Intense staredown with Robert Downey Jr and Jimmy Fallon (VIDEO) |
- Intense staredown with Robert Downey Jr and Jimmy Fallon (VIDEO)
- After 12 long months of trauma, ‘Professor of Pop’ Gambaccini cleared of all sex abuse charges
- Don’t make Chinese schools power struggle tool — Sin Chew Daily
- Intense staredown with Robert Downey Jr
- Queens galore: 3 theatre spectacles hit the Singapore stage
- Mega US$6b money-laundering scheme: Costa Rican extradited to US to face charges
| Intense staredown with Robert Downey Jr and Jimmy Fallon (VIDEO) Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:55 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 11 ― Hollywood legend Robert Downey Jr gets into an intense Native American-themed staredown with talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
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| After 12 long months of trauma, ‘Professor of Pop’ Gambaccini cleared of all sex abuse charges Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:53 PM PDT
LONDON, Oct 11 — Veteran BBC broadcastersaid he had been through "12 months of trauma" after learning yesterday he will not be charged over allegations of historic sexual offences. The 65-year-old, who has joint US and British citizenship, was arrested in October 2013 as part of the police investigation into sex abuse set up after the scandal over late BBC presenter and predatory paedophile Jimmy Savile. State prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to bring a case against disc jockey Gambaccini. The pop music expert was detained alongside another man, now aged 75, over offences alleged to have taken place over a two-year period in the early 1980s. The allegations were made by two males who were aged between 14 and 15 at the time. In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service did not name either man being investigated and gave only their ages. "We have concluded that the available evidence does not offer a realistic prospect of conviction for any of the alleged offences," said Baljit Ubhey, the chief public prosecutor for London. In a statement, Gambaccini said he had been "falsely accused", adding he would not be speaking further about his year on bail. "I will never trivialise the 12 months of trauma to which I have been unjustly subjected," he said. "I'll be back at work soon." A BBC spokesman said the corporation would meet with him "to discuss the next steps shortly". Having earned a reputation as the "Professor of Pop" following his 1968 radio debut, the broadcaster went on to host classical music programmes. Gambaccini was a vocal figure after the Savile scandal erupted in 2012, saying it was known among BBC staff that the late presenter targeted vulnerable young people. Savile was one of the BBC's top stars for decades but it was revealed after his death in 2011 that he was a serial paedophile and sex offender. — AFP |
| Don’t make Chinese schools power struggle tool — Sin Chew Daily Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:51 PM PDT
It is not uncommon to see politicians manipulate Chinese education issues to gain political capital. However, remarks unfavourable to Chinese education have become increasingly intense in recent years. From former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah's suggestion of including Chinese education into the national school curriculum which teaches all languages; to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim's remarks calling for no more request to build Chinese primary schools and now, Azli's remarks to abolish Chinese primary schools, apparently, they are not isolated cases. Singularism has been lingering in Umno and it is harmful to Umno, as well as the BN. It could even destroy national unity. Even worse, advanced and more competitive countries have encouraged its people to master multiple languages in this era of globalisation, but our politicians are still embracing extreme singularism. It is indeed worrisome whether Malaysia can really turn into a developed country. Chinese primary schools are an important part of the national education system. Its teacher sources, syllabuses and teaching materials are all in line with the Education Ministry's curriculum. Just like national primary schools, the syllabuses of Chinese primary schools are promoting racial harmony and instilling loyalty, as well as patriotism. It is shameful for politicians to make accusations out of nothing and frame Chinese primary schools as hotbed of anti-government sentiments, just to gain political capital. Article 152(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution clearly stated that "no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (otherwise than for official purposes), or from teaching or learning, any other language." Moreover, among the current 600,000 Chinese primary school students, 15 per cent, or 80,000 of students are non-Chinese. The figure shows that Chinese primary schools are not a stumbling block to national unity, but schools cultivating national talents and attracting students of various races. It is always the time for raising sensitive issues before the annual Umno general assembly is convened. Some people try to act like a hero while some people make troubles, with different intentions. But the acts of stirring racial issues have always stimulated the nerves of Chinese community. This time, its grassroots leaders made Chinese primary schools as their target. Apparently, there are other motives behind it, reflecting that the internal power struggle of Umno has been intensified and the storm is approaching. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sternly criticised Najib in his blog not long ago, declaring withdrawal of his support to Najib. The move was like sending a clear message to Umno grassroots that they may openly challenge Najib during the general assembly in November. Although he has stepped down, Mahathir is still influential. The intention of pressuring Najib is obvious when his minions raise the "abolish Chinese primary schools" issue at this period of time. The remarks made by Umno grassroots leaders, of course, cannot represent the government's stand. However, the "abolish Chinese primary schools" issue has touched the sensitive nerve of Chinese community, triggering resentment and indignation. Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, must not remain silent. Instead, they should publicly defend the status of Chinese primary schools to prevent the issue from being expanded. In addition, the authorities should also invoke the Sedition Act to investigate and bring Azli and others involved to court, to set an example and eliminate extreme racist remarks. — Sin Chiew Daily * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| Intense staredown with Robert Downey Jr Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:48 PM PDT Duration: 03:01, Published 11 Oct 2014 Hollywood legend Robert Downey Jr gets into an intense Native American-themed staredown with talk show host Jimmy Fallon. |
| Queens galore: 3 theatre spectacles hit the Singapore stage Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:44 PM PDT
Next week, you have Priscilla — Queen Of The Desert, the famous musical based on the 1994 movie about two drag queens and a transgender woman on a road trip through Australia. A couple of weeks after that, it's time for Queen — It's A Kinda Magic, a recreation of the rock band's 1986 World Tour concert. And finally, next month is a musical based on the music by the band that brought you, well, Dancing Queen: The ABBA-inspired show Mamma Mia!. All three would definitely make for a fun and entertaining night out, but to make things more interesting, we've decided to pit them against each other to see who is the real Queen Bee of the stage. As RuPaul once said — Sashay, shantay! 1. THE PEOPLE. Freddie Mercury is a larger than life character who can command entire stadiums (and rock a moustache), while Brian May is simply a guitar god. But sorry, dudes, colourful characters are really more fun to be around with so we're inclined to hop on board Priscilla the bus and join the journey of Mitzi Mitosis, Bernadette and Adam. Plus, our very own Jonathan Lim joins the Filipino production as Miss Understanding. (Winner: Priscilla — Queen Of The Desert) 2. THE MUSIC. Priscilla's going to be one fabulous mix tape experience, with songs by gay icons Village People, Gloria Gaynor, Charlene and more, but this will have to be a showdown between the other two shows that offer a full-on musical experience of two legendary groups: ABBA and Queen. But while we do love our Swedish pop group, who doesn't want to pretend he or she's gone back in time and landed smack in the middle of Queen's biggest and final tour? (Winner: Queen — It's A Kinda Magic) 3. THE MOVES. Okay, so Freddie's got his rock star pose and the sequined, boa feathered glory of Priscilla's ladies can be just as enchanting, but Mamma Mia! packs a whole lot of moves. There's a lot more dancing and a lot less strutting in this story of bride-to-be Sophie and her mother Donna (although the less said about the movie, the better.) ABBA's music is undeniably infectious — and who knows, you might find yourself dancing in the aisles as well. (Winner: Mamma Mia!) Priscilla — Queen Of The Desert is from October16 to 26 at Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa. Queen — It's A Kinda Magic is on October 31 and Nov 1 at Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. Mamma Mia! is from November 13 to 30 at Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. All tickets from SISTIC. — Today Online |
| Mega US$6b money-laundering scheme: Costa Rican extradited to US to face charges Posted: 10 Oct 2014 05:41 PM PDT
Budovsky, a 40-year-old Costa Rican national and former US citizen, will be tried in the US on charges related to setting up the alternative digital currency used by criminals around the world to launder illegal profits, federal prosecutors said. Budovsky is accused of being the "principal founder" of the Costa Rica-based scheme, which is accused of laundering more than US$6 billion (RM19.542 billion) for criminals between 2006 and 2013. He arrived in New York yesterday afternoon and will be arraigned before US district Judge Denise Cote on Tuesday. The news comes two weeks after Maxim Chukharev, Liberty's head of technology, pleaded guilty in New York federal court to conspiring to operate an illegal unlicensed money transmitting business. Budovsky and Chukharev were among seven people charged in May 2013 when federal authorities announced they had shut down what was described as one of the world's biggest money laundering schemes. Three others have pleaded guilty in the investigation. The digital exchange mechanism, which allowed depositors to mask their identities, was similar to bitcoin and other digital currencies. Liberty Reserve's principals were arrested in a round-up last year in Costa Rica, Spain and New York, sealing the fate of a company that had been one of the most successful in the popular but increasingly scrutinized world of unofficial banking and virtual currencies. The indictment accused Budovsky and his partners of creating a firm that masqueraded as a convenient and legitimate money transfer system. Before being shut down, Liberty Reserve had more than a million users worldwide, including more than 200,000 in the United States. The digital currency facilitated the laundering of funds from credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, narcotics trafficking, and other crimes, according to officials. The probe involved law enforcement in 17 countries and is believed to be the largest money laundering prosecution in history, prosecutors said. "Now, thanks to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners here and in Spain, Arthur Budovsky has been apprehended and will face justice in an American courtroom," Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said. Budovsky was arrested in May 2013 at a Madrid airport, during a stopover on a flight from Morocco to Costa Rica. He fought extradition arguing he deserves the right to return to Costa Rica, where he obtained citizenship by marrying a snack vendor. Budovsky has denied committing any crimes. His lawyer has said Budovsky founded Liberty Reserve in 2006, then sold it in 2007 and remained only a "technical adviser" until 2009. — AFP |
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