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Asia’s most expensive drink goes for US$26,000 Posted: 19 Sep 2012 09:55 PM PDT 'The Jewel Of Pangaea' - A S$32,000 cocktail " screenshot video. — AFP-Relaxnews pic SINGAPORE, Sept 20 — Asia's most expensive drink can be had for a whopping S$32,000 (RM80,000) at a club for the super rich in Singapore. The cocktail, dubbed 'The Jewel of Pangaea', was recently launched at the Pangaea in Singapore, a club that targets the super rich and famous. Open only three nights a week, the club reportedly charges between S$2000 to S$15,000 for a table. The cocktail, created by award-winning master bartender Ethan Leslie Leong, is a concoction of gold-flecked Hennessey brandy, 1985 vintage Krug champagne and sugar, garnished with a Triple X 1-carat diamond by Switzerland-based jeweler Mouawad. "The Jewel of Pangaea was custom-designed to actually taste great. Most of the expensive cocktails around the world simply throw a precious diamond into a martini, but in this case I wanted to use the most premium products available, and ones that would perfectly complement the stunning Mouawad 1-carat diamond," Leong told Singapore's Today daily last Monday. Some of the most expensive drinks around the world have also been served up with diamonds. In 2007, London's ultra select club Movida launched a £35,000 (RM171,500) Christmas cocktail called 'Flawless', which contained Louis XII cognac, Cristal Rose champagne, brown sugar, angostura bitters, a few flakes of 24-carat edible gold leaf and an 11-carat white diamond ring at the bottom. In 2010, the Ritz Carlton Tokyo came up with a 'Diamonds are Forever' martini drink that cost US$18,000, a blend of chilled Grey Goose vodka with a lime twist, poured over a one-carat diamond. — AFP-Relaxnews

High salt consumption endangers US kids, says study Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that kids between the ages of eight and 18 took in an average of 3,387 milligrams a day of sodium, more than twice the 1,500 daily recommended by doctors. — AFP-Relaxnews pic WASHINGTON, Sept 20 — Children in the United States consume too much salt, putting them at risk for hypertension and other health problems, according to a study published last Monday in the science review Pediatrics. The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that kids between the ages of eight and 18 took in an average of 3,387 milligrams a day of sodium, more than twice the 1,500 daily recommended by doctors. The study monitored the diets of 6,235 youths and found that their sodium intake was about the same as that of adults, with more than three-quarters of the salt coming from processed and fast foods. Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and several other problems which were once found almost exclusively in adults, but which are now increasingly seen in children. The risk of high blood pressure was particularly high among overweight and obese youths, the CDC said. Health officials in the United States called the study's findings alarming. "It's very disturbing that this nation's children and teens consume too much salt in their diets at school and home," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association (AHA). "High blood pressure, once viewed as an adult illness is now affecting more young people because of high sodium diets and increasing obesity," she said. "While new nutrition standards for school meals are helping, progress is slow. This study strongly underscores the need to move faster because our kids are on an early path to heart attacks and strokes." The AHA urged the US Food and Drug Administration to set mandatory limits on the sodium content of foods and urged federal authorities to make the reduction of sodium a national priority. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Pellegrini praises focused Malaga players Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:23 AM PDT MADRID, Sept 19 – Malaga's Qatar-backed project has had its ups and downs but yesterday's thumping 3-0 win over Zenit St Petersburg in their Champions League group stage debut proved the players have not lost their focus, coach Manuel Pellegrini said. Promising Spain under-21 midfielder Isco scored either side of a goal by the club's new signing Javier Saviola as the La Liga side put the big-spending Russians to the sword at the Rosaleda and put themselves atop Group C. "The team is working well, with a lot of internal motivation to make a project that has stumbled at times and this is the best way to do it," Pellegrini told a news conference. "The team put in a good performance against a great opponent who never gave up," added the Chilean. "The team is very focused on what it is doing." Malaga qualified for Europe's elite club competition for the first time after finishing fourth last season following some hefty investment by owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, a member of the Qatar royal family. Al-Thani appeared to scale back his ambitions for the Andalusian club this summer when they announced an "internal restructuring", sold several of their best players and brought in some cheaper replacements. The uncertainty off the pitch does not appear to have affected the performance of the team, second in La Liga after four matches, basking in the glory of yesterday's impressive debut in the Champions League group stage. Argentine Saviola, who promised much early in his career but failed to live up to high expectations, was on the scoresheet for a second straight game after netting one and setting up a second in his first start for the club, a 3-1 La Liga win against Levante on Saturday. "We proved that we can do things well in the Champions League," the 30-year-old told reporters. "We knew that they typically play with intensity and that we had to make a good start. "We were able to keep it up in the second half and everything worked out perfectly." – Reuters

German Martin retains individual world time trial title Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:35 AM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]VALKENBURG, Sept 19 – Germany’s Tony Martin retained his individual time trial title over the 45.7-km course at the world championships today. American Taylor Phinney took silver and Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus claimed the bronze. – Reuters

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French study on Monsanto’s GM corn raises peer questions Posted: 19 Sep 2012 09:19 AM PDT Protesters against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are chained to a vehicle as they block a delivery entrance to a Monsanto seed distribution facility in Oxnard, California, in this September 12, 2012, file photo. — Reuters pic LONDON, Sept 19 — In a study that prompted criticism from other experts, French scientists said today that rats fed on Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) corn or exposed to its top-selling weedkiller suffered tumours and multiple organ damage. Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen and colleagues said rats fed on a diet containing NK603 — a seed variety made tolerant to dousings of Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller — or given water with Roundup at levels permitted in the United States, died earlier than those on a standard diet. Experts not involved in the study were highly sceptical about its methods and findings, with some accusing the French scientists of going on a "statistical fishing trip". The animals on the GM diet suffered mammary tumours, as well as severe liver and kidney damage. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology and presented at a news conference in London. The researchers said 50 per cent of males and 70 per cent of females died prematurely, compared with only 30 per cent and 20 per cent in the control group. Monsanto was not immediately available for comment but the group has in the past repeatedly said its products are safe and there is no credible evidence of any health risk to humans or animals from consuming GM crops. Experts highly sceptical GMOs are deeply unpopular in Europe and many other countries, but dominate key crops in the United States after Monsanto in 1996 introduced a soybean genetically altered to tolerate Monsanto's Roundup weed killer A protester chained to a vehicle at the Monsanto seed distribution facility in Oxnard. — Reuters file pic Experts asked by reporters to review the scientific paper advised extreme caution in drawing conclusions from it. Tom Sanders, head of the nutritional sciences research division at King's College London, noted that Seralini's team had not provided any data on how much the rats were given to eat, or what their growth rates were. "This strain of rat is very prone to mammary tumours particularly when food intake is not restricted," he said in an emailed comment. "The statistical methods are unconventional and probabilities are not adjusted for multiple comparisons. There is no clearly defined data analysis plan and it would appear the authors have gone on a statistical fishing trip." Mark Tester, a research professor at the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics at the University of Adelaide, said the study's findings raised the question of why no previous studies had flagged similar concerns. "If the effects are as big as purported, and if the work really is relevant to humans, why aren't the North Americans dropping like flies? GM has been in the food chain for over a decade over there — and longevity continues to increase inexorably," he said in an emailed comment. Long-term effects? While supporters of GM crops say previous studies have overwhelmingly pointed to their safety, critics argue there is still limited information about the long-term effects since the crops have only been around for just over 15 years. Seralini was part of a team that has voiced previous safety concerns based on a shorter rat study in a scientific paper published in 2009. This new study takes things a step further by tracking the animals throughout their two-year lifespan. Monsanto said at the time of the earlier research that the French researchers had reached "unsubstantiated conclusions". Seralini believes his latest lifetime rat tests give a more realistic and authoritative view of risks than the 90-day feeding trials that form the basis of GM crop approvals, since three months is only the equivalent of early adulthood in rats. France's Jose Bove, vice-chairman of the European Parliament's commission for agriculture and known as an opponent of GM, called for an immediate suspension of all EU cultivation and import authorisations of GM crops. "This study finally shows we are right and that it is urgent to quickly review all GMO evaluation processes," he said in a statement. "National and European food security agencies must carry out new studies financed by public funding to guarantee healthy food for European consumers." The study is also likely to create friction in the United States, where opponents of genetically engineered foods in California are fighting to have all GMOs removed from the food supply. The California protesters are hoping to drum up support for a California ballot measure that would require food sellers to label a broad range of products, including soup, soy milk, breakfast cereals and chips, that contain GMOs. — Reuters

Basquiat poised to set record at New York art auction Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:58 AM PDT A Basquiat, "Orange Sports Figure", at a contemporary arts exhibition in Doha, January 25, 2012. — Reuters file pic NEW YORK, Sept 19 — An early work by Jean-Michel Basquiat could set an artist's record in November when it is expected to sell for some US$20 million (RM61.1 million), auction house Christie's said yesterday. The untitled 1981 work, which has been in a private collection for two decades and has been featured in virtually every major Basquiat retrospective, depicts a fisherman displaying his catch hanging at the end of a line. Christie's estimate of the painting selling for about US$20 million, along with its commission, would bring the price to well above Basquiat's auction record of US$20.1 million, set in June in London. "Great works by Basquiat have become close to impossible to find in recent years," said Loic Gouzer, international specialist of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's, said in a statement. "The market has been waiting a long time for a work of this calibre and freshness. "Basquiat is increasingly being recognised as a grand master of post-war art alongside de Kooning, Warhol and Pollock," Gouzer said. "We expect it to set a new record." The auction house did not identify the seller but catalogues from recent exhibitions of the work identified him as French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. Basquiat burst onto New York's burgeoning art scene more than 30 years ago and quickly drew attention and respect for his powerful, jarring and sometimes controversial canvases that drew heavily on his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage. Basquiat, whose career was the subject of a feature film and a documentary, died in 1988 at the age of 27. Gouzer said that unlike most artists who win acclaim, Basquiat created his best paintings at the beginning of his career. " 'Untitled 1981' unites all the elements of energy, freedom and boldness that one looks for in Basquiat," he said. The painting will be sold on November 14 following public exhibitions scheduled for London, Paris and New York. — Reuters

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Anschutz puts sports and entertainment empire up for sale Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT AEG's 20,000-seat arena, home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers , The Grammy Awards and numerous concerts in downtown Los Angeles. — Reuters file pic NEW YORK, Sept 19 — US conglomerate Anschutz Co said yesterday it wanted to sell its sports and entertainment unit, whose assets range from teams such as the Los Angeles Kings hockey franchise to concert venues such as London's famous O2 arena — in a potential multibillion-dollar sale. Such a deal may be one of the biggest for Anschutz's owner and fabled dealmaker, Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz, and could draw the interest of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) owns some 100 entertainment venues around the world, the L.A. Galaxy football team and a stake in the L.A. Lakers basketball team in addition to the L.A. Kings. A sale could fetch several billions of dollars, said one person who has done business with the company. It is not clear, however, if Anschutz will decide to sell all or part of its holdings. Potential buyers could include John Malone's Liberty Media Corp and News Corp, which is splitting its publishing and entertainment assets later this year, said a separate source, a financial executive who has been briefed on the company's status but is not part of the deal. Neither company has made a formal bid, however. News Corp declined to comment while representatives from Liberty Media were not immediately available for comment. A sale to Malone's Liberty Media would have regulatory hurdles. Liberty owns a 21 per cent stake in Live Nation Entertainment, which is the nation's biggest show promoter while AEG's concert division, AEG Live, is the second-largest. Anschutz Co has retained Blackstone Advisory Partners as its financial adviser to assist in the sale. This is not the first time that Anschutz has explored a sale of some or all of AEG. In 2008, IAC's Ticketmaster and Cablevision Systems Corp came close to acquiring 49 per cent of the AEG Live concert division for about US$400 million (RM1.2 billion). But those talks broke down and Ticketmaster went on to merge with Live Nation. Phillip Anschutz, worth US$7 billion. — Reuters file pic Anschutz, 72, bought out his father's drilling company in 1961 and expanded into stocks, real estate and railroads. A conservative Christian who occasionally teaches Sunday school classes, he is ranked by Forbes as the 34th richest person in the US with a net worth valued at US$7 billion as of October 2010. One of his earliest deals came in 1968 when one of his Wyoming wells caught fire. Anschutz struck a deal with Universal Pictures to allow them to film his burning oil well for US$100,000 and use it for a film the studio was making about famed fire fighter Red Adair. For more than a decade he has concentrated on building his entertainment holdings and also co-founded Major League Football. "This is an appropriate time to transition AEG to a new qualified owner," said Cannon Harvey, president of Anschutz Co, in a statement. "This process represents a unique opportunity to maximise value for all concerned." AEG has transformed the once largely abandoned downtown Los Angeles into a bustling entertainment destination, hosting the Staples Centre, a 20,000-seat arena, and the vibrant L.A. Live promenade, which are almost entirely owned by AEG. AEG is also planning a US$1.2 billion football stadium that would house a NFL team that would move from another city. The company's AEG Live unit was the promoter behind the "This Is It" comeback tour that Michael Jackson was about to embark on before he died. It is still embroiled in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, in which she accuses the company of being responsible for medical decisions made by Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, that caused his death. AEG Live last week dropped a separate lawsuit it filed seeking a US$17.5 million insurance claim payment from Lloyds of London to reimburse upfront costs they incurred to stage the "This Is It" tour. — Reuters

Upsets, drama in store for TV’s big Emmy night Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:42 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept 19 — A night of upsets could be on the menu at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, with the countesses and kitchen maids of Britain's "Downton Abbey" bidding to end the reign of television's "Mad Men", while post-9/11 psychological thriller "Homeland" lurks close by. With a tight race for the best drama series top prize and a great year for comedy actresses, the television industry's biggest night could pack as much drama this year as the plot twists and turns dreamed up by TV writers on screen. "What makes this year's Emmys filled with such anticipation is that there are no easy predictions and that makes the show exciting," said Todd Gold, executive editor of Xfinity TV. "There was a period in the 1990s when the Emmys seemed so predictable," Gold told Reuters. "This is a year that really reflects the strength and depth of TV across the board." The Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on Sunday on ABC television, and hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel. "Mad Men", the 1960s-era advertising show on AMC beloved by critics, is hoping to score a fifth consecutive best drama series win from 17 Emmy nominations. But "Downton Abbey", the upstairs-downstairs period drama set in an aristocratic English house, is nipping at its heels with 16 nods in one of PBS' best years at the Emmys. Don Draper sweating? British imports often do well at US award shows. "Hollywood, like the rest of America, has a secret inferiority complex about all things British," said Tom O'Neil of awards website Goldderby.com. " 'Downton Abbey' did much better in the nominations than anyone thought. It could really do this." "Mad Men" emerged empty-handed from last weekend's Creative Arts portion of the Emmys — which honours costumes, hair styling and other mainly technical categories — in what O'Neil said "may be an early omen of what's to come". Although success at the Creative Arts — where HBO's medieval fantasy "Game of Thrones" was the big winner — does not necessarily indicate glory at the Primetime Awards, "the usually unflappable ('Mad Men' lead character) Don Draper might be sweating under his crisp white collar right now", O'Neil added. Dark drug drama "Breaking Bad", in its fifth and final season on AMC, 1930s-era gangster show "Boardwalk Empire" on HBO, "Game of Thrones", and Showtime newcomer "Homeland" round out the best drama series choices for the 15,000 voters of the Television Academy. Claire Danes, who plays a bipolar CIA agent in "Homeland" tracking down a returning US Iraq war hero who has been turned by Muslim extremists, is seen as a sure bet for taking home the best drama actress Emmy. "Homeland", with nine nominations and gushing reviews for its mix of cliffhangers, moral complexity and post-9/11 suspicion, and "Downton Abbey" had "the most buzz for any shows that I can recall", Gold said. Funny girls The contest for best comedy actress on TV is also too close to call, according to TV pundits. "It was a fantastic year for comediennes" said O'Neil. "Julia Louis-Dreyfus is in the race with a hot new HBO series ('Veep') that happens to be about the vice-presidential race in the middle of a presidential election. How perfect is that? "And Lena Dunham ('Girls' HBO) is this year's Tina Fey. She does it all — writing, directing, acting, producing." O'Neil said Fey, creator and star of "30 Rock", also had her best chance in recent years to win. But "New Girl" star Zooey Deschanel on Fox, could clinch an Emmy on her first try. In the best comedy series, ABC's reigning champion, "Modern Family", appears to have little serious competition, and its stars are also expected to take home some of the supporting acting Emmys. But there may be a chink in Jon Stewart's stronghold in the variety series slot with his satirical "The Daily Show". "I think Jimmy Kimmel is going to put a stop to the nine-year juggernaut of 'The Daily Show' this year," said O'Neil. "I think Jon Stewart has met his match. Jimmy is also hosting the Emmys, and this could be his night of nights." In other key races, Bryan Cranston is favoured to win a fourth Emmy as best actor in a dramatic series for his role as a chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin in "Breaking Bad", while History channel's "Hatfields & McCoys", with 16 nominations, is a strong contender for best miniseries. The show about a legendary feud between two families in 19th century Kentucky and West Virginia was a surprise hit with audiences in May "and reminded critics that American TV viewers are still enraptured by a good Western", said Gold. — Reuters

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Apple, publishers back off in EU e-book antitrust case Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:58 AM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]BRUSSELS, Sept 19 – Apple Inc and four major publishers have offered to let retailers such as Amazon.Com Inc sell e-books at a discount to settle an EU antitrust investigation into their pricing deals and avoid possible fines. The case highlights the battle between retailers and publishers over pricing control as publishers look to e-books to ...

More than half of young-adult fiction bought by over-17s Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:31 AM PDT 'The Hunger Games' accounted for 30 per cent of current YA reading in a new survey. – All rights reserved/Scholastic Press LOS ANGELES, Sept 19 – Most young-adult (YA) fiction in the US is being bought by those 18 and over, says a new study, with The Hunger Games top of the pile and those adult readers hot on social networks and friend recommendations. In fact, those aged between 30 and 44 account for 28 per cent of purchases in the YA category, and 4 out of 5 times they're buying for themselves rather than for kids. Bowker Market Research came up with the findings as part of its report Understanding the Children's Book Consumer in the Digital Age, quizzing US residents about their book-buying habits. Of the works in question, The Hunger Games won out, accounting for 30 per cent of current YA reading, giving it a vast lead in a sea of the 220-plus titles named. So much so that Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows and Breaking Dawn were the only others to accrue more than a 5 per cent share. And while traditional reading groups might be deemed of "no interest" to more than half of the YA sector's adult consumers, the very same group identified themselves as big social network users and open to word-of-mouth recommendations. Over 40 per cent read e-books, the same top-level adoption rate seen among readers of adult mystery and romance, while 71 per cent are willing to go back to print where an e-book version isn't on the market. – AFP/Relaxnews

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TPM wajib baca pendedahan hutang Talam Posted: 18 Sep 2012 07:21 PM PDT SEPT 19 ― Kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin bahawa Umno telah menemui formula untuk menawan kembali Selangor dengan Talam adalah sangat melucukan. Bukan sahaja Datuk Chua Tee Yong dan Datuk Seri Mohd Zin keliru tentang "Talam Debt Recovery Exercise" (Pelan Pungutan Hutang Talam) ini, kini TPM Malaysia pun turut dikelirukan mereka berdua ini.   Dalam kekeliruannya Chua pernah mendakwa Kerajaan Selangor menggunakan dana rakyat Selangor sebanyak RM1 bilion dan Mohd Zain dengan segala "kejahilan"nya mempopularkan istilah "Talam-Gate". Sekarang Muhyiddin nak guna ini isu Hutang Talam ini sebagai resipi dan formula kemenangan. Saya mahu jelaskan hanya beberapa isu dahulu secara khusus sebab terlalu banyak yang hendak didedahkan bersabit kebingungan TPM dan Umno-MC-BN ini. Ya, seluruh rakyat Selangor perlu tahu bahawa dalam pemerintahan Umno-BN di Selangor dulu lah, Pemaju Talam Corporation (kini namanya Trinity Corporation) mendapat pelbagai projek pembangunan dari kerajaan mantan MB Khir Toyo sehingga mendapat jolokan panggilan "Super-Crony Selangor" bawah Khir Toyo. Pada waktu-waktu "kecemasannya" yang sedang mengalami tekanan dari Bursa Saham supaya melunaskan hutang-hutangnya [syarikat tersenarai (PLC) di bawah PN17 (Practice Note 17)], tahukah rakyat Selangor bahawa Talam Corp memilikki "Land Bank" sejumlah 7,000 ekar! Jadi rakyat Selangor perlu tahu siapa yang berhutang? Bukan kami kerajaan Pakatan! Tapi zaman Khir Toyo lagi. Usaha pertama adalah menentukan hutang-hutang ini (Confirmation of Debt). Berapa banyak dan kepada siapa? Talam berhutang kepada berhutang kepada 3 anak syarikat negeri atas pelbagai sebab dan kegagalan melaksanakan projek bersama dengan PNSB (RM28.2 juta), PIYSB (RM248.7 juta -Unisel) dan KHSB (RM115.1 juta).Jumlah ialah RM392 juta! Berjayakah Umno pungut hutang-hutang ini dalam pemerintahan Khir Toyo? Tidak! Umno gagal memungut hutang Talam walaupun RM1 juta dan tidak juga RM1 setelah mendakwa mereka mencuba sebanyak tiga kali (2005, 2007 dan2008). Kenyataan dan hakikat kegagalan ini mesti diberitahu kepada seluruh rakyat Selangor! Rakyat Selangor mesti persoalkan mereka kenapa mereka gagal! Beban itu seterusnya ditanggung oleh kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang mengambilalih pemerintahan selepas PRU ke-13. Apa yang berjaya dilakukan oleh Kerajaan Pakatan? Berapa banyak yang dapat dipungut kembali? Setelah audit dilakukan oleh Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat dan Pengesahan Hutang Talam dibuat (Confirmation of Debt), "Kerajaan Selangor telah memasukki dua perjanjian untuk mendapatkan Talam membayar hutang mereka (Debt Settlement Agreement). Proses yang dilakukan inilah yang sangat tidak difahami oleh Chua (MCA) dan Mohd Zin (Umno) dan kini TPM sendiri. Hutang kepada anak-anak kerajaan negeri pun berpindah tangan kepada Menteri Besar Incoroprated (MBI) dengan proses "Round-Tripping" melibatkan anak syarikat Selangor Industrial Corporation (SIC) yang setelah meminjam RM392 juta dari CIMB yang kemudiannya membayar kepada kerajaan negeri untuk mendapat hutang-hutang itu dari 3 anak syarikanya. Dengan duit bayaran tersebut kerajaan negeri kemudian meluluskan penggunaan wang RM392 juta itu di Dewan Undangan Negeri untuk MBI (Menteri Besar Inc) membeli hutang tersebut dari SIC. SIC membayar kembali RM392 juta yang di pinjam dari CIMB. Itulah dia berakhirnya "Round-Tripping" tadi ketika SIC bayarbalik RM392 juta yang dipinjam dari CIMB! Mana ada lagi wang rakyat Selangor yang Chua, Md Zain dan TPM dakwa diguna? Jangan sampai rakyat kata mereka "bengap". Tak manis! MBI kemudian memulakan proses "Pungutan Hutang"  dari Talam. Berapakah yang dibayar Talam kepada kerajaan negeri dan dalam bentuk apakah bayaran tersebut? Talam membayar dalam 4 bentuk. RM340.88 million tanah dan asset 1,322 ekar di Bukit Beruntung bernilai RM150.28 million; 2,264 ekar di Bestari Jaya bernilai RM105.3 million; 400 ekar di Ulu Yam and 60 peratus equity dalam saham Ulu Yam Golf & Country Resort dengan nilai RM22.2 million; 134 ekar tanah di Danau Putra berharga RM52.1 million and 5 unit ofis di Menara Pandan bernilai RM11.1 million. Selebihnya yang berjumlah RM51.12 million dibayar dalam bentuk tunai: RM12 million dari jualan tanah di Puncak Jalil, RM5 million "cash assignments" dari EON, RM7.68 juta kerja "earthwork di Unisel, RM9.04 juta dari jualan 25.94 ekar dari tanah di Bukit Beruntung, and RM17.4 juta dari tanah di Bestari Jaya. Kenyataan rasmi dari KPMG adalah amat jelas bahawa apa yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan negeri adalah "a sound business decision" ― "satu keputusan yang bijak". Satu "bailout" adalah ditakrif dalam kewangan sebagai bantuan kewangan yang diberikan kepada sebuah syarikat yang sakit atau akan mengalami kebankrapan seperti kes Perwaja, IWK dan MAS yang diberikan suntikan berbillion RM oleh kerajaan Pusat. Kerajaan negeri, ditegaskan oleh KPMG tidak membayar walaupun RM1 kepada Talam sebaliknya Talam telah melunaskan hutang berjumlah RM392 juta kepada kerajaan negeri. Umno-BN mempertikaikan sebahagian pembayaran tanah-tanah ini dan penilaiannya sementara mereka lupa bahawa yang melakukan penilaian adalah pihak "Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Hartanah (JPPH) yang merupakan agensi kerajaan Persekutuan! Tiga keeping Tanah Danau Putra yang ditertawakan oleh Mohd Zin kerana 80 peratus dibawah air, telah selesai dijual dan mendapat pulangan yang diharapkan. Kini kerajaan Pakatan dapat kembali sebanyak 1,322 ekar di Bukit Beruntung bernilai RM150.28 million, 2,264 ekar di Bestari Jaya bernilai RM105.3 million dan 400 ekar di Ulu Yam. Tanah adalah sangat berharga dan tidak boleh "digadaikan" kepada pihak swasta dan kroni mana-mana penguasa politik! Itu pengkhianatan terhadap rakyat di negeri dan negara ini namanya! Jelasnya TPM gagal memahami seluruh proses "Pungutan Hutang Talam" dan kini berdepan dengan kenyataan beliau akan dimalukan seandainya Talam mahu dijadikan resipi dan formula untuk memenangi dan merampas kerajaan Selangor dari Pakatan Rakyat. Umno-BN lah "pengkhianat"sebenar kepada rakyat Selangor yang telah memberikan kepada segala "pemberian tanah secara mudah", gagal memungut hutang pihak pemaju yang merupakan "super-kroni MCA" dan mantan MB Umno itu, dan mentohmah kami dalam usaha memungut hutang Talam. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

In defence of grammar Posted: 18 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT SEPT 19 ― Sitting with a group of young university students, one of them said, "I don't see why we need grammar. So long as people understand what we're saying, okay what?" I told her that the ghosts of a thousand editors were rising in indignation at that comment. But I understand her frustration. In university, writing term papers are hard enough without your professor deciding to drop you a grade bracket or so because you exceeded the number of grammatical mistakes allowable. English grammar is hard. The nonsensical rules flummox non-native speakers at times. Why, for instance, must the plural of "foot" be "feet"? And the plural of "sheep" remain "sheep"? More than one house? Two houses. More than one mouse... is not two mouses, but mice. There is no grammar rule to cover those exceptions to most other rules besides the statement: "That's just how it is." Grammar can be annoying and people who get overly nitpicky about it can also be annoying. (I am annoying in that regard, too, but my excuse is it keeps me employable.) Let us look at another way of looking at grammar: Think of it as the equivalent of standard notation in music. Modern orchestras would find it hard to perform without those squiggly symbols that denote precisely how long the string section should go on before the guy with the tuba comes in. It would be a tad embarrassing if tuba guy just came in on a whim before the violins, cello and bass viols had finished their group reverie. The way music notation makes it easier to perform a composition as it was meant, is how grammar helps clarify passages. There is a very big difference between "Its bacon" and "It's bacon", you know. Is it bacon belonging to someone/something else or a joyous declaration of what is on your plate? The apostrophe will reveal all. One bit of advice I can give to people who are constantly making grammatical errors is to start using less-complex sentences. Instead of trying to stuff many clauses into a sentence, try breaking them up into shorter sentences. A long sentence has its place in writing but until you can write many grammar-free short sentences, avoid longer ones. Sadly that is lost on academicians or lawyers. If you see grammar as merely a tool to make your writing comprehensible, then it won't seem like a burden. We don't all have to know what "past participle" or "present perfect" means so long as we write with clarity in mind. Write to be understood, not to impress. While you let that sink in, I will get back to making fun of people who can't figure out apostrophes. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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Rakyat Malaysia yang membunuh pakar bedah jantung Australia dibebaskan dengan parol Posted: 19 Sep 2012 02:11 AM PDT Rakyat Malaysia yang membunuh pakar bedah jantung Australia dibebaskan dengan parol KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Sept – Rakyat Malaysia yang menembak mati Dr Victor Chang, pakar bedah jantung Australia yang terkenal di Sydney dua dekad lalu dalam satu cubaan peras ugut akan dilepaskan dari penjara dengan parol, dan akan dihantar pulang ke Malaysia tidak lama lagi. Liew Chew Seng telah menjalani 21 tahun daripada 26 tahun hukuman penjara Negeri New South Wales Pengerusi Lembaga Parol, Hakim Ian Pike membuat keputusan hari ini untuk melepaskan Liew dengan parol. "Dengan prinsip bahawa kepentingan awam adalah penting, pihak berkuasa telah memutuskan bahawa pembebasan penghuni adalah sesuai," Pike dipetik sebagai berkata oleh akhbar The Australian. Peguam Negara New South Wales telah lebih awal membantah sewaktu pendengaran pemberian parol, dilaporkan berkata bahawa "masa masih belum tiba" untuk berbuat demikian. Tetapi peguam Liew menggunakan alasan penyakit Parkinson dan usia beliau yang telah mencapai 68 tahun dan demensia ringan untuk berhujah bagi memihak kepada beliau. Berikutan keputusan hari ini, Liew dijangka akan dikeluarkan pada awal bulan depan dan akan dihantar pulang ke Malaysia. Pada tahun 2010, rakan sejenayah Liew, Phillip Lim Choon Tee, yang telah menjalani 18 daripada 24 tahun hukuman penjara, telah juga diberikan parol dan dihantar pulang ke Malaysia. Kedua mereka telah membuat percubaan untuk memeras ugut Dr Chang di Mosman yang terletak sebelah utara Sydney. Keluarga Dr Chang masih belum bercakap mengenai keputusan untuk memberikan parol kepada kedua-dua lelaki tersebut lapor akhbar The Australian. Pemindahan jantung pertama berjaya di Australia telah dijalankan oleh Dr Chang pada tahun 1984 dan beliau juga telah dipilih sebagai Rakyat Australia untuk Abad tersebut pada tahun 2000.

CUEPACS tuntut rumah lebih murah untuk penjawat awam Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:27 AM PDT Rumah mampu bilik terdapat di kawasan luar bandar sedangkan ramai penjawat awam berkhidmat di pusat bandar, lalu menimbulkan kesukaran kerana terpaksa berulang-alik ke tempat kerja yang agak jauh. — Gambar Reuters KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Sept —  Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) hari ini menuntut kerajaan agar memastikan pemaju bandar menyediakan kuota sebanyak 35 peratus untuk rumah mampu milik yang berharga RM150,000 untuk penjawat awam, di dalam Bajet 2013 yang akan dibentangkan minggu hadapan. Presiden Cuepacs Datuk Omar Osman berkata, sementara rumah mampu milik terdapat di kawasan luar bandar, ia terlalu jauh untuk berulang-alik ke tempat kerja. "Kita mahu kerajaan untuk mencadangkan polisi untuk memastikan 35 peratus dari perumahan di bandar bernilai RM60,000 hingga RM150,000 untuk dilaksanakan agar penjawat awam yang memperolehi pendapatan kurang dari RM3,000 untuk mudah ke tempat kerja," kata Osman. Dia juga menambah beberapa tuntutan seperti menggantikan Skim Saraan Baru Perkhidmatan Awam (SBPA), selesaikan isu 45,000 hingga 60,000 penjawat awam kontrak dan penambahan elaun penambahan kos (COLA) yang pernah dibangkitkan dahulu. "Permintaan ini bukannya baru, tetapi perkara lama yang sangat penting untuk disampaikan, kerana kita dapati terdapat banyak aduan dan laporan tentang hal ini," kata Osman. Presiden Cuepacs berkata, beliau akan bertemu dengan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan timbalannya, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, sama ada pada Oktober atau November selepas perbentangan bajet. Ahli majlis tertinggi seramai 120 orang, juga mahu kedua-dua pemimpin itu untuk menghadiri kongres, termasuk ahli dari Sabah dan Sarawak untuk membincangkan isu tersebut," kata Osman lagi. Presiden Cuepacs itu menambah ahli majlis tertinggi juga membantah tindakan kerajaan dalam membubarkan Mesyuarat Antara Jabatan pada Mei lalu, yang menyebabkan kesatuan sekerja sukar untuk mengadakan perbincangan dengan pemimpin peringkat persekutuan. "Kami telah mengadakan banyak perbincangan selama dua puluh tahun dan kami rasa terkilan kerana ini dilakukan tanpa perbincangan dengan Cuepacs," kata Osman lagi. Bila ditanya tentang penjawat awam harus memberikan yang terbaik selepas semua tuntutan diberikan, Osman berkata, ahli majlis tertinggi mencadangkan supaya pekerja bekerja setengah jam lebih setiap hari untuk meningkatkan produktiviti. "Bayangkan jika kerajaan menerima tambahan setengah jam untuk 1.4 juta pekerja awam, jika dilihat dari segi kos, mereka dapat lebih dari apa yang kami dapat. "Kebanyakan penjawat awam tiba awal ke tempat kerja lebih awal, dan pulang lewat, tetapi kita akan memastikan kongres kita untuk memastikan kita akan mendapat tuntutan kita," kata Osman yang berkata kongres Cuepacs akan dilakukan selepas pembentangan bajet.

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