Ahad, 2 Februari 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


Weight loss – fight fatigue with these 5 pick-me-ups

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 04:59 PM PST

February 03, 2014

One or two small squares of dark chocolate (5 to 10g) will not derail your weight loss plans. - AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 3, 2014.One or two small squares of dark chocolate (5 to 10g) will not derail your weight loss plans. - AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 3, 2014.Efforts to slim down are almost always accompanied by a few moments of weakness, most of which are brought on by fatigue or frustration in the early stages of a weight loss plan. But that doesn't mean you have to give into the temptation of a muffin or a croissant. Here is a list of 5 small snacks that can deliver a boost of energy and calm cravings without undermining your calorie-cutting efforts.

Dark chocolate
As long as you can limit your intake to one or two squares (less than 10g), there is no need to fear for your waistline, especially if you opt for dark chocolate with a cacao content of at least 70%. Rich in flavonoids and magnesium, dark chocolate can provide a much-needed energy boost and a welcome treat. French nutritionist Jean-Michel Cohen recommends dark chocolate as a way to treat yourself while restricting calories during the rest of the day. He suggests eating a square with a small amount of bread. Doctor Raphaël Gruman, meanwhile, another French authority on weight loss, recommends eating dark chocolate during the stabilisation phase, later in a weight loss plan, in moderation.

A date with a dab of peanut butter
Nutrition consultant Charlotte Debeugny insists that there is no reason to shun peanut butter during a weight loss programme. Stigmatised because of its high fat content, peanut butter contains mainly unsaturated or "good" fats, which our body requires even when the goal is in weight loss mode. And with peanut butter, as with nuts and other nut-based products, a small amount can go a long way to calm a craving. Debeugny suggests spreading a tiny bit of peanut butter on the inside of a date for a satisfying mini snack.

A rice cake with low-fat spreadable cheese
To tide you over until the next meal, protein is key, and a few teaspoons of spreadable low-fat cheese can provide just the right amount for an afternoon or mid-morning snack. Enjoy cheese on a puffed rice cake for the satisfying crunch, popcorn-like taste and – of course – low calorie count. 

A handful of berries
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable low calorie foods around, berries are among the best ways to quell a rampant craving for sugar. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are low in sugar but deliver the sweet taste you crave, along with antioxidants, vitamins and fibre.

A citrus fruit
According to Doctor Jean-Michel Cohen, a reasonable quantity of caffeinated beverages can provide a way around fatigue during a weight loss programme, so tea and coffee are allowed. But coffee breaks can be challenging for those who usually enjoy cookies and cakes with their java. To satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it, opt for an orange, half a grapefruit or a few clementines. In addition to providing a reasonable amount of natural sugar, citrus fruits deliver a dose of vitamin C and fibre. - AFP/Relaxnews, February 3, 2014.

Paris restaurant offers dessert inspired by jeweller Mauboussin

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 04:26 PM PST

February 03, 2014

The restaurant at the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel offers an edible version of Mauboussin's iconic ring. - AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 3, 2014.The restaurant at the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel offers an edible version of Mauboussin's iconic ring. - AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 3, 2014.Luxurious hotel the Renaissance Paris Vendôme will soon offer guests of its Pinxo restaurant the chance to savour a dessert designed to resemble Mauboussin's iconic "L'Oeuvre Noire" ring.

Head chef Mathieu Robillard and pastry chef Bryan Esposito have concocted an exquisite treat with blackcurrants, chocolate and pralines. The creation is adorned with a dark chocolate disk stamped with Mauboussin's famous star logo.

"L'Oeuvre Noire", the dessert, will be on the menu at Pinxo from February 15 to April 15 at the price of €15 (RM67.70). - AFP/Relaxnews, February 3, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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Clinical Juventus outclass spineless Inter Milan

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 02:40 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Juventus's Paul Pogba fights for the ball with Inter Milan's Jorge Rolando during their Italian Serie A match at Juventus Stadium in Turin, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Juventus's Paul Pogba fights for the ball with Inter Milan's Jorge Rolando during their Italian Serie A match at Juventus Stadium in Turin, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Champions Juventus tightened their grip on Italy's Serie A yesterday after outclassing Inter Milan 3-1 to claim deserved bragging rights from the 'Derby d'Italia'.

Inter travelled to Turin hoping to at least replicate their 1-1 draw with Antonio Conte's men in Milan during the opening half of the season.

But Juve, who had scored 16 goals in their five previous league games, flew out the blocks and had created several early goalscoring chances before Stephan Lichsteiner's diving header from Andrea Pirlo's chipped ball gave the hosts a 15th minute lead.

Juve piled on the pressure and only the safe hands of Samir Handanovic kept Inter from conceding more before the break.

Juve doubled their lead only two minutes after the restart thanks to defender Giorgio Chiellini, with an alert Arturo Vidal giving Juve a 3-0 lead on 55 minutes after pouncing on Paul Pogba's rebound.

Inter's efforts in a late but faint fightback were rewarded in the 71st minnute when Rolando beat Marco Storari in the Juve goal although it was scant consolation for what was a decidedly mediocre performance from Walter Mazzarri's side.

Juve's 19th win of the campaign took their lead on Roma to nine points although the Giallorossi's earlier encounter at home to Parma was rained off and has yet to be rescheduled.

Napoli are a distant third, 15 points adrift after a stunning 3-0 collapse at Atalanta, with Fiorentina a further three points off the pace.

Inter have now taken only eight points from their last 10 games and are sixth in the table, 26 points behind Juve and two behind Verona, who occupy the first Europa League qualifying place.

Inter had dominated the weekend transfer headlines with the capture of Hernanes from Lazio.

But neither the Brazilian international midfielder nor Colombian Fredy Guarin – the subject of a recently botched swap deal involving Juve striker Mirko Vucinic – were in Mazzarri's starting line-up.

Juve signed Dani Osvaldo from Southampton on Friday and are still waiting on him to reach full match fitness, but on this display he may have a challenge shifting either Carlos Tevez or Fernando Llorente.

After just three minutes Tevez forced a superb double save from Handanovic and then Chiellini fired just over.

Inter were being overrun and buckled when Pirlo sighted Lichsteiner unmarked and flighted a delightful ball for the Swiss international to dive and head past Handanovic.

Pogba then blasted over from close range and Handanovic saved from Tevez again, while at the other end Rodrigo Palacio fired just over on 40 minutes after a promising counter-attack.

Juve finished with a flurry and began in the same fashion after the interval.

Yuto Nagatomo made a mess of a clearance, Vidal threw the ball back in and it eventually fell to Chiellini to blast past Handanovic from the right of goal.

Minutes later Palacio had Inter hearts racing when he fired over with a first-time effort following Ricardo Alvarez's low pass.

Juve stretched their lead in the 55th minute when Llorente collected to the left of goal, controlled and turned to set up Pogba. When the Frenchman's close-range shot was blocked by Handanovic, Vidal pounced to sweep in the rebound.

Mazzarri made a number of changes with Milito replacing the ineffective Zdravko Kuzmanovic and ex-Torino defender Danilo D'Ambrosio making his Nerazzurri debut by replacing Jonathan.

But the changes had little effect and although Rolando fired an angled drive past Storari when Juve failed to clear from a corner, Inter were unable to convert the few half-chances they went on to create. - AFP, February 3, 2014.

Ox sends Arsenal top, Liverpool lose ground

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 02:35 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) scores a goal against Crystal Palace during their English Premier League match at the Emirates stadium in London, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) scores a goal against Crystal Palace during their English Premier League match at the Emirates stadium in London, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice as Arsenal recorded a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace yesterday that took them back to the top of the Premier League table.

Making his first league start since the season's opening day, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored both goals in the second half to send Arsenal two points above Manchester City, who host third-place Chelsea today.

The result got Arsene Wenger's side back to winning ways after the 2-2 draw at Southampton that cost them top spot, while Palace were left one place above the relegation zone after a first defeat in three league games.

"It was a great day for Chamberlain," said Arsenal manager Wenger.

"He was out for a long, long time and we needed to be patient to get him back to full fitness. He had a great game and scored two great goals.

"Crystal Palace were well-organised and united in their desire to do the job. They are a physically strong side and we knew we had to take advantage of our chances, and we did."

With Oxlade-Chamberlain in central midfield alongside Mikel Arteta, Arsenal quickly assumed control at the Emirates Stadium, but they struggled to make inroads against Tony Pulis's well-drilled Palace.

The visitors had new goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on the bench, but their current number one, Julian Speroni, seemed determined to stake a claim to the jersey.

He produced two excellent saves to thwart first Nacho Monreal and then Laurent Koscielny, before bravely diving at Bacary Sagna's feet shortly before half-time.

It had been a disciplined and hard-working display from Palace, but two minutes into the second half they fell behind.

Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain to run into the box behind him and when the scheming Santi Cazorla picked out the England man with a dinked pass, he coolly lifted the ball over Speroni.

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was quickly called into action at the other end, saving a header from Cameron Jerome at point-blank range, but Oxlade-Chamberlain's second goal in the 73rd minute settled the game.

The powerful 20-year-old, nicknamed 'The Ox', played a slick one-two with Olivier Giroud before cutting into the Palace box from the left and letting fly with a low drive that Speroni could not keep out.

Earlier, an embarrassing mistake by Kolo Toure prevented Liverpool from strengthening their grip on fourth place as they drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion.

Liverpool were seeking to move four points clear of fifth-place Everton and they took the lead through Daniel Sturridge at The Hawthorns, only for Toure to gift West Brom with a 67th-minute equaliser by passing the ball straight to Victor Anichebe.

The Nigerian striker accepted the gift to level the scores, leaving Liverpool with only a two-point cushion in fourth place and lifting Pepe Mel's West Brom a point clear of the relegation places.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers refused to criticise Toure, saying: "He is a wonderful player. He probably should not have received the ball in the first place.

"I will never criticise any player, especially a defender. We have won many games and played outstanding football, and key to that is constructing from the back."

Rodgers kept faith with the team that had crushed Everton 4-0 in mid-week and he saw his side take a 24th-minute lead when Sturridge volleyed in Luis Suarez's cross from close range.

West Brom suffered a blow when centre-back Jonas Olsson had to limp off four minutes before the break, but a half-time shift to a 4-4-2 formation gave them fresh impetus.

Zoltan Gera had gone close shortly before the interval and it took a stunning one-handed save from Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to repel Gareth McAuley's header early in the second period.

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster kept his side in the game by blocking from Suarez in a one-on-one situation and less than 10 minutes later, the hosts drew level.

Ivorian centre-back Toure did not appear to see Anichebe lurking outside the Liverpool box and his attempted pass to Jon Flanagan was cut out by the former Everton man, who lashed home a low shot from just inside the area. - AFP, February 3, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Woody Allen’s adopted daughter repeats sexual abuse claim in letter

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 09:01 PM PST

February 02, 2014

Woody Allen's (pic) adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, on Saturday revisited her sexual abuse claim against the filmmaker in a letter on the website of the New York Times, as she questioned his acclaim in Hollywood.

The revival of the accusation against Allen comes just ahead of this year's Oscar Awards, where the 78-year-old filmmaker is nominated for best original screenplay for his drama "Blue Jasmine" starring Cate Blanchett.

Allen was never arrested or prosecuted in the decades-old case, after an investigation by state police in Connecticut, where Mia Farrow and her children lived.

Mia Farrow, the longtime girlfriend of Allen, and the "Annie Hall" filmmaker split in 1992 amid revelations that Allen had an affair with Mia Farrow's then 22-year-old adopted daughter, Soon-Yi.

At the time of their break up, Mia Farrow accused Allen of abusing Dylan, who had been adopted by Allen. The letter from Dylan Farrow on the blog of New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof marks the first time she has written publicly about the allegations.

In the piece, the now 28-year-old Dylan Farrow wrote that Allen one day led her to an attic at their house when she was 7 years old.

"He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother's electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me," Dylan Farrow wrote.

Kristof had previously written a column about the case and wrote on his blog that Allen "deserves the presumption of innocence" but that it was "time for the world to hear Dylan's story in her own words."

Representatives for Allen did not return calls or emails seeking comment on Saturday.

Dylan Farrow, in her piece, questioned the participation of major actors in Allen's films and his nomination for an Oscar.

"For so long, Woody Allen's acceptance silenced me," she wrote. "It felt like a personal rebuke, like the awards and accolades were a way to tell me to shut up and go away."

Dylan Farrow last year repeated her accusation of sexual abuse against Allen in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine.

Last month, Mia Farrow's son Ronan Farrow, the brother of Dylan and the estranged son of Woody Allen, posted on Twitter a critical comment of Allen and the Golden Globes, which had honored the filmmaker with a lifetime achievement award.

Allen won Oscars for best director and best screenplay for his 1977 classic romantic comedy film "Annie Hall," and again took Oscars for his screenplays for the comedies "Hannah and Her Sisters" from 1986 and "Midnight in Paris" from 2011.

He married Soon-Yi Previn in 1997. – Reuters, February 2, 2014.

All-stars face off with global upstarts at Berlin film fest

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 08:01 PM PST

February 02, 2014

A billboard featuring an ad for the Berlinale International Film Festival at Berlin Potsdamer Platz. New movies from Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater will go head-to-head with upstarts from Europe, China and Latin America for the Golden Bear top prize at the Berlin film festival starting on February 6. – AFP pic, February 2, 2014.A billboard featuring an ad for the Berlinale International Film Festival at Berlin Potsdamer Platz. New movies from Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater will go head-to-head with upstarts from Europe, China and Latin America for the Golden Bear top prize at the Berlin film festival starting on February 6. – AFP pic, February 2, 2014.New movies from Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater will go head-to-head with upstarts from Europe, China and Latin America for the Golden Bear top prize at the Berlin film festival starting this Thursday.

The 64th Berlinale, as the 11-day event is known, marks the first major European festival of the year and serves as a launchpad for Hollywood fare and risk-taking independent movies from around the world.

US producer James Schamus ("Brokeback Mountain", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") will lead a jury including double-Oscar-winning Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, Hong Kong star Tony Leung and French filmmaker Michel Gondry awarding the main prizes among 20 contenders on February 15.

The sprawling festival will screen more than 400 films in cinemas across the snowy German capital, and many of the hottest tickets are for movies outside the main competition.

George Clooney is due in town to present "The Monuments Men", about a team of art experts who fought to protect precious artworks from the Nazis during World War II. The picture also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett.

Jan Schulz-Ojala, chief critic for Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel – who has been covering the festival for two decades – said that anticipation was also building for a director's cut of Danish provocateur Lars von Trier's new sex epic "Nymphomaniac Volume I" starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.

"It is 30-35 minutes longer than the version already running in Denmark and other places and so it's of very special interest for cinephiles," he told AFP.

"What was cut out of the cinema version – is it explosive or superfluous? I'm really curious."

However, he noted that von Trier was not expected to appear in public in Berlin following a disastrous stop in 2011 at the Cannes film festival where he was ignominiously booted out for making a Nazi joke about himself at a press conference.

"You'll essentially have a red carpet for an invisible man," Schulz-Ojala said.

'Indy films set far from glittering cities'

On opening night, Anderson will unveil his keenly awaited "The Grand Budapest Hotel", starring Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton, about the escapades of a crafty concierge between the two world wars.

Linklater, who brought his now Oscar-nominated "Before Midnight" to Berlin last year, will show "Boyhood", made over more than a decade and starring frequent collaborator Ethan Hawke as well as Patricia Arquette.

Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker teams up with Harvey Keitel in Rachid Bouchareb's "Two Men in Town", about an ex-convict who has converted to Islam.

The French-Algerian director is best known for the 2006 drama "Days of Glory" (Indigenes), about north Africans serving in the French army during World War II.

Schulz-Ojala said he was also intrigued by entries from Argentina and China, "two strong countries for cinema".

The drama "History of Fear", set in a gated community in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, is director Benjamin Naishtat's first feature.

And Celina Murga's "The Third Side of the River" tells the story of a respected doctor who lives a double life with separate families. She is one of four women vying for prizes.

China will be represented by the thrillers "Black Coal, Thin Ice" by Diao Yinan, Ning Hao's "No Man's Land", and the novel adaptation "Blind Massage" by Lou Ye.

"These are independent, genre-inspired films, set far from the glittering cities," festival director Dieter Kosslick told reporters.

Peruvian director Claudia Llosa, who captured the Golden Bear in 2009 for her harrowing drama "The Milk of Sorrow", will present her English-language debut, "Aloft", featuring Jennifer Connelly and Cillian Murphy.

Austrian filmmaker Feo Aladag, who picked up prizes on the festival circuit in 2010 for "When We Leave", about so-called "honour killings", will unveil "Inbetween Worlds", about a German soldier in Afghanistan.

Iranian-Austrian director Sudabeh Mortezai will present a docudrama about young refugees in Vienna called "Macondo".

The festival will also honour veteran British director Ken Loach, 77, with a Golden Bear for lifetime achievement and a retrospective of his work.

The Romanian family drama "Child's Pose", about a growing cleft between rich and poor since the end of communism, took home the top prize last year.

The event will wrap up on February 16 with screenings of its biggest hits. – AFP, February 2, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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Domestic workers come out of the closet in Hong Kong

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 07:52 PM PST

February 02, 2014

In this picture taken on December 8, 2013 Irene Coles Peji (top left) watches as her partner Marrz Balaoro (right) conducts a wedding ceremony of a lesbian couple in Hong Kong. Working long hours away from home for low pay and little time off, life is tough for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, but for some the city has brought sexual liberation unheard of in their home countries. –  AFP pic, February 3, 2014.In this picture taken on December 8, 2013 Irene Coles Peji (top left) watches as her partner Marrz Balaoro (right) conducts a wedding ceremony of a lesbian couple in Hong Kong. Working long hours away from home for low pay and little time off, life is tough for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, but for some the city has brought sexual liberation unheard of in their home countries. – AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Working long hours away from home for low pay and little time off, life is tough for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, but for some the city has brought sexual liberation unheard of in their home countries.

To Jenny Patoc, a 41-year-old Filipina helper, Hong Kong is the place where she met her girlfriend 15 years ago and where they unofficially tied the knot at their own "holy union" ceremony last year –  despite the semi-autonomous territory's failure to recognise same sex marriages.

"In Hong Kong, we are free. We can show who we are," Patoc told AFP in the southern Chinese city's packed Central financial district on a recent Sunday, where thousands of helpers congregate every week on their one day off.

While conservative attitudes still prevail in aspects of Hong Kong society, for many migrant workers the former British colony is an easier place than home to be gay, particularly those from Muslim Indonesia and the deeply Catholic Philippines.

Roughly 300,000 domestic workers make about HK$4,000 ($515) a month as helpers for Hong Kong families, doing household chores and looking after children while the parents are out at work.

They are mainly from the Philippines, Indonesia or Thailand, many supporting their families by sending earnings home.

Conditions can be tough. In a report last year Amnesty International condemned the "slavery-like" conditions faced by thousands of Indonesian women who work in Hong Kong as domestic staff, accusing authorities of inaction.

The findings came just weeks after a Hong Kong couple were jailed for a shocking string of attacks on their Indonesian housekeeper, including burning her with an iron and beating her with a bike chain.

Last month thousands of domestic workers took to the streets demanding justice for another Indonesian helper who claimed that she was left unable to walk after eight months of abuse at the hands of her employer who has subsequently been arrested.

And this week another Hong Kong housewife was arrested for allegedly assaulting her Bangladeshi maid.

For Marrz Balaoro, a member of local lesbian support group Filguys Association, coming out was much easier in Hong Kong compared to her home in the Philippines in the 1980s.

"I came to Hong Kong because I wanted to be on my own. I wanted to be free," Balaoro said.

"My first employer was considerate and she understood my situation."

After witnessing a lesbian being bullied by fellow Filipinas in Hong Kong, she formed the Filguys Association to help homosexual migrant workers from her country facing discrimination.

Filguys has 400 members and holds regular seminars across the city.

Balaoro said that her struggle to be understood in her home country began in childhood and continued through difficult teenage years.

She recalled how a doctor back home prescribed hormone injections at her parents' request, in the hope that they would make her look more feminine -- at the age of 12.

"The doctor asked me how I felt when I saw a handsome man," said the youthful-looking 56-year-old, who was born to a Catholic family in Abra Province of North Luzon.

"Without much thinking, I said I envied him and wanted to look like him. The doctor thought I was a hopeless case."

She added although the situation has generally improved in her home country, violence towards homosexuals in the Philippines is common, especially in rural areas.

"They think you don't have a direction in life, and you are treated as an outcast. It's very difficult," she said.

Another hurdle for helpers is finding the space and privacy to express themselves when taking time off from jobs in which they are required by law to live with the families they work for – sometimes in cramped, barely livable conditions.

"When you want to develop your own sexuality, you need private space. But the biggest problem for Hong Kong's overseas migrant workers is that their private space is very limited," said Lingnan University social scientist Yau Ching.

Patoc is fortunate enough to be able to rent a small apartment which she uses on Sundays to spend time with her partner. She also sublets part of it to other people looking for privacy.

"Every holiday we stay together and we will do the same. We love each other," the baseball cap-sporting Patoc said.

Amy Sim, an anthropologist with Hong Kong University, cited reports estimating that 40 percent of migrant workers in Hong Kong had engaged in homosexual relationships, driven by a mixture of loneliness, curiosity and increased freedom to experiment.

"Isolation, loneliness all come together in migration. What they need is emotional comfort followed by physical comfort. You want to look for somebody who is similar and safe," she said. – AFP, February 2, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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Hermione should have married Harry Potter, Rowling admits

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST

February 02, 2014

After years of squabbling, Harry Potter's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger finally became an item – but now their creator JK Rowling (pic) has admitted she made a mistake by marrying them off.

Hermione – whose quick wits get the teen wizards out of many a scrape in Rowling's hit novels – would have been better off with hero Harry, the British author said in comments published by the Sunday Times newspaper.

In fact, Ron and Hermione would likely have ended up in marriage counselling, Rowling suggested.

"For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron," Rowling says in an interview with Wonderland magazine, previewed by the Sunday Times and due out next Friday.

"I know, I'm sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I'm absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility.

"Am I breaking people's hearts by saying this? I hope not."

Rowling's interviewer in Wonderland was none other than British actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the blockbuster movie series based on the Potter books.

The actress agreed with Rowling, saying: "I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy."

Rowling has sold more than 450 million copies of the Harry Potter books, which were made into eight films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Watson and Rupert Grint as Ron.

The franchise has made Rowling an estimated fortune of £560 million (RM2.5 billion), according to the Sunday Times' Rich List 2013. – AFP, February 2, 2014.

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Daripada cadang Chong Wei, baik Umno bertanding di Kajang, kata veteran parti

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 03:10 AM PST

February 02, 2014

Banyak pihak tidak bersetuju dengan cadangan MCA meletakkan Lee Chong Wei sebagai calon BN di DUN Kajang. Banyak pihak tidak bersetuju dengan cadangan MCA meletakkan Lee Chong Wei sebagai calon BN di DUN Kajang. Cadangan bagi menjadikan pemain badminton negara Datuk Lee Chong Wei sebagai calon Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam pilihan raya kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang menentang Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim melihatkan MCA tidak serius menghadapi pilihan raya itu, kata Kelab Veteran Umno.

Setiausaha agungnya, Datuk Mustapha Yaakub berkata mengheret Lee sebagai calon BN membuktikan MCA tidak berkeyakinan memenangi PRK itu selain Kajang bukanlah medan ujian bagi MCA selepas mempunyai pemimpin baru.

"Veteran daripada dahulu berpendapat, jangan jadikan PRK Kajang sebagai tempat menguji kekuatan MCA. Sekiranya mereka tidak yakin, serahkan sahaja kepada Umno.

"Apa yang penting BN menang. Walaupun bukan senang untuk mengalahkan Anwar tetapi ia tidak mustahil BN boleh membuat kejutan," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai berkata pada Jumaat partinya akan meneliti semua cadangan termasuk meletakkan Lee sebagai calon BN dalam PRK DUN Kajang.

Katanya, populariti Lee mungkin boleh membantu memberikan kemenangan kepada BN di kerusi tersebut.

Mustapha berkata meskipun Kajang adalah kawasan tradisi MCA tetapi parti itu tidak seharusnya menjadikan PRK DUN Kajang sebagai taruhan.

Katanya, Liow adalah calon yang lebih layak mewakili MCA jika parti komponen BN itu berhasrat untuk bertanding di PRK itu nanti.

"Kalau benar MCA mahu menjadikan PRK Kajang sebagai medan ujian selepas mendapat kepimpinan baru maka adalah wajar sekiranya Liow yang bertanding," katanya.

Lee dalam kenyataan balasnya semalam menyifatkan dirinya bukan ahli politik dan lebih berminat untuk memberi tumpuan kepada kerjayanya sebagai pemain badminton antarabangsa.

"Saya tidak tahu apa-apa, tiba-tiba dapat banyak panggilan bertanyakan tentang perkara ini. Memang terkejut sangat," katanya kepada akhbar milik Umno, Utusan Malaysia.

Sementara itu, Menteri Belia dan Sukan Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar meminta agar Lee tidak dilibatkan dalam PRK DUN Kajang kerana jaguh badminton negara itu merupakan khazanah negara.

"Tolong jangan sentuh Chong Wei. Beliau adalah khazanah negara. Sebagai Menteri Belia dan Sukan, saya tidak benarkan," katanya dalam akaun Twitter semalam.

Ketua Umno Bahagian Padang Besar Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin mencadangkan pada Khamis agar MCA meletakkan Lee sebagai calon BN di DUN Kajang kerana popularitinya mampu menandingi populariti Anwar.

Zahidi yang juga Ahli Parlimen Padang Besar berkata, pemilihan Chong Wei sebagai calon dapat mengalihkan pelbagai isu yang melanda negara sekarang. – 2 Februari, 2014.

Jalan Anwar ke Kajang penuh liku dengan taktik kotor Umno

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 03:04 AM PST

ANALISIS BERITA OLEH THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
February 02, 2014

Mampukah Anwar melepasi segala halangan untuk memenangi PRK DUN Kajang? - Gambar The Malaysian Insider.Mampukah Anwar melepasi segala halangan untuk memenangi PRK DUN Kajang? - Gambar The Malaysian Insider.Dalam kesibukan orang ramai membahaskan tindakan betul atau salah Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bertanding kerusi DUN Kajang, terdengar amaran keras dari dalam Umno.

Umno dan kononnya pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO ) memulakan kempen mereka untuk menyekat Anwar daripada mendapat akses kepada para pengundi – bukti yang menunjukkan kebimbangan mereka yang sangat nyata.

Dari Perlis ke Johor, setiap muslihat telah dijalankan terhadap pembangkang. Pada masa tertentu, pengaruh istana digunakan dan kadang- kala bekerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa agama.

Bagaimanapun,  taktik undang-undang yang sering digunakan oleh Umno.

Justeru, ini yang nampaknya terjadi kepada kejadian di Kajang di mana Anwar dihalang daripada memberi tazkirah di sebuah masjid di Impian Saujana, Kajang yang dikatakan atas arahan daripada Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais).

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sepatutnya memberikan tazkirah sebelum Jumaat manakala Ketua Peneraangan PKR, Dr Muhd Nur Manuty sepatutnya memberi khutbah Jumaat.

"Tetapi selepas solat subuh pada 30 Januari, pihak masjid memberitahu kami bahawa mereka telah ditekan oleh Mais untuk menghentikan acara tersebut. Justeru, ahli jawatankuasa masjid tidak berani untuk meneruskan perancangan awal itu.

"Jadi kami terpaksa cepat mencari masjid lain," kata sumber itu, yang juga adalah sebahagian daripada pasukan Anwar, menjelaskan bagaimana program ini kemudiannya berpindah dari masjid Impian Saujana ke masjid kariah di Batu 10 Cheras, yang merupakan sebahagian daripada kawasan Kajang. Ini  juga bagaimanapun turut disekat oleh Mais di saat-saat akhir.

Sumber itu berkata, Mais dan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) mengancam untuk menangkap Anwar jika beliau menyampaikan tazkirah sambil menekankan bahawa beliau tidak mempunyai tauliah untuk memberi kan ceramah atau khutbah di masjid-masjid di Selangor.

Disebabkan halangan  itu, Anwar, Muhd Nur, Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dan para pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat yang hadir, solat di Masjid Kariah.

Mereka kemudian bercakap kepada jemaah selepas solat .

Sudah tentu, terdapat undang-undang negeri yang mengatakan ucapan tersebut tidak dibenarkan. Tetapi jelas menunjukkan ia hanya terpakai kepada pihak atau mereka yang tidak diingini.

Ini juga telah berlaku kepada pemimpin-pemimpin pembangkang yang lain dan pendakwah atau pensyarah yang tidak selari dengan Umno atau kumpulannya yang sekali gus mencerminkan betapa penghormatan diinstitusikan dan feudal  dicemari sebuah parti nasional Melayu.

Apapun, ia terpulang kepada Anwar dan sekutunya yang mengatakan pencalonan beliau adalah bagi menghalang senario tersebut daripada berlaku – bahawa semua agensi dan jabatan akan digunakan oleh Umno untuk menawan semula negeri terkaya di Malaysia daripada PR.

Dalam erti kata lain, ia adalah tindakan bahawa kerajaan Selangor diancam dan beberapa jabatan bertindak tepat apabila mereka bertindak tidak selari dengan kerajaan negeri.

Dan ia menjelaskan mengapa banyak agensi dan jabatan yang menegaskan bahawa mereka bebas daripada mana-mana pihak politik, sebenarnya melakukan yang sebaliknya sehingga menjejaskan pihak lain dan juga rakyat Selangor.

Keadaan tidak mudah bagi Anwar atau pembangkang tetapi  pihak berkuasa terbabit perlu tahu bahawa tindakan mereka hanya akan membuatkan masyarakat menyalahkan Umno dan menyokong pihak lawan.

Sememangnya ia suatu kedegilan, begitu juga pihak berkuasa apabila mereka mengabaikan kebebasan mereka dan bertindak menentang rakyat. – 2 Februari, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

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Rasional Anwar sebagai menteri besar Selangor

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 03:42 PM PST

February 02, 2014

Amin Iskandar adalah penerima anugerah zamalah Asian Public Intellectuals (API) bagi sesi 2009-2010. Kini merupakan Pengarang Berita bagi The Malaysian Insider. Beliau "berkicau" di www.twitter.com/aminiskandar.

"Politik itu bukan sains tetapi seni," kata Oto Von Bimarck, canselor pertama Jerman.

Sebab itu politik itu sukar diduga. Bukan seperti sains yang sudah mempunyai formulanya.

Begitu juga dengan politik di Selangor, apa yang berlaku hari ini bukanlah sesuatu yang dijangka.

Krisis di antara Timbalan Presiden PKR, Mohamed Azmin Ali dan Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim tidak akan dapat diselesaikan di meja rundingan.

Jika tiada apa-apa dilakukan, tidak mustahil Selangor akan mengulangi sejarah Kedah di mana, pergaduhan dalaman PAS menyebabkan negeri jelapang padi itu kembali kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 lalu.

Krisis ini lebih baik diselesaikan sekarang daripada dibiarkan sehingga Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14.

Peletakan jawatan Lee Chin Cheh sebagai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kajang mengejutkan ramai pihak.

Lebih mengejutkan lagi apabila Abdul Khalid mengumumkan Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai calon PKR bagi Pilihan Raya Kecil Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang.

Ramai yang marah. Laman sosial Facebook dan Twitter dipenuhi dengan caci maki kepada Anwar dan PKR.

Pengguna laman sosial beranggapan Anwar dan PKR lebih mementingkan parti berbanding rakyat.

Ada juga yang mengatakan Anwar tamak dan rakus kerana mahu menjadi menteri besar Selangor.

Bekas Ketua Pengarang Kumpulan New Straits Times Press, Datuk A Kadir Jasin pula menganggap Anwar mengorbankan cita-citanya sejak 1982 untuk menjadi perdana menteri Malaysia dan sanggup menjadi menteri besar demi menyelesaikan krisis Selangor.

Umno dan BN mengatakan Pilihan Raya Kecil DUN Kajang merupakan satu pembaziran dan berlaku kerana masalah dalaman PKR.

Umno mungkin terlupa, pada 1997 perkara sama dilakukan apabila Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib meletak jawatan dan Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar mengambil alih sebagai menteri besar Selangor.

Beberapa pemimpin PAS juga terang-terangan "membelasah" PKR kerana membelakangkan mereka sebelum keputusan mengosongkan DUN Kajang dibuat.

Mungkin pemimpin muda PAS ini juga tidak membaca sejarah satu ketika dahulu, krisis dalaman parti Islam itu menyebabkan darurat diisytiharkan sehingga tumbang kerajaan Kelantan.

Menurut Setiausaha PAS Selangor, Mohd Khairuddin Othman, jika Abdul Khalid ditukar, mereka akan menamakan Iskandar Samad sebagai calon menteri besar.

Tidak dapat dinafikan, Abdul Khalid memang popular di kalangan rakyat Selangor.

Beliau juga hebat dalam mengurus wang negeri. Berbilion wang rizab negeri berjaya dikumpul.

Tetapi, itu semua belum mencukupi untuk menjadi seorang menteri besar yang baik kerana untuk menguruskan negeri, kemahiran berpolitik lebih penting.

Jika watak politik yang kuat seperti Anwar memimpin  Selangor, sudah pasti penjawat awam tidak berani lagi mensabotaj dasar kerajaan negeri seperti dilakukan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) ketika merampas lebih 300 Bible berbahasa Melayu.

Abdul Khalid pula hanya membiarkan sahaja Jais bertindak sewenang-wenangnya sehingga kerajaan Selangor pimpinannya dilihat lemah kerana tidak dapat mengawal sesebuah jabatan.

Jika berjaya mempertahankan DUN Kajang dan Abdul Khalid digantikan Anwar sebagai menteri besar Selangor, jangan persia-siakan bakat dan kebolehan bekas tokoh korporat itu.

Abdul Khalid boleh dilantik sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB) dan saya percaya sudah pasti keuntungan syarikat berkenaan akan berlipat kali ganda.

Itulah kemahiran dan kepakaran sebenar Abdul Khalid dan untung rugi sememangnya sifir sesebuah syarikat. Sementara Anwar sebagai menteri besar juga tidak akan berdepan laluan mudah.

Sekiranya berjaya menang di DUN Kajang dan dilantik sebagai menteri besar Selangor, banyak perkara perlu diselesaikannya.

Isu kalimah Allah dan rampasan Bible berbahasa Melayu oleh Jais perlu ditamatkan daripada terus dimanipulasi pihak tertentu demi kepentingan politik.

Selain itu, Anwar perlu menjinakkan pegawai kerajaan yang sudah "naik lemak" di bawah Abdul Khalid sejak 2008.

Bekas timbalan perdana menteri itu harus memastikan negeri terkaya Malaysia itu tidak diuruskan sepertimana Umno memerintah dahulu.

Untuk menjadi menteri besar Selangor, cabaran terbesar Anwar sekarang bukan Istana tetapi PAS kerana Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dikatakan tidak mahu ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh itu menggantikan Abdul Khalid.

Menurut satu sumber dalaman parti Islam itu, Isnin lalu Abdul Hadi menolak permintaan Anwar untuk bertemunya sebaliknya presiden PAS itu bertemu Abdul Khalid.

DAP sudah menyatakan setiakawannya kepada PKR dan bersedia untuk menerima Anwar untuk menjadikan negeri itu role model kepada pemerintahan Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Tanpa sokongan DAP, PAS juga tidak mungkin dapat kerusi menteri besar melainkan parti Islam itu keluar PR dan bergabung dengan Umno.

Akhirnya, yang terbaik kerusi menteri besar kekal kepada PKR jika PR mahu terus bersama di Selangor.

Mengenai kritikan daripada badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) seperti Bersih berhubung isu peletakan jawatan Adun PKR Kajang, itu sememangnya harus dilakukan.

Sekurang-kurangnya pengerusi baru, Maria Chin Abdullah membuktikan Bersih bukanlah alat PR untuk merampas Putrajaya.

Lebih baik lagi jika Bersih menganjurkan demonstrasi di hadapan ibu pejabat PKR bagi membantah tindakan parti itu yang dikatakan tidak bertanggungjawab terhadap pengundi.

Jika ini dilakukan maka BN akan mulai percaya Bersih memang ikhlas memperjuangkan isu dan bukannya hanya berdemonstrasi apabila menentang mereka.

Maka tidak hairanlah mengapa Oto Von Bimarck mengatakan politik itu seni dan bukannya sains. - 2 Februari, 2014.

* Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
 

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