Archive for May, 2011

Zhang Ziyi named ScreenSingapore ambassador

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi has been named the ambassador for the ScreenSingapore 2011, organizers have announced.

Zhang will join directors Oliver Stone and Wayne Wang to promote the first international film event in Singapore.

“It is an honor to be involved with such an exciting project,” Zhang said in a press statement. “ScreenSingapore will no doubt prove to be a meaningful event, a platform from where both Asian and Western cinemas will flourish collectively.”

Being a top actress from Asia, Zhang established her international fan base when she starred in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Her recent film is a domestic drama named “Love for Life “, in which she plays an HIV-infected villager.

The inaugural ScreenSingapore will run from June 5 to 12. Amongst the star-studded attendee list will probably be Tom Hanks, who will appear at the Asian premiere of “Larry Crowne”, which he directs and stars in.

S Korea’s existing account surplus posts 1.88 bln USD in April

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

South Korea’s latest account surplus posted 1.88 billion U.S. dollars in April on account of brisk exports, the central bank mentioned Friday.

The surplus reached 1.88 billion dollars in April, up from a revised 1.13 billion dollars in March, the Bank of Korea (BOK) stated inside a monthly report.

The April reaching marked a surplus for the 14th consecutive month considering that March 2010, helped by powerful exports which account for about 50 % with the South Korean economic climate.

The present account could be the broadest measure of international trade, such as goods, services and investment income.

“Pirates 4″ makes 2nd best foreign opening in China

Monday, May 30th, 2011

“Pirates from the Caribbean 4″ has achieved the second highest-grossing weekend opening ever for an imported film in China, as outlined by The Hollywood Reporter.

The latest installment, entitled “On Stranger Tides”, opened on May 20 and raked in 142.1 million yuan (21.9 million U.S. dollars) over the following weekend, beating the prior No. two holder, “Transformers 2″, and ranking below “Avatar”, a spokesman for Walt Disney Company was quoted as saying on Tuesday, May 24.

“On Stranger Tides” is being screened in China in 2-D, 3-D, and IMAX 3-D.

The movie’s China opening was second only to its opening in Russia, where lead actor Johnny Depp made an appearance for the premiere.

The “Caribbean” film made a excellent start for other Hollywood blockbusters that will follow in China this summer, including “Kung Fu Panda 2″ (on May 28), “Transformers 3″ (in July), and “Harry Potter along with the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ (in July), the long-awaited finale from the common series.

Environment damage eats up 8% of Mexican GDP

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Environmental damage and drying-up of resources like water and minerals are costing Mexico almost 90 billion U.S. dollars annually, equal to practically eight % of its GDP, as outlined by a brand new report.

Amongst the total, air contamination represents four.4 % of the GDP, while rapid extraction with the country’s confirmed oil and gas reserves account for 1.5 % of the GDP, and exploitation of rapidly-shrinking aquifers and deforestation eat away another 0.5 percent of its GDP, according to report issued by the National Statistics and Geography Institute (INEGI).

Mexico, the world’s seventh-largest petroleum producer, has undergone sharp decline in both oil output and confirmed reserves over the past 5 years.

Deforestation was deteriorating with increased number of wild fires and illegal logging for commercial and agricultural interests, INEGI mentioned.

Lindsay Lohan starts property detention

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Actress Lindsay Lohan began her 35 days of house arrest after turning herself in at a Lynwood detention center early Thursday morning, authorities stated.

The 24-year-old star went home to begin her court-ordered home arrest soon after she was fitted with an ankle monitoring bracelet and released from the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Southern California.

The troubled actress, who was accused of stealing a two,500 dollar necklace from Kamofie & Co., a Venice jewelry store, surrendered herself to jail officials for booking. The process was “over-the-counter,” and no booking picture was taken, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Steve Whitmore said.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered Lohan to complete the 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service she had already been sentenced to.

However, the sentence was reduced to 35 days under home confinement due to jail overcrowding. The starlet’s release date is estimated to be about June 29, based on the sheriff’s department.

The jewelry store owner, Sofia Kaman, testified last month that she realized about 10 minutes following Lohan left the store on Jan. 22 the necklace was missing. Lohan did not pay for the jewelry, there was no agreement for her to pay for it later and she was never given permission to remove it from the store, as outlined by Kaman.

Lohan denied the charge, saying that “I would never steal, in case people are wondering.”

“I was not raised to lie, cheat or steal,” she stated in a twitter posting a day soon after she was charged.

Additionally towards the property confinement, the “Mean Girls” starlet was also ordered to receive psychological counseling and complete a “shoplifters alternative” course. She was ordered to stay at least 100 feet (30 meters) away from the Venice jeweler.

Judge Sautner reduced the felony grand theft charge, stemming from Lohan’s violation of 2007 drunk driving probation, to a misdemeanor on April 22, but she ruled that Lohan had violated her probation in a 2007 misdemeanor DUI case and sentenced her for the 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service for the probation violation — 360 hours of service in the Downtown Women’ s Center and 120 hours of service at the L.A. County Morgue.

She has to complete the remaining, or 80 hours of community service after she is freed from residence detention.

The troubled actress’ brush with the law dated back to a pair of DUI arrests in May 2007 and July 2007.

The former Disney darling rose to fame between 2003 and 2005 when she appeared in title roles inside the films of “Freaky Friday,” “Mean Girls” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded.” Her career was interrupted in 2007 when she was involved in two drunk driving incidents and 3 visits to rehabilitation facilities.

Lohan spent 13 days in a Los Angeles County jail last summer for violating her probation in the DUI case by missing multiple classes in a court-ordered alcohol education program.

Brazil’s major surplus up 67% in very first four months of 2011

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Brazil’s central government’s main surplus reached 41.four billion reais (25.7 billion U.S. dollars) within the first 4 months of 2011, up 67.7 % from the identical period final year, the country’s Finance Ministry mentioned on Thursday.

The quantity equals to three.29 % from the country’s GDP.

The ministry said it has surpassed half with the target for 2011, which is 81.7 billion reais (50.7 billion U.S. dollars).

Wang Quan’an, Zhang Jingchu join Golden Goblet jury

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Chinese director Wang Quan’an and actress Zhang Jingchu will join American director Barry Levinson inside the main competitors jury for subsequent month’s Shanghai International Film Festival, the organizer has announced.

Wang Quan’an won the top Golden Bear award at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival for his drama, “Tuya’s Marriage”, and in the 2010 Berlin festival a Silver Bear for finest script, for “Apart Together”.

Zhang Jingchu has starred in “Rush Hour 3″, too as such critically acclaimed domestic films as “Peacock” and “The Road”. The latter won her a greatest actress award at the 2006 Cairo International Film Festival.

Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson will lead the jury to choose winners for the Golden Goblet awards.

Other jury members are: UK screenwriter Christopher Hampton, Japanese director Yoichi Sai, Vietnam-born French director Tran Anh Hung, and Spanish actress Paz Vega.

Around 16 films will compete for the Golden Goblet. Among the currentlybasic manager stated on Thursday.

Levinson, a 69-year-old American director, writer and producer, won the 1988 Academy Award for Greatest Director for his comedy-drama “Rain Man,” which starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. His other noted works consist of “Good Morning Vietnam” (1987), “Bugsy” (1991) and “Sleepers” (1996).

Other jury members will include UK screenwriter Christopher Hampton, Japanese director Yoichi Sai, Vietnam-born French director Tran Anh Hung, Spanish actress Paz Vega, Chinese director Wang Quan’an and Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu.

As of April 15, a total of 1,519 films from 102 countries and regions have applied to compete for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Goblet, SIFF general manager Tang Lijun said at a press conference on Thursday. Tang added that the number of candidates has “increased greatly” in comparison to earlier festivals.

As outlined by a statement published on the SIFF’s official web site, the initial batch of films selected for the competitors consists of films from Argentina, Italy, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Russia.

Among the competitors is the function film “There Be Dragons” by British director Roland Joffe, a Palme d’Or award-winner for his 1986 film “The Mission.”

Furthermore to forum discussions on topics for example film sector trends and international cooperative projects, this year’s festival will also contain a retrospective honoring the late Polish writer-director Krzysztof Kieslowski.

Many of Kieslowski’s works will be screened in the festival, with a few of them appearing for the first time on the Chinese mainland. These functions will include “The Double Life of Veronique,” “A Brief Film About Love” as well as the well-liked “Three Colors” trilogy (“Red,” “White” and “Blue”).

Additionally, Japanese filmmaker Shunji Iwai, whose acclaimed functions contain “Love Letter” (1995) and “All About Lily Chou-Chou” (2001), will lead the jury for the Asian New Talent Award, one more best prize awarded at the festival, Tang said.

Winners with the Asian New Talent “Best Director” and “Best Picture” awards, that are intended to encourage innovation in the Asian film sector and promote Asian films to the rest of the globe, will every single receive a cash prize of 300,000 yuan (46,153 U.S. dollars), Tang said.

The festival, which has been held annually since 1993, will run from June 11 to 19 this year.

U.S. customer spending, private earnings up in April

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

U.S. customer spending and personal earnings both increased in April, but the savings rate dropped, a sign of continuing economic recovery, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

Customer spending gained 41.five billion U.S. dollars, or 0.four percent in April, after a revised 0.five % boost in March.

Private revenue increased 46.1 billion dollars, or 0.four percent final month, the same level because the previous month. Disposable personal earnings increased 35.1 billion dollars, or 0.3 percent, the department said.

Last month, the U.S. savings rate, private saving as a percentage of disposable personal income, remained unchanged at 4.9 %. The rate remains well above the 2.1 % typical savings rate for all of 2007.

Inside the very first quarter of this year, the savings rate was recorded at 5.1 %, the lowest level in more than two years. In the second quarter of 2010, the U.S. savings rate reached six.two %, the highest quarterly level in current years.

Consumer spending accounts for 70 % of total U.S. economic activity. Experts expect a rebound in consumption will strengthen the economic recovery in 2011.

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Friday, May 20th, 2011

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Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

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