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Arsenal lose trio for Olympiakos clash Posted: 27 Sep 2011 08:17 AM PDT Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger celebrates after Alex Song (unseen) scored their third goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium in London September 24, 2011. Arsenal will be without defender Laurent Koscielny and forwards Theo Walcott and Gervinho for Wednesday's Champions League match against Olympiakos. – Reuters pic LONDON, Sept 27 – Arsenal will be without defender Laurent Koscielny and forwards Theo Walcott and Gervinho for tomorrow's Champions League match against Olympiakos, manager Arsene Wenger said today. Koscielny has an ankle injury, Walcott a knee problem and Gervinho a mild muscle strain although all three could be fit for Sunday's Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal drew their opening Champions League Group F match against Borussia Dortmund 1-1 and lie 13th in the Premier League after a disappointing start to the season. The north London club's problems have been compounded by the loss of England midfielder Jack Wilshire, who will be sidelined for between four to five months after surgery to repair a stress fracture to his right ankle. Wilshire has not played a competitive match this season after sustaining the injury in a pre-season friendly against the New York Bulls at the Emirates stadium. Wenger bolstered his midfield during the off-season, bringing in Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun to add experience. "(Wilshere's injury) makes us a bit shorter in midfield and it puts a bit more pressure on our midfielders to perform game-in, game-out, because we will have less rotation possibilities," he was quoted as saying on the Arsenal website (http://www.arsenal.com). "But every club can be tested on that front so it shouldn't impact our end result of the season and shouldn't be any excuse at all. "Jack can come back and be very strong and help us finish the season well. "If Abou Diaby comes back well and quickly we should, number-wise and quality-wise, be all right. That depends as well on the injuries we have in the next two or three months." – Reuters

Speeding ticket delays Dortmund’s departure for Marseille Posted: 27 Sep 2011 07:36 AM PDT MUNICH, Sept 27 – Borussia Dortmund's departure to Marseille for their Champions League game against the Ligue 1 side was delayed by about 50 minutes today when their bus driver was stopped for speeding, the club said. The team was on its way to the airport when the bus driver went through a 30 kilometres per hour zone at a speed of 45kph and police stopped the vehicle to hand out a speeding ticket. Midfielder Mario Goetze said: "We wondered what happened but it was amusing." German champions Dortmund take on Marseille in their second Group F game after drawing 1-1 at home against Arsenal. – Reuters

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World is truly a stage for London Shakespeare fest Posted: 27 Sep 2011 09:45 AM PDT LONDON, Sept 27 — London's Globe theatre today said would host all of Shakespeare's 37 plays performed in 37 languages by 37 companies in a stage festival with acting troupes from Afghanistan and newly independent South Sudan. Shakespeare: 37 plays in 37 languages, by 37 companies. "Globe to Globe" will run for six weeks, starting from its launch on April 23 next year. It is part of the London 2012 Festival, itself the climax of the Cultural Olympiad, a four-year celebration of arts and culture in Britain leading up to the summer Olympics in the capital city next year. Globe to Globe kicks off with an adaptation of Shakespeare's poem "Venus and Adonis" performed in Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Afrikaans and South African English. The plays proper get under way on April 23, with "Troilus and Cressida" staged in Maori and featuring the traditional "haka" dance. "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is performed in Swahili, "Richard III" in Mandarin, "Richard II" in Palestinian Arabic and "Othello" in hip-hop. The three Henry VI plays about England's civil war are presented as an "epic and sweeping Balkan trilogy", organisers said today, featuring national theatres from Serbia, Albania and Macedonia. From Afghanistan, and leaving Kabul for the first time, is theatre company Roy-e-Sabs with "The Comedy of Errors", while a specially formed troupe from the world's newest country South Sudan will perform "Cymbeline". Belarus Free Theatre, dubbed by the Globe as "the world's bravest theatre company", stages "King Lear" while Deafinitely Theatre from London will translate the pun-riddled text of "Love's Labour's Lost" into British sign language. Fittingly for a theatre project designed to coincide with the Olympics, the Globe is offering what it calls the "Yard Olympian" allowing the buyer to watch all 37 plays and one poem for £100 (RM493). — Reuters

Jockeys face harsher penalties for whip use Posted: 27 Sep 2011 09:08 AM PDT British racing pulls the whip on jockeys. — Reuters pic LONDON, Sept 27 — British horse racing authorities have announced harsher penalties for jockeys who overuse the whip in races, including the loss of riding fees and prize money. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) ruled, however, that the use of the whip, providing strict controls were enforced, "remains appropriate and necessary for the safety of both jockeys and horses". A review group made 19 recommendations, all of which were approved by the BHA board. The BHA, who began a review of the rules last year, said in a statement that current guidelines and penalties were not an effective enough control and deterrent. The new limits restrict jockeys to seven uses of the whip in flat racing and eight in jump racing, and only five times in the last furlong or after the last obstacle. "This is roughly half the amount of times a whip could be used previously before being in breach of the rules," the BHA said. There will be a five-day minimum suspension for not adhering to the frequency limits, compared to the previous caution. "A jockey who incurs a whip suspension of three days or more will forfeit his riding fee and percentage," the BHA added. Those who breach the rules on more than one occasion will also face increased penalties. — Reuters

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Co-writer of TV sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’ dies Posted: 27 Sep 2011 08:04 AM PDT LONDON, Sept 27 – David Croft, whose gentle humour kept Britons laughing through the 1970s and 1980s, often at serious issues such as World War Two, has died, his family said today. Croft jointly penned the military sitcoms "Dad's Army" and "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" as well as the wartime resistance comedy "Allo 'Allo" based in Nazi-occupied France with its exaggerated French accents. But Croft also co-wrote successful comedies about working at a holiday camp in "Hi-de-Hi" and serving on the shop floor of a department store in "Are You Being Served?" "He was a truly great man, who will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing and loving him," his family said in a statement on his website. Croft, who served in India and Singapore where he rose to the rank of major, was able to draw on his experience, to gently poke fun at military life. In Dad's Army, Croft and his co-writer Jimmy Perry, depicted life in the Home Guard, the last line of defence should the Germans have invaded Britain. Its endearing characters included the pompous bank manager Captain Mainwaring and the jumpy butcher Lance Corporal Jones with his famous catchphrase "don't panic!" The comedy is still showing on television 40 years after its original transmission. It Ain't Half Hot Mum, which he also co-wrote with Perry, had the butch and the camp surviving alongside each other in a Royal Artillery Concert party in India and Burma during the war. Croft died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Portugal aged 89, the statement said. –Reuters

Sam Worthington in ‘Man on a Ledge’ Posted: 27 Sep 2011 07:15 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept 27 – The first trailer for Sam Worthington's latest film, action thriller Man on a Ledge, was released on September 25. The footage opens with Sam Worthington (The Debt, Avatar) standing on a ledge of a high rise, prepared to risk his life to prove his innocence. Directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), Man on a Ledge is the story of ex-cop and escaped convict who professes he was framed for a crime he did not commit. The film costars Elizabeth Banks (W.) as a police psychologist trying to talk him down from the ledge, Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone) as the man who set him up and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) as the brother conducting the heist of a US$40 million diamond that was supposedly stolen. As Police SWAT teams assemble, the brothers communicate on earphones. But the operation is thwarted: it looks like the suicide attempt was a cover-up and the motive strictly revenge, as the plot takes another turn. Man on a Ledge opens in North America on January 13, in the UK and Germany on the 26th, and in other markets to follow. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBJSfqdhyTg – AFP

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Scientist: Sky confirms ‘shining moon’ behind Frankenstein Posted: 26 Sep 2011 07:40 PM PDT Shelley has long been doubted for her claim that she wrote the Gothic classic during a "waking dream" as the moon shone through her window in June 1816. — mouthshut.com pic SAN ANTONIO, Sept 27 — A Texas astronomer has used science to confirm one of the most famous tales in western literature, the "bright and shining moon" over Lake Geneva that inspired an 18-year-old Mary Shelley to write "Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus." Shelley has long been doubted for her version of events that led to the writing of one of the most beloved Gothic tales in the English language: That she wrote it on a challenge one night in June 1816 during a "waking dream" as the moon shone through her window. But Donald Olson, an astronomy professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, told Reuters yesterday that the night sky would argue that she was telling the truth. "Some scholars are very sceptical, they even call her a liar," Olson said. "But we see no reason, either in the science or in the primary sources, to doubt Mary Shelley's account." Olson has made a hobby out of using the sky to solve the mysteries of many of the world's most famous works of art and historical accounts. His study of tides in the English Channel forced historians to change the accepted date of Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55 BC, and he used astronomical tables to pinpoint where and when Vincent Van Gogh painted the famous painting alternately known as "Moonrise" and "Sunrise over Saint-Remy." Shelley first wrote of how she came to write Frankenstein in the preface of the book's 1831 edition, and critics immediately began questioning her story as simply a ruse to sell more books. The story goes like this: Shelley was staying with her future husband, Percy Shelley, at the Villa Diodati in Switzerland in June of 1816. Also present were Lord Byron and friends Claire Clairmont and John Polidori. Byron challenged all of them to try their hand at writing a ghost story. Waking dream Shelley saw the "bright and shining moon" through her window that night and wrote the story while she was in what she called "a waking dream." The closest account of Byron's challenge comes from Polidori's diary, in which he tells of the party gathering at the Villa Diodati for a philosophical discussion that ended "after the witching hour" of June 16, 1816. The next day he wrote that "the ghost-stores are begun by all but me." But Olson said there was no record of the challenge itself from any sources other than Shelley's preface, and the assumption has always been made, though not proven, that the challenge and the writing took place early in the morning of June 16. But he said that had never been confirmed until now. "We verified when the moon would have shone on her window, which is when she first came up with the idea for the story we know as Frankenstein," Olson said. The Villa Diodati still stands above Lake Geneva and the room where Shelley stayed is well known. Olson and his researchers made "extensive topographic measurements of the terrain" and investigated "weather records for June of 1816," described by Lord Byron and Polidori as unusually wet and rainy. On that night, however, "we determined that a bright, gibbous moon would have cleared the hillside to shine right into Shelley's bedroom window just before 2am on June 16," Olson said. He said that had there been no moonlight visible that morning, it would have indicated fabrication on her part. "This indicates her famous "waking dream" that gave birth to Frankenstein's famous monster occurred between 2am and 3am on June 16," he said. "Mary Shelley wrote about moonlight shining through her window, and now we have recreated that night," Olson said. "We see no reason to doubt her account, based on the astronomical data." Olson's study appears in the October edition of "Sky and Telescope" magazine. — Reuters

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Kes samun: Tindakan tiga pegawai ‘kesalahan serius’, kata SPRM Posted: 27 Sep 2011 04:36 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Sept – Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) mengkategorikan perbuatan dilakukan tiga pegawainya, yang disyaki menyamun pengurup wang rakyat asing kira-kira RM900,000 di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur, 15 September lalu sebagai "kesalahan serius." Dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan petang ini, SPRM berkata, siasatan dalaman bagi kesalahan tatatertib ke atas ketiga-tiga pegawai agensi itu telah selesai dijalankan. "Mesyuarat Lembaga Tatatertib SPRM yang bersidang hari ini telah membuat keputusan ke atas penjenisan kesalahan iaitu kesalahan serius sebagaimana Peruntukan 37 Peraturan-Peraturan Awam (Kelakuan dan Tataertib) 1993," kata kenyataan itu. Bagaimanapun kenyataan itu menambah, siasatan dan tindakan pihaknya tidak melibatkan atau menjejaskan siasatan pihak polis. Kelmarin, Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya (Pengurusan dan Profesionalisme) SPRM Datuk Zakaria Jaffar berkata, pihaknya telah mengambil tindakan tegas menukar tiga pegawainya terbabit ke bahagian pentadbiran jabatan itu. Tiga pegawai SPRM yang dilaporkan bertugas di ibu pejabat SPRM Putrajaya sebelum ini ditahan kerana disyaki menyamun seorang pengurup wang rakyat asing kira-kira RM900,000  di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur. Beliau berkata ketiga-tiga pegawai terbabit terdiri daripada pegawai berpangkat Pemangku Penolong Pesuruhjaya (Gred P48), Penolong Kanan Penguasa (Gred P32) dan Penolong Penguasa (Gred P29).

Puad: Sejarah tak perlu ditulis semula kerana politik Posted: 27 Sep 2011 04:27 AM PDT SHAH ALAM, 27 Sept – Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi menegaskan sejarah negara tidak perlu ditulis semula jika ia hanya untuk memenuhi dan memuaskan kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Ini kerana jelas beliau, sejarah tidak boleh diubah sewenang-wenangnya dan sebagai rakyat negara ini ia harus dipertahankan daripada terhakis. "Wajarkah sejarah ini ditulis semula? Apakah fakta yang ada pada hari ini salah? Atau apakah ada pertemuan baru? Atau adakah kita mahu menulis sejarah semula sebab kita terdiri dari berbilang kaum jadi ia perlu ditulis semula. "Kalau mengisi semula sejarah ini adakah ia akan menyebabkan ketulenan sejarah ini terhakis? Pada saya sejarah adalah sejarah, sejarah tetap sejarah dan ia perlu dipertahankan... dan kita tidak boleh sewenang-wenang mengubah sejarah dan saya ingin mengatakan semakin lama sejarah semakin sayang kita pada sejarah dan harus pertahankan sejarah," katanya pada Wacana Merdeka Wajarkah Sejarah Ditulis Semula anjuran Sinar Harian di sini. Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran ini (gambar) memberitahu, beliau setuju sekiranya sejarah ditafsir semula dengan berasaskan kepada fakta-fakta yang betul. "Saya ingin bangkitkan di sini, saya tidak bersetuju sejarah ditulis semula semata-mata untuk memuaskan kepentingan politik pihak tertentu semata-mata atau kerana menjadikannya sebagai isu yang berkaitan dengan mereka. "Tapi saya terbuka untuk sejarah itu ditafsir semula sebab sejarah hidup kerana pentafsirannya seperti al-Quran... sejarah memang perlu ditafsir berasaskan fakta-fakta yang sahis dan pengalaman tapi persoalanya di sini siapakah yang layak untuk melakukan tafsiran ini? Adakah kita boleh mentafsirnya mengikut sesuka hati kita?," katanya di hadapan kira-kira 500 orang. Sementara itu pakar sejarah Profesor Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam berkata beliau mengakui sumbangan golongan kiri dalam menuntut kemerdekaan negara tetapi tidak sehebat sumbangan perdana menteri pertama Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. "Kita tidak nafi Burhanuddin Helmy pejuang kemerdekaan. (Ahmad) Boestamam, Zaba, Ibrahim Yaacob... kita tidak pernah nafi. Tetapi perjuangannya tidak begitu hebat macam Tunku," katanya. Dalam penjelasan hari ini beliau turut berkata fakta mengatakan negara tidak pernah dijajah tidak tepat. Dekan Fakulti Sastera dan Sains Sosial Universiti Malaya Prof Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar pula berkata, polemik tentang Ahmad Indera atau Mat Indera yang dicetuskan Timnbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu telah merancakkan perbahasan berhubung sejarah negara. Sambil menyifatkan ia sebagai fenomena "sabuesme", Mohamad berkata, ia selari dengan tuntutan globalisasi dan pelbagai pihak supaya versi lain dirakamkan bersama dalam penulisan sejarah. "Saya baru-baru ini dalam satu forum dengan Mohamad Sabu, puluhan ribu orang hadir. Di Jabatan Sejarah baru-baru ini ratusan hadir. "Sebelum itu, kalau forum pukul 8 malam, pukul 8.30 malam baru orang hadir... sekarang tidak, forum pukul 8.30 malam pukul 8 malam dah penuh," katanya. Beliau menjelaskan telah berlaku lonjakan berhubung minat orang awam bagi membincangkan persoalan sejarah kemerdekaan tanah air akhir-akhir ini. Bagaimanapun, beliau menolak fenomena apabila fakta dan tafsiran sejarah ditentukan oleh ahli politik kerana ia boleh bertukar dalam sekelip mata sahaja. "Kalau politik saja (tentukan), bukan sahaja bila tukar kerajaan, tukar menteri pelajaran sahaja sudah tukar (tafsiran sejarah)," katanya lagi.

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The ISA, you and me Posted: 26 Sep 2011 04:53 PM PDT SEPT 27 — I do not intend to show that I am very savvy about the all-so-famous Internal Security Act. Nor do I mean to claim that I know better than those who've had their family members wrongly detained under the Act. This is simply my take on that famous announcement by the prime minister to abolish the Act. The announcement, of course, was received with many different responses. People who are clearly aligned with the government will surely use this as their ammo, to use these changes to prove that the government is progressive. Those who are on the opposite side can then argue that it was the opposition's fight that made the government initiate the changes. After all, it is very logical to assume that the Act would have stayed there if there was not massive opposition against it. Both arguments sound true at a superficial level, but I don't think we should use any more brain cells to find out who will win this argument politically. So let us move on to the rakyat. The Twitter timeline at that time was very encouraging, at least mine was (some even sounded as though the Act HAD already been abolished). Most, I would say, welcomed the announcement but remained sceptical about the will and feasibility of the changes. With some flip-flop policies in the past and the increasingly louder voices of the right wingers, I admit that the rakyat has a right to be sceptical (though it would be great if most opt to be healthy sceptics instead of mere critics). As for me, for as long as I can remember, I have been supporting the need for the ISA to be in place, or in my self-defence, the need for an Act which allows the arrest of suspected terrorists, extremists or big-trouble makers as quickly as would be required by the situation. I do not agree with the use of the Act to "kill" political enemies but I am among those groups of people who've bought the idea that this Act has been one of the main reasons why we have not had any extremist attacks for decades. (Before you let loose your cannon, let me kindly remind you that I am not the only autocratic, dictator-minded guy around, as I've heard more extreme views on the ISA these past few weeks, mostly from the mouths of those from the younger generation.) I know that this would definitely be a different case if I had any family members who were wrongly detained or if I were more passionate about human rights. However, in this age of democracy, no matter how far-right a Malaysian is, and no matter how strict their views are on national security, it is good for them to be balanced with a sense of civil liberty. It is best that the right and left compromise, and stay as centre as possible. Therefore, I think the PM's announcement — although it should be treated with scepticism — is the best compromise Malaysia can get right now. The abolishment of the vaguely-defined ISA — which gives massive power to the home minister to detain any individual — is necessary because of its substance as well as the black history associated with it. This, if successfully abolished, can help Malaysia's democracy turn over a new leaf, a plus point for civil liberty. And for the centre-right rakyat, the PM's assurance of another Act (which some people might argue to be another version of ISA) to keep terrorism and extremism in check can hopefully put your minds to rest. Our minds, to be exact. It is undeniable that the changes provided could have been a lot better, but realistically speaking, in a country where every socio-political issue is volatile and can be exploited by political extremists who use race, religion and soon-to-be sex (God forbid), democracy should be attained in a slow yet stable progression. So what now is our role in this progressive march towards greater freedom? Most might say this freedom is their long-awaited right. Though fundamentally right, I still think it is morally important for us to learn to be more responsible with the greater liberty we will enjoy. It is time we became more responsible with the news we spread and the things we say. Be more analytical about the rumours we read on the Internet and, better still, start telling our friends not to post unverified rumours on the Internet. Better still if you are friends with those cyber troopers on both sides of the political divide. After all, we all want the best for Malaysia. So while we strive to be more responsible, I see no reason for the system to not entrust us with even more liberty. Still, you know what I find amusing? The "system", after all, is controlled by mere humans too. * Ezlan is a third-year medical undergraduate at Queen Mary, University of London. He tweets at @ezlanmohsen. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Canaries flying high Posted: 26 Sep 2011 04:38 PM PDT SEPT 27 — Newly promoted Norwich City took the opportunity to build on their solid start to the new Premier League season by beating struggling Sunderland 2-1 at Carrow Road last night. It's good to see Norwich back in the top flight after a six-year absence. The Canaries are a well-run and well-supported club, and their somewhat isolated location on the east coast of England provides an occasionally necessary reminder that the country does possess life outside London, Birmingham, Manchester and the other major cities of the industrial north. Two years ago, Norwich had slumped into the third tier of English football after a disastrous few years. Their low point came when they lost their first game of the 2009/10 season 7-1 at home against Colchester United — but they reacted in inspired fashion by promptly snatching Colchester's manager, Paul Lambert. The turnaround was immediate, with Lambert leading the Canaries into a winning streak that ultimately saw them secure the League One title by nine points. They followed that up by gaining their second successive promotion last season, so now Norwich are back in the big time and Lambert has the task of maintaining their momentum with a squad of players lacking significant Premier League experience. Lambert earned a reputation as a measured and intelligent midfielder during his playing career in the 1990s with Borussia Dortmund and Celtic, amongst others, and now he's doing the same in managerial circles. Achieving back-to-back promotions was an impressive feat by the Scotsman, and another successful season would establish him as one of the hottest managerial properties in the country. The lack of experience within his squad probably won't concern Lambert too much — his players are desperate to prove themselves as capable performers at this level, and that kind of motivation can often be worth plenty of points. Last night's meeting with Sunderland started off as a well-contested affair between two teams who seemed evenly matched. Norwich enjoyed periods of attacking pressure, with their front pairing of the cultured Wes Hoolahan and the powerful Steve Morison providing a nice blend in attack, and played some nice football through the midfield as they tried to create space for wingers Anthony Pilkington and Elliott Bennett. Sunderland initially had their moments as well, and midway through the half they came close to the opening goal when Nicklas Bendtner — a recent signing from Arsenal — produced a 20-yard volley that was well saved by home goalkeeper John Ruddy. The scoring was opened after half an hour, and it went Norwich's way after a lovely interchange on the edge of the box between Bennett and David Fox created an unmissable opportunity for defender Leon Barnett, who obliged by tapping home from close range. Sunderland faded badly after going behind, and Norwich doubled their advantage shortly after the interval with a bullet header from the rugged Morison. Although Kieran Richardson later reduced the deficit, the visitors never really looked capable of coming back into the game and Norwich were well worth the points. If they keep performing like this, they've got every chance of staying up. It's been a worrying start to the season for Sunderland, who have gone through a heavy turnover of players and don't yet appear to be a coherent team. Manager Steve Bruce, formerly a stalwart Manchester United defender and currently sporting a glowing fake suntan, has shown signs of feeling the strain. In various media comments Bruce has lamented the relentless pressure he and his team have been placed under, particularly after their local derby defeat against Newcastle last month. Those complaints have been surprising because pressure is par for the course when you manage a Premier League football team, and Bruce has been in the game for long enough to know that. Sunderland's heads seemed to drop after they went behind at Norwich last night, and Bruce has got a big job on his hands to prevent his team from slipping into a long relegation battle. Last season they faded badly after making a very bright start to the campaign, with their reverse in fortunes coinciding roughly with the departure of leading scorer Darren Bent to Aston Villa. A lack of goalscoring threat certainly seems to be their biggest issue at the moment, and they badly need Bendtner to significantly improve the rather feeble goalscoring record he brought to the club from Arsenal, where he never managed double figures in a Premier League season. They don't have many other striking options, so if Bentdner doesn't fire, Sunderland will probably struggle. For Norwich, the outlook is considerably brighter. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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