Pigs' faces blackened out in papers in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur:  The company which prints copies of the International New York Times sold in Malaysia blackened out the faces of pigs in two photos in the paper on Wednesday, sparking ridicule online in the Muslim-majority country.

KHL Printing Co superimposed black boxes on the pigs' faces in line with government guidelines, said a company employee who declined to be named.

"This is a Muslim country so we covered the pigs' eyes," he told AFP. "We usually do that for the International New York Times - also for pictures of cigarettes, weapons, guns and nude pictures."

The front-page picture of a group of brown and black-and-brown piglets in the United States accompanied an article on increasing consumer demand for antibiotic- and hormone-free meat.

Another picture of pigs on the inside of the paper accompanied the rest of the article.

The censorship drew a flood of online comments, with many ridiculing the move.

"Poor piggies," one user wrote on Facebook, while another said, "This is hilarious... We are officially a nation of morons."

Home ministry officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Muslims consider pigs to be unclean. Some 60 per cent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Muslim ethnic Malays.

The Southeast Asian nation has sizable ethnic Chinese and Indian non-Muslim minorities.

Though Malaysia is known for its relatively moderate version of Islam, conservatives often cry foul over what they deem as insults to their religion.

A row over whether Malay-speaking non-Muslims can use the word "Allah" to refer to God has also raised tempers. Authorities say the word is exclusive to Islam and may confuse Muslims if used by other religions.

Banning of books or other materials deemed offensive is common in Malaysia. For NDTV Updates,

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faces new investigation in scandal

Reuters

File photo of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Milan:  Milan prosecutors have opened a new investigation against Silvio Berlusconi over accusations he corrupted witnesses in a trial in which he was convicted of paying for sex with a minor.

The decision to open an investigation, announced on Thursday, adds to a long series of legal problems hanging over the leader of Italy's main centre-right party, who has been banned from parliament over a separate tax fraud conviction.

It may also complicate efforts to reform a complicated electoral system blamed for chronic instability in Italy, following an agreement at the weekend between Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and the centre-left Democratic Party.

Berlusconi was convicted last year of paying for sex with former nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, better known by the stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", when she was under 18 and of abusing his powers as then-prime minister to get her released from police custody over unrelated theft accusations.

The 77-year-old media billionaire has appealed against the sentence, which will not take effect until the whole appeals process is completed.

In a statement on Thursday, Berlusconi repeated his accusations that judges and prosecutors had targeted him for political reasons and said he would not be deterred.

"I will remain in place, more convinced than ever of the need to keep fighting for what I believe in profoundly."

The latest investigation follows the conviction of three associates in a related trial in which they were found guilty of procuring young women for prostitution at parties at Berlusconi's luxurious villa near Milan.

Last year, judges in the trial requested prosecutors to consider opening an investigation into allegations that Berlusconi and his lawyers had met some of the young women for meetings to discuss the evidence they planned to give in court.

In a written judgment on the case, the court said there was evidence Berlusconi had paid "money and other benefits" to young women who had taken part in the parties to give misleading evidence in the case.

The investigation also targets Berlusconi's lawyers Niccolo Ghedini and Piero Longo, both of whom have denied accusations of witness tampering, as well as 42 other individuals.