Stars align for Kristen Stewart in quiet corner of film universe

LOS ANGELES | Kristen Stewart strides into the room in a power pantsuit and high-heeled pumps.

Within minutes, the actress kicks off her heels and sits cross-legged on her chair, getting comfortable to talk about the good moment in her career, a very different time from her blockbuster “Twilight” years.

Stewart has earned acclaim for her supporting roles in two arthouse films: as the daughter of a woman (Julianne Moore) suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s in “Still Alice,” opening in Los Angeles and New York this weekend; and the assistant to an aging movie star (Juliette Binoche) in “Clouds of Sils Maria,” a Cannes Film Festival favorite out in U.S. theaters this spring.

“I am thrilled. I love movies. I don’t have those nagging, regretful feelings about either of them,” Stewart said.

“It is a miracle,” she added. “Jesus, when the stars align and you are allowed to feel that way, it is why movies are made. It is why they affect people.”

Critics have taken note of what the former child actress and teen phenomenon is showing the world at 24 years of age. Variety’s Peter Debruge called her “the most compellingly watchable American actress of her generation” and A.O. Scott at the New York Times said her more recent roles “should help re-establish her as an insightful and unpredictable talent.”

‘LIKE BEING HIRED’

Stewart has known Moore since she was 12 and took on “Still Alice” because she knew Moore would deliver on the difficult role. As it happens, Moore is now the overwhelming favorite to win the best actress Oscar this year for her role as Alice.

“Her capability is astounding and motivating as all hell,” said Stewart. “I get on a set with her — and I have been acting since I was 9 — whoa, I am not there yet. I am striving; I am trying.”

Stewart’s Lydia is the untethered daughter who comes home to care for her mother, who rapidly loses her faculties at the age of 50.

“The movie is supposed to show how you deal with what you still have and you focus on what you retain rather than what you have lost,” said Stewart.

Raised in Los Angeles by parents who work in film and television, Stewart “idolizes this industry” and would love to do big franchise movies again and even be a Marvel superhero.

Looking back at her years as Bella, the lovestruck teenager entangled in a forbidden romance with a vampire in the “Twilight” movies, Stewart is nostalgic.

“I felt into it. I loved it,” she said, adding, “I got into that for absolutely the right reasons. There was never any regret.”

People in the industry have pushed her to go find stories she wants to do and start a production company to have more power over her roles. But she’s not ready for that yet.

“I like being hired,” she said. “I like the feeling of having no control over something.”

source: interaksyon.com

Stocks rally on U.S. data, euro slides further

NEW YORK - Wall Street stocks rebounded on Friday on signs the U.S. economy was on track for solid growth with consumer sentiment hitting an 11-year high, while the euro slid further against the dollar a day after Switzerland ditched its currency cap.

Crude prices rallied on the U.S. sentiment report and after the International Energy Agency said lower prices had begun to curb production in some areas, including North America. The IEA said prices might fall further, but "signs are mounting that the tide will turn."

U.S. gasoline prices fell again in December, leading consumer prices to post their biggest decline in six years, while a gauge of underlying inflation was flat. The data could make the Federal Reserve cautious about raising interest rates.

Global equity markets rebounded, with U.S. stocks capping five straight sessions of losses. European shares rose on growing expectations of economic stimulus from the European Central Bank.

Wall Street surged at the close. Major U.S. indexes rose more than 1 percent in what Ken Polcari, director of the NYSE floor division of O'Neil Securities in New York, said had the makings of a relief rally.

"The market has been under complete duress for five or six days, the tone has been very ugly. Today it seems most things have calmed down, so buyers have started to step back in," he said.

The University of Michigan said U.S. consumer sentiment rose in January on employment and income gains, with spending power boosted by sliding gasoline prices.

The "outstanding" report countered fears that tumbling oil prices would curb growth, said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investors in New York. He said cheaper energy will boost discretionary spending, and added that a disappointing retail sales report this week excluded online sales and gift cards and was skewered by seasonal factors.

"The psychology of the market has been horribly negative for the last couple of weeks," said Orlando. "What turned the market around today was plain and simple: the Michigan number was outstanding."

The day after the euro lost Swiss support, the single currency slid to $1.1461, its weakest since November 2003. It last traded at $1.1567, down 0.52 percent. Against the yen, the dollar was up 1.23 percent at 117.59 yen.

On equity markets, MSCI's all-country world index gained 0.76 percent. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading regional companies closed up 0.99 percent at 1,407.17 points.

Swiss stocks sank again on concerns a stronger franc will hurt Swiss multinationals that depend on exports. The Swiss blue-chip index SMI closed down 6 percent.

Morgan Stanley estimated that 85 percent of Swiss company sales come from abroad.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 190.86 points, or 1.1 percent, at 17,511.57. The S&P 500 rose 26.75 points, or 1.34 percent, to 2,019.42 and the Nasdaq Composite added 63.56 points, or 1.39 percent, to 4,634.38.

U.S. Treasuries prices fell after the strong consumer sentiment and tame inflation reports sparked profit-taking on recent gains.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 15/32 in price, pushing the yield up to 1.8257 percent.

Brent crude futures for March delivery rose $1.90 to settle at $50.17 a barrel. U.S. crude settled up $2.44 at $48.69 a barrel.

source: interaksyon.com

China’s Xiaomi challenges iPhone 6 Plus with new flagship Mi Note

BEIJING — China’s Xiaomi Inc staked its claim to Apple Inc’s crown on Thursday as the world’s third-biggest smartphone maker and most valuable tech start-up unveiled the flagship Mi Note, its challenger to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus.

Chief Executive Lei Jun introduced the Mi Note in Beijing with a breakdown of the large-screen phone’s technical features, with multiple comparisons to Apple’s equivalent. At 2299 yuan (244 pounds) for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory, the Mi Note will retail for almost two-thirds less than the iPhone 6 Plus.

Just three years after Xiaomi sold its first smartphone, a $1.1 billion round of fundraising announced in December valued the firm at $45 billion. The privately held company has risen to become the world’s No. 3 smartphone maker and is challenging Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as well as domestic rivals such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

Xiaomi takes efforts to play down comparisons with Cupertino, California-based Apple, though it is commonly called the ‘Apple of China’.

“The Mi Note is shorter, thinner and lighter than the iPhone,” Lei told his audience of thousands gathered in the north of China’s capital.

Lei wore a light-blue shirt, eschewing his previously favoured black top, jeans and sneakers, reminiscent of Apple founder Steve Jobs’ trademark black turtleneck and jeans.

“Xiaomi is an innovative start-up company, with a short history,” said Lei. The company has been frequently criticised for allegedly copying other tech companies, most notably Apple. “In 10 years we will have tens of thousands of patents.”

Lei also laid out Xiaomi’s strategy to connect its smartphones with Xiaomi-branded home appliances, allowing phone users to remotely control washing machines, air purifiers and surveillance cameras.

“In five to 10 years all devices will become smart devices,” he said. “If every smart device and every device at home can be seamlessly connected to the cloud, what could our life be like? It would be beautiful and easy.”

Xiaomi weathered a decline in overall smartphone sales in China last year to see revenue more than double to $11.99 billion from 2013.

The company sold more than 61 million handsets in 2014, up 227 percent from a year earlier. In China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, overall sales fell 8 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

On Monday, Reuters exclusively reported that Lei and Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed a potential investment by Facebook in China’s top smartphone maker ahead of last month’s fundraising, but a deal never materialized.

source: interaksyon.com

PNoy gifts Pope with sculpture of 'Mary, Undoer of Knots,' papal visit coins

MANILA, Philippines -- President Benigno Aquino III gifted Pope Francis during their private meeting in Malacanang with a sculpture of “Mary, Undoer of Knots,” and P50 and P500 commemorative coins issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for the papal visit.

"In this sculpture, in Mary, Undoer of Knots, in His Holiness' life, and in the story of the Filipino people, we see the beauty of faith and the strength of devotion, amidst the suffering and challenges of life," he told the Pope.

The image was carved from a piece from a century-old acacia tree that once stood in the grounds of Malacanang but was felled by typhoon Glenda in July 2014.

Fred Baldemor, a multi-awarded sculptor from Paete, Laguna, hand-carved the image several months ago.

Baldemor's works can also be found at the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in Pasig City and St. Patrick Cathedral in New York and has been featured in many exhibits.

The limited edition coins were issued in commemoration of the state and pastoral visit of Pope Francis.  Both coins are legal tender and will be sold for P100 and P1,000, respectively, to cover production, packaging and other costs.

The coins are minted under a licensing agreement with the Vatican.

As a matter of policy, the BSP commemorates significant events in the country’s history through the minting of coins, medals or overprints on our banknotes. Papal commemorative coins were also issued for the 1970 visit of Pope Paul VI, and for the 1981 and 1995 papal visits of Pope John Paul II.

The 50-piso Commemorative Coin for Pope Francis is made of Nickel Brass while the 500-piso is made of Nordic Gold with gold plating.

source: interaksyon.com

Oil prices extend slide as growing glut triggers floating storage

SINGAPORE - Oil prices slid in early Asian trade on Wednesday after touching their lowest in nearly six years the previous session, with analysts predicting further falls as oversupply plagues the market.

Oil tumbled 5 percent to near six-year lows on Tuesday, with the Brent crude international benchmark briefly trading at par to U.S. prices for the first time in three months as some traders moved to take advantage of ample U.S. storage space.

February Brent crude had dropped 40 cents since its last settlement to $46.19 a barrel by 0238 GMT. U.S. crude for February was trading at $45.60 a barrel, down 29 cents.

Analysts said prices would stay under pressure as oversupply hurts both the American WTI contract and globally traded Brent, with some traders beginning to book ships for oil storage.

"Our latest forecast calls for Brent oil to average $45 per barrel during 1Q15 (the first quarter of 2015)," Nomura bank said on Wednesday.

Oil storage trends also imply further price falls, with U.S. stocks possibly approaching 80 percent of capacity by the upcoming spring season, according to U.S.-based PIRA Energy Group.

"The last time the United States built inventories in December was in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008," the firm said.

Outside the United States, some of the world's biggest oil traders have booked supertankers to store at least 25 million barrels at sea in recent days, seeking to take advantage of the crash in crude prices and make a profit down the line.

"Once floating storage starts, there is very little support on the downside for Brent spreads," Energy Aspects said.

U.S. crude prices have been cheaper than Brent almost without interruption as soaring North American shale oil production pulled down prices while the rest of the world market remained more tightly supplied.

But with oil producer club OPEC deciding late last year to maintain its output despite slowing Asian and European economic growth and to defend its market share, including against surging U.S. competition, a glut has also appeared outside the United States, pulling down Brent prices close to U.S. levels.

"The closing gap looks to be solidifying Saudi Arabia's strategy to curb shale production and protect market share," ANZ bank said.

source: interaksyon.com

Spotify rockets to 15 million paying users

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Swedish music streaming service Spotify said it now has 15 million paying subscribers, boosting claims that its revolutionary and controversial model can work.

The expanding startup said late Monday it had added 2.5 million subscribers since November amid widespread reports that the unlisted company plans to go public.

“It’s been an astronomic amount of growth in a short period of time,” music industry analyst Mark Mulligan told AFP, adding that various discount packages explained the surge.

He said this does not mean the service will keep up that kind of development, but said: “Spotify did everything it could to get right growth at the right time.”

At the end of 2014, Spotify said it had 60 million users of whom 15 million were paying subscribers, compared to 40 million active users and 10 million subscribers in May 2014.

The streaming service has become a major powerbroker in the music industry since its US launch in 2011, drawing criticism from stars like American pop star Taylor Swift and propelling lesser-known artists into the spotlight.

Spotify’s two-tier service lets users stream an extensive catalog for free with advertising, while those who subscribe pay $9-$12 a month for ad-free music listening.

Mobile and smartphone users, however, have to pay to be able to choose tracks.

Fierce competition

Although the company says 70 percent of its revenue goes to the music industry, it has come under fire for the share that ends up in artists’ pockets.

In November, Taylor Swift pulled her catalog from the service, citing low compensation.

“It’s not something (artist payments) Spotify can directly influence, but they get the blame,” Mulligan said. “Most of it lies with the rights holders, who have a big responsibility to be more transparent.”

Spotify founder Daniel Ek replied to Swift’s criticism on the company’s blog, saying that his company provides an alternative to listeners downloading music online for free.

Monday’s figures confirm previous reports that one in four Spotify users is a paying subscriber—although the company reported $80 million in losses in 2013.

Reports of the streaming provider going public are widespread even though the company has yet to turn an overall profit.

“They wouldn’t be the first loss-making music service to go public,” music startup consultant Bas Grasmayer told AFP in an email, referring to US Internet radio service Pandora which went public in 2011.

With Google’s YouTube Music Key on the market since November and Apple making no secret of its music plans, strong competitors are emerging for the Swedish startup, which declined to comment further on Monday’s figures.

“The market is more competitive than ever,” Mulligan said. “Spotify already has challenged economics, can they compete with Google and Apple? That’s what potential investors will ask themselves.”

Agence France-Presse

LGBT groups seek audience with Pope Francis during PH visit

Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups are seeking an audience with Pope Francis during his apostolic and state visit on January 15 to 19.

In an open letter (http://www.scribd.com/doc/252015071/Letter-to-Pope-Francis-From-Filipino-LGBT-Groups) published Thursday, representatives of GANDA Filipinas, The Red Whistle Campaign, GAYON-Albay, Pinoy FTM, CURLS-Cebu, SHINE-SOCCSKSARGEN, STRAP, Akbayan LGBT Collective, Task Force Pride, GALANG Philippines, TLF Share, Babaylanes Inc., and University of the Philippines Babaylan said they wanted to have a “constructive and meaningful dialogue” with the leader of the Catholic Church.

“(Y)ou are arriving at a moment of great challenges for the Filipino LGBT community. The widespread belief that we are accepted in the country conceals the deeply embedded stigma and discrimination that dehumanize our existence and our lives, exposing many of us to harm and danger,” they wrote.

The groups cited the murder of transwoman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in Olongapo City in October last year, where she was apparently strangled, her body marked with cuts and wounds. United States Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton is now facing murder charges over Laude’s death.

“Her story is a narrative familiar to many trans people who face physical abuse and hate crimes simply for identifying with the gender that they’re born with. It is a story known to lesbians who encounter sexual assaults that are meant to correct their sexual orientation and sexual behaviors,” the groups said.

At least 20 transgender people have been killed in the Philippines since 2008, according to GANDA (Gender and Development Advocates) Filipinas. 157 cases of hate crimes against members of the LGBT community, meanwhile, were recorded by Philippine Hate Crime Watch from 1996 to 2011.

The LGBT groups added in their letter to Pope Francis that there was also a rise in the number of gays, bisexuals, other men who have sex with men, and trans people living with HIV. There were more HIV-related deaths in the LGBT community as well, they said.

They attributed this to the “lack of access to sex and sexuality education and the exclusion of LGBTs from sexual health services.”

More than that, the LGBT groups said that they experienced “stigma and various human rights violations” due to “faith-based prejudices” and “interpretations of the Catholic doctrine.”

They accused Catholic leaders of promoting “homophobic and transphobic notions” which rationalized abuses against LGBT children, in particular, by their own families.

“Your Holiness… you are in the best position to dismantle faith-based stigma and the human rights violations that it fuels,” they said.

They called on the Holy Father “to openly condemn the dehumanization and human rights violations experienced by LGBTs.”

source: interaksyon.com

Facebook, Xiaomi discussed possible investment in the Chinese smartphone maker – sources

HONG KONG/BEIJING — Mark Zuckerberg and Xiaomi Inc CEO Lei Jun discussed a potential investment by Facebook in China’s top smartphone maker ahead of its $1.1 billion fundraising last month, but a deal never materialized, several people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The discussions, at a private dinner when Zuckerberg visited Beijing in October, were never formalised, three of those people said, as the two CEOs weighed the political and commercial implications of Facebook – which has been banned in China since 2009 – buying into the Chinese tech star now valued at $45 billion.

One individual with direct knowledge of Xiaomi’s fundraising said the mooted Facebook investment was “not huge”, but the talks underscore how ties between U.S. and Chinese companies have deepened as China’s tech industry matures.

A Facebook investment in Xiaomi would have raised the international profile of the popular handset maker dubbed “China’s Apple” by its fans and linked it to a U.S. social networking phenomenon with more than 1.3 billion users.

Facebook, for its part, has long harboured ambitions to expand into the world’s most populous country, potentially with partners. One of the individuals said Facebook and Xiaomi began discussing a possible investment in mid-2014.

Xiaomi’s Lei was partly put off by the potential for political fallout at home of selling a stake to Facebook while the U.S. social network is still banned in China, two of the people said, adding Xiaomi also feared a tie-up with Facebook could threaten its relationship with Google Inc, a crucial business partner. Xiaomi’s phones are built on Google’s Android operating system.

Xiaomi ultimately announced last month it raised $1.1 billion from investors including Hong Kong-based tech fund All Stars Investment; DST Global, a private equity firm that has invested in Facebook and Alibaba Group; Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC; Chinese fund Hopu Management; and Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital.

The fundraising valued Beijing-based Xiaomi at $45 billion just three years after it sold its first smartphone. The company had revenue of close to $12 billion in 2014.

Zuckerberg has eyed China as a critical piece of his vision to connect the global population. But, like Google and Twitter, the social networking giant has been blocked by China’s internet censors, who cite national security concerns.

“Facebook wants to get into China, and Xiaomi is keen to expand outside, so they both recognise the importance of working together,” said one of the knowledgeable individuals, none of whom wanted to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Xiaomi and Facebook declined to comment for this article.

The two CEOs knew each other previously and deepened their relationship last year. In October, Zuckerberg was invited for dinner at Lei’s Beijing home along with Facebook business development chief John Lagerling and China head Vaughan Smith.

The next day, Zuckerberg, whose wife is Chinese-American, addressed the prestigious Tsinghua University and won plaudits for speaking in Mandarin during a 30-minute Q&A session.

As Xiaomi sought financing last year, ICONIQ Capital, a San Francisco-based fund that manages several individuals’ personal wealth, including Zuckerberg’s, also considered buying shares, but ultimately did not, several people with knowledge of the matter said. Talks about ICONIQ taking part in Xiaomi’s financing were not led by Zuckerberg himself.

ICONIQ declined to comment.

Called off

Xiaomi is China’s biggest smartphone maker, according to some industry analysts, and trails only Samsung Electronics and Apple in global market share.

A strategic partnership with Xiaomi would give Facebook

another avenue to distribute its apps and potentially provide a powerful ally in its bid to overturn its China ban.

For Xiaomi, access to Facebook’s vast banks of user data would be valuable as it seeks to grow into a global internet company providing comprehensive online services.

But Lei thought it would be “too sensitive” to sell an equity stake to Facebook given its uncertain political status in China, said one of the people with knowledge of the matter.

China’s top internet censor, Lu Wei, has warned that social media, particularly foreign services, could be a destabilising force for Chinese society. Lu, however, visited Facebook’s U.S. headquarters last month, prompting speculation that relations between Facebook and China’s government were warming.

source: interaksyon.com

Amazon takes first ever Globes for ‘Transparent’

LOS ANGELES | Online retail giant Amazon scored its first ever Golden Globes on Sunday with two wins for dark comedy “Transparent” — a breakthrough in its bid to catch up with streaming pioneer Netflix.

The series, starring veteran actor Jeffrey Tambor, tells the story of a man who has transitioned to become a woman and is working out the thorny details of telling his family.

It took home prizes for best comedy/musical series and best actor for Tambor.

“This is dedicated to too many trans people that died too young,” said series creator Jill Soloway. “Maybe we’ll be able to teach the world something about authenticity and truth and love.”

A few minutes later, Tambor accepted his trophy, saying: “Oh, this is big. This is much bigger than me.”

“I would like to dedicate my performance and this award to the transgender community,” he added.

In October, Amazon ordered a second season of the series — the creation of Soloway, an Emmy-nominated writer on cult series “Six Feet Under.” The first season was released on September 26.

Amazon has recently bolstered its streaming video offerings.

But so far, its own original content has not quite reached the popularity level achieved by Netflix, with its signature series “House of Cards” and “Orange Is The New Black.”

“House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey took home the prize for best actor in a television drama — his first Globe in eight nominations.

“This is just the beginning of my revenge,” Spacey joked in the Southern drawl of his character, Frank Underwood.

Showtime’s new series “The Affair” — the story of a love affair gone wrong, told from the perspective of both the man and the woman — took home honors for best drama and best actress (Ruth Wilson).

The best drama series category had been seen as a tough one, with “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Good Wife” and “House of Cards” also in the mix.

Another big winner on the television side was “Fargo” — a miniseries based on the Oscar-winning crime thriller film by Joel and Ethan Coen.

It took home prizes for best miniseries or television movie, and best actor in a miniseries or TV movie for Billy Bob Thornton — besting HBO’s widely acclaimed “True Detective” in both categories.

Gina Rodriguez took home the Globe for best comedy TV actress for her breakout performance in “Jane the Virgin” — based on a Venezuelan telenovela.

“Thank you to my mom and my dad for telling me to dream big and to never stop dreaming,” Rodriguez said.

source: interaksyon.com

RCBC raising more debt

MANILA – Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) is selling dollar-denominated debt to fund its operations and refinance maturing debt.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the Yuchengco-led lender said it will offer a benchmark-sized senior unsecured fixed-rate notes through a drawdown of its $1-billion medium-term note program. The bank has set the tentative date of issuance on January 21.

The debt will have a term of five years and one day, and will be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

Proceeds of the debt issuance will finance operations and general corporate purposes, including the refinancing of $250-million in notes that carry a rate of 6.25 percent and due February 9, 2015.

RCBC tapped Standard Chartered Bank as the sole lead arranger and book runner of the offering.

source: interaksyon.com