Isnin, 12 Mei 2014

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

One tough mother: Don't mess with these momma bears

Posted: 10 May 2014 08:35 PM PDT

Fictional mums who prove that they can wipe, whip and kick some serious butts.

Mothers are some of the scariest people in the world ... and that is on a good day. Imagine catching them when they are at their craziest, most insane mood, which usually happens when someone threatens the safety of their family. Scary thought, huh?

Here we take a look at some of the memorable "momma bear" movie characters who would do anything for their cubs.

The movie: The Blind Side

The mother: Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock)

Why she is awesome: Leigh Anne is a tough-as-nails mother who isn't afraid to speak her mind and runs a super tight household.

In the movie, Leigh Anne welcomes Michael Oher, a homeless high schooler, into her family and guides the troubled boy to become one of the most prominent players in the American National Football League.

The fact that the movie is based on a true story and to know that there really is a tough-talking, no-nonsense Leigh Anne out there just makes this character extra special. Leigh Anne is not only protective of her biological children, she is also very defensive of her adopted son Michael and proved that she would always fight for what's best for her babies.

The movie: Harry Potter series

The mother: Molly Weasley (Julie Walters)

Why she is awesome: *Spoiler alert* (but seriously, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows has been out for almost three years, why haven't you watched it?) Who can forget the moment Molly took on evil Bellatrix Lestrange, who tried to kill poor Ginny Weasley, and screamed: "Not my daughter, you b****!"? It was epic.

We always knew that Mrs Weasley was crazy overprotective of her seven children, as well as of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, but who knew that she had it in her to cast a killing curse on the lunatic Bellatrix? Obviously not the Death Eater.

the incredibles animated GIF

The movie: The Incredibles

The mother: Helen Parr aka Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter)

Why she is awesome: She washes, she cleans and she fights criminals with her superhero husband and children. How much more awesome can Helen Parr get?

While many mothers complain of being stretched too thin, Helen literally does that to keep world order and her family together. She may look tame with her soccer mum hairstyle and timid demeanour but if you mess with her family or threaten to hurt her babies, you will have to face her alter ego Elastigirl and her power to stretch like a rubberband that will snap you into submission.

The movie: The Fighter

The mother: Alice Ward (Melissa Leo)

Why she is awesome: Okay, some may say that she is more of a lunatic "ring" mum who makes money by letting her sons beat and get beaten to a bloody pulp, than a heroic mummy. However, Alice, the mother and manager of boxers Micky and Dicky Ward – played respectively by Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale – is a calculative, animal-print fashion abuser who only wants to push her sons to do their best and try to make as much money while they can still fight.

The movie is based on a true story, and Alice really is the foul-mouthed, bleached-blonde iron lady in real life as she is portrayed in The Fighter.

The movie: Terminator

The mother: Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton)

Why she is awesome: If there is one mother who has been to Hell and back just to keep her son safe, it has to be Sarah. From going into the seedy underworld to getting locked up in a mental institution to fighting seemingly indestructable robots, Sarah has done it all in the name of love.

In the original 1984 movie, famous for its "I'll be back" line uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger aka the Terminator, Sarah – wonder mama to John Connor – changed from a timid mousy woman to a butt-kicking fierce warrior in order to keep her son alive and teach him how to protect himself in a war between humans and cyborgs. Go humans!

The not-so-blushing Bride.

The movie: Kill Bill

The mother: Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride (Uma Thurman)

Why she is awesome: Hell hath no fury like a mother who has lost her child. After waking up from a four-year coma, The Bride is out to seek revenge for the death of the members of her wedding party and kill her former "colleagues" (they were all assassins) who tried to murder her.

She kills them all, in the most painful way imaginable, and in the process learns that her baby is alive and well. But of course, she is not going to let the baby daddy (Bill), who was behind the kidnapping and countless murders, get away just like that.

The movie: Panic Room

The mother: Meg Altman (Jodie Foster)

Why she is awesome: She didn't once attempt to kill her annoying daughter (played by a young Kristen Stewart), so yes, she is awesome.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Washed-up actress Valerie Cherish is back on TV

Posted: 12 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Valerie Cherish just won't quit: Nine years after it last aired, The Comeback will return to HBO this fall for a limited, six-episode run.

The original series, a sharp satire of show business and reality television, was created by Friends star Lisa Kudrow (pic) and Sex And The City show runner Michael Patrick King.

It follows Cherish, a washed-up sitcom actress, played in a meta twist by Kudrow, as she attempts to make a Hollywood comeback. Her efforts are filmed for a faux reality series, also called The Comeback.

The comedy, which received low ratings and middling reviews, was cancelled in 2005 after just 13 episodes on HBO, prompting snarky headlines about Kudrow's post-Friends career.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its short run, the series has since been embraced as a cult classic. Rumours began to swirl about a possible return of The Comeback a few weeks ago, and last week HBO made it official.

"The Comeback holds a special place in the hearts of its many fans, including many of us here at HBO," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo in a statement. "I can't wait to find out what Valerie's been up to since we last met." — Los Angeles Times/McClatchy Tribune Information Services

Jack of all trades: Jack Bauer returns to thrill us again

Posted: 10 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Everyone's favourite TV hero, Jack Bauer, is back to save the day in 24: Live Another Day.

Set four years from when we last saw Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on screen, 24: Live Another Day sees him being on the run in London after he is accused of betraying his country.

Luckily for Jack, his ally – former Counter Terrorist Unit tech-girl Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) – is not too far away when he needs help.

In a transcript provided by AXN, Sutherland said he was nervous about coming back to a well-loved series. 24, which premiered in 2001, ended its run in 2010.

"I mean, there was something about accomplishing the eight seasons and, there is never a single season that Howard Gordon (creator) and I ever felt was perfect which was what made us really interested in coming back with something we felt we got better and better at," Sutherland said.

24: Live Another Day airs every Tuesday at 10pm on AXN (Astro Ch 701).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

One tough mother: Don't mess with these momma bears

Posted: 10 May 2014 08:35 PM PDT

Fictional mums who prove that they can wipe, whip and kick some serious butts.

Here we take a look at some of the memorable "momma bear" movie characters who would do anything for their cubs.

The movie: The Blind Side

The mother: Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock)

Why she is awesome: Leigh Anne is a tough-as-nails mother who isn't afraid to speak her mind and runs a super tight household.

The movie: Harry Potter series

The mother: Molly Weasley (Julie Walters)

the incredibles animated GIF

The movie: The Incredibles

The mother: Helen Parr aka Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter)

Why she is awesome: She washes, she cleans and she fights criminals with her superhero husband and children. How much more awesome can Helen Parr get?

The movie: The Fighter

The mother: Alice Ward (Melissa Leo)

The movie is based on a true story, and Alice really is the foul-mouthed, bleached-blonde iron lady in real life as she is portrayed in The Fighter.

The movie: Terminator

The mother: Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton)

The not-so-blushing Bride.

The movie: Kill Bill

The mother: Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride (Uma Thurman)

The movie: Panic Room

The mother: Meg Altman (Jodie Foster)

Why she is awesome: She didn't once attempt to kill her annoying daughter (played by a young Kristen Stewart), so yes, she is awesome.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Hundreds of Chinese families seek wartime compensation from Japan
No nuclear deal with Iran unless actions 'verifiable' - Obama aide
Leader of China's anti-graft fight tells state-owned firms to behave

Hundreds of Chinese families seek wartime compensation from Japan

Posted: 12 May 2014 08:20 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - As relations between China and Japan plumb a new low, the descendants of hundreds of Chinese men forced to work in wartime Japan are taking big, modern-day Japanese corporates to court. They are seeking millions in compensation.

Japan invaded China in 1937 and ruled parts of it with a brutal hand for the next eight years. Chinese historians say nearly 40,000 men were taken to Japan against their will to work in mines and construction. Survivors say living conditions were appalling. Many did not make it back to China.

In possibly the biggest class-action suit in Chinese legal history, about 700 plaintiffs lodged a case against two Japanese firms at a courthouse in eastern Shandong province in April, said Fu Qiang, a lawyer representing the families. Among the plaintiffs are several forced labourers, now in their 80s and 90s, and this might be their last chance to seek redress.

The suit was filed against Mitsubishi Corp (Qingdao) Ltd, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp, and Yantai Misubishi Cement Co, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corp and construction firm Mitsubishi Materials Corp, Fu said.

The plaintiffs are each seeking 1 million yuan (94902 pounds) in compensation, a public apology in several prominent Chinese and Japanese newspapers, as well as the erection of a memorial and monument in remembrance of the forced labourers, Fu said, adding that they also want the companies to fund their legal expenses.

It is unclear whether the lawsuit, with other smaller cases, will be accepted. But lawyers say there is a good chance they will be heard after a Shanghai court last month impounded a Japanese ship over a dispute that dates back to the 1930s war between the two nations.

The lawsuits could further irritate diplomatic relations. Late last month, China released previously confidential Japanese wartime documents, including some about comfort women forced to serve in military brothels. The files also contain details of the Nanjing Massacre, a major source of debate between the countries.

The number of plaintiffs, including families and surviving forced labourers seeking redress, total at least 940, with combined claims reaching at least 865 million yuan, lawyers say.

That figure could rise further as there were nearly 8,000 forced labourers from Shandong during the war, according to Fu.

The other two Japanese companies involved in the suits are coal producer Nippon Coke and Engineering Industry Co, formerly known as Mitsui Mining Co, and stainless steel maker Nippon Yakin Kogyo, the lawyers say.

"When we took the labourers to Japan to negotiate a settlement and listened to their speeches, they moved us to tears," said Deng Jianguo, a lawyer involved in five of these lawsuits since 2007. "They (the Japanese companies) have the ability to compensate and make amends for (their) past mistakes, but they aren't doing it. I think, morally, you can't justify this."

Similar suits would be filed in central Henan and northern Hebei provinces, Deng said.

Mitsubishi Corp's spokesman Susumu Isogai said in Tokyo: "We can't make any comment as we have not received the complaint."

Takuya Kitamura, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Materials, and Masayuki Miyazaki, a spokesman for Nippon Coke, both declined to comment, saying they both had not received any complaints.

A Nippon Yakin spokesman, who declined to be identified, said the company is unaware of any new lawsuits against it.

SENSING A CHANGE

Lawyers say they are optimistic the latest cases will be heard as the courts have asked them to provide more evidence to their claims.

In 2010, a Chinese court threw out a lawsuit filed by 1,000 forced labourers against Mitsubishi Corp (Qingdao) and Yantai Misubishi Cement Co, Fu said.

But lawyers say the impounding of the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd ship is giving them hope.

The seizure had sparked some initial concerns that Japanese assets in China might become casualties in legal battles between Japanese corporates and activists seeking redress. Mitsui later paid about $29 million for the release of the vessel.

Several international war claims experts said it is important to note the acceptance by a Beijing court of a smaller suit in February from 40 plaintiffs demanding compensation for Chinese citizens made by the Japanese to work as forced labourers for Mitsubishi Materials Corp and Nippon Coke during World War Two, a first by a Chinese court.

The significance of the court accepting the lawsuit and the seizure of the Mitsui ship "is not wholly clear at this point, but it does suggest that compensation might be in the offing", Timothy Webster, the director of East Asian Legal Studies at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said in an email.

PREVIOUS SUITS

The deterioration in relations between China and Japan was a boost to activists working to win war reparations, said Tong Zeng, a veteran Chinese activist who has been leading the charge for wartime compensation from Japan.

Tong, who has also been advising the plaintiffs, said the government had previously indicated that the families should not sue for fear the legal attacks would hurt Sino-Japanese relations.

Dozens of wartime compensation suits had been filed in Japan against the Japanese government and companies associated with the country's wartime aggression in the first half of the 20th century, including World War Two. Almost all have been rejected by Japanese courts.

Japan insists that the issue of war reparations was settled by the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which formally ended the war, and by later bilateral treaties. Japan's Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that Chinese individuals have lost their right to claim war compensation from Japan and its companies under the 1972 Japan-China joint communique.

"I think the lawsuits have the potential to be very significant if the Chinese courts allow them to go forward," said Julian Ku, a law professor from Hofstra University in New York, who has written about the forced labour lawsuits in China.

"They would signal that Chinese courts will not read the 1972 China-Japan Communique and subsequent peace treaty as a settlement of all wartime claims," he said in emailed comments. "Of course, if the Chinese courts allow these cases to forward, it would be a serious irritant to China-Japan relations."

The families base their claim on the belief that Beijing did not forfeit the rights of individual war victims to seek compensation in the agreement signed between China and Japan in 1972, Tong said.

"German courts, interestingly enough, do not read these treaty waivers as barring such direct suits", Richard Buxbaum, a retired law professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law and an expert on international reparations, said in emailed comments. He added that the courts, however, do bar them on other grounds such as statutes of limitations and prescriptions against "old" claims.

JAPAN-CHINA CLASHES

The pressure on the firms is particularly intense at this time in China, which is sore about a row with Japan over a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit last year to the Yasukuni Shrine, where war criminals are honoured among the country's war dead.

Kang Jian, a lawyer representing the 40 people, said she and her Japanese counterparts have met with officials from Mitsubishi Materials, but talks with them have not been successful.

The plaintiffs are seeking 1 million yuan each, but Mitsubishi has made a "very, very low" counteroffer, said Kang. She declined to disclose the figure as talks are still going on. Officials from Nippon Coke have refused to meet, she said.

Liu Guolian, one of the 40 plaintiffs in a Beijing case, said her father Liu Qian had been tricked by Mitsui Mining into working in mines in Fukuoka, Japan. He spent over a year there.

Her father, who died in 2010, often went hungry and had to pick on food scraps by the roadside to survive. His Japanese supervisor even hacked at his leg with an axe once, she said.

Cui Chunping, who is suing Mitsubishi Materials in Beijing, said his father was abducted to work in a Mitsubishi mine during the war. "When the foreman disliked you, he would use a whip to hit you," Cui said.

(This story has been refiled to fix typo in first paragraph, no other changes to text)

(Additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi in TOKYO and Norihiko Shirouzu in BEIJING; Editing by Ryan Woo)

No nuclear deal with Iran unless actions 'verifiable' - Obama aide

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:50 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran must agree to "verifiable action" to satisfy U.S. concerns about its nuclear program or else there will be no final deal, President Barack Obama's top national security aide said on Monday on the eve of a new round of talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna.

Addressing an Israeli Independence Day celebration in Washington, U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice sought to reassure a pro-Israel audience that Washington would take a tough line with Tehran, despite Israeli worries that the Obama administration is giving up too much in the negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to Tokyo on Monday, said Iran's nuclear program was a "clear and present danger" and Tehran cannot be allowed to get the capability to make nuclear arms.

A November interim accord easing sanctions on Iran made clear that Washington and five other world powers would let it enrich uranium on a limited scale under a final agreement. But Israel wants the Iranians to be stripped of all disputed nuclear projects, a demand that put it at odds with its chief ally, the United States.

"We all have a responsibility to give diplomacy a chance to succeed. But America won't be satisfied by mere words. We will only be satisfied by verifiable action from Iran," Rice said to light applause from an audience that included Israeli diplomats and American supporters of the Jewish state.

"Put simply, if we are not satisfied, there will be no deal," Rice, who visited Israel last week, said, promising continued consultations with Israeli officials.

Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia will meet in Vienna on Tuesday for a new round of negotiations aimed at reaching a broad diplomatic settlement of the decade-old nuclear dispute.

Iran, Israel's arch-foe in the region, denies it is seeking nuclear weapons capability. Israel is widely assumed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal.

"PAUSE" IN PEACE EFFORT

Rice also reaffirmed that the Obama administration would "stay true to the cause of peace" between Israel and the Palestinians, despite the recent breakdown of a nine-month diplomatic effort pushed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Even though we have reached a pause in the negotiations, we continue to encourage the parties to work and act towards a future of peace," Rice said.

But visiting Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, who spoke after Rice and echoed her praise for the longstanding U.S.-Israeli alliance, hinted at lingering tensions between Washington and Israel over the failed talks.

Some Israeli officials took umbrage last week when U.S. envoy Martin Indyk singled out Jewish settlement construction on occupied land as one of the main reasons for the diplomatic collapse, even though he also faulted the Palestinians for signing 15 international treaties and conventions.

"We are eager to have peace not because somebody is telling us that we need peace," said Steinitz, a Netanyahu confidant. But "because it's important for the state of Israel and Israelis."

He said most Israelis would support "difficult concessions" but on two conditions – "that it will be a real genuine peace and real security."

But neither Rice nor Steinitz offered any new path forward on a diplomatic track that appears to offer little hope for now.

Leader of China's anti-graft fight tells state-owned firms to behave

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:25 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top graft-buster has told the country's state-owned industries that they also have a responsibility to follow the ruling Communist Party's rules on fighting corruption, state media said on Tuesday, as Beijing broadens its graft campaign.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to target powerful "tigers" as well as lowly "flies" in a fight against corruption that he has said threatens the Communist Party's very existence.

The party has already set its sights on the state-owned energy sector, including State Grid Corp of China, PetroChina, and its parent firm, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC).

In March, the chairman and the president of Three Gorges Corp., the company that built the $59 billion (34.96 billion pounds) project for the world's biggest hydro-power scheme, stepped down, but they have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

"Responsible people at central state organs, central industries and state-own financial organisations must not forget their positions in the party and their responsibilities," Wang Qishan, who leads the party's fight against corruption, was quoted as saying in the official People's Daily.

"Firmly grasp that not following the party's rules on clean government is a dereliction of duty, never merely focus on business and ignore party rules or only look at development targets and not on punishing corruption," Wang added.

Those who fail to follow these instructions will be held to account, he said.

This year, state-owned companies had to "shoulder the responsibility" for fighting corruption, Wang added.

He did not mention any specific companies or sectors which the government may target.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

New Zealand PM hints few election year budget sweeteners
Asia Forex: Won, Taiwan Dollar edge up; Yuan, Philippine Peso dip
Credit Suisse deal with US authorities could top US$2bil

New Zealand PM hints few election year budget sweeteners

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:01 PM PDT

WELLINGTON: Prime Minister John Key has said there will be no big-spending promises in the New Zealand budget to be unveiled on Thursday, despite a buoyant economy and an election looming this year.

Key said he has resisted the temptation to roll out the pork barrel as he seeks a third term in office on September 20, instead opting to pursue his long-term goal of moving the government's books back into the black.

"Just because there's a general election coming in September, we will not be spending large amounts of new money," the conservative leader told a business function in Wellington last week.

"That would stop us getting back to surplus, push up interest rates even higher, and prevent us paying down debt.

"This government won't be losing sight of the need to maintain a tight watch on spending."

The government last year predicted it would turn a NZ$6.3 billion ($5.4 billion) deficit in 2012/13 into a narrow NZ$75 million surplus within two years and Key said recent data showed it remained on track to achieve the goal.

The farm-reliant economy, which generates gross domestic product (GDP) of more than NZ$140 billion (US$115 billion) annually, grew an estimated 3.5 percent in the year to March, making it one of the developed world's best performers.

The growth has been fuelled by high prices for its agricultural exports, particularly from China, and a booming construction sector stimulated by an NZ$40 billion rebuild in Christchurch following a 2011 earthquake that claimed 185 lives.

Finance Minister Bill English indicated the government would adopt a "steady as she goes" approach amid signs the fiscal restraint of recent years was finally paying off.

"The track to surplus is just one indicator confirming the economy is heading in the right direction," English said.

"As the budget will show, the government's economic programme is making good progress in supporting more jobs, higher incomes, increased business investment and better public services." - AFP

Asia Forex: Won, Taiwan Dollar edge up; Yuan, Philippine Peso dip

Posted: 12 May 2014 06:55 PM PDT

The following table shows rates for Asian currencies against the dollar at 0135 GMT (0935 Malaysian Time) Tuesday.

CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR
Change on the day at 0135 GMT
Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move
Japan yen 102.19 102.11 -0.08
*Sing dlr 1.2516 1.2507 -0.07
Taiwan dlr 30.162 30.192 +0.10
Korean won 1022.80 1024.40 +0.16
*Baht 32.60 32.61 +0.03
Peso 43.79 43.71 -0.18
Rupiah 11520.00 11516.00 -0.03
Rupee 60.05 60.05 +0.00
*Ringgit 3.2370 3.2385 +0.05
Yuan 6.2410 6.2365 -0.07

Change so far in 2014
Currency Latest bid End prev year Pct Move
Japan yen 102.19 105.28 +3.02
Sing dlr 1.2516 1.2632 +0.93
Taiwan dlr 30.162 29.950 -0.70
Korean won 1022.80 1055.40 +3.19
Baht 32.60 32.86 +0.80
Peso 43.79 44.40 +1.38
Rupiah 11520.00 12160.00 +5.56
Rupee 60.05 61.80 +2.91
Ringgit 3.2370 3.2755 +1.19
Yuan 6.2410 6.0539 -3.00
* Financial markets in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are
closed for holidays.- Reuters

Credit Suisse deal with US authorities could top US$2bil

Posted: 12 May 2014 06:05 PM PDT

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: New York state's banking regulator is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from Credit Suisse in its probe of potential tax evasion involving the Swiss bank, according to sources close to the matter, which could push an eventual settlement with U.S. authorities over US$2 billion.

The New York regulator made an opening bid of $1 billion, one of the sources said, though negotiations are expected to significantly drive down the final penalty amount.

The settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services would be in addition to the fine that Credit Suisse is discussing with the U.S. Justice Department. Reuters reported last week that the Justice Department is seeking as much as $1.6 billion from the bank.

The talks between Credit Suisse and Benjamin Lawsky, New York's financial services superintendent, are ongoing, people familiar with the matter said. Credit Suisse could reach a deal with New York and federal authorities in the coming days, they said.

Federal prosecutors have also been pushing for the bank to plead guilty to criminal charges as part of the settlement, as the U.S. Justice Department has faced criticism that it has shied away from prosecuting financial firms.

Spokesmen from Credit Suisse and Lawsky's office declined comment.

The Swiss bank is eager to move past the long-running probe by the Justice Department into whether it helped thousands of Americans evade U.S. taxes.

Credit Suisse Chairman Urs Rohner told shareholders last week, "We are doing everything we can to resolve this matter within the given framework of U.S. and Swiss law, in the best possible way and in a timely manner."

New York authorities opened their investigation earlier this year in the wake of a damning U.S. Senate report that accused Credit Suisse bankers of secretly traveling to the United States to recruit clients.

The Senate report said Credit Suisse's practices facilitated tax evasion against the United States for years. By 2008 the bank had over 1,800 Swiss bankers who were handling one or more U.S. clients, according to the report.

In total Credit Suisse opened Swiss accounts for more than 22,000 U.S. customers with combined assets of as much as $12 billion, the report said.

In April the Lawsky's office ordered Credit Suisse to turn over employment and other records as it examined whether the bank lied to New York authorities about creating tax shelters.

The bank agreed in February to pay $196 million to resolve a related case from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.- Reuters

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The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Ex-Terengganu Mentri Besar Ahmad Said quits Umno
ETP and GTP on track in developing Malaysia, says Najib
Ahmad Razif sworn in as new Terengganu MB

Ex-Terengganu Mentri Besar Ahmad Said quits Umno

Posted: 12 May 2014 10:24 AM PDT

KUALA TERENGGANU: Datuk Seri Ahmad Said has quit Umno hours after he was replaced by Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman as Terengganu Mentri Besar.

Ahmad, who is Kijal assemblyman, is joined by Umno's Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib in quitting the party to become independent assemblymen.

This is confirmed to The Star by an aide of Ahmad.

The aide said that Ahmad would call for a press conference on Tuesday.

This puts Barisan Nasional equal in number of assemblymen with Pakatan Rakyat with 15 representatives each in the 32-seat assembly.

In the 13th General Elections, Barisan won 17 state assembly seats against Pakatan Rakyat's 15, and managed to win half of the eight Parliamentary seats in the state.

On Monday, Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, 49, took his oath of office before Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Syarqiyyah in Cendering here at 9.25pm.

This came hours after Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor officially confirmed the resignation of Ahmad as Mentri Besar.

ETP and GTP on track in developing Malaysia, says Najib

Posted: 12 May 2014 08:05 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: The Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and Government Transformation Programme (GTP) are still on track in developing Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"One hundred and ninety six projects have been launched under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), with RM219.3bil in committed investments to generate RM144bil in gross national income (GNI) and create 440,000 new jobs," said the Prime Minister, who delivered the 2013 ETP Progress Report speech on Monday.

Twelve NKEA have been identified under the ETP which was launched on Sept 25, 2010. The NKEA, which include sectors such as oil, gas and energy, palm oil and rubber and tourism, among others represent economic sectors which account for significant contributions to GNI.

"The GNI per capita grew by 42.5% from US$7,059 (RM22,815) in 2009 to US$10,060 (RM32,556) in 2013 under the ETP. The Government will aim towards making Malaysia's per capita income as much as US$15,000 (RM48,543) by 2020,"said Najib.

Najib added that foreign investment had also gone up under the ETP.

"InvestKL attracted 15 multinational corporations from North America, Europe and Asia to set up regional offices in greater Kuala Lumpur. Under the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index, Malaysia has been at the top 10 position for both 2013 and 2014," said Najib.

Najib added that under the ETP, the Minimum Wages Order 2012 and the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012 were enforced in January 2013.

He also spoke of the ETP public infrastructure projects currently under development, such as the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line.

"In 2013, 35% of the MRT Sg Buloh-Kajang line was completed. It's right on track," said Najib.

Meanwhile, on the GTP, Najib said the National Key Resource Areas (NKRA) under the GTP have benefited over 4.8 million low-income households through BR1M 2.0, worth a total RM 2.9bil, and that in 2013, a total of 5.2 million primary and secondary school students received RM100 in monetary aid.

"The GTP has succeeded in achieving 104% of our overall goals in 2013," said Najib.

He also pointed out improvements made under the GTP to public amenities such as the KTM Komuter system and rural roads.

"The KTM Komuter is now on time, at a success rate of 94.6% - commuters only need to wait 15 minutes for the next train at peak hours. From 2010 to 2013, we built 4068km of rural roads, five times the round trip distance between Johor Bahru and Perlis," said Najib.

He added that the Government had allotted RM2.1bil in 2014 under the GTP to build 133,000 units of affordable homes, and in the health sector had handled over 10 million medical cases through the 254 1Malaysia clinics nationwide.

Najib said that efforts under the GTP had also succeeded in curtailing corruption and crime.

Najib pointed out the violent crime rate was reduced by 30% in the first 52 days of Ops Cantas Khas, which began in August 2013, and that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission had opened 17 new investigation papers based on the 2012 Auditor-General's Report which was presented in October 2013.

He added that the GTP had also improved employee productivity by 2.3% in 2013, a figure which he said could be increased further.

"There is room for the country's employers to structure wages in Malaysia so they are more equitable and proportionate," said Najib.

Ahmad Razif sworn in as new Terengganu MB

Posted: 12 May 2014 06:07 AM PDT

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu has a new Mentri Besar in Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

Ahmad Razif, 49, took his oath of office before Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Syarqiyyah in Cendering here at 9.25pm Monday night.

This came hours after Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor officially confirmed the resignation of Datuk Seri Ahmad Said as state Mentri Besar.

"There will be not be any drastic changes to the current state administration or the exco lineup or portfolios. We will carry on with the work that has been spearheaded by the previous Mentri Besar.

"All of us will work together as a team in governing Terengganu and serving the rakyat," said Ahmad Razif after the ceremony.

Present at the ceremony were all state exco members.

Ahmad Said, however, did not attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Other exco members expressed their full support for Ahmad Razif.

"Although most of are still shocked by how swift the change was done, we pledge our full support to the new Mentri Besar.

"Tengku Adnan had given an explanation on why the change was necessary and we understand and accept it," said state exco chairman Tengku Putera Tengku Awang.

Ahmad Razif, who currently holds the Science and Technology, Environment, Energy, Green Technology and Water portfolios, is also the Kuala Nerus Umno division chief.

The appointment confirmed speculation that Ahmad Said would be replaced, following a supposed agreement with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that he would stay on for only a year after Barisan almost lost the state in the 13th general election last year.

Barisan won 17 state assembly seats against Pakatan Rakyat's 15, and managed to win half of the eight Parliamentary seats in the state.

Related stories:
Razif likely to be new Terengganu MB

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Folk music star Bob Dylan makes New York art gallery debut

Posted: 11 May 2014 08:34 PM PDT

The exhibition includes original copies oh the singer's work; a portion of the sales proceeds will go to charity.

Legendary musician Bob Dylan has made his New York art gallery debut with an exhibition of 40 drawings, limited editions and paintings on sale for US$2,500 (RM8,000) to US$400,000 (RM1.28mil) each.

The artwork comes from the "Drawn Blank Series" of sketches done by Dylan between 1989 and 1992, for example of a railroad track, a woman's back, a still life.

Black and white versions of the sketches were first published in the book Drawn Blank in 1994, which won critical acclaim.

The collection of prints, watercolours and acrylic paintings were shown in Germany in 2007, but the New York exhibition will be the first time the drawings are exhibited in the United States.

The exhibition includes several originals, but also limited edition prints. A portion of proceeds will go towards leukaemia, cancer and AIDS research.

It was a museum in Germany that first approached him with the idea of enlarging and adding colour to his sketches. Dylan, who turns 73 on May 24, worked on the paintings for eight months, said Mickey Ross, owner of the Ross Art Group gallery on Madison Avenue in New York.

The same sketch has often been reproduced in different colors, such as the back portrait of a woman wearing a green, pink or blue dress. The titles are simple, without any explanation.

"It is very important to Bob Dylan. He doesn't dictate what the viewers must take away," said Ross. — AFP Relaxnews

#MH370: Finding meaning and closure through art

Posted: 10 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

A group of artists meditates over the missing MH370.

As art is driven by human emotion, times of great tragedy have often led to the creation of works that record or attempt to come to term with such events.

In the wake of the Malaysia Airlines MH370 tragedy, in which the aircraft disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, the nation was both heartbroken over the loss of life while its imagination was captured by the unresolved mysteries surrounding the disappearance.

"When it happened, knew I wanted to do something," declared artist/curator Stephen Menon, who conceived the idea to bring together the work of 16 different artists into an exhibition about the missing MAS plane, titled Seeking MH370.

The show is currently on at the Museum of Asian Art in Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

Menon cast a wide net to ensure the collective would each be able to express their view of the tragedy in a unique light. The end result is a gallery of 25 pieces spanning oil paintings, photography, installations, mixed media and video works.

Abdullah Jones' Ended (acrylic on paper).

Artist Sivarajah Natarajan invokes Greek mythology in

Artist Sivarajah Natarajan's piece.

"Universiti Malaya was hesitant to host the exhibit at first, due to the sensitive nature of the topic. But I told them about the artists I had brought together and convinced them that we didn't intend to do anything negative or political," he revealed during a recent interview at the gallery space.

When asked what his goal was then, Menon pauses a moment before replying, "we just want to record the moment."

Menon clarified that the exhibit was not meant to be a tribute or a charity show, but focused on being an expression of various artist's interpretation of the tragedy. He says the artworks are for sale, adding that some had already been booked by collectors.

Collaborator Phillip Wong notes that since the first day the plane disappeared there had been already so much political commentary, so the group intended to show an artistic interpretation of the events and do away with the politicking.

"When things are said in words there's a tendency to cause conflict, but on canvas it's up to the viewer's interpretation. This comes from the bottom of our hearts, it's our feelings without wanting to push people to think of feel certain things," said Wong.

Even before being brought together by Menon, many of the artist being exhibited had begun work on their art pieces, all coming to their ideas individually and in a way simultaneously.

Inspired by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's declaration on March 24 that the flight had "ended in the southern Indian Ocean", Kelvin Chap created two pieces titled The Birds and The Fishes, literally merging images of birds and fish in reference to how the airborne craft had now likely ended under the sea.

Sivarajah Natarajan describes artists as shamans and story tellers that have the duty to raise the people's morale when the nation was in mourning.

Jeganathan Ramachandran adds that though they did not react as others might, it was not due to a lack of empathy but a preference to pour their feeling into their work.

"Each art piece opens a door, and offers a glimpse into what that person feels," he said.

Jeganathan Ramachandran, a former design artist for newpaper dailies, aimed to create

Jeganathan Ramachandran's piece.

Nizam Rahmat's 'Missing'.

Jeganathan, a former graphic designer for a local newspaper, says his piece Someone Is Watching is designed to be an infographic, bringing together small image stories to form a singler bigger picture.

Menon had originally intended to have the exhibition at the end of the year to collect a year's worth of stories surrounding MH370, but changed his mind when he realised all the artists were ready with their art pieces.

"There was a vibe between galleries, wondering who would want to be the first to do an exhibit about the plane. Then I thought 'why wait?' We should act while it's still fresh in mind," said Menon.

Hushinaidi Abd Hamid agreed that the group did not want to just wait until the matter was over and settled.

"You got to capture the emotion of the moment while the soul is still there," he added.

"If Stephen hadn't contacted me, I would probably still be staring at the canvas thinking what else needed to be added. There's an energy to working spontaneously; just going for it before the canvas is even stretched and the spirit is still in suspense," said Hushinaidi.

The Seeking MH370 exhibition will be on till June 6 at the Museum of Asian Art on Jalan Ilmu, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Museum opens 9am-5pm on weekdays; Saturday by appointment. Closed on Sundays. Call 03-7967 3805/3936/3849 for any enquiries.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Art Basel puts spotlight on Hong Kong

Posted: 12 May 2014 03:28 AM PDT

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong's tallest building will transform into a glowing art installation this week, a beacon showing off the city's ambition to be recognised as a major cultural hub with its second Art Basel fair.

With its knack for bringing in a global mix of wealthy buyers, artists, gallerists, VIPs and celebrities, the five-day show is the catalyst to a champagne-soaked itinerary of art fairs, exhibitions and happenings.

German artist Carsten Nicolai was commissioned by Art Basel to turn the 118-storey International Commerce Centre (ICC) on the Kowloon peninsula into a glowing installation called "(alpha) Pulse", one of many art events scheduled around the fair's opening.

Along with an installation by British artist Tracey Emin illuminating the city's historic Peninsula hotel, such displays are a flashy signal of intent by Hong Kong, the world's third-biggest auction market behind New York and London.

Hong Kong Art Basel, which begins Wednesday at the city's harbour front convention centre, will this year bring together 245 participating galleries - half coming from Asia and Asia-Pacific.

"One of the biggest contributions that we're able to make is to raise the profile of Hong Kong above and beyond being a centre for finance and retail," Art Basel director for Asia Magnus Renfrew told AFP.

"Because we are an event of this scale, we've really been able to help generate discussion around art in the city," he said, adding that he sees "huge" growth potential in the Asian art scene.

"The art market tends to follow the money and the greatest creation of wealth at the moment is in Asia," Renfrew said.

Beyond Basel

The city's "art week" beyond the fair will also include the unveiling of an outdoor sculpture studded with 8,000 Swarovski crystals by London duo Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard.

Provocative US performance artist Ryan McNamara - whose previous works have included singing songs while buried to his neck in a forest and licking Louis Vuitton bags at the brand's New York boutique - will also carry out his latest work.

The five-day event also enables the city's own artists to be highlighted on a number of different platforms.

Renfrew said that Art Basel would direct its VIPs to more than 150 art events, giving greater exposure to the local scene.

Nadim Abbas's mixed-media installations have led to recent shows in New York, Singapore and London and his "Apocalypse Postponed" piece for the fair's pop-up bar will be unveiled this week.

Lee Kit is another local star, whose practice encompasses painting, drawing, video and installation and was selected to represent Hong Kong at the 2013 Venice Biennale.

"By building up awareness, excitement and opportunities around art in the city, (Art Basel) can also help lead to the increased support of the field in general," said Claire Hsu of the Asia Art Archive, a locally based non-profit group documenting the recent history of contemporary art in the region.

"How the community leverages this energy for the rest of the year is the key."

Teething trouble

With galleries paying for a space at the fair, the hope is that their artists can gain greater exposure and better contacts among collectors in the wider art world.

However, for the Hong Kong-based Schoeni Gallery, which represents a variety of local artists, the experience of attending Art Basel's first instalment in the city in 2013 was mixed.

"Our (expectations) weren't quite met in terms of meeting new faces," gallery director Nicole Schoeni told AFP. Despite the fair offering a global platform for the local art scene, "there wasn't enough of an exchange between new collectors and local galleries," Schoeni said, adding that she expects this to improve as the fair grows.

Art Basel last year replaced Art HK, Hong Kong's former art fair that was set up in 2008 before being taken over by the high-profile Swiss Art Basel franchise.

Gagosian, White Cube, Acquavella, Lehmann Maupin and Pearl Lam are just some of the big-name galleries to have arrived in the city in the past two years, despite its crushing property costs.

The local art scene is also buzzing, with landmark heritage buildings in the Central district recently repurposed to accommodate artists and designers.

The government is also developing an entire art and culture district on the waterfront in Kowloon where contemporary art museum "M+" is expected to boast a world-class art selection.

"We are definitely at a very exciting moment," said Hsu. "There is a general sense that while Hong Kong is already a well-established art market, it is at a new stage in its development as an influential centre for new thinking around art."

One body, two faces: rare twins born in Sydney

Posted: 12 May 2014 03:00 AM PDT

SYDNEY, May 12, 2014 (AFP) - An Australian couple have welcomed the birth of conjoined twins who have separate brains and identical faces but share a body, describing their girls as "little Aussie fighters", a report said Monday.

Sydney couple Renee Young and Simon Howie learned at a 19-week ultrasound that their babies would be born with a rare condition called diprosopus, Woman's Day magazine reported.

"Even though there is only one body, we call them our twins," Howie told the magazine.

"To us, they are our girls and we love them."

Young gave birth last Thursday by emergency caesarean, some six weeks early.

Named Hope and Faith, the girls share one unusually-shaped skull with duplicated facial features and separate brains. They have one set of limbs and organs.

They are in intensive care at the Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney's west where they have impressed doctors with their progress.

"They are breathing perfectly on their own and feeding," Howie said, adding that they had their first bath on Sunday night.

"They are little Aussie fighters."

Woman's Day said the girls were conjoined in an extremely rare way and the implications of their condition was not fully clear, but they were being monitored closely in hospital.

"We have no idea how long they will be in hospital," said Howie, who has seven other children with Young.

"We just want to bring them home, happy and healthy to make our family a little bit bigger and a bit more chaotic."

Woman's Day said there had only been 35 cases in which babies with diprosopus - meaning two faces - were born joined in a similar way as the girls. None survived.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Middle-aged at risk of death from rows with family, neighbours
First e-cigarettes, now an 'e-hookah'
Boost Your Run: A website for runners

Middle-aged at risk of death from rows with family, neighbours

Posted: 12 May 2014 04:00 AM PDT

Study finds clear link between mortality and disputation.

Think again before you pick another fight with your tearaway daughter or go head-to-toe once more with the people next door over their late-night parties.

Danish researchers say people who argue constantly with relatives, friends or neighbours are more than twice as likely to die in middle age.

Men, and those who are unemployed, seem to be especially at risk, they add.

In 2000, investigators enrolled nearly 10,000 Danes aged 36-52 in a long-term study about their health and lifestyle, and followed them for the next 11 years.

By the end of this period, 4% of the women participants, and 6% of the men, had died – and the researchers found a clear link between mortality and disputation.

Those who had reported they argued frequently with anyone in their social circle, from partners and relatives to friends and neighbours, were between two and three times more likely to die from any cause compared with counterparts who had said these incidents were rare.

The probe took into account a range of factors that could potentially skew the findings, such as symptoms of depression, but it did not incorporate personality traits.

Also revealing, but less significant, was the link between early death and worries or demands generated by partners or children.

Learning how to handle relationship stress could be a lifesaver, says the paper, led by Rikke Lund of the University of Copenhagen.

"Skills in handling worries and demands from close social relations, as well as conflict management within couples and families and also in local communities, may be important strategies for reducing premature deaths," it says.

Previous research has confirmed that strong friendships and a stable partnership are beneficial for health, but there have been few attempts to delve into the reverse side.

The study appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. – AFP

First e-cigarettes, now an 'e-hookah'

Posted: 11 May 2014 08:25 PM PDT

Here's a device to transform your ordinary hookah into an electronic version.

Though many users see them as a way to quit smoking, e-cigarettes are generally marketed as a pleasurable activity on their own. So it's no surprise that the concept has been applied to other forms of more occasional tobacco consumption: cigars, pipes, and hookahs. The Chinese manufacturer Kelvin has even come up with a solution for turning a traditional hookah into an electronic one.

Like e-cigarettes and the very similar "portable e-hookahs", the Kelvin H1 is used with e-liquid, which is available in several flavours and with varying degrees of nicotine. The difference, however, is that the device can be used with a standard hookah.

Users simply remove the bowl of their hookah and replace it with the device. Next, just choose your favourite flavours of e-liquid to fill the two tanks provided. Each tank can hold up to 2ml of liquid, which is the equivalent of around 1,000 puffs.

Sold wholesale by the manufacturer, the electronic hookah kit is beginning to make its way to resellers under different brand names. In France, for example, Vapoz.fr sells the device as the "Oz Chicha" for 75 euro (RM334).

According to the reseller, smoking a traditional hookah bowl delivers seven times more carbon monoxide than smoking 15 to 25 cigarettes. Worldwide, an estimated 100 million people are fans of this Middle Eastern tradition. – AFP Relaxnews

Boost Your Run: A website for runners

Posted: 11 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

NOW runners can visit a special website and create a tracklist based on the route they're taking, their taste in music and just how much they want to feel the burn.

The Boost Your Run site is simple to use, offering a selection of well-known existing running routes to choose from, based on your location, and the playlist is created by entering your ultimate running song.

All you need to get started is a Spotify account. The created playlist will show up in it marked as #boostyourrun: then it's just a matter of saving it for later use.

Unfortunately, the created playlist, which can be saved, won't reflect the relief of the road or track in question – it's more about motivation, staying upbeat and keeping a rhythm.

However, there is one cool feature. Currently a web portal, it will also be coming to Adidas's Smart Run smartwatch before the end of the year.

The playlist will still be created in the same way but the tracks will be accessible via Spotify offline playback on the watch, meaning that there'll be no need to take your phone on your run to listen to music. – AFP Relaxnews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 12 Mei 2014