Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by kir

Telolist post Xmas, attack!

kir — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 19:16:58 +0800

Nashville explosion: Camper van blast suspect named by police
Published2 hours ago

Police investigating a camper van blast that injured three people in Nashville on Christmas Day have named a suspect after DNA was collected at the scene.

Officials in the US state of Tennessee said the DNA matched that of Anthony Quinn Warner, 63.

Investigators believe that the blast was likely a suicide bombing.

On Sunday, the FBI said there was no indication of additional suspects involved and that it was too early to suggest a motive.

The blast outside a telecoms office disrupted communications systems in Tennessee and four other states.

What do we know so far?
Officers responded to reports of gunshots just before 06:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on 25 December in an area of the city known for its restaurants and nightlife.

Shortly afterwards, they found a camper van broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.

Police said the van had also broadcast the 1964 hit song Downtown by British singer Petula Clark, the Tennessean newspaper reported.

The van exploded a few minutes later, the force of the blast knocking an officer off their feet, police said.

Buildings suffered structural damage, windows were blown out, and trees were felled. Videos posted on social media showed water from damaged pipes running down walls as alarms howled in the background.

Police emergency systems were knocked out across Tennessee. Telephone, internet and fibre optic TV services were also disrupted in Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, according to AT&T.

Police later released this image of the van arriving at the scene early on Friday.

"We're still following leads but right now there is no indication that any other persons were involved," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski.

Police also released footage of the moment the explosion took place.

According to public records, Warner had until recently lived in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville, where police searched a home on Saturday. Neighbours also reported seeing a camper van at the premises, local media report.

Earlier, CBS News reported that a DNA sample had been collected from Warner's mother.

Law enforcement officers investigate the house belonging to Anthony Quinn Warner
Public records cited by US media show Warner had wide experience with electronics and alarm systems.

He was a long-time resident of Nashville and had worked as a freelance computer technician with an estate agency.

His former employer, estate agent Steve Fridrich, told the Nashville Tennessean that Warner had resigned unexpectedly this month after four years with the company. Mr Fridrich said the move had been "quite out of character".

A neighbour in Antioch described Warner as "a computer geek", USA Today reported.

Steve Schmoldt, who lived next door to Warner for more than two decades, described him as "friendly" and "low key", adding: "I guess some people would say he's a little odd."

"You never saw anyone come and go," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "As far as we knew, he was kind of a computer geek that worked at home."

Mr Schmoldt said Warner gave no indication of having held strong political beliefs.

"He never had any yard signs or flags in his window or anything like that," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55...yN7dx59DmRSA3FU

Meat cartel 'bribing government officers'

kir — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 09:43:25 +0800

Meat cartel 'bribing government officers'

KUALA LUMPUR: Senior officers from no fewer than four government agencies are believed to be working hand-in-glove with a cartel specialising in bringing non-certified meat into Malaysia and passing it off as halal-certified products.

These senior officers, entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that halal standards are upheld, have instead received money, and in some cases even women for sex, as bribes in order to turn a blind eye to the cartel's operations and ensure that the its activities go undetected.

It is understood that the cartel has been in operation for more than 40 years.

It is believed the cartel imports meat from non-halal-certified slaughterhouses in a few countries, such as Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Spain and Mexico.
The only countries that have been certified by the Malaysian authorities for the import of halal meat are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Japan, New Zealand and the United States, with imports handled by the Malaysia Islamic Development Department and Veterinary Services Department.

The Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department, Customs Department and port police, meanwhile, are in charge of managing the supplies once they enter Malaysian ports.

The cartel's years of operations means it has a solid system to ensure the products — from the slaughterhouses until they leave the ports for the markets — escape official scrutiny.

Sources speaking to the New Straits Times said the process began abroad, where government agency officers entrusted with supervising the quality of the meat at the slaughterhouses would sign
off on the products whether or not they met Malaysia's rigorous halal and quality standards.

A source said in some cases, the officers, after being bribed, would sign off on the products even before they arrived at meat processing plants for checks.

"Two agencies are largely responsible for issuing approvals for products from meat processing plants abroad. But the sheer number of meat products from plants of dubious quality entering Malaysia has raised questions about the system's effectiveness."

The source said once the cartel bypassed the first stage of inspections, it faced few problems bringing the products into the country via the country's ports.

The three main areas of entry for shipments, the source said, were the Port Klang Free Zone, Westport and Northport.

The cartel, said the source, had over the years worked to secure "representatives" in government agencies based at the ports.

This, said the source, was made possible only with the involvement of very senior officers from agencies working with the cartel.

"One modus operandi involves using the Customs' K8 form when the products enter the port. The K8 form means a shipment can only transit in Malaysia before being shipped out elsewhere.

"In this case, thanks to corrupt officers, the shipment, despite being declared as K8, passes instead through another channel.

"The officer manning the channel would receive a cash bribe from a 'runner' to greenlight the cargo to leave the port via trucks.

"This runner, a civilian, deals directly with the agency's senior officer," said the source.

The goods, said the source, would then be taken to one of several warehouses, where the meat would be mixed with halal-certified meat and repacked with fake halal logos, then enter the market.

The source said the cartel did this because importing halal meat from certified sources and getting them approved by the authorities was a costly endeavour.

"As such, by eliminating the halal-certification process, the cartel stands to make a hefty profit."

The source said wholesalers and traders were then more inclined to source cheaper goods.

"As the cartel gives an assurance that the products are halal-certified, this ensures that there is a healthy demand for their goods."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/...rnment-officers

Used car kelepet charges

kir — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 15:39:21 +0800

[YOUTUBE]2fu2JwysBiI[/YOUTUBE]

Proceed at 4:20

I haven't yet buy any used car, but I want to know is it true like that?
Or that car seller buat buat cerita only...

Taliban in New York! No more alcohol ads..

kir — Wed, 01 May 2019 22:15:50 +0800

NEW YORK : Datuk Bandar New York. Bill de Blasio mengeluarkan perintah eksekutif semalam, mengharamkan iklan alkohol dari semua harta milik bandaraya itu dengan memberi alasan kesihatan penduduk.

Larangan berkenaan mencakupi iklan di perhentian bas, kiosk akhbar dan Wi-Fi dan ia turut membabitkan pengharaman serta merta ke atas iklan baharu tetapi pada masa sama, membenarkan iklan sedia ada beroperasi sehingga tamat tempoh kontrak.

“Tidak dapat dinafikan lagi bahawa terlalu ramai penduduk New York berdepan masalah penyalahgunaan bahan tertentu yang serius, antaranya ketagihan alkohol.

“Perintah ini mengharamkan iklan alkohol dari semua harta milik Bandar dan ia membuktikan komitmen serta pendirian tegas kerajaan dalam melindungi kesihatan semua penduduk New York,” kata datuk bandar Demokrat itu dalam satu kenyataan.

Menurut kenyataan itu, terdapat hampir 2,000 kes kematian berkaitan alkohol di New York pada tahun 2016 dan 110,000 kes rawatan kecemasan membabitkan penggunaan bahan berkenaan.

Kenyataan terbabit turut menyebut beberapa kawasan yang paling teruk berdepan masalah ketagihan alkohol, dengan East Harlem memiliki kes rawatan berkaitan alkohol lima kali ganda lebih tinggi berbanding Upper East Side.

Memetik kajian pada 2017 sebagai rujukan, pejabat datuk bandar berkata, promosi alkohol dalam bentuk iklan boleh menjadi punca mempengaruhi pembeli dan meningkatkan jumlah pengambilan bahan itu.

“Pendedahan kepada iklan alkohol di luar dikaitkan dengan masalah ketagihan dan niat untuk menggunakan bahan itu dalam jumlah tinggi,” kata kajian dari Akademi Perubatan New York, satu jabatan dari Institut Kesihatan Nasional.

Iklan alkohol diharamkan dari bas dan kereta api bawah tanah pada Januari 2018. - AFP

Sos Kicap Carsbeg

https://www.bharian.com.my/dunia/amerika/20...ta-milik-bandar

Ini taliban!!! Mana boleh

SST to GST

kir — Sat, 19 May 2018 18:52:00 +0800

Emm..
Before GST, we implement SST for how many long time i donno la..
So during pre gst, the final price is already included with SST (only it was not declared in receipt), betul ka..?

Then gst kicked in, yadda yadda here there the price we usually pay kena plus another 6% right?
This coming june when gst 0%, should the price reduce - 6%?

So, how come the price will be increased when SST kicked in back since before this those seller just top up 6% from their price?

Im noob..
Please enlightenment(entertainment) me, ktards..