Book deal signed for biography of late rocker Lou Reed |
- Book deal signed for biography of late rocker Lou Reed
- Tottenham’s Defoe is Toronto bound, reports say
- Lawsuit seeks CIA papers on Mandela arrest
- Marriott opens America’s tallest hotel in New York
- Obama invites Merkel to Washington after phone-tap row
- Stan Lee to appear in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ on ABC
| Book deal signed for biography of late rocker Lou Reed Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:51 PM PST
Reed, the frontman of the 1960s influential band The Velvet Underground, died of liver disease last October at the age of 71, months after receiving a liver transplant. "Over six decades, the sound of Lou Reed's voice defined everything that's smart and streetwise about New York City, while his songs set the standard for what can happen when popular music takes artistic risks," said Alex Star, senior editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. "His influence is everywhere, but the full story of his life remains to be told," he added in an email. The book is tentatively titled "Lou: A New York Life." No publication date has been set, but a spokesman said it is about two to three years away. The Brooklyn-born Reed, whose solo songs include "Walk on the Wild Side," and "Perfect Day," formed The Velvet Underground with musician John Cale as an experiment in avant-garde rock. The group was managed early on by pop artist Andy Warhol, who spotted them after they performed in New York clubs. Reed was considered by many to be a godfather of the punk rock movement that emerged in the 1960s and has been widely credited with expanding the lexicon of rock music with provocative lyrics that chronicled androgyny, illicit sex and drug abuse. Farrar, Straus and Giroux published Hermes's previous book, "Love Goes to Buildings on Fire," about the New York music scene in the 1970s. "It seems like a completely natural evolution from his last book," a spokesman for the publisher said about Hermes. "He is going to cast his net as broadly as possible in terms of who he talks to." — Reuters  |
| Tottenham’s Defoe is Toronto bound, reports say Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:50 PM PST
The stunning move would see 31-year-old Defoe introduced in Toronto on Monday before rejoining Spurs until March 1, when he would officially become part of the North American side just two weeks before its season opener at Seattle, according to the Toronto Star. Toronto FC has released a series of short promotional videos with the catchphrase "It's a bloody big deal" with Monday's date. Canada's TSN Sports network reported that Defoe was expected in Canada this weekend to complete the deal for an MLS record transfer fee above US$10 million (RM32.75 million) and a salary of about US$150,000 (RM491,000) a week. The deal might even be bigger than just Defoe as other media outlets say Toronto is in final talks to also obtain Roma midfielder Michael Bradley, a US international player who might also be unveiled on Monday if the deal is completed. Bradley, according to the Star, would take a rest before the MLS season begins. The two together might combine for a US$100 million blockbuster deal in a league where teams typically operate with a US$3 million salary cap except for designated players such as Defoe would be deemed. Forbes magazine only valued the entire Toronto FC team at US$120 million. While Toronto has enjoyed a strong following of supporters, the team has yet to reach the MLS playoffs. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Tim Leiweke was the man who signed David Beckham for the Los Angeles Galaxy when he worked with the Anschutz Entertainment Group. Defoe's signing would bring some of the same spark to the North American league that Beckham's did when he joined the Galaxy, although not nearly as much star power as Beckham enjoyed beyond the football world. — AFP |
| Lawsuit seeks CIA papers on Mandela arrest Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:48 PM PST
Mandela, the former South African president who died last month aged 95, was detained in 1962, convicted in the Rivonia Trial and incarcerated for decades under the country's then apartheid rulers. Ryan Shapiro, a PhD student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), filed the legal action after the CIA failed to comply with Freedom of Information requests he submitted to the agency regarding Mandela's arrest. "Although US intelligence has long been known to have been involved in the arrest of Mandela, little detailed information is available," Shapiro's lawsuit states, seeking details on the CIA's alleged view of Mandela as a threat. Shapiro contends that the CIA has refused to release the requested papers. Questioned by AFP about the suit, lodged at a federal court in Washington, Dean Boyd, a spokesman for the CIA , said: "The CIA generally refrains from commenting on court cases pending before the courts." — AFP |
| Marriott opens America’s tallest hotel in New York Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:43 PM PST
Located on Broadway, in close proximity to Central Park and Times Square, the glass skyscraper designed by New York architect Nobutaka Ashihara actually includes two hotels: the Courtyard by Marriott, with 378 rooms, and the Residence Inn, with 261 suites. The Courtyard's rooms, decorated in a contemporary design, are found on floors 6 to 33, while the Residence Inn's suites, designed for longer stays (minimum five days), occupy floors 37 to 65. Each suite at the Residence Inn also includes a fully equipped kitchenette and a personalised concierge service. Described by Marriott as "the most innovative hotels we've built to date," the two establishments are equipped throughout with complimentary wi-fi, and the rooms and suites are tied into a high-speed fiber optical cable network. The Courtyard even provides guests with a touchscreen concierge, where they can access information on the weather, nearby attractions and even city maps. The two hotels share the fitness facilities on the 35th floor, which include floor-to-ceiling windows and access to an outdoor terrace. The rooms at the Courtyard are available starting at US$229 (RM749) per night while the suites at the Residence Inn start at US$191 per night. — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Obama invites Merkel to Washington after phone-tap row Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:40 PM PST
Obama called Merkel to wish her a speedy recovery after her recent skiing injury and invited her to visit at a "mutually agreeable time in the coming months," the White House said in a statement. Merkel reacted furiously last year to revelations that the National Security Agency had been listening in on her mobile, telling Obama in October that this would be a "breach of trust" between two allies. Media reports of American snooping based on documents leaked by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have damaged US relations with key allies and were a political and personal embarrassment for Obama. Washington never confirmed that the eavesdropping had taken place, but implicitly gave credence to the reports by the careful formulation of its response to questions from reporters. The White House said that US spies were not currently monitoring Merkel's phone and would not do so in the future, but would not comment on past surveillance activity. The invitation to Merkel comes as the White House tries to draw a line under the Snowden issue, with Obama poised to give a speech to Americans this month detailing how the NSA's massive phone and data collection activities will be reformed. Ostensibly, Obama called Merkel, with whom he had a close relationship prior to the Snowden revelations, to check on her health after she fractured her pelvis while skiing. "The president spoke to Chancellor Merkel today to wish her a speedy recovery following her injury and to congratulate her on the formation of her new cabinet," the statement said. "The leaders noted the full agenda for 2014, including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations and NATO Summit, and looked forward to working closely together to advance our shared interests." The White House would not say whether Obama and Merkel had discussed the NSA phone tapping allegations in their telephone call. One reporter raised a laugh among his peers in the White House briefing room, however, when he asked whether the call had taken place on a mobile phone or a fixed landline. Merkel's office confirmed in a statement that she would accept Obama's invitation to visit the United States, but like the White House, did not offer a date. The discomfort between Obama and Merkel over the NSA allegations is all the more notable because he has privately confided she is one of the foreign leaders whom he most respects. The president honoured Merkel with a White House state dinner in 2011 and she repaid his hospitality by welcoming to Berlin for a long awaited visit last year, which included an evocative speech by the US leader before the Brandenburg Gate. The NSA allegations were especially sensitive in Germany due to sensitivity over mass state spying on citizens by the Stasi secret police in the former communist East. They were also a political embarrassment for Merkel, and she demanded answers over what she said were "grave" allegations which tested transatlantic ties ahead of crucial trade talks. "They must be explained and, more important still for the future, new trust must be built," she told the German parliament. Some observers and politicians in Washington however accused the German leader of naivety in thinking that US, and other security services were not interested in intercepting her communications. After the evidence surfaced about Merkel's phone, German spy chiefs headed to Washington for talks with US officials. Washington's relations with other allies and governments have also been hampered by the NSA reports, including with leaders of Brazil and Mexico, and there has been widespread disquiet in Europe over the scope of NSA data mining and phone data sweeps. — AFP |
| Stan Lee to appear in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ on ABC Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:36 PM PST
After cameos in "The Big Bang Theory," "Heroes," "Entourage," and "Nikita," the creator of Spider-Man will make yet another TV appearance in "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," aired on ABC since last September. Only this time, according to Lee, his role will be "a big one." The episode in question will be aired on February 4. Lee has frequently appeared in Hollywood adaptations of Marvel comics, making brief cameos as an extra or in minor roles in all three "Iron Man" movies, several "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" movies, "Captain America," "The Fantastic Four" and even "Thor." — AFP-Relaxnews |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malay Mail Online | All To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
