Sabtu, 9 November 2013

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Decoding the cyber attacks

Posted:

Hacktivism arrived in Singapore 10 days ago in the form of "the Messiah", who claimed to be a member of global cyber activism group Anonymous. He threatened to unleash a legion of hackers on the country and its infrastructure if the Government did not revoke its licensing regime for news websites. Should Singaporeans be afraid?

ON OCT 29, as ordinary Singaporeans went about their Tuesday, political protest took an unexpected turn.

This day marked the arrival of the hacktivist in Singapore – a new breed of protester who hacks into online sites to make a point. And that day, the Singapore Government was his declared target.

In a blurry YouTube video, a masked man threatened chaos on the country and its infrastructure if the licensing regime for news websites, instituted in June, was not lifted.

Identifying himself as a part of cyber activism group Anonymous, he declared: "For every single time you deprive a citizen his right to information, we will cost you financial loss by aggressive cyber-intrusion."

What preceded and followed the video message were defacements of several websites, from that of the Ang Mo Kio Town Council to The Straits Times' blog section, by a hacker calling himself "the Messiah".

Last Saturday, when several government websites went down for several hours, some Singaporeans wondered if it was the start of the threatened chaos.

Communications consultant Priscilla Wong, 36, says: "My first thought was, could this be 'the Messiah' carrying out his threats?"

But the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore, the local sector regulator, told the media that it was not a case of hacking, but of scheduled maintenance that took longer than expected due to technical glitches.

Then, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the authorities would spare no effort in finding the hackers, and that they would be dealt with severely.

Two days later, a page on both the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Istana websites were hacked in retaliation.

This move took the hostilities to a new level, say observers.

"If you presume it's the same guy or the same group, then this shows escalating tensions," says PAP MP Zaqy Mohamad, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communications.

"I suppose they took PM's words as a challenge, and to some extent, it showed their confidence and brazenness."

How significant is this emergence of local hacktivism, and what are the ramifications?

What happened?

While the website defacement left many wondering if the leaking of classified personal information was just a string of codes away, cyber experts say there is a gulf between the technical skills required for the two acts, and that the two activities tend to be carried out by different groups for different purposes.

Website defacements are generally considered "low-level" hacking jobs, says Paul Ducklin, a consultant at security software firm Sophos.

The next level up is DDoS attacks, short for Distributed Denial of Service.

In DDoS attacks, the attacker creates a network using thousands of infected computers worldwide, which are then made to overwhelm a targeted site with a huge spike in traffic.

The IDA revealed on Friday that there was an unusually high level of traffic to many government websites on Nov 5, the day of the Messiah's threatened attack, and that these indicated either attempts to scan for vulnerabilities or potential DDoS attempts.

While such attacks may cause inconveniences by slowing down website access for users, they do not usually result in a loss of data or information.

In the case of the PMO and Istana Web pages, the hackers exploited a vulnerability known as "cross-site scripting", which resides in an unpatched Google search bar embedded in a Web page on each of the two government websites.

Users had to type a specially crafted string of alpha-numeric search terms – understood to have been circulated on online forums – in the Google search bar before an image resembling a defaced page came on screen.

IDA assistant chief executive James Kang stressed that the integrity and operations of both sites were not affected.

"Data was not compromised, the site was not down and users were not affected," he said.

The most severe attacks, those resulting in personal information theft, are usually carried out in stealth by organised crime groups for financial gain, say experts.

They use computer programs such as keylogging software to harvest passwords and banking account details.

Foreign academics studying the Anonymous group note that the hacktivists do not have the financial wherewithal, nor desire, to perpetrate this level of cyber crime.

An expert on the Anonymous collective, Gabriella Coleman of Canada's McGill University, wrote in a recent academic paper: "It has neither the steady income nor the fiscal sponsorship to support a dedicated team tasked with recruiting individuals, coordinating activities and developing sophisticated software."

The Messiah's actions so far seem consistent with Anonymous' modus operandi of symbolic protest instead of real damage.

"The attacks so far were mainly targeted at government-linked organisations with the purpose of creating attention, rather than causing direct damage," says Alvin Tan, director for anti-virus software company McAfee Singapore and the Philippines.

The Internet Society's Singapore chapter president Harish Pillay emphasises that the websites that have been defaced by "the Messiah" are not high-security ones.

There is no reason to link the hacking of such websites to intrusion into classified government databases, he says. "That's like saying that since a shophouse next to Parliament House got burgled, then Parliament House is in danger of being burgled. The two are not the same."

Still, the threats have made an impact.

Last Saturday, the IDA took down some of the gov.sg websites for maintenance in an attempt to patch vulnerabilities.

A combination of Internet routing issues and hardware failures caused a glitch, which took the websites offline longer than expected that day, IDA said.

Plugging weaknesses

On Wednesday, PM Lee confirmed that the Government was beefing up its systems but cautioned that it was not possible to be "100% waterproof", as IT systems are complicated and "somewhere or other, there will be some weakness which could be exploited".

In the wake of the hacking of the PMO and Istana pages, the IDA said that it is continuing to strengthen all government websites. This includes the checking and fixing of vulnerabilities and software patching.

But bringing cyber security here up to a level that could deter elite "crackers" – the term for ill-intentioned hackers – will be challenging, say experts.

A major obstacle is the lack of security experts not just in Singapore but also worldwide.

Singaporean Freddy Tan, chairman of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium – or (ISC)2, estimates the shortfall of infocomm security staff in Singapore to be at least 400. (ISC)2 is the world's largest not-for-profit body that educates and certifies IT security professionals.

Specifically, there is a severe shortage of security analysts and digital forensics workers who monitor Internet traffic patterns, says Tan.

Value of cyber protest

"The Messiah" and his colleagues have heralded a new age of digital protest here.

But observers are split on whether it is a valuable form of social and political activism.

"It gets people to sit up and ask, what's going on here?" notes Pillay.

When it comes to the issues, the Messiah and his colleagues seem to be interested in a gamut of them.

Experts say the overall agenda seems to concern equality, looking out for the underdog and a call for transparency.

The lynchpin demand, made in the YouTube video on Oct 29, was directed at the Government's licensing regime for news websites.

The regulations require selected news sites with at least 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore each month over a period of two months to post a S$50,000 (RM130,000) bond and take down content against public interest or national harmony within 24 hours.

It is opposed by some for what they perceive as its intent to suppress online free speech, and a group of bloggers has mounted a "Free My Internet" campaign against it.

But the group has distanced itself from "the Messiah", and among prominent online commentators a rift has emerged over whether to denounce the hacking or accept it as another form of social and political activism that could effect change in its own way.

The hackers' threats spurred some Netizens to reject this method of seeking to change policies, arguing that it amounted to one group seeking to impose its views on others rather than arguing its case.

The Online Citizen, for example, said it did not condone Anonymous' tactics, saying it did not condone "intentional violations of the law which are calculated to sabotage and disrupt Internet services which innocent third parties rely on for data".

Some have likened hacking to the civil disobedience practised by Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan in the 1990s, when he argued that it was just to disobey an unjust law.

But if "the Messiah" wanted to add his heft to the campaign against the website licensing regime, observers were confused by his timing.

After all, it was announced in June, and the outcry and public protests against it took place later that month.

"Hacking Singapore sites for a law that was passed half a year ago is like laughing at a joke after everyone has left the party," notes Professor Ang Peng Hwa, director at the Singapore Internet Research Centre.

If and when the hackers are identified, the Singapore authorities are likely to bring a gamut of laws down to bear on them, say local lawyers.

"At least three of Singapore's broad laws might be invoked," says lawyer Gilbert Leong, partner at Rodyk & Davidson.

The first is the new Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act, passed in Parliament in January. It was called the Computer Misuse Act before but was amended to allow the Minister for Home Affairs to order a person or organisation to act against any cyber attack even before it has begun.

For instance, telcos might have already been roped in to track the hacker.

The second is the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, which may be used against those who publish subversive materials that compromise public order.

The third law is the Sedition Act, for exciting disaffection against the Government.

Facing charges

Whoever was behind the YouTube video could also face charges under the Internal Security Act for threatening the security of the Internet, says lawyer Bryan Tan, a partner in Pinsent Masons MPillay.

If caught and proven guilty, "the Messiah" could face hefty fines and years in prison for his hacktivism.

Law enforcers' jobs would be made harder if "the Messiah" and his colleagues do not reside in Singapore.

However, another law – the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism) Measures Regulations – might be used to extradite the offender to Singapore.

This law might be used as "the Messiah" had threatened to attack Singapore's infrastructure, which could be deemed by the authorities as a terrorist act.

Whatever comes of "the Messiah" and Anonymous' arrival in Singapore, hacktivism looks to be a new fact of life in an inter-connected, politicised society.

It is however a tactic that many activists online have been quick to reject and Singaporeans on the whole have shown little interest in supporting. — The Straits Times/ANN

Transgender woman jailed two years for attacking boyfriend

Posted:

A TRANSGENDER woman attacked her boyfriend with a knife, a pair of scissors and a fork after he "unfriended" her on Facebook and changed his status to "single".

William Hanz De Veyra Arriesgado, a 25-year-old Filipino who had a sex change but could not change her name under her country's laws, was sentenced to two years in jail yesterday for causing her Australian lover, 47-year-old bank worker Colin James Peady, grievous hurt.

Commenting on the 16 separate and serious injuries inflicted on Peady, District Judge Eugene Teo said: "The grievous assault – even if haphazard – was sustained and determined; persisting even after the victim had fallen over in a heap." — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Thailand ranks near bottom in English proficiency

Posted:

Thailand ranks near the bottom in an English proficiency survey, showing the persistence of one of the key competitive weaknesses of the Thai economy.

Out of 60 countries and territories where English is not their mother tongue, Thailand manages only 55th place – outdoing only Panama, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to the EF English Proficiency Index.

The survey on adults was conducted by the global leader in international education, EF Education First, which is based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Poor English skills indicate the small base of competent adult English speakers necessary for a globalised workforce.

"Comparison of countries with their neighbours, trading partners and rivals provides a fascinating study in divergent national priorities and educational policies worldwide," Christopher McCormick, head of EF's Academic Affairs and Research Network, said last week.

"We found that by engaging in a national dialogue about English, stakeholders can help align goals, improve incentives and focus on teaching English for communication. The economic impact of such a coordinated programme is clear."

All over Asia, Thailand's ranking is only above Kazakhstan. Leading the regional league is Malaysia with a score of 58.99 score, followed by Singapore. The others – India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and China – are all over 50 points, while Thailand gained only 44.44.

The survey was conducted in the realisation that English is now a communication tool in the globalised era, when work becomes more delocalised and information more decentralised.

Educational institutions, driven by the demands of society, are increasingly embracing English language learning.

Many school systems now require English study starting in primary school, much as they do math or science. University professors are delivering lectures in English to prepare their students better for life after graduation.

Companies both large and small, international and domestic, are mandating English as their corporate language.

And individuals, whether jobseekers or ambitious parents, are pouring money into private English training.

"Some Asian countries, in particular Indonesia and Vietnam, have transformed their English proficiency over the six-year period. China has also improved, although less dramatically. Japan and South Korea, despite enormous private investment, have declined slightly," the report said.

In another report on Doing Business in English, EF Education First noted that an increasing number of companies have recognised the long-term advantages to productivity and growth that adopting English as a common company language can have.

Nokia, SAP, Samsung, Aventis and Renault have already mandated English as the corporate language. Joining its peers in 2010 was Rakuten, Japan's first and largest online marketplace.

The primary challenges were to make sure the new policy was implemented uniformly, to motivate employees to raise their level of English quickly without undermining their self-confidence and to minimise productivity losses during the period when many employees' English was still limited.

"It is clear to many business leaders that English is increasingly a key component of their competitiveness. Many companies, both large and small, are taking the logical next step by asking their employees to use and improve their English every day in the workplace."

This year's EF EPI Index country rankings are based on tests taken by 750,000 adults from 60 countries last year.

The analysis of evolving English proficiency over a six-year period (2007-2012 inclusive) uses test data from nearly five million adults.

Other key findings include the fact that seven European countries, excluding France, that show the strongest English are all small European nations, whose size compels them to adopt an international outlook.

The Middle East and North Africa are the weakest regions in English. - The Nation/ANN

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


A sidekick for Batman

Posted:

TV star Adam Driver has been rumoured as top choice to play Nightwing.

Girls star Adam Driver has emerged as the frontrunner to play Batman's crime-fighting partner Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing (formerly Robin), in Zack Snyder's superhero sequel Batman vs. Superman, two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap. Warner Bros had no comment.

Driver boasts a unique look that fits the rumoured description of Nightwing – Grayson's post-Robin alter-ego – as a "young John Hawkes", as first reported by Latino Review. At 1.9m, Driver could hold his own against 1.95m Ben Affleck, who will play an older and world-weary Batman.

A source tells TheWrap that at least two other actors may be in the mix to play Grayson, the Caped Crusader's former sidekick, who's been estranged from Bruce Wayne for years in the movie, according to Latino Review. Henry Cavill is set to reprise his role as Superman alongside his Man Of Steel co-stars Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne.

Driver – who did a stint in the US Marines after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks – is a new favourite on the Warner Bros lot, where he made a strong impression on the studio's Greg Silverman with his performance in WB's dysfunctional family comedy This Is Where I Leave You.

Shawn Levy directed the 2014 release, in which Driver plays the brother of Tina Fey, Jason Bateman and Corey Stoll and the son of Jane Fonda. Warner Bros has been busy searching for Batman vs. Superman's female lead, who is expected to serve as a love interest for Batman. Olga Kurylenko is the frontrunner, though Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious) and Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) have also tested for the part and remain in contention.

It's unclear whether the coveted role is that of Wonder Woman or her alter ego Diana Prince, who is expected to make a brief appearance along with fellow DC Comics character the Flash.

Warner Bros will release Batman vs. Superman on July 17, 2015.

Since his breakout, Emmy-nominated turn as Adam Sackler on Girls, Driver has worked with Clint Eastwood on J. Edgar, Steven Spielberg on Lincoln and the Coen brothers on Inside Llewyn Davis. Driver next stars opposite Mia Wasikowska in John Curran's Tracks and will soon be seen alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Mackenzie Davis in CBS Films' romantic comedy The F Word.

He has also reteamed with Frances Ha director Noah Baumbach on While We're Young. — Reuters

Game on for Harrison Ford

Posted:

More than 30 years after Star Wars, Harrison Ford has returned to inter-stellar space battles in big-budget sci-fi spectacular Ender's Game.

But the 71-year-old insists it's the human relations rather than hi-tech wizardry that drew him to the project, developed from a novel by Orson Scott Card and directed by South African X-Men director Gavin Hood.

"It doesn't matter to me whether I go back into outer space or not," he told reporters in Beverly Hills.

"The job is the same and I don't have any sort of genre preferences.

"I'm just looking for a good story, a good character, whether Earth-bound or not."

In a film which will resonate with Star Wars fans recalling the young Luke Skywalker and the crusty Han Solo, Ford plays Colonel Graff, training a group of children and teenagers how to protect the Earth from an alien invasion.

The best bet to save the world is Ender, played by Britain's Asa Butterfield, who starred in Martin Scorsese's 2011 drama Hugo.

Timid, but with an exceptional gift for military strategy and tactics, he becomes the hero of a film in which inter-galactic battles are played out in space and in a simulated game world.

It is almost Ford's first sci-fi film since the last Star Wars movie, apart from a role in 2011's Cowboys And Aliens.

And science fiction has changed quite a bit since director George Lucas released the initial trilogy of the cult movie franchise in 1977 – as Ford explained as he presented his latest movie.

"When we were making Star Wars, they were putting together space ships out of plastic model kits of cars, boats and trains, and gluing them all together, and then putting them on a stick and flying them past the camera.

"And it worked. It was fine. Add a little music and you believed that big spaceship coming over your head," he said.

Dismisses the label "icon"

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) can achieve incredible effects, but the veteran Hollywood actor warns they should not be abused.

"Often in those cases I feel you lose touch with the human characters and what it is that they would feel and how they might feel, and that's still the most important part.

Into his seventh decade, the actor is in fact busier than ever, with three other films released this year: 42, Paranoia and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

But the legendary Indiana Jones actor, while one of the most famous actors in the world, dismisses the label of "icon".

"An icon means nothing to me. I don't understand what it means to anybody, actually. It seems like a word of convenience.

"It seems to attend to the huge success of certain kinds of movies that I did, but ... I don't know what an icon does, except stand in a corner quietly accepting everyone's attention," he joked. — AFP Relaxnews

Coming Soon

Posted:

Movies that are coming to Malaysian cinemas.

Free Birds The taglines for this film include "The greatest turkey movie of all time" and "Hang on to your nuggets". It revolves around two turkeys who travel back in time to change an important tradition – getting turkey off the holiday menu. Voice cast includes Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson and Dan Fogler.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire Katniss Everdeen has sparked a revolution among the people of Panem. This causes President Snow to panic, and he stages a new round of games to punish her. Jennifer Lawrence is back as the "girl on fire".

'Darn it! Of all the times to receive a psychic summons from Prof Xavier. And he should really learn to stop shouting!'

'Darn it! Of all the times to receive a psychic summons from Prof Xavier. And he should really learn to stop shouting!'

Kick-Ass Girls This action packed film features loads of beautiful people including Malaysian actresses Emily Lim and Chris Tong. Besides these two former beauty queens, there are also Hong Kong stars La Ying of the boy band Bro5, and model King Chu.

'Look, it's nothing personal ... since we're Kick-Ass Girls, someone's gotta get their @$$ kicked, and you drew the short straw.'

'Look, it's nothing personal ... since we're Kick-Ass Girls, someone's gotta get their @$$ kicked, and you drew the short straw.'

Battle Of The Year Based on a real-life event that has dancers from all over the world competing in a group dance competition. The American team is vying to win this year. Josh Holloway does not dance, but heads the cast (of real dancers) anyway.

'Wrong movie, Bub - we're not X-Men either.'

'Wrong movie, Bub – we're not X-Men either.'

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Maldives' democratic process breaks down again amid bickering

Posted:

MALE (Reuters) - The Maldives' top court delayed holding the second round of the country's presidential poll yet again on Sunday, prolonging a political crisis that has sparked international criticism over the Indian Ocean state's repeated failure to hold free elections.

Mohamed Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader who first came to power in 2008 after 30 years of one-man rule, won the first round of voting on Saturday but failed to win a clear majority.

The run-off was scheduled to take place on Sunday but the Supreme Court has delayed it until Saturday, in line with demands from Nasheed's two biggest rivals.

This weekend's poll was the Maldives' third attempt to elect a new president in as many months, but the democratic process once again broke down amid bickering between political factions.

The delay makes it unclear who will actually be in charge of the country from Monday, when the incumbent steps down. It is yet another distraction for a country known more for its luxury beach resorts than its recent bouts of unrest.

Whoever wins will face a rise in Islamist ideology, human rights abuses and a lack of investor confidence. The political crisis has hit tourism, a vital source of earnings, and the Maldives has faced fuel shortages because it is unable to pay suppliers on time amid dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

"To delay second-round voting beyond the constitutional requirements for a new government by November 11 will create uncertainties that may destabilise the Maldives," the U.S. States Department said in a statement.

"It is unreasonable and unacceptable for parties to continue to demand changes to an agreed election date."

A September 7 vote was annulled based on a secret police report which found vote rigging while an October poll was halted by police after a Supreme Court ruling.

Nasheed, who was ousted from power last year in circumstances that his supporters say amounted to a coup, won 46.93 percent of the vote, the official results showed.

Nasheed's main opponent is Abdulla Yameen, a half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the islands for 30 years and was considered a dictator by opponents and rights groups. Yameen won 29.72 percent of the vote, while resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim, a finance minister under Gayoom, secured 23.34 percent.

(Writing by Shihar Aneez in Colombo; Editing by Matthias Williams nd Nick Macfie)

Philippine super typhoon kills at least 10,000, official says

Posted:

TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters) - One of the most powerful storms recorded killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines, a senior police official said on Sunday, with huge waves sweeping away entire coastal villages and devastating the region's main city.

Super typhoon Haiyan destroyed about 70 to 80 percent of the area in its path as it tore through Leyte province on Friday, said chief superintendent Elmer Soria, a regional police director.

Most of the deaths appear to have been caused by surging sea water strewn with debris that many described as similar to a tsunami, levelling houses and drowning hundreds of people in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the typhoon-prone Southeast Asian nation.

The national government and disaster agency have not confirmed the latest estimate of deaths, a sharp increase from initial estimates on Saturday of at least 1,000 killed.

"We had a meeting last night with the governor and the other officials. The governor said, based on their estimate, 10,000 died," Soria told Reuters. "The devastation is so big."

Witnesses and officials described chaotic scenes in Leyte's capital, Tacloban, a coastal city of 220,000 about 580 km (360 miles) southeast of Manila, with hundreds of bodies piled on the sides of roads and pinned under wrecked houses.

The city and nearby villages as far as one kilometre from shore were flooded by the storm surge, leaving floating bodies and roads choked with debris from fallen trees, tangled power lines and flattened homes. TV footage showed children clinging to rooftops for their lives.

Many internet users urged prayers for survivors in the largely Roman Catholic nation on social media sites such as Twitter.

"From a helicopter, you can see the extent of devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometre inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami," said Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas, who had been in Tacloban since before the typhoon struck the city.

"I don't know how to describe what I saw. It's horrific."

Mila Ward, an Australian citizen and Filipino by birth who was in Leyte on vacation visiting her family, said she saw hundreds of bodies on the streets.

"They were covered with blankets, plastic. There were children and women," she said.

Six people were killed and dozens wounded during heavy winds and storms in central Vietnam as Haiyan approached the coast, state media reported, even though it had weakened substantially since hitting the Philippines with winds gusts of up to 275 kph (170 mph).

LOOTERS TAKE WHAT THEY CAN

Vietnam authorities have moved 883,000 people in 11 central provinces to safe zones, according to the government's website. Despite weakening, the storm is likely to cause heavy rains, flooding, strong winds and mudslides as it makes its way north in the South China Sea.

Looters rampaged through several stores in Tacloban, witnesses said, taking whatever they could find as rescuers' efforts to deliver food and water were hampered by severed roads and communications.

"They are taking everything, even appliances like TV sets. These will be traded later on for food," said Tecson John Lim, the Tacloban city administrator.

"We don't have enough manpower. We have 2,000 employees but only about 100 are reporting for work. Everyone is attending to their families."

Lim said city officials had so far only collected 300-400 bodies, but believed the death toll in the city alone could be 10,000.

International aid agencies said relief efforts in the Philippines are stretched thin after a 7.2 magnitude quake in central Bohol province last month and displacement caused by a conflict with Muslim rebels in southern Zamboanga province.

The World Food Programme said it was airlifting 40 tonnes of high energy biscuits, enough to feed 120,000 people for a day, as well as emergency supplies and telecommunications equipment.

Tacloban city airport was all but destroyed as seawaters swept through the city, shattering the glass of the airport tower, levelling the terminal and overturning nearby vehicles.

A Reuters reporter saw five bodies inside a chapel near the airport, placed on pews.

Airport manager Efren Nagrama, 47, said water levels rose up to four metres (13 feet).

"It was like a tsunami. We escaped through the windows and I held on to a pole for about an hour as rain, seawater and wind swept through the airport," he said. "Some of my staff survived by clinging to trees. I prayed hard all throughout until the water subsided."

Iran nuclear talks fail to reach deal, France pushes back

Posted:

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran and six world powers failed in marathon talks to clinch a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program but said differences had narrowed and they would resume negotiations in 10 days in a fresh bid to end the decade-old standoff.

But clear divisions emerged among the U.S. and European allies on the final day of the talks as France hinted that the proposal under discussion did not sufficiently neutralize the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Iran is hoping for a deal that would ease the international sanctions that have frozen its assets around the world and prevented it from selling its oil.

It is ultimately the Americans and Iranians, who have not had formal diplomatic ties for more than three decades, who have the power to make or break an agreement.

But on Saturday the attention suddenly turned to the French after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio that Paris could not accept a "fool's game" - in other words, a weak deal with Iran.

"From the start, France wanted an agreement to the important question of Iran's nuclear programme," Fabius told reporters after the meeting, which ran into the early hours of Sunday.

"The Geneva meeting allowed us to advance but we were not able to conclude because there are still some questions to be addressed," Fabius said.

Fabius' pointed remarks rankled others in the Western camp. One diplomat close to the negotiations said the French were trying to upstage the other powers and were causing unnecessary trouble for participants in the talks, which are aimed at securing a deal with Iran that has eluded the West for a decade.

"The Americans, the EU and the Iranians have been working intensively together for months on this proposal and this is nothing more than an attempt by Fabius to insert himself into relevance late in the negotiations," the diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

KERRY SEES UNITY

Kerry played down suggestions of a rift, saying, "I think tonight there is a unity in our position and a unity in the purpose as we leave here."

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said senior political officials from Iran and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany would meet again on November 20 to work on a deal.

Kerry told reporters that an agreement could be within reach.

"There is no question in my mind that we are closer now as we leave Geneva than we were when we came and that with good work and good faith over the course of the next weeks, we can, in fact, secure our goal," Kerry said.

"We came to Geneva to narrow the differences and I can tell you without any exaggeration we ... narrowed the differences and clarified those that remain," he said.

But he warned Tehran that Washington's desire for a diplomatic solution to the long-running dispute over Iran's nuclear programme was not infinite, saying the window for diplomacy "does not stay open indefinitely."

Ministers from Iran and the major powers held a series of meetings late on Saturday in a final push for an outline of a deal that would freeze parts of Iran's atomic programme in exchange for sanctions relief. In the end, however, they chose to adjourn for 10 days.

Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said they hoped an agreement would be signed later this month.

"We have done some intense negotiations and discussions and our objective is to reach a conclusion and that's what we will come back to try and do," Ashton told reporters.

Zarif said: "We had a very good three days, very productive three days, and it is something we can build on."

The latest talks began on Thursday and Kerry unexpectedly arrived on Friday to help bridge differences and secure an agreement. From the time he arrived in Geneva, Kerry played down expectations of a deal.

Fabius, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and their counterparts from Russia and Germany, Sergei Lavrov and Guido Westerwelle, also attended, along with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong, demonstrating the six-nation group's commitment to reaching an agreement.

"DIFFERENCES OF VIEWS"

Zarif, asked about the role Fabius played in the talks, did not criticize the French minister, saying disagreements at this stage of the negotiations were to be expected.

"It was natural that when we start dealing with the details there will be differences of views and we expect it," he said. "I am not disappointed at all because the meeting we just had ... was a good meeting.

"I think we are all on the same wavelength and that is important and that gives us the impetus to move forward when we meet again next time."

The main sticking points in the talks include calls for a shutdown of an Iranian reactor that could eventually help to produce weapons-grade plutonium, the fate of Iran's stockpile of higher-enriched uranium and the nature and sequencing of relief from economic sanctions sought by Tehran.

The powers remain concerned that Iran is continuing to amass enriched uranium not for future nuclear power stations, as Tehran says, but as potential fuel for nuclear warheads.

They are searching for a preliminary agreement that would restrain Iran's nuclear programme and make it more transparent for U.N. anti-proliferation inspectors. In exchange, Tehran would obtain phased and initially limited relief from the sanctions throttling the economy of the giant OPEC state.

Iran and the six powers have been discussing a partial nuclear suspension deal lasting about six months. During that time, Iran and the six powers would negotiate a permanent agreement aimed at removing all concerns that Tehran is amassing the capability to produce nuclear weapons.

One concession under consideration is the disbursement to Iran, in instalments, about $50 billion of Iranian funds blocked in foreign accounts for years.

Another step could be temporarily relaxing restrictions on precious metals trade and Washington suspending pressure on countries not to buy Iranian oil.

Negotiators have limited political room to manoeuvre as there is hard-line resistance to any rapprochement both in Tehran - especially among its elite Revolutionary Guards and conservative Shi'ite clerics - and in the U.S. Congress.

Kerry appeared to respond to his critics in the U.S. legislature by saying, "This is an issue of such consequence that really needs to rise or fall on merits, not on politics."

ISRAELI OBJECTIONS

Kerry arrived in Geneva on Friday from Israel after a tense meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected any budding compromise with Iran.

Netanyahu warned Kerry and his European counterparts that Iran would be getting "the deal of the century" if they carried out proposals to grant it temporary respite from sanctions.

Israel, which is believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal and regards its arch-enemy Iran as a mortal threat, has repeatedly mooted military action against Tehran if it does not mothball its entire nuclear programme.

Iran dismisses such demands, citing a sovereign right to a nuclear energy industry, and most diplomats concede that, as Tehran has expanded its nuclear capacity exponentially since 2006, the time for demanding a total shutdown has passed.

Kerry seemed to acknowledge on Sunday divisions among U.S. allies who worry that a deal with Iran would be a mistake - an apparent reference to both Israel and Saudi Arabia.

"We also understand there are also very strong feelings about the consequences and choices we face for our allies and we respect that," Kerry said. "Some of them are absolutely directly and immediately involved and we have an enormous respect, needless to say, for those concerns."

Like Israel, Saudi Arabia has expressed concerns to Washington about the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the Saudis' main rival in the region, as well as Tehran's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's 2-1/2-year civil war.

(Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau, Fredrik Dahl and Yeganeh Tobati; Writing by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Paul Simao and Bill Trott)

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Damon Wayans Jr to stay on in 'New Girl'

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The actor will continue playing one of the characters in the sitcom's latest season.

New Girl has fallen back in love with original castmember Damon Wayans, Jr.

The actor's guest star run on the show has been extended through the remainder of the current season, a Fox representative told TheWrap. Wayans was originally signed on to guest star as Coach for four episodes.

His first episode aired on Tuesday in the United States.

The estranged former roommate returned with a macho attitude and had no memory of Jess (Zooey Deschanel). Fans will remember that Wayans starred on the series pilot and the first episode before leaving to star on ABC's Happy Endings.

Wayans played Brad on all three seasons of Happy Endings. His credits also include writing and appearing on My Wife And Kids and The Underground. ­— Reuters

Kylie Jenner slammed over tweet

Posted:

The teenage model's post about being 'bipolar' is deemed insensitive, among others.

Kylie Jenner might want to think before she tweets next time. At least when it comes to making frivolous references to mental illness.

The 16-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has come under fire after tweeting that she's "bipolar", in reference to a change in her hair colour.

"I miss my black hair I'm so bipolar :(", Jenner tweeted along with a photo of her newly dark tresses. The comment didn't sit well with a number of Twitter users.

"Kylie Jenner just tweeted 'I miss my black hair I'm so Bipolar'. No, you're not 'so Bipolar', you're indecisive ... and a moron," one user tweeted.

"@KylieJenner that was 100% the dumbest and most ignorant use of the word bipolar," another fumed. "kylie jenner with her 'i'm bipolar' makes me sick," another member of the Twitter community hissed.

Jenner has not yet responded to the backlash on her Twitter account and has not removed the tweet.

A spokesman for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) in the United States called Jenner's tweet "inappropriate" and "insensitive", but added that there might be a teachable moment to be salvaged from the flap.

"She's 16. It's an inappropriate, insensitive expression, but it reflects the need for greater education and understanding about mental illness among all teens. Particularly because most mental illness emerges by age 14," NAMI spokesman Bob Carolla told TheWrap.

Suggesting that Jenner could learn from the organisation's Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet, Carolla further said that Jenner could help to inform others about the condition. "When a celebrity unintentionally sticks a foot in their mouth or offends someone, it's best to apologise and then show sincerity by trying to make amends," Carolla told TheWrap.

"She could make a contribution by learning from the criticism and devoting some effort now to help educate peers. But she has to educate herself first." — Reuters

Eva Longoria to play a mother

Posted:

The actress will lend her voice to an animated series that focuses on motherhood.

US star Eva Longoria has lent her voice to animated television series Mother Up! with a character struggling with the challenges of motherhood.

Longoria is also an executive producer of the 13-episode series, which debuted Wednesday on online video websites Hulu and Hulu Plus.

Longoria's character Rudi Wilson is a former New York City music executive who finds herself hopelessly ill-equipped to handle her two children as she resettles in suburbia without her husband or nanny.

"She may not be suitable for children. Eva Longoria is the new mom in town, and she has no idea what she's doing," a Hulu advertisement warned.

Rudi's awkward approach to rearing her five-year-old girl Apple and nine-year-old son Dick is also subjected to the sly criticisms of competitive mums as she tries to make new friends and date.

Mother Up! is a 13-episode series that is available for viewing online.  

"I'm not a mum. But my character represents a lot of those fears that I would fear about being a bad mum. Rudi's trying," Longoria said in a Hulu video.

Co-creator Katie Torpey said, "We're exposing the truth about what's happening and what's really going on for mums."

Longoria, the former star of the hit TV show Desperate Housewives, has since produced television shows Devious Maids and Ready For Love.

A philanthropist, she was also an executive producer of The Harvest (2010), a documentary about the estimated 500,000 child migrant farm workers in the United States. — AFP Relaxnews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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A sidekick for Batman

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TV star Adam Driver has been rumoured as top choice to play Nightwing.

Girls star Adam Driver has emerged as the frontrunner to play Batman's crime-fighting partner Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing (formerly Robin), in Zack Snyder's superhero sequel Batman vs. Superman, two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap. Warner Bros had no comment.

Driver boasts a unique look that fits the rumoured description of Nightwing – Grayson's post-Robin alter-ego – as a "young John Hawkes", as first reported by Latino Review. At 1.9m, Driver could hold his own against 1.95m Ben Affleck, who will play an older and world-weary Batman.

A source tells TheWrap that at least two other actors may be in the mix to play Grayson, the Caped Crusader's former sidekick, who's been estranged from Bruce Wayne for years in the movie, according to Latino Review. Henry Cavill is set to reprise his role as Superman alongside his Man Of Steel co-stars Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne.

Driver – who did a stint in the US Marines after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks – is a new favourite on the Warner Bros lot, where he made a strong impression on the studio's Greg Silverman with his performance in WB's dysfunctional family comedy This Is Where I Leave You.

Shawn Levy directed the 2014 release, in which Driver plays the brother of Tina Fey, Jason Bateman and Corey Stoll and the son of Jane Fonda. Warner Bros has been busy searching for Batman vs. Superman's female lead, who is expected to serve as a love interest for Batman. Olga Kurylenko is the frontrunner, though Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious) and Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) have also tested for the part and remain in contention.

It's unclear whether the coveted role is that of Wonder Woman or her alter ego Diana Prince, who is expected to make a brief appearance along with fellow DC Comics character the Flash.

Warner Bros will release Batman vs. Superman on July 17, 2015.

Since his breakout, Emmy-nominated turn as Adam Sackler on Girls, Driver has worked with Clint Eastwood on J. Edgar, Steven Spielberg on Lincoln and the Coen brothers on Inside Llewyn Davis. Driver next stars opposite Mia Wasikowska in John Curran's Tracks and will soon be seen alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Mackenzie Davis in CBS Films' romantic comedy The F Word.

He has also reteamed with Frances Ha director Noah Baumbach on While We're Young. — Reuters

Game on for Harrison Ford

Posted:

More than 30 years after Star Wars, Harrison Ford has returned to inter-stellar space battles in big-budget sci-fi spectacular Ender's Game.

But the 71-year-old insists it's the human relations rather than hi-tech wizardry that drew him to the project, developed from a novel by Orson Scott Card and directed by South African X-Men director Gavin Hood.

"It doesn't matter to me whether I go back into outer space or not," he told reporters in Beverly Hills.

"The job is the same and I don't have any sort of genre preferences.

"I'm just looking for a good story, a good character, whether Earth-bound or not."

In a film which will resonate with Star Wars fans recalling the young Luke Skywalker and the crusty Han Solo, Ford plays Colonel Graff, training a group of children and teenagers how to protect the Earth from an alien invasion.

The best bet to save the world is Ender, played by Britain's Asa Butterfield, who starred in Martin Scorsese's 2011 drama Hugo.

Timid, but with an exceptional gift for military strategy and tactics, he becomes the hero of a film in which inter-galactic battles are played out in space and in a simulated game world.

It is almost Ford's first sci-fi film since the last Star Wars movie, apart from a role in 2011's Cowboys And Aliens.

And science fiction has changed quite a bit since director George Lucas released the initial trilogy of the cult movie franchise in 1977 – as Ford explained as he presented his latest movie.

"When we were making Star Wars, they were putting together space ships out of plastic model kits of cars, boats and trains, and gluing them all together, and then putting them on a stick and flying them past the camera.

"And it worked. It was fine. Add a little music and you believed that big spaceship coming over your head," he said.

Dismisses the label "icon"

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) can achieve incredible effects, but the veteran Hollywood actor warns they should not be abused.

"Often in those cases I feel you lose touch with the human characters and what it is that they would feel and how they might feel, and that's still the most important part.

Into his seventh decade, the actor is in fact busier than ever, with three other films released this year: 42, Paranoia and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

But the legendary Indiana Jones actor, while one of the most famous actors in the world, dismisses the label of "icon".

"An icon means nothing to me. I don't understand what it means to anybody, actually. It seems like a word of convenience.

"It seems to attend to the huge success of certain kinds of movies that I did, but ... I don't know what an icon does, except stand in a corner quietly accepting everyone's attention," he joked. — AFP Relaxnews

Coming Soon

Posted:

Movies that are coming to Malaysian cinemas.

Free Birds The taglines for this film include "The greatest turkey movie of all time" and "Hang on to your nuggets". It revolves around two turkeys who travel back in time to change an important tradition – getting turkey off the holiday menu. Voice cast includes Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson and Dan Fogler.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire Katniss Everdeen has sparked a revolution among the people of Panem. This causes President Snow to panic, and he stages a new round of games to punish her. Jennifer Lawrence is back as the "girl on fire".

'Darn it! Of all the times to receive a psychic summons from Prof Xavier. And he should really learn to stop shouting!'

'Darn it! Of all the times to receive a psychic summons from Prof Xavier. And he should really learn to stop shouting!'

Kick-Ass Girls This action packed film features loads of beautiful people including Malaysian actresses Emily Lim and Chris Tong. Besides these two former beauty queens, there are also Hong Kong stars La Ying of the boy band Bro5, and model King Chu.

'Look, it's nothing personal ... since we're Kick-Ass Girls, someone's gotta get their @$$ kicked, and you drew the short straw.'

'Look, it's nothing personal ... since we're Kick-Ass Girls, someone's gotta get their @$$ kicked, and you drew the short straw.'

Battle Of The Year Based on a real-life event that has dancers from all over the world competing in a group dance competition. The American team is vying to win this year. Josh Holloway does not dance, but heads the cast (of real dancers) anyway.

'Wrong movie, Bub - we're not X-Men either.'

'Wrong movie, Bub – we're not X-Men either.'

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'Centre failed to inform us about mum's bedsores'

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KUALA LUMPUR: The family members of an 84-year-old woman who passed away recently claimed that the nursing centre caring for her had neglected to inform them about her bedsores, some of which were as large as small saucers.

They also want the centre in Ampang to apologise for failing to inform them about the bedsores, adding that they would have sought treatment for Ang So Hin who died on Nov 1.

Ang's daughter, Chua Koo Chai, 61, alleged that the family only found out about the bedsores on Sept 12 when her sister-in-law noticed red marks on her feet when she came by for a visit.

"When my sister-in-law checked my mother's diapers, she noticed the marks. She then turned my mother around and saw that there were already four big holes on the bottom part of her back," said Chua, claiming that some of the sores were as big as 8cm by 4cm.

Although Ang was not bedridden, she had been suffering from dementia and a thyroid problem and could not talk since last year. She also needed help to move around.

Chua, who lives in Canada, said the family then sent Ang to a clinic to have her wounds cleaned once every three days before admitting her to Ampang Hospital on Oct 2 after the bedsores worsened.

When she returned to Malaysia on Oct 11 to visit her mother, Chua said the hospital doctors told her that the bedsores had developed as early as several months ago.

"The doctors even asked me why we only sent my mother to the hospital after so long when the condition of her bedsores was already so bad," she told reporters at a press conference organised by Sunrise Charity chairman Alex Lee at her home in Taman Dagang Permai, Ampang, here yesterday.

Lee said the centre should have contacted Ang's family members and informed them about her condition.

When contacted, a spokesman at the centre, known only as Wong, refuted the family's allegation that they were not informed about Ang's bedsores.

"When the centre found out about the bedsores, it was just some skin peeling off from her body.

"At that time, the family did not allow us to handle the wounds. Instead, they wanted to send Ang to a hospital on their own. It was only after September that her condition became worse," said Wong, who claimed to be the person in charge at the centre.

The centre, said Wong, had done nothing wrong and refused to apologise to the family.

"We have been operating the centre for over 10 years. This is the first time such a complaint has arisen. We have done nothing wrong. Why should we apologise?" she said.

Fly Firefly for as low as RM49

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly is offering a one-way promotional fare starting from as low as RM49 for all routes, including its newest destination Pekanbaru in Indonesia.

The booking period is from now until Nov 17 for travelling from Nov 18 to Oct 25 next year.

The carrier also announced that 45 lucky passengers who added Firefly Travel Protection to their trip had walked away with a RM300 voucher each in its Firefly Travel Protection contest.

The contest was carried out from Oct 15 to Oct 29, with three winners randomly selected and announced on board daily.

700 picket over loss of annual leave

Posted:

ABOUT 700 workers of a tyre-making factory in Petaling Jaya picketed outside their plant in Jalan Tandang on Thursday after their employer deducted two days from their annual leave after the Deepavali break, Makkal Osai reported.

They claimed that the factory also deducted their salaries after shutting down operations for two days after the Nov 2 public holiday.

Those who did not apply for leave claimed they had been ready to return to work after the public holiday, but the management closed the plant and deducted two days' salary without their consent.

> A woman who allegedly had an affair with her husband's nephew is said to have strangled the older man and then told neighbours that bakery owner D. Dayanadaswamy, 55, had died of dehydration.

However, as she and her lover began to prepare for his last rites, an alert neighbour noticed that the dead man was still breathing irregularly.

He immediately informed the police, who sped to the house in Jalahalli, Bangalore.

Nevertheless, doctors pronounced the man dead at the hospital, Tamil Nesan reported.

Police have since detained the wife, 33-year-old Ratnamma, and her lover, Chennabasava, 27.

Found in translation is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.

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One twisted mother

Posted:

Julianne Moore put her maternal instincts into overdrive to get into character while filming Carrie.

ACTORS often get pigeonholed into certain film and TV genres. Not Julianne Moore.

On TV, she's gone from portraying the real Sarah Palin in the political drama Game Changer to the fictional Nancy Donovan on 30 Rock. Her film roles include a porn star (Boogie Nights), FBI agent (Hannibal), dinosaur hunter (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) and computer voice (Eagle Eye). Her career is full of a broad range of characters.

You can see the breadth of her work currently, as she plays an easygoing, sexually liberated college student in Don Jon and a merciless mother who thinks sex is the root of all evil in Carrie.

The roles have one thing in common.

"Anytime you do something, you think 'Maybe I'll suck and everyone will hate it'," Moore says during an interview for Carrie.

She does everything she can to make sure the work doesn't, uh, "suck". She does research, which in the case of Carrie meant going back to the original Stephen King novel. She also tries to find the elements that will make the audience react to the character.

In Carrie that meant playing the mother as a woman who does evil things, but in some strange way is basing all her actions on a deep love for her daughter.

Although the bloody prom scene is the most recognisable image from the film versions of the Stephen King novel, the key to both the book and movies – including the new remake – is the twisted mother / daughter relationship. It's a mixture of love, hate, fear, respect, disrespect, disappointment and atonement.

Moore found playing the motherly role a lot easier because of co-star Chloe Grace Moretz.

"She's so professional and was always so prepared," Moore says. "I think the thing I love the most about her is that she's a mama's girl. And, she'll tell you that. She loves her mother. She loves her brothers ... that made it easy for me to get close to her.

"I wanted her, more than anything else, to feel super safe with me. I wanted her to feel if she had a question, she could come to me. If she had any kind of need or desire, she should come to me."

Moore's convinced the bond they formed helped them through the physical and emotional demands of the movie.

As for the maternal part of the performance, all Moore had to do was think of her own two children.

Those instincts went into overdrive in the opening scene where Moore's character believes she's dying of cancer but is actually giving birth. In the scenes, where a real infant was used, Moore found herself more concerned about the welfare of the baby than the film production. Once she was confident the child was safe and secure, she would switch to her actor side. – The Fresno Bee / McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Related story:
Slash and burn

The rise of the horror remakes

Posted:

The trend of remaking or 're-imagining' classic horror movies is not slowing down.

CARRIE is the latest attempt to remake a classic horror movie and the trend shows no signs of slowing.

There are plans to remake everything from the classic Rosemary's Baby to the campy Little Shop Of Horrors.

Remaking horror films has been going on for years, which means when you decide to pick up a DVD to watch for Halloween you'll need to be careful. In many cases, the original and remake don't have the same quality.

Here's a look at 13 horror films and their remakes to help you make a DVD pick that's more of a treat than trick.

House Of Wax

1953: Vincent Price turned this 3-D film into a horror film classic.

2005: Paris Hilton made this remake very plastic.

The Fly

1958: Audiences screamed at the sight of a man's head on a fly's body.

1986: Audiences groaned at seeing Jeff Goldblum's body parts fall off.

The Blob

1958: Showed us a huge blob of goo could be quite scary.

1988: Showed us a film could be a huge glob of goofiness.

House On Haunted Hill

1959: Vincent Price produced rushes of adrenaline with the scares in a creepy mansion.

1999: Geoffrey Rush caused ticket buyers to fear they wouldn't get their money back at the box office.

Psycho

1960: Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece made us afraid of showers.

1998: Director Gus Van Sant's step-by-step remake made us feel like we needed a shower.

Night Of The Living Dead

1968: George A. Romero's tale of zombies attacking a farmhouse defined the walking dead genre.

1990: Tom Savini's tale of zombies was dead on arrival.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

1974: Director Tobe Hooper created a classic horror character with the chainsaw-welding Leatherface.

2013: Director John Luessenhop created another reason to hate 3D.

The Shining

1980: Jack Nicholson gave this creepy tale of a haunted hotel a chilling edge.

1997: Steven Weber gave the TV tale of a haunted hotel a dull edge.

Friday The 13th

1980: Betsy Palmer film that created blueprint for genre about teens being systematically killed.

2009: Danielle Panabaker film that created blueprint for how to kill the genre about teens being systematically killed.

My Bloody Valentine

1981: Love means having to say "I'm sorry I didn't see that killer behind you."

2009: Love means having to say "I'm sorry but this film is better because the violence reaches an absurd level."

The Evil Dead

1981: Director Sam Raimi's tale of teens being killed in the woods gets a million scares from a few bucks.

2013: Director Fede Alvarez's tale of teens being killed in the woods gets a few scares from millions of bucks.

The House On Sorority Row

1983: College girls end up pledging De Cappa Tation.

2009: College girls end up pledging the original is better.

Fright Night

1985: Roddy McDowall makes this tale of a neighbourhood vampire campy fun.

2011: Colin Farrell makes this tale of a neighbourhood vampire scary fun.

– The Fresno Bee / McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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One twisted mother
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