Ahad, 27 April 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Philippines US sign defence pact

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:52 PM PDT

MANILA, April 28, 2014 (AFP) - The Philippines and the United States signed an agreement Monday to allow a bigger US military presence on Filipino territory, hours ahead of a visit to Manila by US President Barack Obama.

Philippine Defence Minister Voltaire Gazmin and US ambassador Philip Goldberg signed the 10-year pact, which is seen as another element Neverthelessof Obama's effort to focus US military and economic attention more heavily on Asia.

Obama said the deal would see more US troops rotate through the Philippines for joint military training exercises, but emphasised there would be no return of permanent American bases.

"Greater cooperation between American and Filipino forces would enhance our ability to train, exercise, and operate with each other and respond even faster to a range of challenges," Obama said in a written response to questions by local television network ABS-CBN ahead of his visit.

The deal announced on Monday is only a framework agreement, with the details - such as how many US troops will rotate through the Philippines and when - to be negotiated and announced later.

Obama was due to arrive in the Philippines from Malaysia on Monday afternoon for a two-day visit, the final leg of an Asian trip that also took him to Japan and South Korea.

The United States and the Philippines are already long-time allies bound by a mutual defence pact, and engage in regular war games that see thousands of US troops and state-of-the-art American military hardware brought to the Philippines.

The Philippines had been eager for an agreement to expand the arrangement to boost its weak military capabilities and emphasise its close ties to the United States, at a time of deep tensions with China over competing claims to parts of the South China Sea.

China claims most of the South China Sea, even waters close to the Philippines and other countries in the region.

Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan, also have overlapping claims to the sea.

Obama reassures Philippines

As tensions over the South China Sea have heated up, the United States has sought to strike a balanced strategy by seeking to reassure its allies in Asia while emphasising to China it takes no sides on the dispute.

In his comments to ABS-CBN, Obama again emphasised the United States remained deeply committed to supporting the Philippines, a former US colony, referring to the two nations' 1951 mutual defence treaty.

"We've pledged ourselves to our common defence for more than six decades. Our treaty obligations are iron-clad," Obama said.

"The United States stands by its allies, in good times and in bad. In fact, one of the main purposes of my visit will be to reaffirm our treaty commitments to the Philippines and to make it clear that just as we've relied on each other in the past, we can count on each other today."

Nevertheless, the mutual defence pact does not specifically state that the United States must come to the Philippines' defence over remote islets and reefs in the South China Sea.

Obama made no mention of the hotspots when referring to the mutual defence pact, but did again call on China to not use intimidatory tactics to assert its claims.

"I've been clear and consistent in stressing that the United States and China need to support efforts among claimants to peacefully manage and resolve maritime and territorial issue through dialogue, not intimidation, including in the South China Sea," the US leader said.

Obama said the deal would give US forces "greater access to Filipino facilities, airfields and ports, which would remain under the control of the Philippines".

"US forces would not be based in the Philippines. Instead, they would rotate through for joint training and exercises, as some US forces already do."

Filipino officials have previously said the deal would also allow the United States to store equipment that could be used to mobilise American forces faster - particularly in cases of natural disasters.

The Philippines hosted two of the largest overseas US military bases until 1992, when the Filipino Senate voted to end their lease amid growing anti-US sentiment.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has led a warm re-embrace of the United States in recent years, insisting that greater US military support is needed to fend off China's actions. - AFP

Eight new MERS deaths take Saudi toll to 102

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 05:32 PM PDT

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2014 (AFP) - The Saudi health ministry announced eight new deaths from the MERS virus on Sunday taking the kingdom's death toll from the disease to 102.

A full 39 of the deaths have been this month, sparking growing public concern about the virus that first emerged in April 2012.

Among the latest deaths was a nine-month-old infant, the ministry said.

The number of recorded infections in the kingdom has risen to 339, it added.

Among them were four medical staff at a single hospital in Tabuk in the northwest, two doctors - one Egyptian and one Syrian - and two Philippine nurses.

Panic over the spread of the virus among medical staff in the western city of Jeddah led to the temporary closure of a main hospital's emergency room.

At least four doctors at Jeddah's King Fahd Hospital resigned earlier this month after refusing to treat MERS patients for fear of infection.

Iras goes after GST cheats

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The tax authorities are stepping up checks on businesses to nab and deter Goods and Services Tax (GST) cheats.

GST is now the No. 2 revenue-earner for the government after corporate income tax, and netted S$9bil (RM23.4bil) in the financial year ending March 31 last year, up from S$2.2bil (RM5.7bil) 10 years earlier.

Through regular audits alone, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) has recovered an average of S$110mil (RM286mil) annually in the past five years from businesses that were ignorant of, or negligent in complying with GST rules.

Investigations of 130 suspicious cases over the past five years resulted in 20 people being prosecuted and 12 sent to jail. Iras also recovered S$37.6mil (RM97.8mil) from these cheats.

More prosecutions are expected, Iras investigation and forensics assistant commissioner Loh Lee Kim told The Sunday Times.

Assistant commissioner of the GST division Sabina Cheong has a team of about 120 auditors checking on some 3,000 GST-registered businesses a year.

They pass suspicious cases to Loh's team, which has upped the number of GST fraud investigators from three in 2005 to 10 now.

Cheong added: "Some people not only try to cheat by not paying GST, but they even try to cheat and get money out of the system."

Many cheat by submitting fake or inflated claims.

GST-registered businesses can offset the GST they pay for their purchases, known as input tax, against the GST they collect from the sales of their products, or output tax.

If a business incurs more GST on purchases than it collects from sales, it can claim the difference as a refund from Iras.

Some cheat by claiming that they spent much more on their purchases than they actually did, in order to get a refund.

But when asked for proof, they claim their records were eaten by termites, destroyed by floods or fire, or lost while moving office, Cheong said.

One man in his 30s set up a shell company, claiming to deal in computer parts. In 2010, he applied to register his firm for GST even though he did not have to as only businesses with an annual taxable turnover of over S$1mil (RM2.6mil) must do so.

He filed his first fictitious returns to claim GST refunds of about S$36,000 (RM93,650), when there were no business transactions at all.

When Iras asked for supporting documents, he forged two purchase invoices.

Pressed further, he claimed that a friend was the one behind the scam, but he could not provide any details about the friend.

In 2012, he was fined close to S$300,000 (RM780,421) and jailed for one and a half months.

Others run foul of the law by collecting GST even though they are not registered to do so. Last year alone, Iras found about 100 companies collecting GST unlawfully.

They include a 60-year-old businessman who collected close to S$20,000 (RM52,028) in GST from his clients. He was selling security and fire-fighting equipment, but his was not a GST-registered business. He used the money to pay credit card and other bills.

At the opposite end, there are businesses that should be registered for GST because their annual taxable turnover exceeds S$1mil (RM2.6mil) but they fail to do so, and that flouts the law too.

Lam Kok Shang, head of indirect tax at KPMG in Singapore, said that clients can check the Iras website to see if a business is GST-registered, so it is not easy to fool people into paying GST if a business is not authorised to collect it.

He felt that most businesses fail to register for GST as they are not familiar with GST rules and not because they are out to cheat. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Kids' TV shows are big on fun

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Who said that only young 'uns get to enjoy all the jolly kid-friendly television shows?

If you find yourself knowing all the words to the Sesame Street theme song and are able to notice the subtle differences between B1 and B2 of Bananas In Pyjamas, don't be embarrassed.

Well, perhaps you shouldn't admit to it in public but nevertheless, there is no need to be ashamed of it because you are not alone – there are many people who do exactly what you do in secret.

Somewhere right now, in front of a television, is an adult who is thoroughly enjoying a kids' programme. Not only do they know the theme song by heart, they are also emotionally invested in the fictional characters featured in the shows, developed to bring happiness to children around the world.

But hey, who are we to judge?

To add more happiness to the many lives of Malaysian adults – as well as, like it was originally intended, kids – is the Bahasa Malaysia version of the popular international children's television show Hi-5.

Plans are under way for KRU Studios to co-produce the second Asian adaptation of Hi-5 in Bahasa Malaysia and the production is slated to start in July. There are 25 episodes in the first season, which is set to air later this year.

Hi-5 features five dynamic performers entertaining children aged two to seven with music, dance, skits and plays.

The Hi-5 (Malaysia) will begin with a nationwide search to find the five new Hi-5 stars, and with the localised show and cast, the producers hope to reach out to a much bigger fan base to include the Bahasa Malaysia speaking households in Malaysia.

"We are really excited to embark on the Malaysian format with KRU. We hope to bring all the fun and energy of Hi-5 to the broader audience showcasing an exciting new line-up of young Malaysian talent as the new Hi-5 cast. We can't wait to add this new show to the Hi-5 family," said Australian Hi-5 executive creative director and producer Julie Greene.

KRU Studios executive president Norman Abdul Halim said: "We are very excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to be part of the Hi-5 team in Malaysia. Hi-5 is an established brand and with the adaptation into Bahasa Malaysia, the TV series and brand will reach an even wider audience in Malaysia. We are confident that we can play a strong role for Hi-5 in the areas of production, marketing and distribution in Malaysia".

Jared Lim, charmain of Hi-5 World, added: "Hi-5 has universal themes such as exploration, friendship, creativity and learning. These qualities make the show accessible to almost any culture. Through Bahasa Malaysia, I believe many children will continue to love and enjoy the Hi-5 brand and its offerings. This also gives rise to many more opportunities for growth and expansion in Malaysia, which we are really excited about."

We don't know about the children but parents, and other adults who love to dance and sing along to Hi-5, must be jumping up and down with that tidbit. Now, do you know what would make that piece of news even more exciting? If there were hints that some of the other kid-friendly, adult-loved television shows were also given a Malaysian treatment.

Related story:

A delight for all ages

A delight for all ages

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Here are some much-loved children's television series that not only kids enjoy, but grown-ups secretly adore and wouldn't mind watching now and again ... or, let's be honest, all the time.

Pee-Wee's Playhouse

WELL, the man who plays the titular character – Paul Reubens – may look a little creepy and may have been arrested for indecent exposure in 1991 but that doesn't change the fact that he did have one of the biggest TV shows in the 1980s. Reubens played Pee-Wee Herman who had an epic time at the "playhouse" in the fantastic Puppetland which was filled with toys and gadgets, and hung around a number of interesting characters.

Sesame Street

Sesame Street

COME on, who doesn't know how to get to Sesame Street where it's always a sunny day and the air is sweet? It is where Elmo, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and many other lovable characters live. The American show premiered in 1969 and is still a staple series among children and adults who want to learn new words everyday, brush up on their arithmetic and pick up basic good manners. Although there is no Malaysian version of this show, numerous episodes have been dubbed into Bahasa Malaysia.

Teletubbies

OK, they are not exactly the most good looking ... "things" on television. One look at them from a wrong angle could give you a nightmare for days but still, what is not to love about these weird creatures? Laa-Laa, Po, Dipsy and Tinky Winky are the characters on the show, which some argue has no educational value. However, Teletubbies did win the Best Pre-School Live Action Series award at the 2002 Children's BAFTA Awards and the characters have captured the hearts of millions of people around the world.

Bananas In Pyjamas

Bananas In Pyjamas

EVER looked at bananas and wished for a good time? (No pun intended, folks.) Well, with Bananas In Pyjamas, you could. The bananas, named B1 and B2 (if we could only name our children in that manner), are two fun loving bananas – yes, we acknowledge just how weird that sounds – who live by sea as beach patrols. Together with their teddy bear friends Amy, Lulu, Morgan and rat buddy Rat in a Hat, the bananas are always up for an adventure, which must be easy to plan since they always know what the other one wants and their catchphrase "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, B1?", "I think I am, B2!" is testament to that.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

WHAT is better than one brightly coloured, loud, dance freak? Five of them. Yo Gabba Gabba is an American children's television series which features five animated toys and their buddy DJ Lance Rock who dance and sing their way through life. Before you say the show seems a tad too kiddie for you, just know that it is well-known for its slew of celebrity guest stars including Snoop Lion ... er, Snoop Dogg or whatever he is known as now, Jack Black, Sarah Silverman and more.

Related story:

Kids' TV shows are big on fun

Michelle Obama, the Hollywood star

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The First Lady of the United States will be appearing in an episode of Disney's Jessie sitcom.

Michelle Obama, the wife of US President Barack Obama, will guest star on Disney Channel comedy Jessie in an upcoming episode.

The episode highlights the service, sacrifice and needs of military families. Obama will appear as part of the White House's Joining Forces initiative.

Additionally, Obama will take part in a public service announcement that accompanies the episode.

On the episode, titled From The White House To Our House, Jessie (Debby Ryan) and Zuri (Skai Jackson) plan a birthday party for Taylor (Kyla-Drew Simmon) whose mother is a deployed member of the military.

But when Taylor doesn't want to celebrate without her mother, Zuri turns to Obama for help.

Obama has made numerous appearances on news and talk shows, but she's only guest-starred once before on a scripted show – playing herself on Nickelodeon's iCarly

She is also set to guest star on a military-themed episode of ABC's Nashville in May. – Reuters


Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: World Updates


U.S. plans to impose new sanctions on Russia this week

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 09:15 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to slap new sanctions on Russia this week that the White House says will target people and companies inside President Vladimir Putin's "inner circle."

Washington also plans to impose new restrictions on high-tech exports to Russia's defence industry in a move aimed at punishing Moscow for not living up to an agreement to defuse the situation in eastern Ukraine, where armed pro-Russian separatists seized about a dozen government buildings.

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major economies agreed on Saturday to swiftly impose further sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. The United States and European Union previously imposed limited sanctions on Russian officials over Moscow's annexation of Crimea.

Washington could announce its new list of sanctions as early as Monday, senior U.S. officials have said.

The White House said previously that "cronies" of Putin and the companies they control would be targeted with sanctions.

"We will be looking to designate people who are in his inner circle, who have a significant impact on the Russian economy. We'll be looking to designate companies that they and other inner-circle people control," White House deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken said on Sunday.

"We'll be looking at taking steps, as well, with regard to high-technology exports to their defence industry. All of this together is going to have an impact," Blinken said on CBS' "Face the Nation" program.

The European Union is also expected to announce sanctions as early as Monday targeting individuals and companies. Washington is more hawkish on further sanctions than Brussels, which has caused some impatience among some U.S. officials with the European response.

"We're going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr. Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified rather than this is just a U.S.-Russian conflict," U.S. President Barack Obama told reporters during a visit to Malaysia.

The top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the Obama administration's sanctions on Russian individuals had not gone far enough.

"I think we need to put sectoral sanctions in place," Senator Bob Corker told CBS. "To me, hitting four of the largest banks there would send shockwaves into the economy. Hitting (Russian gas giant) Gazprom would certainly send shockwaves into the economy," he said.

The Western-backed government in Kiev accuses the Kremlin of planning to invade the east of Ukraine, and of preparing the ground by training and supporting the armed separatists.

Russia denies it is to blame for the crisis, saying Ukraine's east is rising up in a spontaneous protest against what it calls an illegitimate government in Kiev.

(Reporting by Eric Beech and Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Peter Cooney; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Ukraine rebels free Swedish hostage; Obama seeks unity against Russia

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 06:10 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR/SLAVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian rebels paraded European monitors they are holding in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, freeing one but saying they had no plans to release another seven as the United States and Europe prepared new sanctions against Moscow.

U.S. President Barack Obama called for the United States and Europe to join forces to impose stronger measures to restrain Moscow. In a move senior U.S. officials said may come as early as Monday, the White House said it would add names of people close to President Vladimir Putin and firms they control to a list of Russians hit by sanctions over Ukraine, and also impose new restrictions on high-tech exports.

The European Union is expected to follow suit by adding to its own list of targeted Russian people and firms, but Washington and Brussels have yet to reach agreement on wider measures designed to hurt the Russian economy more broadly.

In Donetsk, where pro-Russian rebels have proclaimed an independent "people's republic", armed fighters seized the headquarters of regional television and ordered it to start broadcasting a Russian state TV channel.

Speaking during a visit to Malaysia, Obama said restraining Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions in Ukraine would depend on the United States and its allies finding a unified position on tighter sanctions.

"We're going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr. Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified rather than this is just a U.S.-Russian conflict," Obama told reporters.

White House deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken said the new U.S. measures would be focused mostly on adding to a list of those barred from travel to the United States and hit by asset freezes.

"We're going to save a little news for Monday but what I can tell you is this," Blinken told CBS television. "We will be looking to designate people who are in (Putin's) inner circle, who have a significant impact on the Russian economy. We'll be looking to designate companies that they and other inner-circle people control."

He added: "We'll be looking at taking steps, as well, with regard to high-technology exports to their defence industry. All of this together is going to have an impact."

The standoff over Ukraine, an ex-Soviet republic of about 45 million people, has dragged relations between Russia and the West to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War.

After Ukrainians overthrew a pro-Russian president, Putin overturned decades of international diplomacy last month by announcing the right to use military force on neighbouring territory. He has seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and massed tens of thousands of troops on the frontier.

Heavily armed pro-Russian gunmen have seized buildings in towns and cities across eastern Ukraine. Kiev and its Western allies say the uprising is directed by Russian agents. Moscow denies it is involved and says the uprising is a spontaneous reaction to oppression of Russian speakers by Kiev.

An international agreement reached this month calls on rebels to vacate occupied buildings, but Obama said Russia had not "lifted a finger" to push its allies to comply.

"In fact, there's strong evidence that they've been encouraging the activities in eastern and southern Ukraine."

PRISONERS

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has sent unarmed monitors to try to encourage compliance with the peace deal. The pro-Russian rebels seized eight European monitors three days ago and have been holding them at their most heavily fortified redoubt in the town of Slaviansk.

One, a Swede, was permitted to leave on Sunday after OSCE negotiators arrived to discuss their release. A separatist spokeswoman said the prisoner had been let go on medical grounds, but there were no plans to free the others.

The captives, from Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, were paraded before reporters on Sunday and said they were in good health.

"We have no indication when we will be sent home to our countries," the group's leader, German Colonel Axel Schneider, told reporters as armed men in camouflage fatigues and balaclavas looked on. "We wish from the bottom of our hearts to go back to our nations as soon and as quickly as possible."

Germany denounced the appearance and said Moscow must press their captors to free the prisoners.

"The public parading of the OSCE observers and Ukrainian security forces as prisoners is revolting and blatantly hurts the dignity of the victims," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement.

"It is an infringement of every rule of behaviour and standards that are made for tense situations like this. Russia has a duty to influence the separatists so that the detained members of the OSCE mission are freed as soon as possible."

The OSCE, a European security body, includes Russia. Its main Ukraine mission was approved by Moscow, although the Europeans held in Slaviansk were on a separate OSCE-authorised mission that did not require Russia's consent.

Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, the rebel leader who has declared himself mayor of Slaviansk, has described them as prisoners of war and said the separatists were prepared to exchange them for fellow rebels in Ukrainian custody.

Washington is more hawkish on further sanctions than some of its European allies, which has caused a degree of impatience among some U.S. officials. Many European countries are worried about the risks of imposing tougher sanctions - the EU has more than 10 times as much trade with Russia as the United States and imports about a quarter of its natural gas from Russia.

But the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the Obama administration's sanctions on Russian individuals had not gone far enough.

"I think we need to put sectoral sanctions in place," Senator Bob Corker told CBS. "To me, hitting four of the largest banks there would send shockwaves into the economy. Hitting (Russian gas giant) Gazprom would certainly send shockwaves into the economy," he said.

'RUSSIA! RUSSIA!'

At the Donetsk television headquarters, about 400 pro-Russian demonstrators chanted: "Russia! Russia!" and "Referendum!" - a call for a vote like one in Crimea that preceded its annexation by Russia last month. Four separatists in masks controlled access at the entrance, and more masked gunmen in camouflage fatigues could be seen inside.

Oleg Dzholos, the station's director, who came outside to speak to reporters, said the people who seized the building had ordered him to change the programming.

"They used force to push back the gates," he said. "There were no threats. There were not many of my people. What can a few people do? The leaders of this movement just gave me an ultimatum that one of the Russian channels has to be broadcast."

Ponomaryov, the rebel leader in Slaviansk, said his men had captured three officers with Ukraine's state security service who, he said, had been mounting an operation against separatists in the nearby town of Horlivka.

The Russian television station Rossiya 24 showed footage it said was of a colonel, a major and a captain. They were shown seated, with their hands behind their backs, blindfolded, and wearing no trousers. At least two had bruises on their faces.

Ukraine's State Security Service said the three had been part of a unit which went to Horlivka to arrest a suspect in the murder of Volodymyr Rybak, a pro-Kiev councillor whose body was found last week in a river near Slaviansk.

(Additional reporting by Tatyana Makeyeva in Donetsk, Ukraine, Natalia Zinets in Kiev, Nigel Stephenson and Lidia Kelly in Moscow, Kylie MacLellan in London, and Eric Beech in Wsahington; Writing by Christian Lowe, Giles Elgood, Peter Graff and Peter Cooney; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Sandra Maler)

Macedonia's conservatives re-elected; opposition condemns vote

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 05:30 PM PDT

SKOPJE (Reuters) - Macedonia's conservative ruling party has secured a third term in office, winning both parliamentary and presidential elections on Sunday, based on preliminary results of the ballot that the opposition said it would not recognise.

With more than 63 percent of the votes counted, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE was leading with 43 percent, compared with 24 percent for the main opposition party, the centre-left SDSM, the state electoral commission said.

Incumbent President Gjorge Ivanov also was leading the SDSM-backed challenger in the presidential election, the commission said.

"This is a big, huge and strong victory. The people have clearly expressed their will," Gruevski, who has ruled the former Yugoslav republic since 2006 in coalition with the ethnic Albanian party DUI, told a cheering crowd at his party's headquarters in Skopje early on Monday.

The DUI had captured 14 percent, setting the coalition on course for a comfortable majority in the new parliament.

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev, however, accused Gruevski and his party of "abusing the entire state system", saying there were "threats and blackmails and massive buying of voters" in the elections.

"A few minutes after the polls closed, I'm here to say that SDSM and our opposition coalition will not recognise the election process, neither the presidential nor the parliamentary," Zaev told reporters in Skopje.

Gruevski, 43, and his party dismissed the opposition allegations as an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

"I'm sorry that besides our clear victory, the leader of the opposition for his personal interest has decided to ignore the will of the people. I hope he'll sleep on it and will decide to change the decision."

Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe will present their findings later on Monday, after the state electoral commission publishes the results.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Opposition parties have often accused Gruevski of creeping authoritarianism and corruption. Foreign diplomats in Skopje say there are concerns about media freedom and political pressure on journalists.

Gruevski has said any complaints of authoritarianism come from opposition parties that lack a concrete political programme to unseat him. He has dismissed as false the corruption charges and has threatened lawsuits against SDSM's Zaev.

It was not immediately clear what concrete steps the opposition would take once the results are officially confirmed. The SDSM said it was "keeping all options open and would decide in the next few days".

Macedonia, with a population of 2 million, remains one of Europe's poorest countries. Unemployment is above 28 percent, but Gruevski's government has achieved solid economic growth, low public debt and a rise in foreign investment, unlike most other Balkan countries.

Diplomats have also praised Gruevski for keeping in check tensions between Macedonia's Slav majority and its large ethnic Albanian minority, whose rebellion in 2001 to secure more political rights brought the country to the brink of civil war.

But during his eight years in office, Skopje's bid to join the European Union and NATO has been frozen because of a dispute with neighbouring EU member Greece over Macedonia's name, which Athens wants changed because it is also the name of a northern Greek province.

Macedonia became a formal candidate for EU membership in 2005 but has made no progress since, as Greece has continued to block it. Years of U.N.-mediated talks have yielded no results.

The parliamentary election was called a year ahead of schedule, after the coalition partners failed to agree on a joint candidate for president.

(Writing by Zoran Radosavljevic; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Paul Simao)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz


Uma Thurman's turn

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

After years racked by self-doubt, Uma Thurman is approaching life differently now.

Uma Thurman is bopping around a downtown Asian-fusion restaurant in this city she calls home, where she has just enthusiastically ordered some of the fried specialities ("I never met a dumpling I didn't like"), her 6-foot-frame (183cm) and luminous skin incongruous among the normal-sized and average-complected people around her.

Thurman has a demonstrative personality that some would call actress-y, though it seems less like a put-on than simply the grand way she chooses to go through life. The laugh is loud; the voice is confident. It is an attitude that at least internally is newly earned.

"Everything got to me so much before," she said in an interview. "I was just like a hairless cat in a snowstorm half the time. I was so thin-skinned. Anything negative people said I would latch onto."

Thurman is making a comeback of sorts in Lars von Trier's explicit-yet-talkie sex-addiction drama Nymphomaniac: Vol. I.

Unlike her landmark roles in several Quentin Tarantino movies, Thurman's imposing presence is scaled down here as she plays a puffy-eyed cheating victim who has turned up to confront her husband and his mistress (Stacy Martin) at the mistress' home.

With three children in tow, she lets loose an eight-minute monologue that would make anyone who's ever been jilted stand up and cheer, providing a jolt both acidly comic and emotionally enlivening.

"Would it be all right if I showed the children the whoring bed?" she says with lacerating wit.

Then, to the kids, "You should try to memorise this moment: It will stand you in good stead later in therapy," before saying of the mistress, to no one in particular, "I have a hard time picturing her enjoying loneliness."

At the end, she emits a desperate Shakespearean scream before making her exit.

It's Thurman's only scene, but a striking one, not only because it shifts the movie's moral trajectory from dour nihilism to soulful consequence but also because Thurman's character brings in a complex vitality from literally out of nowhere.

The same might be said of the latest phase of the actress' career.

After sitting on the sidelines for more than two years after the birth of her third child in 2012, Thurman – who boasts an enjoyably diverse if not consistently successful resume – is making a surprise return with the scene-stealing piece in the first part of the Von Trier epic.

And unlike in earlier phases, when she was racked by self-doubt, Thurman says she is approaching this chapter differently.

"I'm finally getting so much more calm than I used to be," said the actress, 43. "I don't think I ever allowed myself to look forward to things. There was always anticipatory anxiety, and unfortunately, that had too much say in my reaction. But everything feels different now."

Thurman received a call from Von Trier just weeks after she had given birth to her child with French significant other Arpad Busson. Most actors – even someone who made an early mark as a nude Venus, as Thurman did in Terry Gilliam's 1988 hit The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen – might worry what lasciviousness the provocateur had up his sleeve. Thurman didn't.

"I mean, 30 pounds up (13kg) after the baby, that wasn't something that would be fun for anyone," she said, laughing.

Thurman spent weeks preparing to play the woman, named Mrs. H, and then on a single exhausting day went through 15 takes on set in Germany, expressing the full range each time out. "The whole scene," the actress said, "is kind of a gear shift between defiance and defeat."

Thurman has had her own set of ups and downs in her acting career, from bad reviews in panned movies (Batman & Robin) to stellar reviews in acclaimed ones (her Tarantino collaborations, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2).

She is nothing if not adventurous in her choices, taking on all manner of screen genres – comedy, costume drama, science fiction, superhero movies, romantic dramedy, even the Broadway-themed NBC series Smash. She made a perplexing choice to some when she took a lead role – her last to date – in a modestly budgeted slice-of-life picture from a little-known director titled Motherhood that went on to gain only a niche release in 2009.

If it seems like a career with an exciting diversity but an erratic level of quality, Thurman said she can live with it.

"I am a kind of diver. Let's see what happens. For all of its good and all of its danger." Plus, she said, if you like working and don't want to be selective to the point of inactivity, "you're going to make some bad movies, which is something people don't always understand."

It does still seem to bother Thurman, it should be noted, that her work is judged in the context of her personal life, particularly the high-profile divorce from Ethan Hawke about a decade ago that kept tabloid writers busy for years.

Asked whether her experience as a victim of marital infidelity informed her choices as the cuckolded mother in Nymphomaniac, she said tersely that the subject "doesn't really deserve any more breath." – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


Uma Thurman's turn

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

After years racked by self-doubt, Uma Thurman is approaching life differently now.

Uma Thurman is bopping around a downtown Asian-fusion restaurant in this city she calls home, where she has just enthusiastically ordered some of the fried specialities ("I never met a dumpling I didn't like"), her 6-foot-frame (183cm) and luminous skin incongruous among the normal-sized and average-complected people around her.

Thurman has a demonstrative personality that some would call actress-y, though it seems less like a put-on than simply the grand way she chooses to go through life. The laugh is loud; the voice is confident. It is an attitude that at least internally is newly earned.

"Everything got to me so much before," she said in an interview. "I was just like a hairless cat in a snowstorm half the time. I was so thin-skinned. Anything negative people said I would latch onto."

Thurman is making a comeback of sorts in Lars von Trier's explicit-yet-talkie sex-addiction drama Nymphomaniac: Vol. I.

Unlike her landmark roles in several Quentin Tarantino movies, Thurman's imposing presence is scaled down here as she plays a puffy-eyed cheating victim who has turned up to confront her husband and his mistress (Stacy Martin) at the mistress' home.

With three children in tow, she lets loose an eight-minute monologue that would make anyone who's ever been jilted stand up and cheer, providing a jolt both acidly comic and emotionally enlivening.

"Would it be all right if I showed the children the whoring bed?" she says with lacerating wit.

Then, to the kids, "You should try to memorise this moment: It will stand you in good stead later in therapy," before saying of the mistress, to no one in particular, "I have a hard time picturing her enjoying loneliness."

At the end, she emits a desperate Shakespearean scream before making her exit.

It's Thurman's only scene, but a striking one, not only because it shifts the movie's moral trajectory from dour nihilism to soulful consequence but also because Thurman's character brings in a complex vitality from literally out of nowhere.

The same might be said of the latest phase of the actress' career.

After sitting on the sidelines for more than two years after the birth of her third child in 2012, Thurman – who boasts an enjoyably diverse if not consistently successful resume – is making a surprise return with the scene-stealing piece in the first part of the Von Trier epic.

And unlike in earlier phases, when she was racked by self-doubt, Thurman says she is approaching this chapter differently.

"I'm finally getting so much more calm than I used to be," said the actress, 43. "I don't think I ever allowed myself to look forward to things. There was always anticipatory anxiety, and unfortunately, that had too much say in my reaction. But everything feels different now."

Thurman received a call from Von Trier just weeks after she had given birth to her child with French significant other Arpad Busson. Most actors – even someone who made an early mark as a nude Venus, as Thurman did in Terry Gilliam's 1988 hit The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen – might worry what lasciviousness the provocateur had up his sleeve. Thurman didn't.

"I mean, 30 pounds up (13kg) after the baby, that wasn't something that would be fun for anyone," she said, laughing.

Thurman spent weeks preparing to play the woman, named Mrs. H, and then on a single exhausting day went through 15 takes on set in Germany, expressing the full range each time out. "The whole scene," the actress said, "is kind of a gear shift between defiance and defeat."

Thurman has had her own set of ups and downs in her acting career, from bad reviews in panned movies (Batman & Robin) to stellar reviews in acclaimed ones (her Tarantino collaborations, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2).

She is nothing if not adventurous in her choices, taking on all manner of screen genres – comedy, costume drama, science fiction, superhero movies, romantic dramedy, even the Broadway-themed NBC series Smash. She made a perplexing choice to some when she took a lead role – her last to date – in a modestly budgeted slice-of-life picture from a little-known director titled Motherhood that went on to gain only a niche release in 2009.

If it seems like a career with an exciting diversity but an erratic level of quality, Thurman said she can live with it.

"I am a kind of diver. Let's see what happens. For all of its good and all of its danger." Plus, she said, if you like working and don't want to be selective to the point of inactivity, "you're going to make some bad movies, which is something people don't always understand."

It does still seem to bother Thurman, it should be noted, that her work is judged in the context of her personal life, particularly the high-profile divorce from Ethan Hawke about a decade ago that kept tabloid writers busy for years.

Asked whether her experience as a victim of marital infidelity informed her choices as the cuckolded mother in Nymphomaniac, she said tersely that the subject "doesn't really deserve any more breath." – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

'Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants' set to travel again

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 01:25 AM PDT

Stars of the original movie have reportedly been courted for another installment of the movie.

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants is getting another sequel, as Alloy Entertainment is developing Sisterhood Everlasting, which is based on the book of the same title by bestselling author Ann Brashares, the company announced Wednesday.

While there are no deals in place with the original cast, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrara and Amber Tamblyn have expressed interest in reprising their roles and are in various stages of discussions to return, an individual familiar with the sequel told TheWrap.

One member of the original Sisterhood is set to return, while Ken Kwapis will direct from a screenplay by Liz Garcia, who will adapt Brashares' novel.

Sisterhood Everlasting finds the four friends grown apart in the 10 years since the last film in the franchise, though Tibby tries to bridge the distance by reuniting the girls for a trip that will change their lives forever.

"The Sisterhood series is one of Alloy's most cherished properties and we are looking forward to continuing its legacy with Sisterhood Everlasting nearly a decade after the first film was released," said Alloy president Leslie Morgenstein, who will produce with Elysa Dutton and Christine Sacani.

"The original film brought together an incredible group of talent who we hope to unite for fans once again." Along with Alcon Entertainment, Alloy was responsible for the first two Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants films that were released in 2005 and 2008. — Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Business


Gold at 1½-week high on Ukraine anxiety

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:20 PM PDT

SINGAPORE: Gold climbed to its highest in 1½ weeks on Monday, as weaker equities and escalating geopolitical tensions in Ukraine boosted the metal's safe-haven appeal.

Spot gold rose 0.06% to US$1,303.60 an ounce by 0024 GMT, after earlier hitting US$1,305.11 – its highest since April 16.

In Eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels paraded European monitors they are holding, freeing one but saying they had no plans to release another seven as the US and Europe prepared new sanctions against Moscow.

As president Barack Obama called for the US and Europe to join forces to impose stronger measures to restrain Moscow, hedge funds and money managers raised their bullish bets in gold and silver futures and options, their first increase in five weeks.

The renewed geopolitical tensions boosted the metal's appeal as a hedge, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday.

Meanwhile Deutsche Bank may end up resigning its seat on the London gold fix rather than selling it as US lawsuits alleging price rigging against the five banks that set the benchmark deter potential buyers, industry sources said.

Gold premiums in India, the world's second biggest consumer after China, jumped to their highest level in more than 2½ months due to short supplies amid firm demand ahead of the second-biggest gold buying festival.

In other news, yhe end game to South Africa's platinum strike is drawing near after the producers said they would take their latest wage offer directly to employees after marathon wage talks to end the 13-week strike collapsed last week. – Reuters 

China's steelmakers profitability to rise in Q2 vs Q1

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:12 PM PDT

BEIJING: China's steel sector is expected to see improving profit margins in the second quarter from the first quarter, but shrinking credit and rising environmental costs would limit profit growth, the China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) said on Monday.

CISA also called on the government to take strong action to punish those responsible for building new capacity and to implement tougher environmental controls, Zhang Changfu, CISA's vice chairman, told a news conference in Beijing. – Reuters

MyEG slips over delay in CSTM, high valuations

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:02 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of My EG Services fell to a low of RM2.63 on Monday over the delay in the commencement of the Customs service tax monitoring system (CSTM), which was scheduled for early April and also its high valuations.

At 9.35am, it was down six sen to RM2.66 -- the lowest since April 17. Turnover was 24,300 shares.

The FBM KLCI rose 0.94 of a point to 1,861.92. Turnover was 496.48 million shares valued at RM1.65bil. There were 215 gainers, 190 losers and 271 counters unchanged.

CIMB Equities Research pointed out the CSTM was to have started on April 1. However, the law, which dictated that service tax be electronically tracked, had yet to be gazetted.

The research house said last week, MyEG participated in CIMB's Asia Pacific Small Mid Cap Corporate Day in Hong Kong. Investor interest in the company was strong, with meetings throughout the day.

"There was a lot of interest in the company's new services, such as the CSTM, the voluntary online vehicle transfer service and the foreign workers' annual permit renewal service," it said.

CIMB Research said questions focused on the potential size of these markets, its competitors and the potential operating leverage from these services.

It said there was only a small negative surprise due to the delay in the the CSTM.

"With CSTM, MyEG will also be able to the curb sales of illegal cigarettes, which has been a major problem for the industry over the past few years. In the past, businesses filled forms manually every two months and these traditional ways held the potential for leakage.

"Generally, MyEG currently does not have any competitors for its new services. Competition is mainly in the form of the traditional way of doing things, where people are generally slow to adapt to new methods.

"However, as MyEG's services are more cost-efficient and convenient, there is a growing trend of consumers and businesses using its new services.

"We like the direction of the company's long-term business model focusing on moving up the value chain. The stock's valuation is not cheap but we may review our call on the stock in view of its recent price weakness,"  CIMB Research said.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies


'Gordon's alive!' Fox inks deal for 'Flash Gordon' remake

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 01:05 AM PDT

Twentieth Century Fox has signed a deal to resurrect forgotten American sci-fi hero Flash Gordon for a new remake that cult fans have been waiting for. 

In many ways an ancestor to the modern-day cast of Marvel and DC superheroes, Flash Gordon first appeared in a 1934 comic strip of the same name drawn by Alex Raymond.

FlashG

Nice duds: The original Flash Gordon drawn by comics artist Alex Raymond.

Without any super powers, the hero – who was originally a polo player and Yale graduate – undertook a mission to save Earth from the invading armies of Ming the Merciless, a bloodthirsty tyrant from the alien planet of Mongo.

Installed as screenwriters for the remake are JD Payne and Patrick McKay, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with producer John Davis about to close the deal with Fox.

Though Payne and McKay may not be widely known, they are regarded as hot property in Hollywood, as the team behind the script for a proposed third film in the rebooted Star Trek series.

Although discussions of remaking Flash Gordon have been going around for the past few years, this is apparently the first one that's actually entered actual development. Whether or not it will actually become a reality is still anyone's guess. 

The hero has seen action many times on the small and big screens, beginning with a trilogy of 'film serials' made between 1936 and 1940 starring Buster Crabbe as the title character. There have also been a few animated versions and a 21-episode Syfy channel TV series that ran through 2007 and 2008.

Early incarnation: Buster Crabbe (left) was the original cinematic Flash Gordon.

But it was the 1980 cinematic version directed by Mike Hodges that captured the public's imagination – and subsequent derision – with its campy dialogue, outlandish costumes and phallic spaceships. It didn't help that the movie downgraded Flash to a football player played by Playgirl-centrefold model Sam J. Jones who was nominated for a Razzie Worst Actor award. 

Cult favourite: Poster for the 1980 film version of Flash Gordon, directed by Mike Hodges.

The 1980 flick was also memorable for Max von Sydow's over-the-top performance as Ming, Timothy Dalton during his pre-James Bond era, and Golden Globe double-winner Chaim Topol as Dr Hans Zarkov. But the star of the film would be the soundtrack composed by British rock band Queen, especially the theme song Flash.

Although it did moderately well during its time, the film found a bigger audience after the 1980s as a cult favourite. Self-professed fan Comedian Seth MacFarlane even featured Sam J. Jones in a cameo in his 2012 hit comedy Ted

The crucial question now is: Who should be the new Flash Gordon? – AFP/RelaxNews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Metro: Central


India test-fires anti-ballistic missile

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

NEW DELHI, April 27, 2014 (AFP) - India successfully test-fired a new anti-ballistic missile on Sunday in a step towards developing a missile defence system which only an elite club of countries has built.

India, which shares borders with arch-rival Pakistan and giant China, both of whom are nuclear-armed, is developing the system that aims to shield it against a ballistic missile attack.

The test was conducted off the east coast on Sunday morning, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told the Press Trust of India news agency.

"The trial was conducted successfully and all the mission objectives were met," said DRDO spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta.

The missile, which was tested at Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa, is capable of intercepting targets outside the earth's atmosphere. 

India has a double-layered ballistic missile defence programme which can destroy missiles at higher as well as lower altitudes. 

Only a small number of countries including the United States and Russia have anti-ballistic missile systems.

India, the world's second-most populous country, has been stepping up efforts to position itself as a strong regional power in Asia. 

The nuclear-armed country has fought three wars with Pakistan and one war with China. 

Catholic Philippines hails new saints

Posted: 27 Apr 2014 05:00 AM PDT

MANILA, April 27, 2014 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Catholics attended special masses across Manila on Sunday to celebrate Pope Francis' proclamation of two new saints including John Paul II, a beloved figure in Asia's bastion of the faith.

Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle led the service at the packed 16,500-seat Araneta Coliseum in the Philippine capital as huge screens beamed live images from the Vatican of the canonisation of John Paul II and John XXIII.

Many of the devotees were tearful, recalling personal stories of how seeing John Paul II during his visits to the Southeast Asian nation in 1981 and 1995 had changed their lives.

"We're so touched and blessed to have witnessed this great pope who was a part of my youth, and my religious journey," said Mila Estrada, 46, who was among millions of students who gathered to see John Paul II when Manila hosted World Youth Day in 1995.

"He was the pope we grew up with, and whose teachings directly touched our lives," said Estrada.

For photographer Ernie Sarmiento, seeing John Paul II for the first time in 1981 as a student was a "mesmerising" event that cemented his future career path.

He had been assigned by the school paper to cover the pontiff's visit to the University of Santo Tomas, Asia's oldest and largest Catholic school.

Sarmiento remembers fumbling with his equipment as the pope started walking in his direction, regaining composure just in time to capture an image of the pope tightly embracing a student.

"I now have a straight line" to God, Sarmiento said of the new saint.

The student in the photograph, Henry Tenedero, said he had been chosen to deliver a message to John Paul II by the Manila archdiocese but military generals under then dictator Ferdinand Marcos had tried to prevent him from approaching the pope.

"I was strictly advised by the generals to go back to my chair after my speech," Tenedero said. "I saw the Pope smiling, as if to say, 'come here', so I did, and then (I got) the big hug."

Five years later, Marcos' 20-year regime crumbled following a "people power" revolution backed by local Catholic church leaders.

More than 80 percent of the Philippines' 100 million population are Catholics, and the Church remains a major influence on daily life.

However ordinary Filipinos know little about John XXIII, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, one of the organisers of an upcoming display to spread awareness about the pope.

The relics of John XXIII, including a piece of his funeral cassock, will be on display in Manila in May as part of the celebrations.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion


Giant smartphone installation pokes fun at selfie epidemic

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 01:25 AM PDT

A California-based artist has created a giant mirrored structure that comments on our increasing obsession with selfies.

Screen Identity is a seven-foot wooden sculpture of a smartphone that features a mirror as its screen. It's big enough to frame the entire body of those approaching it, reinforcing the idea that as a society, we're living more and more "inside our phones".

"It is an attempt to comment on our generation's obsession with selfies and the fact that much of our lives are now lived inside a phone," explains the 23-year-old Brazil-born artist and designer Gabe Ferreira in an email to Relaxnews.

For your narcissism: Gabe Ferreira's installation Screen Identity, a full-length mirror in the shape of an iPhone, seeks to comment on our growing obsession with selfies.

The piece was displayed at California State University in Long Beach, Los Angeles County in March, exhibited with a plaque prompting viewers to hashtag any photos, posts or selfies related to (or taken with) the piece with #ultimateselfie.

According to Ferreira, the response confirmed suspicions that we are becoming obsessed with selfies, as "any mirror becomes an opportunity to share your face with the world".

Screen Identity will be displayed throughout various locations in Southern California over the coming months, with Venice Beach the next scheduled location in late April. – AFP/RelaxNews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music


Katy Perry made children cry after gatecrashing a kid's party

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 01:35 AM PDT

The Roar singer's 'undercover' gig at a five-year-old kid's birthday party – where she came dressed as a clown – backfired.

Katy Perry made children cry after gatecrashing a five-year-old kid's birthday party. The Dark Horse hitmaker dressed up as a clown for the video for her track Birthday and carried out a prank at a party, where she attacked a man with a pinata stick and staged a car accident, but the spoof incident left children in tears.

Eyewitnesses told TMZ.com, Perry pranked a real birthday party and most of the guests had no idea it was a joke. Children were crying and one woman "stormed away" visibly upset by her antics.

The hidden camera gag was shot at Knollwood Country Club outside Los Angeles and a video obtained by the website shows one little girl saying, "Mummy, I want to leave."

During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Perry spoke about going "undercover" at the bash, but didn't mention the fall out. Speaking earlier this week, she said: "I just did a music video completely undercover as five of the world's worst birthday entertainers, because I was sick of making gorgeous music videos where I'm sexual."

Kimmel joked: "People are sick of that, yeah, really tired of looking at you."

Katy, 29, then previewed a clip of the video which sees her dressed as a clown drinking and burping, saying: "I'm not really a birthday party entertainer, I'm just trying to get some cash on the side," adding, "Happy birthday kids." — Bang Showbiz

Led Zeppelin surprises fans with unheard recordings, album reissues

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 01:10 AM PDT

The two previously unheard material will give fans a taste of Led Zeppelin's early studio sessions.

LedZep

Surviving members of British rock band Led Zeppelin (from left): John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Drummer John Bonham died in 1980 of accidental death caused by asphyxiation from vomit while in his sleep, an incident that led to the bank's break-up. 

Rock giants Led Zeppelin on Wednesday unveiled two previously unheard recordings ahead of the re-issue of the band's first three albums in June.

The two tracks – an early version of their classic track Whole Lotta Love and a 1970 cover of blues standard Key to the Highway – are among dozens of tracks which will be officially released along with the re-issued albums. 

Guitarist Jimmy Page, 70, chose the material after painstakingly searching through the tracks, which have been stored in the band's archive for decades.

The band says the material will give fans a taste of their early studio sessions – the soon-to-be-released discs feature alternative versions of songs, works in progress and live performances.

Singer Robert Plant said, "It was a particularly prolific time, where we were learning about each other's capabilities."

Plant admitted he was sometimes shocked by his younger self when listening to the re-discovered tracks. "My enthusiasm sometimes got in the way of finesse," he said in a BBC interview. 

"I listen to it and I go 'wow, why didn't I shut up a bit?'. But it's of the time and it's of the enthusiasm and it's of the development of quite an amazing quartet of players."

Keys to the Highway/Trouble in Mind, which will appear on the Led Zeppelin III re-issue, was recorded in 1970 but never released.

The early version of Whole Lotta Love that will appear on the Led Zeppelin II compilation is significantly different from the final track. The original is missing the first chorus and middle section and new vocals and a slide guitar appear on the finished version.

"You realise just how important all of those additional layers and the filigree work is," Page said. "There's all manner of bells and whistles to make it the song Whole Lotta Love as we all know it."

Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980, but interest in the band remains intense. The surviving members reunited seven years ago for a concert at London's O2 but Plant said the chances of the band performing live again were "zero". – AFP/RelaxNews

You may not realise it, but a piano is a living, breathing musical beast

Posted: 24 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Pianist Will Pickvance's methods might be quirky, but his claim to know the instrument's ins and outs holds true.

A lecture on the anatomy. That description invariably paints the picture of a human skeleton with body parts singled out for identification and description. Will Pickvance pictured something similar, but he's not about to sterilise his hands and arm himself with a scalpel any time soon. Far from it.

Pickvance is a pianist who attempts to explain the mechanics of the piano and the instrument's relationship with its player. And instead of likening the invention – which has its roots in 18th century Italy – to a sophisticated piece of machinery, he equates the black and whites to a living, breathing musical beast. Preposterous? Not if you hear his take on it.

The Briton was in Malaysia recently to present his much touted The Anatomy Of The Piano workshop (he calls it a lecture) at PJ Live Arts, in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

And where else would an idea of such inane proportions have struck him but at an old veterinary lecture theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland?

"It's a place where they dissect animals to teach the vet students, and I thought, 'Why not have a piano concert here,' since I like to play in strange places," revealed the musician, who later developed the concert idea into a lecture, inspired by the surroundings.

Music to his ears: Will Pickvance's interest in piano begun after hearing ragtime music emanating from a slot machine when he was a young boy.

Music to his ears: Will Pickvance's interest in piano begun after hearing ragtime music emanating from a slot machine when he was a young boy.

He reckons the piano's innards point to an aquatic ancestry, which is perhaps why he has even played one in a swimming pool ... with water! "I've even played them on mountain tops," Pickvance offered rather dubiously, which is difficult to either accept or refute. Such is his sense of wit.

According to Pickvance, the piano can be likened to the human body.

"The piano's exterior is like the human skin. If you strip it, you get to see the skeleton of the instrument. And when you peek in, you see how the circulation works," informed the 36-year-old in a scholarly fashion. He believes the heart of the piano is the process of an audience enjoying the sound of the instrument.

It's this breakdown of the nuts and bolts of the instrument that encompasses his "lecture", or infotainment, as it should be described. "It's a piano concert with some diagramical assistance and descriptions of the genetic makeup of the piano ... with a little history on the instrument thrown in."

Ultimately, it should all be presented in an entertaining manner.

"It should be engaging, likewise a student learning the instrument from a teacher. Otherwise, education suffers," he reasoned.

As far as The Anatomy Of The Piano is concerned, he cautions that his philosophy's unconventional nature might not be for the faint-hearted.

"There's a little bit of chemistry and biology involved," he teased.

Pickvance, who hails from Worcestershire, England, got into the instrument as a young boy after hearing ragtime music emanating from a slot machine. "I was about seven or eight, and I peeked through the window (of a casino) and watched a guy winning as Scott Joplin's music came blaring out of the machine."

His grandfather would contribute to his early listening diet, passing the intrepid musician music by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Fats Waller and the like. "He was like a librarian. He would make these mixed tapes and pass them to me. He was so busy compiling all this music, I don't think he had the time to listen even."

When he finally got to bang on his own set of black and whites, it was his great grandfather's Chappel & Co upright piano that was subjected to his growing curiosity. "If there's one bit of advice I can share, it's to play according to your physical ability. I found out early on that was the best way to enjoy the instrument."

And enjoy he did, igniting a passion that kept him in the music halls more than on the football field.

"The kids in school seemed to think what I was doing was uncool," he said, but proficiency eventually won him a set of admirers ... of the female variety, too.

Of course, before the ladies swooned, Pickvance had to trudge through formal lessons, and while he accepts his teachers were good, academic excellence was never a source of fascination.

"Those jazz manuals my teachers put me through weren't working for me, so I quickly harboured hopes of playing my own stuff," he explained.

Pickvance's homage to the instrument has earned him gigs to play along to silent movies in theatre halls. When a cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland approached him to accompany Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin flicks, it was an offer too good to refuse, and he ended up doing it for nearly five years.

Popular music may have "updated" certain musical instruments, but the humble piano has remained in its natural guise, almost identical to when Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori made the instrument in 1709 while attempting to improve on the harpsichord. And be it the pounding of Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck in the jazz world, or the hammering from rock and pop legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, the instrument has remained a mainstay in popular music.

Pickvance theorises that it's the piano's versatility that's made it omnipresent. "Whether it's Rachmaninoff stabbing on one, or hearing it in the sound of pop music, or boogie woogie grooves and rock 'n' roll, the piano will always be there because of its range of expression."

The Briton is dead on the money, too, and cites the likes of German Nils Frahm and Jamie Cullum as the instrument's torch bearers for the future. 

"The greatest music of all time was written on piano. I just can't imagine a future where people are no longer playing Scott Joplin, Mendelssohn and Brahms. And because I've found new ways to love this all, I think the future is bright."

And that future seems to have Picvkance distinctly etched in it, too.

Visit www.willpickvance.com for more info and www.pjlivearts.my to learn when he'll be back in Malaysia.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my
 

The Star Online

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved