Selasa, 24 Disember 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Young grad resorted to theft after she couldn’t find job
‘Haze’ voted the Chinese character for 2013
Kim urges N. Korea military to bolster combat readiness

Young grad resorted to theft after she couldn’t find job

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

SHE stole more than S$38,000 (RM98,714) worth of jewellery from her adoptive mother in order to give the 66-year-old a monthly allowance of S$500 (RM1,298).

In sentencing 24-year-old Sarina Chan Jee Chin to 21 months of probation and 130 hours of community service, District Judge Low Wee Ping said: "I don't think you are a criminal to be put in prison, but it was a very foolish way to please your adoptive mother."

Chan, who is from China and adopted when she was four, could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for theft after pleading guilty.

The prosecution had argued that there was nothing unusual about this case to spare Chan a jail term, but the judge disagreed, saying there were "many special circumstances", including how ample restitution had been made.

When the prosecution highlighted the high value of the jewellery that was stolen, defence counsel Edmund Wong explained that Chan had returned S$19,185 (RM49,837) while S$18,860 (RM48,993) of the stolen items had been recovered by the police.

"If you add this to the monthly allowance Yeo received over three years, she gained more than she lost," Wong pointed out.

The judge also referred to Chan's good academic results, having graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic with a diploma in visual communications, and her present job as a freelance media research consultant.

Judge Low also added: "It would be excessive punishment to destroy all this and give her a criminal record."

It was in late 2010, after her graduation, when her adoptive mother Yeo Ah Moy asked for a monthly allowance.

Unable to find a job, she resorted to stealing S$2,255 (RM5,857) worth of gold jewellery from a drawer in Yeo's bedroom in March 2011, which she then pawned.

She stole three more times the next year, and then for the final time this January.

Five months later, Yeo discovered her jewellery missing and went to the police.

In the probation report, Yeo's husband said that he did not support a probation sentence for Chan.

But Judge Low said this was because he feared offending his wife.

Chan's lawyer also revealed that despite being estranged from her adoptive family – she is now living alone – his client had expressed the desire to support Yeo in the years ahead. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

‘Haze’ voted the Chinese character for 2013

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

"HAZE" received the most votes from Lianhe Zaobao readers asked to sum up 2013 in a Chinese character.

The second most popular choice was "greed" given the corruption cases involving high-profile public servants such as Edwin Yeo, an assistant director with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. He was charged in August with misappropriating S$1.7mil (RM4.4mil) from 2008 to last year.

This is the third year in which Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao has run a poll to let its readers decide which one of 10 Chinese characters best reflects the major local and international events of the past year.

Of the record 130,000 votes collected this time, 32% went to the Chinese character mai, which means haze. Singapore experienced its worst haze on June 21, when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit a record hazardous level of 401.

While this year was, from a news perspective, "an eventful year with many news events that warrant reflection", said Zaobao editor Goh Sin Teck, the readers' top choice showed that they were concerned about Mother Earth falling sick.

Tan, which means greed, received 24% of the votes, with pan, which means anticipation, in third place with 18%.

The 10 characters, which included "Internet" and "power", were shortlisted by a panel comprising various experts and academics, including Dr Foo Tee Tuan, deputy director at the UniSim Centre for Chinese Studies and Nominated Member of Parliament Eugene Tan.

The number of voters this year was 40 times more than last year, when "lust" was chosen after a series of sex scandals made the headlines. One reason for the rise in the number of voters this year was that the poll was sent online for the first time through the Chinese daily's website, Zaobao.com.

Various community outreach events to increase awareness of the poll – another first – were also conducted at libraries, where the public could vote on the spot. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kim urges N. Korea military to bolster combat readiness

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 06:59 PM PST

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has urged the country's military to bolster its combat readiness, saying a war could break out "without any prior notice", state media reported Wednesday.

The call comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following the execution of Kim's uncle and former mentor in an unusually public purge.

Kim visited the Command of Large Combined Unit 526 on Christmas Eve, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said.

"He instructed the unit to put utmost spurs on rounding off its combat readiness... always bearing in mind that a war breaks out without any prior notice," it said.

The unit is based in the North's western port city of Nampo, according to the South's Yonhap news agency.

There are growing concerns over the regime's stability after the execution of Jang Song-Thaek, a senior leader who was also the uncle and former political mentor of the younger leader.

Seoul and Washington have warned of possible provocative acts by the nuclear-armed North following the purge.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye called for "watertight security readiness" during her trip Tuesday to a frontline guard post, describing the situation over the border as "ominous".

"We should react sternly and mercilessly to any provocations by North Korea," she said.

In recent days the reclusive state's propaganda mill has gone into overdrive describing Jang as a traitor while extolling Kim's leadership.

Tens of thousands of troops pledged loyalty to him in a mass rally on the death anniversary of his father last Tuesday.

The Kim dynasty has ruled the impoverished but nuclear-armed state since 1948 with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult. -AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Jackie Chan: Purity in motion

Posted: 22 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

Jackie Chan stays true to the things he does best in the latest Police Story movie.

SPECIAL effects may have changed the way most modern action blockbusters are made; but action maestro Jackie Chan still swears by the real thing.

"A genuine action movie is marked by real stunts," insisted the star, who was in town last week to promote his latest movie, Police Story 2013.

This point of view is only to be expected from a man who holds the Guinness World Record for Most Stunts By A Living Actor. This was one of the two world records awarded to him last year after he made Chinese Zodiac (CZ12). The other title was for Most Credits In One Movie – he wore a total of 15 hats on the CZ12 production.

For a man who has been making action movies across five decades, Chan continues to surprise many with his boundless energy, enthusiasm for filmmaking, and daring new ideas. Casually dressed in a blue and white striped shirt and white pants, Jackie was in his usual chatty mood as he sat down and immediately started to neatly arrange the assortment of recording devices lined up on the table in front of him.

Looking up to see all eyes watching him as he straightened out everything in front of him, Chan smiled and offered: "Yes, I have ADD (attention deficit disorder) and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Sitting down here to do this interview is actually more of a challenge to me than you can imagine. I am a naturally active person. I like to move around and keep myself occupied. I also like everything to be tidy and I like to make sure that everything is in order before I begin."

Police Story 2013 is the sixth installment of the famed franchise, the first film of which is still his favourite. The 1985 Police Story won Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards; Chan himself won two Best Actor accolades for the series, first at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards for the 1992 Police Story 3: Supercop and then at China's Golden Rooster Awards for the 2004 New Police Story.

Honour the bold

With the increasing focus on film awards these days, Chan said he also wanted to establish a stunt action film award that would "give recognition to the true heroes that contribute to the success of good action movies".

"It is time (we) paid tribute to real action stars and genuine stunt performers. A film award with categories for best action movie, best action performer for both male and female actors, best action director, best stunt choreography, best fight scene and such.

"Many times, as I stand before the true heroes, the unknown faces of committed stunt performers who lay their lives on the line, all for the sake of making a good action film, I wish that others would realise how much blood, sweat and tears were involved," shared Chan, who has broken practically every bone in his body. In fact, he almost died after sustaining a head injury during a stunt for the 1986 film Armour Of God.

"A martial arts actor has his work cut out for him. Trying to act and remembering your lines while trying to fight and getting your choreography right; that is definitely not easy to do.

"Most people don't realise how difficult it is to focus on getting everything right. That is why action movies used to focus on action only. But now, a good script is of paramount importance. I will only make a movie if the script is good," offered Chan.

Chan went on to say how Police Story 2013 director Ding Sheng bowled him over with a good script, among other things.

"Ding Sheng is a very talented man. He impressed me with his well-written script. His storyboard was in order. He even composed the songs. I Immediately asked when we could commence filming," Chan said, singing the praises of the mainland filmmaker who also directed his Little Big Soldier (2010).

Mirroring real life

In Police Story 2013, Chan plays a veteran cop who has issues with his estranged daughter, played by mainland actress Jing Tian. The villain, played by China's Liu Ye, takes advantage of their strained relations in a hostage situation.

Pointing to his relationship with his family, Chan said the character in the movie also mirrored his own, in the way he neglected son Jaycee and wife Joan Lin because his days were spent away from home, as he travelled around the world for movies and other projects.

Like other Jackie Chan movies, Police Story 2013 also includes a blooper reel during the end credits. One scene shows Chan's wrists being bound to the arm of a chair with thick metal wires and how he tries to free himself using only brute strength and perseverance.

"I was told that it couldn't be done. But, that only strengthened my resolve, so I insisted on doing it. I wanted to show Jaycee that it was possible, and that I could do it," quipped Chan, who just had to prove his son wrong when the young man paid a visit to the set.

Despite his show of nonchalance in the movie, it was apparent that his wrists were badly bruised, cut and even bleeding after he succeeded in breaking free of his bonds.

"It was not easy to do. The skin and flesh around the wrist area is the thinnest, and just a bit of scraping will reveal the bone in most cases," he explained.

Chan's fight scenes in the movie also looked very painful, and he admitted that they were as painful as they looked: "The fights were with genuine MMA (mixed martial arts) boxers, not stuntmen; so, they didn't know how to control their strength when we were filming the fight sequences. Those were rock-hard, solid punches and kicks."

After he worked with Jet Li on Forbidden Kingdom, Chan said, audiences have been asking for another movie pitting the two stars in another legendary fight scene. "Even Jet Li has said to me: 'I will play the main antagonist'. And, I am very keen to work with him. But, since we are basically similar in (our) strengths, we have yet to find a suitable script," he lamented.

The Hong Kong action star turns 60 next year and his birthday plans include the staging of a Peace and Friendship concert in Beijing. The multiple-act event is set to feature performers from all over Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

Other upcoming projects include a sequel to his 2010 Karate Kid, a fourth Rush Hour film with Chris Tucker, a musical, and the setting up of a martial arts acting school.

"Not just martial arts, but a martial arts acting school. And, it will not be just martial arts and acting. I will teach everything about making action movies. I will even include skills such as framing and editing. I want to train them to become all-round action stars!" he enthused.

*Police Story 2013 opens nationwide tomorrow.

Related story:

Jackie's cop saga

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The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

U.N. sends more peacekeepers to South Sudan as violence worsens
China calls for an end to fighting in South Sudan
U.S. urges China to implement planned economic reforms

U.N. sends more peacekeepers to South Sudan as violence worsens

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 08:35 PM PST

JUBA/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council approved plans on Tuesday to almost double the number of peacekeepers in South Sudan in an effort to protect civilians as reports of mass graves fueled fears of a worsening of ethnic bloodletting in the world's newest state.

The move came as the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the country said the death toll from the past 10 days of violence was likely now in the thousands, rather than the hundreds the world body had previously estimated.

"I think it's undeniable at this stage that there must have been thousands of people who have lost their lives," Toby Lanzer told the BBC's Newshour programme.

"When I've looked at the hospitals in key towns and I've looked at the hospitals in the capital itself, the range of injuries, this is no longer a situation where we can merely say it's hundreds of people who've lost their lives," he said.

Lanzer was speaking from a U.N. compound in the rebel-held city of Bentiu, capital of Unity state.

With some 45,000 civilians seeking protection at U.N. bases, the 15-member Security Council unanimously authorized a plan by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to boost the strength of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan to 12,500 troops and 1,323 police.

The additional personnel will reinforce U.N. bases where civilians are seeking shelter. However Ban warned that "even with additional capabilities, we will not be able to protect every civilian in need in South Sudan."

Violence erupted in the capital Juba on December 15 and quickly spread, dividing the land-locked country of 10.8 million along ethnic lines of Nuer and Dinka. South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 under a peace agreement to end decades of war.

Western powers and east African states, keen to prevent more chaos in a fragile region, have tried to mediate between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and rebel leader Riek Machar, a Nuer, who was vice president until Kiir sacked him in July.

"Whatever the differences, nothing can justify the violence that has engulfed their young nation," Ban told the council after the vote. "There is no military solution to this conflict. This is a political crisis which requires a peaceful, political solution."

The fighting is affecting oil production in South Sudan, which accounts for 98 percent of government revenue. Petroleum Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said output had fallen by 45,000 barrels per day to 200,000 bpd after Unity state oilfields shut down.

Dau said production in Upper Nile state, where most of South Sudan's oil is extracted, was safe and outside the reach of rebels.

Kiir said on Tuesday that government troops had retaken control of the Jonglei state capital Bor, a key town that last week fell to rebels loyal to Machar.

Ban said three U.N. personnel were injured at a U.N. base in Bor on Tuesday.

Most fighting has involved Dinka and Nuer factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, with militias and marauding youths also reported to be attacking rival ethnic groups. Kiir and Machar both have said the conflict is political, not tribal.

MASS-GRAVE REPORTS

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said a mass grave believed to contain the bodies of 75 ethnic Dinka soldiers had been discovered in Bentiu.

However, the U.N. mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said in a statement later on Tuesday that it could not confirm a grave of such a size at Bentiu. It said reports now suggested that "this is an inflation of a skirmish resulting in about 15 fatalities, with details to be confirmed."

In her statement, Pillay said there were also "reportedly at least two other mass graves in Juba." UNMISS said it was investigating reports of atrocities.

Pillay urged both sides to protect civilians, and said political and military leaders could be held to account for crimes. "Mass extrajudicial killings, the targeting of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity and arbitrary detentions have been documented in recent days," she said.

The Juba government said it was not responsible for a mass grave in Bentiu, and messaged on Twitter: "Bentiu is currently under the control of the rebel leader Riek Machar - we have nothing to do with that area & the mass killings #SouthSudan."

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the crisis had displaced an estimated 81,000 people, though the real number was likely to be higher. Tens of thousands have taken refuge with the U.N.

"My cousin and nephew were both caught and executed. How can I leave this place?" asked Gatjang, a 29-year-old Nuer at a U.N. base in Juba where thousands of civilians were crammed. "Even here. What if they sneak inside and attack us?"

U.S. MOVES MARINES CLOSER

The Pentagon said on Tuesday it had moved about 50 Marines to Uganda out of the roughly 150 it prepositioned this week in Djibouti to assist with any possible further evacuation of U.S. citizens from South Sudan. Uganda shares a border with South Sudan.

"This forward posturing provides … additional options and the ability to more quickly respond, if required, to help protect U.S. personnel and facilities," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. Warren added that a refueling aircraft had also been moved to Uganda.

The deployment of the special crisis-response team of Marines to Djibouti this week followed an aborted attempt to evacuate U.S. citizens from Bor at the weekend in which four U.S. soldiers were wounded when their military aircraft were hit by ground fire.

U.S. citizens and other foreigners were later evacuated from the same area a day later, but it is unclear how many Americans and other foreigners remain in the country.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had urged Kiir and Machar on Tuesday to accept a cessation of hostilities and begin mediated political talks.

She said Donald Booth, the U.S. special envoy to South Sudan, was in Juba trying to secure a final commitment from Kiir and Machar to begin talks.

China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement late on Tuesday calling on all sides to end the fighting.

China's state-owned China National Petroleum Company is a major oil investor in South Sudan and the violence forced the firm to evacuate some of its workers.

The Chinese statement said deputy foreign minister Zhang Ming had said China was playing close attention to the conflict and the impact it was having on South Sudan's neighbours.

"As South Sudan's friend and partner, China calls on all sides of the conflict to ... immediately cease hostile actions, and open negotiations as soon as possible", the statement quoted Zhang as saying.

His remarks were made at a meeting with diplomats from member states of the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a seven-nation development organisation that includes Sudan and Kenya, the statement said.

Zhang also said China supports the IGAD sending a mediation team to South Sudan.

U.N. envoys on prevention of genocide and responsibility to protect, Adama Dieng and Jennifer Welsh, warned that attacks against civilians and U.N. personnel could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

While Kiir and Machar have said they are open to talks, Machar said on Monday he would only negotiate if his detained political allies were released, a demand the government swiftly rejected.

The African Union's Peace and Security Council on Tuesday called on Kiir to "consider releasing the political personalities currently detained in Juba, in order to facilitate dialogue and to encourage them to contribute positively to the search for a solution."

(Additional reporting by Aaron Maasho in Juba; Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Lesley Wroughton and Phil Stewart in Washington; Adam Rose and Chen Aizhu in Beijing; Writing by Drazen Jorgic and Michelle Nichols; Editing by by Alistair Lyon, David Evans and David Brunnstrom)

China calls for an end to fighting in South Sudan

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 07:30 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has called for all sides in the South Sudan conflict to stop fighting, China's foreign ministry said, just as the U.N. Security Council approved plans to almost double the number of peacekeepers in the world's newest country.

The conflict in South Sudan has killed hundreds and some 45,000 civilians are seeking protection at U.N. bases. Violence erupted in the capital, Juba, on December 15 and quickly spread, dividing the land-locked country of 10.8 million people along ethnic lines.

The fighting has also affected oil production, which accounts for 98 percent of government revenue in South Sudan. It has forced Chinese state-owned China National Petroleum Company, a major oil investor in South Sudan, to evacuate some of its workers.

China's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that deputy foreign minister Zhang Ming had said China is playing close attention to the conflict and the impact it was having on South Sudan's neighbours.

The remarks were made at a meeting with diplomats from member states of the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a seven-nation development organisation that includes Sudan and Kenya, the statement said.

Zhang also said China supports the IGAD sending a mediation team to South Sudan.

Last week, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said an oilfield in the northern part of South Sudan, operated by a consortium of Indian, Malaysian and South Sudanese companies, was caught up in unrest that killed 14 South Sudanese oil workers.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular media conference on Tuesday that no Chinese nationals have been reported harmed in the conflict.

Later on Tuesday, the 15-member U.N. Security Council, which includes China, unanimously authorized a plan by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to boost the strength of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan to 12,500 troops and 1,323 police.

(This story was corrected to fix typographical error in headline)

(Reporting By Adam Rose; Editing by Paul Tait)

U.S. urges China to implement planned economic reforms

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States urged China on Tuesday to quickly implement planned reforms to open up its economy and said it will keep a close eye on progress as officials work to resolve remaining trade tensions with the world's second-largest economy.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) also said the United States would not hesitate to lodge new disputes with the World Trade Organization if bilateral talks on a range of contentious issues from agriculture to intellectual property failed.

China, a $450 billion market for U.S. goods and services that has become a key source of revenue for some American companies, announced plans last month to steer its economy towards more sustainable growth and liberalize markets.

The USTR said the reforms, which aim to boost productivity and switch the focus of China's economic model from goods exports to domestic consumption and services, had much in common with the U.S. trade agenda with China.

"The United States shares (the reforms') goals of reducing Chinese government intervention in the economy, accelerating China's opening up to foreign goods and services, reforming China's state-owned enterprises and improving transparency and the rule of law to allow fair competition in China's market," the USTR said in a report to U.S. lawmakers.

"The United States therefore will urge China to speedily implement these promising Third Plenum Decision economic reform elements."

In its latest scorecard of China's compliance with its WTO obligations, the USTR expressed particular concern at intellectual property infringements, including copyright violations and piracy which it said cost U.S. companies billions of dollars every year in lost royalties and revenue.

The U.S. is also concerned about the theft of trade secrets by or for the benefit of Chinese companies, and lax enforcement of existing legal protections which means many victims of such thefts do not lodge formal complaints.

"When bilateral discussions fail to resolve key issues, the United States will remain prepared to take other types of action on these issues, including WTO dispute settlement where appropriate," said the USTR, which reported seven active WTO cases against China during 2013.

Other key unresolved issues highlighted in the report include Chinese export restraints on rare earths and other raw materials and a ban on U.S. beef imports, which both countries have said they aim to lift by July 2014.

China, which joined the WTO 12 years ago, is the United States' largest agricultural export market with exports of more than $25 billion in 2013 but the USTR said the country remained "among the least transparent and predictable of the world's major markets for agricultural products."

The USTR's wish list for China includes reducing market access barriers, more transparency, less discrimination, requiring state-owned enterprises to compete with other enterprises on a level playing field and a stronger legal system.

(Reporting by Krista Hughes; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Jackie Chan: Purity in motion

Posted: 22 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

Jackie Chan stays true to the things he does best in the latest Police Story movie.

SPECIAL effects may have changed the way most modern action blockbusters are made; but action maestro Jackie Chan still swears by the real thing.

"A genuine action movie is marked by real stunts," insisted the star, who was in town last week to promote his latest movie, Police Story 2013.

Honour the bold

"A martial arts actor has his work cut out for him. Trying to act and remembering your lines while trying to fight and getting your choreography right; that is definitely not easy to do.

Chan went on to say how Police Story 2013 director Ding Sheng bowled him over with a good script, among other things.

Mirroring real life

Despite his show of nonchalance in the movie, it was apparent that his wrists were badly bruised, cut and even bleeding after he succeeded in breaking free of his bonds.

"It was not easy to do. The skin and flesh around the wrist area is the thinnest, and just a bit of scraping will reveal the bone in most cases," he explained.

Other upcoming projects include a sequel to his 2010 Karate Kid, a fourth Rush Hour film with Chris Tucker, a musical, and the setting up of a martial arts acting school.

*Police Story 2013 opens nationwide tomorrow.

Related story:

Jackie's cop saga

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

American remake of Broadchurch

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:30 PM PST

Actor Josh Hamilton lands role on Fox's Gracepoint.

The actor currently appearing on American Horror Story: Coven has joined the cast of the American remake of the hit British show Broadchurch, Deadline.com has announced.

Dubbed Gracepoint, the American version will bring the plot of Broadchurch across the pond. The star of the original series, David Tennant (Doctor Who), will once again play an American detective investigating the murder of an 11-year-old boy, a crime that shocked the sleepy town in which it occurred.

Josh Hamilton will take part in the adaptation in the role of Joe Miller, husband to the local detective Ellie Miller, played by Anna Gunn, best known for her role as Skyler White on Breaking Bad. Disappointed at having to share the case with Emmett Carver (Tennant), she is forced to view the inhabitants of her hometown in a different light in order to identify the author of the crime.

Slated to air on Fox in 2014, Gracepoint will be written by Chris Chibnall, the creator of Broadchurch, and directed by James Strong, who was behind the camera on the original series as well as on Downton Abbey.

Broadchurch, first aired last spring on ITV, has been renewed for a second season in 2014, but it remains unknown whether Tennant will return in the role of Alec Hardy. — AFP Relaxnews

Guitar giveaway

Posted: 22 Dec 2013 08:30 AM PST

RED FM has the perfect gift for one lucky listener this week! The station is giving away a guitar autographed by Kelly Clarkson.

To win, tune in to Red FM's Red Rave (Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm) with Jeremy, and Red Fix with Terry and Azura (Monday-Friday, 8pm-midnight) and be prepared with this password: "Wrapped in Red with Kelly Clarkson".

Red FM presenter Mynn with a guitar autographed by Kelly Clarkson.

Besides that, it will be helpful if you know the lyrics to Clarkson's songs as you would need to sing for your chance to win the exclusive guitar.

Fans of Kelly Clarkson, you don't want to miss this chance to win the guitar and to showcase your talent on air.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

China to aim for 7.5% growth in 2014 as exports recover
China commits US$6.5bil for Pakistani nuclear project
U.S. manufacturing, housing data buoy economic outlook

China to aim for 7.5% growth in 2014 as exports recover

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 02:28 AM PST

BEIJING: China will likely stick with this year's growth target of 7.5% for 2014 as top leaders balance the need to keep the economy on an even keel while pushing through necessary structural reforms, sources at top government think tanks said.

Growth will be supported by a steady recovery in China's exports next year, thanks to stronger demand from developed economies, the commerce ministry's think tank said.

The 2014 growth target was endorsed at the annual Central Economic Work Conference earlier this month, when top leaders pledged to maintain policy stability and reasonable economic growth at the closed-door meeting.

Prior to the Dec 10-13 meeting, some top think tanks, including the State Information Centre and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, had proposed to lower next year's growth target to 7% to create more room for reforms and discourage local governments from pursuing high growth rates.

Top leaders believe that maintaining the 7.5% target will help keep growth humming to create more jobs, while providing wiggle room to deepen reforms, government economists involved in the discussions about the plans said.

"The two camps who proposed growth target – 7% or 7.5% – made their points. But the government favours 7.5%," said an economist at the State Information Centre, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Key economic targets for 2014 will be announced by the government during the annual parliament meeting in March.

The world's second-largest economy is widely seen growing around 7.6-7.7% in 2013, just ahead of the government's 7.5% growth target, but still near the weakest pace since the Asian 1997-98 financial crisis.

Stability remains the watchword as President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang seek to put the economy on a more sustainable footing. Li said economic growth of 7.2% was needed to keep a lid on unemployment.

Beijing had maintained a target for growth of 8% for eight years before cutting it in 2012 to 7.5%.

Some policy advisers believe the government may change the way it manages the economy by avoiding setting a specific growth target next year – in line with its pledge to allow market forces to play a decisive role in allocating resources.

At a key party plenum in November, Chinese leaders pledged to make the most sweeping changes to the economy and the country's social fabric in nearly three decades.

"The government has said it will not intervene in allocating resources, so it will be difficult for it to set a target on economic growth," said Zhao Xijun, deputy head of the Finance and Securities Institute at Renmin University in Beijing.

"They can still refer to targets in 2013. To maintain stability means that economic growth cannot be lower than 2013 and inflation cannot be higher than 2013," he said.

STRONGER EXPORTS SEEN

The government may also stick with this year's 3.5% inflation target for 2014, but economists cautioned that price pressures could rise as China frees up energy and utility prices. Annual inflation in 2013 is seen at 2.6-2.7%, below the target.

With developed economies showing signs of sustained recovery, the government has more confidence in targeting steady economic growth next year, economists said.

The commerce ministry's think thank forecast that China's exports may grow at least 10% in 2014, thanks to improved global demand, especially from developed countries.

"The external environment may show some improvements from this year. Exports could grow 10% or slightly faster," Li Jian, head of foreign trade research of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told Reuters.

Exports are on track to grow around 8% this year.

But the yuan's appreciation, along with rising wages, is putting pressure on local exporters, Li said. The yuan has risen around 36% since its landmark revaluation in 2005.

"It's very difficult for exporters to cope with the appreciation. Some firms have hit the wall," he said – Reuters.

China commits US$6.5bil for Pakistani nuclear project

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 05:15 PM PST

ISLAMABAD: China has committed US$6.5 billion (£3.97 billion) to finance the construction of a major nuclear power project in Pakistan's port city of Karachi as it seeks to strengthen ties with its strategic partner, Pakistani officials said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif broke ground on the $9.59 billion project last month but officials have provided few details of how they plan to finance it.

Financing documents seen by Reuters showed China National Nuclear Cooperation (CNNC) has promised to grant a loan of at least $6.5 billion to finance the project which will have two reactors with a capacity of 1,100 megawatts each.

Two members of the government's energy team and three sources close to the deal confirmed this. CNNC was not available for comment.

"China has complete confidence in Pakistan's capacity to run a nuclear power plant with all checks in place," said Ansar Parvez, chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission which runs the civilian nuclear programme.

"As things stand, the performance and capacity of nuclear power plants in Pakistan is far better compared to non-nuclear plants."

Parvez declined to give more details of the funding but said it would be completed by 2019 and each of the two reactors would be larger than the combined power of all nuclear reactors now operating inPakistan.

As part of the deal, China has also waived a $250,000 insurance premium on the loan, said two sources in the Energy Ministry with knowledge of the project. They declined to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media about the financing.

Pakistan and China, both nuclear-armed nations, consider each other close friends and their ties have been underpinned by common wariness of India and a desire to hedge against U.S. influence in South Asia.

Pakistan sees nuclear energy as key to its efforts to solve power shortages that have crippled its economy. Pakistan generates about 11,000 MW of power while total demand is about 15,000 MW.

Blackouts lasting more than half a day in some areas have infuriated many Pakistanis and sparked violent protests, undermining an economy already beset by high unemployment, widespread poverty, crime and sectarian and insurgent violence.

Under its long-term energy plan, Pakistan hopes to produce more than 40,000 MW of electricity through nuclear plants by 2050.

The United States sealed a nuclear supply deal with India in 2008, irking both China and Pakistan.

Pakistan wants a similar agreement with the United States but it is reluctant, largely because Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan admitted in 2004 to transferring nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

"There should be no double standards in terms of civilian nuclear deals," Parvez said. "Pakistan has energy needs and the building of two new reactors should convince everyone that international embargos and restrictions and Indian lobbying won't stop us."

PROLIFERATION FEARS

Pakistan carried out its first nuclear tests in 1998, soon after India conducted tests. Both refuse to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which would oblige them to scrap atomic weapons.

China has already helped supply two nuclear reactors at the Chashma nuclear power complex inPakistan's Punjab region, while another two are also under construction with Chinese assistance.

China's nuclear cooperation with Pakistan has caused unease in Washington, Delhi and other capitals due to fears about commitment to nuclear non-proliferation rules.

China says its nuclear ties with Pakistan are entirely peaceful and come under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. It has not given details of the project's financing but state media has put its total value at $9.59 billion.

"Bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is to help ameliorate Pakistan's energy shortages," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. "This accords with the interests of the Pakistani people."

Three prominent physicists recently raised questions about the safety, design and cost of the new reactors in Karachi, sparking a national debate.

"There is no official information about preparedness for a nuclear accident in Karachi that is available publicly," said Zia Mian, a Pakistani-American physicist who directs the Project on Peace and Security inSouth Asia at Princeton University.

"The only real obstacle that may exist to the new reactors being built is if the citizens of Karachi decide they do not want to live with the risks these reactors create."

But Pakistan's new energy minister has dismissed the critics.

"Every 1,000 megawatts of electricity produced through nuclear energy saves you $1 billion in oil imports," Khawaja Asif, the minister for water and power, told Reuters.

"If critics can give me alternatives and other platforms to raise money for low-cost, clean power, I'm willing to listen."- Reuters

U.S. manufacturing, housing data buoy economic outlook

Posted: 24 Dec 2013 05:12 PM PST

WASHINGTON: Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods surged in November and a gauge of planned business spending on capital goods recorded its largest increase in nearly a year, pointing to sustained strength in the economy.

While another report on Tuesday showed new home sales slipped in November, sales in October were revised to show the highest pace in more than five years. In addition, house prices rebounded, underscoring the economy's improving fundamentals.

"We are coming out of the shadows of the Great Recession in many ways," said Robert Dye, chief economist at Comerica in Dallas.

The Commerce Department said durable goods orders jumped 3.5 percent last month as demand increased for a range of goods from aircraft to machinery and computers and electronic products.

The increase, which outpaced economists' expectations for a 2 percent rise, more than reversed a drop in October. Excluding transportation, orders recorded their largest gain in six months.

Non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, surged 4.5 percent. The increase snapped two straight months of declines and was the largest advance since January.

The increase in these so-called core capital and overall durable goods orders suggested strength in manufacturing and was further evidence of a firming economic growth outlook.

It narrows the gap with sentiment surveys that have offered a more upbeat view of manufacturing than government data.

"Sentiments were showing things were good but not the hard numbers. Things seemed to have turned now," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Businesses going into 2014 are more confident in their outlook."

From consumer spending to employment and trade, the foundations appear to be in place for sustained and strong economic growth in 2014.

In a second report, the Commerce Department said new home sales fell 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 464,000 units. However, October's sales were revised to a 474,000 unit pace, which was the highest level since July 2008.

Despite the fall, home sales retained the bulk of the previous month's 17.6 percent increase.

The reports are the latest to support the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision last week to start trimming back its monthly bond purchases from January, a process which is likely to continue for much of next year.

GROWTH OUTLOOK BRIGHT

U.S. Treasuries prices fell with benchmark yields hovering near three-month highs as investors trimmed their bond holdings in thin trade before Christmas. U.S. stocks were little changed, while the dollar rose marginally against a basket of currencies.

The durable goods orders report showed that shipments of core capital goods, which are used to calculate equipment spending in the government's measure of gross domestic product, increased 2.8 percent last month.

That was the largest rise since March 2012, prompting economists at Goldman Sachs raised their fourth-quarter GDP estimate by a tenth of a percentage point to a 2.4 percent annual rate. Shipments had dropped in September and October.

Manufacturing is being boosted by the housing market recovery through demand for building materials and household appliances. Home resales momentum has, however, slowed somewhat since the summer because of higher mortgage rates.

Applications for home mortgages fell for a second week to hit a 13-year low last week, another report showed.

Refinancing activity is also ebbing, which means the cycle of people lowering their monthly housing costs appears to be petering out.

But home sales are expected to accelerate next year, driven in part by employment gains. Continued recovery in household formation from multi-decade lows, against a backdrop of lean housing inventory, is also expected to boost activity.

"While the backup in mortgage rates could put a temporary dent in the pace of sales, continued job gains, as well as a return to more normal rates of household formation, should help to underpin housing demand," said Omair Sharif, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.

The median price of a new home hit a seven-month high in November and was more than 10 percent higher than a year earlier.- Reuters

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Lucky escape for RMAF six
National level open house at Esplanade
No subsidy for foreigners

Lucky escape for RMAF six

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

PETALING JAYA: Six Armed Forces personnel had a lucky escape when their Nuri helicopter crash-landed in Pulau Perak, Kedah.

Sources said the helicopter, which departed from the Butterworth air base, landed on the island at about 11.34am on Sunday.

It is learnt that four of those on board suffered minor injuries. They were treated at the Seberang Jaya Hospital in Penang.

A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) spokesman said the pilot's expertise and quick-thinking enabled him to safely land the aircraft, saving the lives of everyone on board.

"The squad was on a mission to send supplies to other air force personnel near the Pulau Perak area," he said.

"The RMAF has already formed an investigation board to probe the cause of the incident," added the spokesman.

The last Nuri crash was on Aug 15, 2004, when three RMAF personnel were killed. Their helicopter had crash-landed about 15km from Ba'Kelalan, near the Sarawak border with Kalimantan. Seven others survived.

National level open house at Esplanade

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

GEORGE TOWN: About 20,000 people are expected to turn up for the national level Christmas open house at Esplanade.

Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state would assist the Tourism Ministry to hold the event, scheduled to start from 10am to 6.30pm tomorrow.

Since Penang is the host, state secretary Datuk Farizan Darus will provide the ministry with details on the local logistics, such as the venue, traffic and transport.

"Invitations have been sent out to the national-level (bodies), state exco, some local organisations and communities," he said during a press conference at Komtar yesterday.

Chow said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng would be present.

Penang state secretary Datuk Farizan Darus said Light Street would be closed from 10am to 6.30pm during the celebration.

Rapid Penang creative communications manager Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Kassim said free shuttle bus services would be available from 9am to 7pm tomorrow.

The main event will officially start from 2pm.

A host of activities has been lined up including cultural performances and exhibitions.

No subsidy for foreigners

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry (MOH) is looking into getting foreign workers to pay for their actual cost of medical treatment in government hospitals.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said at present the Government is subsidising the rates for foreign workers.

"We want them to pay the actual cost and not the subsidised rate," he said.

Dr Hilmi said the ministry was also in the process of reviewing medical charges at government and private hospitals.

"Our hospital charges have not been reviewed since 2003," he said after the launching of the "Back to School" programme organised by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) at Balik Pulau yesterday.

Dr Hilmi said the MOH is promoting peritoneal dialysis to tackle the demand for dialysis treatment in the country.

He said peritoneal dialysis is quite common in other countries but is relatively new in Malaysia.

"We are promoting peritoneal dialysis, which can be done at home. However, people are still not very confident with it (peritoneal dialysis) here. We can train them and their family members and they can do it at home themselves. The effect is the same as haemodialysis," he said.

He also said that the MOH is planning to add more clinics with dialysis machines next year.

"Almost all government hospitals have dialysis machines except three. We are also extending haemodialysis treatment to clinics. So far this year, we have three haemodialysis treatment clinics.

"We are adding another four clinics to offer dialysis and next year, we are planning to buy 1,000 more dialysis machines.

"Each clinic will have three to five machines," he said.

When asked about dialysis centres that did not meet MOH requirements, Dr Hilmi said the MOH is very strict on the management of the centres.

The "Back to School" programme saw 200 school children from the Balik Pulau constituency aged seven to 12, receiving two sets of uniform, a pair of shoes and socks, as well as a school bag; worth RM250 each.

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Martin Scorsese lambasted for his film

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 07:50 PM PST

The director's Wolf Of Wall Street is definitely not for everyone.

Martin Scorsese knows that The Wolf Of Wall Street is not for everyone, but he probably didn't expect to be lambasted by an Academy Of Motion Pictures and Sciences (AMPAS) member when he arrived for the official members screening of his film last weekend.

But according to a Facebook post from actress Hope Holiday, that's what happened.

Referring to the graphic three-hour film about the sex-and-drug-filled lifestyle of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, and then to the arrival of Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Los Angeles, she wrote: "Last night was torture at the Academy – The Wolf Of Wall Street – three hours of torture – same disgusting crap over and over again – after the film they had a discussion which a lot of us did not stay for – the elevator doors opened and Leonardo D. Martin S. and a few others got out then a screen writer ran over to them and started screaming – shame on you – disgusting..."

Martin Scorsese's The Wolf Of Wall Street is getting mixed reactions from viewers.

A Paramount rep who was with Scorsese said that no one screamed at the director, but admitted that one person offered "a negative comment". The film's talent didn't stop to respond, because they were hurrying into the theatre for a post-screening Q&A with Scorsese, DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and writer Terrence Winter.

When asked for additional details by TheWrap, Holiday declined to identify the screenwriter who confronted Scorsese as he exited the elevator on the second floor. But she said that the screenwriter's criticism of Scorsese was "a shocker", and "very awkward and embarrassing" for others waiting for the elevator. Some people at the screening, she added, did applaud the film, while others ("including myself") hated it.

Others report healthy applause for the film, and for the panelists at the Q&A. The screening was reportedly very well attended, despite it being a three-hour film screening on the Saturday night before Christmas. "It's brutal," admitted Scorsese in a conversation with TheWrap last week. "I've seen it with audiences, and I think it plays. I don't know if it will be to everyone's taste – I don't think it will. It's not made for 14 year olds."

To be fair, the Facebook post and its subsequent comments showed that Holiday and her friends clearly aren't the target audience for Scorsese's film, either. The 75-year-old actress, who appeared in The Apartment and Irma la Douce, among others, and her friends bashed current films, including Inside Llewyn Davis, and praised White Christmas, When Harry Met Sally, As Good As It Gets and The Wizard Of Oz.

Holiday did say that she "liked" David O. Russell's American Hustle, but found it "confusing". Saturday's incident was not the first time that a Scorsese film has been rudely greeted by someone in an AMPAS audience. One longtime Academy member told TheWrap that at the members' screening of Scorsese's Casino in 1995, one man stood up in the middle of the film and screamed, "Disgusting! Pornography! Crap!" at the screen. That film received one Oscar nomination for Sharon Stone's lead performance. — Reuters

Jackie Chan's cop saga

Posted: 22 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

Here are some of the legendary actor's top cop films.

Police Story (1985): Considered one of Chan's greatest and most popular movies ever, it features Chan as Ka Kui, a Hong Kong detective who tries to bring down crime lord Chu Tao. This movie contained some of the most inventive action sequences and best stunts he has ever done, including an early chase in which Chan hangs on to a double-decker bus with an umbrella. It also won Best Film at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Police Story 2 (1988): After the massive damage he caused in the first film, Ka Kui is demoted to traffic officer. Things soon get messy again when his arch-enemy Chu is released from prison and goes after the cop who put him in the slammer. Though not as memorable as the first film, the sequel still featured a high level of action and stunts. the best one being Chan running across the roofs of buses during a chase scene.

Police Story 3: Supercop (1992): Malaysia Boleh! This was arguably Datuk Michelle Yeoh's breakthrough movie, playing a policewoman from China who joins forces with Ka Kui to bring down a drug ring. Best known as "the one where Jackie Chan flies around Kuala Lumpur while hanging from a helicopter ladder", it was Yeoh's performance and derring-do that caught the eye here.

Police Story 4: First Strike (1996): This was where the franchise started to go downhill. Made during Chan's early days in Hollywood, he tried to appeal to both Eastern and Western audiences by filming this partly in English, which made for some highly cringe-worthy dialogue and a pretty lame plot. Still, it turned out to be Chan's biggest ever box-office hit in Hong Kong at the time.

New Police Story (2004): Older and much wiser, Chan returned to the franchise with this remake of the original, and put the focus more on drama than action. This was probably the first Police Story where Chan's acting stood out more than his fighting, garnering him a Best Actor nomination at the 24th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards.

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Purity in motion

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Selasa, 24 Disember 2013