Saturday, May 7, 2011

Aaron Kwok and Zhang Ziyi attends love for life premiere

Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Zhang Ziyi two nights ago attended the film LOVE FOR LIFE (JUI OI) Beijing premiere. Sing Sing honestly said that in the film their relationship trickled. Unlike the modern young people's romance, its expression was very solid true love. If he was younger and saw the film, he definitely would want to get married sooner. However now he definitely would not get married in a flash because he wanted to make more movies. In addition, Zhang Ziyi said that this summer she might make a movie in Hong Kong, depending on Wong Kar Wai's THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) progress. She said, "Honestly, now the Mainland platform is rather wide, Hollywood also has many bad films. I still have to look at quality when choosing movies."

Source: takungpao
Translated by: hktopten

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Candy Lo trembles while hanging 9 floors up

The Anthony Wong Chau Sun, Richie Jen (Yam Yin Chai) starred PUNISHED (BO YING) was the 13th Udine Far East International Film Festival closing film, but the leads were unable to attend due to work. Only director Law Wing Cheong attended.

Law Wing CHeong on the 7th at 10PM attended the closing film event at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine and shared his experience with viewers. This cinema was the largest there, with 1200 viewer occupancy. This show was already sold out. Law Wing Cheong also said that the enthusiasm of the Italians were somewhat unexpected, he was inevitably nervous as he did not know how their responses tonight would be.

The film had its share of cruel scenes. After Janice Man was buried earlier, another actress Candy Lo Hau Yam was not spared either. After years away from film Lo Hau Yam said that this film was very intense because she has not made a film in a long time. In one scene she hung dangerous from the roof 9 stories above and she had to perform the stunt personally, which to her was very memorable. The preparation was well done before the shoot because from 9 floors up any accident would be fatal. The team also prepared many safety nets on the 8th floor so Candy would not be trembling from fright despite being on wires. Candy said that luckily Siu Chai was very nice and took great care of her all the while and kept giving her confidence like a gentleman. Although Chau Sun looked cool, actually he was quite humorous. When he sensed that Candy was scared, he would surprise her with a joke to relax Candy for a moment.

Source: takungpao
Translated by: hktopten

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Charmaine Sheh so dry, wants to be loved

Happiness at hand, hard to avoid the desire for excitement. Charmaine Sheh has been struggling for a year and finally decides to leaves TVB. Coming out of the greenhouse, she is seeking for a new breakthrough in her career. In her career, she can take the initiative to attack, but in her love life she still has a soft hand and will just go where fate leads her to.

(The rest is Charmaine speaking...)

Career: Fear of being disgusted by the job

[When the public speaks of Charmaine, she is not only a good actress that can create new sparks, but she also has this unknown stimulation.]

I was in TVB for 13 years, besides gaining fame and fortune, the most important is that I found a job that I like. I can truly be entertained while at work. Because there are many people that don't like their jobs, it is a blessing that I was able to find a job I really like, and one that constantly gives me new and fresh feelings. The more I work, the more interested I get, slowly I fell in love with my job.

Feel excited to work outside

In fact, this time deciding if I wanted to renew my contract or not, I struggled for a year. I slowly realized that I cannot step any further in this environment, I do have work, but I don't have a goal. It can't be like that, most of my time is spent in work, how can I have no goals?! No power or force when acting is already not possible! So, I had to think about how I can get that push. I thought about collaborating with other people, that's how I can get new sparks, and as a human being, you must give everything a try, there can't be no changes.

TVB has protected me well in the past many years, but I don't feel uneasy going out to develop. In fact, I feel excited because I don't know anything, it is TVB who spent all these years paving the road for me, and I can safety step out. When I go out, there is a path I take, and it might be dangerous, but there will only be chances with danger, so I feel it's very exciting, looking forward to it.

Collaborated, no sparks

I hope to be able to continue doing the job I like. Can't give myself too much pressure on what achievements I want to get. My purpose is I don't want to have a job that I'm disgusted by. If I keep shooting TVB series, I will have collaborated with many of the artists before, and working with the same person again and again, there won't be any sparks. It's like a roundabout going in circles, I'm really afraid that one day I'll hate my job.

Love: When it comes eat it

[Charmaine dares to love, just as long as she meets the ideal partner, so won't care about her status or work and completely fall in love.]

Sometimes when I'm shooting, I try as much as possible to not make it difficult. After so many years, it's impossible that I didn't hurt my body, my liver and eyes are definitely not in good shape anymore. However, sometimes when I encounter a good script and co-stars, it's hard not to take it. My goal now is to not make things too difficult, take some breaks. In between every shoot, I will take a break before working again.

Love life, just let nature take its course. It isn't buying clothes or pets. Although people say China is a large market and I will meet many people, I really haven't thought about it. When speaking of China actresses being with rich men, I was in China shooting too and I didn't even meet one. So it's not related, when the heavens wants you to meet someone, then you will meet that person.

Prettier with someone loving you

Like Sonjia Kwok, she met the right person and just went for it? I don't care who the person is, relationships when it's cooked, I will eat it. A person that matches and a good person, that's enough for me. I am not desperate to marry, among my friends there are few that failed, what my life is like, I don't know, but if I do have someone to date, it would be better. Most relationships are quite happy, someone to love you, you will be prettier! (Are you pretty lately?) Quite pretty, I'm pretty every day!"

Five Possible Successors Comes Forward

Who will be my successor for Big Sister when I leave? Wah! I can't take that! We are all on the same level! From what I've seen, a FaDan that is popular, most important is they can do both ancient and modern. There are many good ones... Tavia Yeung can be good or evil, and can do ancient or modern. Fala Chen has good audience fate, she already has a head start. Although I haven't collaborated with Kate Tsui, I know she's a smart girl and can diversify [in acting]. Linda Chung is the pretty humble type. Each has their good characteristics and have audience fate. Myolie Wu is very hard working, she is constantly increasing her value and hopes for change. Hehe... they are all good in their own ways! I also want to know who will stand out!

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Bobby Au Yeung accepts TVB series because of debt of gratitude

Bobby Au Yeung, Evergreen Mak, Myolie Wu, Linda Chung and Sire Ma were at the costume fitting for TVB new series Yue Fu Hidden Dragon. As the lead actor of the Forensic Heroes series, Bobby was unable to participate in the third part. He explained that at the time he was in Mainland and couldn't accept the role: "Going out to shoot series is my interest, coming back is for paying a debt of gratitude. (Coming back, you have a lot of debt of gratitude?) Gratitude could be repaid any day, but too many can be difficult for me."

Also, Myolie and Linda said that Yue will need many Extras, but they are not afraid of the minimum wage issue that will affect the shooting process. Asked if they will recommend their friends or relatives to be Extras? Myolie said: "Linda's relatives are in overseas, I can ask my cat to help out." Standing besides Myolie, Linda laughed: "Then I can bring my pet turtle to help."

Sire Ma groaned about the ridiculous rumor she has with Ron. She said: "There is basically no such thing. Ron and I are just regular colleagues. The report is so unfair writing the story like that, especially to Ron!" Asked if she would let the guy spend her money? She said: "It's just a story, that person is not me. (Did your family tell you to quit?) They have mentioned it, but I have personal interest in this career, so I will continue." Sire was said to be a rich girl, but she said the property belongs to her family and not her. Asked again if she minds her boyfriend being a playboy? She frankly said that she hopes her boyfriend will be responsible and loyal, but she knows that not everyone can do this.

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Kevin Cheng gets punches by real boxer, avoid as much as possible

Kevin Cheng plays a boxer in the new series The Boxing King. He has to handle a series of boxing scenes, but earlier he received training. He said that he can physically handle it with no problem, but facing a professional boxer, Kevin laughs that although he went easy on him, the boxer still got him all dizzy!

Earlier, Kevin went with Moses Chan to Singapore for promotions and took the time to share his experiences: "Moses and a Thai boxer collaborated before, he said that even if the boxer is easy on the strength, it is still strong. After a few times, you can feel a little dizzy. For me, after fighting with a real boxer, they don't need to use all of their strength, just 70% is already very strong. I was really feeling dizzy! But no choice. (Did you get injured?) Bruising is normal, just as long as you do the poses right then it's not too bad."

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Kate Tsui flirty hitting on the guys on the set

In Relic of an Emissary, Kate Tsui has a daring performance. Earlier it was rumored that she and Ron Ng sparked love and now she's surrounded by gossips. However, Kate was not affected by the rumor. The day before, she was in Central and Causeway Bay shooting with Bosco Wong for TVB new series Lives of Omission. At the location, it was seen that Kate was in a very good mood, besides joking with Bosco, she was smiling the entire time. Then she and a male worker were laughing loudly together. Looks like she made all the men very happy, pushing the rumor aside. As for Bosco, when he was shooting a driving sports car scene, he was eying the red Audi TT that was used as a prop. During the time, many female fans approached him and asked for autographs and pictures.

Also, Relic received 9 complaints from April 4th until yesterday (May 6). 3 complaints were on the violent and revealing scenes. 5 complaints were on the kiss scenes being inappropriate to broadcast during family viewing hours, especially the slaughter of live fish, is disturbing.

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Malaysia agrees to take Australian asylum seekers (AFP)

SYDNEY (AFP) – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced Saturday that Malaysia has agreed to take hundreds of asylum seekers who land in Australia illegally, in a move described as a "big blow" to people smugglers.

Under the bilateral agreement, up to 800 boat people who try to reach Australia will be taken immediately to Malaysia instead, with their claims processed there by the United Nations.

In return, Australia has agreed to accept and resettle, over four years, 4,000 registered refugees currently living in Malaysia, Gillard and her Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak said in a joint statement.

"This landmark agreement will help take away the product people smugglers are trying to sell -- a ticket to Australia," said Gillard.

"The key message this will deliver to people smugglers and those seeking to make the dangerous sea voyage to Australia is: do not get on that boat.

"Under this arrangement, if you arrive in Australian waters and are taken to Malaysia you will go to the back of the queue."

The agreement, which has been negotiated with the Malaysian government over the last seven months, is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks with Australia covering all the funding arrangements.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said it would cost around Aus$300 million (US$320 million) over four years.

The figure of 800 is a one-off total with no time limit attached.

Thousands of asylum seekers head to Australia each year, usually on rickety boats from Indonesia, swamping already overcrowded immigration centres and prompting recent violent unrest in the often remote units.

Gillard had previously suggested that a regional processing centre be established in East Timor, but the idea was coldly received in Dili.

On Friday, media reports said her administration was considering reopening Papua New Guinea's mothballed Manus Island detention centre to asylum seekers.



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Taliban say bin Laden death will revive Afghan insurgency (Reuters)

KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan Taliban have issued a statement acknowledging the death of Osama bin Laden after al Qaeda confirmed its leader had been killed by U.S. forces, but said his death would only revitalize their fight against the "occupiers" in Afghanistan.

While other militant groups across the world were quick to denounce bin Laden's killing, the Taliban, who once sheltered the al Qaeda leader, were slow to comment in the hours after his death, saying they needed proof he had been killed.

Al Qaeda then issued its own statement on Friday confirming bin Laden was dead, prompting a response hours later from the Taliban.

"We received the news of the martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Abdullah Osama bin Mohammad bin Laden, may Allah have mercy upon him, in a surprise attack of the aggressor American forces," the Taliban said in an emailed statement.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama ... will blow a new spirit into the jihad against the occupiers," they said, employing the title the hardline Islamists use to describe themselves.

Washington has so far not released any photographs of bin Laden's body or the burial, raising doubts in some Islamist forums about whether he was killed. The statement by al Qaeda, who have vowed more attacks on the West, will help to dispel some of those suspicions.

The Taliban gave sanctuary to bin Laden in southern Afghanistan until their government was toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in the months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, masterminded by the al Qaeda leader.

Bin Laden and the Taliban leadership, headed by Mullah Mohammad Omar, then fled into neighboring Pakistan.

"GREAT LOSS"

Analysts say Taliban leaders in Afghanistan are trying to distance themselves from al Qaeda, although links between the two Islamist groups had already diminished over the years even as the insurgency gained momentum.

While in their statement the Taliban describe bin Laden's death as a "great loss," praise for the al Qaeda leader appears to focus mainly on his time spent fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan alongside the Mujahideen during the 1980s.

If the United States and its allies think the morale of the insurgency in Afghanistan will be weakened by the death of bin Laden, "this is an indication of the naivety of the Americans," the Taliban said in the statement.

"America should know that the jihadi movement that is present in Afghanistan started amidst the Afghan people, and it expresses the feelings and hopes of this proud people."

Violence in Afghanistan last year reached its worst levels in almost ten years with record casualties on all sides. The United States and its allies have reluctantly thrown their support behind an Afghan government plan to negotiate with the insurgents as they look to withdraw from the war.

One of the preconditions set by Washington and Kabul before talks can begin is that Taliban-led insurgents renounce their association with al Qaeda. The Taliban have publicly rebuffed the idea of talks, demanding foreign troops leave the country.

After warnings by senior NATO commanders in Afghanistan a wave of new attacks was expected from May 1, the Taliban announced last week the beginning of their "spring offensive" targeting foreign military and Afghan government officials.

The United States and other countries are to start gradually withdrawing troops from Afghanistan this summer as they hand security responsibility to Afghans in seven areas in July. All foreign combat troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)



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Japan wants 3 reactors closed while seawall built (AP)

TOKYO – Officials at a Japanese power company were finalizing a decision Saturday following a government request that it suspend all three reactors at a coastal nuclear plant while steps are taken to prevent a major earthquake or tsunami from causing another radiation crisis.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday that he had asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt its three reactors at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan until the operator can improve safety measures. Though not legally binding, the request is a virtual order.

The government is wrapping up a safety review of Japan's 54 atomic reactors after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The disaster left more than 25,000 people dead or missing on the northeast coast.

The Hamaoka nuclear plant just off the Pacific coast in central Japan is the only one so far where the government has asked that operations be halted over safety reasons.

Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno said in a statement that the company would "swiftly consider" the government's request.

He was expected to hold a news conference later Saturday to announce a decision.

"It was a decision made after thoroughly considering people's safety," Kan said Friday, citing experts' forecast of a 90 percent probability of a quake with magnitude of 8.0 or higher striking central Japan within 30 years.

The government asked Chubu Electric to suspend two running reactors and a third currently shut for a regular inspection at the plant in Shizuoka, which is around 124 miles (200 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Two other reactors are currently being decommissioned.

"If an accident occurs at Hamaoka, it could create serious consequences," Kan said.

Since the March 11 disasters, Chubu Electric has drawn up safety measures that include building a 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) seawall nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) long over the next two to three years, company official Takanobu Yamada said. The company also promised to install additional emergency backup generators and other equipment and improve water-tightness of the reactor building.

Chubu also plans to erect concrete walls along 18 water pumps at the plant, to protect them from tsunami or quake damage. It will also install additional backup generators and other emergency equipment to secure cooling capacity, and improve water-tightness of reactor buildings. It will take two to three years to complete the sea wall, Yamada said.

The plant does not have a concrete sea barrier now. Sandhills between the ocean and the plant are about 32 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) high, the company said.

Chubu Electric has estimated a tsunami reaching around 26 feet (8 meters).

The company recently said it was considering restarting the third reactor in July, triggering harsh local opposition.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Chubu's safety measures were insufficient. "Until the company completes safety steps, it is inevitable that it should stop operating nuclear reactors," he said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the stricken Fukushima plant, has said the waves that wrecked critical power and cooling systems there were at least 46 feet (14 meters) high.

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu called the government's request "a wise decision" and vowed to secure alternative sources of energy.

Residents in Shizuoka have long demanded suspension of the Hamaoka reactors. About 79,800 people live within a 6-mile (10-kilometer) radius of the plant. Some residents have filed a request to a regional court to suspend the Hamaoka plant.

The Hamaoka plant provides power to around 16 million people in central Japan, including Aichi, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters and an auto plant. Faced with a possible power crunch due to the shutdown, Kan sought public understanding.

Automakers and other industries have had troubles with interrupted supply lines, parts shortages and damage to manufacturing plants since the March 11 disasters.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi plant lost its power and cooling systems in the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, triggering fires, explosions and radiation leaks in the world's second-worst nuclear accident.

Radiation leaks have forced 80,000 people living within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant to leave their homes.

Since the Fukushima crisis unfolded, nuclear safety officials have acknowledged that tsunami safety measures at Japanese nuclear power plants were insufficient.

In 2001, TEPCO told Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency that waves would not exceed 18 feet (5.7 meters) at the Dai-ichi plant, based on an anticipation of a magnitude-8.6 quake. It assumed the backup power generators, which were stored in basement areas, would stay dry in a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.0 quake.

___

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa contributed to this report.



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Singapore votes as ruling party faces tough test (AP)

SINGAPORE – Singapore's ruling party faced its toughest challenge since independence in 1965 as voters in the Southeast Asian city-state went to the polls Saturday for parliamentary elections.

Leaders from the ruling People's Action Party spent the last days of the nine-day official campaign apologizing for policy mistakes and perceived arrogance amid growing voter discontent over soaring housing costs and a surge of foreign workers.

"There are immediate problems on everyone's minds, like the cost of living and housing," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a televised speech late Friday. "The PAP is dealing with them."

Voting was due to end at 8 p.m. (1200 GMT), and initial results were expected to be announced a few hours later.

The PAP was expected to win a dominant majority of 87 seats and around 60 percent of the overall vote — results that would be considered great for most of the world's parties but a potential blow for Singapore's political establishment, which has enjoyed unrivaled power for five decades.

Opposition parties, bolstered by a crop of well-educated first-time candidates, have attracted up to 40,000 people at rallies during the last week, the biggest such crowds analysts can remember.

"In any government, there should be a strong alternative voice," said Chia Teck Shin, a 37-year-old public relations executive who volunteered during the campaign for the Singapore Democratic Party. "It can't be that the ruling party is the only deciding factor."

The opposition has never had more than four members of parliament and had just two in the last congress, but six parties are contesting the PAP in a record 82 seats — almost twice as many as the previous election in 2006. In some past elections, the opposition has failed to contest a majority of seats, ceding victory to the PAP even before the vote.

A survey by Australia's UMR Research showed the PAP was likely to win 61 percent of the votes, down from 67 percent in 2006. UMR polled 522 Singaporeans from May 3 to 5, and the online survey had a margin of error of 3.6 percent. UMR did not poll individual district races or estimate how many seats each party would win.

The PAP has traditionally campaigned on its record of strong economic growth and an efficient and corruption-free bureaucracy. However, this time the PAP has appeared to have been caught off-guard by the level of resentment of middle- and working-class voters who in recent years have seen stagnant wages amid higher living costs, and feel the government has not been responsive enough.

Lee apologized earlier this week for government mistakes, such as failing to build enough public housing and not expanding the transportation network to accommodate a large increase of foreign workers. Housing prices on the island are up about 70 percent since 2006.

Singaporeans will be closely watching the results of Aljunied district, where the Workers Party fielded its strongest five-candidate team to take on the PAP, which is led there by Foreign Minister George Yeo.

"I know many of us think the government is arrogant and high-handed," Yeo said in a video posted on his Facebook page. "I will listen to what you have to say."

Yeo later said in a speech, "In your hearts, you know that Singapore needs the PAP. That without the PAP, there is no Singapore."

The campaign also revealed differences between the two most important figures in Singaporean politics — Lee and his father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The elder Lee, 87, is a senior Cabinet minister and is running unopposed in the Tanjong Pagar district he has represented since 1955. He began the campaign threatening the voters of Aljunied that if the opposition won, government funds for public housing improvements would be withheld and residents would have "five years to live and repent."

Prime Minister Lee and Yeo distanced themselves from the comments of Lee Kuan Yew, who didn't speak publicly during the second half of the campaign.

"It's a difference in generation, between MM's team and my team," the prime minister said in a speech earlier this week, referring to Lee Kuan Yew as minister mentor, or MM. "We don't try to do it MM's style. We do it our way."



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Plane with 27 people crashes in eastern Indonesia (AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A passenger plane carrying 27 people crashed Saturday as it was about to land in Indonesia's eastern province of West Papua, killing at least 15, officials said.

Transportation ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the Chinese-made Xian MA60 twin turboprop-powered plane belonging to a state-owned company went down just before landing in Kaimana. The flight originated in Sorong, another town in the province.

Police Lt. Col. Antonius Wantri Julianto said 15 bodies have been found and rescuers are searching for other victims.

Nuno Sampurno, chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said the plane crashed into Kaimana Bay, several hundred yards (meters) from the airport.

Sampurno said the crash was believed to have been caused by bad weather which limited visibility.

The passengers included an infant and two children, Ervan said.

Indonesia, an archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands and 235 million people, has been plagued by a string of transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings. Overcrowding, aging infrastructure and poor safety standards are often to blame.

(This version CORRECTS police official's name in paragraph 3 to Wantri instead of Wanti)



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Friday, May 6, 2011

India govt panel cuts growth forecast to 8.5% (AFP)

NEW DELHI (AFP) – The top economic adviser to India's prime minister has cut his estimate for economic growth in the current fiscal year by half a percentage point to 8.5 percent, citing inflationary pressures.

The Indian government has targeted 9.0 percent growth for the year to March 31, 2012, but the battle against stubbornly high inflation is threatening to derail those plans.

The "persistence of high inflation is inimical to medium-term growth," C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires published Friday.

His lower growth forecast came after the central bank earlier in the week projected even slower expansion of 8.0 percent for fiscal 2011-12.

Hiking interest rates for the ninth time in 15 months, by a bigger than expected 50 basis points, the bank said short-term economic growth may have to be sacrificed in the fight against inflation.

Inflation in India has been at uncomfortably high levels for well over a year now, and is currently running at around 9.0 percent.

Controlling prices is an overriding priority for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress-led government, with poorer households -- the backbone of the Congress party's support -- especially hard-hit by rising food and fuel costs.

At the same time, the government says it needs double-digit economic growth to overcome crushing poverty in the nation of 1.2 billion people.

Rangarajan also told said it would be tough to stick to the government's budget deficit target, as risks of ballooning subsidies mount following a spike in crude oil prices.

The budget aims to cut the fiscal gap to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product this year from 5.1 percent estimated for the last fiscal year.

India imports nearly 80 percent of its crude needs and the government provides a subsidy to state-run fuel retailers to sell diesel and cooking fuels below cost.

The government has budgeted 200 billion rupees ($4.47 billion) to compensate oil companies in the next fiscal year, and the subsidy burden would rise if crude prices jump.



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Cambodia rejects Thai demands over temple troops (AFP)

JAKARTA (AFP) – Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong rejected a Thai demand to withdraw troops from an 11th-century Khmer temple at the disputed border, saying Bangkok was not sincere about peace.

"We never can withdraw our troops from our own territory. That should be very clear," Hor Namhong told reporters on Friday, after a meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The Indonesians are trying to broker a ceasefire and the deployment of neutral military observers to the flashpoint area on the Thai-Cambodia border where some 18 people have died in fighting in recent months.

The issue is likely to be discussed at a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders in Jakarta starting on Saturday.

Both countries have accused each other of sparking the violence, which centres on territory surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's Angkor.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6 square kilometre (1.8 square mile) surrounding area. The temple was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008.

Cambodia has previously denied it has troops stationed at Preah Vihear itself, although it has soldiers in the contested area.

The neighbours agreed in late February to allow Indonesian observers near Preah Vihear, but Thailand has been dragging its heals on their deployment as fighting continues.

"The problem is the willingness of Thailand to accept the observers or not, that is the real problem," Hor Namhong said.

Indonesia holds the current chair of ASEAN and has been trying to use its position to broker an end to the hostilities, which are undermining ASEAN's ambitions to create a closely integrated community by 2015.

Natalegawa said Cambodia had agreed to the terms of the observer mission but Thailand was insisting on the withdrawal of Cambodia's troops from the temple.

"We're ready (to send observers) but Thailand is saying that before the deployment of observers can be made, they require the redeployment of Cambodian troops out of the temple," he said.

"This issue is not governed in the terms of reference. It's outside the terms of reference proper. This is where we are now."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a ceasefire and said the neighbours should launch "serious dialogue" to resolve the dispute, which temporarily displaced about 85,000 people.



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Australia PM mum on 'Pacific Solution' for refugees (AFP)

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard refused to rule out reviving the controversial "Pacific Solution" for refugees, under which asylum seekers were sent to poor island nations.

Gillard on Friday said her ministers were pursuing discussions on a regional solution, but would not comment on whether her administration wanted to reopen Papua New Guinea's mothballed Manus Island centre to asylum seekers.

"When I've got something to announce arising from those discussions then I'll announce it," she told reporters in South Australia.

"We need a regional solution," Gillard added. "We need to be engaged with international agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We have been doing that work."

Refugees face mandatory detention in Australia as they await their visas, and immigration centres are increasingly overcrowded, prompting recent violent unrest and reports of suicides in the often remote units.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Don Polye told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Canberra had asked its northern neighbour to house a regional immigration detention centre.

"Australia is open to putting the centre anywhere, but Manus would be an ideal situation," he said after a cabinet meeting discussing the issue.

Polye said that Australia had offered development assistance packages in return for the poorer nation housing a centre but said the government had not yet made a decision.

Australian and Papua New Guinean officials flew to Manus Island on Thursday to inspect facilities, telling local leaders that a regional processing centre would be built there, the ABC reported earlier.

Under the "Pacific Solution", boat people were processed on Manus Island or the tiny island nation of Nauru in Australian-funded detention centres, but many languished on these remote outposts for years.

The Labor government pointedly abandoned the "Pacific Solution" soon after taking power in 2007, but has since struggled to stem the tide of boat people, many of whom come from Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, often on leaky boats from Indonesia.

The vast majority of boat people arriving in Australia are already processed offshore at Christmas Island, a tiny speck in the Indian Ocean, but the centre is at capacity.

Gillard's suggestion that a regional processing centre be established in East Timor has been coldly received in Dili.

Conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott said that reopening Manus Island would not stop asylum seekers from travelling to Australia, and again urged the government to consider reopening the Nauru facility.

Amnesty International said reviving any "Pacific Solution" would send a bad example to the region.

"This was a failed policy that was internationally condemned for breaching the human rights of some of the world's most vulnerable people," refugee spokesman Graham Thom said.

"Tragically, the government that once eradicated the Pacific Solution now appears to be reviving it."



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7 injured after horse jumps into Australian crowd (AP)

WARRNAMBOOL, Australia – Seven people have been taken to a hospital after a horse jumped over a high fence into a crowd of about 50 spectators during the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool race track.

Banna Strand, without a rider, veered off course Thursday and jumped a 7-foot (2-meter) brush fence into the crowd.

The most serious injury was to a 2-year-old girl, who suffered a fractured collarbone. Most of the other injured were treated and released at the hospital.

Racing Victoria says it will investigate the incident.



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China auto market cools as GM sales fall in April (AP)

SHANGHAI – General Motors and its joint ventures sold 203,367 vehicles in China in April, down slightly from a year earlier, reflecting slowing growth in the world's largest auto market.

GM said Friday that sales by its flagship venture Shanghai GM rose 7.4 percent to 96,219 vehicles in April. That rise was offset, however, by slower sales growth for its other China operations.

GM sales in China in the first four months rose 6.3 percent over a year earlier, a far cry from the double-digit growth seen in recent years.

Ford Motor China, meanwhile, says its sales in China rose 3 percent in April from a year earlier, with growth in the first four months of the year up 15 percent.



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Maldives warns against new protests (AP)

Male, Maldives – The government of the Maldives has said that an opposition-led protest has the potential to become "nasty" and vowed to break it up.

Organizers say a protest after Friday prayers in this Muslim nation will highlight the country's economic hardships allegedly after the government undertook some reforms proposed by International Monetary Fund.

The country's defense force says the demonstration will be broken up because it is organized at a high security area.

Protesters have taken to the streets for five consecutive nights over soaring prices and alleged mismanagement by the government.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem told reporters in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, that the opposition is harming the economy.



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Leung Ka Kei finally got it straight, gets through stress with help of seniors

Leung Ka Kei was once an anchorwoman for iCable entertainment channel. Four years ago, she joined TVB and became an artist. When she first started shooting series, she blamed herself for not grasping the good opportunities that came to her. Fortunately, after working with several seniors, she was able to benefit from them and changed her behaviors. She just recently signed a TVB management contract and is officially a TVB biological daughter. She frankly said that she hopes to have more opportunities to shoot series the most.

When speaking of her background in acting school, many years ago she entered iCable and became the lead entertainment anchor. She participated in Strange Talk and many other travel shows. When asked if she likes hosting or shooting series more? She said: "If I had to choose, I would say I like both. I am greedy, but when I encounter a good role and co-stars when shooting series, the sense of achievement is definitely big."

Her first series is E.U, although that time the producer gave her lots of confidence, Ka Kei was still stubborn. She said: "That time, I was really mad at myself, I didn't take advantage of the good opportunity and overestimated my ability to respond to stress. The results were really hard for me to bear. That time I talked to many seniors and they told me that I will have step it up and make the necessary changes."

Asked when she was shooting E.U, did she hear a lot of words of attack? She said without hiding anything: "A little! I was unhappy. My personality is slow, and I didn't have many friends, no one talked to me and still have that shadow."

In the past several years, Ka Kei has had more opportunities to perform including Relic of an Emissary and Grace Under Fire. Her performance left a deep impression on audience. She is currently shooting Return of the Three Kingdoms and plays Raymond Lam's wife. When speaking of her role in Grace Under Fire that got many aspects, Ka Kei frankly said that fortunately there was Producer Law Wing Yin and seniors Dominic Lam and Kenneth Ma to advise her. She said: "Although my role didn't have much screen time, every time she appears, she had her capability. When I first received the script, I was worried, but now that I know I gave it all I got, and that I was able to handle all the different emotional scenes. Kenneth Ma helped me a lot, and I met a good co-star, feel quite lucky."

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Bosco Wong: One Myolie Wu is enough

Bosco Wong, Chrissie Chau, Icy Wong and Shum Chi Ming attended the K-Swiss All New Specialized Store Opening Ceremony Spring & Summer Fashion Show. The guests modeled the all new launch of KS Collection. As for Bosco who was Choking thought out the whole show, kept his distance when taking pictures with Chrissie and Icy.

Bosco laughed and said that the organizers wanted them to do the catwalk with chok looks. About keeping his distance from Chrissie, he expressed that she's a hot and sexy goddess and he's does not know them well, so did not dare to look at them directly. As for Ron Ng was said to often be pursuing TVB actresses, Bosco was a loyal friend and believed firmly that Ron is not a playboy. It is just part of the series promotion. Asked if Bosco has the qualities to pursue those actresses? He said: "I'm more narrow, one is enough for me! (One Myolie Wu is enough?) Haha! If the range is too big, I won't know how to handle it. (Back then when you were shooting series, the rumors kept going and became real?) Mines is old news. (Broke up?) Choi!"

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Selena Li is scared of horses the most

Selena Li and Chris Lai recently visited Panyu, Guangzhou to shoot a TVB show. This time Selena gets the opportunity to get close up close and personal with the animals, like pandas, kangaroos, koala and giraffe. She said: "The most precious part was I saw a pair of twin koalas. The animal that I fear most are horses before when I was shooting a series, I witnessed Steven Ma get kicked on the face. I still have that image in me, I'm afraid the horse will get angry and of course the most important part for a girl is the face."

Have always liked to play, Selena was extremely excited for the roller coaster that they had in the theme park. After she went on it and screamed loudly, she enjoyed the excitement. She said: "It's already many years since I've been on a roller coaster, brings back memories of the days when I was still in school studying."

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Lui Fong’s Girlfriend Reveals “Hairy Photo” Online




Since ending his 16-year relationship with Carol Dodo Cheng Yu LingLui Fong became a freely prowling “predator.’ Although Lui Fong thought that no one knew about his underground relationship with 25-year-old mainlander, Zhou Xiaoyan, it was the beginning of a nightmare when she accused Lui Fong in taking advantage of her physically and financially. Miss Zhou accused Lui Fong in cheating $40,000 (Yuan) of her personal savings.

Publicly scolded by his former girlfriend, 48-year-old Lui Fong was not picky in choosing his women. Whether beautiful or ugly, Lui Fong continued to be flirtatious towards his latest middle-aged girlfriend. Lui Fong’s girlfriend recently posted a “hairy photo” of herself, in which she revealed her armpit hair in a skimpily clad outfit while sprawled on bed.

Source: Tom.com
Translated by: JayneStars

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Sammi Cheng’s $160 Million Dowry in Marriage to Andy Hui


When Sammi Cheng Sau Man and Andy Hui Chi On were spotted dining at Tai Ping Koon Restaurant, their unification was publicly exposed. Two months later, Sammi and Andy’s relationship became stronger. When Sammi returned from Yunnan province to Hong Kong on April 29th, Andy suggested that they have dinner with her entire family in Wanchai.

While Sammi was not in Hong Kong, Andy did not get a chance to relax and accompanied her father on regular physical therapy appointments. After their marriage, Andy also agreed to move to Hong Kong Island near Sammi’s parents’ house. Since his future son-in-law was so accommodating, Sammi’s father was very pleased with Andy. Sammi’s entire family urged her to marry Andy next year.

Sitting on $160 Million in Real Estate Property

Sammi has a good investment vision. At the tender age of 18, she bought her first property for $3.23 million (HKD), which has increased six times in value. Over the last two years, Sammi bought three luxury apartments. The total value of these properties currently amount to $ 160 million (HKD).

Source: Tom.com
Translated by: JayneStars

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Fala Chen More Fearful of Tornadoes than Osama bin Laden


Fala Chen attended a Giorgio Armani Optical promotional event wearing glasses. Fala indicated, “I usually wear contact lenses. However, frequent contact wear makes my eyes uncomfortable. When I do not have to work, I normally wear glasses.”

How will Fala be celebrating Mother’s Day? “I have to work.” (Did Fala’s boyfriend, Sit Sai Hang, complain?) “I will set aside time to eat together. Since I will not be able to spend time with my own mother, I will be sending her a gift.”

Was Fala concerned that her family in the United States will be impacted by Osama bin Laden’s death?) “On the contrary, my parents are more subject to the threat of tornadoes, since they live in an area prone to tornadoes. My parents live in a small city and terrorist attacks should not have a big impact.” (Perhaps you should ask them to fly on airplanes less?) “They rarely take vacations. They live in a very quiet small city."

Source: Oriental Daily
Tranlated by: JayneStars

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Ron Ng: "I am not interested in Sire Ma!"


Ron Ng Cheuk Hei attended a bowling game to promote Yes Sir, Sorry Sir <點解阿Sir係阿Sir> with fellow cast members, Moses Chan Ho, Tavia Yeung Yi, and Linda Chung Ka Yan. A recent tabloid claimed that Ron was living together with TVB colleague, Sire Ma Choi, while cheating on rumored girlfriend, Kate Tsui Chi San.

Pointing out that he did not know Sire that well, Ron emphasized that they were only colleagues, let alone living together! Ron also emphasized that Sire was not the type of woman he preferred! Why was Ron so blunt? “The tabloids claimed that I was using her money. I do not know whether Sire is rich or not. I am upset by the claims that I eat ‘soft rice!’ I have the ability to earn my own money and will not use women’s money.”

Noting that the tabloids were completely false, Sire denied that she was living together with Ron. Since Ron took care of her during filming in the past, Sire referred to Ron as her ‘sihing” (elder brother).

At a jewelry promotional event, Kate Tsui also denied that she was in a relationship with Ron, claiming they were only brothers. She felt that recent tabloid rumors were unfair in the way they portrayed Ron. When asked by reporters to swear that she and Ron were not dating, Kate only said, “I am numbed by this type of rumors!”

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: JayneStars

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Moses Chan admits to pursuing Aimee Chan


Moses Chan Ho, Ron Ng Cheuk Hei, Linda Chung Ka Yan, and Tavia Yeung Yi attended a bowling game to promote Yes Sir, Sorry Sir <點解阿Sir係阿Sir>. Since rturning fromJamaica after filming a coffee program, Moses has appeared lively and coy. While bowling, Moses continued to hold onto a coffee cup and displayed a “chok” expression.

When reporters asked Moses’ ex-girlfriend, Bernice Liu Bik Yee, whether Moses was a good man earlier, she responded, “He is a man that loves coffee!” When asked whether Moses had any response to Bernice’s statement, he laughed, “That’s the way I am!” (Bernice did not praise you as a good man?) “I have no response.” (Was Bernice still upset?) “I have no response.”

Not In Contact with Bernice Liu

Regarding Bernice, Moses obviously wished to draw a clear line. Earlier, Bernice posted photos of a coffee bean on her blog, leading others to speculate whether Moses gave her the beans as a gift. Moses shook his head and denied having contacted Bernice.

When the topic turned to his current rumored girlfriend, Aimee Chan Yan Mei, Moses’ attitude changed. Regarding Aimee’s praise that he was a good man, Moses said flirtatiously, “She is also a good girl.” (Did you invite her to have coffee at your house?) “No I didn’t.” (Edwin Siu Ching Nam claimed that he will not fight over Aimee with you!) “Good women have many pursuers!” (Are you pursuing Aimee?) “I’m working on it!”

Aimee Chan Maintains Friendship With Moses Chan

On the other hand, Aimee Chan attended a Mother’s Day activity in the Harbour City. In a children’s play, the boy who played Law Sir (Moses’ character in Yes Sir, Sorry Sir) gave Aimee a stuffed toy. When it was suggested that Aimee should give the toy to Moses’ mother, Aimee said, “We are not dating.” (Is there anyone pursuing you?) “Yes, there have always been pursuers.” (Is his surname Chan?) “No, we are friends.”

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: JayneStars

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Wayne Lai Celebrates 47th Birthday with Overseas Fans


Wayne Lai Yiu Cheung celebrated his 47th birthday with fans from Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau on May 4th. Wayne’s fans reserved three tables at a restaurant to have tea together. Since fans from Harbin and Australia were unable to attend, they sent their birthday gifts to Wayne.

To thank his fans for their kindness, Wayne promised to film better series. On the evening of his birthday, Wayne decided to celebrate with his family and high school friends. Fortunately, Wayne did not have to work and looked forward to a carefree evening.

Source: on.cc
Translated by: JayneStars

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Elanne Kong takes on breast enhancement endorsement, career line gets upgraded

Since Elanne Kong's debut, she rarely appeared sexy, but this time she makes a breakthrough and gives a breast enhancement spokesperson job a try. Recently, Elanne is rising in popularity because her series is currently airing and caught the interest of an advertisement company strongly inviting her to be a breast enhancement spokesperson.

The conservative Elanne laughed and said she thought it over for a long time. After her manager's persuasion and she learned the company had a positive and healthy image, she accepted the endorsement without hesitation.

Elanne exposed that when she got massage treatment, she was extremely embarrassed. She said: "Although the massager was a girl, the feeling still felt strange, really makes people shy and itchy. The entire time, I was trying hard not to laugh out!" She also reveals that when the massager massaged her for the first time, it felt very painful, but the results were outstanding. She wanted to recommended it to her friends and perform all her duties as a spokesperson!

When she was shooting the TV ads, she did not hide her beautiful body figure and showed her career line. However, after the shoot she was very shy and quickly covered up with her jacket. The staff on the set prohibited people from taking photos with their cell phones or cameras to avoid embarrassment for Elanne. She said she's not used to her body figure being that good and joked: "The first time I saw, I really didn't recognize myself. A friend saw the photos and asked me how come I had good stuff and didn't share it with others. I was so embarrassed!"

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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Tavia Yeung has swollen looking eyes, wants an eye job to boost her spirit

Earlier Tavia Yeung was suspected to have gotten plastic surgery on her nose. Yesterday when she attended the Yes Sir, Sorry Sir promotion, she denied to have ever done plastic surgery. However, she did not feel upset: "They said I got prettier, that means the beauty salon that I'm spokesperson for is effective. If I wanted to do plastic surgery, I would choose to do it on my swollen looking eyes because usually my eyes look like I don't have energy. (No boob job?) No, having to undergo surgery and put something in there, I'm afraid I won't know what to do if I bump them."


In 2010, Tavia's beauty improved, her upright nose bridge is noticeable.
In 2008, Tavia became one of the suspected actresses to have done plastic surgery
In 2004, Tavia's nose looked more like a young lady, pure and natural.


Also, in the series Linda Chung plays a bowling expert. When she was in the bowling competition, she brought her own personal bowling ball and her posture looked practical. Unfortunately, she was careless and accidentally revealed her bra, but Linda expressed that she has something under, it's just a misconception.

Source: Oriental Daily, Mingpao
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU

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US urges Sri Lanka to address abuse allegations (AP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A U.S. diplomat Wednesday asked Sri Lanka to address allegations of possible war crimes toward the end of the country's civil war and to share political power with an estranged Tamil minority for a lasting peace.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake told reporters that Sri Lanka has promised to address these issues and many others raised by him during official meetings. But he said the "proof lies in results, not in promises."

Blake's visit to Sri Lanka followed the release of a U.N.-requested report on the civil war that ended nearly two years ago.

It gives credence to allegations that abuses, and potential war crimes, occurred on both sides of the conflict as the government's war against the Tamil Tiger rebels was ending. The report by an expert panel recommended an independent inquiry into the events.

Blake said the United States wanted a credible, domestic process to ensure accountability. Sri Lanka has denounced the U.N. report as based on biased and unverified information and an interference in domestic affairs.

External Affairs Minister Gamini Peiris told Blake the report "had no stature as a U.N. document" and a clear distinction must be made between an advisory panel and the world body, the ministry said in a statement.

Peiris told Blake, however, that the government will write to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon explaining developments and progress Sri Lanka has made, the statement said.

"Domestic authorities have responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law are held accountable," Blake said. "International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are either unable or unwilling to meet their obligations."

The assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, Blake said the U.S. looked first for Sri Lanka to take investigative responsibility.

During his visit, he met government officials and traveled to the former war zones in the north to observe resettlement of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tamil civilians displaced by the 26-year war.

The U.N. report accused the government of deliberately shelling civilians and hospitals and accused the Tamil rebels of holding civilians as human shields.

Between 80,000 to 100,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka's civil war, including at least 7,000 civilians in the last five months alone, the U.N. says.

Blake said the U.S. "attaches great importance" to talks between the government and Tamil National Alliance, the main political representative of Tamils, and hoped those talks would result in an agreement on all issues of concern to the Tamils.

He cited issues regarding devolution and detainees, as well as an accounting of people still missing and death certificates for the dead.



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Afghanistan: Pakistan had to know bin Laden there (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Afghan government said Wednesday that Pakistan must have known Osama bin Laden was living in a military garrison town near the capital, echoing international suspicions about Islamabad in the aftermath of the deadly strike against al-Qaida's chief.

The two countries have long had tense relations, especially over the issue of Pakistan failing to target Taliban militants using its territory as sanctuary to launch cross-border attacks against Afghan and international forces.

"Not only Pakistan, with its strong intelligence service, but even a very weak government with a weak intelligence service would have known who was living in that house in such a location," said Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi.

The house where bin Laden lived in the town of Abbottabad was close to the gate of the Kakul Military Academy, an army-run institution where top Pakistani officers train, Azimi said, adding that many neighboring houses are home to military officials.

"There are lots of questions that need answers," Azimi said.

Others have made similar remarks.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday that bin Laden must have had an extensive support network in Pakistan in the years before his death. And White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that the U.S. is committed to cooperating with Pakistan despite questions about who in the Islamabad government may have known bin Laden was in hiding in the compound in Abbottabad.

Afghan officials have long said that the real war against terrorism is not in Afghanistan, but across the border in Pakistan. And while they have welcomed international troops who are fighting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, they have also criticized these forces for backing a Pakistani government that Afghan officials say is double-dealing.

Azimi went on to say that Afghanistan is bracing for revenge attacks following the bin Laden strike, but expects that the al-Qaida leader's death will eventually make it easier to defeat the Taliban.

The nearly 10-year war in Afghanistan started as a manhunt for bin Laden in 2001. Many inside Afghanistan and in foreign countries fighting the war have raised questions about whether his death will shorten or ease the battle with the Taliban insurgency, but the U.S. and others pledged there wouldn't be a rapid withdrawal.

On the day that bin Laden's death was announced, Afghan President Hamid Karzai called it a blow to terrorism but made no predictions about how it would affect the war in his country.

Azimi, for his part, predicted al-Qaida revenge attacks in the immediate aftermath of the terror chief's death.

"The first phase will be for a short period of time, a revenge phase in order show that even if he is gone, others are keeping the network together," he said, adding that Afghan security forces have already increased their presence in key areas and their readiness in anticipation of such attacks.

"Then slowly the situation will become more normal and that will start to show how Osama's absence effects the structure of the network," Azimi said.

International forces say a persistent campaign against insurgents over the summer has driven them out of their traditional strongholds and destroyed the weapons caches they depend on to mount their seasonal spring offensive.

The Taliban, however, have started the spring fighting season with high-profile attacks apparently designed to show their strength and their ability to infiltrate the government.

In April, the insurgent group launched deadly attacks from within the Defense Ministry in Kabul, the main police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar and a joint U.S.-Afghan base in the east.

The militants also managed to break more than 480 of their compatriots out of the Kandahar city prison with an elaborate tunnel escape.

So far, violence in Afghanistan has continued unabated despite bin Laden's death.

Officials announced that gunmen assassinated the head of the Afghan police counterterrorism unit for western Ghor province as he was driving to work. The assailants hemmed in Ghulam Yaya's car by approaching on motorcycles from the front and behind, before opening fire on it.

Yaya, one of his brothers and a bodyguard were all killed in Tuesday's attack, said Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada, the head of the country's anti-terrorism force.

In the east, meanwhile, two civilians were killed when their car hit a roadside bomb in Nangarhar province Wednesday afternoon, according to provincial spokesman Ahmadzia Abdulzai. In the same area, a group of rural elders were attacked by gunmen while on their way to a U.S. base to discuss development programs. Two of the elders were killed, Abdulzai said.

And in nearby Paktia province, a woman was killed when she was caught in the crossfire of a morning clash between government forces and militants, Paktia Police Chief Abdul Ghafar Safi said.

Separately Wednesday, NATO forces rejected accusations that they had killed a private security guard under contract to protect a road traveled by their supply convoys. The international military coalition said that the man who was killed was not working for a security company and was a militant involved in setting up an ambush.

Afghan police and the man's alleged employer — Watan Risk Management — have maintained that it was a Watan guard who was killed while trying to protect the road.



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Indonesia: Terror suspect went to meet bin Laden (AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Officials here say a top Indonesian terror suspect arrested this year in the town where Osama bin Laden was killed this week was intending to meet the al-Qaida chief, although a senior American counterterrorism official said the two never met and Umar Patek's arrest in Abbottabad "appears to have been pure coincidence."

Indonesian and Pakistani intelligence officers said the arrest of Patek on Jan. 25 in Abbottabad by Pakistani officers did not lead to the American raid on bin Laden on Monday, but his arrest there may raise questions over how isolated bin Laden was in his final months.

Patek is wanted for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings and trained with al-Qaida in Pakistan before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. He is a key Southeast Asian militant and was one of the last on the run believed to have contacts with al-Qaida's central command.

"The information we have is that Umar Patek ... was in Pakistan with his Filipino wife trying to meet Osama Bin Laden," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told reporters Wednesday.

Chairul Akbar, an official at Indonesia's Anti-Terrorism Agency, earlier told the Associated Press that Patek and his wife traveled to Pakistan using false names — Anis Alawi Jaafar and Fatima Zahra — on August 30, 2010, aiming to meet Osama Bin Laden to get his "support and protection."

"He was instructed to go to Abbottabad to meet other militants," Akbar said.

Akbar said it was possible that Patek met al-Qaida leaders in January somewhere in Pakistan but that he did not meet with bin Laden himself.

"We have no indications whatsoever that Patek met with Bin Laden in Abbottabad," the American official told The Associated Press. The official spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.

Many intelligence officials had assumed bin Laden was living in the remote Afghan border region, possibly in a cave, meeting only with a small trusted circle. While its possible that Patek may have been misguided if he thought he could meet bin Laden, the fact he ended up in the same town as him with that intention is striking, and could suggest someone told him bin Laden was there and was prepared to see him.

Pakistani officials kept Patek's arrest under wraps until late March, when the AP broke the news.

Since the arrest, Indonesian investigators have questioned Patek and are seeking to have him brought back to the country.

A Pakistani official said he was tracked down after authorities arrested an al-Qaida courier in the town called Tahir Shehzad, who worked as a clerk at the post office. Tahir had been under surveillance since last year when he was spotted in Abbottabad with an Arab terror suspect, said the intelligence official.

"Indonesian authorities need to be asking Patek exactly what the nature of his communication was with the al-Qaida organization and who else from Southeast Asia is actively working with al-Qaida in propaganda, training, or even operations," said Sidney Jones, an expert on Southeast Asian militancy.

Muhammad Jibriel, an Indonesian currently serving time in Jakarta over hotel bombings in 2009. was found guilty of obtaining funding for the bombings while visiting Saudi Arabia in 2008. By his own admission, he also traveled to North Waziristan before his arrest.

_____

Associated Press writers Chris Brummitt in Islamabad and Adam Goldman in Washington contributed to this report.



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