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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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YouTube’s ‘Epic Chef’ offers gluttony to the masses Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:33 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 — Bacon, whiskey and stilettos — this is not your mother's kitchen. This is "Epic Chef", YouTube's 20,000-calorie cooking spectacle that makes its debut today. "The show is complete madness," producer Rob Czar told Reuters on a set visit in Los Angeles, where two scantily-clad women in heels hurled greasy bacon and corn dogs at each other during a taping. "There are no rules other than the usage of bacon and Jack Daniels," Czar said. "Pandemonium is encouraged." "Epic Chef", an offshoot of the Canadian-produced YouTube sensation "Epic Meal Time" series, aims to bring in viewers by the million with extra helpings of gluttony — all in spite of Americans' obsession with health and weight loss. "We're here to say pizza is good, cheeseburgers are good, but pizza-cheeseburgers are even better," said host Harley Morenstein, a former substitute teacher whose "Epic Meal Time" garners some three million views per weekly episode on YouTube. "We do this so that you don't have to," writer Tyler Lemco added. "You can watch us and live vicariously through us." Lucky to have a camera "Epic Chef" pits contestants against each other to prepare outrageous heart-attack-inducing meat-laden dishes with massive calorie, fat and cholesterol content all in the name of impressing a panel of judges. The winner is determined by taste, presentation and use of ingredients. Chefs include the likes of Ilan Hall, a past winner of Bravo's hit "Top Chef", while well-known kitchen personality Duff Goldman (Food Network's "Ace of Cakes") and writer Timothy Ferriss ("The 4-hour Chef") serve as judges. The idea for the shows came to Morenstein two years ago after seeing a photo of an over-the-top meal online and later trying to replicate it with friends, Lemco said. "We were bored and had nothing else to do," the writer added. "Luckily we had a camera." In one upcoming episode, tentatively titled "Epic Chicken Challenge", the meals prepared include fried chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Cheetos, Doritos chips and corn-dog hash. The final product emerges as fried chicken encrusted with the snack food, wrapped in bacon and smothered in barbecue sauce. Other dishes include gingerbread houses made of meat, human head-sized egg rolls and meat breakfast cereal with gravy. "We're going to die doing this," Lemco said. "That's how dedicated we are." — Reuters

A sweet affair Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:17 PM PST Fete Artisan Marshmallows at Carousel are beautifully packaged... perfect for gifts. — Pictures by Saw Siow Feng KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — First came the cupcakes, then macarons, followed by coffee and ice-cream. What am I talking about? The artisanal wave that has swept across the food landscape here in Malaysia, of course. Most of these home-made, hand-made treats are all-natural, free of preservatives and, most importantly, made with tender loving care. The Chococo Chips flavour is perfect for chocolate lovers. And now, we have marshmallows! If you grew up in Malaysia, marshmallows are those things you read about in your story books — the whole concept of toasting marshmallows has no meaning here — or seen in the supermarket. Those plain sugar laden vanilla pillows packed in plastic were generally mysteries. But thanks to Julian Chow, 27, and girlfriend Carmen Cheong, 28, we can now have fresh marshmallows that come in different flavours. Fete Artisan Marshmallow started out in September this year, taking online orders via Facebook, with the pair working from home. They juggled this venture with their full-time jobs, often finding themselves working in the kitchen until the wee hours of the morning. "It has always been a passion for us, experimenting with a lot of homemade pastry," said Chow. "We came across artisanal marshmallows online, there was this couple in the States doing it. After that, we did our own research and discovered how to make our own marshmallows. It took about half a year to get the recipe right." They experimented with all sorts of flavours, seeing which ones worked and which didn't, giving out samples to their friends to try out. Eventually, Chow and Cheong tweaked their marshmallows to suit Malaysian tastebuds, making sure that it was halal because the original recipe required animal-derived gelatin. The end result is six different flavours: Chococo Chips, Cookies Cream, Japanese Matcha, Tahitian Vanilla, Orange Marmalade and Expresso Double. "All of our ingredients are natural and of high quality," said Cheong. "For example, premium chocolate is used for Chococo Chips, and we brew green tea imported from Japan for Japanese Matcha. Also, vanilla beans are used for Tahitian Vanilla, orange fruit for Orange Marmalade, and Illy coffee for Expresso Double." The Orange Marmalade complements chocolate, which is why it was paired with The Potong's Nutty Choc. After seeing the positive response from the public, and with the encouragement of family and friends, the duo decided to start selling Fete Artisan Marshmallow from a pop-up stall in Taylor's College's Lakeside Campus in Subang Jaya. Chow and Cheong then started taking part in various bazaars in the Klang Valley. It was through a bazaar at Publika and a stroke of luck that Carousel, a toy shop that was opening in Publika, decided to approach Fete Artisan Marshmallow and invited them to have a candy cart within the shop on consignment basis. "People can now get our marshmallows on the go from Carousel. The difference between ordering online and getting it from the candy cart is that online orders are more for events such as weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and so on," said Chow. "Also, customers can customise the flavours when they order online. "With online orders, you get the standard packaging but when you buy it from Carousel, we have a nicer packaging because here people can just buy for gifts," he added. All of the designs, including the logo, packaging and marketing material for Fete Artisan Marshmallow are designed by Cheong, who majored in advertising and design. The marshmallows come in the form of pops with different toppings, which are more popular among children, as well as single- and multi-flavoured boxes. The prices range from RM3 for a marshmallow pop to RM18 for a box of 12 in different flavours at the candy cart. Prices vary online depending on customisation and volume. The Cookies Cream flavour marshmallow goes well with milk. Chow and Cheong hope to educate Malaysians more about marshmallows. On their Facebook page they are constantly uploading tips on ways to eat marshmallows. They have also set up BBQ pits at their booths during bazaars so that customers can roast their marshmallows and enjoy it in a different way. "We recently collaborated with The Potong ice cream during this year's Urbanscapes, releasing a limited-edition ice cream," said Chow. This was the Nutty Choc, with their Orange Marmalade marshmallows. "One of the founders of The Potong, Tee Rei, is a friend of ours," said Chow. "The Potong also believes in all-natural, artisanal products and that's why we decided to collaborate." Chow is also looking forward to working with F&B outlets to have marshmallow pairings, similar to wine pairings, where Fete Artisan Marshmallow is paired with different types of food and drinks to bring out the flavour profiles. "You can match the marshmallows with different types of drinks," said Chow. "For example, the Orange Marmalade goes well with cappuccino while dunking the Cookies Cream in milk makes a yummy combination." According to Cheong, Fete Artisan Marshmallow uses less sugar in their marshmallows. They also use honey as part of the ingredients for the recipe. The texture and taste profile of their marshmallows are very different from the ones sold in the supermarket. The couple is also very creative in the way they sell their marshmallows. Using the marshmallow cubes, they can create a "birthday cake" using a variety of flavours and colours with alphabets spelling out the birthday boy/girl's name. "We also create bouquets made of marshmallow pops. It's a new way to give gifts during special occasions like Valentine's Day," said Chow. Carmen Cheong and Julian Chow are getting married next year... and no prize for guessing what their wedding favours will be. Speaking of special occasions, the couple chose the name Fete because it means "happy occasion" or "party" in French. Fete Artisan Marshmallow also does wedding favours with customised packaging designed by Cheong. The couple themselves will be tying the knot next year so I asked if they will give out Fete Artisan Marshmallow as wedding favours. "Definitely!" said Cheong with a smile. Check out Fete Artisan Marshmallow at www.facebook.com/fetemarshmallow or get it on the go from Carousel, G3 - 14, Level G3, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur.

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Anti-doping on agenda for UCI consultation Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:33 AM PST International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid poses before an interview with Reuters in Aigle December 13, 2012. — Reuters pic AIGLE, Dec 13 — Anti-doping will be one of four discussion topics for the International Cycling Union's (UCI) stakeholder consultation to be launched next year, the sport's governing body said today. The consultation, announced following the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, will look at the future of cycling. Globalisation, riders and the sports calendar are the other subjects to be covered. "All cycling stakeholders were consulted on the issues to be discussed," UCI President Pat McQuaid said in a statement. "We must all work together to recover from the damage which the Armstrong affair has undoubtedly done to our sport, the sport we all love and cherish." The consultation will be extended to cycling fans using social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the UCI said. It is separate from the independent commission set up to review all the issues from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report on Armstrong and the US Postal team. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life after USADA concluded the now-retired rider had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen." — Reuters

Bayern to end year on a high, coach deal next year Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:27 AM PST Bayern Munich's coach Jupp Heynckes. — Reuters pic BERLIN, Dec 13 — Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be looking to end the first half of the season on a high with a win over Borussia Moenchengladbach tomorrow as contract talks with coach Jupp Heynckes are pushed to the new year. With a four-week winter break starting next week, the Bavarians are eager to consolidate their 11-point lead going into the holidays with their 14th win in 17 league matches in what has so far been a record-breaking season. Victory tomorrow would see them 14 points clear with their closest title rivals in action a day later. Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, on 30 points, host mercurial Hamburg SV while champions Borussia Dortmund, in third spot on 27, take on lowly Hoffenheim. Bayern bosses, aware of last year's implosion at the same stage that cost them the title, have been careful not to rock the boat this season and have also postponed contract talks with Heynckes to next year to maintain calm among the players. Heynckes, who joined for a third spell last season, has led the team to a record-breaking start as Bayern have scored a stunning 46 league goals and conceded a mere six so far for the best offence and defence in the league. They have also carved out the biggest lead going into the winter break by any other Bundesliga team in its 50-year history and also enjoyed the best season start in half a century of top-flight football. Contract talks "This is a discussion we will not start now," Bayern President Uli Hoeness told reporters this week while paying a visit to a fan club and asked about contract talks with Heynckes. "Personnel issues will not be opened now because we want to spend calm holidays," he said. The coach, a close personal friend of Hoeness, could well be offered a new deal if he ends Bayern's two-season trophy drought. However, talk of a successor to the veteran 67-year-old coach has been swirling in the past weeks with a string of names being mentioned, including former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Even former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn became an advocate for the Spaniard, writing in his blog a transitional period for Guardiola at Bayern alongside Heynckes could be useful with the German bringing his Spain experience into the mix. Whether Heynckes, who led Real Madrid to the Champions League title in 1998 and came out of retirement for a four-match spell at Bayern in 2009 before taking over in 2011, would want to stay on is still unknown. A Bundesliga title victory this season, on the cards given their form so far, would crown a hugely successful sporting career with another record: that of the oldest coach ever to win the Bundesliga. — Reuters

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Russian state involved in Litvinenko’s death — UK court Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:54 AM PST Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Reuters pic LONDON, Dec 13 — The Russian government was most likely involved in the murder by poisoning of Kremlin critic and former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a British lawyer told a preliminary hearing into the death today. The statement by Hugh Davies, an attorney acting on behalf of the inquest, is likely to enrage Russia, which has denied any involvement in the killing, and could put further strain on London's already testy relations with Moscow. The London court also heard the former KGB agent was working for Britain's MI6 secret service when he died, suggesting the British government might come under scrutiny for failing to protect him. Litvinenko, who had been granted British citizenship and become a vocal critic of the Kremlin, died in 2006 after someone slipped polonium-210, a rare radioactive isotope, into his cup of tea at a London hotel. "Our assessment is that the (British) government material does establish a prima facie case as to the culpability of the Russian state in the death of Alexander Litvinenko," Davies said at today's hearing, held to discuss the scope of the full inquiry into Litvinenko's death. British police and prosecutors say there is enough evidence to charge two former KGB agents, Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, but Moscow has resisted calls to extradite them. A Kremlin spokesman and the Russian foreign ministry both declined comment and there was no reaction from either Lugovoy or Kovtun. Russian officials have said the British focus on Lugovoy as the suspect stems from what it sees as London's anti-Russian bias and that Britain has failed to provide enough evidence. The inquest is the latest twist in Britain's complicated ties with Russia. The two are at odds over Moscow's human rights record and foreign policy, with spy rows and tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions dominating relations. The full inquest into Litvinenko's death, led by Judge Robert Owen, is expected to start on May 1. Ben Emmerson, lawyer for Litvinenko's widow, Marina, told the hearing the victim had been working for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, for a number of years. He said Litvinenko was also employed by the Spanish security services and the couple had payments from both MI6 and Spanish intelligence agencies in their joint bank account. "At the time of his death, Mr Litvinenko had been for a number of years a registered and paid agent and employee of MI6, with a dedicated handler whose pseudonym was 'Martin'," Emmerson said. Litvinenko would often tell his wife about the meetings he had with 'Martin', which would normally take place in central London, Emmerson said. MI6 role gave Litvinenko "dangerous" missions — a revelation suggesting that the British government had a duty to ensure his safety. Phone call to Lugovoy Adding further intrigue, he said Litvinenko called Lugovoy in 2006 from a London hospital just months before he died to cancel a trip to Spain where the two had planned to give evidence to Spanish prosecutors assessing Russian mafia activities and links to the Kremlin. Emmerson said "Martin" had to appear before the inquest as he was "a critical witness on all issues". He described the death as a "state sponsored assassination" and suggested the Russian state would seek "interested party" status, meaning it would have legal representation at the inquest and access to relevant documents. Litvinenko was an associate of tycoon Boris Berezovsky, a former Kremlin insider who became a critic of President Vladimir Putin and was granted asylum in Britain. Some in Russia, where Berezovsky is an unpopular figure often mocked on state television, have pointed figures at the exiled oligarch but Hugo Keith, Berezovsky's lawyer, denied any involvement by his client. "It's not open to an individual to get Polonium-210. The suggestion that Mr Berezovsky is responsible is implausible," Keith said. Davies said the secret British documents also showed no compelling evidence against Berezovsky, or against Chechen mafia or other figures who have been suggested as being involved. He also said there was no prima facie evidence to suggest Britain had been involved in Litvinenko' death or failed to protect him. Under British law, an inquest is held when a person dies unexpectedly to determine the cause of death. Marina, who had been campaigning for an inquest for years, said she was hopeful. "It has already been six years," she said outside the court. "I'm looking forward to see and to know". — Reuters

UN to investigate killings by South Sudan security forces Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:44 AM PST A SPLA soldier looks at warplanes as he lies on the ground to take cover beside a road during an air strike by the Sudanese air force in Rubkona near Bentiu April 23, 2012. — Reuters pic JUBA, Dec 13 — The United Nations will investigate the deaths of at least nine civilians shot by South Sudanese security forces last weekend in the country's northwest. South Sudan's government has been struggling to reform its bloated security services since it split from Sudan in July last year after a long civil war that has left the new country awash with weapons. Human rights groups regularly accuse South Sudan's army, an assortment of poorly trained former guerrilla fighters known as the SPLA, of abuses against civilians. About 2,400 people have been killed in rebel and tribal violence since independence, the United Nations says. The SPLA said police and soldiers had opened fire on civilians last weekend who were protesting against the relocation of local council offices. South Sudan's Civil Society Alliance, an umbrella group for local civil society organisations, quoted witnesses saying the demonstrators had been unarmed and protesting peacefully. "UNMISS (the UN mission in South Sudan) is investigating the use of force and other reports of violence in order to establish the facts behind these tragic events," UNMISS said in a statement. "Nine civilians have been confirmed killed and many more injured in incidents involving demonstrators and members of the security forces," UNMISS said. The violence in Western Bahr el Ghazal state's capital Wau began on December 8 when the army was sent to dismantle roadblocks set up by civilians protesting against plans to move the municipal council headquarters outside Wau. The following day, security forces fired on protesters marching towards state government offices with a petition asking the governor to reverse the decision. SPLA spokesman Kella Kueth said the protesters burnt nine trucks. "They were thought to be destroying the government property and that is when they were fired upon by police and some army forces," Kueth told Reuters. Ateny Wek, spokesman for the Civil Society Alliance, said two more people had died from their injuries, bringing the death toll to eleven, with scores of others injured. "It was barbaric for the state authorities to use live ammunition. They were marching peacefully towards state government headquarters. We have eyewitnesses," Wek told Reuters. — Reuters

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Good romantic partners make good parents Posted: 13 Dec 2012 01:34 AM PST Is your partner cooperative and sensitive? Chances are he or she will make a good parent, according to a new study. – ZINQ Stock/shutterstock.com LOS ANGELES, Dec 13 – Perhaps not surprisingly, people who are difficult romantic partners are also likely to make less-than-ideal parents, a new study finds. The same skills that make a person a good mate, such as sensitivity and willingness to cooperate, translate to parenting skills, according to new British research. "If you can do responsive care-giving, it seems that you can do it across different relationships," study researcher Abigail Millings of the University of Bristol says in a statement. The key, says Millings, is a person's ability to form healthy attachments with other people. Those with issues such as attachment avoidance tend to put up emotional barriers, or alternatively, someone with attachment anxiety may tend to be clingy and insecure. However, those who form secure attachments are free to be independent in their relationships while also assured that the other person is there for them and vice versa, writes LiveScience. Millings and her team enlisted 125 British couples with children ages seven to eight to fill out surveys about their romantic attachment to their partners, their romantic care-giving, and their parenting styles. The researchers classified parenting styles into three groups: the most ideal was authoritative (warm, communicative but in control), and less ideal styles were authoritarian (in control, but lacking warmth) and permissive (warm, but lacking control). Findings showed that parents who were avoidant or anxious in their romantic relationships were less likely to be ideal parents, adopting either a more authoritarian approach, or the opposite, a more permissive method of parenting. The findings were published last week in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Previous research has shown that attachment avoidance and anxiety are associated with more fear about parenting, as well as having struggles being a parent, according to LiveScience. – AFP/Relaxnews

Study links Facebook to overeating, overspending Posted: 12 Dec 2012 07:29 PM PST Facebook usage leads to the pursuit of transient esteem boosts, according to the researchers. — Reuters pic PARIS, Dec 13 — All that quality time on Facebook may have a detrimental effect on your consumer habits by chipping away at your self-control, according to new research. The results: overspending and overeating. Facebook can boost self-esteem, but those increased feelings of self-worth can alter your consumer behaviour, and not for the better, researchers say. "Because consumers care about the image they present to close friends, social network use enhances self-esteem in users who are focused on close friends while browsing their social network," writes authors Dr Keith Wilcox of Columbia University and Dr Andrew T. Stephen of the University of Pittsburgh, both assistant professors of marketing. "This momentary increase in self-esteem leads them to display less self-control after browsing a social network." Wilcox and Stephen enlisted some 100 Facebook users, equals parts men and women, in a series of five studies, using a combination of surveys, self-esteem tests, and observations after participants browsed Facebook. Findings showed that more time spent on Facebook was linked with a higher body mass index, increased binge eating, a lower credit score, and higher levels of credit card debt. Their research, announced Tuesday, will be published in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. A February 2012 Pew Internet survey found that two out of three of US Facebook users say they have had an experience online that made them feel good about themselves. — AFP/Relaxnews

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‘Lincoln’ leads Globe nominations with seven nods Posted: 13 Dec 2012 06:58 AM PST Still from 'Lincoln' with Daniel Day-Lewis as the US president. — All rights reserved. LOS ANGELES, Dec 12 — Steven Spielberg's presidential drama "Lincoln" topped the Golden Globes nominations Thursday with nods in seven categories, followed by "Argo" and "Django Unchained" with five each. "Les Miserables," romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook" and Osama bin Laden hunt movie "Zero Dark Thirty" by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow were tied in third place with four nominations each. The announcements come as Hollywood's annual awards season kicks into gear, after the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations announced Wednesday, in which "Lincoln" and romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook" were joint leaders. Best drama Globe nominees are Iran hostage crisis thriller "Argo," Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi" by Ang Lee and "Zero Dark Thirty." In the running for best comedy or musical are Indian-themed "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Les Miserables," "Moonrise Kingdom, and "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" starring Ewan McGregor Best actor nominees are Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, Denzel Washington for piloting "Flight," Richard Gere for "Arbitrage," John Hawkes for "The Sessions" and Joaquin Phoenix for "The Master." As expected Jessica Chastain is shortlisted for her CIA agent role in "Zero Dark Thirty," up against Britain's Helen Mirren for "Hitchcock," France's Marion Cotillard for "Rust and Bone," Naomi Watts for Indian Ocean tsunami drama "The Impossible" and Rachel Weisz for "The Deep Blue Sea." The Golden Globes, organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), will be held on January 13 in Beverly Hills. The Oscars, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season, will be held on February 24. — AFP-Relaxnews

‘Star Wars’ actor Joel Edgerton in talks for ‘Jane Got a Gun’ Posted: 13 Dec 2012 05:16 AM PST Actor Joel Edgerton. — AFP pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 13 — Australian actor Joel Edgerton may join Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender in "Jane Got a Gun", reveals Deadline.com. Edgerton, who put his name on the map with the movie "Animal Kingdom" (2010), is currently in talks for the role of the bad guy in "Jane Got a Gun". Natalie Portman will produce and star in the film, which "centres on Jane Hammond (Portman), who reaches out to her ex-lover (Fassbender) to help her when her outlaw husband becomes the target of a violent gang. Edgerton would play John Bishop, the leader of the gang coming to kill Hammond's husband," according to Deadline.com. Production is set to start early next year, under the direction of Lynne Ramsay ("We Need to Talk About Kevin"). — AFP-Relaxnews

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Amazon wins EU e-book pricing battle with Apple Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:49 AM PST A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in this file photo. European Union regulators ended an antitrust probe into e-book prices today. – Reuters pic BRUSSELS, Dec 13 – European Union regulators ended an antitrust probe into e-book prices today, accepting an offer by Apple and four publishers to ease pricing restrictions on Amazon and other retailers. The decision hands online retailer Amazon a victory in its attempt to sell e-books cheaper than rivals in a fast-growing market publishers hope will boost revenue and customer numbers. Reuters first reported in November that the Commission was accepting the settlement offer. The European Commission said today the concessions from Apple and the publishers soothed concerns that their pricing deals curbed competition. "The commitments proposed by Apple and the four publishers will restore normal competitive conditions in this new and fast-moving market, to the benefit of the buyers and readers of e-books," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said. Apple and the publishers offered to let retailers set prices or discounts for a period of two years, and also to suspend "most-favoured nation" contracts for five years. Such clauses bar publishers Simon & Schuster, News Corp. unit HarperCollins, Lagardere SCA's Hachette Livre and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, the owner of German company Macmillan, from making deals with rival retailers to sell e-books more cheaply than Apple. The agreements, which critics say prevent Amazon and other retailers from undercutting Apple's charges, led to the EU antitrust investigation in December last year. Pearson Plc's Penguin group, which is also under investigation, was not part of today's settlement. The Commission said Penguin had offered concessions expected to resolve the matter with the competition authorities. Companies found guilty of infringing EU rules can be fined up to 10 per cent of their global sales, which in Apple's case could reach US$15.6 billion, based on its 2012 fiscal year. UBS analysts estimate e-books account for about 30 per cent of the US book market and 20 per cent of sales in Britain but are minuscule elsewhere. Amazon charged US$9.99 per book when it launched its Kindle e-reader. Apple's agency model let publishers set prices in return for a 30 per cent cut to the maker of iPhone and iPad. According to Albert Greco, a professor at Fordham University, Amazon's share of the US e-book market reaches 65 per cent, ahead of Barnes & Noble's 27 per cent share. HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette have settled with the US Department of Justice in a similar investigation but Apple, Penguin Group and Macmillan have not. – Reuters

Amazon launches Kindle store in China, could pave way for Kindle Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:01 AM PST The Kindle Fire is seen in this file photo. Amazon.com Inc has launched a Kindle store for China, the company said Thursday. – Reuters pic SHANGHAI, Dec 13 – Amazon.com Inc has launched a Kindle store for China, the company said today, selling Chinese electronic books for the mobile Kindle application, in a move that could soon see the device launched in China. The launch of the store could pave the way for a roll-out of Amazon's Kindle device that has already received authorisation from China's radio regulator. Amazon's spokesman, Billy Huang, declined to comment on when the Kindle device would be sold in China. China's e-reader market is dominated by Hanwang Technology e-readers and Shanda Cloudary's Bambook, but many Chinese people buy Kindles from overseas. "It seems like there is pent-up demand for Amazon's Kindle," said Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based technology firm Marbridge Consulting. "Amazon is a well-regarded brand both in terms of quality of its products and in terms of its service," Natkin said. Amazon's Kindle store will compete with E-commerce China Dangdang Inc and 360buy, both of which have platforms to sell e-books. In June, four Kindle models, including the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire and as well as one Kindle keyboard, received approval from the State Radio Regulation of China, the regulatory body for radio and wireless products. Amazon's former China chief said this year that the company was in talks with Chinese publishers on content deals and hoped to launch the Kindle within two years. – Reuters

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If you hate football, stop reading (Part 2) Posted: 12 Dec 2012 03:28 PM PST DEC 13 — Take a tour of Barnet Football Club's universe. Its website is impressive and visitors can buy tickets online to the next home match, even picking a spot from the eight areas of viewing inside the stadium. On top of having ex-Ajax, Juventus and Spurs superstar Edgar Davids in their 32-strong first team, Barnet has an academy, a youth team and a ladies team. Barnet is in all possible terms a complete football club since they tick all the boxes. However, Barnet FC is probably not a major talking point in Malaysia because it currently sits at the bottom of League 2 (the old fourth division), and has a ground capacity for only 6,023 spectators, including the temporary stand. But it functions. And function over form is probably what Malaysia has to endeavour for its football. Malaysia has a football-crazy population, but sadly lives with a badly-drawn and executed professional football league. Which is why it should take the cue from Barnet FC — or other viable football clubs around the world. Malaysian businessmen owning British teams may be stylish but without a self-sufficient local league our future is dim. Sports is a business It is about revenue generation matched by spending discipline, no matter the size. There has to be a rationalisation process, where teams have to match need. In the US there are several major sporting franchises in California, Texas and New York, because those are highly populated states with major cities providing a support base. The base gives a team viewership, following, localised sponsorship and character. There is no shame in thinking along those lines. Indeed the two most successful Asian experiments in the past 20 years went down that path. The Japanese League in its present avatar is a result of restructuring in 1992, as did the Koreans in 1998 tinker with their initial semi-professional structure based on response. The South Koreans may have kept the score down to 3-1 in 1986 World Cup against Argentina by taking turns kicking Maradona, but the reinvigoration of their league over the 20 years has given them the great leap forward. Even a Messi-led Argentina today would not look down on the South Korean national team, and that is by no small measure due to their national league. The main element has to be commercial not political, to drive any restructuring or rethink. Any football club is built on present support base. Any ambitious and growing club will be built on the basic and then possible support extensions — where else the support can come from. These are customers and have to be treated as such. What every Tesco store does for its loyal and transactional clients is what a football club should do for its fans. Which means you can't have a store manager who is really in love with all the products in the store — hugs a peanut butter bottle once in a while — but does not know the customers, or worse does not care for them. The horrible way stadiums are maintained, the atrocious transportation plans to and from them and the alternative madness of the stadium's parking lot show everything is lacking planning let alone imagination. It tells a story. It tells the prevailing attitude. There are several things to tinker. We should consider late afternoon kick-offs. Daytime matches will draw more families and remove direct competition to the English Premier League, for now.     The moving calendar for sports must end. There is a different calendar every year to accommodate the fasting month and Malaysian holidays. The country uses a Gregorian calendar, therefore the football-like business has to follow the same route. It is difficult to hardwire into your community if the season is not an annual routine. People enjoy predictability. Again, I don't want the details to cloud the main consideration, to be customer driven. Long before there was any Blue Ocean Strategy, football clubs around the world have realised that operating by ignoring customers is planning bankruptcy. Neither do clubs nor leagues have to operate on massive profitability. The English Premiership is a cash machine, but there is no need to not stop till our own league outdoes it. It is about managing expenditures. The Australian Football Rules or Oz Rules is primarily a professional sport based in the state of Victoria. While the first-teamers in any premiership team are rich if not millionaires, the salaries of the players in AFL are far more modest. Same is applicable in Malaysia, where many young players would be quite happy to play for three times what they would earn if they were having a regular job. A players' union can help them invest their playing income and possible careers after the playing ends. Professional sports need professionals Currently, the Football Association of Malaysia is looking for someone to run their marketing department. The ad was placed on November 26, and applications shut on December 12 and interviews five days later. I am assuming they want to hire a person before the new year. The search to pick a person to drive the number one sport in the country should be a little more robust. Not asking for the person to have graduated with three years of sales experience and no criminal record. It reflects the worth of non-playing professionals in the management of sports in Malaysia. There is a flawed thinking that filling the presidency of any sports organisation will determine the future of the sport.  Worse, that person has major work commitments and considers the position a hobby. Professional sports are driven by professionals, and that has to resonate in the industry. Roman Abramovich may own Chelsea football club and can sack any of his managers, but he leaves the day-to-day running of the club to the paid professionals. That is the only way forward for Malaysia. I'm writing this column, should I be running a football club. No. I am a political operative, and so are various politicians who are better utilised staying the business of politics. Professional sports should be run by sports professionals. Take me to the ball game Malaysian football salvation and survival will rely on its national football league. This is why it is absolutely critical to fix our league so that the pool of players we produce are technically equipped, tactically adapt and competitively attuned to succeed. The madness that is our football administration must cease and allow for the light of reason to affect decisions. Right now many things are ad hoc. They are ad hoc because they are not business decisions made by non-professionals. End that, and then we can talk about qualifying for the World Cup. By the way, the Japanese masterplan for their league is all the way to 2092, when I assume none of their administrators would be still alive. Now that's forward thinking. "Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football." — Albert Camus * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Sadisme Indonesia dalam ‘The Act of Killing’ Posted: 12 Dec 2012 03:12 PM PST 13 DIS — Kedekatan dengan teman-teman yang memperjuangkan keadilan untuk korban Tragedi 1965 di Bali membawa saya menghadiri acara "Indonesia Menonton Jagal" yang diadakan di 40 kota/komuniti seluruh Indonesia sempena memperingati Hari Hak Asasi Manusia. Jagal adalah judul dalam Bahasa Indonesia untuk filem dokumentari "The Act of Killing" karya sutradara Amerika Syarikat, Joshua Oppenheimer yang sedang menghebohkan Indonesia. Hebohnya filem ini membuat sesi tayangan terpaksa diadakan secara tertutup melalui jemputan dan lokasi serta identiti penganjur terpaksa dirahsiakan. Bahkan memotret penonton yang hadir dilarang sama sekali atas faktor keselamatan. Hal ini tidak menghairankan melihat pembuat filem, krew dan wartawan yang berbicara tentangnya mendapat ancaman dari pihak-pihak yang merasa panas hati. Filem ini mengisahkan tentang para pembunuh massal yang menceritakan kembali aksi penyiksaan dan pembunuhan terhadap anggota dan sesiapa yang dicurigai sebagai bahagian dari Parti Komunis Indonesia (PKI) di Medan. Sepanjang 159 minit kita akan dihidangkan dengan lakon semula aksi sadisme yang dibawa oleh Anwar Congo, seorang samseng penjaga wayang yang dinaikkan pangkat sebagai pemimpin pasukan pembunuh. Sukses menjatuhkan kerajaan Indonesia pada 1965, tentera merekrut Anwar Congo dan kawan-kawannya untuk melakukan pembunuhan massal sehebat Nazi, Rwanda dan Khmer Rouge yang hingga saat ini kerajaan Indonesia belum bersedia mengungkap kebenarannya. Satu petikan dari 'The Act of Killing'. Dalam siaran medianya, Joshua dan ko-sutradara yang menamakan diri sebagai Anonim menyebut, "Film Jagal mengajak kita semua untuk menyadari bahwa pembantaian massal yang kita alami 47 tahun yang lalu, sebuah luka bangsa, juga luka umat manusia di seluruh dunia, tidaklah bisa dipandang sebagai pertarungan antara orang suci melawan iblis atau sebaliknya, melainkan sebuah pergulatan antara manusia yang satu dengan manusia lainnya". Sebuah hal yang pasti, usai menonton filem ini memberikan efek kaget yang luar biasa sehingga sukar untuk saya memberikan komentar pada sesi soal jawab bersama Joshua yang dilakukan melalui Skype dan sesi lepak setelahnya. Fakta bahawa saya sedang tinggal di negara yang didirikan oleh "pembunuh" pasca-1965 semakin membingungkan akal sihat. Dari sisi lain, filem ini berbicara lebih dari pembunuhan massal. Pemuda Pancasila yang didirikan pada 1959 untuk mengimbangi pengaruh PKI menjadi organisasi paramiliter sayap kanan yang ditakuti bukan kerana kecerdikannya tetapi kerana kekerasannya. Pemuda Pancasila yang pemimpinnya boleh menjadi menteri dan wakil rakyat menggambarkan betapa suramnya dunia perpolitikan Indonesia yang dipenuhi perasuah dan penjahat yang bangga dengan perbuatannya. Budaya samseng dirangkul secara rasmi di dalam politik sehingga organisasi "samseng" berada di seluruh ceruk Indonesia. Di Bali menjadi anggota Laskar Bali merupakan kebanggaan buat anak-anak muda, kononnya buat mempertahankan Bali dari ancaman orang luar. Kekerasan yang ditanam dan diinstitusikan buat menghindari tumbuhnya kembali komunis akhirnya membudayakan pembunuhan sebagai upaya penyelesaian masalah. Barangkali kerana terlalu bangga dengan heroisme menumpaskan penjajah dengan darah, budaya membunuh sesiapa yang dianggap musuh terbawa-bawa hingga kini. Musuh berlainan ideologi politik, keyakinan agama dan batas wilayah merupakan jelmaan penjajah Belanda dalam wajah baru. Sudah banyak contoh yang boleh disaksikan: mulai dari perkelahian antara pelajar yang sering menghiasi berita, konflik di Ambon, konflik di Poso dan terbaru konflik di Lampung di antara warga asli dan etnik Bali yang memakan belasan korban dan ratusan rumah dibakar. Jadi aksi bendera Malaysia dibakar dan kedutaan dilempar najis oleh BENDERA sebenarnya untuk ukuran organisasi-organisasi "samseng" ini tiada apa-apanya. Masih sopan dan terkawal. Indonesia yang sering diangkat segolongan rakyat Malaysia sebagai model yang berjaya mempersatu masyarakat melalui satu bahasa kelihatannya semakin hari semakin tergugat. Jika di Malaysia potensi terjadinya konflik berdarah di antara kaum hanyalah propaganda menakutkan rakyat oleh penguasa, tetapi di Indonesia konflik berdarah di antara suku, agama, ras dan antar golongan (dikenali dengan kata SARA) merupakan hal yang biasa terjadi dan akan terus terjadi jika tidak diurai akar permasalahannya. Jadi apa upaya ke depannya? Secara jujur walaupun sudah akrab dengan negara ini, tingkat kerumitan masalah di Indonesia berkali-kali ganda berbanding Malaysia. Mencari terobosan terbaik demi menyelamatkan Indonesia memerlukan pemikiran yang luar biasa dan ajaib. Kini saya faham mengapa pesimisme menghiasi wajah teman-teman di Indonesia selama ini. Semoga apa yang dikatakan seorang teman bahawa reformasi tahun 1998 adalah titik permulaan awal dan bukan titik segalanya kepada Indonesia yang lebih baik menjadi benar. Indonesia wajib dibantu warga dunia untuk terus melangkah maju demi kestabilan serantau dan dunia. Sebagai upaya awal, barangkali pergantian kerajaan di Malaysia yang lebih manusiawi terhadap Indonesia menjadi sangat perlu. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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Lynas bakal hilang lesen jika tidak pindah sisa Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:15 AM PST Aktivis pro-Lynas. — Gambar oleh Save Lynas Save Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Dis — Pelombong Australia Lynas mungkin hilang Lesen Operasi Sementara (TOL) jika gagal memindahkan semua sisa dan bahan sampingan produk daripada penapisan nadir bumi kontroversi di Kuantan, menurut Lembaga Perlesenan Tenaga Atom (AELB). Jurucakap daripada perundangan memberitahu The Malaysian Insider minggu ini bahawa kegagalan mematuhi syarat tersebut yang diikat secara sah mungkin memaksa AELB menggantung lesen mereka. Semalam, Kabinet menyokong kenyataan kementerian yang dikeluarkan awal minggu ini yang menyuruh Lynas untuk memastika semua sisa dan bahan sampingan produk dipindahkan keluar daripada negara ini. Kenyataan dari Putrajaya itu dikeluarkan selepas pengerus eksekutif Lynas Nicholas Curtis berkata lesen operasi syarikat tersebut tidak memerlukan mereka menghantar keluar sebarang sisa di Malaysia daripada kilang di Kuantan, Pahang. Curtis juga berkata Lynas akan meneruskan pelannya untuk membangunkan kemudahan pelupusan kekal (PDF) walaupun bahan merbahaya tersebut mendapat tentangan kuat. Lynas kini dalam kedudukan sukar malahan Curtis juga berkata Malaysia melayan pelombong sebagai "bola sepak politik" memandangkan pilihan raya bakal diadakan tidak lama lagi. Jurucakap tersebut juga memberitahu The Malaysian Insider bahawa mereka hanya berminat untuk mengetahui sisa tersebut dikeluarkan daripada loji di Kuantan dan tidak kisah tentang ke negara mana ia akan dieksport. Pengkritik mendakwa sisa tersebut adalah radioaktif merbahaya dan mahukan ia ditutup. Apabila ditanya sama ada Lynas telah memberikan AELB maklumat mengenai perancangan eksport seperti nama negara ke mana sisa itu akan dihantar, jurucakap yang enggan dinamakan tersebut menjawab "tidak". "Belum, mereka belum sampai ke peringkat tersebut kerana mereka masih belum menghasilkan sisa... mereka belum sampai ke peringkat mengeluarkannya lagi," kata beliau menerusi panggilan telefon. Beliau juga mengesahkan Lynas belum memulakan operasinya di Kuantan tetapi hanya menjalankan langkah percubaan. Walaupun terdapat penentangan kerana kebimbangan pencemaran kepada alam sekitar dan kesihatan, kerajaan tetap memberikan pelombong Australia tersebut lesen operasi sementara yang dibenarkan untuk menjalankan percubaan operasi awal bulan ini. AELB meluluskan TOL pada 1 Februari, tetapi TOL hanya dikeluarkan pada 5 September, yang bermaksud tarikh akhir bagi tempoh 10 bulan jatuh pada Julai tahun depan. Kemarahan awam yang pernah berlaku sebelum ini ke arah loji Lynas bertukar menjadi kempen pilihan raya yang mesti diadakan pada April depan selepas mandat BN tamat. Kumpulan anti-Lynas masih mencari jalan untuk menghentikan projek itu dan sudah membawa kes mereka ke mahkamah. Perbicaraan seterusnya akan didengar pada 21 Disember. LAMP disebut-sebut untuk menjadi kilang nadir bumi terbesar di dunia luar China dan bertujuan untuk memecahkan monopoli 90 peratus gergasi timur itu terhadap bahan penting untuk pembuatan produk berteknologi tinggi seperti telefon pintar.

Belia cenderung memilih parti berbilang kaum, tinjauan penyelidik Posted: 13 Dec 2012 01:53 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Dis — Hasil kaji selidik oleh badan bukan kerajaan The Asia Foundation (TAF) mendapati majoriti belia di Malaysia lebih cenderung memilih parti berbilang kaum berbanding parti berteraskan kaum ataupun agama. Dalam pembentangan laporan "The Youth Factor 2012" hari ini, panel penyelidik membentangkan hasil kajian yang telah dijalankan dari 13 April hingga 9 Jun 2012 tersebut dan melibatkan seramai 2,105 belia di seluruh negara secara bersemuka. Kajian bersama Taylor Nelson Sofres Malaysia (TNS) itu dijalankan ke atas rakyat Malaysia berumur lingkungan 17 tahun hingga 35 tahun. Dalam laporan tersebut, sebanyak 71 peratus belia di Malaysia memilih parti politik yang mewakil kepentingan semua kaum tanpa memilih agama, manakala 11 peratus belia memilih parti berasaskan kaum dan 14 peratus lagi memilih parti agama yang mereka anuti. "Perkara ini sesuatu yang positif, ia memperlihatkan rakyat Malaysia khususnya belia telah bergerak ke arah perpaduan negara," kata Nur Azrina Azhar,35, salah seorang penyelidik apabila ditanya oleh The Malaysian Insider. "Saya rasa kesedaran dikalangan belia ini semakin meningkat terutamanya tentang isu demokrasi. Kaji selidik yang diperoleh oleh The Asian Foundation ke atas belia di Malaysia terhadap kecenderungan memilih parti parti politik. "Malahan, saya tidak tolak kempen oleh pergerakan seperti Bersih dan lain-lain badan bukan kerajaan memberikan kesedaran daripada pelbagai segi," tambah penyelidik senior program TAF itu. Menurut Azrina lagi hasil penemuan kajian ini mungkin relevan dan mampu memberikan kesan kepada pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke-13. "Ya, penemuan ini mungkin relevan menjelang pilihan raya tidak lama lagi. "Malahan ahli politik mula membincangkan tentang kehendak belia dan bukannya lagi meminta belia yang mengikut kehendak ahli politik," terang beliau lagi. Dalam pada itu, belia di Sabah dan Sarawak paling tinggi memilih parti berbilang kaum dengan sebanyak 93 peratus daripada keseluruhan responden yang ditemui. Selain itu, kajian yang dijalankan turut mendapati belia di Sabah banyak merungut terhadap isu penggangguran. Bagi belia di Sabah, isu pekerjaan paling mendapat perhatian apabila sebanyak 26 peratus malahan angka penggangguran juga meningkat ke 5.6 peratus pada 2011 berbanding 4.9 peratus pada 2008. Seorang lagi panel penyelidik, Khaldun Malek, 39 pula mengakui penemuan tersebut agak menarik tetapi berpendapat aspek agama adalah lebih penting yang akan menjadi pilihan pengundi berbanding kaum. "Penemuan ini menarik, tapi bagi saya apa yang lebih utama adalah aspek agama. "Sebagai contoh golongan belia muslim akan bergaul dengan muslim, belia Cina akan bergaul dengan Cina dan lain-lain," kata felo penyelidik di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) itu. Daripada laporan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR), golongan muda yang berusia antara 21 hingga 39 tahun yang mendaftar kini mencecah 5,175,096 atau 40 peratus daripada jumlah keseluruhan 12,912,590 pengundi baru. BN memperolehi 4.08 juta undi pada tahun 2008 berbanding dengan PR 3.79 juta undi - perbezaan sebanyak 290,000 undi - manakala PR pula berharap pengundi baru pada PRU akan datang boleh membantu menambahkan sokongan kepada mereka. Selain itu, Najib tampak begitu bersungguh untuk mendapatkan sokongan belia kepada BN menjelang PRU kali ini terutama selepas kemenangan besar Proaspirasi dalam pemilihan Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (MPP) sesi 2012/2013 di institut pengajian tinggi. TAF sudah beradadi Malaysia hampir lebih 50 tahun dan berperanan untuk menyokong negara dalam pembangunan sosial dan ekonomi masa depan.

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