Newswriting assignment 1

ALEUTIAN- Alaska Tsunami Warning Center reported a 6.6 strong earthquake hit Aleutian Islands on Sunday night 7.01pm.

The epicenter of this earthquake was in the North Pacific, about 40 miles east from Nikolski and 850 miles southwest from Anchorage, hence it strongly shook the three fishing villages which located on western islands of the Aluentian Chain for three minutes, they are Nikolski, Dutch Harbor and Unalaska.

So far, there isn't any injuries or major damage reports on human since Aleutians are sparsely settled, but according to George Carts,the seismologist at the center, minor properties damage found at Nikolski.

According to official categories, 6.6 magnitude able to cause severe damages in populated areas. But the measurement result of 5.0 shown on the Richter scale after 20 aftershocks, which considered a non powerful earthquake to cause a tsunami.

Newswriting Assignment 2

PUTRAJAYA- Prime Minister has provided a speech of recognition to Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Jeanne Abdullah during the Malaysia Green Forum 2010 in the 26th April  for advancing environmental and landscape issue in the country.

Dato'Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak said, Malaysia is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, that prized with 16 million hectares of tropical forest area, and 73% of them is currently protected as national parks. Hence he hope that through MGF2010 meeting, participants would be able to come up with creative, innovative and pragmatic solution to the green issue our country face today.

"Malaysia is one of the earliest nations in the world to have adopted a serious concern towards environment by enacating the Environment Quality Act way back in 1974." said Dato'Sri Mohd Najib.

In this regard, he recognized the critical contribution by Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for bringing together 12 agencies from 4 different ministries in 2004 that paved the way for a more comprehensive and cohesive approach in tackling environmental issues.

Lastly, he pledged to continue the affirmation the commitment to environmental sustainability throughout his administration, government will continues to take cognizance of the growing need and urgency of green technology towards the development with National Green Technology Policy. 

Week 2 : Article 5

Original Text

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes he will be given a strong mandate in the general election so that he could turn Malaysia into a fully developed nation by 2020.

“The next five years are crucial for the Government to fulfill commitments and promises made by previous leaders to the nation,” the Prime Minister said in an interview with Martin Soong on CNBC Conversation,which was aired on Astro CNBC yesterday.

“Crucial, because you're talking about the last lap. You're talking about going down the stretch and this is the most critical part because we really have to deliver,” said Najib.

Najib said the transformation was a firm commitment made by former prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Now, said Najib, it was his turn to deliver to the people.

Najib agreed that achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth without upsetting the politicial landscape too much was one of the challenges Malaysia faced in becoming a developed nation.

However, he stressed, the key to making Malaysian society more equitable was to get growth to redistribute income back to the people. “Without growth, it will be a lose-lose situation.” - Bernama

Lead 

Who : Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

What : hopes will be given a strong mandate in general election 

why : turn Malaysia into a fully developed nation

when : by 2020


Element of Article : Conflict 

week 2 : Article 4

Original Text 

GEORGE TOWN: It was a sight to behold when some 20 Malay senior citizens were seen practising the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi at Kampung Seronok in Jalan Permatang Damar Laut, Batu Maung, here.

Under the guidance of tai chi instructor Kong Yang Fatt, the seniors clad in green T-shirts made graceful movements during the hour-long lesson.

The 64-year-old instructor, who learned the art from a master in China 20 years ago, said he had been teaching this group for the past 16 years after being invited by the village head.

“Tai chi is usually conducted in Mandarin to the rhythm of slow classical Chinese music, but a friend gave me a CD where the instructions are in Bahasa Malaysia.

Graceful: Kong (right) teaching a group of senior citizens the ‘tai chi’ movements at Kampung Seronok in Jalan Permatang Damar Laut in Batu Maung.

“The Bahasa Malaysia translation of the 18 tai chi postures, such asPandang Bulan (Look at the moon) and Buang Bola (Throw the ball), are easily understood by the group,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Kong, a tailor, said he was happy to share this healthy exercise routine with the Malay community.

“Other than breaking down racial barriers, tai chi also helps to promote a healthy lifestyle as it has been found to lower blood pressure and strengthen the muscles.

“I noticed that the group of senior citizens are much healthier since taking up tai chi,” said the father of three.

One of the senior citizens, Che Nah Noor, 77, described Kong as a dedicated instructor who had earned the respect of the village seniors.

“I have been learning from him since he first came to our village. He teaches us on weekends without any charge.”

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art form that focuses on slow, graceful movements, breathing and relaxation to move internal energy throughout the body.

Kong also conducts lessons on weekdays at the Botanic Gardens from 7am to 8am.

Lead 

who : 20 Malay senior citizen

what : seen practising the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi 

where : Kampung Seronok in Jalan Permatang Damar Laut, Batu Maung,

Element of news : consequence  

week 2: Article 3

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is expected to have 55 percent of women in its labour force by 2015, said Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur.

She said various programmes would be implemented to achieve the target, which included flexible working hours, working from home and providing childcare centres at workplaces.

"According to the World Bank Report, as at 2011, the female labour force participation rate in Malaysia was 47.9 percent, which was below average of other East Asia and Pacific countries", she told reporters after launching the World Development Report 2012 on Gender Equality and Development, here.

Noorul Ainur said 71 childcare centres had been established at various government agencies and 20 in the private sector for working mothers.

The World Development Report 2012 on Gender Equality and Development says improving women's access to jobs and economic opportunities could significantly boost productivity in the region.

Noorul Ainur hoped the relevant stakeholders would fully use the report to ensure the strategies and initiatives geared towards gender equality in Malaysia were on par with international standards.

She said the RM50mil allocation for women in the 2013 Budget would also be used to train women as company board members to help achieve the government's target of having at least 30 percent women at the decision-making level.

The budget would also be used for the Single Mothers Skills Incubator Programme (I-KIT) in entrepreneurship, Get Malaysian Business Online programme to train 50,000 online small entrepreneurs and providing free mammogram screenings, she added. - Bernama

Lead : 

who : Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nurb  

where : Malaysia

What : expected to have 55 percent of women in its labour force

when : 2015

Element of Article : consequence 

week 2 : Article 2

Original Text 

KUALA LUMPUR: Six areas in Penang and one in Johor have been gazetted as 'No Smoking' zones under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement Friday that the gazette was effective Oct 2 and implemented with the cooperation of both state governments.

He said in Penang, the gazetted zones were the George Town Municipal Park, Botanic Gardens, Air Itam Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam (all on the island), Mengkuang Dam in Bukit Mertajam and Ampang Jajar Urban Park in Seberang Perai Tengah.

In Johor, the gazetted 'No Smoking' zone is the Mutiara Rini Urban Forest, Johor Baru.

Liow said in June last year, the Malacca government gazetted five zones, namely Malacca World Heritage City, Malacca Raya, Malacca International Trade Centre, Alor Gajah town centre and Jasin town centre under the Malacca Free of Cigarette Smoke programme.

"The ministry with the cooperation of state governments is determined to create more 'No Smoking' zones, especially in public places.

"This is to protect the non-smokers, especially women and children, from the effects of secondhand tobacco smoke," Liow said in the statement.

He said the Malaysia Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted last year found that 70 percent of adults were exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke in public places.

The Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 prohibits smoking in 21 categories of places including hospital or clinic areas, lifts and public toilets, public transport vehicles, public transport stations/stops, government premises, higher learning institutions, childcare centres/kindergartens, shopping complexes, fuel stations and libraries. - Bernam

Lead

who: 6 Areas in Penang and 1 in Johor
where : Penang and Johor
what : has been gazetted as "No smoking zone" under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.


Element of Article : Proximity 

Week 2 : Article 1

Original Text 

NEW YORK: A US appeals court refused to disturb Facebook Inc's US$9.5mil (RM28.5mil) class-action settlement over allegations that the social networking company's defunct "Beacon" service violated its members' privacy rights.

The 2-1 ruling on Thursday came from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, with the one dissenting judge saying the settlement unfairly benefited Facebook and plaintiff attorneys.

In 2007 Facebook launched Beacon, which allowed users to broadcast their Internet activity to friends. If a user rented a movie from Blockbuster, for instance, Facebook would broadcast that transaction to the person's entire network, according to the ruling.

However, Facebook didn't require anyone's affirmative consent to participate in the programme, and users soon complained about their private information being transmitted without permission. In the face of complaints and negative publicity, Facebook eventually discontinued the service.

A group of 19 plaintiffs filed a proposed class action in federal court against Facebook and other businesses who participated in Beacon. Facebook soon agreed to settle the case for US$9.5mil (RM28.5mil).

Roughly US$3mil (RM9mil) of that was set aside for attorney's fees, with the rest going to establish a charitable group focused on online privacy rights.

A subset of plaintiffs objected to the settlement, but in its ruling on Thursday the 9th Circuit said the US$9.5mil was not too low.

"A US$9.5mil class recovery would be substantial under most circumstances," the court wrote, "and we see nothing about this particular settlement that undermines the district court's conclusion that it was substantial in this case."

Facebook deputy general counsel Colin Stretch said the company was pleased the 9th Circuit found the settlement fair. Plaintiffs' attorney Scott Kamber said he looked forward to the formation of the privacy rights group.

In dissent, 9th Circuit Judge Andrew Kleinfeld said the settlement "perverts the class action into a device for depriving victims of remedies," while enriching the company and plaintiff lawyers.

"Facebook users who had suffered damages from past exposure of their purchases got no money, not a nickel, from the defendants," Kleinfeld wrote. - Reuters

UPHELD: The Facebook logo is seen at the Nasdaq Marketsite in New York in this May 18, 2012 file photo. A US appeals court refused to disturb a US$9.5mil class-action settlement over the company's defunct 'Beacon' service. - Reuters Lead who : A US appeals court what : refused to disturb Facebook Inc's US$9.5mil (RM28.5mil) class-action settlement over allegations why : social networking company's defunct "Beacon" service violated its members' privacy rights.

Element of Article : consequences