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Bolt and Kenyans beam as Ohuruogu sobs Posted: 27 Aug 2011 09:45 AM PDT Usain Bolt leads Dwain Chambers of Britain and Angel David Rodriguez of Spain to the finish line in their men's 100 metres heat. — Reuters pic DAEGU, South Korea, Aug 27 — Usain Bolt brought world-class pizzazz to the athletics world championships today where one Olympic champion ducked out without completing even a single pole vault and another was in tears after false starting in her 400 metres heat. Bolt, the world's fastest man, left the rapidly emptying stadium all smiles after posturing his way through a simple 100 metres heat. His grin was matched by the joyful Kenyans, who swept all six medals on offer on day one. Britain's Christine Ohuruogu was left sobbing on a stairway in Daegu's cavernous arena as rivals tried to console her after she was disqualified. "I false started, people false start all the time. I wasted all that hard work. I am broken, you can all see I am broken," the 400 metres Olympic champion told reporters. "I have nothing else to say, I false started . . . I worked really hard." World and Olympic champion pole vaulter Steve Hooker was equally disappointed. Having declared himself fit but undercooked after injuries had delayed his start to the season, Hooker failed three attempts to clear 5.50 metres. "I had no confidence in what I was doing out there. It's tough to try and get a good jump when you feel that way," the Australian told reporters. "No excuse for what happened today, I would expect more of myself." While confidence was in short supply in some quarters, ebullient Jamaican Bolt exuded it as he gestured to the crowd, fashioning his hair with his hands and using his fingers as pretend guns to fire at television cameras. He was never tested in his heat, easing up after 60 metres yet still finishing the fastest qualifier in 10.10 seconds, 0.02 ahead of young compatriot Yohan Blake. "I feel great. My goal is to go out there and execute, I came out and I did what I wanted to. I got my great start and I'm happy with that. "My focus is to go out there and win and show the world I am still the best . . . nobody has beaten me all season and nobody has broken my world record." Skinned knee Allyson Felix kicked off her campaign for 200m and 400m double gold in the heats of the 400 metres, and looked comfortable. "It felt controlled. I just wanted to establish 150 and go from there," the American said. "It was a little quicker than I would have hoped for but I was trying to make it as easy as possible. I feel good and am excited to finally get started." Policewoman Edna Kiplagat was left with a skinned knee but the broadest of smiles when she survived a late fall to lead a Kenyan sweep in the women's marathon. Daegu's spectacular stadium set against a backdrop of mist-covered mountains came to life as heats kicked off the 13th championships, but it was on the streets of the South Korean city that the first gold was won. Kiplagat, with her long, languid style, broke clear of compatriots Priscah Jeptoo and Sharon Cherop over the last two kilometres of the race to win her first world title in two hours 28 minutes 43 seconds. "This is my first championship . . . I did not have any special strategy," the 31-year-old grinned. "I fell down at the . . . refreshment station — my teammate Cherop hit my leg by accident. I was afraid I had hurt myself but I am okay." Today's only other medals event also resulted in a Kenyan clean sweep when Vivian Cheruiyot won gold in the women's 10,000 metres ahead of Sally Kipyego and Linet Masai. Another Kenyan, Priscah Cherono, finished fourth, making it the first 1-2-3-4 sweep in a women's 10,000 metres at the world championships. Vivian Cheruiyot waves as she walks with her compatriots second-placed Sally Kipyego (right), third-placed Linet Masai (second right) and fourth-placed Priscah Cherono after their clean sweep of the women's 10,000 metres final. — Reuters pic "It is great to win gold in my first championships race over 10,000 with a personal best," Cheruiyot said. "We were inspired by the marathon girls and we wanted to achieve the same." — Reuters

Vettel pips Hamilton for Spa pole Posted: 27 Aug 2011 09:31 AM PDT SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Aug 27 — Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel charged to pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix today after denying McLaren's Lewis Hamilton the top slot in the final seconds of qualifying. Sebastian Vettel (left) celebrates his pole position with second-placed Lewis Hamilton. — Reuters pic In a wet and eventful session, the 24-year-old German secured Red Bull's 13th pole in a row and his ninth of the season. Vettel's Australian teammate Mark Webber, celebrating his 35th birthday with a new one-year contract, will line up third alongside Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa. "Not an easy session with the conditions changing . . . tomorrow they say it is dry but I think here anything is possible," said Vettel, who leads Webber by 85 points with eight races remaining but has been beaten in the last three. Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, who made his debut at the circuit 20 years ago, had a nightmare afternoon and failed to set a time in the first phase after a rear wheel worked loose and he skidded his Mercedes into the wall. Hamilton, winner at Spa last year, found himself in the middle of another controversy after clashing with Williams' Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in the second phase of qualifying. The Briton went past Maldonado on the inside of the last corner as the seconds ran out and then, after completing the final lap, appeared to be chopped by the Venezuelan with the McLaren damaged by the contact. "It was done deliberately," Hamilton said over the team radio of the rookie's actions. McLaren fitted a new front wing and patched up the car for the final phase. "I think it was quite serious and just fortunate that neither of us, particularly him, was flipped into a big crash," Hamilton added later. Both drivers faced possible sanction from stewards, with Hamilton's compatriot and former world champion Nigel Mansell making a guest appearance this weekend. The two racers had also clashed at Monaco earlier in the year, with Hamilton tipping Maldonado into the tyre barriers when the Venezuelan was heading for his first points finish. McLaren misunderstanding Hamilton's teammate Jenson Button, winner in Hungary before the summer break, was left in 13th place on the grid after a McLaren "misunderstanding". The 2009 champion was told to pit, an order he questioned by saying "Are you sure? Are you sure?" during the second session, and then had to watch as his time proved too slow to make the cut. "That is massively disappointing and a huge shock," he said. "A big mistake on our part. In every practice session we've been in top three. Tough being back in 13th but we've got to deal with it." Schumacher's hopes of a first podium since his comeback last season suffered a major setback, with the 42-year-old facing a back-row start. "I've had some experience on three wheels before but to lose a rear wheel is a bit more difficult to handle," he said. "Initially I didn't know I'd lost a rear wheel. There is no reason to blame anybody; we all try our best but at the end of the day we are all human. I've had some interesting races from the back so it's going to be entertaining." Brazilian Bruno Senna made an impressive start to his first race weekend with Renault, qualifying seventh and ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in eighth place. Senna's Russian teammate Vitaly Petrov qualified 10th. "It will be a dream come true to finish in the points tomorrow," Senna, nephew of the late triple champion Ayrton, told reporters. Force India's British rookie Paul di Resta was another casualty of the first session after spinning on his flying lap. Both the HRTs and Virgin Racing's Belgian Jerome d'Ambrosio were at the mercy of the stewards after failing to meet the 107 per cent qualifying threshold, along with Schumacher. The second phase of qualifying was halted briefly after Force India's Adrian Sutil spun and skidded into the tyre wall at the top of Eau Rouge. — Reuters

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Minka Kelly, Derek Jeter strike out Posted: 27 Aug 2011 01:46 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Aug 27 — Actress Minka Kelly and New York Yankees star Derek Jeter, once the subject of engagement talk, have ended their three-year relationship, a representative for Kelly told People magazine yesterday. The "amicable" breakup, as described by Kelly's representative, arrives amid career milestones for both. Jeter, 37, marked his 3,000th career hit in July, with Kelly on hand for the event at Yankee Stadium. The "Charlie's Angels" reboot starring Kelly (picture) premieres September 22 on ABC. A spokeswoman for Kelly was not immediately available to comment. Jeter, one of the highest paid players in Major League Baseball, has dated a number of high-profile women, among them Mariah Carey, Scarlett Johansson, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel. Kelly, whose credits include the series "Parenthood" and "Friday Night Lights" and the feature "The Roommate," is shooting her new show in Miami. The daughter of former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay, she has been romantically linked to musician John Mayer and actors Chris Evans and Donald Faison. — Reuters

Salman Khan to be treated for nerve disorder Posted: 27 Aug 2011 01:45 AM PDT The actor said that his condition was recently diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia. — Reuters file pic MUMBAI, Aug 27 — Actor Salman Khan is heading out to the US next week to treat a nerve disorder he was diagnosed with earlier this month. Khan, 45, whose "Bodyguard" opens in cinemas next week, will be in the US for treatment after the film's release. "It's a non-surgical procedure and doctors have told I'll be back to work within four days," Khan told Reuters. The actor had been suffering from pain in his jaw and the condition was recently diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia. "It's been happening for the past four to five years and just got diagnosed this month," Khan told Reuters. Khan is known for his box-office dominance over the Eid weekend. His biggest hits in the last few years have come during this period, with "Dabanng" being 2010's blockbuster. Khan is also scheduled to do a number of big-ticket films, including "Ek Tha Tiger" with ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif. With the success of "Ready" in June, he cemented his place as a star who can pretty much guarantee box-office success with his charisma. — Reuters

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Fat camp shows China battling the bulge Posted: 27 Aug 2011 02:50 AM PDT BEIJING, Aug 27 — On the grounds of the Bodyworks weight loss campus in Beijing, 30 tubby men and women sweat profusely, gasping for air as they pound the treadmills in an exercise room. They represent a shocking new statistic in the world's most populous country. According to some estimates, a third of China's population — some 429 million — are overweight or obese, prime candidates for heart disease and diabetes. It is growing fatter faster than any developing nation except Mexico, with grave implications for the work force and economic growth in the world's second biggest economy. At the Bodyworks campus, they range in age from seven to 55 and come from across China. Each pays 30,000 yuan (RM14,022) for the six-week programme. Some estimates say about 429 million people in China are overweight or obese. — Reuters pic For that, they get balanced meals and exercise for six hours each day. The regimen includes weight training, running, yoga and football. "For the first two to three weeks, it was especially hard. I cried on the phone to my parents and told my father, 'I can't make it,'" said Zhang Fang, a 28-year-old employee with China Unicom from northern Shanxi province. "My mother said: 'If you don't continue, you're finished. You need your health.'" When Zhang joined the camp, she weighed 150kg, had high blood pressure and had trouble breathing when she walked. She's lost 50kg in one year. "Now I'm a fat person, but at least I'm not a super-sized fat person," Zhang said. Though most Chinese think a chubby child is a healthy child, society can be less tolerant of overweight adults, who complain of not being able to find jobs. "I want to give people a good impression when I go for interviews," said Zheng Xiaojie, a 22-year-old university student from far-western Xinjiang, who has lost over five kilos in seven weeks. "People feel more comfortable about thinner people." MORE ACUTE IN BIG CITIES Obesity is most acute in China's biggest urban cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, where people enjoy higher incomes, eat richer foods and lead more sedentary lifestyles. "Urban China got richer. It's just gone out and bought itself more food and bought itself cars and couches to sit on while watching TV," Paul French, co-author 'Fat China: How Expanding Waistlines are Changing a Nation,' told Reuters. Mu Ge, the sales manager at Bodyworks, said the most glaring difference between China and other countries "is that the rich people in China are all extremely fat ... (whereas) in other countries, the wealthy are all very thin and beautiful." "In the UK, only the poor people will eat junk food, and will therefore be fat," Mu said. "In China, it's the opposite. The more money you have, the fatter you are. It's almost as if it's proof that living standards have improved." Dressed in an oversized T-shirt that did little to conceal his rotund belly, Liu Chi has lost more than 10kg since he first entered Bodyworks six weeks ago and now weighs in at about 90kg. To Liu, his progress represents a new lease on life — one he hopes will include a girlfriend and fewer taunts. "I had an inferiority complex," said the cherub-faced 20-year-old student from Hebei province. "People will look at me on the streets and ask me: 'How heavy are you?'" SHARP SPIKE Ding Zongyi, a professor at the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, who has been studying obesity in China for the past 30 years, said the obesity rate has jumped 158 per cent since 1996 to 2006 and is set to rise further. Even the most conservative assumptions have the rate of change in overweight and obesity in China doubling over the next two decades, Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, wrote in the July/August 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs. Extra-high amounts of salt, sugar and oil in Chinese cooking are contributing to the sharp rise in obesity. — Reuters pic Health experts say that the speed with which China is putting on weight is alarming. "In America and Europe, they had to go through the whole process of inventing supermarkets and processed food," French, the writer, said. "It took stages in the West. The Chinese didn't have to invent the Mars bar. It was given McDonald's, KFC, Tesco and Wal-Mart." KFC parent Yum Brands Inc say the Chinese market is its main earnings driver and McDonald's said China has been the fastest-growing market for the firm worldwide in terms of the number of new restaurant openings. Popkin said in emailed comments that more fried food, consumption of food from animal sources, sugared drinks and too few vegetables have contributed to China's expanding girth. Although the prevalence of fast food is a major culprit, extra-high amounts of salt, sugar and oil in Chinese cooking is another factor contributing to the sharp rise in obesity. And while China's obesity rate is still half that in the United States, the UK and Australia, it has led to a worrying rise in chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, strokes, heart disease and diabetes. In a growing number of developed nations, obesity is fast replacing tobacco as the most important preventable cause of chronic non-communicable diseases, health experts warned. About 12 per cent of children aged seven to18 years old in China are overweight or obese, Popkin said. The number of people suffering from diabetes has reached 92 million in China, almost 10 per cent of its population of 1.3 billion, according to a March 2010 study in the New England Journal of Medicine. In China, the economic costs of obesity are enormous, Popkin said. An increasingly obese population poses economic problems in terms of treatment costs, paid sick leave, loss of productivity, disability and premature death. The indirect effect of obesity and obesity-related dietary and physical activity patterns was 3.58 per cent of GDP in 2000 and was projected to reach 8.73 per cent in 2025, Popkin wrote. "These estimates do not account for much of the recent rapid increase in the use of and spending for pharmaceutical products, which would make the total costs even higher," he wrote. Ding said there had been no action taken by the government to address the problem. "The government pays little attention to obesity partially because many parents and even doctors still lack the awareness to recognise and seriously cope with obesity as a problem," he said. — Reuters

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Playwright David Hare scoops PEN/Pinter Prize Posted: 27 Aug 2011 06:23 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 27 — Renowned for his gritty portrayals of contemporary Britain and "fearless" treatment of politics, British playwright and director David Hare has won the 2011 PEN/Pinter prize, it was announced yesterday. The prize, established by writers' charity English PEN in memory of British Nobel-winning playwright Harold Pinter, is the latest in a long history of awards and international acclaim for Hare. He already holds a Bafta, a Golden Bear from the Berlin film festival and an Olivier Award and his notable plays include "Plenty" and "Racing Demon." "In the course of his long, distinguished career, David Hare (picture) has never failed to speak out fearlessly on the subject of politics in the broadest sense," said Antonia Fraser, Pinter's widow and head of the jury. "This courage, combined with his rich creative talent, makes him a worthy winner of the PEN/Pinter Prize." Now in its third year, the prize is awarded annually to a British writer, or a writer resident in Britain, who — in the words of Pinter's Nobel speech — casts an "unflinching, unswerving" gaze upon the world. Hare's notable works include "Plenty," a portrait of disillusionment in post-war Britain, and "The Absence of War," a drama about the Labour Party. His subject matter is varied — from the privatisation of Britain's railways in "The Permanent Way" to "Stuff Happens," which explores the invasion of Iraq. But Hare has also won recognition for his work as a screenwriter and director, including for his adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's novel "The Reader" which earned him his second Oscar nomination. The prize is also presented to an international "writer of courage" who has been persecuted for expressing their beliefs. Last year, the international part of the prize was awarded to Mexican journalist and human rights activist Lydia Cacho, whose book exposing a child pornography ring led to her imprisonment, harassment, and even torture. The 2011 "writer of courage" will be announced at a public ceremony in the British Library on October 10, when both winners will be presented with the prize. The previous winners of the main award were poet and playwright Tony Harrison, and Hanif Kureishi, novelist and playwright. — Reuters

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Gani Patail nafi dakwaan RPK disogok Ho Hup baiki rumah isteri Posted: 27 Aug 2011 02:42 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Ogos — Peguam Negara Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (gambar) menafikan dakwaan Raja Petra Kamarudin bahawa beliau disogok oleh bekas timbalan pengerusi eksekutif Ho Hup Bhd, Datuk Vincent Lye, atas sokonganya dalam pertikaian lembaga pengarah syarikat tersebut. Dalam tulisan menerusi blognya Malaysia Today pada 23 Ogos lalu, Raja Petra mendakwa bahawa Lye telah memberi sogokan kepada Gani dan menggunakan dana Ho Hup untuk membayar kerja-kerja pengubahsuaian rumah isteri kedua ketua pendakwa raya itu di Negeri Sembilan. Dalam respons pertama berhubung dakwaan Raja Petra, Gani memberitahu The Malaysian Insider, beliau tidak pernah menerima sebarang wang daripada syarikat pembinaan tersebut. "Saya tidak menerima satu sen pun daripada Ho Hup. Saya ada satu peraturan, saya tidak ambil duit," katanya. Ketika ditanya sama ada beliau memiliki rumah di Seremban, Gani berkata: "Saya tiada rumah di Seremban ataupun di mana-mana di Negeri Sembilan." "Saya tidak tahu apa nak kata. Semua ini berlaku pada 2009 tetapi kes itu dibawa sejak 2010, jadi tidak masuk akal," kata beliau merujuk kepada kes yang difailkan ke atas Datuk TC Low. Raja Petra mendakwa Peguam Negara telah menggunakan pengaruhnya bagi pihak Lye untuk mendakwa Low di mahkamah tahun ini berhubung isu pendedahan kepentingannya dalam syarikat tersebut. Editor Malaysia Today itu juga menyiarkan foto di blognya invois-invois yang dijana daripada komputer, bertarikh 13 Julai 2009, daripada sebuah syarikat di Petaling Jaya kepada Ho Hup berkaitan kerja-kerja pemasangan lampu atas nama "AG's Bangalow at Seremban 2 — Sri Carcosa", satu invois tulisan tangan juga bertarikh 13 Julai kepada Lye untuk kerja-kerja pengubahsaian bagi Sri Carcosa di Seremban 2, baucar daripada Ho Hup bertarikh 12 Ogos bagi kerja-kerja yang telah dijalankan bagi rumah "AG Tan Sri Ghani Patail Bangalow at Seremban 2 — Sri Carcosa" bernilai RM18,000 dan satu cek RM18,000 yang dikeluarkan kepada pihak yang menjalankan kerja-kerja pengubahsaian. Lye dan Low yang masing-masing mempunyai pegangan 28 dan 26 peratus ketika itu terlibat dalam pertikaian menguasai lembaga pengarah Ho Hup. Bagaimanapun Lye telah diundi keluar pada mesyuarat tergempar Ho Hup pada Mac ini. Pada Mei lalu, Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia telah membersihkan Gani daripada tuduhan rasuah berkaitan dengan urusan menunaikan haji tahun lalu.

PAS: Jual Esso kepada firma Filipina bukti BN terus gagal Posted: 27 Aug 2011 01:33 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Ogos — PAS memandang serius cadangan penjualan Esso Malaysia Berhad dan syarikat berkaitannya kepada San Miguel Corporation — sebuah syarikat Filipina — dan mendakwa ia satu lagi kegagalan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) mempertahankan kepentingan negara dalam industri strategik. Presidennya Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (gambar) berkata urusan jualan itu jika diteruskan akan memberi kesan negatif jangka panjang kepada industri minyak dalam negara. Baru-baru ini, San Miguel mencadangkan kepada ExxonMobil International Holdings Inc, untuk mengambil alih 65 peratus kepentingan ekuiti dalam Esso Malaysia melibatkan dana RM614.25 juta. Esso Malaysia ialah anak syarikat ExxonMobil International. San Miguel berkata syarikat itu juga merancang membuat penawaran pengambilalihan mandatori untuk memperoleh baki saham yang tidak dimiliki oleh syarikat selepas cadangan pengambilalihan itu. Serentak dengan tawaran pengambilalihan Esso Malaysia, San Miguel juga mencadangkan kepada Mobil International Petroleum Corp dan ExxonMobil International untuk mengambil alih ExxonMobil Malaysia dan ExxonMobil Borneo pada paras AS$403.979 (RM1.2 billion)  juta. Cadangan pengambilan alihan itu akan menyediakan San Miguel dengan peluang unik untuk meluaskan portfolio peniagaan penapisan dan pemasaran minyak di luar Filipina. Awal minggu ini, Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim juga meminta Putrajaya memberi penjelasan mengenai isu tersebut. "Perlu diingat bahawa urusan niaga itu juga termasuk loji penapisan minyak milik Esso di Port Dickson, yang merupakan aset penting negara. "Pihak kerajaan melalui pihak berkuasa kementerian yang berkenaan wajib untuk tidak meluluskan urus niaga tersebut dan Esso mestilah menawarkan penjualan asetnya kepada syarikat dalam negara, sebagaimana yang ditawarkan oleh beberapa pihak yang menunjukkan minatnya seperti Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT)," kata Hadi lagi. Hadi menambah, perlu diingatkan bahawa Kongres Amerika Syarikat pernah menghalang penjualan Union Oil of California kepada syarikat minyak milik negara China atas kepentingan strategik. "Sepatutnya kerajaan yang ada ini, bersama dengan Petronas melalui Petronas Dagangan Berhad bertindak untuk menentukan keselamatan bekalan bahan petroleum dan harga bahan petroleum kekal pada paras yang munasabah. "Sekali gus Petronas Dagangan juga tidak boleh melupakan peranannya untuk membina dan mempertahankan usahawan-usahawan Bumiputera yang turut menyumbang kepada kerancakan perkembangan ekonomi negara," katanya. Kata Hadi, walaupun Petronas Dagangan menduduki tempat pertama dalam pasaran bahan petroleum dan negara, penguasaannya dalam syer peruncitan iaitu pasaran stesen minyak hanyalah sekitar 30 peratus walhal sektor ini dipercayai menyumbangkan lebih 60 peratus dari keuntungan Petronas Dagangan. "Sektor inilah yang paling banyak menerima subsidi kerajaan di mana hampir 70 peratus jumlah subsidi yang dibayar dengan menggunakan wang rakyat mengalir kepada syarikat-syarikat luar negara seperti ExxonMobil, Shell dan Caltex. "Sepatutnya kerajaan yang menguasai Petronas Dagangan mempunyai pandangan strategik dengan menjadi syarikat pertama untuk mengambil alih Esso sekali gus menguasai sektor ini dari 30 peratus kepada hampir 50 peratus," katanya. Beliau menambah PAS percaya bahawa masih belum terlambat bagi Petronas Dagangan atau LTAT untuk memulakan perundingan bagi mengambil alih Esso. "PAS juga mendesak kerajaan supaya menyemak semula penstrukturan subsidi minyak supaya syarikat-syarikat luar negara tidak membolot sebahagian besar jumlah subsidi kerajaan yang berjumlah berbilion-bilion ringgit. "Kerajaan dan Petronas mestilah bertindak pantas secara strategik supaya kestabilan bekalan bahan petroleum domestik pada paras harga munasabah terus dibina dan dilindungi dan kepentingan negara tidak terhakis," katanya lagi. Malah kata beliau, PAS tidak akan bertolak ansur dalam isu strategik dan mempunyai impak jangka panjang kepada keselamatan negara, perkembangan ekonomi dan kepentingan rakyat Malaysia seperti penjualan Esso kepada kepentingan luar.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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Another new United taking shape Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:06 PM PDT AUG 27 — Sir Alex Ferguson possesses many outstanding qualities as a manager. His ability to organise teams, creating a coherent unit out of whichever individuals happen to be at his disposal, is impeccable — how often do you see a United team looking anything other than highly drilled? Then there's his ability to develop talented young players and introduce them into the squad at just the right time, which has been proven time and time again over the last couple of decades. The winning mentality and never say die spirit that the United boss consistently instils into his teams has been another notable characteristic of his 25 years in charge at Old Trafford. But more than these — or any of the numerous other qualities that could be listed — the singularly most impressive aspect of Ferguson's reign at United has been his ability to repeatedly disassemble and rebuild teams without missing a step. Ferguson has a peerless perception in judging exactly when a player is past his best and starting to dip, and he's unsentimental enough to dispense with the fading player — however big their name or reputation — as soon as that decline sets in. It's very tempting for managers to hold onto players for just a little too long, especially when the player has served the club well in the past. Out of a sense of loyalty or duty, and a faint hope that former glories will be recaptured, players whose powers have started to decline are persevered with for longer than they should — it's a trap that Chelsea are in danger of falling into right now with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. Ferguson is too cold-hearted and focussed to allow that to happen, always picking just the right time to discard fading heroes and remould his team anew. Out of all the players that Ferguson has voluntarily let go, only Jaap Stam springs to mind as someone who enjoyed his peak years after leaving Old Trafford (you could possibly add Carlos Tevez, but United were effectively pushed into letting the Argentine leave by his aggressive agent Kia Joorabchian). All the others — David Beckham, Gabriel Heinze, Andy Cole, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Lee Sharpe and Andriy Kanchelskis are examples — were nowhere near as good after leaving Old Trafford as they had been during their United careers. They were past their peak, Ferguson recognised it before anybody else, and waved them goodbye without hesitation. And now, it seems, Ferguson is doing it all over again. In the last 12 months he has lost Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Edwin van der Sar, three absolute stalwarts of the club for many years. In addition, Dimitar Berbatov has seen his status significantly downgraded and Rio Ferdinand's appearances have become less and less frequent as he becomes increasingly prone to injury. Monday night's victory over Tottenham provided plenty of signs that yet another new United team is taking shape nicely. Tom Cleverley created the opening goal for Danny Welbeck; Ashley Young gave a lively performance on the left wing; Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans looked extremely proficient in defence; and David De Gea produced a flawless performance in goal to settle any lingering nerves from his uncertain performance at West Brom the previous week.  With a raft of established stars such as Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Park Ji Sung, Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez all sitting out Monday's victory over Spurs, it was an ominously impressive victory for the rest of the Premier League. United will be hard to beat again this season, and they can put down another marker by defeating Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal received a big boost in midweek when they progressed to the group stages of the Champions League by beating Udinese, and Arsene Wenger will be hoping to use that victory as a springboard for his team's season. But it was a far from convincing performance in southern Italy — the Gunners would have faced an extremely uncomfortable closing half hour if Antonio Di Natale had converted his penalty after 59 minutes, and they still have some serious problems to address. It's a slight exaggeration to suggest that Arsenal's title bid will already be over if they lose at Old Trafford tomorrow, but only just. Defeat would leave them eight points behind United and, even at this early stage of the season, that's a significant deficit to surmount. The main other point of interest this weekend comes when Tottenham host Manchester City at White Hart Lane. Less than 18 months ago, Spurs beat City to a spot in the Champions' League, but the two clubs have headed in different directions since then: City up and up; Spurs slightly down. Three more points for Roberto Mancini's team on Sunday lunchtime would further cement their credibility as genuine title challengers. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

The Ramadan journey Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:01 PM PDT AUG 27 — Over the past decade that I have been abroad, as far as I can remember I have only experienced Ramadan three times in Malaysia, and at that, barely a few days. Some undoubtedly preceded celebrating Aidilfitri with my family in Selangor, although in 2009 I started fasting in KL and celebrated Aidilfitri in the UK, and last year I flew in smack dab into rendang-making having taken a flight that landed on Raya eve. Most years it is work that keeps me away — even as a graduate student I held a position as a teaching assistant which was part of my funding deal and when Ramadan and Aidilfitri fell during term time, as it often did in the mid-2000s, you are left with little choice. Still, some nice memories from those times too, as I recall many a time some of my Muslim students quietly putting dates or sweets on my table as I lectured as sunset became imminent. If I were to really reflect on my personal Ramadan experiences over the last 25 odd years, there have indeed been quite a mix. During my teenage years I fasted with a few hundred other girls away at boarding school — where the dinner menu was not to one's personal dictation — and there was hardly ever a time when we had access to pasar ramadan. Our only saving grace in those days were weekends when friends who had family nearby would come over, bringing either various kueh from home or the pasar, or a nice spread to be shared in our small groups. The centrality of pasar ramadan in our lives as Malaysians — these days fondly abbreviated to param (a moniker I associate with a 1980s Malaysian comedian) — can no longer be denied. Recently, an old university colleague now working and living in Pakistan noted that compelling images of Ramadan worldwide were depicted on a website. While images of breathtaking mosques and the nightly terawih prayers were main features of many Muslim countries, when it came to Malaysia — that's right, we had images of the pasar ramadan. "Not unique to Malaysia," commented a colleague of mine who is Egyptian, who makes it a point to return home for Ramadan as often as she can. In Cairo she grew up in similar surroundings, with bazaars and markets a hive of activity and festivity. As sunset approached, she told me, people would literally grab strangers off the streets to get them to break their fast with them: Charity is highly held during the holy month. In the aftermath of the uprisings in Egypt last spring and the current jostles for power, I hope she managed to still experience a similar Ramadan this year. Unlike my colleague, instead of taking the opportunity to fast back home this summer, I opted to stay behind despite the intimidating thought of having to fast for 17 hours. This was not my first time, mind — I learnt to fast when I was nine and living in the UK during the last time we experienced summer fasts in the northern hemisphere. (For good measure I should note that never once did my parents force me to fast — rather I did so at my own personal insistence despite their asking me to only do half-days). Back then there was an easy solution to deal with the fatigue and tiredness — I would just sleep, endlessly. As an adult, this was not quite an option: I had a day job to get to, for starters! Fasting is... different in a country without a Muslim majority. For starters, a lot of people do not care if you fast or not, and throughout the years I have learnt that when offered coffee or tea during a meeting, it was easier to just decline than to explain the "voluntary" abstention from food, drink and sex during daylight hours. You are pretty much your own guide, and the extent to which you observe fasting during the day and prayers during the night is limited only by your conscience. There is no hearse here to truck you around should you be "caught" eating in public during the day, and no public service announcements reminding you not to hug random uncles at the market or wear sleeveless tees while looking for food. But nevertheless, even when far from home, a sense of community continues to be preserved. We often have potluck parties to mark the breaking of the fast during weekends with other members of our small Malaysian community here, and as in years past, group Quran recitation sessions — the tadarus — are carried out nightly via the medium of Skype voice conferencing: As nightfall is late and short, this was a much more convenient way to having to travel to and fro at almost midnight. I've also been spending this year's Ramadan — which fell in August, the quietest time of the academic year — to reflect on recent happenings during this holy month. And there was a lot to go by, too. It seemed like the food I was going without during the day was being compensated by an abundance of food for thought — both in Malaysia and globally. If anything, we have been "blessed" with points to ponder. To start off with, this summer saw East Africa suffering its worst famine in decades, reminding us to be thankful for what we have but more so to spare a penny for those in much more need than us. In the first few days of Ramadan the controversy of the 8TV PSA adverts became the talk of my Twitter feed, and, with it, reflections and a reminder that tolerance and sensitivity is a two-way street. The London riots which broke out in early Ramadan — prompting the cheekier among Muslims to outright declare that this was one event they couldn't be blamed for given that they are too tired during the day and too busy eating during the night — reminded me about the subsections of society and the underclass that we seem to forget as our own wings afford us to soar higher. And back home, the controversy over the Jais church raid brought home an uncomfortable truth about the state of our zakat affairs. It's not just about society, though. Of late Ramadan to me has become something personal; a two-way relationship between me and God. For the most part, whether I make the most of Ramadan with nightly prayers and observations of charity or not is something private: a unique, personal spiritual journey that is mine alone. I find that strangely rewarding and liberating. Salam Aidilfitri to friends, family and readers of this column, and Happy Merdeka Malaysia. We're still young and dashing at 54. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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