Ahad, 15 Disember 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Riot forces authorities to review game plan

Posted:

A RIOT by South Asian labourers has forced Singapore to take a fresh look at how it deals with the presence of nearly a million low-paid foreign workers in the wealthy city-state.

An estimated 400 workers went on the rampage on Dec 8 in a district known as Little India, injuring 39 people, including police officers, and destroying 25 vehicles.

The riot – the first in more than 40 years in the country – erupted after an Indian man was killed by a bus in an area where tens of thousands of workers converge at weekends.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has ordered an investigation into the cause of the violence as well as a review of measures to manage areas where foreign workers congregate.

Police have questioned nearly 4,000 workers and filed charges against at least 33 Indian nationals over the riot.

"We need the foreign workers," Lee said on Thursday, referring to criticism from some Singaporeans who see them as a problem.

"If we didn't have them, we would not be able to achieve our housing plans, or our public transport plans, and Singaporeans would be severely affected."

Singapore has a total population of 5.4 million, but only 3.84 million are citizens and permanent residents.

Out of the foreign population of 1.55 million, about 700,000 are work-permit holders employed in construction and other sectors shunned by Singaporeans, with more than 200,000 others working as domestic helpers.

Latest available official data showed that resident foreigners and foreign companies contributed a total of 44% to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) of S$334.1bil (RM868.6bil) in 2011. Its GDP stood at S$345.6bil (RM898.5bil) in 2012.

Eugene Tan, an associate law professor at the Singapore Mana­gement University, said it was "now a bigger challenge to maintain the large foreign workforce".

Tan, a social commentator who is also an appointed member of parliament, said: "There will be public expectation to reduce further the number of foreign workers."

The long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has already faced intense public pressure over a foreign worker influx in recent years.

In the May 2011 general election, the PAP suffered its worst-ever performance after the large foreign presence became a hot issue.

Authorities have since been phasing in various measures to cap foreign worker inflows.

"Quite certainly, the next general election will see immigration being a major election issue," Tan said. — AFP

China keeps an eye on Abe as Japan PM seeks to rally support

Posted:

BEIJING: The Chinese media kept a close eye on Tokyo as leaders from Asean countries gathered in Japan for the Japan-Asean Summit.

The three-day summit, which marks 40 years of ties between Japan and Asean, was seen as an opportunity for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to rally support against China.

In the latest episode of China-Japan feud, China has declared a new air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, which overlapped the territory claimed by South Korea and Japan.

As expected, Abe brought up the restriction on freedom of flight during the summit in an indirect reference to China's air defence zone.

A Japanese official reportedly quoted him as telling the Asean leaders that "moves to unilaterally change the status quo, moves to put restrictions on the international aviation order, which is built on freedom of flight, are strong concerns".

Under the aircraft identification rules which came into effect on Nov 23, all foreign aircraft intending to enter the zone have to report their flight plans to the Chinese authority and adhere to relevant instructions once they enter the zone.

The Chinese officials reserve the rights to adopt defensive emergency measures when aircraft fail to abide by the identification rules or obey the instructions.

State news agency Xinhua said Japan's inclusion of air zone safety as a key security issue in the summit was a move to "plant a poisonous thorn".

In a commentary, it said Abe's frequent visits to nations in the Asean regional bloc in the past one year aimed at roping in the countries to rein in China.

It criticised Japan of using the East China Sea and South China Sea territorial issues to cause chaos and discord within Asean and to undermine the relationship between Asean and its partners.

Global Times was in the opinion that Japan would not succeed in its bid to get Asean to confront China.

"No matter how Tokyo creates waves, it will not gain a strategic advantage over China in South-East Asia.

"No countries will confront China for the sake of a declining Japan. Even the US, Japan's patron, has to maintain relations with China while keeping its support to Japan," it wrote.

During the summit, Japan has promised ¥2 trillion (RM62.7bil) of loans and grants to the region over five years. The pledge was interpreted as an attempt to increase its influence.

Tang Chunfeng, an expert on Japanese issues in the Research Institute of the Chinese Commerce Ministry, told the Chinese version of Global Times that Asean countries viewed Japan as the "God of Prosperity" who is willing to give them money.

"They are reluctant to offend Japan, but at the same time, they will not let China bear a grudge against them. They are only using Japan."

Tsinghua University's Institute of Modern International Relations deputy director Liu Yongjiang added that Asean would not take sides in this issue.

"Most Asean countries want the region to develop in a stable and peaceful environment, but Japan is constantly causing trouble.

"It will worry the Asean countries and even lead to dissatisfaction," he said.

Commenting on Abe's remarks to gather support from the Asean countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said China is aware of the relevant reports.

"We believe that countries should not target a third party or undermine the interests of the third party when developing ties with each other.

"They should instead make efforts to maintain regional peace and stability," he said in a press conference on Friday, the transcript of which was available on the ministry's website.

Bomb disposal officer among three killed in Pakistan blast

Posted:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan  (AFP) - A roadside bomb on Monday killed a senior bomb disposal officer along with two other policemen in Pakistan's troubled northwest, police said.

Abdul Haq, 43, who had defused more than 60 bombs in his career, was headed to the suburb of Badhaber in the city of Peshawar after being called out to deal with a device.

"He was on his way to defuse a bomb when his vehicle was hit by another bomb. Abdul Haq and a police driver were killed on spot," Najeebur Rehman, a senior police official, told AFP, adding that a police constable wounded in the attack later died in hospital.

TV channels later showed other bomb disposal officers defusing the device.

Shafqat Malik, bomb disposal chief for the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, praised Haq as one of his best and most professional operatives.

"We are losing our best officers. More than 10 officers of BDS (bomb disposal squad) have lost their lives while serving their motherland," Malik said.

Haq was made bomb disposal chief for Peshawar after his predecessor Hukam Khan was killed while defusing two bombs in the same area in September 2012.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have led a bloody campaign against the Pakistani state in recent years.

They have carried out hundreds of attacks on security forces and government targets, mainly in the northwest.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz


Papa don't preach

Posted:

Afdlin Shauki serves up a sequel to his hit Papadom that subtly gets the audience thinking – while busting a gut laughing.

AFDLIN Shauki's Papadom proved to be a thought-provoking film for many a parent when it came out four years ago.

Parents watching it must have wondered just how far they would go to protect their children. And any child watching it should have realised just how far their parents would go to protect them simply out of love.

The story centred on widower Saadom (Afdlin) and his overprotective ways where daughter Mia (Liyana Jasmay) was concerned. Feeling stifled, she moved to Kuala Lumpur to pursue a course in filmmaking and, of course, Papa panicked at the thought.

His plans to stay close to Mia landed him in a series of unlikely and comical situations, including falling in love with her lecturer Prof Balqis (Vanidah Imran).

Papadom also made a huge impact at the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival, grabbing the best film award as well as acting honours for Afdlin and Liyana.

In a funny and subtle way, Afdlin Shauki makes us think about our own relationships with our loved ones in Papadom 2.

In a funny and subtle way, Afdlin Shauki makes us think about our own relationships with our loved ones in Papadom 2.

Its awards and box office takings (RM3.37mil) proved the doubters wrong. Now Afdlin, 42, is back with a sequel entitled – what else – Papadom 2.

He and Liyana reprise their roles in the new movie, with the story unfolding against the backdrop of a film set where Mia is working as assistant director.

The RM1.8mil production, which like its predecessor is also produced by Tayangan Unggul, continues the story of the relationship between Saadom and his daughter, who is all grown up now.

Upon hearing that Mia is in love and preparing to marry the man of her dreams, Saadom decides to go undercover at Mia's workplace to find out the truth about the boy, only to learn that Mia's love is not what he expects.

Once again, Saadom finds himself challenged, and this makes for some truly hilarious and chaotic scenes.

Apart from familiar faces such as Afdlin, Liyana, Vanida Imran, Pete Teo, Scha Alyahya, Noorkhiriah, Adham Malekh and Chelsia Ng reprising their roles, Papadom 2 also adds several new and colourful characters to its cast played by Riezman Khuzaimie, Khir Rahman, Hans Isaac, Dira Abu Zahar and Adlin Aman Ramlie.

Mia (Liyana Jasmay) is all grown up now and feeling torn between her over-protective father and living her own life.

If the gala screening last week was anything to go by, the sequel promises to have audiences howling with laughter – there are even delightful spoofs of some recent movies – and maybe shedding a few tears, too. A big box office haul seems like a reasonable expectation.

Behind the comedy and heart-rending moments is a subtle message that Afdlin wants to get across. Instead of being preachy, however, he tries to get us thinkiing about our own relationships with our loved ones.

For Afdlin himself, the film still gets him tear-eyed even after multiple viewings.

"While I was directing, all I wanted to do was to see the end product. But when I saw it on screen with ... (all) the elements such as the music, and emotions being displayed, it made me feel really grateful for and thankful to my family for being my inspiration for this movie," said Afdlin, a father of three daughters aged between three and 14.

He felt that the Papadom movies stand out in Malaysian cinema because they deal with the relationship between children and their parents, and vice versa. "If you look around, (there is) no local film addressing family matters and I believe that's the unique thing about this movie," he said after the premiere.

Liyana, 25, was beyond excited when she learned of the sequel, because her character would not only be a working adult, but would also have a boyfriend!

Afdlin recalled Liyana's reaction to the prospect of Mia's romantic liaison in the movie.

"She gave me a long list of actors who she would like to play her boyfriend. You know, all the young and good-looking actors," said Afdlin.

"And then I gave her a really big surprise (in terms of the actor playing her boyfriend)," he added, before bursting into laughter.

Liyana said she was surprised by the name but much to her delight, she quickly discovered that the two of them had great chemistry on screen.

"I learned a lot from him as he is an experienced actor and, trust me, it was really fun," said the talented Liyana, who is now two months pregnant with her first child.

Singer-songwriter Pete Teo, 41, was more than happy to reprise his role as Uncle Alan (Saadom's close friend).

"Working with Afdlin was always fun. And when he told me that I would have more scenes in Papadom 2 I was really excited. But honestly, I was feeling the pressure this time around due to the filming schedule and I think it took me about 20 days to shoot my scenes.

"Yeah, it was really funny when I was told that my character would have a crush on a young girl," said Teo, recently back from working on some projects in London – which, unfortunately, caused him to miss the premiere.

"I will definitely watch it in the cinema when it opens ... I really hope people will like it because we had so much fun making it," he said.

* Papadom 2 is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

Movies coming soon

Posted:

12 Years A Slave – An adaptation of the 1853 autobiography by Solomon Northup, it tells the story of how he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film features a stellar cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Brad Pitt, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty – Ben Stiller (pic) directs and acts in this tale about a most ordinary man named Walter Mitty. He spends his life daydreaming about the things he might do but mostly, he has achieved ... pretty much nothing. Then an important picture goes missing, and Walter decides to do something about it. Also starring Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn and Sean Penn.

Do the Monster Mash

Posted:

THERE have been two very exciting trailers out this month for two of next year's most anticipated films.

The newest one is Godzilla, which is directed by Gareth Edwards (who did the low-budget, critically-acclaimed Monsters in 2010). Godzilla has been in the making for some time now, and this is the first teaser trailer we are seeing.

A trailer that ends with the revelation of a gargantuan creature, letting out a fearsome roar as its shape and size becomes clearer as the dust around it settles. No doubt about it, this is a jaw-dropping moment all right.

As shown in the poster revealed in this year's San Diego Comic-Con, we see soldiers jumping out of the plane while David Strathairn's character is giving his men a "last hurrah" speech. We get behind the goggles of one of these men falling from the sky, and at one point we can make out parts of Godzilla.

We see the destruction this radiation-spawned monster creates, alternating with the puny humans' reaction. Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen deliver shocked looks while Aaron Johnson (with army haircut) looks a little lost. Ken Watanabe is also among the cast, and we figure he must be the guy who discovers the monster's origins as he is wearing an anti-radiation suit.

The teaser already looks better than the Godzilla movie directed by Roland Emmerich back in 1998. Let's hope this is true of the finished film.

Earlier this month, we also got to see the newest trailer to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which runs for 2mins and 40secs. It offers plenty of action (there are two Matrix slow-mo moves) with Spidey fighting more than one enemy.

Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) plays Harry Osborn – who seems to have a hand in the origin of Electro (Jamie Foxx). There is also the Rhino (Paul Giamatti). In the synopsis, it says that Oscorp – owned by Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin in the comics and Sam Raimi movies – is sending a slew of supervillains to fight Spidey.

Poor Peter Parker, he can never catch a break. But it seems Peter (Andrew Garfield) has made up with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Even though the trailer has its lighter moments – thanks to the romantic pair – the film looks like it will have plenty of explosive action and many tragic moments. It's a bit scary too, thanks to the trailer voice-over where Electro declares his intention to get rid of Spider-Man.

By the way, the suit Spidey wears has the same tint of blue as in the comics. Nice!

Both films are set to open in May.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Papa don't preach

Posted:

Afdlin Shauki serves up a sequel to his hit Papadom that subtly gets the audience thinking – while busting a gut laughing.

AFDLIN Shauki's Papadom proved to be a thought-provoking film for many a parent when it came out four years ago.

Parents watching it must have wondered just how far they would go to protect their children. And any child watching it should have realised just how far their parents would go to protect them simply out of love.

The story centred on widower Saadom (Afdlin) and his overprotective ways where daughter Mia (Liyana Jasmay) was concerned. Feeling stifled, she moved to Kuala Lumpur to pursue a course in filmmaking and, of course, Papa panicked at the thought.

His plans to stay close to Mia landed him in a series of unlikely and comical situations, including falling in love with her lecturer Prof Balqis (Vanidah Imran).

Papadom also made a huge impact at the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival, grabbing the best film award as well as acting honours for Afdlin and Liyana.

In a funny and subtle way, Afdlin Shauki makes us think about our own relationships with our loved ones in Papadom 2.

In a funny and subtle way, Afdlin Shauki makes us think about our own relationships with our loved ones in Papadom 2.

Its awards and box office takings (RM3.37mil) proved the doubters wrong. Now Afdlin, 42, is back with a sequel entitled – what else – Papadom 2.

He and Liyana reprise their roles in the new movie, with the story unfolding against the backdrop of a film set where Mia is working as assistant director.

The RM1.8mil production, which like its predecessor is also produced by Tayangan Unggul, continues the story of the relationship between Saadom and his daughter, who is all grown up now.

Upon hearing that Mia is in love and preparing to marry the man of her dreams, Saadom decides to go undercover at Mia's workplace to find out the truth about the boy, only to learn that Mia's love is not what he expects.

Once again, Saadom finds himself challenged, and this makes for some truly hilarious and chaotic scenes.

Apart from familiar faces such as Afdlin, Liyana, Vanida Imran, Pete Teo, Scha Alyahya, Noorkhiriah, Adham Malekh and Chelsia Ng reprising their roles, Papadom 2 also adds several new and colourful characters to its cast played by Riezman Khuzaimie, Khir Rahman, Hans Isaac, Dira Abu Zahar and Adlin Aman Ramlie.

Mia (Liyana Jasmay) is all grown up now and feeling torn between her over-protective father and living her own life.

If the gala screening last week was anything to go by, the sequel promises to have audiences howling with laughter – there are even delightful spoofs of some recent movies – and maybe shedding a few tears, too. A big box office haul seems like a reasonable expectation.

Behind the comedy and heart-rending moments is a subtle message that Afdlin wants to get across. Instead of being preachy, however, he tries to get us thinkiing about our own relationships with our loved ones.

For Afdlin himself, the film still gets him tear-eyed even after multiple viewings.

"While I was directing, all I wanted to do was to see the end product. But when I saw it on screen with ... (all) the elements such as the music, and emotions being displayed, it made me feel really grateful for and thankful to my family for being my inspiration for this movie," said Afdlin, a father of three daughters aged between three and 14.

He felt that the Papadom movies stand out in Malaysian cinema because they deal with the relationship between children and their parents, and vice versa. "If you look around, (there is) no local film addressing family matters and I believe that's the unique thing about this movie," he said after the premiere.

Liyana, 25, was beyond excited when she learned of the sequel, because her character would not only be a working adult, but would also have a boyfriend!

Afdlin recalled Liyana's reaction to the prospect of Mia's romantic liaison in the movie.

"She gave me a long list of actors who she would like to play her boyfriend. You know, all the young and good-looking actors," said Afdlin.

"And then I gave her a really big surprise (in terms of the actor playing her boyfriend)," he added, before bursting into laughter.

Liyana said she was surprised by the name but much to her delight, she quickly discovered that the two of them had great chemistry on screen.

"I learned a lot from him as he is an experienced actor and, trust me, it was really fun," said the talented Liyana, who is now two months pregnant with her first child.

Singer-songwriter Pete Teo, 41, was more than happy to reprise his role as Uncle Alan (Saadom's close friend).

"Working with Afdlin was always fun. And when he told me that I would have more scenes in Papadom 2 I was really excited. But honestly, I was feeling the pressure this time around due to the filming schedule and I think it took me about 20 days to shoot my scenes.

"Yeah, it was really funny when I was told that my character would have a crush on a young girl," said Teo, recently back from working on some projects in London – which, unfortunately, caused him to miss the premiere.

"I will definitely watch it in the cinema when it opens ... I really hope people will like it because we had so much fun making it," he said.

* Papadom 2 is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

Movies coming soon

Posted:

12 Years A Slave – An adaptation of the 1853 autobiography by Solomon Northup, it tells the story of how he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film features a stellar cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Brad Pitt, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty – Ben Stiller (pic) directs and acts in this tale about a most ordinary man named Walter Mitty. He spends his life daydreaming about the things he might do but mostly, he has achieved ... pretty much nothing. Then an important picture goes missing, and Walter decides to do something about it. Also starring Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn and Sean Penn.

Do the Monster Mash

Posted:

THERE have been two very exciting trailers out this month for two of next year's most anticipated films.

The newest one is Godzilla, which is directed by Gareth Edwards (who did the low-budget, critically-acclaimed Monsters in 2010). Godzilla has been in the making for some time now, and this is the first teaser trailer we are seeing.

A trailer that ends with the revelation of a gargantuan creature, letting out a fearsome roar as its shape and size becomes clearer as the dust around it settles. No doubt about it, this is a jaw-dropping moment all right.

As shown in the poster revealed in this year's San Diego Comic-Con, we see soldiers jumping out of the plane while David Strathairn's character is giving his men a "last hurrah" speech. We get behind the goggles of one of these men falling from the sky, and at one point we can make out parts of Godzilla.

We see the destruction this radiation-spawned monster creates, alternating with the puny humans' reaction. Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen deliver shocked looks while Aaron Johnson (with army haircut) looks a little lost. Ken Watanabe is also among the cast, and we figure he must be the guy who discovers the monster's origins as he is wearing an anti-radiation suit.

The teaser already looks better than the Godzilla movie directed by Roland Emmerich back in 1998. Let's hope this is true of the finished film.

Earlier this month, we also got to see the newest trailer to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which runs for 2mins and 40secs. It offers plenty of action (there are two Matrix slow-mo moves) with Spidey fighting more than one enemy.

Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) plays Harry Osborn – who seems to have a hand in the origin of Electro (Jamie Foxx). There is also the Rhino (Paul Giamatti). In the synopsis, it says that Oscorp – owned by Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin in the comics and Sam Raimi movies – is sending a slew of supervillains to fight Spidey.

Poor Peter Parker, he can never catch a break. But it seems Peter (Andrew Garfield) has made up with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Even though the trailer has its lighter moments – thanks to the romantic pair – the film looks like it will have plenty of explosive action and many tragic moments. It's a bit scary too, thanks to the trailer voice-over where Electro declares his intention to get rid of Spider-Man.

By the way, the suit Spidey wears has the same tint of blue as in the comics. Nice!

Both films are set to open in May.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Riot in China's Xinjiang leaves 16 dead

Posted:

BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in China's restive far western region of Xinjiang shot dead 14 people during a riot late on Sunday in which two policemen were also killed, the regional government said on Monday.

Police were attacked by a mob throwing explosive devices and wielding knives when they went to arrest "criminal suspects" in a village near the old Silk Road city of Kashgar, the government said on its official news portal Tianshan (www.ts.cn).

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Hui Li)

Tianjin becomes latest Chinese city to restrict car ownership

Posted:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's northern city of Tianjin will restrict issuance of new car licences, the latest city to clamp down on car ownership in a bid to ease traffic congestion and combat air pollution.

The city government will issue new plates via auction and lottery from Monday, it said in a notice posted on its website on Sunday.

It will also introduce a quota system similar to Beijing's traffic restriction scheme, which allows cars access to the city on certain days depending on the last digit of their plates, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Miao Hongwei, head of the city's traffic management bureau, as saying.

The capital Beijing, infamous for its choking smog, announced last month it will slash the city's new car sales quota by almost 40 percent next year.

Other major cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou have also implemented measures to restrict car ownership.

The Chinese government has announced many plans to fight pollution over the years but the country's manufacturing base and heavy dependency on coal for energy continues to dog efforts to clean up the smog that has enveloped many cities.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Kazunori Takada and Jacqueline Wong)

Bachelet wins Chile election in a landslide, plans reforms

Posted:

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile's president again on Sunday in a landslide victory that hands the centre-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms.

Bachelet won with about 62 percent support, the highest proportion of votes any presidential candidate has obtained since Chile returned to holding democratic elections in 1989.

Evelyn Matthei, the conservative candidate of the ruling Alianza coalition, conceded defeat after capturing just 38 percent of the vote, the right's worst performance in two decades.

Bachelet, who led Chile between 2006 and 2010 as its first female leader, will look to capitalize on her resounding win to make changes aimed at redressing persistent inequality in the world's top copper exporter.

"Today we embark on a new era ... Chile has decided it is the moment to begin deep transformation," she told crowds of cheering supporters waving flags and sounding horns outside the La Moneda presidential palace as dusk fell on a warm summer evening.

A physician by training, Bachelet is a moderate socialist and has promised 50 reforms in her first 100 days, once she takes office in March.

Her flagship policy is a hike in corporate taxes to 25 percent from 20 percent, to pay for social reforms that include a gradual move to free higher education.

Yet she is a long way from the hard-left radicalism that has shaped Venezuela and Argentina in recent years, and is closer to the pragmatic, business-friendly stance of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff.

Bachelet has committed to stick to the path of fiscal prudence that has characterized the economy of the Andean country in recent decades.

"There are two things we know that don't change in Chile," said political scientist Patricio Navia. "One is that we always have earthquakes. And the other is that since 1990 governments are fiscally responsible. That goes without question."

RELIEF, BUT NOT A SURPRISE

Bachelet's large margin of victory will come as a relief to her, if not a surprise.

Loved by many Chileans for her warm and personable style, her approval ratings were sky-high at the end of her first term. Constitutionally barred from seeking immediate re-election in 2009, she was the runaway favourite to win this year's vote since before she even launched her candidacy.

But it has not all been plain sailing. Her campaign suffered a setback last month, when the presence of eight other candidates fractured the first round vote and left her just short of the majority needed to seal the election outright.

Her opponent, Matthei, a brusque former labour minister, was a last-minute choice for Alianza in July and struggled to gain traction against Bachelet.

Hailing from the more conservative branch of the governing coalition, Matthei was tainted in the eyes of many Chileans by her association with the repressive 1973-1990 dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Her father was a general in the ruling junta and she supported Pinochet in a 1988 plebiscite.

Dissatisfaction with President Sebastian Pinera's government also weighed on Matthei's campaign. Despite solid economic growth and plaudits for its fiscal responsibility, the government was seen as out of touch and slow to respond to demands for change.

Chile's free-market economy and copper-fuelled growth have made it a Latin American success story in the last two decades. However, there are still sharp social divisions, illustrated by Sunday's vote in Santiago's upscale Las Condes district, where only 24 percent voted for Bachelet.

A single mother who was a victim of torture during Pinochet's rule, Bachelet is seen as a "people's candidate".

"This triumph is a small step towards the changes that are coming to Chile," said 19-year-old education student Beatriz Jorquera as she joined the crowds outside La Moneda.

Bachelet returned to Chile earlier this year to run for the presidency after a spell heading the United Nations' gender equality body, U.N. Women.

Politically naive when she was elected eight years ago, she is now a more sophisticated operator and is in a better position to get things done, those close to her say.

Top of her list is reforming education. Good quality schooling is generally only available in Chile to those who can pay, and sometimes violent student protests demanding change have hurt the Pinera administration.

Bachelet also plans to change the Pinochet-era constitution and electoral system.

But her power will be constrained by a divided Congress. Despite losing seats in November's Congressional elections, Alianza still has a large enough majority to block at least electoral and constitutional changes.

There are some indications that they will be willing to bargain, but the price may be watered-down reforms.

The wide majority in Sunday's vote "will give her momentum going into government," said political scientist Kenneth Bunker. "But she's still going to have to negotiate in Congress."

The president-elect also faces high expectations from those who voted her in, and she is not likely to be given much of a honeymoon once her four-year term starts.

(Additional reporting by Fabian Cambero and Anthony Esposito. Editing by Kieran Murray and Christopher Wilson)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Golden Globes dump old TV darlings for new and edgy

Posted:

Decision comes as voters seek out TV's next big thing.

TELEVISION favourites of seasons past such as Mad Men and Homeland lost out to new, edgy shows like Masters Of Sex and House Of Cards in the Golden Globes nominations announced on Thursday, as voters seek out TV's next big thing.

In the category of best TV dramas, Netflix's political thriller House Of Cards and Showtime's racy sex history series Masters Of Sex will take on AMC's gritty drug drama Breaking Bad, PBS' British period series Downton Abbey and CBS' law and corruption yarn The Good Wife.

Michael Sheen (as Dr William Masters) with Lizzy Caplan, as Virginia Johnson (left), and Caitlin Fitzgerald (Libby Masters) in Masters Of Sex.

Showtime's domestic terror drama Homeland, which won Golden Globes for best TV drama for the past two years, failed to garner a single nomination on Thursday. Other past favourites such as AMC's advertising drama Mad Men and HBO's epic fantasy Game Of Thrones were also pushed aside for new shows.

"It's the job of the people in the industry to try and prepare people for the next generation of shows, and make sure something strong is on the upwards escalator, so I welcome the new shows in the category," Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes said in an interview.

Past comedy favourites including NBC shows The Office and 30 Rock, both of which concluded this year, also failed to win any nods on Thursday.

In this year's nominations for best comedy/musical TV series, new Fox cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine will compete against CBS' The Big Bang Theory, ABC's Modern Family, HBO's Girls and NBC's Parks And Recreation.

The Golden Globes, voted for by the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are one of Hollywood's top honours for film and television, and winners will be announced at a televised ceremony in Beverly Hills on Jan 12.

Online streaming platform Netflix barged in this year with its first forays into original programming: House Of Cards snagged four nominations, while female prison drama Orange Is The New Black and comedy Arrested Development picked up a nomination each.

A surprise entry into the mix was premium cable channel Starz, which had two shows vying for honours in the TV mini-series/movie categories, landing a network record of six nominations.

Starz received nominations for Dancing On The Edge, a BBC drama about a black jazz band in 1930s London, and The White Queen, a medieval period piece co-produced by the BBC and Starz. They will challenge HBO's Liberace biopic Behind The Candelabra, Sundance Channel's New Zealand thriller Top Of The Lake and FX Networks' American Horror Story: Coven for best mini-series/movie.

"The wealth is spread around more than it was before. Starz's significant nominations are clearly a reflection of the network's desire to support and produce quality drama," said Colin Callender, executive producer of Dancing On The Edge and The White Queen.

New roles and new talent

Newcomers and new roles also shook up the acting categories in the TV race on Thursday. Orphan Black actress Tatiana Maslany, Orange Is The New Black lead actress Taylor Schilling, Scandal actress Kerry Washington and House Of Cards actress Robin Wright will compete in the best TV drama actress category alongside previous Globe winner Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife. This is the fifth time Margulies has been nominated in the category for her role as a wife and litigator in the CBS show.

Tatiana Maslany in Orphan Black.

"The Globes have always done a great job of honouring people first. They always look out for new shows, and if not new talent, then talent in new roles," James Hibberd, senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, said.

In the race for best actor in a TV drama, the only returning nominee is Bryan Cranston for his role as school teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White in AMC's Breaking Bad, which concluded after five seasons amid great hype in September.

Bryan Cranston, the only returnee in the best TV drama actor category, for his role as Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad.

Cranston, a favourite to win the category, will be up against Liev Schreiber for Showtime's Ray Donovan, Michael Sheen for Masters Of Sex, Kevin Spacey for House Of Cards and James Spader for NBC's The Blacklist.

New roles also feature in the best comedy TV actor race, as Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg, Michael J. Fox from The Michael J. Fox Show and Jason Bateman from Arrested Development, take on previous Globe winners, Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory and House Of Lies star Don Cheadle.

Amy Poehler is a nominee (best comedy TV actress; Parks And Recreation) and co-host of the 71st Golden Globes.

The best comedy TV actress race comprises previous nominees and winners, with Zooey Deschanel from New Girl battling Lena Dunham from Girls, Nurse Jackie star Edie Falco, Veep actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Amy Poehler from Parks And Recreation.

Poehler will host the Jan 12 awards ceremony with Tina Fey for the second year in a row. – Reuters

* For a full list of the 2014 Golden Globe nominations, go to www.goldenglobes.com/nominees.

Related story:
No Golden Globe film nods for heavyweights

Liev Schreiber tackles PR disasters

Posted:

Liev Schreiber takes on seamy side of celebrity in Ray Donovan.

LIEV Schreiber exudes a cool, unstudied masculinity. Tall and thoughtful with stubble on a strong jaw, he breaks for a cigarette and coffee on the set of his new show, Ray Donovan.

The 45-year-old actor plays the titular character – a Hollywood "fixer" called upon to cover up, deflect or mediate public relations disasters for the rich and famous.

"Our obsession with celebrities, who are really, at the end of the day, just employees in the entertainment industry, is worth taking a look at," says Schreiber, sitting on a bench in a fake foyer at Sony Studios in Culver City, California in the United States. "They are fallible, sensitive people, just like us."

In the neo-noir landscape of sprawling Los Angeles, the gritty drama, which was created by Southland's Ann Biderman, does not shy away from the ugly side of celebrity. Masturbatory stalkers lurk in the shadows of sunny beaches, famous actors display pedophilia tendencies, and dead bodies are treated not as career-enders but as inconveniences to be dealt with.

"A lot of people have to collude for people to get away with the **** they get away with," says Biderman, who often peppers her speech with curse words. "To create a Michael Jackson scenario, a lot of people have to keep saying 'yes.' And the more that happens, the more you're living outside of permissible boundaries. I find that fascinating."

Boundaries are non-existent to Schreiber's Ray, for whom no door is ever really locked and whose use of a baseball bat is more Al Capone, less Derek Jeter. And although he's a pro at making the problems of others disappear, he can't quite do the same thing when it comes to his complicated family.

His wife doesn't understand him, his kids are growing up too fast and his brothers, who work at the family's boxing club, have been left emotionally stunted by the psychological abuse of the family patriarch, Mickey.

Mickey, played with menace by veteran Jon Voight, is a crass low-life who recently got out of jail after serving 20 years for murder. Ray framed him to put him there.

Needless to say, it's a series dominated by anti-heroes. Voight's Mickey is sneering and manipulative. He feeds his addict son Bunchy cocaine, smokes weed with prostitutes and insinuates himself into Ray's family with a sly stealth.

"We've got wonderful actors playing delicious parts," says Voight on set. The premium cable channel, Showtime, has high hopes for the hard-nosed drama whose complex and ambiguous moral themes mesh neatly with many of their other series such as Emmy-winning Homeland, Dexter and Nurse Jackie.

Biderman says she was lucky when she pitched the show because the network was looking for "a big, juicy macho show."

"I think you can only do true male psychology on premium cable," says Showtime's President of entertainment David Nevins. "That was one of the things The Sopranos had going for it. It was clear that Ann had unique insight into the male psyche – she knows what drives men."

Schreiber agrees, saying he was unprepared for Biderman when he first met her.

"I was expecting to meet Raymond Chandler, and here comes this small, delicate woman who has the mouth of a prize fighter," he says. "She writes men better than anyone in the business, at the heart of this toughness is a tremendous sensitivity."

Ray is, indeed, the embodiment of the strong, silent type. The man who tucks his daughter into bed; makes sure his wife has a stack of cash for a new dress for date night; and is tempted by lithe, young starlets. The man who would also make bloody work of anyone who would hurt any of them.

Biderman has always been fascinated by the cause-and-effect patterns of bad behaviour.

"I was a freaky kid, I've had a long obsession with crime," she says, curled in an office chair, her hair in a messy upsweep. "Other girls would be watching Gigi, and I'd be watching Detective Story' with Kirk Douglas."

Many of the show's episodic scenarios seem based on non-fictional Hollywood problems and characters. To say which ones would be to spoil important plotlines, but viewers will know them when they see them thanks to the tabloid frenzies they caused.

So that raises the question: Is there a real-life Ray Donovan?

Biderman is coy about that – a fixer wouldn't be a fixer if he were in the limelight. But the truth is that the character is likely an amalgamation of a variety of people who grease the gears of Hollywood's vast moneymaking machine.

Showtime hopes to have another hit on its hands. And if it emerges as one, Schreiber, who says he is "not a first-choice guy, I'm a clean-up guy" when it comes to casting, is poised to become a bona-fide leading man.

"This role is the perfect vehicle for him," says Voight of Schreiber. "With all its danger, charm and sex appeal."

With that, Voight joins Schreiber on the boxing club set in the chilly, cavernous sound stage. Spotlights roar to life, and the two men shift into character: foes in opposite corners of the ring. – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

* Ray Donovan airs every Sunday at 11.45pm on FOX Movies Premium (Astro Ch 413).

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Shopping to be the mainstay of VMY2014

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SUBANG: Shopping and retail tourism will remain a key focus area during the Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

Tourism and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng said shopping had traditionally been a subsidiary activity while people travelled but with travel costs going down, the concept had changed.

"People used to shop while travelling to buy souvenirs and gifts but the situation has changed," he said in his address during the launch of 1Malaysia Year End Sale (1MYES) and Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014) organised by the Sunway Group here yesterday.

He said retail tourism had become a popular leisure pursuit and statistics from the ministry suggested that it made up a large portion of tourist spending.

"It contributed a total of RM18bil to the country's economy last year," he said.

He noted that the ministry would double its efforts to maintain Malaysia's position as one of the World's top 10 Best Shopping Cities as revealed by CNN Travel, ahead of other well-established cities.

"These accolades have strengthened Kuala Lumpur's position as a shopping paradise not only in the region but the world as well," he said.

With strong participation of industry leaders, such as Sunway Group, the Tourism and Culture Ministry was confident in expanding the inbound tourist market share in tandem with the growth of the Asia Pacific market, he added.

"We are confident of achieving our target of attracting 28 million tourists for VMY 2014 and RM76bil in tourists receipt.

"We should take advantage of the recognition that the country received and double our efforts to develop and stimulate the shopping and tourism sector further.

"Shopping-driven extravaganzas such as 1MYES will remain as one of the central platforms to drive tourism expenditures.

"This 1MYES is a prelude to an even more exciting shopping experience to be held next year, where the best bargains, the best choices, and the best shopping experience in the region will be offered," he said.

On the ministry's future plans, Dr Ong said it will look forward to continuously promoting some 20 to 40 malls where tourists would go for the three annual sales.

Alleged baby rape: Cops say no sign of abuse

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: Police have not found any criminal elements in the case of the nine-month-old baby girl who was allegedly raped by her neighbour's teenage son.

"There are no criminal elements involved in the case. There were no elements of rape or abuse but the case is still under investigation," Petaling Jaya deputy OCPD Supt Fadil Marsus said.

Confirming that a report had been lodged on the matter, Supt Fadil, however, declined to elaborate further.

Malacca Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) highlighted the case after the baby's 27-year-old mother from Taman Desa Ria in Petaling Jaya, claimed that she had found bloodstains on her daughter's diapers when she was cleaning her at their home on Tuesday night.

The shocked mother then checked her daughter for any bodily injuries and saw that the infant was bleeding from her private parts.

The mother then lodged a report at the Dang Wangi police station the same night.

Enough turkeys for all this season

Posted:

PUTRAJAYA: There will be enough turkeys for everyone this Christmas now that the Department of Veterinary Services has added another farm in Australia as a source for the bird meat.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that local suppliers were allowed to import carcasses, whole birds, bone-in meat, boneless meat and cuts as well as frozen turkeys from the Australian farm Goldfields Turkey Pty Ltd in Victoria.

Currently, suppliers are only allowed to import frozen turkeys from Brazil.

Besides imported turkeys, Ismail Sabri said traders could also get their supplies from local turkey farms.

"There are several turkey farms in Kedah and Penang. Suppliers can contact the department's offices in both states for assistance to purchase the turkeys," he said after sending off a convoy of vehicles laden with food supplies to flood-affected areas in Pahang, Terengganu, Johor and Kelantan on Friday.

The Star had reported on Friday that turkey suppliers in the country were finding it harder to bring in the Christmas favou­rite due to stringent halal certification, hav­ing limited their import options to Brazil only.

Previously, several countries including Australia and the United States supplied turkeys to Malaysia.

Ismail Sabri said that the suppliers could also contact the farmers directly to get their stock of turkeys.

"With both live and frozen turkeys available, there shouldn't be any problem serving this Christmas dish," he said.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Case of body found in river classified as murder

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THE police are now investigating the case of the decapitated body found in Whampoa River as murder.

The case was initially classified as an unnatural death when the body of the woman, apparently wrapped in a trash bag, was discovered on Thursday by a jogger and a cleaner in the waterway between McNair Road and St George's Road.

The victim's head and arms, which were believed to have been mutilated, were missing.

Some media reports yesterday claimed that the victim might have been a maid.

According to the reports, police officers who interviewed residents near the Whampoa River area asked whether they had employed a maid and if the maid had gone missing.

When contacted, a police spokesman declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations.

Yesterday, the search for the missing body parts continued.

At about 6pm, the police were alerted to an unknown object floating in a canal along Dakota Crescent.

The canal is not linked to Whampoa River.

Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters arrived minutes later and were seen going down to the canal to retrieve the object.

It turned out to be a false alarm – the police established that the object was actually a pair of gloves and no other incriminating object was found, a police spokesman said.

A 41-year-old housewife, who wanted to be known only as Chong, said: "I saw what looked like an arm floating down the canal.

"I was wondering if it could be related to the headless woman's body found earlier."

Chong said she was at home when her daughter, who had gone out to buy drinks, saw the object floating in the canal and alerted her. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Four appointed to establish factors that led to the Little India incident

Posted:

Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean has appointed a four-member Committee of Inquiry to look into the riot at Little India last Sunday.

The COI will be chaired by former Judge of the Supreme Court G. Pannir Selvam.

Other members of the committee are former Commissioner of Police Tee Tua Ba, former president of the Singapore National Trades Union Congress John De Payva and chairman of the West Coast Citizens' Consultative Com­mittee Andrew Chua.

The committee will establish the factors and circumstances that led to the riot on Dec 8 and also establish how the riot unfolded and how the response forces managed the incident.

They will also consider whether current measures to manage incidents in the areas where foreign workers congregate are adequate and recommend if any further measures are needed to improve the management of this and to reduce the risk of such incidents happening again.

Teo, who is Deputy Prime Minister, at a media conference on Friday evening said that the committee was chosen because they understand workers relations and with their experience they will be able to examine these issues thoroughly.

DPM Teo added that the team was keen to start their work.

The findings of the committee will be made public. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

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Spanish artist Nacho Ruiz's tangle of lights

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Spanish artist Nacho Ruiz's Meeting Point, a fibre optic light installation, was one of the unsung highlights at the Urbanscapes 2013 festival in Serdang, Selangor last month. Moving on from his Malaysian debut installation, Ruiz has now been commissioned for a new light installation at Publika, Solaris Dutamas in Kuala Lumpur.

The new piece entitled Infinity resides inside the Publika Boulevard. It will be on display till Feb 14.

Made from fibre optic materials, optic luminaire machine, plastic mirrors and wood panels, Infinity is a black box in the centre of Publika.

The public can access the interior of the piece, designed as a space of mirrors and fibre optics that automatically becomes part of the installation.

"Perhaps our children and certainly our grandchildren will be able to access a state of infinite or eternal life,'' said Ruiz about this new work.

"This concept is already latent in our lives as our digital footprint will remain an eternal way of social networking,'' he added.

Visitors are encouraged to pose with the artworks and take digital photos of themselves to complete the intention of the piece.

For Infinity at Publika, Ruiz collaborated with Malaysian artist Adeputra Masri while Ferran Benavent and Maria Carbonell from Ruiz's hometown of Valencia, also helped out.

* More details at www.nachoruiz.info.

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Case of body found in river classified as murder

Posted:

THE police are now investigating the case of the decapitated body found in Whampoa River as murder.

The case was initially classified as an unnatural death when the body of the woman, apparently wrapped in a trash bag, was discovered on Thursday by a jogger and a cleaner in the waterway between McNair Road and St George's Road.

The victim's head and arms, which were believed to have been mutilated, were missing.

Some media reports yesterday claimed that the victim might have been a maid.

According to the reports, police officers who interviewed residents near the Whampoa River area asked whether they had employed a maid and if the maid had gone missing.

When contacted, a police spokesman declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations.

Yesterday, the search for the missing body parts continued.

At about 6pm, the police were alerted to an unknown object floating in a canal along Dakota Crescent.

The canal is not linked to Whampoa River.

Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters arrived minutes later and were seen going down to the canal to retrieve the object.

It turned out to be a false alarm – the police established that the object was actually a pair of gloves and no other incriminating object was found, a police spokesman said.

A 41-year-old housewife, who wanted to be known only as Chong, said: "I saw what looked like an arm floating down the canal.

"I was wondering if it could be related to the headless woman's body found earlier."

Chong said she was at home when her daughter, who had gone out to buy drinks, saw the object floating in the canal and alerted her. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Four appointed to establish factors that led to the Little India incident

Posted:

Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean has appointed a four-member Committee of Inquiry to look into the riot at Little India last Sunday.

The COI will be chaired by former Judge of the Supreme Court G. Pannir Selvam.

Other members of the committee are former Commissioner of Police Tee Tua Ba, former president of the Singapore National Trades Union Congress John De Payva and chairman of the West Coast Citizens' Consultative Com­mittee Andrew Chua.

The committee will establish the factors and circumstances that led to the riot on Dec 8 and also establish how the riot unfolded and how the response forces managed the incident.

They will also consider whether current measures to manage incidents in the areas where foreign workers congregate are adequate and recommend if any further measures are needed to improve the management of this and to reduce the risk of such incidents happening again.

Teo, who is Deputy Prime Minister, at a media conference on Friday evening said that the committee was chosen because they understand workers relations and with their experience they will be able to examine these issues thoroughly.

DPM Teo added that the team was keen to start their work.

The findings of the committee will be made public. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Pimp's wife jailed for procuring women

Posted:

A FILIPINO who helped recruit women from the Philippines to offer sexual services to customers at three of her Singaporean husband's pubs was jailed for three months.

Sharon Trinidad Lorenzo, 31, pleaded guilty to procuring the women for prostitution.

Her husband Govindaraju Siva-kumar, 40, was jailed on Tuesday for 18 months for offences that included harbouring prostitutes and managing an illegal brothel.

Lorenzo, who is out on bail, was allowed to start serving sentence on Jan 10. She could have been fined up to S$10,000 (RM25,764) or jailed for up to five years, or both. — The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

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