Newswriting Assignment 2 : PM Speech

PUTRAJAYA: Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak launched Malaysia Green Forum 2010 on April 26, 2010 at Sri Siantan Conference Hall.

According to Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, the government has consistently affirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability over the years and continues to take cognizance of the growing need and urgency of green technology towards sustainable development.

Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bringing together 14 agencies from 4 different ministries when he established the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2004 that paved the way for a more comprehensive and cohesive approach in tackling environmental issues, he added.

The Malaysia Green Forum 2010's aim of establishing an action-oriented network that deals with environmental issues in a holistic manner had drawn the participation of senior government officials, industry captains, society leaders and academic experts from within and outside the country.

"I strongly believe it is out generational responsibility to ensure that we bequeath to our children a Malaysia that is as pristine as we inherit from our forefathers." he said.

Newswriting Assignment 1 : Earthquake story

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS - An earthquake hit with measured 6.6 on Richter scale about 40 miles east of the village of Nikolski and 850 miles southwest of Anchorage on Sunday night 7:01 p.m. PST reported by Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. 

According to a seismologist George Carts, the quake was felt strongly in the towns of Unalaska, Dutch Harbor and Nikolski for three minutes without any injuries or major damage. These three fishing villages are located on western islands in the Aleutian chain. 

"There was some very minor damage at Nikolski, with items knocked off shelves and small items damaged. 20 aftershocks; one measured 5.0 on the scale. None was powerful enough to cause a tsunami." officials said. 

Earthquake of 6.6 magnitude can cause severe damage if it hits populated areas. 

Richter scale measures ground motion and is recorded on seismographs; each increase of one number means a tenfold increase in magnitude; example, 7.5 is 10 times greater than 6.5. Official categories: 3.5 can cause slight damage; 4, moderate damage; 5, considerable damage; 6, severe damage; 7, major earthquake, can cause widespread heavy damage; 8, great quake. 

Elements of newsworthy 5

SAN FRANCISCO: A study arousing interest online found that checking Facebook or Twitter is more alluring than sex for those immersed in Internet Age lifestyles.

The week-long poll conducted in Germany by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business classified checking social network tweets, pictures, comments and other posts as stronger than sex and cigarettes in terms of temptation.

"Desires for media may be comparatively harder to resist because of their high availability and also because it feels like it does not cost much to engage in these activities, even though one wants to resist," Wilhelm Hofmann, the study's lead author, told the Los Angeles Times.

People ranging in age from 18 to 85 took part in the poll by using smartphones to regularly update researchers regarding their cravings to check in with online communities.

Study participants were also asked to track hankerings for sex, alcohol, cigarettes, or other gratification.

Yearnings for fixes of Facebook, Twitter or other social networks were ranked as the hardest desires to resist, according to reports about the findings.

The study also revealed that work was a fierce addiction.

People able to stave off urges for sex, shopping sprees, or other temptations tended to cave when it came to working, the study showed.

Who: Adults between age 18-85 

When: -

What: A study arousing interest online

How: -

Why: Facebook or Twitter is more alluring than sex 

Where: San Francisco 

Elements of newsworthy: Human Interest  

Elements of newsworthy 4

LONDON: "The name's Bond... James Bond". Fans of 007 on Friday celebrated 50 years of the suave British spy's adventures on the silver screen with a day of themed events around the world.

Bond strode stylishly into a film for the first time in the now classic "Dr. No", released on October 5, 1962, introducing himself with the immortal line over a high-stakes game of baccarat.

The movie franchise has gone on to become one of the most successful in history, with the 22 Bond films taking more than five billion dollars (3.85 billion euros).

To mark "Global Bond Day", British diva Adele released a clip of the theme song for "Skyfall", the 23rd and newest Bond film, on her website as anticipation built for its worldwide premiere on October 23.

The rugged Daniel Craig is the latest of the six actors to play Bond, but some things have stayed the same - 007's taste for fast cars, beautiful women, high-tech gadgets and vodka Martinis.

"For all the attempts at change, the core of the Bondian world remains the same: obsessed with sex and violence, hypermasculine, simplistically nationalistic, and addicted to conspicuous consumption," Christoph Lindner, editor of "The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader", told AFP.

A collection of cars from the films, including the iconic Aston Martins, were gathered at Pinewood Studios near London where the movies are made.

An auction of memorabilia at Christie's in London was another highlight of the day before the action moves across the Atlantic.

In New York, the Museum of Modern Art was unveiling an installation dedicated to the title sequence of 1964's "Goldfinger," which it said "captures the sexual suggestiveness and wry humor of the James Bond mythos."

James Chapman, historian at Leicester University in England and author of "Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond films", said the "Bond Girls" - a fixture of all the films - had subtly evolved with the sexual politics of the time.

"The villains have become rather more bland whereas the female characters have been given a little bit more depth (with each new film), although I say a little bit more, because they still ultimately conform to stereotypes," he said.

Another key feature of the films, the music, was being celebrated at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, which was hosting an evening of "memorable title songs and indelible scores" from the films.

British session player Vic Flick, 75, who laid down the signature guitar riff for the James Bond theme song, is due to attend.

In Washington, the International Spy Museum is staging an interactive exhibition, "Exquisitely Evil," which pays homage to Bond's adversaries with more than 100 artefacts from the Bond movies as well as "real stories from real spies", recalling their own Bond-like moments in espionage.

London's Barbican Centre has put on an exhibition showcasing the design and style of "the world's most influential and iconic movie brand". It will move on to Toronto later this month.

Britain's tourist agency has joined forces with Bond for the first time, launching a campaign across 21 countries based around the slogan "Bond is GREAT Britain."

A new feature documentary "Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007", will also be unveiled, focusing on producers Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and 007 author Ian Fleming, the three men most responsible for building the brand.

The release of "Skyfall" caps a busy year for 007, who provided one of the highlights of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony by "parachuting" into the stadium with Queen Elizabeth II, in a well-received spoof film.

Few would have believed that Bond would become a global institution when "Dr. No", an adaptation of Fleming's 1958 novel, was released.

Critical reaction to the first film was mixed, with Time magazine calling Sean Connery's Bond - still many fans' favourite - "a great big hairy marshmallow".

Meanwhile, Adele's new track was revealed as a soaring orchestral number that seemed a return to classic Bond themes in the mould of Shirley Bassey's songs for "Goldfinger" and "Diamonds are Forever". -AFP 

Who: James Bond 

When:-

What: Celebrate 50 years old suave the British's spy adventures

How: On the silver screen with a day of themed events around the world

Why: The movie has become one of the most successful in history

Where: London

Elements of newsworthy: Eminence 

Elements of newsworthy 3

A SEVENTEEN-year-old girl faked unconsciousness to save herself from being raped, murdered and burnt.

She was walking along the Bandar Sri Permaisuri roadside in Kuala Lumpur, taking her eight-year-old cousin from school, when the Thursday afternoon incident took place, according to Harian Metro.

A van stopped next to her and a man got out and grabbed her hand, said the victim, who only wanted to be known as Iqa.

“I tried to fight him off and a woman who saw what was happening rushed to my aid,” said the teenager. “However, the man claimed he was my boyfriend and she decided not to interfere,” Iqa told the newspaper.

She was dragged into the van in which were two other men, she said.

“He held a knife to my throat. I struggled to free myself and that is when my phone started ringing.

“They grabbed my phone before I could answer it and hit me in the back, and I fell forward,” she said, adding that that was when she decided to pretend she lost consciousness.

Iqa said she could see stashed knives and guns under the seat.

“I overheard them saying that they were going to rape and kill me before burning my body,” she recalled.

Iqa grabbed the opportunity to escape when the men suddenly stopped the van and got down to grab another girl.

“I instantly grabbed the car keys, threw it out and ran for my life,” she said.

Who: Iqa / a seventeen-year-old girl 

When: Thursday afternoon 

What: Plucky teen escapes from being rape

How: Escape when the men suddenly stopped the van

Why: -

Where: Bandar Sri Permaisuri roadside in Kuala Lumpur

Elements of newsworthy: Conflict 

Elements of newsworthy 2

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. - Bernama

Who: Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai

When:-

What: Johor, Penang gazetted as "NO SMOKING" zone

How:-

Why:- 

Where: Johor and Penang

Elements of newsworthy: Proximity

Elements of newsworthy 1

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has adjourned to Oct 11 to hear an application by a counsel and hearing of committal proceedings of a defamation suit by a Canadian national teacher against his ex-girlfriend.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera fixed the date after counsel Mak Jun Yeen who acted for defendant Lee Ching Yan, informed the court that he had filed an application to withdraw himself as there was no instruction from his client.

JC Vazeer also fixed the same day to hear the committal proceedings against Lee, 28.

Counsel Ken St. James and Harleen Kaur represented plaintiff Lee David Clayworth.

Earlier, James submitted that the committal papers have been served and Friday had been fixed for hearing (of the committal proceedings) and there was no grounds to postpone the proceedings.

JC Vazeer said he would set the date for hearing next week and the defendant should know the consequences of it.

In August, a three-man Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Ramly Ali had ruled unanimously that the Lee had to pay general damages of RM750,000 and aggravated damages of RM250,000 to Clayworth.

The damages were for statements made via email, Facebook and other Internet sites, which implied the 33-year-old teacher was, among other things, intoxicated, lustful, a liar, and had made a pornographic video.

In a statement of claim filed on Apr 6 last year, Clayworth said Lee had broken into his residence on Jan 18, 2011, and stolen his property, including his laptop, which she used to send defamatory messages to everyone in his contact lists through his Hotmail, Facebook, Skype, MSN Messenger and email accounts.

Clayworth also claimed Lee had produced photographs of him in the nude and attached them to an email dated Feb 21, 2011, which she had sent to his friends, colleagues and students, including lecturers and staff in his workplace.

The 28-year-old student raised the defence of denial of publication, and filed a counter claim against Clayworth for harassment, which was later dismissed.

Judicial commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera ruled in Clayworth's favour and awarded him general damages of RM150,000 and aggravated damages of RM50,000.

Clayworth later cross-appealed to the Court of Appeal on the quantum of damages.

Who: Canadian national teacher against his ex girlfriend

When: 11 Oct

Where: Kuala Lumpur

How: Statement made via email, Facebook and other internet sites

Why: -

What: Case of Canadian teacher and spiteful girlfriend adjourned to 11 Oct

Elements of newsworthy: Conflict