AP Exclusive: Jackson said net worth $236M in 2007

By STEVENSON JACOBS, AP Business Writer Stevenson Jacobs, Ap Business Writer – Tue Jun 30, 8:22 pm ET
NEW YORK – It's one of the biggest mysteries in the Michael Jackson saga: How much was the lavish-spending, massively debt-ridden pop icon really worth?

In the most detailed account yet of the singer's tangled financial empire, documents obtained by The Associated Press show Jackson claimed to have a net worth of $236.6 million as of March 31, 2007. But less than $700,000 of that amount was in cash — a relatively paltry sum given his opulent lifestyle, prodigious borrowing and seven-figure shopping sprees.

The dollar amounts, which previously consisted of estimates, are crucial because Jackson's estate is expected to become the focus of a legal battle between the singer's family and creditors.

Since then, however, Jackson's debts and assets have grown substantially — he took on more debt in a refinancing transaction later that year, and the Sony/ATV Music Publishing joint venture spent hundreds of millions acquiring new songs.

The revelation came Tuesday as Jackson's family reversed itself and said the singer did in fact have a will — complicating a bid by Jackson's mother to take control of her son's finances. The will names his mother Katherine as guardian of his children and puts his assets in a trust, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the topic.

Jackson had $567.6 million in assets, including his Neverland Ranch and his share of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog, which includes the rights to songs by the Beatles, according to a statement of financial condition prepared by Washington, D.C.-based accounting firm Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio & Associates.

The report was prepared at a time when Jackson had large sums of debt coming due that had to be refinanced. The financial statement, which is not as thorough as an audit, was based in large part on estimates provided by Jackson's advisers that the accounting firm said it could not verify.

In the documents, the firm also said it omitted the amount Jackson owed in income taxes.

The documents do not show how much money he had coming in that year or how much he was spending, which makes it hard to estimate just how cash-poor he was. Still, the statement paints a picture of Jackson's tangled finances and the mountain of debt he left behind.

The five-page report says Jackson had debts of $331 million. The singer had just $668,215 in cash, according to the report.

The accounting firm did not return calls seeking comment.

The report puts a net value on Jackson's 50 percent stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog — his most prized asset — at $390.6 million. The 750,000-song catalog includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

A separate document obtained by the AP details Jackson's dealings with Sony Music Entertainment Inc., which owns the other half of Sony/ATV. Jackson was guaranteed a cash distribution of $11 million a year from the venture through September 2011, according to the May 25, 2007, document that was signed by the pop star.

The document also detailed Sony's ability to buy an unspecified percentage of Jackson's remaining share in Sony/ATV.

It said Sony agreed to guarantee loans made to Jackson through September 2011 and to help him refinance his debts. Sony also agreed to advance Jackson money to help pay the interest to his main creditor at the time, Fortress Investment Group LLC, to avoid defaulting. Barclays Bank PLC took over the Fortress loan, which is now around $315 million, in December 2007.

The documents also show that Jackson gave his approval for Sony/ATV to use up to $400 million to purchase the 125,000-song Famous Music LLC catalog from Viacom Inc., which holds such songs as "Footloose" and "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem. The deal was announced a week later.

A Sony/ATV spokesman declined to comment.

Another of Jackson's prized possessions, his Neverland Ranch, is valued at $33 million, according to the accounting firm's report. He also had $20 million worth of cars, antiques, collectibles and other property.

It's likely that Neverland, a 2,500-acre property in the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County, has dropped in value since 2007 along with the rest of the battered California housing market, experts said.

"The luxury market in the past year has really taken a hit in markets across the country," said Rick Goodwin, publisher of Ultimate Homes and its parent publication, Unique Homes.

The ranch in central California's wine country was set to be sold in March 2008 because of missed payments on a $24.5 million loan, but Jackson managed to cut an 11th-hour deal to keep it off the auction block.

The fact that few, if any, similar properties in the area are selling makes it even harder to determine Neverland's current market value. A couple of properties in the 500-acre range are on the market in the area for around $10 million, said Steve Schott, a real estate appraiser based in Santa Barbara.

Jackson died Thursday at age 50 of what his family has said was cardiac arrest. Medical examiners in Los Angeles are perhaps weeks away from determining the official cause of death.

The divvying up of Jackson's assets — and the settling of his debts — are likely to be hotly contested in court. On Monday, lawyers for Katherine and Joe Jackson won temporary custody of Michael Jackson's three children and moved to become administrators of his estate.

A judge granted 79-year-old Katherine Jackson temporary guardianship of the children, who range in age from 7 to 12. He also gave her control over some of her son's personal property that is now in the hands of an unnamed third party. But the judge did not immediately rule on her requests to take charge of the children's and Jackson's estates.

___

Associated Press writers Alex Veiga, Ryan Nakashima and Anthony McCartney in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

What Michael Jackson Did on His Last Day

By S. JAMES SNYDER S. James Snyder – Tue Jun 30, 10:55 am ET
Michael Jackson spent the last night of his life doing what he had always done: performing. The singer was in rehearsals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, running through a full slate of songs from his upcoming 50-concert London event flanked by friends and colleagues. He marveled at the major set pieces that had finally been installed in the rehearsal space. "He was just glowing, and you could see it, that he was finally seeing it all come together," says Dorian Holley, the vocal director for Jackson's upcoming tour. "Up until Wednesday, it had always been [just a concept], but that last day you could see it in him, that he was seeing the show finally come together for the first time. It was a big moment." (See TIME's complete Michael Jackson coverage.)


Holley says he left rehearsals just before midnight on the night of June 24, as Jackson headed off to attend yet more meetings. About 12 hours later, a 911 call would be placed from Jackson's home in Holmby Hills, reporting urgently that "he's not breathing ... He's not responding to CPR, anything."


The pop icon had seemed different during these rehearsals - not ailing by any means, but perhaps more contemplative - says Holley, who has coached Jackson on solo tours since 1987. In preparing for previous tours, Holley said auditions for backup singers and other performing roles would usually be held via videotape, and it wouldn't be all that uncommon for the two to speak directly only two or three times over the span of a year. But for "This Is It," the London concerts scheduled to begin in July, Jackson was much more present and available, attending auditions and eagerly talking with everyone in the crew about the larger mission behind the tour. (See TIME's photos: "The Young Michael Jackson at Home.")


"It almost sounds crazy to say that the show wasn't about him, but ... he'd put it in perspective all the time, saying, 'This is what we're here for, to spread a message of love and taking care of the planet, that we want people to understand it's very, very dear and not to take it for granted,'" Holley tells TIME. (See TIME's top 10 Jackson moments.)


Until the last hour of rehearsals, Jackson maintained a ferocious, perfectionist pace, says Holley, who, after decades working with the singer, says he was still astonished by his vocal and physical prowess. Some in the public questioned whether Jackson, at 50, would still be able to command a stage, and recent reports published Sunday in Britain's Daily Mail said that Jackson had been too feeble to dance, sing or, at times, even speak in the weeks leading up to his death. But, Holley - despite his own early concerns about a lack of rehearsal time leading up to the first London shows in July - says the star's presence and energy during his final week was unequivocal. "He'd take the stage with this group of dancers, all in their 20s, but you couldn't take your eyes off him ... Many of his songs have six or seven parts, and he would often come over if we were missing an important note in our mix, and he would sing through all the parts rapid-fire to show us what he wanted. We would just sit there with our jaws open - it was awesome," Holley says. "He could still do everything ... The only difference now was that he would sometimes talk about how it made him sore." (Hear TIME's top 10 Jackson songs.)


"This time around, we had the technology to isolate just his microphone and listen to his singing separate from everything else. I had no idea what a genius he was. The way he's able to use his voice as a percussion instrument, lyricist, jazz singer all at the same time. I'm sure as people mine his works in years to come, they're going to discover how much is there," he says.


It was a text message on Thursday afternoon that gave Holley the first hint of bad news - a note saying Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. Neither he nor the crew knew how to react to the uncertainty, so they did what they always did - they went in to rehearse. Except this time, as fans all over the world from Los Angeles to New York City to Tokyo to Buenos Aires played his music, sang his songs and emulated his dance in tribute, Holley says the crew couldn't bring themselves to touch the music.


Jackson had been preparing to take the world back, Holley says, and during the singer's final night, he finally knew he was ready. "You would think that, on the one hand, the world has kind of beaten him up, and you could forgive him for having some trepidation and fear. But he didn't have any of that," says Holley. "Words fail to describe what people would have seen with the tour. I couldn't even imagine until last week when it became physically apparent [on the set]. He was ready to show the world, and I so wish there could have been just one concert so the world would have seen."


TIME's Commemorative Issue: Remembering Michael Jackson.

Spokesman: Jackson memorial won't be at Neverland

By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY and NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, Associated Press Writers Anthony Mccartney And Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Associated Press Writers –


LOS ANGELES – A Jackson family spokesman says a public memorial for Michael Jackson is in the works, but it won't be held at the late pop star's Neverland Ranch. No further details are provided in the statement issued Wednesday by family spokesman Ken Sunshine.

The public relations firm Sunshine, Sachs & Associates has been retained by the family and says it will announce those plans shortly.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's 7-year-old will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust while making his mother the guardian of his children and cutting out his former wife Debbie Rowe.

Court documents estimated the current value of his estate at more than $500 million.

It names his mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, as a beneficiary of the trust and the guardian of Jackson's children, who are also named as beneficiaries of the trust.

It also names entertainer Diana Ross as a successor guardian for the children and their estates if something happens to Katherine Jackson.

Ross introduced the Jackson 5 on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late 1960s and was instrumental in launching their career. She was a lifelong friend of Michael Jackson.

Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, are named in the will as co-executors.

In a statement, Branca and McClain said: "The most important element of Michael's will is his unwavering desire that his mother, Katherine, become the legal guardian for his three children. As we work to carry out Michael's instructions to safeguard both the future of his children as well as the remarkable legacy he left us as an artist we ask that all matters involving his estate be handled with the dignity and the respect that Michael and his family deserve."

The executors moved quickly to take control of all of Michael Jackson's property, going to court Wednesday to challenge a previous ruling by the judge that gave Katherine Jackson control of 2,000 items from Neverland.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said Katherine Jackson will retain authority over the items until another hearing set for Monday.

Beckloff urged attorneys from both sides to try to reach a compromise soon.

"I would like the family to sit down try to make this work that we don't have a difficult time in court," the judge said.

An effort to bury Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch fizzled, and it appears more likely a funeral and burial will take place in Los Angeles, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The family has the final say.

Authorities in Santa Barbara County had been preparing for tens of thousands of fans to descend on the 2,500-acre ranch after media reports said a public viewing would take place later this week.

But the person, who is not authorized to speak for the family and requested anonymity, said nothing was planned for Neverland, at least through Friday.

A private memorial service for family and friends could take place at the ranch, most likely after the funeral.

"The family is aware a Neverland burial is not possible. They are expected to make decisions about whatever funeral and memorial service" will take place, the person said.

Heavy construction equipment and workers were seen passing through the wrought-iron gates of Neverland on Tuesday. The property is about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

At once a symbol of Jackson's success and excesses, Neverland — nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country — became the site of a makeshift memorial after his death Thursday.

The will, dated July 7, 2002, gives the entire estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. Details of the trust will not be made public.

California's attorney general, who oversees charitable donations from estates, is also named as a person who must be notified. It suggests some of the trust's proceeds could go to charity, although which ones might benefit was not clear.

The documents said Jackson's estate consisted almost entirely of "non-cash, non-liquid assets, including primarily an interest in a catalog of music royalty rights which is currently being administered by Sony ATV, and the interests of various entities."

One of Jackson's most lucrative assets is his stake in the massive Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers, and is estimated to be worth as much as $2 billion. The five-page will is signed by Jackson, and each paragraph includes Jackson's scrawling initials.

Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. Rowe was the mother of the two oldest children; the youngest was born to a surrogate mother, who has never been identified.

Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship Monday of Jackson's three children. A judge held off on requests to control the children's estates.

Rowe, who was married to Jackson in 1996 and filed for divorce three years later, surrendered her parental rights. An appeals court later found that was done in error, and Rowe and Jackson entered an out-of-court settlement in 2006.

Neither Rowe nor her attorneys have indicated whether she intends to seek custody of the two oldest children.

Funeral plans have not yet been announced.

Members of Jackson's family met Tuesday with officials from the Los Angeles police and California Highway Patrol about funeral services. But "details are still pending," according to Fran Clader, a spokeswoman for the patrol. The patrol would need to be consulted if the body was moved from Los Angeles to Neverland.

It was unclear whether Jackson could be legally buried at the ranch. The state's health and safety code makes interring any uncremated remains outside of a cemetery a misdemeanor. Cremated remains can be kept in a home or private mausoleum outside a cemetery.

It was not possible to rule out that Jackson's body might return to the ranch, either for the private service or a burial sometime in the future, if the family can get the go-ahead from state and local officials.

____

AP writers Michael R. Blood, Noaki Schwartz and Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

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Terminator Salvation beaten at the box office

by Shaun Davis
Terminator Salvation scored well at the box office over the four-day weekend, but still found itself trumped by Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian, according to Box Office Mojo.

Salvation managed to take in $67.2 million after being shown on around 6,400 screens at 3,530 sites. However, it was Night Of The Museum 2 that took top honours for the weekend with an estimated $70 million gross. This comes after the film was shown on 7,000 screens at 4,096 sites.

Meanwhile Star Trek maintained its course for $200 million after raking up an estimated $29.4 million over the weekend, bringing its total up to $191 million.

Terminator Salvation is out at cinemas worldwide and you can read SciFiNow’s review of the film on this very website.


Although most expected Terminator Salvation to top the box office on its opening weekend it was not to be.

Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian took the number one spot ahead of Terminator with a $53.5M take across its Friday-Sunday opening run - some $20M more than the first Night at the Musueum movie.

Terminator Salvation is estimated to have taken $43M for the same stretch - roughly $1M less than what its predecessor Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines managed six years ago.

The numbers don’t reflect Terminator’s full opening haul. Terminator opened a day ahead of Smithsonian which added an additional $13.4M to Terminator’s total estimated gross, effectively taking its tally to $56.4M.

Most pundits expected Terminator Salvation to top $70M but it was not to be. Smithsonian proved a stronger competitor than anticipated whilst Salvation had to also deal with a still strong Star Trek ($22M) and Angels & Demons with $21.4M.

In the face of a $200M budget, Terminator’s opening box office tally is a disappointment for Warner Bros. Warner’s only comment was to indicate that the film was also hurt by competition from real world events such as the National Basketball Association playoffs which they claim hurt business in cities like Los Angeles.

Source: Reuters

ALYAH - JUST DANCE @ DANGA BAY

ALYAH - TAK MUNGKIN KERANA SAYANG

HOT PIC MODEL MONA HAFIRANIZA WITH PAKISTANI GUY

Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Benar Mengandung?

Khabar angin bertiup kencang bahawa Datuk Siti Nurhaliza mungkin benar-benar mengandung pada kali ini. Agaknya hasrat peminat semua untuk melihat bayi sehensem Datuk K dan secomel Datin Siti Nurhaliza akan kesampaian tak lama lagi. Pada hari Isnin semalam, diceritakan kelibat Datuk Siti Nurhaliza dan Datuk K telah singgah ke Pusat Perubatan swasta di Kuala Lumpur. Walau bagaimanapun, tujuan mereka di sana tidak dapat dipastikan. Marilah kita bersama-sama berdoa agar Datuk Siti benar-benar mengandung, insya Allah!

iKHSAN : WEB SYOK KAHWIN

JULIANA EVANS MENITI HARI BAHAGIA DENGAN SAM BUNKFACE

Malah, setiap kali diajukan soalan kepada gadis berusia 20 tahun ini atau lebih mesra dengan panggilan Juliana Evans, telefon bimbitnya sentiasa berada di genggaman.

Apatah lagi, pesanan mesejnya sering berbunyi dan dibalas dengan senyuman penuh erti. Melihat keadaan si gadis comel ini, hati kuat mengatakan yang tuan empunya badan sedang hangat bercinta.

Lagipun, pernah sebelum ini terdengar Juliana dikatakan rapat dengan vokalis kumpulan Bunkface, siapa lagi kalau bukan Sam.

Ketika ditemui sewaktu fotografi RAP, terus diajukan sama ada gadis kacukan Inggeris dan Melayu ini sedang hangat bercinta dengan vokalis yang popular dengan lagu Situasi, Juliana tersenyum simpul lalu mengakuinya.

"Saya tidak teragak-agak untuk mengakui perkara itu kerana kami memang bercinta. Lagipun, saya seorang yang suka berterus-terang dan kami memang tidak mahu berahsia.

"Episod cinta yang terjalin antara kami baru saja bermula. Selepas saya putus kasih dengan seorang pemuda ahli perniagaan, dia hadir dalam kehidupan saya dan menggembirakan hati yang lara.

"Cuma, apa yang saya harapkan, cinta yang baru sahaja terbina indah ini akan terus berkekalan," katanya.

Tidak sah atau tidak lengkap tanpa menjengah kisah awal hubungan pasangan kacukan yang comel ini terjalin, lalu diminta Juliana menceritakan detik indah terbabit.

"Semuanya berlaku tanpa dirancang atau disedari. Kebetulan, saya dengan adik Sam terbabit dalam satu penggambaran drama bersiri, Kasut Tumit Tinggi.


"Dari situ kami mula berkenalan. Awalnya, hubungan kami tidak lebih dari kawan. Tetapi, lama-kelamaan, hubungan kami semakin rapat dan masing-masing mendapati ada persamaan yang menyatukan kami.




"Kami berkongsi minat sama, muzik dan dia juga seorang yang sangat memahami dan sentiasa memberi motivasi. Sejujurnya, saya memang selesa bersama dengannya," kata Juliana berterus terang.

Menyentuh mengenai perkahwinan, beritahu Juliana, perkara itu masih jauh lagi, apatah lagi mereka masih muda.

"Sekarang ini, fokus kami untuk melebarkan lagi sayap dalam pentas seni. Tambahan pula, ketika ini saya terikat dengan komitmen sebagai mahasiswa Ijazah Sarjana Muda Komunikasi Massa di Sunway University College yang memerlukan perhatian penuh dari saya.

"Biarlah saya habis belajar dahulu, memajukan karier masing-masing kemudian barulah fikir mengenai kahwin," katanya.

Nama gadis ini makin dikenali selepas membintangi drama bersiri, Kami The Series, kemudian kian rancak melebarkan sayap menerusi Kasut Tumit Tinggi, Ghost dan terbaru Rosli Dobi untuk siaran Astro Ria.

Melihat hasil kerjayanya dalam bidang lakonan, pengacaraan dan model, nyata Juliana lebih menyerlah bergelar pengacara. Malah, Juliana sendiri tidak menafikan yang dia lebih tertarik untuk mengacarakan program sendiri.

"Sejak dari kecil lagi saya minat jadi pengacara. Malah, bakat saya dalam bidang ini diasah ketika berumur 12 tahun dan program pertama yang saya mengacarakan ialah rancangan kanak-kanak, E-Zone.

"Bermula dari situ, terus saya mendapat tawaran untuk mengacarakan program yang berkonsepkan penjanaan minda, Majalah Moral menerusi TVIQ, Bintang Kecil (TV9), Remaja (TV3) dan terbaru Aksi Gelek hasil kerjasama antara Malaysia dengan Singapura.

"Walaupun, minat lebih terjurus ke arah pengacaraan, namun itu tidak bermaksud saya akan ketepikan lakonan dan model. Saya ingin menjadi artis yang cuba dalam semua bidang. Bukan tamak, kerana setiap perkara baru yang saya ceburi, adalah satu pengajaran ilmiah buat saya," katanya.

Selepas kontroversi mengenai penggugurannya dari mengacarakan program Remaja reda, Juliana sebelum ini dikatakan mendapat tawaran untuk mengacarakan Bintang RTM 2009.

Bagaimanapun, yang menjadi pengacara program itu bukan Juliana, sebaliknya Ana Alisha Mohd Marzani.

Mengulas mengenai perkara terbabit, kata Juliana, sebenarnya ia bukanlah satu masalah besar yang perlu digembar-gemburkan.

"Saya tidak dapat memberi komitmen untuk program itu kerana sibuk dengan jadual belajar dan tugasan yang diberikan pensyarah. Lagipun, tumpuan saya terhadap pelajaran dahulu. Disebabkan itu, saya terpaksa menolak tawaran berkenaan," katanya.


IKHSAN : HARIAN METRO 26 MEI 2009

Pengacara Remaja Juliana Sophie Evans Yang “Cute” Berpesta di Night Club?

JULIANA SOPHIE EVANS pengacara remaja TV3 bergembira bersama rakan-rakan beliau di sebuah tempat di Kuala Lumpur! Girls just wanna have some FUN!! Teenagers‘ behaviour can seem bizarre to adults, with their need to sleep till the afternoon, their obsessions about music or sport, and of course their mood swings.

DEC. 2007

Apr 16, 2009
2:34 am mira had this to say, #50 bertaubatlah sblm terlambat
Apr 19, 2009
2:11 am mihmih had this to say, #51 and last week
i went to a club with a friend who is jue’s friend too.
she was really drunk sampai terduduk duduk. And she went wild dancing dengan a guy friend of mine ..
oh and i see her everyday. i dont hate her but she’s not supposed to buat macam tu in public. Since dia tu kan public figure.

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CIMB clicks with photo contest on community causes

KUALA LUMPUR: A photography contest that will make a difference.

That sums up the "MYCAUSE: Photos That Make a Difference" contest organised by CIMB.

Not only will the winners of the competition receive a prize, the community organisation they photograph and write about will also be given a grant.

CIMB corporate communications head Effendy Shahul Hamid said entrants must take a creative photo of an organisation involved in community development, sport, or education, and write a 100-word essay explaining why it deserved funding from the CIMB Foundation.

The contest began yesterday and the closing date for entries is July 31. It is divided into two categories: open and student.

Any resident of Malaysia who is older than 18 can enter the open category, while the student category is open to schoolchildren.

Winners (open) will receive RM30,000 in cash while the cause highlighted in the winning photo will receive funding of up to RM100,000. The second prize winner will receive RM20,000 and third RM10,000. There will be 10 consolation prizes worth RM2,000 each in this category.

The first prize winner (student) will receive RM10,000 in cash, while the cause highlighted in the winning photo will receive funding of up to RM100,000.

Second prize is RM5,000 and third RM3,000. There will also be 10 consolation prizes worth RM500 each.

The school with the most submissions as a percentage of the total number of students will also receive RM10,000.

Participants must register and submit their entries online at http://mycause.cimbfoundation.com.

The CIMB Foundation is a non-profit organisation established by CIMB group in 2007 to fund the group's corporate social responsibility programmes.

For the first three years, the group has pledged RM100 million focusing on activities in community development, sports and education.

The foundation has set aside RM400,000 in prizes and to support the causes highlighted by the entrants.

NST

Now wife faces probe for report on abusive sex

KAJANG: A man who was recently arrested for allegedly abusing his wife sexually with a cucumber and a brinjal, was not linked to the murder of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin two years ago.

Police investigations revealed that the 40-year-old man used the vegetables to "satisfy" his wife as he had lost the ability to have sex after a recent accident.

He was picked up by police earlier this month after his wife had lodged a report, alleging that he had been sexually abusing her using vegetables for the past six years.

But after questioning by police, it was learnt that the woman, in her late 30s, had a boyfriend, and had used the police report for the purpose of getting their marriage annulled.

"When the wife was questioned by the police, she broke down and admitted that she wanted a divorce from her husband to be with her boyfriend," a police source said.

"At the time of the report, she wanted a divorce but he refused to give in. The couple have been married for 16 years and have four children."

The source added that the husband had used the vegetables during their love-making and it was at his wife's request.

"In her report, the wife had also falsely accused her husband of violent sex," the source said.

"When the woman found out that police wanted to open investigation papers on the case, she wanted to withdraw her report."

Police, however, are not letting the woman get off easily. She is now being investigated for lodging a false report.

Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Sakaruddin Che Mood confirmed the case and said the man had been released on bail.

"We are, however, preparing a case against the woman," Sakaruddin said.

The woman's report also had police re-looking Nurin's case as the Year Two pupil was also sexually abused using a cucumber and a brinjal before she was brutally murdered.

Nurin, a pupil of SK Desa Setapak, was abducted some 500 metres from her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju on August 20, 2007.

Her sexually ravaged body was found in a sports bag outside a shoplot in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya 28 days later. No one has yet been charged for the murder.

NST Malaysia 26 may 2009

Swine flu: Asean gears up

JAKARTA: As the outbreak of swine flu threatens to spread to the region, Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) officials are looking at coordinating measures to address this latest public health emergency.

“The region has the necessary experience to come to grips with this latest situation and I am now coordinating with all Asean ministers of health to provide the necessary cooperation and support,” said Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

Asean, together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), had several exercises in 2007, 2008 and 2009 to familiarise Asean health officials with issues and to ensure a more direct and efficient delivery of Tamiflu and Relenza to requesting countries.

Tamiflu and Relenza can be used to treat symptoms of swine influenza and to prevent the disease among those infected or exposed to the virus.

In cooperation with Japan, Asean has 500,000 courses of the antiviral drug stockpiled in Singapore while another 500,000 courses have been distributed to member states.

“We have established a system to distribute the stockpile in the event of a pandemic,” Surin said in a statement here Wednesday.

The Jakarta-based Asean Secretariat is on full alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week to anticipate any request for the antiviral drug by member states.

“In view of the urgency, the Asean Secretariat is also arranging for a teleconference with the region’s health officials, comprising experts on communicable diseases and on emerging infectious diseases,” Surin said.

The teleconference aims to review current preventive measures being taken by Asean member states and the need to consider a common stand and secure agreement on issues related to public health measures being carried out, such as surveillance, quarantine and border control, and other relevant issues.

Surin said the issue of mobilisation of additional resources such as the Asean stockpile of antiviral agents and personal protective equipment was also expected to be on the agenda.

The regional measures are expected to supplement those carried out by individual Asean countries to ensure that they are prepared to face the occurrence of swine flu among humans. -- Bernama

Obama calls first 100 days tense but fruitful

By JULIE PACE, Associated Press Writer Julie Pace, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 22 mins ago
ARNOLD, Mo. – Marking his symbolic 100th day in office, President Barack Obama told Midwesterners Wednesday: "I'm pleased with the progress we've made but I'm not satisfied."

"I'm confident in the future but I'm not content with the present," the president told a town-hall style event in a St. Louis suburb.

Later, the president planned to head back to Washington to send that same message to the rest of the country at a prime time news conference.

Even as his administration sought to minimize the symbolism of the 100-day marker, the White House staged these two high-profile, high-visibility events to promote Obama's accomplishments while pressing his big-ticket agenda.

In office just three months, the Democrat enters the next phase of his new presidency with a high job approval rating and a certain amount of political capital from his history-making election last fall. But he also faces a thicket of challenges as he seeks to move ahead on multiple fronts both foreign and domestic amid recession and war. He will need continued public support to accomplish his lofty goals.

Thus, Obama used the anniversary — some aides derided it as a "Hallmark holiday" — to travel to Missouri to press his case.

"We have begun to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and we've begun the work of remaking America," Obama proclaimed. But he acknowledged, "We've got a lot of work to do because on our first day in office, we found challenges of unprecedented size and scope."

He defended his ambitious, costly plan, saying: "These challenges could not be met with half measures. They couldn't be met with the same, old formulas. They couldn't be confronted in isolation. They demanded action that was bold and sustained."

And, Obama countered critics who said he's taking on too much, as he works to turn around the recession while revamping energy, education and health care in the United States.

"The changes that we've made are the changes we promised," Obama said. "We're doing what we said we'd do."

Earlier, Obama began his day at the White House, where he welcomed Sen. Arlen Specter, the veteran Pennsylvania Republican, to the Democratic Party. The president said he was "grateful" for Specter's decision to switch parties. Vice President Joe Biden, who had long encouraged his former Senate colleague to become a Democrat, also attended.

The president then darted to Missouri to hold what aides billed as a question-and-answer event, though Obama spent roughly 20 minutes making opening remarks in which he touted changes his fledgling administration already has made and other issues it wants to tackle in the coming months.

Obama drew a standing ovation from the crowd as he noted his first 100 days, saying: "That's a good thing." He also hailed the day as "the beginning of another long journey," given the challenges facing the country. And he said he's pleased the public seems to understand that.

The president promised to fight for everyday Americans, saying: "My campaign was possible because the American people wanted change. I ran for president because I wanted to carry those voices, your voices, with me to Washington. So I just want everybody to understand you're who I'm working for every single day in the White House. I've heard your stories. I know you sent me to Washington because you believed in the promise of a better day. And I don't want to let you down."

Obama reached his 100th day with strong public backing. An Associated Press-GfK poll found that 64 percent of Americans approve of his job performance and 48 percent believe the country is headed in the right direction. The "right direction" number is up 8 points since February and 31 points since October, the month before Obama's election.

But problems may lurk behind that public optimism. Ninety percent of Americans consider the economy an important issue — the most ever in an AP poll — and 65 percent said it's difficult for them and their families to get ahead.

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