Ahad, 12 Januari 2014

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'
Who to look out for this year
Star power in 2014

Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Famous for shedding weight for movie roles, this time around Christian Bale puts on close to 20kg for American Hustle.

He is a brilliant con artist, OK?" Christian Bale says of Irving Rosenfeld, the character he plays in American Hustle. "But, really, who is he conning with that hair?"

The actor has a point. In David O. Russell's disco era ensemble piece, loosely based on the late-1970s Abscam scandal and the ace scammer Melvin Weinberg, recruited by the FBI to take down money-hungry pols, it's hard at first to figure out how Bale's character pulls it off. With that hairpiece, that is.

In the film's opening scene, Bale's Irv is gingerly applying spirit gum, trying to stick a not-exactly-top-quality toupee to his head. When the camera pulls back, we see a guy of considerable girth. Bale, famous for shedding weight (30kg for The Machinist), gained about 8kg to, er, embody Irv.

"When I first read the script by Eric Singer, which was a wonderful script, a historical drama," Bale says, "in my mind's eye I had pictured that Mel was probably a real smooth operator. Somebody very slick, very suave, giving the impression of being very moneyed, very erudite. And then when I saw a picture and I saw interviews with Mel, he was not any of those things.

"And I just found him mesmerising and surprising and I said, 'OK, how did he, from the inside out, become that way?' ... and from that moment I was just obsessed ... I thought, I can't play this guy any other way. And especially with something like that comb-over. ... I loved that contradiction."

Bale threw Russell for a loop, too, when the actor showed up for the first day of shooting with what cannot accurately be described as a beer belly – it's more like a whole brewery. But it works, gloriously.

American Hustle, which looks – as did Russell's The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook before it – destined for awards-season glory, is a story of epic flimflammery. With its original script overhauled by Russell ("a complete Page 1 rewrite," says Bale), American Hustle is a story of love, a story of reinvention, a story of graft and greed, a story of plunging necklines and polyester couture.

Joining Bale in this craziness is his Fighter colleague Amy Adams, as a talented grifter Irv falls for (and vice versa), and Silver Linings lovebirds Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, as an ambitious if not altogether sane G-man, and Irv's super-needy, super-coiffed spouse. Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro and Louis CK also appear.

In a way, every one of the characters is playing a con. And in another way, every one of the actors is playing his or her con – that's the nature of what they do for a living, right?

"Right," Bale agrees, with a caveat. "The difference being, obviously, that for the actor, the mark is in on it. The mark is a paying audience member, they are going along, they know – this is storytelling going on here. Hopefully there's no actual emptying out of people's savings accounts or anything like that."

(Well, there is that ticket price.)

"But in the sense that you have to believe it yourself in order for anybody else to believe it, yes, actors and con artists – they are completely similar," he adds. "The fact is that we're all giving a performance to some degree or another. Whether it be for the benefit of other people, or for our own benefit, it's a means for survival."

Bale, who won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2011 for his performance as crack-addled ex-welterweight champ Dicky Eklund in The Fighter, is famous for his total-immersion approach. He kept hours of recordings on his iPhone of his real-life American Hustle counterpart, Weinberg, playing them en route to the set, and between scenes, to nail the outer-borough cadences and crackling banter.

And, of course, Bale stopped going to the gym, and started eating – a lot.

His regimen? "I sat on my arse and ate doughnuts," says the Welsh born, Los Angeles-based actor, star of Christopher Nolan's brooding Batman / Dark Knight trilogy. Gaining weight, he reports, is far easier than losing it.

"It is incredibly easy for the first couple of weeks. No, I should say it's incredibly enjoyable for the first couple of weeks. Putting on weight is easy all the way through," he says.

"But after the first couple of weeks, the novelty wears off very quickly, and your body is groaning and starting to really shout at you, saying, 'Why? Why? Why? Why are you doing this?'

"So, it actually stopped being enjoyable much more quickly than I realised.

"But easy? Yes." — The Philadelphia Inquirer/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Who to look out for this year

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

WHILE there will be plenty of stories from the entertainment world to keep us occupied, these selected celebrities will be the ones to dominate magazine pages in 2014.

Jennifer Lawrence: There will be no slowing down for Lawrence in 2014. As if 2013 wasn't hot enough for the 23-year-old actress – who nabbed an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, continued starring in the successful Hunger Games franchise and wowed everyone with her no-holds-barred attitude – 2014 may be even more sizzling, if that's possible.

She's got the next X-Men and Hunger Games flicks hitting theatres, plus the period piece Serena (her third movie with Bradley Cooper). And, oh yeah: she's expected to earn an Academy Award nom for her turn in David O. Russell's American Hustle.

Jay-Z and Beyonce: The music world's hottest couple, Jay-Z and Beyonce, avoided the baby boom of 2013 – but we think they'll be at the centre of it in 2014. With daughter Blue Ivy about to turn two, this is the perfect time for 44-year-old Jay and 32-year-old Bey to announce another pregnancy.

American Idol: Idol will make a strong comeback this year. Though 2013 saw a big drop in ratings and some judge hiring misfires (umm ... Nicki Minaj) for the long-running music competition show, 2014's shaken-up judging panel of Jennifer Lopez (returning after a hiatus from the show), newbie Harry Connick Jr and Keith Urban (coming back for a second season) should prove to be just what the Idol doctor ordered.

We predict lots of chemistry for these energetic three, who will surely choose some seriously talented singers to battle it out on stage.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian: Kim and Khloe will both find happily ever-afters. Kim had a stellar 2013, welcoming daughter North West and getting engaged to rapper-baby daddy Kanye West, plus getting her drawn-out divorce from Kris Humphries finalised.

For 2014, we think Kim and West's sure-to-be over-the-top wedding (which will, of course, be televised) will actually lead to stability for the twice divorced reality starlet.

Meanwhile, younger sister Khloe will rebound from her rough year, which saw a split from hubby Lamar Odom after his reported addiction to crack came to light, with a new, healthier relationship that will grow slowly, unlike her wedding to Odom, which took place just 30 days after the couple met. — amNewYork/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Star power in 2014

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

From Amy Adams to Johnny Depp, these are the movie stars who will shine bright in 2014.

This year promises to be a good one for movie lovers across the board. Between historical dramas, science-fiction thrillers, superhero action movies and arthouse films, there will be something for everyone. For movie fans who swear only by the stars, here is our pick of the top names to watch in 2014.

Angelina Jolie

The coming year will be a busy one for the Hollywood star, who returns to theatres in May in the title role of Maleficent, a live-action adaptation of Disney's Sleeping Beauty told from the perspective of the iconic villain. In December, the actress will present her latest project as a director, Unbroken.

The film is a biopic on the remarkable destiny of Louis Zamperini, a former small-time criminal who went on to become an Olympic athlete and later a war hero. He is still alive today at age 96.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

The 42-year-old French actress has teamed up once again with Melancholia director Lars von Trier for Nymphomaniac, which premieres at the Berlinale in February 2014 before hitting US theatres in March. Gainsbourg stars as Jo, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, in this highly anticipated two-part drama.

Eva Green

Another French actress making waves on the international film scene, 33-year-old Green will be seen playing two femme fatale roles during the coming year. In 300: Rise Of An Empire, hitting US theatres in March, she will play the ruthless queen Artemisia, commander of the Persian army sent to invade the Greeks.

In late August, Green will appear in the role of Ava Lord, who seduces Josh Brolin's character in the stylised noir film Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

Russell Crowe

The New Zealand native will turn 50 in 2014, but he isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The actor will co-star with Colin Farrell in the romantic fantasy drama Winter's Tale in February, before appearing in the title role of Darren Aronofsky's Noah, an epic and somewhat controversial biblical saga.

Last but not least, the actor will present his feature-length directorial debut, The Water Diviner, at the end of the year. The film will explore the aftermath of the Dardanelles Campaign during World War I, in which several Australians perished.

Nicole Kidman

Though she may have seemed to be under the radar in 2013, the Australian star was busy shooting a number of much-anticipated films expected in theatres in the coming months.

In 2014, Kidman will star in the thriller Before I Go To Sleep and the drama The Railway Man, not to mention Grace Of Monaco, Olivier Dahan's biopic on the legendary princess, and Paddington, the film adaptation of the adventures of the Britain's favourite bear.

Meanwhile, the actress will also be busy on the sets of Jason Bateman's The Family Fang and Werner Herzog's Queen Of The Desert.

Chris Pratt

A well-known face to Parks And Recreation fans, the 34-year-old actor will be propelled to international fame in 2014 as the star of Marvel's summer blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy, something of an outer-space version of the Avengers. His reputation could grow even further if he joins the cast of Jurassic World, slated to go into production this year.

Amy Adams

The red-headed beauty will ride the wave of success from David O. Russell's American Hustle, possibly even bagging an Oscar nomination. Adams will then head to the set of Batman Vs. Superman to play Lois Lane before joining Christoph Waltz on the set of Big Eyes. In this Tim Burton drama, due in theatres in late 2014, Adams will play Margaret Keane, who accuses her husband of stealing her paintings.

Johnny Depp

After a rather dismal 2013, marked by the commercial and critical failure of The Lone Ranger, Depp seems ready to make a solid comeback in 2014.

The actor will play the villain in the science-fiction thriller Transcendence next spring before returning to theaters in the title role of Mortdecai, an adventure comedy adapted from the writings of Kyril Bonfiglioli. Finally, at the end of 2014, he will don a wolf costume for Into The Woods, a Disney production that draws inspiration from multiple fairy tales. — AFP Relaxnews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Thai protesters start Bangkok 'shutdown' in bid to topple PM
Magnitude 6.5 quake strikes off Puerto Rico - USGS
Al Qaeda Syria unit executes dozens of rivals in Raqqa - activists

Thai protesters start Bangkok 'shutdown' in bid to topple PM

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 08:35 PM PST

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-government protesters began a blockade at major intersections in Bangkok on Monday as they sought to paralyse Thailand's capital, stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign.

Police and soldiers kept watch as the city of some 12 million people ground to a halt, but there were no signs that the government was preparing to resist the protesters with force.

The upheaval is the latest chapter in an eight-year conflict pitting Bangkok's middle class and royalist establishment against the mostly poorer, rural supporters of Yingluck and her self-exiled brother, billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was ousted by the military in 2006 and sentenced to jail in absentia for abuse of power in 2008, but he still looms large over Thai politics and is the dominant force behind his sister's administration from his home in Dubai.

Eight people, including two police officers, have been killed and scores wounded in violence between protesters, police and government supporters since the campaign against Yingluck's government started in November.

Shootings were reported overnight near a government administrative complex the protesters began to blockade late on Sunday and at the headquarters of the opposition Democrat Party, which has thrown in its lot with the protest movement.

The protesters have set up permanent barricades and encampments at seven big intersections, but others are being blocked, too.

At one, near the American and Japanese embassies, around 100 protesters sat on the road to halt traffic. Som Rodpai, 64, said they would leave after nightfall, amid fears their citywide protest could spark a violent reaction.

"I'm not scared," said Som. "We came here unarmed."

In a bid to end the campaign, Yingluck, who has a commanding majority in parliament, has called a snap election for February 2. But her Puea Thai Party would probably win again and protest leader Suthep Thaugsuba has rejected the poll.

His stated goal is to eradicate the influence of the Shinawatra family on Thai politics.

Suthep however said he would call off the protests if, as some fear, violence escalates into civil war. "If it becomes a civil war, I will give up. People's life is precious for me," he told the Sunday Nation newspaper.

Pro-Thaksin groups started rallies in several provincial regions on Sunday but are steering clear of Bangkok for now.

The government has deployed 10,000 police to maintain law and order, along with 8,000 soldiers at government offices.

"We don't want confrontation with the protesters ... In some places we will let them into government buildings," Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Sunday.

"SIT AND MEDITATE"

National security chief Paradorn Pattanathabutr said around 20,000 protesters had joined a march from what has been the movement's main camp at Democracy Monument in the old quarter.

Among them was Prasert Tanyakiatpongsa, a small business owner, who backed Suthep's plans for electoral reforms.

"I'm not sure if we can achieve what we want in a day but maybe we can after a week ... We are not out to clash with police. We will sit and we will meditate," Prasert said.

Although rumours of a coup are rife, the military, which has staged or attempted 18 coups in 81 years of on-off democracy, has tried to stay neutral this time and army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has publicly refused to take sides.

But some fear extremists or agents provocateurs could instigate violence to provoke military intervention, leading to a repeat of 2010 when more than 90 people, many of them Thaksin supporters, were killed in an army operation to put down a rally that had closed parts of central Bangkok for weeks.

"The government will let Suthep play the hero tomorrow ... It will be his show," Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said on Sunday. "There won't be a repeat of 2010 because the government will not use that strategy. There are no plans to use force."

The latest protests took off in November, when the government tried to push through a political amnesty that would have let Thaksin return home without serving jail time for corruption. The bill was ultimately withdrawn but the protests gathered pace.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon who redrew Thailand's political map by courting rural voters to win back-to-back elections in 2001 and 2005, gained an unassailable mandate that he then used to advance the interests of major companies, including his own.

He is opposed by the elite and establishment, who feel threatened by his rise, and regard his sister as a puppet. Thaksin's opponents include unions and academics who saw him as a corrupt rights abuser, and the urban middle-class who resented, as they saw it, their taxes being used as his political war chest.

Nevertheless, Yingluck's party would probably win the February poll thanks to support from voters in the north and northeast.

But a smooth election looks increasingly unlikely, with the protesters determined to install an appointed "people's council" to change the electoral system and bring in other reforms to weaken Thaksin's sway.

The unrest has hurt tourism and further delayed huge infrastructure projects that had been expected to support the economy this year at a time when exports remain weak. Consumer confidence is at a two-year low.

City officials told 140 schools to close on Monday and universities near the protest sites have suspended classes.

Protest leaders want to stop ministries functioning but say they will not shut down public transport or the city's airports. Anti-Thaksin protesters shut the airports for several days in late 2008, causing chaos for tourists and exporters.

(Editing by Alan Raybould, John Chalmers and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Magnitude 6.5 quake strikes off Puerto Rico - USGS

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 08:30 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A strong quake of magnitude 6.5 struck north off Puerto Rico on Monday but did not trigger a tsunami, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

It said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.4, was very shallow, at a depth of only 17.7 miles (27 km) below the seabed. It struck at 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT), 35 miles (56 km) north of the town of Hatillo.

The Tsunami Warning Center said there was no danger the quake had triggered a tsunami.

(Reporting by Sandra Maler; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Al Qaeda Syria unit executes dozens of rivals in Raqqa - activists

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 07:55 PM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - The al Qaeda-linked Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant executed dozens of rival Islamists over the last two days as the group recaptured most territory it had lost in the northeastern Syrian province of Raqqa, activists said on Sunday.

One of the activists, who spoke from the province on condition of anonymity, said up to 100 fighters from the Nusra Front, another al Qaeda affiliate, and the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, captured by ISIL in the town of Tel Abyad on the border with Turkey, the nearby area of Qantari and the provincial capital city of Raqqa, were shot dead.

There was no independent confirmation of the report.

"About 70 bodies, most shot in the head, were collected and sent to the Raqqa National hospital," the activist said.

"Many of those executed had been wounded in the fighting. The fact that Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham are ideologically similar to the ISIL did not matter," he added.

ISIL's growth has alarmed Western nations, who are pushing the opposition to attend peace talks in Switzerland in 10 days' time, and has helped President Bashar al-Assad to portray himself as the only secular alternative to Islamist extremism.

Fighting between the ISIL and rival Islamists and more moderate rebels have killed hundreds of people over the last 10 days and shaken the hardline militant group led by foreign jihadists.

But the ISIL regrouped and recaptured much of its stronghold in Raqqa city on Sunday, activists said, dealing a blow to rival rebel groups backed by Gulf Arab and Western states.

Among those reportedly executed on the weekend was Abu Saad al-Hadram, Nusra Front's commander for Raqqa province who was captured several months ago as tension mounted between the foreign-led ISIL and the more home-grown Nusra, opposition sources said.

In Raqqa, the only provincial capital under rebel control, activists said ISIL fighters battled remnants of rival Islamist units including the Nusra Front in several neighbourhoods.

To the north, ISIL recaptured the town of Tel Abyad on the border with Turkey over the weekend. As a result, Turkish authorities closed a border crossing near the town and pulled out the facility's staff, according to the Syrian Revolution Coordinating Union, an opposition monitoring group.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials.

Abdallah Farraj, a member of the opposition Syrian National Coalition from Raqqa, said rebels had been able to expel ISIL from parts of the neighbouring Aleppo province, but it would be hard to shake ISIL's hold on Raqqa and rural areas along key supply lines across the north.

"The rebels lack the organisation and the firepower to win. It will be difficult to defeat ISIL without military strikes from someone like Turkey," he said.

Abu Khaled al-Walid, an activist speaking from the border area, said many fighters from Ahrar al-Sham, one of the most powerful Islamist groups, chose not to confront ISIL because the combatants were local people with little enmity for each other.

"Many did not see a point in fighting their own relatives. ISIL is now in control of 95 percent of Raqqa and its rural environs. Tel Abyad is also back with it," he said.

"NUCLEUS OF THE CALIPHATE"

Raqqa, on the Euphrates River 385 km (240 miles) northeast of Damascus, is the most significant city to have fallen completely to Assad's opponents since the revolt against his family's four-decade rule broke out in March 2011.

An ISIL statement called on Raqqa tribes to pull out their members from anti-ISIL rebel units and said the attacks against the group were designed to "destroy the nucleus of the caliphate" and promote a "heathen" alternative.

ISIL pulled out of Raqqa and other towns in northern Syria this month after an Islamist rebel alliance attacked its strongholds, taking advantage of growing popular resentment of the group's foreign commanders, their killing of other rebels and a drive to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

But ISIL has regrouped in the last few days, using snipers, truck-mounted commando units and suicide bombers.

Opposition sources said the expertise of its foreign commanders, including a senior figure known as Omar al-Shishani, had been crucial to its advance.

In the province of Aleppo west of Raqqa, activists said ISIL had regained several rural towns, including Hreitan and Basraton, where ISIL killed a senior commander in the Nour al-Din Zanki brigades, a key unit in the newly-formed Mujahideen Army, which has been fighting ISIL in Aleppo.

Fighting also raged on Sunday between Western-backed Free Syrian Army units around the town of Retayan near Aleppo and in Urum to the east, as rebel infighting made the city vulnerable to advances by Assad's forces, the sources said.

Abdallah al-Sheikh, an activist in northern Syria, said Assad's forces had began bombarding areas from which ISIL had withdrawn, such as the town of Maarat Misreen and parts of Aleppo city.

"ISIL have been doing Assad a huge favour by killing many of the formidable rebel commanders and the regime has chosen to help it by not touching many of the areas it had taken. As soon as it withdrew, the bombing resumed," he said.

(Additional reporting by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Andrew Roche and Eric Walsh)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'
Who to look out for this year
Star power in 2014

Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Famous for shedding weight for movie roles, this time around Christian Bale puts on close to 20kg for American Hustle.

He is a brilliant con artist, OK?" Christian Bale says of Irving Rosenfeld, the character he plays in American Hustle. "But, really, who is he conning with that hair?"

In a way, every one of the characters is playing a con. And in another way, every one of the actors is playing his or her con – that's the nature of what they do for a living, right?

(Well, there is that ticket price.)

And, of course, Bale stopped going to the gym, and started eating – a lot.

"It is incredibly easy for the first couple of weeks. No, I should say it's incredibly enjoyable for the first couple of weeks. Putting on weight is easy all the way through," he says.

"But after the first couple of weeks, the novelty wears off very quickly, and your body is groaning and starting to really shout at you, saying, 'Why? Why? Why? Why are you doing this?'

"So, it actually stopped being enjoyable much more quickly than I realised.

"But easy? Yes." — The Philadelphia Inquirer/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Who to look out for this year

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

WHILE there will be plenty of stories from the entertainment world to keep us occupied, these selected celebrities will be the ones to dominate magazine pages in 2014.

We predict lots of chemistry for these energetic three, who will surely choose some seriously talented singers to battle it out on stage.

For 2014, we think Kim and West's sure-to-be over-the-top wedding (which will, of course, be televised) will actually lead to stability for the twice divorced reality starlet.

Star power in 2014

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

From Amy Adams to Johnny Depp, these are the movie stars who will shine bright in 2014.

Angelina Jolie

The film is a biopic on the remarkable destiny of Louis Zamperini, a former small-time criminal who went on to become an Olympic athlete and later a war hero. He is still alive today at age 96.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Eva Green

In late August, Green will appear in the role of Ava Lord, who seduces Josh Brolin's character in the stylised noir film Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

Russell Crowe

Nicole Kidman

Though she may have seemed to be under the radar in 2013, the Australian star was busy shooting a number of much-anticipated films expected in theatres in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the actress will also be busy on the sets of Jason Bateman's The Family Fang and Werner Herzog's Queen Of The Desert.

Chris Pratt

Amy Adams

Johnny Depp

After a rather dismal 2013, marked by the commercial and critical failure of The Lone Ranger, Depp seems ready to make a solid comeback in 2014.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

The cost of living is going up? Here are 30 ways to cope with it
Dollar pressured after lacklustre US jobs data
Indonesia bans mineral ore exports, all eyes on nickel impact

The cost of living is going up? Here are 30 ways to cope with it

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

YOU'VE heard it before - desperate people need desperate measures. If you are one of those who have been worrying about the pending increase in your cost of living and are wondering how to make ends meet in 2014, the frugal list below may come in handy for you.

You may not have been so frugal before but learning one frugal lesson at a time can certainly help you find 'new money'. Who knows, in 30 days you might even surprise yourself. Check this out.

1. Drink water.Stop ordering expensive drinks.

2. Batch your errands. Always have a shopping list.

3. Stay home more. Spend time with yourfamily.

4. Cancel subscriptions. You may not even miss them.

5. Do it yourself. Learn to be a handy man or woman.

6. Stop paying interest. Pay in cash or don't buy if you can't afford it.

7. Travel on a budget. Budget travels can be fun.

8. Use cellphone sparingly. Optimise on free messaging services.

9. Cut or colour your own hair. Ask a friend to help you.

10. Maintain your things. Pay for fewer repairs.

11. Save energy. Do a good deed for the environment.

12. Buy bargain clothing. Dress down.

13. Plan ahead. Buy in bulk.

14. Cook ahead. Freeze the extras.

15. Don't wash clothes so often. Re-wear them at least twice.

16. Save on groceries. Shop on discount days and discount vouchers.

17. Frugal festivals. Keep them simple.

18. Look for used items first. They can be as good as new.

19. Eat out less except on weekends.

20. Bag lunch to work. It's healthier.

21. Don't window shop. Don't get tempted.

22. Use the library. Read online.

23. Find free entertainment on the Internet.

24. Find frugal exercise like walking.

25. Stay healthy and keep medical bills low.

26. Carpool, walk or cycle if you can.

27. Look for discounts. Don't be shy to ask.

28. Sell your clutter. Get organised too.

29. Reduce smoking. Protect your lungs.

30. Stop clubbing. Care for your liver and eardrums too.

Dollar pressured after lacklustre US jobs data

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 07:51 PM PST

SINGAPORE: The dollar faced fresh pressure in Asian trade Monday as lacklustre US jobs data fuelled speculation about the Federal Reserve's plans to wind down its stimulus programme.

The euro bought US$1.3678 in mid-morning Singapore trade from US$1.3666 in New York on Friday. The greenback eased to 103.29 yen from 104.15 yen. The euro bought 141.27 yen from 142.33 yen.

Japanese financial markets were closed for a public holiday.

The greenback's losses extended those seen in New York on Friday after data from the US Labor Department showed the economy added a mere 74,000 jobs in December, well below the consensus estimate of 197,000.

The unemployment rate dropped to 6.7%, from 7.0% in November, although that was mostly because more people had given up looking for work.

The Fed last month said it would cut its monthly bond purchases by US$10bil to US$75bil in January as the economy shows signs of strengthening and the unemployment rate falls. Analysts were eagerly awaiting the jobs numbers as they were seen to likely influence whether further cuts would follow swiftly.

"The dollar traded much lower against all majors following the appalling jobs report," Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, wrote in a note.

He said the dollar was likely to remain pressured below the US$105.30 yen level owing to "the outlook in the US looking slightly bleak before US consumer confidence and retail sales data later this week".

However, French bank Credit Agricole said the jobs data was not likely to alter the Fed's plan to continue with its so-called "tapering".

"Adverse weather may have played a role in the weakness, while complicating matters was the drop in the unemployment rate to 6.7% largely due to people leaving the jobs market," it said in a note.

The lender said the euro faced downside risks after European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi last week said the ECB governing council had discussed using "all eligible instruments allowed by the (EU) treaty" if inflation in the 18-nation economic bloc continues to fall.

"From that angle, it cannot be ruled out that more aggressive policy action such as quantitative easing will be considered if monetary conditions tighten further," Credit Agricole said – AFP.

Indonesia bans mineral ore exports, all eyes on nickel impact

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 07:29 PM PST

JAKARTA: Indonesia, among the world's biggest suppliers of natural resources, halted all mineral ore exports on Sunday to try to promote domestic processing, but threatening the country's nickel and bauxite industries worth more than US$2bil in annual shipments.

Halting exports of nickel ore could spark the biggest shake-up in the global nickel industry in more than five years, with Chinese stainless steel factories that make everything from kitchenware to cars and buildings set to hurt the most.

In one of his most far-reaching economic policy decisions since taking office nearly 10 years ago, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono approved the mineral ore export ban.

But in last minute changes at the weekend, he diluted it to allow exports of copper, iron ore, lead and zinc concentrates to continue, giving a reprieve to US mining giants Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold and Newmont Mining Corp, which together produce 97% of Indonesia's copper.

No such relief was offered to the nickel and bauxite industries, clouding the future for state-owned nickel miner PT Perusahaan Perseroan Aneka Tambang (Antam) and hundreds of other smaller miners.

"Minerals that have to be refined before export are bauxite, nickel, tin, chromium, gold and silver because they don't have intermediate products," Sukhyar, director general of coal and minerals at the ministry, told Reuters.

The long-planned ban hopes to eventually boost Indonesia's profits from its mineral wealth by forcing miners to process their ores before export. But officials fear a short-term cut in foreign revenue could widen the current account deficit, which has undermined investor confidence and battered the currency.

Indonesia is also the world's biggest exporter of refined tin and thermal coal, and home to the fifth largest copper mine and top gold mine. Mineral shipments totalled US$10.4bil in 2012, around 5% of total exports, according to the World Bank.

Yudhoyono's last-minute regulation significantly lowers the minimum processing requirements for copper, manganese, lead, zinc and iron ore to be defined as concentrates.

However, officials have said that such exports would only be allowed until 2017.

Under the proposed changes government officials said 66 companies, which include Freeport and Newmont, would be allowed to continue to export "processed mineral" as they have provided assurances to the government that they would soon build the necessary smelters.

"As long as they can fulfill the requirements, Freeport and tens of national miners are still allowed to export," Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat told Reuters.

More details are expected to be announced this week.

The companies likely to feel the most impact from the ban are miners of nickel and bauxite, numbering in the hundreds.

HALTING SHIPMENTS

Shortly before the ban took effect, Freeport halted copper exports and said it would not resume them until there was clarity on which minerals can be shipped.

Freeport Indonesia CEO Rozik Soetjipto told Reuters he believed the company would be allowed to continue shipping copper concentrate, but was awaiting government confirmation.

Freeport, Indonesia's dominant copper producer with 73% market share, has not made a shipment from its remote Papua port since Dec. 15, said union official Virgo Solossa.

A company spokeswoman said Freeport continued to provide copper to a local smelter.

More than 100 mining companies have been forced to reduce or shutdown operations because of the uncertainty. Along with Freeport, Indonesian miner Perusahaan Perseroan Aneka Tambang (Antam) also stopped nickel ore exports a few days ago, the firm's corporate secretary Tri Hartono said.

The Indonesian Mineral Entrepreneurs Association said it plans to challenge the ban in the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, the two highest courts in the country.

BAN COULD BECOME ELECTION ISSUE

A major economic impact could make the ban a hot political issue in this year's legislative and presidential elections in the world's fourth most populous country.

Thousands of mine workers have already been laid off ahead of the ban, sparking protests in Jakarta.

"We call on all mining workers to prepare to go on the streets and swarm the presidential palace if the government goes ahead with the implementation of the ban," said Juan Forti Silalahi of the National Mine Workers Union in a statement on Saturday.

Police have been stationed at ports and around mines to secure those places in case of public disturbances, said national police spokesman, Boy Rafli Amar – Reuters.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'
Who to look out for this year
Star power in 2014

Christian Bale does the 'Hustle'

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Famous for shedding weight for movie roles, this time around Christian Bale puts on close to 20kg for American Hustle.

He is a brilliant con artist, OK?" Christian Bale says of Irving Rosenfeld, the character he plays in American Hustle. "But, really, who is he conning with that hair?"

In a way, every one of the characters is playing a con. And in another way, every one of the actors is playing his or her con – that's the nature of what they do for a living, right?

(Well, there is that ticket price.)

And, of course, Bale stopped going to the gym, and started eating – a lot.

"It is incredibly easy for the first couple of weeks. No, I should say it's incredibly enjoyable for the first couple of weeks. Putting on weight is easy all the way through," he says.

"But after the first couple of weeks, the novelty wears off very quickly, and your body is groaning and starting to really shout at you, saying, 'Why? Why? Why? Why are you doing this?'

"So, it actually stopped being enjoyable much more quickly than I realised.

"But easy? Yes." — The Philadelphia Inquirer/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Who to look out for this year

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

WHILE there will be plenty of stories from the entertainment world to keep us occupied, these selected celebrities will be the ones to dominate magazine pages in 2014.

We predict lots of chemistry for these energetic three, who will surely choose some seriously talented singers to battle it out on stage.

For 2014, we think Kim and West's sure-to-be over-the-top wedding (which will, of course, be televised) will actually lead to stability for the twice divorced reality starlet.

Star power in 2014

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

From Amy Adams to Johnny Depp, these are the movie stars who will shine bright in 2014.

Angelina Jolie

The film is a biopic on the remarkable destiny of Louis Zamperini, a former small-time criminal who went on to become an Olympic athlete and later a war hero. He is still alive today at age 96.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Eva Green

In late August, Green will appear in the role of Ava Lord, who seduces Josh Brolin's character in the stylised noir film Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

Russell Crowe

Nicole Kidman

Though she may have seemed to be under the radar in 2013, the Australian star was busy shooting a number of much-anticipated films expected in theatres in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the actress will also be busy on the sets of Jason Bateman's The Family Fang and Werner Herzog's Queen Of The Desert.

Chris Pratt

Amy Adams

Johnny Depp

After a rather dismal 2013, marked by the commercial and critical failure of The Lone Ranger, Depp seems ready to make a solid comeback in 2014.

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The Star Online: Nation

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Remembering the victim of a monster
Till debt do us part
Priest laments loss of kids taken by ‘two-timing’ wife

Remembering the victim of a monster

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

SUNGAI PETANI: A large crowd turned up at the Wat Damrong Ratanaram (also known as Wat Siam) in Kampung Raja here for a gathering to remember Chee Gaik Yap, a 25-year-old who was raped and murdered in 2006.

Those gathered there also listed five demands, including for the police to find and punish the culprit.

A car salesman charged with murder-rape has since been acquitted.

Gaik Yap, a marketing executive and Universiti Utara Malaysia graduate, was kidnapped, raped and killed before her body was dumped at a housing estate.

For over an hour from 11am yesterday, the crowd from various parts of the country, held white daisies while listening to leaders from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat speak about the importance of justice and closure for Gaik Yap.

Their demands include appealing to the Attorney-General's Chambers to announce the developments of the case and to ask that the court retain the passport of the salesman who was acquitted by the Alor Setar High Court on June 25, last year.

They asked the A-G to add a rape charge to the case and to restore public confidence in the judiciary.

They also suggested for the Parliament to oversee the operations of the A-G's Chambers. Also present were Gaik Yap's father Chee Ah Sau, 57, and mother Lim Kim Nai, 56.

Ah Sau, who was crying, declined to comment but had told Berapit assemblyman Lydia Ong Kok Fooi that he hoped for his daughter's case to go to the Court of Appeal as soon as possible.

Ong said the gathering was organised through Ah Sau's initiative.

Gurun MP Dr Leong Yong Kong from MCA said he supported the call for the A-G's Chambers to be accountable to Parliament.

Till debt do us part

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Weddings are pricey affairs, but it is important to stick to a realistic budget.

Planning for a wedding can be stressful, especially when you have a tight budget to stick to.

Media practitioners Justin Suraj*, 28, and his fiancée P. Anila*, 29, know this first hand.

With their wedding coming up this August, preparations are already in full swing.

"We started planning for the wedding from last August, so we have a full year to get everything done. The first thing we did was to book the venues for the wedding," Justin says.

With two separate functions on the cards (as they are both from different states), Justin says they will be sticking to a relatively tight budget.

The celebrations will begin in Johor Baru (JB) with a church wedding and a dinner reception, as Justin and his family are Catholics. A week later, the couple will be in Ipoh for their temple wedding and a lunch reception, as Anila and her family are Hindus.

"To make things simple, Justin will foot the bill in Johor, while I will cover the expenses in Ipoh. Because of the two receptions, our expenses will definitely be more, but we're trying to save wherever possible," Anila explains.

Justin says he plans to invite 200 guests in Johor, and expects to spend some RM35,000. Anila has about 500 guests on her list, and is budgeting about RM30,000.

"Justin's mum will prepare the wedding cake herself, so we'll save on that. We're also trying to get local make-up artists and photographers (in JB and Ipoh), so there won't be any additional costs for their travel and accommodation.

"Weddings are definitely not cheap," Anila says.

Bank officer Sofea Azman* who got married last December agrees.

"I initially wanted a small wedding, just for close family and friends. But my mum and dad needed to invite the extended family, their bosses and colleagues as well," she says.

Sofea and her engineer husband Rizal Salleh*, both 26, hosted four events for their wedding – the akad nikah (solemnisation of the marriage) and three receptions.

"One reception was for my family, another was for Rizal's family, and the third was a reception held at my dad's kampung.

"The akad nikah was held at home, my reception was at a banquet hall, Rizal's reception at a community hall, and the kampung reception was at my grandma's Minangkabau house," she says.

Sofea says they had about 500 guests for the akad nikah and the first two receptions respectively, and they had 300 guests for the kampung reception. The total bill for the wedding came up to about RM123,000.

"My mum paid for most of the first two functions, Rizal paid for his reception, while my dad paid for the kampung reception. I paid for items like the decorations, photography, my three wedding outfits, make-up and other expenses.

"For my wedding dresses, I'm very particular about quality, but I was unwilling to spend anything more than RM4,000, since it's something I would likely only wear once, so I capped my akad nikah dress at RM3,000 and my reception dresses at RM4,000 each," she adds.

For general manager Calvin Lee*, 30, and his wife Adeline Chan*, 29, who got hitched last November, simplicity is key.

AKPK chief executive officer Koid Swee Lian: Do not agree to a procedure that is not stated in your policy as the insurer would not reimburse the costs of such procedure. But if the procedure is absolutely necessary, compare the procedure cost at various hospitals before deciding where you want to get it done.

Koid: 'Marriage itself requires huge adjustments. You don't need to add financial problems to it from the start.'

"We had a joint reception in Kuala Lumpur with 360 guests, and another one for my family in Kuantan where we invited 120 guests.

"I've heard a lot of people say that you will always end up spending more than your original budget, so I decided to start small. But as the wedding drew closer, the cost went up as we had to include a few items that we had not paid enough attention to earlier," says Lee, who held both his receptions in Chinese restaurants.

In total, his wedding expenses came up to RM80,000.

"In our case, my mother-in-law requested for a roast pig (in line with Chinese customs), which cost about RM1,000, and I wanted to give her parents a good dowry too. For the Kuantan reception, karaoke was a must," he says, explaining that even the little things had to be factored into the expenses.

For the invites, however, Lee and his wife decided to go green.

"We decided not to send cards and instead sent our invitation via Whatsapp. That may have also helped us reduce some cost.

"Weddings are definitely expensive, but I think couples need a realistic budget to know what is achievable. But at the end of the day, my wife and I were very happy ... that's what mattered the most," Lee says.

Wedding planner Stephen Foong, who has been in the industry for about 25 years, says wedding costs have shot up over the last 10 to 15 years.

"There's been tremendous change in the cost of products and trimmings (referring to items such as wedding gowns, suits, photography, videography, flowers and decorations). Prices have gone up by more than threefold," he says.

He cites hotel pricing as an example.

"Ten years ago, you could host a wedding at a five-star hotel for less than RM1,000 per table. Today, you will be looking at about RM3,500 per table if you want a five-star hotel wedding.

"So realistically, if a couple wants to host a 50-table wedding at a five-star hotel, they should be prepared to fork out at least RM150,000," he says.

Prices in Chinese restaurants have also climbed.

"Chinese restaurants used to only cost between RM400 and RM500 per table. Now, you're looking at an average of RM1,000 per table. This means 30 tables will already cost you RM30,000."

But the priciest weddings he's had to handle are destination weddings.

"It's very expensive because the host has to cover all the travel and accommodation expenses of the guests as well. So if you're looking at an island wedding for between 150 and 180 guests, you're looking at a bill of between RM500,000 and RM600,000.

Stephen Foong putting the lats minute touches to a wedding cake.

Foong: 'Your wedding is just one day, your marriage is a lifetime. You should fix your priorities and be realistic.'

"Not everyone can afford a destination wedding," he quips.

Foong adds that there have also been cases of couples going overboard in their spending.

"If they want everything to carry designer labels ... of course it's going to be expensive!" he exclaims.

Recently, a Singaporean couple made headlines after their dream wedding in October 2012 proved too costly for them. More than a year after the wedding, they are still struggling to settle their debts.

The New Paper reported that insurance agent Cayden Lee, 32, and his wife borrowed S$45,000 (RM115,900) from a financial institution with a repayment period of two years. They also borrowed S$4,000 (RM10,300) from a licensed moneylender and S$11,000 (RM28,300) from a relative.

They also pumped in their entire savings of S$20,000 (RM51,500), and used up to S$30,000 (RM77,300) on both their credit cards. The total sum came up to S$110,000 (RM283,000).

Foong has this advice for young couples: "Your wedding is just one day, your marriage is a lifetime. You should fix your priorities and be realistic.

"If there is something you really want, but it's out of your budget, look for alternatives."

Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) chief executive officer Koid Swee Lian concurs.

"We classify cases which involve wedding expenses under 'Poor financial planning', and that makes up the top 22.8% of why our customers default on their loans," she says.

She remembers a case of a couple who came to AKPK after splurging on their honeymoon.

"They maxed out their credit cards for a honeymoon that spanned three locations – China, Korea and Taiwan. After that, they came to us.

"Sometimes, a couple overspends because they want their 'dream wedding'. Sometimes, it's the parents who are the reason for splurging. I know in many cases, the parents have high expectations of throwing a grand wedding, and they fork out their EPF money for it. But that's also not encouraged – that money should be saved for their retirement," she says.

Also, couples should not expect that their guests' angpows will be enough to cover their wedding expenses.

"This should never be the case," she says, adding that a host should also remember that his wedding may not be the only wedding his guests have to attend during that period.

"Marriage itself requires huge adjustments. You don't need to add financial problems to it from the start.

"Don't start your marriage by going into debt," she advises.

*Names of the couples have been changed to respect their privacy.

Priest laments loss of kids taken by ‘two-timing’ wife

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

MALACCA: A Hindu priest is seeking help to recover his two children, whom he alleged were kept away from him for the past five years by his "two-timing" wife.

G. Sivarajan, 48, said his wife had run away with his 10-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son and taken his savings as well.

"A private detective I hired discovered that my wife had married someone else in Selangor but there was no sight of the children," he said in an interview.

Sivarajan said he had made 25 police reports between 2009 and 2012 in Selangor.

He claimed that the authorities had not taken him seriously because of his "gentle demeanour".

A police spokesman, who confirmed that reports had been lodged, explained that the police had acted accordingly, including advising the priest to seek legal recourse.

Sivarajan also accused his wife of hiding the fact that she was already married to another man before tying the knot with him in 2003.

"I felt betrayed. The marriage broker had told me that my wife was single," he said.

Their arranged marriage went through the customary rites but it was registered only on Feb 29, 2008, he said.

"My in-laws, who are from India, claimed that it was their family tradition to tie the knot according to Hindu customs and they were against registering the marriage."

"I tried to register the marriage in 2004 when my daughter was born but my Malaysian-born wife stopped me from doing so," he claimed.

He registered the marriage in 2008 as he realised it was necessary to enrol his children in school.

"It was at the National Registration Department that I discovered my wife had been married previously although she had divorced her first husband in 2003."

This gradually caused a strain in their marriage until his wife ran away with another man, he claimed.

"My children are precious to me. I hope someone could help me. I just want to be reunited with them," he added.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 12 Januari 2014