Sunday morning.
At the crime scene, investigators found a 9mm shell, "consistent with the wound in the back of Faull's neck," said National Security Ministry spokesman Rafael Martinez.
A police report said there were no signs of a break-in, and that a laptop and cell phone were missing.
Residents of the island, known for scuba diving, tropical fishing and its American expatriate community, told the website Gizmodo that Faull and McAfee had a recent fallout.
According to Gizmodo, which quoted locals speaking on condition of anonymity, McAfee had displayed increasingly erratic behavior and was estranged from the expatriate community.
The website also reported that McAfee had been experimenting with psychoactive drugs.
McAfee has been living in Belize, a former British colony, for the past four years.
The 67-year-old made millions when he sold his anti-virus software company in the early 1990s.
- AFP/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 13 November 2012 1154 hrs
BELIZE CITY: John McAfee, founder of the eponymous anti-virus company, is on the run for killing another US citizen in a resort town, Belizean police said.
Police raided McAfee's mansion on the island of Ambergris Caye, in northeastern Belize, late Sunday to question him about the murder of American Gregory Faull. But McAfee was nowhere to be found, said the head of the country's anti-organized crime brigade, Marco Vidal.
McAfee "is wanted so that he can be interrogated for homicide," Vidal told reporters.
Vidal's officers had searched McAfee's mansion several months ago looking for weapons and drugs, and detained him for several hours.
McAfee claimed he was arrested because he refused to make a donation to a local politician's campaign.
Florida native Faull, 52, was found dead at his home by his housekeeper on Sunday morning.
At the crime scene, investigators found a 9mm shell, "consistent with the wound in the back of Faull's neck," said National Security Ministry spokesman Rafael Martinez.
A police report said there were no signs of a break-in, and that a laptop and cell phone were missing.
Residents of the island, known for scuba diving, tropical fishing and its American expatriate community, told the website Gizmodo that Faull and McAfee had a recent fallout.
According to Gizmodo, which quoted locals speaking on condition of anonymity, McAfee had displayed increasingly erratic behavior and was estranged from the expatriate community.
The website also reported that McAfee had been experimenting with psychoactive drugs.
McAfee has been living in Belize, a former British colony, for the past four years.
The 67-year-old made millions when he sold his anti-virus software company in the early 1990s.
- AFP/xq
- wong chee tat :)
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