Jumaat, 14 Mac 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Philippine Catholic Haiyan survivors make vow of sacrifice

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

OPONG: Returning to their destroyed village after a catastrophic typhoon that killed thousands in the Philip­pines last year, a weary band of Catholics vowed a lifelong sacrifice to thank God for saving them.

They had walked through the streets of their hometown for three consecutive days before the storm with icons in hand while praying and asking the Lord to spare them from the looming catastrophe.

Although giant ocean surges that swept through their coastal village destroyed many homes, and some of the most powerful winds recorded on land tore roofs off others, all of the roughly 3,500 residents of Opong survived.

The devotees' ensuing vow was to perform a religious procession similar to their pre-typhoon marches at least twice a week for the rest of their lives.

"We want to thank the Lord for giving us a second chance at life. We want to thank Him for giving us the strength of our faith," Elsie Indi, a mother-of-four, who is one of the regular members of the procession, said after a recent march.

Ten days after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit, AFP photographer Philippe Lopez took a dramatic photo of Indi at the head of the Opong procession that came to symbolise the devotion, hope and resilience of many typhoon survivors.

The image won the Spot News category in the prestigious World Press Photo Awards, and was named by Time magazine as one of the top 10 images of 2013.

Indi, 42, her invalid husband and four children fled their home just after dawn on Nov 8 as knee-deep water rushed in, racing ahead of the torrent to a rice paddy at the base of a mountain about one kilometre away.

They, along with many other residents of Opong, sheltered in the muddy field for about six hours, waiting for the storm surges to recede into the Pacific Ocean and the intense rain to pass.

During that time, the typhoon killed or left missing about 8,000 people in towns and cities of the central Philippines near Opong, making it the country's deadliest storm on record.

"Everyone in Opong survived, we can thank God for that," Indi said.

During the most chaotic and desperate period immediately after the typhoon, some of the residents of Opong held their processions twice a day.

The procession, involving anywhere from a few people to more than 20, took more than an hour.

Such acts of devotion are common even outside times of disaster in the Philippines, where about 80% of the nation's 100 million people are Catholic thanks to a Spanish colonial heritage.

In what is known locally as a "panata", devotees promise to God to make some form of sacrifice as repayment for a prayer that has been granted.

In some of the most extreme and famous panatas, devotees around the country have themselves nailed to crosses or whip their backs into a bloody mess of red flesh every Good Friday.

"After being saved, we had to make some sacrifices. The procession is one form of sacrifice," said Virginia Piedad, 47, a primary school teacher who came up with the idea for the Opong community's panata.

Asked when the Opong residents would give up the procession, Piedad and Indi insisted they would continue their hour-long marches every Wednesday and Saturday with the same Jesus statues in their arms until they died.               

But despite the relentless giving of thanks, life for Indi and many others in Opong often feels like an abyss of anxiety and exhaustion.

The iron-sheet roofing, windows and steel trusses of Indi's cramped home were torn away or badly damaged during the storm, and she has no means to replace them.

She estimates it would cost more than 150,000 pesos (RM11,000) to repair the house, an impossible amount when her work as a market vendor brings in most of her family's only income.

Indi's husband, Roel, has not worked for six years because of severe diabetes, while three of her children are still studying.

A fourth child, a 21-year-old son, earns about 200 pesos (RM15) a day making concrete blocks for houses.

Indi said she had to borrow 15,000 pesos (RM1,100) from a local lender to reopen her stall after Haiyan, with an interest rate of 33% over the term of the six-month loan adding to almost unbearable financial pressure.

"We are begging for help. We need money to rebuild our house," Indi said as she stood at the entrance to their ruined home and cried.

Nevertheless, Indi insisted she and the other residents of Opong were fortunate simply to be alive, and that was reason enough to continue with their religious procession.

"We are thankful ... and it gives us comfort," she said. — AFP

Crackdown hits popular platform WeChat

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

SHANGHAI: Chinese Internet giant Tencent has shut several accounts on its popular instant messaging platform WeChat, users said on Friday, in what appeared to be part of a broader government crackdown on political content.

WeChat, known as weixin or micro-message in Chinese, has more than 300 million users in China and overseas, allowing them to send text, photos, videos and voice messages over mobile devices.

Accounts shut down included one for "Union of Elephants" which specialised in irreverent takes on current affairs, and "Consensus Net" which featured articles on topics such as democracy.

Chinese authorities maintain a huge surveillance network, inclu­ding online, where the so-called Great Firewall of China blocks access to sites deemed sensitive and a vast censorship machine deletes content considered objectionable.

The accounts were suspended on Thursday without prior notice or follow-up explanation from Tencent, he said.

Tencent, owner of WeChat, could not be reached for comment on Friday. But a Tencent official said late Thursday that messages that violated Chinese law faced a crackdown.

"To guarantee user experience ... the release of pornographic, violent, rumour-spreading information, and other types of information which violate laws, regulations and relevant policies are strictly prohibited," Marsh Zhang, a publicity director at Tencent, said in a posting on his personal microblog.

"As soon as they are discovered, we will severely crack down and deal with them."

He made no specific reference to accounts being closed.

Other affected accounts inclu­ded those of Luo Changping, who blew the whistle on a corrupt government official, and a journalist and columnist Xu Danei, who also writes for the Chinese website of Britain's Financial Times newspaper and domestic outlets.

Some pointed out online that the closures came on the final day of the annual session of the National People's Congress, or legis­lature, while others linked them to rumours about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which had 153 Chinese passengers on board.

The crackdown mirrors similar action against another popular form of social media in China, microblogs or weibo, equivalents of Twitter

After the move, Tencent's Hong Kong-listed shares closed down just over 4% on Friday. — AFP

Philippines and MILF to ink deal on March 27

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

MANILA: The Philippines and Muslim rebels are to sign a treaty on March 27 to end one of Asia's longest and deadliest rebellions, a senior aide to President Benigno Aquino said.

The terms of the deal, completed in January after drawn-out talks, would see the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) disband its 12,000-member guerrilla force and share power with Manila in the Muslim south of the mainly Catholic nation.

"After 17 long years of arduous negotiations, we are finally arriving at a political settlement that will seal enduring peace and progress in Mindanao," Teresita Deles, Aquino's chief advi­ser on the peace process, said in a statement.

The decades-old rebellion has claimed 150,000 lives according to official estimates, and condemned large swathes of the south to poverty and violence.

The insurgency also gave rise to smaller groups of Islamist militants, some allied to al-Qaeda.

"The signing ... is expected to benefit not only the Bangsamoro (Filipino Muslims) but the entire country, and will radiate beyond our borders to the regional community, and perhaps the whole world," Deles said.

After the peace deal signing, Aquino is to ask parliament to pass a "basic law" creating a Muslim self-rule area covering 10% of the country's land, with its own police force, parliament and power to levy taxes.

The law will be ratified in a regional referendum, and the region would then elect its own parliament in May 2016, coinciding with the next presidential election to elect Aquino's successor. — AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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Local actress Joey Leong scores horror hat-trick

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 04:10 AM PDT

The teen scream queen returns with a third horror flick, The Second Coming.

Could Joey Leong be the next queen of horror?

At first glance, the sweet and petite girl doesn't look that scary. However, looks can be deceiving. After all, the 20-year-old's debut role in the Singaporean horror film Blood Ties earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2009 Asian Festival of First Films. She then starred in 2012's Twisted Love, and next week, she will be starring in yet another horror movie, The Second Coming.

Leong plays Lucy, who starts to experience hauntings on the cusp of her 14th birthday. This forces her entire family to confront their past, which eventually leads to the unveiling of some strange truths. TVB veterans Maggie Siu and Kenny Wong play Lucy's parents in the movie.

"This story is all about the family, mostly between me and my parents but the key in portraying this role was that I wasn't possessed so I have to always think that it is still me and not someone else," said the HELP University Business undergraduate.

Leong, who was hand-picked by Hong Kong film producer Lee Lieh for the role, spent close to 90 days filming the movie in Hong Kong in late 2012.

"I got the opportunity to work with crew members from Hong Kong and Singapore and I enjoyed it a lot because they work very professionally," said Leong. "Director Herman (Yau) may be the director, but he is also an actor. It was enjoyable working with everyone because they push me to be better and motivated me a lot. Also, the director gave me the space to do what I want and he only guided me a little."

Having been in three different horror films, one would have assumed it's becoming a child's play for Leong, but according to her, this was her most challenging role so far.

"It was hard to keep up with the flow of the movie because the character changed differently for every set," said Leong. "From a cheerful girl in the beginning, I was close to being crazy at the end."

She added that with this film being available in 3D, she had to film a scene a few times; which was also a first for her.

Still based in Malaysia, Leong has been exposed to the stage since she was young, participating in various singing competitions and starting her acting career in local drama series at age 10.

She may have been juggling work and studies ever since she could remember, but Leong still manages to score good grades in school.

"It's hard to balance both at the same time. Apart from good time management, I love what I do a lot, and that's how I could still keep up with both my career and college," said Leong.

The Second Coming opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


A moment with CNN's Richard Quest

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 03:50 AM PDT

On a quest for perfection: The CNN anchor has almost 30 years of broadcast experience and it shows.

IT TOOK only a matter of seconds after I sat down to begin my interview with Richard Quest that the CNN international business correspondent spotted an irregularity.

"You might want to remove whatever it is you have in your breast pocket because that can be seen on camera," the renowned broadcast journalist suggested politely, his eyes fixed on the top of my light blue dress shirt.

Star2 was conducting a video interview with the 51-year-old British journalist and true enough, as I peered over my front pocket, I found a tiny piece of paper.

To say Quest has an eye for detail is an understatement. With nearly 30 years of experience in the business, he has an acute awareness of his surroundings and an unparalleled knowledge and experience as a broadcast journalist, be it in front or behind the camera.

Quest is incredibly hands-on (moments before the interview, he asked if he could be excused to put on make-up, and mind you, on his own) and well-versed in the technical aspects of a broadcast interview (contributing ideas on shots and angles to enhance our video production).

And in fielding questions, Quest's responses were bold and to-the-point but unlike many newsmen, they were also rich in colour and personality. His gestures, too, were passionate and unbridled (at one point, even slamming his fist on the table).

What's even more impressive, he displayed an unequaled level of professionalism, being still bright-eyed and chirpy despite having travelled to some seven to eight countries in the span of just two weeks prior to our interview.

"I think you're born with it. I think it can't be artificial," he said when asked about his passion for journalism during an exclusive interview with Star2 at the Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Quest's foray into broadcast journalism began in 1985 as a news trainee in BBC. The Liverpool-native worked his way up and became the North America business correspondent for the British broadcaster, bringing reports on major stock market and financial crises during his stint there.

In 2001, Quest joined CNN and branched out into news reporting, covering major news events such as the death of Yasser Arafat, the presidential elections in the United States and the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, just to name a few.

Interestingly, Quest's illustrious career in journalism got its start in law. "I had to have a career if it all went horribly wrong. My late father told me to get a decent job. He always said, 'if you're a journalist, you would have the best dinner party stories and the smallest car parked outside.' And he was right," said Quest who read law in the University of Leeds and was called to the Bar.

Today, he is one of CNN's most recognisable faces, for the most part, thanks to his unorthodoxed approach in delivering business news. The Quest Means Business presenter breaks down the day's business news into easy-to-understand, bite-sized portions plus injects a dash of wit and humour in the weekday programme.

But despite his wealth of experience, Quest admits he would rather sit on the sidelines when it comes to doing business on his own. "Let me make it quite clear, I could not sell water in the desert. I'm a hopeless businessman. I can tell you why this company is not doing well or why this economy is not performing well but I can't do it myself," he revealed candidly.

"I have huge respect for those men and women who every day put their money on the line and go into business, but I'm not one of those people."

Quest was in town to film an upcoming episode of Business Traveller, a monthly programme that sees him visiting a different city in each episode, dishing out handy tips for business travellers.

Over the years, the CNN anchor has interviewed some of the world's most prominent figures including the Dalai Lama, the late Margaret Thatcher and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Though grateful for the opportunity, Quest still harbours hope to speak to a few others before retiring.

"I've always wanted to interview Tom Cruise. He has a very varied, interesting life. There are questions I want to ask him. Secondly – John Travolta. He's a pilot, I have a love for aviation and would love to discuss those issues.

"And the final one is Her Majesty The Queen. That is an interview that I will never get. She has never done an interview in all the years she has been on the throne. I don't think she'll invite me over for a cup of tea anytime soon for a chat," he shared.

As CNN's international business correspondent and the host of Business Traveller, Quest has had the opportunity to travel to countless cities in the world. So where does this travel expert prefer to pitch his tent? And where does he head to for a private getaway?

He offered: "I'm most comfortable in my hometown of London and where I live now in New York. I also love being on the beach in Spain where my mum has a little place. I love being down in Sydney in the summer and being in this part of the world (Southeast Asia). Two weeks ago I was in Moscow. I was freezing my bits off but I was having fun, too.

"So where do I like to be best? Where I lay my head at night."

Watch the exclusive video interview on The Star's video channel, SwitchUp.TV.

Catch Richard Quest on Quest Means Business every Tuesday to Saturday at 11am, Business Traveller on the second Thursday of each month at 3.30pm and Best Of Quest on Saturdays at 7pm, all on CNN International (Astro Ch 511).

Michelle Monaghan holds her own in 'True Detective'

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The actress talks about her emotional character in the much-loved TV show.

In one of the most poignant scenes in HBO's True Detective, Michelle Monaghan's Maggie Hart accuses her husband, Martin, played by Woody Harrelson, of being a promiscuous "sulky teenager."

"You put a ceiling on your life, on everything, because you won't change," she says, exasperated.

It's a pivotal scene that marks the first time viewers see just how disillusioned Maggie is with her marriage, and Monaghan shines in it, portraying strength, vulnerability, sadness and hope from one quotable line to the next.

"I was moved by that (scene)," Monaghan recalled during a recent phone interview from her Los Angeles home. "I think all of the people who saw it were too. ... It's confronting for a lot of people because it's really honest and very real. It's how people speak and that's powerful."

Unlike her fictional husband, Monaghan has never put a ceiling on her life. Growing up in Winthrop, Iowa – a town of 850 people, according to 2010 Census Bureau data – she said Hollywood seemed so separate from her life.

But merely 14 years after starting her acting career, Monaghan, 37, has not only shared the screen but held her own with stars such as Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible III), Jake Gyllenhaal (Source Code), Robert Downey Jr (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and her True Detective co-stars Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, who plays Martin's partner, Rustin "Rust" Cohle.

True Detective, follows Louisiana homicide detectives Hart and Cohle and spans 17 years. In 1995, the pair investigate the disturbing murder of a young woman and the crime's possible occult connections. In 2012, the partners are questioned about their casework after a murder similar to the 1995 killing takes place and, in the most recent episode, they reunite to seemingly finish what they started.

The finale of the first season, a planned anthology series, will air this Sunday in Malaysia, hopefully putting to rest speculation as to who is "The Yellow King", the supposed cult leader and possible serial murderer. Whodunit theories surrounding the king's identity have set the Internet abuzz for weeks.

The procedural aspect of True Detective is interesting and complex, but the heart of this show, its sweet, sticky nougat centre, is the characters' rich relationships and their tangled emotional webs.

"What's really happening (in the show) is this incredible dissection of relationships and how they intersect and they converge and they change over time," Monaghan said. "I think that is what is really grabbing people emotionally and at times even making it uncomfortable."

Monaghan hasn't been a TV show regular since her powerful turn as naive, well-meaning teacher Kimberly Woods on Boston Public in 2002. Woods stirred up racial tension at Winslow High School after hosting a discussion about affirmative action and eventually had to transfer when a student became obsessed with her.

It was the quality of True Detective that lured Monaghan back to the small screen, she said.

"It wasn't necessarily about making a conscious decision to come back to TV," she said. "It was really the level of material and the calibre of people involved that decided it for me. Had it been a film, I would have made the same decision."

Monaghan's Maggie Hart is easily the show's most developed female character, and Monaghan plays her with finesse. She deftly balances Maggie's mama-bear fortitude with the tenderness and raw hurt of a wife trying to connect with a husband she fears she's lost. 

Episode Six exposed Maggie as the reason for the rift between Hart and Cohle, and her performance was impressive, revealing a woman at her wits' end, forced to take dramatic measures.

Maggie is one of Hart and Cohle's few "anchors to the world of civilised reality," said series creator Nic Pizzolatto.

"I think Maggie is the most emotionally intelligent person in the story, and I think she is the most honest person in the story," he said. "I feel like Michelle is able to bring this wealth of emotional gravitas that counterpoints the sort of savagery and dishonesty of the men around her."

Monaghan won't stay away from TV too long after True Detective ends as she's signed on to play one of the five leads in Ryan Murphy's new series Open, which was given a pilot order by HBO. Not much has been revealed about the show, which Deadline Hollywood described as a "provocative exploration of human sexuality."

"It's really about relationships and the state of relationships in a modern society, in the age of technology, in terms of monogamy and betrayal and commitment and what commitment means," Monaghan said.

For years, Monaghan has moved easily between studio pictures, indie movies and, now, TV. But there's still one credit she would like to add to her resume: Broadway.

"That's my ultimate dream and my ultimate goal as an actor," she said. "I don't know when or how that will take place, but it will happen." – Chicago Tribune/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

The season finale of True Detective airs this Sunday at 9pm on HBO (Astro Ch 413).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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Local actress Joey Leong scores horror hat-trick

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 04:10 AM PDT

The teen scream queen returns with a third horror flick, The Second Coming.

Could Joey Leong be the next queen of horror?

At first glance, the sweet and petite girl doesn't look that scary. However, looks can be deceiving. After all, the 20-year-old's debut role in the Singaporean horror film Blood Ties earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2009 Asian Festival of First Films. She then starred in 2012's Twisted Love, and next week, she will be starring in yet another horror movie, The Second Coming.

Leong plays Lucy, who starts to experience hauntings on the cusp of her 14th birthday. This forces her entire family to confront their past, which eventually leads to the unveiling of some strange truths. TVB veterans Maggie Siu and Kenny Wong play Lucy's parents in the movie.

"This story is all about the family, mostly between me and my parents but the key in portraying this role was that I wasn't possessed so I have to always think that it is still me and not someone else," said the HELP University Business undergraduate.

Leong, who was hand-picked by Hong Kong film producer Lee Lieh for the role, spent close to 90 days filming the movie in Hong Kong in late 2012.

"I got the opportunity to work with crew members from Hong Kong and Singapore and I enjoyed it a lot because they work very professionally," said Leong. "Director Herman (Yau) may be the director, but he is also an actor. It was enjoyable working with everyone because they push me to be better and motivated me a lot. Also, the director gave me the space to do what I want and he only guided me a little."

Having been in three different horror films, one would have assumed it's becoming a child's play for Leong, but according to her, this was her most challenging role so far.

"It was hard to keep up with the flow of the movie because the character changed differently for every set," said Leong. "From a cheerful girl in the beginning, I was close to being crazy at the end."

She added that with this film being available in 3D, she had to film a scene a few times; which was also a first for her.

Still based in Malaysia, Leong has been exposed to the stage since she was young, participating in various singing competitions and starting her acting career in local drama series at age 10.

She may have been juggling work and studies ever since she could remember, but Leong still manages to score good grades in school.

"It's hard to balance both at the same time. Apart from good time management, I love what I do a lot, and that's how I could still keep up with both my career and college," said Leong.

The Second Coming opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


El Salvador election runner-up appeals to top court for recount

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 07:35 PM PDT

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The runner-up in El Salvador's presidential election said he had requested the Supreme Court on Friday to order a recount of the weekend's tight contest.

Norman Quijano, a former mayor of San Salvador and candidate of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) party, finished fewer than 7,000 votes behind Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the ruling leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front.

Quijano, 67, told reporters he filed a request for an injunction with the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court.

He had already filed a claim with the electoral tribunal to annul the election because of fraud. Political analysts say his challenge is not expected to succeed.

The electoral tribunal has said it could take until early next week to work through Quijano's legal challenge to the election and settle any remaining doubts.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Christine Murray and Mohammad Zargham)

Lebanon to allow citizens to resist Israel -policy statement

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 07:20 PM PDT

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's new government agreed to a compromise policy statement on Friday that fell short of explicitly enshrining the militant group Hezbollah's role in confronting Israel but which would give all citizens the right to resist Israeli occupation or attacks.

The agreement on the compromise language came after weeks of dispute brought the government to the verge of collapse, and now paves the way for Prime Minister Tammam Salam to put his government to a vote of confidence.

Information Minister Ramzi Jreij told reporters that most ministers had agreed on a compromise statement that declares Lebanese citizens have the right to "resist Israeli occupation" and repel any Israeli attack.

The deal was reached a few hours after Israel's army said it fired tank rounds and artillery into southern Lebanon in retaliation for a bomb that targeted its soldiers patrolling the border. No injuries were reported on either side.

The Israel-Lebanon border has been mostly quiet since Israel and Hezbollah fought an inconclusive war in 2006, but Israeli forces still hold at least three pockets of occupied territory which are claimed by Lebanon.

"Based on the state's responsibility to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and the security of its citizens, the government affirms the duty of the state and its efforts to liberate the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills and the Lebanese part of Ghajar through all legitimate means," the government statement said.

It also "affirms the right of Lebanese citizens to resist Israeli occupation and repel aggressions and recover occupied territory".

Agreement on the declaration paves the way for Salam to put his government to a vote of confidence, almost exactly a year after he was first asked to try to put together a cabinet following the resignation of his predecessor, Najib Mikati.

The declaration reflected a compromise between the Hezbollah-led political coalition, which sought to guarantee Shi'ite Hezbollah's right to fight Israel and to justify maintaining its huge weapons arsenal, with Sunni-led political opponents who sought to emphasise the role of the state in carrying arms.

Tensions between Hezbollah and its Sunni opponents inside Lebanon have been sharply heightened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, where Hezbollah fighters have been battling alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces against Sunni rebels who are backed by many Lebanese Sunnis.

Jreij said some ministers expressed reservations because the statement failed to spell out Lebanese state control over the military conflict with Israel and because it refers to "resistance", Hezbollah's label for its military operations.

A functioning Lebanese government would finally be in a position to pursue an offshore oil and gas exploration licence round that was delayed for months by the political deadlock.

Salam has also said he hoped the emergence of the new government will allow Lebanon to hold presidential elections before President Michel Suleiman's mandate expires in May and also hold parliamentary polls that were postponed last year due to the political impasse.

Lebanon, still struggling to recover from its own 1975-1990 civil war, has found its internal divisions worsened by the conflict in Syria, whose sectarian divisions mirror its own.

Sectarian violence has erupted sporadically in the past year, particularly in the north, and car bombings targeting both security and political targets have increased dramatically, with Hezbollah-dominated areas being the most frequent target.

Security sources said on Friday the death toll after two days of fighting in the northern city of Tripoli between Sunni Muslims and minority Alawites - the same sect as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - had risen to five.

(Additional reporting by Nazih Siddiq in Tripoli; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Ken Wills)

As hope withers, Palestinian president heads to Washington

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 05:41 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - With pessimism growing by the day over the future of Middle East peace talks, U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington on Monday to try to break the stalemate.

The deadline for the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, aimed at ending their entrenched conflict, expires next month and Washington is eager to persuade the two sides to prolong their discussions within a new framework.

But expectations of imminent progress are minimal.

After eight months of initial talks, and at least 10 trips to the region, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sounded unusually gloomy during a Congressional hearing on March 12, indicating that little progress had been made so far.

"The level of mistrust is as large as any level of mistrust I've ever seen," said Kerry, a veteran of Middle East diplomacy. "Neither (side) believes the other is really serious. Neither believes that ... the other is prepared to make some of the big choices that have to be made here."

However, he said it was still possible to extend the talks.

Obama's direct involvement is aimed at providing much needed additional impetus: he saw Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, and is now meeting Abbas.

Israelis and Palestinians have been holding on-off negotiations for more than 20 years with the stated aim of sharing the Holy Land and creating an independent Palestine.

Through all that time, the main, unresolved issues have remained exactly the same - defining the borders and agreeing on security, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 creation of Israel.

Obama told Netanyahu he would seek "difficult decisions" from Abbas in coming weeks and would push him behind closed doors as hard as he did the Israeli premier to help narrow the gap for a framework accord, a senior U.S. official said.

Obama will also tell Abbas that "we should not let this current window for peace close" and will make the case for the benefits of peace to the Palestinian people, the official said.

Although the terms of the mooted accord have not been published, Palestinians say early indications suggest they will be offered less than what former U.S. President Bill Clinton laid out in 2000 in the so-called Clinton Parameters.

The president's aides have made clear that Obama wants the framework document to be seen as even-handed, despite the sense among many Palestinians that Washington is favouring Israel.

FRUSTRATION

Besides the so-called core issues, other hurdles to a deal have also emerged, particularly Netanyahu's demand that Abbas recognises Israel as a Jewish state.

Israel says this would show he was serious about ending the conflict, but the Palestinians say it would merely destroy their own narrative. Abbas says accepting it would effectively deny his own people's centuries-old links to the land and would also mean renouncing the right to return for some 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

Washington has endorsed the Israeli position but, perhaps revealing a frustration with Netanyahu, Kerry told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday that it was a "mistake" to raise the issue repeatedly "as the critical decider."

Adamant not to give in on this point, Abbas also faces pressure at home not to agree to any loosely worded accord that would simply prolong negotiations, with no clear end in sight.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is chaired by Abbas, issued a statement this week expressing its "absolute rejection" of any prolongation.

PLO board member Hanan Ashrawi said that without obtaining a freeze on Jewish settlement-building on occupied territories the Palestinians want for their future state, any further discussions would be futile.

"By extending talks even one more year, they will finish the Greater Israel project given the alarming escalation of settlement activity," she said. "If the document is what we have seen (up until now) then it is not even a starting point."

However, one senior Palestinian official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject, said he thought there was a good chance that Abbas would agree to continue talks given the pressure building on him from Western governments.

Speaking to political allies in Ramallah earlier this week, Abbas said he had come under huge duress over the past three years, but vowed not to backtrack over the core points.

"I am 79 years old and am not ready to end my life with treason," he said.

Mindful of pressures Abbas faces, Obama may see to bolster him. "President Abbas has made some difficult decisions over the past few months - declining to go to the United Nations and staying in the talks despite many ups and downs," the U.S. official said.

Should the peace efforts prove fruitless, Palestinians have threatened to shift their statehood battle to United Nations agencies and international courts, a move that the United States and Israel staunchly oppose.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Lisa Shumaker)

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Leo Burnett earmarks core initiatives

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

LEO Burnett Group Malaysia, the top three advertising agency in the country, has earmarked some core initiatives which will further fuel its growth in the competitive advertising industry.

The initiatives involve banking on specific areas like organic growth through cross-selling of existing services, providing new specialised offerings, stepping up its business-to-business communications and opening its avenue for acquisitions.

Its CEO Tan Kien Eng in an interview with StarBizWeek says the focus this year is to continuously raise the creative bar as its services expand beyond existing clients.

The agency is known for creating award-winning campaigns, such as those for Petronas, Samsung, and McDonald's (top four pics). The latest Petronas campaign created by Leo Burnett Malaysia entitled Young Hearts (bottom six pics) was a huge hit in the country when it was launched in January this year with over 300,000 views within two days. The campaign continues to hit 2.5 million views on the Petronas official site alone.

Its list of clients, besides reputable names like Petronas, Samsung and McDonald's, includes Tenaga National, P&G, Maybank and YTL. Apart from this, he adds, Leo Burnett has set up a third agency, Alpha 245, to manage conflicting businesses more effectively as certain business categories or segments are more sensitive than others.

Alpha 245, a boutique agency under the Leo Burnett network, is an independent agency with a separate set of resources and support systems, has grown in terms of staff strength akin to a mid-sized advertising outfit, since its inception about two years ago.

He says it has 45 staff members from 12 initially and plans are ahead to increase the number to service more clients as well as handle conflicting businesses. Its revenue jumped by more than 100% since it was formed and its clients include notable blue-chip brands like Carlsberg brands (Somersby and Kronenbourg 1664), Ikea, Pfizer, YTL, The Sunway Hospitality Group, University Malaysia of Computer Science and Engineering and Royal Brunei Airlines.

Arc Worldwide, a business division within the Leo Burnett group globally, has allowed the group to give new offerings to clients in terms of specialisation and innovation.

"We are taking steps to further fuse the Arc Worldwide brand with Leo Burnett. This is necessary because all the services found within Arc Worldwide such as digital and mobile marketing, shopper marketing, activation, public relations, social media, CRM and design are now part of Leo Burnett's approach to creating powerful narratives for brands through story telling. At the end of the day, we want to help our clients build purposeful brands,'' Tan says.

Creating campaigns or developing brands on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is another initiative the agency is working with its clients.

He says the agency is helping clients to align their CSR initiatives according to their brand purpose. It is no longer enough for a brand to just offer useful, relevant, entertaining product and services. For example, a financial services brand could create a product or cause that take in the form of wealth creation and poverty eradication," he says.

Leo Burnett is also intensifying its work to include business-to-business communications or what is referred to as specialist-to-specialist. Tan says this requires a deep understanding of what appeals to the business decision makers which is slightly different from business-to-consumers.

He says there are plans to acquire a digital agency locally to grow its revenue and capabilities in digital work to complement its existing digital offering. At the moment he says it is "still shopping" around for one and is researching on it.

On the agency's performance this year, Tan adds, revenue has been growing by double digits over the last few years and will continue this year.

"As a business, we need to continue to grow and invests in the growth of our people. This include areas like training specialise skills, especially in the area of digital and creativity. Last year, we spend about RM1.2mil in training alone. In the last three years, Leo Burnett Malaysia has been one of the top three performing offices for the group in the region.

"In terms of size, the Malaysian office is almost the same size as the group's office in India. We have close to 290 people in our Malaysian office compared with an average multinational ad agency in the country which has 50-150 people,'' he adds.

On creativity, Tan says Malaysia tends to lose out on retaining talent, for example, to Singapore and China. This is partly because of the weaker local currency (compared with Singapore) and smaller creative budgets in comparison with China and other countries.

A smaller budget will limit production exploration and the use of new techniques to producing the work and provide new experience for consumers, he points out.

Leo Burnett Group Malaysia won several regional awards last year. It rose over regional rivals to clinch Gold awards for South-East Asia PR Agency of the Year 2013, South-East Asia Planner of the Year, and runner-up for South-East Asia Agency Head of the Year at the Campaign Asia-Pacific's awards held in Singapore last year.

The ad agency also retained its No. 1 position as Malaysia's Digital Agency of the Year at Campaign Asia-Pacific's awards, and claimed the Silver award for Malaysia's Creative Agency of the Year, making Leo Burnett's Kuala Lumpur office the most awarded Malaysian creative agency in South-East Asia.

See family still holds court in Kian Joo

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Bidding war looms over takeover

HAVING a competing bid for their company is the kind the stuff shareholders dream of. In this respect, shareholders of Kian Joo Can Factory Bhd have nothing much to complain about.

After years of being in the doldrums because of an over-hang in its shares due to internal dispute among the major shareholders and a tough operating environment, the company is coming closer to the realisation of its full value, thanks to two prospective offers for its assets and shares.

Following years of boardroom and court room battles, a block of 32.9% in Kian Joo, which belonged to the See family – the founders of the can manufacturer – was sold to Can One Bhd at RM1.65 per share in January 2012 following a liquidation process.

Some members of the See family are still fighting the liquidation process but Can One, the only other notable can manufacturer in the domestic market, effectively swooped in and took control of the industry.

In November last year, Aspire Insight Sdn Bhd, a private company that is a joint venture between Chee Kay Leong and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), made an offer to acquire the assets and liabilities of Kian Joo for a total of RM1.47bil, valuing each share at RM3.30 each. The EPF owns around 10% in Kian Joo and has been a long time shareholder of the company.

Some of the minority shareholders, such as the See family that is said to be collectively holding 15% or more in Kian Joo, were not happy.

Hey, but then, this is the corporate world where very rarely are deals done on a win-win basis.

The offer from Aspire Insight may undervalue the company, but that is how the game is played. The predators – Aspire Insight in this case – are likely to have made their offer at that price because they need to leave "something on the table" for themselves to earn a return after taking over the assets and liabilities of the firm.

Aspire Insight is a formidable force. Chee is a seasoned hand in the can manufacturing business having been in various positions in Can-One since 1977 while EPF had the balance sheet to bankroll the takeover.

After Can-One took over Kian Joo, Chee was made executive director in Kian Joo to take charge of operations.

In fact, he had resigned from all positions in Kian Joo only a day before Aspire Insight made the move for the company.

This in some way turned the offer into a management buyout and allows Can-One to vote in the deliberations if Aspire Insight's offer goes to shareholders.

Everything seemed to be heading towards a done deal for Aspire Insight until last Monday.

The dynamics for Kian Joo changed after Toyota Tsusho Corp (TTC), an entity from Japan with cash of RM12bil as at March 31, 2012, made an offer to buy up the shares at RM3.74 each.

TTC's offer is a cash deal, subject to the company doing a due diligence and it getting 51% acceptance. The offer is clean, which means shareholders who accept the deal take their money and walk away.

But TTC's offer for now is only an expression of interest and yet to be considered a firm offer. That can only happen if Kian Joo allows TTC to conduct a due diligence.

Nevertheless, TTC's offer has given existing shareholders some extension of time to get a better price.

On Thursday, the board of Kian Joo pushed to March 31 the deadline for Aspire Insight and the listed company to sign a definite agreement on the former's offer.

The timing of TTC's offer, which is just three days before Aspire Insight and Kian Joo are due to sign a definitive agreement, seems to suggest that there is a bigger game in play in the can manufacturer.

TTC is a big name and to some extent cancels out the EPF "wow" factor in Aspire Insight. TTC has interest in the can manufacturing business because it has a 30% stake in Indonesia's PT Hokkan Indonesia.

If TTC makes a firm offer by end of the month, Aspire Insight has no choice but to up its offer if it still wants to take over Kian Joo.

But will Aspire Insight go into a bidding war?

That decision will largely lie with the EPF. At RM3.74 per share, the provident fund may not be keen on accepting the offer from TTC. At the same time, it may opt not to go into a bidding war.

The fund has already attached a fair value of RM3.30 for each Kian Joo share in the form of its offer price to buyout Kian Joo. How can it justify making a counter offer at a higher price now, solely because there is a competing offer?

Can-One would not lose out if the TTC offer comes through because it acquired the block in Kian Joo for RM1.65 per share in January 2012. At RM3.74 per share, it stands to make a gain of RM305.41mil, which is not too bad for an investment that it has been holding for just over two years.

If the TTC deal comes through, a big winner would be the minorities of Kian Joo, especially the See family because of the higher price tag attached to the company.

Apart from getting a higher value for their interest in Kian Joo, TTC would probably count on them to run the business operations here because they know it so well. So, it seems the See family still holds court in Kian Joo.

Developed nation in the total sense

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

FORMER Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right. The proponent of Vision 2020 this week said the ultimate goal of Vision 2020 will not be achieved.

He attributed the reason to the fixation with labelling Malaysia a developed nation based on its income levels by 2020.

The idea is that should Malaysia achieve a gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$15,000 (RM49,175) by 2020, it would meet the World Bank's threshold of a high-income economy by that time.

The plan to drive income up to that level is via various economic spurring investments, particularly in clusters called National Key Economic Areas. Aiding that plan are the Strategic Reform Initiatives, and by investing and spending vast amounts of money, incomes too should sprint towards that threshold number by default and design.

It would appear then that the common factor in achieving high-income and developed-nation status is money. But that is where it ends.

Vision 2020 is not all about the money. When Dr Mahathir spelt out Vision 2020 in 1991, he asked aloud just what was a fully developed country?

"Do we want to be like any particular country of the present 19 countries that are generally regarded as 'developed countries'? Do we want to be like the United Kingdom, like Canada, like Holland, like Sweden, like Finland, like Japan? To be sure, each of the 19, out of a world community of more than 160 states, has its strengths.

"But each also has its fair share of weaknesses. Without being a duplicate of any of them, we can still be developed. We should be a developed country in our own mould. "Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all the dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally. We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence," said the-then Prime Minister all those years ago.

Just take a look at countries that have a high GNI per capita and you would see many that have progressed in not just monetary terms.

The question is: Where do we stand as a country when it comes to the non-monetary indicators or benchmarks?

Malaysia surely has been improving on its competitiveness. Red tape has been cut and the ease of doing business has improved. In fact, the wheels that grease the economy is always the focus of authorities, constantly being tweaked and improved to ensure businesses and investments continue to prosper.

There is nothing wrong in that, as one of the main responsibilities of any government is to provide jobs and security. Healthcare is also a plus point in our efforts thus far, given the depth and universality of coverage.

As a matter of fact, in some ways, glimpses of the high-income status are already on display. Some would say that Kuala Lumpur's GNI per capita is well above the US$15,000 average, but for those who reside in the city, does the capital feel like a high-income country?

In terms of social, spiritual, psychological and cultural benchmarks, there is, in fact, a long way to go. High-income countries are essentially places where the general feeling is that things work. Sure there are hiccups, but in general, they function in a far better manner than the average.

Socially, there is much more apathy in society than what most developed countries exhibit. Culture is also not a strong point in Malaysia, as although diversity is there, the promotion and appreciation of culture, and by extension the immersiveness of it in various layers of society, is shallow.

Although literacy is high, people also lament the declining standards of education. Science and technology are not promoted enough and the big problem is that not many students are interested in studying science, even in secondary schools.

It's time efforts are also made towards elevating the soft infrastructure in Malaysia for the country to be classified as a developed country instead of just a high-income nation.

Business editor (features) Jagdev Singh Sidhu feels there should be inclusiveness when it comes to development and progress.

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Local actress Joey Leong scores horror hat-trick

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 04:10 AM PDT

The teen scream queen returns with a third horror flick, The Second Coming.

Could Joey Leong be the next queen of horror?

At first glance, the sweet and petite girl doesn't look that scary. However, looks can be deceiving. After all, the 20-year-old's debut role in the Singaporean horror film Blood Ties earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2009 Asian Festival of First Films. She then starred in 2012's Twisted Love, and next week, she will be starring in yet another horror movie, The Second Coming.

Leong plays Lucy, who starts to experience hauntings on the cusp of her 14th birthday. This forces her entire family to confront their past, which eventually leads to the unveiling of some strange truths. TVB veterans Maggie Siu and Kenny Wong play Lucy's parents in the movie.

"This story is all about the family, mostly between me and my parents but the key in portraying this role was that I wasn't possessed so I have to always think that it is still me and not someone else," said the HELP University Business undergraduate.

Leong, who was hand-picked by Hong Kong film producer Lee Lieh for the role, spent close to 90 days filming the movie in Hong Kong in late 2012.

"I got the opportunity to work with crew members from Hong Kong and Singapore and I enjoyed it a lot because they work very professionally," said Leong. "Director Herman (Yau) may be the director, but he is also an actor. It was enjoyable working with everyone because they push me to be better and motivated me a lot. Also, the director gave me the space to do what I want and he only guided me a little."

Having been in three different horror films, one would have assumed it's becoming a child's play for Leong, but according to her, this was her most challenging role so far.

"It was hard to keep up with the flow of the movie because the character changed differently for every set," said Leong. "From a cheerful girl in the beginning, I was close to being crazy at the end."

She added that with this film being available in 3D, she had to film a scene a few times; which was also a first for her.

Still based in Malaysia, Leong has been exposed to the stage since she was young, participating in various singing competitions and starting her acting career in local drama series at age 10.

She may have been juggling work and studies ever since she could remember, but Leong still manages to score good grades in school.

"It's hard to balance both at the same time. Apart from good time management, I love what I do a lot, and that's how I could still keep up with both my career and college," said Leong.

The Second Coming opens in cinemas nationwide today.

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Keyless condo resident slips while trying to reach balcony

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: A man fell to his death while trying to get to his balcony by scaling the side of his Kota Damansara condominium.

Lee Heng Fatt, 37, is said to have returned to his apartment on the 12th floor at about 2am yesterday to find himself locked out. Instead of calling his roommate, who was home, Lee decided to climb out of the corridor and scale the wall.

He lost his grip and plummeted 10 floors onto the balcony of a second floor apartment at about 2.40am.

It woke up the occupants who immediately alerted the police.

Petaling Jaya OCPD ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said the case was classified as sudden death and that Lee's body was taken to the University Malaya Medical Centre for a post-mortem, adding that he died of severe injuries to the head.

At the hospital, Lee's mother was inconsolable and fainted three times when told of her son's death.

"Please don't leave me! Why was he so stupid? Why did he do this? I blame myself!" she said, beating her chest in sorrow.

In George Town, an ice deliveryman sustained multiple bodily injuries after he fell off the top of a corridor wall at an apartment where he had apparently squatted to smoke a cigarette.

Goh Min Kuen, 30, lost his footing while getting down from the wall outside his sister's seventh floor unit.

He fell two floors down onto the open space on the fifth floor of the apartment in Bandar Baru Air Itam in the 9pm incident on Wednesday.

He is being warded at the Penang Hospital for injuries to his right eye, left wrist and private parts.

George Town acting OCPD Supt Ismail Toh Paduka Idris said Goh had just returned a television set to his sister before he went out to have a smoke.

He said Goh had admitted that he fell by accident.

"His mother, who was walking towards the apartment then, witnessed the entire incident.

"Nobody else was there and we have temporarily ruled out foul play pending investigation," he said.

Supt Ismail said Goh's brother-in-law rushed out from the unit after hearing a loud thud.

"Goh was found sprawled on the open space. Before that, he was seen puffing on the corridor wall," he said.

Stuntman Ju Kun sorely missed by 'Marco Polo' crew

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Best known for his work on staple kung fu flicks like The Forbidden Kingdom and Fearless, Chinese stuntman Ju Kun, had been in Malaysia since February.

Ju, who was on board the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight, has been working as the co-fight choreographer on The Weinstein Company and Netflix joint project, Marco Polo.

The 35-year-old stunt master, who worked as kung fu star Jet Li's stunt double, had planned a quick trip to Beijing to visit his two sons, aged five and one, as well as to collect work materials for his latest project.

"It was an unfortunate circumstance that this happened," said Brett Chan, Marco Polo's stunt co-ordinator and fight choreographer in an email interview.

"But we all whole-heartedly believe he will come back to us. I hope he comes back soon ... I miss my dear friend," he added.

The series is scheduled for shooting at the Pinewood Studios in Johor Baru next month.

A joint statement from The Weinstein Company and Netflix stated: "We are deeply saddened by news of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Ju Kun, who was on board, was an integral part of our production team and a tremendous talent. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."

Marco Polo creator and producer John Fusco said: "Ju Kun is not only a treasure of martial arts talent and knowledge, he is a treasure of a person loved by many. We are all missing him right now and keeping each other strong."

Fusco added that his team will persevere and carry on with the production, in honour of Ju Kun.

"It is a tragic incident beyond our control, but our exceptional martial arts team will continue to work with the same creative energy and ethic that Ju Kun has brought to the group.

"They know it's what he would want at this time. Our stunt team's courage and hearts at this difficult time have brought all of us closer together," he said.

Antics of bomoh at KLIA lead to spoofs over social media

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: As the world closely follows the intensive efforts to locate MH370, a certain "magic carpet" took off on social media, even "landing" in the White House.

A day after reports of bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin's second bid to find the missing aircraft, social media exploded yesterday with various spoofs of him and his team's antics. The group first performed their ritual at KL International Airport in Sepang on Monday.

Some cheeky netizens had fun super-imposing shots of Ibrahim's three assistants sitting on the so-called magic carpet onto published photos of US President Barack Obama.

One showed Obama smiling in front of a TV screen that had an image of the group on the carpet and holding coconuts. Another had Obama looking down at the three men in songkok and suits in his office with the said carpet and coconuts.

The latter came with the words: "Dah sampai Whitehouse???" (Have we reached the White House?)

There were also manipulated images of the bomoh that made it seem as though they were in the sky "in search of" the flight.

Funny take: A combo picture showing how people made fun of bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin online.

Those were some of the pictures posted on various blogs, with most denouncing the bomoh's antics as a joke and embarrassment in this time of distress.

Three Kuala Lumpur Hospital nurses, too, couldn't resist parodying the bomoh's effort. In their spoof, the women recreated the magic carpet scene, clad in their uniform and holding medical equipment.

The photo went viral on Facebook and Twitter, with even Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng retweeting it.

User @t0k_anjang also uploaded the photo on Twitter on Wednesday, and since then it has been favourited 27 times and retweeted 70 times.

Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, when asked if disciplinary action would be taken against the hospital staff, said he "would do the necessary".

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Bomb in southwest Pakistan kills 10

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 02:09 AM PDT

QUETTA, Pakistan: A bomb blast on Friday killed 10 people and wounded 31 others in Pakistan's restive southwestern city of Quetta, officials said.

City police chief Abdul Razzaq Cheema said a vehicle carrying security forces appeared to have been the target of the attack, which occurred outside a college in the centre of the city.

Quetta is the capital of the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which is rife with separatist and Islamist militants and plagued by sectarian bloodshed.

"Ten people were killed and 31 injured. Around eight are in critical condition," Cheema told AFP, adding that eight to 10 kilos of explosives were used in the bomb.

Doctor Rashid Jamal at the government-run civil hospital Quetta confirmed the number of dead and wounded.

The city has been hit by numerous attacks in recent years, including two devastating bombings early last year targeting minority Shiite Muslims that killed nearly 180 people.

Baluchistan, the size of Italy and rich in copper, gold and natural gas, is Pakistan's largest but least populous province.

It is also the least developed, which has exacerbated a long-running ethnic Baluch separatist movement that wants more autonomy and a greater share of its mineral wealth.

The latest armed insurgency rose up in 2004 and separatist groups still regularly attack Pakistani forces.

Rights groups accuse the military and intelligence agencies of kidnapping and killing suspected Baluch rebels before leaving their bodies by the roadside.

Friday's attack was the deadliest attack to hit the province since January 22, when a bomb targeting a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims returning from Iran killed 24 people.

The militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), regarded as the most extreme Sunni terror group in Pakistan and accused of killing hundreds of Shiites since its emergence in the 1990s, claimed responsibility for that attack. -AFP

Mumbai building collapse kills six, injures three

Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:45 AM PDT

MUMBAI: An apartment block collapsed in the Indian financial hub Mumbai on Friday, killing six people and injuring three others in the latest of a series of deadly building cave-ins, authorities said.

Dozens of rescuers scoured the site in search of anyone trapped under the wreckage of the building, located in a densely populated area of the city and surrounded by other structures which were hit with debris.

"There have been six deaths, of which we can confirm two are women. Three persons have also been injured," a municipal official told AFP, asking not to be named.

Rescuers were using heavy equipment to comb through the collapsed building to see if there were other victims, he said.

"We do not yet know the exact number of people who might be trapped," he said.

On official from India's emergency response agency said however that he believed the toll of dead and injured would not increase significantly.

"Information indicates two families were caught in the collapse. So we are hoping the numbers will not rise sharply from here," Commandant Alok Avasthy of the National Disaster Response Force told AFP.

"Two teams from National Disaster Response Force, amounting to 65 personnel, are on the spot and will continue the operation til we are sure everything is clear," he said.

Police initially thought no-one was in the building as it had been cleared of tenants after being declared uninhabitable by municipal authorities who had served a demolition notice.

But in teeming Mumbai, where housing is in huge demand and extremely costly, the demolition order had been challenged by the tenants, local residents told news channel NDTV.

"This tragedy could have been avoided. We need laws that give more powers to the municipal corporation for acting in time against such structures," Mumbai mayor Sunil Prabhu told NDTV.

Last September, a rundown residential block in Mumbai collapsed, killing 60 people. Another building collapse on the outskirts of the city in April last year killed 74.

Some of the tragedies have underlined shoddy construction standards and lax building code enforcement. -AFP

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