Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

---

Man City end tough week with win at Blackburn Posted: 01 Oct 2011 09:08 AM PDT Manchester City's Samir Nasri shoots to score against Blackburn Rovers during their match today. — Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 1 — Manchester City's tough week ended on a high note today when they won 4-0 at Blackburn Rovers to maintain their unbeaten start in the Premier League and stay level on points with Manchester United at the top of the table. Champions United also maintained their unbeaten start with a 2-0 home win over Norwich City thanks to a second half goals from Anderson and Danny Welbeck. They stay top on goal difference from City with both teams taking 19 points from their opening seven games. In the day's lunchtime kickoff, Liverpool won 2-0 at Everton in the 185th Merseyside league derby with late goals from Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. Everton played for more than an hour with 10 men after Jack Rodwell was sent off in the 23rd minute. Newcastle United won 2-1 at Molineux to inflict a fourth consecutive league defeat on Wolverhampton Wanderers and climb to third, at least until Chelsea play at bottom-placed Bolton Wanderers tomorrow. Aston Villa sent Wigan Athletic to a fourth successive league defeat with a 2-0 win at Villa Park while Sunderland drew 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion after trailing 2-0 inside the opening five minutes at the Stadium of Light. City won at Blackburn with second half goals from Adam Johnson, Mario Balotelli and substitutes Samir Nasri and Stefan Savic but Argentine striker Sergio Aguero limped off in the first half with a groin injury. He will now join his compatriot Carlos Tevez on the sidelines, but for totally different reasons following Tevez's suspension from the club for allegedly ignoring manager Roberto Mancini's instructions to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday. — Reuters

Carroll, Suarez on target as Liverpool beat Everton Posted: 01 Oct 2011 06:52 AM PDT Carroll celebrates after scoring against Everton today. — Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 1 — Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez scored to give Liverpool a comfortable 2-0 win at Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park today after the home side were controversially reduced to 10 men after only 23 minutes. Referee Martin Atkinson showed what appeared to be a harsh red card to Jack Rodwell for what looked to be a legitimate challenge on Suarez, with the defender winning the ball fairly, but clipping the Uruguayan as his momentum carried him forwards. Rodwell fiercely protested his innocence and walked off reluctantly, but his dismissal helped tip the balance Liverpool's way. As well as their two goals they also missed a penalty and hit the crossbar in the first half. Carroll scored his first league goal of the season, and only his third league goal since his £35 million (RM174 million) move from Newcastle United in January, after 71 minutes and he took it well, sweeping home Jose Enrique's cutback into the bottom corner. Suarez wrapped up the points for Kenny Dalglish's team when he took advantage of some slack Everton defending to score his fifth goal of the season in all competitions eight minutes from time. Everton's Jack Rodwell is sent off by referee Martin Atkinson after fouling Liverpool's Luis Suarez today. — Reuters pic Dalglish was back at Goodison as Liverpool's manager for the first time since he famously resigned after an epic 4-4 FA Cup draw there in 1991. He said his side had deserved to win. "We were very professional. When you play against 10 it's easy to lose your concentration and be complacent and we didn't do either," he said. "Everyone played very well, Andy's off the mark with a league goal, and although Dirk missed a penalty it did not affect him and that's great credit to him. It was a good result for us." Liverpool had two good chances to establish a lead in the closing minutes of the first half. The first came after 44 minutes when Everton defender Phil Jagielka tripped Suarez to concede a penalty, but Everton escaped going behind when Tim Howard dived low to his left to save Dirk Kuyt's spot kick. Three minutes later Charlie Adam lashed a swerving 20-metre shot that hit the bar. Liverpool dominated for most of the second half and moved into the top four of the Premier League table, at least until Newcastle United faced Wolverhampton Wanderers later in one of the afternoon's five other matches. — Reuters

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Features

---

Nepal launches Great Himalayan Trail Posted: 01 Oct 2011 01:41 AM PDT An aerial view of the Himalayan Mountains featuring Mount Machhapuchre from Pokhara, some 200km west of Kathmandu. — AFP/Relaxnews pic KATHMANDU, Oct 1 — Nepal has officially opened the Great Himalayan Trail, one of the longest and highest trekking routes in the world, the tourism board said on Thursday. Billed as the ultimate trek, the arduous hike over Nepal's mighty Himalayas stretches from Taplejung in the shadow of the world's third-highest peak, Mount Kanchenjunga, to Humla at the border with Tibet. "This is a completely new product and we hope that it will help boost the tourism industry," said Sharad Pradhan, a spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board. "It will also help cement Nepal's reputation as the ultimate destination for adventure seekers. Adventure tourism, as a niche, is new to us but this is definitely an attractive package," he said. Adventurers who complete the 1,700-kilometre trek will encounter a huge variety of cultures from the mainly Buddhist Tamang people of the central Langtang region to the ancient animist practices that mix with Hinduism in the far west. It will take experienced trekkers around five months to complete, although it can also be broken down into smaller sections. Nepal hosts thousands of trekkers and mountaineers annually. The country has eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres, including the world's highest, Mount Everest, at 8,848 metres. The Everest region offers several trails that range from 10-day to three-week packages. The Annapurna Circuit, Nepal's most popular, is a 300-kilometre, three-week trek that rises to 5,416 metres and passes through two river valleys. — AFP/Relaxnews

Jimmy Choo plans huge China expansion Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:43 PM PDT BEIJING, Oct 1 — Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon said the upscale shoemaker hopes to open up to 50 stores in China over the next five years in what she dubbed an "exciting" market for high-end goods. China is the world's fastest-growing market for luxury products and an ongoing economic boom is creating new dollar billionaires every year in a huge explosion in wealth. A shopper peers through the window of the Jimmy Choo store on Bond Street, London. The British company plans to open 30 stores in China by 2016. — AFP pic Jimmy Choo currently has just two shops in China — one in Beijing and another in Shanghai. A third will open at the end of the year in the eastern city of Nanjing, said Mellon, the shoemaker's "chief creative officer". "Our (China) business has increased 100 per cent (in terms of profits) in the last year on the existing locations we have," said Mellon, who was in Beijing as part of a British delegation to the Chinese capital's first design festival. She said the British firm — whose shoes cost anywhere from US$300 (RM930) to US$1,600 — would open at least 30 stores in China by 2016. "But the potential over the next five years could be up to 50," she told AFP. In comparison, Jimmy Choo has just 40 stores across the United States. Forbes magazine said earlier this month that China had a total of 146 billionaires this year — up 14 per cent from 2010, and second only to the United States with 413. The brokerage firm CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets said in January that China would account for 44 per cent of worldwide sales of luxury goods by 2020 — bigger than the entire global market is now. Mellon said that many of China's rich were only in their 30s and 40s — relatively young compared with other markets. "The wealth here is... very young, which is great because they love luxury, they love fashion, so this is a very exciting market." She said that consumers of luxury products have also changed over the past few years. "What we found a few years ago was that... men were making money, men were buying brands, they were shopping. Men's brands did phenomenally well much sooner than women's brands," she said. "Now, there are a lot more women who are working and who are shopping. The market is really taking off now." — AFP-Relaxnews

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

---

Stealth festival to rock Kabul with musical explosion Posted: 01 Oct 2011 08:56 AM PDT KABUL, Oct 1 — Afghans are used to having their days broken by a burst of gunfire or the boom of an explosion. But the barrage of drumming, bass beats and amped-up guitar solos that will hit the city next week may stop many in their tracks. From left, Hojat Hamid, Sulyman Qardosh and Qasen Foushanji practise during a workshop as part of preparations for Sound Central. — Reuters pic Sound Central, a one-day "stealth festival" that organisers hope will draw 1,000 to 2,000 young Afghans, will be the first music festival the country has seen since it plunged into three decades of violence in the late 1970s. Afghan bands playing music from doom death metal to blues rock will be joined by musicians who have flown in from across Central Asia — Iran to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The music will almost certainly be a new experience for most of the audience in a country where people seeking a change from traditional Afghan music tend to listen to Western pop or sound-tracks from India's big-hit Bollywood films. "The real bottom-line aim of this festival is to ignite youth to be interested in modern music," said organiser Travis Beard, who dreamt up the festival four years ago, and has been working on it in earnest for the past two years. "What we are trying to do is to expose them to new kinds of music so they can get into those styles of music, and also just start playing music. Hopefully we'll get some kids saying 'Hey this is really cool! Dad can I get a drum set?' or 'Mum can I get a guitar'," Beard said. Beard is an Australian who first came to Afghanistan as a news photographer five years ago, joined a band in Kabul and rediscovered his love of music "after many years away". As he started to meet Afghan musicians, he got involved in supporting them — with instruments or a place to practise — and the festival was inspired by the community they formed. With that in mind, he organised not only the day-long festival, but a week of workshops for Afghan musicians, and underground pre-festival concerts for all the bands at the festival to play more experimental music to a committed crowd. They are also holding on to the amplifiers, graphic equalisers, drum kits and guitars that have been flown into Afghanistan for Sound Central, aiming to turn the festival into a yearly event and make it easier for kids who are interested in rock to start playing the rest of the year. "I live in Herat, which is an old city and the people are too traditional," said Masoud Hasan Zada, a full-time journalist and part-time lead singer of blues-rock band Morcha, or "The Ants". "There is too much tradition, including traditional music," he told Reuters. "It's too hard to talk about modern music, especially blues . . . it's horrible sometimes." He spent a week in Kabul at the workshops, learning everything from online marketing to stage presence — something Beard says is particularly hard for musicians who are talented but grew up in a culture that frowns on exhibitionism. "We are going to teach them how to actually rock out!" Beard said with a grin at the start of the workshop, where more experienced performers thrashed on air guitars and jumped around a tiny stage, under the quizzical gaze of the students. Security concerns Osama bin Laden parodied on the guitar of one of the Afghan rock musicians. — Reuters pic In a country where music was banned for years under the austere Taliban regime, music stores are attacked in some cities, and some of the Afghan musicians playing have had to shut down their websites or even cut their hair because of social pressure, the festival is a daring venture. Publicity has been mostly word of mouth because of security concerns, and the date has been kept deliberately vague. Messages revealing the time and venue will go out to music fans only on the morning of the event. "It's been termed the first ever stealth festival in the world," Beard said. "So like a stealth bomber . . . we are coming in under the radar, dropping a lot of music on the kids, and then flying out. The promotional side of it is very very small." He has also recruited international support for the festival, hoping to show the world a different side of the country he has made his home. "Much as they see in the news that there is a lot of troubles here, a lot of the youth here just want to have some fun, just want to express themselves through the arts, whether it be music or any other type of arts," he said. The crowds may still be relatively small, but at the underground concerts leading up to the festival, there were already a few die-hard fans. "I really want to hear you scream," shouted Sabina Ablyaskina, lead singer of Uzbek funk band Tears of the Sun, in the tiny concrete bunker where the bands are warming up in front of a core of devoted fans for the main festival. The crowd was a mix of hip young Afghans, one in a pair of Kanye West glasses, and a few expats. They roared back at her, and then started dancing, hard, to the music. "This is the first time I'm watching music live, the first time in Kabul we've had something like this," says breathless 22-year-old Asil Ahmad. "It's one of the most unforgettable nights." At 11.15pm, the next band was just starting to get into its stride when the power cut off. At first organisers thought it was one of Kabul's regular electricity shortages, but then discovered that the landlord and his family — trying to sleep upstairs — weren't quite as taken by rock and roll. But Afghanistan is muddling along towards a new music future. That night, an impromptu acoustic concert by torchlight kept the crowd dancing for half an hour. And the landlord eventually agreed to leave the power on for the rest of the week — if the concerts ended early. So Afghanistan's first underground concerts now start at 8pm, and are over by 10.30, and there's no bar or alcohol allowed, in deference to the laws of the Islamic republic. But the crowd doesn't seem to need anything more than the music. — Reuters

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore try to tweet sway split rumours Posted: 01 Oct 2011 06:49 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 1 — Can Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore save their marriage — or at least stave off divorce rumours — through the power of Twitter? Kutcher and Moore on firmer ground wave to fans as they arrive for Colcci's Winter 2011 collection during Sao Paulo Fashion Week, January 30, 2011. — Reuters pic Hollywood's most intriguing May-December power couple have been ground up in the gossip mill in recent days, with rumours that their marriage is on the rocks. And now the pair of dedicated tweeters are addressing the scuttlebutt — although cryptically so — on their Twitter accounts, which combined boast nearly 12 million followers. The most recent buzzing about discord in the couple's marriage began last Friday, on the eve of the couple's sixth wedding anniversary, when the pair were spotted on separate coasts. Moore was in New York promoting her Lifetime movie "Five". Kutcher, meanwhile, was seen partying with his former "That '70s Show" co-star Danny Masterson at San Diego, California, nightclub The Fluxx — after which, according to the current buzz, he spent the night with hitherto-anonymous San Diego blonde Sara Leal. From there, the rumours — as they tend to do — blossomed. As yesterday, according to esteemed celebrity journalist Perez Hilton, there might have been multiple women holed up in Kutcher's hotel room — though, apparently, the other women waited in a separate area while he and Leal commingled. (Memo to Ashton: If that is, indeed, the way it went down, you're doing it wrong.) While neither Kutcher nor Moore have dignified the affair rumours with a direct response, they do appear to have obliquely addressed the issue via Twitter, which appears to be their favoured method of communicating with their fans. On Thursday, Kutcher made sly reference to the brouhaha, tweeting a link to Spotify to indicate that he was currently listening to the Public Enemy chestnut "Don't Believe the Hype". He followed up with a variation on another chestnut, writing "When you ASSUMME to know that which you know nothing of you make an ASS out of U and ME". Meanwhile, Moore offered her own puzzler Monday, posting a photo of herself with her eyes closed with the caption, "I see through you . . ." Though some reports have interpreted Moore's Twit-pic as a message to her 33-year-old husband, it's equally likely that she's broadcasting to the tabloid media that their methods and tactics are transparent, even with her eyes closed. Or she could just be making a goofy joke unrelated to the affair rumours at all. Leal's intentions seem to be a little more clear, at least if the New York Post is to be believed. According to the Post, Leal has met with Beverly Hills attorney Keith Davidson — who brokered a settlement between Lindsay Lohan and former Betty Ford worker Dawn Holland — and is shopping the story of her alleged fling with Kutcher. The Post's source tells the paper, "Sara is talking to multiple media outlets for a deal. She wants $250,000 (US, or RM797,700), but the offers haven't been as high. What she really wants is to get a payoff from Ashton. She has reached out to Ashton's team." We can only hope that Kutcher renders his response via Twitter. — Reuters

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

---

PAS sasar menang lima kerusi DUN, dua Parlimen di Pulau Pinang Posted: 01 Oct 2011 12:27 AM PDT KEPALA BATAS, 1 Okt — PAS menyasarkan untuk memenangi lima kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan dua kerusi Parlimen di Pulau Pinang pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.  Naib Presidennya Datuk Husam Musa (gambar) pada pilihan raya umum lalu, parti itu hanya mampu mencatat kemenangan dalam satu kerusi DUN iaitu di Permatang Pasir.  "Kami akan berusaha untuk merampas balik lima kerusi DUN yang dipertandingkan dan dua kerusi parlimen iaitu Tasek Gelugor dan Kepala Batas," katanya semasa berucap dalam Kongres Sambutan 60 Tahun PAS di sini hari ini.  Dipetik Bernama Online, Husam berkata PAS yang menang kerusi Permatang Pasir pada pilhan raya umum lepas hanya kalah empat kerusi DUN yang lain dengan majoriti undi yang rendah.  Selain itu, beliau berkata dalam usaha untuk mengukuhkan pengaruh parti dalam Parlimen, PAS memerlukan lebih 60 kerusi parlimen di seluruh negara.  "Kita akan berusaha untuk mencapai sasaran kita, iaitu 60 kerusi Parlimen dan saya percaya sasaran itu tidak mustahil untuk dicapai," katanya.  Beliau berkata PAS kalah 15 kerusi Parlimen dengan majoriti kurang 5,000 undi pada pilihan raya umum lalu.  Bagi peringkat nasional, Husam berkata PAS juga berhasrat untuk memecah pengaruh Umno khususnya dalam undi-undi di kawasan peneroka Felda.  Katanya, PAS yang berpegang teguh kepada prinsip Islam, memerlukan 12 peratus undi di kawasan pengundi Felda.  "Pilihan ra umum yang lalu, PAS mendapat lebih 39 peratus pengundi Felda dan untuk memecah pengaruh Umno, kami memerlukan lagi 12 peratus," katanya.

Akta Kerja: MTUC tetap piket di Parlimen Isnin ini Posted: 01 Oct 2011 12:21 AM PDT Salah seorang pemimpin kesatuan gabungan MTUC menyuarkan pandangan pada forum mengenai Rang Undang-undang Kerja (Pindaan) 2010 di Petaling Jaya hari ini. - Foto oleh Choo Choy May PETALING JAYA, 1 Okt — Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC) tetap dengan pendirian mahu mengadakan piket di Parlimen Isnin ini berhubung kontroversi pindaan undang-undang buruh.  Keputusan itu dibuat hari ini selepas badan induk kesatuan sekerja tersebut dan Kementerian Sumber Manusia gagal dalam mencari titik pertemuan berhubung rasa tidak puas hati mengenai pindaan ke atas Akta Kerja 1955.  Keputusan muktamad dicapai susulan forum empat jam hari ini. Presiden MTUC Mohd Khalid Atan berkata pihaknya akan menghimpunkan 1,000 ahlinya untuk mengadakan protes mengenai Rang Undang-undang Kerja (Pindaan) 2010, yang akan dibawa untuk bacaan kali kedua pada sesi Parlimen yang akan bermula Isnin ini.  "Mereka mahu membentangkan rang undang-undang ini meskipun tidak dibincangkan di NLAC (Majlis Penasihat Buruh Kebangsaan)," kata beliau selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat pascaforum tengah hari ini.  "Mereka tidak pernah membentangkan pindana ini di NLAC. Sekarang mereka cuba nak bentang di Parlimen. Ini tidak adil. Kami tidak tahu apa-apa, apa yang berlaku," katanya.  Khalid berkata tujuh pegawai kanan MTUC akan tetap menghadiri mesyuarat NLAC pada pukul 10 pagi Isnin ini, yang diaturkan oleh Kementerian Sumber Manusia.  Mesyuarat NLAC itu, majlis yang dihidupkan semula dua minggu lalu, diaturkan selepas MTUC mengambil keputusan mahu berpiket Ahad lalu.  Katanya, selepas mesyuarat itu pihaknya akan menyertai piket di luar Parlimen, yang dijangka bermula 11 pagi.  Khalid menambah, MTUC bersedia untuk berhadapan dengan kesan daripada tindakan mereka termasuk kemungkinan halangan daripada pasukan polis.  "Kami dari MTUC, mewakili pekerja, demi hak pekerja... biarkan mereka adakan piket. Kami akan tetap hadir di sana (Parlimen)," katanya lagi.  Selasa lalu, Kementerian Sumber Manusia berkata MTUC yang bercadang mengadakan tindakan berpiket tidak wajar membangkitkan bantahan mereka di "saat pembentangan di Parlimen."  "Kementerian ingin menegaskan bahawa sebelum pindaan ini dibawa ke Parlimen untuk dibentangkan, semua cadangan pindaan ini telah melalui proses konsultasi bersama wakil-wakil pertubuhan majikan dan kesatuan sekerja.  "Sebanyak 18 kali sejak awal tahun 2010 lagi. Selain itu, draf cadangan pindaan turut telah dipanjangkan untuk pandangan dan maklum balas daripada wakil majikan dan pekerja. Justeru, pindaan ini tidak dibuat secara tergesa-gesa kerana telah melalui proses konsultasi yang komprehensif bersama pihak-pihak yang berkepentingan," kata Kementerian Sumber Manusia.  Sehubungan itu, kata kementerian, adalah diharapkan cadangan pindaan ini akan mendapat sokongan daripada semua pihak demi memelihara kebajikan pekerja dan menjamin keharmonian perhubungan perusahaan.  Kenyataan itu dikeluarkan mengulas laporan The Malaysian Insider sebelum ini memetik Setiausaha Agung MTUC Abdul Halim Mansor berkata, mereka akan berpiket pada hari pertama sidang Parlimen bulan depan jika Putrajaya meneruskan perbahasan rang undang-undang buruh tanpa perbincangan di majlis melibatkan tiga pihak.  Bacaan kali kedua Rang Undang-undang Kerja telah ditangguhkan dua kali sebelum ini. Antara lain Rang Undang-undang Kerja didakwa merugikan kaum pekerja kerana jika diluluskan akan membolehkan sistem kontraktor pekerja, yang pernah digunakan sebelum negara merdeka, diamalkan kembali.  MTUC mendakwa ia akan merugikan pekerja dari segi kebajikan mereka dan menjejaskan masa depan pergerakan kesatuan sekerja di negara ini.  Halim berkata dalam pertemuan dengan Menteri Sumber Manusia Datuk Dr S Subramaniam sebelum ini MTUC telah diberi jaminan bahawa rang undang-undang buruh termasuk Rang Undang-undang Kerja tidak akan dibawa ke Parlimen tanpa perbincangan selanjutnya dalam NLAC, yang hanya diaktifkan minggu lalu.  NLAC merupakan majlis dianggotai kerajaan, majikan dan pekerja. Selain peruntukan berkenaan sistem kontraktor sosial, MTUC mahu kerajaan memasukkan cuti bersalin 90 hari dan menaikkan had kerja lebih masa sehingga 130 jam sebulan.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

---

Fifa must tackle the evil of agents Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT OCT 1 — What is the most negative influence on modern professional football? I know a lot of you would immediately answer illegal gambling and the match-fixing that sometimes goes with it. However, I believe (maybe naively) that match-fixing is relatively uncommon and isolated — either a match is fixed or it isn't, and in the vast majority of cases it isn't. No, there's a worse influence on football than match-fixing; something that should be addressed with even more urgency: players' agents. From the top, let me make two qualifications. Firstly, I accept that agents are a necessary part of the game. Players have neither the time nor the expertise to manage their large salaries or negotiate the lucrative commercial contracts that come their way; they need someone to do it for them, and that's where agents have a perfectly valid role. They can't simply be done away with. Secondly, I acknowledge that not all agents are bad. There are plenty of scrupulous, responsible agents who carry out their business in a professional, transparent manner and attempt to give their players genuine, honest advice. But now I'll stop being nice. On the whole they are a very unpleasant bunch, motivated by greed and existing on the margins of the game, causing unrest, contributing nothing positive and, like predatory leeches, routinely sucking vast sums of money out of the sport that they had nothing to do with generating in the first place. No, I don't like agents very much. They cause an awful lot of problems between players and clubs, mainly due to the fact that their income rises when their players move. They might receive a relatively small (by their standards) retainer for day-to-day work, but the big bucks are earned by agents when they claim a sizeable percentage of a transfer fee. Therefore it isn't in the interests of money-motivated agents to have players who are happy to stay where they are. So, at the first moment of unrest, they are in the players' ear, telling them how badly treated they are and how much money they could be earning at another club. Even more unethically, they often work by insider dealing — a manager may, for example, receive a "cut" of the transfer fee if his club sign a player from a certain agent. Furthermore, agents are the most common sources of deliberately destabilising leaks to the media, and that explains why we never see the dirty dealings of agents exposed in the media. Despite modern newspapers being obsessed with sniffing out scandal and unveiling corruption, agents can get away with so much because of journalists. Agents are the source of a steady and rich supply of gossip and speculation, so why risk upsetting them by exposing unethical behaviour? They need each other: the agent wants to create interest in his player and bump up his transfer value; he uses the newspapers. The newspapers want sensational scoops and exclusive revelations; they use the agents. They scratch each other's backs in a seedy, grimy, secret relationship that does an enormous disservice both to the art of journalism and the game of football — and there's nothing that anybody can do about it. Agents are particularly topical this week because much of the controversy surrounding Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez in the last few years has been caused by his agent — the most notorious of them all — Kia Joorabchian. Although Joorabchian can't be accused of directly instigating Tevez's refusal to appear as a substitute at Bayern Munich in midweek, there can be little doubt that the general ongoing climate of conflict and distrust between Tevez and his club has been caused by the Argentine's agent (although Joorabchian doesn't like to describe himself as an agent, mainly so he can get away with being unlicensed). Having been taken out of Argentina as a young man under Joorabchian's wing in a "third-party ownership" arrangement that many leagues no longer allow, Tevez somehow seems to be unable to extricate himself from Joorabchian's questionable influence even now he's a multi-millionaire. Joorabchian seems to have some kind of hold over the striker, and that makes for a very difficult relationship with his club. The problem with agents is that they are so difficult to regulate. If a player feels that he needs advice and is willing to pay someone for that advice, how can that process be stopped? Fifa, the game's world governing body, are attempting to get to grips with the issue and I wish them all the luck in the world because the role of agents needs to be reformed. In a way, ruthless operators like Joorabchian are inevitable under the present state of affairs. They're nothing more than shrewd, unscrupulous businessmen who have recognised an opportunity to make lots of cash thanks to a lack of regulation in the current market. If a gap is there, someone will come along and fill it. Fifa have to take responsibility and fill that gap by properly regulating agents and making them accountable to transparent business practises. If that doesn't happen, devious and immoral agents, who have no interest in the health of football and are motivated purely by hard cash, however they can earn it, will continue to exert their malign influence. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

City slickers raring to show some true class Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:25 PM PDT OCT 1 — Will life return to normal this weekend as Manchester City travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers tonight (10pm, live on StarSports, Channel 813 on Astro)? I think it will as there are no parasitical elements at the training ground. The Manchester City players must be heaving a sigh of relief now that Carlos Tevez has finally committed the ultimate crime in football, and is facing the due punishment for his misdeed. This spells trouble for Blackburn Rovers though as they could become cannon fodder, especially after the limp performance against Newcastle United last weekend, going down 3-1 and having a man sent off too. While Man City attempt to brush off any effects of the Tevez saga, their co-leaders at the top of the English Premier League (EPL) will be at the same time welcoming Norwich City to Old Trafford (10pm, live on ESPN, Channel 812). Alex Ferguson will surely be demanding a clean sheet against Norwich City after the debacle of conceding three goals against Swiss side Basle in their mid-week Champions League encounter, let alone the free header given to Peter Crouch for Stoke City's equaliser last Saturday. Manchester United must plug the holes in that defence and keep the marauding Canaries at bay. Norwich would be the ultimate test for a leaky MU side! Okay, only kidding but the knighted one will definitely blow a fuse if Norwich is allowed to even breathe on David de Gea. They have adequate strength and great cover upfront but, hopefully, Ferguson does not make the same tactical faux pas committed against Stoke. The manager should have brought on young Danny Welbeck with his energy, pace and enthusiasm instead of Michael Owen, to replace the injured Javier Hernandez. When you have Dimitar Berbatov on the pitch, you need another striker who is willing to run his heart out. So, having Berbatov and Owen on the pitch together, in my opinion, blunted United's attack and allowed Stoke to come back. Another pair of blue and red rivals will not be thinking of other teams in the league this weekend as they clash in their famous city in the early kickoff at 7.45pm (live on ESPN). Yes, the Merseyside derby takes us to Goodison Park and David Moyes might still deploy the same defensive tactics as he did against Man City last Saturday. Although the feeling is that Moyes could well decide to put Liverpool under pressure to test the already uncertain defending. The Reds defence has to be put to the sword if Everton want to salvage some credibility after last weekend. Another local derby, on Sunday (11pm, live on ESPN), sees what could surely be the story of the weekend. Playing at White Hart Lane, a confident Spurs team will come up against the Gunners, quite perhaps the team under the most pressure currently in the EPL. This could well be a high scoring draw but Spurs look in good form. After the heavy losses in their first two matches of the season — 5-1 at home to Man City and 3-0 away to MU — they have maintained a commendable run of winning three on the trot, including that trouncing of Liverpool at home. Emmanuel Adebayor has come into some great form for his latest club, and this will please the Spurs faithful as he is likely to score against his much-hated former club and local rival, Arsenal, after doing the same at Man City last season. I am certainly looking forward to watching this match more than any other this weekend, personally and professionally speaking. Meanwhile, a club that is flying under the radar at the moment is Newcastle United, whose manager Alan Pardew deserves credit for the club's unbeaten start to the season. They are one of four with that distinction up to Week 6 of the EPL. There has been a slow evolution at St James' Park, with Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan leaving the club and replaced by the likes of Yohan Cabaye, who for me is an improvement. Last weekend's hattrick hero Demba Ba, who is also a new signing, is a physically strong player, and he looks to be an asset for Newcastle's style of play. I think they can maintain their good form, though I have concerns about their defensive cover if club captain Fabricio Coloccini or Steven Taylor were to be injured for more than a week or two during such a long season. With Hatem Ben Arfa set to return to full fitness, I think the high-flying Magpies should finish comfortably between 8th and 12th position come May 2012. Their test of resilience continues at Wolverhampton Wanderers tonight. The other team not from Manchester which has surprised critics by remaining unbeaten this season is Aston Villa. Villa, who play Wigan Athletic at home tonight (10pm, live, Channel 817), have yet to lose a Premier League game so far, but Alex McLeish's men have drawn five out of their first six league games, which is hardly inspiring form. Enjoy the football, folks! * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

---

A chance to be pampered… totally Posted: 30 Sep 2011 06:22 PM PDT Pan roasted duck breast and foie gras... fabulous. — Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — I have had some of my best gourmet experiences at the Chalet at Hotel Equatorial Kuala Lumpur. It was where I learnt to eat raclette, a Swiss cheese, with new potatoes, pearl onions and pickles. I still remember the lovely aroma of the cheese melting on the salamander that hits you when you enter the restaurant. It's still on the menu, as are some Swiss classics like Emince de Veau a la Zurichoise or thinly sliced veal and mushrooms in cream sauce with roesti potatoes, and the fondues, both cheese and beef. Making a song and dance of the sabayon! Chalet may seem old-fashioned to young people now, but dining here is always an embracing experience of gracious service, good food and music. A few dishes are prepared and served tableside, such as the Cote de Boeuf, a grain-fed rib steak flamed with cognac in a green peppercorn sauce. You can't find such service anywhere now. Ask for a sabayon at the end of dinner, and a rollicking song and dance comes with it. But we were here for the chef's table, a once-a-month occasion at this restaurant, to which corporate clients are usually invited, at lunch. A degustation menu had been put together by chef Hafizzul Hashim, who has worked in one Michelin-star restaurants — Chez Bruce and Mirabelle — in London and at some fine-dining restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Hafizzul is the young man heading the culinary team at Chalet. The amuse bouche was air-dried beef with rock melon and balsamic vinegar; Hafizzul had deemed it timely to introduce beef "proscuitto." It was a generous portion, the air-dried beef colliding with the fragrant, sweet melon. Then it was on to Spanish black mussels, chorizo and saffron soup with leeks, potato and garlic croutons. A hint of Madras curry powder gives a spice lift to the creamy saffron soup which had been infused with basil. It was texturally interesting — lovely, sweet plump mussels in a busy mellow soup with crispy croutons, chopped leek and bits of potatoes. The Slow Braised Angus beef cheek and Pacific oyster with Cabernet Sauvignon, cepes and herbs is a marriage of earth and sea, said Hafizzul. Both came together with aplomb — the small chunks of tender beef in a sweet, heady sauce with chervil, parsley and chives, drizzled over the oysters. But I also wondered about how the beef would taste on its own, in that delicious sauce. There was the tart, welcome interlude with passion fruit sorbet and the palate was refreshed for the main course of pan roasted duck breast and foie gras with sweet cherries and caramelised apples in a Marsala wine reduction. The other main course was Grilled Barramundi and calamari with cannellini bean puree, clam and parsley veloute. Perfect ending... the iced chocolate pralines. I had the pink, fleshy breast of the duck magret from France on which was laid a lush foie gras glistening with the lovely Marsala wine sauce, and paired superbly with cherries flambed with Calvados and the caramelised apples. Rich bursts from the foie gras, tender duck, the stirring, sweet flavours of fruit and the creamy parsnip vanilla puree all came together sublimely. Dessert was somewhat of a letdown with the molten chocolate cake —- perfectly done, with a runny centre — served with vanilla ice cream and strawberry compote (I had expected something extraordinary!). However, the sabayon "performance" more than made up for it. A big brass basin was brought tableside; there's the aroma of butter melting over the fire, then orange and lime juice added. The sauce is done, the egg yolks added, then the wait for the band and four staff members, two wearing flashing sunglasses to strut their stuff. Lots of gyrating to the cha cha, samba, twist and rock 'n' roll beat, and whisking to the music, with some sabayon on the floor, it was ready to be served! It was a great show. Ice chocolate pralines, or bon-bon, brought dinner to a wonderful Old World ending. I like it that it's always like this in Chalet. Hafizzul is a young chef, only 28. To think I had met him, tasted and liked his food when he was only 25. So I will be back for the old-fashioned Tournedos Rossini, Steak Tartare and the French Pressed Duck (a day's advance order). But the chef's expertise is also in putting together a contemporary degustation menu (five courses) at RM198++. I liked the look of a previous degustation menu of foie gras terrine, figs chutney and toasted brioche; potage of celery, poached eggs and croutons; scallop ceviche, cress salad and roasted almond flake, passion fruit sorbet; grilled Norwegian salmon with pea puree and shallots, Kalamata olives, fennel confit and vanilla vinaigrette or Angus beef cheek and foie gras ravioli, Portobello mushrooms, asparagus and consommé; vanilla soufflé with crème Anglaise. Chalet is in the Equatorial Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail (Tel: 03-2161-7777).

A DIY dinner of clear flavours Posted: 23 Sep 2011 05:44 PM PDT The two soups bubbling away... all you have to do is cook whatever you wish to eat. — Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Once in a while you yearn for food with clear flavours, and preferably in a hot soup that can be so comforting. A steamboat hits the spot on all counts. We were in Jade Pot in Desa Sri Hartamas recently, a steamboat restaurant which my friend CS frequents, and for good reason. Here you get ingredients that are fresh or freshly-made, whether it's fish, prawns, squid or pork balls, sui kow or dumplings and prawn wantan that are for you to cook in the soup, or all the deepfried varieties like stuffed crispy beancurd skin, crispy prawn dumplings and crispy prawn wantan. A bit of everything makes a feast at a steamboat dinner. Out of three broths we chose two — the Jade Pot Superior Soup and the Teochew Fishhead Soup, both clear soups. I always feel that a tomyam soup is out of place in a steamboat, mainly because in a pot that has two sections, the chances of the clear soup being mixed with the tomyam are very high. Besides, in a hot and sour tomyam, you would not taste the intrinsic flavours of the fresh ingredients you put into the pot. You have a choice of four dips — the Teochew chilli, Thai green chilli, fermented beancurd and chilli oil. The first is hot and garlicky, the second is citrusy with calamansi lime and its rind. I liked the fermented beancurd or fu yee very much. We piled on the orders — fish maw, eringi mushroom, yam, beancurd, wantan, sui kow, grouper fish, sakura pork, a mixed platter of fish, prawn and squid balls, and mixed dumplings, matsutake mushrooms, cabbage, Romaine lettuce and watercress and noodles for the steamboat. The fresh ingredients presented so prettily... like a high tea! Our starter munchies included the stuffed fried crispy beancurd skin, fried wantan and stuffed red chillies. I liked the crunch of the first with a thin layer of fishpaste. The fried wantan was delicious while the stuffed red chilli was smooth, sweet and not that hot. The superior soup had pork ribs, tomato, onions, sweet corn, radish and carrot in it; the Teochew one had black fungus and some salted fish bones that flavoured the soup. I liked the powdery yam that I put into the Teochew stock. The fish and prawn balls, wantan and sui kow tasted better in the superior stock, so did the fish bladder and most of the other ingredients. In end I still preferred the superior stock. While my palate has been "trained" to appreciate the natural flavours of good quality meat and fish, without dipping them into any conflicting sauces, I couldn't resist the slightly pungent fu yee dip with the yam, and the vegetables. The thin slices of sakura pork did not need any dip; the fish perked up with the hot and tart Thai green chilli dip. The spongy fish bladder soaked in the soup, picking up all the essence of the meat and fish cooked in it, tasted so good, as did all the vegetables like watercress, Chinese cabbage, romaine lettuce, eringi and matsutake mushrooms which added more sweetness to the soup . Take your pick of the dips! If it's possible to still feel peckish after all these, the noodles make a great filler, especially the yee meen. A complimentary dessert of a slithery smooth and lemony ayu jelly gave a cool refreshing finale to our steamy meal. All in all, the seven of us paid RM50 each for the steamboat dinner which included drinks. The soups are RM15 for a small pot and RM25 for a large one. The stuffed red chillies are RM5.50, grouper fish slice RM15, fresh prawn dumplings RM9.90, Sakura pork RM16.80, stuffed beancurd skin RM8. Jade Pot Steamboat Restaurant is located at 5, Ground floor, Plaza Prismaville, Jalan 19/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-6201-1918).

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Food To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

---

Portugal lose Real Madrid duo for Euro qualifiers Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:43 AM PDT LISBON, Sept 30 — Portugal have lost key defenders Pepe and Fabio Coentrao because of injury for their decisive Euro 2012 qualifiers against Iceland and Denmark. The Real Madrid pair both have muscle strains but coach Paulo Bento, already missing defender Ricardo Carvalho who was banned from the national team for a year this month for abandoning the training camp without explanation, said he was not unduly worried. "Overall, our performances have been good, result-wise our record couldn't be better, and now we must reach our objective independently of the squad changes," Bento said after naming a 23-man squad for the Group H home game against Iceland next Friday and the away match to Denmark four days later. Bento has given Cologne's Henrique Sereno his debut call-up and recalled Valencia's Ricardo Costa. "We opted for Ricardo Costa given his international experience and maturity, and for Sereno because he is strong in defence, fast and versatile," Bento said. He also brought in winger Ricardo Quaresma and former Benfica striker Nuno Gomes, saying he was confident they would blend in well with the team. Portugal are in a good position to qualify for Euro 2012, level with Denmark and Norway at the top of Group H with 13 points. "The focus is on grabbing all three points against Iceland; we know that six or four points from the next two matches will be enough to qualify", said Bento. Bento has revived Portugal's hopes since replacing the sacked Carlos Queiroz who had a dismal start to the qualifying campaign with a home draw against Cyprus and an away loss to Norway. Squad: Goalkeepers: Eduardo (Benfica), Beto (Cluj), Rui Patricio (Sporting). Defenders: Bruno Alves (Zenit St. Petersburg), Joao Pereira (Sporting), Eliseu (Malaga), Rolando (Porto), Silvio (Atletico Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia), Sereno (Cologne). Midfielders: Carlos Martins (Granada), Joao Moutinho (Porto), Miguel Veloso (Genoa), Paulo Machado (Toulouse), Raul Meireles (Chelsea), Ruben Micael (Real Zaragoza), Ruben Amorim (Benfica). Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg), Helder Postiga (Real Zaragoza), Nani (Manchester United), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Nuno Gomes (Braga). — Reuters

Tevez talk of the town but not at City Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:20 AM PDT MANCHESTER, Sept 30 — Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini ignored the elephant in the room today as he avoided questions on suspended Carlos Tevez and denied this had been a difficult week. Football While Alex Ferguson praised his rival for his "strength of character" in dealing with Tevez, who Mancini (picture) has said refused to come on in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich, the subject was off limits at a City news conference. The club took the unusual step of reading out a statement beforehand to say that any questions relating directly or indirectly to Tevez would spell the end of proceedings. "This decision has been made to protect the interests of all parties and safeguard the integrity of the investigation that is currently taking place," the statement read by chief communications officer Vicky Kloss said. Mancini, who entered the room joking "Champions League final?" as he clocked the larger than usual press contingent, was happy to discuss the wonderful weather, his bike ride to work and tomorrow's Premier League trip to Blackburn Rovers. The Italian's only real reference to a week where he has vowed that Tevez is "finished" at the club while he is in charge, was to deny that this had been the hardest week of his managerial career. "No, no, absolutely no. Why is it difficult? Some situations can happen in football, in your job," he said. "It's important that the past is finished. "I don't have any complications. The only complication that we had two days ago is that we lost against Bayern Munich, only this. We started very well, we can do a fantastic season, I don't have this problem. "It is normal that one player is not happy to leave the pitch in an important game or to stay on the bench, it's a normal situation for every manager." Striker Edin Dzeko's behaviour in the midweek game also angered Mancini as the Bosnian threw off his shirt after being taken off. He has apologised for his actions and Mancini sought to draw a line under that and the rest of the week's events. Strong management "It is finished," the Italian said. "I am the manager, our focus is regarding the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup. Other things — it is not my problem." City have banned Tevez, who has denied refusing to play, for up to two weeks pending an investigation into his conduct which has triggered widespread condemnation. While there was silence at City, there were plenty of Premier League managers making their views on Tevez known. "The sooner he leaves the country the better," said Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock, who was manager of Sheffield United when they sued Tevez's ex-club West Ham United for the cost of relegation as the London side had broken rules on third-party agreements when signing the Argentine. Manchester United boss Ferguson complimented Mancini on his handling of the matter. "I think that Roberto Mancini has come out and shown his strength of character, his strength of management and I think that is important," Tevez's ex-manager told a news conference. "Strong management is important and there is nobody more important than the manager at a football club." Not everyone has criticised Tevez with former United team mate Paul Scholes pointing out that he too had once refused to play in a League Cup tie in 2001. "You think you should be playing and my head was all over the place," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I realise it was stupid. I let the manager down and it was something I regretted. It's probably similar to Carlos Tevez's state of mind if it is true he refused to come on." Ferguson said Scholes was remembering the incident differently and that his "wasn't exactly a refusal to play." City are unbeaten in the Premier League this season, having dropped just two points in six games, and are behind neighbours United on goal difference. — Reuters

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com