Rabu, 4 September 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

‘Beckham’ key to match fixer’s pc
Website hacker returns with more rants
Firm denies knowledge of ‘secret plan’ by church leaders

‘Beckham’ key to match fixer’s pc

Posted:

BECKHAM was the key to unlocking an encrypted laptop seized from alleged match-fixer Eric Ding Si Yang.

Not the retired England football star but a password that was consistently used in the laptop.

Had a more complicated password been used, it could have been "infinitely" more difficult for specialists to crack it, a district court heard.

On the final day of the second tranche of the trial on Tuesday, prosecutors alluded to the lengths that businessman Ding, 31, went to in an effort to conceal his alleged match-fixing activity.

This included using a message "hard disk failure" as a password prompt in the Sony Vaio laptop seized from Ding. Police forensics officer Sim Lai Hua testified: "Without the corresponding password, the computer will simulate a problem with the hard disk."

Deputy Superintendent Sim explained that the operating system partition of the laptop was encrypted using TrueCrypt – a free open-source software.

"I was told investigating officers could not secure the password from the user and as such, I proceeded to use forensic software to crack the password," said DSP Sim.

Ding is accused of bribing three FIFA-accredited Lebanese officials – referee Ali Sabbagh, 34, and linesmen Ali Eid, 33, and Abdallah Taleb, 37 – with prostitutes to induce them into fixing a match.

He faces two other charges, which have been stood down, of perverting the course of justice by concealing a receipt from anti-graft investigators and for failing to give his laptop password to a police officer.

Ding had allegedly insisted he did not have the password and that the machine was broken.

After DSP Sim gained access to the system, a 30GB file named "holiday.dat" in the Videos folder caught his attention.

He tested the "beckham" password on the file, and got through. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Website hacker returns with more rants

Posted:

THE individual who hacked into co-founder of City Harvest Church and pop singer Ho Yeow Sun's website has resurfaced with more rants against her and husband, church pastor Kong Hee. The website listed more details and explained why Ho's website was attacked.

The hacker, who calls himself "The Messiah", claimed he was operating under the Anonymous Collective.

The group has claimed in the past to have infiltrated organisations such as the Church of Scientology and electronics giant Sony.

The website, hosted on a Spanish domain, explained that Ho's website was responsible for safeguarding data of over 5,000 users.

It added that although the hacker initially wanted to release these details – most of which are believed to belong to City Harvest churchgoers – he wrote he has decided it would be too "rash" at the moment.

Church founder Kong and five deputies are currently on trial for an alleged misuse of church funds. Close to S$50mil (RM128mil) was allegedly used to finance Ho's pop career in the United States. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Firm denies knowledge of ‘secret plan’ by church leaders

Posted:

A GLASSWARE firm and its owner accused of helping six City Harvest Church leaders to misuse church funds denied knowledge of a "secret" plan by several of them.

The state produced e-mails yesterday to try and show that some of the accused had cooked up a ploy to get around the terms of an investment contract between the church and the company, Firna.

The church wanted to invest S$11mil (RM28mil) into Firna bonds.

This was a way of illegally diverting church funds to finance City Harvest co-founder Ho Yeow Sun's music career, the state believes.

In the investment contract, City Harvest had built in a clause to protect itself – it could convert the bonds into shares in the company if the money was not returned when the bonds matured.

Later, however, several of the accused wrote in e-mails of a "secret letter" to be sent to Firna's owners, in which the church would promise to sell back the shares "at a nominal value of US$1 (RM3.27)" if the conversion happened, effectively voiding the protection.

This ploy was needed to get the firm on board with the plan to funnel church funds, the state believes. When asked about this, Firna owner Wahju Hanafi said that he and his father-in-law, co-owners of the firm at the time, did not know of this plan and was not involved in it.

Wahju also maintained that Firna's money had not been used to finance Ho's career, and that it was his own money that was used.

City Harvest founder Kong Hee and five of his deputies were charged last year with misusing about S$50mil (RM128mil) of church funds. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Tropical Storm Gabrielle forms near Puerto Rico
U.S. Senate panel approves resolution on Syria military strikes
Colombian president's popularity hits low after unrest

Tropical Storm Gabrielle forms near Puerto Rico

Posted:

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed in the northeastern Caribbean Sea on Wednesday and was forecast to drench Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as it headed into the Atlantic, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was centred about 70 miles (110 km) south of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was expected to curve slowly to the northwest and then turn to the northeast on a path that would take it east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas during the weekend, forecasters said.

Gabrielle packed top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), according to the hurricane centre. It was expected to strengthen slowly through Monday but had little chance of growing into the season's first hurricane, forecasters said.

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the eastern Dominican Republic can expect heavy rain, with dangerous flash flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas, the forecasters said.

Puerto Rico was already saturated amid one of the wettest years on record. Rainfall in the capital of San Juan was nearly two feet (0.6 meters) above average for the year, meteorologist Jeff Masters said in his Weather Underground blog.

Gabrielle is the seventh tropical storm of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 and is now entering its traditionally busiest period.

(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Will Dunham)

U.S. Senate panel approves resolution on Syria military strikes

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution on Wednesday authorizing limited U.S. military intervention in Syria, setting the stage for a contentious debate in the full Senate next week on the use of force.

The committee voted 10-7 in favour of a compromise resolution that sets a 60-day limit on any engagement in Syria, with a possible 30-day extension, and bars the use of U.S. troops on the ground for combat operations.

The compromise is more limited than President Barack Obama's original proposal but would meet his administration's goal of punishing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for what the United States says was the use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians, killing more than 1,400 people.

The relatively close committee vote reflected the broad divisions on the authorization in Congress, where many lawmakers fear it could lead to a prolonged U.S. military involvement in Syria's civil war and spark an escalation of regional violence.

Five Republicans and two of Obama's fellow Democrats - Chris Murphy and Tom Udall - voted against the resolution. Democrat Ed Markey voted "present," saying in a statement that he is still undecided.

The full Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to vote on the resolution next week. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives also must approve it. Both votes are expected to be close, as scores of lawmakers in both parties have yet to stake out a public position other than to say they are looking for more answers.

Obama and administration officials have urged Congress to act quickly, saying U.S. national security and international credibility is at stake in the decision on whether to use force in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons.

"If we don't take a stand here today, I guarantee you, we are more likely to face far greater risks to our security and a far greater likelihood of conflict that demands our action in the future," Secretary of State John Kerry told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

"Assad will read our silence, our unwillingness to act, as a signal that he can use his weapons with impunity," Kerry said.

Protesters held hands splattered with blood-red paint in the air behind Kerry as he spoke at a House hearing that underscored the scepticism among lawmakers in both parties about the authorization.

House members peppered Kerry, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, with questions about the duration, targets, potential response and level of international support for military action in Syria.

"Whether we ultimately support a resolution on the use of force or not, it will depend on how these concerns are addressed in the coming days by the administration," Republican Steve Chabot told the officials.

'LIMITS OF AMERICAN POWER'

In the Senate committee, Murphy said he rejected the resolution because he was concerned a strike could make the situation worse in Syria and he feared the possibility of a prolonged U.S. commitment.

"I oppose it not because I don't gag every time that I look at those photos of young children who have been killed by Assad in his lethal attacks. It's simply because I have deep concerns about the limits of American power," Murphy said.

Senate leaders are unsure if Obama can win the 60 votes needed to overcome possible Republican procedural roadblocks. In the 435-member House, a senior Republican aide predicted most of the 50 or so Republicans backed by the conservative Tea Party movement and a number of Democratic liberals will join forces to vote no, leaving the outcome in doubt.

More closed-door briefings are planned for lawmakers in the House and Senate on Thursday as the administration continues to build the case for the use of military force.

The Senate committee vote came after the panel's leaders - Democratic Chairman Robert Menendez and senior Republican Bob Corker - crafted a compromise to meet concerns that Obama's proposed resolution was too open-ended.

Republican John McCain, a proponent of strong action in Syria, objected to the more narrow compromise. The committee adopted his amendments spelling out the policy goals of degrading Assad's ability to use chemical weapons and increasing the military capability of rebel forces.

"These amendments are vital to ensuring that any U.S. military operations in Syria are part of a broader strategy to change the momentum on the battlefield in Syria," McCain said.

The committee rejected Udall's amendment to prohibit air and naval forces from entering Syrian waters or air space, and an amendment by Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky that would have reaffirmed Congress's role in declaring war.

Polls show strong public opposition to U.S. military involvement in Syria, and the debate in the U.S. Congress is unfolding one week after Britain's Parliament rejected British involvement in any military operation.

In Sweden, Obama issued a blunt challenge to U.S. lawmakers to authorize a military strike on Syria.

"My credibility is not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line," Obama told a news conference in Stockholm. "And America and Congress's credibility is on the line, because (otherwise) we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important.

Kerry told House lawmakers that at least 10 countries have pledged to participate in a military intervention in Syria, but did not identify them or specify what roles they would play.

Many members of Congress have said they are worried the resolution could lead to the deployment of U.S. ground troops, or "boots on the ground," in Syria - which administration officials said would not happen.

"It's very clear on the House side there is no support for boots on the ground," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce told Kerry at the hearing.

Kerry answered flatly, "There will be no boots on the ground. The president has said it again and again."

Kerry had a sharp exchange with Republican congressman Jeff Duncan, who said the administration has a credibility problem after the 2012 deaths of U.S. diplomats in Benghazi, Libya.

"Mr. Kerry, you have never been one that has advocated for anything other than caution when involving U.S. forces in past conflicts," Duncan said. "The same is true for the president and the vice president. Is the power of the executive branch so intoxicating that you would abandon past caution in favour (of) pulling the trigger on a military response so quickly?"

Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran, responded that "I volunteered to fight for my country, and that wasn't a cautious thing to do when I did it."

"We don't deserve to drag this into yet another Benghazi discussion when the real issue here is whether or not the Congress is going to stand up for international norms with respect to dictators," Kerry added.

(Additional reporting by Rachelle Younglai, Vicki Allen, Susan Heavey, Thomas Ferraro; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Will Dunham)

Colombian president's popularity hits low after unrest

Posted:

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' public approval rating has plunged to its lowest level since he took office in 2010, a poll released on Wednesday showed, due to a farmers' strike marred by violence and scant progress in peace talks with Marxist rebels.

Just 21 percent of Colombians polled in late August and early September said they had a positive opinion of Santos, down from 48 percent in a similar survey conducted at the end of June, according to the Gallup poll.

The survey was conducted in the middle of a two-week farmers' strike during which media images showed riot police wearing armour confronting workers dressed in ponchos.

Santos, 62, was ridiculed during the early days of the strike for saying it was non-existent and that everything was normal.

The ongoing dispute, in which farmers have blocked roads to snarl transportation nationwide, has put pressure on the centre-right president, who has until November to decide whether to run for a second term.

Farmers complain that free trade accords with the United States and Europe have made it impossible for them to compete with imports, which they say are now less expensive.

The poll - carried out between August 27 and September 2. - showed 72 percent of those surveyed had a negative image of Santos, compared with 44 percent in June. Some 7 percent had no opinion.

Santos took office with an approval rating of 74 percent and maintained decent ratings through the beginning of peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The government has spent nearly 10 months working through a tough agenda in Cuba with rebel leaders.

Details of the negotiations have not been made public, but many Colombians are concerned that Santos has offered too many concessions to the FARC leadership.

Meanwhile, the rebels have continued to kill scores of soldiers and attack oil and mining installations, putting additional pressure on Santos to clinch a deal.

Santos' popularity also has been hit by slowing economic growth and social problems such as poverty and unemployment, especially in rural areas where some communities support the FARC, which is considered a terrorist group by Europe and the United States.

Gallup polled 1,200 people in the five largest urban areas of the country. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

(Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Xavier Briand)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Scarlett Johansson's new film is disappointing

Posted:

Lots of films have been shown at the Venice Film Festival, but few are memorable.

Scarlett Johansson as a predatory alien in Scotland got a lukewarm reception and a film about mutilation and masochism that is banned in the director's native South Korea roused disbelieving laughter at the Venice Film Festival yesterday.

Booing followed the customary applause after a press screening of Under The Skin, a comeback for British director Jonathan Glazer, starring the Lost In Translation actress. Described as "an undeniably ambitious but ultimately torpid and silly tale of an alien on the prowl" by trade magazine Variety, Under The Skin is one of 20 new films in competition for a prestigious Golden Lion at the 70th annual festival.

Korean director Kim Ki-Duk screened Moebius outside the competition, which he won last year with Pieta, an absorbing thriller about a pitiless loan shark.

For Under The Skin, Johansson as the alien Laura was filmed in real-life settings, including a shopping centre and a street in a drizzly Scottish town, surrounded by members of the public.

"People would take pictures of you with their 'cameraphone' and not help you, all kinds of strange things," Johansson told a press conference. This technique was an "important ingredient" in the film, said Glazer, known for the 2004 picture Birth.

Laura drives around in a white van, stopping to chat coyly with young men in a cut-glass English accent. Her mysterious beauty prompts one of the men she meets to comment, in a strong Scottish accent, that she reverses the trope of the creepy male motorist picking up female hitchhikers.

"It didn't bother me that the dialogue was indecipherable at times" as long as the characters' intentions and behaviour were clear, Glazer said.

Scarlett Johansson in a scene from the sci-fi film, 'Under The Skin'.

Scarlett Johansson in a scene from the sci-fi flick, Under The Skin.

Meanwhile, Kim's tale of sex and pain, which starts with a woman cutting off her teenage son's genitals, is punctuated with cries of agony, rage and arousal, but barely any dialogue. The mutilated young man and his father experiment with masochism and the son develops a relationship with the father's ex-mistress.

"While purporting to explore morality and mortality by tracking its male protagonists' pursuit of sexual gratification, Moebius offers bizarrely cartoonish characters whose erratic behaviour brims on the hilarious," said critic Clarence Tsui in trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter.

Kim has made a redacted version of the film to be shown in South Korea, where authorities wanted to protect people who have not reached "psychological maturity", he said at a news conference.

"The problem of censorship will have to be tackled in the future," said Kim, whose film The Isle made two people faint when it was presented in Venice in 2000. Kim said he is reproached for making violent films that seem to attack South Korea.

"I criticise my country because I love my country. Loving my country doesn't mean that I should stop raising questions or that I should close my eyes," he added. — Reuters

'Fifty Shades Of Grey' stars revealed

Posted:

Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will star in the highly anticipated erotic film.

The film version of erotic best-seller Fifty Shades Of Grey will star British actor Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey and US actress Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, the book's author E.L. James said yesterday.

The casting of the movie, to be directed by British filmmaker and artist Sam Taylor-Johnson of Nowhere Boy fame, has been one of the most hotly anticipated secrets in Hollywood.

But instead of big names, the producers have gone for up-and-coming stars.

Hunnam starred in this summer's sci-fi blockbuster Pacific Rim while US actress and model Johnson is the daughter of veteran Miami Vice star Don Johnson and Oscar-nominated actress Melanie Griffith.

"I am delighted to let you know that the lovely Dakota Johnson has agreed to be our Anastasia in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades Of Grey," author James said on Twitter.

About an hour later she announced: "The gorgeous and talented Charlie Hunnam will be Christian Grey in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades Of Grey."

She also confirmed the casting in statements on her website.

Dakota Johnson starred in the short-lived sitcom Ben And Kate, and was praised for her performance in The Social Network.

Johnson, 23, had her screen debut with her mother in the 1999 film Crazy In Alabama. More recently she starred in the David Fincher movie The Social Network and the US television sitcom Ben And Kate.

Hunnam cut his teeth in the British children's drama Byker Grove and appeared in the 2006 dystopian thriller Children Of Men before his appearance in giant-lizards-versus-robots blockbuster Pacific Rim.

Spiced up with sado-masochism, the 2011 novel Fifty Shades Of Grey was the first part of a trilogy about a relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey.

The film is due to be released on Aug 1, 2014.

Universal Pictures and Focus Features acquired the rights to the trilogy – which also included Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed – in March 2012.

The books have been translated into 50 languages, and sold over 70 million copies worldwide in ebook and print, making it one of the fastest-selling book series ever, they said. — AFP Relaxnews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Scarlett Johansson's new film is disappointing
BMW Shorties is back
'Fifty Shades Of Grey' stars revealed

Scarlett Johansson's new film is disappointing

Posted:

Lots of films have been shown at the Venice Film Festival, but few are memorable.

Korean director Kim Ki-Duk screened Moebius outside the competition, which he won last year with Pieta, an absorbing thriller about a pitiless loan shark.

For Under The Skin, Johansson as the alien Laura was filmed in real-life settings, including a shopping centre and a street in a drizzly Scottish town, surrounded by members of the public.

"It didn't bother me that the dialogue was indecipherable at times" as long as the characters' intentions and behaviour were clear, Glazer said.

Scarlett Johansson in a scene from the sci-fi flick, Under The Skin.

Kim has made a redacted version of the film to be shown in South Korea, where authorities wanted to protect people who have not reached "psychological maturity", he said at a news conference.

"I criticise my country because I love my country. Loving my country doesn't mean that I should stop raising questions or that I should close my eyes," he added. — Reuters

BMW Shorties is back

Posted:

Calling all budding filmmakers! Here's a chance to show off your short films and win a grant.

One of Malaysia's most prestigious short film competitions is back!

This year's BMW Shorties competition, which is now in its seventh year, was launched yesterday with the theme "Inspiration".

Similar to previous years, winners stand a chance to win film grants of up to RM75,000.

The panel of judges this year include commercial filmmaker Lina Tan, feature film producer Nandita Solomon, actress Sharifah Amani, film editor Wong Hui Lynn and director Sharad Sharan.

Other awards include Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing and Best Sound Engineering and the People's Choice Award.

Chief executive officer of BMW Group Malaysia Dr Gerhard Pils said, "We see Inspiration as a guiding principle in innovation and design as it enables us to bring life to our imaginations."

The event launch was in conjunction with the premiere of Pizza, the winning film from last year's competition, by Dick Chua. Pizza is based on a real-life kidnapping case that took place many years ago. Chua, 30, who hails from Kelantan, thanked his parents for allowing him to venture into the film industry after the premiere of his movie.

Deadline for submission of entries is Oct 31, 2013. For more information, visit www.bmwshorties.com.my.

'Fifty Shades Of Grey' stars revealed

Posted:

Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will star in the highly anticipated erotic film.

The casting of the movie, to be directed by British filmmaker and artist Sam Taylor-Johnson of Nowhere Boy fame, has been one of the most hotly anticipated secrets in Hollywood.

But instead of big names, the producers have gone for up-and-coming stars.

"I am delighted to let you know that the lovely Dakota Johnson has agreed to be our Anastasia in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades Of Grey," author James said on Twitter.

About an hour later she announced: "The gorgeous and talented Charlie Hunnam will be Christian Grey in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades Of Grey."

She also confirmed the casting in statements on her website.

Dakota Johnson starred in the short-lived sitcom Ben And Kate, and was praised for her performance in The Social Network.

The film is due to be released on Aug 1, 2014.

Universal Pictures and Focus Features acquired the rights to the trilogy – which also included Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed – in March 2012.

The books have been translated into 50 languages, and sold over 70 million copies worldwide in ebook and print, making it one of the fastest-selling book series ever, they said. — AFP Relaxnews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Minor complaints on 'Major Crimes'

Posted:

Crime procedural 'Major Crimes' picks up right where 'The Closer' left off. But does it live up to its predecessor?

LET me begin by addressing the elephant in the room: Major Crimes, the spin-off from the much-loved crime procedural The Closer, isn't half bad. In fact, it's pretty good … so far.

Let's face it – television spin-offs have not had the best track record when it comes to living up to expectations. Taking a much-loved TV show (or character) and trying to create that same magic isn't easy. Some shows have succeeded (Angel was an awesome spin-off from Buffy, as was Frasier, the sitcom born from Cheers), while others have failed miserably – anyone remember Joey (Matt LeBlanc's spin-off from Friends)? No? Well, exactly.

But one of the reasons Major Crimes works is because there is continuity in the hand off.

The Closer came to a close after seven seasons when its star Kyra Sedgewick, who played the lead character Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, decided to pursue other acting projects. She wanted to exit on a high, which she did after winning an Emmy award for the role in 2010.

At the end of The Closer, Chief Johnson accepts a new job offer after an emotionally-draining season which saw her losing her mother and a face-off with arch nemesis, serial rapist Philip Stroh (Billy Burke). The case took a lot out of Johnson and she decides she needs a fresh start.

This is where Major Crimes picks up, immediately. Heading the Major Crimes division is Captain Sharon Raydor, played by Mary McDonnell who joined the series in Season Five as a recurring guest star, much to the chagrin of everyone in the department.

As most of the main characters from The Closer have remained with Major Crimes: Lieutenant Provenza (G.W. Bailey), Lieutenant Flynn (Tony Denison), Lieutenant Tao (Michael Paul Chan), Detective Sanchez (Raymond Cruz), Buzz Watson (Phillip P. Keene) and Commander Taylor (Robert Gossett), Raydor has to, firstly, win the support of her team who are still in shock over the departure of their beloved Chief Johnson.

Raydor takes a different approach to closing cases. While she, too, is determined to get the bad guys off the street, she's a lot more pragmatic about it. She's not the ace interrogator that Brenda was but she is an ace investigator who is extremely methodical and goes by the book.

Unlike Johnson, Raydor isn't willing to let the judicial system decide on the fate of the bad guy. If a case goes to court, she knows there might be a possibility the baddie will get off on a technicality. She won't take that chance and thus believes in cutting deals. This way, the crook may get a lesser sentence but he/she will at least be behind bars for a good while.

Just like its predecessor, Major Crimes manages to maintain a balance between the suspense and the light, comedic elements which won the show fans in the first place.

However, while Sedgwick's Johnson provided much of the comic relief what with her eccentricities and (not so) secret addiction to chocolate as well as deceptive southern charm which she used to her advantage in The Closer, here in Major Crimes, the comedy is largely thanks to the antics of Provenza and Flynn.

Raydor comes off as serious but the character becomes likeable soon into the series. She's tough and proper but we learn not to judge a lady by her horn-rimmed glasses. She's quirky too … just in a different way. And, she's intensely loyal to her team which is something that warms them (and us viewers) up to her pretty quickly.

The series attempts to show Raydor's softer side with the introduction of the "mother-son" relationship with Rusty Beck (Graham Patrick Martin), the key witness in the aforementioned Stroh case. As Rusty is a material witness in this case, the District Attorney wants to place him in the witness protection programme; Raydor steps in and decides to foster the 17-year-old runaway.

She develops a maternal fondness for Rusty (we learn later that she has three children of her own and a dysfunctional marriage). However, her decision is called into question when Rusty starts receiving anonymous threatening letters.

The story surrounding Rusty becomes the over-reaching arch for the series.

At the moment, this partciular story seems a little forced. Yes, the writers probably want to show another dimension to Raydor and maybe even introduce her personal life to the viewers but it doesn't quite work. Well, not yet.

Maybe it's because the Stroh case is over and Rusty's character seems redundant here. But it's too early to make a call and so far, Major Crimes has won enough points to keep me tuning in each week.

Major Crimes airs every Tuesday at 9.50pm on Warner TV (HyppTV Ch 613).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

MRCB falls as warrants go ex
DIARY - Malaysia - Sept 5 (Thursday)
VEGOILS/PALM OIL-Market Factors To Watch Sept. 5(Thursday)

MRCB falls as warrants go ex

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) fell in active trade to a low of RM1.47 on Thursday morning.

At 9.53am, MRCB was down eight sen to RM1.47. There were 2.01 million shares done.

The FBM KLCI rose 3.95 points to 1,720.71. Turnover was 270.26 million shares valued at RM163.06mil. There were 265 gainers, 80 losers and 172 counters unchanged.

The property and infrastructure company's issue of free warrants on the basis of one for three went ex on Thursday.

DIARY - Malaysia - Sept 5 (Thursday)

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: ALL TIMES ARE PROVISIONAL AND IN LOCAL TIME FOLLOWED BY GMT IN BRACKETS

THURSDAY, SEP 5

* KUALA LUMPUR - Release of BNM Monetary Policy Statement. * PENANG - Boon Siew Honda Sdn Bhd launches Honds Dash Wave at Boon Siew Honda Office, Kawasan Perindustrian Batu Kawan, Simpang Ampat, Penang at 0800am (0000).

* PETALING JAYA - Pos Malaysia Bhd holds AGM at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya at 0900am (0100) and followed by press conference at 1100am (0300).

* KUALA LUMPUR - Bosch Security System's media showcase on its latest DCN multimedia at GSC Signature, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur at 0930am (0130).

* MALACCA - Health Minister S. Subramaniam launches Melaka Getting to Zero HIV project in conjunction with the 21st Asean Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA) meetign at Avillion Legacy Hotel at 1030am (0230).

* KUALA LUMPUR - Schneider Electric and KFM Holdings Sdn Bhd sign synergistic partnership on Prime Minister's Office project at Aloft KL Sentral Hotel, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur at 1030am (0230).

* KUALA LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry holds press conference on India Property Show 2013 at Royal Selangor Club, Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur at 1400pm (0600).

FRIDAY, SEP 6

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 30 August 2013, and July 2013 External Trade data.

WEDNESDAY, SEP 11

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of July 2013 Index of Industrial Production (IPI) and July 2013 Manufacturing Sales.

MONDAY, SEP 16

KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Malaysia Day.

WEDNESDAY, SEP 18

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of August 2013 Consumer Price Index.

MONDAY, SEP 23

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 13 September 2013.

WEDNESDAY, SEP 25

KUALA LUMPUR - 4th OIC World Biz 'Business & Investment Zone 2013' Exhibition and Conference at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur at 1000am (0200) (to Sep 28).

MONDAY, SEP 30

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of August 2013 Money Supply data and Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end August 2013.

FRIDAY, OCT 4

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of August 2013 External Trade data.

MONDAY, OCT 7

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 30 September 2013.

THURSDAY, OCT 10

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of August 2013 Index of Industrial Production (IPI) and August 2013 Manufacturing Sales.

TUESDAY, OCT 15

KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Hari Raya Haji

(Eid-Adha).

TUESDAY, OCT 22

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 14 October 2013.

WEDNESDAY, OCT 23

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of September 2013 Consumer Price Index

THURSDAY, OCT 31

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of September 2013 Money Supply data, and Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end September 2013.

SATURDAY, NOV 2

KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Deepavali.

TUESDAY, NOV 5

KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Moslem New Year.

THURSDAY, NOV 7

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of BNM Monetary Policy Statement.

FRIDAY, NOV 8

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of September 2013 External Trade data.

MONDAY, NOV 11

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 31 October 2013, September 2013 Index Industrial Production (IPI) and September 2013 Manufacturing Sales.

FRIDAY, NOV 15

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of 3rd Quarter 2013 GDP.

WEDNESDAY, NOV 20

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of October 2013 Consumer Price Index.

FRIDAY, NOV 22

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 15 November 2013.

FRIDAY, NOV 29

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of October 2013 Money Supply data and Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end October 2013.

MONDAY, DEC 2

KUALA LUMPUR - Umno annual assembly 2013 at Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur (to Dec 7).

FRIDAY, DEC 6

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 29 November 2013, and October 2013 External Trade data.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 11

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of October 2013 Index of Industrial Production (IPI) and October 2013 Manufacturing Sales.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 18

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of November 2013 Consumer Price Index.

FRIDAY, DEC 20

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of International Reserves as at 13 December 2013.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 25

KUALA LUMPUR - Market and Public Holiday - Christmas Day.

TUESDAY, DEC 31

KUALA LUMPUR - Release of November 2013 Money Supply data and Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end November 2013

NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. - Reuters - Reuters

VEGOILS/PALM OIL-Market Factors To Watch Sept. 5(Thursday)

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets on Thursday.

FUNDAMENTALS
* Malaysian palm oil futures edged lower on Wednesday, tracking the U.S. soy
market that dropped after a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed yields
were not worse than expected.
* U.S. soybean futures plunged 2-1/2 percent on Wednesday, surrendering all of
the prior session's gains in a profit-taking setback amid a slightly wetter
forecast for parts of the Midwest, where dry weather has eroded yields.
* Brent crude oil settled lower on Wednesday, but with a less dramatic drop than
U.S. oil, as it appeared a military strike against Syria would remain limited,
quelling fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East.


MARKET NEWS
* Global equity markets rose, lifted by a surge on Wall Street, and gold prices
eased on Wednesday as investors took in stride a potential limited American
military strike against Syria and data from around the globe suggested an
improving world economy.
* Commodity prices tumbled on Wednesday, with oil and gold prices pressured by
uncertainties about the timing of a U.S. military strike on Syria, and a
sell-off in soybeans triggered by forecast for wetter weather in the U.S.
Midwest crop belt.


RELATED NEWS
> Soybeans plunge on profit-taking, wetter U.S. Midwest forecast
> COLUMN-Soy bulls should take defensive measures
> U.S. corn and soybean yield prospects slipping -analysts
> Thai rubber farmers block roads, threaten airport closure
> ICE cocoa rallies on technical buying, currency support
> Strong dollar prompts forward sales of Brazilian sugar -Archer

DATA/EVENTS
> Cargo surveyors to release Malaysia's Sept. 1-10 palm export data on Sept. 10.
> Industry regulator the Malaysian Palm Oil Board to release Malaysia's August

palm stocks and output figures on Sept. 10. - Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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