Taiwan Film Mon Mon Mon Monsters Will Give You The Creeps

Taiwan Film Mon Mon Mon Monsters Will Give You The Creeps - At first glance, Giddens Ko’s latest movie Mon Mon Mon Monsters may seem like a gory slasher flick. But the best-selling novelist turned filmmaker said that there is more to the movie than meets the eye.

Better known by his pen-name Jiubadao (Nine Blades in Mandarin), Ko was recently in town to promote Mon Mon Mon Monsters with the movie’s leading man Kent Tsai.

Ko took Asian cinema by storm in 2011 with his directorial debut You Are The Apple Of My Eye, a semi-autobiographical campus romance.

Mon Mon Mon Monsters also takes place in a campus, but has a decidedly darker tone, using horror tropes to tell a gruesome tale of schoolyard bullying.

Tsai, who plays the movie’s alpha bully Tuan Jen Hao, said he never encountered any bullying in school due to his size.

“I was very tall and larger than most of the other students, so the bullies did not pick on me,” offered the 20-year-old actor, who also stars in Taiwanese rom-com All Because Of Love.

Ko was also not bullied in school due to his combative nature. “I was forever brawling in school. In fact, I loved fighting so much that I even organised fight clubs, like the one in You Are The Apple Of My Eye,” shared Ko.

The 28-year-old director added that he developed the script for Mon Mon Mon Monsters after watching videos of bullying in school. He spent a long time trying to figure out how to portray the villains in the movie.

“When the actors came for the casting session, they had no idea what our movie was about. They didn’t even know the genre. During the audition, we asked them to mimic animals such as spiders, but we did not tell them why, because we didn’t want to give away the plot,” Ko said.

He even thought of getting either a yoga instructor or gym teacher to play the part because of their flexible bodies and ability to contort their limbs into impossible-looking positions. “Then, I realised that the role actually required a person who can act, because the facial expressions are very important ways for the monsters to express themselves,” explained Ko, who ended up casting Eugenie Liu and Lin Pei Hsin as the two man-eating ghouls.

“On the surface, Mon Mon Mon Monsters may be about campus bullying. But on a deeper level, I am trying to show how difficult it can be for a person to choose to be good and to do the right thing,” said the director.

“These days, bullies not only go around assaulting people, they also record the cruel acts and then upload them online to gain fame and score likes.

“But the question is: Who is the monster here? The bloodthirsty beast whom the public identifies as a scary monster? The cruel bully who continually tortures her? Or the quiet observer who stands by and does nothing about it?” he said.

Mon Mon Mon Monsters received positive reviews from critics after it was screened as the closing film at the 41st Hong Kong International Film Festival. It also won the NH Audience Award at the 21st Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

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SEA Games: Sivasangari Stuns Defending Champ For Squash Gold

SEA Games: Sivasangari Stuns Defending Champ For Squash Gold - Sivasangari Stuns Defending Champ For Squash Gold - S. Sivasangari has delivered gold No. 4 in squash.

The 18-year-old defeated compatriot and defending champion Rachel Arnold 15-13, 13-11, 11-6 in an all-Malaysian women's singles final at the National Squash Centre.

A fifth gold is on the cards with Ng Eain Yow taking on another Malaysian Mohd Syafiq Kamal in the men's singles final.

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Malaysian Diver Pandelela Rinong Gives Borneo The Thumbs Up

Malaysian Diver Pandelela Rinong Gives Borneo The Thumbs Up - Even when she’s satiating wanderlust, Malaysian diving superstar Pandelela Rinong just cannot resist the call of the water.

“When I travel, I usually aim for something adventurous that involves water such as doing fun activities at the beach, hiking to a waterfall or hopping on a boat for a tour around the islands,” she offers via e-mail.

But those activities might just be a front for another holiday must-do – the pursuit of good food.

“After a long day and feeling hungry, I will hunt for local delicacies at the food stalls,” the 24-year-old admits.

“I am a food lover and I love all kinds of food, from Western to Asian. My utmost favourites would be Korean and Japanese,” she adds.

The athlete made a big splash in the international sporting scene when she became the first Malaysian diver to clinch an Olympic medal, a bronze, in the 10m platform event at the 2012 London Olympics.

She added another feather to her cap when she bagged the silver medal with Cheong Jun Hoong in the 10m synchronised platform event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Those achievements can be partly attributed to her intensive training. But amid her tight schedule, Pandelela tries to go for short vacations at least twice a year.

“Travelling helps me to get out of my comfort zone and escape my daily routine, discover new places and gain new experiences. A great holiday is to stay in a nice and safe place with good company and also enjoy myself there without worrying about work back home,” she offers.

Like most millennials (and thanks largely to those diving competitions), Pandelela is well travelled. Some of the countries she has been to include Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Mexico.

“I also have been to most of the Asean countries except Brunei and the Philippines,” she reveals, adding that the warm weather in the region is a bonus.

“In Asean countries, because of the tropical weather, you don’t have to worry about bringing thick winter clothing. Besides that, I love the countries’ local legends and folklore which can sometimes be amusing and scary at the same time but there is always a moral behind them,” she remarks.

Of all the Asean destinations, her favourite is Borneo, which comprises Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan.

“The locals interact with one another and get along well. And there are a lot of tourist attractions and must-try local delicacies,” she says.

Hailing from Kampung Jugan in Bau, Sarawak, Pandelela highly recommends a visit to the Malaysian side of Borneo.

“Sarawak has the oldest caves, and rainforest with flora and fauna, that is preserved well, which is perfect for hiking and sightseeing; cultural villages and festivals for tourists to enjoy; and historical buildings from the British colonisation that still remain to this day.

“When you have finished exploring the state, you can cross the border of Sarawak to visit Indonesian Kalimantan by road.

“Sabah has beautiful beaches perfect for scuba-diving, and abundant fresh seafood,” she says.

For the more adventurous ones, the proud Sarawakian says a road trip to Brunei should be on the itinerary.

“I haven’t been to Brunei, so I look forward to travelling there by road some time,” she adds.

Whenever she travels, she always brings along sunblock, a raincoat, light clothing and insect repellent to help her get through the humid weather and frequent rainy spells in Asean countries.

She also encourages visitors to interact with its citizens.

“Be friendly with the locals because they might show you some things or places you may not know about,” she says.

Pandelela hopes that Asean leaders will continue to preserve and protect the region’s natural environment, wildlife habitats and cultural heritage.

“I hope they can work together to protect the ecosystem and fight climate change. They should also increase the security around the tourist attractions, to promote tourism,” she concludes.

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Jump Start Your Fitness: 5 Things You Should Know Before Exercising

Jump Start Your Fitness: 5 Things You Should Know Before Exercising - Are you determined to start exercising again, but worried about the risks?

The French Federation of Cardiologists has issued recommendations for people of all ages and all levels of fitness that shed light on some common myths about getting back to an exercise regimen.

Before resuming a sport, you should have a medical check-up and an effort test.

True. Preferably you should get a comprehensive check-up before resuming sporting activity.

However, this recommendation is not quite as important for people aged under 40 with no history of cardiovascular illness as it is for men aged over 45 and women aged over 50, for whom this step is essential.

I can still exercise if I have a fever.

False. If you are running a temperature, you should stay home and rest.

You should also refrain from exercise for a week after recovering from a flu virus.

It’s important to hydrate during an exercise session.

True. You should stop to drink water at least once every 30 minutes during an exercise session.

Three or four mouthfuls of water at a time is enough to efficiently hydrate the body and to prevent sore muscles.

Smoking before or after physical effort is no more harmful than at other times.

False. Obviously, you shouldn’t smoke if you want to stay in good health.

But it is even more important to avoid smoking for two hours both before and after sports or training sessions.

It’s normal to be short of breath when playing sports.

True and false. When your heartbeat speeds up, it is normal to feel out of breath, which is why we tend to breathe more deeply when exercising.

However, an exceptional shortness of breath at any time is a real cause for concern and should be checked out, as should chest pain or palpitations.

Normal heart rate during intense exercise should not exceed 220 beats per minute.

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Guatemala President Holds Back In Push To Expel U.N. Graft Head

Guatemala President Holds Back In Push To Expel U.N. Graft Head - Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales on Monday held back on his decision to expel the head of a United Nations-backed anti-graft unit who is investigating the leader's campaign financing following a court ruling, criticism and protests.

Morales on Sunday declared Ivan Velasquez, head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), "persona non grata" and ordered him to leave the Central American country immediately. Hours later, the nation's top court suspended the decision.

After two days of protests in the capital and criticism from the United States and European Union, there were signs Morales could backtrack on his initial insistence that he had the authority to expel Velasquez.

Morales did not withdraw his declaration that Velasquez was persona non grata in Guatemala, and the president appeared to be waiting for a final decision from the court in the coming days after Sunday's provisional ruling.

Morales said on Monday on his official Facebook page that he would be "respectful of the decisions of the courts."

His government could ask for a public audience before the court and seek a new vote, which he lost 3-2 in Sunday's vote.

If Morales ignored the court, he could be found in contempt and risk losing his job, according to constitutional experts consulted by Reuters.

"Bring Jimmy Morales to justice!," hundreds of students chanted in unison as they marched towards the presidential palace in downtown Guatemala City on Monday.

Velasquez, who previously investigated drug cartels and paramilitary groups in his homeland Colombia, was declared "persona non grata" days after the CICIG said Morales should be investigated over alleged illicit funding in his election run.

With powers to prepare crime and corruption cases, the CICIG was in 2015 instrumental in removing from office former Guatemalan president Otto Perez after identifying him as a key player in an alleged multi-million-dollar corruption racket.

The CICIG has been strongly backed by western powers.

U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Todd Robinson told Reuters that Morales was putting at risk U.S. aid to fight poverty and crime in the poor Central American country, which has seen a surge of illegal migration to the United States in recent years.

"There will probably be consequences from the president's decision," Robinson said.

The European Union said the decision to declare Velasquez persona non grata put at great risk the work initiated by the CICIG on strengthening the rule of law in Guatemala.

Morales, a former comedian, won election in late 2015 after riding a wave of public discontent over the corruption scandals that brought down his predecessor Perez.

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Rafizi On Latheefa’s FB Posts: Yes, It’s Me

Rafizi On Latheefa’s FB Posts: Yes, It’s Me - PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli (pic) has admitted that he is the party member referenced in Facebook posts by lawyer Latheefa Koya.

“Hahaha, yes it’s me, it’s quite obvious,” he told The Star Online when contacted, stating that he knows she is making allegations against him.

The Pandan MP said that when the PKR central leadership council member refers to Ponorogo, she is referring to deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, whose ancestors come from the Java province in Indonesia.

“I know there has been a silent campaign against me in PKR by a very small group of people who accused me to have been bought by Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi to cause havoc in PKR, in exchange with freedom (and) not going to jail,” said Rafizi, clarifying that he has many criminal cases against him.

According to Rafizi, he does not really entertain nor reply to Latheefa “since the whole world knows the accusation is not true”.

“So let her be. It’s her right,” he laughed.

When contacted on Monday night, Latheefa had declined to comment on her sternly-worded Facebook postings, which had targeted a senior party member in PKR and fueled much speculation in the comment sections of her status updates.

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Thai Internet Star Happy Polla Featured On 2 G-Force Songs

Thai Internet Star Happy Polla Featured On 2 G-Force Songs - Taiwanese boy band G-Force may be a rookie pop group but it still managed to secure a collaboration with Thai internet sensation Happy Polla for its debut EP R-he-la.

Comprising George, White, Rock, and Li-heng – who all hail from the south of Taiwan – the boy band recently visited Malaysia to plug the EP as well as shoot footage for its upcoming projects.

During a recent interview with the band at Puchong, Selangor, the boys were especially excited when talking about their collaboration with Happy Polla.

Best known for her quirky appearance and fashion style, the unlikely Thai social media star has over 1.3 million likes on Facebook, close to 100,000 followers on Instagram and 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Happy Polla, 23, is featured on two songs on G-Force’s EP.

1. What can you tell us about your music?

Our music is EDM (electronic dance music). We released our debut EP in March, which comprises four songs: Confession Rose 2.0 (Chinese version), Mama Shuo (Mama Says), One More Time and Ai Ai Ai (Love Love Love).

The album took us about a year to produce. It was a fun project that took us to a lot of places and gave us many new experiences.

But most of all, we are absolutely stoked about our collaboration with Happy Polla.

2. How was it like working with Happy Polla?

Polla is our idol, so we call her our goddess. We have always wanted to meet her, so we were really excited for the opportunity to work with her. Polla sings the rap parts in Mama Says and Confession Rose 2.0.

When she came to Taiwan, we taught her some Chinese and showed her the night markets and treated her to a hotpot meal. We spent a day recording the songs and another day shooting the music videos.

3. What is the story behind the unusual title of your album?

Since it is our very first release, we wanted the title to be unique, so we ended up naming our album R-he-la. When you say it out loud, R-he-la sounds just like the casual Taiwanese term we use to express that everything is good or fine.

4. Can you tell us about your music videos?

It is always raining in the north of Taiwan, which makes it difficult to do anything, so we had to shoot our music videos in the south of Taiwan.

We shot at several locations: Kenting, Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Tainan. But our favourite is the music video for our last song Ai Ai Ai, which was shot in Malaysia.

5. What can you tell us about the different looks you attempted in this release?

There were so many different looks because we shot at many locations and needed outfits that suited each setting.

We had up to 10 outfit changes, including some retro and vintage styles that we found to be very interesting.

You can see all these in our music videos as well as the photobook and posters that come with the album.

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Badminton - Denmark's Axelsen Sinks Lin For Title, Japan's Okuhara Wins

Badminton - Denmark's Axelsen Sinks Lin For Title, Japan's Okuhara Win  - Viktor Axelsen blanked China's five-times winner Lin Dan 22-20 21-16 to become the third Danish man to win the world championship title and Japan's Nozomi Okuhara beat India's Pusarla Sindhu 21-19 20-22 22-20 in an epic women's final on Sunday.

Axelsen, who emulated compatriots Peter Rasmussen and Flemming Delfs, was in disbelief after his power-packed show floored the 33-year-old great in Glasgow, Scotland.

"It was a dream for me to win a world title," the 23-year-old said after the 54-minute match.

"I was shaking like a little child inside... Lin Dan is an idol for me," added the world number three, who has beaten Lin four times in seven meetings.

Okuhara, the first player from Japan to win a singles gold medal, edged Sindhu in a match lasting 110 minutes, the longest of the tournament.

The Japanese struck with speed and precision to counter the Indian fourth seed's piercing crosscourt shots to edge the first game.

Both players rallied relentlessly in the second, in which Okuhara saved three game points but could not prevent Sindhu from drawing level. Okuhara held her nerve in the decider as Sindhu struggled with exhaustion.

In the women's doubles final, China's 20-year-old pair of Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan outlasted Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota.

The fierce battle that at one point produced a 104-shot rally went the Chinese pair's way in 84 minutes.

China's Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan defeated Indonesia's Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro 21-10 21-17 to seal the men's doubles title.

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Weekend Getaway At The Famous Venice Beach

Weekend Getaway At The Famous Venice Beach - There’s more to Venice, California, than Muscle Beach and tattoo parlours – although if you’ve got a yen, there are certainly enough beachside bodybuilders and ink-artists to satisfy that. But a stroll, skate or bike ride along the beachfront promenade is a fine way to soak up the scene, indulge in a little architectural appreciation – is that a chandelier-lit treehouse? – and admire the sartorial choices of runners clad in everything from neon spandex to superhero capes.

Pop into Clabe Hartley’s Cow’s End Cafe, two blocks up from the sand, for noshes and coffee, then sally forth to walk off that avocado-laden breakfast wrap (US$8.25/RM35.30). You can stroll this stretch of strand from Marina del Rey to the Santa Monica Pier and beyond. But the real treasures of Venice Beach actually lie inland – and we’re not just talking canals.

The city’s famous waterways were the dream of Abbot Kinney, a developer who created these “Venice of America” canals – 11.26km of canals, complete with arched bridges and gondolas – in 1905. Some of the canals were replaced with decidedly un-Venetian roads over the decades, but the remaining canals were renovated in the 1990s, new sidewalks and bridges built and new homes went up along the banks.

Our goal today isn’t Kinney’s canals, though. It’s his street. Dubbed the “Coolest Block in America” by GQ magazine in 2012, Abbott Kinney Boulevard has only become more so, much to the consternation of some locals, who preferred it in its more bohemian, less expensive state. Clearly, those locals have not sampled the butterscotch pots de creme with salted caramel at Gjelina, or the painstakingly brewed coffee at Blue Bottle’s Venice outpost.

Forget the saying about drinking the Kool-Aid. We’ve slurped the butterscotch – and we are smitten by this neighbourhood.

There’s a spot to eat, drink, gaze or shop every few yards on this boulevard, from organic juice bars and coffee houses to boutiques, bistros and galleries. Stroll the half-mile stretch from Blue Bottle to the upscale Lemonade cafeteria, and you’ll pass more than 100 enticing storefronts. Pop into the G2 Gallery to see the Ansel Adams exhibit upstairs; or hang a left before you reach the stairwell to browse a charming gift shop. Pick up home decor items at adorable Tumbleweed and Dandelion. Find vacation gear and beachy, floaty dresses at the new blue-and-white striped Beach House Brand boutique, or street-chic glasses at Warby Parker.

But don’t miss chef Travis Lett’s stylish Gjelina, lined with dark, distressed wood – even the ceiling is panelled – and hung with Edison-bulb chandeliers. Lett, a 2016 James Beard nominee for best in the west – his other restaurants include GTA (Gjelina Take Away) next door and the breakfast-centric Gjusta – has crafted a seasonal menu with wide appeal. On this particular Friday afternoon, a line stretches out the door. Brunchers and lunchers congregate indoors and out. A group of well-dressed teens is celebrating a birthday on the patio. Business types are conferring over flatbread pizza and smoked salmon toasts. Aziz Ansari has just slipped out the front.

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You Don’t Need These 5 ‘Superfoods’, They’re Really Not That Great

You Don’t Need These 5 ‘Superfoods’, They’re Really Not That Great - If you love following health food trends, you would know these so-called superfoods – acai berries, goji, kale, pineapples and mares’ milk.

However, there’s really no rush to go out and buy them says nutritionist Raphael Gruman.

Why pay more when there are less expensive options are available?

Here are the trending superfoods and how ‘super’ they really are.

Acai berries

The fruit of the South American acai palm is a big seller in organic grocery stores.

Acai berries are rich in vitamin C, but so are the majority of fruits, notably kiwi fruit and in particular golden kiwi fruit.

“The benefits of Acai berries come at a very high cost,” said nutritionist Raphaël Gruman.

Citrus fruit (clementines, lemons, oranges and grapefruit) are also rich in vitamin C, as are blackcurrants and red berries.

And vitamin C can also be found in vegetables like turnips, cabbage, peppers, fennel and spinach.

Goji berries

Much vaunted for their supposed health benefits, goji berries, have been over-promoted, says Gruman.

“There are other foods that are equally rich in antioxidants, for example pomegranates, that are less expensive than goji berries.

“What is more, consuming antioxidants from the widest possible range of sources is the best way to protect the body from free radicals.”

It’s also difficult to find goji berries that have not been treated with pesticides, and they can cause allergic reactions in some people.

Kale or leaf cabbage

According to Gruman, the trend for kale, which is hugely fashionable, is largely “fueled by marketing”.

The green vegetable “does not deserve so much media attention, even though it does have antioxidants.”

Proof of the hype for this hip cabbage can be found on the shelves of upmarket and organic grocery stores which now sell kale juice, kale soup and a growing number of other derivative products.

Many studies have shown that green vegetables – notably spinach – green beans, peppers, carrots, tomatoes and vegetables in the brassicaceae family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) can help to protect against cancer.

Pineapple

Pineapples contain bromelain, a compound that can promote weight loss.

However, the compound is mainly found in the stem of the fruit and hardly at all in the flesh.

So eating pineapple regularly won’t help you shed any extra pounds.

And don’t forget that pineapple, which has a glycemic index of 50 as opposed to 25 for strawberries or blueberries, has quite a high sugar content.

Mare’s milk

Lauded for its beneficial effects on digestion, intestinal flora, and overall health, mare’s milk has yet to prove its merits.

“Expensive and frankly not very environmentally friendly to produce, there are no scientific studies that prove its benefits,” points out Gruman.

As for its nutritional qualities, mare’s milk contains plenty of lactose, very little fat and a good quantity of vitamin C.

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Harvey Throws A Wrench Into U.S. Energy Engine

Harvey Throws A Wrench Into U.S. Energy Engine - A hurricane in the heart of the U.S. energy industry is expected to upend years of U.S. excess oil capacity and low prices, with the impact expected to reverberate globally and affect energy markets for weeks.

Harvey hit the Texas shore as a fierce Category 4 hurricane, causing massive flooding that knocked out 11.2 percent of U.S. refining capacity, a quarter of oil production from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and closed ports all along the Texas coast.

Gasoline futures jumped as much as 7 percent to their highest level in more than two years in early Monday trading in Asia as traders took stock of the storm's impact.

The outages will limit the availability of U.S. crude, gasoline and other refined products for global consumers and further push up prices, analysts said.

Damage assessments could take days to weeks to complete, and the storm continues to drop near-biblical amounts of rain as it lingers west of Houston, home to oil, gas, pipeline and chemical plants.

More than 30 inches (76 cm) fell in the Houston area in 48 hours and a lot more rain is forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

"This is not like anything we have ever seen before," said Bruce Jefferis, chief executive of Aon Energy, a risk consulting practice. It is too soon to gauge the full extent of Harvey's damage to the region's energy infrastructure, he said.

The storm was felt from coastal ports to inland oil and gas wells. Oil producers in the Eagle Ford shale region of south Texas have halted some operations.

At least four marine terminals in the Corpus Christi area, an export hub for energy deliveries to Latin America and Asia, remained closed due to the storm.

"We just simply don't know yet the damage all this rain will have on Houston's energy infrastructure," said Andrew Lipow, president of energy consultancy Lipow Oil Associates LLC.

Texas refineries could be offline for up to a month if their storm-drainage pumps become submerged, he said.

As the storm churned towards Texas on Friday, U.S. gasoline futures rose to their highest level in three years for this time of year. Those gains came even before several large Houston area refiners, including Exxon Mobil Corp , halted some operations.

Exxon closed the second largest U.S. refinery, its 560,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Baytown, Texas, complex because of flooding. Royal Dutch Shell Plc also halted operations at its 325,700-bpd Deer Park, Texas, refinery. The refinery may be shut for the week, it said.

Flooding on highways between Houston and Texas City nearer to the coast led Marathon Petroleum Corp to cut back gasoline production at the company's 459,000-bpd Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, said sources familiar with plant operations.

Marathon Petroleum employees were unable to drive to work and conditions at the plant forced the company to reduce gasoline output, said industry sources. Marathon spokesman Jamal Kheiry declined to discuss plant operations.

Not every plant in the region was hit. Operations were stable at the largest U.S. crude refinery, Motiva Enterprises' [MOTIV.UL] 603,000-bpd Port Arthur plant, the company said.

Motiva double-staffed the refinery's crew ahead of the storm, as did Total SA at the company's 225,500-bpd Port Arthur refinery, said sources familiar with plant operations.

Coastal refineries in Texas account for one-quarter of the U.S. crude oil refining capacity. All of those refineries have been impacted by Harvey since Thursday when refineries in Corpus Christi, Texas, shut in production ahead of the storm's landfall on Friday.

Colonial Pipeline, the largest mover of gasoline, diesel and other refined products in the United States, said its operations had not been affected by Harvey. Any disruptions to the conduit would send prices across the U.S. Southeast and Northeast soaring. Traders have been keeping a close eye on whether there will be an outage at the pipeline.

Citgo Petroleum Corp [PDVSAC.UL] and Flint Hills Resources [FHR.UL], two of the refiners that closed last week as the storm approached, did not provide updates about the status of their Corpus Christi refineries on Sunday.

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Motorcyclist Killed After Being Hit By Ferrari On Karak Highway

Motorcyclist Killed After Being Hit By Ferrari On Karak Highway - An accident involving a luxury car and a motorcycle left one dead and another seriously injured along the Karak Highway on Sunday.

It is learned that the Ferrari was heading towards Kuala Lumpur from Gombak when the mishap occurred at 10.10am.

The 47-year-old Ferrari driver is believed to have lost control of his vehicle when he crashed into a road divider and hit a motorcyclist who was in front of it.

Desmond Daniel Thrawvedamoni, aged 29, died at the scene due to serious head injuries.

The driver, who was also seriously injured, has been sent to the Selayang Hospital for treatment. Both vehicles were badly damaged.

According to Selangor Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Deputy Chief DSP Sahimi Husin, investigations found brake marks stretching as far as 13.2m along the road.

"The road was dry and there was no rain at the time," said DSP Sahimi.

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Why Is There A Need For A Movie Featuring Emojis?

Why Is There A Need For A Movie Featuring Emojis? - It’s not easy being emoji, especially if you’re a little too emo for the job.

That’s the premise of The Emoji Movie, an animated comedy about the limited inner lives of all those cartoon pictograms that live in our phones.

It’s the main problem for protagonist Gene, voiced by T.J. Miller. He, like all his digital race, is supposed to express one idea – in Gene’s case, it’s “meh” – in texts, posts and e-mails made by the phone’s owner, a teenage boy named Alex.

But Gene was born without a filter, and when it’s time to upload his image to the internet, he gets so nervous that an insanely incomprehensible picture of conflicting feelings is sent to a girl Alex likes instead.

Fearing – rightly – that Gene’s glitch will cause Alex to wipe his phone (and their world), Texto-polis’ ever-upbeat evil honcho Smiler (Maya Rudolph) essentially tries to have him deleted.

This sends Gene on a journey of escape and discovery through the phone’s apps – Candy Crush, Spotify, Just Dance, YouTube, piracy, etc – in hopes of reaching the legendary Cloud, where he believes he can be fixed.

But will he discover that this might not be the right solution to his brokenness?

“The best animated movies are not just goofy little silly things running around,” observes Tony Leondis, an industry veteran since he started as a story artist on the 1998 Prince Of Egypt, who wrote and directed The Emoji Movie.

“They really have a story and thematics, and that’s what we knew we wanted to do with this movie. I looked down at my phone and saw these emojis and thought, what a great world that no one has explored yet. And once you extrapolate how emojis are always doing that same darn expression all day, what must that be like?

“What would happen if something upset that status quo?” Leondis continues. “Then I thought, ‘Oh, it’s an emoji with every expression.’ And as we know, in the world different is threatening, today’s world, more than ever.”

On his journey to change or not change, Gene is accompanied by new pal Hi-5 (James Corden) and tech-savvy punkette Jailbreak (Anna Faris), and chased by his meh parents (Jennifer Coolidge and a perfectly voice-cast Steven Wright) and Smiler’s fearsome delete-bots.

Along the way he encounters trolls, always-happy-to-see-you-again Spam and a very elegant-sounding fellow emoji, Poop (Star Trek, X-Men and Shakespeare eminence Sir Patrick Stewart).

“We had the idea to not do the expected thing,” explains the film’s producer, Michelle Raimo Kouyate.

“You know, Poop is a very popular emoji character, but we didn’t want to be scatological, and we had this idea that he should be upper crust and not really in on the joke.

“Patrick Stewart was the name that came to mind immediately — we’re enormous fans — and he got it and said yes right away.”

And then there’s the most iconic emoticon of all. Rudolph says she wasn’t intimidated about stepping into the role of the First Emoji.

“Smiler’s fun,” says the comic actress and voiceover veteran.

“She’s always happy when you look at her, and she gets away with almost murder because she’s smiling all the time. And she knows it, which makes her so evil and wonderful.”

But not easy.

“Every time I recorded, Tony was in the room with me and he’d say, ‘Deliver that with a smile’,” Rudolph reveals. “Which is incredibly difficult! It’s certainly not a human response to anything – it would make you a crazy person – and that’s why she comes off as so maniacal.”

The Emoji Movie has been very carefully worked out to impart worthy life lessons to the younger segments of the audience, and to older ones too.

Every app Gene and the gang work through was chosen to help a character overcome an issue: Candy Crush for Gene’s fear of deletion, trash for Hi-5’s feeling that he’s no longer trending, a 3D Instagram world in which the meh parents finally open up emotionally, etc.

And there are larger points made regarding the world outside the phone; ie, ours.

“There’s definitely a moment in the movie when it shows every single person on their phone and people literally bumping into each other because they’re on their phones as opposed to talking to each other,” Rudolph notes. “It’s the idea that phones run their lives.”

“The point is that, yes, phones are something we use and something we can use to bring us together, but we also have to have that human connection,” Kouyate explains.

“What I love about emojis, and why I think people love them so much, is the human heart has found a way to express itself even in a world of technology,” Leondis observes.

“When my mother sends me an emoji, it really means something; it makes me smile, it touches my heart. So I feel like we are in a technological world, and I don’t know if that’s going to change, but the human heart finds ways to crack through it. Specifically with emojis, that’s what it’s all about.”

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