Ahad, 29 September 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Xi to witness signing of pacts during KL visit
'Long live the Queen' arch raises eyebrows
Cost of N-Day giant vase draws ire

Xi to witness signing of pacts during KL visit

Posted:

BEIJING: China will sign documents to boost cooperation in the fields of outer-space, trade, technology and fishery with Malaysia and Indonesia during Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit to the two countries this week.

In a press conference yesterday, Chinese deputy foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said this would be Xi's first official visit to South East Asia.

"Besides bolstering ties with our neighbours, Xi's visit from Oct 2 to Oct 5 is also aimed at enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation.

"It not only deepens bilateral relations between China and the two countries, but will also further develop the relations between China and Asean," said Liu.

Following his visit to the two countries, Xi will be attending the 21st Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

During his stay in Malaysia, Xi will pay courtesy call on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and attend a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"Both Chinese and Malaysian leaders will exchange views on a wide range of topics, including bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.

"Should the territorial disputes in the South China Sea be brought up during the meeting, the discussion will be based upon a mutual goal to maintain peace, stability and freedom of navigation on the marginal sea," said Liu, adding that Xi would not be visiting Sabah.

Last year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached US$94.8bil (RM305.97bil).This makes Malaysia China's top trading partner among the Asean countries for the fifth consecutive year.

'Long live the Queen' arch raises eyebrows

Posted:

An archway in Queenstown proclaiming "Long live the Queen" has left some scratching their heads, even as residents gathered for a concert to mark the estate's 60th anniversary.

The arch was put up as part of the celebrations at the estate, which was named after Queen Elizabeth II.

Nine of 15 Singaporeans described the arch as odd, calling it a "colonial hangover".

"It's not appropriate as we are an independent country and no longer under British rule," said polytechnic course manager Tia Boon Sim, 57, who lived in Queenstown for the first 16 years of her life.

Since Sept 13, the estate has been marking its anniversary with a two-week-long arts and heritage festiva.

Over 22,700 residents attended these events. An anniversary concert was held at Tanglin Halt Community Plaza last night.

"It's actually just good fun," said Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing on the arch, on the sidelines of the concert.

"It's just part of our heritage... and to recognise how Queenstown started 60 years ago."

In his speech, he also conveyed the well-wishes of Queen Elizabeth II in a letter from her private secretary Christopher Geidt.

The festival, organised by civic group My Community and supported by the Queenstown Citizens Consultative Committee, was to showcase the area's history.

My Community founder Kwek Li Yong, 24, said the arch – featuring a photo of the Queen and decorated with the Union Jack – is a re-creation of a larger one that was erected in 1953 in North Bridge Road to celebrate the Queen's coronation.

"History teaches us to look back at events. So, we are tracing the estate's roots back to when the British started it, as Singapore's first satellite town," he said.

Residents said the arch, which had been up at the entrance of Tanglin Halt's community plaza near Block 46-2 since Sept 15 and would be taken down today – could have come with a sign explaining why it was there.

"Otherwise, the proclamation seems out of place in the Singaporean heartland," said secretary Aileen See, 53.

But others, some of whom posed for photos under the lit-up arch, said it "need not be taken too seriously".

Older residents, such as L.H. Khoo, 74, said it was a fitting tribute because the British had a role in building Singapore's first modern town. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Cost of N-Day giant vase draws ire

Posted:

BEIJING: A giant vase installed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square ahead of a national holiday has met with scathing criticism from Chinese Internet users after a newspaper revealed its cost.

An enormous psychedelic-looking red pot topped with huge fake flowers and imitation peaches was installed this week on the square, the symbolic centre of the Chinese state.

But it came at a cost of more than 570,000 yuan (RM300,605) up 8,000 yuan (RM4,219) from the previous two years, according to the state-run Beijing Youth Daily.

The cost prompted critical comments among Chinese Internet users – even though the report said that the overall number of flowers used around Beijing for China's National Day had halved.

"Who permitted spending taxpayer's money in this way?" one user of Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter, wrote.

Another user wrote: "570,000! That money could be put to much better use."

The report said that some money-saving measures including the use of 800,000 small flower pots in the square itself, compared to 1,000,000 last year, had been introduced.

China's new President Xi Jinping has touted a campaign to reduce government waste, introducing a ban on new government buildings and guidelines for banquets, after reports of corrupt officials enjoying wasteful lunches and unnecessary building projects.

A county in eastern China built a giant copper sculpture of a puffer fish at a cost of around 70 million yuan (RM36.9mil), reports said this week, bringing about angry comments about government extravagance.

Tiananmen Square usually gets a makeover ahead of China's National Day which falls on Oct 1 and is a platform for the ruling Communist party to showcase its achievements and drum up nationalist sentiment. — AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Solving the mystery with Detective Dee
Angelababy and Mark Chao make a Dee-lightful couple
Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and gang went camping

Solving the mystery with Detective Dee

Posted:

YOUNG Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon is the prequel to the Detective Dee franchise and is directed by Tsui Hark.

The young Dee Renjie (Mark Chao) arrives in the Eastern Capital Luoyang amidst chaos. Several navy warships have been destroyed by what is suspected to be a "sea dragon". The fearful citizens hope to appease the dragon by sacrificing a young maiden, Courtesan Yin (Angelababy).

She was chosen as a victim because she has angered many officials by refusing their advances.

Carina Lau reprises her role as Empress Wu Zetian, who orders Chief Commissioner of the Supreme Court, Yuchi Zhenjin (William Feng) to investigate the attack against the ships and solve the case in 10 days or lose his head.

He teams up with Dee, aided by a young doctor Shatuo (Lin Gengxin) to solve the mystery.

With Yuchi's martial arts prowess, Shatuo's medical skills, the trioraces against time to crack the case.

This is the first feature film by Huayi Brothers Media that is shot in stereoscopic 3D; its previous films like Painted Skin: The Resurrection and Taichi series were converted to 3D in post-production. (Unfortunately, the 3D version of Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon is not screened in Malaysia.) – Oh Ing Yeen

Posted:

Third time's the charm for Angelababy and Mark Chao as the actors reunite in the prequel to the popular Detective Dee film.

TAIWANESE-BORN actor Mark Chao was stumped when researching for his character Detective Dee in Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon.

"I tried to look up Detective Dee in history books to find out more about the character. However most of the books are about Empress Wu Zetian; there was not much about Detective Dee," the handsome actor tells Star2 in an interview in Hong Kong.

"It was only written in novels about how he cracks cases, hence I have to come up with my own way of portraying the character."

Dee Renjie or Detective Dee is China's answer to Sherlock Holmes, as director Tsui Hark puts it. Dee has a remarkable memory and uses his deduction skills to solve cases.

But aside from these set of skills, Chao feels that Dee has a strong sense of justice and is a brave, honest person.

Although Chao is a fast rising male star in the Chinese movie industry, did he feel the pressure of assuming the role of the younger Detective Dee, a role which beloved veteran star Andy Lau played in the first movie?

"I have much respect for Andy Lau. The stress actually comes from whether I can fulfil the director's expectations," Chao explains.

This is the third collaboration between Chao and Hong Kong starlet Angelababy. They first acted alongside each other in Han Yan's, aptly titled, First Time where Chao played Angelababy's love interest. From their banter during Star2's interview, which was held before the film's gala premiere in Hong Kong last Tuesday, it was evident that these two stars, who describe their relationship as "brothers", share a common understanding that has enabled them to work well together in the movie.

"While waiting on the set, she would fidget and start bugging me. I would be waiting patiently with a book but she would start poking me," Chao reveals.

Angelababy quickly interjects: "We are all young; how could you be reading when everyone is having fun and talking while waiting on the set."

He is very mature and one could see it from the way he carries himself."

In Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon, Angela Yeung, or Angelababy as she is known in the industry, plays the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Capital, a courtesan desired by many.

Angelababy seems born to play this role as the actress is just as popular in real life.

In 2007, the Shanghai-born beauty entered the entertainment industry in Hong Kong first as a model and then made her acting debut in Pang Ho-cheung's Trivial Matters. It was her role in 2010's Hot Summer Days that got her noticed and ever since then, Angelababy has become hot property.

It is no secret that many beautiful actresses in Hong Kong are cast in movies as eye candy. Despite her previous roles in romantic films, Angelababy is not afraid of being typecast as the pretty face or the damsel in distress.

"In First Time (where she plays someone who suffers from neuromuscular disease), I played a strong willed character. I even tried my hand as a martial artist in Stephen Fung's Taichi movies (Taichi 0 and Taichi Hero)," she reasons.

Angelababy is not afraid of being typecast as the pretty face or the damsel in distress.

Angelababy has been modelling since 14 and is regarded as an Asian fashion icon. As someone who is also active in the fashion scene, the actress has a lot to say about the period pieces she wore for her role as Courtesan Yin in Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon.

"The Tang Dynasty had an extensive cultural exchange so that explains why the costumes are sexy. Plus, my character is a foreigner," she says To prepare for the role, the actress learned about tea ceremonies and began dance training three months before the shoot.

"I have also looked online about Tang Dynasty paintings and learned how to pose like a courtesan."

She reveals that director Tsui Hark would also give her tips on how to act like an enchanting courtesan.

"To attract men, he said, it's all in the eyes; you must show that you care for no one (but him)."

Co-star Chao says: "I was surprised to see Angelababy when she first appeared on set as Courtesan Yin. I thought to myself, 'What happened to my brother?'

"This is the first time I see extras not needing any cue; they were dumbfounded the moment she appeared (yet) they could act without any further instructions."

> Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon is currently playing in cinemas nationwide.

Related story:

Solving the mystery with Detective Dee

Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and gang went camping

Posted:

The actors shared some male-bonding time at an English countryside.

FURY co-stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal and Kevin Vance more or less had no choice but to rough it out together when director David Ayer dropped them off in the wilderness without the cellphones, according to entertainment magazine Us Weekly.

According to a source cited by the magazine, the actors spent three nights at a forest in England's Buckinghamshire county.

"They play soldiers in the same World War II troop, and the director wanted to make sure they bonded," the source was quoted as saying.

Fury revolves around a group of American soldiers posted in Germany during World War II who embark on a brave mission. It is set to be released in late 2014.

The source goes on to explain that the actors spent their days foraging for food in the forest, and that they huddled up together in their tents to keep warm (the temperature was about 10°C).

Meanwhile, Scott Eastwood, who also stars in the movie, did not join his castmates but seemed to love being on set, judging from his selfies on Instagram. The up-and-coming actor, model and son of Clint Eastwood posted pictures of himself shirtless and flexing his muscles in front of a military tank. His caption: "Trying to outflex the tank. Not working."

Eastwood recently became one of the most-searched celebrities on the Internet, thanks to a feature in Town & Country magazine's October issue, in which he replicated a few of his formerly estranged father's iconic poses.

The actor has been busy of late, working in movies like The Perfect Wave, Mercury Plains, Dawn Patrol and Boulevard H, as well as appearing in TV shows like Chicago Fire and its spin-off, Chicago PD. — Melody L. Goh

One of the Scott Eastwood pictures featured in Town & Country magazine.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Visit the Dark Ages with 'Vikings'

Posted:

The History channel's Vikings are kinder and gentler than what we're used to seeing. And that's okay.

HAVE the Vikings gotten a bum rap?

At least, according to popular imagination, they were fearsome barbarians in horned helmets who pillaged their way across Northern Europe during the Dark Ages. And while it's true these seafaring Norsemen were hardly a bunch of peaceniks, the new History channel scripted series Vikings will attempt to bring some nuance to the caricature of the bearded brutes.

"The great thesis is, 'You think you know the Vikings, but you don't'," said series creator Michael Hirst.

The series represents uncharted territory in more ways than one: At 10 episodes, it will be History's first full-length, scripted programme, arriving on the heels of the massively successful miniseries Hatfields & McCoys and accompanying the debut of the channel's new miniseries The Bible.

Vikings marks the latest step in History's dramatic makeover in recent years from a stodgy and largely irrelevant channel that played a seemingly infinite loop of WWII documentaries to a top-five cable network and industry trendsetter.

As the screenwriter of the film Elizabeth and all 38 episodes of the cable series The Tudors, Hirst has a knack for bringing epic historical tales vividly to life. His latest series, set in the late 8th-century Scandinavia, will join a rather short list of sympathetic pop cultural depictions of the Viking people.

"They're always 'the other'. They're the guys who smash down your door and ravish and kill you and take your possessions – perpetual bad guys," Hirst said by telephone from his home in Britain.

Travis Fimmel and Katheryn Winnick star in History channel's Vikings.

Fimmel and Katheryn Winnick, who plays Lothbrok's wife Lagertha in Vikings.

Of course, a brave and hunky protagonist can make any number of sins more palatable to the contemporary viewer. Vikings has Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Norse hero who led raids on France and England. Played by Australian actor and former Calvin Klein model Travis Fimmel, Ragnar is a visionary family man who clashes with ruthless tribal leader Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne) over his plan to explore the uncharted waters to the west.

"It's like any other drama: the first rule is to get you involved in the characters. They don't have to be nice, they have to be powerful and they have to be compulsively watchable," Hirst said.

Hirst took pains to emphasise the Vikings' positive contributions to Western civilisation; their rich mythology and surprisingly progressive gender politics – who knew? – all figure prominently in the series, which was filmed over five months at the brand-new Ashford Studios in County Wicklow, Ireland.

For Nancy Dubuc, president of entertainment and media for A&E Networks, scripted content has been a dream since she took over the reins at History in 2007.

"We can't be the well-rounded and powerful brand that we are without bringing this form of storytelling to our network," she said. "But I also believed very firmly that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it to win, not just to play," she said.

History was attracted to Vikings – initially developed by MGM Television and the Irish producer Morgan O'Sullivan – largely because of its self-explanatory premise.

"Something we think about when we're looking at all of our scripted projects is 'Can you put up a billboard and get it right away?'," said Dick Hoogstra, senior vice president of development and production at History. "We like it when the marketing doesn't have to explain too much."

With its wintry climes and characters decked out in leather tunics and shaggy fur capes, Vikings has perhaps inevitably invited comparisons to HBO's fantasy series Game Of Thrones. The projects share a preoccupation with medieval hygiene and bloody decapitations, but there are some notable differences – namely, the constraints of basic cable.

"When I was writing The Tudors, there was a certain amount of gratuitous stuff which has now gone bonkers in a lot of cable shows. Every scene starts with semi-naked women. With History, of course, the rules are different," Hirst said.

Vikings is also limited, if only slightly, by historical reality. Hirst can humanise the Vikings all he wants, but he can't entirely whitewash their more unflattering qualities, such as their overt hostility to Christianity (an early episode features a brutal raid on a Nothrumbrian monastery). — Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

> Vikings – a new nine-part scripted series premiering today at 10pm on the History channel (Astro Ch 555) – portrays the world of these Dark Age raiders, traders, explorers through the eyes of the Viking society.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Death toll from Pakistan market attack rises to 42
China to crack down on false terrorist threats to airlines
Alitalia aircraft makes emergency landing, no injuries

Death toll from Pakistan market attack rises to 42

Posted:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The death toll from a car bomb explosion in an ancient market in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar rose to at least 42 on Monday, after the third attack in the area in a week.

The blast ripped through the busy centuries-old market known as Quiswakhani, or the storytellers' bazaar, in Peshawar's old city on Sunday, exactly a week after more than 80 Christians were killed in a twin suicide bomb attack on a nearby church.

A spokesman for the main city hospital said at least 107 people were wounded.

The dead included at least 15 members of a family who had come to the city from a nearby village to make wedding arrangements.

Islamist violence has been on the rise in Pakistan in recent months, undermining Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's efforts to tame the insurgency by launching peace talks with the Taliban.

Pakistan's main Taliban group, which has expressed willingness to talk peace on its conditions, denied responsibility for the latest attack.

(Reporting by Hameed Ullah Khan; Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

China to crack down on false terrorist threats to airlines

Posted:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will impose tough penalties on people making false terrorist threats against airlines and airports, after a stream of bogus calls grounded flights and piled pressure on an already strained air traffic control system, state media reported.

Flights and domestic airports have been disrupted by 80 fake threats this year, the official Xinhua news service said. Between May 15 and 18 alone, six bomb threats were reported, forcing 22 flights to turn back, land elsewhere or be delayed, a separate China Daily report noted.

The media reports come a day before China embarks on a week-long national holiday which will see transportation channels jammed with tourists and people returning home.

China's top court is planning to make false calls a criminal offence and offenders could be jailed for more than five years if there is economic damage of more than 500,000 yuan (50,528.79 pounds), or even longer if the damage is more severe.

Fake threats were sometimes made out of curiosity or for a joke, or even by irate boyfriends trying to prevent girlfriends leaving town, media reports have said.

Chinese airlines are already struggling to handle increasing traffic in a timely manner given heavy restrictions on the usage of civilian airspace.

Only 18.3 percent of flights departing from Beijing left on time in June, and only 28.7 percent of flights leaving Shanghai made it on time, making them the two poorest performing major airports in the world, according to FlightStats.com.

The new laws will also apply to threats made against trains, ferries as well as other public facilities like shopping malls, the China Daily said. It also warned people from disseminating rumours about such threats via text messages or social media, saying they could be criminally charged.

(Reporting by Pete Sweeney; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Alitalia aircraft makes emergency landing, no injuries

Posted:

ROME (Reuters) - An Alitalia aircraft went off the runway while landing at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Sunday, but there were no injuries among the 151 passengers or crew, authorities said.

The airport said the pilot reported problems opening the undercarriage and made an emergency landing.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Patrick Graham and Stacey Joyce)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Solving the mystery with Detective Dee
Angelababy and Mark Chao make a Dee-lightful couple
Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and gang went camping