Sabtu, 26 Oktober 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Indonesian capital tweets to beat traffic chaos
Typhoon weakens off Japan’s Pacific coast
Lee: Govt reviewing punishment for litterbugs

Indonesian capital tweets to beat traffic chaos

Posted:

JAKARTA: Fed up with spending hours stuck in the gridlocked Indonesian capital Jakarta, hundreds of thousands of social media-savvy commuters are tweeting to beat the traffic.

The threadbare public transport system in the capital of Southeast Asia's biggest economy, combined with growing spending power, has spawned vast numbers of motorists who are increasingly turning to Twitter to conquer jams.

Road users in Jakarta, the world's most active city in terms of posted tweets, are using the microblogging service to warn fellow travellers of traffic-choked roads or arrange car pooling.

Resorting to the web is an act of desperation for drivers in the megacity of 10 million, branded the world's most unpleasant place to commute in a 2011 survey by consultancy Frost and Sullivan.

Hendry Soelistyo was an early pioneer of online tools to tackle traffic in Jakarta, where commuters often spend up to five hours a day in a slow-moving sea of cars and motorbikes to get to work.

Four years ago the IT entrepreneur set up lewatmana.com, a website and associated Twitter account through which commuters can share real-time information about traffic conditions.

"Indonesians update their status on Facebook and Twitter all the time, so we thought, why not share information about traffic jams?" Soelistyo told AFP.

Lewatmana, which means "via where" in Indonesian, mainly provides information about jams, but also flags up flooded roads or areas affected by the city's frequent demonstrations.

The platform relies on its users as well as 100 CCTV cameras installed in office windows across the city to monitor traffic and send out pictures via Twitter.

The service, which fires out more than 14,000 tweets a month, has proved a hit and now has around 200,000 followers.

Another attempt to solve Jakarta's traffic woes through Twitter is a car-pooling community called Nebengers, which translates as "hitchhikers" and aims to reduce the number of vehicles in the city centre.

"Nebengers is like a virtual car terminal, where we can hitch a ride to go to school or the office," said founder Andreas Aditya Swasti, 27.

It is rare to give lifts to strangers in Indonesia but Nebengers has still drawn around 4,000 Twitter followers, with more than 400 people using the service every day to either get or give a lift.

People wishing to offer a seat in their car to others who share the same route put a message out two hours before the trip.

Ratna Mayasari, who works in the city centre and offers free lifts from her house in South Jakarta, said it helps to share her one-and-a-half hour commute with others.

"Before, I used to sing or even grumble at the traffic by myself, but now I have found friends to do that with me," she said.

With a dilapidated public transport system incapable of serving the city's population and huge volumes of new cars and motorbikes hitting the streets every day, Jakarta needs all the help it can get when it comes to traffic management.

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of motorbikes on the streets increased by 460 percent and the number of cars by 160 percent, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The agency, a state-funded body that gives out Japanese government aid and advice, is helping Jakarta fix its traffic woes.

Attempts by city authorities to reduce the number of vehicles, such as doubling the parking price, have largely proved ineffective. The latest initiative has seen officials deployed to let down the tyres of illegally parked cars and motorbikes.

Public transport, which mostly consists of run-down buses belching toxic black smoke and overloaded trains and minibuses, has proved an unattractive option for a fast-growing middle class that can now afford cars.

New mass transit projects - which have been delayed for decades - are slowly springing back to life, with ground-breaking ceremonies for both the city's first subway and monorail taking place this month.

But with several years before these are up and running, Jakarta's tweeters could find themselves managing the city's chaotic roads for some time yet.

"Where else can you find citizens busying themselves with traffic management? Indonesia is probably the most active, because in other countries, it's the government who is doing this stuff," said Soelistyo. - AFP

Typhoon weakens off Japan’s Pacific coast

Posted:

TOKYO: Typhoon Francisco weakened and veered away from Japan's Pacific coast after forcing more than 1,000 people to take shelter on an island where rain-triggered mudslides left 43 dead or missing last week.

The centre of the storm, packing winds of up to 144kph, was located some 400km southeast of Tokyo at noon (0300 GMT) as it moved eastwards at 45kph, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Lekima, located further east and packing stronger winds, was also expected to be downgraded by this morning.

On the volcanic island of Oshima, some 120km south of Tokyo, 1,300 people spent the night in public shelters for fear of more mudslides mixed with rock and volcanic ash.

"It has been raining overnight but no landslides or mudslides have been reported near main roads," an official of the Oshima town office said.

But the town mayor, Masafumi Kawashima, told local media: "Disasters involving earth and sand could occur after it stops raining. We will maintain vigilance."

The town issued an advisory to the island's entire population to take shelter against Francisco.

It has some 8,400 islanders but many were thought to have left the island to avoid mudslides.

Evacuees on the island were further rattled by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked eastern Japan overnight triggering a small tsunami. — AFP

Lee: Govt reviewing punishment for litterbugs

Posted:

The Government is reviewing penalties against litterbugs, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the launch of the annual Clean and Green Campaign.

Lee pointed out that while most Singaporeans take pride in their environment and do not litter, there are a minority who litter, dirty tables at hawker centres and even abuse enforcement officers. "We must not condone such bad behaviour, or let it spread," he said.

Details of the review were not available. For now, those caught littering now would still face a composition fine of up to S$300 (RM762).

At the campaign launch at Serangoon Central, Lee also said that Singapore's green plan – the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint – is being updated with new programmes such as building environmentally-friendly hawker centres and reducing carbon emission.

Lee also presented awards to two community development councils and five constituencies for their "go green" efforts and appointed six gardening ambassadors. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Sneak peek: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Posted:

Filmmaker Bryan Singer reveals a teaser trailer and pictures from next year's superhero film.

The producer and director of X-Men: Days Of Future Past has revealed a teaser trailer as well as some behind-the-scenes pictures of the movie.

These were all posted on the superhero film's official social media pages (Instagram and Facebook), while Singer tweeted them out last night.

In addition to that, Singer will also be hosting a Twitter chat on Oct 28 at 10.30am (Oct 29 in Malaysia at 1.30am) to promote the upcoming trailer and answer questions from fans. You can join in the chat – it will run simultaneously on Singer's Twitter account (www.twitter.com/bryansinger) and the film's official page (www.twitter.com/xmenmovies) – but do use the hashtags #XMen and #AskSinger when submitting a question.

The official trailer will debut globally on Oct 29 at 9pm (in Malaysia) via YouTube (www.youtube.com/xmenmovies).

X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set to open in cinemas on May 22, 2014. The movie revolves around characters from the original X-Men movie trilogy who join forces with their younger selves – those hot-looking guys from X-Men: First Class – in an epic battle to save the future.

It stars Jennifer Lawrence (as Raven aka Mystique), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr ake Magneto), Evan Peters (Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat), Hugh Jackman (Logan aka Wolverine), Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy aka Beast), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Anna Paquin (Marie aka Rogue), Peter Dinklage (Bolivar aka Trask), Ian McKellen (older Lehnsherr/Magneto), Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe aka Storm), Patrick Stewart (Prof Charles Xavier), Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake aka Iceman), Lucas Till (Alex Summers aka Havok) and Daniel Cudmore (Piotr Rasputin aka Colossus).

Bamboozled by bullies

Posted:

Bullies are everywhere, even on celluloid and the telly.

WE were appalled when we read what our colleagues at R.AGE reported on the issue of bullying recently. Eighty percent of young Malaysians have been bullied. We thought the figure was wrong ... 80% is way too high. Or is it?

When the entertainment team sat down to talk about this, we realised that this statistic couldn't be further from the truth. If art usually imitates life, then a look at the content of (high-profile) movies and TV shows nowadays should be an indication that cases of bullying are on the rise.

Now, more so than ever, pop culture is bearing its beam down on bullies. Switch on the TV or walk into a cinema, and chances are, you will a see story about bullying.

Teens are usually the victims, but bullies aren't necessarily always their peers. In Bates Motel, it is the mother; in The Hunger Games, it is the government; in earlier episodes of Glee, it was their teacher Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) who was the tormentor.

Physical altercations aside, victims these days have to endure emotional as well as cyber attacks!

Star2 takes a look at the various existing shows which tackle the bullying issue. While they may seem a tad dramatic (well, it is Hollywood, after all), these stories could mirror what's happening in our society.

Ender's Game

Plot: In Ender's Game (opening Nov 7) Young Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfied) is given the option to join a military school in space where he will be trained for a planned attack on an alien invader that tried to take over Earth.

One of the reasons why he is determined to join the military is because he can't stand his nasty older brother and schoolmate who always taunts him.

At the military school, however, Ender learns that he has not escaped bullies – they are still there, be it the other boys who goad him at every opportunity or the supervisors who push, and push him to be the person they think he is.

Defence mechanism: Being very, very, smart, Ender figures out that to ensure he is not bullied anymore, he has to play the bullies' game and ultimately, fight back. So he calculates his moves and strikes.

What he should've been done: Obviously, the adults in the army think that striking back is a lesson Ender must learn. In any war, there is the option of discussion and negotiation, leaving bloodshed out of the picture. It would've been good if adults intervened and sat the boys together and just talked.

Bates Motel

Norman Bates should confide in Emma instead of suffering in silence.

Plot: Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore), on the surface, looks like a normal teenager. But he has a deep dark secret.

No, we are not talking about his constant blackouts in which he may or may not have killed his father and a teacher. We are referring to his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), who uses guilt and emotional blackmail to bully Norman into submission.

Then, there's his stepbrother Dylan (Max Theriot) who rough-houses Norman because he's a mummy's boy. Physical and emotional bullying? No wonder he ends up a psycho killer.

Defence mechanism: Norman keeps to himself, becomes a loner and then starts hallucinating, hearing "voices" which instruct him to kill.

What he should have done: Consult a medical professional. Obviously, those "voices" aren't real. But since his mother prohibited Norman from seeking help, the next best thing was to confide in his classmate Emma (Olivia Cooke), who might have been able to help him out by telling her father the situation.

Maybe then welfare services may have reached the Bates Motel to check things out.

Pretty Little Liars

Plot: When their friend Alison disappears (and later presumed dead), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Aria (Lucy Hale), Spencer (Troian Bellisario), and Emily (Shay Mitchell) are devastated and scared.

Their lives are turned upside down when an unknown villain, who goes by the moniker "A", starts threatening to expose their secret if they don't do as he/she says.

"A" contacts the girls via SMS, e-mail and notes. The threats eventually turn, not only violent, (running one of the girls off the road) but "A" soon targets their family members and loved ones.

(From left) Emily, Hanna, Aria and Spencer have to do community service after being arrested with a murder weapon ... no thanks to 'A'.

Defence mechanism: The girls take things into their own hands, trying to find out just who is "A". Unfortunately, "A" is always two steps ahead of the girls. This results in the girls digging themselves a deeper grave ... just what "A" wants.

What they should have done: Do you know that if you are being blackmailed, threatened or bullied online, you can report it to authorities such as the MCMC (Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission)?

Even if the girls didn't want the authorities involved, they should've come clean with their parents about this problem right from the start, instead of getting entangled in this messy web. In this case, honesty is the best policy.

Carrie

Plot: Based on the book by Stephen King, Carrie (opening in Malaysia on Nov 7) tells the story of a lonely teenager (Chloe Moretz) who is subjected to humiliation by her schoolmates. She then comes home only to face a religious-zealot of a mother who gives her no emotional support whatsoever as she goes through teenage angst.

Things take a turn for the weird when Carrie discovers she has developed telekinetic powers – a fact she hides from both her mother and her peers, as she doesn't want the label "freak" to be confirmed.

Defence mechanism: With so much unfairness happening to her, no one can blame Carrie for unleashing her power on her cruel schoolmates on prom night; a night that ends with dire consequence.

What she should've done: If stories on X-Men and Heroes are anything to go by, then the thing for Carrie to do is to find people like herself, so she doesn't feel like the odd one out. Besides strength in numbers, having friends who understand makes a whole lot of difference.

Percy Jackson series

Plot: Doctors have pegged Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) as dyslexic. This condition has made him the target for bullies in his class. In actuality, Percy's brain is wired such so that he can read Greek letters, not Roman; this is because he is the son of a Greek god.

Upon learning his origin, he goes to a camp filled with other teens like him. Only problem is, some of these children of god are very competitive and have no qualms of hurting others to be ahead of class.

Defence mechanism: He acts impulsively. Although in his heart Percy wants to better the bad situation, he sometimes makes it worse by sticking his nose in things he shouldn't be involved in.

What he should've done: Percy is one character who does the right thing. He asks for help from his father, who in turns sends him his half-brother who is a caring guy and someone Percy can depend on. Also, Percy has good friends who stand by him no matter what, which is always great.

In the end, even the bully becomes his friend.

Percy Jackson (centre) sneaks around with his friends so he can go off on an adventure he has been forbidden to go.

Glee

Plot: Cold, biting, sticky and most of all, humiliating, the slushie is the most iconic symbol of bullying seen on the hallways of McKinley High in Glee.

The hit musical comedy-drama centres on the life and struggles of members of the school's Glee Club, a show choir group comprising an array of oddballs and outcasts.

Getting a slushie facial – being splashed on the face by the flavoured frozen drink – is a reminder of just how uncool and unpopular one is.

Characters who have been regularly slushied include popular football jock Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) for joining the Glee Club, fashion forward Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) for his sexuality and of course, ambitious, Barbara Streisand-loving Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) for being the face of New Directions.

Defence Mechanism: Who can forget the episode where the Gleeks, clad in t-shirts that spelled out their insecurities, sang and danced together to Lady Gaga's Born This Way?

For the most part, that's what they do. They sing about their pain – it is Glee Club after all – and talk to each other within the safe, judgement-free confines of their choir room.

What they should have done: While music heals in ways words cannot, it's important for these troubled teens to talk to someone about their plight, preferably someone older (er no, not coach Sue Sylvester).

The kids should take guidance counsellor Ms Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) more seriously. If you can see past her OCD and her occasional lapse of judgment, those brochures she recommend can be really hilarious, we mean, helpful.

The Hunger Games series

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) band together to outsmart their evil authorities in The Hunger Games film series.

Plot: The government can be the biggest bully at times. Adolescents, with their barely developed body parts, are forced to fight each other to the death in this post-apocalyptic film series.

In the first instalment, 12 children from around the nation of Panem are selected to take part in the annual Hunger Games, a televised event that sees them pouncing on each other until one remaining survivor is left.

In the upcoming Catching Fire, previous winners of the competition must fight it out once again in a special edition of the event.

Defence Mechanism: Protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has no choice but to go along and play the treacherous game but her spunk and tenacity eventually inspires many around her to start a rebellion against the government.

What they should have done: Children, no matter how spirited or courageous, are just children. Parents need to defend their young and stand up against the oppression on their behalf.

As in real life, it's up to parents to protect their child's interests, be it an unjust school ruling or a rickety classroom chair. These bullies need to pick on someone their own size.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Plot: The film is a coming-of-age tale focusing on the life of quintessential wallflower, Charlie (Logan Lerman). On his first day of high school, he doesn't speak much, eats lunch alone and gets picked on by his peers.

The 15-year-old boy, it seems, has just finished a stint at a mental hospital and is still reeling from the pain of losing his best friend who committed suicide. Charlie then befriends seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his step sister Sam (Emma Watson) and the three forge a close friendship.

We later learn that Patrick, too, is being bullied for his sexuaity.

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWERPh: John Bramley© 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower shows us ... the perks of having good friends to count on in troubled times.

Defence mechanism: Charlie made the first move to approach Patrick and Sam. This shows just how desperate he is to find a place where he is accepted and understood by like-minded (especially fellow bully victim, Patrick) friends.

What they should have done: Charlie is doing a great job spreading his vines and reaching out to other wallflowers. Given the fact that Charlie has sought help from a mental institution, what he needs right now is not another counselor (and definitely not another shrink) but a new best friend.

Meanwhile, Patrick, too, can rely on Charlie and Sam to help him regain his self-esteem and deal with the bullies. It's easy to get rid of a patch of wallflowers but how about a wall full of them?

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Army says pushing back M23 rebels in eastern Congo
Protesters march in Washington against NSA spying
Factbox - Main candidates in Georgia's presidential election

Army says pushing back M23 rebels in eastern Congo

Posted:

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - The Congolese army said it made significant advances against eastern rebel forces in a second day of fierce fighting on Saturday and called on neighbouring Rwanda to help disarm the insurgents.

The army clashed with M23 rebels on Friday for the first time in two months after peace talks in Uganda broke down this week. Rwanda accused the army of firing a shell into its territory, sparking fears its military might intervene.

M23 said in a statement on Saturday that the army had launched a "generalized attack" on several fronts but that the fighting was turning in its favour.

Army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli said, however, that M23 had been forced out of Kibumba, a town 20 km (13 miles) north of Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We have pushed M23 into the hills on the Rwandan border," he told a Reuters reporter near the front line. "We now call on Rwanda to help us disarm their fighters."

Hamuli said the army was also advancing from Rwindi, north of M23-controlled territory in Congo's North Kivu province, attacking the rebel group in a pincher movement.

U.N. investigators have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, charges that Kigali denies.

M23 formed in early 2012 when army soldiers mutinied, saying the government had broken a 2009 peace deal signed with a previous Rwanda-backed rebel movement.

On Friday, Rwanda said shells fired by the Congolese army landed in its territory. Rwanda's U.N. ambassador told a closed-door meeting of the Security Council it would not tolerate such shelling and could respond militarily, diplomats said.

The fighting is the most serious since late August, when the Congolese army and a new U.N. Intervention Brigade forced M23 from positions just north of Goma. The brigade, made up mostly of South African and Tanzanian soldiers, has a mandate to take on and destroy armed groups in eastern Congo.

On-and-off peace talks between the government and M23, taking place in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, since December, stalled on Monday, with the government saying it would not offer rebel leaders a blanket amnesty.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, said on Friday it was on high alert and monitoring the clashes. MONUSCO aircraft flew over the region, but South African and Tanzanian troops present near the front line did not join the combat.

A U.N. spokesman in New York said some 5,000 civilians had fled across the border into Rwanda.

In a joint statement, U.N. special envoy to the Great Lakes region Mary Robinson and head of MONUSCO Martin Kobler urged restraint and called on both sides to return to the negotiating table in Kampala.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Saturday it was "deeply concerned" about reports of increased fighting in North Kivu and particularly reports of cross-border firing and called "on all parties to refrain from acts of further escalation."

(Additional reporting by Pete Jones and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Robin Pomeroy and Peter Cooney)

Protesters march in Washington against NSA spying

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters marched on Capitol Hill in Washington on Saturday to protest the U.S. government's online surveillance programs, whose vast scope was revealed this year by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

People carried signs reading: "Stop Mass Spying," "Thank you, Edward Snowden" and "Unplug Big Brother" as they gathered at the foot of the Capitol to demonstrate against the online surveillance by the National Security Agency.

Estimates varied on the size of the march, with organizers saying more than 2,000 attended. U.S. Capitol Police said they do not typically provide estimates on the size of demonstrations.

The march attracted protesters from both ends of the political spectrum as liberal privacy advocates walked alongside members of the conservative Tea Party movement in opposition to what they say is unlawful government spying on Americans.

"I consider myself a conservative and no conservative wants their government collecting information on them and storing it and using it," said Michael Greene, one of the protesters.

"Over the past several months, we have learned so much about the abuses (of privacy) that are going on and the complete lack of oversight and the mass surveillance into every detail of our lives. And we need to tell Congress that they have to act," said another protester, Jennifer Wynne.

The event was organized by a coalition known as "Stop Watching Us" that consists of some 100 public advocacy groups and companies, including the American Civil Liberties Union, privacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation, Occupy Wall Street NYC and the Libertarian Party.

The groups have been urging Congress to reform the legal framework supporting the NSA's secretive online data gathering since Snowden's disclosure of classified information about the programs that are designed to gather intelligence about potential foreign threats.

The Obama administration and many lawmakers have defended the NSA programs as crucial in protecting U.S. national security and helping thwart past militant plots. They have also said the programs are carefully overseen by Congress and the courts.

Snowden's disclosures have raised concerns that NSA surveillance may span not just foreign, but domestic online and phone communication.

"We are calling on Congress to take immediate action to halt this surveillance and provide a full public accounting of the NSA's and the FBI's data collection programs," Stop Watching Us said in a letter addressed to members of Congress posted online, calling for a reform of the law known as the Patriot Act.

That law marked its 12th anniversary on Saturday. It was passed in 2001 to improve anti-terrorism efforts and is now under scrutiny by privacy advocates who say it allows "dragnet" data gathering.

"Our representatives in Congress tell us this is not surveillance. They're wrong," Snowden said in a statement before Saturday's rally. Wanted in the United States on espionage charges, he is now in temporary asylum in Russia.

His latest disclosures showed that the United States may have tapped the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, adding to the growing outrage against U.S. data-gathering practices abroad and prompting a phone call between Merkel and President Barack Obama.

(Reporting by Alina Selyukh and Greg Savoy; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Factbox - Main candidates in Georgia's presidential election

Posted:

(Reuters) - Georgia elects a new president on Sunday that will bring the curtain down on Mikheil Saakashvili's decade in power.

Twenty-three candidates will run in the election, the largest number since the former Soviet republic held its first presidential election in 1991. Saakashvili is barred from running after serving two terms.

Here are some facts on the main candidates and the rules.

GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, 44, Georgian Dream's presidential candidate, is the front runner, according to opinion polls.

Ivanishvili, who describes Margvelashvili as his close confidant, has predicted a first-round victory, adding that his candidate should pull out if the vote goes to a second round.

Margvelashvili, who holds a doctoral degree in philosophy from Tbilisi State University, was a rector of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs. Ivanishvili appointed him as education minister after last year's parliamentary election, and later promoted him to deputy prime minister.

DAVID BAKRADZE, 41, was nominated by Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) Party and leads its group in parliament, where he was speaker from 2008 to 2012.

Bakradze, a mathematician who according to recent polls enjoys the highest favourability rating among opposition politicians, has accused the Georgian Dream government of failing to deliver on its economic and social promises.

NINO BURJANADZE, 49, was one of the leaders of Georgia's 2003 "Rose Revolution". When Saakashvili was elected president, she became speaker of parliament but resigned in early 2008, criticising the president's record on democracy, and formed her own opposition party.

A lawyer who lists former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher among her idols, Burjanadze served as an interim president twice, for 40 days each time. She led street protests that came to a violent end in May 2011, when riot police broke up a demonstration on the capital's Rustaveli Avenue.

Burjanadze accuses the government of betraying its election promise to restore justice, and criticises it for failing to re-engage fully with Russia.

ELECTORATE: The Central Election Commission (CEC) says there are about 3.5 million eligible voters in the Caucasus nation of 4.5 million.

VOTING HOURS: Polls open at 8 a.m. (0400 GMT) and close at 8 p.m. (1600 GMT). First official preliminary results are expected within hours of polls closing.

RULES: Georgian presidents are elected every five years. The presidency is limited to a maximum of two terms.

There is no turnout threshold for an election to be valid.

A candidate must get at least 50 percent plus one vote to be elected outright in the first round.

A run-off is held within two weeks if none of the candidates wins a simple majority in the first round.

(Reporting by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Mark Trevelyan)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation

Students assemble robotic bomb disposal rover for science festival
MASwings to increase capacity
Fong: Allegations are utter lies

Students assemble robotic bomb disposal rover for science festival

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Defusing a bomb is risky business, but advancements in robotics have greatly reduced the chances of injury or loss of life.

Robotic technology might not be new, but that didn't stop a group of engineering students from the Multimedia University from designing a robotic arm as their main exhibit at the Petrosains Science Festival 2013 at Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, Suria KLCC.

"The structure was made from 3D printing, which allowed us to conceptualise the entire design in detail before we put the whole thing together," said Gary Yap, 21, a telecommunication engineering student at the university.

Looking somewhat like the Lunar Rover with an arm, the structure is made of plastic, remote-controlled motors and wheels.

In another exhibit, audiovisual equipment company Nova Spectra displayed its LED screens that would enable Formula One circuit spectators to watch and listen to the races live.

The firm is contracted to supply the screens in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and the United States racing circuits.

The festival was abuzz with students, children and adults walking around the exhibition spaces in Petrosains and KLCC's Centre Court area, which now displays a pair of Petronas F1 car simulators.

Chief executive officer of Petrosains Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim was pleased with the number of visitors the festival has attracted so far, saying that it exceeded expectations.

The weekend's attractions promise to be exciting, with Mejar (Dr) Faiz Khaleed – who was trained as an astronaut – debunking the myths of gravity, celebrity fitness guru Kevin Zahri presenting his fitness regimes, a talk on bottles and polycarbonates aimed at parents, and a studio lighting demo by SEGi College's art faculty.

The six-day festival, themed Bringing Science Alive, incorporates the three key elements of discovery, play and innovation, making science a holistic learning experience.

Petrosains Science Festival 2013 also aims to make science casual and fun by incorporating workshops, science shows, contests and stage performances.

Key partners for the inaugural festival include Petronas, Google Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia, The Star – the event's official newspaper, and Nova Spectra.

Petrosains Science Festival 2103 is held at Petrosains, as well as Suria KLCC's Centre Court and Esplanade from today to tomorrow.

Festival hours at Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, are from 9.30am-5.30pm on weekdays and closes at 8.30pm from Friday to Sunday.

Activities at Suria KLCC's Centre Court are from 10am-10pm daily while the fun at the Esplanade lasts from 4pm-7pm.

For more info, visit www.sciencefestival.my.

MASwings to increase capacity

Posted:

KOTA KINABALU: Three more European-made ATR72-600 will be added to MASwings' fleet in its bid to increase capacity and flight frequencies.

MASwings chief commercial officer Shauqi Ahmad said the three aircraft were expected to arrive in March, July and September next year.

"The new additions will help MASwings expand its network and increase its frequencies," he said.

MASwings had, two months ago, received one new ATR72-600, which is now being utilised to operate additional services from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Labuan in Sabah.

However, the rationalisation exercise would see its twice-weekly Kota Kinabalu–Balikpapan service suspended temporarily.

"MASwings gives assurance that it will honour all forward bookings ticketed prior to Oct 27," Shauqi said.

Passengers who have purchased their tickets for travel after Oct 27 will be offered either a refund or make self-arrangements for return trips for those who have used one of their two-way ticket.

Shauqi also said MASwings was planning to introduce three times weekly services of Kota Kinabalu-Puerto Princesa (in the Philippines), effective Nov 19, and four times weekly services of the Mulu-Bandar Seri Begawan route from Nov 7.

Under the new schedule, MASwings will add three more flights to the existing daily services on the Kuching-Pontianak route, starting Nov 8.

"Linking Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan with Kota Kinabalu will facilitate tourist movement between these two resort cities," Shauqi said.

He said the Pontianak route was one of the strong destinations for MASwings.

Fong: Allegations are utter lies

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Allegations relating to the sale of assets by Star Publications (M) Bhd are lies, spread with the intention to tarnish the image of the company and its management.

Company chairman Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn said the reports circulating on the Internet were actuated by ulterior motives and rigged with unfounded accusations based on unsubstantiated facts and figures.

"It has come to my attention that there has been news circulating on portals with regards to the selling of assets by the company as well as other serious allegations pertaining to the management.

"These reports are an attempt to put the management in bad light and bring it into disrepute," he said in a statement.

"I do not wish to go into details about these reports. This is for the simple reason that they are all utter lies, defamatory and crafted with deceitful intention."

Dr Fong said the management advised those who have read these reports or received them via email to not reproduce them as the reports are all misleading, mischievous, malicious and defamatory in nature.

He added that the management had lodged police reports and consulted its lawyers, with a view to taking legal action against all those propagating false, misleading, defamatory and malicious reports.

"All those reproducing, republishing and recirculating these reports are also equally liable," he warned.

Dr Fong also defended the sale of Tunku Abdul Rahman's former residence in Bukit Tunku, which appreciated substantially in value after it was acquired by The Star.

"It was only sold to one of Tunku's relatives, a senior member of the royalty, and even then at a substantial profit. It was certainly not sold to a developer," he said.

On newsprint, Dr Fong said the material was bought at a competitive price after going through a transparent process, and not at US$650 (RM2,037) per tonne as alleged.

He added that the company did not make any purchase of newsprint in the third quarter of 2013 due to a group-wide cost control exercise.

Dr Fong said the purchase of LiTV was to secure the future of the business, with Star expanding its wings to various platforms to further generate revenue.

"Star acquired LiTV because TV (and screen business) is the future and the gestation period will take a few years," he said.

"LiTV is Asia's new lifestyle TV channel on High Definition, available across six countries, specifically Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan," he said.

Dr Fong said LiTV had already attracted interest from companies in the United States and South Korea, which had offered a much higher price for control of the channel.

"LiTV's purchase was an arm's length transaction," he said.

"According to the founder, there was never an offer from Asian Broadcasting Network (ABN) at RM15mil or at all. In fact ABN launched its service this year when LiTV was acquired two years ago," he said.

Dr Fong also hit out at the attempt to mislead the public on its circulation and readership numbers.

"In fact The Star's circulation has recorded a steady increase in numbers since 2009," he said.

"The Star's readership of 1.62 million is the highest among all English dailies. Anyone who needs to know the truth can check with the Audit Bureau of Circulations and AC Nielsen," he added.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Sneak peek: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Posted:

Filmmaker Bryan Singer reveals a teaser trailer and pictures from next year's superhero film.

The producer and director of X-Men: Days Of Future Past has revealed a teaser trailer as well as some behind-the-scenes pictures of the movie.

These were all posted on the superhero film's official social media pages (Instagram and Facebook), while Singer tweeted them out last night.

The official trailer will debut globally on Oct 29 at 9pm (in Malaysia) via YouTube (www.youtube.com/xmenmovies).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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Your chance to be a star

Posted:

Dama Orchestra to educate aspiring actors, singers and musicians with its Young Artists Programme.

Ever wanted to be on stage and belt out a number from Les Miserables but lacked the training for it?

Enrol to Dama Orchestra's Young Artists Programme (YAP) and embark on a journey that will explore the intricacies of acting and musical theatre. Initiated as part of Dama's 20th anniversary, YAP is open to those between 18 and 30 years old and eligibility is determined via an audition process, which will be happening on Oct 25 (Friday) and Oct 27 (Sunday).

As places are limited, interested participants are required to make an appointment for their audition slots and will receive further details on what to prepare for the audition.

Seeking to lay the foundation for young singers, actors and musicians who aspire to engage with musical theatre at a professional level, YAP comprises three modules that will span from Nov 2013 to July 2014 and each module runs for approximately three months.

The three modules covered are acting, singing and musical theatre and costs RM600 per module.

One can choose to audition for one or all three modules. However, eligibility for each module is still via an audition process. For actors and singers, the first module is on acting, followed by singing and lastly musical theatre. Audition dates for the second and third modules will be announced in due course.

The first module will commence on Nov 9 and at the end of the nine months, participants will be involved in Hansel And Gretel The Musical, adapted from Engelbert Humperdinck's opera of the same name, as part of their graduation production.

Collectively, the coaching team includes successful producers, theatre practitioners, university lecturers, performers and those with years of professional experience in theatre and stagecraft, musical theatre, production work, acting, singing, music, musicology and composition. The team comprises seasoned local and foreign theatre practitioners.

> The Young Artists Programme audition is by appointment only, on a first-come first-served basis. To schedule an audition appointment, call +603-6201 9108 during office hours (9.30 am to 6pm) or email your resume to youngartists@damamusictheatre.com.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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Disabled Frenchman says Everest jump 'message of hope'

Posted:

KATHMANDU: A multiple sclerosis sufferer hoping to become the first disabled person to skydive over Mount Everest says he wants his feat of daring to send "a message of hope" to others with the disease.

"I am a happy person. Probably a little crazy...just a little. First, happy," 55-year-old Frenchman Marc Kopp told AFP in Kathmandu ahead of his scheduled tandem skydive next week.

Kopp, who lives in Longwy, northeast of Paris, has suffered for more than a decade from multiple sclerosis, the degenerative nervous system disease which disrupts the brain's ability to communicate with the body.
Muscles weaken, lesions emerge on the brain and spinal cord and in the worst cases, patients can lose the ability to speak or walk.

Although he usually uses a wheelchair, few places in Nepal are disabled-friendly so he manages with a walking stick, holding on to his friend, champion skydiver Mario Gervasi who will accompany him on his jump.

It was 13 years ago when Kopp, then a senior manager in local government, felt a haze before his eyes. He dismissed the blurred vision - a symptom of MS - as a sign of working too hard.

Then he had trouble moving his right leg, experiencing sharp pain when he tried to do the simplest tasks.
His right arm followed and soon, his whole right side hurt. An enthusiastic horseman, eventually, every activity became painful.

After a battery of tests, he was diagnosed in 2001 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, a form of MS with almost no prospect of remission.

"I thought I was prepared to hear anything, it had taken so long, one year to diagnose the cause. But when I heard the news, it hit me hard," he said.

A friend sent Kopp MS-related reports but he couldn't bear reading them.

"But my wife looked at all of them and saw our future," he said.

"Seeing her so frightened made me realise I had to be strong, I had to face my illness," he added.

As his condition worsened, he became increasingly determined not to simply become a victim and instead began volunteering for a support group for fellow sufferers.

When he met Gervasi last July at a parachuting event in Lorraine, the skydiver who has jumped over Everest and over the North and South poles, was planning a trip to Nepal with French football legend Zinedine Zidane.

But a clash of schedules meant the footballer could not join him and instead, he asked Kopp if he wanted to skydive over the mountain together.

It took Kopp less than a minute to say yes.

"Why not? I felt like I would send a message of hope. Even if you are sick, you are still alive."

He raised 26,000 euros ($35,885) for the trip from friends and well-wishers.

The exact timing of the jump depends on the weather but it could be as early as Monday.

The opportunity to jump from a chopper hovering 10,000 metres (32,800 feet) above the roof of the world is a gift, he said.

"I always wanted some adventure in my life, like my childhood hero Tintin," he said, referring to the Belgian comic book hero who also travelled to the Himalayas in search of excitement.-AFP

Soldiers jailed over stuffed animals

Posted:

BANDA ACEH: An Indonesian military tribunal has jailed two soldiers for illegally possessing two stuffed Sumatran tigers and a stuffed bear, with the men forced to appear in court alongside the protected animals.

The court in Banda Aceh on Sumatra island handed Chief Sergeant Joko Rianto a two-month jail term and Chief Private Rawali a three-month sentence on Thursday.

Rianto was given a five million rupiah (RM1,452) fine while Rawali, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was ordered to pay 2.5 million rupiah (RM726).

"Rawali and Joko Rianto have been found legitimately and convincingly guilty of illegally possessing dead protected animals," judge Lieutenant Colonel Budi Purnomo said.

Rianto, who was caught with one of the tigers and a bear in his house, argued he had purchased the critically endangered tiger to use its teeth to cure his sick wife.

Tiger parts are frequently used in traditional medicine in Asia despite the lack of peer-reviewed scientific evidence showing that they have any medicinal benefits.

Rawali claimed a friend had given him the tiger to repay a debt.

Ratno Sugito, a local animal activist, welcomed the sentences: "Even though the sentence was weak, at least the military court showed its willingness to enforce the law." — AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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Singer Ke$ha claims jail threat if she performed in Malaysia

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: International artist Ke$ha claimed she was threatened with imprisonment if she went ahead with her Warrior Tour concert in Stadium Negara Saturday.

"To be clear. I did not cancel. I was not allowed to play. And then I was going to play anyways and was threatened with imprisonment," claimed the singer on Twitter.

According to head of PR for Livescape Jason Kong, Ke$ha did consult the organiser on what would happen if she went ahead with the show.

"We advised her against it because the authorities would shut down the show.

"I don't know where the imprisonment (part) came from. I don't think anyone from the Government was in touch with her. I think it was a tweet of frustration (from her)," Kong said.

Ke$ha, who arrived at 6.40pm Friday evening, was visibly upset and saddened when told of the cancellation of her concert.

Kong said the organiser is currently working on refunds to fans who have purchased tickets.

"We have been clear that even if you have travelled to KL specially for the concert and have proof of (travel) ticket, we will also refund that," he said.

When asked why Livescape sold tickets despite not receiving approval from the Foreign Artists' Film Screening and Performance central agency (Puspal), Kong said Livescape had "valid reasons" for doing so and would issue an explanation on the matter soon.

It was reported that organisers were forced to cancel the event at Stadium Negara after Puspal denied its application.

"For full disclosure, our application was submitted on Sept 10, 2013. The official letter rejecting our application was only sent to us at 11:24am Friday alongside two backdated letters rejecting our application dated Oct 1 and Oct 18.

"As of the time this statement was written, we have yet to receive an official explanation on the reasons for the cancellation of the Ke$ha Warrior Tour.

"Livescape would like to go on record to state that we have always adhered to all guidelines set forth by Puspal," it said, adding that the decision had caused organisers to lose "RM1.1mil overnight".

Meanwhile, Communications and Multimedia Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on the artist;s tweet but said that a Puspal board meeting unanimously decided to cancel the singer's concert because it "touched on religious sensitivities and Malaysian values".

Kesha concert cancelled (updated)

Posted:

Tomorrow's concert in Stadium Negara has been called off.

American singer Kesha will not be performing in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow after all. She is currently in the city, having arrived at around 2pm.

In an official statement, concert promoter Livescape mentions problems with obtaining a permit as the reason for the cancellation, and that the company has done all it can to "fight for the show to go on".

Livescape, which has produced over 100 shows in Malaysia, will be giving refunds to fans who have bought tickets to the Kesha Warrior Tour concert, as well as travel reimbursements to some people (subject to terms and conditions). Details will be out soon – you can go to www.facebook.com/livescapeasia for updates.

"To the fans, we apologise for the situation you have been put through," the statement says.

Kesha has broken her silence on her Kuala Lumpur show which was cancelled at the last minute due to permit problems.

The American singer tweeted: "to be clear. i did NOT cancel. i was not allowed to play. and then I was going to play anyways and was threatened with imprisonment."

According to head of PR for Livescape Jason Kong, Kesha did consult the organiser on what will happen if she went on with the show.

"We told her we would advise against it because the authority will shut down the show.

"I don't know where the imprisonment (part) came from. I don't think anyone from the government was in touch with her. I think it was a tweet of frustration (from her)," Kong said.

Kesha, who arrived at 6.40pm last evening, was visibly upset and saddened when told of the cancellation of her concert.

Kong said the organiser is currently working on refunds to fans who have purchased tickets. "We have been clear that even if you have travelled to KL specially for the concert and have proof of (travel) ticket, we will also refund that."

More details on the refund will be made available on Monday. Kesha left Malaysia this morning.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

Disabled Frenchman says Everest jump 'message of hope'
Soldiers jailed over stuffed animals
Adulterous website not welcome