Rabu, 12 Mac 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Rising from Haiyan’s ruins

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

TACLOBAN: In the savage aftermath of the Philippines' deadliest storm, an exhausted young woman gave birth to a girl on a filthy floor with little more than determination to sustain them.

Emily Sagalis survived the tsunami-like ocean surges of Super Typhoon Haiyan by gripping a fence with one hand, while using the other to protect her swollen belly from chunks of metal and other fast-floating debris.

Three days later, the 21-year-old was lying on a concrete floor in labour amid broken glass, splintered wood and other wreckage of a destroyed airport building that had been turned into a makeshift medical centre.

A military doctor told a journalist who witnessed the birth – the first at the centre since the typhoon – that Sagalis' life was in danger as there were no antibiotics to treat seemingly inevitable infections.

But with the medics overwhelmed by a torrent of critically injured survivors, Sagalis was forced to leave with Bea Joy just seven hours after giving birth.

Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, claimed about 8,000 lives last November, with many people dying in the terrifying days that followed when medicines, food and water were scarce.

Sagalis and Bea Joy, however, defeated death.

"I am happy that Bea Joy is happy and healthy. That's the most important thing," Sagalis said on a recent visit to their shanty rebuilt alongside hundreds of tents provided by international relief agencies.

The home Sagalis shares with Bea Joy and her unemployed husband, Jobert, is so close to the Pacific Ocean that the grey sand beach forms the floor of their tiny kitchen and sleeping area.

It is built on the same site as their previous home in San Jose, where all the buildings were wiped out as waves generated by Haiyan powered inland.

Thousands of people have returned to San Jose and neighbouring towns to live in crudely built homes, or in white tents from the United Nations' Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that has helped lead relief efforts.

Sagalis, Jobert and Bea Joy have so far had a steady supply of food and water, thanks almost entirely to donations from foreign and local charities.

Sagalis never did suffer from infections from the cuts suffered during the storm and giving birth in unsterile conditions.

That is about where the mercies end.

Like their neighbours, Sagalis and Jobert have to continue living in San Jose as they have no money to go anywhere else and the government has yet to deliver on promises to relocate them.

Jobert was working as a delivery man in Manila when the typhoon hit. He lost his job when he decided to return home and care for his family.

Now, the family income is about a dollar a day, which Jobert earns by taking passengers in and around San Jose on a pedicab that was donated by a relief agency.

That money goes almost immediately on nappies for Bea Joy, plus some eggs and other supplements to the relief food.

Sagalis and Jobert are desperate for more, but not a lot.

"We are hoping we can have the life we had before, a normal life. We hope that we can have a new home, not like this one," Jobert said.

Asked if she felt fear then, or when she was in labour at the shattered airport compound, Sagalis shook her head in the negative and said: "I just tried to be strong for my baby." — AFP

Researchers find tumour-stunting protein complex

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

RESEARCHERS at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School have discovered a protein complex which they say can disrupt a process known to promote tumour development.

Known as dedifferentiation, the process causes tumours by leading mature cells to become ectopic neural stem cells.

These cells undergo uncontrolled growth, which eventually leads to brain tumours.

The team of researchers conducted a study using the brains of fruit flies uncovered a protein complex which can prevent the formation of ectopic neural stem cells.

The flies' neural stem cells are similar to those of humans.

The discovery will provide insight on how the tumour development process can be inhibited and also help with the "development of future cancer therapies". the school said in a statement. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Eight weeks’ jail for club singer who assaulted cab driver

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

A CLUB singer who assaulted a taxi driver for refusing to take his drunken friend home has been jailed for eight weeks.

Feng Jia Cheng, 23, a Chinese national holding a work pass, had admitted to grievously hurting Tay Chwee Kok, 55, by punching him and pushing him to the ground.

The victim suffered a broken left wrist and a bruise on his head.

Tay had been waiting in his cab at the driveway of the Holiday Inn Atrium on Outram Road on Oct 6, 2012.

At 4.45am, Feng placed his intoxicated friend into the taxi and asked the driver to take him home.

But Tay was worried that Feng's friend might make a mess in his vehicle and asked Feng to take him out, which sparked a row.

Feng punched the cabbie several times before they were separated by hotel staff and others.

However, Feng charged at the victim again, pushing him over onto the driveway.

Feng's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said that his client was remorseful and accepted responsibility for his actions, adding that the jail sentence would result in Feng being deported as he was not Singaporean.

"He has to leave his job, the life that he has built here. That is additional punishment for him," he said.

Feng has paid S$6,000 (RM15,550) to the victim for his medical bills and income loss due to his injuries.

District Judge Mathew Joseph said this was an unprovoked attack and public transport workers needed the protection of the law. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: World Updates

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China says will keep supporting Hong Kong as world financial hub

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:01 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will continue to support Hong Kong's position as a global financial hub, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday, reassuring the investment community in the former British colony as it adjusts to the rise of Shanghai.

Li made the remarks to reporters at the closing of the country's annual parliamentary session on Thursday. Known for its free-wheeling capitalist economy, Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

(Reporting By Michael Martina, Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

Chinese premier says there is 'friction' with the United States

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said there is "friction" with the United States and the world's two biggest economies must respect each other's core interests.

Li was speaking at a media conference at the close of China's annual parliamentary session on Thursday.

(Reporting By Sui-Lee Wee, Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Paul Tait)

China Premier Li calls for relevant party to step up plane search

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:35 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said as long as there remains a "glimmer of hope" China will not stop the search for a missing Malaysian airliner flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and called for the "relevant party" to step up coordination.

"This is an international and large-scale search operation involving many countries. The Chinese government has asked the relevant party to enhance coordination, investigate the cause, locate the missing plane as quickly as possible and properly handle all related matters," Li said in remarks to reporters.

The so-far fruitless search for the plane entered its sixth day on Thursday and China has dispatched multiple aircraft, ships and satellite in the multinational search mission.

(The story corrects Tuesday to Thursday in final paragraph.)

(Reporting By Megha Rajagopalan, Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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Mireille Enos makes her mark with dark and dreary roles

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The star of The Killing will next be seen in the action movie, Sabotage.

On an unseasonably warm winter day, Mireille Enos is dressed for spring. Red-headed and radiant in a floral print dress, she's also quick to smile. This bears mention because Enos' roles in film and television tend to not be very bright.

The Sugar Land, Texas native and High School for the Performing and Visual Arts grad is best known for doing three seasons of The Killing, work that requires a lot of standing in the rain in Vancouver during the winter. Fittingly on the show, she plays Detective Sarah Linden, an anguished Seattle officer who does the decidedly glum work of investigating the murders of children.

Prior to The Killing, Enos played twins JoDean Marquart and Kathy Marquart on the dark Big Love. Nothing good happened to them. And more recently she was Karin Lane in World War Z, which allowed Enos to clutch a walkie-talkie waiting for calls from Brad Pitt, who was being pursued by zombies.

"My manager and I joke that next I need to play a character who talks and wears colourful clothes," Enos says, laughing. She rattles off a few forthcoming projects, all of which sound pretty dark. "But I did just shoot a lovely little movie called If I Stay with Chloƫ Moretz based on a lovely young adult novel. I get to be much lighter and happier in that one. Which was nice."

We'll have to take her word for it. The IMDb summary of the film is as follows: "A car accident lands 17-year-old Mia in a coma and claims the life of her family."

But Enos works well amid death and darkness. Because she's played such quiet types, Enos has had to find physical ways to convey information, particularly on The Killing. Enos has had a herky jerky relationship with Linden, simply because the show keeps getting cancelled and resurrected. "We can't get rid of it, right?" Enos says.

AMC cancelled the show once but brought it back. After the cable channel pulled the plug a second time, Netflix stepped in with plans to shoot a short fourth season to air this year. A show frequently critiqued for leaving viewers hanging between seasons will likely have the opportunity to write its own resolution.

Enos – who has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the show – can't talk about plot points, but says, "It's a continuation of where we left off in Season Three. It's about resolving events from that season.

"But it's nice to have the opportunity to close it the way Veena (Sud, the show's creator) wants to. I'll miss Sarah. It's the longest I've ever spent with any character. Getting to end it this way will help me feel like there was closure."

Enos is married to actor Alan Ruck and they have one child together, Vesper Vivianne Ruck. The actress was in Texas for an HSPVA luncheon at the River Oaks Country Club, where she was honoured and a guest speaker. She credits her mother, who was roving about the event beforehand taking photos of some of the art pieces and performers, with nurturing her career when Enos was young.

"She wanted to dance, but she didn't have the chance," Enos says. "So she promised herself – not just for the arts, but anything her kids wanted to do, she'd throw open the doors if she could. Of course she got a bunch of arty kids. But she was the one up all night helping us with audition pieces, driving us to rehearsals, throwing study parties."

The fourth of five children, Enos followed an older sister to HSPVA, where she studied in the school's theatre programme until her graduation in 1993. She calls the school "magic. There's something very special they've captured there. Such a diverse group of kids thrown together. No cliques, no acting out. Just creative people who were thrilled to be there.

"There was no turning back after that. No backup plan. This was the deal."

After college, Enos moved to New York City. Her first big break came with a 2005 Broadway production of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, which earned her a Tony nomination.

Two years later she began appearing in Big Love, which led to her work on The Killing.

At 38, Enos is finding more doors open. She appreciates the slow slog toward success. "I don't think I would've been responsible enough in my twenties to navigate all this," she says.

In a few weeks, she'll begin shooting the final episodes of The Killing. While the show was on ice, Enos took several other projects. The first one set for release is Sabotage, about DEA agents being targeted by members of a drug cartel.

She also has made a pair of films with director Atom Egoyan, who isn't exactly known for light fare.

The first of those is Devil's Knot, a feature film about the West Memphis 3 – a trio of Arkansas teenagers who were believed by many to be innocent of three 1993 child murders for which they were convicted; they were released in 2011.

Enos plays Vicki Hutcherson, who was a crucial figure in turning the police investigation toward the accused, even though she later recanted her testimony.

Once again she finds herself in an internalised and tormented part.

"She's a tragic figure," Enos says, "a single mum who was barely keeping it together."

Like The Killing, the film sounds like it will be long on mood. Enos says Egoyan "shot it like a mystery. There's so much in the story that we don't know and will probably never know. He used factual events and actual dialog from courtroom transcripts. But there's some mystery there, and the mystery is what Atom really leaned into. He made it twisty." – Houston Chronicle/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Sabotage is scheduled to open in cinemas on April 10.

‘Noah’ faces a flood of fatwas in the Middle East

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:25 PM PDT

Hollywood's Noah film adaptation starring Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins gets banned in Qatar, Bahrain and UAE ahead of its premiere.

Three Arab countries have banned the Hollywood film Noah on religious grounds before its worldwide premiere and several others are expected to follow suit, a representative of Paramount Pictures told Reuters on Saturday.

Islam frowns upon representing holy figures in art and depictions of the Prophet Mohammad in European and North American media have repeatedly sparked deadly protests in Islamic countries over the last decade, fanning cultural tensions with the West.

"Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries," a representative of Paramount Pictures, which produced the US$125mil (RM410mil) film starring Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, told Reuters.

"The official statement they offered in confirming this news is because 'it contradicts the teachings of Islam'," the representative said, adding the studio expected a similar ban in Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait.

The film will premiere in the United States on March 28.

Noah, who in the Bible's Book Of Genesis built the ark that saved his family and many pairs of animals from a great flood, is revered by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. An entire chapter in the Quran is devoted to him.

Cairo's Al-Azhar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam and a main centre of Islamic teaching for over a millennium, issued a fatwa, or religious injunction, against the film on Thursday.

"Al-Azhar ... renews its objection to any act depicting the messengers and prophets of God and the companions of the Prophet (Mohammad), peace be upon him," it announced in a statement.

They "provoke the feelings of believers ... and are forbidden in Islam and a clear violation of Islamic law," the fatwa added.

Noah, whose official video trailer depicts a burly Crowe wielding an axe and computer-animated geysers swamping an army of sinners hoping to board his ark, has also stoked religious controversy in the US. 

Jerry A. Johnson, president of a conservative National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) group, said last month he wanted to "make sure everyone who sees this impactful film knows this is an imaginative interpretation of Scripture, and not literal."

Paramount responded by agreeing to issue a disclaimer on advertising for the film.

"While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide," the advisory reads. – Reuters

Idris Elba might play 'Jungle Book' tiger

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 07:30 PM PDT

The actor is most likely to voice the menacing tiger in Disney's live-action remake of the classic cartoon.

Move over, Richard Parker! Disney has found the perfect actor to voice the killer tiger Shere Khan in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, as Idris Elba is nearing a deal to star in the live-action movie, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

Disney's Jungle Book movie, which was written by Justin Marks, will be a mix of live-action and VFX. The studio is in a race with Warner Bros to bring Rudyard Kipling's classic tale to the big screen. WB's project suffered a setback when Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu bowed out.

Jungle Book follows Mowgli, a young orphan raised in the jungle by wild animals. Shere Khan is the tiger who stalks the boy and decides to kill him when he becomes a threat.

Elba, who recently played Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, is preparing to star in Cary Fukunaga's Beasts Of No Nation. The news was first reported by Deadline. — Reuters

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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K-drama's top superhero alien is the perfect boyfriend

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

My Love From The Star has swept most of East Asia off its feet with a romantic 17th-century superhuman hero.

Landing in South Korea after a trip to her native China, rapper Meng Jia of K-pop group Miss A shared an observation on Twitter: "Almost all Chinese women want an alien boyfriend."

To be more precise, the man they and others in East Asia want is from Planet K-drama: Do Min-joon, the ageless professor from outer space played by Kim Soo-hyun in the South Korean television phenomenon My Love From The Star

He is a guy who has superhuman powers but is more perfect than Superman because he has his priorities right. He wants to protect only one person – the woman in his life, played by Gianna Jun.

My Love From The Star, a romantic fantasy created by writer Park Ji-eun (My Husband Got A Family, 2012), has been trending in East Asia after its debut in December last year.

In China, the show has more than one billion views on video websites such as iQiyi.com and PPS, and Kim Soo-hyun is one of the top searches on Baidu, the country's equivalent of Google, say reports on news website NetEase. Books read or referenced by Kim's character in the drama – including a 17th-century Korean fantasy novel, The Cloud Dream Of The Nine, and a 2006 American children's book, The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane – are out of stock in China, add the reports. 

The show is also said to have popularised fried chicken, the comfort food of Jun's character, and revitalised the country's H7N9-hit poultry trade.

In South Korea, the show took over from The Inheritors, the SBS teen romance featuring K-drama royalty Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye, and raced past it in the ratings. Whereas The Inheritors took 11 episodes to reach 20% of viewers nationwide, My Love From The Star took only four episodes.

A song Kim sang for the show, In Front Of Your House, flew to the top of the country's music charts two hours after it was released, says entertainment website allkpop. Which is all in a day's work for the hottest star from South Korea now. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

> My Love From The Star airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 8.55pm on ONE HD (Astro Ch 393).

Isaiah Washington returns to Grey's Anatomy

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The 'surgeon' on one of TV's most-loved dramas will be back this May for one episode.

ISAIAH Washington will return to the role of Preston Burke for an episode of Grey's Anatomy airing this May in the United States, marking the departure of Cristina Yang, the surgeon played by Sandra Oh, ABC has announced.

For Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, it was unthinkable that Cristina would leave the series without having another run-in with Dr Preston Burke, the former Chief of Surgery in the cardiothoracic unit. Their love story was a major plot element during the show's first three seasons (between 2004 and 2007), leading up to the episode in which Preston left Cristina at the altar.

In reality, Washington was fired from the medical drama after being accused of making homophobic remarks to his former colleague T.R. Knight, who played George O'Malley, the character who died at the end of the fifth season in 2009.

Seven years after his precipitous departure, Washington will once again walk the halls of the Seattle hospital, although Rhimes is keeping the circumstances under wraps.

 Slated to air in May, the episode in question is expected to coincide with the departure of Oh at the end of the show's 10th season, which is currently airing on ABC. – AFP Relaxnews

Hugh Dancy's role in 'Hannibal' is about to get more depressed

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Season Two of the crime thriller will see things becoming worse for almost everyone. 

Hugh Dancy's the master of understatement when he says over a breakfast interview that Will Graham, his role on the NBC drama Hannibal, isn't "the happiest character I've ever played."

That's like saying serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) has a passing fancy for finger foods.

The first season took Dancy's character from the bowels of depression to the padded walls of a mental asylum after he was accused of committing the gruesome crimes perpetrated by Lecter. Things are just going to get worse in Season Two.

The character's depressed, down and unhappy – elements that made the role rich for Dancy to play.

"It was a slow, steady buildup just starting from a place of basic depression. I felt last year, last season, that progression over the course of the 13 episodes, was so well charted out," Dancy says.

The biggest clue to how far his character was going to fall came during his initial conversations with series creator Bryan Fuller. Dancy was told that at the end of the season his character was "going to vomit up into the air." That was all Dancy needed to know.

"In the relationship with Hannibal and working with Mads and kind of going further down that rabbit hole, it all, actually, fell into place in a very straightforward way. And dark as it may be, it was incredibly fun and rewarding. In fact, the worse it got for him, the more I enjoyed it, which may be to do with me. This season, it's even worse. So I've been very happy," Dancy says.

Season Two opens with Graham knowing exactly the kind of monster Lecter is. Before he can begin to stop Lecter, Graham must prove his own sanity and convince those closest to him he's innocent of murder.

Graham's and Lecter's worlds are so dark that some viewers have raised questions about the show's violence. Fuller says the show tries to stylise the violence so it's heightened and not real.

"What we do on the show is sort of purple and operatic because, if it were real, I couldn't watch it. I couldn't work on it. So we are borderline fantasy with what we do on the show." Fuller says. 

"So I think it has to balance toward the psychology of what the characters need to go through and then we bend reality, but if we break it, believe me, we get reminded to sort of like step back. And we are a show in reality, but it's heightened." – The Fresno Bee/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

> Season Two of Hannibal premieres on April 1 at 10pm on AXN (Astro Ch 701)

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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Mireille Enos makes her mark with dark and dreary roles

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The star of The Killing will next be seen in the action movie, Sabotage.

On an unseasonably warm winter day, Mireille Enos is dressed for spring. Red-headed and radiant in a floral print dress, she's also quick to smile. This bears mention because Enos' roles in film and television tend to not be very bright.

The Sugar Land, Texas native and High School for the Performing and Visual Arts grad is best known for doing three seasons of The Killing, work that requires a lot of standing in the rain in Vancouver during the winter. Fittingly on the show, she plays Detective Sarah Linden, an anguished Seattle officer who does the decidedly glum work of investigating the murders of children.

Prior to The Killing, Enos played twins JoDean Marquart and Kathy Marquart on the dark Big Love. Nothing good happened to them. And more recently she was Karin Lane in World War Z, which allowed Enos to clutch a walkie-talkie waiting for calls from Brad Pitt, who was being pursued by zombies.

"My manager and I joke that next I need to play a character who talks and wears colourful clothes," Enos says, laughing. She rattles off a few forthcoming projects, all of which sound pretty dark. "But I did just shoot a lovely little movie called If I Stay with Chloƫ Moretz based on a lovely young adult novel. I get to be much lighter and happier in that one. Which was nice."

We'll have to take her word for it. The IMDb summary of the film is as follows: "A car accident lands 17-year-old Mia in a coma and claims the life of her family."

But Enos works well amid death and darkness. Because she's played such quiet types, Enos has had to find physical ways to convey information, particularly on The Killing. Enos has had a herky jerky relationship with Linden, simply because the show keeps getting cancelled and resurrected. "We can't get rid of it, right?" Enos says.

AMC cancelled the show once but brought it back. After the cable channel pulled the plug a second time, Netflix stepped in with plans to shoot a short fourth season to air this year. A show frequently critiqued for leaving viewers hanging between seasons will likely have the opportunity to write its own resolution.

Enos – who has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the show – can't talk about plot points, but says, "It's a continuation of where we left off in Season Three. It's about resolving events from that season.

"But it's nice to have the opportunity to close it the way Veena (Sud, the show's creator) wants to. I'll miss Sarah. It's the longest I've ever spent with any character. Getting to end it this way will help me feel like there was closure."

Enos is married to actor Alan Ruck and they have one child together, Vesper Vivianne Ruck. The actress was in Texas for an HSPVA luncheon at the River Oaks Country Club, where she was honoured and a guest speaker. She credits her mother, who was roving about the event beforehand taking photos of some of the art pieces and performers, with nurturing her career when Enos was young.

"She wanted to dance, but she didn't have the chance," Enos says. "So she promised herself – not just for the arts, but anything her kids wanted to do, she'd throw open the doors if she could. Of course she got a bunch of arty kids. But she was the one up all night helping us with audition pieces, driving us to rehearsals, throwing study parties."

The fourth of five children, Enos followed an older sister to HSPVA, where she studied in the school's theatre programme until her graduation in 1993. She calls the school "magic. There's something very special they've captured there. Such a diverse group of kids thrown together. No cliques, no acting out. Just creative people who were thrilled to be there.

"There was no turning back after that. No backup plan. This was the deal."

After college, Enos moved to New York City. Her first big break came with a 2005 Broadway production of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, which earned her a Tony nomination.

Two years later she began appearing in Big Love, which led to her work on The Killing.

At 38, Enos is finding more doors open. She appreciates the slow slog toward success. "I don't think I would've been responsible enough in my twenties to navigate all this," she says.

In a few weeks, she'll begin shooting the final episodes of The Killing. While the show was on ice, Enos took several other projects. The first one set for release is Sabotage, about DEA agents being targeted by members of a drug cartel.

She also has made a pair of films with director Atom Egoyan, who isn't exactly known for light fare.

The first of those is Devil's Knot, a feature film about the West Memphis 3 – a trio of Arkansas teenagers who were believed by many to be innocent of three 1993 child murders for which they were convicted; they were released in 2011.

Enos plays Vicki Hutcherson, who was a crucial figure in turning the police investigation toward the accused, even though she later recanted her testimony.

Once again she finds herself in an internalised and tormented part.

"She's a tragic figure," Enos says, "a single mum who was barely keeping it together."

Like The Killing, the film sounds like it will be long on mood. Enos says Egoyan "shot it like a mystery. There's so much in the story that we don't know and will probably never know. He used factual events and actual dialog from courtroom transcripts. But there's some mystery there, and the mystery is what Atom really leaned into. He made it twisty." – Houston Chronicle/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Sabotage is scheduled to open in cinemas on April 10.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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Mah Sing buys 85.43 acres of Shah Alam golf club fairway for RM327.4m (Update)

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:04 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Mah Sing Group is buying about 85.43 acres of fairway in Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Golf Course in Shah Alam for RM327.4mil for a high-end residential property project.

It said on Thursday the total consideration was about RM327.4mil or RM88 per square foot (psf).

"The land is nearby Stadium Melawati, better known as Stadium Shah Alam and the development is expected to yield a gross development value (GDV) of approximately RM2.5bil.

"Together with this new acquisition, the group has remaining GDV and unbilled sales of approximately RM31.26bil, which would sustain the Group for the next seven to eight years," it said.

Mah Sing group managing director Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum said the development was targeted to be launched in 2016.

"It is seen as replenishment for the upgrader market and those looking for sustainable living surrounded by Mother Nature. This is undulating golf course land, and we will create a hybrid of our high-end Lagenda and medium high-end Residence series of properties," he said. 

Leong said this project would continue to showcase its signature well-built, environmentally friendly homes that meet market needs and lifestyle demands.  

Puncak slides on unfavourable takeover offer from Selangor Govt

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:43 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Puncak Niaga's shares and warrants were among the top losers in early Thursday trade as investors reacted negatively to the unfavourable takeover offer from Selangor Government.

At 9.34am, Puncak  fell 17 sen to RM3.09 with 1.51 million shares done. The warrants, Puncak-WB fell 10 sen to RM2.18 with 74,900 units done.

The FBM KLCI inched up 1.48 points to 1,820.08. Turnover was 237.14 million shares valued at RM181.53mil. There were 188 gainers, 126 losers and 195 counters unchanged.

News report quoted the Selangor State Government as saying it was only obliged to pay RM7.65bil for the water assets.

This was RM2bil below the original price tag of RM9.65bil. However, analysts said details are still sketchy and water concessionaires have not received formal notifications.

MIDF Equities Research said it was maintaining its Buy recommendation with an unchanged target price of RM4.04 per share for Puncak. This was an implied price-to-earnings ratio for FY2014 of 8.3 times.

Its valuation is based on the sum-of-the-parts method which takes into account the value offered for 100% Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd, 70% SYABAS, proceeds from the convertible sukuk and full warrant conversion.

KLCI struggles, MAHB sees mild rebound

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:18 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's FBM KLCI struggled in early Thursday trade as investors remained cautious but some mild fund buying of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and UMW helped shore up the 30-stock index.

At 9.07am, the KLCI was up 2.05 points to 1,820.65. Turnover was 84.57 million shares valued at RM52.80mil. There were 132 gainers, 71 losers and 130 counters unchanged.

BIMB Securities Research expects the local market to remain volatile with the slight downside bias as the market is still trading at a premium over other regional indices.

"Expect to see immediate support at 1,810/05 while resistance at 1,825/30," it said in its market outlook.

MAHB rose 15 sen to RM8.05 with 82,800 shares done after falling recently on worries about rising costs. UMW added eight sen to RM11.20.

Among plantations, United Plantations rose 80 sen to RM25.80 with 100 shares done while KL Kepong added 10 sen to RM23.90 with 100 shares done.

Pintaras Jaya rose 10 sen to RM3.01 after it secured a RM74mil contract to undertake foundation works for the proposed Warisan Merdeka building in Kuala Lumpur.

Century Logistics rose nine sen to RM2.74 on a news report that the Felda group was negotiating to acquire a substantial stake in the company.

Lafarge fell 12 sen to RM9.17 in thin trade after recording strong gains in its share price recently.

Puncak Niaga fell 12 sen to RM3.14 and Puncak Niaga-WB lost 11 asen to RM2.17 after the Selangor State Government said it was only obliged to pay RM7.65bil for the water assets.

This was RM2bil below the original price tag of RM9.65bil. However, analysts said details are still sketchy and water concessionaires have not received formal notifications.

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Missing MH370: No rest yet for maritime officers in mission

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

SEPANG: Maritime officers remain unfazed despite growing frustration over the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said he and his men are not giving up on their search for the elusive aeroplane.

Despite the lack of sleep and rest, Admiral Mohd Amdan said he and the rest of his men were feeling more committed than ever in their task.

"It is frustrating when we have no inkling of what happened to the plane. We are following up on every possible lead 24 hours a day," he said during an interview here yesterday.

Admiral Mohd Amdan and his men are among the personnel on 34 aircraft and 40 vessels from different nations scouring the area where the Boeing 777-200 was last spotted.

In these past four days, he said he had thought of various strategies in the search and rescue.

"All my men are mobilised daily for the search and my men are all spent. They will be lucky if they can catch a few hours of sleep each day," he said.

With no clue to the whereabouts of the plane, Admiral Mohd Amdan said it was important for those searching to keep an open mind on where to look.

"One thing is for sure – we will never give up," he said.

The area for the search and rescue operation has now been expanded to include the region south of where the plane disappeared from radar.

"We are also scouring the Straits of Malacca. For now, it is still a mystery for all the agencies involved in the operation," he added.

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Missing MH370: 'There were no passengers who did not board flight', says IGP

Missing MH370: MCA Crisis Relief Squad to lend helping hand

Missing MH370: Strong ties with China proven

Missing MH370: Six family members lose cool with media

Missing MH370: Next of kin getting restless and frustrated

Missing MH370: Consultant cherishes her brief encounters with Zaharie

Missing MH370: Penang police pray for safe return of all on board

Missing MH370: Sombre start to Dewan proceedings

Missing MH370: Najib holds talks with top security officials

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Security lapse extends beyond airports

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MH370 - A nation in shock and mourning

Missing MH370: 'There were no passengers who did not board flight', says IGP

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

SEPANG: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has clarified that all those who bought tickets for MH370 checked in and boarded the aircraft.

He said only one buyer, a Malaysian student, cancelled her ticket after mixing up the dates.

"We have already checked the flight manifest and everyone who bought the tickets was on board," he told a press conference yesterday.

He was responding to a question on whether police were investigating a report that five people had checked in but had not boarded the flight.

Malaysia Airlines also clarified that there were four passengers who had valid bookings to travel on flight MH370 but did not show up to check in for the flight.

"As such, the issue of off-loading unaccompanied baggage did not arise as the four passengers did not check in," it said in a statement.

Initially, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had said there were five passengers who did not board the flight although they had checked in.

DCA director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman also said the bags of the five had been removed according to international standards and that they were "clean".

Khalid said Bukit Aman also received the biodata of all Chinese passengers following a meeting with representatives of China's Public Security office.

"We will sieve through all the data as part of the investigation.

"Our counterparts from China have been more than cooperative during the investigation," Khalid said.

Related stories:

Missing MH370: Arduous and difficult task for search teams

Missing MH370: No rest yet for maritime officers in mission

Missing MH370: Cops get reports on low-flying aircraft and loud noise

Missing MH370: Cops exploring possible angles

Missing MH370: Stolen passports users identified as Iranians

Missing MH370: Consultant cherishes her brief encounters with Zaharie

Missing MH370: Penang police pray for safe return of all on board

Missing MH370: Sombre start to Dewan proceedings

Missing MH370: Najib holds talks with top security officials

Missing MH370: MCA Crisis Relief Squad to lend helping hand

Missing MH370: Strong ties with China proven

Missing MH370: Six family members lose cool with media

Missing MH370: Next of kin getting restless and frustrated

Security lapse extends beyond airports

Vanishing into thin air

God's compassion in a calamity

Vietnam expands search Mission to find missing jet

Desperate families await news of loved ones

China deploys satellites in search mission

MH370 - A nation in shock and mourning

Missing MH370: Next of kin getting restless and frustrated

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

PUTRAJAYA: Next of kin of the passengers of missing Flight MH370 could be putting up a brave front, but may be facing inner turmoil with no conclusive updates forthcoming even after four days, according to psychiatrists and counsellors working with them.

Malaysia Public Service Depart­ment's psychology management director Dr Abd Halim Mohd Hussin said the 41 families under the care of Malaysia Airlines were growing restless and frustrated with the wait.

"We know the wait is painful and difficult, so our team from the Health and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry are doing our best to comfort them."

Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine Assoc Prof of Psychiatry Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj, who evaluated the counselling team, said he was satisfied with the "psychological first aid" rendered to the families.

"The counsellors are not asking probing questions which could cause psychological scarring in light of this catastrophic event.

"I am pleased to say that their approach has been supportive.

"But there is still a need to provide a credible and consistent stream of information to the families on the investigations, which is crucial for their mental state," said Dr Andrew, who also appealed to the media to be gentler when speaking to the families and not to adopt the "ambush style" of questioning.

Family members of five people who were on Flight MH370 have also sought counselling from the Welfare Department, said department director-general Datuk Noraini Mohd Hashim.

According to Noraini, the department had mobilised 47 certified counsellors from various government departments.

"They are on 24-hour shift duty," Noraini said after launching the Child Protection Policy for private children's homes and non-governmental organisations.

She said the affected families had been informed that counselling services are available at all times.

The team, which currently has 11 Mandarin-speaking persons, needs more counsellors who can speak the language.

"So we urge them to come and help us, otherwise we would need to use our Mandarin-speaking welfare officers," she said.

Meanwhile, Wanita Umno head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil led 1,500 wing members in a solat hajat for the missing flight and its passengers at the Putra Mosque yesterday.

She said the 19,000 Wanita Umno members would continue performing the prayer until the plane was found.

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‘Noah’ faces a flood of fatwas in the Middle East

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:25 PM PDT

Hollywood's Noah film adaptation starring Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins gets banned in Qatar, Bahrain and UAE ahead of its premiere.

Three Arab countries have banned the Hollywood film Noah on religious grounds before its worldwide premiere and several others are expected to follow suit, a representative of Paramount Pictures told Reuters on Saturday.

Islam frowns upon representing holy figures in art and depictions of the Prophet Mohammad in European and North American media have repeatedly sparked deadly protests in Islamic countries over the last decade, fanning cultural tensions with the West.

"Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries," a representative of Paramount Pictures, which produced the US$125mil (RM410mil) film starring Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, told Reuters.

"The official statement they offered in confirming this news is because 'it contradicts the teachings of Islam'," the representative said, adding the studio expected a similar ban in Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait.

The film will premiere in the United States on March 28.

Noah, who in the Bible's Book Of Genesis built the ark that saved his family and many pairs of animals from a great flood, is revered by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. An entire chapter in the Quran is devoted to him.

Cairo's Al-Azhar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam and a main centre of Islamic teaching for over a millennium, issued a fatwa, or religious injunction, against the film on Thursday.

"Al-Azhar ... renews its objection to any act depicting the messengers and prophets of God and the companions of the Prophet (Mohammad), peace be upon him," it announced in a statement.

They "provoke the feelings of believers ... and are forbidden in Islam and a clear violation of Islamic law," the fatwa added.

Noah, whose official video trailer depicts a burly Crowe wielding an axe and computer-animated geysers swamping an army of sinners hoping to board his ark, has also stoked religious controversy in the US. 

Jerry A. Johnson, president of a conservative National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) group, said last month he wanted to "make sure everyone who sees this impactful film knows this is an imaginative interpretation of Scripture, and not literal."

Paramount responded by agreeing to issue a disclaimer on advertising for the film.

"While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide," the advisory reads. – Reuters

Idris Elba might play 'Jungle Book' tiger

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 07:30 PM PDT

The actor is most likely to voice the menacing tiger in Disney's live-action remake of the classic cartoon.

Move over, Richard Parker! Disney has found the perfect actor to voice the killer tiger Shere Khan in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, as Idris Elba is nearing a deal to star in the live-action movie, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

Disney's Jungle Book movie, which was written by Justin Marks, will be a mix of live-action and VFX. The studio is in a race with Warner Bros to bring Rudyard Kipling's classic tale to the big screen. WB's project suffered a setback when Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu bowed out.

Jungle Book follows Mowgli, a young orphan raised in the jungle by wild animals. Shere Khan is the tiger who stalks the boy and decides to kill him when he becomes a threat.

Elba, who recently played Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, is preparing to star in Cary Fukunaga's Beasts Of No Nation. The news was first reported by Deadline. — Reuters

David Fincher working on Steve Jobs biopic

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The filmmaker is going back to the world of tech with a new film. 

Having put Mark Zuckerberg on the big screen in The Social Network, American director David Fincher is getting back into the world of tech and data with a biopic of Steve Jobs.

The film will be based on Walter Isaacson's biography Steve Jobs, first published late 2011 following the death of Apple's Mac and iPhone champion.

A positive decision by the filmmaker would reunite The Social Network trio of Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and producer Scott Rudin.

Their interpretation of Zuckerberg's rise to Facebook fame and fortune won three Oscars in 2011.

Design genius to some, controversial for others, Jobs has already been given a feature film biography by way of Jobs.

That 2013 picture focused on the Apple impresario's career up to the iPod's debut in 2001. Ashton Kutcher was in the title role, with Joshua Michael Stern directing.

One common criticism related to its portrayal of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

The computer engineer had instead decided to consult on Sony's upcoming film; he had previously approved of the portrayal of various Apple personalities in 1999 film Pirates Of Silicon Valley, while autobiography iWoz: From Computer Geek To Cult Icon was published 2006.

Fincher makes his return toward the end of 2014 with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl. – AFP Relaxnews

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'We Will Rock You' no more

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:55 PM PDT

The musical is closing down in London after 12 years.

The Queen musical We Will Rock You is to close in its London home after 12 straight years, producers said Tuesday.

The show, which has played to more than 6.5 million people at the Dominion Theatre, will close on May 31 after what will be more than 4,600 performances.

The musical, set in a future where music is computer-generated and instruments banned, sees a group of rebels bringing rock back to life, inspired by surviving fragments of songs – chiefly Queen's masterpiece Bohemian Rhapsody.

The story, penned by comedian and writer Ben Elton and co-produced by Robert De Niro, uses a barrage of Queen hits such as Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Are The Champions and the title track.

"It's actually quite heartbreaking to lose this great talented family, who have all given much more than the job demanded in terms of energy and devotion," Queen's guitarist Brian May said on his website.

"But some day We Will Rock You will rise again in its home city."

The 2,000-seater Dominion Theatre has a giant statue of late Queen singer Freddie Mercury outside, which has become something of a London landmark.

No reason was given for the show closing but it comes a fortnight after it was announced that West End mainstay Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Stephen Ward, is to close after just four months following sluggish ticket sales.

According to the Society of London Theatre, We Will Rock You is the 10th longest-running musical of all time in London's West End theatre district, and the fifth-longest still running, behind Les Miserables, The Phantom Of The Opera, Mamma Mia! and The Lion King.

Launching the spectacle in 2002 – 11 years after Mercury died – was a gamble that paid off for Queen, breathing new life into their music by allowing fans to enjoy their hits live once more.

"To have the show rocking the Dominion and seeing a standing ovation night after night has been quite amazing. We wish the show every success for the future," said the theatre's general manager David Pearson.

The Dominion will now be refurbished for a new production in 2015, he said.

While London has been the show's home, it has been performed in 28 countries and seen by a more than 16 million people worldwide. A version is touring North America at the moment, while a German-language version will play in Munich and Frankfurt from September.

The show's performers and musicians are hand-picked by Elton, May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor. A sequel, using songs not in the existing musical, has long been mooted.

Queen – bassist John Deacon, May, Mercury and Taylor – are among the world's biggest-selling artists ever, with most of the British group's sales coming since Mercury died in 1991.

Deacon retired in 1997 and has since vanished from the public eye but May and Taylor still keep the Queen flag flying. They are set to tour North American arenas in June and July with US singer Adam Lambert. — AFP Relaxnews

Origins of an artist

Posted: 08 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PST

YeeTing Wong's family is her artistic influence.

PEOPLE say that family is the greatest form of influence.

That was exactly how it felt for local artist Wong Yee Ting, 44 who grew up in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Wong – whose artistic name is YeeTing Wong – has been surrounded by people who were artistically talented since her younger days.

"My interest in art, music and dance started early for me, and has always been in my upbringing," she said, explaining that her grandfather was an avid photographer while her parents were involved in singing.

For the record, her mother was an art teacher and Wong says that her four sisters are all naturally artistic.

"Maybe it's a family thing," she adds.

YeeTing Wong's love affair with nature translates to her art. For portraits, Lotud Tuaran I (above left) is taken from her coffee-stained art series. Tenom coffee from her home state Sabah was used to create this series.

YeeTing Wong's love affair with nature translates to her art.  

Wong's interest in arts brought her to study Graphic and Illustrative Art at The One Academy in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, which eventually led to her career in painting.

"Nobody told me to be an artist – that's why I am one," she said, when asked why she decided to be an artist. "It is a good way to find out about oneself without being told what and who to be."

The owner of Art Base Gallery in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah believes that her passion for painting and career can be put together. While she is locally based in her home town, she spends her time in a studio at Gallery Strandvang in Bornholm, Denmark during the summer where she works on various projects.

Her work which is inspired by wildlife in Borneo and beyond has upped her profile. However, Wong's coffee-stained portrait work (Tenom coffee) of Sabah native women in 2012 was one of her most well-received exhibitions.

"It is also important that I can balance my passion in doing what I like and maintaining a decent life quality with sufficient income," she said.

A quick look at her previous works and you can tell that Wong has a thing for nature themed paintings. Despite that, she works on portraits and sceneries too. She says that it is only natural to work on subjects that are in her surroundings.

Being a determined and ambitious person, Wong says that she gives her best every time she works on her paintings and she believes that all her paintings were the best at the time of completion.

"As an artist, it is a constant quest for the 'true' identity and it is forever changing," said Wong, explaining the challenges of being an artist.

Despite becoming an inspiration for others, she draws her inspiration from many other sources such as culture, philosophy and old masters.

Lotud Tuaran I is taken from Wong YeeTing's coffee-stained art series. Tenom coffee was her hometown Sabah was used to create this series.

Lotud Tuaran I is taken from YeeTing Wong's coffee-stained art series. Tenom coffee from her home state Sabah was used to create this series.

"For my artistic inspiration, I learn from the old masters and their stories, and the contemporaries in the art museums and galleries for a new approach and concepts in art.

"It raises awareness in me that the world is so different and alike at the same time. This gives me strength to believe that what I do is comprehensible and can be related to," she said.

For more info, check out Wong's previous and latest works at everythingting.blogspot.com.

Adele Dazeem is becoming more famous

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Idina Menzel's new Broadway musical is capitalising on John Travolta's tortured pronunciation of her name during the Oscars.

Idina Menzel's new Broadway musical is capitalising on John Travolta's tortured pronunciation of the Let It Go belter's name during the recent Academy Awards telecast.

Travolta's botched introduction of Menzel, during which he called her something that sounded like "Adele Dazeem," instantly went viral.

That gave the marketing team behind If/Then, which marks Menzel's return to the Great White Way after nearly a decade, an opportunity to have a little fun.

The musical's social media mavens whipped up a poster for the new musical with the tagline, "You Know Her Name."

It also featured a photo of the actress performing the Oscar-winning song from Frozen.

If/Then is a new musical about an urban planner who shakes up her life — something of a dicey proposition in today's Broadway environment. Shows either tend to be adaptations of hit films, such as Rocky and Bullets Over Broadway — two other musicals opening this spring — or else they carry star wattage, such as the upcoming revival of Cabaret with Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams.

To that end, If/Then heavily promoted Menzel's Oscar appearance as a way to draw attention to the show. Video of her singing Let It Go is on the musical's Facebook page, and in the days leading up to her appearance on the Oscars, If/Then's promotional team teased her upcoming turn in the spotlight.

Menzel is unknown to more than just the Travolta household.

However, she previously headlined the Broadway smash Wicked and Frozen is one of the biggest hits in Walt Disney history, having earned US$1bil (RM3.26bil) at the worldwide box office. She may be one more killer song or, barring that, one more introductory gaffe away from stardom.

If/Then opened on Broadway at the Richard Rogers Theatre on March 5. — Reuters

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