Rabu, 9 Oktober 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Search for Hawker Masters begins
SingTel fire affects phone, TV coverage
‘Ultimate road terror’ jailed

Search for Hawker Masters begins

Posted:

THE hunt for a new batch of Singapore Hawker Masters began yesterday with the humble mee rebus.

A simple dish of thick yellow noodles with tofu cubes, green chilli and a hard-boiled egg drenched in a flavourful spicy-sour gravy, it is one of six new hawker food categories in this year's search for Singapore's top hawkers.

The annual awards, jointly organised by The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, are now into their fourth year.

Over the next few weeks, judges will sample dishes in five other categories – the dry and soup versions of fish ball noodles; cheng tng, a sweet dessert soup; rojak, a prawn paste salad; or luak, or fried oyster omelette and nasi briyani.Other categories over the years have included bak kut teh and chicken rice.

Judges will head to the top three stalls in each food category before deciding on the winners.

The awards aim to give deserving hawkers recognition to spur them on to maintain and improve food standards.

They will be presented at The Asian Masters gala dinner at Ocean Gallery, Resorts World Sentosa, on Nov 22. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

SingTel fire affects phone, TV coverage

Posted:

A FIRE at a SingTel building in Bukit Panjang has led to mobile, television and phone outages across Singapore.

The Internet service provider wrote on its Twitter around 3.40pm yesterday that some fixed line voice, broadband and mobile services "may (be) affected", and that it was "working to restore service (as soon as possible)".

A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it had been alerted to the fire at 40 Woodlands Road at 2.16pm. The fire, which had been "inside the cable room at level one of the building", was extinguished within 20 minutes of the SCDF's arrival, she added. About 50 people had already evacuated prior to the SCDF's arrival. There were no reported injuries.

Housewife Maggie Goh said she discovered the problem around 4pm.

"My Internet and TV are all down, so I'm watching old movies (on DVD) right now. I was wondering why I was staring at a blank screen," said the 33-year-old. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

‘Ultimate road terror’ jailed

Posted:

A BANQUET operations manager who took to the wheel despite having been banned from the road for a year was called the "ultimate road terror'' by a district judge.

While driving under a year-long ban, Tan Yang Chin, 34, was involved in a hit-and-run accident along an expressway which resulted in a taxi overturning and injuring three people. The accident happened along East Coast Parkway (ECP) at 1.14am on Feb 7 this year.

Tan was jailed for 13 months and banned from driving for eight years after admitting to causing grievous hurt to taxi passenger Wang Jing, 28, a Chinese national; driving under a ban; and failing to render assistance.

A district court heard that Tan was speeding along ECP when he fell asleep and hit the centre divider. He woke up and veered his car towards the extreme left lane, and hit the back of Goh Chee Kwang's taxi. Goh, 51, was then taking Wang and another female passenger to the airport.

He lost control of the vehicle which then hit the road barrier and overturned.

Tan sped away from the scene and later left his car unattended about 1km away along ECP before Xilin Avenue.

Wang was taken to hospital for fractures to her pelvis. Both vehicles were badly damaged.

Calling him the "ultimate road terror'', District Judge Low Wee Ping said Tan had been fined and banned from driving for 12 months in April last year for drink-driving.

Two months before his disqualification ended, he drove at least four times.

Two charges of causing hurt to the taxi driver and the other passenger and failing to stop after the accident were considered during his sentencing. — 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

Bradley Cooper on the set in Hawaii with Cameron Crowe

Posted:

The American actor will be joined by Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone in the untitled project.

DIRECTOR Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) announced via his personal website (www.theuncool.com/) that shooting has begun on the new film, which has been in the works for several years.

The filmmaker remains cryptic regarding the plot of the feature, formerly known under the working title Deep Tiki.

The initial screenplay, which has apparently undergone significant rewrites, followed a military officer overseeing a satellite launch in Hawaii who runs into obstacles from the superstitious local population and from a somewhat rebellious Air Force pilot.

Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon were briefly affiliated with the project as early as 2008.

Danny McBride and Alec Baldwin are also said to be taking part in the film, on which production began on Sept 26. The director promised to share additional photos from the set "very soon". – AFP RelaxNews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Bradley Cooper on the set in Hawaii with Cameron Crowe

Posted:

The American actor will be joined by Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone in the untitled project.

The filmmaker remains cryptic regarding the plot of the feature, formerly known under the working title Deep Tiki.

Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon were briefly affiliated with the project as early as 2008.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Libyan PM Ali Zeidan kidnapped by armed men - Arab TV channels
Kerry assures China's Li U.S. committed to ending fiscal crisis
Republicans consider short-term U.S. debt ceiling increase

Libyan PM Ali Zeidan kidnapped by armed men - Arab TV channels

Posted:

DUBAI (Reuters) - Armed men have kidnapped Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan from a hotel in Tripoli, two Arab television channels reported on Thursday.

Abu Dhabi-based Sky News Arabia quoted Libyan security sources as saying that Zeidan was seized from a hotel where he was staying in the Libyan capital and taken to an unknown destination. Dubai-based al-Arabiya carried a similar report.

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi, Editing by William Maclean)

Kerry assures China's Li U.S. committed to ending fiscal crisis

Posted:

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry assured China's Premier Li Keqiang the United States was committed to resolving a fiscal impasse after the Chinese leader raised the issue in a meeting on the sidelines of an Asian summit in Brunei, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kerry made clear that the U.S. government shutdown, now in its ninth day, and friction over the U.S. budget "is a moment in Washington politics and reaffirmed the President's commitment to resolving the issue."

The official said the debt issue was "briefly referenced" during the meeting.

China is the biggest holder of U.S. debt and some Chinese officials have raised concerns over a drawn-out crisis in Washington. According to data from the U.S. Treasury, Beijing holds $1.28 trillion (803.51 billion pounds) of Treasury debt. It also has additional U.S. agency debt.

The U.S. Congress has so far failed to strike a deal to raise the U.S. government's $16.7 trillion borrowing limit, which is set to expire on October 17, roiling markets and pushing the dollar close to its recent eight-month low against other major currencies.

"They also agreed that the United States has one of the strongest economies in the world and that they have a shared interest in continuing the close economic working relationship," the official added.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Republicans consider short-term U.S. debt ceiling increase

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Republicans are considering signing on to a short-term increase in the government's borrowing authority to buy time for negotiations on broader policy measures, according to a Republican leadership aide.

How long the increase might suffice - a few weeks or a few months - was unclear. But agreement by Republicans and Democrats to raise the debt ceiling would at least stave off a possible default after October 17, when Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has determined the government will no longer be able to borrow.

President Barack Obama has said he would accept a debt ceiling increase of limited duration as long as no strings were attached, except perhaps a non-binding agreement to discuss policy issues.

It was unclear Wednesday night how far Republicans might be prepared to go to meet Obama's conditions. Republicans in the House have been demanding a variety of conditions - including changes to Obama's healthcare law - in return for cooperating on the debt ceiling and on a funding measure that might reopen the government, which has been partially shut down since October 1.

In recent days, however, Republican emphasis has shifted more toward deficit reduction measures and less to Obamacare, the health care law.

Republicans in particular and Congress in general have taken a public beating in the showdown, with an Associated Press-Gfk survey on Wednesday showing Congress as a whole at a rock-bottom 5 percent approval rating. More than six of every 10 Americans blamed Republicans for the impasse.

Republican leaders plan to make remarks to reporters on Thursday at 11 a.m. (4 p.m. BST) but it was uncertain whether they would be prepared to unveil anything concrete then. The party's leadership has proven unable to control rebellious conservatives in the House, who have sufficient power to squelch any deal they dislike.

FIRST FACE-TO-FACE TALKS

With pressure rising and no clear path forward for breaking their fiscal impasse, Obama launched a series of White House meetings with lawmakers on Wednesday to search for a way to end a government shutdown and raise the debt limit.

House Democrats journeyed to the White House to discuss the fiscal stalemate, and Senate Democrats and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives will make separate treks on Thursday amid rising worries about the potential for economic havoc in the crisis.

The depth of the dispute was evident, however, in the failure of Obama and House Speaker John Boehner to even agree on a guest list for their Thursday session.

The White House invited all House Republicans, but Boehner limited the visitors to 18 party leaders and prominent committee chairs, lessening Obama's exposure to Republicans who might dissent from the leadership's hard-line strategy and to rank-and-file Tea Party members who inspired it.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama was "disappointed" at the truncated guest list because "the president thought it was important to talk directly with the members who forced this economic crisis on the country."

The impasse has shut the government for nine days and rattled financial markets with the threat that the country's $16.7 trillion borrowing limit will not be raised before the October 17 deadline.

Republican Tea Party fiscal conservatives precipitated the crisis by demanding that Obama's healthcare reform law be delayed or curtailed in exchange for approving the funding of government operations and raising the debt ceiling.

But in a shift some Republicans hope will strengthen their hand in the fight, the party's House leaders have played down demands to weaken the healthcare law and focused instead on calls to rein in deficits.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman and former vice presidential candidate, both published opinion pieces focused on tackling long-term debt and deficits instead of the healthcare law.

The White House meeting with House Republicans will be the first face-to-face talks between Obama and his political adversaries since last week, although lawmakers have informally been exploring possible compromises and ways to resolve the stalemate.

Republican senators on Wednesday were considering a proposal by Senator Susan Collins of Maine that would reopen the government and increase the borrowing authority while repealing an unpopular medical device tax designed to finance subsidies under the healthcare law.

Collins' plan also would give federal agencies flexibility in dealing with across-the-board spending cuts that kicked in earlier this year and are opposed by many members of Congress.

After a meeting of Republican senators, John McCain of Arizona called her initiative "a pretty good proposal that some of us like," and a Senate Republican aide said there are discussions about possibly incorporating a short-term debt limit increase into the measure.

"We continue to talk. No progress, but there never is until you reach a breakthrough," McCain told reporters "I'm not saying that we will ever reach a breakthrough. I'm saying conversations are going on. I hope that they reach some conclusion. I'm not sure whether they will or not."

'THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING'

All 200 House Democrats were invited to the afternoon session at the White House, and Democratic leaders said most made the trek. They said Obama was resolute about not negotiating with Republicans until they drop their demands.

Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats had not seen a short-term proposal for funding the government and lifting the debt ceiling from Republicans and would not make any concessions to get one.

"The debt ceiling needs to be lifted. They're not getting anything for that. And we haven't seen an offer on that," she said.

Obama scolded Republicans on Tuesday for demanding negotiations, but said he would talk about anything including the healthcare law if Republicans re-opened the government and lifted the debt ceiling even for the short term.

Boehner rejected Obama's demands as "unconditional surrender," but other Republicans have showed a willingness to consider a short-term deal if there was a framework in place for negotiations.

Those hopes were fuelled by the opinion columns on Wednesday, particularly Ryan's column urging a negotiated end to the stalemate but did not mention Republican demands for linking changes in the federal healthcare law with government funding.

"I am beginning, by the way, to be a little hopeful regarding our current situation. It looks like the House is beginning to focus on the right things," Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said on CNBC, pointing to Ryan's column.

But Boehner took to the House floor on Wednesday to reiterate Republican demands that the healthcare law be part of the broader discussions.

"Our message in the House has been pretty clear. We want to reopen our government and provide fairness to all Americans under the president's healthcare law," Boehner said.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim added his voice to a chorus of experts warning about the impact of the stalemate, saying on Wednesday that even the threat of a U.S. default could hurt emerging markets and the world's most vulnerable people.

"We're very concerned. Because right now there's so many headwinds as it is for emerging markets and the developing world, that kind of impact really could be devastating," Kim told CNN.

(Additional reporting by Mark Felsenthal, Richard Cowan; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Claudia Parsons, Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

'7th Heaven' alum Barry Watson to star in TV movie 'Far From Home'
Love, not actually
Harry Connick Jr to star in musical TV show

'7th Heaven' alum Barry Watson to star in TV movie 'Far From Home'

Posted:

Watson plays novelist in the movie that underlines home is where the heart is.

BARRY Watson, who rose to fame as Matt Camden in 7th Heaven, tackles an intimate drama in the television movie Far From Home.

He plays Nicholas Bell, who angrily leaves his small island town after a terrible fight with the uncle who raised him. After cutting off all ties, Bell writes a successful novel, only to be faced with a failure to come up with a meaningful follow-up novel.

When he learns that his uncle has died, Bell returns to his hometown for the funeral. The local townspeople are glad to see the famous homegrown talent return – at least partially because his uncle left him the family's local paper and key property.

Eager to divest himself of the newspaper, Bell finds himself wedged in the middle of a bitter fight over the future of the island – and face to face with the real reason behind what sent him so far from home for so long.

The movie, which began production outside of Vancouver, Canada, this week, also stars Stefanie von Pfetten (NCIS), Barbara Pollard (The X-Files) and Patricia Harras (Supernatural). – Reuters

Love, not actually

Posted:

This week, the Spudniks analyse what it means to be in love ... on TV.

IS Homer Simpson good to Marge? I always think of Homer as a lovable sort of doofus and Marge as the person who holds it all together. I have no doubt that Homer loves Marge but I feel he doesn't always live up to (my) expectations.

My son feels that Homer is the everyman who doesn't know what a good thing he has in hand, until something happens that forces him to learn this truth, which he always does by the end of each episode. But, of course, one musn't discount Marge's instrumental role in the relationship because no matter how many times Homer screws up, Marge always stands by her man.

We musn't discount Marge¿s instrumental role in that relationship because no matter how many things Homer screws up, Marge always stands by her man.

We mustn't discount Marge's instrumental role in that relationship because no matter how many things Homer screws up, Marge always stands by her man.

When it comes to young love, I always adored how Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) worshipped the ground on which Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) walked in The Wonder Years. Those two sort of added a touch of magic and innocence to my idea of childhood romance. And Kevin always treated Winnie like a princess. Kind of how Marshall (Jason Segel) treats Lily (Alyson Hannigan) on How I Met Your Mother.

While there's no denying the couple chemistry between David Addison and Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting (Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd), I'm not quite sure if I always approved of the way David treated Maddie – there was a lot of teasing and sarcasm served at her expense; and though she was his employer (she was, right?), he sort of had the upper hand always.

A nice contrast to this I feel is the interplay between Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) in Castle (Yikes, I've broken my resolution to not write about them this year!) I feel that Beckett is always given her due respect as boss when it comes to work, and Castle, while just as mischievous as Addison ever was, is able to show his lady a lot of love. His daily coffee ritual is proof enough for me.

Another relationship that always intrigued me was that of Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn (Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan) in Alias. How does one have a relationship when one is a spy and the other her handler? In the midst of espionage, fake identities and sabotage, among other things that threatened to keep these two apart, Sydney and Vaughn ended up marrying each other.

Those two took trust to new levels I reckon.

But then Fringe came along and took things to another dimension altogether. Peter Bishop's (Joshua Jackson) love for Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) knew no bounds, it seemed – neither a doppelganger nor an alternate universe were able to put a spanner in their works.

My new favourite show, Downton Abbey, features a good guy in Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), who at first finds himself at odds with the noblewoman Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), whom he is expected to marry because of titles and inheritances and such.

But the two start off on a bad note, and after a long series of events that brings them together and sets them apart again and again, Matthew is finally able to propose to his true love. He always stands up for her, and certainly always treats her with the utmost respect. Lady Mary, in turn, would never settle for anything less, of course.

Two relationships which I really liked and felt that the men really cared for their women were that of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie), and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Shae (Sibel Kekilli) in Game Of Thrones.

What initially seemed like bonds that were so passionately right were tested tempestously and in both cases the men failed, I think, to stand by their women; swayed by their loyalty to family instead. It brought a tear to my eye. But perhaps added a touch of reality to TV romance. – AMC

HERE'S the thing: I think TV sets some unreal expectations of what romance is all about. We only get an hour's insight into the lives of these couples every week, sometimes half an hour – naturally we don't see the everyday, mundane stuff that relationships are really made of.

Every story on TV has a beginning, a middle and an end that's nicely tied up. Life is just not like that. Things don't get resolved so easily, if at all.

Take the romance of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) on Friends as an example: their decade-long romance went through a rollercoaster of emotions: they start out as friends (even though Ross has had a crush on Rachel since high school) and in the course of the series, they get together romantically. They then break up, accidentally get married and subsequently get divorced.

Ross almost gets married to another woman but says Rachel's name at the altar. They consider getting back together but have a one-night stand instead which results in a baby. They live together as friends to raise their child and then they live apart and raise their child and finally, they get back together again. Rachel even gives up her dream job in Paris (working for Louis Vuitton) for Ross.

Isn't that the most romantic story ever? Yes! And so dramatic too! But is it real? I don't think so.

Are TV romances all just about chemistry? Chemistry alone will never work – Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) on Homeland have a lorry-load of chemistry (their love scenes are disturbing, if you ask me) but look where it's got them. They practically got the entire CIA killed off at the end of Season Two! As Lady Gaga would say, that's an example of a bad, bad, bad romance.

I'm really not a cynic. I like romance on TV. I too think it's sweet that Castle brings Beckett coffee every morning. He's a sweet guy and that's a nice gesture. But let's face it: it's just coffee. He doesn't even make it himself. He goes to a cafe and picks it up. It's the easiest thing to do. In the long term, this coffee ritual just isn't going to cut it. Romance will only take them a quarter of the way. The rest is respect and a great deal of tolerance … will they be able to manage it? We certainly won't see this on the show as real life is way too boring for a TV script.

Ok, so maybe I am a cynic or an unromantic curmudgeon after all.

My favourite TV romances aren't so steamy. Courtship is all well and good but I'd rather see a romance that has survived the test of time. I love the romances on the sitcom Modern Family. Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) may be embarrassing to have around but he's one of the best husbands on TV.

And while Phil and Claire's (Julie Bowen) lives may be unspectacular (revolving around their children or their house that's in need of repairs), they are a sweet couple who understand and put up with each other's idiosyncrasies. There are some romantic moments (like in the Valentine's Day episode in Season One when they pretend to be strangers who hook up at a hotel bar for a one-night stand) but these usually never go according to plan (Phil ends up going to the wrong hotel room!).

Claire's brother Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his live-in partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) are another couple I adore. They bicker all the time and they are as different as night and day (Mitch is slightly OCD and Cameron's a little too dramatic for his own good) but at the end of the day, all they want is to raise a happy family. Boring? Maybe. But they're happy and deal with things with a sense of humour … which is essential in any relationship, I reckon. – SI

> Which guys on TV would you say treat their women well? We'd love to hear from you. Drop us an e-mail at entertainment@thestar.com.my.

Harry Connick Jr to star in musical TV show

Posted:

First major role for the singer.

FOX is preparing a new series that will allow the American singer to bring both his musical and his acting talents to the screen, Deadline.com informs.

Already a judge on the channel's hit TV talent show American Idol, Harry Connick Jr. will continue his collaboration with Fox through a yet untitled musical series, to be authored by Eric and Justin Stangel, head writers on The Late Show with David Letterman.

The singer will play a successful entertainer who decides to step out of the limelight to spend more time with his teenage daughter.

The series will give Harry Connick Jr. his first major TV role. The singer has nonetheless appeared in a number of supporting roles on television, playing recurring characters on Will & Grace and Law & Order: SVU, to name a few.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Strong earnings growth for E&O
Petronas to defer retrofitting project on market uncertainty
Korea central bank holds rates, eyes US impasse

Strong earnings growth for E&O

Posted:

EASTERN & ORIENTAL BHD

By AmResearch

Buy (initiate)

Fair value: RM3.00

AMRESEARCH initiated coverage on Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O) with a fair value of RM3/share – based on a 35% discount to its net asset value (NAV) of RM4.61/share after incorporating the significant accretion to its asset value from Seri Tanjung Pinang 2 (STP2).

STP2 (308ha) with its high sea-fronting development potential and lucrative profit margin is the primary valuation driver. AmResearch's investment thesis is centred on its conviction that STP2 would be granted regulatory approvals from the Penang government by the first half of 2014 to commence reclamation works.

STP2 is critical to alleviate traffic congestion on the island via the construction of an undersea tunnel to the mainland.

E&O needs to surrender 24.3ha in STP2 in lieu of the concession and reclaim a further 53ha along the tourist belt of Jalan Gurney for the state government, which also has a 21% stake in STP2.

Given the strong sales pipeline comprising several prolific projects, namely Avira Wellness in Iskandar Malaysia and Princess House in London, AmResearch sees E&O's earnings expanding by a compounded growth of 18% over the next three years, from RM141mil in financial year 2014 to RM200mil in financial year 2016.

LPI CAPITAL BHD

By RHB Research Institute

Buy (upgrade)

Target price: RM18.70

LPI Capital Bhd's nine-month financial year 2013 results were a pleasant surprise to RHB Research, and prompted the brokerage to reverse its historical trend of earnings downgrades since 2010.

LPI's nine-month net profit growth of 24.7% year-on-year outpaced its topline premium growth of 5.3%. This robust performance was supported by stronger-than-expected underwriting margins in the general insurance segment (a positive surprise to us) and lower-than-usual effective tax rate due to a double tax deduction of RM2mil-RM3mil on the Malaysian Motor Insurance Pool. The general insurance segment's nine-month underwriting margins continued to improve to 28.5% (nine-month 2012: 23.3%, first half 2013: 26.8%). On a quarter-to-quarter basis, third quarter underwriting margins were largely unchanged at 31.6% vs 33.6% in second quarter 2013.

The research house was mainly surprised by the healthier overall net claims ratio of 46.5% for the nine months of 2013 (against 48.2% in the first half).

RHB Research adjusted its FY13/FY14 earnings per share upwards by 11.2%/13% as it believes the management is able to sustain a good track record.

The research unit expects LPI to announce the bulk of its dividends towards the fourth quarter, with a forecast FY13 dividend per share of 84 sen.

MSM MALAYSIA HOLDINGS BHD

By CIMB Research

Underperform (maintain)

Target price: RM5.00

THE Government has indicated the possibility of a reduction in sugar subsidy in the upcoming budget, which CIMB Research believes would be negative for MSM.

In its view, the move is likely as raw sugar prices are considerably lower since the last adjustment. Any increase in sugar prices can negatively impact MSM's domestic sales growth.

CIMB Research estimated that every 1% reduction in demand growth would lower its FY14 earnings forecast for MSM by 0.5%.

Should the Government raise the ceiling price for sugar by an amount equal to the subsidy cut, demand for sugar may be hurt.

The Government can save around RM160mil for every 10 sen/kg reduction in sugar subsidy, assuming that it subsidises 1.6 million tonnes of refined sugar per annum.

The last revision to sugar subsidy was during Budget 2013 when sugar subsidy was reduced by 20 sen and the ceiling price was raised by 20 sen.

CIMB Research remains cautious on MSM ahead of Budget 2014 as it is concerned that the potential subsidy cut will hurt MSM's profit.

The brokerage's current preferred pick in the consumer space is QL Resources.

DIGI.COM BHD

By PublicInvest Research

Neutral (downgrade)

Target price: RM5.40

ACCORDING to Reuters, Khazanah Nasional is selling up to RM293.5mil worth of shares in DiGi for RM4.80-RM4.97/share.

While PublicInvest Research viewed the disposal as short-term negative to DiGi's share price, the brokerage believed it was a matter of time before Khazanah sold off its non-core stake in DiGi.

In light of DiGi's recent share price outperformance over the past three months (relative returns of +6.9%) and limited upside to its target price of RM5.40, PublicInvest cut its call on DiGi to "neutral" from "outperform".

It said the disposal did not come as a surprise given that Khazanah's stake in DiGi was non-strategic. In addition, Khazanah is the largest shareholder (39%) in Axiata Group which wholly-owns Celcom (Malaysia's second largest mobile telephone operator and DiGi's competitor).

While PublicInvest said it liked DiGi for its strong cash flows and low gearing, it believes any upside may be capped in the near term due to Khazanah's disposal.

A key catalyst is the announcement of a business trust for DiGi's telecoms business. The company is expected to announce its decision on a business trust by year-end.

Petronas to defer retrofitting project on market uncertainty

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn Bhd has decided to defer the proposed retrofitting project of its lube base oil plant in Malacca.

In a statement on Thursday, Petronas said the deferment was made due to the uncertain outlook for base oil and the bid prices that have "adversely impacted the economic viability of the project".

It said the Malacca lube base oil plant started its commercial operation in 2008 with a capacity of producing approximately 270,000 tonnes per year of mostly Group III base oil, a major component for the manufacture of top tier automotive and industrial lubricants.

The retrofitting project, had it gone ahead, would have increased its production capacity by approximately 15% by 2017.

Korea central bank holds rates, eyes US impasse

Posted:

SEOUL: South Korea's central bank held rates as expected for a fifth straight month on Thursday, keeping its base rate at 2.50%.

Governor Kim Choong-soo is due to hold a news conference from 11:20am (0220 GMT).

All 21 analysts in a Reuters poll forecast the Bank of Korea would leave its base rate unchanged at 2.50% at its Oct 10 meeting. A majority of those who gave a clear forecast on the central bank's future rate move said interest rates would be hiked in 2014.

The central bank will release its latest batch of economic growth forecasts for this year and 2014 later on Thursday, from its previous projection of an annual 2.8% growth this year.

"The Bank of Korea will likely maintain a relatively bullish 2014 growth forecast for the time being. However, there are downside risks exist to the strength of domestic demand given elevated household debt and sluggish property prices," said Ronald Man, an economist at HSBC in Hong Kong.

"For now, eyes will be on economic data from key export partners such as China, as Korea's recovery will likely be export-led."

Markets were unimpressed with the widely-anticipated rate decision and shrugged off the news. The won was down 0.3% on the day at 1,076.4 per dollar as of 0112 GMT and September futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.04 points to 105.85. Seoul shares were up 0.1% at 2,005.41 points.

The central bank has reiterated in recent weeks that Asia's fourth-largest economy is slowly but steadily on its path to recovery after weathering two consecutive global crises from 2008.

Analysts have said the Bank of Korea has little, if any, reason to change rates until after the central bank's new governor, who takes office next April, is settled in his or her new position.

The recent tug-of-war between Congress and the White House to raise the US's debt ceiling is expected to have limited results, although for South Korea the long-term risks are on the downside.

"Right now, price pressures are too light for interest rates to change and there is very little chance that the Bank of Korea will change its policy before advanced economies do," said Lee Jae-hyung, a fixed-income analyst at Tong Yang Securities. - Reuters

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Bradley Cooper on the set in Hawaii with Cameron Crowe

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The American actor will be joined by Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone in the untitled project.

The filmmaker remains cryptic regarding the plot of the feature, formerly known under the working title Deep Tiki.

Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon were briefly affiliated with the project as early as 2008.

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The Star Online: Nation

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DPM: BM the language of unity
Malaysia to highlight efforts to check terror and crime
Sabah Mufti to face native court

DPM: BM the language of unity

Posted:

KANGAR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants the national language to be the tool for unity among all Malaysians.

As the language is widely spoken and understood, it is logical to promote it as a language which can unite and inspire Malaysians, he said when launching the national-level Bahasa Malaysia celebrations month at Dewan Wawasan 2020 here.

Both the public and private sectors must adopt and conceive programmes which use the national language to unite our diverse communities, said Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister.

He also urged institutions of higher learning to take the initiative to strengthen the learning, use and promotion of Bahasa Malaysia throughout their campuses.

Muhyiddin also pointed out that more rewards and incentives must be given to entice academicians to produce more journals in Bahasa Malaysia.

Writers should also be encouraged to focus more of their work in Bahasa Malaysia, he added.

"English is an internationally recognised language which must be mastered but similarly, Bahasa Malaysia is an iconic element in Malaysia.

"The language belongs to all Malaysians and we must take pride in ensuring its rightful place in society.

"It, too, must be preserved and its reach must be expanded even on the Internet to ensure that everybody comprehends and appreciates this language," he said yesterday.

Later, at the Seri Malaysia Hotel, Muhyiddin witnessed an agreement signing between Terramark Sdn Bhd and the Perlis Government to develop an integrated poultry farming project in Chuping and Titi Tinggi.

Company chairman Datuk Rosli Sharif represented Terramark while Mentri Besar Azlan Man represented the state.

With the agreement, Perlis hopes to become a top producer of halal poultry.

Rosli said the initial investment would be around RM270mil with 15,000 chicken being hatched within one year.

The infrastructure will consist of a breeding farm, a feedmill, a hi-tech hatchery and a training centre.

Rosli said the company's long-term goal was to help Malaysia reduce its production costs.

Perlis Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Sabri Ahmad said the company would create 700 jobs.

Malaysia to highlight efforts to check terror and crime

Posted:

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Malaysia will highlight efforts taken by dialogue partners to combat terrorism and transnational crime during the Asean Plus One Summit which begins here today.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Kuala Lumpur will also raise issues on disaster management, pandemic preparedness and response, as well as maritime security during the two-day event.

"We will highlight the progress and involvement of dialogue partners in various functional cooperation in Asean as well as on trade and investment, culture and education, as well as capacity building for intellectual property protection and enforcement," he said in a statement at the conclusion of the senior officials meeting here.

Anifah said the summit is also expected to touch on other regional and international issues such as disputes between nations in the resource rich South China Sea, situation in the Middle East, including in Syria and Palestine.

Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Taiwan have claimed various parts of the South China Sea which has some of the world's most important shipping lanes as well as rich fishing grounds.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at the sidelines of the summit here.

He said apart from the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the Asean Community's Post-2015 Vision, leaders are expected to, among others, adopt the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment, the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases in Asean, the Asean Declaration on Enhancing Cooperation in Disaster Management, the Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women and Elimination of Violence Against Children in Asean, the Joint Statement on Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Asean-China Strategic Partnership, and the Declaration of the 8th East Asia Summit on Food Security Cooperation.

Sabah Mufti to face native court

Posted:

PENAMPANG: Sabah Mufti Bungsu Aziz Jafaar (pic) has landed himself in a controversy following his alleged description of the Kadazans as "an invented race".

Kadazandusun leaders are not amused and would be hauling him up before a native court to answer to the community for the alleged insult.

The Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) filed a customary saman malu (a summons to appease the humiliation) at the Penampang district court against Bungsu here yesterday.

KSS deputy-president Sylvester Disimon, who filed the summons at the office of district chief (Customary) OKK Christopher Mojungkim, said Bungsu's remarks had drawn anger from the Kadazan community.

"Our feelings and dignity will be hurt beyond repair if it is not settled through the native court.

"Mufti Bungsu is therefore required to make appeasement to the Kadazan community in accordance with native customary law," he told reporters.

Bungsu had reportedly made the remarks at a symposium discussing the Malay leadership crisis in Putrajaya on Sept 28.

He had said that for the sake of the Malay Muslim community, natives in Sabah who are already Muslims must be recognised as Malays, referring to the Dusun, Bajau, Murut and other ethnicities that make up Sabah's many indigenous people.

He further compared the situation to the Kadazans, which according to him was an "invented" ethnic group made of non-Muslim Dusun people, who are mostly Catholics.

Disimon said the term "Kadazan" was never invented and is not of recent origin, as claimed by Bungsu. He said there is evidence the term had been used long before the 1950s.

He cited the book The Pagans of North Borneo by Owen Rutter in 1929 that stated a Dusun usually describes himself generically as a tulun tindal (landsman) or, on the west coast of the state, particularly at Papar, as a Kadazan.

Rutter worked in North Borneo (now Sabah) for five years from 1910 and left the state in 1914 when World War I broke out.

"So, if this misconception is left unchecked and not rectified, other communities might think that Bungsu's statement is correct," added Disimon.

Mojungkim said Bungsu is obliged to appear at the Penampang native court within 21 days (of the summons being field).

"If he fails to appear in the native court, we will work with the police to issue a warrant (of arrest) on him," he added.

Bungsu, of Brunei-Suluk ancestry, has yet to respond to the calls for him to explain his remarks.

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

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Man jailed for attacking wife’s lover

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A PRODUCTION worker, who returned home early from work to find his wife having sex with another man. was jailed for two months for attacking his wife's lover with two meat cleaving knives.

Zhuang Minhai, 29, attacked Zhang Zhiyang, 22, who as a result sustained an 8cm-long cut and a fracture of his right arm. Both men and Zhuang's wife, Lin Liyun, 29, are Chinese nationals and worked in the same factory.

A district court heard that on April 26, Zhuang was scheduled to work the night shift however he went home at 8.30pm because he was feeling unwell. When he returned to their rented room at Boon Lay Drive, he found his wife in bed with Zhang.

He punched the other man on the back several times and told him to leave the room. When Zhang refused, Zhuang armed himself with two meat cleavers from the kitchen.

Zhang was able to evade the first two swings of the choppers but he was slashed by the third attack.

He underwent surgery the next day.

The landlady called the police after the commotion

Zhuang pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt to Zhang. Defence counsel Justin Phua said that his client had paid the victim S$4,000 (RM10,186) to cover the medical expenses and a further S$5,000 (RM12,732) in compensation.

The lawyer also told the court that Zhuang, who had worked here since 2001, had a "heart-to-heart talk" with Lin and has forgiven her. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

Man jailed for attacking wife’s lover

Posted:

A PRODUCTION worker, who returned home early from work to find his wife having sex with another man. was jailed for two months for attacking his wife's lover with two meat cleaving knives.

He punched the other man on the back several times and told him to leave the room. When Zhang refused, Zhuang armed himself with two meat cleavers from the kitchen.

Zhang was able to evade the first two swings of the choppers but he was slashed by the third attack.

He underwent surgery the next day.

The landlady called the police after the commotion

The lawyer also told the court that Zhuang, who had worked here since 2001, had a "heart-to-heart talk" with Lin and has forgiven her. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Consumers unfazed by food price hike

Posted:

CONSUMERS in Singapore are relatively unfazed by the thought of food prices heading north, with 69% indicating there is enough flexibility in their household budget to absorb a rise in food prices.

They also do not think that they would make significant sacrifices to their spending in other areas if food prices do rise, according to a report released yesterday by research firm Nielsen.

A similar sentiment was seen in other countries in Southeast Asia including Thailand (78%), Indonesia (70%), Vietnam (70%), Malaysia (66%) and the Philippines (58%).

The survey, which polled more than 29,000 Internet respondents in 58 countries also found that while many Singaporeans were unlikely to make significant spending cuts to cope with rising food prices, many indicated that they would look to dine out less, buy fewer clothes and accessories and eat less snack foods should the need arise. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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Sweet fantasy at the 13th Global Chinese Music Awards

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988 pulls out all the stops for the 13th Global Chinese Music Awards.

IT was a night of glitz and glamour at Bukit Jalil Putra Indoor Stadium on Saturday as the 13th Global Chinese Music Awards (GCMA) kept audiences enthralled with an unending parade of pop stars.

Celebrities arrived at the awards show in style courtesy of the event's official car Peugeot.

Joey Yung and Raymond Lam (second from right) arriving in style in a Peugeot.

The biggest winner of the night was Hong Kong's statuesque Kay Tse who swept six awards: Outstanding Regional Singer (Hong Kong), Best Dressed, Most Popular Duet (with William So), Charismatic Voice, Top 5 Most Popular Female Singers, Top 20 Hits Of The Year.

Homegrown stars Gary Chaw, Penny Tai, Michael Wong, Gin Lee and Issac Dang grabbed the top awards of Best Male and Female Singers, Most Popular Male Singer, Outstanding Regional Singer and Most Popular Newcomer respectively.

Kay Tse, the biggest winner of the night, took home six awards.

Most Popular Female Singer went to Hong Kong's Joey Yung, who also won for Best Album.

The audience were wowed by the likes of talented young Malaysian artistes including Shila Amzah, Crystal Lee and Dennis Lau who performed at start of the show.

Shila Hamzah (right), Crystal Lee (accompanied by her father David Lee) thrill fans at the red carpet. That's a tall hairdo for a petite girl like Crystal!

Shila Amzah (right) and Crystal Lee (accompanied by her father David Lee) thrill fans at the red carpet. That's a tall hairdo for a petite girl like Crystal!

Apart from Kay Tse, Malaysia's Isaac Dang was also the recipient of the Best Dressed awards. Both Tse and Dang were attired in outfits which reflected the event's dress code - Punk Fantasy.

The theme for this year's GCMA was "Play. Music. Hard", and a total of 74 awards were given out in 24 different categories.

The event was hosted by local Chinese radio station 988. This is the second time the station hosted the show; it first hosted the GCMA in 2005.

(From left) Nasim chief operating officer Datuk Samson Anand George, 988 programme manager Lim Tock Peng, The Star Media Group executive deputy chairman Tan Sri Vincent Lee and Star Radio Group deputy group chief broadcastin officer Kudsia Kahar at 13th Global Chinese Music Award.

988 programme manager Lim Tock Peng presenting a souvenir to Peugeot car distributor Nasim Sdn Bhd's chief operating officer Datuk Samson Anand George.

Originally derived from a weekly radio chart show, the GCMA's main objective is to promote the development of Chinese music and reward outstanding contributions in the Chinese music industry.

Established in 2000, the annual GCMA is organised by seven affiliate Asian radio stations from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia which take turns to host the awards ceremony.

The seven radio stations are Beijing Music Radio, Shanghai Dong Gan 101, Music FM Radio Guang Dong, Hong Kong's RTHK, Taipei Pop Radio, Singapore's YES 933 and Malaysia's own 988.

> The Star operates 988. For more on GCMA, visit 988.com.my or gcma2013.com.

Related story:

Winners at the 13th GCMA

Francis Wolf delivers first book

Posted:

Francis Wolf chronicles punk life on the road in his first book project.

Francis Wolf will not pretend to have penned a literary classic. But the independent singer-songwriter takes immense pride in finishing off a piece of work that has nagged him for the past 12 years. His first book Social Carbon Copy: Stories From The Road 2000-2002, which is self-published by the Doyerown Books imprint, is out this Wednesday.

"All I can say is it wasn't an easy book to write, but it had to be written," reveals Wolf about this "tour diary" that chronicles his touring (mis)adventures with his band Spunky Funggy.

Social Carbon Copy: Stories From The Road 2000-2002, according to the 40-year-old musician, is an honest account of an underground Malaysian band aiming to take on the world on its own terms – struggling, succeeding, crashing spectacularly and rising again with colourful stories to be told.

Francis Wolf's 'Social Carbon Copy', which is a behind-the-scenes account of the career struggles and endless disorientations in the touring life of Malaysian independent band Spunky Funggy.

Francis Wolf's Social Carbon Copy is a behind-the-scenes account of the career struggles and endless disorientations in the touring life of Malaysian independent band Spunky Funggy.

Amazon, which released a Kindle edition of the book last month, describes it as: "Spunky Funggy's account of their disastrous attempt to tour Australia and how they bounced back to an eventful follow-up tour of Thailand a mere year later."

Back in 2000, Spunky Funggy, which featured frontman/guitarist Wolf, bassist Lan and drummer Chong, released its debut album Smile For The Revolution. The album laid the groundwork for bigger things ahead for the punk rock-inspired trio, which had earned its stripes in the 1990s underground scene. It went on to sell 18,000 copies.

"It was a heady time for Spunky Funggy – we were positively sparking from all the attention. Then we suddenly disappeared without a trace. This book picks up the pieces," he adds.

For his book, Wolf also rescues a previously released chapter featured in his fanzine Take Your Sh** And Walk (2002) and carries the story on with his reflections from the road, rock 'n' roll dreams and fractured friendships.

In his foreword, Wolf nails the spirit of this book by writing: "Reading the manuscript as I was transcribing this book made me realise where I was and where I am right now. How I view the world and how being a punk was important to being me. Sometimes we forget the plot and it's very awesome when your younger self reminds you of what is important."

A nationwide busking tour to promote the book is on the cards.

Social Carbon Copy: Stories From The Road 2000-2002 will be released first in English this Wednesday, while a Malay edition arrives in November. The book costs RM12 (post paid). More details at www.facebook.com/socialcarboncopy. E-mail: doyerown@yahoo.com.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Rabu, 9 Oktober 2013