Isnin, 30 Disember 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

19,000 Indonesians flee erupting volcano
‘Riot accused must report to ICA’
Bus driver charged with causing death of passenger

19,000 Indonesians flee erupting volcano

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 08:55 PM PST

SINABUNG (Indonesia) (AFP) - More than 19,000 people have been displaced by a volcano in Indonesia that has been erupting for months and shot lava into the air nine times overnight, an official said Tuesday.

Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra sent hot rocks and ash 7,000m (23,000 feet) in the air Monday night and Tuesday morning, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

"Mount Sinabung remains on the highest alert level and we have warned there should be no human activity within a five-kilometre (three-mile) radius of the crater," Nugroho said.

"On Monday night, 19,126 people had fled their homes, and we expect that number to rise," he said.

Police and soldiers were patrolling the danger zone to evacuate people who have chosen to stay in their homes, Nugroho said.

Mount Sinabung - one of dozens of active volcanoes in Indonesia which straddles major tectonic fault lines, known as the Ring of Fire - erupted in September for the first time since 2010 and has been rumbling ever since.

In August, five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a tiny island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.

The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions in 2010.

‘Riot accused must report to ICA’

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

THE project manager accused of taking part in the Little India riot on Dec 8 will still have to report to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority daily, the court heard.

Arun Kaliamurthy, 28, who was in Singapore as a tourist on a social visit pass when the riot occurred, had last week asked the court through his lawyer M. Ravi to change ICA's "unilateral decision" to impose a daily reporting criteria to a weekly one, in line with court-ordered bail conditions.

But Deputy Public Prosecutor John Lu told the court that as Controller of Immigration, "ICA has the power to impose whatever conditions they want when they issue an 'S' Pass". — The Straits Times/ Asia News Net-work

Bus driver charged with causing death of passenger

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

AN SMRT bus driver was charged with causing the death of a passenger and injuring another in an accident which occurred in July this year.

Zhang Kun, 39, is accused of causing the death of Malaysian Sasikumar Gunasakaran, 19, by doing a rash act along the slip road of Bukit Timah Expressway into Dairy Farm Road at about 8.55am on July 21.

He allegedly drove at 78kph when the speed limit imposed was 50kph.

While negotiating a sharp left bend, he lost control of the 700A bus which veered perpendicularly across the road and crossed over the centre divider before hitting a concrete barrier and toppled over.

The second charge states that he caused hurt to the other passenger, Ramanand Panday, 50, by doing an act so rashly as to endanger life. Sasikumar was found crushed between seats at the front part of the bus. His body had to be extricated.

Zhang, who is represented by M. Ravi, will appear in court again on Jan 27. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to five years and/or fined.

Causing hurt by doing a rash act is punishable with up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to S$5,000 (RM12,977). — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

African Union threatens sanctions on those inciting South Sudan violence
Fiery oil train collision forces evacuation of North Dakota town
Australia cyclone heads inland after battering iron ore ports

African Union threatens sanctions on those inciting South Sudan violence

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 09:35 PM PST

JUBA (Reuters) - The African Union has threatened targetted sanctions against those inciting the violence in South Sudan and hampering international efforts to negotiate an end to the two-week outburst of fighting that risks drawing in the wider region.

"(Council) expresses its intention to take appropriate measures, including targeted sanctions, against all those who incite violence, including along ethnic lines, continue hostilities (and) undermine the envisaged inclusive dialogue," the AU's Peace and Security Council said late on Monday.

(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Richard Lough and Eric Walsh)

Fiery oil train collision forces evacuation of North Dakota town

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 09:25 PM PST

FARGO, North Dakota (Reuters) - Residents of a small town in North Dakota were urged to evacuate after a BNSF train carrying crude oil collided with another train on Monday, setting off a series of explosions and fires, the latest in a string of incidents that have raised alarms over growing oil-by-rail traffic.

Local residents heard five powerful explosions just a mile outside of the small town of Casselton after a westbound 112-car train carrying soybeans derailed. An eastbound 106-car train hauling crude oil ran into it just after 2 p.m. CST (2000 GMT), local officials said. There were no injuries in the collision that left 21 rail cars on fire, according to BNSF.

Residents within 5 miles (8 km) of Casselton were urged to evacuate to avoid contact with the smoke. Residents within 10 miles were asked to remain indoors.

Casselton resident Jolie Fiedler and her husband gathered their two dogs and left their home.

"It's better safe than sorry - just get out of town and dodge the smoke, I guess," she said. "I'm hoping that I can go home tomorrow, but who knows."

Casselton City Auditor Sheila Klevgard said crews are pushing snow to contain the oil before it reaches a nearby creek.

Half of the oil cars have been separated from the train, but another 56 cars remain in danger, said Cecily Fong, the public information officer with the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services. The collision destroyed both engines on the oil train. Both trains were operated by BNSF Railway Co, which is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The incident will likely stoke concerns about the safety of shipping increasing volumes of crude oil by rail, a trend that emerged from the unexpected burst of shale oil production out of North Dakota's Bakken fields. Over two-thirds of the state's oil production is currently shipped by rail.

Initial reports from the scene of the accident did not point to a malfunction on the oil-carrying train. Still, videos of the exploding rail cars are likely to add to the ongoing debate on what fixes are needed as older train cars carry flammable fuels such as oil.

The derailment occurred about a mile west of Casselton, a town of about 2,300 just west of Fargo, between an ethanol plant and the Casselton Reservoir, Fong said.

Casselton is state Governor Jack Dalrymple's hometown.

RAIL CROSSROADS

North Dakota is home to a raging shale oil boom that produced nearly 950,000 barrels of oil a day in October. It is also a major grain producer and long accustomed to a high volume of rail traffic.

But shipments of oil have surged lately, most of it the light, sweet Bakken variety that experts say is particularly flammable.

Trains carried nearly 700,000 barrels a day of North Dakota oil to market in October, a 67 percent jump from a year earlier, according to the state Pipeline Authority.

This summer, a runaway oil train carrying Bakken crude derailed and exploded in the center of the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic, killing 47 people. The incident fueled a drive for tougher standards for such shipments, including potentially costly retrofits to improve the safety of tank cars that regulators have cited as prone to puncture.

In early November, two dozen cars on another 90-car oil train derailed in rural Alabama, erupting into flames that took several days to fully extinguish.

The Association of American Railroads recently proposed costly fixes to older tank cars that do not meet its latest standards but continue to carry hazardous fuels such as oil.

The fixes include protective steel jackets, thermal protection and pressure relief valves, which could cost billions of dollars. Oil shippers, likely to be saddled with the costs of retrofits, oppose some of the changes proposed by the association.

Following the Canadian rail disaster, the U.S. Department of Transportation began an operation it dubbed "Bakken Blitz," which includes spot inspection of oil shipments aboard trains in North Dakota.

(Additional reporting by Jeanine Prezioso and Selam Gebrekidan in New York; Editing by Gary Hill, Jonathan Leff, Bob Burgdorfer, Lisa Shumaker and Phil Berlowitz)

Australia cyclone heads inland after battering iron ore ports

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 09:10 PM PST

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Pilbara iron ore shipping and mining region, the world's largest, faced cyclonic winds and torrential rains on Tuesday after a cyclone made landfall after intensifying over the last few days in the Indian Ocean.

The key shipping ports of Dampier, Cape Lambert and Port Hedland bore the brunt of the storm after clearing dozens of iron ore freighters and evacuating staff over the weekend. Reports of damage were not immediately available.

Cyclone Christine, the second to batter Western Australia in the November 1-April 30 cyclone season, forced mining companies Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals to suspend loading until emergency authorities sound the all-clear, expected over the next day or two.

Winds with gusts exceeding 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph)are possible near the center of the cyclone over the next few hours, easing only slightly as Christine moves inland during Tuesday, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

A red alert - meaning residents must seek shelter - has been issued for the mining hubs of Tom Price and Paraburdoo, the weather bureau said. The area is home to some of Australia's biggest iron ore mines, including ones owned by Rio Tinto and Fortescue.

"There is a threat to lives and homes," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in a statement. "You are in danger and need to act immediately."

About 56,000 people live in the Pilbara, which is about the size of Peru.

Cyclones typically cause disruptions to mining operations of between two and five days.

Top Australian supplier Rio Tinto, which is relying on Cape Lambert and Dampier to ship 290 million tonnes of ore next year, halted port activities on Sunday.

Exports from Port Hedland, The world's largest iron ore export terminal and used by BHP and Fortescue, reached 28.1 million tonnes in November alone. The majority of the ore is shipped under contract to steel mills in China.

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Looking for work, US jobless prod Congress for action
Venezuela says inflation hits 56%
Petrobras in US$1.6bil offshore selloff to Shell, Videsh

Looking for work, US jobless prod Congress for action

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 06:04 PM PST

WASHINGTON: Four miles from Capitol Hill, Michael Tate was looking for a job – any job – as he cringed at the prospects of losing unemployment benefits and appealed to lawmakers who left him and others in the lurch.

"I've got rent to pay, and it will be a crisis if I don't find a job. I don't want to go back out to the street," a sombre Tate told AFP as he emerged from an unemployment centre in Washington where every computer screen was taken by a job-seeker.

Tate, a Vietnam war veteran in his 50s, said he has been unemployed since July.

While the US economy has improved slightly, with the jobless rate now at a five-year low of 7%, millions of Americans are taking longer to find work.

Tate's jobless benefits, which amount to about US$1,400 per month, will end in January unless Congress approves an extension of the federal government's emergency unemployment compensation.

He will then join the 1.3 million Americans who were cut off from the extended unemployment benefits just three days after Christmas.

The White House warns that by the end of 2014, another 3.6 million people will lose the benefits that kick in beyond the 26 weeks provided by most states.

Congress is debating whether to renew the programme, which began under the George W. Bush administration as a way to cushion the blow for millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the recession that started in 2008.

A bipartisan bill that extends the insurance for three months will be introduced when lawmakers return to work on Jan 6, and President Barack Obama has prodded Congress to pass it.

But there could be pushback in a divided legislature where lawmakers prepare for mid-term elections next November.

The programme is costly – the federal government has spent more than US$200bil on it in five years – and some Republicans have argued that extending it is the wrong way to go about reining in government spending.

But the Obama administration stresses the payments have kept more than 11.4 million people out of poverty, and failure to extend benefits could have a significant economic impact.

The Congressional Budget Office says inaction could shed 0.2 percentage points or more off gross domestic product; experts say that could cost 240,000 jobs.

Tate said it was shameful for Congress to leave town without extending the benefits.

"This is America, we still have to help people," argued Tate, who spent an hour at an American Job Center on Monday searching online databases for job opportunities.

"We have worked, and paid taxes. We can't find a job, so what are we supposed to do?"

BELT-TIGHTENING

"People are definitely in crisis mode," said Monica West, a specialist at Washington's Department of Employment Services where Tate and others look for leads.

"It's taking people longer to find employment," she said. "To send out 100 to 200 resumes and not get one call back, that's pretty frustrating."

But Alex Brill of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think-tank, downplayed effects that non-extension of benefits would have on the economy.

"More important is the fact that we have a very serious problem with the long-term unemployment in the United States and that this program is a very poor tool for helping these people get back to work," Brill told AFP.

The benefits allow some to stay on the dole longer while looking for better-paying jobs, while accepting lower-wage work would reduce unemployment.

By contrast, the benefits are fed back into the system in the form of consumer purchases, stimulating the economy and generating jobs.

Corey Joyner is counting on the support. The 43-year-old Washingtonian has been looking for construction work for months, but keeps getting turned away.

Joyner is straining to get by with his son on a weekly benefit of US$359. He does not know where he'll turn when that aid runs out.

"I got to do what I got to do," he said. "Food's got to be on my table" – AFP.

Venezuela says inflation hits 56%

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:11 PM PST

CARACAS: Venezuela's inflation soared to 56.2 percent in 2013 but slowed in the last two months of the year after the socialist government forced stores to cut prices, officials said Monday.

The national consumer price index decelerated from 5.1 percent in October to 4.8 percent in November and 2.2 percent in December, the central bank said in a report that was 20 days late.

President Nicolas Maduro said the figures led to annual inflation of 56.2 percent - the highest in Latin America - which he blamed on a "parasitic capitalist economy."

"If Venezuela was not subjected to this economic war, we would have single-digit inflation, not 56 percent," Maduro told a news conference.

Inflation is nearly three times as high as in 2012, when it hit 20.1 percent.

Maduro ordered appliance stores in November to slash prices, sent troops to enforce the move and threatened to arrest store owners who refused to comply.

Analysts attribute the nation's high inflation to rigid currency and price controls that were launched in 2003 by late president Hugo Chavez, who died in March this year.

The government has fixed the exchange rate at 6.3 bolivars for $1, fueling a black market where the US currency is obtained at nine times the official rate.

The oil-rich country, which is heavily dependent on imports, has been plagued by shortages of basic goods ranging from meat to toilet paper.

The central bank's report lacked its usual "scarcity" index, a gauge of the country's chronic shortages.

Maduro said authorities found food prices inflated by more than 3,000 percent and that, had it not been for government-subsidized food programs, "there would have been a famine."

The central bank's report said food prices jumped 7.5 percent in November compared to 5.6 percent a month earlier.

"As has been the case in Venezuelan history, political tension and economic destabilization mixed in the form of a real economic war against the Venezuelan people," the central bank said- AFP

Petrobras in US$1.6bil offshore selloff to Shell, Videsh

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:02 PM PST

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian state oil giant Petrobras said Monday it had sold Shell and India's ONGC Videsh its 35 percent stake in the Parque das Conchas offshore project for $1.636 billion.

Petrobras said the deal followed through on an August agreement with Anglo Dutch Shell and ONGC Videsh, the overseas unit of India's biggest oil explorer, to sell off its stake in the "BC-10" zone, comprising five fields located in the south-east Campos Basin area.

The deal was approved by Brazilian regulatory authorities.

"Shell and ONGC Videsh have exercised their pre-emption rights for the retrospective acquisition of 23 percent (for Shell) and 12 percent (for ONGC Videsh) of the Petrobras stake," the Brazilian giant said in a statement.

The Parque das Conchas blocs produced an average of 8,600 barrels per day in 2013, Petrobras added.
Last month Petrobras sold off its Peruvian subsidiary to China's CNPC for $2.6 billion as part of a $9.9billion program of divestments.

The company wants to concentrate its 2013-2017 plans on tapping huge deepwater 'pre-salt' deposits off the country's Atlantic coast.

Though gearing up for the pre-salt bonanza - the deposits buried beneath several kilometers of ocean, bedrock and hot salt beds may hold up to 100 billion barrels of high-quality recoverable crude - Petrobras has seen its share price buffeted.

Its price has slumped 34 percent in 2013 over production falloffs and also a government policy of subsidizing fuel, hitting the firm's profitability.

The fall off has seen the oil giant's market capitalization slide from $124.7 billion to $90.5 billion. - AFP

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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'Hobbit' tops North American box office

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 07:10 PM PST

Film earns almost RM100mil over the weekend.

FANTASY blockbuster The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ruled the North American box office this weekend, holding off a strong festive season challenge from Disney's animated musical Frozen, estimates showed on Dec 29.

The second part of Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson's trilogy of films, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved classic, earned almost US$29.9mil (RM98mil) over the weekend, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf, the film has raked in US$190.3mil (RM625.9mil) in the United States and Canada since its release three weeks ago.

Moving up one spot to second place with US$28.8mil (RM94.7mil) was Frozen, a loosely based retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale The Snow Queen.

The film, the 53rd movie in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series which began with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, has taken US$248.4mil (RM817mil) to date.

In third place was Anchorman 2, the Will Ferrell comedy which sees him reprise his role as screwball newsman Ron Burgundy. The sequel took US$20.2mil (RM66.4mil) in its second week of release.

Critically acclaimed comedy American Hustle – starring Christian Bale and Amy Adams as grifters who team up with an FBI agent played by Bradley Cooper to bring down other con artists – remained in fourth place.

The movie, which has been nominated for seven Golden Globes and is expected to be in contention at the Oscars, took US$19.6mil.

In fifth spot was Martin Scorsese's latest collaboration with actor Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street, earning US$18.5mil (RM64.5mil) on its debut weekend.

The movie is based on the debauched rise and fall of disgraced Wall Street financier Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), who conned his way to hundreds of millions in the 1990s while maintaining a notoriously drug-fuelled lifestyle.

Sixth place was taken by Saving Mr. Banks, a drama about Walt Disney's quest to make a film adaptation of Mary Poppins, with US$14mil (RM46mil).

Its stars – Tom Hanks as Disney and Emma Thompson as Poppins' anti-Hollywood author – have both been nominated for Golden Globes.

In seventh place was Ben Stiller's romantic comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty an updated adaptation of James Thurber's famous 1939 short story, about a strait-laced officer worker who loses himself in heroic daydreams. The film, which stars Stiller in the lead role, took US$13mil (RM42.7mil).

In eighth place was the latest instalment of the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise with US$10.2mil (RM33.6mil), taking its overall earnings since its record opening six weeks ago to US$391mil (RM1.3bil) in North America alone.

The worst fears surrounding Keanu Reeves' latest movie 47 Ronin were confirmed however as the big-budget samurai epic opened in ninth with a meager US$9.9mil (RM32.6mil).

Reports have said the troubled movie – originally due for release in November 2012 – may lead to a US$175mil (RM576mil) loss for Universal Pictures.

In 10th, with US$7.4mil (RM24.3mil), was A Madea Christmas, directed by and starring Tyler Perry in his recurring role as Madea, chronicling yet another adventure in the life of the tough, old woman. – AFP

James Franco harnesses power of selfie

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 07:20 PM PST

The actor, filmmaker, producer, writer and everything else analyses a topic that many deem 'silly'.

James Franco has learned to harness the power of the selfie, and so can you! The multihyphenate guy published an editorial in Thursday's New York Times Arts section, where he almost academically breaks down the value – and proper usage – of the self-pointed snap-and-upload phenomenon.

His analysis on the seemingly silly topic is far more enlightening than one might assume. It is also revealing, which Franco argues is the entire point of the selfie.

"In a visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you're feeling, where you are, what you're doing," Franco concluded in the piece.

"The likes spin out of control for selfies of me and my two handsome brothers, especially Dave, the other actor," Franco began his explanation, while admitting his growing addiction to Instagram. But his reasoning is not self-absorbed, just self-aware.

The scholar in Franco has studied the trends from his own page. He continued in the piece, "I can see which posts don't get attention or make me lose followers: those with photos of art projects; videos telling the haters to go away (in not so many words); and photos with poems.

"But a well-stocked collection of selfies seems to get attention."

Franco added: "And attention seems to be the name of the game when it comes to social networking."

So the once-called "king of selfies" has a plan: "For every photo of a book, painting or poem, I try to post a selfie with a puppy, a topless selfie or a selfie with Seth Rogen, because these are all things that are generally liked."

JamesFrancoTV, the actor-writer-director's official Instagram page has more than one million followers. Franco had 1,659 posts at the time of this writing – many of them are selfies. — Reuters

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The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Shrimp park project in Pitas halted
Fire and Rescue Department ready for second wave of floods despite clear skies
Malaysian nurses enjoy high salaries in Middle East

Shrimp park project in Pitas halted

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: After years of living from hand to mouth, villagers in the northern district of Pitas had been looking forward to a much-touted shrimp project with the promise of a steady income – but this has yet to become reality as the plan has been indefinitely frozen.

The suspension of the Pitas Shrimp Park was due to the clearing of a large swath of mangrove forest without prior approval.

The project, located on state land that was previously logged, is within the vicinity of Kampung Datong, Kampung Kuyuh, Kampung Manggis and Kampung Telaga.

Villagers said they had been counting on the shrimp park, to be located on a 1,200ha site, to improve their livelihoods as it had offered some 3,800 badly needed jobs in one of the state's poorest districts.

Speaking on their behalf, Kampung Datong village security and development committee chairman Maldan Abdul said: "After years of surviving from hand to mouth, we had been looking forward to building better lives for our families."

He added that they had also asked project developers Sunlight Seafood for better access roads and clean water supply.

Sunslight Seafood chief executive officer King Wong said the Pitas district land utilisation committee had approved the project at the site that was earmarked for aquaculture development in 1983.

However, he said, the Sabah environmental protection department issued a stop-work order on Sept 23 when officials discovered clearing works had begun without an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The company was issued a RM30,000 compound and a second stop work order was issued on Dec 23. It paid the compound the next day.

Wong said the project was aimed at boosting economic activity in Pitas through the Economic Transformation Programme managed by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) of the Prime Minister's Department.

Wong said Sunlight Seafood was undertaking the PSP, some 15km from Pitas town, jointly with a subsidiary of a state agency.

The agreement for the integrated aquaculture park was signed on Dec 12 last year and due to be completed in February 2016.

Fire and Rescue Department ready for second wave of floods despite clear skies

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

PETALING JAYA: Although clear skies are forecast, the Fire and Rescue Department is leaving nothing to chance.

It is prepared for the possibility of another wave of floods in the east coast.

"We are on high alert and will remain so until after Chinese New Year when the risk abates," said its director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Noh Ibrahim.

Devastating floods which hit Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor earlier this month claimed three lives and forced 40,000 people into flood-relief centres.

The Pahang Meteorological Department last Thursday issued a warning of a possible second wave due to high tides from today to Jan 6.

Wan Mohd Noh said they were ready for any eventuality and have learnt from their experiences during the first wave.

He said there were instances where rescuers were slow in reaching victims due to a breakdown in communication and this was compounded by many roads being blocked by stalled vehicles.

Power outages at some operation centres made it difficult for people to call in for help, he said.

He said cellular communication was also disrupted because there was no power supply to some transmission towers.

"Generators have been brought in to ensure uninterrupted power or communications," he said.

The department has five helicopters in addition to rescue vehicles and boats on stand-by in peninsular Malaysia.

"We are ready to cancel all leave and mobilise our personnel from other states at a moment's notice," he said.

The Meteorological Services Department central forecast office said they expected mostly clear skies until tomorrow morning.

"No heavy rain has been forecast in any of the states in the next 48 hours," a department spokesman said.

A Bernama report yesterday said that civil servants with housing loan accounts with the Treasury and who were affected by the recent floods can submit insurance claims.

The insurance covers damage to building structures such as walls, floors, roofs and ceilings.

More information can be found at http://bpp.treasury.gov.my or the flood helpdesk at 03-8880 2121.

Malaysian nurses enjoy high salaries in Middle East

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

JOHOR BARU: Malaysian-trained nurses who go to work in the Middle East are highly paid and it is not surprising to see them driving a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, said former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Datuk Syed Hussein Abdul Kadir Al-Habshee.

He said hospitals in the Middle East are willing to pay high salaries for foreign nurses to work there, adding that there were now about 2,000 Malaysian nurses working in the UAE and between 7,000 and 8,000 in Saudi Arabia.

Syed Hussein said they could fetch monthly salaries of more than US$3,000 (RM9,860), adding that they saved much of their earnings as their expenses such as accommodation and transport are all provided for.

Syed Hussein, who is chairman of the board of governors of Institut Sains and Teknologi Darul Takzim, was speaking to reporters at the college's 8th convocation here yesterday.

Recalling a time when he had arranged a meeting between the nurses and former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng during his visit to the UAE years ago, Syed Hussein said: "The minister was surprised to see these Malaysian nurses coming to see him in high-end cars such as a Mercedes or BMW."

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

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55-and-above age group gets smart with gadgets

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

SHE is 63 years old, uses a smartphone, tablet and laptop, and is active on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

Retiree Cheow Chin Wang (pic) has come a long way since 2007 when even logging on to the Internet using her home desktop required help from her husband or her son.

Cheow said: "I kept asking them for help until they told me to explore it on my own."

Spurred to be independent, she then decided to take up computer classes with non-profit organisation RSVP Singapore – The Organisation of Senior Volunteers.

Now, the feisty grandmother of four competently uses an Acer laptop, iPhone 4 and iPad 2 to check her e-mail and surf the Web. Even keeping in touch with her 34-year-old daughter, who works as an occupational therapist in London, has become a breeze.

She is among a growing group of older users of mobile devices who are becoming increasingly technology literate.

Data from a global mobile consumer survey report this month by professional services firm Deloitte revealed that smartphone penetration among those aged 55 and above in Singapore reached 65% of the 388 respondents in that age group.

The survey was conducted online between May and July and asked questions ranging from which mobile devices respondents have access to or own, to which devices they use to connect to the Internet.

Of the 11 developed countries in the survey – including the United States, France, and Japan – this figure is only second to South Korea.

To further reach out to more seniors, the Council for Third Age piloted an online portal and mobile app in October last year which features senior-related information such as health news and an events calendar.

Up till Nov 30 this year, it has been downloaded more than 3,600 times from the Apple App and Google Play stores. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Youth brush up on Chinese culture

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

WITH his back straight and arm poised over a sheet of rice paper, seven-year-old Joshua Poh diligently traced out Chinese characters like "sheng", which means life, with a writing brush known as the mao bi.

He did this repeatedly during a 90-minute session under the guidance of his Chinese calligraphy teacher, Chang Ong Ying, 65, who taught him the strokes and how to hold the brush.

"The classes are fun as I get to write words that I'm learning in school with a brush," the Zhangde Primary School pupil said.

Together with his five-year-old brother Ian, Joshua was attending a youth calligraphy class at the Waterloo Street premises of the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore (CCSS). The new term had just commenced last weekend.

An art form with its roots in the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, Chinese calligraphy is gaining popularity among the young in Singapore.

CCSS president Tan Siah Kwee told The Sunday Times that attendance at youth Chinese calligraphy classes offered by the society is rapidly growing.

When the programme first started in 1985, there was only one class of six students.

But this year, the CCSS offered about 20 youth Chinese calligraphy classes, which were attended by some 180 students every weekend. And Tan is anticipating at least "30 to 50 more students" next year.

CCSS will have nine teachers – all Singaporeans – to conduct the youth classes next year. All of them have previously exhibited their works here and overseas in countries like China, Japan and South Korea.

"Once society reaches a certain level of development, we need culture to show we are not just animals of the economy," said Tan, 65, who has been president of the non-profit society for 43 years.

Students pay a S$140 (RM362) fee each semester, which amounts to S$560 (RM1,450) for the four semesters each year.

Aside from a brush which students can buy on their own for about S$20 (RM52) each, other materials such as ink and rice paper are provided in class.

Although the youth Chinese calligraphy classes are open to those under the age of 18, about four in five students are below 15.

Older students, Tan said, are usually busy preparing for major examinations like the O levels or have co-curricular activities on weekends.

Parents such as Poh Yu Ching, 42, said the classes give her sons – Arun, nine, and seven- year-old Ajay Bhattarai – greater exposure to Chinese culture. Her husband is Nepalese. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

Where to see art in 2014

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 09:10 PM PST

A selection of upcoming international art exhibitions through June 2014.

50 years of the Museu Picasso in Barcelona

Jan 16-March 9

Museu Picasso, Barcelona, Spain

Three distinct displays run throughout the year, with "The Exhibitions" tasked with examining Picasso's public work and that of the institution.

bcn.cat/museupicasso/en/

Xu Zhen: A MadeIn Company Production

Janu 19-April 20

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

Career highlights and specially commissioned works combine with 30 installation pieces, 20 paintings and 10 videos on display to create a look at Xu Zhen's foundational place within the Chinese and Shanghai art movements of the last 20 years.

ucca.org.cn/en

Itami Jun

Jan 28-July 27

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea

A retrospective for the Japanese-born architect, cherished by the French art world, who sought to integrate natural materials into his nature-inspired designs.

mmca.go.kr

Tino Sehgal: This is so contemporary

Feb 6-23

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Now cemented as a world-renowned contemporary artist, Sehgal's performance works are known for their ability to surprise and delight gallery attendees in equal measure. So the less that's known about it in advance, the better.

artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Gauguin: Metamorphoses

March 8-June 8

Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA

It's the drawn art of Paul Gauguin that's on display here, with 120 paper-based works accompanied by 30 paintings and sculptures, illuminating the metamorphosis of some of the artist's key motifs.

moma.org

The Forbidden City

From March 8

Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario, Canada

A cache of 250 rare objects lent by Beijing's Palace Museum appear here, its jewelry, paintings, furniture and textiles giving insight into the life of those that lived inside China's imperial Forbidden City.

rom.on.ca/en

Dries Van Noten

Feb 28-Aug 31

Musée des Arts Décoratifs, The Louvre, Paris, France

A Belgian designer whose clothing has been worn by Cate Blanchett, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nicole Kidman and the like. His costumes are presented alongside works by some of his inspirations: Francis Bacon, Damien Hirst, Elizabeth Peyton, Yves Klein and more.

lesartsdecoratifs.fr

Slavs and Tatars: Language Arts

March 17-April 17

The Third Line Art Gallery, Dubai

As well as curating part of Art Dubai 2014 (which runs March 19-22), the Slavs and Tatars collective are themselves displaying works in a solo show at the Third Line gallery, not too far from the towering Madinat Jumeirah itself.

thethirdline.com

Wedding Dresses 1775 - 2014

May 3, 2014-March 15, 2015

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

With clothing from Charles James, Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang, the V&A's exhibition has a good claim to displaying "the most romantic, glamorous and iconic dresses from the last 200 years". Meanwhile, Charles James' "Beyond Fashion" is at the New York Met from May to August.

vam.ac.uk

Isa Genzken: I Am The Only Female Fool

May 28-Sept 7, 2014

Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna

The versatile German installation artist plays with art movements, genres, and concepts, with sculpture retaining its importance but other media such as photography also promised.

kunsthallewien.at – AFP Relaxnews

Anita Mui, the ethereal star

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

Catch the musical tribute to the diva.

SHE was dressed all in white. It looked like she was radiating light. It was quite an ethereal sight."

That was Clifton Ko Chi Sum's memory of his first meeting with Anita Mui Yim Fong (1963-2003). If the Hong Kong filmmaker-turned-musical producer seemed unusually poetic, it was because he was in the presence of Hong Kong's most iconic entertainment diva.

"I was starstruck, and completely rooted to the spot. Many thoughts ran through my mind, but I could neither speak nor move. At that time, Anita was already a big-time star, an icon in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. And, I was just a small-time film director.

"She noticed me staring and immediately offered a smile. Then, she approached me and offered her hand as she introduced herself. After that, she sat down and continued with her work," recalled Ko, who mused that Mui's beauty was further matched by her kindness and generosity as well as her professionalism and perfectionism.

'To me, Anita was the quintessential entertainer,' says Clifton Ko Chi Sum, producer of A Mui Live 2014.

Speaking at a media conference in Kuala Lumpur to promote A Mui Live 2014, the 55-year-old director regaled local media with tales of Mui's splendour.

"On the set, Anita was a complete professional. Even though she was a big star, she actually behaved like a newcomer during filming. Unlike others who would crack jokes and even play the fool on the set, she would sit quietly and study her script thoroughly. She took her work seriously and made sure every take was perfect, and was careful to never waste any time.

"When we filmed Anita's parts in a movie, she would perform every scene perfectly in one single take. At most, she would deliver a second take to offer another option. But, never more than that," said Ko, singing praises of the Hong Kong star who was dubbed the "Madonna of the East" and had some 40 films and 50 albums to her name.

"To me, Anita was the quintessential entertainer. A superstar much like other stage divas such as French singer Edith Piaf and Chinese songstress Zhou Xuan. Except, Anita's life was 10 times more tragic. Born in poverty, she had to work hard for everything in life. Then, when success came to her, it seemed like she had everything, fame and fortune, except for the one thing she wanted most of all – love," Ko continued. Mui died at age 40 in 2003 from cervical cancer.

Ten years after her death, Ko decides to celebrate Mui's remarkable legacy of music and film with a tribute musical in her name. The Malaysian leg of the musical comprises four shows and is organised by E House Theatre & Production and performed by The Spring-Time Group (TSTG) from Hong Kong. The production house previously brought in Shooting Star – The Musical (a tribute to Hong Kong stars Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan and Paul Chung), which was also directed by Ko.

Playing the part of Mui in the tribute show is Margaret Cheung Kwok Wing. The freelance Hong Kong theatre professional, who has some 20 stage productions under her belt, is the fifth performer to play the part of Anita in the musical.

"I did not ask for her to look like nor sound like Anita. Nor did I want her to impersonate Anita in any way. In any case, that would not be possible. No one can replicate a superstar like Anita. All I wanted was for her to exude a similar charisma, stage presence and showmanship.

"Margaret impresses in so many ways. Her stamina and dynamism are among her strongest points, as are her charisma and showmanship," Ko said in praise of Cheung, who has to maintain high energy levels for 105 minutes to deliver a total of 36 songs.

Ko said that right from the start, A Mui Live is a one-woman show. "One woman on stage, singing, dancing, acting, in a live show. It is definitely more challenging than Shooting Star – The Musical."

A Mui Live 2014 will be staged at Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, Jan 16-18 at 8pm with an additional 3pm matinee show on Jan 18. Tickets: RM168, RM88, RM68. Purchases of 20 tickets and more get a 10% discount. For enquiries and reservation, get in touch with TicketPro (03-7880 7999 / www.ticketpro.com.my), KLPAC (03-4047 9000 / www.klpac.org) or E House Theatre & Production (016-715 4345 / ehousetheatreproduction.blogspot.com).

Related story:

Anita Mui remembered

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

Britney Spears begins Vegas stint

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 07:10 PM PST

The singer gambles on a two-year performing contract in Las Vegas.

Britney Spears opened a two-year sojourn in Las Vegas late Friday with a dazzling performance to a crowd of adoring fans at the city's Planet Hollywood Resort And Casino.

Some 4,600 followers of the Grammy-winning pop songstress were on hand to enjoy her new spectacle, titled Piece Of Me, in which the 32-year-old performed most of the songs that made her famous.

"Wow ... perfect audience for the 1st #PieceOfMe show! That was AMAZING! I <3 you Vegas!!!" Spears wrote on Twitter.

Spears belted out more than 20 songs that include many of the hits over her 15-year career from former Disney starlet in the late 1990s to pop diva of the 2000s.

Several big-name stars on hand for the premiere on the famed Las Vegas strip included Katy Perry and pop's current enfant terrible, Miley Cyrus.

While Spears lip-synched songs throughout much of the show, a large troupe of backup dancers writhed, wiggled and did back flips at a steady pace throughout the 90-minute show.

Against a backdrop of stunning video projections, Spears performed hits including Toxic, Womanizer, Baby One More Time, and Till The World Ends.

During her two years in Vegas, Spears will climb up on the stage nearly 100 times in a performance that may not be reproduced anywhere in North America.

According to the celebrity website TMZ.com, the 73,600 seats for the first 16 concerts – the only ones currently for sale – were nearly all sold out.

Spears will rake in around US$15mil (RM46.5mil) for each year in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. — AFP Relaxnews

A horse-y new year

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

988 is releasing its annual Chinese New Year album in time for the festivities.

IT'S only a month away before the Year of the Horse comes galloping in. In conjunction with the celebration, 988 is releasing its annual Chinese New Year album.

Entitled 988 Ma Ma Mi Ya Guo Hao Nian (988 Mama Mia Have A Good Year), the album consists of three new songs featuring the station's radio announcers like KK Wong, Jason Poon and Cassey Soo.

Two of the songs were written by the radio announcers themselves – DJ Hau Min wrote the lyrics for Yi Shou Xin Nian Ge (That's One Chinese New Year Song) while DJ May penned Ma Ma Mi Ya Guo Hao Nian, which is in Cantonese.

To promote the album, the 988 gang will be going on tour every weekend from Jan 12 (2pm-5pm). Some of the locations they will be at include Tropicana City Mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Leisure Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Paragon Mall in Penang and Ipoh Parade in Perak. 988 will give out the exclusive album and other Chinese New Year goodies at these locations.

Ma Ma Mi Ya Guo Hao Nian is presented by DNA LAB. For more information, log on to www.988.com.my.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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