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Sabtu, 27 Julai 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

N. Korea stages largest parade at war anniversary

Posted:

PYONGYANG: North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-un.

The missiles, mounted on gigantic trailers, rolled through the sprawling Kim Il-sung square in Pyongyang, as jet fighters and helicopters screeched through the overcast skies above and soldiers chanted "Let's fight, fight, fight... for our republic!"

Thousands of troops and spectators roared "Protect Kim Jong-un with our lives" when the youthful leader appeared on the podium, flanked by top party and military leaders, in what the Nuclear-armed North described as its largest ever such display.

Kim, wearing his signature dark Mao suit, had been expected to use the anniversary to make a televised address but two hours into the parade he had yet to speak.

The parade, marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire on July 27, 1953 was being closely watched for any evidence that the North has made tangible progress in its ballistic missile programme.

The last mass military parade in the North Korean capital was held on April 15 last year, for the birth centenary of the North's founder leader Kim Il-sung.

Since then, the North successfully launched a long-range rocket in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions and triggered a dangerous surge in military tensions on the Korean peninsula that lasted for several months. — AFP

Psychiatric tests for cop accused of murders

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THE police officer accused of the Kovan double murder made a surprise appearance yesterday in court, where it was agreed that he will undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Senior staff sergeant Iskandar Rahmat, who was arrested in Johor Baru two weeks ago after a 54-hour manhunt, has also told his lawyers that he wants to claim trial to all charges against him.

The 34-year-old, who had been remanded at the Central Police Station, was due to appear in court next Monday.

But this was brought forward when police concluded their investigations into the case.

Yesterday, the prosecution applied for Iskandar to be remanded at the Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre for psychiatric evaluation.

His legal team, led by Ferlin Jayatissa, did not object.

Jayatissa, who is assisted by Rudy Marican and N. Sudha Nair, said that he was appreciative that access to Iskandar had been facilitated by the investigation team.

"Given the nature of the charge and the possible exceptions to it, the defence has no objections.

"This is a necessary and appropriate step in the ongoing investigation," he said.

Iskandar was charged on Monday last week with the murder of car workshop owner Tan Boon Sin, 66, and his son at Hillside Drive on July 10.

Iskandar will appear via video-link when the case is mentioned next on Aug 16. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Breakthrough in fight against breast cancer

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]SCIENTIST in Singapore have identified a gene which makes an aggressive form of breast cancer even worse, in a development which could lead to more effective drugs to treat it.
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Cambodia's Hun Sen set for victory in tense election

Posted:

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodians voted on Sunday in an election likely to hand another five years in power to Asia's longest-serving prime minister, Hun Sen, but an energised opposition says there have been irregularities and it will continue to fight for true democracy.

The opposition believes nearly a million names are missing from voter lists and has complained about the disruption of meetings, alleged vote-buying and campaigning by the security forces for Hun Sen, who defected from the genocidal Khmer Rouge and was first appointed premier in 1985.

"The partisanship of the military and police has created an intimidating atmosphere for voters in many parts of the country," U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) is confident of victory but political analysts believe a stronger opposition may dent its majority.

More than 9.6 million people are eligible to vote, with polls opening at 7 a.m. (0000 GMT) and closing at 3 p.m. (0800 GMT). Early results may come on Sunday evening.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) has been buoyed by the return home of a popular party leader, former finance minister Sam Rainsy, after a royal pardon.

Sam Rainsy had faced the threat of a jail sentence handed down in 2010 for spreading disinformation and falsifying maps to contest a new border agreed with Vietnam, charges he called politically motivated.

He returned to Cambodia too late to register to run in the election, or even to vote, and the electoral authorities rejected his late request to do so.

But Sam Rainsy has campaigned strongly for the opposition, attracting large crowds, and has complained to international observers of irregularities in the running of the election.

"In spite of this uphill battle, any gain we make will be very significant. The election is not the end of our fight, it will be the beginning of the fight for real democracy," he said on Saturday.

Under Hun Sen, Cambodia has been transformed from a war-torn basket case into one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing economies, helped by a burgeoning garment export industry and growing political and investment ties with China.

But the breakneck economic growth has been accompanied by a rise in social tensions over poor factory conditions and rural land rights in the country of 14 million, where a third of people live on less than 65 U.S. cents per day.

Hun Sen's CPP is a formidable electoral machine, with millions more party members, that easily outguns the opposition. Adding to its advantages is a compliant media, its deep pockets, and an election system that is prone to government meddling.

"The CPP has 5.7 million members; the other party has only just over a million," said CPP lawmaker Cheam Teap, confident of victory in Sunday's ballot.

Hun Sen's CPP had 90 of the 123 seats in the outgoing parliament while the CNRP had 29.

CPP's Cheam Yeap said the ruling party would win between 88 and 92 seats, but some analysts believe the opposition has its best chance in years of denting the CPP majority.

"The opposition will gain more seats, judging by all the support we've seen," said independent analyst Chea Vannath.

"But regardless of how many more seats the parties get, they should be united for the country rather than confronting each other," she added, advocating a government of national unity.

Alcohol sales and political campaigning were banned for 48 hours from midnight on Friday to ensure calm.

(Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Mchael Perry)

Mali scrambles to be ready for Sunday's 'fresh start' vote

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BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian election officials scrambled to distribute voting material for an election on Sunday intended to provide a fresh start to a country divided by a coup and a war in its desert north.

Candidates wound up campaigns promising reconstruction and reconciliation but, underscoring security fears despite a successful French offensive against al Qaeda-linked fighters, an Islamist group threatened to attack polling stations.

Separatist and Islamist rebels swept across the country's desert north last year shortly after soldiers ousted the president, an unprecedented crisis in the former French colony, previously seen as an island of stability in West Africa.

Thousands of French troops halted a rebel advance in January and United Nations peacekeepers are deploying to stabilise the broken nation. A successful vote on Sunday would take the gold-producing country another step towards its recovery.

"We need this election - it is critical," said Abdrahamane Toure, a postal worker who went to the Aminata Diop school in Bamako's Lafiabougou neighbourhood to check where he would vote.

"Once we have a legitimate state back, things might start getting better," he added.

In a sign of last-minute preparations, residents were still lining up to collect newly-printed ID cards that they will have to show in order to vote as a truck laden with plastic ballot boxes pulled up at the Bamako school on Saturday.

Authorities also instructed some 6.8 million eligible voters how to find their polling stations by sending SMS messages to designated numbers.

In the run-up to the vote, experts had warned that a rushed election might lead to challenges and further crises.

But election officials say they have distributed 85 percent of the ID cards and a free and fair race in a field of 26 men and one women could take place.

Louis Michel, head of the European Union's election observer mission, said he was "positively surprised" by preparations and that the conditions for the vote were acceptable.

"A month ago, there were a lot of doubts (over the election). But it has come together. Everyone realises that this interim government has to end as its inherent fragility and uncertainty has been so costly for Mali," said Mary Beth Leonard, the U.S. ambassador to Bamako.

Voting is due to start at 0800 GMT at 21,000 polling stations across the country, from the bustling, lush riverside capital in the south to the remote desert garrison town of Kidal, which was at the heart of last year's rebellion.

Most of the front-runners are established political figures over the last 20 years of Malian politics so there is little likelihood of a radical overhaul of the country's democracy.

A second round of voting will take place on August 11 if no candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote.

"LOOKING FOR UNITY"

Before last year's collapse, Mali, a poor nation straddling the south of the Sahara, had built up a reputation for stability and become Africa's No. 3 gold producer.

Donors who slashed aid after the coup have promised over 3 billion euros in reconstruction assistance after the election.

The new president will have to oversee peace talks with separatist Tuareg rebels who have agreed to allow the vote to take place in areas they operate in but have yet to lay down their arms.

France is hoping a successful vote will allow it to scale down its military presence in Mali from around 3,000 troops currently. A 12,600-strong U.N. mission is rolling out.

While there have been few counter-attacks by Islamists since they were scattered from their northern strongholds, MUJWA, one of the groups that occupied Mali's north last year, on Saturday threatened to attack polling stations.

"Places of the so-called election will be a target for the strikes of the Mujaahideen (holy strugglers)," Mauritania's Nouakchoute News Agency quoted the group as saying in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by the agency.

The group also warned what it called the Muslims of Mali against taking part in the elections and urged them to stay away.

Election experts said they expect some problems given the rushed preparations but added the key to stability was ensuring no-one were seen aiding one side or the other.

"All we are looking for is unity," Mohamed Kale, imam at Bamako's Grand Mosque, told Reuters after Friday prayers.

"This vote will allow us to find a leader so it has to be a good one. The number of people who take part will give this legitimacy," he added.

(Additional reporting by Sami Aboudi; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Pope urges Brazil's youth to seek change, fight apathy

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday encouraged Brazil's young people, who have protested against corruption in their country, to continue their efforts to change society by fighting apathy and offering "a Christian response."
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Upcoming movies

Posted:

The Conjuring – Welcome to the creepy house that belongs to the unfortunate Perron family. When paranormal activities in their house escalate from terrible to worse, the Perrons call in Ed and Lorrain Warren, two supernatural investigators. Directed by James Wan, it stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Lili Taylor.

R.I.P.D. – Based on the comic-book Rest In Peace Department by Peter M. Lenkov, the film stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. It revolves around undead police officers who make sure no souls – renegade souls, that is – evade the afterlife.

Killing Season – Robert De Niro and John Travolta head the cast about two veterans of the Bosnian war. The American and the Serbian form an unlikely friendship which turns tense when a secret gets out.

The Place Beyond The Pines – This film boasts a great cast, including Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper. It's the story of a motorcyle stunt rider who robs banks to support his lover and their newborn child. This decision puts him directly in the sights of an ambitious cop.

An actress for 'Poltergeist' remake

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]Rosemarie DeWitt is in early talks to star in the remake of classic horror film.

Movies worth waiting for

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]Seven bright spots to end a crowded, messy summer at the movies.
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]
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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Upcoming movies

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]'The Conjuring', 'R.I.P.D.', 'Killing Season' and 'The Place Beyond The Pines' are some of the movies that will be coming soon to Malaysian cinemas.

An actress for 'Poltergeist' remake

Posted:

Rosemarie DeWitt must've enjoyed watching her husband Ron Livingston get haunted in The Conjuring, as she's in early talks to star in her own horror movie – MGM's Poltergeist remake, TheWrap has learned.

DeWitt, who just had a baby with Livingston back in April, is making a deal to play the matriarch of the Freeling family, who move into a new suburban home and becomes terrorised by ghosts.

Gil Kenan (Monster House) is directing the movie, which was written by David Lindsay-Abaire.

The remake is expected to be more of a grounded, character-based thriller than Tobe Hooper's 1982 original.

DeWitt had been rumoured for the role for the past month and an individual close to the actress told TheWrap they'd be surprised if she signed on. It's a testament to the quality of the script and the involvement of producer Sam Raimi that she agreed to star.

DeWitt, who just landed the female lead opposite Jeremy Renner in Focus' thriller Kill The Messenger, will soon be seen in Lynn Shelton's Sundance comedy Touchy Feely. She's coming off a busy 2012 in which she starred in Gus Van Sant's Promised Land, Disney's The Odd Life Of Timothy Green, Fox's The Watch and the indie drama Nobody Walks. — Reuters

Movies worth waiting for

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Seven bright spots to end a crowded, messy summer at the movies.
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Fast for a day to show unity

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Organisers of #Fast4Malaysia are calling on Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, to fast for a day on July 31 to show unity and peace.

Social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, blogger Niki Cheong and Uthaya Sankar SB of Projek Dialog, who are organising the initiative, called on non-Muslims to join their Muslim friends in fasting and breaking fast together for a day.

"There seems to have been so many incidents lately that are pulling the people apart. We wanted to do something to bring people together," said Marina, citing the controversial Selamat Berbuka Puasa posting by sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee on their Facebook page as well as the recent uproar over pupils eating in a shower room at SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh.

Marina said a similar initiative – "Fast for the Nation, Peace for Malaysia" – was organised in 2009 at a time when racial sentiments were running high.

"I felt it was time to do something like that again to promote unity and bring the people together," she said, adding that the initiative was non-political and non-partisan.

Participants in the initiative can organise sahur (the pre-fasting meal) or buka puasa (the breaking of fast) with their friends and colleagues wherever they are.

They are also asked to post a photo or video of the gathering and say something about their experience on social media using the #Fast4Malaysia hashtag, which will be picked up by the organisers and compiled on another website at fast4malaysia.tumblr.com.

They can also sign an online petition at http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/malaysians-fast-for-malaysia-on-july-31-2013.

Cheong said it was their way of promoting peace, unity and understanding.

"So far, more than 200 Malaysians have pledged to join us," he said.

Uthaya Sankar said the initiative was in response to "the many recent examples of hate and insensitivity to each other".

Faithful flock to St Anne’s

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]BUKIT MERTAJAM: It was a sight to behold for more than 10,000 people who lined the streets for the annual St Anne's Novena and Feast Day candlelight procession.

Genting to get cooler with 'Ice Age'

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PETALING JAYA: Get set for the ride of your life. Motion picture giant Twentieth Century Fox is going to set up its first international theme park at Genting Highlands.

Blockbuster films like Ice Age – with its characters like Diego the sabre-toothed tiger, Sid the sloth and Scrat the sabre-toothed squirrel – Alien, Predator, Life of Pi and Rio will all come to life with rides and attractions based on these movies.

The Genting outdoor theme park will be closed from Sept 1 to facilitate the construction of the theme park. The projected soft opening is scheduled for 2016.

Resorts World Genting yesterday signed an MoA with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products to develop the American film corporation's first theme park.

Genting Malaysia Bhd, which owns and operates Resorts World Genting, expects to spend at least RM3bil over five years to revamp the country's sole casino resort and the theme park.

Genting Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay said the partnership with Twentieth Century Fox would propel Resorts World Genting to another level in family entertainment, making Genting Highlands one of the world's top holiday destinations.

"Last year, our five hilltop hotels achieved a consistent overall occupancy rate of 95%. The encouraging response and growth are indicators of strong support from our customers and this will continue to spur our commitment towards enhancing our properties by offering exciting attractions to our guests," he said at the signing ceremony at Wisma Genting here.

Genting Malaysia will add 1,300 rooms at the resort with attractions to include a "Dream Parade" – a one-of-a-kind animatronics parade based on all the characters featured at the theme park.

The theme park, to be developed on a 10.12ha plot, will feature more than 25 rides and attractions, from media-based rides, thrill rides and dark rides to children's and water rides.

Twentieth Century Fox consumer products president Jeffrey Godsick said: "This theme park marks the launch of our global location based entertainment strategy."

Godsick signed on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox while Resorts World Genting was represented by Datuk Lee Chong Yan, who is president and chief operating officer of Genting Malaysia.

Last year, Resorts World Genting attracted 20.5 million visitors. Other movie companies that have theme parks include Disney and Universal Studios. One of Universal's theme parks is at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health

UN declares World Toilet Day

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Singapore envoy stresses that 2.5 billion people around the world do not have proper sanitation, that 1.1 billion people defecate in the open and that providing toilets could save the lives of more than 200,000 children each year.

George scores low in baby-naming research

Posted:

Based on a US psychologist's research into how names influence the way people treat and think about others, George has a overall attractiveness percentile score of 36 – compared, for instance, with James, which scores a perfect 100.

SCIENTIFICALLY speaking, Prince William and his wife Kate could have come up with a better name for their newborn, suggests a respected US psychologist who's studied how people react to different names.

"I definitely would not have selected the name George," said Albert Mehrabian of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), the author of several books on names and other forms of "non-verbal communication".

Based on Mehrabian's research into how names influence the way people treat and think about others, George has a overall attractiveness percentile score of 36 – compared, for instance, with James, which scores a perfect 100.

Broken down into categories, George did OK in terms of conveying an impression of being ethical and caring, but it was weaker in terms of projecting masculinity, success and fun.

Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA, told AFP by email Wednesday he personally doesn't think George was a "stuffy" name, and he believed the British royal family had its own good reasons for going with it.

The child's great-great-grandfather was King George VI, who father was King George V.

"I only wish, for the little boy's sake, they could have picked a far more attractive name," he said.

"There are plenty of excellent names with fabulous connotations that would have been fitting nicely to a prince of the United Kingdom."

For generations, George was a popular name in the United States, where George Washington is celebrated as "the father of the nation" for leading the War of Independence against Britain, then ruled by King George III.

Since the 1940s, however, George has slipped out of American favour, falling to 166th place on the US Social Security Administration's latest annual list of the most popular baby names.

(The most popular names in 2012 were Jacob, Mason and Ethan for boys, and Sophia, Emma and Isabella for girls.)

Scholarly research notwithstanding, George was the most popular name of the day Wednesday among visitors to Nameberry.com.

"We actually love George and see it as a classic that's due for a comeback, and the royal baby should push it toward the top in a big way," said Pam Satran, a co-founder of the baby-naming website.

"George is actually back as a baby name in England, where it's in the top 100," she told AFP by email.
"But it has been slower to catch on in the United States, where it is more closely identified with the middle-aged George Bush than with the dashing George Clooney or a procession of King Georges." – AFP Relaxnews
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting

Video: Prince Harry wants nephew to have fun

Posted:

Britain's Prince Harry on Thursday promised to use his expertise to make sure his new nephew George "has fun".

The fast-living prince said he had met and cuddled brother William's new baby George Alexander Louis, who was born on Monday, although the newborn was "crying his eyes out" at the time.

Harry, 28, also joked that his babysitting services would not come cheap.

When asked what would be his duties as an uncle, he replied: "To make sure he has a good upbringing, and keep him out of harm's way and to make sure he has fun. The rest I'll leave to the parents.

"I only hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting charges are," he quipped.

It was "fantastic to have another addition to the family", he added.

The new arrival, who will be known as Prince George of Cambridge, has displaced Harry as third-in-line to the throne.

Harry was speaking at an event promoting his Africa-based charity Sentebale, which helps children affected by Lesotho's HIV/AIDS epidemic.

George was born at 4.24 pm (London time) on Monday at the Lindo Wing of London's St Mary's Hospital, where both William, 31, and Harry were born.

William, wife Kate and their son are currently at her family home in rural England, far from the glare of the world's media. - AFP

Making the most of your family vacation

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Want to make a good trip truly great? These travel tips from mums help you do just that.
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my
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