NEW YORK : The sudden death of Hollywood heartthrob and rising Australian star Heath Ledger remained a mystery Wednesday as experts began a second round of toxicology tests after an initial autopsy was inconclusive.
The 28-year-old who shot to worldwide renown with his sensitive portrayal of a repressed homosexual cowboy in the Oscar-winning "Brokeback Mountain," was found naked and unresponsive in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday.
Police said that prescription medications and a rolled-up 20 dollar bill were found in the residence, while the Australian actor's family insisted that his death had been "accidental."
"The autopsy is inconclusive," New York City medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said. "We have to do additional testing which will include toxicology and tissue testing.
It will take about 10 days." Prescription pills bearing the name of the Australian actor were found in the apartment, police said.
The entertainment news site TMZ said they included anti-anxiety drugs Xanax and Valium as well as the sleep aid Ambien.
New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told a news conference that a rolled up 20 dollar bill was found near the body and it was currently undergoing tests, though there was no visible drug residue on it and no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Ledger had separated in September from his fiancee Michelle Williams, who played the wife of his cowboy character Ennis Del Mar in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain," and who was the real-life mother of his daughter, Matilda Rose, 2.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked by this accident," Ledger's publicist Mara Buxbaum said in a statement.
"This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones. We're asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known."
The actor's father Kim Ledger read a statement outside the family home in Perth, Australia, indicating the family's belief that Ledger's death was "very tragic, untimely and accidental," and not a suicide.
"He was found peacefully asleep in his New York apartment," his father said. "He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual who was extremely inspirational to many."
Ledger was found dead at 3:26 pm (2036 GMT) Tuesday in an apartment in the posh district of SoHo, a police spokesman said. Neighbours said Ledger had been renting the loft apartment for the past several months.
New York City deputy police commissioner Paul Browne said a masseuse and a housekeeper discovered the actor's body after the masseuse arrived for an appointment.
They were "waiting for him to come out of the bedroom. When he didn't come out, they checked on him and found the body at the foot of the bed," Browne told reporters.
"There were prescription medications that included sleeping pills that were taken from the apartment. The reports that they were scattered around the body were untrue," said Browne.
At 19, Ledger left Sydney for Hollywood, where his talent was spotted by Mel Gibson when auditioning 500 actors for the role of his son in "The Patriot" -- a break that led to his leading role in "A Knight's Tale."
Numerous Hollywood stars, including fellow Aussies Gibson and Nicole Kidman, expressed shock at the death.
Gibson, who plucked Ledger from relative obscurity, said the death of the versatile actor was a "tragic loss."
"I had such great hope for him," the Oscar-winning actor and director said. Kidman called Ledger's death a "tragedy" and said her heart went out to his family.
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was "tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life ... Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor."
Ledger was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his "Brokeback Mountain" role. He had been working this month on "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," directed by Terry Gilliam, which is due out next year. He also portrays The Joker in the upcoming Batman movie "Dark Knight." - AFP/ir
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Heath Ledger is found dead at 28!
The Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead Jan. 22, 2008 at a downtown Manhattan residence.
Monday, January 21, 2008
210 million Internet users in China
The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "21st Report of China Internet Development" on January 17th in Beijing. By December 31, 2007, the total number of Internet users in China reached 210 million (only 5 million less than the United States); ranked second in the world; and the number is expected to become the world's largest in early 2008.
Data show that in 2007, China's Internet users increased by 73 million. The annual growth rate reached 53.3 percent, with an average daily increase of 20 million. However, despite today's Internet access rising to 16 percent; it is still below the world's average of 19.1 percent.
More farmers turn to Internet, nearly 40% of new Internet users in rural areas.
CNNIC data show that the rapid growth of Internet users in rural areas is an important new aspect of Internet use. Among all new users, 29.2 million, or 40 percent, are in rural areas. By the end of December 2007, there were 52.6 million Internet users in China; and the annual growth rate reached 127.7 percent. The rapid growth of Internet users in rural areas makes rural areas a big potential consumer market. As the popularization of village informationization continues and policies such as "every village has access to the Internet" and "every village has a website" are going smoothly, the rural Internet market will certainly be promising.
CNNIC report conducted a detailed analysis of new users for the first time. Among new users in 2007, the proliferation among all levels is clear: Internet users under the age of 18 and over the age of 30 grew rapidly; users with an education level of and below high school had rapid growth; and more low-income people began to access the Internet.
All enter the broadband network era, daily growth of .CN domain names reaches 20,000.
Data show that the number of broadband Internet users in China reached 163 million, accounting for 85.9 percent of total Internet users; and China has entered the era of broadband networks. Additionally, 50.4 million mobile phone users have wireless Internet access.
The development of basic Internet resources is also "doing its part." By the end of December 2007, there were 135 million IP addresses in China; but compared with the basic needs of each IP address for one Internet user, the gap remains large.
The report revealed that China's total number of domain names reached 11.93 million; and the annual growth rate is as high as 190 percent. There are 9 million national domain .CN names, increasing four times over the same period in 2006; and the daily growth of 20,000 is miraculous in the history of the domain name. Websites with a .CN domain exceeded 1 million for the first time: two-thirds of all 1.5 million websites in world. In addition, the numbers of websites, web pages and bytes on a page all have grown by more than 60 percent; and Internet users now have access to increasing diverse information resources.
Entertainment becomes the focus of network applications, 181 million users listen to music online.
The interpretation of various Internet applications models is a major high point of this report. Investigations revealed that the most common application for China's Internet users is transfers; and entertainment has become the country's most important network application. The top seven categories of network application are: online music, instant communication, network television, network news, search engines, online games, and e-mail. Applications pertaining to online entertainment, such as online music and network television, rank significantly ahead; and 94.2 percent of Internet users give a positive evaluation of Internet entertainment.
Data shows that as many as 181 million Internet users listen to online music. Internet users who use instant messaging are as many as 170 million; and that is nearly 40 percent of the Internet users who choose instant messaging online as a first foothold. Internet-based applications such as network news and e-mail fall behind; and email applications ranked at the top before 2007. - By People's Daily Online
Data show that in 2007, China's Internet users increased by 73 million. The annual growth rate reached 53.3 percent, with an average daily increase of 20 million. However, despite today's Internet access rising to 16 percent; it is still below the world's average of 19.1 percent.
More farmers turn to Internet, nearly 40% of new Internet users in rural areas.
CNNIC data show that the rapid growth of Internet users in rural areas is an important new aspect of Internet use. Among all new users, 29.2 million, or 40 percent, are in rural areas. By the end of December 2007, there were 52.6 million Internet users in China; and the annual growth rate reached 127.7 percent. The rapid growth of Internet users in rural areas makes rural areas a big potential consumer market. As the popularization of village informationization continues and policies such as "every village has access to the Internet" and "every village has a website" are going smoothly, the rural Internet market will certainly be promising.
CNNIC report conducted a detailed analysis of new users for the first time. Among new users in 2007, the proliferation among all levels is clear: Internet users under the age of 18 and over the age of 30 grew rapidly; users with an education level of and below high school had rapid growth; and more low-income people began to access the Internet.
All enter the broadband network era, daily growth of .CN domain names reaches 20,000.
Data show that the number of broadband Internet users in China reached 163 million, accounting for 85.9 percent of total Internet users; and China has entered the era of broadband networks. Additionally, 50.4 million mobile phone users have wireless Internet access.
The development of basic Internet resources is also "doing its part." By the end of December 2007, there were 135 million IP addresses in China; but compared with the basic needs of each IP address for one Internet user, the gap remains large.
The report revealed that China's total number of domain names reached 11.93 million; and the annual growth rate is as high as 190 percent. There are 9 million national domain .CN names, increasing four times over the same period in 2006; and the daily growth of 20,000 is miraculous in the history of the domain name. Websites with a .CN domain exceeded 1 million for the first time: two-thirds of all 1.5 million websites in world. In addition, the numbers of websites, web pages and bytes on a page all have grown by more than 60 percent; and Internet users now have access to increasing diverse information resources.
Entertainment becomes the focus of network applications, 181 million users listen to music online.
The interpretation of various Internet applications models is a major high point of this report. Investigations revealed that the most common application for China's Internet users is transfers; and entertainment has become the country's most important network application. The top seven categories of network application are: online music, instant communication, network television, network news, search engines, online games, and e-mail. Applications pertaining to online entertainment, such as online music and network television, rank significantly ahead; and 94.2 percent of Internet users give a positive evaluation of Internet entertainment.
Data shows that as many as 181 million Internet users listen to online music. Internet users who use instant messaging are as many as 170 million; and that is nearly 40 percent of the Internet users who choose instant messaging online as a first foothold. Internet-based applications such as network news and e-mail fall behind; and email applications ranked at the top before 2007. - By People's Daily Online
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Apple unveils online movie rental service
Apple unveiled Tuesday a new movie rental service through its popular iTunes online music and movie store, a move that the company hopes will boost sales of its digital gadgets.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made the announcement during a keynote speech at the annual Macworld trade conference in San Francisco. He said that customers can rent new release movies through the online service, and watch them over computers, iPods or iPhones for 3.99 dollars for a month.
While out-of-date titles will rent for 2.99 dollars for the same time period.
Jobs said that new digital video-on-demand service has the support of all major Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate and New Line.
Movie studios are often reluctant to make their newest releases available for streaming and downloading because of fears that such a service would hurt box office and DVD sales.
Apple hopes the new service could boost sales of its Apple TV set-top box, a device designed to serve as a bridge between the computer and the living room TV.
The Silicon Valley company, which dropped the word "computer" from its official name one year ago, has completed its makeover from a struggling niche computer maker to a consumer electronics giant and entertainment service provider, largely thanks to its phenomenal iPod and iPhone products. - Source: Xinhua
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made the announcement during a keynote speech at the annual Macworld trade conference in San Francisco. He said that customers can rent new release movies through the online service, and watch them over computers, iPods or iPhones for 3.99 dollars for a month.
While out-of-date titles will rent for 2.99 dollars for the same time period.
Jobs said that new digital video-on-demand service has the support of all major Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate and New Line.
Movie studios are often reluctant to make their newest releases available for streaming and downloading because of fears that such a service would hurt box office and DVD sales.
Apple hopes the new service could boost sales of its Apple TV set-top box, a device designed to serve as a bridge between the computer and the living room TV.
The Silicon Valley company, which dropped the word "computer" from its official name one year ago, has completed its makeover from a struggling niche computer maker to a consumer electronics giant and entertainment service provider, largely thanks to its phenomenal iPod and iPhone products. - Source: Xinhua
Monday, January 7, 2008
Kohjinsha
Products Feature of SH Series
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium
* Intel Processor A100(600MHz)/A110(800MHz)
* 512MB/1GB
* 120GB
* Bluetooth Ver2.0+EDR
* Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g
* 7" Wide TFT Color LCD 1,024 x 600
* Web Camera 1.3 Million Pixels
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium
* Intel Processor A100(600MHz)/A110(800MHz)
* 512MB/1GB
* 120GB
* Bluetooth Ver2.0+EDR
* Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g
* 7" Wide TFT Color LCD 1,024 x 600
* Web Camera 1.3 Million Pixels
1 Display2 Camera
3 Launcher
4 Shutter
5 Rotation
6 Enter
7 Brightness
8 Scroll
9 Mouse Button
10 Direction
11 Pointer
12 Volume(with Silent)
13 Headphone 3.5mm Mini Jack
14 Microphone 3.5mm Mini Jack
15 Wireless
16 Kingston Lock
17 LAN port
18 USB 2.0 port
19 RGB Mini D-Sub15
20 Power
21 CF Card reader
22 USB 2.0 port
23 3in1 Multimedia Card Reader
24 Kingston Lock
Kohjinsha
Products Feature of SH Series
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium
* Intel Processor A100(600MHz)/A110(800MHz)
* 512MB/1GB
* 120GB
* Bluetooth Ver2.0+EDR
* Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g
* 7" Wide TFT Color LCD 1,024 x 600
* Web Camera 1.3 Million Pixels
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium
* Intel Processor A100(600MHz)/A110(800MHz)
* 512MB/1GB
* 120GB
* Bluetooth Ver2.0+EDR
* Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g
* 7" Wide TFT Color LCD 1,024 x 600
* Web Camera 1.3 Million Pixels
A journey to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Singapore News
WHEN it comes to housing a relic as sacred as a Buddha tooth, devotees spare no expense - as was the case for the new Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown.
More than 60,000 donors poured $45 million and 270kg of gold into the four-storey building, where a tooth believed to be one of Buddha's molars now resides in a 3.6m-high stupa made out of worshippers' gold donations.
But now, doubts have been cast over whether this tooth belonged to Buddha - or even a human
But now, doubts have been cast over whether this tooth belonged to Buddha - or even a human
being. And they range from the historical and political to the anatomical.
Mr Yap Kok Feng, a paralegal executive, wrote to Lianhe Zaobao recently claiming that the relic looks nothing like a human tooth.
When contacted, he said that he had shown a picture of it to dentists who believe it to be a herbivore's.
One of them, Dr Pamela Craig, a senior lecturer at the School of Dental Science at the University of Melbourne, told The Sunday Times she had examined photographs and compared the tooth with teeth from various animal skulls in her comparative dental anatomy department.
'There's absolutely no possibility that it is a human tooth,' said Dr Craig, who specialises in human and animal oral anatomy.
'I'm almost certain that it belongs to a member of the Bos species, probably a cow or a water buffalo.'
Dr Craig said human teeth should be rounded with a short crown and a comparatively longer root, but the picture clearly shows a long crown and a shorter root.
'In this case, looking at a photo is clear enough because it's so obvious that it's not a human tooth. It's like comparing a pear and an apple.'
The Sunday Times also showed a picture of the tooth to four other dentists, including two forensic dental experts. All said the tooth could not have come from a human.
.jpg)
'This is an animal 'cheek tooth', that is, a molar at the back of the mouth,' said Professor David K. Whittaker, a forensic dental specialist at Cardiff University in Britain.
The seemingly uneven biting surface is indicative of grass-eating animals whose teeth have 'a very efficient grinding surface for breaking up coarse plant materials,' he said.
Dr Myra Elliott, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a practice at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said: 'Even if human teeth have been fossilised, there's still a pattern. And what is shown in the picture doesn't look like a primate's tooth at all.'
The size of the tooth - measuring 7.5cm - is also far too long for a human tooth, said Dr Anthony Goh, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
'There isn't enough space in the jaw.'
The tooth relic was supposed to have been discovered by a Myanmar monk, the late Venerable Cakkapala of Bandula Monastery, in 1980 while restoring a collapsed stupa at Bagan Hill in Mrauk-U, Myanmar.
He gave the relic to Venerable Shi Fazhao, the abbot of both the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Golden Pagoda Buddhist Temple in Tampines in 2002.
The public can see the tooth only twice a year - on Vesak Day and the first day of Chinese New Year.
When The Sunday Times asked Venerable Shi Fazhao about the tooth, he said in Mandarin: 'To me, it has always been real and I have never questioned its authenticity.'
As for the dental experts' assessment, he said: 'They can say all they want, I don't care what they say. If you believe it's real, then it's real.'
The curious dental structure is not the only bone of contention here.
In another Lianhe Zaobao commentary published on July 6, Chinese Buddhism studies researcher and lecturer Wan Bingyan cited religious and historical texts supporting the popular belief that only two of Buddha's teeth are left in this world.
They are now believed to be at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and the Ling Guang Monastery in Beijing, China.
When a third surfaced in 1998 after a Tibetan monk smuggled it out and handed it to Taiwan's Venerable Master Hsing Yun of Fo Guang Shan Temple, it was fingered by Chinese officials as a fake.
Buddha's relics are venerated by Buddhists worldwide and held up as national treasures in Sri Lanka and China.
China had allowed its Buddha tooth relic to go on tour to Thailand, Hong Kong and thrice to Myanmar at the government's invitation.
Two tooth relic pagodas were later built in Yangon and Mandalay, one housing an ivory replica tooth and the other, donated religious items.
Mr Kyaw Swe Tint, counsellor at the Myanmar Embassy here, said that as far as he knows, there has been no evidence of genuine tooth relics in his country.
'This (the one believed to be housed here) could very well be a fake,' he said.
But Venerable Shi Fazhao said Venerable Cakkapala had given him the tooth; it was a private matter between two people and not between two countries. 'Don't politicise it,' he said.
Would he let an expert examine the tooth in Singapore? He replied: 'It's mine, why should I let you examine it? Why don't you go examine what's in Sri Lanka and China first?'
Venerable B. Dhammaratana, religious adviser of the Buddhist Research Society, explains that different Buddhist societies would subscribe to different versions of Buddha's legends.
'You can't say which is right or which is wrong.'
Well, I have spent about an hour in the temple with my family. It is not difficult to find a donation box. They are all located at all the entrances and on certain levels. We have donated some money on level 1 and level 4. We have also brought some mini bells each costs $1 at a gift shop. The staffs claimed that the bells can protect one from spiritual and blessed with good luck. My family was indeed very happy after visiting the temple but was quickly saddened and surprised by the abovementioned news when friends informed us about it.
Mr Yap Kok Feng, a paralegal executive, wrote to Lianhe Zaobao recently claiming that the relic looks nothing like a human tooth.
When contacted, he said that he had shown a picture of it to dentists who believe it to be a herbivore's.
One of them, Dr Pamela Craig, a senior lecturer at the School of Dental Science at the University of Melbourne, told The Sunday Times she had examined photographs and compared the tooth with teeth from various animal skulls in her comparative dental anatomy department.'There's absolutely no possibility that it is a human tooth,' said Dr Craig, who specialises in human and animal oral anatomy.
'I'm almost certain that it belongs to a member of the Bos species, probably a cow or a water buffalo.'
Dr Craig said human teeth should be rounded with a short crown and a comparatively longer root, but the picture clearly shows a long crown and a shorter root.
'In this case, looking at a photo is clear enough because it's so obvious that it's not a human tooth. It's like comparing a pear and an apple.'
The Sunday Times also showed a picture of the tooth to four other dentists, including two forensic dental experts. All said the tooth could not have come from a human.
.jpg)
'This is an animal 'cheek tooth', that is, a molar at the back of the mouth,' said Professor David K. Whittaker, a forensic dental specialist at Cardiff University in Britain.The seemingly uneven biting surface is indicative of grass-eating animals whose teeth have 'a very efficient grinding surface for breaking up coarse plant materials,' he said.
Dr Myra Elliott, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a practice at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said: 'Even if human teeth have been fossilised, there's still a pattern. And what is shown in the picture doesn't look like a primate's tooth at all.'
The size of the tooth - measuring 7.5cm - is also far too long for a human tooth, said Dr Anthony Goh, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
'There isn't enough space in the jaw.'
The tooth relic was supposed to have been discovered by a Myanmar monk, the late Venerable Cakkapala of Bandula Monastery, in 1980 while restoring a collapsed stupa at Bagan Hill in Mrauk-U, Myanmar.
He gave the relic to Venerable Shi Fazhao, the abbot of both the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Golden Pagoda Buddhist Temple in Tampines in 2002.
The public can see the tooth only twice a year - on Vesak Day and the first day of Chinese New Year.
When The Sunday Times asked Venerable Shi Fazhao about the tooth, he said in Mandarin: 'To me, it has always been real and I have never questioned its authenticity.'
As for the dental experts' assessment, he said: 'They can say all they want, I don't care what they say. If you believe it's real, then it's real.'
The curious dental structure is not the only bone of contention here.
In another Lianhe Zaobao commentary published on July 6, Chinese Buddhism studies researcher and lecturer Wan Bingyan cited religious and historical texts supporting the popular belief that only two of Buddha's teeth are left in this world.
They are now believed to be at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and the Ling Guang Monastery in Beijing, China.
When a third surfaced in 1998 after a Tibetan monk smuggled it out and handed it to Taiwan's Venerable Master Hsing Yun of Fo Guang Shan Temple, it was fingered by Chinese officials as a fake.
Buddha's relics are venerated by Buddhists worldwide and held up as national treasures in Sri Lanka and China.
China had allowed its Buddha tooth relic to go on tour to Thailand, Hong Kong and thrice to Myanmar at the government's invitation.
Two tooth relic pagodas were later built in Yangon and Mandalay, one housing an ivory replica tooth and the other, donated religious items.
Mr Kyaw Swe Tint, counsellor at the Myanmar Embassy here, said that as far as he knows, there has been no evidence of genuine tooth relics in his country.
'This (the one believed to be housed here) could very well be a fake,' he said.
But Venerable Shi Fazhao said Venerable Cakkapala had given him the tooth; it was a private matter between two people and not between two countries. 'Don't politicise it,' he said.
Would he let an expert examine the tooth in Singapore? He replied: 'It's mine, why should I let you examine it? Why don't you go examine what's in Sri Lanka and China first?'
Venerable B. Dhammaratana, religious adviser of the Buddhist Research Society, explains that different Buddhist societies would subscribe to different versions of Buddha's legends.
'You can't say which is right or which is wrong.'
Well, I have spent about an hour in the temple with my family. It is not difficult to find a donation box. They are all located at all the entrances and on certain levels. We have donated some money on level 1 and level 4. We have also brought some mini bells each costs $1 at a gift shop. The staffs claimed that the bells can protect one from spiritual and blessed with good luck. My family was indeed very happy after visiting the temple but was quickly saddened and surprised by the abovementioned news when friends informed us about it.
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