Khamis, 29 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Posted:

FOUR statements given by two deported Lebanese linesmen will be admitted as court evidence in the corruption trial of alleged match-fixer Eric Ding despite the absence of their testimony.

District Judge Toh Yung Cheong delivered the ruling yesterday after a three-day ancillary hearing, but gave the caveat that the decision is not final, and may be reversed after hearing full evidence.

The judge noted that practicable attempts had been made by Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) officer Jeffrey Tan, through the making of phone calls and sending of e-mails, and when that came to nought, enlisting the help of Imad Nasr, vice-consul of the Lebanese consulate in the city-state.

Addressing the linesmen's poor command of English, Toh said: "I was of the view that the lack of an interpreter did not make any difference.

"This is not the case where the investigating officer spoke to them and they refused to come because they did not understand what he was saying."

Even if the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act was invoked, such that diplomatic assistance is sought to get the witnesses to testify, they cannot be subject to any penalty and liability if they choose not to return, the judge said.

"It appears that there are no other legal means to secure the return," said Toh.

The judge added that given the precedence of this case, "it will be useful for all law enforcement agencies to agree on a common standard operating procedure to ensure consistency, in respect of securing the attendance of prosecution witnesses overseas."

Ding, a 31-year-old businessman, is facing three counts of bribing three Fifa-accredited officials to induce them into fixing a future match.

Referee Ali Sabbagh, 34, had testified against Ding last month while serving his six-month jail term. He has since been released for good behaviour and deported. -The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Lawyers found nothing wrong, church CBT trial told

Posted:

CITY Harvest Church members had overwhelmingly supported its co-founder Ho Yeow Sun's music career as a way to evangelise, and external lawyers had found nothing wrong with various allegedly suspect financial transactions.

That was the defence put up yesterday by lawyers for six church leaders accused of the misuse of church funds.

The state believes the money was channelled into Ho's career in 2007 and 2008 through sham bonds issued by two companies run by church members, glassware manufaturer Firna and music firm Xtron Productions, which managed Ho's career from 2003 to 2008.

But defence lawyers said that church members had long supported Ho's music ambitions as a way to evangelise and voted to approve it in board meetings.

In 2010, several years after the church invested in the bonds and months after the authorities raided the church's offices, church members had also "overwhelmingly" voted to retroactively approve the bond purchases, Xtron director and church member Choong Kar Weng added when questioned by defence lawyers.

N. Sreenivasan, lawyer for accused church leader Tan Ye Peng, also noted that external lawyers for Xtron had found nothing wrong with these and other allegedly suspect transactions at the time they were carried out.

He put it to Choong: "Did the lawyers warn you that (the bond investments) was an improper use of the CHC (City Harvest Church) fund?", to which Choong replied: "Not that I know of."

City Harvest founder Kong Hee and five of his deputies were charged last year with misappropriating about S$24mil (RM62.4mil) to finance Ho's career and purportedly took another S$26mil (RM67.6mil) to cover the first amount up.

The money was allegedly taken from the church's building funds meant for the land purchases, rental, furniture and construction. -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

A fascination with gang life
Deadly transaction
Breakout movie stars this fall

A fascination with gang life

Posted:

THERE is an ongoing fascination with gangster movies in Indian cinema. If you look back at the past few decades of Indian movies, many of the biggest hits have revolved around the theme of criminal gangs.

What's more, almost every major star of recent times in Indian cinema would count playing a gang-related character as one of their biggest successes, whether it is Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar (1975), Kamal Hassan in Nayagan (1987), Rajnikanth in Baasha (1995), Ajay Devgan in Company (2002) or Vijay in Pokkiri (2007).

Tamil film superstar Rajnikanth's portrayal of a good-hearted gangster in Baasha (1995) is still remembered as one of his best.

Tamil film superstar Rajnikanth's portrayal of a good-hearted gangster in Baasha is still remembered as one of his best.

It is no coincidence that storylines related to street crime and gangsters started becoming more prominent in Indian cinema sometime in the early 1970s, a period of increased industrialisation in India, which saw mass migrations of people from rural areas to the cities.

This also marked a time of economic, political and social crises in India, where the rise of poverty and corruption caused the public to lose faith in the government and the police force.

And so, alongside the growth of gangs, came the belief that justice was far more easily sought outside of the legal system, particularly among the downtrodden and disenfranchised members of society. It is this sentiment that is most often reflected, even today, in Indian gangster movies.

Yes, Hindi and Tamil movies (as well as those in other regional languages) do have a tendency to idolise and glamourise portrayals of gangsters, but the plots typically also feature a strong sense of morality and justice.

There is usually a clear distinction made between the "noble" gangster – who turns to a life of crime out of necessity but retains a strong moral code – and the "villainous" gangster, who is usually the personification of evil. Moreover, most big-name actors usually only take on the role of the "good" gangster, a character that is likely to go down better with the audience.

From the late 1990s onwards, however, Indian movies have seen a change in the way gangsterism is portrayed, particularly with the influence of Hollywood and the rise of filmmakers who are more willing to examine complex themes in their works. Movies like Company, Vaastav (1999) and Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007) not only portrayed the gritty realities of the underworld, but are even loosely based on Mumbai's actual criminal gangs and dons.

Since the early 2000s there has also been an increased willingness by big stars to tackle out-and-out negative roles, thereby showing the realities of the gangster life, such as Madhavan in Tamil film Ayutha Ezhuthu (2004) and Abhishek Bachchan in its Hindi remake Yuva, or Saif Ali Khan in Omkara (2006).

Alongside these more realisitic portrayals, however, the "masala" gangster film continues to thrive, and influences from global popular culture such as Hollywood films and hip-hop are clearly seen.

The violence portrayed onscreen increasingly stylised, and life as a gangster often comes with a heavy dose of cool, not to mention the requisite cash, booze and women – such as Don (2006) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Mankatha (2011) with Ajith Kumar.

If this year's Indian movie releases are any indication, there is still no shortage of stories revolving around gangsters. In Hindi, we've thus far seen D-Day, based on former Mumbai don Dawood Ibrahim, Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara (a sequel) and Shootout At Wadala, based on another 1970s Mumbai gangster. In Tamil, Thalaivaa – which stars Vijay as the son of a gangster – is currently doing well in cinemas.

Related stories:

Mean streets

Mob rule in Hollywood and Hong Kong

Deadly transaction

Posted:

Desperate times call for desperate measures. A man 'pawns' his life to a ghost and lives to regret it.

ALTHOUGH they have very little, husband and wife Neung (Krissada Sukosol Clapp) and Dao (Supaksorn Chaimongkol) are happy with their simple life. After eight years of marriage, they have finally saved enough money to invest in a small business. Unfortunately, their business venture goes south.

Things get from bad to worse when Neung runs over his neighbour's daughter while driving under the influence. The girl slips into a coma and Neung is wrecked with guilt. Wanting to do right and pay for the girl's hospital bills, Neung decides to visit a pawn shop to get some money.

Since this is the premise for a Thai horror film titled Pawn Shop, you can bet Neung's transaction is not a typical one. Pawnbroker Long Zhu (Chalee Muangthai) suggests that Neung "pawn" his life for a lot of money. Thinking this is the only solution to pay all his debts, Neung agrees. He doesn't realise that the pawnbroker is going to use Neung's life to feed a vengeful ghost that the pawnbroker has pledged his life to.

On the bk.asia-city.com website, director Parm Rangsi (Daddy's Menu) explained that he wanted to make a film in which the living interacts directly with a ghost. "The idea of Pawn Shop actually came to me when I went broke making a film previously and had to go in and out of the pawn shop all year round."

To get the right setting for the pawn shop, Rangsi picked to film in a mansion in Phang-Nga, a small town situated between Krabi and Phuket in the south part of Thailand. The mansion is apparently haunted!

In the film's production notes provided by Rainfilm Sdn Bhd, Rangsi explained: "It used to be the property of the Na Thalang clan, who had a history at that place for over hundred of years. Someone told me that there was a murder committed at the mansion too. Behind the house, there is an isolated limestone mountain. It is so gorgeous during daytime, but when the night falls, it looks scary."

The eerie location somewhat helped actor Clapp to create the emotions his character was experiencing. It is fortunate that neither Rangsi nor Clapp had any supernatural encounter working at such odd hours at the big, empty, house.

Perhaps what is scarier is the fact that the director is a perfectionist and made his actors shoot the same scene between 10 to 15 times before he was satisfied. Clapp shared: "That made all of the cast members stressed, some even cried. But I get it, that is how he directs."

There are scenes in Pawn Shop which Clapp's character slaps himself and also hits his head against the wall repeatedly. Let's hope that's not the scene Clapp had to film 15 times!

In the end, however, the director hopes the audience doesn't see Pawn Shop as just another horror film. He said: "It is a strong drama as well. I hope audiences will not only feel scared, but will shed tears too."

Pawn Shop opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug 29.

Breakout movie stars this fall

Posted:

Five up-and-coming young actors who will be making headlines within the next few months.

By Brent Lang and Lucas Shaw

Many fall films are anchored by promising up-and-comers in projects that could make them household names – or Oscar attendees. Some, like Asa Butterfield, have already landed impressive parts in films like Hugo, but are ready to take the next leap forward. Others have strung together a string of weighty performances in supporting roles, but now are ready to take centre stage.

Asa Butterfield

How he'll spend his fall: Rescuing the planet from alien attacks as the teenage warrior in the big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Enders Game (US: Nov 1).

Upcoming: Lionsgate and Summit think that Ender's Game (pic above) has franchise potential to rival The Hunger Games and Twilight. If audiences embrace the futuristic adventure, there could be plenty more Ender Wiggin in Butterfield's future; Card wrote four sequels to his hit novel. The 16-year old actor has also signed on to the fantasy adventure The White Circus opposite Chloe Grace Moretz.

Why he's about to break through: Butterfield first caught audiences' attention as the wide-eyed orphan in Martin Scorsese's Hugo, but Ender's Game marks his first full-fledged action role. The big-budget extravaganza will rise or fall on his performance. If it works, the opportunities are limitless. Just ask Jennifer Lawrence.

Oscar Isaac

A puss and a melody: Oscar Isaac and a friend in Inside Llewyn Davis.

How he'll spend his fall: Stumbling his way through Greenwich Village during the 1960s folk music explosion in the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis (US: Dec 6) and examining the finer points of 19th century Parisian infidelity in Therese opposite indie "It Girl" Elizabeth Olsen (US: Sept 27).

Upcoming: He will star as a Greek guide to married tourists in the thriller The Two Faces Of January with Viggo Mortensen and play legendary drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in The Ballad Of Pablo Escobar.

Why he's ready to break through: As a nomadic folk singer consigned to the margins of the music industry, Isaac astounded critics when the film debuted at Cannes. Many reviewers predicted big things for the actor, including a possible Oscar nomination. Isaac has demonstrated an impressive intensity in supporting roles such as the ill-fated thief he played in Drive, but here he is front and centre.

Bonus points for doing his own singing and guitar work.

Margot Robbie

How she'll spend her fall: Playing Leonardo DiCaprio's love interest in Martin Scorsese's Wolf Of Wall Street (pic above) and starring in time-travel romance About Time.

Upcoming: A supporting role in Suite Francaise, a film set in German-occupied France, and the lead role in Focus opposite Will Smith. In Focus, she'll play a young, attractive woman sheperded by a grifter (Smith).

Why she's ready to break through: Robbie has been scratching at the door of stardom for a few years, particularly when she landed a lead role on the short-lived ABC show Pan Am. She's now ready for her breakthrough thanks to movies, taking a major part in Scorsese's latest before starring alongside one of the world's biggest movie stars next year.

Daniel Bruhl

How he'll spend his fall: Helping Julian Assange steal state secrets as a technology activist in The Fifth Estate (US: Oct 18) and racing for the world championship as Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda (pic above) in Rush, out in the US on Sept 20.

Upcoming: He'll engage in international espionage in the big screen adaptation of John Le Carre's A Most Wanted Man opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman before crossing the boards with Kristen Stewart and Chloe Grace Moretz in the backstage drama Sils Maria.

Why he's ready to break through: Bruhl is already a star in Europe thanks to his buttermilk features that belie an inner steel. Chris Hemsworth may be the bigger name in Rush, but it's Bruhl who has the showier role as a race car driver who has to battle back from a devastating accident to compete for the sport's top prize.

Plus, with Edward Snowden a hot topic of debate, The Fifth Estate and its examination of WikiLeaks is bound to stir controversy.

Naomie Harris

How she'll spend her fall: Playing Nelson Mandela's wife Winnie in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. The Weinstein Co film will premiere at Toronto in Canada before opening in theatres in November.

Upcoming: Though little has been announced about the next James Bond movie, it's hard to imagine she won't be included since she was anointed the new Money Penny at the end of the last one.

Why she's ready to break through: She's stolen scenes in several big-budget films over the past few years, from two Pirates Of The Caribbean films to the aforementioned Skyall (pic above) . Now viewers will get a chance to see her in a different light, playing one of the best roles for a black actress you can imagine.

While Jennifer Hudson will play it just two months earlier, we're guessing Harris holds her own. And after that? Another big Bond movie. — Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

White House gives Congress new evidence of chemical arms use in Syria
U.S. envoy set to leave Friday on mission to free American in North Korea
U.S. plans reports on secret court orders to telecom providers

White House gives Congress new evidence of chemical arms use in Syria

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Thursday gave American lawmakers what it called fresh evidence that Syria's government was behind a chemical weapons attack, but faced strong resistance to military action from both U.S. political parties and a stinging rejection from Britain, a key ally.

During a conference call at the end of a difficult day for the White House, U.S. officials told members of Congress there was "no doubt" that chemical weapons were used in Syria last week. Obama aides cited intercepted communications of Syrian officials and evidence of movements by Syria's military around Damascus before the attack that killed more than 300 people, said U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The administration's 90-minute briefing on Syria for senior members of Congress was conducted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, National Security Adviser Susan Rice and other high-ranking U.S. officials.

Several lawmakers in both parties said they were impressed by the briefing and that it made a convincing case for military action. But many were not persuaded, including several key lawmakers in both parties.

Among them: Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Levin, normally a strong supporter of fellow Democrat Obama, appeared to suggest after Thursday's briefing that the White House should tap the brakes on any timetable for military action at least until United Nations inspectors complete their examination of the attack area.

Levin also said that White House should secure international support for intervening in Syria - a condition that seemed increasingly distant after Britain's House of Commons rejected military action in a symbolic vote on Thursday.

Meanwhile, other U.S. lawmakers brought up a range of complications for Obama. They included questions of whether the "limited" military action Obama has suggested would really discourage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from again using chemical weapons on civilians, and even whether the Pentagon could afford to attack Syria after the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that Congress imposed on the federal government earlier this year.

The increasing doubts about Obama's call for action against Syria appeared to increase the likelihood that the United States would have to act alone if it wants to launch a missile strike to punish Assad's government for violating international law by using chemical weapons.

After Parliament's vote against military action in Syria, British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain would not take part in any strike but added: "I don't expect that the lack of British participation will stop any action."

Obama has left little doubt in recent days that the choice was not whether, but when, to punish Assad's government for last week's chemical weapons attack against Syrian rebels outside Damascus. It was one of the most gruesome assaults in a 2 1/2-year civil war that the United Nations estimates has killed more than 100,000 people.

Obama administration officials said Thursday that the president was willing to launch a limited strike against Syria even without specific promises of support from allies because U.S. national security interests were at stake.

Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said after the British Parliament vote that Obama's decision-making on Syria would be guided by "the best interests of the United States."

"The U.S. will continue to consult with the UK government - one of our closest allies and friends," she said in a statement. She added that Obama believes "there are core interests at stake for the United States and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable."

A 'PAPER TIGER'

Some Republican lawmakers and even some of Obama's fellow Democrats have complained that the White House has not kept them sufficiently informed on Syria.

After the briefing, some said the administration still had work to do to convince the public that the United States should take action in Syria.

Several said that Obama created a problem for himself and the United States by claiming that Assad would cross a "red line" and spur a strong U.S. response if Syria used chemical weapons.

"The president is going to have to make his case to the American people before he takes any action. The problem that he finds himself in and has placed us in is that if he does not take action now after making these statements, then we become a paper tiger to the rest of the world," said Republican Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon of California, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Senator James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, said late Thursday that the administration's briefing had not been convincing.

"Tonight the administration informed us that they have a 'broad range of options' for Syria but failed to lay out a single option," Inhofe said. "They also did not provide a timeline, a strategy for Syria and the Middle East, or a plan for the funds to execute such an option."

The timeline for possible U.S. action also has been complicated by the continued presence in Syria of U.N. weapons inspectors who are there to verify that chemical weapons were used. The United Nations said its inspectors would leave the area on Saturday and issue a report on their findings afterward.

Levin, the Democratic senator from Michigan, said efforts to increase pressure on Assad should be conducted "while U.N. inspectors complete their work and while we seek international support for limited, targeted strikes in response to the Assad regime's large-scale use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people."

U.S. ACTION 'JUSTIFIED, WARRANTED'

Some of Obama's fellow Democrats offered support for his call for a U.S. operation in Syria.

"Tonight's briefing reaffirmed for me that a decisive and consequential U.S. response is justified and warranted to protect Syrians, as well as to send a global message that chemical weapons attacks in violation of international law will not stand," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said in a statement.

The briefing for senior lawmakers initially was meant to be classified, but did not contain any top-secret information after many members of Congress were unable to get to secure telephone lines.

It was called to address concerns about Obama's plans that had been expressed by increasingly vocal Republicans and several Democrats in Congress.

Letters circulating among members of Congress in both parties have called for more consultation from the White House on Syria. One, signed by 54 Democrats in the Republican-led House of Representatives, urged Obama to seek congressional approval before pulling the trigger on any U.S. military action.

"While the ongoing human rights violations and continued loss of life are horrific, they should not draw us into an unwise war," wrote the House Democrats, none of whom are members of the senior leadership.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said any military operation would be "very discrete and limited" and not open-ended, and said the United States would not get caught up in another war like the one in Iraq.

He noted that the British foreign secretary had made clear the United States had the right and ability to make its own foreign policy decisions.

(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Steve Holland, David Alexander and Jeff Mason in Washington, and Alex Dobuzinskis in California; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by David Lindsey and Lisa Shumaker)

U.S. envoy set to leave Friday on mission to free American in North Korea

Posted:

TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy was set to leave Japan on Friday to secure the release of an imprisoned and ailing American missionary in North Korea, a move that could signal the start of a gradual thaw in relations between Washington and Pyongyang.

Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, is scheduled to return from Pyongyang on Saturday after a one-day trip, an official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said. The official was unable to specify exact times.

The State Department has termed the trip a "humanitarian mission" and played down any connection between Bae's release and the North's sanctioned nuclear weapons programme, although the planned release follows a pattern of previous periods of tension and thaws.

King secured the release of another Korean-American missionary, Jung Young Su, in 2011 as part of a trip to assess North Korean pleas for food aid.

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been in deep freeze since the collapse of a food deal in early 2012, when North Korea broke its promise to end its long-range rocket launches and prevented nuclear inspectors from examining its nuclear stockpiles and production.

Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years hard labour for attempting to overthrow the North Korean state by spreading anti-government propaganda, according to North Korean media. His health has deteriorated since he was jailed and he has diabetes.

North Korean state media said Bae started his plot to "topple" the country's government in 2006, a date that coincides with his own testimony about his arrival in China.

It accused him of infiltrating 250 students into the country, spreading "false propaganda" and of bribing North Korean citizens in a bid to bring down the government.

Bae lived in a Chinese town that borders North Korea and worked for a tour company while undertaking missionary work inside North Korea.

North Korea says it practises religious freedom but religious expression is in effect tightly controlled in a state that acknowledges total loyalty to the Kim dynasty that has ruled for three generations. North Korea features at the bottom of most independent surveys of freedom.

In online postings of one of his speeches on his missionary work, Bae described himself and a party he took to North Korea as "warriors for Christ" and told of holding a prayer meeting on a beach.

The postings have since been removed, as have all traces of Bae's involvement with a tour company operating out of China.

In a videotaped sermon, also removed from the Internet, Bae talked of bringing 300 people to a coastal town in North Korea to emulate the biblical destruction of the walls of Jericho.

Bae's family has acknowledged his deeply held religious beliefs but have suggested that his sympathy for North Korean orphans may have been behind his arrest.

(Writing by David Chance; Editing by Paul Tait)

U.S. plans reports on secret court orders to telecom providers

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. intelligence community has pledged to disclose more data about government surveillance programs by reporting annually how many secret court orders are issued to telecommunications companies under certain legal rules.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Thursday announced a plan to release the total number of legal orders issued every 12 months to telecom companies by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and the number of targets affected by those orders.

The court orders, under authority granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and National Security letters, allow collection of information about subscribers and call records, both for past communications and ongoing wiretaps. But only the aggregate annual numbers of these court orders will be made public.

The move is part of President Barack Obama's response to criticism about a lack of transparency in government surveillance programs following leaks by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Earlier this month, the government for the first time released opinions, previously labelled Top Secret, from the FISA Court. In the past its decisions involving electronic surveillance and communications collection by the National Security Agency had not been made public.

Privacy advocates have been urging the government to start shedding light on the FISA court and its surveillance operations and offered a tempered welcome to Thursday's news.

"This is a good start as it pulls back the covers a bit on the government authorities, but we still need more information," said Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center advocacy group. It urged further disclosures about the cost and effectiveness of the surveillance.

Kurt Opsahl, senior staff attorney at the data privacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed concerns that the pledge to release the number of affected investigation targets could severely limit the amount of data to be actually released.

"The number of targets affected isn't as much the issue on the public's mind as the number of innocent people affected," he said, pointing to the leaked secret FISC order to Verizon Communications Inc that did not address any targets.

Obama and other U.S. officials have said the NSA surveillance programs are lawful, have been approved by Congress and the FISA Court, and are aimed at detecting and disrupting terrorist plots.

"FISA and national security letters are an important part of our effort to keep the nation and its citizens safe, and disclosing more detailed information about how they are used and to whom they are directed can obviously help our enemies avoid detection," Clapper said in a statement announcing the new plan on Thursday.

The FISA court has said the NSA may unintentionally have collected as many as 56,000 emails of Americans a year from 2008 to 2011 and may have violated the Constitution before adjustments were made.

(Editing by Ken Wills)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Lisa Kudrow loves 'Scandal'
Michael Phelps puts on some 'Suits'
Crossing Jordan (with Dexter)

Lisa Kudrow loves 'Scandal'

Posted:

The former Friends actress has signed on for a number of appearances on the political drama.

Lisa Kudrow is ready to get Scandal-ised. The former Friends star has signed on for a recurring role on the ABC drama Scandal, an individual familiar with the casting told TheWrap.

Kudrow will play a politician on the drama. It's not known how many episodes Kudrow will show up for on the series, which returns for its third season Oct 3 in the United States.

The series stars Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, the manager of a crisis management firm. — Reuters

Michael Phelps puts on some 'Suits'

Posted:

Olympic swimmer Phelps will be making guest appearances on the popular drama.

Michael Phelps is hoping to make a splash on Suits. The Olympic swimmer has booked a cameo on the USA Network series, a spokeswoman for the network told TheWrap recently.

Phelps' guest spot will air during the mid-season premiere of the series, which will air in the first quarter of 2014 in the United States. The episode will film this week in Toronto, Canada.

In the episode, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) comes face-to-face with Phelps, the one sports client he could never land. Swimming phenomenon Phelps – who stands as the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 22 medals – previously appeared as himself in a 2008 episode of the HBO series Entourage. — Reuters

Crossing Jordan (with Dexter)

Posted:

You know you've been watching too much TV when you start imagining unlikely crossovers. The Spudniks let their imagination go wild this week imagining possible (or rather, implausible) crossovers that could make TV more fun. You think?

IF Sherlock Holmes (take your pick between Bennedict Cumberbatch from Sherlock or Jonny Lee Miller from Elementary) lived in Miami, Florida, I bet the city would be free of its most elusive serial killer ever – Dexter Morgan.

And, if Sherlock were hired as a consultant with the Miami Metro Police Department, we'd surely get more nail-biting moments on Dexter than we have of late.

Picture this. Sherlock is in Miami to investigate the suspicious death of Detective James Doakes who was the only (can you believe it?) person in Miami Metro who thought something was amiss with Dexter. Sherlock arrives a few years late (he had important Moriarty-related business to attend to in London) and starts reading Doakes' notes on the Bay Harbour Butcher cases.

Sherlock, with his piercing blue eyes, immediately sees the many gaps in the case and figures out that all leads point to ... Dexter.

Wonder if Dr House will be as mean to The Walking Dead as he is to the living.

The two have a showdown and Dexter knows he's cornered. All that's left is for him to get the British detective – oh, sorry, consulting detective onto his kill table. Which is when Watson swings into action ...

Now imagine if Sheldon Cooper and his geek squad somehow stumbled upon the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Fringe Division.

Oh yes! A Big Bang Theory and Fringe mash-up would be awesome ... and insane.

Sheldon meets Walter Bishop who introduces him to Fringe Science and takes him, literally and intellectually, to a parallel universe. Now I wonder who would be driven up the wall first? And what would Faux-Sheldon be like?

Is it just me or have the Winchester brothers' adventures on Supernatural gotten a little boring and predictable? No? What if the two took a break from hunting demons to killing some awesome flesh-eating zombies on The Walking Dead. Think of it as a vacation for the Winchester boys – they've literally been to hell and back and could use a week or two to unwind. They'd drive around in their Impala and take the walkers out a bunch at a time. – SI

CAN we throw in Fox Mulder and Dana Scully into that Big Bang-Fringe mash up?

I can't imagine either Mulder or Scully being able to put up with Sheldon or Walter Bishop. And while we're at it, how about Dr Temperance Brennan aka Bones? I think she'd get along well with those two being as eccentric as she is. Maybe Seeley Booth can team up with Scully and Olivia, while Mulder and Peter Bishop can go off and to what they do best – woo the lady viewers.

I'm wondering if you could put two completely different sorts of TV programmes together like Suburgatory and True Blood. George and Tessa Altman – they look like they could be shapeshifters or fairies or one of those types right? Right? And it would be interesting to see Noah Werner (played by the kookily charming Alex Tudyk) find out he actually is a vampire.

How about we throw Castle into the Criminal Minds team? You think they would give him the time of day with his wild imaginations and fiction-based theories? I actually think Kate Beckett would make a nice angel (as in Charlie's Angels).

And since they can all sing and dance, maybe the kids from Glee can audition for Smash? Or would that be too easy?

I think Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother) could transport himself back in time and go out with everyone on Friends. Yeah, even ... wait for it ... the ugly naked guy across from Monica's apartment.

Imagine the ensemble cast of Friends hanging out at MacLaren's Pub or Barney, Lily, Robin, Marshall and Ted having coffee at Central Perk?

What if they find a vaccine that works and zombies can get treatment at Seattle Grace Hospital? Miranda Bailey in the ER yelling her head off at every zombie that enters. Bring 'em on.

If there's too many of them to deal with, I'm sure Dr House and gang wouldn't mind some extra patients, so send them over to the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (they may solve some other medical problems as well! Win-win!).

But we'd need one of those Discovery Channel, Animal Planet or Nat Geo wildlife hunters to somehow cart them over to the medical institutions. Jeremy Wade, you ready to cross over from River Monsters to The River, perchance? – AMC

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

A fascination with gang life
Deadly transaction
Breakout movie stars this fall

A fascination with gang life

Posted:

Tamil film superstar Rajnikanth's portrayal of a good-hearted gangster in Baasha is still remembered as one of his best.

This also marked a time of economic, political and social crises in India, where the rise of poverty and corruption caused the public to lose faith in the government and the police force.

Alongside these more realisitic portrayals, however, the "masala" gangster film continues to thrive, and influences from global popular culture such as Hollywood films and hip-hop are clearly seen.

Related stories:

Mean streets

Mob rule in Hollywood and Hong Kong

Deadly transaction

Posted:

Desperate times call for desperate measures. A man 'pawns' his life to a ghost and lives to regret it.

There are scenes in Pawn Shop which Clapp's character slaps himself and also hits his head against the wall repeatedly. Let's hope that's not the scene Clapp had to film 15 times!

Pawn Shop opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug 29.

Breakout movie stars this fall

Posted:

Five up-and-coming young actors who will be making headlines within the next few months.

By Brent Lang and Lucas Shaw

Asa Butterfield

How he'll spend his fall: Rescuing the planet from alien attacks as the teenage warrior in the big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Enders Game (US: Nov 1).

Oscar Isaac

A puss and a melody: Oscar Isaac and a friend in Inside Llewyn Davis.

Bonus points for doing his own singing and guitar work.

Margot Robbie

How she'll spend her fall: Playing Leonardo DiCaprio's love interest in Martin Scorsese's Wolf Of Wall Street (pic above) and starring in time-travel romance About Time.

Daniel Bruhl

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Genting, Hong Leong Bank lead KLCI higher in early trade
MQ Technology inks aircraft parts deal with Jetline
Mercedes-Benz Set To Beef Up Sales Network In China

Genting, Hong Leong Bank lead KLCI higher in early trade

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI extended its gains early Friday, supported by gains in Genting and Hong Leong Bank, as investors' sentiment was shored by the firmer overnight close on Wall Street.

At 9.19am, the KLCI rose 10.77 points to 1,714.55. Turnover was 174.32 million shares valued at RM100.84mil. Advancers led decliners 250 to 70 while 129 counters were unchanged.

Reuters reported Asian stocks rose in early trading and oil prices tumbled as a possible U.S. military strike on Syria appeared less likely.

China's foreign minister was quoted saying on Friday the UN Security Council should not be pushed into any action on Syria before inspectors have completed a probe into allegations of chemical weapons use.

At Bursa Malaysia, Genting Bhd rose 27 sen to RM9.45 and Genting Plantations 21 sen to RM9.14. Hong Leong Bank added 18 sen to RM13.88 and HLFG 16 sen to RM14.28.

Panasonic Malaysia was the top gainer, rising 50 sen to RM25.32 with 2,300 shares done, Ibraco advanced 26 sen to RM2.64 while Aeon rose 20 sen to RM14.20 and Aeon Credit 18 sen to RM15.74.

Tan Chong rose 17 sen to RM6 and APM 19 sen to RM5.88.

NCB was the top loser, down 10 sen to RM4.10 while among construction stocks Mudajaya and Gamuda fell five sen each to RM2.52 and RM4.44. DRB-Hicom shed three sen to RM2.57.

MQ Technology inks aircraft parts deal with Jetline

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: MQ Technology Bhd will supply services and parts of aircraft to Jetline International (M) Sdn Bhd over an initial 10 years.

MQ Tech said on Friday its unit, Microlead Precision Technology Sdn Bhd (MPT), had inked a contract manufacture agreement with Jetline the previous day.

It said JET has a manufacturing license from the Ministry of International Trade & Industries "to design, research and development, manufacture, fabricate, construct, tooling and assemble aircrafts and aircraft parts and components for business aircraft".

Under the deal, JET would hire MPT to be the sole and exclusive manufacturer and producer of parts, equipment and components for all the aircraft to be produced by JET.

"JET shall disclose to MPT the technology as is necessary to enable MPT to manufacture the products in accordance with the specification," it said.

Mercedes-Benz Set To Beef Up Sales Network In China

Posted:

CHENGDU, China: Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz will try to reach deeper into China's inland-west region and small "lower-tier" cities for growth as part of a broader turnaround plan for the world's biggest auto market, according to people familiar with the matter.

The initiative, due to be detailed by top Mercedes-Benz China executives at the Chengdu auto show on Friday, is a key component of Daimler's <DAIGn.DE> strategic plan to invest 2 billion euros ($2.67 billion) in China over the next two years.

The German brand aims to boost sales of Mercedes-Benz cars by a third to more than 300,000 cars a year by 2015, from this year's forecast sales of 230,000 cars.

If achieved, the target would make China Mercedes-Benz's biggest market globally. Currently, China is the brand's No. 3 market behind Germany and the United States.

The sale network plan, according to two sources close to the company, calls for increasing the number of Mercedes-Benz dealer retail outlets to 300 covering more than 150 cities by the end of this year, compared with 285 the brand operates currently.

This year, Mercedes-Benz is aiming to add a total of 75 stores, about 45 percent of them sited in lower, third-tier and fourth-tier cities, the individuals said.

In addition to Mercedes-Benz stores, the German auto maker currently has about 90 Smart dealer-shops. It was not clear how many additional Smart outlets Mercedes-Benz plans to add by year's end.

One of the 20 new or upgraded products Mercedes-Benz plans to launch in China through 2015 is the E-class sedan specially redesigned for China, which the company is due to officially launch at the auto show in Chengdu, southwest China.

On Tuesday, Daimler's new China chief, Hubertus Troska, told reporters in Beijing about the planned new product blitz and noted Mercedes-Benz was going to expand its manufacturing capacity in Beijing, as part of an effort to make its cars more affordable and expand their appeal in China amid a slowdown in economic growth.

In order to be the world's No. 1 luxury auto brand by volume, which is Daimler's objective for Mercedes-Benz, Troska said the brand needed to improve its performance in China.

"If we are not more successful in China, then our goal of global position No. 1 will be difficult to achieve," the German executive said in Beijing on Tuesday.

"There is a recognition that we need to improve our performance in China vis-à-vis some of our competitors."

One factor behind Mercedes-Benz's struggle in China was a lack of market coverage.

"If you compare us to our competitors, they cover more cities. They have more outlets," Troska said. "The expansion of dealer network and bringing more new products to market are going to drive our growth momentum."- Reuters

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The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Leaders upset over purported student harassment by teachers
College student falls to her death
Hunt is on for abductors of fishermen

Leaders upset over purported student harassment by teachers

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Allegations of student harassment by teachers at SK Seri Pristana of Sungai Buloh, Selangor, must be thoroughly investigated, said Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan.

"Such reports, if any, must be investigated to unearth the truth," he said when contacted.

The school made headlines when a parent shared photographs of non-Muslim children eating in a changing room that was used as a makeshift canteen during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month.

Since then, three non-Muslim students have already been transferred out of the school by their parents.

According to a group of parents, more students are expected to be moved out from the school unless the Government takes a firm stand against the alleged harassment of these children.

MCA has also hit out at the school for the alleged maltreatment of students.

"Educationists should serve as mentors and caring protectors of children instead of scaring them away from school and education," said MCA publicity chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong criticised the headmaster for allowing police to question its students.

"It is very unbecoming to allow students to be questioned by police in what is not even a criminal case," he said.

Dr Wee added that although police should do their job when they receive complaints, there was no point in harping on the issue.

"The long term repercussions should be taken into account.

"If a harmonious environment is not created, it will be difficult for non-Malays to send their children to national schools and this will defeat the Government's purpose," said the former deputy education minister.

Meanwhile, the police are urging the public not to link the arrest of a parent of a student at the school with the controversy over the makeshift canteen.

According to Sungai Buloh OCPD Supt Junaidi Bujang, these were two separate matters that are being investigated separately.

"Police investigated the canteen issue as 19 reports were lodged by members of the public, while four more reports were lodged by school staff," said Supt Junaidi at a press conference at the Sungai Buloh district police headquarters yesterday.

He said the arrest of V. Kumancan, 32, was a result of a report lodged by the headmaster after he allegedly uttered threatening words at the school's office.

On the questioning of students at the school, Supt Junaidi clarified that police officers interviewed some students as part of investigations, but did not "interrogate" them as claimed by some.

Though parents were not present, he added that his officers did not intimidate the students.

"We were given permission by the headmaster to interview students and we were given 30 minutes.

"We spoke to more than six students in a classroom with other students present, including those who were photographed eating in the room," he added.

College student falls to her death

Posted:

GEORGE TOWN: A 20-year-old college student, believed to be suffering from stress after having to re-sit six exam papers, fell to her death from the 10th floor of a flat in Tanjung Bungah here.

Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) accounting student Chew Siew Chin was found sprawled in a pool of blood by residents who alerted the police.

It is learnt that Siew Chin, who was from Sungai Petani, Kedah, was alone in the rented flat when the incident happened at about 3am yesterday.

Siew Chin's mother Tan Sook Hun, 54, said her daughter had told her when she was home for the Hari Raya break recently that she needed to sit for an exam yesterday morning.

"She was her usual self when she came home. She watched her favourite television programmes and studied in her room.

"She didn't complain about her studies. If she had told me about her problems, I am sure I could have helped her," said a teary Tan when met at the Penang Hospital mortuary.

Siew Chin's father Chew Beng Hooi, 54, said he and his wife never pressured her in her studies.

"I only found out she had to re-sit the six papers from my elder daughter. I believe she was stressed from having to re-sit the papers while her friends had all passed," he said.

"Siew Chin obtained three As in the SPM and it was her decision to study in Penang."

College principal Amos Teoh expressed shock over the incident and urged students with problems in their studies to approach the college for assistance.

Those with problems can contact the Befrienders at 04-2815 161 or 04-2811 108 (Penang), 05-5477 933 or 05-5477 955 (Ipoh) and 03-7956 8144 or 03-7956 8145 (Klang Valley).

Hunt is on for abductors of fishermen

Posted:

KOTA KINABALU: Police are hot on the heels of a group of armed gunmen who abducted nine fishermen from Semporna before releasing them several hours later.

Sabah police commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib said a massive search has been mounted by the Marine Police, the Police Field Force and the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency.

He said the police were also trying to determine where the gunmen came from.

In the incident near Pulau Mabul, off Semporna in Sabah's east coast, a fisherman was hauling in his catch when the gunmen in a speedboat ordered him to board their vessel at about 6.30pm on Tuesday.

Garbed in dark clothes and armed with shotguns and pistols, the gunmen numbering about 20 told the fisherman to guide them towards Pulau Mabul, which is home to several resorts.

On approaching the island, the gunmen spotted some red lights on the shore and the fisherman told them those might indicate the location of a resort.

As they got close, however, the gunmen realised it was a military camp and quickly turned their vessel towards Filipino waters.

The gunmen later spotted another fishing boat with eight men on board, and abducted them too.

One of the gunmen asked the nine fishermen what their race and religion were and when told that they were all Suluk and Muslims, the gunmen brought them close to another fishing vessel and ordered them to jump into the sea.

The fishermen then swam towards the fishing vessel and reported the incident to the police in Semporna.

According to Sabah criminal investigation department chief Senior Asst Comm Omar Mammah, it was likely the gunmen released the fishermen as they realised they could not get any ransom from them.

"Based on accounts given by the fishermen, we believe the gunmen felt the fishermen were like kin as they were also from the Suluk community," said Omar, who added that the police were still trying to determine the types of weapons used by the gunmen.

However, Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) director-general Datuk Mohamad Mantek denied that it was a kidnapping case.

"They (the fishermen) were not kidnapped but detained and released within 24 hours. Nothing untoward happened," he said when interviewed by Bernama.

He also said that the group had no links to the Sulu army.

In April 2000, 21 foreign tourists and Malaysian workers were kidnapped from a resort in Pulau Sipadan before being released six months later in southern Philippines.

Shortly after that, three Malaysian resort workers were abducted from Pulau Pandanan and released after a shootout between Abu Sayyaf gunmen and the Philippines military on Jolo island.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 29 Ogos 2013