Book on CIA torture report from Melville House |
- Book on CIA torture report from Melville House
- British boxer to wear ‘world’s most expensive shorts’ in Las Vegas match
- Candy Crush Saga claims Google Play’s 2014 game top spot
- Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones
- Nathan’s Famous now open in Putrajaya… yes, it’s that famous NY hotdog place
- 26pc jump for Alibaba-backed app Momo in US debut
| Book on CIA torture report from Melville House Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:55 PM PST
Melville House says its edition of the report into "enhanced interrogation techniques" will be in bookstores from December 30, priced at US$16.95 (RM59.20). An e-book will be available as well. A free PDF edition is already online on the website of the US Senate's intelligence committee, which released the report on Wednesday. "It's probably the most important government document of our generation, even one of the most significant in the history of our democracy," said Melville House co-founder Dennis Johnson. As an official US government document, the "Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Programme," is free of copyright. Based in Brooklyn and founded after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Melville House boasts Nobel literature prize winners Imre Kertesz and Heinrich Boll among its authors. In non-fiction, it has published Torture Taxi by Trevor Paglen and AC Thompson, a ground-breaking 2006 look into the CIA's secret rendition programme. "Melville House was founded ... with the express purpose of trying to speak out about what was going on" under then-president George W Bush, said Johnson in a statement. "We felt it was our duty to try and get this report out there to the widest possible audience," he added. — AFP  |
| British boxer to wear ‘world’s most expensive shorts’ in Las Vegas match Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:48 PM PST
Former Olympic silver medallist Khan will wear shorts, made of white nappa leather, silk and featuring a waistband made of 24-carat gold thread, with a reported value of at least £20,000 (RM109,835). The Sheffield company Fight Label, who made the shorts, said Khan "wanted extravagant and we've delivered". The designer of the shorts, Sophie Whittam, told BBC Radio 5 live: "I think it's possibly the most expensive shorts ever made. "We worked closely with Amir's team. For around four to six weeks we've been working on designs and colours and obviously Amir and his family had a little bit of input, but at the end of the day it's what we think is going to look best. It is a very involved process." Khan, 28, has already caught the eye with a separate pair of dazzling shorts in the build-up to the bout with Alexander, who has won 26 of his 28 career fights. He wore a pair of black shorts made of "Versace material" and featuring more than "1000 Swarovski stones" for a media workout on Wednesday. Khan's clash with Alexander will be his first fight since defeating veteran American Luis Collazo in May. — AFP |
| Candy Crush Saga claims Google Play’s 2014 game top spot Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:43 PM PST
Following the Candy Crush Saga craze in the games category was Don't Tap The White Tile, with Farm Heroes Saga claiming third position. The most popular apps were focused on self-improvement, with language tutoring service Duolingo topping the list in the education category and MyFitnessPal earning the title of most popular health and fitness app. The latter was also named as the fastest-growing app category. "Frozen" was the movie of the year (and its soundtrack was also the most-downloaded album). "The Walking Dead" was the most popular TV show. Katy Perry dominated the music charts, with her single "Dark Horse" named as the song of the year, whilst the fastest-growing genre of music downloads was identified as movie soundtracks. Meanwhile the most-read book of the year was John Green's emotional novel "The Fault in Our Stars", followed by E. L. James's tale of sexual exploits, "Fifty Shades of Grey". The full list is available on the official Android blog. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:35 PM PST
Comic fanboy: Bring out the Dark Knight in you with these limited edition Batman t-shirts and boxers from celio*. They're uber-comfy and fanboys will appreciate the variety of options available, ranging from bat motifs to Batman comics designs. S$33.90 (RM90.20) for the T-shirt and S$19.90 for the boxers at all celio* stores such as Bugis+, #01-05 and Citylink, #B1-47 Stellar bling: Ideal for those who love timeless and classic pieces, the Snow Sparkles diamond pendant from Poh Heng features an intricate snowflake with a crown of six dazzling diamonds that sit on a classy geometric silhouette. Set in 18k white gold, its clean and regal design is a great way to add some bling to any Christmas ensemble. S$680 at all Poh Heng stores. Travel junkies: Designed for the style-conscious, urban adventurer, American Tourister's CubePop luggage range is a great option for that winter holiday if you're looking for something durable, colourful and roomy — perfect for keeping your overseas shopping loot. From S$200 at American Tourister stores such as those at Tampines One and Marina Square. Bag ladies: Nothing completes a look like a good piece of arm candy. Consider these gift options: A clutch from Paul & Joe Sister (S$590) and a carry-all backpack from See by Chloe (S$400). Available at Robinsons The Heeren. Sassy intimates: Feel glamourous this festive season with Aimer's Christmas Collection 2014. From basic, pastel tones and intricately-embroidered lace flowers to flashy leopard prints and sensual black laces, take your pick from three collections: Pure Fragrance, Blessing and Enchanting Leopard. From S$99.90 at all Aimer boutiques. Fighting fit: This Basic Sports Range from Jockey is perfect for ladies who are looking to work off that extra bit of holiday weight. It comes in a range of sizes, from S to XXL. From S$35.90 at all Robinsons stores. Storytellers: Those who love jewellery pieces that tell a story will appreciate this dainty Four In A Gram pendant by RISIS, created in collaboration with travel host Anita Kapoor for the brand's SG50 Singapore Storytellers Collection. Plus, all proceeds go in support of more than 200 social service programmes through the Care & Share Movement led by Community Chest as part of the SG50 Project. Available for a S$50 donation from RISIS stores island-wide and on http://www.risis.com. Denim aficionados: Know someone who loves relaxed yet chic-looking pieces? Consider Uniqlo's Indigo Blue Project Premium Denim Collection, which gives out a casual yet easy vibe. The range comprises denim jeans, shorts, shirts, jackets, dresses, sweats and t-shirts. From S$29.90 to S$149.90, available exclusively at Uniqlo ION Orchard and http://www.uniqlo.com/sg. — TODAY |
| Nathan’s Famous now open in Putrajaya… yes, it’s that famous NY hotdog place Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:35 PM PST
The brand traces its origins back to 1916 when Nathan Handwerker and his wife Ida Greenwald sold hotdogs for a nickel. The hotdogs are made using a secret spice recipe handed down to Ida by her grandmother. The same recipe is still used today to make their world famous hotdogs. Now, Malaysians get the chance to sample the famous hotdog for themselves. The world got to know about Nathan's Famous hotdogs when Japanese Takeru Kobayashi smashed the world record for eating hotdogs at their annual Fourth of July hotdog eating contest. Arguably, this is the only hotdog eating contest that gets worldwide press coverage. After winning the contest for six years running, Kobyashi finally lost the title to American Joey Chestnut in 2007 and Chestnut has held it since. This year, Chestnut ate 61 hotdogs including buns in 10 minutes for his eighth consecutive win. His personal best and world record is 69! Nathan's Famous hotdogs also have the distinction of being served to nine American presidents. Even British royalty, King George and Queen Elizabeth who visited America in 1939, got a taste of the hotdogs courtesy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Legends like notorious gangster Al Capone, Hollywood actor Cary Grant and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani were also big fans. In America, Nathan's Famous Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq. Nathan's Famous used to own Kenny Rogers Roasters which they divested to Berjaya Corporation Berhad. Subsequently, the roast chicken restaurants were spinned off to Berjaya Food Berhad which has expanded the chain around Asia. In 2007, they sold Miami Subs Grill, a Florida based chain of fast casual restaurants that sells chicken wings, submarine sandwiches and Greek inspired gyros meats. In 2012, Armando Cristian Perez or Pitbull took up an equity stake in Miami Subs Grill. Recently Miami Subs Grill has also announced the opening of their first outlet in Malaysia to be located at Sunway Pyramid via their local Facebook page. The fast-casual restaurant claims to be opening by this December. This restaurant will be their first foray into Asia. On the local website for Nathan's Famous, the menu features their signature beef frankfurters, crinkle cut French fries with all kinds of toppings, and their refreshing lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons. It's an extensive menu with Philly cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, Alaskan Pollock fish fillet sandwiches, onion rings and deep-fried apple pie. Plans are also underway to open the second outlet at KLIA2, which is scheduled for February 2015. The company has also targeted Singapore as the next country it will move into as part of its Asia expansion plans. Besides the United States of America, you can also find Nathan's Famous in Kuwait, Russia, Dominican Republic, Turkey and even Afghanistan. Nathan's Famous, L1-13B, First Floor, IOI City Mall, Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, Putrajaya. For further details, check their website. |
| 26pc jump for Alibaba-backed app Momo in US debut Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:34 PM PST
The shares jumped to US$17.02 yesterday in New York after they were sold for US$13.50, the middle of the price range. Concurrently to the initial public offering, Momo plans a private placement to shareholder Alibaba of US$50 million and $10 million to classified advertising website 58.com Inc. its prospectus shows. The Bloomberg index of the most-traded Chinese stocks in the US gained 0.5 per cent, ending three days of declines. The company, which generates most of its sales through membership subscription fees, had 60.2 million monthly active users at the end of September and is seeking to attract more of China's half-billion mobile Internet users. Momo's advance compares with an average 12 per cent first-day gain for Chinese IPOs in the US this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show. "It has been very well received," Ella Ji, a New York- based analyst at Oppenheimer & Co, said in a telephone interview yesterday. "Alibaba as a pre-IPO investor and concurrent investor shows Alibaba's confidence in mobile-based, social products." Alibaba took a 20 per cent stake in Momo in November 2012 at an implied valuation of US$100 million, according to a report by Brean Capital LLC in October. The company is planning an advertising partnership with the e-commerce company, according to its IPO filing. Messaging applications Other investors in Momo include Matrix Partners China, Yunfeng Capital and Sequoia Capital. Internet-based messaging platforms are displacing traditional text services offered by wireless carriers. Facebook Inc. bought messaging startup WhatsApp Inc in a US$22 billion deal announced in February, days after Japan's Rakuten Inc agreed to pay US$900 million for rival Viber. Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat, one of China's most popular mobile-messaging applications, has 468 million monthly users worldwide, according to the company. Alibaba may see an opportunity to expand Momo's scale, Ji said. "With the right target and strategy, there is more for Momo to do," she said. "It has this potential to develop to be a really location based, social app, not only for dating." Momo's surge is the second-best debut among 14 Chinese companies that went public in the US this year. Alibaba climbed 38 per cent on its first day of trading Sept. 19. Momo posted US$26.2 million in net revenue in the nine months through September. The social media company is unprofitable, its IPO filing shows. 'Malicious' allegations The IPO comes as Momo's co-founder Tang Yan is being accused of violating terms of his employment agreement by NetEase Inc, a Chinese Web-game operator where Tang worked for nearly eight years until September 2011. In a statement issued on its Weibo account, NetEase said that Tang set up Momo without its authorisation in July 2011, while he was still an employee. NetEase also said Tang directed funds to an advertising company founded by his wife. "Tang has informed us that he believes the allegations are malicious and intends to vigorously defend himself against them," Momo said in a regulatory filing. The shares are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol MOMO. Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse Group AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and China Renaissance Securities managed the IPO. China Eastern Airlines Corp., the nation's second-largest carrier, jumped 10 per cent to US$26.30, the highest in almost four years. Jumei International Holding Ltd., an online retailer of beauty products, sank 8.8 percent to $13.51, the lowest since its May IPO. The Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF, the largest U.S. exchange-traded fund that tracks mainland Chinese stocks, climbed 2.3 per cent to US$34.06 in New York, extending its 2014 advance to 38 per cent. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF, which tracks Hong Kong-listed companies, added 0.4 per cent to US$40.06. — Bloomberg |
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