News Briefs (January 2008)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Malaysia Bans 11 Books for Alleged Misrepresentation of Islam

Malaysia has banned 11 books for allegedly giving a false portrayal of Islam, such as by linking the religion to terrorism and the mistreatment of women, an official said Wednesday. The government ordered the books—most of them released by US publishers—to be blacklisted earlier this month "because they are not in line with what we call the Malaysian version of Islam," said Che Din Yusoh, an official with the Internal Security Ministry's publications control unit. The banned books include eight English-language ones, such as "The Two Faces of Islam: Saudi Fundamentalism and its Role in Terrorism," "Secrets of the Quran: Revealing Insights Into Islam's Holy Book" and "Women in Islam." There are also three books written in the local Malay language. It was not immediately clear whether the books have ever been on sale in Malaysia, but government authorities regularly review the contents of books and publications that could have sensitive material, mostly regarding religion and sex, Che Din said. (AP)

East Timor Shaken by 6.2-magnitude Earthquake

A strong earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor Wednesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning—but no large waves hit the tiny nation's coast. The 6.2 magnitude tremor struck 262 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of the capital, Dili, in Indonesia's Banda Sea at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the US Geological Survey said. Residents in Dili did not feel any shaking and there were no immediate reports of damage of injuries. Indonesia's Meteorological and Geophysics agency issued a tsunami alert, saying it had been powerful enough to generate giant waves. The warning was later retracted. East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that became Asia's youngest country after breaking from Indonesia in 1999, sits along a series of fault lines and volcanos known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. (AP)

Friday, January 25, 2008

Burmese Intruder Eludes Bangkok Airport Security

A Burmese man who claimed to be a convict on the run was arrested on the tarmac at Bangkok's international airport after eluding security, authorities said Friday. Police said the man, who identified himself as 28-year-old Zu Aung, was found on Tuesday aboard a Turkish Airlines jet that was parked in a waiting zone before picking up passengers bound for Istanbul, said police Lt-Col Pranachai Sattawut. The man, who had no travel documents, told police he had climbed into the plane using a ladder leaned up to its door, Pranachai said. An engineer inspecting the plane spotted the man sitting alone in the cabin and alerted authorities, Pranachai said.

The man told police through an interpreter that he had escaped from a Malaysian prison and walked for two months until arriving on Tuesday evening at the airport. Police questioned the veracity of his story as the trip from the Thai-Malaysian border to Thailand's capital, Bangkok is about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles), Pranachai said. The man faces up to three years in prison for trespassing and illegal entry. (AP)

Sweden To Sell Six Fighter Jets to Thailand

The Swedish government has approved a deal to sell six Gripen-JAS fighter jets to Thailand, replacing some of that country's aging US warplanes. The deal, to be handled by the Swedish Defense Material Administration, is valued at 3.8 billion kronor (US $588 million), and includes the radar surveillance system Erieye, the Swedish government said in a statement. The administration is an independent, civil authority that provides Sweden's armed forces with material and systems and represents the government in certain international deals. Delivery of the JAS 39 fighter jets is planned for the beginning of 2011, when Thailand winds up its current fleet of US F-5 warplanes that have been in its arsenal for three decades. Thailand has made a number of military purchases recently, including armored personnel carriers from Ukraine, assault rifles from Israel and surface-to-surface missiles from China. (AP)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Suu Kyi Wins another Award

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been awarded a Spanish honor for her work for political reconciliation. The award, “Abogados de Atocha,” named for two victims of right-wing Spanish terrorism, was to be presented on Thursday evening in Toledo to a representative of Suu Kyi.