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Top 10 wines that should be stored for future sipping Posted: 03 Nov 2012 10:06 PM PDT PARIS, Nov 4 — Influential wine lovers publication Wine Enthusiast has come up with a list of top 100 wines that promise to age into lush rich wines — so long as consumers resist the urge to open them immediately. Top off the rack from Wine Enthusiast. © shutterstock.com Pointing out that 80 per cent of wines bought are drunk within 48 hours, editors compiled a list dubbed Cellar Selections 2012 — bottles that should be destined for the wine cellar for future sipping. Here are their top 10 Cellar Selections picks, which come from all over the world and range from US$40-135 (RM122-412). 1. Marchesi Antoni 2008 Guado al Tasso, from Bolgheri Superiore, Italy 2. Pirouette 2008 Red Wine, Columbia Valley, USA 3. Chateau Léoville-Barton 2009 Saint-Julien, France 4. Ridge 2009 Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA 5. Capanna 2007 Brunello di Montalcino, Italy 6. Brundlmayer 2010 Zobinger Heiligestein Erste Lage Alte Reben Reserve Riesling, Kamptal, Austria 7. Quilceda Creek 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, USA 8. Louis Jadot 2009 Corton-Pougets, France 9. Evening Land 2010 Seven Springs Vineyard Summum Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills, USA 10. Longoria 2009 Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, USA Click here for the full list. — AFP/Relaxnews

Chocolate trend: Omega-3 laced bonbons and all-natural products Posted: 03 Nov 2012 08:59 PM PDT PARIS, Nov 4 — In a bid to lessen the guilt of indulging in one of life's little, sinful pleasures, chocolate makers are releasing a slew of products that pull double duty with omega-3-infused candy bars, use organic and all-natural ingredients, and ease the conscience with Fair Trade labels. According to organisers of the Salon du Chocolat, the largest chocolate show in the world that takes place every year in Paris, these are just some of the consumer-driven trends that are transforming the chocolate industry. Consumers are looking for traditional, authentic and local products that evoke "nostalgia for the needs of the good old days", recalling artisanal craftsmanship and whole, unprocessed foods, reads a trade show report. For example, to respond to consumers' growing interest in foods with health benefits — known as functional foods in the industry — some chocolate makers are replacing sugar with stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener that's 200 times sweeter than sucrose and has zero calories. The chocolate fashion show at the annual Salon du Chocolat in Paris.©Pauline Leporati & Laurent Am Earlier this year at the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair in Cologne, Germany, for instance, Belgium-based chocolatier Cavalier was named the most innovative product for its sugar-free, stevia-sweetened chocolate. Others are adding omega-3 oils, said to help with heart health and cognitive function. One square of Maramor Dark Chocolate, for instance, supplies 105 mg of omega-3 fat and clocks in at 50 calories. The demand for healthy foods, meanwhile, picks up momentum after being sidetracked by the economic crisis between 2006 and 2008, when consumers abandoned their health concerns and sought comfort in the small, affordable luxuries such as chocolate. Child slave labour In addition to healthy alternatives, socially responsible consumption is also becoming top of mind, particularly in the chocolate world, where public awareness has been growing about the use of child slave labour and unethical trading practices. Most recently, for instance, American chocolate company Hershey announced plans to source 100 per cent certified cocoa by 2020 in response to mounting pressure over the widespread use of child slave labour in the cocoa industry. The company joins Mars and Ferrero, which have made similar claims. Consumers are also increasingly looking for brands that use organic and natural ingredients such as Green & Black's. Other such brands include Equal Exchange Chocolate, Newman's Own Organics Chocolates and Alter Eco Chocolates. The Salon du Chocolat runs until today. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Janowicz polishes off Simon to reach Paris Masters final Posted: 03 Nov 2012 08:44 AM PDT Jerzy Janowicz of Poland celebrates after winning his semi-final men's singles match against Gilles Simon of France at the Paris Masters tennis tournament November 3, 2012. – Reuters pic PARIS, Nov 3 – Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz continued to be a thorn on the side of higher ranked opponents this week as he reached the Paris Masters final with a 6-4 7-5 win over local favourite Gilles Simon today. World number 69 Janowicz, who beat US Open champion Andy Murray in the third round, used his big serve and his magic touch to see off Simon in just 89 minutes. He will face either Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer or France's Michael Llodra tomorrow. Janowicz, who did not face a single break point, broke the 20th ranked Simon in the fifth game with a booming service return winner and comfortably held serve to claim the opening set with a forehand winner. The Pole, who missed only three first serves in the first set, was less dominant in the second set. Simon, however, fell 0-40 down in the 11th game and Janowicz sealed the decisive break with a dropshot winner. He ended the contest with yet another dropshot winner on his second match point, falling down on his knees sobbing and hitting the court with his hand in apparent disbelief. – Reuters

Cricket: Meaker called up as standby for injured Finn Posted: 03 Nov 2012 08:34 AM PDT LONDON, Nov 3 – Fast bowler Stuart Meaker has been drafted into England's squad as cover for the injured Steven Finn, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said today. Surrey bowler Meaker is likely to play in the final warm-up game before the test series against India begins in Ahmedabad on Nov 15. "The 23-year-old's arrival date is subject to obtaining the necessary visa early next week," the ECB said in a statement. Finn suffered a thigh strain during the first game of the tour against India A. The Middlesex paceman had been expected to be a key member of England's tour of the sub-continent after impressing in a limited-overs series in India last year. Meaker's only international outings have been in two one-dayers against India last year. Jonny Bairstow made his case for securing a place in the test side with a hundred on day one of the tour match against Mumbai A. Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow, who had been a doubt for the match after tweaking a thigh muscle, made 118 to rescue the tourists from 66-4, sharing a stand of 156 with Eoin Morgan (76). England will play four tests, two Twenty20 internationals and five one dayers over the next 2-1/2 months in India. – Reuters

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Pulitzer finalist Matt Bors to publish 10-year anthology in 2013 Posted: 03 Nov 2012 09:08 AM PDT Matt Bors' cartoon 'White Babies Outnumbered'. – All rights reserved/Matt Bors LOS ANGELES, Nov 3 – Satirical cartoonist and 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors is to publish the first anthology of his work in 2013 – and maybe the second as well, if fans continue to fund the collection. Having already won the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning this year, Bors has benefited from public backing after he appealed for US$20,000 in order to bring Life Begins At Incorporation: Cartoons and Essays to press. The goal was reached in ten days via a Kickstarter campaign and, with another 19 to go, Bors is proposing a second collection of his cartoons should his US$30,000 stretch goal be met. In his mischevious 2012 Herblock Prize acceptance speech, filled as it was with jokes, advice and observation, Bors said that he wanted to "make people laugh at the things that they're outraged about, and scream at them for the things that they aren't" and found an opportunity for a friendly dig at 2012 Pulitzer winner Matt Wuerker. Life Begins At Incorporation campaign page: kickstarter.com/projects/mattbors/life-begins-at-incorporation-cartoons-and-essays – AFP/Relaxnews

Israel: 3 Syria tanks enter Golan demilitarised zone Posted: 03 Nov 2012 08:59 AM PDT JERUSALEM, Nov 3 — Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria on Saturday, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. "The Israeli Defense Forces have filed a complaint with the UN (peacekeeping) force in the area," the spokeswoman said. She had no further information on what the tanks were doing. Israeli media said the tanks were involved in fighting in the Syrian village of Beer Ajam against rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Israel is technically at war with Syria, but it has generally taken a cautious line on the uprising in its Arab neighbour. Errant Syrian mortars landed in Israel in September, spurring Israel to lodge a similar complaint with the United Nations observer force that monitors a long-standing, de facto truce between the two countries. Israel captured the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau, from Syria during a 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognised internationally. — Reuters

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Status Quo original line-up to reunite for British tour Posted: 03 Nov 2012 08:23 AM PDT British band Status Quo. — AFP pic LONDON, Nov 3 —Veteran British rockers Status Quo will reunite their original line-up for the first time in nearly three decades to play a string of shows, the band announced Saturday. Known for their stripped-down, three-chord hits such as "Rockin' All Over the World" and "Caroline", the band will play five dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Wolverhampton and London in March 2012. Current frontmen Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt will be reunited with Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan, who both left Status Quo in the 1980s, the band said on its website. The classic line-up — dubbed the Frantic Four — was in place when the band adopted their name in 1967 and during the period when they scored most of their biggest hits. The tour also marks 50 years since Rossi and Lancaster first formed a group. "People have wanted this announcement to be made for years, and here it is," Status Quo manager Simon Porter said in a statement. "This is a real moment in the chequered history of Status Quo and it comes after almost 30 years of acrimony, and 10 years of law suits and court battles," he added. "Just two years ago the thought of the Frantic Four performing again was unthinkable. "Now, 50 years on from when Francis and Alan first performed together as schoolboys, it is fitting that everything has come full circle for these unique one-off shows." In their four and a half decades, Status Quo have sold around 119 million records and notched up 64 British hit singles, more than any other band. They were also the opening act for the 1985 Live Aid concert, which raised money for famine-hit Ethiopia. — AFP-Relaxnews

Colin Firth replaces Sean Penn in ‘Genius’ Posted: 03 Nov 2012 04:45 AM PDT Actor Colin Firth. — AFP pic LOS ANGELES, Nov 3 — Upcoming period drama "Genius" will star Colin Firth alongside Michael Fassbender. The stuttering hero of "The King's Speech" replaces Sean Penn in the title role, after Penn, who had been tied to the movie earlier this year, pulled out from the Max Perkins biopic. Genius will revolve around the eccentric personality of publisher Max Perkins. Based on a biography penned by A. Scott Berg, the movie will shine light on the literary talent scout who discovered heavyweights such F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. The script was written by John Logan ("Gladiator", "Skyfall"). Directed by Michael Grandage, the movie's plot will revolve around the complicated relationship between the publisher and one of the prominent American novelists of the early 20th century, Thomas Wolfe. Fassbender is set to portray the latter, whose most notable works are "Look Homeward", "Angel" and "You Can't Go Home Again". Thomas Wolfe died in 1938 at the age of 37. — Reuters

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Birds of a feather – Chong Wei and Mew Choo Posted: 03 Nov 2012 01:36 AM PDT Wong Mew Choo prepares to serve to Karin Schnaase of Germany during their women's singles match of the Yonex Open Paris 2010 badminton championships at the Coubertin stadium in Paris in this file photo of August 23, 2010.– Reuters pic KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 – Eleven years ago, she was 17 going on 18 and he was 18 going on 19. Both were just on the threshold of their careers. Now they both are successful adults who have achieved outstanding feats. She might not need someone older and wiser telling her what to do, but the guy is ready to vow "I'll take care of you." World number one men's badminton player Datuk Lee Chong Wei and his soon-to-be bride, former national singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo, were brought together by their love and passion for the shuttlecock game. They first met in 2001 at a national badminton camp in Kuala Lumpur when they both were just back-up shuttlers for the Malaysian squad. During the time, little did they know how their love for the game would seal their fate and intertwine them on a journey of a lifetime together. "I've known Mew Choo since my junior days and we've have had our ups and downs over the last 11 years. Of course, there have been misunderstandings but she has always stood by me. "She knew me and liked me even when I was a nobody and she has not changed. She has waited for me for a long time and I decided that it was time to marry her. She is one patient woman and I like that quality in her," Chong Wei has been quoted as saying in one of his interviews with the media. As for the Ipoh-born Mew Choo, her conviction to marry Chong Wei was out of a simpler but sound reason, "his sincerity," she told reporters recently. THE RELATIONSHIP Their relationship like any other was not all a bed of roses. It had been marred by a break-up as well as controversial rumours involving Chong Wei. When the couple announced that they had ended their courtship in 2009, the media speculated that it was due to Chong Wei's affair with a South Korean player, Hwang Hye-youn. (Chong Wei was undergoing training in South Korea that  year). The two-time All England champion had also been crudely linked to China's singles player Wang Lin. Datuk Lee Chong Wei celebrates after beating Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat in the final of the Malaysian Open Super Series 2011 badminton tournaments in Kuala Lumpur in this file photo of January 23, 2011. – Reuters pic According to Chong Wei, he and Mew Choo patched up a year after the break-up and the bond had since grown stronger. "It is normal in a relationship to go through difficult times but I do not want such issues to affect my career or our relationship," he said. His brother Lee Chong Hoon reinforced this statement. "As far as I know, Chong Wei did not have any other woman in his life except for Mew Choo although their relationship was an 'on' 'off' affair in the past. "(In fact) My mother is very happy and the whole family is excited about the wedding because they (Chong Wei and Mew Choo) will be united after all these years," he said. THE WEDDING When Chong Wei finally announced last month that he will be getting married with his longtime girlfriend, many from the sports fraternity were not surprised. It was probably because a few months back Mew Choo was seen and photographed walking together with Chong Wei's mother during the London Olympics Games. The fact that Chong Wei wanted her to be there during his most important match was a strong sign that she is not just an ordinary friend but someone very dear to the Olympic silver medallist. The wedding, which is undoubtedly to be the nation's wedding of the year, is going to be a two-day dinner celebration, on Nov 9 and 10 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The first night is reserved for VIPs which includes ministers and corporate leaders while the second night is for family members and close friends of the couple. Those who have so far confirmed their attendance are Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and family, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The love birds will be donning five to six outfits designed by Daniel Tang and Leslie Lee of DH Fashion bridal house, who is also the main sponsor of the event. "It is going to be my first time wearing something so fashionable, "tak biasalah" (I am not used to it), I actually prefer something simpler," said Chong Wei who admitted that he is feeling a bit jittery now that the big day is nearing. Mew Choo who was by his side during the interview, quickly assured him that he would look very handsome in suits. "Shuai (handsome in Chinese). Of course he looks handsome in suits but he is special to me in whatever he wears," said Mew Choo. Chong Wei was also as tactful as his fiancé when he was asked which 'Mew Choo' he prefers, the Mew Choo all dolled up in a wedding gown or the Mew Choo in T-shirts and tracksuits. "I like the Mew Choo in sports attire better. That is the Mew Choo who I have known all this while," quipped the 30-year-old. The couple have also listed six bestmen and six bridemaids for the wedding which includes top national doubles players Koo Kean Keat and Tan Boon Heong. LIFE AFTER WEDDING According to Chong Wei, he has no plans to retire from badminton after the wedding. "I will keep on playing as long as I am fit and free of injury. Now I'm on a ten-day break from practice to get ready for the wedding. I will skip the China Open but I will play in Hong Kong and Macau," he said. The Hong Kong Open will be held a week after the wedding while the Macau Open is scheduled the week after that. The 29-year old Mew Choo, who quit her post as Bukit Jalil Sports School coach in October, would possibly help him to manage his company, Chong Wei Binajaya Sdn Bhd, revealed Chong Wei. He said that they planned to go on honeymoon either in New Zealand, the Maldives or the United States. "We'll probably go on honeymoon after the tournaments. "I kena hutang dululah dengan dia" (the honeymoon will be a debt to her for now. But I know she understands my busy schedule," said Chong Wei who added that though he may not be the romantic type, he would do his best for his future wife's happiness. When asked about having children, Chong Wei just answered: "Of course we want to have kids, we will try our best, but at the same time we don't want to pressure ourselves." – Bernama

Monitoring can prevent unnecessary prostate ops Posted: 02 Nov 2012 09:42 PM PDT Indian cancer patient Brijender Singh (R) is examined by Pankaj Chaturvedi (L) during a routine check-up at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. — AFP pic PARIS, Nov 3 — Close monitoring of prostate cancer tumours may make radiation and surgery — which can cause incontinence and impotence — unnecessary, a new study has shown. Prostate cancer is one of the slowest-growing forms of the disease, and many men with tumours may never develop symptoms during their lifetime, meaning that many are treated unnecessarily — often with serious side-effects. A study conducted at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has now shown that many prostate cancer sufferers may dispense with treatment if they opt instead to undergo active surveillance. This meant constant monitoring of tumour development through regular blood tests and biopsies, taking the step of surgery or radiation only once the tumour starts growing or becomes more aggressive. "Many men can entirely avoid or at any event postpone the adverse effects associated with curative treatment," researcher Rebecka Arnsrud Godtman said in a statement yesterday. The study was published in the journal European Urology. Of 968 men with prostate cancer studied between 1995 and 2010, 440 opted for active surveillance instead of treatment. Most of them had low-risk tumours — the majority of prostate cancers diagnosed. Among the group, 60 died but only one from prostate cancer, said the report. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Pulitzer finalist Matt Bors to publish 10-year anthology in 2013 Posted: 03 Nov 2012 09:08 AM PDT Matt Bors' cartoon 'White Babies Outnumbered'. – All rights reserved/Matt Bors LOS ANGELES, Nov 3 – Satirical cartoonist and 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors is to publish the first anthology of his work in 2013 – and maybe the second as well, if fans continue to fund the collection. Having already won the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning this year, Bors has benefited from public backing after he appealed for US$20,000 in order to bring Life Begins At Incorporation: Cartoons and Essays to press. The goal was reached in ten days via a Kickstarter campaign and, with another 19 to go, Bors is proposing a second collection of his cartoons should his US$30,000 stretch goal be met. In his mischevious 2012 Herblock Prize acceptance speech, filled as it was with jokes, advice and observation, Bors said that he wanted to "make people laugh at the things that they're outraged about, and scream at them for the things that they aren't" and found an opportunity for a friendly dig at 2012 Pulitzer winner Matt Wuerker. Life Begins At Incorporation campaign page: kickstarter.com/projects/mattbors/life-begins-at-incorporation-cartoons-and-essays – AFP/Relaxnews

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Stop the real cheats Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:20 PM PDT NOV 3 — Two words have hogged the football headlines over the past week — "diving" and "monkey." The former is associated with foreign players, while the latter with black players and the taunts they receive from fans of opposing teams. Both issues hurt the image of the beautiful game of football, but between the two, it is diving that can and will destroy the game unless football administrators are truly serious about eradicating the menace. Yet, we are reading and seeing more reaction to the monkeying around than the diving performed by players week-in week-out. Racially-motivated taunts are not the result of racism in football. Instead, football is just an innocent passer-by as it occasionally encounters the scum of the greater society that is out there, and who happens to be attending a football match. Racism is not going to hurt football, because players will survive and move on. Let the other supporters take care of the miscreants in their midst. However, it is diving that will bring the game into disrepute, destroying careers, while also hurting the fortunes of clubs and its supporters who put all their heart and soul into following a particular club. You may think I am exaggerating but think of it as the "butterfly effect" in football. The actions of one player, taking flight, flailing arms and all, as he hopes to wrangle a freekick or penalty from the referee, can cause an opponent to be carded, a team to lose a match, relegation, loss of income and, in the worst-case scenario, going bust over financial losses. Yes, I have a wild imagination. One dive in one game is not going to do all that, you say. The thing is, we do not connect it as such because we seem to think everything evens itself out in football. Well, let me tell you, it does not. That is like saying, "Oh, don't worry about the snatch theft you fell victim to because over the next few weeks, you are sure to win first prize in the 4D lottery … because everything evens itself out." Well, if it does not happen in life, it sure as hell does not happen in football, as people hope. Diving is, and must be treated as, a mortal sin, to use the Catholic point of reference in terms of classifying the seriousness of wrongs that one might commit. If Moses was a football-supporting prophet, number one on his list of 10 commandments will surely be "Thou shalt not dive nor play-act to gain the favour of the match official." But how do we get rid of this menace when referees are only human and do not have the benefit of looking at instant TV replays. Well, the one simple process which can easily be adopted and enforced by FIFA or even at the English FA level is post-match review of such occasions. I rather that the authorities hire more people — there are hundreds, if not thousands of former players who could be roped in — to review the controversial moments in the many games where an alleged dive may or may not have taken place. This can be done within a week or two of the matches. Only players are to be judged and punishment is to be effected once there is any confirmation that a dive had taken place.  Players who have been wrongly judged must have their cards or dismissals reversed, while players who got off scot free in a match will be suspended for at least three matches. Player suspensions will hurt their own pocket as clubs will in turn deduct their wages for the loss of services, besides them losing appearance and win bonuses. Besides that, their teams will suffer too from the needless loss of a resource on the pitch. Diving is one aspect of cheating in the beautiful game that just does not merit enough attention for all the bad it brings to the pitch on a weekly basis. Calling it by any other name, i.e. simulation, does not change its cheating nature. So, it is time for the authorities to act on this for the good of football. And as we enter into the weekend's round of football in the English Premier League, do note too that it is not just the foreign players who are easily going to ground these days. The early kick-off tonight between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford might showcase the simple but well-executed dives of a few English players too. That they happen to be black, and so could be referred to as "diving monkeys", would not solve anything. Instead, it might only serve to take away the attention from the greater crime of diving that these players have been prone to commit in matches on their way to winning freekicks and penalties. To paraphrase The Beatles, "All we are saying … is give cheats no chance." * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Beneath the numbers Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:04 PM PDT NOV 3 — Sports fans love a statistic or two. Among the milestones that are being pointed in our direction ahead of this weekend's football fixtures are the facts that Serie A leaders Juventus are on the brink of completing a half-century of unbeaten league games, and that Leo Messi is fast closing in on Pele's record of 75 goals in a calendar year. They are both interesting pieces of information, and Juve's attempts to reach the 50 mark against second-placed Inter Milan tonight could well be the highlight of this weekend's European football calendar. But it also should be considered that during their long unbeaten run — which stretches back nearly 18 months to a 1-0 loss at Parma in May 2011 — Juve have not actually been quite as dominant a force as you might think. True, they won Serie A last season; but only just, as they needed a late surge of victories to overtake long-time leaders AC Milan, who actually won more games than Juve over the course of the season. That was possible because Juve's unbeaten 38-game campaign included no less than a league-high 15 draws, which is where the illusion of invincibility suggested by the bare "49 games unbeaten" statistic starts to become less convincing. Of course Juve are a very strong team — they wouldn't have remained undefeated in a high-quality league like Serie A for a year and a half otherwise. But it also true that they draw an awful lot of games, so maybe they are not quite the all-conquering, domineering force that the statistic suggests. After all, you would surely expect a Serie A champion with such a long unbeaten run under their belts to be among the leading contenders for the Champions League. However, Juve have drawn (those draws again) all three of their opening Champions League games this season — including a 1-1 tie with unfancied Danish outfit Nordsjaellend — and are now in danger of failing to progress to the knockout stage. And then there's the Messi stat. The Barcelona striker has scored no less than 73 goals in 2012, which of course still has two months to run, and it's just a matter of time before he overtakes Pele's 75-goal haul and then closes in on Gerd Muller's all-time record of 85. But perhaps the most important Lionel Messi statistic from 2012 is one missed penalty: against Chelsea in April's Champions League semi-final. His shot against Petr Cech's crossbar eventually led to Barca's exit from the competition and contributed hugely to the Spanish club's failure to land a major trophy last season (although they did manage the consolation prize of the Spanish Cup). However many goals Messi manages to score between now and the end of December, it will not alter the fact that 2012 was not a particularly successful year for the Argentine wizard in the category that matters the most: winning significant trophies. Of course, that was hardly his fault, and the goals that Messi has scored in the opening weeks of the new season have put Barca in a great position to regain the Spanish title in May, but it goes to show that bare statistics do not always tell the full story. Greater context is often required. Many statistics are circumstantial curiosity items rather than meaningful insights into the progress or possible outcome of sporting events. Earlier this week, for example, I was informed on Twitter that Barcelona have won every game in which David Villa has scored since a 2-2 draw with AC Milan more than a year ago. The inference was that Villa should start every week because if he scored it would virtually guarantee victory, which is plain nonsense, of course — for a variety of reasons he just hasn't scored a late equaliser or had an early opener cancelled out for a while. It doesn't mean that it won't happen in the future. Some stats are even more irrelevant. During the time that I worked at Reading FC, I remember a bit of a fuss being made when young striker Darius Henderson scored the 5,000th league goal in the club's history — an entirely pointless milestone if ever there was one, especially when it later emerged there had been a miscalculation and that it was actually goal number 5,001. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't pay any attention to statistics, records and milestones. Some of them can be extremely illuminating and genuinely give us a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. But we need to learn to be more selective with our absorption and understanding of the endless parade of information that the Internet constantly spews forth. Perhaps all statistics should be forced to pass a relevance test before they can be unleashed upon the public: "Stoke have only won three of their last 22 games at Norwich? Don't care! Irrelevant! You may not proceed!" And for the more subtle cases, we'd need to form a sub-committee specialising in context: "Juve are unbeaten in 49 games? Fine, that's relevant — but don't forget to point out how many games they've drawn!" As a football fan, I want to understand how the game works and statistics can often do that job.  For example, the fact that Juan Mata has been credited with more assists than any other Premier League player since the start of last season is a useful insight because it demonstrates his consistent ability to create goalscoring chances over a long period of time. But forgive me for being less than overwhelmed when someone tells me that Jose Mourinho has won 99 games as Real Madrid manager, or that three of the eight yellow cards shown to players for removing their shirts in the Premier League have been to Southampton players. My relevance test might just decline them. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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MCA cabar Pakatan jadikan hudud sebagai manifesto PRU 13 Posted: 03 Nov 2012 01:49 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Nov — Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek hari ini mencabar Pakatan Rakyat (PR) untuk meletakkan hudud dalam manifesto pilihan raya ke-13 mereka sekiranya benar menyokong perjuangan PAS dalam menegakkan hukum Islam. Malah, pemimpin MCA itu juga sedia untuk menerima pelaksanaan hudud sekiranya rakyat negara ini bersedia menerima undang-undang Islam tersebut. "Saya sebagai Presiden MCA ingin menegaskan bahawa MCA adalah sebuah parti yang mendokong prinsip demokrasi. "Oleh itu, demi menghormati dan menjunjung prinsip demokrasi maka Pakatan Rakyat perlu meletak hudud versi PAS dalam manifesto mereka dalam pilihan raya yang akan datang (PRU 13). "Seandainya ia diterima dan disokong oleh majoriti rakyat Malaysia maka MCA akan menghormati kehendak rakayat Malaysia," katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini. Dr Chua (gambar) juga turut mencabar DAP untuk menyatakan pendirian mereka,  sama ada mereka bersama – sama MCA menentang pelaksanaan Hudud Versi PAS atau tidak. "Sekiranya mereka menyatakan mereka tidak berkongsi pendirian yang sama dengan MCA dalam isu hudud versi PAS maka mereka perlu tampil memberitahu rakyat bahawa mereka menyokong pelaksanaan hudud versi PAS di negara kita. "Diharapkan DAP tidak lari dan sembunyi daripada cabaran pendirian mereka dalam isu ini. "Mereka hanya perlu menyatakan pendirian sokong atau tidak," cabar Dr Chua lagi. Pemimpin MCA itu sebelum ini telah dikecam oleh PAS dan pemimpin pembangkang kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan keras berhubung pelaksanaan hudud di negara ini. Beliau pernah mengeluarkan kenyataan 1.2 juta rakyat negara ini akan kehilangan pekerjaan sekiranya hudud dilaksanakan, dan negara yang melaksanakan hudud akan menjadi lebih korup. Menjelaskan situasi itu, Dr Chua menjelaskan, MCA bangkit untuk menentang perjuangan Enakmen Hudud versi PAS, dan bukannya menghina agama Islam kerana tindakan MCA mempertikaikan perjuangan sesebuah parti politk ( PAS ) adalah berbeza dengan penentangan MCA terhadap sesuatu agama (Islam).  "Isu ini sebenarnya telah dipolitikkan dan diputar oleh pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat apabila mereka menganggap sesebuah parti politik ( PAS ) itu adalah agama Islam. "Saya telah berbincang dengan Ustaz Fathul Bari dari Pertubuhan Ilmuan Malaysia dan tidak ada masalah bagi MCA untuk menerima penerangan dari beliau tentang hukum hudud berdasarkan sumber-sumber Islam yang sebenar," katanya lagi. MCA juga tegas Dr Chua tidak pernah sekalipun melakukan sesuatu tindakan yang mengecam agama Islam dan pengamalannya di Malaysia. "Sepertimana MCA menghormati agama-agama lain seperti Buddha, Kristian dan Hindu, MCA juga peka dan menghormati sensitiviti umat Islam negara ini, apatah lagi, Islam adalah agama rasmi persekutuan. "Hal  ini terbukti dengan sokongan dan penerimaan MCA terhadap perlaksanaan rukun-rukun Islam di negara ini seperti pembinaan masjid-masjid, institusi Tabung Haji yang memudahkan umat Islam menunaikan haji, penubuhan dan implementasi pusat zakat dan kutipannya, pembinaan sekolah-sekolah Agama, perbankan Islam, penerapan dasar-dasar Islam dalam kerajaan dan yang paling utama. "MCA tidak pernah menentang malah menyokong dan mendokong bahawa Islam adalah agama Persekutuan dengan agama-agama lain bebas diamalkan dengan aman dan damai seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia sejak Merdeka," tambahnya lagi.

Al-Arqam: Ketepikan politik, utamakan akidah, kata Muhyiddin Posted: 02 Nov 2012 11:51 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Nov — Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hari ini menasihatkan agar mengetepikan fahaman politik dalam menangani isu akidah berhubung penahanan seorang Ahli Majlis Pimpinan Tertinggi PKR, Dr Badrulamin Bahron dalam serbuan ke atas konsert yang didakwa cubaan menghidupkan kembali fahaman Al-Arqam. "Kita perlu ambil perhatian, ia ajaran sesat, ajaran yang salah, soal pembangkang itu lain, ini soal akidah," katanya kepada pemberita. Muhyiddin yang juga Menteri Pelajaran menegaskan, ajaran berkenaan telah pun diharamkan oleh Majlis Fatwa, dan tidak seharusnya ia cuba dihidupkan kembali. "(Walaupun) ini telah diputuskan Majlis Fatwa,sudah diharamkan, tapi bunga-bunga untuk wujudkan itu ada lagi. "Kita pegang pada Majlis Fatwa, ia kesalahan yang tidak harus dilakukan," tegasnya selepas merasmikan Majlis Himpunan Khas Guru dari seluruh negara di sini. Dalam serbuan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) pada malam Khamis lalu, 16 orang termasuk ahli majlis pimpinan tertinggi, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Dr Badrulamin Bahron telah ditahan dalam majlis "Kenduri Mega" di Bandar Country Homes, Rawang. Media menyebut Badrulamin antara tetamu kehormat sempena sambutan ulang tahun kelahiran pengasas ajaran sesat tersebut, Ashaari Muhammad, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Abuya. Tema bagi kenduri berkenaan dipercayai bertajuk "Abuya Terus Memimpin Walaupun Ghaib" dihadiri  kira-kira 3,500 orang. Badrulamin bagaimanapun menafikan mempunyai sebarang sebarang hubungan dengan Al-Arqam dan Global Ikhwan, malah menegaskan beliau tidak memegang sebarang jawatan dalam pertubuhan tersebut. Al-Arqam telah diharamkan di negara ini pada 1994. Selepas kematian pengasasnya pada 2010, pengikut ajaran sesat ini pernah mengadakan konsert selama empat hari dan menggambarkan Abuya bukan meninggal dunia, sebaliknya hanya "ghaib" dan akan kembali dalam masa terdekat. Kesemua mereka yang ditahan bagaimanapun telah dibebaskan dengan ikat jamin, semalam. Mereka dibawa ke Mahkamah Syariah Gombak Barat, di Kuang, selepas keterangan mereka selesai direkodkan Jais. Hakim Syarie, Kamarulzaman Ali membenarkan 10 lelaki dan enam wanita itu, dibebaskan dengan jaminan seribu ringgit setiap individu serta seorang penjamin. Kesemua individu itu disiasat mengikut Seksyen 12-C, Enakmen Jenayah Syariah Selangor. Tarikh sebutan semula kes telah ditetapkan pada 20 Disember depan.

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