KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — There's nothing like a good risotto or pasta that tells you the Italian bistro you have just been to is worth going again. We liked the Prawn and Scallop Risotto at Uno! in Taman ... Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — They learnt to make butter and pasta, clarify a consommé, shape semolina dumplings, and ice a strawberry mille-feuille. All 17 of them.The children — little chefs — were bewitched ... Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — This definitely has to be one of my favourite desserts. Panna Cotta, a popular Italian dessert with an Asian twist — green tea!In its simplest form, panna cotta is made by simmering ... Read More
Reuters file picture of tennis player Serena Williams. ROME, May 18 — Serena Williams crushed Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3 6-0 to book her place in the Italian Open final and extend her winning streak to 23 matches on Saturday.
World number one Williams, who is chasing a fourth consecutive tour title, will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's final after the third seed beat last year's French Open finalist Sara Errani 6-0 7-5.
Williams's unbeaten run has included title successes in Miami, Charlestan and Madrid and she is chasing a first Rome title since 2002, the year she won her only French Open.
Her opponent was playing her first top-level semi-final and was bidding to become the first qualfier to reach the final in Rome.
Halep scored an early break of serve for a 2-1 lead in the first set but then wilted, winning just one more game as 15-times grand slam singles champion Williams steamrollered her way into the final.
Sports Ferguson gets perfect send-off as United leave it late May 13, 2013 Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson lifts the English Premier League trophy at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, northern England May 12, 2013. — Reuters picLONDON, May 18 — Manchester United's outgoing manager Alex Ferguson has criticised neighbours Manchester City for sacking Roberto Mancini.
The Italian boss was sacked on Monday having failed to retain the Premier League title he won last season and after losing the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic.
Mancini took out a full-page advertisement in the Manchester Evening News on Saturday, thanking fans for their support during his time in charge.
The former Inter Milan manager said in the ad: "Manchester City Supporters 3 unforgettable years, you will always be in my heart, ciao, Roberto Mancini."
Ferguson, who will retire following Sunday's game at West Bromwich Albion, rallied behind his former rival and questioned the logic behind sacking a manager who won the Premier League and FA Cup during his three years in charge.
"It was quite amazing. He has won the FA Cup, been in the final, second in the league and won the league and it's not good enough?" he told reporters.
"I was surprised, but actually no, you can't say you are surprised not with some owners today. You can't be surprised, but I still don't think it was right."
Ferguson will be replaced by David Moyes, who will leave Everton at the end of the season after 11 years in charge.
While Ferguson says Moyes will not be distracted by the situation at Manchester City, he will need to adapt to working at a club with a larger global appeal.
"What happens at Man City won't have any bearing on David," Ferguson said.
"He's got the structure here and he's got the experience. He's had to handle things at Everton that are more difficult probably. I don't think that matters.
"I think the enormity of the club will be the most difficult aspect, he will soon realise that anyway.
"The global brand and number of sponsors we have, he has to fit into that. I don't think that's an issue though and the most important thing is the team.
"He's got a good squad of players and he will want to add to that. He will have his own ideas and that's good. He will be fine." — Reuters
MALMOE, May 18 — When Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids ended her Eurovision Song Contest rehearsal performance last week by kissing one of her female dancers, few members of the audience raised an eyebrow.
Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids (2dR) performs while wearing a wedding dress during a dress rehearsal for the second semifinal on May 15, 2013 at the Malmo Opera Hall in Malmo prior to the Eurovision song contest. — AFP picEurovision has been a staple of gay culture for decades in western Europe, where gay bars and nightclubs traditionally screen the event and drag queens often pay tribute to the kitsch outfits seemingly made for them
But if the lesbian kiss stays part of the act in the Swedish city of Malmoe, it could pose a problem for public broadcasters in the socially conservative nations of eastern Europe.
Russia, winner of the contest in 2008, last year blocked plans for a gay pride parade in Moscow, and in neighbouring Ukraine, which clinched the top spot in 2004, lawmakers are mulling a bill that would ban "pro-homosexual propaganda".
It is a gamble Finland's Siegfrids may be willing to take: courting the pink vote could also boost support for disco anthem "Marry Me", which has already spawned a same-sex marriage-themed parody on YouTube.
"I absolutely love the video. It's really funny," Siegfrids told AFP.
The former reality show contestant said she hoped Helsinki would legalise gay marriage "as soon as possible", after the issue became the subject of a so-called citizens' initiative garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures.
In Sweden, which has been a pioneer in gay rights, the city of Malmoe has worked with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to promote the Eurovision Song Contest.
It's a far cry from last year's bizarre row between Azerbaijan and its more staunchly Muslim neighbour Iran, which reacted angrily to an unlikely rumour that the country would hold a gay parade during the event.
A senior presidential administration official retorted that Azerbaijan does not even have a word for gay parade — unlike Iran.
But although the competition's appeal to gay men is widely known, explaining it has never been easy.
'World Cup for gays'
"This has become the FIFA World Cup for gay guys," said Daniel Poehlmann, who was scheduled to speak at an international Eurovision Song Contest conference held at Malmoe University this week.
"It's not just about the glitz and glamour... Every country competes with a genre that's different from the next one," he added.
The 31-year-old student and translator first became "seriously involved" with Eurovision after joining a Facebook group in 2009.
"Now I have around 20 very close friends from this Facebook group, who travel to Eurovision each year," he said.
"If you go out to (the official party venue) Euroclub you normally assume that a guy is gay until he says otherwise."
Out of Poehlmann's Eurovision friends, around 15 were gay, but none of them had ever been in a relationship with another fan.
"Maybe it's because when you're this interested, it's nice to have a counterweight," he suggested.
Sensing that he might "overdose" on Eurovision this year, Malmoe's self-dubbed king of Eurovision will be returning to his alternative rock roots later this year.
"I've just booked tickets to the Off Festival outside Krakow in Poland, where my friend and I are going to watch the Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine," he said.
Ronny Larsson, a journalist and Eurovision blogger for Swedish gay magazine QX, said that although no one had ever managed to fully explain the contest's popularity among gay men, he had a theory that might shed some light on it.
"A lot of other people are ashamed to listen to this type of music. But gay people have already come out, we've had to stand up for ourselves, what we are and what we like," he said.
"That makes it easier. Even if it's a bit embarrassing, it becomes such a minor issue for us."
There is also a faction within the community who hate the Eurovision Song Contest and Melodifestivalen, the annual series of shows to select the Swedish entry, he noted.
"What I find hard to accept is all these theories that it's because of the glitz and glamour, because it's such a cliché and that's never been the reason for my interest or my friends' (interest)," Larsson said.
Still, those looking for a bit of disco glamour at this year's gay club nights in Malmoe won't be disappointed, with Swedish Eurovision divas Loreen, Carola and Charlotte Perrelli each headlining gigs at nightclub Wonk.
All three have won the European contest at some point in their careers.
Club owner Joakim Nilsson booked one of the city's premier party venues for the event the day after Loreen won last year's competition in Baku, since Wonk's regular premises were deemed too small.
The busy schedule will leave him no time to attend the spectacular music fest in Malmoe Arena, but that may have been just as well.
"I don't listen to that type of music myself. I prefer house music," he said. — AFP/Relaxnews
LOS ANGELES, May 18 — The German-born American actor is adding to his prolific filmography yet another action-packed picture, "Expiration," a project developed by Emmett/Furla Films and announced at the 66th Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film.
This feature film has Bruce Willis (picture) playing a poisoned hit man desperately seeking an 11th-hour antidote to save his own life.
Brian Tucker, author of the crime thriller "Broken City," will be penning the screenplay to this thriller. The producers of "Expiration" are hoping to start shooting in March 2014.
In the meantime, Emmett/Furla Films say they're negotiating with a prospective director, but keeping his name under wraps until the deal has been clinched. — Afp-Relaxnews
A skateboarder performs tricks in an area beneath the Southbank Centre in London on May 6, 2013. — AFP picLONDON, May 18 — Skateboarders soar out of the concrete bowl beneath London's Southbank Centre, as they have done for the past 40 years, while spectators drink beer and hiphop beats stoke up the party atmosphere.
But this is no party — it's a protest. These knights of the pavement are jousting with authorities to save one of the world's most iconic skateparks from being converted into a stretch of chain stores and cafes.
"It's world renowned. People literally come all the way from America or Europe just to see this place," says Henry Edwards-Wood, 25, a professional skateboard cinematographer and spokesman for the "Long Live Southbank" campaign.
To support their campaign skateboarders held a three-day "jam" over the May bank holiday weekend and have launched an online petition which has gathered more than 28,000 names from across the globe.
And this clash between counterculture and consumerism is also going legal. Lawyers acting for the Long Live Southbank campaign have filed an application to protect it as a community space in the way that Britain's famed village greens are sacred.
"This is a big tourist attraction for people who come to London. Who's going to come here to see a Starbucks or another Wagamamas?" said Edwards-Wood, as skateboarders in hoodies and backwards baseball caps whizzed past.
The dingy "undercroft" where the skateboarders are based sits beneath the brutalist Southbank Centre on the River Thames, home to renowned arts venues such as the Hayward Art Gallery, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Purcell Room.
In the 1970s it became the birthplace of skateboarding in Britain and has since won a name as a mecca for skaters around the globe, featuring in numerous videos and in the best-selling computer game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
It has also provided a refuge for BMXers and graffiti artists.
Earlier this year, however, the Southbank Centre unveiled plans for a new Festival Wing which would involve the destruction of the undercroft and the building of a new skatepark under a nearby bridge.
The £120 million (RM552 million) facelift includes new space for performances and exhibitions and has special arts facilities for young people.
Southbank Centre Director Mike McCart says the spot now colonised by the skateboarders is a prime location for cafes and restaurants -- the rent from which would fund the plan.
"If we're unable to use commercial retail in this location it would fundamentally undermine the project as a whole," he said.
McCart said the proposed new site under the Hungerford Bridge about 200 metres (yards) along the river would be the same size and area as the current spot.
"We've kept it absolutely raw, so it's a found space very similar to the ones the skaters inherited in the Seventies."
The leader of Lambeth council, Lib Peck, said they would "like to see skateboarding kept on the South Bank".
"We are confident that a satisfactory solution can be found," Peck said.
But the Southbank skaters are not giving up without a fight.
At the jam on the first weekend of May, hundreds of tourists and passersby lined up behind the fences that surround the skating area to watch a skateboard contest, while music blared over a sound system.
Volunteers sold black and white "Long Live Southbank" T-shirts and cupcakes to raise money for the campaign. Skaters gave beginners lessons to children and adults alike -- making sure their pupils put on the safety helmets that they themselves refuse to wear.
As night fell it got nostalgic with classic skate movies shown on a big screen and photos of Southbank from the 1970s to the present day taped to a wall.
Nick Jensen, a professional skateboarder who has frequented Southbank for years, said it was a "mecca for skateboarding".
"It's like threatening to take a part of your upbringing or part of who you are away," he said of the closure plan.
Their campaign has won heavyweight support at home and abroad.
British lawmaker and former culture minister Ben Bradshaw said he was "really sad" at the plan to close the "iconic cultural landmark in London" while respected broadcaster and journalist Libby Purves wrote in The Times newspaper that to replace the skate spot to build more shops and cafes would be "cultural vandalism."
Mark Gonzales, an American professional skateboarder and artist named the most influential skateboarder of all time by Thrasher magazine, the industry bible, called for the preservation of the spot.
"It's a place where skaters from all around the world can go and they can meet other skaters from other countries," he said in a video statement for the campaign.
Tom "Blondey" McCoy, a 15-year-old sponsored skater, said that building a new park nearby as the Southbank Centre had suggested would not have the same "vibe."
"It's just a completely irreplaceable thing -- and the way I see it retail is the most replaceable thing," he said.
"It's as important to us as a part of our lives as our homes." — Reuters
A new study finds that working longer in life may help you live longer. — Reuters picNEW YORK, May 18 — A new study finds that working longer may help you live longer. Researchers found that depression and physical decline are much more likely for those retiring than for those who keep working.
While the study found that there is a small boost to your health right after retirement, a significant decline sets in soon thereafter.
Research published by UK-based think tank Institute of Economic Affairs analysed data from men and women aged 50-70 years old in 11 different European countries.
Study author Gabriel H. Sahlgren, director of research at the Centre for Market Reform of Education, and his team found that retired people were about 40 per cent more likely to experience depression and about 60 percent more likely to have health problems compared to those who kept working.
Edward Datnow, chairman of the Age Endeavour Fellowship, an organization which contributed to the study, told the BBC that "there should be no 'normal' retirement age in future."
"More employers need to consider how they will capitalise on Britain's untapped grey potential and those seeking to retire should think very hard about whether it is their best option."
In a separate study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in the US looked at rates of heart attack and stroke among men and women in the US Health and Retirement Study. Among nearly 5,500 participants in the study, those who had retired were 40 per cent more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who were still working. — AFP-Relaxnews
[unable to retrieve full-text content]LONDON, May 18 — Ever wondered what went through author J.K. Rowling’s mind when she wrote the first “Harry Potter” novel? Fans of books about the boy wizard will have a chance to bid on a unique first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” annotated by the author, at a charity auction this month, the English PEN organisation said ...
MAY 18 — With Manchester United winning the English Premier League title a few weeks in advance (shame on you Manchester City and Chelsea for not putting up a better fight!), the only excitement left is the battle for Champions League places. Unlike last season, where things were left till the last day of the season (including the battle for the EPL title), as the last day of the season dawns on us this weekend, we already know the teams relegated, and the only thing left to stir the imagination is the battle for third and fourth place between Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs, for the aforementioned Champions League places next season.
Although we can all safely say that Reading and Queens Park Rangers more or less deserved to get relegated, it's with a heavy heart that most of us will be saying goodbye to Wigan, who were relegated after falling to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal just a few days after the high of winning the FA Cup after improbably beating Manchester City in the final. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will probably not be short of suitors at the end of the season, and their excellent players like Callum McManaman, Shane Maloney and Arouna Kone even more so.
But with the relegation scrap already decided, there's decidedly much less drama surrounding the matches involving Arsenal and Spurs as their opponents, who were previously still in danger of getting relegation, are now safe and have nothing much to play for except for a better finish in the league table. Trust Manchester United to still provide something to look forward to though, as the news of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement at the end of the season probably prompted Manchester City to also react by sacking Roberto Mancini as their manager and put themselves in the market for a "better" manager.
With speculation surrounding interim Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez and his probable replacement also gaining momentum in the last few weeks, I think most of us are already looking forward to the start of next season. Jose Mourinho is strongly mooted to be making a return to Chelsea this summer, and with Everton's David Moyes already confirmed as Manchester United manager next season and Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini rumoured to be taking over at Manchester City next season, we'll be looking at the very rare instance of the top three teams in the EPL all having to adapt to a new manager at the beginning of the season.
With Chelsea's already awesome squad and Mourinho's proven track record and familiarity with the backroom machinery at Chelsea, they're probably the ones who'll have much less hassle when it comes to the much dreaded period of transition. Both Manchester teams have far more to worry about when it comes to this period of transition, as Moyes has never really managed a "big" club before and the squad he's inheriting is far from complete, especially in midfield with Paul Scholes retiring for the second time, Ryan Giggs surely on his last legs, Michael Carrick already entering the wrong side of 30 and Anderson still only showing "promise" even as he's already past his mid-twenties. Money, probably a lot of it, will have to be spent to rebuild this squad, especially if we also consider the fact that even their wingers are uncharacteristically underperforming this season.
While Pellegrini is definitely a winner and has a pretty good record in the Champions League, if he does take over at Manchester City then he faces a totally different hurdle — it's his first season in English football and he'll definitely need to adapt tactically to the fast-paced and very physical nature of things in England. All this contributes to the feeling that anything could happen next season, and that the title may be truly up for grabs for the first time in a very long time.
Despite their fans' complaints about losing Robin Van Persie to Manchester United this season, Arsenal really haven't been doing so bad at all, as this season is their actual season of transition and they do look to have a much stronger squad who'll only get better next season as their newer players like Giroud, Cazorla and Podolski get attuned to each other. If Spurs can hold on to Gareth Bale and sign at least one (but preferably two) world-class striker, then their first-11 squad is quite an impressive one. And if they can groom or sign a proper backup to the Dembele and Sandro midfield partnership, I'd say they can be there or thereabouts as well.
And let's not forget Liverpool, also undergoing their own season of transition this season as they acclimatise to a new manager, they've played some truly scintillating football at times and once they've managed to get more consistency to their game, their attacking combo of Suarez, Sturridge and playmaker Coutinho is quite a frightening combination.
Even though I'm a huge Spurs fan, I'm not holding much hope for us challenging for the title next season as I know that we have quite a thin squad when it comes to quality, but as a neutral I can definitely say that with all the possible turmoil at the start of and throughout next season (imagine if Moyes loses his first three or four matches, will the Manchester United glory hunters call for him to be sacked?), we may just have the most open EPL season ever. And that can only be a good thing.
GEORGE TOWN, 18 Mei — Seorang lelaki yang dipercayai anggota penguatkuasa Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) ditahan selepas dia menyamun dengan sabit sebuah Kedai 24 jam di Lebuh Pantai di sini awal pagi tadi.
Ketua Polis Daerah Timur Laut, ACP Gan Kong Meng berkata sepasukan anggota polis yang sedang melakukan rondaan pada mulanya terserempak dengan suspek yang menutup mukanya dengan bajunya sambil tergesa-gesa keluar dari premis itu sebelum melarikan diri dengan sebuah Perodua Myvi, kira-kira 5 pagi.
"Anggota kita yang mengekori suspek berjaya menahan suspek yang berusia 26 tahun itu di lampu isyarat Lebuh Carnavon tidak jauh dari lokasi kejadian.
"Hasil pemeriksaan ke atasnya mendapati suspek turut memiliki sebilah sabit," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Beliau berkata sabit itu dipercayai digunakan untuk mengugut pekerja kedai itu untuk menyerah hasil jualan premis berkenaan.
Suspek yang sudah berkeluarga dan tidak mempunyai rekod jenayah kini ditahan reman bagi membantu siasatan mengikut Seksyen 392/397 Kanun Keseksaan yang memperuntukkan hukuman penjara sehingga 14 tahun dan denda serta sebat jika sabit kesalahan. — Bernama
KANGAR, 18 Mei — Raja Muda Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail mahu rakyat 'celik media' supaya mereka berupaya membuat penilaian terhadap sesuatu perkara atau isu yang dibangkitkan.
Menurut baginda, masyarakat perlu menguasai teknologi terkini yang memudahkan lagi penerimaan maklumat dan berita yang merentasi faktor geografi, ruang waktu, bahasa, budaya mahupun agama.
"Kewartawanan menuntut sifat amanah, berdisiplin dan beradab. Saya pasti tiada siapa boleh menafikan peranan wartawan dan media massa dalam pembangunan dan pemodenan sesebuah negara," titah baginda semasa merasmikan seminar Kewartawanan Keamanan IMT-GT di kampus Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Arau hari ini.
Seminar sehari itu diadakan sempena sambutan ulang tahun keputeraan Raja Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail yang ke-70, yang dianjurkan bersama UiTM Perlis dan Kelab Media Perlis (KEMPs) dengan disertai para wartawan Perlis, Thailand dan Indonesia di samping pelajar UiTM Perlis dan Shah Alam serta Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
Baginda bertitah laporan berita yang semakin pantas adalah cabaran kepada pengamal media dalam mengukuhkan etika kewartawanan apatah lagi dalam keadaan lanskap politik terkini dan asas hubungan antarabangsa yang boleh dieksploitasi ke arah tidak sihat dan membimbangkan.
Raja Muda bertitah penulisan mampu mengubah pemikiran masyarakat malah kekuatan pada ketajaman penulisan boleh menjatuhkan, membangunkan atau memporak-perandakan sesebuah negara.
"Mutakhir ini, kuasa pena sudah bertukar menjadi gabungan kuasa jari jemari dan jalur lebar yang luar biasa pantasnya dan nilai berita turut diukur daripada kepantasannya," titah baginda.
Menurut baginda, kalau dahulu berita dianggap masih baru jika ia dilaporkan dalam tempoh 24 jam, namun pada masa ini, jika berita dilaporan dalam tempoh dua atau tiga jam selepas peristiwa, ia sudah agak ketinggalan.
"Walaupun kepantasan menjadi kayu ukur penting namun nasihat saya, ia perlulah didasari oleh nilai kebenaran dan realisasi menyeluruh atau ketepatannya," titah Tuanku Syed Faizuddin.
Baginda mencadangkan inisiatif latihan dan pertemuan sama ada di peringkat domestik dan antarabangsa perlu dilaksanakan lebih kerap sama ada bagi tempoh jangka pendek dan jangka panjang untuk memperkasakan dunia kewartawanan.
Sementara itu pada forum yang dikendalikan Rektor UiTM Perlis, Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Redzuan Abdul Rahman sempena seminar itu, para wartawan daripada tiga negara turut mengemukakan pelbagai pandangan bagi mempromosikan kawasan pertumbuhan segi tiga Indonesia, Malaysia dan Thailand (IMT-GT) yang merupakan sebuah gagasan yang diwujudkan pada 1993. Turut hadir pada seminar itu ialah Pengarah Tourism Malaysia di Medan, Indonesia, Nor Asikin Haron. — Bernama
The Malaysian Insider :: Food
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — There's nothing like a good risotto or pasta that tells you the Italian bistro you have just been to is worth going again. We liked the Prawn and Scallop Risotto at Uno! in Taman ... Read More 
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — They learnt to make butter and pasta, clarify a consommé, shape semolina dumplings, and ice a strawberry mille-feuille. All 17 of them.The children — little chefs — were bewitched ... Read More 
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — This definitely has to be one of my favourite desserts. Panna Cotta, a popular Italian dessert with an Asian twist — green tea!In its simplest form, panna cotta is made by simmering ... Read More 
LOS ANGELES, May 18 — The German-born American actor is adding to his prolific filmography yet another action-packed picture, "Expiration," a project developed by Emmett/Furla Films and announced at the 66th Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film. 
