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Heat can’t mask glee as hot streak nears milestone Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:29 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Miami's Dwyane Wade grabs a rebound during their NBA game against Atlanta, in Miami, Florida, March 12, 2013. — Reuters picMIAMI, March 13 — The Miami Heat are one win away from becoming just the fourth team in the history of the NBA to enjoy 20 straight victories in a single season and try as they might, they just can't quite hide the fact that it really is great fun beating all comers. A comfortable 98-81 win over the Atlanta Hawks yesterday made it win number 19 and after a 'red-eye' overnight flight to Philadelphia, the defending champions will be back in action again, taking on the 76ers for number 20. For coach Erik Spoelstra, the winning streak is a topic he avoids in his team-talks as he focuses on drilling good habits into the team before the games that really matter — the playoffs. "I'm not going to bring it up. I haven't brought it up once yet, the streak," he said. Spoelstra said that even if he reflected on the run of form privately, it would only be to compare it with the feeling of the franchise's worst season back in 2007/08. "I don't think about it much but if I were to think about it, I would think about the 15 win season and how awful it can be," he said. The players try their best to keep with Spoelstra's mantra but after the Atlanta game LeBron James eventually conceded, it was something unique worth acknowledging. "Let's be honest guys, we aren't sitting here and saying this is not something special — this is an unbelievable streak, we are playing great basketball, we are winning in different phases of the game and we are playing different styles," he said. "I'm not going to say it's not special but we just can't get caught up in it too much and not seize the moment that we are in each and every night," he said. The moment is one that the Heat players are certainly enjoying — on and off the court. One can sense it in the Heat locker-room where the banter flies or see it in the madcap 'Harlem Shake' video the team posted online. "Winning makes it more fun," said Spoelstra. "What comes first though, the winning or the camaraderie? I don't see a lot of camaraderie on losing teams and we have been part of both," he said. It is Spoelstra's job to maintain the focus and ensure that the message goes out that every quarter of every regular season game is part of the process of getting ready for the business end of the season. In the locker-room there is an acknowledgement that the bonds they are building in this winning run are rare ones. "This is a special group of guys and it has been a blast this season, we have been working hard but having fun at the same time," said centre Chris Bosh. "We like coming to work. My dad told me 'you want to like your job, because it sucks when you hate it' — and he was speaking from experience. "It's nice not only to play basketball but to play with the best team in the world, with the best team-mates in the world. "It's great, guys are funny, we laugh and joke, of course we take care of business but we like being around each other," he told reporters while being interrupted mid-sentence by a yelling James. It would make, suggests the team's long-standing leader Dwyane Wade, for a great reality show. "We are not a team that lets the cameras in often where they can follow us and see this team but if we did, we would have a number one hit show, no doubt about it," he said. — Reuters

Wenger lost knack for hidden talent, says George Graham Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:56 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Wenger had developed a reputation for turning bargain signings into world-class players. — Reuters picLONDON, March 13 — Arsenal's Arsene Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market and the standard of players at the club has fallen, the club's former manager George Graham said yesterday. "In the last few seasons, the standard has slipped because the players coming into the club, in my opinion, are inferior to the players that were there seven years ago," Graham, who managed Arsenal from 1986 until leaving under a cloud in 1995 following a scandal over illegal payments, told Talksport Radio. "His first spell at the club was phenomenal: three League Championships, four FA Cups, finishing in the top four for 15 years — that is a phenomenal record. "But he has raised his own bar and he has to ask himself if he has fallen a little bit." Arsenal have sold some of their most influential players in the last two years including Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Samir Nasri and are approaching an eighth season without winning a trophy — something that was unimaginable in the first half of Wenger's reign. After Graham left, Arsenal were managed by Bruce Rioch for a season before Wenger arrived in September 1996 and transformed the club. Graham, who led Arsenal to the title in 1989 and 1991 and also won the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup during his tenure, continued: "It's all about players. If you are a great manager, it's down to the players you put on the pitch. "Arsenal have never been big spenders. When Wenger first came to the club, he was buying them at bargain prices and making them into world-class players. "He has been brilliant with what he has achieved at the club — building a new stadium, building a new training ground. "But the last few seasons it's been slipping away gradually. The onus is now on finishing in the top four, whereas before the onus was on winning the Premier League. "The first thing you have got to ask is who is bringing the players to the club? Is it Arsene or is it the scouting staff? Who has he got, not just in England, but all around the world? "You've got to ask who is bringing in the players of the quality that was brought in during his first six or seven years at the club. "That has been the problem. The quality coming in now is not of the quality it was when he first came." Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League and battling for a place in the Champions League for a 16th successive season. — Reuters

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Facebook’s Sandberg says men need to mentor women more Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:10 PM PDT World Book Day streaming live talks today LONDON, March 7 — The UK and Ireland's celebration of World Book Day occurs today with an hour of livestreamed short talks from famous authors such as Liz Pichon ("The Brilliant World of Tom Gates"), ... Read More A home is more By Kenny Mah KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — "I refer of course to the soaring wonder of the age known as the Eiffel Tower. Never in history has a structure been more technologically advanced, materially obsolescent, and ... Read More

Teenaged Olympic athlete Douglas to publish second memoir Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:01 PM PDT World Book Day streaming live talks today LONDON, March 7 — The UK and Ireland's celebration of World Book Day occurs today with an hour of livestreamed short talks from famous authors such as Liz Pichon ("The Brilliant World of Tom Gates"), ... Read More A home is more By Kenny Mah KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — "I refer of course to the soaring wonder of the age known as the Eiffel Tower. Never in history has a structure been more technologically advanced, materially obsolescent, and ... Read More

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Viagra is no help against heart failure, says study Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:29 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Some early research had suggested Viagra might offer a benefit to people with diastolic heart failure. — AFP/Relaxnews picROCHESTER, March 13 — The erectile dysfunction drug commonly known as Viagra is no help against heart failure and should not be taken for it, according to research out Monday that contradicts previous, smaller studies. Some early research had suggested the drug, which can increase blood flow to other parts of the body, might offer a benefit to people with diastolic heart failure in which the heart's lower chambers stiffen and cannot pump blood well, causing shortness of breath. But the randomised study of 216 patients at 26 sites in North America showed that the drug, known as sildenafil, was no better than a placebo at improving exercise capability or clinical symptoms of heart disease. Also, more patients taking the drug experienced serious adverse events than those who were given a placebo, leading researchers to urge doctors to stop prescribing it as an off-label treatment for people with heart disease. "The results of our study were surprising and disappointing," said the study's lead author Margaret Redfield, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "There was a lot of anticipation around this study based on other research, and we were hoping to find something that would help these patients, as there are currently few options for treatment." The median age of the patients studied was 69, and nearly half (48 per cent) were women. The patients were tested for cardiovascular improvements after 24 weeks, but none could be seen. During the study period, adverse events such as flushing and low blood pressure occurred more often in patients on sildenafil than in those on the placebo. Also, six people in sildenafil group died before the end of the study, while there were no deaths in the placebo section. The research was released at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in San Francisco and was published simultaneously in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "There were more (but not significantly more) patients who withdrew consent, died, or were too ill to perform the cardiopulmonary exercise test in the sildenafil treatment group, potentially accentuating the lack of benefit observed," said the JAMA paper. Sildenafil and other drugs like it — known as phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors — are used to treat erectile dysfunction and high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, but are not labeled for heart failure. However, some clinicians may be prescribing them for their heart failure patients because some smaller studies on humans and preliminary animal studies had suggested a benefit. The latest study results "should discourage this practice, particularly considering the high cost of the drug," Redfield said in a statement. — AFP/Relaxnews

The rise of the ‘zero TV’ household Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:01 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Could the days of traditional TV viewing be numbered? — AFP/Relaxnews picLOS ANGELES, March 13 — Younger people in particular are turning their backs on traditional TV in favour of content accessed via their computers, tablets and smartphones. The US — the country with an average of five televisions per household, now appears to be at the forefront of a new televisual trend — that of rejecting normal network offerings altogether. Back in 2007, ratings agency Nielsen noted that 2 million households didn't fit its traditional definition of a TV household. Some six years later, this number has jumped to over 5 million, or just under 5 per cent of US homes, and the figures suggest that this number is expected to grow. However, these households are not throwing out their televisions in favour of other activities that get them off their seats, rather they are drawing video and televisual content from a number of different sources and enjoying it on an ever-increasing number of devices. As such, 75 per cent of homes that fall into this category still have a TV but it is used more like a computer monitor, to access content via the Internet or for enjoying streamed videos, DVDs or Blu-ray and for gaming. Indeed, 67 per cent admit to regularly watching video content — 37 per cent of these households access their content via their computers; 16 per cent turn to the internet and 8 per cent claim to use smartphones (6 per cent use tablets). The other things these households have in common is age — 44.4 per cent are under the age of 35 and 65.7 per cent are aged under 45. Many are also single-person households or households without children (80.9 per cent) and while some respondents admitted the cost of subscribing to traditional cable and other TV services is a factor in their decision to 'cut the chord' (36 per cent), nearly one third (31 per cent) cited "a lack of interest" in traditional programming as their primary motivation — only 18 per cent said they'd consider subscribing to traditional TV services. Although 5 per cent is a comparatively small amount, Nielsen believes that it is significant enough to start tracking and monitoring on a regular basis, as the ratings organization believes that these households are leading the future trend of TV viewing and media consumption and that as services such as Netflix and Hulu continue to evolve, more families will similarly become zero-TV households. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Shooting the carrier pigeons Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:31 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Native Sabahan Erna is (not) Malay but loves Malay literature. Her hobbies: cats/gaming/blogging at ernamerin.com/Tweeting at @ernamh. MARCH 13 — Malaysians seem to have a knack for self-censorship. The last couple of weeks have seen plenty of that in both the mainstream news and social media. A chorus of self-appointed Twitter watchdogs have been saying things like the following: "You do not know anything about (insert subject here) so you should just shut up!" "Why are you criticising the government now? You are disrespecting our troops!" The current Sabah situation is certainly drawing both the armchair activists and the anti-armchair activists, resulting in a whole lot of noise. Here is the thing about Twitter noise: You can choose to ignore most of it. At the same time, just because someone is saying something, you can choose whether or not to believe it. You do not get to gag people just because you do not agree with nor want to listen to them. I admit I got really annoyed when people made the silliest statements about our defence tactics, saying things like we should send our submarines to engage the Sulu militants. That is like saying we should use BB guns to ward off mosquitoes. Here is the thing, though. I respect your right to an opinion. But you also need to respect other people's rights to tell you when you get your facts wrong or offer a counter-opinion. But you are also within your rights to stick your fingers in your ears and yodel very loudly in response. Some things like hate speech have no place in the public sphere. Yet trying to clamp down on social media, as suggested by a deputy minister, is a violation of freedom of expression. My own approach is that I support your right to say whatever you want so long as it does not harm others. "Others", of course, does not apply to the government. Too many Malaysians still cling to the feudal mentality that we should meekly obey and never question or criticise our leaders. We are citizens. It is right to call our politicians out for their mistakes or lack of judgement. They are servants, not our masters. Though you would not know that from the way people bow and scrape in front of our politicians. So when those same politicians try to muzzle us "for our own good", I do not call them leaders. I call them tyrants. Tyranny comes in many forms but it is a tragic thing when we defend it by defending its perpetrators... or show ourselves to be tyrants at heart as well. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist

Stunning Altintop goal helps Galatasaray through Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:30 PM PDT March 13, 2013 Galatasaray's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saves in front of Schalke 04's Julian Draxler. — Reuters picGELSENKIRCHEN (Germany), March 13 — Hamit Altintop scored a stunning 30-metre goal to set Galatasaray on the way to a 3-2 win at Schalke 04 which sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals yesterday. The Turkish side went through 4-3 on aggregate after handing Schalke their first defeat of the competition. "We definitely deserved it. We made a lot of mistakes in the second half and dropped back and they made it difficult," Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder told reporters. "We wanted to go for the third, but we didn't do it and they kept pushing (until we scored a third late on). I think Schalke played well but with all our team spirit, it's a deserved victory." Roman Neustaedter gave Schalke an early lead but former Schalke man Altintop pulled the Turkish side level in the 37th minute when he collected a free kick and scored with a shot which swerved away from Timo Hildebrand and went in off the post. Burak Yilmaz stunned the hosts by putting Galatasaray ahead with a breakaway goal five minutes later, his eighth of the competition. Michel Bastos levelled for Schalke 04 just after the hour but the Germans could not find the winner despite dominating the closing stages, with Umut Bulut snatching a win for Galatasaray in injury time. Galatasaray started well with forward Didier Drogba shooting wide from outside the area in the fifth minute and he then saw a fierce left-foot effort palmed away by Hildebrand one minute later after Sneijder slipped the ball to him on the left. Hildebrand also did well to stop Selcuk Inan's shot from a narrow angle after Drogba played him through. Schalke's opener came completely against the run of play when Neustaedter fired home from six metres after the Turks failed to clear a corner in the 17th minute. Galatasaray's Didier Drogba and Felipe Melo celebrate their victory over Schalke 04. — Reuters picBut the visitors continued to enjoy more possession and turned the game around in a dramatic five-minute spell. Altintop levelled with his first goal for the club and soon afterwards a Schalke attack broke down, Albert Riera slid in and his long clearance found Yilmaz, who outmuscled Benedikt Hoewedes and flicked the ball past Hildebrand. Galatasaray chose to sit on their lead after halftime but the tactic backfired as they were penned into their half. Teemu Pukki had a shot saved by Fernando Muslera at the foot of the post, Julian Draxler nearly scored after beating four defenders in a weaving run and Marco Hoeger smashed a shot against the crossbar as Schalke took control. Michel Bastos finally levelled in the 64th minute following another scramble in the Galatasaray area. Muslera denied Draxler with a stunning reflex save as Schalke poured forward without further success and the Turks made their progression safe late on after a breakaway. — Reuters

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Morrissey postponed US tour due to double pneumonia Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:56 AM PDT March 12, 2013 LOS ANGELES,  British singer and ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey has postponed a US show due to double pneumonia, his publicist said yesterday, but denied he had been hospitalised. British singer Morrissey. — AFP picIn the latest change of US tour dates due to health woes, Saturday's cancelled concert in San Francisco will now take place on May 1. The 53-year-old was hospitalised in Michigan for a bleeding ulcer in January. "Morrissey is not/was not hospitalised in San Francisco. He had to reschedule Saturday night's show at Regency Ballroom due to double pneumonia," spokeswoman Lauren Papapietro told AFP, commenting on online reports. Double pneumonia occurs when both lungs are infected. The tour resumes March 14 where he will co-headline the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico, she added. After that his tour returns to the United States with shows scheduled through March and April. The famously prickly singer, famous for hits with the Smiths including "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," has meanwhile apologised for heavy-handed security at a show in Portland, Oregon last week. In typically provocative style, he said: "Place an obese McDonald's fry-girl into a venue security uniform and she is suddenly Eva Braun," according to reported comments confirmed as reliable by the singer's personal assistant. Last month vegetarian Morrissey cancelled a performance with late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel in protest at the appearance of cast members from "Duck Dynasty," a reality TV show about a family duck-hunting products business. The animal rights activist played a sold-out show at Los Angeles' Staples Center on March 1 after saying he had persuaded promoters and the venue's operators to ban all meat products. — AFP/Relaxnews

‘Trainspotting’ sequel set for 2016 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:55 AM PDT March 12, 2013 LONDON, March 12 — British director Danny Boyle told specialist blog The Playlist that he hopes to start filming a "Trainspotting" sequel exactly 20 years after the cult film was released. Danny Boyle. — AFP picBoyle, who came to present "Trance" at the SXSW Festival, talked about the adaptation of Irvine Welsh's "Porno," which was published in 2002. The work is the direct continuation of "Trainspotting," which Boyle adapted for the cinema in 1996. The director's faithful collaborator John Hodge is currently working on the "Porno" screenplay. The movie won't completely adhere to the plot set out by Welsh. "It's very loosely based on 'Porno.' There's a couple of things that are based on the book, but obviously we'd have to have Irvine [Welsh] on board," explained Boyle. Moreover, the director is confident that the "Trainspotting" actors, such as Robert Carlyle and Ewan McGregor, who shot to fame in the movie, will be back for the sequel. Danny Boyle also announced that he is working on two other movies that he described as period dramas, but he didn't go into much detail. Before those, British audiences will be able to discover "Trance" starring James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel from March 27. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Learning how to comment Posted: 11 Mar 2013 04:49 PM PDT March 12, 2013 Rushdi believes that a change agent must tell the truth to a benevolent dictator, religious hardliner, and compassionately connect with youth and have nots. MARCH 12 — Amir Al Mumineen Omar ibn AlKhattab: "Good behaviour towards people is equivalent to wisdom, to request politely is half of knowledge, and to ascribe to sound policies is half of one's livelihood." The court of public opinion is the ultimate knowledge bank as the collective intelligence of the people is greater than any one person's. Thus, White Papers, public comment, etc, are often utilised to gain more insight, add more depth, and so on to undertakings. To write articles on pressing and provocative issues for public consumption using one's real name takes time, effort and dedication. For any writer, comments, constructive criticism and feedback, etc, are always welcome as one always strives to do better. I view such articles as podium-speech, much like a speaker presenting at a conference or seminar. Upon finishing the lecture, the floor is opened to the audience for questions, comments, clarifications, and, sometimes, mini-presentations.  The questions and comments are not personal attacks (most of the time), and even when the questions are written-in, civility is maintained. The lack of anonymity combined with "audience societal pressure" works well to avoid personal character assassinations. Downside of anonymity While the Internet has resulted in more voices on any given subject matter, anonymity has resulted in, at times, offensive personal comments/attacks that would not be aired during, say, a conference. Some websites have taken the decision to not include comments, and others have "report abuse" options. Furthermore, where comments are allowed, usually a thumbs up or thumbs down functionality typically shows the public's reaction, by way of click voting, to comments. Thus, they act like a commentary on comments, which, allows, at one level, checks and balances on civility. Put another way, the click votes are like a good lawyer impeaching a hostile witness during cross examination. One of the comments I often read after an article is: "I will not get back the 10 minutes of my life (I spent) reading the article." Hmm, then why not stop after the first paragraph? Unless, the first paragraph itself took 10 minutes! Negative campaigning Are negative personal attacks on a writer similar to negative or smear campaigns during elections? Such attacks actually cause more harm to some writers, who may not have acquired a thick skin and so do not write again, and, we, as a society, lose with one less voice. In elections, negative campaigning is becoming less popular as it no longer resonates with the mainstream voters. The politicians have realised that it's more about subject matter, exposure and expertise and less about mud-slinging. Those reading personal attack comments vote in a similar way, with a "thumbs down." A possible way forward is to incorporate the comments much like letters to the editor in respected newspapers, where real names and addresses are required as a precondition to the acceptance to the letter. This screens the riff from the raff. Model behaviour We Muslims have always looked to the Quran and the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (saw) for peace and guidance in our daily lives. The Prophet (saw) said: "I am leaving two things among you, and if you cling to them firmly you will never go astray; one is the Book of Allah and the other is my way of life." (Farewell Pilgrimage: Muatta) Oftentimes, when I feel I may have slightly deviated from the path, I have to remind myself with some of the sayings of the Prophet (saw). "Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith." (Muslim) "It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words." (Bukhari) "All Muslims are like a foundation, each strengthening the other; in such a way they do support each other." (Abu Musa: Bukhari & Muslim) "Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind." (Muslims and Bukhari) Here, the takeaway point is about the dignity of civility, and not just towards fellow Muslims, but fellow human beings. We are, after all, ambassadors of our faith and role models for the next generation. Open mic In fairness, let's give those who make comments under pseudo names an opportunity to submit bylined pieces with their real names on a subject matter that is near and dear to them. Maybe such people are irritated because they have not been given opportunity to submit pieces or their submissions have been rejected by the media in question.  The subject matter could be about tolerance, freedom of speech, a rationale for their comments, or even on how the beloved Prophet Mohammad (saw) conducted himself with friends, fiends, and foes. Many of my fellow colleagues and me would welcome the opportunity to read these bylined pieces, as learning is a neverending journey. The "keyboard" is in your court. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

The mysteries of form Posted: 11 Mar 2013 04:32 PM PDT March 12, 2013 Andy West is a sports writer originally from the UK and now living in Barcelona. He has worked in professional football since 1998 and specialises in the Spanish Primera Division and the English Premier League. Follow him on Twitter at @andywest01. MARCH 12 — My dad took me to my first game of football when I was four years old. I am now 40. In the intervening 36 years, I have been to a lot of football matches. That debut trip was to Norwich's Carrow Road, and I probably went to another 20 games there before we moved to Leicester, where I became a "Junior Fox" and attended roughly 100 games. Then we moved south and supported non-league Wokingham Town (around 100 games) and top-flight Southampton (200 games). Eventually, I got a job at Reading Football Club, where I worked for 11 years and attended something in the region of 500 games. And now I live in Barcelona, where I'm up to around 30 games and counting. Over the years, then, I have been to something like 950 games as a fan, an employee and a reporter. I've watched all levels of football, from non-league Wokingham to Champions League Barcelona; I've witnessed promotions, relegations, unlikely cup runs and plenty of mid-table mediocrity. I have, in short, watched a lot of football in a wide variety of situations. I should therefore be in a good position to understand the game. Yet I still do not really have a clue why teams lose and gain that most elusive of qualities: form. I can speculate and offer a few educated guesses, but that's all they are. The truth is that, despite all my years of watching the game, I cannot really tell you what makes teams play well or badly over a sustained period of time. This realisation struck me on Saturday night, as I witnessed Barcelona labour their way through a 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Deportivo La Coruna. Barca are currently a classic example of a team out of form. I can assert that their biggest problem is a lack of tempo to their passing. They are playing too slowly and too predictably to create gaps in the opposition defences. That much I am confident about. But why has this sudden inability appeared, when they were routinely scoring four and five goals per game just a few weeks ago? Here, I have to throw my hands in the air, shrug my shoulders and admit that all I can do is guess. The biggest implosion in form I can remember came during my final season working at Reading.  It was 2008/9, our first season back in the Championship after the previous campaign's relegation from the Premier League. We started the season very well, looking by far the best team in the division, and after a 1-0 home win over Wolves at the end of January, promotion looked a dead cert. But then the team fell apart, winning just four more games (in 19 attempts) all season and eventually losing in the playoffs. Why did it happen? The team had been dominant and seemingly cruising to promotion, but then all of a sudden they just couldn't win. It was baffling, but my lack of understanding was shared by the manager, Steve Coppell, who would respond to the inevitable question of what had gone wrong with the gruff reply: "If I knew that, I would do something about it." Whatever causes good and bad form, it has to be two sides of the same coin. When certain things are in place, they result in teams playing well: they enjoy good form. Yet when those certain things are taken away, the same players will respond by performing nowhere near as well: they suffer bad form. I've already admitted that I can do no more than guess what those "certain things" might be. But I suspect the ultimate cause of good or bad form could be described as "shared motivation." As the former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth put it in his highly entertaining autobiography: "We're only at our best when we're ascending towards something. And when you're ascending, you're furious, you're focused; you have to be, or you'll fall off." In team sports, good form occurs when a group of players are all simultaneously "ascending" with furious focus towards the same goal, and doing it in the same way. It will often be an unconscious, unspoken understanding that creates a positive dynamic between a group of people who share a common ambition. That happened at Reading during the record-breaking 2005/6 Championship-winning campaign, when all the players, management and staff were "furiously focused" on one objective — promotion — and were willing to subsume short-term personal interests in the knowledge that individual gratification would eventually be granted by the accomplishment of the shared group objective. The result was good form. Conversely, bad form results when different people have different motivations and/or methods of working and are therefore pulling in different directions. In those disastrous few months in 2009, for example, some Reading players wanted a new contract; others had just been awarded a new contract and were maybe coasting; others wanted to leave. There was no sense of communal "ascending." In football, management and leadership is very important in defining the shared objective and putting into place the necessary working methodologies that will allow it to be achieved. The manager or head coach provides the vision; if it is expressed coherently and consistently enough, the players buy into it and work together to "ascend" towards it. Barcelona's current problems, in that context, can probably be explained by the ongoing absence of their manager Tito Vilanova, who has spent the last seven weeks in New York for a course of medical treatment after undergoing cancer surgery. Without his guidance to show the players how their ambitions can be achieved, Barcelona are looking lost and playing without any kind of purpose or conviction. They know what they want to achieve, but are unsure how they should go about it because the vision provided by Vilanova is missing. Without his leadership, ascending has turned rapidly into descending. Barca have an opportunity to shake off their bad form tonight, as they attempt to reverse a 2-0 first-leg deficit against AC Milan. Their players are clearly good enough to do it but, from an objective perspective, it's difficult to see how that can be achieved without the guiding hand of their manager to show them how they should ascend towards their shared goal. I hope I'm proved wrong, but by this time tomorrow I expect to see AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals — Barca just don't have the form to make it otherwise. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

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SPR yaking PRU-13 diadakan serentak di seluruh negara termasuk Lahad Datu Posted: 12 Mar 2013 03:12 AM PDT March 12, 2013 Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof mengatakan keadaan di kawasan pencerobohan pengganas di Lahad Datu kini semakin bertambah baik ekoran usaha pasukan keselamatan Malaysia. — Gambar failKOTA KINABALU, 12 Mac — Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof yakin pilihan raya umum ke-13 akan diadakan serentak di seluruh negara termasuk di kawasan pencerobohan pengganas di Lahad Datu. Ini kerana katanya keadaan di kawasan itu, khususnya Kampung Tanduo, bertambah baik dan beliau yakin situasi di situ dan kawasan sekitar akan kembali tenang dalam masa terdekat. "Saya tidak akan membuat spekulasi mengenai keadaan di Lahad Datu khususnya di Tanduo dan sekitarnya, namun saya cukup yakin dengan usaha pasukan keselamatan, keadaan di situ kembali aman," katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan taklimat susulan pegawai pengurus, penolong pengurus dan pasukan penguat kuasa kempen pilihan raya bagi pilihan raya umum ke-13, di sini hari ini. Menurut Abdul Aziz terdapat dua pusat mengundi iaitu di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tanjung Labian dan SK Tunku di kawasan Zon Merah yang diisytiharkan susulan insiden pencerobohan pengganas di Kampung Tanduo pada 12 Feb lepas. Zon Merah terletak dalam kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Tunku yang kini diwakili Barisan Nasional (BN) menerusi Datuk Mohd Suhaili Said. DUN Tunku pula terletak dalam kawasan Parlimen Silam bersama-sama DUN Lahad Datu dan Kunak. Beliau juga mengesahkan Daftar Pemilih sehingga 31 Dis lepas yang diwartakan pada 22 Feb lalu akan terpakai jika Parlimen dibubar hujung bulan ini. Bagaimanapun proses pembersihan Daftar Pemilih itu masih diteruskan sehingga Parlimen dibubar, katanya. Menurut Abdul Aziz, Sabah kini mempunyai 982,644 pengundi berdaftar yang layak mengundi pada pilihan raya umum akan datang selain 24,497 pengundi berdaftar bagi kawasan Parlimen Labuan. Beliau berkata SPR akan menempatkan 17,615 petugas di Sabah bagi menguruskan proses pilihan raya di negeri itu yang dijangka menelan belanja RM50 juta, meliputi 25 kerusi parlimen di Sabah dan satu di Labuan serta 60 kerusi DUN. Mengenai pengangkutan udara dan air khususnya di kawasan luar bandar Sabah, Abdul Aziz berkata perkhidmatan helikopter akan diguna di 86 pusat mengundi, manakala bot pula di 55 pusat mengundi. Mengenai pasukan penguat kuasa, beliau berkata lima kawasan parlimen iaitu Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, Batu Sapi, Sandakan dan Tawau akan dipantau dua pasukan, manakala di kawasan lain satu pasukan. Bilangan pengundi pos berdaftar luar negara untuk Sabah ialah 65 orang setakat ini, termasuk 20 di Kota Kinabalu, sembilan masing-masing di Penampang dan Putatan serta lapan di Tawau. Abdul Aziz turut mengingatkan parti politik yang akan bertanding agar berkempen secara berhemah dan bertanggungjawab tanpa membangkitkan isu sensitive terutama berkaitan insiden pencerobohan di Lahad Datu. "Saya yakin 'orang-orang Sabah' ini baik-baik belaka, tidak ada yang suka memburuk-burukkan orang lain, dan saya fikir, kalau semua pihak betul-betul berkempen (dengan mematuhi peraturan yang ditetapkan) dan bertanggungjawab, pilihan raya kita akan berjalan dengan baik dan tiada masalah," katanya. "Pihak polis kita akan mengawal keadaan di semua kawasan sepanjang tempoh kempen pilihan raya, dan dalam keadaan tertentu, jika perlu, kita boleh juga meminta bantuan dari pihak tentera," katanya. Beliau turut menasihati pengundi di Sabah terutama di Lahad Datu agar menunaikan tanggungjawab mereka apabila pilihan raya diadakan. "Jangan takut dan jangan dengar khabar angin. Keluarlah beramai-ramai bagi menunaikan tanggungjawab anda  sebagai pengundi," katanya. Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Abdul Aziz meminta para petugas, terutama pengurus dan penolong pengurus  pilihan raya supaya menjalankan tugas mereka dengan adil tanpa  rasa takut atau berat sebelah. — Bernama

Peguam Najib dan Pak Lah mohon ketepikan sapina perbicaraan PKFZ Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:32 AM PDT Oleh Ida Lim March 12, 2013 KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Mac — Peguam kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan penyandang terdahulu Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (gambar) ataupun Pak Lah telah memberi isyarat akan mengenepikan sapina bagi anak guam mereka bagi memberi keterangan dalam perbicaraan Zon Perdagangan Bebas Pelabuhan Kelang (PKFZ), kata Wong Kian Kheong. Wong, mewakili bekas menteri pengangkutan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik pada 20 Februari lalu memberitahu mahkamah Najib dan Abdullah antara nama dalam senarai saksi pembelaan yang akan dipanggil. Wong berkata hari kepada Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi  beliau perlu menemubual Najib dan Abdullah, sebelum membawa mereka memberi keterangan dalam pembelaan Dr Ling. Namun, beliau masih belum menerima sebarang maklum balas daripada peguam kedua-dua individu tersebut. Apabila ditemui luar kamar mahkamah hari ini, Wong mengesahkan sapina yang telah dikeluarkan belum lagi disampaikan, menegaskan temubual perlu dijalankan terlebih dahulu. Dr Ling yang berkhidmat sebagai menteri pengangkutan selama 17 tahun daripada Januari 1986 hingga Mei 2003 didakwa menipu Kabinet untuk meluluskan pembelian tanah PKFZ yang pada awalnya dianggar benilai RM1.1 bilion tetapi ia kemudiaan meningkat dengan berganda kepada RM4.6 bilion hingga tahun 2007. Semakan yang dibuat oleh sebuah firma perakaunan  PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) mendedahkan pada 2009 jumlah keseluruhan termasuk faedah daripada pembayaran semula hutang boleh mencecah RM12.5 bilion. Sejak Disember 2009, enam individu telah didakwa di mahkamah termasuk bekas presiden MCA, Dr Ling dan penggantinya selaku menteri pengangkutan iaitu bekas timbalan ketua MCA Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy. Dr Ling juga berhadapan dua lagi pertuduhan tambahan atas menipu Kabinet untuk mempercayai terma pembelian — daripada RM25 sekaki termasuk faedah 7.5 peratus - telah diakui dan dipersetujui oleh JPPH walaupun menyedari tiada perjanjian yang wujud. Beliau berhadapan hukuman penjara selama tujuh tahun jika disabit kesalahan, atau denda, atau kedua-duanya keatas pertuduhan pertama dibawah seksyen 418 Kanun Keseksaan. Pertuduhan tambahan yang dihadapinya pula sedikit ringan, lima tahun penjara, atau denda, atau kedua-duanya. Perbicaraan selanjutnya akan bersambung pada 18 Mac nanti. Saksi lain yang dijangkan akan dipanggil ialah timbalan CEO Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) Datuk Faizal Abdullah, saksi pakar Sajjad Akhtar daripada firma perakaunan berasal dari Singapura. Awal hari ini, bekas menteri kabinet Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn memberi keterangan Dr Ling tidak menipu beliau keatas pembelian tanah PKFZ, sementara seorang lagi menteri Kabinet, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim masih lagi belum dipanggil untuk memberi keterangan.

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