Rabu, 13 November 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


First undersea road set to open Dec 29

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THE Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) – Singapore's first undersea road, costliest expressway and one with the widest tunnels – will open on Dec 29, four years after the S$4.3bil (RM11bil) project started.

The 5km expressway, at S$860mil (RM2.2bil) per kilometre, has a 420m section that goes under the sea-bed just south of the Marina Barrage.

Linking the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), it will allow swift east-west travel. Drivers currently using the East Coast Parkway (ECP) to join up with the AYE can switch to the MCE from Dec 29.

The ECP will be downgraded to an arterial road that serves the Marina downtown. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Former Australia PM Rudd quits politics

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SYDNEY, Nov 13, 2013 (AFP) - Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd (pic) announced an end to his chequered political career Wednesday, quitting politics two months after being ousted from office by Tony Abbott.

The charismatic 55-year-old Labor stalwart, who led Australia twice and was foreign minister in Julia Gillard's government, said he would leave parliament at the end of the week.

"This has been the product of much soul-searching for us as a family over the last few months," he told parliament in an emotional evening speech in which he had to pause several times to compose himself.

"The decision that I have made has not been taken lightly.

"But for me, my family is everything, always has been, always will be, which is why I will not be continuing as a member of this parliament beyond this week."

Since being soundly defeated by Abbott in September 7 elections, senior figures within Labor have urged him to quit, saying he would be a destabilising influence after three years of bitter infighting within the party.

The Mandarin-speaking Rudd stood down as Labor leader after his election loss but remained the local member for his Queensland electorate of Griffith.

He was elected prime minister in the 2007 general election in a landslide defeat of John Howard, but within his first term he was dumped by colleagues fed up with his style of management and demoted to foreign minister.

There were claims of egotism - even megalomania - behind the scenes and a series of policy mis-steps gave party members the pretext to depose him in shock coup that delivered Gillard to office.

His sudden downfall mystified the Australian public who had elected him, and this, coupled with the growing unpopularity of Gillard, prompted Labor to return to Rudd's leadership in June to try and salvage the party vote in 2013 polls.

In announcing his retirement from political life, Rudd thanked the people of Australia for electing him as their prime minister.

"To have served as prime minister of Australia has been a great honour afforded to very few in our country's history," he said.

His arch foe Abbott said Rudd had been one of the biggest figures in Australia politics in recent decades and wished him well.

"As a political opponent, but as someone who has known the member for Griffith quite well for a long time, I salute him and I wish him and his family all the best for the future," he said.

In his future life, Rudd said he planned to support causes for homelessness and organ donation and establish a "national apology foundation" to aid indigenous Australians.

He also intends to remain active in the international community "where I can make a genuine contribution to peace and stability, global economic governance and sustainable development, including climate change". - AFP

Father of nine jailed for sex with student

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A TECHNICIAN, who is a father of nine children, was told off by a judge for having sex with a 13-year-old student that he befriended in an online chatroom.

In sentencing Razman Surya Rahmad, 39, yesterday to a year and three months' jail for having sex with a minor, District Judge Low Wee Ping said: "You should have known better. What if one of your children becomes a victim?"

Razman met the girl on a chat website on Dec 25, 2009 and exchanged telephone numbers with her.

He lied to her, saying he was 28.

He asked her to meet him, with the intention of having sex with her.

He also promised to pay her S$50 (RM128).

She met him at Eunos MRT station at night on the same day.

He then drove her to a nearby block of flats and they took the lift to a high floor.

When she asked for the payment, he said that he would give it to her later.

They then had unprotected sex at a staircase landing.

Razman then dropped her off at the same MRT station without handing over any money.

Some days later, he asked her again for sex but she turned him down.

Her mother found an SMS message in her mobile phone on Dec 29 and took her to the police.

Razman pleaded guilty to the offence last month.

Asking for a jail term of no less than 15 months, Deputy Public Prosecutor Michael Quilindo said that Razman had "painted himself as a family man with many children" but had used the victim to satisfy his sexual desires.

Razman, who did not have a lawyer, said that he found out in 2009 that his second wife was cheating on him and was "totally devastated", leading him to commit the offence.

He is now divorced from his wife but has custody of their seven children.

He has two other children from his first marriage.

Razman had been planning to marry again and his fiancee, who was in court, burst into tears when the sentence was passed.

He could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined. — The Straits TImes / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


'Arrow' right on target

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Arrow has launched into its second season with breathtaking speed and precision.

NEVER losing the momentum it built in the last quarter of the first season, the second season of Arrow moves full speed ahead with its action quota and storyline.

Just four episodes into the new season, it has – so far – given its viewers more than a few jaw-dropping moments, with each episode ending with Ay Caramba-type cliffhangers.

The first season concluded with the unleashing of a man-made earthquake orchestrated by the first season's baddie, The Dark Archer. This has left the poorer part of Starling City, The Glades, in ruins, and the occupants so angry that it's only a matter of time before they retaliate against the rich and powerful. That is pretty much the theme for the second season.

But first, we have to deal with what's happening with our hero, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). He is consumed by guilt because he was unable to stop the disaster, which led to the death of his close friend. So what does he do? Oliver decides to return to the island – probably to punish himself for failing his city.

Luckily, his pals who know about his dual life – Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) – track him down and convince him to come back. So, you know, they can get started on healing the city.

Interestingly enough, this is handled in just 15 minutes of the second season premiere. There is no lingering on the island or Oliver brooding and contemplating where he went wrong. Seeing one DC Comics character on television (yes, you, young Clark Kent of Smallville) crippled by guilt is more than enough, thank you very much.

'A little advice, Oliver ... ease up on the eyeshadow before people start mistaking you for Rocket Raccoon.'

'A little advice, Oliver ... ease up on the eyeshadow before people start mistaking you for Rocket Raccoon.' 

In the second season, the secret lair beneath Oliver's nightclub has gotten a facelift too, along with all his arrows. On a less superficial level, the hooded vigilante has decided to change his modus operandi and not kill every baddie he comes across. Instead, he lets the authorities deal with them in accordance with the law. This kind of control is obviously a positive development for the man who played judge, jury and executioner in the first season.

As a counterpoint to this development, the show's flashback sequences show us Oliver committing his first kill during his initial time on the island. Back in Starling City, however, Oliver's story sees yet another transformation; with his mother in prison (thanks to her role in engineering the earthquake) and his stepfather out of the picture, he takes on the role of CEO at Queen Consolidated.

There are undoubtedly similarities between Arrow and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. There is even one episode dealing with vigilante copycats, like in The Dark Knight. But, since Arrow is "copying" from a good source and churning out good episodes, we are totally OK with that.

While Arrow is supposed to revolve around the main character, it has given us a couple of strong supporting characters also. Well, except for Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy); she is as boring as ever and still has zero chemistry with the rest of the cast. Actually she's even less likeable now since she is now determined to capture Starling City's vigilante and bring him to justice.

Her character is being developed to distract Oliver further as she now has a new problem – alcoholism. No disrespect to this real problem, but Laurel just makes it nonsensically dramatic.

Fortunately for the viewers, the strong female quota is filled up quite remarkably by Rickards (for the Starling City scenes) and Celina Jade (for the scenes on the island). Rickards' character has been bumped up from being Oliver's IT girl to his executive assistant. Felicity's promotion has elicited a number of hilarious exchanges between her and Oliver – whoever is "funnying up" the script for their scenes together is doing a good job. That man is just too serious sometimes.

Another girl who is making heads turn is Black Canary (Caity Lotz). In the comics, Black Canary has been paired romantically and professionally with Green Arrow. Here, she is initially a stranger to Oliver. More importantly, her presence gives rise to an interesting storyline when it is revealed that she is somehow connected to Ra's al Ghul, Bruce Wayne's teacher-cum-enemy in Batman Begins. This allows the show to feature even more of its trademark cool action sequences.

Another girl that has piqued our interest is Isabel Rochev (Summer Glau), a calculative businesswoman who is trying to take over Queen Consolidated from the Queen family. But there must be a reason for casting Glau, known for action-oriented roles, right?

There are other characters' stories running concurrently too – Roy Harper finally realising his ambition (to be the vigilante's assistant) and Thea Queen running her brother's club and being a pillar of strength for her imprisoned mother.

Personally, I like what the series has done with Paul Blackthorne's Detective Lance (who is now Officer Lance, after his demotion). He now seeks out the vigilante to help him bring down the bad guys.

This is the man who was vehemently against vigilantism and yet he now sees that it is not the worst idea out there if it stops the crooks. It's a complete turnaround, leading you to wonder what the consequences could be here.

With so many balls in the air, Arrow is capably juggling everything like a pro right now. If the second season keeps at this pace, it will be a worthy inheritor of the (Nolan) Batman legacy.

*Arrow airs every Monday at 9pm on WarnerTV (HyppTV Ch 613).

Bill Cosby developing new sitcom

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'Warmth and forgiveness' will be theme of family comedy.

BILL Cosby says he's trying to develop the kind of sitcom that fans of The Cosby Show miss – a family comedy about "warmth and forgiveness".

Cosby – who's first standup special, Far From Finished, will air on Comedy Central on Nov 23 – told Yahoo TV he's working with Cosby Show executive producer Tom Werner on a new series. It was unclear whether he would star.

"I want to be able to deliver a wonderful show to network," said Cosby, 76. "Because there is a viewership out there that wants to see comedy, and warmth, and love, and surprise, and cleverness, without going into the party attitude.

"They would like to see a married couple that acts like they love each other, warts and all, children who respect the parenting, and the comedy of people who make mistakes. Warmth and forgiveness. So I hope to get that opportunity, and I will deliver the best of Cosby, and that will be a series, I assume, that we could get enough people week after week after week to tune in to, to come along with us."

Cosby's publicist did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the show, which would mark the return of one of TV's most beloved figures. In recent years, Cosby has been better known for his blunt critiques of the younger generation than for his comedy.

But it's hard to overstate his importance as an entertainment icon. He's widely considered among the best standups of all time, helped redefine TV's portrayals of American-Americans with The Cosby Show, and won three consecutive Emmys for I Spy. – Reuters

Fourth animated series by Seth MacFarlane to debut next year

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Bordertown portrays relations between a US border patrol agent and his Mexican immigrant neighbour.

THE creator of Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad! is developing his fourth animated series, slated to air on Fox from fall 2014.

In Bordertown, Seth MacFarlane will focus on everyday life in a sleepy desert town just north of the Mexican border.

MacFarlane's controversial humour will focus on Bud Buckwald, a US Border Patrol agent and father of three, and his neighbour Ernesto Gonzales, a Mexican immigrant and father of four. As Buckwald begins to feel threatened by the cultural changes taking place around him, the two families develop a complicated relationship built on friendship, romance and (mainly) conflict.

Bordertown will likely join Fox's Sunday evening animated comedy line-up, which already includes MacFarlane's first series, Family Guy, aired since 1999, alongside The Simpsons.

Fox dropped The Cleveland Show and American Dad! this year. The latter show – which has aired on Fox since 2005 – was picked up by TBS, and its 11th season will debut on the US cable channel in July 2014. MacFarlane's other TV creation, the live-action sitcom Dads, premiered on Fox in September. – AFP Relaxnews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Justin Lin to helm next 'Bourne' movie

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Production set to begin next year.

JUSTIN Lin will direct the next instalment in the Bourne movie franchise.

The Taiwanese-American filmmaker will oversee the adventures of Aaron Cross, Jason Bourne's distant cousin, in an expansion of the fictional world of Robert Ludlum's thriller novels.

The director behind four movies in the Fast and Furious franchise, Lin will trade street racing for spy adventures in the direct sequel to The Bourne Legacy.

According to Variety, the filmmaker reached an agreement with Universal Pictures to direct this follow-up to the 2012 film, a spin-off from the Jason Bourne trilogy starring Matt Damon, released between 2002 and 2007.

American actor Jeremy Renner will reprise his role as Aaron Cross, an elite professional hit man forced to fight for his life after the end of the secret Operation Outcome. The still untitled film will be based on a screenplay by Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes) and is scheduled to begin production in 2014 for release the following year.

Before directing blockbusters, Justin Lin made a name for himself among critics with the independent drama Better Luck Tomorrow in 2002. – AFP Relaxnews

Kate Upton may star in 'Entourage' movie

Posted:

The swimsuit model-turned-actress is said to be in talks to sign for the film based on famed HBO series.

KATE Upton is being eyed for the female lead in the Entourage movie, multiple individuals familiar with the Warner Bros project have said.

Though Upton has not been formally offered the role yet, she is in early discussions to join the cast, according to sources.

While a representative for the swimsuit model-turned-actress has denied that any such talks are under way, they acknowledge that there was interest in Upton for the project earlier this year.

Warner Bros had no comment.

After heated contract negotiations, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven have all agreed to reprise their iconic roles from the HBO series in the Doug Ellin-directed feature, which is expected to highlight Ari Gold's (played by Piven) new career as a studio head.

Details of Upton's potential role are being kept under wraps, though she could be playing the latest love interest of movie star Vincent Chase (Grenier), who always had a thing for curvy blondes.

Production is scheduled to start early next year.

Upton, who appeared in Brett Ratner's Tower Heist and The Three Stooges movie, will soon be seen alongside Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Nick Cassavetes' comedy The Other Woman. – Reuters

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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Justin Lin to helm next 'Bourne' movie

Posted:

Production set to begin next year.

JUSTIN Lin will direct the next instalment in the Bourne movie franchise.

The Taiwanese-American filmmaker will oversee the adventures of Aaron Cross, Jason Bourne's distant cousin, in an expansion of the fictional world of Robert Ludlum's thriller novels.

The director behind four movies in the Fast and Furious franchise, Lin will trade street racing for spy adventures in the direct sequel to The Bourne Legacy.

According to Variety, the filmmaker reached an agreement with Universal Pictures to direct this follow-up to the 2012 film, a spin-off from the Jason Bourne trilogy starring Matt Damon, released between 2002 and 2007.

American actor Jeremy Renner will reprise his role as Aaron Cross, an elite professional hit man forced to fight for his life after the end of the secret Operation Outcome. The still untitled film will be based on a screenplay by Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes) and is scheduled to begin production in 2014 for release the following year.

Before directing blockbusters, Justin Lin made a name for himself among critics with the independent drama Better Luck Tomorrow in 2002. – AFP Relaxnews

Kate Upton may star in 'Entourage' movie

Posted:

The swimsuit model-turned-actress is said to be in talks to sign for the film based on famed HBO series.

KATE Upton is being eyed for the female lead in the Entourage movie, multiple individuals familiar with the Warner Bros project have said.

Though Upton has not been formally offered the role yet, she is in early discussions to join the cast, according to sources.

While a representative for the swimsuit model-turned-actress has denied that any such talks are under way, they acknowledge that there was interest in Upton for the project earlier this year.

Warner Bros had no comment.

After heated contract negotiations, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven have all agreed to reprise their iconic roles from the HBO series in the Doug Ellin-directed feature, which is expected to highlight Ari Gold's (played by Piven) new career as a studio head.

Details of Upton's potential role are being kept under wraps, though she could be playing the latest love interest of movie star Vincent Chase (Grenier), who always had a thing for curvy blondes.

Production is scheduled to start early next year.

Upton, who appeared in Brett Ratner's Tower Heist and The Three Stooges movie, will soon be seen alongside Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Nick Cassavetes' comedy The Other Woman. – Reuters

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The Star Online: World Updates

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Aquino under pressure over typhoon aid, U.S. carrier to arrive

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TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine President Benigno Aquino was under growing pressure on Thursday to speed up the distribution of food, water and medicine to desperate survivors of a powerful typhoon and to get paralysed local governments functioning.

Widespread looting of rice stocks and other supplies broke out across hardest-hit Leyte province on Wednesday despite the deployment of solders to maintain law and order in the wake of one of the world's fiercest typhoons.

While international relief efforts have picked up, many petrol station owners whose businesses were spared have refused to reopen, leaving little fuel for trucks needed to move supplies and medical teams around the devastated areas nearly a week after Typhoon Haiyan struck.

"There are still bodies on the road," said Alfred Romualdez, mayor of the devastated Leyte capital of Tacloban. "It's scary. There is a request from a community to come and collect bodies, they say it's five or 10. When we get there it's 40."

The scarcity of trucks presented grim options. "The choice is to use the same truck either to distribute food or collect bodies," he added.

About 300 bodies will be buried in a mass grave on Thursday and a larger grave will be dug for a 1,000, Tacloban city administrator Tecson John Lim told Reuters.

The city government remains decimated, with just 70 workers compared to 2,500 normally, he added. Many were killed, injured, lost family or were simply too overcome with grief to work.

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier was due to arrive in the Philippines on Thursday evening, with 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft. Japan was also planning to send up to 1,000 troops as well as naval vessels and aircraft, in what could be Tokyo's biggest postwar military deployment.

AQUINO IN SPOTLIGHT

Aquino has been on the defensive over his government's preparations ahead of the storm given repeated warnings of its projected strength and now the pace of relief efforts.

He has said the death toll might have been higher had it not been for the evacuation of people and the readying of relief supplies.

The Philippines formally asked Washington for help on Saturday, one day after the storm slammed into cities and towns in the central Philippines, the U.S. State Department said.

Aquino has also stoked debate over the extent of the casualties, citing a much lower death toll than the 10,000 estimated by local authorities. Official confirmed deaths stood at 2,357 on Thursday, a figure aid workers expect to rise.

City administrator Lim, who previously estimated 10,000 people likely died in Tacloban alone, said Aquino may be deliberately downplaying casualties.

"Of course he doesn't want to create too much panic. Perhaps he is grappling with whether he wants to reduce the panic so that life goes on," he said.

The preliminary number of missing as of Thursday, according to the Red Cross, remained 22,000. It has cautioned that number could include people who have since been located.

More the 544,600 people have been displaced by the storm and nearly 12 percent of the population directly affected, the United Nations said.

Anger and frustration has been boiling over as essential supplies fail to reach many of those in need. Food and other goods have stacked up at the airport in Tacloban, for instance.

Some areas have appeared to teeter near anarchy amid widespread looting of shops and warehouses for food and water.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) described a bleak situation in Guiuan, home to 45,000 people.

"People are living out in the open ... The needs are immense and there are a lot of surrounding villages that are not yet covered by any aid organisations," Alexis Moens, MSF's assessment team leader, said in a statement.

LOOTING IS "SELF-PRESERVATION"

Lim said 90 percent of Tacloban, a coastal city of 220,000 people, had been destroyed by the typhoon and the wall of seawater it shoved ashore.

Only 20 percent of residents were getting aid while houses were being looted because warehouses were empty, he added.

"The looting is not criminality. It is self-preservation," Lim said.

There are not enough flights from Tacloban airport to cope with the exodus from the stricken city.

As darkness fell on Wednesday, Philippine Special Forces held back hundreds of people, many of whom had walked for hours to reach the airport and then waited for days with little or no food or water.

When asked how she and her four children endured three days of waiting in searing heat and torrential downpours, Marivic Badilla, 41, held up a small battered umbrella. "We have been sheltering under this," she said, tears streaming down her face.

Many people complained that military families were given priority to board the C-130 cargo planes.

"If you have a friend or relative in the military, you get priority," said Violeta Duzar, 57, who had waited at the airport since Sunday with eight family members, including children.

None of the aid passing through the airport had been distributed to the needy crowd at its gates.

The overall financial cost of the destruction was hard to assess. Initial estimates varied widely, with a report from German-based CEDIM Forensic Disaster Analysis putting the total at $8 billion to $19 billion.

(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco and Eric dela Cruz in Manila, and Phil Stewart in Washington. Writing by Jason Szep. Editing by Dean Yates)

Israel warns of war from Iran 'bad deal', sees big sanctions cut

Posted:

(Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that a "bad deal" with Iran on its nuclear programme could lead to war and his aides challenged U.S. assertions to have offered Tehran only "modest" relief from sanctions.

As details emerged of a Western proposal that could let Iran sell oil and gold in return for curbs on its nuclear activities, an Israeli minister said the deal would negate up to 40 percent of the impact of sanctions, reducing pressure on Tehran to halt a programme the West says has a military motive.

Israel, which calculated the value of direct sanctions relief on offer at $15-20 billion, has lobbied hard against any such deal and says the United States, its closest ally, is being misled by overtures of detente coming from Tehran.

Negotiations between Iran and six U.N. powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - are scheduled to resume on November 20 with both sides saying they are optimistic following talks at Geneva last weekend.

One source briefed on the discussions told Reuters that Iran was being offered a chance to sell about $3.5 billion of oil over six months as well as $2-3 billion of petrochemicals and $1-2 billion of gold. The source, who criticised the offer, said it would also let Tehran import some $7.5 billion of food and medicine plus $5 billion of other goods currently barred.

Several Western officials involved in the talks said they would not discuss details while negotiations were under way.

Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. The United States and the European Union agree with Israel that it is seeking a nuclear bomb and imposed tough oil and financial sanctions last year that have caused serious economic harm.

Addressing Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said continued economic pressure on Iran was the best alternative to two other options, which he described as a bad deal and war.

"I would go so far as to say that a bad deal could lead to the second, undesired option," he said, meaning war.

Israel, believed to be the sole nuclear power in the Middle East, has long warned it could use force to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon that would threaten the Jewish state, creating tensions with the Obama administration.

Washington says it is important to seek a negotiated solution, especially since Iran elected a relative moderate this year as president, Hassan Rouhani - a man Netanyahu told the United Nations last month was a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

NOT SO MODEST

U.S. President Barack Obama said last week that a first phase of any deal with Iran would involve "some very modest relief" from sanctions that would be easily reversible.

But Israel says the benefits to Iran would be greater than implied and Tehran would do little to curb its ambitions.

Netanyahu's point man on Iran policy, Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, said on Wednesday the relief package offered could lower the annual cost of sanctions to Iran by up to $40 billion - out of a total annual cost of $100 billion.

He gave no detail of his calculation and, given secrecy surrounding the Western offer, it could not be verified.

Steinitz said Israel believed the sanctions put in place by the United States and European Union last year cost Iran's economy around $100 billion per year, or nearly a quarter of its national output.

"The sanctions relief directly will reduce between $15 to $20 billion out of this amount," Steinitz said at an English-language event hosted by the Jerusalem Press Club.

He also said that the proposed changes would make it more difficult to enforce sanctions overall, and that this could in the end provide a total benefit to Tehran of up to $40 billion.

"The damage to the overall sanctions, we believe, will be something between $20 billion and maybe up to $40 billion," he said. "This is very significant. It's not all the sanctions. It's not the core sanctions about oil exports and the banking system, but it's very significant relief for the Iranians."

Asked about the. $20 billion to $40 billion estimate, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: "that number, I can assure you, is inaccurate, exaggerated, and not based in reality."

Other Western officials contacted by Reuters declined to confirm or deny specific figures for the value of the sanctions relief on offer from the six powers and cautioned against revealing the terms of a possible deal at such an early stage.

"There is an offer on the table, and it seems to me that is considerable progress. We can't give any technical details and the day anything leaks out is the day someone wants the negotiations to fail," said one Western diplomat.

A European diplomat said details were being withheld on purpose: "A decision was made to keep everything quiet, tightly held," the diplomat said, "Because there are extreme positions on both sides that could use this to discredit the process and try to derail the negotiations."

After Obama discussed the negotiations by telephone with French President Francois Hollande, the White House dismissed talk of a rift with Paris. The two leaders were in "full agreement", it said in a statement, on an offer to Iran that was "a sound step toward assuring the international community that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful".

In words addressing those who question Iran's good faith, Hollande's office said in a statement: "The two heads of state expressed their common will to obtain from Iran guarantees that it is definitively abandoning its military nuclear programme."

Secretary of State John Kerry warned the U.S. Congress, where some members share Israel's scepticism on Iran, that any move by the legislature to impose new sanctions could put an end to negotiations and "break them apart".

(Reporting by Mayaan Lubell, Jeffrey Heller, John Irish, Richard Mably and Dan Williams; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Boeing machinists cast historic vote on labour contract

Posted:

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Boeing Co workers finished voting on a landmark labor contract on Wednesday, with results due around 9 p.m. Pacific Time (0500 GMT) on a historic decision that could forever alter the course of Boeing's presence in Washington state.

The 31,000 International Association of Machinists members are choosing between a tough contract that will secure an estimated 20 years of work building Boeing's newest jet or one that ends their traditional pension plan and raises healthcare costs. If the workers reject the deal, Boeing may try to build the jet, known as the 777X, in non-union states or in Japan.

The union kept most media out of the room where votes were being tallied, a departure from past practice. Media earlier filmed ballots being dropped off at the main union hall from other polling locations.

"This is a highly emotional vote, it's not a usual vote," said Tanya Hutchins, a spokeswoman for the union.

Workers began lining up in predawn darkness on Wednesday outside the union hall in Everett, Washington and elsewhere in the Seattle area and in Oregon. Boeing builds the current 777 model in Everett.

As voting wrapped up around 5 p.m., some workers at the union hall in Seattle said they strongly opposed the deal.

"It goes against everything that we've fought for over the years," said John Orcutt, 42, a 17-year union member and hydraulic tube bender in Auburn, Washington.

Orcutt said he doesn't believe Boeing would build the 777X wing elsewhere because the Washington workforce is trained, tooling for the plane is in place and new production lines are risky. He expects the company to eventually come back with another offer if the contract is voted down.

"I think they're totally bluffing," he said.

But others said they would accept the new deal, fearing Boeing would eliminate 20,000 jobs over the next decade as it moved work elsewhere.

"I don't think Boeing's bluffing at all," said another worker. "They did it with second line of the 787."

Separately, Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney confirmed on Wednesday that Boeing would consider moving production elsewhere, but declined to say if the vote was a "take it or leave it deal," according to an interview with KING 5 TV, Seattle's NBC affiliate station.

"If they turn it down, then we'll figure out what to do next," McNerney said.

Boeing's alternatives include non-union South Carolina, where the company currently assembles 787 Dreamliners and where it broke ground on Tuesday for a new factory that will make engine housings for its forthcoming 737 MAX planes.

Boeing is buying more than 200 acres near the 787 campus to expand its facilities and has agreed to invest more than $1 billion and hire 2,000 more workers over the next eight years.

Boeing also may consider giving the wing work to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Japanese industrial giant that already makes wings for the 787.

Reuters reported exclusively on Tuesday that Mitsubishi had made a detailed proposal to Boeing for building the 777X wing.

Boeing also has facilities in Long Beach, California, where it builds the C-17 military transport plane. That program is ending, freeing space and workers for 777X production.

Some Wall Street analysts expected the union to approve the contract by a slim margin since losing the work is worse than losing the pension.

But a no vote on Wednesday might not mean the 777X ultimately gets built outside Washington, because moving the work would bring logistical headaches, analysts and industry experts said.

Boeing already has a smooth-running factory line in Everett for the 777, its best-selling wide body jet.

It could use the same workforce and large, fixed tooling to build the 777X, an updated version with essentially the same aluminium fuselage, and new wings, engines and systems.

Boeing also is scaling back output of other jets built in Everett, notably the 747-8, which would make room for the 777X.

Any other site would require time to set up tooling, train workers and deal with the distance between its current 777 operations and the 777X line.

"The door isn't shut on Washington," said Ken Herbert, an analyst at investment firm Canaccord Genuity in San Francisco.

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott in New York and Jonathan Kaminsky in Seattle; Editing by Bernard Orr and Matt Driskill)

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WeChat operator says will be aggressive in Malaysian market

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PETALING JAYA: China's web giant Tencent will be more aggressive in the company's expansion plans for Malaysia.

The company's international business vice-president Poshu Yeung said this would involve WeChat, a mobile communications application.

He said the company would be setting up an office in Malaysia, introduce more innovative features such as games, localised stickers and content as well as teaming up with more local partners.

"Malaysia is growing very fast, recording healthy growth. It is a very successful market outside China. We also have a good position in Hong Kong and Indonesia," Yeung told StarBiz in an interview. WeChat is a mobile communication tool which supports the sending of voice, video, photo and text messages. Surveys show that WeChat is being used by more than eight million Malaysians following the application's June launch.

As of August, WeChat boasted 236 million monthly active users. Tencent yesterday reported a 20% rise in net income to 3.87 billion yuan (RM2.04bil) for the third quarter. Revenue increased by 34%. "We are always in the top position on Google Play and Apps Store. We have a very sizeable user base," Yeung reckoned.

The application may be similar with other communication applications but Yeung said WeChat has innovative features such as voice chat, "moments", "people nearby" or "shake" to enrich their communications.

Under the moments feature, users can view a streaming feed of friends' photos and user themselves. As for the people nearby, users can see who are nearby, and send your greetings.

WeChat app users can also "shake" their smartphone and find other users anywhere in the world who are shaking their phones at the same time.

"We will be launching mobile games this month. We'll be testing the water a bit. We have launched six or seven games in China and it is very encouraging," Yeung said, adding that it would be offering a variety of games.

"We have a long pipeline for 2014."

The popularity of WeChat is quickly catching up with rival WhatsApp. There are also reports indicating that WeChat may surpass Facebook.

Analysts who cover the Hong Kong-listed company said WeChat was Tencent's burgeoning growth story.

Yeung said the company had just started selling stickers on its Sticker Shop two months ago and these stickers liven up messaging.

However, he said, it would be providing free stickers with local content going forward. WeChat would be engaging local illustrators on stickers. In addition, Yeung said WeChat would be setting up a local office here to facilitate Tencent's marketing and business operations.

He added that the outfit would be located within the commercial business district and the actual investment was "pretty small".

Meanwhile, WeChat is interested in working with more local companies to use its platform for creating brand awareness as well as conducting cross marketing activities.

WeChat carries a lot of potential for the Malaysian market, which have been implemented in other countries such as directory of restaurants and mall chains, shopping loyalty/member cards, barcode scanner as well as e-payment.

Yeung noted that WeChat recently collaborated with ChaTime for the ChaTime official WeChat account offering a RM1 second cup offer under the '1 Million Cups Celebration'.

It had also collaborated with Domino's Pizza to offer WeChat users a special deal.

Star Media Group is also partnering WeChat to establish four official accounts namely TheStarOnline, StarProperty, MyStarJob and CarSifu.

"Star Media Group is very excited to work with Tencent group. We see them as an innovative and forward thinking technology company. The partnership will open doors for us to create more creative solutions for our advertisers and likewise our readers experience of our contents," said Star Media Group general manager of corporate services George Chan.

Maybank donates RM1mil for typhoon Haiyan victims

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank has donated RM1mil to the Philippine Red Cross to assist in aid relief efforts for victims of the recent Super Typhoon Haiyan. 

The Group operates in the Philippines via its subsidiary, Maybank Philippines Inc., which has 69 branches.
Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, has wrought severe destruction on the Central Philippines, particularly on Samar Island and Leyte province. 

In a statement, Maybank said the donation will specifically be used to provide additional medicine, food and potable water supply in Tacloban City, which is reportedly the most devastated, and currently the focus of relief efforts. 

Maybank chairman Tan Sri Megat Zaharuddin said the bank was deeply saddened by the suffering of the people of the Philippines as well as the devastation of property and livelihood. 

"We hope our contribution will bring urgent relief to those who require it most and help them rebuild their lives," he added. - Bernama

India's central banker urges ‘deep breath’ after market tumble

Posted:

MUMBAI: India's central bank governor, Raghuram Rajan, said on Wednesday he was comfortable with core inflation and highlighted the narrowing current account deficit in reassuring investors worried the country would be hit hard in a global market sell-off.

Most immediately, he pledged to move slowly if needed in winding down an oil window that provides dollars directly to state-run oil companies, while announcing a bond purchase of 80 billion rupees (US$1.26bil) on Monday to inject liquidity in markets.

Both had been key concerns in markets.

The news briefing, announced earlier in the day, was an unprecedented departure for the traditionally cautious central bank. Since taking the helm of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September, Rajan has pledged to be more communicative and has so far been warmly welcomed by investors.

Still, Rajan's remarks had a mixed impact on markets, sending benchmark 10-year bond prices rallying, although the rupee failed to gain much despite ending the day well above a two-month low hit earlier.

Stock markets were already closed.

"It's important that the RBI clarifies interpretation of economic events and the likely direction of economic policies at times of uncertainty so that the market worries about the right things and does not get into a tizzy about the wrong ones. That is my quote today," Rajan told reporters.

"There is no fundamental reason for volatility in value of the rupee," he added. "At some time, it makes sense to take a deep breath and examine the fundamentals. I hope you all will do that."

Rajan addressed reporters after stronger-than-expected US jobs data last week had sparked concerns about an early end to the Federal Reserve's stimulus, hitting the rupee and sending Indian bonds and shares tumbling, although markets remain well above the levels of the summer lows.

Some investors had started to fear a repeat of the summer, when the rupee slumped to a record low of 68.85 to the dollar, punished by worries about the country's vulnerability should foreign investors sell because of Fed tapering.

Analysts also cited some comfort from the governor's remarks on inflation given the RBI has raised interest rates by a half percentage point since September in two back-to-back actions as it fights off rising consumer prices.

Worries about yet another rate hike had gripped investors after India reported late on Tuesday consumer price inflation accelerated more than expected to 10.09% in October from 9.84% in September.

At his briefing, Rajan called food inflation "worryingly high", but said he was comforted by a downward trend in the core consumer price index.

"The RBI has attempted to calm the market by verbal intervention. On the policy front, it seems clear that the governor is in no hurry to hike the repo rate," said Upasna Bhardwaj, economist with ING Vysya Bank.

Rajan also surprised analysts by saying the RBI's estimate for the current account deficit for the fiscal year ending in March was US$56bil, the first time in recent memory the central bank has given such a forecast.

That puts the RBI's estimate in line with the government's after Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said this month the current account gap would reach US$60bil, well below its previous estimate of US$70bil.

India's current account had been a key source of stress during the summer sell-off, but has become less of a concern as the trade deficit has narrowed on government action to curb gold imports and to raise funds from abroad.

Rajan also sought to reassure investors worried about the rupee's stability after the RBI has allowed oil companies to source dollars directly in markets instead of a special window provided by the central bank.

That window was opened as an emergency measure by the RBI in late August and was cited as a key reason behind the recovery in the rupee, which is still up 8.8% since its record low in late August.

Rajan said the RBI had flexibility in managing the return of oil companies to markets, and would go slow if needed.

The rupee strengthened to 63.31 from its 63.71/72 close on Tuesday, while benchmark 10-year bond yields slumped 13 basis points to 8.92%, marking the biggest fall in five weeks – Reuters. 

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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Justin Lin to helm next 'Bourne' movie

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Production set to begin next year.

JUSTIN Lin will direct the next instalment in the Bourne movie franchise.

The Taiwanese-American filmmaker will oversee the adventures of Aaron Cross, Jason Bourne's distant cousin, in an expansion of the fictional world of Robert Ludlum's thriller novels.

The director behind four movies in the Fast and Furious franchise, Lin will trade street racing for spy adventures in the direct sequel to The Bourne Legacy.

According to Variety, the filmmaker reached an agreement with Universal Pictures to direct this follow-up to the 2012 film, a spin-off from the Jason Bourne trilogy starring Matt Damon, released between 2002 and 2007.

American actor Jeremy Renner will reprise his role as Aaron Cross, an elite professional hit man forced to fight for his life after the end of the secret Operation Outcome. The still untitled film will be based on a screenplay by Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes) and is scheduled to begin production in 2014 for release the following year.

Before directing blockbusters, Justin Lin made a name for himself among critics with the independent drama Better Luck Tomorrow in 2002. – AFP Relaxnews

Kate Upton may star in 'Entourage' movie

Posted:

The swimsuit model-turned-actress is said to be in talks to sign for the film based on famed HBO series.

KATE Upton is being eyed for the female lead in the Entourage movie, multiple individuals familiar with the Warner Bros project have said.

Though Upton has not been formally offered the role yet, she is in early discussions to join the cast, according to sources.

While a representative for the swimsuit model-turned-actress has denied that any such talks are under way, they acknowledge that there was interest in Upton for the project earlier this year.

Warner Bros had no comment.

After heated contract negotiations, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven have all agreed to reprise their iconic roles from the HBO series in the Doug Ellin-directed feature, which is expected to highlight Ari Gold's (played by Piven) new career as a studio head.

Details of Upton's potential role are being kept under wraps, though she could be playing the latest love interest of movie star Vincent Chase (Grenier), who always had a thing for curvy blondes.

Production is scheduled to start early next year.

Upton, who appeared in Brett Ratner's Tower Heist and The Three Stooges movie, will soon be seen alongside Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Nick Cassavetes' comedy The Other Woman. – Reuters

Jackie Chan alive and kicking

Posted:

Action hero Jackie Chan debunks rumours of his demise ... again!

JACKIE Chan is not dead. And he's not retiring.

"There are so many different rumours, I am getting used to it," the 59-year-old actor-director says of online reports of his demise. "Don't worry, before I die, I'll let you know."

Chan may be looking to slow down on the action, but after more than 50 years and 100-plus movies, he seems unstoppable.

His 2012 film, CZ12 aka Chinese Zodiac (which was released in the US late last month), still features him leaping from buildings, fighting in the air and rolling down a mountain in a full-body rollerskate suit.

The movie, about a quest to recover pillaged relics, is one of China's highest-grossing home-grown films ever, despite mixed reviews. Up next: another Police Story instalment and the action-comedy Skiptrace.

What was the most difficult part about the stunts in Chinese Zodiac?

The age. I'm not like I used to be – young – anymore. But I still do my own things. It used to be Jackie Chan action is like Hollywood action. But now the whole Hollywood action ... they combine with special effects, computer graphics. We cannot do that because the audience, they don't like to see Jackie Chan flying around like a Superman, like a Batman. They want Jackie Chan to do the real thing. That's the most difficult part.

How long do you think you can keep doing stunts like this?

I don't know. When I was 40, I said: "Another five years, I'm going to retire." Then at 45: "Another five years, I'm going to retire." Then at 50 I said, "Another five years, I retire." I'll do it until I cannot do it (anymore).

Would you ever consider being in a superhero movie like Iron Man or Avengers?

I want to. Please, all the directors, James Cameron: hire me. ... I love to do this kind of movie. Blue background with all the wire, flying around, that's more easy. But all the directors, they think about me: OK, Rush Hour 4 and Shanghai Noon. You have to do your own stunts, Jackie. (I'd) rather do a drama, comedy drama, a love story, sing a song on the beach, running around, slow motion, with a girl, kissing. But nobody buys a ticket to see Jackie Chan in a theatre kissing. No.

You're one of the few actors in the Chinese film industry who's been successful in Hollywood. Why is it so hard to go between the two?

I think I chose the right way. My movies, even without dialogue you understand what's going on – lots of action, but no violence and no dirty jokes, no F-word. My movie is not only for the Hong Kong market or Chinese market (but) for the whole world. All those years, Jackie Chan is like a bank. I collect fans, and when they come to the Jackie Chan bank, they never go away.

Are you going to do Rush Hour 4?

I don't know! Yesterday, I met with Chris Tucker. We sat down: "Jackie, let's do something. Rush Hour 4." Will we do something? Yeah, if we find a good script.

You've already made more than 100 films. What's your favourite?

Maybe with Rush Hour, many people liked watching it, I made a lot of money, but it isn't the kind of movie I like to make. The movie I want to make, I still haven't found.

In the US, they always (say) action movie, action movie. When I'm filming in China, I can make Rob-B-Hood and I can make Shinjuku Incident. Drama, very dark. I'm tired of doing action thing, so this is why I choose Karate Kid and Tuxedo. I try to let the audience know I'm not only an action star, I'm an actor. Because action star, the life is very short.

You mentioned one time you want to be the Asian Robert De Niro.

Look at Robert De Niro or Dustin Hoffman, they can do all kinds of things. That's what I want to do. – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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Glazed, Filled, Sugared & Dipped: Easy Doughnut Recipes to Fry or Bake at Home

Posted:

DOUGHNUTS: can't live with them, can't live without them.

And now you really can't live without them, because there's a whole cookbook devoted to doughnut recipes you can make right from your house.

Glazed, Filled, Sugared & Dipped: Easy Doughnut Recipes to Fry or Bake at Home, the debut cookbook from Stephen Collucci (fondly dubbed "Mr Doughnut" as pastry chef at Colicchio & Sons in New York) with Elizabeth Gunnison, includes more than 50 doughnut recipes, including zeppoles, beignets, churros, bomboloni and doughnut holes to keep things interesting. The book also includes glazes, fillings and sauces to spice recipes up.

Although critically-acclaimed Collucci now works in New York, he grew up in a big Italian family in New Jersey, where home-cooking reigned supreme.

The book is divided into various sections, including a foreword by Tom Colicchio, who says, "(Collucci's) fried desserts are some of the best in the business – somehow light and rich at the same time. Doughnuts also seem to capture, maybe better than any other confection, a sense of nostalgia, humor and delight. (Collucci) makes the most of the medium."

The other sections include an introduction as well as:

– Basic Doughnuts: Basic Berliner, Basic Cake Doughnut

– Doughnuts for Breakfast: Boston Cream Doughnuts with Warm Blueberry Compote, Peach Fritters, Apple Cider Doughnuts with Butterscotch Dipping Sauce

– Doughnuts for Dessert: Zeppole with Hot Fudge and Coffee Anglaise, Caramel Cream Doughnuts with Sour Apple Granita, Funnel Cake with Poached Cherry Compote

– Fillings, Glazes and Sugars: Perfect Lemon Curd, Chocolate Glaze, Cinnamon Cardamom Sugar, Lime Sugar

– Accompaniments: Strawberry Preserves, Apple Butter, Vanilla Ice Cream

Filled with appetizing photographs and detailed directions, there's no way you can go wrong in making your doughnut dreams come true with Collucci's help. – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Related story

Recipe: Chocolate Cake Doughnuts 
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WWF: Endangered 'Asian Unicorn' sighted in Vietnam

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HANOI, Nov 13, 2013 (AFP) - The critically endangered twin-horned saola has been sighted in Vietnam for the first time in over a decade, raising hopes of recovery for the mysterious animal, conservationists said Wednesday.

Known as the "Asian Unicorn" for its extreme elusiveness, the antelope-like creature was spotted in September using a camera trap set by WWF and the communist country's government in Vietnam's central Annamite mountains.

"When our team first looked at the photos we couldn't believe our eyes. Saola are the holy grail for South East Asian conservationists so there was a lot of excitement," said Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF Vietnam's country director.

"This is a breathtaking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species," he said in a statement.

Saola, which were only discovered in 1992, have two parallel horns with sharp ends which can reach 50 centimeters in length (20 inches).

One of the secretive creatures was seen in August 2010 - the first sighting in a decade - but it died a few days after it was captured by villagers in Laos, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

It was the first time a wild saola had been spotted since one was captured on camera in 1999 in Laos.

Dang Dinh Nguyen, Deputy Head of Quang Nam Forest Protection Department, said the last sighting of a saola in Vietnam was in 1998.

He said the latest appearance of the animal was "an historic moment" and showed that conservation efforts in the critical saola habitat were effective.

Conservationists believe there could be only a few dozen surviving in the wild, with best-case estimates ranging to several hundred.

In the area where the saola was sighted, the WWF runs a law enforcement program which recruits forest guards from the local community to prevent illegal hunting.

Since 2011, the forest guards have removed 30,000 snares and destroyed more than 600 illegal hunters' camps.

"Confirmation of the presence of the saola in this area is a testament to the dedicated and tireless efforts of these forest guards," said Thinh.

When it was found two decades ago the saola was "the first large mammal new to science in more than 50 years and one of the most spectacular species discoveries of the 20th century," WWF said.

Govt to relook taxi fare structure

Posted:

THE Government will relook the taxi fare structure to make it simpler and easier to compare across cab operators, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo.

Admitting that today's taxi fare structure is "complex and confusing for commuters", Teo said yesterday that the Land Transport Authority will work with the Public Transport Council and cab companies to look into retooling the fare structure.

This will take into account "the impact on taxi drivers, ultimately to have a taxi fare structure that best serves commuters' interests", Teo told Parliament.

Responding to Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Teo said taxi fares were deregulated in Sept 1998 to allow cab operators to set their own fares to be "more responsive to market conditions".

On whether fare structures now ensure enough taxis ply the roads, Teo said the different surcharges have been imposed to better match taxi supply with demand by giving incentives to cabbies to serve locations and time periods where the demand is high.

Taxi companies are required to publicise fare revisions at least one week in advance in the media and on their websites. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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