Selasa, 7 Januari 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Past lessons for US and China

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Let's hope the players have learned from past scenarios when rising powers challenged established ones.

THIS year, 2014, is the 100th anniversary of one of the most significant events in the last century, World War I (WWI).

That war marked the beginning of the end of centuries of European dominance of global affairs.

My purpose here is not to expatiate on the significance of the end of European dominance but to reflect on the comparison currently much in vogue in some western circles, that a similar catastrophic conflict could break out in the Asia-Pacific region.

They argue that WWI broke out because the established power then, Great Britain, could not accommodate a rising power like Germany.

As a consequence, the balance of power structure which had brought about almost a century of peace in Europe broke down and war ensued.

We may have a similar situation today in the Asia-Pacific region where there is a rising power, China, which might collide with an established United States, with devastating consequences for us in the region, if not the globe.

Their argument goes something like this. War is not conceivable among the major countries today because nations, for a variety of reasons, have learned to cooperate with each other in the security sphere.

But according to Richard Cooper, once an adviser to the Blair government and a well-known proponent of this view, this is true only of the countries of the Atlantic community which has developed multilateral institutions that have transcended, to a great extent, concerns over the surrender of national sovereignty.

Not so in the Asia-Pacific region where the element of strategic trust, basic to the formation of a cooperative security community, is absent and like 19th-century European nationalism with its insistence that sovereignty remains inviolate, is the dominant theme.

And as a newly united Germany in 1870 under Prussian dominance set out to challenge Britain, so may a China gaining in economic strength and more do likewise against an established America.

There have been many who believe this historical analogy to not be necessarily valid.

One of the more persuasive is Henry Kissinger. Times, according to Kissinger, have changed profoundly.

With the existence of nuclear weapons, war between the United States and China, even in the absence of security co-operation, would be too horrible an undertaking.

The planners of WWI had no nuclear weapons to act as a deterrent and probably saw the coming war as a continuation of the wars they had fought previously.

Both the United States and China are also not involved in a zero-sum game. Issues involving climate change, energy and the environment need global cooperation, no less co-operation between both.

Second, the historical circumstances are different. Germany, according to Kissinger, was incredibly provocative.

It made clear its intention to challenge British naval supremacy and to become the top dog.

China has made clear it has no intention to challenge US hegemony, least of all US military dominance.

China, because of problems arising from societal disquiet over corruption, inequality and so on, and also from territorial challenges, will be too busily absorbed in solving domestic problems to want to challenge the United States.

But in what is a powerful argument by those who believe in the coming war, it is not so much the intent, declared or otherwise, but the capacity that is the reason for war.

Lord Eyre Crowe, a British planner, wrote an influential memorandum in 1907 to the effect that as soon as Germany was seen to have develop­ed the strength to challenge Britain, it should be stopped, whatever its peaceful protestations might be.

Similarly, the United States should treat a rising China this way. Which leads us to the third point, the need for wise leadership on both sides. Kissinger argues against a mechanical interpretation of history.

Had the statesmen who met in Versailles in 1919 been aware in 1914 of the horrible carnage and devastation unleashed by WWI, would they have started the war?

In other words, the wise leader can learn from history rather than repeat it.

Americans can learn not to follow those in Britain who argue for a pre-emptive war against a Germany developing the capacity to challenge Britain by not doing the same with China and finding a way to accommodate China in a way the British did not with Germany.

Similarly, China should be careful not to unleash its nationalist forces, however great the provocation, so as to give cause for the United States to respond.

In particular, China should be careful that its focus on domestic problems be done in a way that will not provoke the Americans.

Its methods of ensuring social harmony may result in what the United States sees to be violations of human rights. While human rights violations are unlikely to lead to war with the United States, Chinese emphasis on territorial integrity could, if only by accident.

One refers not so much to Tibet and Sinkiang but to areas that China claims but are not under its control such as Taiwan, Senkakus/Diaoyus and islands in the South China Sea.

The protagonists in these areas do not want war with China but conflict might accidentally occur and the United States could be drawn in.

The problem of rising powers challenging established ones, according to Graham Allison, a Harvard professor of international relations, is one of Thucydidean proportions.

It was the rise of Athens and the fear it inspired in Sparta that led to what we call the Peloponnesian war so well written by the Greek historian Thucydides.

Allison went on to point out that since 1500, there had been 16 cases of rising powers challenging established ones. Eleven ended in conflict

Let us hope the Sino-American case will not turn out to be the 12th!

> Lee Poh Ping is Senior Research Fellow at University of Malaya's Institute of China Studies. The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Most kids just too young for their toys

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

MOST parents know their children are too young for certain toys, but buy them anyway.

This conclusion was one of the findings of a recent study from

the KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

The hospital surveyed 93 sets of parents and other caregivers in its children's emergency department from February to April 2012.

It found that 82% had made sure toys were age-appropriate, with 72% checking toy labels for age recommendations.

However, 93% still bought some toys that were inappropriate for their children's age.

Dr Chong Shu Ling, from the hospital's department of emergency medicine, said many of these parents thought such toys "would benefit the child educationally".

Others had bought age-inappropriate toys because they felt their children was "developmentally ready" to play with them, the study which was published in the Singapore Medical Journal last November showed.

The hospital's children's emergency department sees more than 500 toy-related injury cases in children under five years old every year.

Dr Chong said that there was a 15% rise in the number of cases from January to September last year, compared to the same period in 2012.

Because these injuries are largely preventable, "we want to encourage parents to be careful with the selection of toys as well as make sure they are supervised during play", said Dr Chong.

The hospital also released findings of a separate study on bicycle spoke injuries in children.

These are injuries sustained when the foot or part of the leg is caught in the spokes of a bicycle wheel.

This study covered 242 children from January 2008 to December 2010.

Most suffered bruises or superficial injuries, although 37% had more serious injuries such as fractures or dislocations.

Younger children were most at risk, with two-thirds of those sustaining injuries aged between two and six years of age.

Three-quarters of them were pillion riders.

Dr Sashikumar Ganapathy, associate consultant at the hospital's department of emergency medicine, explained that such injuries were "very easily preventable".

"It's very important that we realise very simple measures, such as appropriate footwear ... spoke guards, or seats with appropriate footrests can actually help prevent this." — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

SP launches facility to develop personal care items

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) has launched a S$1mil (RM2.5mil) state-of-the-art facility for students in its perfumery and cosmetic science programme to formulate and develop personal care products such as fragrances and soaps.

The 575sq m Perfumery and Cosmetic Science Centre includes equipment such as skin investigation systems as well as scent and sensory chambers.

The centre is divided into three sections where students will be trained in research and design, formulation and development of a final marketable product.

At the centre's launch yesterday, SP's principal and chief executive Tan Choon Shian said the facility's purpose is to train students to meet the needs of the personal care industry, such as the growing demand for manpower.

Five out of the world's top 10 flavour and fragrance houses are based in Singapore.

The industry is expected to grow significantly in Asia, by at least 40% to reach US$16bil (RM52.5bil) by 2017, according to figures from the Singapore Economic Development Board. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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AbFab the movie, darling!

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 07:40 PM PST

Popular 1990s British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous is coming to the big screen.

Get ready for your close-ups, sweetie, darlings, because Absolutely Fabulous is headed for the big screen.

The British sitcom, known affectionately as AbFab, chronicled the evenings out and mornings after of drug-abusing, booze-swilling fashion divas Patsy and Edna. It became a cult sensation in the US when Comedy Central began airing episodes in the 1990s, and the possibility that the two misbehaving swinging 1960s relics might one day inspire a feature film has been bandied about for years.

The series ran for five seasons on BBC One, but creator and star Jennifer Saunders had previously stated that she was concerned about sullying the acidic gem's legacy by breaking out the martini glasses for another go-round. She appears to have softened on that position. During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show last weekend, Saunders said that she was finally making good on that promise, and had agreed to write a script for a film version.

"Well I have to do it now because I've threatened to a lot," Saunders said, according to a report on Yahoo!. She did say that her initial fears of failure have yet to dissipate. "It's like the second album syndrome," Saunders said.

"Once you've had a bit of success, the last thing you want to do is go and make a flop. So the biggest fear in me is that it won't be good enough. I'm really nervous about it." — Reuters

Malaysia's next top stars

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Two Malaysian models will have their lives changed forever when the second instalment of Asia's Next Top Model premieres on television tomorrow.

"I guess I'm not crazy after all!" said Josephine Yee, 23. Coming from an Asia's Next Top Model (ANTM) finalist and former pageant queen, you might say that's a pretty bold claim – but Yee did get tested.

Yee is one of two Malaysians, alongside freelance model Sheena Liam, 22, who made it to the top 16 of ANTM's second season, and they're just one day away from having their lives changed forever as the show premieres tomorrow in the region. 

But before they were selected, they had to go through a gruelling month-long selection process where they were up against some pretty well-known names on the local modelling circuit (though the girls wouldn't say who), and thousands more from 18 other countries. 

They also had to have their "heads checked", through a series of personality and psychological tests – which was why Yee is convinced she's not crazy.

"Maybe they were intentionally looking for the crazy ones!" said Liam with a laugh. "That's what my mum suggested."

On the contrary, Yee and Liam came across as perfectly grounded during their interview and photoshoot with R.AGE – a far cry from the catty personalities audiences have come to associate with the reality modelling competition, which is part of the global Top Model franchise created by supermodel Tyra Banks in 2003.

The two have been friends for years on the local modelling scene. Liam's career started when she was 15, modelling for a friend studying design in college, while Yee made her debut at 18 as one of the briefcase models on the Malaysian version of Deal Or No Deal before moving on to beauty pageants.

While we all know reality shows can be a springboard to fame (or infamy), the girls are clear on what they want – to make it in the fashion/modelling industry – and they're not gonna let these 15 minutes in the spotlight get to their heads.

"My parents are very grounded people. They tell me not to get my head in the clouds," said Liam.

"My parents still want me to get a nine-to-five job!" added Yee. Incidentally, both girls recently graduated with degrees in mass communications, and both their fathers are engineers.

The 16 finalists on the show come from 12 different countries, with Yee and Liam one of the few who had a compatriot to lean on during the entire process.

"The emotions you see on the show are definitely real," said Liam. "(During filming), we are completely cut off from the rest of the world. No cellphones, no Internet, no newspapers... We aren't even allowed to talk to the hair and makeup people. We actually got told off for that once, so it's very, very tough."

>> Watch the premiere of Asia's Next Top Model tomorrow at 9.40pm on Star World (Astro Ch 711 / HD Ch 722).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Vince Vaughn, the father figure

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

The actor embraces parenthood in his new movie and in real life.

All Vince Vaughn had to do to find inspiration for his role as a sperm donor who's fathered 533 children in Delivery Man was think about his own life.

Vaughn married Kyla Weber in 2010, when he was 40, so the couple made a conscious effort to have children right away. The 43-year-old actor's now the father of two. In a bit of art imitating life, the second child became a reality while Vaughn was filming Delivery Man.

"So there was a day, it was around Christmas, that my wife came to me with a Christmas ornament with the family and there was an extra little person in a Santa hat. That's how I found out, which was great," Vaughn says. "So I was really excited both times, thrilled to have impregnated my wife at this point."

Unable to pass up a joke, Vaughn laughingly boasts the pregnancy "is more about me being proud of the fact of my own ability."

It may have been all the pregnancy talk, but Vaughn signed on to star in the movie – a remake of the Canadian film Starbuck – despite it being different than the films that help make him a star.

There's no swagger to the character, like the one he played in Swingers, or the lunacy of his roles in Old School or Wedding Crashers.

"I think for all actors, it's fun to do different things," Vaughn says. "I'll definitely do something more crazy, but I think part of it is your age, and different roles present themselves to you. Change is what you play, I think, at 23 to some degree different than what you play at 43. So for me, it's more about tone.

"I think I started off doing more dramatic and character stuff, and had a lot of fun. Now for me this movie particularly has been really great because it is more dramatic, but I think it also is very funny and also a lot of different things."

Delivery Man is about family, responsibility and parenting that at times is deeply endearing. Vaughn was attracted to how the film looks at a group of people – who all share the same biological father – looking for a connection. They want to be a part of something. He likes how the film deals with that quest in a "non-fluffy" way.

Vaughn brings to the role the perspective he's gotten as a father. It's important for him to enjoy being a dad and to have fun being with his children. At the same time, he's trying to figure out how to give his children the tools they need to be happy in life.

And, he's trying to balance that with being a husband.

"I'm very fortunate with my wife. You realise how much the relationship, when kids are young, can suffer. And it's important to make sure that you are able to spend some time with each other. I think as a father, the best thing you can do for the kid is to love the mum," Vaughn says. "Even as a parent I believe that loving the mother is the most important thing.

"And even parents, who maybe aren't together, I think that's important for them to respect each other and to be kind to each other."

Vaughn's happy the Delivery Man script came to him at this point in his life. He loved being able to play a more grounded character, but he's not turning his back on more outlandish roles in the future.

"I would definitely do another kind of more outlaw or comedy again, depending on what that story was," Vaughn says. – The Fresno Bee/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

> Delivery Man is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.

Hercules is coming

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Kellan Lutz takes on the role of Hercules in the latest film about the demigod.

MYTHOLOGICAL hero Hercules has had his share of limelight on both the big and small screens – a Disney animated feature and a series starring a very charming Kevin Sorbo are two memorable ones.

Now Kellan Lutz gets to add his own spin to Hercules' tale in the film The Legend Of Hercules. The 28-year-old actor describes the film as an epic origin story – from a young boy who falls in love and fighting for that love, to a man who realises he has a greater destiny to fulfill.

"It's a story of him coming to terms with his true identity, being born to a mortal woman and the god Zeus," said Lutz, who is best known for his role in the Twilight franchise, in an online interview.

Lutz's fascination for Hercules started from young when he saw a picture in a colouring book of a man getting ready to fight a lion. This, apparently, resulted in his love for wild cats and Greek mythology. Hence, playing the role of Hercules is a childhood dream come true for him.

The Legend Of Hercules begins with Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKee) being granted a son, Hercules, by the Roman God of War. Unfortunately, his presence brings about resentment from the queen's husband, King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins) who never shows any affection towards Hercules and favours Hercules' older brother, Iphicles (Liam Garrigan).

When Hercules falls in love with Iphicles' betrothed (Gaia Weiss) and runs away with her, the king locates him and then sends him to fight in a raging war as a punishment.

Unfortunately, Hercules is then sold into slavery and forced to battle in a gladiatorial arena against impossible opponents. It is here, however, that he befriends a fellow gladiator (Liam McIntyre) and comes to realise his true fate. What happens next, is something Hercules' stepfather would've never predicted.

The reality that he is playing Hercules truly sunk in when Lutz put on the gladiator costume and walked onto the grand sets depicting ancient Greece.

It was at that point, he became mentally ready for the shoot. Lutz, who was born in North Dakota in the United States, had prepared himself physically as he knew he was going to be shirtless for quite a bit in the film.

Lutz packed on the muscles to play the son of Zeus, who is said to be able to defeat six men all by himself, by going on a high-protein diet. He admitted that it, "was kind of tough because I really love candy".

But this helped to shape his body as much as the intense workout, which included riding a horse, spear-throwing and swordplay on top of regular routines like push-ups and bearing weight. "It was a lot of hard work," he confessed. But this allowed him to do most of the stuntwork himself. "Almost 99% of it is me," he said.

In the production notes, Lutz added: "I love doing stunts and action films which is the genre I've chosen as an actor. Some of the combat is of a grand scale, while other is hand to hand and I've really put all of myself into all of these scenes, with some scars to prove it." 

> The Legend Of Hercules opens in cinemas nationwide this Thursday.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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Analysis - U.S. fears grow about Iraq, but response remains limited

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:40 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is considering expanding its support to Iraqi forces as they fight off a renewed al Qaeda threat, but Washington's ability to significantly increase security assistance to Baghdad will remain limited.

U.S. officials say they are in discussions with the Iraqi government about training its elite forces in a third country, which would allow the United States to provide one modest measure of new assistance against militants in the absence of a troop deal that allows U.S. soldiers to operate within Iraq.

No further details were immediately available about where that might take place or how many troops it might involve.

Reluctance to further empower Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki or put American boots on the ground constrains U.S. support for Iraq as it battles militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al Qaeda affiliate, in Anbar province, and seeks to reverse a striking surge in violence across the country in the last year.

The United States is sending missiles, surveillance aircraft and other gear that may help Iraqi forces rebuff al Qaeda in the western province, a Sunni Muslim stronghold.

But Washington also wants Maliki, a Shi'ite, to do more to reach out to minority Kurds and Sunnis who accuse him of fanning sectarian tensions.

The conflict in Anbar is the latest in a string of events pitting Maliki against Iraqi Sunnis, many of whom resent the Shi'ite domination that has followed the U.S.-led ouster of Sunni leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Colin Kahl, a former senior Pentagon official specializing in the Middle East, said the U.S. military's ability to conduct overt activities in Iraq was extremely limited, but that the Obama administration was likely providing the Iraqi government with intelligence to help them target al Qaeda.

"As we do so, we have to be mindful that we are not empowering Maliki's bad behaviour, and we need to be careful not to do anything that makes it look like we are taking sides in a sectarian fight," Kahl said.

Beyond such modest support, and despite growing U.S. fears that the war in Syria is fuelling a regional al Qaeda comeback, U.S. officials say their hands are largely tied in Iraq.

Secretary of State John Kerry made clear last weekend the Obama administration has no appetite for sending U.S. troops back.

"This is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis," he said. "We're not contemplating putting boots on the ground. This is their fight, but we're going to help them in their fight."

And without a Status of Forces Agreement, which provides a legal underpinning for stationing U.S. soldiers overseas, the United States can hardly conduct overt military activities in Iraq.

Maliki, too, would be loathe to be seen inviting back U.S. troops whose presence many Iraqis saw as an occupation force.

IRAN, AFGHANISTAN

Since 2011, when the Obama administration abruptly pulled U.S. soldiers from Iraq after failing to reach a troop deal with Maliki's government, the upheaval of the Arab Spring and the war in Syria have helped push Iraq from the centre of U.S. foreign policy discussions.

As the Pentagon seeks to wind down the war in Afghanistan, and Kerry pursues diplomatic deals to address Iran's nuclear ambitions and the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, increasing bloodshed in Iraq has not altered that calculus.

The reluctance of the Obama administration - and of Maliki himself - to revisit the years of U.S. military involvement in Iraq has dramatically curtailed U.S. influence there.

Since the departure of U.S. forces in 2011, the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, attached to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, has become the anchor of U.S. security assistance for Iraq. At least 100 Pentagon employees there oversee military sales to Iraq and advise Iraqi ministries.

But some covert activities can take place. The Iraqi government invited U.S. special forces to return to provide counterterrorism and intelligence support to local forces, according to a report in The New York Times.

Some in the U.S. Congress, including influential lawmakers such as John McCain, warn of Maliki's autocratic tendencies and close ties with Iran. They complain he has continued to allow Iran to send military assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad across Iraqi airspace and has not lived up to promises to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq.

Ken Pollack, a former White House and intelligence official who was a leading advocate for the 2003 war with Iraq, said the current U.S. focus on the return of al Qaeda, with its possible intent to strike the West, overlooked the true sectarian and political roots of recent conflict in Iraq.

"Sending weapons isn't going to fix the problem," he said. "It's going to force the Maliki government to rely on force."

Pollack and others have urged the administration to condition security assistance on conciliatory steps by Maliki, perhaps by bringing in minority leaders into his government.

After Maliki made a plea for increased military sales in a visit to Washington in November, the administration has been working to speed up delivery of military equipment, including Hellfire missiles and surveillance aircraft.

An Iraqi request for Apache attack helicopters has not yet moved forward, largely because of congressional concerns. Congress has approved the sale of F-16 fighters to Iraq, but they are not expected to be delivered until fall.

Train carrying oil derails, catches fire in New Brunswick, Canada

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:40 PM PST

(Reuters) - A train carrying propane and crude oil has derailed in northwest New Brunswick, Canada, causing a fire and the evacuation of local residents but there were no reports of injuries, according to local officials and the railroad.

The Canadian National Railway train, which carried "dangerous goods" including propane and crude oil, derailed near the village of Plaster Rock at about 7 p.m. local time (2300 GMT), according to Jim Feeny, director of public and government affairs at CN. An unknown number of cars were involved.

This latest derailment comes a little more than a week after a train carrying crude oil in the booming oil state of North Dakota derailed and exploded.

A series of explosive derailments has reignited the push for tougher regulation as a boom in U.S. oil production has drastically increased the number of oil trains moving across the continent as pipelines fail to keep up with growing supply.

The derailment in New Brunswick happened about 6 km (3.7 miles) east of the village of about 1,000 in a mainly wooded area, according to Sharon DeWitt, emergency measures coordinator for Plaster Rock. As a precaution, the few homes in the 2-km area around the derailment site have been evacuated.

DeWitt said fire officials say the cars appear to have been mostly empty except for some propane residue, and are burning.

"They'll in all probability burn themselves out by morning," said DeWitt. "We'll monitor it." She said the wind is blowing out of the west, so there's no concern of fumes coming into the village.

Feeney said CN is still assessing the situation, and cannot say if propane or crude oil cars are derailed or are involved in the fire.

There have been five major accidents in the past year involving a train carrying crude oil. The most devastating occurred in Quebec in July last year, when a train derailed and exploded in the town of Lac Megantic, killing 47.

Some politicians have called for a phase-out or retrofit of old tankers that do not meet current safety standards and are prone to puncture.

Bangladesh election unrest squeezes key garment sector

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST

DHAKA (Reuters) - On the outskirts of Dhaka, Babylon Garments has shortened work shifts to eight hours from the usual 10 and plans to shutter production lines as months of election-related violence disrupts transport and prompts global retailers to curb orders.

The company, which supplies shirts, trousers and other apparel for global retailers including Wal-Mart Inc, is one of the biggest players in Bangladesh's $22 billion (13.4 billion pounds) garment industry that has seen orders cut nearly in half in the last three months - the worst drop in two decades, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association

(BGMEA).

"December is usually a season when we are packed with orders to a point where we can't take any more but look at this year - it's a completely different story," said Muhammad Saiful Hoque, assistant general manager of Babylon Garments, as workers sewed checked shirts for British-based Tesco Plc.

Industry officials say the unrest in the run-up to Sunday's disputed election has been worse for business than the April collapse of Rana Plaza, an illegally built factory in which more than 1,100 workers were killed in a disaster that prompted calls for safer working conditions and more accountability on the part of the global retailers that buy Bangladesh's clothing exports.

The disruption to Bangladesh's garment industry, the world's second biggest after China, as well as a shutdown by striking garment workers in Cambodia, another big supplier, means global retailers face a supply squeeze.

Garment orders are typically placed at least three months in advance.

"The impact won't be immediately felt but the delay in shipping finished orders will hurt the global retail market around June," said Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the BGMEA, which says up to $1 billion in orders are at risk in the coming weeks if the situation does not improve.

A Wal-Mart spokesman said the country sources from more than 70 countries, which allows it to plan for any potential supply chain interruptions. He said he was not aware of any issues related to developments in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

Michael J. Silverstein, a senior partner with the Boston Consulting Group based in Chicago, said Bangladesh is a critical supplier of clothing for world markets and too large to replace.

"The majority of the customers believe Bangladesh will not go dark, for example stop shipping," he said. "They do believe there will be delays and a need for alternative supplies."

CRUCIAL INDUSTRY

Bangladesh's garment industry accounts for 80 percent of the country's exports and is so important to the economy that it has typically been spared from the political unrest that periodically racks the South Asian nation, even though many textile tycoons are politically active.

Several factory owners are members of parliament, representing either the ruling Awami League or the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the poll in protest at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's refusal to hand power to a neutral caretaker government to oversee the vote.

More than 100 people were killed in clashes ahead of the election, with the unrest accompanied by roadblocks that have pushed up transport costs by 10 to 20 percent, according to the BGMEA - a worry for an industry that operates on wafer-thin margins and needs to keep costs low to be competititve.

The unrest had shown no signs of abating since Sunday's poll, with seven people killed in further violence on Monday and one reported death on Tuesday, during a 48-hour strike called by the opposition after the poll.

AKH Group, a large supplier that produces for H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Marks & Spencer Plc and Fast Retailing's Uniqlo, said it was becoming nearly impossible to meet delivery commitments.

"Trucks are stuck on the roads for days and there is very little you can do about it other than somehow pay through the roof to get them going," AKH Group's Deputy Managing Director Abul Kashem said.

Some shipments are costing the company as much as 1 million taka ($13,000), compared with the 20,000-30,000 taka it usually takes to send the same truckloads, as transport costs have surged due to roadblocks across the country, Kashem said.

Buyers have cut orders by 25 percent on average and H&M, one of AKH's biggest clients, has cut its orders by 30 percent, he said. H&M, however, said it had not cut orders with AKH by 30 percent, and so far has not been affected by the unrest.

The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear, although supply chains in Bangladesh are often complex, involving a series of buyers and middlemen.

Analysts at Morningstar said in a note that H&M had protected itself well from potential disruptions by using a large number of manufacturers and ordering in small batches.

A Marks & Spencer said the British high street stalwart was closely watching the situation in Bangladesh and Cambodia, but had not reduced orders and at this stage did not anticipate any effect on supplies. A Uniqlo spokesman said the company had not reduced production or orders from Bangladesh.

LOST ORDERS

Neighbouring India has taken most of the orders that have been lost, while the rest have gone to Pakistan and China, according to data from the BGMEA.

"Rana Plaza dealt a heavy blow to the reputation of this country but that still didn't impact the confidence of buyers and inflow of orders the way the recent crisis has," said Babylon's Hoque.

Babylon's production of shirts fell to 750,000 pieces in December from 850,000 in the same period last year, and was expected to fall below 700,000 by February due to the lack of demand, he said.

Of the 12 large retailers Babylon supplies, seven or eight were placing orders in reduced quantities, while the rest have completely stopped, he said.

If deliveries are late, the supplier must pay compensation, said Rubana Huq, managing director of Mohammadi Group, which supplies Wal-Mart, H&M, Inditex's Zara and others.

"I have just paid 12,000 euros to a client. Our goods were three weeks late. I couldn't afford not to," she said.

Inditex declined comment on the situation in Bangladesh.

With as much as half of capacity idle at big factories, small manufacturers who make up a third of the industry and largely rely on subcontracted orders from bigger suppliers are especially vulnerable.

Turja Apparel, a small garment factory in Dhaka, has no orders after January 20 and owner Kazi Babul was not hopeful he would get new ones until the political situation stabilises.

He said he may shutter his factory for now.

"Small factory owners have suffered heavily after the Rana Plaza collapse as no one wants to give us orders, and now the political situation has taken away the little that we were getting."

($1=77.75 taka)

(Additional reporting by Serajul Quadir in Dhaka, Phil Wahba in New York, Sophie Knight in Tokyo, James Davey in London and Emma Thomasson in Berlin Editing by Tony Munroe and Alex Richardson)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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Vince Vaughn, the father figure

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

The actor embraces parenthood in his new movie and in real life.

All Vince Vaughn had to do to find inspiration for his role as a sperm donor who's fathered 533 children in Delivery Man was think about his own life.

Vaughn married Kyla Weber in 2010, when he was 40, so the couple made a conscious effort to have children right away. The 43-year-old actor's now the father of two. In a bit of art imitating life, the second child became a reality while Vaughn was filming Delivery Man.

"So there was a day, it was around Christmas, that my wife came to me with a Christmas ornament with the family and there was an extra little person in a Santa hat. That's how I found out, which was great," Vaughn says. "So I was really excited both times, thrilled to have impregnated my wife at this point."

Unable to pass up a joke, Vaughn laughingly boasts the pregnancy "is more about me being proud of the fact of my own ability."

It may have been all the pregnancy talk, but Vaughn signed on to star in the movie – a remake of the Canadian film Starbuck – despite it being different than the films that help make him a star.

There's no swagger to the character, like the one he played in Swingers, or the lunacy of his roles in Old School or Wedding Crashers.

"I think for all actors, it's fun to do different things," Vaughn says. "I'll definitely do something more crazy, but I think part of it is your age, and different roles present themselves to you. Change is what you play, I think, at 23 to some degree different than what you play at 43. So for me, it's more about tone.

"I think I started off doing more dramatic and character stuff, and had a lot of fun. Now for me this movie particularly has been really great because it is more dramatic, but I think it also is very funny and also a lot of different things."

Delivery Man is about family, responsibility and parenting that at times is deeply endearing. Vaughn was attracted to how the film looks at a group of people – who all share the same biological father – looking for a connection. They want to be a part of something. He likes how the film deals with that quest in a "non-fluffy" way.

Vaughn brings to the role the perspective he's gotten as a father. It's important for him to enjoy being a dad and to have fun being with his children. At the same time, he's trying to figure out how to give his children the tools they need to be happy in life.

And, he's trying to balance that with being a husband.

"I'm very fortunate with my wife. You realise how much the relationship, when kids are young, can suffer. And it's important to make sure that you are able to spend some time with each other. I think as a father, the best thing you can do for the kid is to love the mum," Vaughn says. "Even as a parent I believe that loving the mother is the most important thing.

"And even parents, who maybe aren't together, I think that's important for them to respect each other and to be kind to each other."

Vaughn's happy the Delivery Man script came to him at this point in his life. He loved being able to play a more grounded character, but he's not turning his back on more outlandish roles in the future.

"I would definitely do another kind of more outlaw or comedy again, depending on what that story was," Vaughn says. – The Fresno Bee/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

> Delivery Man is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.

Hercules is coming

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Kellan Lutz takes on the role of Hercules in the latest film about the demigod.

MYTHOLOGICAL hero Hercules has had his share of limelight on both the big and small screens – a Disney animated feature and a series starring a very charming Kevin Sorbo are two memorable ones.

Now Kellan Lutz gets to add his own spin to Hercules' tale in the film The Legend Of Hercules. The 28-year-old actor describes the film as an epic origin story – from a young boy who falls in love and fighting for that love, to a man who realises he has a greater destiny to fulfill.

"It's a story of him coming to terms with his true identity, being born to a mortal woman and the god Zeus," said Lutz, who is best known for his role in the Twilight franchise, in an online interview.

Lutz's fascination for Hercules started from young when he saw a picture in a colouring book of a man getting ready to fight a lion. This, apparently, resulted in his love for wild cats and Greek mythology. Hence, playing the role of Hercules is a childhood dream come true for him.

The Legend Of Hercules begins with Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKee) being granted a son, Hercules, by the Roman God of War. Unfortunately, his presence brings about resentment from the queen's husband, King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins) who never shows any affection towards Hercules and favours Hercules' older brother, Iphicles (Liam Garrigan).

When Hercules falls in love with Iphicles' betrothed (Gaia Weiss) and runs away with her, the king locates him and then sends him to fight in a raging war as a punishment.

Unfortunately, Hercules is then sold into slavery and forced to battle in a gladiatorial arena against impossible opponents. It is here, however, that he befriends a fellow gladiator (Liam McIntyre) and comes to realise his true fate. What happens next, is something Hercules' stepfather would've never predicted.

The reality that he is playing Hercules truly sunk in when Lutz put on the gladiator costume and walked onto the grand sets depicting ancient Greece.

It was at that point, he became mentally ready for the shoot. Lutz, who was born in North Dakota in the United States, had prepared himself physically as he knew he was going to be shirtless for quite a bit in the film.

Lutz packed on the muscles to play the son of Zeus, who is said to be able to defeat six men all by himself, by going on a high-protein diet. He admitted that it, "was kind of tough because I really love candy".

But this helped to shape his body as much as the intense workout, which included riding a horse, spear-throwing and swordplay on top of regular routines like push-ups and bearing weight. "It was a lot of hard work," he confessed. But this allowed him to do most of the stuntwork himself. "Almost 99% of it is me," he said.

In the production notes, Lutz added: "I love doing stunts and action films which is the genre I've chosen as an actor. Some of the combat is of a grand scale, while other is hand to hand and I've really put all of myself into all of these scenes, with some scars to prove it." 

> The Legend Of Hercules opens in cinemas nationwide this Thursday.

All fired up for 'As The Light Goes Out'

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Director Derek Kwok recalls the danger while shooting his new firefighting film.

Given that a firefighting movie Out Of Inferno came out recently from his compatriots Danny and Oxide Pang, you would think that writer-director Derek Kwok would be feeling the heat since As The Light Goes Out tackles the same topic.

Speaking over the telephone from Hong Kong, he says in Cantonese: "There's always pressure but it doesn't come from others. Rather, it's because you always want to do a movie well.

"Anyway, there is plenty of space for different movies to bloom. Just look at the number of cops-and-robbers flicks out there."

As The Light Goes Out stars Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Simon Yam and Hu Jun as firefighters while Out Of Inferno featured Louis Koo and Sean Lau Ching Wan.

Kwok, 37, stresses that what is more important is whether the film in question has something new to offer - and he is confident on that score.

He was the one who came up with the idea for the film, after his firefighter friend had told him: "The greatest danger you face is thick smoke, not fire. When you enter a fire scene, all you hear is the sound of your own breathing and it is pitch black before you."

It was a scenario that intrigued Kwok and one that he felt other fire flicks had not explored.

So before filming started, he spent half a year doing research on the different types of smoke and their characteristics.

And then the challenge was to present that on film.

He says: "Normally when you film smoke, you simply add some smoke to the scene. But here, I wanted smoke to be a feeling, an actor almost. It could be a monster, a ghost, be everywhere all at once, be weaselly or be forceful."

It took a mix of real smoke and special effects to achieve that.

In addition, there were also fires and explosions added to the combustible mix.

The actors did most of the scenes themselves despite the challenging conditions.

Notes Kwok: "When you use stand-ins, it looks very fake, so the actors requested to do the dangerous scenes themselves."

Some were hurt in the process. Yam had to run about while carrying an injured character and ended up pulling his pelvic muscle. It took him nine months to recover.

And Yue hurt his right hand carrying almost 36kg of equipment for a rescue effort.

Still, Kwok says: "I think it was all worth it because we all want it to be realistic when it comes out."

Next up for him is an action thriller, Kowloon Walled City, with action star Donnie Yen.

And his goal each time he makes a film is the same.

"If I get $100 from investors, I hope to make a movie which looks like it cost $300. It's a big challenge and makes it tough for me and the crew but it's what we're chasing after. The biggest hope is that audiences will like my works."

Along with directors such as Pang Ho Cheung and Juno Mak, Kwok proves that there is still life in the Hong Kong film industry.

His low-budget action comedy Gallants (2010) was both a commercial and critical hit and it won the Best Movie accolade at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

And the bachelor remains passionate about Hong Kong films even as the lure of the China market has proved irresistible for many.

He says: "Regardless of where the audience is from, they all want to watch Hong Kong films which have a distinct Hong Kong flavour. Just make movies according to one's conscience, works that are interesting and dignified, and they will find an audience." – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

> As The Light Goes Out is showing in cinemas nationwide.

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The Star Online: Business

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Microsoft close to naming CEO

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:36 PM PST

Microsoft Corp is closer to naming a new chief executive, according to a source familiar with the board's thinking, but it lost a front-runner candidate on Tuesday when Ford Motor Co's chief, Alan Mulally, said he would not be going to the software giant.

Mulally's comments reignited the guessing game over who will take over at Microsoft, following the elimination in December of another reported candidate, Qualcomm Inc's Steve Mollenkopf.

Microsoft said last month it expects to appoint a new CEO early this year. It has been seeking a replacement for Steve Ballmer since the long-time CEO in August announced his plan to retire.

Sources familiar with the process have told Reuters that Microsoft is down to a "handful" of candidates, including one or more outsiders from the tech industry, former Nokia  CEO Stephen Elop and insiders Satya Nadella and Tony Bates.

Mulally, who has never denied his interest in the Microsoft job, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he will remain at Ford at least this year. Two people close to the matter told Reuters that Mulally is no longer under consideration for the top job at Microsoft.

"Out of respect for the process and the potential candidates, we don't comment on individual names," a Microsoft spokesman said.

The Ford CEO said he wanted to end the Microsoft speculation "because I have no other plans to do anything other than serve Ford." When the AP asked whether his comments should end concerns from investors about his exit, Mulally said: "You don't have to worry about me leaving."

Ford spokesman Jay Cooney confirmed the comments. After news of the interview, Ford shares rose 1.3% in extended trade, while Microsoft shares fell 1.1%.

Several prominent Microsoft investors had campaigned behind the scenes for Mulally to succeed Ballmer. But one source familiar with Microsoft's board's discussions said Mulally's candidacy raised questions about "culture and leadership style".

Mulally's apparent interest in the job attracted considerable media attention that overshadowed Ford's product-related announcements, such as the roll-out of the new Mustang, something that frustrated Ford's board of directors, people familiar with the matter said - Reuters.

Brahim's shares up after inking deal with ANA Holdings

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:02 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Brahim's Holdings rose at midmorning on Wednesday after it the company inked an agreement with ANA Holdings to produce produce halal Japanese cuisine for in-flight catering in Japan.

At 10.57am, its shares rose 15 sen to RM2.18 with some 2.81 million shares traded between the prices of RM2.05 and RM2.18.

The FBM KLCI surged 10.23 points to 1,835.34. Turnover was 604.59 million valued at RM515.811mil. There were 341 gainers, 224 decliners and 282 counters unchanged.

Alliance Research has maintained its Strong Buy recommendation on Brahim's with a revised target price of RM2.67.

It said on Wednesday that Brahim's was collaborating with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to provide in-flight halal meals to ANA's Asian routes and Middle Eastern airlines at Haneda and Narita airports.

In addition, the group will also supply Dewina Food Industries's (DFI) ready-to-eat meals to ANA-operated hotels via Brahim's Food Japan.

"All in, management expects a net profit contribution of RM2.0mil to RM3.0mil to the group's bottomline in FY15, which is in line with our expectations," it said.

Apple seeks remove court-appointed antitrust monitor

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:00 PM PST

NEW YORK: Apple Inc is seeking the removal of a lawyer appointed by a court to monitor its antitrust compliance following a ruling last year that the company had conspired to fix e-book prices.

An attorney for the consumer technology giant on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan to disqualify Michael Bromwich from serving as an external compliance monitor, arguing he had shown a personal bias against the company.

In a letter to Cote, Apple's lawyer cited a "wholly inappropriate declaration" filed by Bromwich last month.

In the declaration, Bromwich defended his work as a monitor against Apple's complaint that he had overstepped his mandate. He also detailed his unsuccessful efforts to gain Apple's cooperation for his assignment.

Cote appointed Bromwich in October following a ruling she made in July finding Apple liable for conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices above those established by the dominant retailer in the market, Amazon.com Inc <AMZN.O>.

But the relationship between Apple and Bromwich quickly spiraled downward.

In November, Apple complained Bromwich had aggressively sought to interview top executives, even though his mandate called for him to assess the company's antitrust policies 90 days after his appointment.

Apple also cited Bromwich's proposed hourly payment rate of $1,100. Those fees, Apple argued, provided Bromwich incentive to run "as broad and intrusive investigation as possible."

In the letter on Tuesday, Apple's lawyer repeated those same complaints.

A spokeswoman for Bromwich declined to comment.

The case is U.S. v Apple Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 12-2826- Reuters

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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&#39;Inside Llewyn Davis&#39; is US critics&#39; top choice

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 05:35 PM PST

The movie work is film of the year according to the National Society Of Film Critics in the US.

Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coen brothers' tale of a struggling folk singer in early 1960s Greenwich Village, was named the year's best film by the National Society of Film Critics in the United States last weekend, with star Oscar Isaac winning best actor and the filmmaking brothers sharing the award for best director.

The group, made up of 56 prominent movie critics from newspapers, magazines and other media outlets in the US, chose Cate Blanchett as best actress for Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, in which she plays the troubled wife of a financial fraudster. Best supporting actress went to Jennifer Lawrence for the 1970s-set American Hustle, and James Franco won best supporting actor for his portrayal of a gangster drug dealer in the comic drama Spring Breakers.

In choosing Inside Llewyn Davis, the critics broke away from choices by other groups such as the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Circle, which respectively chose the quirky Her and American Hustle as best film. Earlier last week, the Producers Guild left the well-reviewed film off its list of nominees for the year's best film.

In the film, which also won the critics' prize for best cinematography and also stars Carey Mulligan, Isaac plays the title character Llewyn Davis, a struggling folk musician on a week-long odyssey set against a musical score of T-Bone Burnett. The film was chosen as the year's best by the Boston Society of Film Critics and is nominated for several Golden Globe awards, including best musical or comedy.

The critics awards are among the last in the run-up to the Oscar nominations, to be announced on Jan 16 in Los Angeles. The Academy Awards ceremony is slated for March 2. Joel and Ethan Coen are a filmmaking team known for producing, writing and directing movies from their 1984 debut Blood Simple, Fargo and True Grit to their Oscar winning best picture, No Country For Old Men.

In other awards, the critics chose the lesbian-theme drama Blue Is the Warmest Color as best foreign-language film, and declared a tie in the nonfiction, or documentary category. The Act Of Killing, about septuagenarian Indonesian mass murderer Anwar Congo, in which Indonesian gangsters reenact killings they participated in during the mid-1960s anti-Communist purge, shared the prize with At Berkeley, Frederick Wiseman's look at the northern California university.

Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke shared the best screenplay prize for Before Midnight, the third film in the romantic series starring Delpy and Hawke. Leviathan took the experimental film prize. Special film heritage honours went to the Museum of Modern Art, the British Film Institute, the DVD American Treasures From The New Zealand Film Archive, and Too Much Johnson, the surviving reels of Orson Welles' debut film which were discovered by Cinemazero (Pordenone) and Cineteca del Friuli, funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation and restored by the George Eastman House. — Reuters

All fired up for &#39;As The Light Goes Out&#39;

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Director Derek Kwok recalls the danger while shooting his new firefighting film.

Given that a firefighting movie Out Of Inferno came out recently from his compatriots Danny and Oxide Pang, you would think that writer-director Derek Kwok would be feeling the heat since As The Light Goes Out tackles the same topic.

Speaking over the telephone from Hong Kong, he says in Cantonese: "There's always pressure but it doesn't come from others. Rather, it's because you always want to do a movie well.

"Anyway, there is plenty of space for different movies to bloom. Just look at the number of cops-and-robbers flicks out there."

As The Light Goes Out stars Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Simon Yam and Hu Jun as firefighters while Out Of Inferno featured Louis Koo and Sean Lau Ching Wan.

Kwok, 37, stresses that what is more important is whether the film in question has something new to offer - and he is confident on that score.

He was the one who came up with the idea for the film, after his firefighter friend had told him: "The greatest danger you face is thick smoke, not fire. When you enter a fire scene, all you hear is the sound of your own breathing and it is pitch black before you."

It was a scenario that intrigued Kwok and one that he felt other fire flicks had not explored.

So before filming started, he spent half a year doing research on the different types of smoke and their characteristics.

And then the challenge was to present that on film.

He says: "Normally when you film smoke, you simply add some smoke to the scene. But here, I wanted smoke to be a feeling, an actor almost. It could be a monster, a ghost, be everywhere all at once, be weaselly or be forceful."

It took a mix of real smoke and special effects to achieve that.

In addition, there were also fires and explosions added to the combustible mix.

The actors did most of the scenes themselves despite the challenging conditions.

Notes Kwok: "When you use stand-ins, it looks very fake, so the actors requested to do the dangerous scenes themselves."

Some were hurt in the process. Yam had to run about while carrying an injured character and ended up pulling his pelvic muscle. It took him nine months to recover.

And Yue hurt his right hand carrying almost 36kg of equipment for a rescue effort.

Still, Kwok says: "I think it was all worth it because we all want it to be realistic when it comes out."

Next up for him is an action thriller, Kowloon Walled City, with action star Donnie Yen.

And his goal each time he makes a film is the same.

"If I get $100 from investors, I hope to make a movie which looks like it cost $300. It's a big challenge and makes it tough for me and the crew but it's what we're chasing after. The biggest hope is that audiences will like my works."

Along with directors such as Pang Ho Cheung and Juno Mak, Kwok proves that there is still life in the Hong Kong film industry.

His low-budget action comedy Gallants (2010) was both a commercial and critical hit and it won the Best Movie accolade at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

And the bachelor remains passionate about Hong Kong films even as the lure of the China market has proved irresistible for many.

He says: "Regardless of where the audience is from, they all want to watch Hong Kong films which have a distinct Hong Kong flavour. Just make movies according to one's conscience, works that are interesting and dignified, and they will find an audience." – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

> As The Light Goes Out is showing in cinemas nationwide.

Alexa Vega is married again

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:10 PM PST

The actress tied the knot with actor and singer Carlos Pena Jr of Big Time Rush.

Actors Alexa Vega and Carlos Pena Jr have tied the knot after two months of engagement.

The couple got married on Jan 4 at the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. "Wow... I'm getting excited nervous!!!! Ahhhh!!!" Vega, 25, tweeted.

Pena, 24, who is one of the four members of Big Time Rush, a boy band with its own popular TV show on Nickelodeon, also tweeted a handful of pictures of the duo at the resort.

"We are so thrilled and blessed that we were able to have all of our close friends and family join us on our special day," the couple told People magazine.

This is Vega's second marriage. Back in 2010, the Machete Kills actress married Sean Covel, the producer of Spy Kids, the child-friendly film series that made her famous. The actress filed for divorce in 2012. A year later, she and Pena got engaged.

Carlos Pena stars in the show Big Time Rush, which is also the name of his music group. 

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf

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The Arrivals

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

IT'S been a while since I've come across a story set in a fantasy equivalent of the Wild West. In fact, I can't remember the last time I actually read a book with this background, although the last Western-like fantasy movie I watched was probably Oz: The Great And Powerful with James Franco last year.

The blurb at the back of this book gives no indication of the book's setting. But that didn't bug me. What did bug me was the fact that it seemed to indicate that modern-day girl Chloe is the protagonist of this story, when she isn't. Sue me, but I like my blurbs to be accurate.

Anyway, the main protagonists of The Arrivals are actually siblings Jack and Kitty Reed, who, coincidentally, do originate from America's Wild West period (circa the late 1800s). They were the first ones to be brought over from Earth to the other dimension known as the Wasteland.

No one knows why they were transported from their homes to this fantasy equivalent of cowboy frontierland, nor how it was done.All the Arrivals know is that they don't age in the Wasteland, and when they die there, it might or might not be permanent. In addition, Kitty, out of all of them, has the ability to perform spells – a talent she prefers to hide as she feels it sets her too much apart from the others.

Over the years since the Reeds' arrival, others have appeared one by one in the Wasteland, usually after the permanent death of one of the other Arrivals. They come from a range of times, with the latest being Chloe from 2013.

And all of them have killed at least one person in their lives on Earth.Surprisingly, they also all come from the United States.

In the 26 years they have been in the Wasteland, the Reeds have formed a loose team of sorts with the other Arrivals, providing protective and negotiating services to the governor of the Wasteland and its wealthy private citizens, but generally working for the good of the land.

This is unlike their nemesis, the mysterious Ajani, who is exploiting the land for the sake of his profits. In addition, Ajani tries to get as many new Arrivals into his employment as possible; a task made easier by the fact that none of the Arrivals working for him have ever died permanently. The death of one of their team members, Mary, during what is supposed to be a peaceful negotiation with a group of magic-wielding monks, trigge rs a series of events that eventually leads the Reeds to discover who Ajani really is, and the reason the Arrivals have been plucked from their times and thrown into the Wasteland.

While Melissa Marr is generally regarded as a young adult fiction author, I feel that this book is quite adult in its tone. There's sex, violence, blood-drinking (courtesy of an important supporting character, who is a bloedzuiger – Marr's different take on a vampire), a suave but crazy villain, and even a little commentary on how greed, aka development, destroys the land. The fantasy concept is quite interesting and the characters are well-thought out.

The plot moves along quite well, although there was a tad too much exposition at various points when she describes the characters' thought processes.

Overall, it's quite an enjoyable read for what it is, but nothing that will make me want to reread it.

How To Fall In Love

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

IF YOU follow closely the works of an author, you tend to more or less know the values or principles they weave into their works. With Cecilia Ahern, it's usually love. Her 10th novel since her big debut with PS I Love You, How To Fall In Love screams a miraculous journey of self-discovery to find The One. Hey, what else would you expect from Ms Ahern?

So I sat by the window, hot chocolate ready at hand, my dog curled up at my feet, and buried my nose in the book. In comes Christine Rose, standing in an abandoned housing development in Dublin, trying to persuade a Simon Conway to not blow his brains out – what a way to start a novel! The Simon Conway Experience, as Christine calls it, leaves quite a mark on our heroine. She goes home, showers, flips through her self-help book, makes breakfast for her husband, and then calmly tells him their marriage isn't working and walks out.

Finding herself financially unstable and not receiving much support from friends and family, Christine ponders downsizing her already tiny recruitment firm. That is, until an employee stumbles upon her flipping through a Six Tips On How To Fire An Employee (With Pictures) book. And just like that, support from her colleagues, too, goes up in a puff of smoke.

If that's not enough, Christine then finds herself witnessing a second suicide attempt in the very same month. She leaps into action and manages to convince this man to give life another chance, but not before striking a deal with him: to show him his life is worth living in just two weeks.

Wait, what? Two weeks? Yes, and yes. I did judge our little heroine then, now turned damsel in a highly, highly distressed situation: She's just taken the life of a stranger into her hands. Quite a sticky patch she's in!

And so, she cancels all her appointments and makes it her life's mission to save this handsome, rich, blonde stranger who goes by the name of Adam. She maps out every inch of his self-discovery route, determined to get his life back on track.

Quite frankly, I've never been a fan of self-help books. I bought one way back, and God only knows in which dark corner it's gathering dust. Yet, the way Christine Rose worships and glorifies them injects the read with humour and wit. What's more, the title of each chapter begins with a "How To" phrase. I find them simply delightful! It gives you an insight into each chapter before you plunge into it, yet if you were to dwell on the titles a little longer, you'd start connecting the dots between the titles and how they relate to your life.

It does make me wonder if that was Ahern's goal after all. My favourite chapter is "How To Dig A Hole To The Other Side Of The World." Would save hundreds on airfare, don't you think? That being said, How To Fall In Love as a whole can't be said to leave a lasting impression. Sure, it has all the right elements in place – charming moments, witty moments, and moments that tug at the very seams of your heart. But the core thing that seems to be missing is believability. So, Christine is traumatised by suicide attempts of strangers, is going through a divorce, has major financial setbacks, receives minimal support from loved ones ... yet, despite all that, she commits herself to helping a stranger sort out his very complicated life or else he'll try to jump off a bridge. Again.

Looks to me like she's bitten off more than she can chew, so do pardon me for not rooting for the damsel all the way. But then again, this is purely a Cecilia Ahern masterpiece, aimed at inspiring hope, joy, love and the belief in miracles. I dare say she's achieved that, at the very least.

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