Jumaat, 23 Mei 2014

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

One dead in twin bomb attack on Pakistan capital
5.6-magnitude quake strikes Myanmar-China border
Duo catch baby after two-storey fall

One dead in twin bomb attack on Pakistan capital

Posted: 23 May 2014 05:44 PM PDT

ISLAMABAD, May 24, 2014 (AFP) - Two bomb explosions rocked Pakistan's capital Islamabad early Saturday, killing one security guard and wounding another, police said, following several days of military strikes targeting insurgents.

The first blast occurred around 2:00 am (2100 GMT) in an upmarket shopping area close to the city centre.

"One watchman has died in the hospital, he was very critically wounded and did not survive. The second watchman is getting medical treatment," said Chaudhry Hafiz Hussain, a senior police official.

He said it was not clear if the blast was the result of a suicide bomb.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the blasts came after three days of air strikes by the Pakistani military against militant hideouts that have killed at least 75 people.

Local television footage of the first blast showed broken glass and branches strewn across the pavement.

Mohammad Ali, another police official, told reporters that the second bomb went off in a car.

"The low-intensity explosive was planted in a car. The blast has badly damaged the car but no one was hurt," he said.

The second blast came around half an hour after the first and was in a different part of the capital.

The attacks were the first in Islamabad since an explosion tore through a fruit and vegetable market in April, killing at least 22 people.

The latest blasts came after more than three months of stop-start peace talks between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which have made little progress since they began in February.

A month-long ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, who have waged a seven-year insurgency, expired last month.

5.6-magnitude quake strikes Myanmar-China border

Posted: 23 May 2014 05:15 PM PDT

YANGON, May 23, 2014 (AFP) - A 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the border between Myanmar and China early on Saturday, geologists said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 2049 GMT on Friday, was located 65 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of Myitkyina, capital of Kachin state in northern Myanmar, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 24 kilometres.

Duo catch baby after two-storey fall

Posted: 23 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Miraculous save: CCTV footage showing the men catching the baby in Zhongshan, Guangdong province. — AFP

BEIJING: Dramatic images of two Chinese men catching a baby after he fell from a second storey window have been released by Chinese state media.

A man walking past a building during a thunderstorm in the southern province of Guangdong last Sunday spotted the baby, who had climbed dangerously onto the window sill, provincial broadcaster Guangdong TV reported.

In the video footage, he was joined by another bystander and both threw up their arms in anticipation of the baby's fall.

Finally, the baby tumbled down into the pair's arms.

Some reports on the incident said the baby was a one-year-old looking for his mother.

"I didn't think too much at the time. I was just afraid of failing to catch him," local media quoted the first man, surnamed Li, as saying.

The video has created a storm on social media worldwide, with thousands posting comments.

"Wow ... that is what I call a nice catch! That guy is a hero!" wrote one YouTube user. — AFP

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

'Batman-Superman' official title and logo revealed

Posted: 21 May 2014 09:45 PM PDT

It is now Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

Warner Bros has finally released the title and logo of its highly-anticipated Batman-Superman project.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice started filming yesterday in the city of Detroit in Michigan, the United States. Zack Snyder helms this movie, with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman and Ben Affleck donning Batman's cape.

Just about a week ago, Snyder revealed a picture of Affleck wearing the familiar black costume and standing next to his ride, the Batmobile. Reactions to that reveal have been positive, with many fans showing a liking for Batman's "short ears" and the Batmobile's return to a more "classic" look.

The movie also stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred, while Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane – who were in Man Of Steel – will reprise their roles in this sequel.

Although plot details for the movie are still unknown, the official title seems to hint at having links to a Justice League film that Snyder is set to direct.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is set for a mid-2016 release; apart from the US, production will also take place in Africa and somewhere in the South Pacific.

Batman with his short ears and his Batmobile.

Related story:

Is Sad Batman the new Sad Keanu?

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

'Batman-Superman' official title and logo revealed

Posted: 21 May 2014 09:45 PM PDT

It is now Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

Warner Bros has finally released the title and logo of its highly-anticipated Batman-Superman project.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Pec-man Terry Crews talks about his addiction to porn
Stephen King is set to appear in 'Under The Dome'
Geeks rule!: 'Big Bang Theory' is the most-watched show

Pec-man Terry Crews talks about his addiction to porn

Posted: 23 May 2014 02:45 AM PDT

The well-built actor, who has a new movie out, also speaks candidly about his infidelity in an interview.

Some people are moved to tears when talking about their demons, but pec-popping extraordinaire Terry Crews – whose new movie Blended is released in the US this week – kept a smile on his face when opening up about his addiction to pornography, and even moved the audience to laughter.

"I was addicted to pornography since I was 12 years old," the football player-turned-actor told Wendy Williams during an interview on her show earlier this week. "My father was addicted to alcohol and my mother was addicted to religion. So what happens is you had an addictive household."

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star, who is also the new host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and one of The Expendables, said he began looking at pornography in his uncle's basement before the advent of the Internet.

Crews writes about the struggle in his new memoir, Manhood. He believes the addiction, which he kept secret from his wife for years, eventually led to infidelity five years ago.

"The pornography addiction turns into something else," Crews said. "You can't have something like that in your life without it growing into something else. Everything grows."

Crews has been married to his wife, Rebecca, for 25 years. Their relationship survived the affair, and she sat in the audience to support him.

"Men get addicted to looking at pictures of you. That's how powerful a woman is," Crews said. "It's one of those things that took me away and it medicated me. But this is the problem. I never told anyone." — Reuters

Terry Crews with his wife of 25 years, Rebecca, and their three children at the premiere of Blended. -- AFP

Stephen King is set to appear in 'Under The Dome'

Posted: 22 May 2014 11:50 PM PDT

Under The Dome – a TV series – is based on the celebrated author's novel of the same name.

Prolific suspense novelist Stephen King will make a cameo in the small screen adaptation of his 2009 novel Under The Dome, the second season of which premieres in the United States on June 30 on CBS.

In addition to penning the script for the season premiere, titled Heads Will Roll, King will make a brief appearance in front of the camera, announced the show's executive producer Neal Bear during a press conference.

The second season of Under The Dome reunited Bear, who was a screenwriter and producer on ER, with a few of his former colleagues. Sherry Stringfield, who played Susan Lewis on NBC's medical drama, has joined the cast in the role of Pauline, James Rennie's late wife. In addition, Eriq La Salle, who played Dr Benton on ER, took part in the season from behind the camera by directing the 10th episode.

Other new faces on the show include Eddie Cahill (CSI: NY) in the role of James Rennie's brother-in-law Sam Verdreaux, Karla Crome (Misfits) as the high school science teacher Rebecca Pine, and Brett Cullen (Lost) as Dale Barbara's father.

The TV adaptation of King's Under The Dome follows the population of Chester's Mills, a small Maine town that is cut off from the rest of the world when an invisible force field mysteriously surrounds it. The residents fight to survive as resources become scarce and power struggles ensue.

During its first season, which CBS aired from June to September 2013, Under The Dome was a smash hit, drawing an average 15 million viewers each week and becoming the most watched summer series in 21 years. The drama will also be up against NCIS and CSI at the Monte-Carlo Festival for the International TV Audience Award, which is given to the show with the highest worldwide audience figures. — AFP Relaxnews

Geeks rule!: 'Big Bang Theory' is the most-watched show

Posted: 22 May 2014 12:05 AM PDT

The popular sitcom has the highest number of viewers in the United States.

The famous geeks of Pasadena have put an end to the four-year reign of Agent Gibbs and his investigation team (from NCIS, FYI). During the 2013-2014 season, for the first time in its history, The Big Bang Theory attracted more viewers than any other series in the US.

Between September 2013 and May 2014, no less than 19.96 million viewers followed the adventures of Sheldon, Leonard, Penny and their friends. Including catch-up TV services, the comedy's audience totaled 23.26 million fans. This means the show gained nearly two million additional fans in one year, a rare feat for a show that just wrapped up its seventh season.

(From left) Melissa Rauch, Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik are the awesome ladies that round up the cast of The Big Bang Theory.

While the popularity of The Big Bang Theory continues to rise, NCIS is showing the first signs of decline, although it is still in second place with an impressive 19.77 million viewers. Including catch-up, the crime drama attracted a total of 22.58 million individuals. But compared to the previous year, Agent Gibbs and his team lost 1.28 million fans.

The crime drama's California-based spin-off maintained its position in third place thanks to its 16.03 million fans. When including those who watched the show within the seven days after the first broadcast, NCIS: Los Angeles claimed a total of 17.82 million viewers, or half a million more than in the previous year.

With its 14.96 million fans, NBC's The Blacklist was the most watched new series last season. In fourth place overall, the crime drama proved to be more popular than Person Of Interest and Blue Bloods, two of CBS's other hit shows.

Another notable newcomer, ABC's Resurrection entered the ranking in seventh place with 12.96 million viewers, outperforming the long-running police series Criminal Minds and Castle.

With its 10th season, Grey's Anatomy returned to the top 10 thanks to 12.2 million viewers. On the other hand, Two And A Half Men, Elementary and Modern Family no longer have a spot amongst the 10 most watched shows in the US. — AFP Relaxnews

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The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

China identifies suspects of suicide bombing attack in Xinjiang - Xinhua
Venezuela's Maduro hits Twitter milestone, still lags mentor Chavez
Thai military to face the media as opposition simmers

China identifies suspects of suicide bombing attack in Xinjiang - Xinhua

Posted: 23 May 2014 07:25 PM PDT

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese police have identified five suspects who carried out a suicide bombing in the deadliest attack in the country's restive Xinjiang region in years, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The report said 39 people were killed from the bombing on Thursday morning at a vegetable market in Urumqi in far western China, home to a large Muslim Uighur minority.

Police have identified the suspects as Nurahmat Ablipiz, Memet Memtimin, Raghimjan Memet, Memtimin Mahmat and Ablet Abdukadir, Xinhua said late on Friday. They all appear to be Uighur, judging by their names.

The five, influenced by religious extremism, took part in illegal religious activities, watched and listened to terrorist violence video and audio materials, the report said citing the police.

Thursday's bombing was the second suicide attack in the capital in just over three weeks. A bomb and knife attack at an Urumqi train station in April killed a bystander and wounded 79.

China has launched a one-year crackdown to hunt down and punish terrorists in Xinjiang to "focus on terrorists and religious extremist groups, gun and explosive manufacturing dens and terrorist training camps, state media reported on Friday.

[ID:nL3N0O913X]

The government had already launched a campaign to strike hard against terrorism in Xinjiang, blaming Islamists and separatists for the worsening violence in the resource-rich western region bordering central Asia. At least 180 people have been killed in attacks across China over the past year.

Exiles and rights groups say the real cause of the unrest in Xinjiang is China's heavy-handed policies, including curbs on Islam and the culture of Uighurs, Muslims who speak a Turkic language.

The Uighurs have long complained of official discrimination in favour of the Han people, China's majority ethnic group.

The five suspects of Thursday's bombing formed a five-member terrorist gang at the end of 2013 and made explosive devices and chose the target for their attack, Xinhua said.

The attackers ploughed two vehicles into an open market in Urumqi and hurled explosives. Many of the 94 wounded were elderly shoppers, according to witnesses.[ID:nL3N0O80EN]

Four of the suspects died in the bomb attack and the other was captured by police on Thursday night, according to Xinhua.

No group has claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack.

(Reporting by Kazunori Takada; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Venezuela's Maduro hits Twitter milestone, still lags mentor Chavez

Posted: 23 May 2014 07:15 PM PDT

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has hit a Twitter feed milestone of 2 million followers, though his cyber popularity still lags far behind that of his charismatic predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez.

"Today I reached 2 million followers on my Twitter feed that's been active for barely a year!" he exclaimed during a speech to university students, lauding the follower who propelled him above the mark.

"Greetings to Mr. Enver Segundo Medina Dias, of Maracaibo, I'll see him tomorrow. He's 53 years old, a compatriot, Evangelical ... What was he doing up so late? It was like at 1 a.m. and this man - bam - he logged on."

Maduro, like Chavez, regularly blasts mainstream media as agents of a greedy U.S.-led capitalist system that misrepresents the self-styled Socialist state.

Both leaders proved avid users of Twitter, a U.S.-based social networking company known for its service that lets people send and post text messages of 140 characters.

Maduro's main Spanish-language @NicolasMaduro Twitter account has been complemented with sister handles in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic.

But on Twitter as in reality, Maduro has failed to trigger the same fervent adoration as Chavez, who amassed 4 million followers.

Still, Maduro said the platform is helping him reveal the "true" Venezuela to people in the country's ideological foe the United States.

"Of those 2 million, 30 percent are followers in the United States ... Every day my messages are reaching them. I thank all followers of this communications tool through which we're telling the truth about Venezuela, where we show the true Venezuela," he said.

Venezuela says Washington is behind the last three months of massive street protests. On Friday, Caracas lodged a formal complaint against the superpower during a meeting of the Union of South American States (UNASUR).

(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by David Gregorio)

Thai military to face the media as opposition simmers

Posted: 23 May 2014 06:45 PM PDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military was due on Saturday to hold its first news conference since seizing power this week, amid signs opposition to the takeover could be gathering momentum, both from pro-democracy activists and supporters of the ousted government.

The army staged a coup on Thursday after failing to forge a compromise in a power struggle between a populist government and the royalist establishment, which brought months of sometimes violent unrest to Bangkok's streets.

Despite international calls for the restoration of democratic government, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has not promised a swift return to civilian rule, insisting there must be broad reforms and stability first.

"We must have economic, social and political reforms before elections," he told hundreds of civil servants on Friday in his first comments on his plans since the coup.

"If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people," he added.

But reforms could take many months and stability could be elusive.

The news conference is expected some time on Saturday morning.

Thailand's political woes are the latest chapter in a nearly decade-long clash between the Bangkok-based establishment and Thaksin Shinawatra, a former telecommunications tycoon who broke the mould of Thai politics with pro-poor policies that won him huge support and repeated electoral victories.

Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and left the country after a 2008 graft conviction but he remains Thailand's most influential politician and the guiding hand behind the ousted government of his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

The military detained Yingluck on Friday and a senior officer told Reuters she could be held for up to a week.

"We just need to organise matters in the country first," the officer told Reuters, declining to be identified.

STIRRINGS OF OPPOSITION

The military has banned gatherings of more than five people, censored the media and imposed a 10 p.m to 5 a.m. curfew but that has not stopped some people from showing their disapproval.

On Friday afternoon, several hundred people including students gathered in a central Bangkok shopping district in what appeared to be a spontaneous show of opposition to the takeover rather than support for Thaksin and Yingluck.

Soldiers dispersed the crowd and at least one person was detained, a Reuters witness said. A flurry of photographs on social media showed people holding up hand-written slogans such as "No Coup".

A small crowd also staged a protest in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Thaksin's hometown, a Reuters witness said.

The real danger for the military would be a sustained mass campaign by Thaksin's "red shirt" loyalists.

Thaksin's supporters in his northern and northeastern heartlands have repeatedly said they would act if another pro-Thaksin government was forced from power unconstitutionally.

Thaksin has not commented publicly since the coup. He has lived in exile since 2008 rather than return to Thailand to face a jail sentence for an abuse of power conviction.

Activists say a "red shirt" group is organising a protest in northern Bangkok on Saturday in defiance of martial law.

A resolute, well-financed campaign by Thaksin's red shirts, whose ranks include armed activists, would be a major test for the military.

The use of force to put down protesters could squander any legitimacy the military leaders may have after saying they took power in the first place to end violence and restore order.

A 2010 crackdown on Thaksin's supporters ended in serious bloodshed and damage to the army's image. Just over a year later a pro-Thaksin government was back in power after Yingluck's sweeping election victory.

(Writing by Robert Birsel and Alan Raybould; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

US confirms duties on steel pipes from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand
Business as usual for wealthy Thais after 'inevitable' coup
Palm oil logs biggest weekly drop in 3 weeks

US confirms duties on steel pipes from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:59 PM PDT

WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday confirmed duties on imports of stainless steel pressure pipe from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam after finding the products had been sold at unfairly low prices.

Duties will be as high as 167.1 percent for some pipe from Malaysia, the Department of Commerce said in its final determination.

The pipe is used in pharmaceutical lines, petrochemical lines, brewery process and transport lines and general food processor lines.

Imports from the three countries totaled $39.1 million in 2013. The U.S. International Trade Commission is due to make its final decision on whether the imports harmed local industry on July 6. - Reuters

Business as usual for wealthy Thais after 'inevitable' coup

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:55 PM PDT

SINGAPORE/BANGKOK: Many of the wealthy Thais who come to investment manager Charles Blocker have a question for the generals who seized control of the country in a military coup this week: What took you so long?

After months of turmoil and government paralysis, the rich individuals and companies that Blocker works with welcome anything that might get the machinery of state turning again.

"It's business as usual", said Blocker, head of boutique investment firm Invision Capital Partners in Thailand, where the company manages some $140 million of cash in from individual investors and family offices.

"They are continuing to re-invest in their businesses within Thailand, whether that is in real estate, the food business, semiconductors, or tier 1 or tier 2 auto-parts supplies," he added.

"This coup was inevitable and a lot of people are saying I wish they could have done it in February. Why drag it on for four more months?"

That sense of relief was fairly widespread on Friday, when Thailand's stock market fell less than 1 percent - more a mild sell-off than a scramble for the exits.

Thailand's army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, said he was taking over to restore order and push through reforms to end a six-month a struggle for power between supporters of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and opponents backed by the royalist establishment.

"Thailand is now approaching the end game of the political crisis...", analysts at ANZ wrote in a note to clients.

Thai investors have been here before. The country has seen 18 previous successful or attempted coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, most recently when the populist Thaksin was deposed in 2006.

"Military rule could paradoxically offer a limited stability, allowing civilian leaders time to find peaceful reconciliation and reducing the threat of violent disruptions to economic activity," wrote Citi strategist Siddharth Mathur.

Rich Thais appeared to share that confidence. "It's business as usual. We were selling yesterday and we are selling today," said Deepa Chatrath, general manager for Southeast Asia at Swiss luxury brand watch maker Patek Philippe.

"Sentiment in the market is not affected at all," she said. A Patek Philippe watch can cost between $25,000 and half a million dollars in Thailand.

THE SAFE COUP

Not everyone is quite so sanguine as Blocker and his clients, partly because of memories of policy mis-steps by the lackluster junta that ran the country after the 2006 coup.

Boon Vanasin, a doctor and founder of the mid-size Thonburi private hospital in Bangkok, isn't betting on a quick resolution of a crisis that has festered off and on since Thaksin's ouster.

Yet, Vanasin says he is making no changes to his investments. "I'm not a risk taker and so my investment portfolio is defensive, mostly in the healthcare sector, and so I will make no change to the holding," he said.

"But in the crisis time and in panic selling, prices will fall and that's an opportunity to buy for me."

Data from the stock and bond markets shows both local and foreign investors are drawn to the bond market in the expectation that the stagnating economy will drive down policy rates, thereby pushing up prices.

Foreign investment money tends to be more flighty in times of political upheaval.

But much of the heavy foreign portfolio flows that went into Thai stocks as a result of aggressive monetary easing in developed markets since the global financial crisis have already left the country, leaving less scope for market turmoil.

So far since November, nearly $3 billion of foreign money has left the Thai stock market, according to BNP Paribas. The index is up 6 percent this year.

After the September 2006 coup, it took the military government more than a year to conclude constitutional reforms, conduct a referendum on them and then hold elections.

Investors were spooked when the authorities began to more strictly enforce a bar on foreign firms using proxy Thai shareholders to set up companies, and tightened disclosure rules after Thaksin's family was probed for avoiding capital gains tax on its sale of a stake in communications firm Shin Corporation.

The central bank imposed draconian capital controls in December 2006 to rein in an appreciating currency, only to backtrack after the stock market collapsed.

This time will be different, seems to be the view of most onshore investors, based on optimism that the military will help break the logjam that had seen much of the business of government grind to halt since protests against a pro-Thaksin administration began in November.

"It's a soft coup, a coup with a condom," said Blocker. "It's a coup that's trying to help the young adults to install a prime minister."- Reuters

Palm oil logs biggest weekly drop in 3 weeks

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:52 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures edged down on Friday, falling for five out of six sessions as a stronger ringgit dampened buying interest from overseas investors and refiners.
Anticipation of firm export demand, however, curbed losses
and kept prices locked in a tight trading range of 2,509-2,537
ringgit.
The benchmark August contract on the Bursa Malaysia
Derivatives Exchange lost 0.3 percent to close at 2,515 ringgit
($783) per tonne on Friday. Weekly prices dropped 2.5 percent,
their biggest fall in three weeks.
Total traded volume stood at 32,141 lots of 25 tonnes, just
below the average 35,000 lots.
"Prices came back down again because the ringgit is strong
and palm technicals are uncertain," said a trader with a foreign
commodities brokerage.
The ringgit gained 0.7 percent this week on
stronger-than-expected economic data and a wider current account
surplus, making the ringgit-denominated palm feedstock more
expensive for overseas buyers. The currency was trading at
3.2100 per dollar late Friday.
Technicals showed signals are mixed for palm oil, as it is
not clear if a rebound from the May 21 low of 2,492 ringgit per
tonne has completed, said Reuters market analyst Wang Tao.

The Malaysian palm market, which sets the tone for global
prices, slipped off from last week's high of 2,630 ringgit to
fall to a more than four-month low of 2,492 ringgit on
Wednesday, after weak comparative edible oil markets and a firm
ringgit triggered technical selling.
Market participants expect exports of palm oil products,
used in a wide range of foodstuff, to be stronger in May and
June as buyers re-stock ahead of a Muslim festival, but say that
weak comparative markets overseas would cap gains.
"Although exports are good, but overseas markets, especially
the U.S. and China soybean oil markets, are dragging on palm
oil," the Kuala Lumpur-based trader added.
Weaker prices of rival soybean oil narrows palm's discount
and could channel demand away from the tropical oil.
Traders said the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, a group of
growers, estimates that Malaysia's palm output grew 5.1 percent
in the 1-20 May period compared with a month earlier. The No.2
producer churned out 1.56 million tonnes of crude palm oil in
April.
In other markets, Brent crude oil held above $110 a barrel
on Friday, supported by the crises in Ukraine and Libya as well
as by positive economic data in the world's top two oil
consumers, the United States and China.
In other competing vegetable oil markets, the U.S. soyoil
contract for July edged up 0.5 percent in late Asian
trade, while the most active September soybean oil contract
on the Dalian Commodities Exchange edged up 0.6
percent.

Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1022 GMT

Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume
MY PALM OIL JUN4 2535 -15.00 2534 2560 665
MY PALM OIL JUL4 2523 -8.00 2519 2548 5968
MY PALM OIL AUG4 2515 -7.00 2509 2537 16766
CHINA PALM OLEIN SEP4 5952 +30.00 5916 5980 266346
CHINA SOYOIL SEP4 6834 +38.00 6802 6854 258534
CBOT SOY OIL JUL4 41.06 +0.20 40.74 41.15 4205
NYMEX CRUDE JUL4 103.79 +0.05 103.64 103.93 9885

Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne
Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel

($1 = 3.2105 Malaysian ringgit)
($1 = 6.2365 Chinese yuan)- Reuters

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The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Teluk Intan by-election: Man arrested for allegedly making death threats against activist
Thailand coup: Military detains ex-premier Yingluck
Thomas Cup: Malaysia storms into final

Teluk Intan by-election: Man arrested for allegedly making death threats against activist

Posted: 23 May 2014 07:18 AM PDT

TELUK INTAN: Police arrested a man for allegedly threatening to kill an activist who was involved in the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat by-election.

Deputy Hilir Perak OCPD superintendent Zaki Harun said the man, 50, was arrested in Durian Tunggal in Malacca on Wednesday after threatening to kill the activist, also 50, at an operations centre in Taman Ratna, along Changkat Jong here earlier on the same day.

"The activist with a non-governmental organisation was working on some campaigning matters when he was allegedly threatened by the man at about 4am.

"The suspect was subsequently arrested on the same day by the Bukit Aman and Perak's Ops Cantas teams," he told a press conference here on Friday.

"According to our investigations, the suspect has five previous convictions," he said.

Supt Zaki said the suspect had been brought to the district police station here to be remanded to facilitate investigations.

"We will call several individuals as witnesses or those involved with the threat incident," he said.

He added that the suspect was the first arrest made in related to the by-election.

"The case will be investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code, in which the suspect could be jailed for seven years if found guilty," he said.

Thailand coup: Military detains ex-premier Yingluck

Posted: 23 May 2014 07:17 AM PDT

BANGKOK: Thailand's former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and several members of her family have been detained by Thai army leaders of the nation's military coup.

"We have detained Yingluck, her sister and brother-in-law," a senior military officer told Reuters. The two relatives have held top political posts.

"We will do so for not more than week, that would be too long. We just need to organise matters in the country first," said the officer, who declined to say where Yingluck was being held.

According to BBC, army chief Gen Prayut Chan-O-Cha also met with key officials, telling them reform must come before any elections.

Prayut summoned governors, business leaders and civil servants to the Bangkok Army Club on Friday.

He told the meeting: "I want all civil servants to help organise the country. We must have economic, social and political reforms before elections. If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people."

Six of Thailand's most senior military officers have now been appointed to run the country, with provincial commanders supervising local government.

Thomas Cup: Malaysia storms into final

Posted: 23 May 2014 06:47 AM PDT

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia stormed into the finals of the Thomas Cup after beating Indonesia 3-0 in the semifinals at the Siri Fort Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

Chong Wei Feng defeated Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka in the deciding game with a 21-10, 21-17 score in the third tie.

Chong gave Malaysia the winning point against Rumbaka

Datuk Lee Chong Wei had set the ball rolling when he defeated Indonesia's top player Tommy Sugiarto 21-19, 21-13.

In the second game, doubles pair Tan Boon Heong-Hoon Tien How defeated Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-19, 8-21, 23-21.

Malaysia will meet Japan who stunned China 3-0 in an earlier semifinal.

Malaysia last won the Thomas Cup back in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur when they defeated Indonesia.

The final will be played on Sunday.

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'Batman-Superman' official title and logo revealed

Posted: 21 May 2014 09:45 PM PDT

It is now Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

Warner Bros has finally released the title and logo of its highly-anticipated Batman-Superman project.

Hugh Jackman enjoys playing Wolverine more than ever

Posted: 21 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

It's the seventh time the actor is wearing Wolverine's claws.

IT was 14 years ago when the relatively unknown Hugh Jackman got the part of Wolverine in the X-Men movie. This year, Jackman wears Wolverine's claws for the seventh time in X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

In an interview with the affable Australian actor – who is sporting a full beard for his next role as Blackbeard in the film Pan – he confessed with a twinkle in his eye that he is getting old and just can't fight the same.

"I haven't done stunts in 10 years. Come on!" the 45-year-old said in jest.

The truth is he pushes himself harder to get into Wolverine-shape, which he has documented on his Instagram (@thehughjackman).

"Physically, you get tired," he said when asked if it gets easier to play the role he is most famous for. "The physicality is not only on how he looks. I think it's important to show his ferocity and the animal side to him, be lean and veiny.

"So I put high standards I suppose each time. But to actually get into the character, that is getting easier. And yet, I sort of don't want it to be easy, I don't think anything about Wolverine is easy. Even if he appears to be easy on the outside, his interior shouldn't be at ease. That's just who he is – a warrior really, a very complex and tortured hero."

Although there is no word on how long Jackman would continue to play the role – it all depends on the scripts he gets – he said: "Right now I am enjoying him more than ever. I love playing the character and the movies are getting better. I got goosebumps at the end of this because all I could see are the possibilities not only for Wolverine but the entire X-Men universe."

But if there was a reboot, who does he think can play Wolverine? "Have you heard the joke of four stages of being an actor in Hollywood?

"There are four stages of being an actor – 'Who is Hugh Jackman? Get me Hugh Jackman. Get me the younger Hugh Jackman. And who is Hugh Jackman?' I am rapidly approaching 'Get me the younger Hugh Jackman.'

"I am not going to make it easier for them. At least I am going to make them work for it, alright. So I am not going to answer that question." – Mumtaj Begum

Peter Dinklage is inerested in characters with shades of grey

Fan Bingbing excited to be part of the X-Men movies

Showbiz shakedown

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Girl X: Living under pressure

Posted: 22 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Japanese play Girl X hits home with its adult fears and concerns.

UNHAPPY people are unhappy in their own ways, to paraphrase Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.

In Girl X, a play by Tokyo-based Hanchu-Yuei collective, scriptwriter Suguru Yamamoto delves into the depths of depression with refreshing wit and tragicomic lightness.

The play, presented by Kakiseni, had its South-East Asian debut at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre in Selangor last Friday, with Japanese actors Sachiro Nomoto, 26, and Kazuki Oohashi, 28, playing troubled young men.

An exercise in minimalism, Nomoto and Oohashi had only a projector for company, providing additional characters and even scenery. Simplying things further, the actors interacted with "characters" made up of walls of dialogue rather than actual images.

Performed entirely in Japanese, the actors' dialogue had surtitles, while the "text characters" sported English text alongside Japanese. In addition to dialogue, the play was also propelled forward by the characters literally saying "and then", emphasising it as a narrative being told directly to the audience.

Under the deft direction of Yamamoto, who also managed the audio and lighting, the starkness never felt like a lack of production value. The actors, too, had a few clever tricks up their sleeves, like interacting with each other's shadows or spinning a mirror in front of the projector to bounce the red screen around the room to mimic police sirens.

Not to rely only on gimmicks and technology, the serious and sometimes perverse script also gave Nomoto and Oohashi a chance to showcase their acting chops. The script stuck to a simple, colloquial style of dialogue, finding poetry through repetition and the occasional witty turn of phrase.

Namoto played Ryota, a door-to-door salesman of radioactivity-protection gear, while Oohashi's character was never given a name beyond the less-than-charming title "bacterium" (given by Ryota). The two were tied together by the fact that Oohashi's character used to date Ryota's elder sister Akemi back when they were in high school.

Though the character of Akemi was made up entirely of text, her "roles" were as fleshed out as Nomoto and Oohashi's performances. Yes, she was given her own monologues and conflicts. In contrast, the supporting characters did come off as shallow, acting only as bouncing boards.

Given the strong performances by the male leads, we can overlook that minor flaw.

One of the show's highlights was Nomoto's dedication to the physical humour of his role, from his finely coifed afro to his willingness to shout, run, and jump till he was soaking with sweat. Oohashi's role was a more subtle one, requiring him to deliver delirius soliloquies with his eyes firmly placed on the surtitles as if he was angry for even having such thoughts.

What made these characters so relatable, despite the Japanese context, were the adult fears they faced. Ryota, a serial loser and man child, begins to fear that he would lose the respect of his family, especially after his sister marries a highly successful surgeon. Oohashi's nameless character fears anonymity and his inability to connect with people.

In one memorable scene, he keeps track of each misstep in a conversation with his ex-girlfriend Akemi, collecting what he calls "alienation points". He even jokes that upon collecting so many alienation points, he wished he could use them to buy groceries.

Director Yamamoto clarifies that he did not leave Oohashi's character unnamed as an act of cruel irony against a character afraid of being unknown, but rather so that the audience can identify with him and maybe even put themselves in his shoes.

To his credit, Yamamoto created a very fun and zany pair of shoes for the audience to jump into for an hour.

A Malay language version of Girl X titled Gadis X will be performed at the Festival Belia Putrajaya 2014, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 4, Putrajaya in Selangor (May 23 to May 25). The shows have been locally adapted by theatre practitioner Ayam Fared. They will be held at Dewan Cempaka Sari at the festival venue. Tonight's show is at 8pm, while tomorrow's show happens at 3pm. Sunday's performance is at 1pm. Free admission. More info: www.festivalbeliaputrajaya.com.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Nepal glaciers shrink by quarter in 30 years

Posted: 23 May 2014 06:30 AM PDT

KATHMANDU, May 23, 2014 (AFP) - Climate change has caused Nepal's Himalayan glaciers to shrink by nearly a quarter in just over 30 years, raising the risk of natural disasters in the ecologically fragile region, a scientist said Friday.

A new study by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) shows that the area covered by glaciers has decreased by 24 per cent between 1977 and 2010.

Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya, lead author of the report, told AFP, "the shrinking of glaciers in Nepal is definitely connected to climate change, glacial melt is a huge indicator of rising temperatures."

The Norway-funded research project led by ICIMOD took three years to complete, as scientists mapped satellite imagery from several decades to see the extent of ice loss in the region.

The fastest decline occurred between 1980 and 1990, Bajracharya said, adding that prior to the late 1970s, satellite imagery reflected little change in Nepal's glacial area.

He said the glacial melting is creating huge, expanding lakes that threaten to burst and devastate mountain communities living downstream.

The accelerated glacial loss raises concerns over future access to water resources, particularly in regions where groundwater is limited and monsoon rains are erratic.

"If the trend continues, the immediate impact will be felt by those living in high-altitude regions, who are dependent on freshwater reserves from glaciers," Bajracharya said.

The findings, published earlier this month, also sound alarm bells for Nepal's push to develop hydropower projects.

"Nepal cannot use its water resources to develop the country without assessing the state of our glaciers and river basins," he said.

A government report in India recently blamed hydropower projects for devastating floods last year that killed thousands in India and Nepal.

The government panel said the build up of sediment in rivers, due to the dumping of soil that was dug up during construction of hydropower projects, exacerbated flooding when record-high rainfall hit the region last June.

British woman found dead in Bali villa

Posted: 23 May 2014 06:03 AM PDT

DENPASAR, Indonesia, May 23, 2014 (AFP) - A British woman was found dead in her rented villa on the holiday island of Bali, an embassy official said Friday, while Indonesian police suspect the victim was murdered.

Police said 40-year-old Anne Marie Drozdz was found dead in the cultural tourism district of Ubud on Thursday afternoon and that there were signs her villa had been broken into.

"She was found by the owner of the villa lying dead on the floor with a black cloth over her face," Gianyar district police chief Komang Sandi Arsana told reporters.

"The door was damaged and there were dried up pools of blood on the floor," he said, adding that police suspected murder but awaited autopsy results to confirm the cause of death.

The woman had been renting the villa since May 17, police said.

Ida Bagus Putu Alitin, head of forensics at Sanglah Hospital in the city of Denpasar, said that the woman's body exhibited bruises on the neck and around the mouth.

"But we will wait until permission from her family and police to carry out an autopsy," Alitin said.

A British embassy spokesman in Jakarta confirmed the death, adding that embassy officials were "ready to provide assistance to the family" and that they were cooperating with local authorities.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Nepal glaciers shrink by quarter in 30 years
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