Diversity is not only celebrated during festivals but everyday with tolerance, respect and understanding. Have we lost this as we become more urbanised, modern and progressive? –
.
WHEN was the last time any of us, and this goes beyond urban areas, actually socialised, fraternised or in today's parlance, hung out, with someone from another community, or ethnicity?
You know, beyond the workplace, during social, cultural and religious occasions. Anyone still does open houses and welcomes neighbours and schoolmates of different communities?
Why, you might ask? Simple, we are Malaysians but we don't really know each other that well, even after 60 years of Merdeka.
You see, the absence of empathy is putting ordinary Malaysians on confrontational mode on the road, in the neighbourhood and workplace. And in cyberspace too, especially in social media.
What happened in Johor yesterday between a motorist and those attending Friday prayers is not going to be an isolated case or an aberration if we all don't take a step back and understand that we are not enemies.
A simple misunderstanding. The inability to recognise that prayers are going on. The inability to see that haphazardly parked cars can cause traffic issues not just for motorists but also your co-religionists.
How is it, we can pray peacefully but find it difficult to handle our daily lives and misunderstandings in the same manner?
It happens for another occasions too. The complaints about loud prayers, smoky ceremonies, traffic congestion and road closures that only goes to show that we really don't know each other as well as our parents did back in the time.
Diversity is not only celebrated during festivals but everyday with tolerance, respect and understanding. Have we lost this as we become more urbanised, modern and progressive?
Or are we just threatened by the fast pace of life that we retreat into silos, in the comfort of our own kind that we forget this is a country of many, not a few? That we have always celebrated our diversity as harmony and unity, not discord and divisiveness?
Perhaps, even worse, the sense of community has given way to the self. That we are the ones in a rush for success, and the rest don't matter.
And that everyone else is the other, not part of us. We see one another as different, not as fellow Malaysians. We are in our own silos, not in one big family. We are five fingers, not one hand.
So, not much point showing unity when we win the Thomas Cup or snag a few medals at the Olympics and then go at each other's throats at the first sign of a misunderstanding. That we are right and the other is always wrong.
We have to get over this mindset. We lose Malaysia when we Malaysians fight each other for the slightest of reasons.
We can all sing the national anthem "Negaraku", but when push comes to shove, we have to believe and say it's "Negara Kita". – May 6, 2017.
Ben Hur Plug Up Blog - I belief that if one wants change one have to fight for it and cannot be a bystander .If you have articles, information, thoughts you want to share just send it to me at benhurplugup@gmail.com . Please keep your articles brief, not more than 1000 words or just use bullet points. If you have pictures to go with the articles, that is even better. Towards an excellent Malaysia.
Sunday 7 May 2017
Plastic surgery for Thai drug lord, might seek refuge in M’sia
Who knows now he is a woman now after sugery
It is understood the fugitive could well be heading to Cambodia or Malaysia for his next ‘safe haven’ as his current hideout in Laos is fast becoming unsafe for him, following a recent crackdown by that country’s authorities
BANGKOK: In what appears to be a slick move plucked from the John Woo-directed Hollywood action movie, ‘Face Off’, one of the most notorious drug lords in Thailand is giving its drug enforcement authorities the runaround after having undergone plastic surgery to evade detection.
It is understood the fugitive could well be heading to Cambodia or Malaysia for his next ‘safe haven’ as his current hideout in Laos is fast becoming unsafe for him, following a recent crackdown by that country’s authorities.
“Our intelligence information has shown that he had undergone facial plastic surgery to evade capture but we do not know what kind of surgery he has undergone,” Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) head, Sirinya Sitdichai told Bernama here recently.
Using plastic surgery to alter one’s facial appearance to evade arrest is not unprecedented or only confined to a movie scene as Thai authorities found out last July, when they arrested a 62-year-old Japanese man who confessed to undergoing surgery to avoid arrest for past offences.
The man was on the run for 10 years for stock manipulation charges in Japan and was deported following his arrest in Thailand.
The Thai drug lord, listed as one of most hunted and sought-after criminal in Thailand has been on the run from the Thai authorities for more than 10 years and was believed to be in hiding in Laos where he was thought to be protected by its local powerful drug syndicates.
However, following a recent crackdown by the Laos authorities, the fugitive who carried a two million Baht (about RM250,000) bounty on his head has been on the run again, with either Cambodia or Malaysia as his possible safe haven, according to Sirinya.
“We have analysed all the information and he could possibly go to Cambodia, which is near Laos or Malaysia, where he still could count on his drug network (for protection),” he said of the wanted man who came from Narathiwat in southern Thailand.
The Thai authorities had before this alleged that the fugitive carried a dual Thai and Malaysia citizenship, which could explain his preference for choosing Malaysia as his next ‘safe haven’.
According to Sirinya, the Thai drug lord was thought to have fled the Indo China country when Thai and Laos drug enforcement authorities heightened their cooperation which saw the arrest of a Laotian who was dubbed the ‘ASEAN drug lord’, at the Suvarnabhumi Airport last January.
The noose around the southern Thai drug lord was further tightened when Laotian authorities arrested two henchmen of the ‘Asean drug lord’ early this year and last month.
A source told Bernama that the Thai fugitive had assumed a new Laotian name, ‘Souk Xaysana’ and married a Laotian woman, besides holding large business enterprises in the country including car showroom, rubber plantation, resort, gold and copper mining.
BANGKOK: In what appears to be a slick move plucked from the John Woo-directed Hollywood action movie, ‘Face Off’, one of the most notorious drug lords in Thailand is giving its drug enforcement authorities the runaround after having undergone plastic surgery to evade detection.
It is understood the fugitive could well be heading to Cambodia or Malaysia for his next ‘safe haven’ as his current hideout in Laos is fast becoming unsafe for him, following a recent crackdown by that country’s authorities.
“Our intelligence information has shown that he had undergone facial plastic surgery to evade capture but we do not know what kind of surgery he has undergone,” Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) head, Sirinya Sitdichai told Bernama here recently.
Using plastic surgery to alter one’s facial appearance to evade arrest is not unprecedented or only confined to a movie scene as Thai authorities found out last July, when they arrested a 62-year-old Japanese man who confessed to undergoing surgery to avoid arrest for past offences.
The man was on the run for 10 years for stock manipulation charges in Japan and was deported following his arrest in Thailand.
The Thai drug lord, listed as one of most hunted and sought-after criminal in Thailand has been on the run from the Thai authorities for more than 10 years and was believed to be in hiding in Laos where he was thought to be protected by its local powerful drug syndicates.
However, following a recent crackdown by the Laos authorities, the fugitive who carried a two million Baht (about RM250,000) bounty on his head has been on the run again, with either Cambodia or Malaysia as his possible safe haven, according to Sirinya.
“We have analysed all the information and he could possibly go to Cambodia, which is near Laos or Malaysia, where he still could count on his drug network (for protection),” he said of the wanted man who came from Narathiwat in southern Thailand.
The Thai authorities had before this alleged that the fugitive carried a dual Thai and Malaysia citizenship, which could explain his preference for choosing Malaysia as his next ‘safe haven’.
According to Sirinya, the Thai drug lord was thought to have fled the Indo China country when Thai and Laos drug enforcement authorities heightened their cooperation which saw the arrest of a Laotian who was dubbed the ‘ASEAN drug lord’, at the Suvarnabhumi Airport last January.
The noose around the southern Thai drug lord was further tightened when Laotian authorities arrested two henchmen of the ‘Asean drug lord’ early this year and last month.
A source told Bernama that the Thai fugitive had assumed a new Laotian name, ‘Souk Xaysana’ and married a Laotian woman, besides holding large business enterprises in the country including car showroom, rubber plantation, resort, gold and copper mining.
BNM REMOVES RESERVE FUND REQUIREMENT FOR BANKS
The Government need to borrow money to meet its obligations and cannot
borrow from overseas as nobody wants to loan money to Malaysia. Local banks are
empty as the government has borrowed all the money available and now the
reserve funds requirement for banks lifted will unfreeze these cash reserves
which the government can borrow. Once this gone, where going get more money but
only by increasing GST and new taxes.
KUALA LUMPUR – Banks in Malaysia will no longer have to maintain a reserve fund, the central bank said on Wednesday, a move that analysts say recognises the banking sector’s improved capital buffers and potentially allows them to pay out more dividends.
The relaxation of rules by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), which still requires banks to continue to maintain a minimum amount of capital, became effective from May 3.
Previously, the central bank had required banks to maintain a percentage of net profit as reserves, which could not be used to declare dividends.
While that is no longer the case, central bank approval would still be needed to payout dividends from reserve funds.
In a statement on its website on Wednesday, BNM said it “expects banking institutions to exercise prudence before submitting an application to distribute the reserves as dividends.”
BNM said it removed the reserve fund requirement due to the implementation of the capital conservation buffer as part of the global “Basel III” rules enforced by regulators after the 2008 financial crisis aimed at bolstering the defences of banks worldwide.
AmInvestment Bank analyst Kelvin Ong said the central bank’s move to remove the reserve fund requirement was positive for banks as it showed the sector was well capitalised.
“Banks can be more flexible on dividend declaration now but they will still be prudent as it has to go through BNM for approval,” Ong said.
BNM reiterated on Wednesday that domestic banks should maintain RM2 billion as minimum capital funds. Islamic banks and locally incorporated foreign banks are required to maintain RM300 million, while stand alone investment banks should maintain RM500 million.
Public Investment Bank analyst Ching Weng Jin said the move does not necessarily mean banks will begin to declare a flurry of dividends as they may opt to adopt a wait-and-see stance.
“While economic conditions are gradually improving, challenges still remain and banks may decide to maintain additional buffers to potentially counter any eventualities,” he said in a research note.
Banking stocks were lower on the local stock exchange due to weaker broader market sentiment, the analysts said.
Shares of Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), Malaysia’s largest lender by assets, were down about 4% on Thursday. CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, the second biggest bank, was down 1%.
– FMT
WE WANT OUR MONEY NOW! NO CANNOT BECAUSE I WANT MORE OF YOUR MONEY FIRST
CHEATED’ INVESTORS SCOLD JOHNSON LEE AFTER HE ASKED THEM TO WAIT 4 TO 5 YEARSPENANG – JJPTR founder Johnson Lee said in an interview that his company would return the money to investors “within four or five years”.
However, when Sin Chew Daily visited the company’s headquarters on Jalan Perak today, it was found that most of the investors wanted their money back immediately, not four or five years later.
“How to pay back in four to five years?” they asked.
Lee did not elaborate during the interview how the money would be returned to the investors.
When approached by Sin Chew Daily, the JJPTR staff said their boss was a man of his words and would certainly fulfill his promise to return the money to investors.
– Mysinchew
JOHNSON LEE AT IT AGAIN: ‘YOU’LL REGRET NOT JOINING EARLIER
’PENANG – To prove that he is still in Penang and is not running away from the public, JJPTR founder Johnson Lee accepted an interview by Nanyang Siang Pau in which he said people who did not join JJPTR earlier would regret once his new investment platform takes off.
He said he had been meeting his lawyer over the past two weeks besides facing police interrogation and a flood of criticisms from the public.
Nevertheless, he said he had never thought of running away although he had an opportunity to seek refuge in the United States, insisting that he had not cheated anyone and there were still many who would support him.
JJPTR has about 400,000 members worldwide, including 300,000 in Malaysia, of which half are in Penang.
Johnson Lee also said it was a misunderstanding that his father Lee Thean Chye and ex-girlfriend were major shareholders of his company. He explained that he put them as shareholders for the sake of convenience when he first started the business some two years ago.
He said he had confidence paying back the 400,000 investors in 18 countries over the next four to five years through his new investment platform.
– Mysinchew
Qatari royals said to mull sale of Luxembourg private bank
The Qatari owners of Banque Internationale a Luxembourg are considering a sale of their controlling stake in the private bank, which could fetch about $1.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Precision Capital, the investment vehicle of Qatar royal family members including former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, is weighing a sale of the bank, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. BIL could interest large private banks in Europe seeking to expand their business, the people said.
Precision is not running a formal sale process and is holding preliminary discussions with potential buyers, the people said. No final agreements have been reached and the owners may decide against a sale, the people said.
Representatives for Precision Capital, BIL and the Luxembourg Finance Ministry declined to comment.
The royals bought into the European private banking scene in 2012, acquiring a 90 percent stake in BIL from Dexia as part of a bailout of the Franco-Belgian bank. The Luxembourg government bought the remaining 10 percent. Precision Capital also bought another private bank in the country that year, KBL European Private Bankers for 1.05 billion euros ($1.14 billion).
BIL, founded in 1856, is the oldest private bank in Luxembourg. The bank had 35.5 billion euros of assets under management at the end of 2015, according to its website. Its net income for the first half of 2016 dropped to 45 million euros from 108 million euros for the same period in the previous year in a “challenging market environment,” according to the bank’s latest financial report.
Qatar has been an active investor in European banks, with the country’s sovereign wealth fund holding stakes in lenders including Barclays Plc and Credit Suisse Group.
DERAILED! PLAN TO MERGE UMW OIL & GAS, ICON OFFSHORE & ORKIM CALLED OFF DUE TO ‘SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS’
PETALING JAYA – A planned merger of UMW Oil & Gas Corp Bhd (UMW-OG), Icon Offshore Bhd and Orkim Sdn Bhd to create an integrated service provider in the oil & gas industry has been called off due to significant capital requirements.
Ekuiti Nasional Brhd (Ekuinas), the largest shareholder of Icon Offshore and Orkim, said it arrived at the decision after considering the significant capital requirements of UMW-OG, which necessitates a far larger recapitalisation than initially envisaged.
“This, in turn, would have an adverse effect on the economics of the proposed transaction. In the meantime, we will support our investee companies, Icon and Orkim, in executing their strategies to grow their respective businesses in the pursuit of shareholder value creation. We would like to thank all the parties involved in the discussions for their time and effort, and we wish UMW-OG all the best in their recapitalisation exercise,” Ekuinas CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir said in a statement yesterday.
UMW-OG said in a filing with the stock exchange that the decision has taken into account the need to have greater clarity on the industry consolidation framework and certainty of the industry environment before any such consolidation can be pursued.
“The company may, however, continue to explore opportunities to collaborate in the future once there is more certainty in the industry environment and consolidation framework as the board continues to believe that the creation of a major integrated oil & gas service provider is the right strategic approach for the longer term,” it added.
In a separate filing yesterday, UMW-OG proposed a rights issue with warrants and/or proposed subscription of new Islamic redeemable convertible preference shares to raise gross proceeds of RM1.82 billion.
Trading in UMW-OG and Icon shares was suspended yesterday pending the announcement. The counters closed at 69 sen and 38.5 sen on Wednesday respectively.
AmInvestment Bank had opined that the abortion of the deal will be value-enhancing for UMW-OG as the proposed acquisitions (together with the demerger from UMW) of Icon and Orkim at unjustified price-to-book value of 1 time and 3.6 times respectively versus UMW-OG’s 0.8 times.
Despite this, the demerger of UMW-OG from parent UMW Holdings Bhd is on track to be completed by July and is not conditional upon the three-party merger.
UMW president and group CEO Badrul Feisal Abdul Rahim (pix) expects a better outlook for UMW without the oil and gas unit.
Earlier at its EGM yesterday, UMW shareholders approved the proposed distribution of the entire shareholding of UMW in UMW-OG, on the basis of 1.03 UMW-OG shares for each share in UMW to the entitled shareholders of UMW by reducing the share capital of UMW by RM704.76 million, as well as the proposed capital reduction of UMW by RM89.72 million.
The demerger of UMW-OG will be done through the distribution-in-specie of all UMW’s 55.73% stake in UMW-OG in the form of bonus issue.
“By July we should be able to complete everything (demerger),” Badrul Feisal told reporters after UMW’s EGM here yesterday. He declined to comment on the troubled merger between UMW-OG, Icon Offshore and Orkim.
On the progressive sale of its other non-listed oil and gas assets, he said it is still going through the processes. It has sold 10 assets, with another 15-16 more to go. It is finalising the deals and is aiming to complete the disposals by this year.
“It’s realistically challenging to do them by this year and it may also move to next year. But the impairment will no longer be significant, because we’ve taken almost all the heed for 2016,” Badrul Feisal said, adding that any impairment will be minimal.
UMW is exiting the oil and gas business amid the low price environment and will refocus on its core businesses of automotive, equipment and manufacturing & engineering.
– Sundaily
Ekuiti Nasional Brhd (Ekuinas), the largest shareholder of Icon Offshore and Orkim, said it arrived at the decision after considering the significant capital requirements of UMW-OG, which necessitates a far larger recapitalisation than initially envisaged.
“This, in turn, would have an adverse effect on the economics of the proposed transaction. In the meantime, we will support our investee companies, Icon and Orkim, in executing their strategies to grow their respective businesses in the pursuit of shareholder value creation. We would like to thank all the parties involved in the discussions for their time and effort, and we wish UMW-OG all the best in their recapitalisation exercise,” Ekuinas CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir said in a statement yesterday.
UMW-OG said in a filing with the stock exchange that the decision has taken into account the need to have greater clarity on the industry consolidation framework and certainty of the industry environment before any such consolidation can be pursued.
“The company may, however, continue to explore opportunities to collaborate in the future once there is more certainty in the industry environment and consolidation framework as the board continues to believe that the creation of a major integrated oil & gas service provider is the right strategic approach for the longer term,” it added.
In a separate filing yesterday, UMW-OG proposed a rights issue with warrants and/or proposed subscription of new Islamic redeemable convertible preference shares to raise gross proceeds of RM1.82 billion.
Trading in UMW-OG and Icon shares was suspended yesterday pending the announcement. The counters closed at 69 sen and 38.5 sen on Wednesday respectively.
AmInvestment Bank had opined that the abortion of the deal will be value-enhancing for UMW-OG as the proposed acquisitions (together with the demerger from UMW) of Icon and Orkim at unjustified price-to-book value of 1 time and 3.6 times respectively versus UMW-OG’s 0.8 times.
Despite this, the demerger of UMW-OG from parent UMW Holdings Bhd is on track to be completed by July and is not conditional upon the three-party merger.
UMW president and group CEO Badrul Feisal Abdul Rahim (pix) expects a better outlook for UMW without the oil and gas unit.
Earlier at its EGM yesterday, UMW shareholders approved the proposed distribution of the entire shareholding of UMW in UMW-OG, on the basis of 1.03 UMW-OG shares for each share in UMW to the entitled shareholders of UMW by reducing the share capital of UMW by RM704.76 million, as well as the proposed capital reduction of UMW by RM89.72 million.
The demerger of UMW-OG will be done through the distribution-in-specie of all UMW’s 55.73% stake in UMW-OG in the form of bonus issue.
“By July we should be able to complete everything (demerger),” Badrul Feisal told reporters after UMW’s EGM here yesterday. He declined to comment on the troubled merger between UMW-OG, Icon Offshore and Orkim.
On the progressive sale of its other non-listed oil and gas assets, he said it is still going through the processes. It has sold 10 assets, with another 15-16 more to go. It is finalising the deals and is aiming to complete the disposals by this year.
“It’s realistically challenging to do them by this year and it may also move to next year. But the impairment will no longer be significant, because we’ve taken almost all the heed for 2016,” Badrul Feisal said, adding that any impairment will be minimal.
UMW is exiting the oil and gas business amid the low price environment and will refocus on its core businesses of automotive, equipment and manufacturing & engineering.
– Sundaily
Ending the Cabotage policy for Sarawak , Sabah and Labuan will see the demise of local shipping Industry
The local shipping industry have been for so long protected from
foreign companies because of the Cabotage policy will now have to compete with
efficient and low cost foreign shipping industry. Should have gradually abolish the policy and
not at one go. Now the local shipping industry is at the mercy of the foreign
shipping companies and by the year ends 50% of the local shipping companies
will close their doors forever and thousands will be jobless.
WEAK NAJIB CAVES IN TO SABAH, SARAWAK: PUTRAJAYA ABOLISHES CABOTAGE FROM JUNE 1
KUALA LUMPUR― Sabah, Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan will be exempt from cabotage policy starting June 1, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today.
He said the exemption would be for the transshipment of goods from the peninsula to Borneo Malaysia, but not the transshipment of goods within the two states and the eastern federal territory, Malay news portal Astro Awani reported.
“This means, from any port in peninsular Malaysia to any port in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan and vice-versa.
“However, the exemption does not apply to ships operating among Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
“That means, there is no more increased prices in Sabah, we exempt the enforcement of this cabotage policy,” he was quoted saying in his speech during a programme in Sandakan, Sabah.
In a separate statement, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the decision to exempt Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan from the cabotage policy proved the federal government’s efforts to improve the “liveability” of its people.
“The Ministry of Transport and I are committed to continuously conduct engagement and discussion sessions with relevant stakeholders and take into consideration the need of the industry to ensure East Malaysia transport industry’s growth,” he said.
He also clarified that the exemption does not affect services other than freight transport services.
The cabotage policy, implemented in the 1980s, required the transshipment of goods to first pass through Port Klang on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia.
Politicians and industry players have largely blamed the cabotage policy for higher prices in Borneo Malaysia compared to peninsular Malaysia and in recent years, have increasingly called for Putrajaya to abolish it.
The policy has little adverse effects prices in the Malay peninsula where rail and highways over shorter distances provide other means of transport for goods.
The cabotage exemption announcement is timely with Sarawak to showcase its timber products involving its small and medium enterprises at an exhibition later this month, from May 18 to 21.
National news agency Bernama previously reported that 230 exhibitors have confirmed their participation in the Sarawak Timber and SMEs Expo 2017 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan who is also the state industrial development and entrepreneurship, trade and investment minister was reported saying on May 2 that doing away with the cabotage policy would boost the local export market as the domestic one was rather small.
“In the long term it is good for Sarawak because there will be a direct shipment from other countries, for example, if we are to import construction material from China, it will come direct to us without having to stop at Port Klang.
“And now I think we have enough volume especially in the timber industry and products for example, plywood can be shipped directly to our buyers like China from Kuching or Bintulu without having to stop at Port Klang,” he was quoted telling a news conference in Kuching then.
MALAY MAIL
Letter: A response to the legal opinion on the Guatemalan claim to Belize
Dear Sir:
Attorney David Fine and editor Evan X Hyde, as a Belizean I commend you for writing this extremely powerful legal opinion on Belizean rights to our country. Also, Mr Hyde for publishing this needed article in his Amandala newspaper to educate our people on this ongoing never ending false claim Guatemala has been stating for centuries over our nation Belize.
I would like to see more Belizean legal scholars express their legal opinions on this issue like you but such is not the case.
This article gives many Belizeans like myself the confirmation that, without any doubt, Belize belongs to Belizeans. However, there are many Belizeans who are asking this question: if we are so convinced that this is true, then why go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reaffirm this fact?
Then there are others like myself, who believe that even if we go to the ICJ and become victorious, the Guatemalans will not cease and desist from engaging in their false claim against Belize, then why go? This is the reason why many Belizeans are skeptical about taking this dispute to the ICJ for a hearing.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Dear Editor,
The Honourable Foreign Minister was quoted in the media as saying this past week that Belize lacked “internationally recognized borders,” and that the Belizean people therefore are like “squatters”. If Mr. Elrington was quoted correctly, then I certainly have to understand him to have been speaking metaphorically.
The fact that Guatemala refuses to recognize Belize’s established borders does not render them any the less valid at law. The international community, speaking through the United Nations, recognized both the Sarstoon, and also the parallel of longitude passing north to south through Garbutt’s Falls, as Belize’s borders with Guatemala. The U.N. General Assembly passed successive annual resolutions in the years prior to independence calling for Belizean independence within just these borders.
As importantly, Belize acquired title under international law to all of the territory within its present internationally recognized borders no later than 1850. Well before the date at which sovereignty over Belize transferred from the Belizean people to the British Crown in 1862, it was Belize and Belize alone which manifested sovereign authority as far west as Garbutt’s Falls, and southward all the way to the Sarstoon.
The 1859 Treaty by its own terms recognized existing boundaries. Guatemala ceded no territory to Belize, for the simple reason that none of the lands in question ever were Guatemalan territory, either factually as shown through acts on the ground, or as a matter of international law.
Belize
Country in Central America
Belize is a nation on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungle to the west. Offshore, the massive Belize Barrier Reef, dotted with hundreds of low-lying islands called cayes, hosts rich marine life. Belize’s jungle areas are home to Mayan ruins like Caracol, renowned for its towering pyramid; lagoon-side Lamanai; and Altun Ha, just outside Belize City.
Capital: Belmopan
Currency: Belize dollar
Recognized languages: Spanish
Population: 359,287 (2015) World Bank
Plan a trip
Belize travel guide
26 h 47 min flight, from $1,318
Official language: English
As the Treaty was not one of cession, no substance can be attached to Guatemala’s argument that a British obligation to build a road or a railroad from the Caribbean to Guatemala City allowed Guatemala to renounce that treaty. There are several reasons for this, both factual and legal:
Guatemala actually got what it bargained for. Modern historical research shows that Guatemala’s primary interest when it sat down to negotiate the 1859 Treaty was to get British warships to suppress “Filibusterers” along the Caribbean coast. Guatemala in fact got just that.
Under principles of customary international law, even if Guatemala had not gotten what it actually had bargained for, Guatemala has no right at law to renounce a boundary treaty due to a later failure of consideration; that is, due to a later failure of Britain to build a road or a railroad to its capital. The International Court of Justice recognized and applied this legal principle in 1994, in its ruling in Territorial Dispute (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Chad).
Guatemala
Country in Central America
Guatemala, a Central American country south of Mexico, is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient Mayan sites. The capital, Guatemala City, features the stately National Palace of Culture and the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Antigua, west of the capital, contains preserved Spanish colonial buildings. Lake Atitlán, formed in a massive volcanic crater, is surrounded by coffee fields and villages.
Capital: Guatemala City
Capital and largest city: Guatemala City; 14°38′N 90°30′W / 14.633°N 90.500°W
Currency: Guatemalan quetzal
Population: 16.34 million (2015) World Bank
President: Jimmy Morales
Official language: Spanish
Even if that were not so, any objective reading of Belizean-Guatemalan diplomatic history shows the failure of the transportation link to materialize was as much the fault of Guatemala as of Britain.
The paramount right of a nation at international law, the right of self-determination, precludes Guatemala from lawfully asserting sovereignty over any portion of Belize.
Read here more - Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute
Over the nine colonial decades, from 1859 through to self-government in 1964, Belize (née British Honduras) consolidated its sovereignty over the entirety of its territory, as required under rules of international law. Throughout this entire period Guatemala exercised not a jot or tittle of actual authority within the lands it now claims. Had Guatemala once had any claims to Belizean territory cognizable at international law, it thus lost its legal right to assert such claims.
Belize’s rights at public international law to the entirety of its land territory may be disputed by its western neighbour. Countries, like people, are best off when their neighbours do not covet any of their possessions. However (to continue this analogy) the fact that one’s neighbour asserts a baseless challenge to one’s possessions does not make one’s ownership of each and every of these possessions any the less valid in law.
If I understand the Honourable Foreign Minister correctly, it certainly is best to put Guatemala’s claims to an end – however baseless they may be in international law. If an ICJ adjudication will serve this purpose, then that alone may be good reason to seek, in the proper manner, to have the International Court of Justice pronounce upon the issue. The Foreign Minister also rightly points out that the sea frontier off Belize’s coast needs to be delimited. But the suggestion that without such an ICJ decision the people of Belize are like squatters and are without good title under international law to their own nation must be understood as an attempt to speak metaphorically.
David Fine
Attorney At Law
Olympia, Washington
Attorney David Fine and editor Evan X Hyde, as a Belizean I commend you for writing this extremely powerful legal opinion on Belizean rights to our country. Also, Mr Hyde for publishing this needed article in his Amandala newspaper to educate our people on this ongoing never ending false claim Guatemala has been stating for centuries over our nation Belize.
This article gives many Belizeans like myself the confirmation that, without any doubt, Belize belongs to Belizeans. However, there are many Belizeans who are asking this question: if we are so convinced that this is true, then why go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reaffirm this fact?
Then there are others like myself, who believe that even if we go to the ICJ and become victorious, the Guatemalans will not cease and desist from engaging in their false claim against Belize, then why go? This is the reason why many Belizeans are skeptical about taking this dispute to the ICJ for a hearing.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Dear Editor,
The Honourable Foreign Minister was quoted in the media as saying this past week that Belize lacked “internationally recognized borders,” and that the Belizean people therefore are like “squatters”. If Mr. Elrington was quoted correctly, then I certainly have to understand him to have been speaking metaphorically.
The fact that Guatemala refuses to recognize Belize’s established borders does not render them any the less valid at law. The international community, speaking through the United Nations, recognized both the Sarstoon, and also the parallel of longitude passing north to south through Garbutt’s Falls, as Belize’s borders with Guatemala. The U.N. General Assembly passed successive annual resolutions in the years prior to independence calling for Belizean independence within just these borders.
As importantly, Belize acquired title under international law to all of the territory within its present internationally recognized borders no later than 1850. Well before the date at which sovereignty over Belize transferred from the Belizean people to the British Crown in 1862, it was Belize and Belize alone which manifested sovereign authority as far west as Garbutt’s Falls, and southward all the way to the Sarstoon.
The 1859 Treaty by its own terms recognized existing boundaries. Guatemala ceded no territory to Belize, for the simple reason that none of the lands in question ever were Guatemalan territory, either factually as shown through acts on the ground, or as a matter of international law.
Belize
Country in Central America
Belize is a nation on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungle to the west. Offshore, the massive Belize Barrier Reef, dotted with hundreds of low-lying islands called cayes, hosts rich marine life. Belize’s jungle areas are home to Mayan ruins like Caracol, renowned for its towering pyramid; lagoon-side Lamanai; and Altun Ha, just outside Belize City.
Capital: Belmopan
Currency: Belize dollar
Recognized languages: Spanish
Population: 359,287 (2015) World Bank
Plan a trip
Belize travel guide
26 h 47 min flight, from $1,318
Official language: English
As the Treaty was not one of cession, no substance can be attached to Guatemala’s argument that a British obligation to build a road or a railroad from the Caribbean to Guatemala City allowed Guatemala to renounce that treaty. There are several reasons for this, both factual and legal:
Guatemala actually got what it bargained for. Modern historical research shows that Guatemala’s primary interest when it sat down to negotiate the 1859 Treaty was to get British warships to suppress “Filibusterers” along the Caribbean coast. Guatemala in fact got just that.
Under principles of customary international law, even if Guatemala had not gotten what it actually had bargained for, Guatemala has no right at law to renounce a boundary treaty due to a later failure of consideration; that is, due to a later failure of Britain to build a road or a railroad to its capital. The International Court of Justice recognized and applied this legal principle in 1994, in its ruling in Territorial Dispute (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Chad).
GuatemalaCountry in Central America
Guatemala, a Central American country south of Mexico, is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient Mayan sites. The capital, Guatemala City, features the stately National Palace of Culture and the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Antigua, west of the capital, contains preserved Spanish colonial buildings. Lake Atitlán, formed in a massive volcanic crater, is surrounded by coffee fields and villages.
Capital: Guatemala City
Capital and largest city: Guatemala City; 14°38′N 90°30′W / 14.633°N 90.500°W
Currency: Guatemalan quetzal
Population: 16.34 million (2015) World Bank
President: Jimmy Morales
Official language: Spanish
Even if that were not so, any objective reading of Belizean-Guatemalan diplomatic history shows the failure of the transportation link to materialize was as much the fault of Guatemala as of Britain.
The paramount right of a nation at international law, the right of self-determination, precludes Guatemala from lawfully asserting sovereignty over any portion of Belize.
Read here more - Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute
Over the nine colonial decades, from 1859 through to self-government in 1964, Belize (née British Honduras) consolidated its sovereignty over the entirety of its territory, as required under rules of international law. Throughout this entire period Guatemala exercised not a jot or tittle of actual authority within the lands it now claims. Had Guatemala once had any claims to Belizean territory cognizable at international law, it thus lost its legal right to assert such claims.
Belize’s rights at public international law to the entirety of its land territory may be disputed by its western neighbour. Countries, like people, are best off when their neighbours do not covet any of their possessions. However (to continue this analogy) the fact that one’s neighbour asserts a baseless challenge to one’s possessions does not make one’s ownership of each and every of these possessions any the less valid in law.
If I understand the Honourable Foreign Minister correctly, it certainly is best to put Guatemala’s claims to an end – however baseless they may be in international law. If an ICJ adjudication will serve this purpose, then that alone may be good reason to seek, in the proper manner, to have the International Court of Justice pronounce upon the issue. The Foreign Minister also rightly points out that the sea frontier off Belize’s coast needs to be delimited. But the suggestion that without such an ICJ decision the people of Belize are like squatters and are without good title under international law to their own nation must be understood as an attempt to speak metaphorically.
David Fine
Attorney At Law
Olympia, Washington
FROM MAN OF GOD, HADI NOW WANTS TO BE A GENERAL : WHAT DIRTY JOB IS PAS OUT TO DO FOR NAJIB?
Mohd Arshad Raji Raji
He wears on his shoulders the rank of a full general. Which army does he commands? Does he not know that his rank is illegal?
steadyaku47 comment:
I can understand the ire of Pak Arshad…the old soldier who question what Hadi was doing wearing on his shoulders the rank of a General. Becoming a General of any kind is not something to be sneezed at…it is a hard won rank that is awarded only to those who have earned the right to be one. Quite like those surgeons from the Royal College of Surgeons who are insisting that only people who have graduated with a medical degree can call themselves surgeons….and they are not amused when there see a tree care business advertising themselves as doing “Tree Sugery” and calling themselves “Tree Surgeons”.
Remember His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, CBE, Lord of all the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular?
There is also that Datuk Seri Mappadulang Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sandrobone Sultan Abdul Jalil aka najib razak aka Malaysian Official 1.
Now it seems that Hadi, that man of ALLAH, who already has a Haji and Tuan Guru to his name, wants to play at being General! And who can blame him? Politics have earned him dedak a plenty and he uses religion to dupe many Muslims into voting for his Party PAS….but he now knows that politics and religion will still not give him the oomph these religious political zealots crave for…..being a General would do that admirably….so he sticks a General rank on his shoulders and hopes for the best….maybe he will get a Tabek or two from Rela and from PAS….and two salutes are better than no salute at all. 
At the rate things are going…very soon this Hadi guy will have enough umno retards to form a squadron of sorts to start his army! And do not forget this guest artist….
http://steadyaku-steadyaku-husseinhamid.blogspot.com/
Hard working Foreigners get shaft and lazy Malaysians get the spoils all because of the drug called NEP
KUALA LUMPUR— Foreigners who own and run retail shops in Jalan Masjid India are up in arms over the new regulations by City Hall in a bid to rid non-Malaysians from trading there.
They claim the move was a result of Malaysians being “jealous of their success” and said the new rules were “discriminatory”.
A Bangladeshi, who identified himself as Mohsin, said the new rules were the result of Malaysians being “dissatisfied” over the booming businesses by foreigners.
“You did not want to do these jobs. No Malaysians were interested in catering to the needs of our community. As such we set up our own shops,” he said.
“Now when you see that business is good, your authorities are trying to take it away from us,” he said.
While he admitted he did not have a business licence, he said he was the rightful owner of the shop he was operating. He said the practice of shop owners using licences belonging to others was widespread especially in the area.
Another Bangladeshi, who identified himself as Shah, said the new regulations were unfair and was an attempt by City Hall to snatch a lucrative market share.
“The shops we run cater to our people and we import items which are available only back home,” he said.
“We are not disturbing anyone, so why are you forcing us away?” he said.
“Without us, our people will be forced to buy items at higher prices. They will not be able to cope with the cost of living.”
Local business owners, however, expressed interest in moving into key areas which have been dominated by foreigners for years.
Norlida Ismail, 35, who ran a restaurant near Kota Raya shopping complex, said the move was timely and would benefit locals.
“We cannot let foreigners monopolise businesses in the country, especially small restaurants, markets and retail outlets,” she said.
“If we let this happen, we will be out of work and begging on the streets instead. Locals need to fully use this opportunity and set up shops in these areas,” she said.
Norlida also said there was nothing wrong with the regulations as many countries had ways to protect their locals and ensure their well-being.
“Every country has restrictions on foreigners operating businesses. We should not be any different.”
Mobile accessory shop operator Issac Lee, 29, said he would not have considered setting up an outlet in Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin prior to the announcement.
“This is definitely a good idea. Obviously many locals, including myself, will consider opening a shop there,” he said.
He said the new rules would allow Malaysians to “reclaim” parts of the city which had been dominated by foreigners, especially migrant workers.
“Some places in Kuala Lumpur are unrecognisable, even famous places like Petaling Street appear to be fully run by foreigners and have lost their appeal to visitors,” he said.
MALAY MAIL
Daring robbery at Restoran Madini Ampang - UPDATED -Restaurant In Ampang Robbed Of RM30,000 By Six Armed Men!!
What’s up with people nowadays? Is it so hard to get a proper job that these people had to resort to robbing instead?? Karma will strike you back like a tsunami!
Last Saturday, May 6, six men armed with machetes stormed in a restaurant in Taman Melawati, Ampang. The men were wearing full-faced helmets, showed up on three motorcycles outside the restaurant at about 9.30 pm.
Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Hamzah Alias said that the group rushed into the restaurant and raided the cash register on top of that, robbed eight people who were present in the restaurant and escaped with about RM30,000 in cash and valuables!
No one was able to record the license plate numbers of the motorcycles as the robbery took place so quickly. The police would check the CCTV footage for clues on the robbers’ identities.
Business owners, I urge you to install HD CCTVs in your establishment! Don’t be stingy! So, in case of any crime were to happen in your vicinity, you have proof and evidence for the authorities!
Heard that one of the robbers was caught because he stole on of the customers handphone which had the location marker on. Stupid robber and no class. caught in Gangster infested slum Kampung Medan in Petaling Jaya. Moral of story do not steal hand phone unless you want the police to catch you
The man had failed a breathalyser test and recorded the video to tarnish the image of the police.
Video of rant against traffic cop: Motorist remanded
KUALA LUMPUR: A man who allegedly tried to tarnish the image of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) by recording a video of him ranting against a traffic policeman while being escorted to the Jalan Tun HS Lee police station for a second breathalyser test, has been remanded for two days.
Dang Wangi police chief ACP Mohd Sukri Kaman said the 30-year-old suspect was remanded until tomorrow to facilitate investigations.
Yesterday, the police confirmed that the suspect, who initially failed a breathalyser test was attempting to tarnish PDRM’s image by recording the video which later went viral on social media.
He was detained at a roadblock on Jalan Sungai Besi on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
KUALA LUMPUR: A man who allegedly tried to tarnish the image of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) by recording a video of him ranting against a traffic policeman while being escorted to the Jalan Tun HS Lee police station for a second breathalyser test, has been remanded for two days.
Dang Wangi police chief ACP Mohd Sukri Kaman said the 30-year-old suspect was remanded until tomorrow to facilitate investigations.
Yesterday, the police confirmed that the suspect, who initially failed a breathalyser test was attempting to tarnish PDRM’s image by recording the video which later went viral on social media.
He was detained at a roadblock on Jalan Sungai Besi on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Joke of the day - Opposition not being fair to me, says Najib
The prime minister says his foes are quick to blame him when prices rise, but do not praise him when prices drop. ( Fuel prices with the crude oil prices down should be in the region of RM 1.70 to RM 1.80 and you remove subsidies and impose 6% GST on Fuel means now we are subsiding you )
SANDAKAN: Prime Minister Najib Razak is disappointed with the attitude of opposition politicians who slam him when prices of goods increase but do not say anything when prices fall. (Go to supermarket, go to wet market, go to hardware shop, go to food stalls, restaurants and the prices are only going up and not coming down and they all blame GST. who else to blame except yourself because you are in the driving seat and failing the average Malaysians who depend on you and your government to manage the country but all of you all are sleeping on the job)
He said they were only good at attacking his government with senseless, unjustified and irrational criticisms.
He gave the example of prices of fuel fluctuating according to the global market.
“When the price goes up, who do they blame? The prime minister. ( You added the extra burden of 6% GST and it has a spiraling effect on all goods and services provided in Malaysia)
“When the price falls, they say it is due to market prices. That is not being fair.
“If the price goes up and I am slammed, then when the price drops, I should get praise.” ( Do not make me puke )
The opposition also did not have a positive agenda that citizens can depend on for a prosperous future, Najib, who is also the finance minister, said this in his speech when officiating at the “Ekspresi Negaraku” programme in Sandakan.
On March 29, the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry began announcing fuel prices weekly every Wednesday night, instead of monthly. Over the last five weeks, the price has risen twice and fallen three times. ( Monthly was not good as it takes a month to manipulate prices and weekly is much better to manipulate prices and increase the revenue collection - price was in RM 1.70s and now above RM 2.30 , if not manipulating and theiving than what is it , this is Rakyat hard earned money )
Najib also pointed at Chinese investments in Malaysia which have been criticised by the opposition as selling away the country’s sovereignty. ( Then if it is not selling the country then what is it )
However, when the government cancelled an investment agreement, they still criticised him.
On May 3, TRX City Sdn Bhd, which comes under the finance ministry, announced that the share sale agreement with Beijing’s China Railway Engineering Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd (CREC) and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd, regarding the sale of 60% of Bandar Malaysia’s issued and paid-up capital, lapsed and was therefore terminated. ( Chinese are smart businessmen and when you tried to sell them in bulk , they said ok we check the goods first , they open crate and see all inside rotten and say no no we no pay buy this bullshit and you better return our deposit , or then why else was the deal terminated )
Leaders of Pakatan parties have been vocal in criticising the collapse of the deal.
Najib said the people cannot put their hopes on opposition parties and leaders because their cause is only to serve their own political interests and not for the benefit of the nation. ( Because the Government is liable for the bad deal and will have to refund the buyer and pay the penalities and all is tax payers money and not your money. that is why the Rakyat are pissed off )
“How can they form a stable government?” he said, naming PKR and DAP, as well as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin and Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal. ( Look at the PH governments of Penang and Selangor which are managed transparently and it is a very inclusive state governments where the Rakyats are seen as stakeholders because their opinion counts , this scares BN because they have no way of capturing Selangor or Penang and other states may also fall to PH and also if PH takes over Federal Government , no way in a thousand years BN can come back as the Federal Government )
“Look at their statements. There are all sorts of remarks. They say one thing today and another thing day after tomorrow.
“That is why they are said to be U-turn experts.” (What PH U-turns, please name it and did the Selangor Government and Penang government did any major policy U-Turns)
He also accused them of trying to deceive the public by promising to abolish the goods and services tax (GST) if they come to power. (Yes they will abolish GST and that is because it is an unnecessary tax and burden to the Rakyat - GST is not the solution but stopping the leakage which is happening thru corruption and daylight robber of the government treasury have to stop first)
He said they are misleading Malaysians by questioning where RM41 billion in GST proceeds had gone to after RM6 billion was used for welfare under the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) programme.( Then tell us what happen to the balance RM 35 Billion of the GST )
“Where has the remaining money gone to? They are for our security forces, our schools, our teachers, hospitals, doctors, nurses, roads, water and so on. They are there for the prosperity of the people.
“They say they want to abolish GST if they win. It is easy for them to talk.
“If we remove the RM41 billion from the national budget, how do we fill the void?”
He said if that happened, civil servants may need to be fired or have their allowances cut.
It may also impact on BR1M, public housing and road infrastructure like the Pan Borneo Highway currently under construction, he warned.
(Simple to fill the gap, stop the corruption and thieving)
PAS: Pakatan incapable of toppling BN in GE14
All good Malaysians
know that PAS is in Cahoots with BN to deny Pakatan Harapan a victory in
Malaysian GE-14 / PRU 14 and good for PAS and BN to have something to day dream
or they will be bored.
Already have said countless
times that
BN-UMNO and PAS are
fighting for the bottom 20 of the Malaysian voters who at one time were PAS
voters and now BN is also chasing the same crowd
Majority of 80%
Malaysia Voters in west Malaysia have already reject PAS and BN
PAS is already split
and the majority of PAS supporters are now either in flesh or spirit with
Amanah of Pakatan Harapan with 80% of TGNA supports in PAS
UMNO is bitterly
divided into 3 Teams A – Najib B-Zahidi C-Khairy
MIC is limping to its
grave with Leg A fighting with Leg B to see which leg goes into the grave first
MCA hello MCA oops no
hear anything already on life support
Gerakan – PPP already
dead and cremated
PAS what ever is left
of PAS is divided into Team A and Team B and will sabotage each other
candidates in the elections
Civil servants 1.5
million have given up on BN because cost of living have gone up and that’s to
the depreciating ringgit , removal of subsidies , GST and the thieving
So PAS have to worry
more as they will end up with only a duck
PAS deputy spiritual leader Ahmad Yakob expresses confidence PAS will do well in GE14.
PETALING JAYA: PAS has rejected the notion that Pakatan Harapan (PH) is capable of toppling BN at the 14th General Election (GE14).
PAS deputy spiritual leader Ahmad Yakob, who is also Kelantan menteri besar, said there was no basis or predictions to show the coalition could win.
According to Utusan Online, Ahmad said PAS was not afraid of PH and was confident of its own strengths and of doing well in GE14.
Last week, the PAS central muktamar passed a motion to terminate the Islamist party’s political cooperation with PKR.
The Islamist party had also cut ties with DAP two years ago and refused to work with Amanah, which is made up mostly of former PAS leaders.
The party has also decided to go on its own in the general election, rejecting a call by PH for one-on-one contests in GE14 to help topple BN.
Beach that washed away 33 years ago REAPPEARS overnight after freak tide returns hundreds of tons of sand and covers up rocks
Beach that washed away 33 years ago reappears overnight after freak tide dumps hundreds of tons of sand right back where it used to be
The beach on the island of Achill, western Ireland, vanished after storms in 1984
Only rock pools were left behind, devastating the local village's economy
But a freak tide in April dumped hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand
The beach is now 300 metres long and locals are hoping it sticks around
The beach re-appeared after hundreds of thousands of tonnes were dumped on the beach during a freak tide over ten days
A beach that was washed away 33 years ago has reappeared in the small Irish village of Dooagh, on the island of Achill. Locals have been left delighted by the freak tide that deposited hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand on the beach over ten days in April (pictured right). For three decades the beach was nothing but craggy rock pools (pictured inset) following severe storms in 1984, which washed away all the sand. With the beach all but decimated, all the villages' hotels, guesthouses and cafes shut down. Now that the stunning 300m long beach has reappeared, locals are hoping it will stay for long enough for the stretch to be awarded blue-flag status during next year's inspection.
During the storm of 1984 the beach was completely destroyed, leaving only rock pools
The villagers are delighted to have their beach back, and say it's an example of the 'power of nature'
The beach has created an influx of tourists to Dooagh from all over Ireland
The beach allegedly once vanished in the 1890s but returned within three decades
The beach on the island of Achill, western Ireland, vanished after storms in 1984
Only rock pools were left behind, devastating the local village's economy
But a freak tide in April dumped hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand
The beach is now 300 metres long and locals are hoping it sticks around
The beach re-appeared after hundreds of thousands of tonnes were dumped on the beach during a freak tide over ten days
A beach that was washed away 33 years ago has reappeared in the small Irish village of Dooagh, on the island of Achill. Locals have been left delighted by the freak tide that deposited hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand on the beach over ten days in April (pictured right). For three decades the beach was nothing but craggy rock pools (pictured inset) following severe storms in 1984, which washed away all the sand. With the beach all but decimated, all the villages' hotels, guesthouses and cafes shut down. Now that the stunning 300m long beach has reappeared, locals are hoping it will stay for long enough for the stretch to be awarded blue-flag status during next year's inspection.
During the storm of 1984 the beach was completely destroyed, leaving only rock pools
The villagers are delighted to have their beach back, and say it's an example of the 'power of nature'
The beach has created an influx of tourists to Dooagh from all over Ireland
The beach allegedly once vanished in the 1890s but returned within three decades
Sand along the Irish coast is in a constant state of flux and moved by storms, waves and wind
Angel from hell - Nun who works for the Devil
Nun is arrested for helping five priests 'sexually abuse' dozens of deaf children at Argentinian Catholic school after victim said she made her wear a diaper to cover up horrific injuries
Kosaka Kumiko, 42, has been charged with helping priests 'rape' deaf children
She has also been accused of physically abusing the children at the Catholic school, the Antonio Provolo Institute
The Italian branch of this school came under fire in 2009 after 'hundreds' of students came forward to accuse priests of sexual abuse
Kosaka Kumiko, 42, was charged with physical abuse as well as helping the priests 'rape' Argentine deaf children
The Japanese-born nun, who has Argentine citizenship, allegedly helped the priests with anal and vaginal rapes, fondling and oral sex - which were allegedly committed in the bathrooms, dormitories, garden and a basement at the school in Lujan de Cuyo
At least 24 students from the Provolo Institute came forward to accuse Horacio Corbacho (left) and fellow priest Nicola Corradi (pictured in wheelchair)
The pair were arrested last year after they were charged with sexually abusing at least two dozen students at the Provolo Institute. Horacio Corbacho is pictured with a cross on a wall behind him
The nun denied any wrongdoing during an eight-hour court hearing late Thursday
Pictured is the Provolo Institute where the alleged incident took place. It's located in Lujan de Cuyo, a city about 620 miles northwest of Buenos Aires
TIMELINE OF ALLEGED ABUSE OF 'HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN' AT THE PROVOLO INSTITUTE
2009: Abuse at the Provolo Institute - which also has a branch in Italy - was first brought to light. Several students came forward and named and accused priests, including Corradi, who has been names again for abusing children in the Argentine Branch of the institute
2010: Vatican ordered its northern Italy branch - the Verona diocese - to investigate the claims
2012: the Vatican apologized and sent the results of the investigation to the victims. Four of the accused priests were sanctioned while a fifth was exempted because he had Alzheimers. The priests who were sanctioned were ordered to live a life of prayer and penance and were under supervision, away from children, the Associated Press reported in 2016
2014: The students penned a letter, naming Corradi - who was now in the Pope's native Argentina - but they received no response
2016: According to the Associated Press, a Vatican official said Pope Francis wanted to assure the victims that the church was taking steps to tackle the continuous sexual abuse. In December 2016, he used sign language while delivering his Christmas message, which fell on deaf years in Argentina as the controversy was unfolding
Kosaka Kumiko, 42, has been charged with helping priests 'rape' deaf children
She has also been accused of physically abusing the children at the Catholic school, the Antonio Provolo Institute
Kosaka Kumiko, 42, was charged with physical abuse as well as helping the priests 'rape' Argentine deaf children
The Japanese-born nun, who has Argentine citizenship, allegedly helped the priests with anal and vaginal rapes, fondling and oral sex - which were allegedly committed in the bathrooms, dormitories, garden and a basement at the school in Lujan de Cuyo
At least 24 students from the Provolo Institute came forward to accuse Horacio Corbacho (left) and fellow priest Nicola Corradi (pictured in wheelchair)
TIMELINE OF ALLEGED ABUSE OF 'HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN' AT THE PROVOLO INSTITUTE
2009: Abuse at the Provolo Institute - which also has a branch in Italy - was first brought to light. Several students came forward and named and accused priests, including Corradi, who has been names again for abusing children in the Argentine Branch of the institute
2010: Vatican ordered its northern Italy branch - the Verona diocese - to investigate the claims
2012: the Vatican apologized and sent the results of the investigation to the victims. Four of the accused priests were sanctioned while a fifth was exempted because he had Alzheimers. The priests who were sanctioned were ordered to live a life of prayer and penance and were under supervision, away from children, the Associated Press reported in 2016
2014: The students penned a letter, naming Corradi - who was now in the Pope's native Argentina - but they received no response
2016: According to the Associated Press, a Vatican official said Pope Francis wanted to assure the victims that the church was taking steps to tackle the continuous sexual abuse. In December 2016, he used sign language while delivering his Christmas message, which fell on deaf years in Argentina as the controversy was unfolding
What does Afghan warlord Hekmatyar's return mean?
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar prays before giving a speech to supporters in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on 30 April 2017Image copyright REUTERS
Many believe Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has political ambitions - something he denies
Afghanistan's conflict-weary citizens have cautiously welcomed the return of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul.
The leader of Afghanistan's second-largest militant group, Mr Hekmatyar is an Islamist warlord accused of numerous atrocities during the civil war of the 1990s.
But he has signed a peace deal with the Western-backed Afghan government and says he is abandoning violence.
Read here the Butcher of Kabul returns - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Afghan Warlord, Returns to City He Left in Ruins
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Former Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is an Afghan politician and warlord. He is the founder and current leader of the Hezb-e Islami political party, ideologically influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood and more specifically Sayyid Qutb
Born: June 26, 1947 (age 69 years), Imam Sahib District
Parents: Ghulam Qader
Education: Kabul University
Children: Habiburahman Hekmatyar, Maryam Hekmatyar, Firoz Feroz Hekmatyar, Jamal Jamaluddin Hikmatyar
Siblings: Shahabuddin Hekmatyar
Afghan leaders say the deal is a step forward for the nation, but how significant is it really and what are Mr Hekmatyar's plans now?
Will this help the security situation?
So far, no. Mr Hekmatyar's move to renounce violence seems not to be having any noticeable impact on the battlefield.
The main insurgent groups fighting the Afghan and Nato-led forces are the Taliban and its semi-autonomous Haqqani network, al-Qaeda and recently the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
Mr Hekmatyar's forces were involved in sporadic small-scale attacks that were insignificant compared to the Taliban insurgency and they have largely tapered off in recent years.
Half of his Hizb-e-Islami party supported the post-2001 Western-backed Afghan government and the rest remained with him. Some believe this is more a peace accord with a person than with a major political or militant party that is actively involved in the current conflict.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (2-L) Afghan warlord and ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (C) Afghan former Mujahideen leader and hardline Islamist, Abdul Rasul Sayaf (2-R) and Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) arrive to attend a ceremony at Presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 04 May
Afghan leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai (L), President Ashraf Ghani (2ndL) and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) - attended a welcome ceremony for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (C) in Kabul
But is there a bigger picture?
Yes. His return is of greater symbolic importance. Mr Hekmatyar is still regarded as a religious figure who led a significant resistance movement against the former Soviet Union occupation of Afghanistan under the banner of jihad.
Hekmatyar's history:
One of seven anti-Soviet faction chiefs who led mujahideen fighters in the war against Soviet occupation in the 1980s
Led the Hezb-e-Islami, which clashed with other mujahideen factions in the struggle for control of Kabul in the bloody civil war of the 1990s
Forced to flee from Kabul to Iran when the Taliban swept to power in 1996
Iran expelled him in 2002, and in 2003 the US state department listed him as a terrorist, accusing him of taking part in attacks in Afghanistan
Signed a peace deal with the Afghan government in September 2016
His move to renounce the Taliban insurgency, calling it irreligious, plays to the interests of the Afghan government.
The Taliban, al-Qaeda and IS recruit young fighters on the basis that they are fighting to defend their religion and culture from foreigners.
But in his first public speech last week, Mr Hekmatyar told the Taliban that they were the reason for foreign forces' presence in Afghanistan. If they stopped fighting and there was peace, there would be no reason for the foreign forces to stay.
This message is in line with the Afghan government's long-standing rhetoric. But the message may have more resonance coming from someone like him. It may not remove the defending-your-religion narrative for a large number of Taliban fighters but it will strengthen the religious counter-argument.
Is he a changed character?
Surprising many, Mr Hekmatyar has so far conveyed a more moderate image.
Speaking at three public events in eastern Afghanistan and at the presidential palace in Kabul on Thursday, he said he accepted the constitution and supported free speech. He also said he regretted that there were no women at the public events.
His wife and daughter did attend his welcome ceremony at the presidential palace, the first public appearance of his female family members.
However, this may be aimed at showing he acknowledges the new political order and may not necessarily indicate he has changed.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar addresses a crowd of Afghan mujahedeen who gathered 17 January 1987 in Peshawar, PakistanImage copyrightEPA
Hekmatyar fought the Soviets in the 1980s, but is remembered by many for his role in the bloody civil war of the 1990s
Does he have political ambitions?
In the past, Mr Hekmatyar has gone to extreme lengths to achieve his political goals, including his bloody role in the devastating civil war. He also has supporters - on his second day in Kabul, he addressed a rally of thousands of people.
So far he insists that he has not made peace to get to power or to secure ministerial positions for his party. But many see that promise as too good to be true.
His speeches so far have hinted at future political involvement. He has spoken of a more centralised government, citing the new Turkish constitution, and says he opposes a parliamentary system.
He says he rejects the current Afghan government - a power-sharing "unity" government led by President Ashraf Ghani, with presidential rival Abdullah Abdullah as chief executive - as not a true reflection of Afghan voters' will.
He has also volunteered to mediate between the Taliban and the government.
Many believe he is going to be a player at the upcoming presidential elections. If he does not stand as a candidate, he will likely be a kingmaker given the support he still has in rural areas.
Afghan warlord and ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar gestures (C) as he arrives at a rally in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, on 30 April 2017Image copyrightAFP
Crowds of supporters have listened to Mr Hekmatyar's speeches
How do people in Kabul feel?
Opinions in Kabul are divided, and his return is being hotly debated on social media.
Tens of thousands of people were killed during the civil war, in which Mr Hekmatyar played a destructive and violent part. Many believe the pursuit of justice has been compromised at the expense of peace.
But others argue that since other former warlords are already part of the post-Taliban political system, including Mr Hekmatyar will not change much.
Some also point out that the country needs a strong government and an independent judiciary to address gross human right violations during the years of civil strife, something that Afghanistan does not have now.
But his return is difficult for those who lost loved ones during the civil war.
In an illustration of the divisions, on Friday thousands attended his public address at Kabul sports stadium - but in western part of Kabul many poured on to the streets to protest against him and to call for justice.
Many believe Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has political ambitions - something he denies
Afghanistan's conflict-weary citizens have cautiously welcomed the return of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul.
The leader of Afghanistan's second-largest militant group, Mr Hekmatyar is an Islamist warlord accused of numerous atrocities during the civil war of the 1990s.
But he has signed a peace deal with the Western-backed Afghan government and says he is abandoning violence.
Read here the Butcher of Kabul returns - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Afghan Warlord, Returns to City He Left in Ruins
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Former Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is an Afghan politician and warlord. He is the founder and current leader of the Hezb-e Islami political party, ideologically influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood and more specifically Sayyid Qutb
Born: June 26, 1947 (age 69 years), Imam Sahib District
Parents: Ghulam Qader
Education: Kabul University
Children: Habiburahman Hekmatyar, Maryam Hekmatyar, Firoz Feroz Hekmatyar, Jamal Jamaluddin Hikmatyar
Siblings: Shahabuddin Hekmatyar
Born: October 9, 1906, Musha, Egypt
Died: August 29, 1966, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Nationality: Egyptian
Afghan leaders say the deal is a step forward for the nation, but how significant is it really and what are Mr Hekmatyar's plans now?
Will this help the security situation?
So far, no. Mr Hekmatyar's move to renounce violence seems not to be having any noticeable impact on the battlefield.
The main insurgent groups fighting the Afghan and Nato-led forces are the Taliban and its semi-autonomous Haqqani network, al-Qaeda and recently the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
Mr Hekmatyar's forces were involved in sporadic small-scale attacks that were insignificant compared to the Taliban insurgency and they have largely tapered off in recent years.
Half of his Hizb-e-Islami party supported the post-2001 Western-backed Afghan government and the rest remained with him. Some believe this is more a peace accord with a person than with a major political or militant party that is actively involved in the current conflict.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (2-L) Afghan warlord and ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (C) Afghan former Mujahideen leader and hardline Islamist, Abdul Rasul Sayaf (2-R) and Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) arrive to attend a ceremony at Presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 04 May
Afghan leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai (L), President Ashraf Ghani (2ndL) and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) - attended a welcome ceremony for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (C) in Kabul
But is there a bigger picture?
Yes. His return is of greater symbolic importance. Mr Hekmatyar is still regarded as a religious figure who led a significant resistance movement against the former Soviet Union occupation of Afghanistan under the banner of jihad.
Hekmatyar's history:
One of seven anti-Soviet faction chiefs who led mujahideen fighters in the war against Soviet occupation in the 1980s
Led the Hezb-e-Islami, which clashed with other mujahideen factions in the struggle for control of Kabul in the bloody civil war of the 1990s
Forced to flee from Kabul to Iran when the Taliban swept to power in 1996
Iran expelled him in 2002, and in 2003 the US state department listed him as a terrorist, accusing him of taking part in attacks in Afghanistan
Signed a peace deal with the Afghan government in September 2016
His move to renounce the Taliban insurgency, calling it irreligious, plays to the interests of the Afghan government.
The Taliban, al-Qaeda and IS recruit young fighters on the basis that they are fighting to defend their religion and culture from foreigners.
But in his first public speech last week, Mr Hekmatyar told the Taliban that they were the reason for foreign forces' presence in Afghanistan. If they stopped fighting and there was peace, there would be no reason for the foreign forces to stay.
This message is in line with the Afghan government's long-standing rhetoric. But the message may have more resonance coming from someone like him. It may not remove the defending-your-religion narrative for a large number of Taliban fighters but it will strengthen the religious counter-argument.
Is he a changed character?
Surprising many, Mr Hekmatyar has so far conveyed a more moderate image.
Speaking at three public events in eastern Afghanistan and at the presidential palace in Kabul on Thursday, he said he accepted the constitution and supported free speech. He also said he regretted that there were no women at the public events.
His wife and daughter did attend his welcome ceremony at the presidential palace, the first public appearance of his female family members.
However, this may be aimed at showing he acknowledges the new political order and may not necessarily indicate he has changed.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar addresses a crowd of Afghan mujahedeen who gathered 17 January 1987 in Peshawar, PakistanImage copyrightEPA
Hekmatyar fought the Soviets in the 1980s, but is remembered by many for his role in the bloody civil war of the 1990s
Does he have political ambitions?
In the past, Mr Hekmatyar has gone to extreme lengths to achieve his political goals, including his bloody role in the devastating civil war. He also has supporters - on his second day in Kabul, he addressed a rally of thousands of people.
So far he insists that he has not made peace to get to power or to secure ministerial positions for his party. But many see that promise as too good to be true.
His speeches so far have hinted at future political involvement. He has spoken of a more centralised government, citing the new Turkish constitution, and says he opposes a parliamentary system.
He says he rejects the current Afghan government - a power-sharing "unity" government led by President Ashraf Ghani, with presidential rival Abdullah Abdullah as chief executive - as not a true reflection of Afghan voters' will.
He has also volunteered to mediate between the Taliban and the government.
Many believe he is going to be a player at the upcoming presidential elections. If he does not stand as a candidate, he will likely be a kingmaker given the support he still has in rural areas.
Afghan warlord and ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar gestures (C) as he arrives at a rally in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, on 30 April 2017Image copyrightAFP
Crowds of supporters have listened to Mr Hekmatyar's speeches
How do people in Kabul feel?
Opinions in Kabul are divided, and his return is being hotly debated on social media.
Tens of thousands of people were killed during the civil war, in which Mr Hekmatyar played a destructive and violent part. Many believe the pursuit of justice has been compromised at the expense of peace.
But others argue that since other former warlords are already part of the post-Taliban political system, including Mr Hekmatyar will not change much.
Some also point out that the country needs a strong government and an independent judiciary to address gross human right violations during the years of civil strife, something that Afghanistan does not have now.
But his return is difficult for those who lost loved ones during the civil war.
In an illustration of the divisions, on Friday thousands attended his public address at Kabul sports stadium - but in western part of Kabul many poured on to the streets to protest against him and to call for justice.
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