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Casillas recalls day Spain’s luck changed against Italy Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:14 AM PDT BARI (Italy), Aug 9 – Spain's shootout victory over Italy in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals was the change in fortune they needed to go on and win that tournament and the 2010 World Cup, captain Iker Casillas said today. Spain are in Bari for a friendly against the 2006 World Cup winners tomorrow, a game in which the Real Madrid goalkeeper (picture) played a starring role the last time the sides met three years ago. With the score 0-0 after extra-time, Casillas saved two penalties to help his side through to the last four at Euro 2008, laying to rest the memory of three previous quarter-final shootout exits. "We took the pressure off ourselves, that game was a great relief," Casillas told reporters in Bari. "From there, against Russia in the semi-finals, Spain's football changed radically and their luck as well, something which had never been with us before. It all changed from that moment." Tomorrow's match comes four days before the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season, the Spanish Super Cup where European and La Liga champions Barcelona take on King's Cup holders Real Madrid. The first leg is at the Bernabeu on Sunday with the return at the Nou Camp next Wednesday. Although Real defender Sergio Ramos and Barca midfielder Xavi have pulled out of the Spain squad through injury, 11 of the 21 remaining players are from the top two clubs. "At present our minds are focused on Italy," said Casillas. "When Spain fell to Portugal (4-0) and Argentina (4-1) in friendlies last year we were criticised for not knowing how to defend our world title. "We need to demonstrate Spain are world champions for a reason and work at 200 per cent because our rivals will give their all." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

New Zealand is ready for Rugby World Cup Posted: 09 Aug 2011 07:48 AM PDT A fan of the New Zealand All Blacks supports his team against Fiji during a rugby Test match at Carisbrook Stadium in Dunedin on July 22, 2011. With a month to go until the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the country is ready to host the big event. – AFP pic WELLINGTON, Aug 9 – With a month to go until the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, stadium construction is complete, tills are ringing to the sale of All Blacks jerseys and fevered speculation abounds about team selections. The country is ready to host the largest event it has ever staged, says tournament organiser Martin Snedden, despite fierce challenges thrown up by February's deadly Christchurch earthquake and the faltering global economy. "We're feeling very well prepared," declared Snedden, chief executive of Rugby World Cup 2011, adding that he had detected an increase in the buzz surrounding the tournament as the opening match on September 9 draws closer. One of the few countries where rugby union is the dominant sport, New Zealand has a lot riding on the showcase event, not least the chance for the All Blacks to atone for a history of under-performance at the World Cup. It also gives the nation, which has a population of just over four million, the chance to prove that a small country can successfully host large sporting events and accommodate tens of thousands of international visitors. "Rugby World Cup is the biggest event New Zealand's ever held and it's important to New Zealand because it's our number-one game and everyone within New Zealand knows rugby," former All Blacks captain Buck Shelford said. Snedden said that despite New Zealand's geographic isolation and the turmoil hitting the world economy, organisers remained optimistic about projections that 85,000 international visitors would flood in. "One of our biggest challenges is that New Zealand is stuck away at the end of the world with really only Australia as our closest neighbour and a long way away from some of the international rugby markets that we've been targeting," he said. "But we've been absolutely delighted with the number of people who have committed to coming to New Zealand." The earthquake that hit the country's second largest city in February, killing 181 people, had thrown up the biggest obstacle, he said. All seven matches scheduled for Christchurch, including two quarter-finals, had to be moved after the devastating quake rendered its stadium impossible to play in and shattered the city's infrastructure. "We're just hoping that the people of Christchurch still manage to find a way of connecting in with this tournament strongly," Snedden said. Revenue from ticket sales – which topped one million last month – is expected to reach NZ$268 million (RM672.57 million), although the tournament will make a loss, to be shared by the government and New Zealand Rugby Union. The country's struggling economy however is expected to get a much-needed boost. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand estimates that the influx of tourists will inject NZ$700 million into the economy, lifting growth by 0.33 percentage points. On the field, the tournament – which sees 20 teams competing – offers a chance of redemption for New Zealand's All Blacks, widely regarded as the best rugby team on the planet. The side has failed to live up to the billing since winning the inaugural World Cup in 1987, unable to lift the trophy in five subsequent tournaments and earning an unwanted reputation for choking on the big occasion. All Black legend Jonah Lomu, part of the New Zealand side that lost to South Africa in the 1995 final, said he believed 2011 might be the All Blacks' year because they are playing on home soil in front of fans desperate for success. "If the All Blacks do do it, mate, I'll be the happiest man on the moon," he said. Snedden warned that New Zealanders must maintain their enthusiasm for the event even if the unthinkable happens and the All Blacks fail again. "If we don't happen to win the World Cup, we'll get another chance in four years' time, and four years after that. But we're not going to get another chance to host the event," he said. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Filipinos cry sacrilege over art with Christ, phallic symbols Posted: 09 Aug 2011 04:20 AM PDT Former Philippine first lady and now Congresswoman Imelda Marcos reacts as she views an art installation of a crucifix with a movable penis at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila August 8, 2011. — Reuters pic MANILA, Aug 9 — An art installation that mixes Christ with kitschy symbols of pop culture and includes a crucifix with a movable penis has set off an uproar in the Philippines among conservative Catholics, who say the installations are a mockery of their faith. Mideo Cruz, the artist responsible for the installation — intended to be a commentary on icon worship -- has been branded a "demon" and bombarded with death threats and hate mail since his work featured in an exhibit in Manila that began June 17. "May your soul burn to (sic) hell, you Devil pro (sic) artist," wrote a furious Facebook user, one of dozens denouncing Cruz's work. Cruz, a 37-year-old visual and performance artist who has exhibited in such international art centres as New York, Paris and Tokyo, said he had wanted to provoke a reaction but was surprised by the violence of the response. "You can't force people. But I just hope that when we look at something, the process doesn't stop at the surface," he said. Cruz said his installation, "Poleteismo" or "Polytheism," is about the worship of relics and how idolatry evolves through history and modern culture. Posters of Christ and the Virgin Mary, crucifixes and religious curios recall the 300 years of Spanish rule that implanted Catholicism in the Philippines, while images of Mickey Mouse, the Statue of Liberty and US President Barack Obama point to the lasting influence of US imperialism. "This speaks about objects that we worship, how we create these gods and idols, and how we in turn are created by our gods and idols," Cruz said. One part of the installation is a giant wooden crucifix with a bright red penis that can be moved up and down, a symbol of a patriarchal society where men are "worshipped," he said. Early versions of the work, which also includes kitschy posters and souvenirs from Cruz's travels, were exhibited as long ago as 2002 in other galleries, but the current furore is unprecedented. "It is very offensive to the majority, since the majority are Christian. It's sort of mocking the faith," said Emmanuel Fernandez, a teacher who is a member of the staunchly Catholic social group Knights of Columbus. Roman Catholics make up roughly 80 per cent of the Philippine population, and conservatives are vocal in the public arena. Catholic lobbyists have aggressively fought against a legislative bill that seeks to raise awareness on artificial contraception, and bishops have castigated proponents of same-sex marriage and divorce. Calls for the exhibit to be boycotted or shut down have flooded the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where it is being held, and a Catholic university mentioned as the alma mater of all the artists in the exhibition asked for its name to be withdrawn. But Karen Ocampo-Flores, the centre's head for visual arts, said the center was only fulfilling its mandate of cultivating artistic expression and regretted that the installation was seen only in pieces and not in its entirety. "I would call it moralist hysteria, I would call it religious myopia," she said. "Yes, you can have your faith, and that can be respected. But you must also be able to tolerate and understand other people's views." Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, who heads a diocese in Manila, said Catholics must not be too quick to judge the artist without sufficient information. But he also said artists must consider their audience. "There may be some works of art, which... would not be in harmony with the mentality and the culture of a certain group of people, of a certain religion," he said. "Then I think artists and those who put on such exhibits should be very, very sensitive to that." For viewers who are neither steadfastly Catholic nor connoisseurs of art, the mishmash of elements in Cruz's piece is indecipherable at worst and thought-provoking at best. "We are a little surprised by this artwork, it left us very perplexed," said Francoise Masson, a tourist from Paris. — Reuters   Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

National Geographic launches clothing line Posted: 09 Aug 2011 04:07 AM PDT National Geographic's new clothing range. — Courtesy of National Geographic NEW YORK, Aug 9 — National Geographic is something of a travel institution — an outlet that inspires readers to go out and see more of the world through its compelling stories and photography. No surprise then, that it is trying to integrate itself further with the way we travel, already offering guidebooks, holidays and even cruise ships to capitalise on its loyal fanbase. Last week, we got a hint of the next outpost in the National Geographic empire  —fashion. In collaboration with the Greater Clothing Company, the magazine has produced an apparel line designed for the rugged explorers and outdoorsy types who read the magazine, expected to compete with traditional adventure-wear favorites such as North Face and Patagonia. The collection is split into two series, with more expected to follow early next year. The Rugged Series is aimed at the "day-to-day explorer" and is described as "functional design for the digital age," with pieces such as the Herringbone North Region Explorer Jacket and Vest, Cameraman Utility Jacket and Vest, and the Fisherman Peacoat. The Storm series is a rainwear collection of jackets and coats, made from lightweight, breathable materials. Just in time for the Christmas period, the items will be on sale in the US from October 2011, National Geographic said August 4. — afprelaxnews.com Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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‘Desperate Housewives’ to take final bow Posted: 09 Aug 2011 02:14 AM PDT The stars of 'Desperate Housewives' with producer Marc Cherry. – AFP pic NEW YORK, Aug 9 – "Desperate Housewives," the ABC television series about lust, gossip, and foul play in a pampered American suburb, is to take its final bow at the end of the upcoming eighth season. ABC announced it was ending the story of the residents of Wisteria Lane with a final season expected September 25 that would leave the declining viewership more than satisfied. "Season Eight of 'Desperate Housewives' will roll out in a way that is accessible even to viewers who may have lapsed in their viewing, and be all the richer and more rewarding to the series' loyal fans," ABC said Sunday. With fallout over a murder, yet another disintegrating marriage and the arrival of Ben Faulkner, "a new sexy neighbor," the season will reprise the staple themes of life among the ultra-thin, high-cheeked women and handsome men of fictional Fairview, ABC said. The series, watched by 12 million people last season, less than half of the first season peak, is credited with helping turn around ABC's flagging fortunes and boosting the international market for US series with complex plots and one-hour episodes. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Singer Gavin DeGraw hurt in New York assault Posted: 08 Aug 2011 08:21 PM PDT NEW YORK, Aug 9 — Singer Gavin DeGraw suffered a broken nose when he was attacked by a group on the street early yesterday in New York City, police said. It was not clear what led to the attack in the city's East Village, or how many individuals assaulted DeGraw, New York police spokesman Lieutenant John Grimpel said. The 34-year-old DeGraw (picture) is best known for his song "I Don't Want to Be," which is the opening theme for television show "One Tree Hill," and the track "Chariot." DeGraw was listed in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital Center after suffering a broken nose and facial cuts in the attack, Grimpel said. The identities of the singer's attackers remain unknown, he added. A spokeswoman for DeGraw could not be reached for comment. DeGraw had just left a group of his friends when he was assaulted, Grimpel said. — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Umno Selangor: Gereja boleh saman jika tindakan Jais salah Posted: 09 Aug 2011 02:46 AM PDT Noh: Saya yakin Jais telah bertindak mengikut lunas undang-undang dan jabatan itu mesti tahu implikasi undang-undang bila berbuat demikian. KOTA BARU, 9 Ogos — Umno Selangor yakin tindakan yang dilakukan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) ketika memeriksa sebuah gereja di negeri itu sehingga menimbulkan kontroversi baru-baru ini mengikut peruntukan undang-undang. Jika tidak, Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Selangor Datuk Seri Noh Omar berkata gereja itu boleh mengambil tindakan mengheret Jais ke mahkamah. "Saya yakin Jais telah bertindak mengikut lunas undang-undang dan jabatan itu mesti tahu implikasi undang-undang bila berbuat demikian," katanya dipetik Bernama Online hari ini. Rabu lalu, Jais membuat membuat pemeriksaan di Gereja Methodist Damansara Utama dekat Petaling Jaya, selepas menerima laporan mengenai kehadiran orang Islam pada majlis makan malam yang diadakan di situ. Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim berkata beliau menunggu laporan Jais dan akan menghadap Sultan Selangor untuk mendapatkan nasihat baginda. Tindakan Jais itu mendapat sokongan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Hal Ehwal Islam, Adat Istiadat Melayu dan Kemudahan Awam Selangor Datuk Dr Hasan Mohd Ali sehingga menimbulkan konflik kepada kerajaan Selangor yang diteraju Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Mengulas kenyataan Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yang menyalahkan Barisan Nasional (BN) kononnya sengaja membangkitkan kontroversi mengenai perkara itu, Noh berkata PAS sengaja menutup kelemahan mereka dengan melemparkan tuduhan kepada Umno dan BN. "Setiap apa yang berlaku membabitkan PAS dan pembangkang, parti itu akan melemparkan tuduhan pula kepada Umno seolah-olah kita tidak ada kerja lain nak dibuat. "Saya ingin menasihatkan PAS agar jangan sesekali mempolitikkan isu agama kerana isu agama adalah sangat sensitif," katanya. Noh yang juga Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani berkata apa yang berlaku itu tidak ada kena mengena dengan Umno dan BN. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

MB Kedah dijangka keluar IJN hujung minggu Posted: 09 Aug 2011 02:45 AM PDT GURUN, 9 Ogos — Keadaan kesihatan Menteri Besar Kedah Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak semakin beransur baik dan beliau dijangka dibenarkan keluar daripada Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) beberapa hari lagi. "Datuk Seri mungkin dibenarkan keluar dalam masa dua atau tiga hari lagi. Beliau tidak buat sebarang pembedahan dan hanya jalani imbasan MRI (Pengimejan Resonans Magnetik) serta saringan kesihatan yang lain sahaja," kata Pegawai Khas beliau, Muzaini Azizan hari ini. Menurut laporan Bernama Online, Azizan kini dikehendaki berehat di IJN bagi menstabilkan tekanan darah tingginya di samping mengawal paras gula dalam kandungan air kencing. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Fergie turns back the clock Posted: 08 Aug 2011 04:56 PM PDT AUG 9 — If the new season is going to be anything like Manchester United's second-half performance in the Community Shield, then bring it on! It has been a long time since MU played with such high intensity and creativity that opponents are really going to have to be two levels better to compete.  This second half was a stark contrast to what was dished out last season and this is down to two things. First, the footballing lesson at the hands of Barcelona shook Sir Alex Ferguson so much that he was literally shaking at Wembley. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the young players brought on at half time meant more energy and power. The outstanding individual was Tom Cleverly, the midfielder who showed such creativity, maturity and vision that he most certainly deserves to be a regular starter this season. The assurance and calm of Phil Jones in defence seemed to have a positive effect on the normally nervous, at least in the last two seasons, Jonny Evans. The defeat at the hands of Barcelona quite perhaps made Ferguson look at himself and realise that he had abandoned the very policy that made him the lord of the English game as it is, Fergie's Fledglings. By abandoning the policy that provided the platform for years and years of domination, he now is taking a shortcut by signing the best young players and promoting from within. And how did Bebe ever wear a Manchester United jersey, Sir? For the Blue half of Manchester, they still have not located Mario Ballotelli who went missing at Wembley. They scored against the run of play but looked sluggish especially in defence. Too much muscle mass seemed to make Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Vincent Kompany and Alexandar Kolarov look like carthorses.  And with a hesitant Gael Clichy, the City defence will not be so generous again, I hope. They still look title contenders with the ability to score goals from nothing and Roberto Mancini should take heart from that. The problems were in midfield where normally City are well organised but on the night were too loose with David Silva, Yaya Toure and James Milner not quite sure what their positions were. It is fine to allow freedom in midfield but there still needs to be some shape and pattern. All in all, a great start to the season and with Chelsea looking sharp in Hong Kong and Liverpool sure to uproot some trees, this looks like it is going to be a bumper season after last season's bummer! * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Ups and downs for ex-England bosses Posted: 08 Aug 2011 04:45 PM PDT AUG 9 — Five years ago yesterday, Steve McClaren took charge of his first England game — a misleadingly promising 4-0 victory over Greece — after succeeding Sven Goran Eriksson as the national team manager following the disappointing 2006 World Cup Finals campaign. Now, both managers are in the Championship, hoping to lead their new clubs back into the Premier League after a lengthy absence from the top flight. Laconic Swede Eriksson took over at Leicester City last October, effecting an impressive immediate upturn in results after a poor start to the season but ultimately not doing quite enough to lead the Foxes into the play-offs. A few months later, McClaren took over a few miles up the M1 motorway at Nottingham Forest, replacing Billy Davies after the City Ground club's promotion challenge ended in accustomed disappointment with yet another defeat in the play-offs (something Forest have made their own unwanted specialty in recent years). The new Championship season started on Saturday, with Leicester earning a hard fought 1-0 win over Coventry but Forest frustrated with a 0-0 home draw against Barnsley. A lot of hard work lies ahead for both clubs. It's been an eventful and not always smooth ride for both McClaren and Eriksson since the latter took over from the former as England boss in 2006. McClaren, who first made his name as Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United in the 1990s, was doomed to become the shortest-serving permanent manager in the national team's history, leading the team through a desperately disappointing Euro 2008 qualifying campaign which saw them finish third in their group behind Russia and Croatia, failing to even make the play-offs. The group phase, and McClaren's managerial reign, came to an appropriately dismal end with a 3-2 home defeat against Croatia on an extremely wet night at Wembley in November 2007, with the image of McClaren hovering under an umbrella on the sidelines, earning him the disparaging moniker of "The Wally with the Brolly" — an unkind piece of mockery that lives with him to this day. After a brief sabbatical, McClaren re-emerged in unlikely surroundings at FC Twente in the Netherlands, and promptly re-established his tattered reputation by immediately guiding the unfancied provincial club — so long accustomed to being outshone by Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord — to runners-up in his first full season and then securing their first Dutch title in the following campaign. Reputation amply restored, McClaren headed a little further east to take over at Wolfsburg, who had just enjoyed an impressive season, finishing mid-table in the German Bundesliga and reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League. He failed. Wolfsburg stumbled through the campaign, narrowly avoided relegation, and McClaren was sacked. Such are the vagaries of football. New hero in 2006; tragi-comic fool in 2007; tactical genius in 2010; on the scrapheap in 2011. Now offered another lifeline by Forest, it will be intriguing to see how he fares in the coming campaign. If anything, Eriksson has undergone an even bumpier ride since departing the England job five years ago. His next stop was Manchester City, where in hindsight he was perhaps a little unfortunate to arrive just before the splurge of spending by new owner Sheikh Mansour. After just a year in charge, having led City to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League, he was on the move again to take over the Mexican national team, but his reign in central America lasted less than a year after a series of poor results — including defeats against Honduras and Jamaica and a draw with Canada. Then came the bizarre Notts County experiment, when Eriksson was installed as the League Two club's director of football by mysterious new owners Munto Finance, who were promising to inject untold riches into their acquisition and developed a five-year plan to climb into the Premier League, signalling their intentions by recruiting former England international defender Sol Campbell. County looked like becoming the Manchester City of the lower leagues, but Munto Finance's plan contained just one, fairly significant drawback: they didn't actually have any money. So, after a few months of broken promises and unrealistic, daydreaming, Eriksson was released from his contract. Another unlikely destination ensued as the Swede took charge of the Ivory Coast for their World Cup finals campaign in South Africa, but once again he endured disappointment on the international stage as the African nation crashed out in the first stage in a tough group also including Portugal and Brazil. And now he's at Leicester, working for wealthy Thai owners and benefiting from a significant budget in an attempt to realise their dream of a place in the Premier League. A number of quality players have arrived at the Walkers Stadium in the last few months, including powerful defender Matt Mills for £5 million (RM25 million) from Reading, striker David Nugent, former Liverpool full back Paul Konchesky and Swiss international Gelson Fernandes. The players are in place, and Eriksson's job is to mould them into a successful team; without wishing to be unkind, the evidence of the last few years does little to instil confidence that he'll be able to do that. Forest and Leicester, McClaren and Eriksson: both are expected to deliver promotion this season, but the Championship is a notoriously competitive and difficult division, and the odds are that one of them, or both, will fail. If that does transpire, at least they've both had plenty of practise at coping with disappointment. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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