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Rugby: England attack coach Smith resigns Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:28 AM PST LONDON, Nov 24 – England's attack coach Brian Smith resigned today, a day after his position was fatally undermined by the anonymous comments of several players in their leaked "confidential" appraisals of the team's woeful World Cup campaign. In keeping with the chaos surrounding the Rugby Football Union (RFU) at the moment, the news initially appeared on its official Twitter page only to be removed shortly afterwards. Official confirmation arrived later today with a statement from the RFU saying Smith had stood down having decided not to seek a renewal of his contract. Smith, 45, who played international rugby for Australia and Ireland, joined the England set up from London Irish in July 2008 as the only coaching appointment of then-new manager Martin Johnson, who also resigned last week. Often criticised for failing to add a cutting edge to England's backplay during his three-year stint, Smith was always able to offer a resolute defence of their approach and delighted in providing statistics that he said proved the doubters wrong. However, his departure looked inevitable after yesterday's revelations in the Times newspaper that included one player saying: "He simply doesn't understand the game well enough" and another that "he was way out of his depth". "I feel that England have made great strides in the last three years and although the World Cup was a massive disappointment, we have won 10 out of the last 13 games, including beating Australia back-to-back and winning the Six Nations for the first time since 2003," Smith said in the statement. Johnson said: "Brian has brought a high level of coaching and a huge amount of commitment and passion to the job. If you look at our record in the last 12 months, and the fact that we have scored 37 tries to 12 conceded, it shows what an impact he has made. "I want to thank him for what he has done for the England team and for the young players that he has brought on." As the Times revealed, however, that was not a view shared by all the players. "I would be delighted if he went," one player said of the Australian. "Our attack play was boring, uninventive, lacklustre, even schoolboy at times." Other comments included: "He didn't offer anything. The players had all the ideas for strategy and all he did was write the players' ideas on the board." "If we'd got to the semi-finals or final it would have papered over the cracks and the worst thing is Brian Smith would have stayed in his job. It might be a blessing." Defence coach Mike Ford and forwards coach John Wells were also heavily criticised by the players but scrum coach Graham Rowntree was widely praised. There has been speculation that Stuart Lancaster, the head of the second-string England Saxons, could take over the senior team in a caretaker capacity for the Six Nations championship which begins in February. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Valencia realistic about Chelsea challenge Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:56 AM PST Valencia's Roberto Soldado celebrates after he scored a goal against Racing Santander during their Spanish first division soccer match at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia in this file photo of August 27, 2011. Valencia's solid start to the season has been built around the splendid form of Soldado, the former Real Madrid, Osasuna and Getafe forward. – Reuters pic MADRID, Nov 24 – Valencia found it all too easy against Racing Genk yesterday in recording their biggest Champions League win but coach Unai Emery knows securing the score draw they need to qualify at Chelsea next month will present a much tougher challenge. A quickfire first-half hat-trick from striker and captain Roberto Soldado, and goals from Jonas, Pablo Hernandez, Aritz Aduriz and Tino Costa, gave Emery's side a crushing 7-0 win over the Belgians at the Mestalla. That result is one goal short of Liverpool's record 8-0 destruction of Besiktas in 2007. A score draw at Stamford Bridge on Dec. 6 would be enough to secure a berth in the last 16 after Chelsea were upset 2-1 in Germany by Bayer Leverkusen, who went top of Group E and sealed their place in the knockout round. "We have a chance in London to see what we are capable of in this competition and against a powerful opponent," Emery, whose side drew 1-1 with Chelsea in Valencia in September, said at a post-match news conference. "We'll have to prepare with a lot of strength and intelligence, but we should try to enjoy it as well. We have our fate in our own hands and for that we should be satisfied. "We'll go to London to win." Valencia's solid start to the season has been built around the splendid form of Soldado, the former Real Madrid, Osasuna and Getafe forward, who has netted five in Europe's elite club competition and eight in La Liga, where Valencia are third behind leaders Real and second-placed Barcelona. Soldado's latest performance, coming after his double against Real in La Liga at the weekend, will boost his chances of a recall to the Spain squad for next year's European Championship in Ukraine and Poland. The 26-year-old, who was born in Valencia, has represented the world and European champions only twice, back in June 2007, when he failed to score. "He is improving every day and he will get a chance to play for the national team if he carries on like this," Emery said. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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To boost male fertility, cut back on coffee, eat more fruit Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:18 AM PST New research finds that a diet rich in fruits and grains can boost sperm count and motility. ― AFP pic SAO PAOLO (Brazil), Nov 24 ― To enhance male fertility during IVF treatments, a new study suggests men eat a diet high in fruit and grains and low in coffee, alcohol, and red meat. The Brazilian study looked at 250 men undergoing a type of fertility treatment with their partners known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, an in vitro fertilisation procedure in which a single sperm is injected into an egg. Researchers discovered that men who drank alcohol and coffee and ate a poor diet were less likely to conceive. Being overweight also contributed to lower sperm concentration and motility, and smoking affected sperm motility. "In contrast, eating more cereal grains was associated with improved sperm concentration and motility," writes American health publication Third Age on the study on Tuesday. "Fruit was linked to a speed and agility boost in sperm." The study, from the Fertility-Assisted Fertilisation Centre in Sao Paolo, was published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility on November 11. Another recent Harvard University study found that a diet of trans-fat laden junk food can render otherwise healthy young men infertile. Foods that have previously been shown to boost men's fertility include eggs, salmon, natural yogurt, nuts, seeds, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and asparagus. ― AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

No surprise here: teens eat too little fruit, vegetables Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:40 AM PST Individually wrapped fruit and vegetables are seen at a remodelled Sam's Club in Rogers, Arkansas on June 3, 2010. ― Reuters pic ATLANTA, Nov 24 ― A third of high school students do not eat vegetables each day and more than a fourth do not always have a daily serving of fruit, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday in a report highlighting the need for healthier school lunches. "Our basic findings are that fruit and vegetable consumption among high school students is low," said Sonia A. Kim, a CDC epidemiologist and one of the authors of the study. "There's more that schools and communities can do to encourage consumption." Black and Hispanic students ate the least amount of vegetables, according to the report, which is based on data from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study. Overall, only 16.8 per cent of teens ate fruit more than four times a day and even fewer, 11.2 per cent, ate vegetables that often, the report said. Fruits and vegetables can reduce chronic diseases and some cancers and help teens manage their weight, the CDC said. CDC guidelines for adolescents who exercise less than 30 minutes a day are for females to eat 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily and for males to eat two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables. A cup is the equivalent of one medium-sized apple or eight strawberries, the CDC said. The study did not examine the reasons why high school students do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, but it recommends increasing the availability of healthier foods. The CDC participates in a programme called "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools," which has a goal of putting 6,000 salad bars in schools over the next three years. "There is evidence that salad bars do increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children," Kim told Reuters. School and community gardening programmes and farmer's markets also encourage healthier eating, Kim said. ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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First-time director Keanu Reeves searches China for co-star Posted: 24 Nov 2011 06:26 AM PST Actor Keanu Reeves listens during the news conference for the film 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto in this file photo of September 15, 2009. First-time director Keanu Reeves is believed to be searching China for a co-star for his next film. – Reuters pic HONG KONG, Nov 24 – Chinese cinema circles have been abuzz this week with reports that Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves has been scouring the region looking for a female lead for his next film. The production – tentatively titled Man of Tai Chi – will be the American's first go at directing, and Reeves (picture) has backing to the tune of 200 million yuan (RM99.85 million) from both the Village Roadshow corporation and the China Film Group, the country's most powerful studio. According to reports in mainland Chinese media, Reeves is calling on the help of noted martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) to help out with the action scenes in the movie and he has been most recently seen chatting to Hong Kong-based star Josie Ho, most recently seen in a small role in the Steven Soderbergh-directed thriller Contagion. It is expected that the production will start shooting in February next year, taking in locations in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Katy Perry as Marilyn Monroe on Broadway? Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:21 AM PST Katy Perry at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, August 28, 2011. — Reuters file pic LOS ANGELES, Nov 24 — On the same day Harvey Weinstein's studio is releasing Oscar contender "My Week With Marilyn", he is floating a Broadway musical based on the screenplay — and starring Katy Perry. Weinstein told E! yesterday that "if the movie works, I would try to make it a musical and I would go to Katy first". He said that not only would the Grammy winner be able to play legendary actress Marilyn Monroe, "she would be amazing". Interesting choice. Perry's acting experience is limited. She has appeared in an episode of "How I Met Your Mother", and is the voice of Smurfette in Sony Pictures' "The Smurfs". And she has been in a handful of short films. She would be taking the role that Michelle Williams is playing in the movie. Williams, whose work in the 2010 "Blue Valentine" and the 2005 "Brokeback Mountain" earned her Academy Award nominations, is receiving stellar reviews — and Oscar buzz — for her portayal of Monroe. Perry, meanwhile, is associated with the movie: A remix of her "The One That Got Away" is featured in a trailer. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Thanksgiving and other remembrances Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:27 PM PST NOV 24 — It was only last year that I celebrated my first Thanksgiving dinner. I was teaching dance culture at the University of California, Riverside and Thanksgiving saw most of the students and staff leaving the campus as well as town. A new friend, Noitome Sunflowerfish, a PhD candidate and music composer for my "Hanuman" dance theatre piece, kindly invited me to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner at her place, not far from downtown Riverside. A few other friends, mainly from the Music Department, were invited and we bought the turkey for Noitome to cook. For many years, I was confused about Thanksgiving, thinking it was related to Christmas and Christianity. Only last year did I discover the real meaning of Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, though another friend told me that they celebrate Thanksgiving in October in Canada. Perhaps that's when the confusion started. My very first Thanksgiving dinner... delicious. — Pictures by Zubin Mohamad As a Muslim, I have never been invited to Thanksgiving in Malaysia, and I thought that it was only celebrated among Christians, like a few celebrations in Islam such as Nuzul Quran and Maulidul Rasul. Apparently, Thanksgiving is kind of like a harvest festival, just like the Gawai Festival in Sarawak and Pesta Keamatan in Sabah. In fact in the past, we used to celebrate Musim Menuai (Harvest Festival) by having a kite competition, rebana competitions and wayang kulit shows at night. And during the performances, a few special dishes like "ketupat sotong" (stuffed squid) and "sotong giling" (grilled and pressed dried squid). My late mother was an expert at "ketupat sotong" and my father was in charge of "sotong giling." We would be selling those special dishes during the wayang performance. I am not sure why "sotong" of all food, but perhaps that's the major sotong harvest season. That night at Noitome's house we had a good Thanksgiving dinner with salad, corn and potatoes to go with the turkey that took a few solid hours to be cooked. We know that Noitome cooked all day, but how much turkey could we eat among the four of us? The star of the dinner... the turkey! The bird was so big, at least a combination of three chickens. In the end, we had to split the leftovers between Noitome and me. I went home with a few little bags of turkey, but they went straight into my fridge as I was flying to San Jose the next day. The next few days in Santa Cruz I hardly ate any meat as my host is pure vegetarian. In Berkeley, after watching an American puppet show we were lucky to find an Indian vegetarian restaurant. Back in Riverside, in the next one week I ended up having turkey curry, turkey salad and turkey omelettes. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to make serunding out of that leftover turkey. A yummy pie for dessert. This turkey business reminded me of Hari Raya Korban where we go home with bags of meat, bones and other inner parts of the cow. After days and weeks of various curries in the kitchen, my mother would invent yet another dish for the leftovers. Now that we no longer celebrate the harvest festival, as we are also buying our jasmine rice from Thailand, and wayang kulit and other forms of performing are banned in Kelantan, I wonder what's left for us to celebrate and for future generations to remember. With the bad flood in Thailand and a bad economy, what kind of rice is in store for us? * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You may be right, I may be crazy Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:03 PM PST NOV 24 — "My heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill" (Fiona Macleod). The past two weeks I've been away from Malaysia, so I let my columns run a bit more off-centre for the duration. I wrote about an inconsistent foreign policy and the curtailing of civil liberties. Unsurprisingly the responses have been divided, and at times vitriolic. I accept them, as anyone who makes his opinion known must. One must take greater comfort in that one's opinion is worthy of criticism to begin with. It may have slipped the collective consciousness of my detractors that I have no special affinity for the state of Israel or the vanity parade which beauty pageants are. I speak of things I am involved in as I do of things I only have a cursory interest in. And sometimes of things I really don't care about. I am permitted to speak of things or people or imaginary friends, as long as the manner in which I carry the discourse is reasonable, considerate and engaging. I expect only that reciprocation from those around me, not agreement. To live in a place where ideas have more resonance than the anger towards them, that is my utopia. But the columns were not just an exercise in idea exhortation, they are intended to provide reflection for my countrymen and more so for me, this inadequate thinker. Malaysians There are those who oppose the way this country is run. Those voices grow by the day. However it is incumbent to realise that the capitulation of any regime necessitates a replacement. This is where the quandary begins for Malaysians. Those in power claim those outside their walls are disparate and often at odds with each other. That so many people opposed to the government of the day are equally opposed to many other things. Apparently, they are so caught up in their righteousness they'd manage a heated argument in an empty room, all by themselves. The allegation has merit. However, that observation does not absolve a regime which had run roughshod over a country for decades on the pretence of being the only possible government for such a divided country. Being poorly-run while being resource-rich, and then ascending a class of people to the stratosphere while leaving more and more in a poorer-state, is not an acceptable reality. A new Malaysia, the one post-Barisan Nasional (BN) must align itself to being a nation of many opinions, some contradictions but with a commitment to democratic ideals. It really comes down to a sense of universal confidence that though most of us would have different ideas on how to go about, say, economic planning, poverty alleviation, foreign policy, moral codification, private space and speech, that the system will engage as much as possible with the population. Not telling Malaysians what they should be doing, but listening to all Malaysians without prejudice and working a way to carry their honest aspirations forward. BN believes this is not possible, not in Bagan Lalang, not in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Malaysians are just going to go ape crazy at each other and will want to impose each person's absolutes on everyone else, according to them. They are convinced they are the wall separating a functioning Malaysia and a chaotic Malaysia run by people who only know how to disagree. For them it is better that the special well-bred and foreign-educated group decides for the rest, and manages the juvenile screams of a society too limited to understand the wealth present in our midst. That is their ethos. It is not mine, and if enough of us want a change, then we all have to rationalise the absolutes standing in the way of our collective futures. "But I can't" or "I am right, you are wrong, but I will hear you out to show you how magnanimous I am" don't engender discourse, they end them. Malaysians wanting change must choose the country's real priorities and not hold up perpetually their shopping list of what shapes a "right" society, according to them. BN must go, but those leading the clarion calls must decide if they will end up being a set of tyrants replacing the old ones. Will Malaysians follow "Animal Farm's" Napoleon or Snowball? I fear that a Napoleon, a populist reneging on principles but rich with promises, may seem more attractive to a nation being used to absolutes. It seems attempts at bringing more Malaysians into the national dialogue are likelier to be met with cold water, despite our literacy rates and graduate numbers. I fear they will hang Snowball. All by myself I've spent more time than is sensible to appear sensible to my countrymen. As a minority, there is every chance my views would be rejected by my appearance not my candour. Having that as a shackle, I've learnt to take smaller strides so that those around me are not discomforted by my ambition and ability. Though I have to admit, it is good political training. The basic requirement for a politician is only one, to be willing to be a product. Once the subject is willing, then the passage is easy. The product must meet the times, willing to abandon the past and ready to promise more. Awkward moments are met by obfuscations and challenges doused by delays. And never say anything which alienates voters. Many times it is better to say nothing than to actually say something. No one can get upset about nothing. But someone will always find something annoying about anything. This is what I see in the wasteland of Malaysian politics. A continuous drone of copouts and reminders to everyone that politicians will never say anything citizens wouldn't want to hear. I fear if I fall into this trap, then I will not be any different from those I oppose. Which is why I raised those difficult issues. Most people wanting to engage Israel don't live in Malaysia or those who do keep their thoughts to themselves. Beauty pageant contestants, organisers, publicists or viewers probably spend more time reading glossy magazines, they are not likely to jump into a burning pit to save me, or pass me the extinguisher.  There are no votes to be won from those segments or meaningful endorsements, yet I speak of these things because surely those who aspire to lead you must inspire as well as challenge you. That is how a country moves an inch. I may be wrong, granted. I may also be right. I wish you all the opportunities possible to engage me, even if it comes in volume and intensity. But will you listen also? * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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PAS dakwa Muhyiddin angkuh beri syarat selesai air Kelantan Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:02 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Nov ― Pemuda PAS pusat mendakwa kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin semalam sebagai angkuh apabila memberi jaminan untuk membekalkan air bersih kepada rakyat di negeri Kelantan jika diberi mandat dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 kelak. Ketua Penerangannya, Riduan Mohd Nor berkata pandangan Muhyiddin itu satu kenyataan politik berbaur ugutan kepada rakyat Kelantan. Riduan menambah Pemuda PAS  berpandangan bahawa kenyataan Muhyiddin menunjukkan kesombongan dan keangkuhannya sebagai pemimpin negara kerana meletakkan syarat tertentu terlebih dahulu kepada rakyat Kelantan bagi menyelesaikan masalah mereka. "Ia juga seperti suatu ugutan agar rakyat Kelantan mengundi Barisan Nasional dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13, barulah masalah mereka dapat diselesaikan. Manakala jika rakyat Kelantan terus mengundi PAS, kerajaan persekutuan akan membiarkan sahaja Kelantan terus dengan masalah ini," kata beliau dipetik Harakahdaily hari ini. Tambah Riduan, Muhyiddin mungkin telah melupai bahawa jawatan beliau selaku Timbalan Perdana Menteri adalah amanah rakyat yang perlu ditunaikan. "Sebagai pemimpin negara, beliau bertanggungjawab menyelesaikan segala masalah dan keperluan rakyat tanpa mengira di mana mereka berada. "Seluruh rakyat di negara ini, sama ada Kelantan atau lain-lain lagi tertakluk di bawah pemerintahan beliau dan beliau wajib menunaikan amanah ini tanpa mengira latar belakang mereka," ujarnya lagi. Lebih dari itu, katanya masalah kebersihan air adalah masalah negara yang juga dialami oleh negeri-negeri yang lain, bukan setakat Kelantan. Menurutnya, rakyat umumnya sudah mengerti bahawa air yang mengalir keluar dari paip di rumah, tidak selamat unutk diminum begitu sahaja melainkan perlu dimasak terlebih dahulu. Malah, ujarnya penduduk di ibu kota juga menghadapi masalah yang sama, dengan kadar kebersihan air yang amat diragui. Oleh kerana itu, katanya mesin pemprosesan dan penyulingan air laris di jual di merata-rata rumah di negara ini. Beliau menambah, ia adalah masalah nasional yang perlu diselesaikan secara bijak dan berhikmah tanpa sentimen tertentu. Justeru itu, kata Riduan, Pemuda PAS berpendapat bahawa jika Muhyiddin benar-benar ikhlas mahu menyelesaikan masalah air di Kelantan, tidak perlu tunggu mandat dari rakyat dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13. "Sebaiknya, masalah air di Kelantan boleh diselesaikan segera kerana beliau adalah Timbalan Perdana Menteri di Malaysia, dan Kelantan adalah salah satu negeri di bawah pentadbiran negara ini," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

RIM: Anugerah Lagu Terbaik Yuna ditarik balik, Anuar Zain dikurnia Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:57 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 23 Nov― Dalam tindakan kontroversi yang memalukan, Persatuan Industri Rakaman Malaysia (RIM) tersilap menghadiahkan anugerah Lagu Terbaik kepada Yuna dan kini memutuskan untuk memberikannya kepada Anuar Zain. "(Lagu) Penakut (didendangkan) oleh Yuna telah tersilap diputuskan sebagai Lagu Terbaik berdasarkan markah terbanyak," kata Pengerusi Bersama Jawatankuasa Penganjur AIM-18 Rosmin Hashim pada sidang media hari ini. Lagu Terbaik dipilih daripada 20 lagu yang bersaing dalam kategori Lagu Pop Terbaik, Lagu Rok Terbaik, Lagu Pop Etnik Terbaik dan Lagu Nasyid Terbaik. Bagaimanapun katanya, Lagu Terbaik mesti terbaik daripada empat kategori berkenaan sebagaimana kriteria ditetapkan oleh RIM. "Kita kena rujuk balik kepada kriteria," katanya apabila ditanya sama ada perlu ditarik balik anugerah Yuna. MENYUSUL LAGI Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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