Selasa, 17 Disember 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Wine experts say holiday champagne recession is over

Posted: 17 Dec 2013 04:31 PM PST

December 18, 2013

Wine experts will be popping champagne corks this New Year's Eve, a possible indication of better economic times ahead.After years of resorting to less costly sparkling beverages, many wine experts said they will be popping champagne corks this New Year's Eve, which could be an indication of better economic times ahead.

A 2012 study by Karl Storchmann, an economics professor at New York University and managing editor of the Journal of Wine Economics, showed sales of French champagne are a fairly accurate indicator of Americans' future income.

"If you consider (sales of) champagne to be an economic indicator as some do, it... has been growing significantly up since the 2008 recession, and we expect that growth to continue in 2013," said Sam Heitner, director of the trade association Champagne Bureau USA.

Lee Sanning, an economics professor at Whitman College and, like Storchmann, a member of the American Association of Wine Economists, agrees.

"Sales of luxury goods, including that of champagne, make good leading indicators," he said.

Richard Juhlin, whose book "A Scent of Champagne" boasts tasting notes and ratings for 8,000 champagnes, will be swilling some of the world's top of the line bottles this holiday season.

"We will have a five-course champagne dinner," Juhlin said.

While his choices have not been set in stone, Juhlin said he plans to serve Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2005, which sells for about $350 (RM1,100) a bottle, as an aperitif, followed by a similarly priced 1988 Dom Ruinart to accompany the caviar.

He selected Perrier-Jouet 1996 Belle Epoque, at $150 a bottle, to serve with the turbot, a more expensive 1995 Bollinger ($225) for the partridge course and to accompany the cheese, a 1962 Krug Collection, which retails for about $2,000.

Not all wine experts will be serving such expensive vintages. Wine consultant and columnist Lisa Carley said her choice of champagne for the holidays is the Charles de Monrency Brut NV Reserve, priced about $30 a bottle.

"It's a lovely champagne that's elegant with aromas and flavors of honey, botanicals, citrus fruit and a bit of brioche," Carley explained.

For a special New Year's Eve wine she suggested Krug NV Rose, which sells for about $300.

For wine lovers on a smaller budget experts suggest sparkling wine to bring in 2014. Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, co-authors of "Wines of the Southern Hemisphere", suggest a Spanish sparkling wine.

"We always celebrate with cava and our favorite producer right now is Pere Ventura, who only uses the traditional method to make his cava," they said about the sparkling wine that sells for about $17 a bottle.

John Kapon, president of wine retailer and auctioneer Acker Merrall & Condit, recommends serving Fernanda Cappello Prosecco, Extra Dry ($18), at big holiday parties. - Reuters, December 18, 2013.

Azean Irdawaty meninggal dunia

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:41 PM PST

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Primadona filem Melayu, Azean Irdawaty (gambar), 63 tahun meninggal dunia sebentar tadi, jam 8.26 malam di Hospital Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Selangor setelah lima tahun menderita penyakit tumor dan lymphedema. Allahyarhamah merupakan pelakon yang mula mencipta nama sebagai penyanyi pada era 70an dan namanya meledak di layar perak akhir 70an...

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Ki stuns, sinks Chelsea in League Cup thriller

Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:58 PM PST

December 18, 2013

Sunderland's Ki Sung-yueng (right) celebrates scoring during their English League Cup quarter-final match against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, yesterday. - Reuters pic, December 18, 2013.South Korea's Ki Sung-Yueng stunned Chelsea as the Sunderland midfielder's first goal for the club sealed a shock 2-1 win in the League Cup quarter-finals, while Manchester City swept into the last four with a 3-1 victory at Leicester yesterday.

Gus Poyet's team had been on the verge of defeat at the Stadium of Light after goal-line technology was used for the first time in the League Cup to give Chelsea the lead through Lee Cattermole's own goal in the opening minute of the second half.

But Fabio Borini equalised for the Premier League's bottom club in the 88th minute and Ki sent Sunderland into the semi-finals with a cool finish two minutes from the end of extra-time.

It was Ki's first goal in 13 appearances for the Black Cats since his loan switch from Swansea, with whom he won the League Cup last season, in September.

Ki had never scored in English football since moving to Swansea from Celtic in 2012, and this was his first club goal since he netted for the Scottish giants at Hibernian in February 2012.

"It was just unbelievable, I didn't expect to score but I am really pleased to help the team go through," Ki told Sky Sports.

"This was a very hard game for us, but we didn't give up. The boys played unbelievable."

It was a dispiriting night for Blues boss Jose Mourinho, who won the League Cup twice in his first spell in charge of the west London club but saw his fears about his shot-shy team confirmed during a lacklustre display.

"We never lost a match because we didn't play or that the opponent was stronger, it's just we don't kill opponents and we give them life," Mourinho said.

"Every opponent knows they can score a goal against us. We had fantastic chances to score and didn't score."

After struggling to find any rhythm in a tepid opening 45 minutes, Chelsea took the lead less than 60 seconds after the break.

Frank Lampard was challenged by Cattermole near the goal-line as the pair competed for Cesar Azpilicueta's low cross and the ball rolled into the net.

Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone tried to claw the ball out from behind the line, but the goal was correctly given, with referee Anthony Taylor pointing to his watch to indicate goal-line technology had been used to confirm the decision.

It was the first time goal-line technology had been used in the League Cup, although the system was established in the Premier League at the start of this season.

Sunderland equalised when on-loan Liverpool striker Borini fired home from an acute angle after a driving run from Jozy Altidore.

And Ki eventually sealed the win in extra-time with a clinical low strike from Borini's pass.

At the King Power Stadium, City were effectively through to the semi-finals by half-time as they finally took their free-scoring home form on the road.

Manuel Pellegrini's men were on top right from the start and took the lead in the ninth minute when Serbian defender Aleksandar Kolarov whipped a fine 25-yard free-kick into the top corner of Kasper Schmeichel's goal.

There was a setback for City moments later as Argentine right-back Pablo Zabaleta was forced to come off with a hamstring injury.

Leicester sit third in the Championship yet they offered minimal resistance and City increased their lead in the 41st minute.

It was a sweeping move as Jesus Navas teed up James Milner and the England winger's cross picked out Dzeko, who headed home emphatically from close-range.

Bosnian striker Dzeko struck again in the 53rd minute, this time scuffing his shot past Schmeichel from another Milner cross.

Leicester replied in the 77th minute through Lloyd Dyer's deflected shot, but City, who haven't reached the League Cup final since 1976, were never in danger of blowing their lead.

"We had a very good first half, and dominated the game," Pellegrini said.

"It is an important competition, it is important to win every game you play in and to get to the final at Wembley would be wonderful for the supporters."

Today, the other two quarter-finals see Tottenham host West Ham in the north London club's first match since the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas on Monday, while Manchester United travel to Stoke. - AFP, December 18, 2013.

Gennaro Gattuso under investigation over match-fixing

Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:34 AM PST

December 17, 2013

A member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side was placed under investigation while four people were arrested today in connection with a match-fixing scandal, Italian police reported.

Gennaro Gattuso, 35, sacked earlier this season as coach of second division Palermo, is suspected of "associating with criminals with intent to commit sporting fraud".

His agent Andrea D'Amico said: "Rino (Gattuso) is stunned. For the moment we cannot comment, he's waiting to understand (what's happening). The lawyers are in touch with the public prosecutor."

The long-running Calcioscommesse saga took a further twist with the arrest of the four, all said to have provided the link between players and a clandestine betting ring.

Police declined to say where the arrests had taken place, but the nationwide operation was led by the Cremona prosecutor's office, which initially uncovered the scandal in 2011.

The four were named as Salvatore Spadaro, Francesco Bazzani, Cosimo Rinci and Fabio Quadri, the news agency Ansa reported.

Gattuso is to be questioned over his links to Bazzani.

"For 30 Serie A matches there was contact between 'Civ' (Bazzani's nickname) and players and officials," said the Cremona public prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in a press conference.

Di Martino said one of the main matches under investigation was between Chievo and AC Milan on February 20, 2011, and a study of mobile telephones revealed that Gattuso, then a Milan player, had been in contact with Bazzani.

Spadaro is said to be linked with the Bolognese gang which was involved with former player Giuseppe Signori, who was arrested in 2011 in the initial investigation into match-fixing.

Bazzani has also been linked with Signori, as well as Almir Gegic, the alleged ringleader of another match-fixing gang.

Gegic, a former Serbian footballer who holds Turkish and Slovak passports, handed himself in to police last year following a year on the run.

Rinci, chairman of the Riccione football club, and Quadri both have links with Spadaro.

Gattuso, renowned as a tough-tackling midfielder who spent the best years of his career with Milan from 1999 to 2012, is not the only former player caught up in the latest investigation.

His former Milan team-mate Cristian Brocchi, 37, is also under investigation.

"Cristian is calm. Under investigation does not mean guilty, nor convicted," said his agent Davide Lippi, the son of Italy's 2006 World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi.

"We are ready to defend his reputation while waiting for prosecutors to do their job.

"I would invite everyone not to jump to conclusions, right now there's nothing serious, just requests for tickets (to matches) from certain people."

Raffaele Grassi, the director of central operations for the police, explained that this investigation was part of a broader one that had already seen 54 people arrested and 120 people put under investigation.

Di Martino said that despite the numerous investigations, also by other prosecutors' offices, and the number of arrests, illicit betting did not seem to be abating.

"I'm not opinionated and I can't start speculating but it's a fact that despite the arrests and investigations, a large number of these people continue to do what they are doing," he said.

"There certainly hasn't been much of a reaction in Italy given everything is continuing as before."

Di Martino previously described the Calcioscommesse scandal as a "bottomless pit", saying it would run on for years.

It originally involved mostly the second and third divisions but also some top flight matches.

Former Italy striker Signori and then-Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni were the most high-profile names caught up in the affair in 2011 and were subsequently given lengthy bans from football.

However, Juventus coach Antonio Conte was later implicated and also banned for four months as the investigation widened. – AFP, December 17, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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Azean Irdawaty meninggal dunia

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:46 PM PST

Singapore to deport South Asian workers involved in riot

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:46 PM PST

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Singapore today said it will deport 53 South Asian workers and pursue criminal charges against 28 others for their involvement in the city-state's first riot in more than four decades. "We have taken strong and decisive action to charge, and to repatriate those who took part in the riot to send a strong signal that we will not tolerate actions...