Coldplay and Duffy lead race for Brit Awards

LONDON, Feb 19 — Soul singer Duffy and Coldplay dominate the nominations for British music's prestigious Brit Awards.

Both acts have four nominations, including best British album for Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and Duffy's debut "Rockferry." Kanye West, Beyonce and Kings of Leon are nominated in the international categories at the awards, to be handed out later yesterday.

The Brits are the British equivalent of the Grammys, and are expected to draw an A-list musical lineup to London's Earl's Court arena. U2 and Kings of Leon are scheduled to perform. The Pet Shop Boys are due to receive an award for outstanding contribution to music.

Most winners are selected by a vote of industry members, although several categories are chosen by the public in a telephone and online vote. — AP

Mawi returns home for Javanese-style wedding

By : Ahmad Fairuz Othman


Mawi and his bride Ekin preparing to board a helicopter to Felda Taib Andak yesterday.

KULAIJAYA: There was an air of festivity at Felda Taib Andak here when its favourite son, Asmawi Ani, or Mawi, held his wedding ceremony in grand Javanese style.

Mawi, 27, who is one of the country's best-known male singer, and his bride Ekin, or Nora'Ashikin Rahmat, 29, held their bersanding ceremony before a crowd of almost 20,000.

The quaint Felda Taib Andak settlement, located about 6km from Kulai, was filled with a carnival-like atmosphere even before the newlyweds arrived in a helicopter.

The event kicked off when Mawi and Ekin touched down at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sinar Bahagia field in Felda Taib Andak about 1.30pm.

They then headed for another field in a colourful procession of antique cars and motorcycles, with children carrying bunga manggar and residents beating the kompang.
A large crowd had gathered at the field to catch a glimpse of Mawi and Ekin, who wore glittering silver and grey Javanese wedding costumes.

Mawi and Ekin's costumes and wedding dais were designed by Zulfazli Suhadi of Zul Classique designs.

Later, 20 members of the Sendeng Hang Tuah silat group from Kampung Sri Paya, Pulai captured the crowd's attention with a martial arts performance.

Mawi thanked the thousands who gathered to celebrate his wedding.

"Thank you to everyone who made this ceremony possible, including the police and Rela," he told the excited crowd.

The newlyweds were then whisked away to the multi-purpose hall in Kampung Bahagia, Felda Taib Andak, for a lavish bersanding ceremony, which was telecast live on Astro Prima at 3pm.

The ceremony began with a kuda kepang and barongan dance performance by the Sri Bahyuni group from Batu Pahat.

The hall was adorned with fresh orchid and lilies of white, red and orange. The wedding dais was decorated with fresh flowers and antique furniture depicting a Javanese palace.

Mawi's mother, Rosnah Sarlan, 63, led family members in the merenjis ceremony, or sprinkling of rose water and flower petals on the newlyweds. They were joined by Ekin's family, including her parents Rahmat Mohammad, 60, and Fatimah Saad, 53.

Later, Mawi and Ekin cut a four-tier pulut kuning cake, while guests savoured authentic Javanese ayam penyek with rice, ulam, sambal belacan and soto soup.

A friend of Mawi's family Hishammuddin Abdullah, 61, said: "I've known Mawi since he was 15.

"He has not changed. He is still as selamba (easygoing) as when I first met him.

"I admit, the ceremony and food served at the wedding were pretty lavish. But Mawi has done well and he deserves to have a grand wedding," said the car dealer.

Yesterday's event was part of a series of celebrations that began on Dec 20 with the marriage solemnisation at the Sultan Abu Bakar mosque in Johor Baru.

That night, Ekin's family hosted a wedding reception at the Johor Baru City Council Indoor Stadium.

Mawi's wedding ceremony was preceded by a concert on Saturday night featuring finalists from Akademi Fantasia, a reality singing contest which put Mawi into the limelight

A Middle East-themed reception will be held at the Palace of the Golden Horses in Seri Kembangan, Selangor on Jan 11.

Clooney, Pitt arrive in Venice for film festival

Brad Pitt with family in tow arrives in Venice. — AP pic

VENICE, Aug 27 — George Clooney hosted a charity event last night to raise money for victims in Darfur.

Clooney, who's in Venice for the premiere of the Coen brothers' film "Burn After Reading", swept past reporters as he arrived for the fundraiser for his "Not On Our Watch" charity.

The event was expected to raise US$ million (RM6.6 million), said Manuele Malenotti, the executive director of the Italian clothing company Belstaff, which sponsored the event.

"Not On Our Watch" has raised more than US$7 million to help victims, both of the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and the cyclone in Myanmar, according to executive director Alex Wagner.

The charity, which was started last year by Clooney, Brad Pitt and some of their "Ocean's Thirteen" colleagues, uses celebrity appeal to bring attention to human rights abuses, but it isn't easy to get even two of the founders together because of filming and family demands, Wagner conceded.

Pitt, who arrived in Venice earlier with sons Maddox and Pax, was expected at the event, but hadn't arrived by the time cocktail hour was over. He also appear in the Coen brothers' film.

"Scheduling is very difficult. Two of them happened to be in Venice at the same time because of the 'Burn After Reading' premiere ... so there was a brainstorming session," Wagner said of the planned joint appearance.

Inside, Clooney was discussing the issues and where the charity puts its money at the fundraising dinner on Venice's Giudecca island, where 200 industry insiders and Italian VIPs were slated to attend, Wagner said.

One recent grant by the group was US$500,000 in March to keep helicopters and airplanes flying aid into Darfur region of Sudan — topping off a US$1 million donation a year earlier for the same programme.

"We sent out a press release one day saying we were on the verge of closing it down and the next day we had US$500,000," said Bettina Luescher, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program at UN headquarters in New York. "They shine the light on the real emergencies and step up where we really need help."

Without that money, Luescher said, the World Food Program had been on the verge of shutting down the air service to Darfur, which brings 3,000 aid workers a month to the stricken region. The UN food charity fed 3.3 million people there last month.

The air service is critical given deteriorating security, which makes road convoys vulnerable. Nearly 100 World Food Programme food trucks have been hijacked this year.

Clooney has spoken for several years about the crisis in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and about 2.5 million people displaced in three years of fighting between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia known as the "janjaweed".

He went on a UN technical mission including Darfur and neighbouring Chad in January, sharing his impressions with reporters upon his return to draw attention to the crisis. — AP