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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Sony 2014 movie slate includes comedy, action and 'Spider-Man 2'

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 10:55 PM PDT

Sony Pictures is banking on its eclectic mix of films to thrill audiences and dominate at the box office this year.

Sony Pictures presented a varied slate for 2014 of comedy, drama and action at the CinemaCon convention in the United States on Wednesday, relying on only one tentpole picture, the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise Of Electro, to drive big box office.

The studio's offerings reflected the eclectic approach to moviemaking that has become its hallmark, with comedies dominating the summer including a new 22 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, Sex Tape starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel as a married couple whose homemade porno tape gets uploaded to the cloud and The Interview, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as TV journalists invited to interview North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

That last movie may stir up some political discussion, as the plot involves the CIA soliciting the journalists to assassinate the not-fictional Korean leader.

Seth Rogen (left) and James Franco star in the upcoming film The Interview.

In addition, there was a Screen Gems horror movie in Deliver Us From Evil; an inspirational football tale in When The Game Stands Tall, based on a true story; and an African-American comedy sequel starring Kevin Hart Think Like A Man 2, set in Las Vegas.

But the slate was bare of anything like a tentpole except for the new reboot of Spider-Man which opens in early May.

Still, that franchise and the low cost-high profit comedies could propel the studio to a better summer than its lackluster 2013.

Sony's worldwide distribution president Rory Bruer called the slate one of the strongest in years, saying, "We're as proud of this slate this year as ever." The studio's hope for a holiday hit lies largely in a reboot of the beloved musical Annie, starring Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild) in the title role, with Jamie Foxx as Daddy Warbucks. Diaz, a studio favourite, plays the evil Miss Hannigan.

And the studio may hope for an awards season run with Fury, an intense World War II drama written and directed by David Ayer (End Of Watch). The movie stars Brad Pitt as a tank commander leading a group of soldiers including Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman in the final days of the war.

For adults there is The Equalizer a revenge thriller that finds Denzel Washington doing unspeakable things to Russian mobsters with a corkscrew and shot glass. Neither is for the faint of heart.

The studio has in the past year undergone severe staff reductions and an overhaul of its marketing and communications division, along with hiring a new production co-president in Mike DeLuca. – Reuters

'Grandmaster' sweeps Asian Film Awards, crew mourn lost stuntman

Posted: 27 Mar 2014 08:22 PM PDT

Martial arts fantasy The Grandmaster dominated the Asian Film Awards on Thursday March 28 with seven wins including best movie, as its emotional director mourned the film's stuntman who was on lost flight MH370.

The Grandmaster, inspired by the life of Yip Man - the mentor of legendary kung fu star Bruce Lee - scooped awards in most major categories, including best director for Wong Kar-wai and best actress for Zhang Ziyi.

Despite the big wins, a sombre mood hung over the film crew, with Wong using his acceptance speech to ask Malaysia for greater transparency in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

"One of our martial arts directors unfortunately is one of the victims of MH370, so here I hope the Malaysian government can try their best to address this issue by taking a more transparent attitude... and to let us know the truth," Wong said.

Malaysia has come under scathing criticism for its handling of the search, with relatives of the mostly Chinese passengers on board accusing the government and airline of a cover-up and a botched response. Ju Kun, 35, was reportedly on his way to Beijing to visit his family.

"Today I am very emotional about (our) crew member and friend. We'll have to say goodbye to him forever," said Zhang.

The Grandmaster, a stylised martial arts epic which was in production for more than six years, spans several decades of Chinese history and features lengthy battles between rival kung fu masters. Wang said making the film was an "adventure".

"It started as a dream, later it became an obsession and finally reality," he said.

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, who plays the eponymous "Grandmaster" lost the best actor award to India's Irrfan Khan, who played a lead role in The Lunchbox.

"I am grateful for the moment which give inspiration (to) my director and writer to write this script and to write this story," said Khan.

India's The Lunchbox was the only other film to win multiple prizes at the star-studded event at Macau's City of Dreams casino resort, winning awards for best actor and screenwriter. The Lunchbox serves up a bittersweet romance between two strangers in Mumbai brought together by mistaken lunch deliveries.

The Asian Film Awards, organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, have been held annually since 2007, aimed at showcasing the region's movie talent. Twenty-six films from 13 countries and regions vied for 14 prizes this year.

Here's a list of some of the other top winners:

Best Newcomer: Jiang Shuying (So Young - China)

Best Supporting Actor: Huang Bo (No Man's Land - China)

Best Supporting Actress: Yeo Yann Yann (Ilo Ilo - Singapore)

Best Screenwriter: Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox - India)

Best Cinematographer: Philippe Le Sourd (The Grandmaster - Hong Kong)

Best Production Designer: William Chang Suk-ping, Alfred Yau Wai-ming (The Grandmaster)

Best Composer: Umebayashi Shigeru, Nathaniel Mechaly (The Grandmaster)

Best Editor: Shin Min-kyung (Cold Eyes - South Korea)

Best Visual Effects: Jang Sung-Jin (Mr Go - Japan)

Best Costume Designer: William Chang Suk-ping (The Grandmaster)

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The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Philippine ship dodges China blockade to reach South China Sea outpost
Australia taps former defence chief to coordinate MH370 search support
Number of missing in U.S. mudslide drops to 30 as death toll rises

Philippine ship dodges China blockade to reach South China Sea outpost

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:15 PM PDT

SECOND THOMAS SHOAL, South China Sea (Reuters) - The Philippine government vessel made a dash for shallow waters around the disputed reef in the South China Sea, evading two Chinese coastguard ships trying to block its path to deliver food, water and fresh troops to a military outpost on the shoal.

The cat-and-mouse encounter on Saturday, witnessed by Reuters and other media invited onboard the Philippine ship, was a rare glimpse into the tensions playing out routinely in waters that are one of the region's biggest flashpoints.

It's also a reminder of how assertive China has become in pressing its claims to disputed territory far from its mainland.

"If we didn't change direction, if we didn't change course, then we would have collided with them," Ferdinand Gato, captain of the Philippine vessel, a civilian craft, told Reuters after his boat had anchored on the Second Thomas Shoal under a hot sun.

The outpost is a huge, rusting World War Two transport vessel that the Philippine navy intentionally ran aground in 1999 to mark its claim to the reef.

There, around eight Filipino soldiers live for three months at a time in harsh conditions on a reef that Manila says is within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China, which claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, says the shoal is part of its territory.

Things were going smoothly for the Philippine ship until it was spotted by a Chinese coastguard ship about an hour away from the Second Thomas Shoal. The Chinese boat picked up speed to come near the left of the white Philippine ship, honking its horn at least three times.

The Chinese ship slowed down after a few minutes, but then a bigger coastguard vessel emerged, moving fast to cut the path of the Philippine boat.

The Chinese sent a radio message to the Filipinos, saying they were entering Chinese territory.

"We order you to stop immediately, stop all illegal activities and leave," said the radio message, delivered in English. Gato replied that his mission was to deliver provisions to Philippine troops stationed in the area.

Philippine troops wearing civilian clothes and journalists then flashed "V" for the peace sign at the Chinese.

WATCHED FROM THE SKY

Instead of stopping or reversing, the Philippine vessel picked up speed and eventually manoeuvred away from the Chinese, entering waters that were too shallow for the bigger coastguard ships.

A U.S. navy plane, a Philippine military aircraft and a Chinese plane - all visible from their markings - flew above the ships at different intervals.

Filipino troops on the civilian vessel clapped as they came within a few metres of the marooned transport ship, the BRP Sierra Madre. Supplies of food and water were then hauled up to troops onboard.

Later, the eight soldiers due to be relieved put on military fatigues for a daily ceremony to lower the Philippine flag at dusk.

They had been scheduled to go home three weeks ago but Chinese ships blocked two Philippine supply vessels from reaching them on March 9, a move protested by Manila and which the United States described as "provocative". The Philippines resorted to air dropping food and water instead.

"What we want to accomplish is for this area to remain ours. This is the one thing that we are guarding here," said sergeant Jerry Fuentes, a Philippine marine set to deploy on the BRP Sierra Madre.

China's Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday that the action by the Philippines would not change the reality of China's sovereignty over the shoal, which Beijing calls Ren'ai reef.

"China will never tolerate the Philippines' occupation of the Ren'ai reef in any form," it said.

China displays its claims to the South China Sea on official maps with a so-called nine-dash line that stretches deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.

The ships of its recently unified coastguard are a fixture around the disputed waters. While they don't have the weaponry of military vessels, thus reducing the risk a confrontation could get out of control, they still represent a potent show of sovereignty.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to parts of the potentially energy-rich waters.

Raising the stakes over the South China Sea, the Philippines will file a case against China later on Sunday at an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, subjecting Beijing to international legal scrutiny over the waters for the first time.

Manila is seeking a ruling to confirm its right to exploit the waters in its EEZ as allowed under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), its team of U.S. and British lawyers have said. China has refused to participate in the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Dean Yates)

Australia taps former defence chief to coordinate MH370 search support

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 08:05 PM PDT

PERTH (Reuters) - Australia has appointed a former chief of its defence forces to coordinate the country's support for the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday.

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston will lead a new Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) based in Perth, from where the search for the missing plane was being carried out in the Indian Ocean.

The Australian government is coordinating the search for MH370, which has involved 60 aircraft and ships, and cooperation between more than two dozen countries.

The new JACC, headed by Houston, will aim to maintain clear lines of communication between all international partners as well as with the families of passengers, many of whom are expected to travel to Perth.

Malaysia holds overall responsibility for the search for MH370, which vanished from civilian radar screens on March 8, less than one hour into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

"The JACC will provide a single contact point for families to gain up-to-date information and travel assistance including visa services, accommodation advice, interpreter services and counselling," Abbott said in a statement.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said 10 aircraft from China, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the United States and Malaysia were searching on Sunday. Eight ships are also involved.

(Reporting by Morag MacKinnon; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Number of missing in U.S. mudslide drops to 30 as death toll rises

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 07:55 PM PDT

DARRINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - The number of people missing from a landslide that sent a wall of mud cascading over dozens of homes in Washington state dropped to 30 from 90 on Saturday, but the death toll continues to climb as another body was found in the muddy heap of debris.

One week after the catastrophe, the unofficial body count rose to 28. The official tally of those killed is now 18 based on bodies found, extricated and identified by medical examiners.

But with the grim news also came word that the number of missing fell dramatically as officials were able to account for dozens of people as "safe and well."

Rescue and recovery workers pushed through wind and rain on Saturday continuing to comb through debris left after the rain-soaked hillside gave way without warning and destroyed dozens of homes on the outskirts of the rural Washington town of Oso, northeast of Seattle.

"The number is so big and it's so negative. It's hard to grasp," said volunteer Bob Michajla, 66, who has been helping to search part of the debris field that covers a square-mile (2.6 square-km). "These are all friends and neighbours and family. Everybody knows everybody in this valley."

The process of identifying victims has been complicated by the fact that some bodies have not been found intact.

FEARING THE WORST

An estimated 180 people lived in the path of the landslide.

As families and friends wait for news of those still unaccounted for, many have turned to social media sites to mourn and share memories of those presumed lost. A memorial page includes pleas for information on many of the missing, as well as prayers, condolences and offers of help.

"I find it difficult to do anything other than try to get updates to see if any new survivors have been found," said 50-year-old Brenda Roberson of nearby Arlington.

The plight of the Spillers family has gotten much attention. Postings on memorial web pages say Billy Spillers, 30, was at home with his four children when the hillside came down on their home.

Four-year-old Jacob Spillers was pulled out alive but his sister Kaylee, 5, was found dead. Billy and his two other children are still unaccounted for. The mother was not at home and survived.

Linda McPherson, 69, a librarian, died as her husband was able to dig himself out, according to the Snohomish County Landslide Victims Memorial Page on Facebook, while a 4-month-old girl and her grandmother were among those who perished.

NO SIGNS OF LIFE

No one has been pulled alive from the rubble since the day the landslide hit, when at least eight people were injured but survived. Rescuers have found no signs of life since then.

Lifelong Darrington resident Nolan Meece, 19, a recent high school graduate and frequent presence at community meetings about the slide, said he was among the first on the pile, arriving within an hour of the disaster.

"I was out there with my hands digging through all that mud," he said, adding that when he first arrived he heard survivors calling out but that those on the scene could not save them. "The ones I seen did not survive," he said.

The recovery operation has shown no signs of letting up, and heavy equipment operators were working to complete a rudimentary service road for emergency workers connecting the two sides of Highway 530, which was washed out by the slide.

Ron Brown, a Snohomish County official involved in search-and-rescue operations, said the debris field may end up being the final resting place for some victims, who may be buried so thoroughly they cannot be found.

"That's going to be hallowed ground out there," he said.

John Farmer, 52, who lives east of the slide site, suggested at a community meeting on Friday that the site should never be rebuilt but turned into a park or other place of remembrance.

"A place where we can remember our loved ones, our neighbours, our families, our friends," Farmer said.

(Additional reporting by Bryan Cohen in Arlington, Washington; Carey Gillam in Kansas City; and Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Carey Gillam and Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, James Dalgleish and Gunna Dickson)

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The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

Candy Crush brings IPO market back to earth

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 05:51 AM PDT

NEW YORK: In the weeks leading up to the IPO of King Digital Entertainment, the company's bankers scrambled to persuade investors that the maker of popular online game "Candy Crush Saga" was more than a one-trick pony, according to a source familiar with the situation.

As the debut approached this week, the bankers' job only got harder. On Tuesday, Facebook Inc said it would pay $2 billion for Oculus VR, a two-year-old virtual reality startup that has yet to put a product on the market. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described the deal as the social media giant's desire to bet on "the platforms of tomorrow."

But for some investors, the deal brought back memories of the Internet boom and bust in 1998-2001, where profitability and other financial fundamentals of companies took the back seat to a raging fad about anything with a dotcom identity, according to the source.

Bankers underwriting King Digital's offering had to call in favors with investors who had received large allocations in previous successful IPOs, the source said. As a result, King Digital priced the offering at the mid-point of its range of $21 to $24. But its shares tanked in Wednesday's debut, falling 16 percent and fell further on Thursday and Friday. King Digital could not be reached immediately for comment.

Wall Street bankers are now looking at the disappointing opening as a sign that investors are getting more cautious about the IPO market, especially when it comes to technology and biotechnology stocks. Although bankers said companies waiting in the wings so far seemed to want to forge ahead with their IPO plans, the realization is likely to moderate expectations on the size of offerings and valuations.

"You realize that people are going to be a little bit more cautious. You realize that the valuation needs to be reflective of that cautiousness," said Sam Kendall, global head of equity capital markets at UBS AG.

That would mark a sharp turning point for the IPO market, in which investors have been fed a steady diet of new public offerings this year from companies yet to turn a profit. More than 50 IPOs have priced in 2014, and two-thirds of those are unprofitable, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO investment advisor.

Still, companies that have gone public this year have seen their shares rise 33 percent on average from their offer prices, according to Dealogic.

NEXT TEST

"The market has gotten ahead of itself, and you're seeing a pause in speculation, especially for biotech and some of these new tech names," said Eric Green, senior portfolio manager and director of research at Penn Capital Management in Philadelphia, which oversees $7.5 billion.

"Other issues, like Ukraine or whatever, end up being an excuse to take money off the table, but the fundamentals behind these companies haven't changed, just the valuations over them. Those are coming back to earth," he added.

The next test for the market could come as early as next week, when a series of technology companies are due to list, including online food delivery service Grubhub.com, healthcare IT company IMS health, and software maker Five9.

Bankers said the investor caution is more of a correction rather than a sign that the market was shutting down for new offerings.

While investor worries about frothy valuations is giving pause to some companies in the technology and biotech sectors, companies in other industries are still forging ahead, betting that there will be enough demand for their stock.

In financial services, for example, the U.S. Treasury announced plans to sell nearly 23 percent of Ally Financial Inc through an initial public offering to raise as much as $2.66 billion.

One source familiar with the situation said by buying Ally investors would pay for "a value story," unlike "the growth story" sold in technology and biotech IPOs.

Still, both the Treasury and Ally would have liked to be able to sell the entire government stake in the bank in one go, sources have previously said. The Treasury will still be left with a stake in the bailed-out bank after the IPO.

A spokesman for the U.S. Treasury and a spokeswoman for Ally declined to comment.

Separately, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday that aircraft lessor Avolon was preparing for an IPO this year as it looked to take advantage of a recent boom in aircraft finance, driven by an expectation that air travel will continue to grow.

Even in the technology sector, bankers said companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the Chinese e-commerce company, are likely to find sufficient demand when they come to market.

Alibaba is expected to file for a listing in the United States as early as April with IPO proceeds that could exceed $15 billion.

"All kinds of industries have been represented in IPOs, but it's the splashy Internet ones that have been in the news," said John Carey, portfolio manager at Pioneer Investment Management in Boston, which has about $220 billion in assets under management.

"People are exercising caution, and I'd be more concerned if they were willing to pay anything at all," Carey added. "If demand was robust for anything that came down the pike, that would trouble me." - Reuters

Russia's Lukoil begins output from giant Iraq oilfield

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 05:47 AM PDT

BASRA, Iraq: Russia's Lukoil began commercial production from one of the world's largest untapped oilfields in Iraq on Saturday, as the country raises output to record levels.

Production from the giant West Qurna-2 is eventually expected to reach 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd), from an initial 120,000 bpd.

The field is one of several that form the backbone of Iraq's plans to revive its oil sector and lift the economy after decades of sanctions and war.

At a ceremony to inaugurate the field, Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi said output from West Qurna-2 would enable Iraq to reach a production target of 4 million bpd by the end of the year.

Output from Iraq, already the second-largest producer in OPEC, averaged 3.5 million bpd in February.

The launch of West Qurna-2, with recoverable reserves estimated at around 14 billion barrels, will allow Lukoil, which holds a 75-percent stake in the field, to more than double its overseas output.

"The start of production at West Qurna-2 is strategically important for LUKOIL," said CEO Vagit Alekperov in a statement.

Russia's no 2 oil producer saw its production rise 1.1 percent last year and is aiming for a 1.5 percent rise this year with the boost from West Qurna-2.

The world's leading oil companies have been expanding other giant fields in Iraq's south - Rumaila led by BP, West Qurna-1 run by Exxon and Zubair operated by Eni - since 2010 when they signed a series of service contracts with Baghdad.

That revival, now into its fifth year, prompted Iraq to set an export target of 3.4 million bpd for 2014, including 400,000 bpd from the Kurdistan region, implying output of 4 million bpd, including oil used domestically.

Oil experts still see that as optimistic, but growth is returning thanks to the expanded capacity at southern export terminals and further rises from the fields of Majnoon, led by Shell and Halfaya, where PetroChina is the operator.

Kurdistan has also agreed to contribute 100,000 bpd as of April 1 in a move to resolve a dispute with the Baghdad government over exports of oil from the autonomous region. - Reuters

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Sony 2014 movie slate includes comedy, action and 'Spider-Man 2'

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 10:55 PM PDT

Sony Pictures is banking on its eclectic mix of films to thrill audiences and dominate at the box office this year.

That last movie may stir up some political discussion, as the plot involves the CIA soliciting the journalists to assassinate the not-fictional Korean leader.

Seth Rogen (left) and James Franco star in the upcoming film The Interview.

But the slate was bare of anything like a tentpole except for the new reboot of Spider-Man which opens in early May.

Still, that franchise and the low cost-high profit comedies could propel the studio to a better summer than its lackluster 2013.

For adults there is The Equalizer a revenge thriller that finds Denzel Washington doing unspeakable things to Russian mobsters with a corkscrew and shot glass. Neither is for the faint of heart.

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The Star Online: Nation

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Race driver all revved up to go the extra mile
Two-year-old and dad pay final respects to accident victims
M'sian likely among four trapped in Kabul guesthouse attack

Race driver all revved up to go the extra mile

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

SEPANG: Asia's top female race driver Natasha Seatter may model part-time but she is not just a pretty face in the Malaysian Super Series (MSS).

Denied glory by mechanical problems in the final two rounds last year, Seatter is kicking off her second season with renewed conviction – and an upgraded Radical SR8 car.

"I'm really looking forward to kicking off my campaign this weekend and am very proud to be racing at the F1 weekend in Sepang, which is my home race.

"Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is my home circuit and I thank SIC for all the support they have given me over the years. They continue to support my development in becoming the most successful Asian female race driver," said the 21-year-old, who was born in Miri, in a statement here yesterday.

In preparation for the new season, Seatter said the team had installed new gears to the Radical machine as well as a host of other mechanical adjustments to increase its reliability.

"I hope to win a few rounds at the MSS this year," she said.

The 13th edition of the MSS opened yesterday at the 2014 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang as one of the support races.

Seatter finished in third place during the qualifying session yesterday, behind Phil Callow, who took pole position, and Adrian D. Silva in second place.

Leading the championship after three rounds in her debut season last year, Seatter failed to score a single point in the remaining two rounds, reducing her to a second place in overall finish behind Hong Kong's Angus Kirkwood in the GT Open Championship.

Kirkwood will not be racing this year which raises hopes for a good show for Seatter.

Seatter, one of the only two ladies racing in the MSS this year, hopes to use the series to gain more mileage for her GT season in Korea and her ultimate goal of becoming the first woman to compete in the Australian V8 Supercar Series in 2016/17.

The opening round of MSS will feature two sprint races, offering a maximum 50 points to be won over the weekend.

The opening race is today while Race 2 will be held tomorrow morning.

Two-year-old and dad pay final respects to accident victims

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

ALOR SETAR: It was a heart-wrenching moment when two-year-old Heng Sin Le, who was too young to understand what had happened, kneeled down and, with the help of family members, offered prayers to her mother and two siblings, who were killed in an accident.

Sin Le's mother Teoh Yee Wei, 36, brother Dy Hong, five, and sister Sin Ye, one, died on the spot when the MPV driven by her father Heng Cheng Hang, 37, rammed into the rear of a lorry on the North-South Expressway at 6.30am on Monday.

Heng and Sin Le survived the accident with light injuries, while the family's Filipino maid Bacuyad Shanda fractured a hand.

They were travelling back to Kuala Lumpur after visiting Heng's father.

Sin Ye was flung out of the car and died due to severe head injuries while Dy Hong, who was seated in the baby seat, died due to the impact.

Teoh, who was holding on to Sin Ye, at the back seat, also died on the spot.

The funeral for Teoh and her two children yesterday morning was held at Heng's father's house in Taman Simpang Perdana in Simpang Empat, near here.

Teoh's coffin was placed in the middle, flanked by the coffins of the children.

The distraught Heng burst into tears during the funeral rites and had to be consoled by family members.

More than 100 people attended the funeral, offering flowers and prayers.

As the coffins were carried and being put in the hearse, Heng, his parents and Teoh's mother wailed uncontrollably.

A group of journalists covering the funeral could not hold back their tears.

Teoh, Dy Hong and Sin Ye were cremated at the Prestavest Memorial Park in Pokok Sena, Alor Setar.

Heng's mother Chin Yang Hua, 69, said she was heartbroken, adding that the incident was "mia li" (fated).

During the wake on Monday, Heng said the family had just celebrated Sin Ye's birthday on March 6 and that he never missed celebrating his children's birthday every year.

M'sian likely among four trapped in Kabul guesthouse attack

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

KABUL: Taliban militants laid siege to a guesthouse used by foreigners here, with at least four trapped inside, after a suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives in front of the building.

An earlier report quoting Kabul police chief Mohammad Zahir said there was a Malaysian among those trapped.

"A suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives in front of a guesthouse and now a number of suicide bombers are apparently inside," said Hashmat Stanikzai, a spokesman for Kabul's police chief yesterday.

"A gunfight is under way. There are no reports of possible casualties," he said, adding that Afghan forces were trying to enter the building to rescue those trapped inside.

United States-based aid group Roots for Peace said it was its guesthouse under attack in Kabul, and there were still four people trapped inside, according to its country manager Hajji Mohammad Sharif Osmani.

This is the latest violence to rock the Afghan capital just over a week before its presidential election. — Agencies

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

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Voicing fears over BJP return

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

NEW DELHI: Dwijendra Narayan Jha, a mild-mannered historian, calmly recounts the death threats he received the last time India's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party was in government.

"The voice on the other end said: 'We will kill you if you publish this book'," the 74-year-old said of one of the anonymous calls designed to halt the publication of Holy Cow: Beef in Indian Dietary Traditions.

A former professor at the University of Delhi with a dozen books to his credit, Jha had stoked the fury of religious activists in 2001 by arguing there was historical evidence to show Hindus ate beef in ancient times. After activists attacked his home, he needed a police escort for the next three years.

He also found himself fighting off attempts to arrest him led by a former BJP lawmaker for suggesting that Hindus once ate the meat of an animal they regard as sacred.

And despite India's reputation as a liberal and secular democracy, Jha's book was temporarily banned after a religious group filed a lawsuit in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

So with polls showing the BJP likely to return to government in May after 10 years in opposition, fears are growing in some circles that it will herald a new era of cultural intolerance – especially if its hardline leader Narendra Modi becomes prime minister.

"If BJP comes to power, particularly Modi, it is possible scholars would be harassed and laws could be used against them," Jha said at his east Delhi apartment.

The world's largest democracy, India has a vibrant press and a proudly independent-minded intelligentsia which fiercely protects free speech. One publisher said there were already signs of self-censorship among authors writing about Modi.

"The earlier critiques of Modi have been all watered down," said Urvashi Butalia of the Delhi-based feminist publishing house Zubaan Books. "If a BJP government comes to power, restrictions on freedom of expression will be there."

India has a strict censorship policy and tough laws against inciting communal violence which date back to before independence but are still readily applied by governments of all hue. Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, said that such laws were inappropriate for a modern-day democracy and often abused.

"The colonial government had an interest in suppression of free speech," Nundy said. "But in independent India there is no recognition of the fact as to why these laws were formed?"

There was widespread dismay among authors in February when the Indian wing of Penguin decided to pulp a book about Hinduism by US scholar Wendy Doniger rather than fight a case brought by a fringe religious group. Nilanjana Roy, a Delhi-based author and literary critic, said BJP and Congress governments had failed to defend free speech over the years.

During India's emergency rule from 1975-77, when Congress leader Indira Gandhi was prime minister, the constitution was suspended, politicians were jailed and the press was muzzled.

"In the last 10 years we have had weak Internet laws and more writers have found themselves under attack," Roy said of the current centre-left Congress government. "But the rightwing makes silencing writers more visible," she added.

After challenging India's right to rule over disputed Kashmir in 2010, the Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy faced threat of arrest for sedition while her home was besieged by BJP supporters.

"They broke through the gate and ... threatened to teach me a lesson," she said in an email at the time.

The last BJP government became notorious in academic circles for modifying history textbooks based on writings by rightwing historians.

But J.S. Rajput, one of the architects of the changes, said revisions were prompted by new academic findings. He denied any political agenda.

"The changes ... were made based on what had changed in 35 years when the books were published," Rajput, a former director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, said.

Foreign authors also found themselves embroiled in censorship rows when the BJP was last in power nationally from 1998-2004, accused by self-styled custodians of the Hindu identity of distorting historical facts.

Paul Courtright's Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings, and his fellow American James Laine's biography of the Hindu emperor Shivaji were both recalled by their Indian publishers.

Jha's book did eventually hit the shelves, albeit only in foreign bookshops at first after a deal with London-based publisher Verso. An Indian publisher finally took it on in 2009 after Jha won a five-year legal battle. — AFP

Letter demands that Beijing mounts own inquiry in MH370 case

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

BEIJING: Relatives of the Chinese passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have demanded China mount its own inquiry into the disappearance, a letter shows.

The document, sent to Beijing's special envoy in Kuala Lumpur, denounced Malaysia's handling of the search and asked the Chinese government to set up its own "investigation office".

News of the letter comes as a committee set up by relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers has begun discussions with lawyers about a potential lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines, a move that the family members have hotly debated among themselves.

"We question Malaysia's motivations in misleading and delaying so as to miss the best moment to find MH370," the relatives wrote in the letter to special envoy Zhang Yesui on Thursday, blasting Kuala Lumpur's behaviour as "irresponsible" and "inhumane".

"We earnestly request that China establish an investigation office into MH370," the letter states, also urging "an effective communication system between the relatives and the government".

Beijing has urged Kuala Lumpur to include Chinese experts in its own investigation, but has not so far spoken of setting up its own inquiry.

Asked about the request, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters yesterday: "We have repeatedly pointed out that under the current circumstances what is pressing now is the search."

There were 153 Chinese citizens on board the flight and the letter came days after frustrated family members staged a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Beijing.

Relatives have also clashed with senior Malaysian officials in briefings in Beijing, with some openly insulting them and accusing Malaysia of hiding the truth.

The family members' requests to the Malaysian Government listed in the letter include an official apology, along with return airfares to Malaysia and the provision of food and accommodation until the resolution of the search. — AFP

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