The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Philippines calls off search for quake survivors
- Question raised in ex-professor’s sex-for-grades sentence appeal
- Cops search for second man involved in murder of model
| Philippines calls off search for quake survivors Posted: MANILA, Oct 19, 2013 (AFP) - Philippine rescuers on Saturday called off the search for survivors after a powerful earthquake on the tourist island of Bohol that killed at least 180 people. "The rescue operations have ended and instead we are now conducting recovery operations," said disaster chief Eduardo del Rosario. "We are still looking for 13 others. Our responders are now on site to recover their bodies," the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director told a news conference. The island of about one million people, one of the country's main tourist destinations, suffered landslides, fallen bridges, shattered roads and collapsed buildings in Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude quake. About 600 kilometres (370 miles) from capital Manila, Bohol is known for its beaches, its rolling "Chocolate Hills", tiny tarsier primates, and centuries-old Catholic churches, many of which collapsed or sustained heavy damage. Del Rosario said 167 people were killed on the island. There were 12 fatalities on Cebu island and one on Siquijor. A total of 13 people are still missing. No fatalities were reported among foreign tourists. Bohol governor Edgar Chatto told the news conference broadcast by Philippine radio stations that power had been restored on the island while major roads blocked by landslides had re-opened, speeding up the delivery of relief. The disaster council said the quake displaced nearly 400,000 people. Many are still in makeshift tents, terrorised by aftershocks and unwilling to return home. The quake damaged more than 34,000 houses across the region, with about 109,000 people sheltering at government-run camps on Bohol. |
| Question raised in ex-professor’s sex-for-grades sentence appeal Posted: THE question of whether former law professor Tey Tsun Hang's actions amounted to corruption or simply exploitation of his former student Darinne Ko was raised by High Court Justice Woo Bih Li on the second day of Tey's appeal. Tey, 42, got out of jail on Oct 5, after serving a five-month sentence for corruptly obtaining gifts and sex from Ko. But he is appealing against his conviction and sentence. He has been absent from the hearing. Justice Woo questioned if Tey was corrupt, if all he did was give Ko the false impression that he loved her. He asked: "Even if (Tey) was exploiting (Ko) out of greed and lust, does that make it corruption?" In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Jumabhoy said the terms exploitation and corruption overlapped. He noted the corrupt intent was demonstrated by Tey's conduct and state of mind. He also did not declare the gifts to his employer, the National University of Singapore, breaching its code of conduct. DPP Jumabhoy noted that his statements to anti-graft officers also said he was corrupt. Earlier in the day, Tey's lawyer, Peter Low, had pressed on in his attempt to challenge the admissibility of six statements given by his client to officers of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Low argued his client had been in "a fragile state of mind" during this period. He referred to evidence given by psychiatrist Tommy Tan that Tey exhibited symptoms of "acute stress reaction" when he saw him last year. But DPP Jumabhoy argued that another psychiatrist, Dr Michael Yong, had testified Tey was able to respond appropriately and could understand what was said to him. He also rebutted Low's argument, raised on Wednesday, that Tey had allegedly been subject to threats and badgering by anti-graft officers. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network |
| Cops search for second man involved in murder of model Posted: POLICE in Pakistan are looking for a second man believed to have been involved in the murder of Singapore-based model Fehmina Chaudhry. The man – who investigators say strangled the 27-year-old with a rope – was in a car with Chaudhry and real estate broker Muaz Waqar on the day she was killed. The three of them were on the way to see the land she had bought from Waqar for three million Pakistani rupees (RM89,090), paid for in the form of gold. Waqar, who has been arrested, has already admitted to the murder. "They drove for two hours, and took her to a desolate place," investigating officer Javed Awan said. "When they stopped, the other man took a rope and strangled Chaudhry from behind the passenger seat. Then they drove a few more kilometres and dumped her body in a drain." He added that police know the man's identity and are tracking him down. The body of the pageant winner was found in a drain in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Monday. Police say telephone records show contact between Chaudhry and Waqar, and there are photographs of them on his Facebook page. It is believed he visited her at her hotel. These connections led police to Waqar, said officer Awan. Chaudhry went missing on Thursday last week after flying to Pakistan to negotiate a land deal with Waqar. Chaudhry's mother Nashiba Taskeen reported her missing two days later. When Waqar seemed unable to carry out his part of the deal, Chaudhry asked for her payment back. He then offered her a modelling deal with Pepsi worth 20 million Pakistani rupees. She had been planning to set up a fashion school. It is believed that she moved to Singapore with her husband a few years ago, but they divorced about 12 months ago. The catwalk fashion model and beauty pageant judge came from a "very good" family in Karachi, Pakistan, and married at the age of 18. Those who knew Chaudhry said she had a zest for life and was always ready to help her friends. She had been working hard to make it in Bollywood before she was murdered, they said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network |
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