LOS ANGELES — Gwyneth Paltrow, Mandy Moore, Randy Newman, Zachary Levi and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine will sing on the Oscar stage.
Academy Awards producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer say the entertainers will perform the year's nominated songs during the Oscar ceremony, along with nominated composers A.R. Rahman and Alan Menken.
Paltrow will sing "Coming Home" from the film "Country Strong." Newman will perform his "Toy Story 3" song, "We Belong Together." Welch and Rahman will perform "If I Rise" from "127 Hours." Moore, Levi and Menken are to perform "I See the Light," the nominated song from "Tangled."
The 83rd annual Academy Awards will be presented Feb. 27 at the Kodak Theatre and broadcast live on ABC. (report from Associated Press/Inquirer.net)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Taiwan seeks return of suspects sent to China
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's government has called on Beijing to return 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects that the Philippines mistakenly deported to China this week.
Premier Wu Den-yih said Saturday that Beijing should send the suspects home based on a bilateral agreement on combating crime.
The Taiwanese were deported this week together with 10 Chinese citizens arrested in Manila last year on charges of swindling $20 million in a scam targeting mainland Chinese.
A statement by China's Ministry of Public Security says Chinese police had escorted 24 suspects back. It did not elaborate.
Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing views the self-ruled island as a renegade province. Taiwan insists it has jurisdiction over its citizens involved in crime. (report from Associated Press/Inquirer.net)
Premier Wu Den-yih said Saturday that Beijing should send the suspects home based on a bilateral agreement on combating crime.
The Taiwanese were deported this week together with 10 Chinese citizens arrested in Manila last year on charges of swindling $20 million in a scam targeting mainland Chinese.
A statement by China's Ministry of Public Security says Chinese police had escorted 24 suspects back. It did not elaborate.
Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing views the self-ruled island as a renegade province. Taiwan insists it has jurisdiction over its citizens involved in crime. (report from Associated Press/Inquirer.net)
MILF admits major split ahead of talks
SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Saturday it has a potentially serious rebellion in its ranks after a key leader broke away ahead of peace talks with Manila.
Ameril Umbrakato resigned from the MILF seven months ago, taking with him at least a thousand MILF fighters, top MILF leaders told a news conference.
The development poses a potentially major problem to formal peace talks scheduled to start in Malaysia on Wednesday, conceded Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the 12,000-member MILF, the Philippines' largest Muslim insurgent group.
"We are talking with them and urging them to toe the line on the MILF position," Murad said.
Previous peace talks collapsed in 2008 after the Supreme Court outlawed a draft peace settlement that would have given the MILF control over large areas of the mineral-rich southern island of Mindanao.
The group has begun waging a rebellion since 1978 for an independent Muslim state on Mindanao, which makes up the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.
The Supreme Court's decision triggered attacks by MILF commanders including Umbrakato on Christian communities in Mindanao. The resulting surge in violence displaced 750,000 people and left nearly 400 dead, according to official data.
More than 150,000 people have died since the early 1970s due to the rebellion, according to the government.
Mohagher Iqbal, head of the MILF peace negotiating panel, said Umbrakato accused the leadership of turning its back on the original goal of an independent Muslim nation.
"He said the MILF is a revisionist group," Iqbal said.
"We have sent ulamas (Muslim elders) to talk to him and we are trying to engage him," Iqbal added.
The MILF itself is a 1978 splinter of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a 1996 peace treaty that won the large Muslim minority limited self-rule in four Mindanao provinces. (report from Agence France-Presse/Inquirer.net)
Ameril Umbrakato resigned from the MILF seven months ago, taking with him at least a thousand MILF fighters, top MILF leaders told a news conference.
The development poses a potentially major problem to formal peace talks scheduled to start in Malaysia on Wednesday, conceded Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the 12,000-member MILF, the Philippines' largest Muslim insurgent group.
"We are talking with them and urging them to toe the line on the MILF position," Murad said.
Previous peace talks collapsed in 2008 after the Supreme Court outlawed a draft peace settlement that would have given the MILF control over large areas of the mineral-rich southern island of Mindanao.
The group has begun waging a rebellion since 1978 for an independent Muslim state on Mindanao, which makes up the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.
The Supreme Court's decision triggered attacks by MILF commanders including Umbrakato on Christian communities in Mindanao. The resulting surge in violence displaced 750,000 people and left nearly 400 dead, according to official data.
More than 150,000 people have died since the early 1970s due to the rebellion, according to the government.
Mohagher Iqbal, head of the MILF peace negotiating panel, said Umbrakato accused the leadership of turning its back on the original goal of an independent Muslim nation.
"He said the MILF is a revisionist group," Iqbal said.
"We have sent ulamas (Muslim elders) to talk to him and we are trying to engage him," Iqbal added.
The MILF itself is a 1978 splinter of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a 1996 peace treaty that won the large Muslim minority limited self-rule in four Mindanao provinces. (report from Agence France-Presse/Inquirer.net)
DoJ to stop manhunt if arrest order vs Lacson voided — Palace
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice will comply when it gets the order lifting the warrant for Senator Panfilo Lacson’s arrest, Malacañang said on Saturday.
Communications Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang made the remark a day after Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the manhunt for the senator continues as the warrant for his arrest remains in force.
The authorities want Lacson arrested for double murder in connection with the deaths of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.
“I’m sure as soon as our DoJ get that order of lifting the warrant then they will comply with that,” Carandang said over state-run radio dzRB.
The Court of Appeals on Thursday cleared Lacson of involvement in the murders. (report from Norman Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Communications Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang made the remark a day after Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the manhunt for the senator continues as the warrant for his arrest remains in force.
The authorities want Lacson arrested for double murder in connection with the deaths of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.
“I’m sure as soon as our DoJ get that order of lifting the warrant then they will comply with that,” Carandang said over state-run radio dzRB.
The Court of Appeals on Thursday cleared Lacson of involvement in the murders. (report from Norman Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Cotabato vice mayor denies kidnap allegations
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslim Sema asked that he and the other officials being linked to kidnappings here and in nearby Maguindanao be given their day in court.
Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Sema, who was previously mayor of Cotabato, said allegations of his involvement in a spate of kidnappings of Chinese-Filipino and other wealthy businessmen were politically motivated.
On Wednesday, the police said formal charges had been brought against Sema, who heads a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front, and more than 20 others for kidnapping with illegal detention.
Also included in the suit were Sema’s brother, Councilor Sukarno Sema; former city administrator and retired police colonel Ismael Daulog; and Mayor Salaban Diocolano of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.
“This is politically motivated,” he said.
Sema said he was denying any involvement in the kidnappings, including the Jan. 8 abduction of hardware store owner Eulogio Yu.
“I am denying any involvement in kidnapping,” he said.
Sema said when he was mayor, his administration worked closely with the military and the police to resolve kidnappings, which, he said, were stalling the city’s economic development.
"Now, I am being implicated in this," he said.
Sema’s lawyer-son Omar, who volunteered to be part of the battery of defense lawyers, said they planned to file an "administrative case" against city prosecutor Wilfred Buyco for endorsing the indictment, which has been docketed in court as criminal case No. 2011-4296.
Chief Supt. Gil Meneses, Central Mindanao police chief, said the revised information was filed after seven kidnap suspects arrested in General Santos a few weeks ago implicated Sema and the other personalities in a kidnapping syndicate operating in the region.
"I do not know these witnesses that implicated us in the case. I have been an anti-kidnap advocate since 1998 when I assumed as mayor of the city and now they are telling us we are involved in this?" said Sema.
He vowed to face his detractors and “will not stop until the people behind it are unmasked and made answerable for what they are doing.”
Sema said he was confident he would be able to prove the allegations wrong.
“We will have our day in court and defend our innocence,” he said. (report from Charlie Señase and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao)
Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Sema, who was previously mayor of Cotabato, said allegations of his involvement in a spate of kidnappings of Chinese-Filipino and other wealthy businessmen were politically motivated.
On Wednesday, the police said formal charges had been brought against Sema, who heads a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front, and more than 20 others for kidnapping with illegal detention.
Also included in the suit were Sema’s brother, Councilor Sukarno Sema; former city administrator and retired police colonel Ismael Daulog; and Mayor Salaban Diocolano of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.
“This is politically motivated,” he said.
Sema said he was denying any involvement in the kidnappings, including the Jan. 8 abduction of hardware store owner Eulogio Yu.
“I am denying any involvement in kidnapping,” he said.
Sema said when he was mayor, his administration worked closely with the military and the police to resolve kidnappings, which, he said, were stalling the city’s economic development.
"Now, I am being implicated in this," he said.
Sema’s lawyer-son Omar, who volunteered to be part of the battery of defense lawyers, said they planned to file an "administrative case" against city prosecutor Wilfred Buyco for endorsing the indictment, which has been docketed in court as criminal case No. 2011-4296.
Chief Supt. Gil Meneses, Central Mindanao police chief, said the revised information was filed after seven kidnap suspects arrested in General Santos a few weeks ago implicated Sema and the other personalities in a kidnapping syndicate operating in the region.
"I do not know these witnesses that implicated us in the case. I have been an anti-kidnap advocate since 1998 when I assumed as mayor of the city and now they are telling us we are involved in this?" said Sema.
He vowed to face his detractors and “will not stop until the people behind it are unmasked and made answerable for what they are doing.”
Sema said he was confident he would be able to prove the allegations wrong.
“We will have our day in court and defend our innocence,” he said. (report from Charlie Señase and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao)
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