Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

---

Six Indian women athletes get one-year doping bans Posted: 23 Dec 2011 11:35 PM PST MUMBAI, Dec 24 — Six Indian women athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, have been given one-year suspensions after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids earlier this year. India's 400-metre runners Akkunji, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur, Priyanka Panwar, Sini Jose and Tiana Mary Thomas were found guilty in June and July and were provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). All six athletes had tested positive for methandienone, while Thomas and Kaur's samples also featured the banned steroid stanozolol. The one-year bans will be effective from the date of the athletes' provisional suspension, a NADA disciplinary panel, chaired by Dinesh Dayal, ruled yesterday. With next year's Olympic Games starting on July 27, the suspensions are likely to rule the athletes out of the prestigious event in London. Akkunji and her team mates had not taken the banned drugs intentionally so were given a reduced sentence, the disciplinary panel ruled. "We did not find any significant fault on the part of these athletes on how the banned substances entered their bodies and they will get reduced penalty," Dayal said. Akkunji, Kaur and Jose were part of India's 4x400m relay team that last year won gold at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. Akkunji also won the 400m hurdles in Guangzhou. Also given a suspension was Harikrishanan Muraleedharan. The male long-jumper had tested positive for methandienone and was suspended for two years. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

LPGA founding member Danoff dies aged 88 Posted: 23 Dec 2011 06:20 PM PST WASHINGTON, Dec 24 — Bettye Danoff, one of the 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, has died in Texas at age 88, the association said in statement yesterday. Danoff, known by her fellow golf pros as "Mighty Mite" because she was a petite woman, weighing about 45kg and only 1.57m died on Thursday, the LPGA said. A trailblazer for the sport, Danoff brought her children with her to tournaments and became the first grandmother on the tour. "Bettye really did make a difference, in the world of golf and all of us are living proof," LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement posted on the association website. "Because of her courage, and the vision/belief of many others that followed our Founders, we all get to participate in a fantastic business and game." The Dallas native got her start in golf at age six after her parents opened a driving range and nine-hole course. She won four consecutive Dallas Women's Golf Association Championships from 1945 to 1948. And in 1947, Danoff defeated Babe Zaharias in the Texas Women's Open, ending Babe's 17-tournament winning streak. Danoff turned pro in 1949. Danoff would often bring her three daughters, Kaye, Janie and Debbie, with her when she competed. There was no childcare for LPGA players on the road at that time. "I remember traveling for five consecutive tournaments with her while she played," said Debbie Bell, Danoff's youngest daughter. "She was often frustrated because she had to find friends and people to help watch us while she competed." In 1961, Danoff's husband, Dr. Clyde Walter Danoff, died suddenly. After that and until the mid-1970's she played only in tournaments in Texas and Oklahoma and taught golf. In 1962, Danoff made her first hole-in-one at a tournament in Austin. Her award — a case of beer. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

---

Robert De Niro welcomes baby girl Posted: 24 Dec 2011 12:20 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Dec 24 — Actor Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower have become the proud parents of a baby girl born via a surrogate, the actor's spokesman confirmed yesterday. The child is the second for De Niro, 68, and Hightower, 56. She is named Helen Grace Hightower De Niro, and weighed a healthy 7 lbs 2 oz at birth. The "Meet the Parents" star married actress Hightower in 1997, and the couple have a son, Elliot, born in 1998. De Niro (picture) also has a son and adopted daughter with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott and two twin sons with former girlfriend Toukie Smith. The actor can currently be seen in the star-studded, feel-good film "New Year's Eve." — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Mel Gibson, wife finalise divorce Posted: 23 Dec 2011 06:00 PM PST Actor Mel Gibson attends a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court to finalise financial issues in a custody battle with former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva In Los Angeles on August 31, 2011. — Reuters pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 24 — A judge yesterday approved a divorce settlement between actor Mel Gibson and his estranged wife Robyn, ending their 31 years of marriage. Robyn Gibson will return to using her maiden name, Robyn Denise Moore, but other details of the divorce were kept confidential. The settlement becomes effective on January 9. Gibson, 55, and his wife married in Australia in 1980 and have seven children together. The couple separated in 2006 after Gibson was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu, California, and made anti-Semitic remarks that generated headlines around the world. The actor's wife sued for divorce in April 2009, citing irreconcilable differences following Gibson's relationship with Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a 2-year-old daughter. The "Lethal Weapon" star pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery following an altercation with Grigorieva in 2010, and was sentenced to three years' probation. He recently settled a custody battle with his former girlfriend, agreeing to pay Grigorieva $750,000 and share custody of their daughter. The Oscar winner's turbulent five years since his arrest and the anti-Semitic rant have tarnished his reputation and set back a remarkable career that had made him one of Hollywood's highest paid actors, directors and producers. While no details of the divorce settlement were released, the actor was previously estimated to be worth US$900 million (RM2.84 billion), and he owns several properties in the wealthy, seaside enclave of Malibu, outside Los Angeles. — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Features

---

In Romania, a pledge to shield bastion of Europe’s forests Posted: 24 Dec 2011 06:39 AM PST A Romanian photographer walks in a hundreds year-old virgin forest in the Carpathian mountains, near Sinca village, 230km north from Bucharest. – AFP pic SINCA, Dec 24 – On the steep, dark slopes of the Carpathian mountains, 300-year-old beech trees scrape the sky in one of Europe's last remaining virgin forests, spared from any human intervention for centuries. These are "unique forests," home to thousands of brown bears, lynxes and wolves, "mammals nearly extinct in western and central European countries," the Royal Dutch Society for Nature Conservation notes. But as demand for timber surges, the last great swathes of ancient forest in Europe are at risk, say green campaigners. Recently, Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely pledged to beef up protection of what he called a "treasure" of biodiversity. The move came after President Traian Basescu named the forests a vital asset for Romania's image abroad. But turning this vow into reality may be tough in a country struggling with a creaking legal system and deep-rooted corruption at local level. Primary or old forests, which include some of the world's most species-rich ecosystems, account for 36 per cent (1.4 billion hectares) of the world's forest area, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In Sinca, central Romania, the forest hosts imposing century-old indigenous 45- or 50-metre (147- to 164-feet) trees, interspersed with striplings and fallen trunks where innumerable species of insects and plant have made their home. In Europe, these wild forests have disappeared except in Scandinavia and Eastern countries. In Romania, they are vast, even though they have shrunk from some two million hectares in the 19th century to around 250,000 hectares today, according to official figures. "It's thanks to their inaccessibility that they have survived," Erika Stanciu, the head of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Carpathians/Forests and Protected Areas Programme said. The remoteness that protects them is being nibbled away by economic development as the former Communist country strives for prosperity. "Over 80 per cent of Romania's virgin forests are not protected in any way at the moment and are at risk of being legally destroyed," the WWF said last month. "Once virgin forests are exploited, the genetic and ecological assets that have accumulated for years in their ecosystems are irremediably lost," Victor Giurgiu, a member of the Romanian Academy, the highest scientific body in the country, said. A petition urging the Romanian government "to take urgent and efficient protection measures" garnered some 100,000 signatures in less than a month. Under pressure, Borbely pledged in November to finalise by the end of the year legislation putting all virgin forests under complete protection. "No exploitation whatsoever will be allowed," he said on Tuesday, after signing a memorandum of understanding with the WWF. Even so, the process will probably not be in place before next spring, Costel Bucur, WWF Forest Programme Coordinator, said. Private virgin forest owners will have to be compensated. The ministry and the WWF will try to persuade the European Commission to let European funds be used. A model for compensation has already been implemented in Sinca. There, the municipality accepted to leave part of its virgin forest untouched in exchange for compensation paid by the WWF. "The fact that after many years the minister has made a clear public commitment to protect all virgin forests is a big success to be attributed to the WWF campaign – but we'll have to see if these measures are implemented," Gabriel Paun, the head of environmental group Agent Green, said. Another question is whether Romania has the ability – or will – to impose tough protective measures. Illegal logging by private firms has been making front-page news. Last month, Agent Green denounced a case of illegal felling in one of Romania's most famous natural parks. Some of the timber had been delivered to a lumber factory owned by Austrian company Schweighofer, the group said. Junior environment minister Cristian Apostol said that thanks to tougher controls, seizures of illegally logged wood soared from 189,892 cubic metres in all 2010 to 134,883 cubic metres in the first six months of 2011 alone. But connivance at local level is a problem. "We had to bring in police officers from other regions in order to avoid complicity at local level," said Apostol. Prosecutions, too, are long-winded affairs. Since 1990, only 0.5 per cent of cases brought to justice have received a final verdict. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

---

Robert De Niro welcomes baby girl Posted: 23 Dec 2011 11:29 PM PST Jury president of the 64th Cannes Film Festival Robert de Niro arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the film Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, May 14, 2011. — Reuters pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 24 — Actor Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower have become the proud parents of a baby girl born via a surrogate, the actor's spokesman confirmed yesterday. The child is the second for De Niro, 68, and Hightower, 56. She is named Helen Grace Hightower De Niro, and weighed a healthy 7 lbs 2 oz at birth. The "Meet the Parents" star married actress Hightower in 1997, and the couple have a son, Elliot, born in 1998. De Niro also has a son and adopted daughter with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott and two twin sons with former girlfriend Toukie Smith. The actor can currently be seen in the star-studded, feel-good film "New Years Eve". — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Malaysian independent music in 2011 Posted: 23 Dec 2011 04:44 PM PST DEC 24 — This is supposedly the year where the album died here in Malaysia. So few of them are being made that the folks at the country's top music awards show, the Anugerah Industri Muzik, decided to scrap the categories for Best Album according to genres (like Best Rock Album, Best Pop Album etc) because there aren't enough albums to even have a proper competition. So what's left is the Album Of The Year category, which ultimately went to a "live" album by Datuk Sheila Majid. Such is the poor sales for albums nowadays that everyone's taking the now normal route of releasing only singles for airplay on radio and as digital downloads, with very few daring to take the risk of recording and releasing a full album. Although that might be the story when you look at the Malaysian mainstream, if you care to dig just a little bit deeper then you will find that very few in the independent music scene here are buying into that story, as it is chock-full of acts old and new excitedly releasing new albums this year. In fact, there are more new albums being released by indie acts this year compared to last year, even if people are saying that the indie fever has died down. Bigger names in the scene like Bittersweet, Love Me Butch, Pop Shuvit, One Buck Short, Monoloque, Pesawat and Liyana Fizi all released albums this year, and even though this is a rare year in which local giants Hujan didn't release a new album, defying the pattern they've set in the last three years of releasing at least one new album every year, it's definitely been a very vibrant year in terms of albums for the local indie scene. Outside of the aforementioned bigger names, relatively less well-known acts like Furniture, Hello Is This The Band, Ferns. OJ Law, Forty Winks, Round Robin, Silent Scenery and The Garrison also released full albums this year, which should be proof enough of the kind of noise we've been making even if the scene does seem a bit quiet this year, which I personally attribute to the decreasing number of venues available and friendly enough to gig organizers, especially within the Kuala Lumpur city centre area.  Trend of the year definitely belongs to the "metalcore" genre which although didn't see much in terms of actual albums or EPs released by bands of the genre, ultimately showed its presence with its dominance over this year's line-up for the annual Rock The World concert. Current scene biggies Massacre Conspiracy, headliners of this year's Rock The World, very recently released their debut CD, and together with The Padangs (the lead singer is featured on Hujan's latest single, who's also reportedly recalibrated their sound to incorporate some of that metalcore sound for their next album) will probably carry the torch for this genre well into 2012 and maybe even beyond. A few years back people used to complain a lot about the shocking amount of amateurish or just plain bad new "indie" bands popping up like mushrooms in the scene, especially those singing in Malay. Although we can now say good riddance to most of that bunch, we can now say hello to a similarly shocking amount of amateurish or just plain bad new metalcore bands popping up like mushrooms in the scene. Some things may change, but some things will always stay the same. What about newcomers of the year? Personally I'd say it's a toss-up between the gorgeous noise of Kuching's Love/Comes and the "Clasher than The Clash" punk rock stylings of Kuala Lumpur's The Garrison, followed quite closely by English media darlings Kyoto Protocol and of course the unashamedly mainstream sounds of Awi Rafael. Just bear in mind that I'll only consider someone with an album or EP already out as newcomers. If I were to also include live performances into the mix, then the outstandingly anthemic instrumental rock of Sphere should also be added to the list, alongside the charmingly shambolic alternative rock of 300@9 and the gorgeous harmonies of The Impatient Sisters. And finally, as the year draws to a close, I still haven't been able to find any other local album that can dislodge "Subversion" by The Garrison as my favourite local album of the year. The closest anyone came to that is OJ Law, with his third album (but first to be released on CD) "Yesterday Is A Distant Dream" and the split album "Paraphernalia", shared between Partimelovers and the aforementioned Love/Comes. All in all, this has not been a bad year at all in terms of productivity and quality for the local indie scene. I wonder what surprises are in store for next year. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

---

Media pro-Umno lebih daripada Harakah, jelas Hasan Ali Posted: 23 Dec 2011 10:04 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Dis — Bekas perusuhjaya PAS Selangor Datuk Dr Hassan Ali menegaskan tidak wujud sama sekali istilah media Umno atau media musuh sambil menyifatkan akhbar rasmi milik parti Islam itu bersifat berat sebelah dalam menyiarkan laporan. Malah Hasan juga berkata media dalam negara tidak memberi liputan negatif kepada parti dan dirinya termasuk ketika menyiarkan laporan berhubung polemik yang berlaku baru-baru ini. "Bagi saya, tak ada yang dinamakan media Umno. Memanglah sebab kerajaan berkuasa, perkara kena rujuk kerajaan. Dan Umno sebahagian dari kerajaan. Sebab itu timbul media Umno. Saya sebenarnya pada asasnya, saya terima mana-mana media pun. "Bagi saya, siapa yang dapat menyebar luas dan meletakkan berita ke pangkuan masyarakat luas, jadi ia pilihan saya. Saya tak nampak selama ini media memainkan peranan negatif kepada parti dan saya dalam konteks kontroversi ini," katanya pada sidang media di sini. Hasan sebelum ini muncul di Utusan Malaysia dan program yang disiarkan TV3 iaitu Soal Jawab — sesuatu yang dianggap tidak biasa diberikan kepada pemimpin pembangkang di negara ini. Menurut Hasan beliau menganggap media lain lebih mudah dan memberikan liputan yang lebih baik berbanding organ partinya, Harakah. Beliau turut mendedahkan Harakah melebihkan liputan terhadap golongan tertentu di dalam parti lantaran penguasaan yang diberikan  terhadap lidah rasmi parti tersebut. Hasan mengambil contoh wawancara Harakah bersama Timbalan Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Haron Din berhubung isu gereja Methodist Damansara Utama (DUMC) yang masih belum disiarkan sehingga kini kerana kepentingan pihak tertentu. "Tetapi mungkin atas arahan pihak berkuasa dalam parti, didapati temuramah Datuk Harun din tidak tersiar sampai sekarang. Bayangkan kalau Haron Din tak tersiar bagaimana orang kecil seperti Hasan Ali?" kata beliau. Justeru Hasan mencadangkan agar Harakah melakukan transformasi besar-besaran agar ia boleh diterima semua lapisan masyarakat. "Kalau kepimpinan media baru diterajui oleh orang-orang lama. Sesetengahnya telah memimpin PAS selama lebib 20 tahun, tak berubah dan tak beralih, sudah tentulah saya merasakan perlu (berubah)," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

‘Bukan saya jumpa pemimpin Umno tapi Mustafa Ali’ jawab Hasan Posted: 23 Dec 2011 09:11 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Dis — Datuk Dr Hasan Ali menafikan sekeras-kerasnya dakwaan dibuat Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Mustafa Ali bahawa beliau ada mengadakan pertemuan dengan beberapa pihak yang dikaitkan dengan Umno. Menurut Hasan, bekas pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor dakwaan yang dilemparkan terhadap dirinya merupakan fitnah dan palsu. Beliau juga melahirkan rasa kesal kerana dakwaan itu dibuat oleh setiausaha agung kepada parti yang berteraskan Islam. "Saya menafikan sekeras-kerasnya mengenai pertemuan saya dengan mereka (Umno) sama ada pimpinan Umno peringkat bawahan, pertengahan atau atasan seperti yang dinyatakan (Mustafa). "Sekali lagi Mustafa Ali (gambar) terperangkap dengan prasangka buruk dan api fitnah sesama Muslim. Sebagai setiausaha agung sebuah parti yang berteraskan Islam, tuduhan-tuduhan liar dan serkap jarang seperti itu tidak selayaknya keluar dari mulut seorang setiausaha agung yang berwibawa," katanya pada sidang media di kediamannya di sini. Mustafa sebelum ini mendakwa beliau mempunyai bukti untuk mengaitkan Hasan dengan agenda Umno. Mustafa berkata ia merujuk kepada satu pertemuan antara Hasan, bekas timbalan presiden PAS Nasharuddin Mat Isa dan tiga individu lain di sebuah hotel di ibu negara pada bulan Ramadan lepas. Dalam sidang media itu, Hasan yang juga Pengerusi Hal Ehwal Agama Islam, Adat-Adat Melayu, Infrastruktur dan Kemudahan Awam Selangor mendedahkan individu yang kerap mengadakan pertemuan dengan pemimpin Umno adalah Mustafa. "Malah terdapat permohonan daripada setiausaha agung sendiri untuk bertemu dengan seorang pemimpin tertinggi Umno yang sehingga kini setakat saya maklum belum dapat diadakan," katanya. Enggan mengulas lanjut mengenai pendedahan itu, Hasan berkata kepimpinan tertinggi PAS sepatutnya menjalankan siasatan mengenai perkara itu. "Saya hendak berhenti setakat itu seperti mana Datuk Mustafa a Ali berhenti dari menuduh saya bertemu dengan pemimpin Umno di Hotel Meridien dan 'stop-short' di situ. "Kalau misalnya, nak tanya lebih lanjut, saya pulangkan kepada pimpinan (PAS) untuk buat siasatan lanjut. Kalau nak siasat pertemuan saya, siasatan sama juga harus dilakukan kepada pertemuan setiausaha agung dan pemimpin Umno," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com