Tradisional Sabah Borneo

There is a special place in the city of Busan where regret, hate, fear, hope and forgiveness rise from the earth like the rushing waters of a fountain, and fall into the hearts of the living like the nourishing dew of heaven.

It is a place of war and peace, of past and future, of journey’s end and journey’s beginning.

The moment I step into this expanse, my heart weeps. The moment I see the words, that “every soldier has a mother”, I cry.

I can’t help it. I have been to many war memorials, far too many, and always, sorrow would cling to me, the way hurt attends to a wound.

I quickly wipe away the tears before rising to leave the Memorial Service Hall with fellow journalists. The stained glass, the long benches and the sombre floor fall silent once more as the last of us shuffle out.

Just outside the door, an elderly Korean man, face mottled, eyes bright and arms firm, bows his head low. I bow to him as best as my stiffness allows, and he smiles and says, “Thank you for coming.” (A friend translates this.)Ahead of us is the international relations director of the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in South Korea. I can’t quite hear what he is saying, so I step up my pace and presently come alongside him.

The wind is at rest this spring day in this southeastern city of South Korea. The mid-afternoon air is cool and crisp, and the beautiful blossoms and scents of the season ease the weariness of the heart. A large black bird is perched on one of the flagpoles nearby, and I think it is watching us, and listening, too.

“I didn’t know until very much later that my father was buried here,” says Leo DeMay.

Indeed, the tall and sturdy man had grown up not knowing his true father. But a river must find its course to the sea, and more than 10 years ago, DeMay discovered that André Adelard Régimbald was killed on his first night in combat on Sept 5, 1952. The Canadian visited the grave of his father in 2007, and an attachment grew, and years later, he took on the role of custodian of this sacred park.

Two-thousand three-hundred soldiers are interred here, the first and only UN war cemetery in the world. But altogether, more than 50,000 had died. From 17 nations they came to fight a war away from the soil of their soul, and here they remain asleep, their mortal bodies bonded to the bed where they fell.The Korean War erupted in 1950 when the forces of Communist leader Kim Il-sung swept across the peninsula. Tales of the great battles are known well enough, from Seoul to Osan, and from Inchon to Imjin River, and on every gravestone that I look at, reflections of pain endured and ended are vivid.

I am in a corner of the park all by myself now, the world around me as still as my mind. Suddenly, the call of the bugle sails across the air like the cry of a gull. It must be the flag-raising ceremony at the raised central square. I walk quickly to it.

My colleagues have just placed a wreath and are already moving away. But two guards in immaculate uniforms remain, staring straight ahead, pupils unmoving. I look up and I see a bird on a flagpole. Is it the same one?

Jinny, a Korean friend and guide, stands close by. She reminds me
of her story, told a few hours earlier in our bus. She whispers, “It is a beautiful and sad place”. I can only nod.

Her father and two uncles were near the southwestern city of Gansun when it was overran by North Korean soldiers. They were barely in their teens then. But their parents were terrified that they would be taken by the enemy.So the boys, and many like them, were sent to the surrounding hills and mountains, where stone and tree provided refuge from the claws of death, and where food was brought to them at night to sustain in their bodies the light of life.

Australia may have awarded France a bumper contract to build its next generation of submarines, but its highly secretive combat system will come from close ally the United States.

French shipbuilder DCNS last week beat off Germany and Japan to secure the Aus$50 billion (US$39 billion) deal to design and build the 12 subs, a scaled down conventionally-powered version of its 4,700-tonne Barracuda, to be named Shortfin Barracuda.

But it will have little to do with armaments and the complex combat system, which American defence giant Lockheed Martin -- which is in the running to be involved -- said was "essentially the eyes, ears and sword of the boat".

Australia has made clear it prefers the American AN/BYG-1 system, along with the joint Australian-US heavyweight Mark-48 torpedoes as its main weapon.

A decision has yet to be made on which company will be responsible for integrating the system -- essentially to detect, acquire and track targets -- with US defence contractor Raytheon also said to be a contender.Given the close relationship and the fact that its technology will be used, Washington was always going to take a keen interest in Canberra's choice to build the boats.

Senior US officials were heavily involved in the competitive evaluation process and it was peer reviewed by retired US Navy Vice-Admiral Paul Sullivan and retired US Navy Rear Admiral Tom Eccles.

Washington reportedly at first favoured Tokyo over France or Germany for the sub build because of its existing close ties to the US Navy, along with regional security issues at a time of a rising China.

Japan expressed "deep regret" at not being selected, but analysts said the decision largely boiled down to capability.

France has extensive background in building submarines for others while Japan still lacks experience in exporting military hardware.

"I genuinely think the decision was made on technical grounds," said Stephan Fruehling, deputy director of the Military Studies Program at the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs.

He added that suggestions that the US had concerns about allowing its most advanced weapons systems to be installed on European-made subs made little sense.The sensitive stuff in the combat system is the software and the French don't need to see that," he said. "They provide the big boxes and cabling but the integration of the software is done by the US."

A breakdown on the cost of the combat system has not been provided, but analysts said it would be included in the Aus$50 billion ballpark figure provided by Canberra, accounting for less than a third.

- Intimate relationship -

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Crawford School of Public Policy, agreed that France won on merit with strategic considerations secondary.

"The Australian government has recognised France as the best option in terms of capability -- the challenge now is to ensure that this is much more than a commercial deal, that it is also a partnership of deep strategic trust," he said.

He stressed Canberra must also now "take the initiative to assure the Japanese that a close strategic partnership is about more than submarines".

Australian submarines operate across huge areas, from the cold Southern Ocean to the tropics, and so require range and endurance to cope with wide-ranging geographic and oceanographic conditions.

Besides matching the capabilities of the existing Collins-class which are due to be replaced, the new generation subs need to offer superior sensor performance and stealth capabilities.

David Shackleton, an Australian vice admiral and former chief of navy, said that while stealth and range was key, the combat system was as crucial and with the US helping refine the one used on the Collins-class, it made sense to deepen that relationship.

"While there are other navies with which Australia’s submarines will operate, it will take them a long time, if ever, to achieve the intimacy shared between the Royal Australian Navy and US Navy," he recently wrote for the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

He added that the two militaries enjoyed an "unprecedented degree of collaboration in research and development, tactical development and mutual training of an advanced nature".

"When all of these factors are put together, acquisition of a US Navy combat system for Australia's future submarines does matter, and it makes a lot of sense."AFP

England's miracle club Leicester City are 90 minutes from sporting immortality as they prepare for a Sunday title showdown at Old Trafford with Premier League giants Manchester United.

The 5,000-1 outsiders, whose team cost less than £30 million ($43.8 million, 38.3 million euros) to assemble, need just three points to become champions for the first time in their 132-year history and complete one of the most inspirational stories in professional sport.

But while manager Claudio Ranieri understands the excitement that his team have generated, he knows that their incredible journey -- which began with last season's narrow escape from relegation -- is not yet at an end.

"We are fighting to turn this dream into a reality. But not yet. I see all the happiness around the city and that's great, but it's not finished," said the 64-year-old Italian, who has never won a top-flight title.

"Sunday will be a very tough match. I have a lot of respect for (Louis) van Gaal, the players and Manchester United fans. I know very well it will be a very difficult match. But we go with the same mentality.

"'Stay calm,' I tell the players. 'Stay hungry.' I told the players that everything is in our hands. If our strength is being solid and concentrated, then we must continue."

After a sequence of nervy, narrow wins and a fraught 2-2 draw with West Ham United, the title swam into pin-sharp focus for Leicester when their breezy 4-0 victory over Swansea City was followed by second-place Tottenham Hotspur losing ground in a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

It means that victory at United will give Leicester the crown and they can claim the title this week even if they drop points, provided Tottenham do not better their result when they visit outgoing champions Chelsea on Monday.

While Ranieri continues to proceed with caution, the city of Leicester is firmly on a title footing.

- 'Postpone the party' -

Local landmarks have been lit up blue in anticipation of the team's first major silverware since the 2000 League Cup, while the estimated 3,000 supporters making the trip north to Manchester will be rewarded with 'Forever Fearless' souvenir T-shirts produced by the club.It is three years since Old Trafford last staged a title party, but Louis van Gaal's United side are far from ideal candidates for the role of sacrificial lambs on the Leicester title altar.

United, seeking to reclaim fifth place from West Ham United, boast the division's strongest home record, having lost only twice on home turf, and have conceded only seven goals in their 17 games at Old Trafford to date.

They are on a run of six successive home wins, which has helped to keep their challenge for a Champions League place alive, and with Manchester City and Arsenal guaranteed to take points off each other when they meet next weekend, Van Gaal's men are not short of incentives in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

"We have to beat them because we are still in the race for fourth position," said Van Gaal, who has insisted he will still be in charge next season despite persitent reports that Jose Mourinho is set to take over from him.

"We cannot allow them to be champions this weekend at Old Trafford. They shall be champions a week later. We don't spoil the party, only postpone it a little bit."

Leicester have not won at Old Trafford in seven attempts, since a 1-0 league victory in January 1998, and will again be without 22-goal top scorer Jamie Vardy, who completes a two-game ban stemming from his dismissal for diving against West Ham.His Argentine understudy Leonardo Ulloa is expected to continue up front despite sustaining a minor back problem after scoring twice against Swansea, while Ranieri must decide whether to keep faith with Jeff Schlupp on the left wing or recall Marc Albrighton.

United, who beat Everton at Wembley last weekend to reach the FA Cup final, are close to full strength, with left-back Luke Shaw (broken leg) and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee) their only absentees.AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar was today refused entry to Sarawak, said communications director Fahmi Fadzil.

He said that the Lembah Pantai MP arrived at Miri, Sarawak at 9.35am and was stopped at the Immigration counter.

“There was no real reason given," Fahmi told Malay Mail Online. "She's flying back to KL and I was told that she will do a press conference at KLIA."

The federal lawmaker earlier tweeted that she had written to incumbent Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem asking to be allowed entry to Sarawak, but Fahmi said they did not receive any response.

Nurul Izzah joins other non-native opposition lawmakers who have been prevented from entering the state that is preparing for an election on May 7.

They include PKR’s Rafizi Ramli and Chua Tian Chang, DAP’s Teresa Kok and Parti Amanah Negara’s Mohamad Sabu.Previously, Nurul Izzah was banned from the state and Sabah over her controversial meeting with the Sulu 'princess' Jacel Kiram, daughter of the self-styled Sulu 'sultan' Jamalul Kiram III who led the Lahad Datu invasion in Sabah three years ago.

Sarawak and Sabah have autonomy over their state’s immigration, and may reject those deemed “unfit” to enter.MALAY  MAIL ONLINE

The head of a Korean subsidiary of a British consumer goods company was slapped and shouted down on Monday as he apologised for his firm's role in selling a humidifier disinfectant blamed for more than 100 deaths in South Korea.

Shouting "too late" and "cannot forgive" in English, a handful of the victims' relatives rushed the podium where Atar Safdar, the head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea, was speaking at a hotel in Seoul.

The executive was slapped and pushed several times as the event descended into chaos.

Safdar was finally able to resume his statement, in which he offered a "heartfelt and sincere apology" to all the victims and said his company was committed to a multi-million dollar compensation plan.

The case came to light after four pregnant women died of lung problems for unknown reasons in 2011.

A subsequent government probe found a "significant association" between lung damage and products used to sterilise domestic humidifiers.

Most of the victims were found to have used Oxy Ssak Ssak, a liquid humidifier disinfectant sold by Reckitt Benckiser in South Korea from 2001, that has been blamed for around 103 deaths -- mostly women and children.

"Oxy RB accepts responsibility for the role that Oxy RB products played and the delay in providing adequate remedy," Safdar said.

He also announced the creation of a five billion won ($4.3 million) humanitarian fund to "provide assistance to those who have suffered".

The company had earlier donated a similar amount to a fund set up by the South Korean Environment Ministry.

The company has been sharply criticised in South Korea for taking too long to apologise or accept any responsibility in the case.AFP

Greenpeace on Sunday said it was in possession of leaked documents showing that a planned huge free trade deal between the United States and the European Union poses "major risks for climate, environment and consumer safety".

The campaign group said it would on Monday publish 248 pages of classified documents to "shine a light" on negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), an ambitious treaty both sides want completed by year-end but which is facing mounting opposition.

The leaked pages will be published online at 0900 GMT, Greenpeace said in a statement.

It says the cache -- obtained by Greenpeace Netherlands -- represents two-thirds of the TTIP draft text as of the latest round of talks in April, and covers a range of issues from telecoms to food and agriculture and trade barriers.

"These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: TTIP would put corporations at the centre of policy-making, to the detriment of environment and public health," said Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss.

The US and the EU have been trying to reach a deal on the world's largest trade agreement since 2013.

It is billed as a free-trade and investment deal for the 21st century, focused on harmonising regulations, lowering barriers on investment, opening access to government contracts and addressing new areas like data trade and consumer protections.

But it is facing rising resistance and protectionist sentiment, as critics question the benefits of more open trade.

In Europe in particular there is deep suspicion that TTIP will erode social and consumer protections to the advantage of big business.

Greenpeace says the confidential documents prove that long-standing environmental protections are being ignored and claims there is no mention at all in the proposed text of global goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The group also says the US wants the EU to drop its so-called "precautionary principle" under which products that may be harmful are banned.

Instead, the less strict US approach "that aims to manage hazardous substances rather than avoid them, finds its way into various chapters," according to Greenpeace.

"It is time to shine a light on these negotiations. Hard-won environmental progress is Following the latest TTIP negotiations last month, American and European negotiators said they had made progress but "substantial work" remained to agree a deal in 2016.

They said that while 97 percent of tariff issues had been covered, three percent -- the most challenging, including for farm products -- remained.

Last week, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a joint pitch for the TTIP, saying the vast pact could spur much-needed economic growth.

But on Sunday President Francois Hollande warned that France would reject the pact if it endangered the country's agricultural sector.  AFP