Selasa, 13 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Survivor returns with ashes

Posted:

SONG Seoung Hwan, who watched his family die in last week's road tragedy on the Central Expressway, is alive today only because he was at the side of the car jacking it up.

That act saved his life when a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) ploughed into his parents, his sister and her boyfriend, who were standing at the rear of the Toyota Wish at 4am last Friday.

The 30-year-old Korean said at Changi Airport last night: "My mum was thrown about 30m to 40m away.

"My dad and sister lay right in front of the wheels of the MPV."

Song, a professional golfer based in China, returned to South Korea yesterday with his family's ashes. But that horrific split second in which he lost his family continues to haunt him.

"I turned around and I saw the car speeding towards us and hit us," he recounted with trembling lips.

"I was unhurt. I don't know why."

At the time of the accident, Song was kneeling on the right side of the car, which had suffered a punctured tyre.

It was pulled over on the chevron area when the MPV slammed into them.

His sister Jamie Song Jisoo, 24, his father Song Jung Woo, 56, and mother Kim Mee Kyung, 54, were killed at the scene of the accident.

Jamie's boyfriend, Singaporean Amron Ayoub, 23, died later in hospital.

He had been taking the family to the airport.

According to Song, Amron was trying to retrieve the spare tyre from the car boot when he was struck by the MPV.

Song said: "On the day of the accident, I told Amron, 'You are a second brother to me'."

The last time he saw Amron alive, the Singaporean was being taken away in an ambulance.

Another ambulance ferried the MPV driver, who complained of chest pains, said Song.

The MPV driver was later arrested for dangerous driving causing death and has since been released on bail. Police said investigations are ongoing.

Yesterday morning, mourners flew in from Korea for the funeral of Jamie and her parents.

About 100 relatives and friends came to pay their respects.

Amron's family, who had buried him last Friday, also attended the funeral at Mandai Crematorium.

They sobbed loudly as the covers of the three coffins were lifted for them to take a final look.

Song, his brother Jihwan, 28, and their relatives went from his father's coffin on the left to his mother's, then his sister's.

They spoke to the deceased in Korean and wept as they reached out to touch their faces and kissed them goodbye for the last time.

A hat was placed in the father's coffin, and some clothes and cards were placed in Jamie's.

The Song brothers had to be restrained to allow the bodies to be cremated.

After composing himself, the older brother said he would return for the outcome of police investigations and to attend any court hearing.

"It is not over yet," he vowed. "I will be back." — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Firm launches in-flight prayer app for Muslims

Posted:

A SINGAPORE-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they're 10,000m in the air.

Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

Crescentrating, a firm that gives "halal" or Islam-compliant ratings to hotels and other travel-related establishments, plans to make the free app, called Crescent Trips, available to Android smartphones within months, chief executive Fazal Bahardeen said.

The app also includes audio clips of prayers Muslims – required to pray five times daily at certain hours – recite when they travel. — AFP

Beware of ‘arrest’ scam, advise police

Posted:

THE police in a statement advised the public to be wary of a phone call scam which tricks victims into transferring money to the scammer.

Victims typically receive a phone call from a "friend" who claims to have been arrested in China. They are then asked to transfer a sum of money for their "friend's" release.

The phone numbers usually start with the +86 country code.

Victims have transferred between S$800 (RM2,060) and S$16,000 (RM41,190) to these scammers so far, said the police.

The police warned that scammers may spend months building rapport with victims before asking for money. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Funny women in Hollywood

Posted:

When it comes to comedy, ladies are giving men a run for their money.

"Women aren't funny," the late writer Christopher Hitchens declared, arguing that men have evolved a better sense of humour because they needed it to impress women.

But although male comedians continue to dominate Hollywood, more women are breaking through and making a name for themselves in mainstream entertainment.

The 2011 comedy Bridesmaids was hailed as a turning point in this regard. Here was a movie written by women, with women as its main characters, and almost everyone loved it. It was co-written by its star, Kristen Wiig, one of a wave of new female comic auteurs developing their own material and shows, often with great success.

Here are some funny females who have been messing up Hitchens' theorem:

The Auteurs

Leading the charge are comediennes and actresses who have developed their own material and shows, often drawing on their neurotically hilarious experiences in their work and love lives.

Tina Fey, 43, started out in improvisational comedy and became a performer and head writer on the esteemed comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live. She then wrote the screenplay for the hit film Mean Girls (2004), and created and starred in the award-winning TV series 30 Rock.

Lena Dunham, 27, created the acclaimed TV comedy drama Girls, an unvarnished look at the lives of a group of dysfunctional 20-somethings in Brooklyn. Since its debut in 2010, it has remained one of the most talked-about shows on US television. Dunham also received US$3.5mil (RM11mil) last year to write her first book, a collection of essays titled Not That Kind Of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.

Mindy Kaling, 34, was a writer and actress on the US version of the sitcom The Office before she created her own show, The Mindy Project, about the romantic misadventures of a young doctor. She also produces and stars in it, a first for an American actor of South Asian descent.

Zooey Deschanel, 33, landed her own show last year, the comedy New Girl, which is based on creator Elizabeth Meriweather's experiences sharing a flat with a group of men. The New York Times named Meriweather, along with comedic writer Diablo Cody (who penned the 2007 movie Juno), as a member of a female "Hollywood powerhouse writing posse who call themselves 'The Fempire'".

The Batty Beauties

Anna Faris, 36, and Isla Fisher, 37. These gorgeous goofballs and delightful ditzes have appeared in a succession of sophomoric but high-energy comedies rife with toilet and bodily-fluid jokes, such as The Dictator (2012) and The House Bunny (2008) for Faris and Bachelorette (2012) and Wedding Crashers (2005) for Fisher.

Romantic-comedy veterans such as Julia Roberts, 45, Jennifer Aniston, 44, Sandra Bullock, 49, and Katherine Heigl, 34, have all done an attenuated version of this character: the beautiful but luckless/clumsy/neurotic woman.

However, their individual comedic talent in these roles is somewhat debatable. Aniston and Bullock have also gone on to do non-, or at least less, romantic comedies - Aniston breaking type as a nymphomaniac dentist in Horrible Bosses (2011) and Bullock developing a little sideline in playing cranky police officers (Miss Congeniality, 2000, and The Heat, 2013).

The Shockers

Although their energies are rather different, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, 2011), 42, and Rebel Wilson (Bachelorette, 2012), 27, both trade in a brand of shock comedy that seems to turn on saying and doing the most outrageous and unexpected thing in any given situation, and on subverting stereotypes about femininity - for example, with comically oversexed personas.

Aussie girl Wilson also openly defies Hollywood's ideas about women's bodies.

Her role as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect (2012) is widely seen as the highlight of the movie - she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance and was nominated for a handful of other honours. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz


Funny women in Hollywood

Posted:

When it comes to comedy, ladies are giving men a run for their money.

"Women aren't funny," the late writer Christopher Hitchens declared, arguing that men have evolved a better sense of humour because they needed it to impress women.

But although male comedians continue to dominate Hollywood, more women are breaking through and making a name for themselves in mainstream entertainment.

The 2011 comedy Bridesmaids was hailed as a turning point in this regard. Here was a movie written by women, with women as its main characters, and almost everyone loved it. It was co-written by its star, Kristen Wiig, one of a wave of new female comic auteurs developing their own material and shows, often with great success.

Here are some funny females who have been messing up Hitchens' theorem:

The Auteurs

Leading the charge are comediennes and actresses who have developed their own material and shows, often drawing on their neurotically hilarious experiences in their work and love lives.

Tina Fey, 43, started out in improvisational comedy and became a performer and head writer on the esteemed comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live. She then wrote the screenplay for the hit film Mean Girls (2004), and created and starred in the award-winning TV series 30 Rock.

Lena Dunham, 27, created the acclaimed TV comedy drama Girls, an unvarnished look at the lives of a group of dysfunctional 20-somethings in Brooklyn. Since its debut in 2010, it has remained one of the most talked-about shows on US television. Dunham also received US$3.5mil (RM11mil) last year to write her first book, a collection of essays titled Not That Kind Of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.

Mindy Kaling, 34, was a writer and actress on the US version of the sitcom The Office before she created her own show, The Mindy Project, about the romantic misadventures of a young doctor. She also produces and stars in it, a first for an American actor of South Asian descent.

Zooey Deschanel, 33, landed her own show last year, the comedy New Girl, which is based on creator Elizabeth Meriweather's experiences sharing a flat with a group of men. The New York Times named Meriweather, along with comedic writer Diablo Cody (who penned the 2007 movie Juno), as a member of a female "Hollywood powerhouse writing posse who call themselves 'The Fempire'".

The Batty Beauties

Anna Faris, 36, and Isla Fisher, 37. These gorgeous goofballs and delightful ditzes have appeared in a succession of sophomoric but high-energy comedies rife with toilet and bodily-fluid jokes, such as The Dictator (2012) and The House Bunny (2008) for Faris and Bachelorette (2012) and Wedding Crashers (2005) for Fisher.

Romantic-comedy veterans such as Julia Roberts, 45, Jennifer Aniston, 44, Sandra Bullock, 49, and Katherine Heigl, 34, have all done an attenuated version of this character: the beautiful but luckless/clumsy/neurotic woman.

However, their individual comedic talent in these roles is somewhat debatable. Aniston and Bullock have also gone on to do non-, or at least less, romantic comedies - Aniston breaking type as a nymphomaniac dentist in Horrible Bosses (2011) and Bullock developing a little sideline in playing cranky police officers (Miss Congeniality, 2000, and The Heat, 2013).

The Shockers

Although their energies are rather different, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, 2011), 42, and Rebel Wilson (Bachelorette, 2012), 27, both trade in a brand of shock comedy that seems to turn on saying and doing the most outrageous and unexpected thing in any given situation, and on subverting stereotypes about femininity - for example, with comically oversexed personas.

Aussie girl Wilson also openly defies Hollywood's ideas about women's bodies.

Her role as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect (2012) is widely seen as the highlight of the movie - she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance and was nominated for a handful of other honours. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Indonesian anti-graft agency arrests energy regulator chief

Posted:

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities arrested the head of the country's oil regulator for alleged corruption, an energy official said on Wednesday, piling more uncertainty on energy policy in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The arrest comes as Indonesia is trying to attract investment to reverse declining oil output amid ballooning domestic energy demand. The country has faced international criticism for unclear regulations and complaints about a nationalist stance on resources.

SKKMigas Chairman Rudi Rubiandini was taken into custody from his Jakarta residence late on Tuesday by officials from the Corruption Eradication Agency (KPK), said Elan Biantoro, a spokesman for the energy regulator.

"He was taken by the KPK to the KPK offices. He is still there," Biantoro told reporters. "Later a (KPK) officer went to Mr. Rudi's office on the 40th floor. Until now it has been sealed off by the KPK."

Rubiandini was appointed late last year to head SKKMigas, which replaced the now defunct industry regulator BPMigas after it was declared unconstitutional.

KPK officials were not immediately available for comment.

The former OPEC member was once self-sufficient in oil and gas but has been struggling for years to attract investment to halt declining output.

Foreign oil firms including Chevron, ConocoPhilips and Petrochina operate in Indonesia.

(Reporting by Fergus Jensen and Andjarsari Paramaditha; Editing by Ed Davies)

California man behind anti-Islam film released to halfway house

Posted:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The man behind a film that stoked anti-U.S. protests across the Muslim world has been moved from prison to a halfway house to serve the remaining weeks of his sentence for probation violations stemming from his role in making the video, federal officials said on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old Egyptian-born Coptic Christian, whose real name is Mark Basseley Youssef, previously served time for a 2010 bank fraud conviction and was sent back to prison last year after admitting to breaching the terms of his probation.

"I never thought my movie can cause anyone trouble or anyone can get killed from my movie," he told CNN in a telephone interview aired on Tuesday, his first public comments since his arrest in the wake of unrest stirred by the film.

The crudely made 13-minute video he produced in Southern California, circulated online under several titles, including "The Innocence of Muslims," portrayed the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and sexual deviant.

American cast members later said they were misled into appearing in a film they believed was supposed to be an adventure drama called "Desert Warrior."

The film touched off a torrent of anti-American demonstrations in Arab and Muslim countries, where many consider any depiction of the prophet as blasphemous.

The start of the unrest on September 11, 2012, coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic posts in the Libyan city of Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

But links between the Benghazi assault and "The Innocence of Muslims" have since been debunked.

Susan Rice, then-U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, initially said the Benghazi attack grew from a spontaneous protest over the film. But the Obama administration later acknowledged that militants tied to al Qaeda had planned and carried out the attack and that there was no demonstration in Benghazi at the time.

Youssef was transferred from a federal detention centre during the past few weeks to an undisclosed halfway house as part of preparation for his release, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Ed Ross said.

He is due to be freed on September 26 but will remain under the supervision of probation officials for the next four years, Ross said.

Eighteen Indian sailors feared trapped after explosion, fire on submarine

Posted:

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - About 18 Indian sailors were trapped after an explosion and fire on board a conventionally powered Indian submarine berthed at the coastal city of Mumbai early on Wednesday, the navy said.

"There are some people who are trapped on board, we are in the process of trying to rescue them, we suspect it to be in the range of 18," said navy spokesman PVS Satish.

"We will not give up until we get to them," Satish said.

The explosion inside the INS Sindhurakshak was likely an accident, Satish said. Photos distributed by social media users appeared to show a large fireball over the navy dock where the diesel-electric submarine was berthed.

Television reports said the vessel was half submerged after the fire.

The INS Sindhurakshak was upgraded at a Russian shipyard last year, according to Russian media.

The apparent accident comes in the same week as India launched a locally refitted aircraft carrier due for completion in 2017, and announced that the reactor on India's first home-built nuclear submarine was now operational.

(Reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and David Lalmalsawma; Editing by Paul Tait)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business


VEGOILS/PALM OIL-Market Factors To Watch Aug 14(Wednesday)

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets. 
  
FUNDAMENTALS
  
 * Malaysian palm oil futures hit a one-month high on Tuesday after the U.S. government made deeper-than-expected cuts to its forecasts for soybean yields and stocks, while strong exports of the tropical oil also helped prop up prices.
  
 * U.S. corn futures slid more than 3 percent on Tuesday, surrendering all of the prior day's gains as investors shifted their focus from Monday's low U.S. government corn yield estimate to its forecast for a record-large harvest and plentiful stockpile next season.
  
 * Oil prices on both sides of the Atlantic rose for a third straight session on Tuesday because of worries over supplies from OPEC nations Libya and Iraq.
  
 MARKET NEWS
  
 * U.S. Treasury debt yields approached two-year highs and the dollar rallied broadly on Tuesday after a gauge of U.S. consumer spending rose at its fastest pace in seven months.
  
 * Copper hit nine-week highs on Tuesday on signs of tighter-than-expected stockpiles in China, and cotton rallied on supply concerns, but declines in other markets slowed the wider commodities complex after four days of gains.
  
 RELATED NEWS
  
 > Malaysia's Aug 1-10 palm oil exports up 25.8 pct -SGS
  
 > Argentine soy-crushing workers to strike on Wed - union
  
 > K+S says potash price in Brazil at $400 but could change
  
 > Corn plunges 3.6 pct as record-large U.S. harvest looms
  
 > ICE arabica coffee tumbles, raw sugar hits seven-week high
  
 > Outlook improving for West Europe wheat crop
  
 > US crop yields may ease a bit due to dry August weather
  
DATA/EVENTS
  
> Industry regulator the Malaysian Palm Oil Board will issue July stocks and output data on Aug 14.
  
> Cargo surveyors Intertek Testing Services and Societe Generale de Surveillance to release Aug. 1-15 exports data on Thursday. - Reuters

RHB Research maintains Neutral on Kulim, FV RM3.53

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Research is maintaining its Neutral recommendation on Kulim Malaysia while the fair value is unchanged at RM3.53.

It said on Wednesday that based on the sharply better results from associate company New Britain Palm Oil (NBPO) and its own stronger fresh fruit bunches (FFB) production, it expects Kulim's 2QFY13 results to be significantly better on-quarter.

"While its inability to secure additional stakes in NBPO is a negative, it goes to show that the group has an undervalued asset in NBPO. We maintain our NEUTRAL call on Kulim, with our FV unchanged at RM3.53," it said.

RHB Research pointed out that NBPO's 2QFY13 profit before tax (PBT) shot up 93.8% on-quarter to US$9.3mil as weather in Papua New Guinea normalised in April.

In 1QFY13, NBPO's earnings were adversely affected by heavy rainfall amounting to 2.23 metres in a single quarter. Given that NBPO makes up a significant proportion of Kulim's earnings (28% in 1Q), the improvement in its 2Q earnings should see a corresponding surge in Kulim's 2Q earnings.

"We estimate Kulim's 2QFY13 PBT will rise to RM39mil from RM25mil for 1QFY13," it said.

RHB Research also expects Kulim's plantations in Malaysia to show further earnings improvement, with 2QFY13 fresh fruit bunches (FFB) production rising 12.4% on-quarter. Against 1H last year, Kulim's FFB production jumped 29.8% due to contribution from estates acquired from Johor Corp.

"Recall that in 1QFY13, Kulim's Malaysia operations posted an 11.7% y-o-y increase in EBIT, making it one of the few companies with strong earnings despite a 20% decline in crude palm oil (CPO) prices. We expect this earnings momentum to continue. Our FY13 forecast earnings of RM156mil looks achievable despite the company having made only RM19mil in 1QFY13," it pointed out.

RHB Research said NBPO's board and independent advisers have advised shareholders to reject Kulim's offer to buy 30 million NBPO shares at GBP5.50 each, as the offer price was deemed too low.

The research house also said the independent advisers value NBPO at GBP6.50-7.00 per share. The acquisition, if successful, would be earnings accretive and boost the FV for Kulim to RM3.80.

"However, all is not lost even if the takeover offer fails, as Kulim is NBPO's single largest shareholder and hence the biggest beneficiary if the latter is worth GBP6.50-7.00/share. Pricing NBPO at GBP7.00 implies that Kulim's Johor estates are valued at RM68,700 per ha, or 64 sen per sq ft, which is cheap considering some of its estates are prime property development land," it said.

RHB Research "Neutral" on Genting, lower fair value

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Research is maintaining its "Neutral" call on Genting Bhd with a lower fair value of RM10.35 from RM10.66 to incorporate its new fair value for Genting Singapore.

It said taking the cue from 52%-owned Genting Singapore's weaker-than-expected first half of 2013 results, RHB expects Genting's first half 2013 core earnings to disappoint, as the group's Singapore operation typically contributes 45%-50% of its bottomline.

"Thus, we see Genting's first half 2013 core earnings hovering at RM930mil to RM990mil, vis-à-vis our previous financial year 2013 projection of RM2.19bil. This aside, we expect the company to declare an interim dividend per share of three to four sen," it said.

RHB said Genting recently secured a permit to demolish the former Miami Herald site in Miami, Florida and expects demolition works to commence in the fourth quarter of 2013.

"Given the lack of progress on proposals to legislate gaming in the state, we believe management will, for the time being, focus on developing the proposed mixed development.

This will comprise condominiums, a hotel, waterfront restaurants, as well as related amenities on the five-acre site along Biscayne Bay," it said.

It noted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act, which will allow four gaming resorts to be built in the area.

"Should voters approve the ballot referendum come November, we expect Genting to capitalise on this opportunity by submitting a formal application via its Malaysia unit," it said.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies


Funny women in Hollywood

Posted:

When it comes to comedy, ladies are giving men a run for their money.

"Women aren't funny," the late writer Christopher Hitchens declared, arguing that men have evolved a better sense of humour because they needed it to impress women.

But although male comedians continue to dominate Hollywood, more women are breaking through and making a name for themselves in mainstream entertainment.

The 2011 comedy Bridesmaids was hailed as a turning point in this regard. Here was a movie written by women, with women as its main characters, and almost everyone loved it. It was co-written by its star, Kristen Wiig, one of a wave of new female comic auteurs developing their own material and shows, often with great success.

Here are some funny females who have been messing up Hitchens' theorem:

The Auteurs

Leading the charge are comediennes and actresses who have developed their own material and shows, often drawing on their neurotically hilarious experiences in their work and love lives.

Tina Fey, 43, started out in improvisational comedy and became a performer and head writer on the esteemed comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live. She then wrote the screenplay for the hit film Mean Girls (2004), and created and starred in the award-winning TV series 30 Rock.

Lena Dunham, 27, created the acclaimed TV comedy drama Girls, an unvarnished look at the lives of a group of dysfunctional 20-somethings in Brooklyn. Since its debut in 2010, it has remained one of the most talked-about shows on US television. Dunham also received US$3.5mil (RM11mil) last year to write her first book, a collection of essays titled Not That Kind Of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.

Mindy Kaling, 34, was a writer and actress on the US version of the sitcom The Office before she created her own show, The Mindy Project, about the romantic misadventures of a young doctor. She also produces and stars in it, a first for an American actor of South Asian descent.

Zooey Deschanel, 33, landed her own show last year, the comedy New Girl, which is based on creator Elizabeth Meriweather's experiences sharing a flat with a group of men. The New York Times named Meriweather, along with comedic writer Diablo Cody (who penned the 2007 movie Juno), as a member of a female "Hollywood powerhouse writing posse who call themselves 'The Fempire'".

The Batty Beauties

Anna Faris, 36, and Isla Fisher, 37. These gorgeous goofballs and delightful ditzes have appeared in a succession of sophomoric but high-energy comedies rife with toilet and bodily-fluid jokes, such as The Dictator (2012) and The House Bunny (2008) for Faris and Bachelorette (2012) and Wedding Crashers (2005) for Fisher.

Romantic-comedy veterans such as Julia Roberts, 45, Jennifer Aniston, 44, Sandra Bullock, 49, and Katherine Heigl, 34, have all done an attenuated version of this character: the beautiful but luckless/clumsy/neurotic woman.

However, their individual comedic talent in these roles is somewhat debatable. Aniston and Bullock have also gone on to do non-, or at least less, romantic comedies - Aniston breaking type as a nymphomaniac dentist in Horrible Bosses (2011) and Bullock developing a little sideline in playing cranky police officers (Miss Congeniality, 2000, and The Heat, 2013).

The Shockers

Although their energies are rather different, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, 2011), 42, and Rebel Wilson (Bachelorette, 2012), 27, both trade in a brand of shock comedy that seems to turn on saying and doing the most outrageous and unexpected thing in any given situation, and on subverting stereotypes about femininity - for example, with comically oversexed personas.

Aussie girl Wilson also openly defies Hollywood's ideas about women's bodies.

Her role as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect (2012) is widely seen as the highlight of the movie - she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance and was nominated for a handful of other honours. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

Racy director

Posted:

Penelope Cruz directs short film for Agent Provocateur.

PENELOPE Cruz has directed a short film to promote the new range of underwear for Agent Provocateur.

Working with her sister Monica Cruz, the Oscar-winning actress, has created a new range for the London-based lingerie brand.

'L'Agent' hit stores including Bloomingdales, Harrods, and Printempslast Thursday, and will also be available on a special L'Agent website.

In celebration of the collection, the actress chose to direct her debut film, which was shot in Madrid.

In fact, the whole project is something of a family affair.

Alongside the aforementioned Monica, Cruz's husband (and fellow Academy Award winner) Javier Bardem also makes an appearance, while the film's soundtrack was composed by younger brother Eduardo Cruz.

Filling out the cast, the actress picked Russian model Irina Shayk.

"I chose Irina, as she is such a vivacious woman, and with all the beautiful women in the campaign, I really needed someone who would keep the audience's attention," Cruz said.

In fact, as Cruz told WWD, the experience was extremely personal.

"They gave me all the freedom, and I was able to tell the story I wanted to tell. I used women of all shapes and ages, as it was important for me to let women know that this brand is for everyone," she shared.

The film can be viewed on the brand's website. Cheaper than the main Agent Provocateur lingerie sets, the L'Agent collection will sell at an average price of US$61.50 (RM200), but won't be available in the brand's own stores. – AFP Relaxnews

Beating the odds

Posted:

Unbeatable may have  taken a while to make, but director Dante Lam is happy with the result.

Dante Lam's Unbeatable first came across our radar when its leads bagged top acting honours at the recent 16th Shanghai International Film Festival, with Nick Cheung winning the best actor award and Crystal Lee winning best actress.

Filmed in Macau and Hong Kong, Unbeatable is an action movie that features mixed martial arts. Lam was excited to work with a multi-national cast: Cheung is from Hong Kong, Eddie Peng is Taiwanese-Canadian, Andy On is Chinese-American and of course, Lee is from Malaysia.

"I enjoy making each and every one of my films, but this one even more so. When filming action blockbusters, there tends to be many sources of stress. For example, when filming on a street, various issues could crop up which would require some quick-thinking to solve the problem.

"In comparison, Unbeatable was quite different as I was able to enjoy the shooting process, and conduct detailed discussions with the actors about their roles, which created a more enjoyable atmosphere," shared Lam, 48, in an e-mail interview.

Eddie Peng in Unbeatable

According to the director, Peng was the perfect choice to play Li Si Qi because they are alike in some ways.

Though Unbeatable was conceptualised five years ago, Lam had problems getting actors for the film, so he had to put the movie on hold. In the meantime, though, Lam focused on working on – and releasing – The Viral Factor (2012), The Stool Pigeon (2010), Fire Of Conscience (2010), Sniper (2009) and Beast Stalker (2008).

"Naturally, Nick Cheung was my first choice and I was surprised at how much he pushed himself to great effect. Our previous two collaborations (Beast Stalker and The Stool Pigeon) were already tough to do, but Unbeatable exerted a whole different level of physical challenge. Nonetheless, we both share the same ideology: The film industry is a tough one, but the audience can see the effort you put in and the sacrifices you make for the film," said Lam.

In Unbeatable, Cheung portrays debt-ridden former boxing champ Chin Fai, who is forced to flee Hong Kong to Macau to avoid further harassment from loan sharks. There, he befriends his neighbour's bossy daughter Dani (Lee) and meets a young boxer named Li Si Qi (Peng).

Seeing how Li is determined to win a boxing match, Fai becomes the young man's mentor, and eventually rediscovers his own passion to fight.

Having to buff up for the role of a lean and mean mixed martial arts fighter may be a tall order for some actors, but Cheung spared nothing to acquire the physique of a boxer. He went on a strict diet and hit the gym daily.

Famed for his dedication to his craft, Cheung had previously spent six months working out for the role of a convict in the Roy Chow-helmed Nightfall. He had lost so much weight then that he was only 53kg by the time filming began for Nightfall.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in June with Cheung and Lee, the former recalled an embarrassing moment.

"I was changing out of my clothes for the next scene and had just removed my shirt when I noticed that everybody in the room, whether they were male or female, were just staring at me. It was terribly embarrassing," said the 45-year-old actor, who stopped going to the gym after he was done with Unbeatable as he had "absolutely no interest in body-building and only did it for the movie".

Cheung had some tough times while filming the movie.

"My pinky finger was broken in so many places (a stuntman had accidentally kicked him), it was shaped like the letter 'Z'. It was so bad that I didn't even dare look at it while I was waiting in the emergency room. But my only concern then was that it would affect the movie. At that time, we hadn't even started filming the action sequences yet and my scenes included punching sandbags, fighting with opponents in the boxing ring and getting beaten up," said Cheung.

As for the character of young boxer Li Si Qi, director Lam thought he wouldn't be able to find the perfect actor until he met 31-year-old Peng, whose commitment to his role as a gymnast in the coming-of-age flick Jump Ashin! (2011) was impressive.

"This film tells the tale of two different men from different age groups, with each having his own challenges and problems. Finding someone youthful with such a strong fighting spirit – and one who could meet our shooting schedule – was a big problem.

"Then one day, someone suggested Eddie Peng. They also told me that he trained for a year to play his part in Jump! Ashin, but I was still a sceptic. After all, where would such an actor exist today? However, during my first meeting with him, I was immediately taken in by how much he is like the character Li Si Qi. The rest is history," said Lam.

Unbeatable opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug 15.

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Fun at the wax museum at i-City

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SHAH ALAM: Fancy pinching the cheeks of President Barack Obama without having Secret Service agents pounce on you?

You can also feel the stubbles on Captain Jack Sparrow's face or pose for a picture with Datuk Lee Chong Wei at Red Carpet@i-City, an interactive wax museum here.

I-Berhad director Monica Ong said the wax figurines are very lifelike and visitors are allowed to touch them.

"With new wax technologies, the faces are quite elastic. You can pinch and pull their faces. For male figurines, there are even stubbles on their faces to make it more realistic," she said.

Ong explained that the museum was different from the conventional wax museums as it was interactive.

A figurine of Tunku Abdul Rahman during the proclamation of independence can be found at Red Carpet@i-City, a wax museum in Shah Alam.

Lifelike models: A figurine of Tunku Abdul Rahman during the proclamation of independence at Red Carpet@i-City.

"For example, (the figurine of) Psy can dance," she said.

Props are also available for visitors to wear when posing with the figurines.

"At the Queen Elizabeth exhibit, they can put on a cloak, while at the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit, they can pose with a sword," she said.

Although the museum officially opens on Thursday, it has started accepting visitors since the first day of Hari Raya.

Ong said the museum hoped to attract 30,000 visitors a month over the next three to four months.

Media Preview - Malaysia's 1st interactive all-stars wax museum at Red Carpet at i-City .... 12/8/13...wax figure of President of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the United States of America Barack Obama

Wax figures of Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Barack Obama.

Built at a cost of RM25mil, the museum covers 30,000 sq ft and houses 100 wax figurines.

The first to greet you there will be Mr Bean. There are also movie stars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and singers such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Luciano Pavarotti.

Adults are charged with an entrance fee of RM100 and the fee for children is RM50. The fees for Malaysians with MyKad are RM80 and RM40, respectively.

'Exclude tobacco from pact'

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PETALING JAYA: Tobacco should be excluded from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in order to protect the health of Malaysians, said the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

According to MMA president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, the overall objective of the TPPA was to increase and facilitate free trade of goods and services, but it should not apply to tobacco.

"Tobacco is the only product that kills half its users prematurely, causes numerous diseases and reduces productivity.

"There is simply no justification for tobacco to enjoy the privileges of free trade," he said in a statement.

Dr Tharmaseelan said tobacco should be completely "carved out" of the TPPA to uphold the Government's sovereign right to protect the health of its citizens.

TPPA is a US-sponsored trade agreement that is being negotiated by 12 countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States.

It was reported that the International Trade and Industry Ministry would hold more briefings to address public concerns about TPPA.

"MMA is not against the TPPA as a whole, but we seek assurances that all sides will benefit without one gaining unfair advantage over the others," Dr Tharmaseelan said, while urging the Government to seek the consensus of all Malaysians before signing the agreement.

Other concerns raised by the MMA over the TPPA was that medicine would become more expensive and that educational and research activities would become more difficult.

More people thinking of suicide

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PETALING JAYA: The number of people in Klang Valley expressing suicidal thoughts to Befrienders Kuala Lumpur last year is almost double that of 2008.

In 2008, 1,393 persons expressed that they had suicidal feelings, but the number shot up to 2,668 last year, said Befrienders KL chairman L. Mary Raj.

Relationship issues topped the list of problems expressed, followed by psychiatric and financial pro­blems, she said, adding that most callers who said they had suicidal thoughts were below 30, followed closely by those in the 31 to 50 year age group.

When it comes to race, the Chinese led the pack, making up 60% of callers, followed by Indians and Malays.

Mary said the reason more people were having suicidal thoughts could be due to an increasing number of people living under stressful conditions, as well as greater media publi­city on suicide cases.

Other than phone calls, such expressions were also made through e-mail and face-to-face meetings.

"It is good that they express suicidal feelings because it lowers their risk of committing suicide at the moment they are contemplating it," Mary said.

According to the National Suicide Registry, 117 suicide cases were recorded in 2007, while 425 cases were seen in 2010. Indians recorded the highest suicide rate at 3.67 for every 100,000 Indians, followed by the Chinese at 2.44 per 100,000.

The ministry's deputy director- general for public health Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman reminded the media not to sensationalise cases of suicide as it could lead to "copycat" cases.

Other than introducing the National Strategic and Action Plan for Suicide Prevention last year, Dr Lokman added that a guideline on media reporting on suicide has been deve­loped to educate the media on responsible suicide reporting.

Dr Lokman said the main factors that contributed to suicide were significant life events such as financial, relationship, employment and psy­chiatric problems.

Befrienders Kuala Lumpur can be contacted at 03-7956 8145/8144 or sam@befrienders.org.my.

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Deep in a dream

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Eugène Ionesco's Macbett receives the local treatment, replete with politics and paranoia.

AMBITION is a beautiful thing. "I'm a fan of change and striving towards something better. I want to show how beautiful ambition is," shared Kelvin Wong, when asked why he chose to direct Macbett.

Not to be mistaken for the classic Shakespearean play MacBeth, this Actors Studio staging Рthe first theatrical performance in the newly opened KuAsh Theater in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) in Kuala Lumpur Рis instead based on one of the later works of Eug̬ne Ionesco, Macbett.

Part parody, part modernisation of that "Scottish play", Macbett tells the tale of how the title character General Macbett (Dinesh Kumar) and his comrade-in-arms General Banco (Oliver Johanan) return heroes after quashing a rebellion.

Like any corrupt politician worth his salt, Archduke Duncan (Cheong Ui Hua) promises the military duo land, datuk-ships and cash – then promptly welshes on the deal.

Betrayed by his lord and seduced by the scheming Lady Duncan, Macbett plots to assassinate the Archduke and crown himself King.

So far pretty similar to MacBeth? The Romanian absurdist goes further into the depravity that comes with power to paint a darker version with more murder, ghosts and fun.

"I'm not equipped to do Shakespeare, so I've settled on Ionesco's parody instead. In fact, it's more of a reflection of our world today," says Wong.

He explains that Macbett can be viewed in two ways: an analysis of the ugliness of politics, or a show of ambition's beauty, even if it becomes tainted by greed or paranoia.

Costume planner Siti Farrah Abdullah reveals that they're staging a more contemporary version of Macbett – based on playwright Tanya Ronder's 2007 adaptation of Ionesco's play originally written in the 1970s.

"Our Macbett is presented as a dream. We give the audience the liberty to use their imagination to decide what era the play is set in," says Siti.

"The danger of calling it a dream is it can be anything and everything. The play is more like how we (the cast) see images from our dream," adds Wong.

"When I'm directing, I see it as a version of my dream, Siti's costumes are from her dream; the play is the sum total of the cast and crew's dreams."

He laughingly adds, "we're getting really artsy-fartsy here, aren't we?"

In terms of costume, this setting allowed Siti to run wild with her costume direction. Archduke Duncan looks like a certain tyrannical German from WWII, Generals Macbett and Banco are dressed as Russian soldiers, and Lady Duncan looks like a geisha!

"I read somewhere that in dreams, things happen in black and white, more monotonous. I've applied this to the characters' costumes and used a lot of black leather, metals and dark materials," explains Siti.

"Call me strange, but I was inspired by Justin Bieber," she says, pausing to burst into laughter.

"No, seriously. I was thinking of those ridiculous harem pants and drop crotch pants he wears, and thinking why anyone would wear such a thing. From there, I got the beginnings of an idea on how to dress the characters."

She says the main challenge was choosing outfits that both suit characters and were practical enough as the actors have to make many quick changes during the play.

"When a play gets boring, the audience's attention will go to the costumes and set. Thus we aim to make the look clean cut so people will focus on the story," says Siti.

Wong concurs, "everything needs to come together to draw you to the characters, thus we decided there's no need to be too elaborate."

Cheah Ui Hua plays Archduke Duncan in Eugene Ionesco's MacBett, whose corrupt monarchy is overthrown by the power hungry and eventually as evil general Macbett.
Cheah Ui Hua plays Archduke Duncan. 

Another goal Wong aimed to meet was to distance the play from Ionesco's fatalist view that people do not have a choice in their actions, and are merely pushed along by fate.

"Having choice is a hopeful thing. I want to make people focus a beautiful eye on the world and not the same old same old cynicism," enthuses Wong.

Through the dream-like performance, he hopes to remind the audiences that they too should have greater dreams than their predecessors, but to also proceed with caution to avoid the fate of the plays' characters.

Macbett will be staged at The Actors Studio @ KuAsh Theatre, TTDI in Kuala Lumpur from Aug 14-18 (8.30pm) and Aug 17-18 (3pm). Tickets are RM35; RM25 for concession. Purchase four tickets and get one free. Book tickets via www.ilassotickets.com or call 03-4047 9000. Contains adult content.

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Taichung mayor assures food from Taiwan is safe to eat

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TAICHUNG mayor Jason Hu has assured Singaporeans that food products from Taiwan are safe for consumption.

Hu, who was in Singapore yesterday to promote his city's food industry, said this in reference to the recent food scare in Taiwan earlier this year. In May, traces of maleic acid were found in starch products such as bubble tea tapioca pearls.

He added that pastries, coffee and tea imported from Taichung in Taiwan have been approved by both the Taiwan Peace Diet HACCP and the Agri-food Veterinary Authority of Singapore. Speaking at a press conference at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, he acknowledged that many have lost confidence in Taiwan's food safety and asked for stricter controls.

"The stricter the regulations the better," said Hu. The event to promote Taichung products included food from 20 different Taichung-based food companies, as well as a show case of the longest pop-up book in the world featuring Taichung's scenery and food. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

MHA: Inmate's family to be compensated

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THE family of the prison inmate who died after suffering breathing difficulties while in an isolation cell will be compensated by the Government, which has also accepted liability.

This was revealed in parliament yesterday by Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran, in response to questions raised by MPs about the death of Dinesh Raman Chinnaiah on Sept 27, 2010.

A senior prisons officer, the direct supervising officer then, was charged in court last month. Lim Kwo Yin pleaded guilty to causing death by a negligent act and was fined S$10,000 (RM25,870).

Iswaran said: "The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been in touch with the family of Dinesh Raman and their lawyer to discuss the family's concerns, as well as the matter of compensation."

However, he declined to provide a figure or more details as discussions were ongoing.

The minister also revealed that the Prison Service has since reviewed its instructions on inmate Control and Restraint (C&R) techniques to greater emphasise the risk of positional asphxiation – found to have been the cause of Dinesh Raman's death – as well as measures to prevent such incidents.

One new measure is to have C&R techniques applied on inmates in a standing position where possible, said Iswaran.

With the conclusion of the court case, the MHA has also started disciplinary action against the superintendent, supervisors and other officers involved in the incident, Iswaran said. — The Straits Times Asia News Network

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Healing the Earth

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Keeping the Earth healthy and productive keeps us healthy, too.

ONLY when Man has cut down the last Tree,

Only when he has poisoned the last River,

Only when he has caught the last Fish,

Only then will Man realise he cannot eat Money. – Cree (Native American) prophecy.

This is the fourth and last article in the series on LOHAR (Lifestyle of Health and Responsibility). Today's article continues the subject of healthy and responsible living, focusing on some current efforts to conserve, preserve, revitalise and re-empower our Earth.

In the previous article, I explained the benefits, virtues and spirituality of organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and homa farming practices.

Today, I will share about some efforts to keep our air (atmosphere), water (oceans, lakes, rivers, etc) and land clean, healthy, productive and sustainable.

Homa therapy teaches us that if we heal the atmosphere, the atmosphere heals you. I would like to expand this concept further – heal the earth, and the earth will heal and sustain you.

Many have incessantly lamented the sorry state of the Earth due to our irresponsible acts over the eons (pollution of the air, water and land, and inconsiderate exploitation of the various resources available to us), resulting in the ghastly threats of drastic climate change, global warming, sea-level rising, depletion of clean water sources, depletion of fossil oil sources, depletion of fish from the oceans, extermination of many animal and plant species, and something we have to endure too often lately – not even clean air to breathe.

So let us take a look at some laudable efforts to reverse the situation and restore the health and sustainability of Mother Earth.

Saving the air

Pollution of the atmosphere comes mainly from irresponsible practices on land. Indiscriminate open burning at the start of each season in the plantations in Indonesia and possibly other countries have caused regional hardship due to the acrid haze.

So the concerted international effort to contain this recurrent problem gives us some hope, though we have yet to see any results.

Rapid deforestation for settlement, timber and agriculture depletes us of life-sustaining oxygen. Much of the jungles and forests in most countries have been decimated, endangering the biodiversity of flora and fauna alike.

The last frontier is the Amazon region, which is also suffering the same fate.

Way back in 1992, former US Vice-President and eco-warrior Al Gore had already warned us in his book, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, "How can we halt this vandalism, this destruction of forests and pollution of oceans and atmosphere?"

And he continued: "Only when we see that all life is precious, that if all forests (and their inhabitants) are cut and burned to the ground, the future of our own species (the human race) is thereby endangered."

If we don't take heed of the warnings, the future is bleak. Watch The Age of Stupid (a crowd-funded British independent film) to see the possible scenario in 2055 as a result of our collective stupidity in neglecting the warnings. You will cringe.

Fortunately, the global awakening to rescue the situation is gaining momentum. The documentary An Inconvenient Truth by Davis Guggenheim (2006, featuring Al Gore) was a major wake-up call for many of us. If you have not yet seen it, you should.

Efforts to control polluting emissions from vehicles and factories are now in place in many countries. The gradual, but sure migration to hybrid and electrical vehicles will certainly help keep the air cleaner.

Saving the water

Not only are our rivers and lakes polluted, even the deep seas are now contaminated. So much so, US health experts caution pregnant women from consuming more than two fish a week to protect their babies from the teratogenic effects (ie causing congenital deformities) of heavy-metal toxicity.

Many responsible countries are enforcing laws that limit the dumping of industrial wastes into the rivers, seas and oceans. There are also successful efforts to depollute and revive "dead" rivers and lakes.

One such successful method is based on a home-grown technology called iQPR. It uses the principles of quantum physics to energise water, such that contaminated water will dissociate from the impurities.

In other words, the water cleans itself. This method has successfully cleaned several rivers, streams and ponds in Penang and Perlis.

When applied to mineral water, the energised water has been shown to have many health and healing benefits when consumed. When given to chickens in a poultry farm, they became much more active and livelier than those fed with ordinary water!

Another safe and effective method to clean water sources is by using friendly bacteria. There are many species of bacteria that consume pollutants and waste without themselves causing harm to us or the environment. Some of them can even be used to treat oil spillage, which is often very difficult to manage.

The use of bacteria (and protozoa) in the treatment of waste water and sewage is an established practice. In large treatment systems, the biomass or activated sludge (the bacteria thriving on the sewage) allows biodegradable organic contaminants to be efficiently removed. The outcome can even be used as organic fertiliser.

Sewage management technology is now so advanced that sewage effluent is now re-usable as drinking water (eg Singapore's NEWater).

Apart from minimising wastage and recycling, novel methods of extracting water from the rain, air, and land are now available. Rainwater catchment systems should be used wherever possible, since much of our rainwater is wasted. It is ridiculous to have dry pipes when we are blessed with a high rainfall.

Portable water dispensers that generate water from the surrounding air are now sold on the market, and come in handy when there is no clean water supply nearby.

When all these efforts are multiplied, then there is hope that we can save our water from becoming scarce and poisonous.

Saving our land

Much of what was written in previous articles was about conserving and protecting the cleanliness and productivity of our land. Methods used to protect the land will also protect the air and water, as the three intricately co-exist.

Thus, the successful reforestation programmes that we have witnessed have restored the ecology, diversity, and even rainfall in the affected areas. What were once arid and unproductive areas can now support vibrant, living ecosystems (see www.ted.com for some examples).

Likewise, all the methods to purify the air and water mentioned above will also benefit the land and its inhabitants, and that includes us.

The various farming methods described in previous articles avoid the use of toxic pesticides and only rely on safe, natural, organic fertilisers. Toxic pesticides and industrial effluent have poisoned our environment badly. The air that we breathe (even when it appears clean) contains much more chlorine than what our forefathers breathed.

Fortunately, there are also safe bio-organic pesticides available now that can be used instead, but most of the large corporations are still using the cheaper toxic chemical versions.

Toxic and non-biodegradable wastes are major problems to all communities, more so when we always consume too much and dispose of the waste irresponsibly.

Again, there is a comforting trend to reduce the use of non-biodegradable consumer items (eg plastic) in favour of biodegradable alternatives.

There are biodegradable alternatives to the ubiquitous polystyrene food packs and plastic water bottles. The biodegradable plastic, incredibly, has a certain type of bacteria infused in the otherwise non-biodegradable plastic material. This is sheer brilliance.

Waste can also be turned into bio-fuel. One such company at the forefront of this technology that will help solve two major problems – waste disposal and fuel supply – is a Malaysian company (www.greenbase.com.my). Their technology is now being adopted by ecology-conscious countries like the Netherlands.

But why are we ourselves so slow to adopt this home-grown innovation?

Energy efficiency and renewable energy innovations will be the focus of much research and innovation in the coming decades as we face a dwindling supply of fossil fuel. Nuclear energy makes us vulnerable, as the Fukushima episode has shown. We certainly need safer and renewable alternatives.

When the genius of humanity is combined with good intentions, nothing is insurmountable. There is indeed hope for our continued survival.

Saving our food sources

Apart from practising agricultural methods that preserve the Earth's health and ensure continued productivity and sustainability, there are other issues that may affect our food sources and production.

For example, bee colonies are dying across America, and if the problem is not resolved, the world's food production is in grave danger. Albert Einstein warned that if bees die, man will die within four years.

Unsustainable fishing methods (eg indiscriminate trawling) threaten our ability to rely on the oceans as an inexhaustible source of food (as it was meant to be), while unlawful whaling and other illegal methods under the pretext of research are driving many marine species to extinction.

Global warming affects sea temperatures, and therefore, coral reefs and other fish habitats.

One method that can help sustain our harvest from the rivers and seas is aquaculture. Interestingly, many aquaculture projects are now done inland.

In the effort to increase agricultural yield, scientists have resorted to genetically-modified plants and animals (GMO). While there is much controversy over the subject, it will dominate commercial agriculture if it is proven safe.

However, at the moment, the majority of consumers seem to be suspicious and wary of GMO products.

Conferences

Malaysia is a hive of eco-related activities. Soon, there will be two more international conferences in Kuala Lumpur. Ecobuild Southeast Asia (Sept 17-19, www.ecobuildsea.com) is about sustainable design and construction environment, while the Asia Geospatial Forum (Sept 24-26, www.asiageospatialforum.org) will address all the ecological issues mentioned above, and will offer geo-technological solutions towards a growing and sustainable economy.

Their deliberations will affect us in some way. Let us wish them all the success.

Dr Amir Farid Isahak is a medical specialist who practises holistic, aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine. He is a qigong master and founder of SuperQigong. For further information, e-mail starhealth@thestar.com.my. The views expressed are those of the writer and readers are advised to always consult expert advice before undertaking any changes to their lifestyles. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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