Sabtu, 10 November 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

FIFA urged to allow Brazilian food at cup

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:38 PM PST

Acaraje, a fritter which is split and stuffed with caramelised onions and shrimp, was declared a cultural heritage of Brazil in 2005. — Picture courtesy of ©Vinicius Tupinamba/Shutterstock.com

SAO PAOLO, Nov 11 — FIFA is under pressure to allow sales of a native Brazilian sandwich in stadiums at the 2014 World Cup amid allegations that the governing body is bowing to corporate sponsors such as McDonald's.

The row centers on acaraje, an iconic black-eyed pea fritter from the northeastern state of Bahia, and a FIFA regulation that bars street vendors within a 2km radius of World Cup venues.

A petition circulated by the Association of Bahian female acaraje vendors (ABAM) is demanding that FIFA guarantees space inside stadiums for its members.

Acaraje, a fritter which is split and stuffed with caramelized onions and shrimp, was declared a cultural heritage of Brazil in 2005.

ABAM and its supporters say the restrictions were imposed to protect the interests and hamburger sales of McDonald's, one of the World Cup's main sponsors, and argue that it would be outrageous to bar acaraje, particularly in the Fonte Nova stadium of the Bahian state capital Salvador.

ABAM president Rita Santos sent the petition to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Brazilian Sport Minister Aldo Rebelo, and national team hero Ronaldo, a member of the World Cup's Local Organising Committee.

"Clearly security, hygiene and healthy food must be of concern to organizers of such a major event, but this must not be influenced by the interests of sponsors such as McDonald's," it said.

"We want Bahian women vendors and acarajes at the 2014 World Cup."

FIFA, however, insisted the restrictions were put in place for security and safety reasons and have nothing to do with McDonald's.

The petition specifically urges Ronaldo, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, to intervene on the issue and secure a conciliatory pledge from FIFA.

In a statement sent to AFP yesterday, FIFA said it was important "the food and beverage offerings in the stadia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup incorporate a local Brazilian flavour", noting that it was in the process of appointing a food and beverage concessionaire to implement the event's menu.

"Once appointed we will together assess the possibilities of including local food choices for each host city, taking into account the requirements of the local people and the international audience," the statement said.

"The sale of acaraje in Salvador will be part of these discussions."

FIFA said it was in talks with Salvador and the other 11 Brazilian host cities to ensure the interests of these informal sellers are taken into account and that "regulated opportunities to benefit from the World Cup are offered to this group to the greatest extent possible". — AFP-Relaxnews

Melodic vintage: A Grand Cru nestled in an original Stradivarius case

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:24 PM PST

Château Fombrauge's 2008 magnum in an original Stradivarius case. — AFP pic

PARIS, Nov 11 — To celebrate its new status as a Grand Cru from Saint-Emilion, the domain Château Fombrauge, which overlooks France's Dordogne valley, has decided to launch a limited edition of its 2008 magnum in an original Stradivarius case.

The owner of Château Fombrauge, Bernard Magrez, chose to present the 2008 magnum special edition in a vintage violin case. The edition is limited to five cases dating from the late 18th century which were altered to perfectly hold the bottles

A layer of oak leaf plating was added to to parts of the cases, and the gold details got an extra layer of 23 carat gold. The bottle itself comes nestled in vintage velvet repurposed from costumes used for the Venice Carnival.

The five numbered cases will sell for €9,900 (RM38,515) each on location at the Château Fombrauge. — AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

No looking back for Karthikeyan on US return

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:34 AM PST

HRT Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan of India talks to crew members in his team garage during the first practice session of the Indian F1 Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, October 26, 2012. — Reuters pic

LONDON, Nov 10 — Last time he competed in a US Grand Prix, Narain Karthikeyan chalked up a Formula One first while a jeering Indianapolis crowd threw bottles and demanded their money back.

Even if that infamous 2005 six-car race made him the first Indian F1 driver to score points, the 35-year-old would much rather focus on the future as he prepares for next week's return to America for the inaugural grand prix at the new Austin circuit in Texas.

"I have no feeling about it," Karthikeyan, now with Spanish-based back-markers HRT, told Reuters when reminded of that farcical June afternoon of seven years ago. "I have nothing much to say really.

"I don't think about it like that," he added when asked whether the race held any special place in his affections for at least allowing him to make history for his country by finishing fourth.

"It was exceptional circumstances and we were told to do a job and we did it.

"Everyone started the race... we didn't know before the race. it was pretty weird to see all of them going out with the warmup lap and back to the pits. Bridgestone had told us to race and we did," he recalled.

The Indian was one of just six drivers who started the race, won comfortably by seven-times champion Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari, after all of the teams using Michelin tyres pulled out for safety reasons.

The six Bridgestone-shod cars lapped in team formation for 73 laps before the chequered flag and the crowd was outraged on an afternoon that created a wave of negative publicity for a sport that had long sought to win over America.

Karthikeyan, who raced for the now-defunct Jordan team in 2005, left Formula One at the end of that season to become the Williams test driver.

New start

The veteran did not return to the grid until 2011, by which time America was off the calendar. He has not come close to scoring a point since 2005.

The first Indian driver to race in Formula One, Karthikeyan's record as the most successful from his country could last for decades to come but he knows it does not stand up to any real scrutiny.

"It was what it was. Maybe it wasn't good to happen in the States... but it's too far in the past now," he said of Indianapolis.

Formula One has not raced in the United States since 2007 and Austin, a vibrant city with a young student population, represents a new start with what is expected to be a very different atmosphere to the past.

Karthikeyan has raced in America outside of Formula One, competing in the NASCAR truck series in 2010 and being voted by fans as the most popular driver, but a non-F1 return is not in his plans even if he loved the experience.

"I doubt it very much. Once you get out of there it's very difficult to go back," said the man whose website proclaims him to be the "Fastest Indian in the world", having already shot down speculation that he was planning a move to IndyCars.

"These Indy Car rumours came about and I've strongly said no and that's my decision," said the Indian, whose place at HRT is not a given for 2013, despite the sponsorship he brings in.

"I have very clear plans what I want to do next year and I will focus on that and try and achieve them.

"I would love to stay here and see how it shapes out next year... realistically this would be a good place to stay." — Reuters

India announces IPL-style league in 2013

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:15 AM PST

MUMBAI, Nov 10 — India will launch a franchise-based badminton tournament next year on the lines of cricket's cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) with top shuttlers from across the world, the organisers said on Saturday.

The Indian Badminton League (IBL) will have six city-based teams vying for US$1 million (RM3.06) purse in the June 24-July 11 event, which the organisers claimed would be the richest prize-money tournament in the world of badminton.

"We accept that cricket's IPL is a great success and we are hopeful that the IBL will have the same kind of path-breaking effect on badminton," said Akhilesh Das Gupta, the president of the governing body of the sport in the country.

Since Saina Nehwal won a bronze in this year's London Olympics, badminton has seen a surge in popularity in the cricket-crazy country and the shuttler believes that the hefty money on offer will further boost the appeal of the sport.

"Post 2012 Olympics, badminton has reached a peak in India. I think the game has become big in the country, that's why the IBL is happening," the 22-year old told reporters.

"I'm confident the IBL will make the game even more popular amongst the masses and fulfill the high expectations it has raised."

Malaysia and Indonesia have already confirmed the participation of their top players while China's have been approached, organisers said.

The promoters of the league feel that the lure of the fat appearance fee in the tournament will be too hard to resist for the top-ranked players, who will be auctioned among the six franchises in March. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

Mixed results for malaria trial vaccine, study shows

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:58 AM PST

New tests with the worldcs first candidate malaria vaccine have shown mixed results. - Afp pic

PARIS, Nov 10 — New tests with the worldcs first candidate malaria vaccine have shown that it protects a third of six- to 12-week-old infants — less effective than in older babies, its developers said today.

The "modest" result came as a surprise to researchers working hard on a drug to combat the mosquito-born disease that kills hundreds of thousands of children per year.

The trial vaccine, RTS,S, is made by British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, whose chief executive officer Andrew Witty called the result "a little frustrating". "We... would have liked to have seen higher efficacy than we have of course," he told a telephone press conference of the Phase III trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

But he stressed that "this is not a mission we should just walk away from. This remains the lead and still the most encouraging (malaria) candidate vaccine."

A year ago, the RTS,S team announced that the candidate drug cut risk in African children between the ages of five and 17 months in half over a period of 12 months.

The biggest trial of its kind, underway at 11 sites in seven African countries, seeks to block the parasite that causes malaria.

The disease kills an estimated 655,000 people every year, mainly children under five living in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Salim Abdulla, who leads the trial in Tanzania, said three doses of the drug had reduced clinical malaria in the younger children by 31 per cent, and severe malaria by 37 per cent.

For the older group, the figures had been 55 per cent and 47 per cent respectively.

"We will continue to examine the different factors that may be behind the different levels of efficacy," Abdulla said.

The researchers expect to have final trial results by 2014, including the vaccine's efficacy over 30 months after administration, and the effects of a later, booster dose.

Abdulla said the positives include confirmation that the vaccine is safe and that it can be administered with other childhood vaccinations without any worrying side-effects.

"The efficacy came back lower than we had hoped, but developing a vaccine against a parasite is a very hard thing to do," said Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which sponsors the trial.

"The trial is continuing and we look forward to getting more data to help determine whether and how to deploy this vaccine." — Afp-Relaxnews

Pepsi launches ‘fat-blocking’ cola in Japan

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:01 AM PST

Pepsi Special in Japan claims to reduce fat absorption. — Afp pic

TOYO, Nov 10 — Pepsi in Japan has launched a version of its cola drink it claims acts as a fat blocker — the latest product on the Japanese market pitched as a healthy cola.

Made with an indigestible form of dextrin or dietary fibre, Pepsi Special is supposed to reduce the absorption of fat in the body from food intake and help lower cholesterol levels.

The latest product innovation out of Pepsi is modelled after the runaway hit of drink manufacturer Kirin Holdings, which launched what it marketed as the world's first healthy cola drink this past spring. Kirin Mets Cola is also made with dextrin.

Perhaps nowhere in the world is the functional food market more developed than in Japan, where consumers can find everything from fat-fighting chocolate bars to age-defying alcoholic cocktails.

Pepsi Special goes on sale across Japan November 13 for ¥150 (RM5.80). — Afp-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

‘The Carrie Diaries’ to debut on January 14

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:42 AM PST

'The Carrie Diaries' stars Anna Sophia Robb. — Warner Bros pic

LOS ANGELES, Nov 10 — The prequel to Sex and the City, centering around a teen version of the original series's main protagonist Carrie Bradshaw, is set to debut on January 14, 2013 in the US, announced the CW network.

Only two months to wait to discover what Carrie's formative years were like. The plot's starting point is 1984, when Carrie was 16. She decides to leave New England to try to make it in the Big Apple, where her knowledge of fashion leads her to meet a reporter from Interview Magazine.

Anna Sophia Robb took up the challenge to succeed Sarah Jessica Parker in the title role. Viewers can get a first glimpse of how well she fits the role on December 17: a first trailer is set to air during the finale of Gossip Girl. — AFP-Relaxnews

Israeli tank shells wound at least 16 in Gaza Strip

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:28 AM PST

GAZA, Nov 10 — Israeli tank shells wounded at least 16 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday after an apparent attack on an Israeli army patrol along the Israel-Gaza border, Palestinian medics and local eyewitnesses said.

Several of the Palestinian wounded were thought to be in critical condition, Gaza hospital officials said.

The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

‘The Carrie Diaries’ to debut on January 14

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:42 AM PST

'The Carrie Diaries' stars Anna Sophia Robb. — Warner Bros pic

Ang Lee says Taiwan made ‘Life of Pi’ movie possible

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 05:18 AM PST

LOS ANGELES, Nov 10 — Oscar-winning Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee said Wednesday he could not have made his new 3D film "Life of Pi" if he had opted for Hollywood as the shooting location rather than Taiwan.

"The movie couldn't have been shot if it hadn't been in Taiwan... it couldn't have been done in Los Angeles," Lee said in Taipei during a visit to promote the movie which will hit US and Taiwanese theatres on November 21.

He said the decision not to shoot the movie in Hollywood had allowed him and his crew to think outside the box.

"If we had been in Hollywood, the tech team would probably think they were know-it-alls but in Taiwan they didn't and they were exploring from the start."

About 70 per cent of the movie was shot in Taiwan, including a now-abandoned airport in the centre of the country where Lee's team built a specially designed wave-generating tank.

The movie is based on the Booker prize-winning novel by Yann Martel about an Indian boy adrift on a lifeboat in the Pacific with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a tiger.

It features a newcomer, 17-year-old Suraj Sharma from India, in the lead role of Pi Patel, who was chosen out of 3,000 candidates during casting sessions across India.

"The movie depends on Suraj. I would not shoot the film if it weren't for this person and his talent," Lee said. "He is very spirited... I was moved by his sincerity."

The filmmaker, who is based in New York, was hailed as the "glory of Taiwan" after becoming the first Asian to win a best director Oscar for his gay cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain" in 2007. — AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

Bridget Jones set to return in third novel next year

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:59 AM PST

Still from 'Bridget Jones' Diary' with Renee Zellweger. — Afp pic

LONDON, Nov 10 — The accident-prone British thirty-something Bridget Jones is to return in a third novel next year, her creator Helen Fielding announced.

Fielding's first two books about Jones, written in the form of diaries chronicling the heroine's failed efforts to find love, lose weight and quit smoking, have sold more than 15 million copies.

They were adapted into two hit movies in 2001 and 2004, starring US actress Renee Zellweger as Bridget opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as her rival lovers.

"The new novel is set in present-day London, with an entirely new scenario for Bridget," said Fielding.

"If people laugh as much reading it as I am while writing it, then we'll all be very happy."

Fielding, 54, first created the hapless Bridget for a weekly column in Britain's Independent newspaper in 1995.

Her novel "Bridget Jones's Diary" was published the following year, followed by the sequel "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" in 1999.

The character returned to Fielding's newspaper column in 2005 and 2006 with Jones falling pregnant by the dashing but unreliable Daniel Cleaver, played by Grant in the film adaptations.

Fielding said yesterday that her famous diary format, which opened each entry with a calorie count and number of alcohol units consumed, would be updated for the 2010s in the new novel.

"It's more like 'number of Twitter followers: 0'," she told BBC radio.

She revealed that Bridget will experiment with Internet dating, but remained tight-lipped about whether the third installment will feature Cleaver and Mark Darcy, his rival for Bridget's affections, played by Firth in the films.

"Some characters remain and some may have disappeared," Fielding said.

Dan Franklin, from publisher Jonathan Cape, said: "Great comic writers are as rare as hen's teeth.

Helen is one of a very select band who have created a character, Bridget, of whom the very thought makes you smile. "Like millions of others, I can't wait to see what's happened to her." — Afp-Relaxnews

Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel planning book with Obama

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:33 AM PST

Elie Wiesel and US President Barack Obama at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC in this file photo. — Afp pic

NEW YORK, Nov 10 — Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel is planning on writing a book with Barack Obama, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

In 2009, the pair visited the remains of Buchenwald concentration camp together, becoming friends in the process and maintaining contact since, explained Wiesel.

Wiesel came to prominence with the 1960 publication of the Holocaust memoir Night (originally La Nuit) and wrote the play The Trial of God; 1985 novel The Fifth Son won a Grand Prix in Literature from the City of Paris, will his most recent, Otage (Hostage), is yet to be translated into English.

The Obama-Wiesel project would be the fourth book written by Barack Obama, but the first with a co-author credit should the plan materialise, a rarity among presidential authors.

Jimmy Carter, another Democratic president and a prolific writer, also shares co-author status on two of his works: Everything to Gain was written with his wife, Rosalynn, and The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer with his daughter, Amy. — Afp-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

3D comes alive!

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 03:36 PM PST

NOV 10 — The 3D debate, about whether it's more than just a gimmick, has been going on for a few years now, ever since the second wave of 3D started to really build up steam with the monstrous success of Avatar.

Yes, you read that right, there was an earlier wave of Hollywood 3D movies a long, long time ago, with films like House Of Wax and It Came From Outer Space. Even Alfred Hitchcock weighed in with a 3D effort back then with Dial M For Murder.

There was even something close to 4D, way before the last Spy Kids movie claimed a 4th dimension with their sniff cards, when legendary producer William Castle rigged cinema seats with surplus army devices that can cause mild electric shocks to provide even more "jolts" of excitement when he screens his movies.

But like I said earlier, these early forays into 3D were unfortunately more often than not just gimmicks, as the movie studios in the 1950s desperately tried to come up with whatever novelty tricks they could to differentiate going to the cinema with merely staying at home and watching television, as they were losing audiences to television by the truckloads back then.

We're probably used to the widescreen format now, but back then TVs were square and widescreen was probably the studios' most successful gimmick as each studio or company would have their own version of the widescreen format, from Cinemascope to Tohoscope and beyond.

The reason we're used to the widescreen format now is surely because the format has now become not merely a gimmick, but also an important expressive tool in the filmmakers' arsenal, able to convey things in a different way than the square format (often called "the Academy ratio") of movies before that.

It's become so prevalent that it's rare to even find a new movie being shot today in the Academy ratio as the default setting for almost all productions nowadays (even TV series) are in widescreen.

Which now brings me to the future of 3D. Detractors have always harped upon the fact that 3D movies have always seemed like cheap gimmicks, with the filmmakers usually failing to make proper (let alone creative) use of the extra dimension that comes with the format.

It's usually used to just throw things from the screen onto the audience, and in return people always associate 3D with being able to do nothing more than that. In fact, some even complain when a 3D movie doesn't resort to throwing things at them!

Defenders of the format say that like any other new technology, it's not the tool that is the problem but the user. In time, great directors will take a stab at filming in 3D, and maybe then we'll see the format's full potential being explored.

As a film geek and keen follower of film history, I tend to agree with this camp, as even with the widescreen format you can clearly see how remarkable its usage can be in the hands of a master like Vincente Minnelli, Akira Kurosawa or Bela Tarr and how useless it can be in the hands of journeyman hacks (not naming names!).

It's unfortunate that films falling within this latter camp like Cave Of Forgotten Dreams (by Werner Herzog), Pina (by Wim Wenders) and even a children's film like Hugo (by Martin Scorsese) failed to make it to our shores in 3D. I only had the pleasure of watching them in normal 2D on DVD, but even then I could actually imagine how remarkable the play of dimensions would be if I saw them in 3D.

While most live action 3D films are trashy commercial vehicles at best, this year has seen a fair share of good ones too, with The Avengers being far ahead of the pack and Dredd giving me quite a pleasant surprise, especially with its "slo-mo" sequences. And props must also be given to trashmeister Paul W.S. Anderson for his last two movies, the obviously not-so-good The Three Musketeers and Resident Evil: Retribution that were still pretty good examples of how to use 3D excitingly.

Being Malaysian, I guess the best 3D examples that you can find in local cinemas would be with animated films, and I thought that Steven Spielberg's The Adventures Of Tintin was an outstanding example, outstripping even Pixar movies with its remarkable use of 3D. And just a few weeks ago, we're treated to what's surely one of the most gorgeous looking (and most gorgeously used) 3D animated film yet in Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, a black-and-white stop-motion animation film (yes, believe it or not, a B&W film in 3D!).

I watched it twice, once in 3D and after that in 2D just to see the difference, and I can safely say that seeing it in 3D was a heart-stopping experience. And with rumours going around that Jean Luc-Godard's next film will be in 3D (no joke!), I'd have to say that the future of 3D looks quite alive and well!

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Great Scots!

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

NOV 10 — The top story in the world of football over the past week has been Celtics' outstanding achievement in the Champions League group stage tie against the mighty Barcelona on Wednesday night in the city of Glasgow.

The Scottish side's win was even more remarkable as they came close to shutting out Lionel Messi & Co altogether, that is, until the world footballer of the year's injury-time strike.

All credit to the former European champions — Celtic were the first British club to win the European title, way back in 1967 — for putting up a fight where many a star-studded team had parked the bus against the likes of Barca. Yes, you Chelsea, and not just once.

At least the Bhoys in green hoops have a history worth talking about compared with teams that bought their success. That, and the passion of their fanatical support, is what carried this team through a night of trepidation against the Spanish giants.

One illustrious member of that passionate Celtic fan base is, of course, legendary rock star Rod Stewart. I have to admit it was very touching seeing him in tears at the end of the game. The joy of victory had him overcome with emotion.

It also reminded me of his concert I attended in Singapore in 2009. The stage was all decorated in green and the Celtic crest featuring the shamrock leaf covered a large part of the white stage floor. That is a passion for football we do not often see among the rich and famous compared with the stars of movies and music at NBA games.

Carrying on, but still on the same Scottish track, the other big news of the week was about another Scotsman, although it came out of the city of Manchester.

Alex Ferguson is finally getting the statue he so rightly deserves for all that he has done for Manchester United. Setting aside the first five years of his career at the club, his past 21 years has been one of unprecedented glory…for any club in history. That total of 26 years in charge has seen boys among MU supporters become men, have their own kids, who then continue the support for the same man and his ever-changing band of players.

Such a legacy is the dream of many a manager. And to think, he came so close to retiring from management about 10 years ago. Any MU fan who can even begin to doubt Ferguson's ability to lead the club, when their team starts to show some weakness, deserve the lean years that will eventually come when he takes a final bow.

It is not likely to happen soon though, based on how his club have slowly reached the summit of the English Premier League this season. It is only 10 games in, but MU has been able to capitalise on Manchester City's jittery defence of the title and Chelsea's distractions.

Today, the Red Devils take a trip to the midlands to face Aston Villa at Villa Park (1.30am, tomorrow morning). This has been a very happy hunting ground for Ferguson over the years.

One needs to go back to 1995 for the last time that Villa beat MU at home, in any competition. The statistics also show that in more than half of the matches played since then, Villa have ended the match unable to even notch a single goal.

With the Villans currently languishing in 17th place, it makes the task even more daunting for the home side. The only chance of a draw coming out of this game is if MU suffer from some post-Champions League blues after their come-from-behind win in Braga, Portugal on Wednesday night.

The incentive for Ferguson's men will be the chance to create some breathing space between them and the blues duo of Chelsea and Manchester City, who both play tomorrow night. Man City is at home to Tottenham Hotspur, while Chelsea host a still-poor Liverpool side.

All four had their European exploits in mid-week too, with Spurs and the Reds playing on Thursday night in the Europa League. It is hard to see Liverpool bouncing back from that defeat and the long journey deep into Russia where they played Anzhi Makhachkala.

Chelsea just could not have asked for a better time to face Brendan Rodgers' men, especially with the recent history between the clubs.

Spurs, meanwhile, will be hoping to claim another scalp in Manchester. It is a tough call this match but the quality should show among Man City's star line-up for a narrow win.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

Veteran Umno digesa bersedia bantu parti menangi PRU 13

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 01:49 AM PST

KUALA TERENGGANU, 10 Nov — Anggota Veteran Umno Malaysia harus sentiasa berada dalam keadaan bersedia untuk membantu parti menghadapi pilihan raya umum ke-13 yang akan diadakan pada bila-bila masa. Pemangku Pengerusi Veteran Umno Malaysia Datuk Mohd Zahid Sirat berkata ini kerana pilihan raya umum akan datang bukan sahaja menentukan 'hidup mati' Umno tetapi juga hala tuju bangsa Melayu.

"Pembangkang yang diterajui DAP beria-ia untuk menumbangkan kerajaan BN dan merampas Putrajaya seterusnya mengambil alih pemerintahan di negara ini. "Kalau ini berlaku, segala yang dinikmati kaum pribumi selama ini dikhuatiri akan terjejas dan terhapus sama sekali," katanya ketika menyampaikan ucapan dasar pada Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan Veteran Umno Malaysia ke-5, di sini hari ini.

Untuk itu katanya, seluruh anggota veteran perlu bersatu dan memperkuatkan barisan bagi menghadapi satu pemilihan yang paling getir bagi Umno dan Barisan Nasional.

"Matlamat kita untuk membantu pucuk pimpinan bagi memartabatkan bangsa Melayu dan mencapai kejayaan cemerlang di dalam dan luar negara," katanya.

Mohd Zahid juga berkata bangsa Melayu akan terus teguh dan digeruni jika bersatu padu walaupun berbeza ideologi dan perjuangan.

"Melayu dan bumiputera mesti bersatu dengan mengenepikan segala fahaman atau ideologi demi mengekalkan pemerintahan dan ketuanan Melayu, mendukung tonggak kedaulatan raja-raja serta mempertahankan kesucian agama Islam," katanya. Beliau turut meluahkan rasa bimbang dengan pelbagai gejala negatif termasuk tindakan cuba menodai kesucian agama Islam oleh pihak tertentu.

Sebanyak 545 anggota Veteran Umno dari seluruh negara menghadiri perhimpunan tersebut yang berakhir hari ini. — Bernama

Noh persoal tindakan kerajaan Selangor ambil tanah milik Yayasan Selangor

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 01:46 AM PST

KUALA LANGAT, 10 Nov — Timbalan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor Datuk Seri Noh Omar mempersoalkan tindakan dan tujuan kerajaan Selangor mengambil tanah milik Yayasan Selangor seluas 7.32 hektar di Klang. "Saya tidak faham mengapa kerajaan negeri rampas tanah itu daripada Yayasan Selangor...kita terima ia gagal dibangunkan seperti perjanjian yang dibuat namun tanah berkenaan tidak sepatutnya diambil.

Beliau berkata alasan Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim bahawa tanah berkenaan diambil alih oleh kerajaan negeri itu ekoran kegagalan sebuah syarikat membangunkannya, adalah tidak wajar kerana ia sepatutnya diberikan kepada Yayasan Selangor.

"Abdul Khalid selaku pengerusi yayasan itu sepatutnya lebih peka dan faham bahawa tanah berkenaan tetap milik Yayasan Selangor dan tidak sepatutnya dirampas oleh sesiapa termasuk kerajaan negeri," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Hari Peladang, Penternak dan Nelayan (HPPN) Negeri Selangor 2012 di Dataran Banting di sini hari ini. Noh mendakwa Yayasan Selangor masih menjadi pemilik asal seperti yang tercatat dalam geran tanah berkenaan malah yayasan itu juga yang membuat bayaran premium tanah sebelum ini.

Semalam, Abdul Khalid dalam satu sidang media, memperjelaskan bahawa tanah tersebut bukan lagi di bawah kuasa Yayasan Selangor kerana ia telah diserahkan kepada sebuah syarikat persendirian pada 2002 oleh kerajaan negeri BN. Beliau menafikan dakwaan kononnya tanah tersebut akan dibangunkan sebagai Pusat Kebudayaan Cina.

Beliau berkata buat masa ini lot tanah itu masih kosong dan pihaknya belum terfikir untuk melaksanakan sebarang projek pembangunan di situ. — Bernama

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Sabtu, 10 November 2012