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• Plane lands safely in Australia after engine fire
• Indonesia school abuse scandal sparks soul-searching
• S. Korean president apologises over ferry disaster

Plane lands safely in Australia after engine fire Posted: 28 Apr 2014 10:16 PM PDT PERTH, Australia, April 29, 2014 (AFP) - A passenger plane carrying 93 people landed safely at Perth Airport on Tuesday despite an engine fire that erupted shortly after take-off, officials said.No one was hurt during the midair scare on the Cobham Aviation jet bound from Perth for Barrow Island in Western Australia. "Shortly after departure there was a fire in the number two engine. The pilot shut it down, the flames were extinguished and the plane returned to Perth," a spokewoman for Air Services Australia told AFP. "It landed safely and was able to taxi to its gate. The fire services provided an escort on the ground." Witnesses said they saw flames billowing from an engine of the British Aerospace 146 plane shortly after take-off. "I saw this plane fly over and I noticed one of the engines was on fire," Craig Ablett told ABC radio. "It had more or less had just taken off." The airline is a charter company servicing regional Western Australia.

Indonesia school abuse scandal sparks soul-searching Posted: 28 Apr 2014 08:56 PM PDT JAKARTA, April 29, 2014 (AFP) - A sex abuse scandal at one of Indonesia's most prestigious international schools has sparked a heated debate about the failure to protect youngsters in the country and prompted calls for harsher punishments for paedophiles. Accusations that a six-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by cleaning staff at the nursery of the Jakarta International School, a favourite with the capital's expatriates and wealthy Indonesians, sparked widespread anger this month. A second child has since come forward claiming to have been assaulted at the nursery - which the government has now ordered to be closed - and the school has also disclosed it used to employ an American teacher who was suspected of being a prolific paedophile. Police have arrested six cleaners contracted from an outside company over the recent abuse accusations, one of whom has committed suicide, and the school has pledged to cooperate with the investigation. Beyond public anger over the alleged abuse at the elite school, the scandal has focused attention on a subject previously little discussed in Indonesia - the high incidence of child sex attacks, particularly in schools. The national commission for child protection says it received around 3,000 reports of sexual abuse of minors in 2013, double the figure from five years ago, with some 30 percent of cases in educational institutions. Commission member Seto Mulyadi said the figures were "only the tip of the iceberg". "Many cases still go unreported because victims' families feel ashamed," he added. There has been much soul-searching in the national media on the subject following the Jakarta case, with commentators demanding that more action be taken to guarantee the safety of youngsters. The Jakarta Post newspaper said in an editorial that the controversy had raised the question of "how safe our children are, including at reputable schools. "Law enforcers, educators and parents alike still have much to do to guarantee the safety and welfare of our children." Calls for harsher punishments Media have also focused intensely on other sex abuse stories in the wake of the scandal, such as one involving a six-year-old girl allegedly assaulted by a policeman in Aceh province, on western Sumatra island. The child's mother initially said she felt too "ashamed" to report the matter but when accusations surfaced the policeman abused a second girl, she decided to go to the police. The accused officer has since been arrested. However even when attackers are caught, child safety campaigners say that sentences are typically too short to deter potential paedophiles. The maximum sentence for a child sex offender in Indonesia is 15 years and a fine of up to $26,000 - but most who are convicted typically only receive three to five years in jail, campaigners say. However the debate sparked by the Jakarta case has led to calls for tougher punishment and politicians have started discussing increasing sentences for people who sexually assault youngsters. "The sentence should be increased to 20 years in prison at the minimum and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment," said minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, whose portfolio includes child protection. Senior education ministry official Lydia Freyani Hawadi added the case was a "golden opportunity" to improve checks on people applying to become teachers at schools. Adding to the sense of crisis at Jakarta International School, news emerged last week that William James Vahey, a 64-year-old US citizen described by the FBI as a "suspected serial child predator", taught at the institution for a decade until 2002. However there have been no allegations that Vahey, who committed suicide last month when his then employer discovered a thumb drive containing graphic images of boys, carried out abuse at the Indonesian school. The institution has moved to try and put a lid on the controversy, with the head Tim Carr insisting in regular media appearances the school is committed to child protection. The school says it has strengthened security by adding extra security cameras and improving its child protection measures. While there is hope that something good may come out of a horrible case in the form of stronger legislation to protect children, activists say for many youngsters across Indonesia, it is already too late. Children who have been abused "develop esteem problems, become withdrawn, have problems studying, and may be so disturbed that they grow up modelling the same behaviour as their perpetrators," said Mulyadi from the child protection commission.

S. Korean president apologises over ferry disaster Posted: 28 Apr 2014 08:13 PM PDT SEOUL, April 29, 2014 (AFP) - South Korean President Park Geun-Hye apologised Tuesday for her government's failure to prevent a ferry disaster that left some 300 people dead or missing, and the inadequate emergency response. "I don't know how to apologise for the failure to prevent this accident, and for the insufficient first response," Park said in a statement to her cabinet that was broadcast on national television. "I am sorry to the people and heavy-hearted that many precious lives were lost," she said.

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The Star Online: World Updates

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• North Korea to conduct firing drills near disputed sea border, says South Korea
• Egyptian court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood leader to death
• Deaths on EU roads halve in a decade - report

North Korea to conduct firing drills near disputed sea border, says South Korea Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:20 PM PDT SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said it will conduct live fire drills on Tuesday in two areas near a disputed sea border with South Korea, the South Korean ministry of defence said on Tuesday. North Korea conducted similar drills in late March when it fired more than 500 artillery rounds near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed maritime border that has been the de facto sea border since the 1950-53 Korean war. More than 100 rounds landed south of the border, prompting South Korea to fire hundreds of rounds back into the North's waters. The Northern Limit Line is an extension of the land border between the two Koreas, stretching into the sea west of the Korean peninsula. It curves northward, effectively isolating five remote South Korean-controlled islands from the mainland, the furthest of which is closer to Pyongyang than Seoul. South Korean military officials told local residents to seek cover in one of many shelters dotted around the small fishing villages and farming hamlets on the islands, local cable news network YTN said. South Korean increased its military presence on the islands following the 2010 bombardment of Yeonpyeong island by the North, which it said was in response to South Korean artillery drills. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Michael Perry)

Egyptian court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood leader to death Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:20 PM PDT MINYA Egypt (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters to death on Monday, intensifying a crackdown on the movement that could trigger protests and political violence ahead of an election next month. The Brotherhood, in a statement issued in London, described the ruling as chilling and said it would "continue to use all peaceful means to end military rule". An Islamist alliance that includes the Brotherhood called on Egyptians to demonstrate against the death sentences in the streets of Cairo on Wednesday. In another case signalling growing intolerance of dissent by military-backed authorities, a pro-democracy movement that helped ignite the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 was banned by court order, judicial sources said. The death sentence for Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's general guide, will infuriate members of the group, which has been the target of raids, arrests and bans since the army forced President Mohamed Mursi from power in July. The United States and the United Nations expressed alarm over the ruling. Some Brotherhood members fear pressure from security forces and the courts could drive some young members to violence against the movement's old enemy, the Egyptian state. Islamist militants based in the Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks against security forces since Mursi's overthrow, killing hundreds. On Monday night, Cairo authorities found two bombs that were planted in the car of an army officer, security officials said. Badie, considered a conservative hardliner, was charged with crimes including inciting violence that followed the army overthrow of Mursi, who is also on trial on an array of charges. The slight, 70-year-old veterinary professor stood trial in Cairo in a separate case hours after the sentence was affirmed. "If they executed me one thousand times I will not retreat from the right path," Badie was quoted as saying by lawyer Osama Mursi, who attended one of his trials in Cairo. The comments were published on the Facebook page of Osama Mursi, son of the Brotherhood leader ousted as president. Two security officials told Reuters that Badie appeared relaxed and joked, asking other Brotherhood members to buy him the red outfit that prisoners condemned to death wear. Tough measures against the Brotherhood suggest the authorities still see it as a major threat, even though most of its leaders and thousands of members are behind bars. Authorities are well aware that the movement founded in 1928 has survived repression under successive Egyptian autocrats. BROTHERHOOD SUPPORT The White House said it was "deeply troubled" by the ruling. "Today's verdict, like the one last month, defies even the most basic standards of international justice," it said in a statement. Secretary of State John Kerry would raise U.S. concerns in a meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister on Tuesday, Kerry's spokeswoman said. The Obama administration said last week that it would partly resume military aid to Egypt, six months after cutting off the assistance in the wake of Mursi's ouster. The administration is delivering 10 Apache helicopters to Cairo and has notified Congress of its intention to send $650 million (386.5 million pounds) in aid for weapons systems used for border security, counterterrorism, anti-smuggling and non-proliferation. Some U.S. lawmakers said they were closely reviewing the decision to send Egypt the money, saying they wanted to know for certain who would use the money - and how. "I want to find out, are they going to have a legitimate election? I'm not going to invest in a country that's in a state of anarchy," U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate subcommittee that oversees foreign aid, told Reuters. Responding to the critical U.S. comments, the Egyptian Embassy in Washington said the cases "are unfolding under an independent judiciary, a core foundation of all democracies. "The Executive branch therefore cannot intervene in this judicial process or otherwise undermine its independence," the embassy statement said. "These decisions are only a first step in a legal process involving different stages for appeal. Egypt's prosecutor general has initiated the procedures necessary to appeal these decisions." The Brotherhood, believed to have about 1 million supporters in the nation of 85 million, has vowed to topple the government through protests. Reacting to what it called the "chilling" court ruling, the Brotherhood said the world can no longer afford to stay silent. "The Muslim Brotherhood reaffirms it will continue to fight relentlessly for freedom and democracy in Egypt, and continue to use all peaceful means to end military rule and achieve justice for the Egyptian people," the group's London office said in an emailed statement. In a separate case, a court affirmed death sentences on 37 others. The rulings were part of a final judgment on 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters condemned last month. The remaining defendants were jailed for life, judicial sources said. Death sentence recommendations in the case involving Badie will be passed on to Egypt's Mufti, the highest religious authority. His opinion can be ignored by the court. The rulings can be appealed. Many defendants are on the run. Mass trials in the biggest Arab state have reinforced fears among human rights groups that the government and anti-Islamist judges are using all levers of power to crush opponents. "The decisions are possibly the largest possible death sentences in recent world history. While they're exceptional in scale, they're certainly not exceptional in kind," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director for Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. "It seems that these sentences are aimed at striking fear and terror into the hearts of those who oppose the interim government." The political turmoil that has gripped Egypt and a fast-growing Islamist insurgency have harmed the economy, which grew by a meagre 2.1 percent last year. "In a month, Egypt sentences more people to death than the rest of the world combined. It is not the kind of news to rekindle confidence," Angus Blair, chairman of business and economic forecasting think-tank Signet, wrote on Twitter. PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT BANNED As word spread of the death sentences, relatives screamed and cried outside the court in the town of Minya. "This is a corrupt government. This is a failed regime. We have no real police. We have no real state," said Sabah Hassan, whose son was sentenced to death. Others collapsed on the street as soldiers with AK-47 assault rifles standing on an armoured vehicle looked on. Relatives blamed Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who deposed Mursi. The former head of military intelligence under Mubarak is expected to easily win presidential elections on May 26-27 in a country long ruled by men from the military, Mursi's time in office representing the rare exception. Some people chanted: "Sisi is ruling like a king" and "May God punish you for what you did". Authorities have extended a crackdown to secular activists. A ruling on Monday banning the activities of the April 6 movement follows the imprisonment of three of its leading members last year on charges of protesting illegally. Charges against April 6 included "damaging the image of the state". ((Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin and Tom Perry in Cairo, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle and Jeff Mason in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Ralph Boulton, Cynthia Osterman, Ken Wills and Peter Cooney))

Deaths on EU roads halve in a decade - report Posted: 28 Apr 2014 05:25 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Car deaths on Europe's roads have halved over the last decade, but campaigners say tougher EU laws could prevent many more people from dying needlessly. Figures from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), a non-governmental body, found more than 12,000 people were killed in cars in 2012 in the European Union and neighbouring Switzerland, the latest available figures, less than half the 28,000 deaths seen in 2001. The council, in its report on Tuesday, credited stricter safety measures for the improvement. Spain and Latvia stand out for the most progress, cutting the number of deaths by two-thirds from 2001 to 2012, but other nations still have bad records. The worst is Poland, where 11 people are killed in cars per billion kilometres travelled, compared with only around 2 in Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, according to the ETSC. "It is simply wrong that 12,000 still die every year for reasons that are mostly avoidable," said Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC. EU policy-makers are reviewing road safety regulations and plan to release a report in December, pending formal legislative proposals expected in early 2015. The ETSC is calling for EU-wide action to enforce seatbelt reminders and tougher measures against drink-driving. Since 1991, all passengers in cars must wear seatbelts in the European Union by law, but in practice seatbelt use varies. On average, 88 percent of front seat passengers use seatbelts and 74 percent of rear seat passengers, which is why safety advocates are pushing for seatbelt reminders, currently required only for the driver's seat. The ETSC estimates that mandatory reminders for all seats could prevent an additional 900 deaths per year. Drink driving is another major reason for car deaths, accounting for some 5,600 fatalities annually. The ETSC is calling for mandatory alcohol interlocks, which prevent the car from starting if the driver fails a breathalyzer test, for repeat drink-drivers. Male drivers are most at risk of being involved in fatal accidents, especially young men aged 20 to 25, according to the ETSC report. Overall, more than two-thirds of people killed in cars are men. (Editing by Barbara Lewis and Adrian Croft)

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'Avengers' director Joss Whedon releases paranormal romance online Posted: 29 Apr 2014 04:40 AM PDT Avengers director Joss Whedon released his newest film In Your Eyes online just as it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, joining the ranks of filmmakers experimenting with straight-to-consumer digital distribution. In a surprise video message to fans, Whedon said he was disappointed he could not be in New York for the debut of the paranormal love story that he wrote and which was directed by Brin Hill. But then he noted it was available worldwide and online for a US$5 (RM17) fee. The film is available at inyoureyesmovie.com and the US-based video-sharing website Vimeo. "It is exciting for us because it means we get to explore yet another new form of distribution – and we get US$5," said the director behind the blockbuster Avengers franchise from Marvel. In Your Eyes is the love story of an East Coast housewife named Rebecca, played by Zoe Kazan who is strangely connected with an ex-con played by Michael Stahl-David, who lives in New Mexico. Zoe Kazan (above) and Michael Stahl-David (below) star in In Your Eyes.  It is the second feature film by Los Angeles-based Bellwether Pictures, which was founded by Whedon and producer Kai Cole to bring micro-budget films directly to the audience. The company released Much Ado About Nothing, a retelling of the Shakespearean comedy, in 2012. The Avengers the film that united Marvel superheroes in 2012, grossed more than US$1.46bil worldwide. Whedon's sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron is due out in 2015. – Reuters

'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' wins big at International Indian Film Academy Awards Posted: 27 Apr 2014 08:40 PM PDT The best in Indian movies were honoured on Bollywood's biggest event, held in Florida in the US last weekend. The Indian film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag led winners of the "Bollywood Oscars" last weekend, nabbing five of the top honours including best picture and best director as the awards made their first-ever US stop in Tampa, Florida. Hollywood celebrities including Kevin Spacey and John Travolta and dignitaries from India and the United States attended the International Indian Film Academy Awards – which had been likened to the Super Bowl in terms of its security needs, traffic management and planning. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biographical sports drama based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete who was a national champion runner and an Olympian, led the winners at the awards which capped four days of events and celebrations aimed at creating deeper ties between India and the US. Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (far right) handing the best picture award to celebrated Indian athlete and Olympian Milkha Singh (in turban), whose life story was told in the winning film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.  Hrithik Roshan performing at the awards.  (from left) US actor Kevin Spacey, and Bollywood actors Shahdid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone hamming it up on stage at the Raymond James Stadium during the awards. -- AFP/Jewel Samad  Besides the awards for best picture and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film won the best actor award for Farhan Akhtar, best supporting actress to Divya Dutta and best story. It also collected a host of technical awards. The prize for best actress went to Deepika Padukone for Chennai Express, and she was also named entertainer of the year. "2013 was an amazing year for me," Padukone said after her win. "I left home with a suitcase and a dream, and I thank my parents for allowing me to follow my dream." Hollywood star Travolta received a special award for outstanding contribution to international cinema, saying he was "honoured and humbled to be put in this category". "I believe that as human being we are alike and this is a medium to celebrate our similarities," Travolta said. The award for performance by an actor in a supporting role went to Aditya Roy Kapoor for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Shatrughan Sinha was honoured for lifetime achievement. The film Aashiqui 2 scored a host of musical prizes, including those for best lyrics and best male and female singers. Honours for newcomers were won by actor and actress Dhanush and Vani Kapoor. The four-day event, with an expected worldwide viewership of 800 million, drew tens of thousands of visitors to the area and was expected to generate about US$11mil (RM35.2mil) in revenue, organisers said. The US$2bil (RM6.4bil) Indian film industry has a wide global reach and produces more movies each year than Hollywood, though the US film industry generates five times more revenue, according to the Tampa Bay Times. — Reuters Priyanka Chopra flying high! Farkhan Akhtar, who stars in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, receiving his best actor award. Madhuri Dixit-Nene showing off her dancing skills.

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'Avengers' director Joss Whedon releases paranormal romance online Posted: 29 Apr 2014 04:40 AM PDT Avengers director Joss Whedon released his newest film In Your Eyes online just as it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, joining the ranks of filmmakers experimenting with straight-to-consumer digital distribution. In a surprise video message to fans, Whedon said he was disappointed he could not be in New York for the debut of the paranormal love story that he wrote and which was directed by Brin Hill. But then he noted it was available worldwide and online for a US$5 (RM17) fee. The film is available at inyoureyesmovie.com and the US-based video-sharing website Vimeo. "It is exciting for us because it means we get to explore yet another new form of distribution – and we get US$5," said the director behind the blockbuster Avengers franchise from Marvel. In Your Eyes is the love story of an East Coast housewife named Rebecca, played by Zoe Kazan who is strangely connected with an ex-con played by Michael Stahl-David, who lives in New Mexico. Zoe Kazan (above) and Michael Stahl-David (below) star in In Your Eyes.  It is the second feature film by Los Angeles-based Bellwether Pictures, which was founded by Whedon and producer Kai Cole to bring micro-budget films directly to the audience. The company released Much Ado About Nothing, a retelling of the Shakespearean comedy, in 2012. The Avengers the film that united Marvel superheroes in 2012, grossed more than US$1.46bil worldwide. Whedon's sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron is due out in 2015. – Reuters

'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' wins big at International Indian Film Academy Awards Posted: 27 Apr 2014 08:40 PM PDT The best in Indian movies were honoured on Bollywood's biggest event, held in Florida in the US last weekend. The Indian film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag led winners of the "Bollywood Oscars" last weekend, nabbing five of the top honours including best picture and best director as the awards made their first-ever US stop in Tampa, Florida. Hollywood celebrities including Kevin Spacey and John Travolta and dignitaries from India and the United States attended the International Indian Film Academy Awards – which had been likened to the Super Bowl in terms of its security needs, traffic management and planning. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biographical sports drama based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete who was a national champion runner and an Olympian, led the winners at the awards which capped four days of events and celebrations aimed at creating deeper ties between India and the US. Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (far right) handing the best picture award to celebrated Indian athlete and Olympian Milkha Singh (in turban), whose life story was told in the winning film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.  Hrithik Roshan performing at the awards.  (from left) US actor Kevin Spacey, and Bollywood actors Shahdid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone hamming it up on stage at the Raymond James Stadium during the awards. -- AFP/Jewel Samad  Besides the awards for best picture and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film won the best actor award for Farhan Akhtar, best supporting actress to Divya Dutta and best story. It also collected a host of technical awards. The prize for best actress went to Deepika Padukone for Chennai Express, and she was also named entertainer of the year. "2013 was an amazing year for me," Padukone said after her win. "I left home with a suitcase and a dream, and I thank my parents for allowing me to follow my dream." Hollywood star Travolta received a special award for outstanding contribution to international cinema, saying he was "honoured and humbled to be put in this category". "I believe that as human being we are alike and this is a medium to celebrate our similarities," Travolta said. The award for performance by an actor in a supporting role went to Aditya Roy Kapoor for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Shatrughan Sinha was honoured for lifetime achievement. The film Aashiqui 2 scored a host of musical prizes, including those for best lyrics and best male and female singers. Honours for newcomers were won by actor and actress Dhanush and Vani Kapoor. The four-day event, with an expected worldwide viewership of 800 million, drew tens of thousands of visitors to the area and was expected to generate about US$11mil (RM35.2mil) in revenue, organisers said. The US$2bil (RM6.4bil) Indian film industry has a wide global reach and produces more movies each year than Hollywood, though the US film industry generates five times more revenue, according to the Tampa Bay Times. — Reuters Priyanka Chopra flying high! Farkhan Akhtar, who stars in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, receiving his best actor award. Madhuri Dixit-Nene showing off her dancing skills.

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'Mixology': Looking for a new love Posted: 28 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Comedic actor Andrew Santino talks about how new comedy Mixology will be mixing things up. ONE bar. One night. Ten single people out looking for love. That's the simple premise upon which new comedy Mixology is based, setting its entire season in one location, one night, and how these 10 people interact with each other throughout the night. Despite the fact that there seems to be 10 people sharing the spotlight, actor Andrew Santino says that each character gets his or her time to shine. "The show is about 10 singles in a bar in New York City that are out to have a good time and hopefully find someone to go home with at the end of the night," he said during a phone interview from Los Angeles. "We don't really say there's a lead character – the story is driven by two characters in each episode, so it's an ensemble cast. We're all kind of intertwined as lead (characters) – each episode focuses on two main characters, so everyone is kind of a lead in their own right." Santino plays the fast-talking, somewhat douchebag-y Bruce, who is at the bar to accompany his best friend Tom (Blake Lee) and try to get him back in the dating pool after his 10-year relationship ended. Described as "crass, rude, and broke" but also "smart, funny, and brutally honest", Santino says his character is also the "crazy animal wild man" of the show. "I'm the guy who will go after any girl, and do anything to get the girl, and is the party guy. He pretty much has no rules, he's off the grid, and he does whatever he wants," Santino said, who had guest star roles in shows such as Arrested Development and The Office prior to joining Mixology. Besides Santino and Lee, the show also stars Adam Campbell, Adan Canto, Craig Frank, Alexis Carra, Sarah Bolger, Ginger Gonzaga, Kate Simses, and Vanessa Lengies. The show is written and produced by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who also wrote the hit movie The Hangover, and Santino said that was what attracted him to it in the first place. "I read the script and thought it was extremely funny and very well done, and I wanted to be a part of that," he said. "When I auditioned, they let me have fun and improv, so I was immediately hooked and wanted to be on it really bad." Although Mixology revolves around a night at the bar, Santino says that viewers will get to find out a lot more about the characters as well. "We give you the back story of each of the characters. You get to learn who they were since birth. We give you their complete character history so you understand where they're coming from; and give you little hints on where they are going," he said. According to Santino, when he first joined the show, the studio asked Lee and him to go out to a bar and have drinks. It turned out to be one of the most epic nights out he had ever had. "We went to 10 bars, met a three-legged dog, got kicked out of a bunch of bars, took pictures with people we didn't know, and we got kicked out of a house party because we rearranged the art on their walls. We were just having a great time. That was one of the craziest nights I ever had out," he recalled with a laugh. Mixology premieres on April 29 at 10.10pm on Lifetime (Astro Ch 709).

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• VisDynamics extends plunge, MNC firmer
• China’s XingHe opens at 25 sen on Bursa Malaysia
• Samsung Elec Q1 operating profit dips 3%, in line with guidance

VisDynamics extends plunge, MNC firmer Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:30 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: VisDyanmics Holdings Bhd extended its plunge early Tuesday, falling to a low of 17 sen in heavy trade despite there was no apparent reason for the share price plunge. At 9.15am, it was down 22 sen to 25 sen. Turnover was 14.21 million shares at prices ranging from 17 sen to 25 sen. The company was queried by  Bursa Securities over the unusual market activity (UMA) after the stock lost more than a third of its value to close 30 sen down at 47 sen on Monday. Three other counters which fell sharply on Monday were Industronics Bhd, Solutions Engineering Holdings Bhd and MNC Wireless Bhd. Solution Engineering is 10.8% owned by Industronics.  Industronics continued to slide, down eight sen to 30.5 sen. There were 5.95 million shares done at prices ranging from 28 sen to 36 sen. MNC Wireless edged up 1.5 sen to 16.5 sen. Turnover was 4.55 million shares at prices ranging from 15 sen to 18 sen. The FBM KLCI fell 0.12 point to 1,855.62. Turnover was 224.40 million shares valued at RM72.67mil. There were 155 gainers, 139 losers and 215 counters unchanged. StarBiz reported that as at press time on Monday, Visdynamics told the exchange that it was unaware of any development that could be the cause for its share price to hit limit-down.

China’s XingHe opens at 25 sen on Bursa Malaysia Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:09 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: XingHe Holdings Bhd opened at 25 sen when it made its debut on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities on Tuesday. The China-based company took over the listing status of Key West Global Telecommunications Bhd. At 9am, there were 2.31 million shares at 25 sen. This was 14 sen above Key West's last traded price before it was declared an Practice Note 17 company. The FBM KLCI fell 3.47 points to 1,852.27. Turnover was 78.88 million shares valued at RM15.92mil. There were 77 gainers, 58 losers and 162 counters unchanged. XingHe produces edible vegetable oil and peanut protein cake in China. Its unit, Henan XingHe is among the top six edible oil companies in China. It took over the listing status of Key West under a reverse takeover exercise.

Samsung Elec Q1 operating profit dips 3%, in line with guidance Posted: 28 Apr 2014 05:56 PM PDT SEOUL: South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Tuesday reported a 3.3 percent fall in first quarter operating profit, broadly in line with earlier guidance, as returns weakened in its mainstay smartphone business. The world's biggest manufacturer of smartphones booked a January-March operating profit of 8.5 trillion Korean won ($8.2 billion), compared with guidance of 8.4 trillion won. Operating profit in its mobile division fell to 6.43 trillion from 6.51 trillion won in the year prior and 5.47 trillion won in the previous quarter. Shares of Samsung Electronics, worth $220 billion, closed down 0.8 percent on Monday, compared with a 0.1 percent drop in the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index.($1 = 1035.1500 Korean Won)- Reuters

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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

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The Star Online: Nation

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• MH370: One-child policy, burial rites among factors for Chinese nationals’ outburst, says Nazri
• Baby girl attacked by monkeys receives 14 stitches
• MH370: Australian exploration company believes it may have found plane

MH370: One-child policy, burial rites among factors for Chinese nationals’ outburst, says Nazri Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:48 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the anger of Chinese nationals against Malaysia over the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) aircraft flight MH370 was not due to negative news or speculation spread over social media. He said the primary reason for the Chinese people's emotional outburst was mainly attributed to the country's one-child policy. "We have to understand that China has (had) a one-child policy for more than 30 years and for the families of passengers on the flight, they are worried and angered over the loss of their descendants," he said when winding up the debate for his ministry on the motion of thanks for the royal address in the Dewan Negara, Monday. The one-child policy in China was enforced in 1979. Mohamed Nazri said the anger was compounded by the Chinese belief that the dead should be given their last respects, whereby the body needed to be touched but in the case of MH370, the family members were still unclear on the status of their loved ones. "The Chinese believe that for the final rites, the body must be touched. If not the body, at least they should know where the aircraft crashed. "As both of these requirements are unfulfilled, they cannot conduct the final rites and in their frustration, they direct their anger at Malaysia." He said Malaysia understood the sorrow and complications faced by the relatives of the Chinese nationals, who formed the biggest number of passengers oboard the missing aircraft. The Tourism and Culture Ministry had earlier announced it was suspending all forms of promotion and campaign for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 in China, in respecting the sensitivities of the people in that country. – Bernama

Baby girl attacked by monkeys receives 14 stitches Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:18 AM PDT KEMAMAN: A three-month-old baby girl received 14 stitches in her face after being attacked by a group of monkeys which entered her home in Kampung Gelugor, on Saturday. The incident occurred at 1pm when the baby was sleeping in a cot in the kitchen while her mother was in a room with her elder child, apparently dressing her to attend a wedding, when she heard the baby screaming loudly. "I rushed into the kitchen and was shocked to see three monkeys in the cot with my daughter. I panicked when I saw my daughter being attacked by the animals and I screamed as loudly as I could, forcing the monkeys to flee," Siti Najwa Muhammad, 21, told Bernama when met at her house on Monday. Siti Najwa then sent her child, Nor Iman Adriana Zuhairi, who had cuts across the face, to the Kemaman Hospital. She said there were many monkeys in the jungle area near the housing estate and hoped the authorities would take the necessary action to chase them away. – Bernama

MH370: Australian exploration company believes it may have found plane Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:34 AM PDT PETALING JAYA: An Australian exploration company has claimed that it has found the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, six weeks after it left Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing on March 8 Adelaide-based GeoResonance said on Monday that stated that it had begun its own search for the missing Boeing 777 March 10 and that it has detected possible wreckage in the Bay of Bengal, 5000km away from the current search location in the southern Indian Ocean off Perth. GeoResonance's search covered 2,000,000 square kilometres of the possible crash zone, using images obtained from satellites and aircraft, with company scientists focusing their efforts north of MH370's last known location, using over 20 technologies to analyse the data including a nuclear reactor. According to company spokesperson David Pope, "The technology that we use was originally designed to find nuclear warheads, submarines. Our team in the Ukraine decided we should try and help." Pope added GeoResonance had compared their findings with images taken on March 5, three days before MH370 was reported missing – and they did not find what they had detected at that spot. "The wreckage wasn't there prior to the disappearance of MH370. We're not trying to say that it definitely is MH370, however it is a lead we feel should be followed up," said Pope. Meanwhile, another GeoResonance spokesperson, Pavel Kursa added that several elements found in commercial airliners was detected at the Bay of Bengal spot.  "We identified chemical elements and materials that make up a Boeing 777 … these are aluminium, titanium, copper, steel alloys and other materials," said Kursa in a statement reported by Australian news channel 7News. MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, left the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later, while over the South China Sea. It was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day. A multinational search was mounted for the aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learned that the plane had veered off course, along two corridors – the northern corridor stretching from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand and the southern corridor, from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean. Following an unprecedented type of analysis of satellite data, United Kingdom satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that Flight MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak then announced on March 24 – 17 days after the disappearance of the aircraft – that Flight MH370 had "ended in the southern Indian ocean".

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf

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• We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
• The Islands Of Chaldea
• Half Bad

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT THE 1970s were a tough time to be a chimpanzee in America. Sure, some costarred with Clint Eastwood in movies and on TV in the inexplicable Bj And The Bear series, but the relationship between humans and primates was not a kind one in the scientific world, as shown in Deborah Blum's Monkey Wars and Elizabeth Hess' Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human, which became the affecting 2011 documentaryProject Nim. Project Nim told the story of a Columbia University study that attempted to teach language to a chimp raised as if it were part of a human family; the tale turned tragic after the study ended and Nim was lost between two species. That's the conflict explored by Karen Joy Fowler in her PEN/Faulkner-winning latest novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which imagines the impact such research also would have on the host family after research has concluded – particularly if that family had children of its own. At the centre of Fowler's story is Rosemary Cooke, who narrates with a bit of a barbed edge while looking at her past, first as a precocious toddler and most prominently as a troubled, introverted 20something at the University of California, Davis, in 1996. Telling her story from the safe distance of her early 40s in 2012, Rosemary is the daughter of two scientists who grew up in what seems a typical if emotionally repressed Midwestern family (at least from a modern literary standpoint). Her father drinks too much, her estranged older brother, Lowell, is an animal rights activist who ran away as a teenager, and her twin sister, Fern, was lost when Rosie was only five. The loss of both children has left the Cooke family shattered, particularly with regard to Fern – who happens to be a chimpanzee. Fowler takes her time revealing that rather key detail in a way even Rosemary describes as "irritatingly coy," but the choice points toward her hazy feelings about her family that slowly come to a boil as the novel continues. Fowler refers to multiple studies in cross-fostering chimps with human families, including psychology researcher Maurice Temerlin's experience raising a chimp as a human infant in the 1970s. But her novel hinges upon Rosemary's sharp voice, which at its best includes funny, self-aware asides such as an early reference to a character at a holiday dinner where she flippantly advises the reader, "Don't get attached to him; he's not really part of this story." When she was five, Rosemary was told Fern went to live on a farm, which is no more true than the stories most parents tell children about a lost pet. While this deception eats away at Rosemary, she's also haunted by a sense of culpability for her role in Fern's dismissal from the family. Did Fern's behaviour grow more unmanageable as she went from a sign language-capable chimp in diapers to a maturing adult? Or was a vengeful Rosemary to blame for splitting the family by spinning a story that revealed Fern's wild nature as a threat to the family's safety? The truth begins to seep out in a reunion with her brother, Lowell. Running from the FBI as part of the militant Animal Liberation Front, Lowell tells Rosemary the reality of her father's research and Fern's sad later life. The feverish details of Rosemary confronting both her past and Fern's present feel particularly vivid, especially as she reveals the many ways the two "sisters" communicated in a manner that blurred the differences between the species. But Rosemary has her failings as a narrator: Lowell's voice hardly distinguishes itself from hers – a fact later explained when Rosemary admits she retold her brother's story so he sounded more lucid. The admission sheds light on her own damaged character even as it robs us from truly knowing his. Although Fowler is perhaps most known for the bestselling Jane Austin Book Club, she has often flirted with fantasy, most recently in parts of the story collection What I Didn't See. Here her efforts remain grounded, even somewhat matter-of-fact as the book goes on with anecdotes taken from the research that surrounded Rosemary's upbringing. Still, it's perhaps fitting that Fowler leans on the reader to infer so much from her characters in a book whose deepest impact is in forcing the reader to reconsider the divide between humans and animals. Rosemary undercuts the emotional impact of an eventual reunion with Fern, admitting, "I can't tell you what I felt; no words are sufficient. You'd need to have been in my body to understand all that." But the line just as easily could come from Fern as the lesson remains that some divides are just too painful to bridge. – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

The Islands Of Chaldea Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT IT would be disingenuous for any true fan of the late, great Diana Wynne Jones to say they could reviewThe Islands Of Chaldea without any bias. For this is the book we didn't know we were getting, that one final flight of fancy we are able to take into the wonderfully weird realms she excels at creating. It was the book Wynne Jones was working on when she died in 2011, now finally available to us after being completed by her sister Ursula Jones. Naturally, it comes laced with the kind of sentimentality that makes neutrality a tad difficult. And yet, a few pages in, all thoughts of how or why the book was written flit away, as one is drawn deeper and deeper into the tale. Chaldea is vintage Wynne Jones, with its distinctive characters, wry humour and unexpected twists and turns, all liberally sprinkled with her patented brand of magic. It is near impossible to discern where Ursula's touch is, which is to her credit. The story is set, naturally, on the Islands of Chaldea, which are made up of Skarr, Bernica, Gallis and Logra, each with their own leaders, customs and beliefs, not to mention quirks and foibles. Twelve-year-old Aileen, descended from a family of Wise Women in Skarr, is in the midst of an existential crisis: she's failed her initiation into magic. Raised by her no-nonsense Aunt Beck, the current Wise Woman, Aileen has no idea what she's supposed to do next. Meanwhile, there are larger problems at hand. The island of Logra has long since walled itself off from the others with magic, with the High Prince Alasdair of Chaldea trapped there. Legend has it, however, that the magical barrier can be broken if a Wise Woman of Skarr crosses it with a man from each of the islands. And so Aunt Beck is sent to rescue Alasdair, with Aileen in tow. There is more afoot, however, than they first know, and soon, Aileen realises that she is more than just a tag-along on this quest. It is difficult to break down what Chaldea is about, as Wynne Jones employs her usual layered storytelling style. Yes, it is the story of a girl getting away from the shadow of her family and defining herself; however, it is also a celebration of the underdog, and finding strength in the most unexpected of places. And tying it all together is a rather sinister plot involving betrayal and double-crossing. Like most of Wynne Jones's books, the story deals in metaphors without being precious about it. The depiction of the Islands of Chaldea, obviously a tongue-in-cheek reference to Britain, is delightful, with each island brought to life in vivid detail. Her sly nods to real-life issues, such as inefficient monarchs, pedantic religious leaders and political power-play, only add to the book's richness. Populating the story are more of Wynne Jones's wonderfully imperfect characters. Even while writing for children, she has always kept her characters complicatedly human, and Chaldea's characters are no exception. Will The Islands Of Chaldea be remembered as one of Wynne Jones's best works? Probably not, for it lacks a certain edge, a subtle tinge of darkness, that the most celebrated of her books have. It is, however, a more than worthy addition to her body of work – and by reminding us yet again of her singular way with fantasy, it is also a bittersweet parting gift.

Half Bad Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Dark themes, familiar emotions and a relatable protagonist make this magical tale an uncomfortably realistic read. THE best fantasy novels are the ones that manage to show us our own world and its complex realities within their otherwordly settings. Sally Green's debut work, the young adult fantasy novel Half Bad, does this so uncomfortably well that it leaves you both enraged and depressed by the injustices of human society. The book, the first in the Half Life trilogy, is set in modern-day Britain, where witches live secretly alongside humans. While this may echo of a certain boy wizard with a lightning-shaped scar, that is where Half Bad's similarity to the Harry Potter series ends. Here, the witch community is divided into Black and White Witches – White Witches try to assimilate with humans and live under a council, while not much is known about Black Witches, except that they are cruel and bloodthirsty. Nathan, however, is a Half Code: half Black and half White. What's more, Nathan's father is Marcus, the most feared Black Witch in the world. Despite being raised by his White grandmother, Nathan has spent all his life being monitored by the Council of White Witches, not to mention being discriminated against because of his parentage. And as his 17th birthday nears – which is when witches receive their magical abilities – the council begins imposing ever more tyrannical rules on him. What's more, Nathan is facing an equally distressing internal struggle: As more and more typically Black characteristics surface in him, he starts wondering whether he is destined to follow in his father's footsteps after all – and, more worryingly, whether that would really be so bad. Half Bad has been generating tremendous buzz in the publishing industry – the book's rights were sold to 36 countries and film rights secured by 20th Century Fox, all before even being published – and it's not at all difficult to see why. Green creates a vivid magical world that is as dark as it is wondrous, and while many details are yet to be revealed, gives us just enough to leave us hungering for more. And for all that the book deals with heavy themes like prejudice, torture and government surveillance, she nicely balances these out with relatable, intensely human moments – despite all that Nathan is facing, he is also a teenaged boy learning to become a man, with all the attendant emotions and confusions. Nathan is a fascinating character, with such a distinctive voice that you can't help but be drawn into his sad existence. The author pulls no punches when it comes to the physical and mental abuse Nathan suffers at the hands of those around him, motivated simply by his mixed status. The book opens with Nathan being shackled in a cage, and it doesn't get much more comfortable from there. There are several particularly brutal episodes that will leave you cringing, and these are made even more acute by the matter-of-fact, almost dispassionate way in which Nathan narrates them. The first-person narration is, in fact, one of the book's biggest strengths, brilliantly depicting how Nathan has had to harden and distance himself in order to survive the pain inflicted upon him. Yet, in those times when he lets his guard down, he manages to endear himself to us with his authenticity – witch or not, we can all see some of ourselves in Nathan. The book particularly excels at depicting Nathan's relationship with his White family, especially his half-brother Arran; it's rather rare to read about close relationships between boys, and Green handles it both touchingly and realistically. Equally effective is the way Green blurs the lines between good and evil, by questioning if those terms can be so easily delineated. The Black witches are indeed cruel in their practices – none of them apparently live beyond middle age as they usually kill each other off – and yet, the White ones hardly seem any better, thanks to their paranoia, politicking and "the ends justify the means" approach. Much of the book is internal, with several whole chapters being dedicated to Nathan's thoughts and inner monologue while the events themselves may only take several hours. Yet, it is to Green's credit that we remain glued to the book even here. This is thanks to her interesting approach to writing, where she intersperses actual narration with a more stream-of-consciousness style that is very effective in getting us inside Nathan's head. Perhaps the only downside to this (and this is a minor flaw) is that the story tends to first take its time to unfold before suddenly hurtling towards its climax, with a whole bunch of new characters being introduced in the last third of the book. I'm assuming we will get better acquainted with them in the following books, but I do wish characters like Gabriel (a teenage Black witch Nathan meets while on the run) were given more space. With such a promising start to the trilogy, however, I will most certainly be picking up the next book, so I eagerly look forward to reading more of Nathan's journey in his dark, magical world filled with fascinating characters.

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