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Weekend dramas underline EPL’s global appeal Posted: 25 Oct 2011 08:47 AM PDT LONDON, Oct 25 — Manchester City's incredible 6-1 win Over Manchester United, Chelsea hitting the self-destruct button and goals from Dutch, French, Costa Rican and Icelandic internationals over the weekend once again underlined the global appeal of the English Premier League. Rarely does a round of matches go by without something extraordinary happening to captivate a global TV audience estimated to reach 1.46 billion fans a week. Manchester United crushed Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford in August and few of the watching millions could have imagined that the champions would be humiliated by their neighbours on the same pitch just a few weeks later. Neither would they have thought that title-challengers Chelsea, odds-on to win at promoted Queens Park Rangers, would have two players sent off in eight minutes and lose 1-0 to a penalty scored by Iceland's Heidar Helguson. Add in Newcastle United extending their unlikely unbeaten run with a win over Wigan Athletic, doubles from Dutchmen Rafael van der Vaart for Tottenham Hotspur and Robin van Persie for Arsenal, Everton's two stoppage-time goals to seal a 3-1 win at Fulham and Norwich City's outstanding 1-1 draw at Liverpool and it is easy to see why the Premier League is so absorbing. A report issued last week by media consultants Sport+Markt said that 70 per cent of the world's estimated 2.08 billion football fans now regularly watch Premier League matches, far in excess of either the Spanish or Italian League's despite the appeal of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan or AC Milan. The report adds that games in the "EPL" as it is marketed overseas, were watched in more than 643 million homes around the world last year, up 11 per cent from 580 million in 2009. Massive growth in interest in China and the United States have had an impact and the Premier League is now the most watched in the world. No surprise That comes as no surprise to Robert Prosinecki, the former Croatia international who won the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991 and reached the 1998 World Cup semi-finals with Croatia. He also had a brief stint with Portsmouth which gave him a deeper understanding of the English game. Now the coach of Red Star, he told Reuters why he believes the League has global appeal. "England is the cradle of football and what makes the Premier League so special is not just the quality of its teams, but also the football culture, tradition and infrastructure. Of course, it has also helped that so many top players have gone to the Premier League, attracted by its quality as much as the wealth of its clubs. "It is uniquely entertaining for fans worldwide and it's therefore not surprising it's so popular. "I watched the Manchester derby on television and the atmosphere was truly spectacular," he added. Footballer Rohan Ricketts, currently with League of Ireland leaders Shamrock Rovers, played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and also had spells at Arsenal, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers and Barnsley He then embarked on a nomadic career playing in Canada, Hungary, Moldova and Germany before moving to Ireland. "Much of it is to do with the money that goes into the production of the broadcasting," Ricketts told Reuters, explaining that the networks ensure the product looks good on TV. "When you couple that with an intense, high tempo, back-and- forth type of style of play it's hard not to be drawn into it. "It's non-stop. I don't think it's the best football-wise, but for entertainment it wins hands down. To top it all off the fans are mental." Vast experience Stephen Constantine is another Englishman with vast experience of working overseas after coaching the Nepal, India, Malawi and Sudan national teams and now mainly watches matches from Cyprus where he coaches top-division side Nea Salamis. Constantine told Reuters that one of the key elements in the Premier League's popularity was its unpredictability. "One of the main factors in its appeal is that in England in any game at any time anything can happen, as we have seen with the recent results — and hundreds of previous examples. "Every year the so-called bigger teams can get beaten in the Cup or League. "The consistently high attendances and the atmosphere at all the games is also a factor and of course when you see some of the best players in the world plying their trade in the Premier League then why would you want to watch anything else? "La Liga is good but there are only two teams ever going to win that and although in England United have been dominant it has been very, very close." His view was shared by Paul Barber, a former English FA executive and now chief executive officer of Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS. "Even from 5,000 miles away, the Premier League loses nothing of its incredible drama and excitement," he told Reuters. "Yet again, this weekend's events prove this League is anything but predictable and remains the competition that every league in the world, regardless of their sport, looks to as the leading product on every measure." However, Constantine, does issue a word of caution. "The downside of all this is the national team have more pressure to do well in major competitions," he said. "When they only have a pool of English players to choose from, that's when they don't seem to have enough." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

FA charge Chelsea, demand Villas-Boas explanation Posted: 25 Oct 2011 08:01 AM PDT Referee Chris Foy (second left) shows Chelsea's Didier Drogba (centre) the red card for his challenge on Queens Park Rangers's Adel Taarabt (right) during their match on Sunday. — Reuters file pic LONDON, Oct 25 — Chelsea were charged by the Football Association today for the behaviour of their players during their weekend defeat to Queens Park Rangers in which they had two sent off. The governing body has also written to manager Andre Villas-Boas to demand an explanation of his post-match comments about referee Chris Foy. The Chelsea boss was highly critical of Foy who dismissed right back Jose Bosingwa and striker Didier Drogba in the first half of their shock 1-0 defeat to their west London neighbours on Sunday. The FA charge relates specifically to an incident following Bosingwa's red card when Chelsea players surrounded the referee. "The FA has today charged Chelsea with failure to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion," the FA said in a statement on their website. "Separately, the FA has written to Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas and asked for an explanation on his post-match media comments." The club have until October 28 to respond to both charges. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Hong Kong detective goes undercover to fight fakes Posted: 25 Oct 2011 01:43 AM PDT In this picture taken on October 20, 2011, Hong Kong-based private eye Ted Kavowras reviews video footage taken with a 'spy camera' in one of the many factories that make counterfeit goods, in his office in Hong Kong. – AFP pic HONG KONG, Oct 25 – Like any good private eye, Hong Kong-based Ted Kavowras has a range of whisky bottles by his desk. But these aren't for swigging between jobs – they're samples of counterfeit spirits whose makers he has helped shut down. He and his detective firm Panoramic Consulting occupy a growing niche in the fight against China's mammoth fake goods industry, posing as buyers to enter factories and gather evidence that can lead to fines, arrests and shutdowns. From an office littered with disguises and bling accessories containing hidden cameras, he and his staff travel to the mainland in the guise of Middle Eastern businessmen, shady European traders or Latin Americans seeking a quick buck. "I'm everybody's dream in China, some rich fat guy," the former NYPD officer, today sporting a beard, said. "The bigger the lie, the more they believe it." His firm has been in ever greater demand as China has become not only the workshop of the world but the source of more than two thirds of its counterfeit products. Often working on behalf of high-profile brands such as New Balance sportswear and Bulova designer watches, the firm has put together cases against manufacturers of illicit goods from toilet seats to handbags to medicines. Its staff of 10 operates from a tiny Hong Kong office, plus discreet premises on the mainland and an array of front companies used to convince factories that their interest in purchasing is genuine. "I do what Chinese investigators can't do, because I have the ethnic diversity. They can't pretend to be buyers from overseas," Kavowras said. A row of costume heads in his office, modelled to look like members of staff, wear elaborate fake hairstyles and hats, while several fax machines used for different front companies beep regularly with messages from eager sellers. Kavowras displays video footage of a recent case in which he and his colleagues lured a group making counterfeit injectable drugs to meet them in a southern Chinese hotel. The criminals were confident enough to sit down, light cigarettes and hand over a consignment of fake medicines in exchange for a wad of foreign currency – not realising police were watching from the next room on a live camera feed. On a signal from Kavowras, police stormed the room, but the counterfeiters sat quietly, realising the game was up. "China's a very civilised place, it's not the Wild West," says Kavowras. But that does not mean the counterfeiters are not dangerous. These fake drugs "were causing injuries all over the world," he said. China has faced accusations, including from the United States, that it does not do enough to fight counterfeiting and intellectual property theft. Kavowras says markets for illicit consumer goods operate openly in the southern Chinese hub of Shenzhen, with wholesalers grading their wares from A to C. Top-grade fakes are made in the same factory as the originals. But he maintains that that Chinese police and trademark authorities have a genuine desire to fight the problem, and praises changes to the law that have allowed civil litigation on counterfeiting and admitted notarised evidence. "They're really doing their best – they're overwhelmed, and in some places, given the vastness and population density of the country, there are issues with corruption. But overall the Chinese are reacting to it as much as possible. "People forget that China is a poor country," he said. "It's the demand from overseas that is causing all of these counterfeits to be made." Another recent case involved a major clothing brand Kavowras cannot name, which looked to enter the European market only to find a copycat brand making "slave copies", or exact reproductions of its range, had got there first. A quest via Amsterdam and Vienna, backed up by European and Chinese authorities, ended with Panoramic identifying both manufacturers and sellers of the clothing in an illicit business that involved 30 to 40 Chinese factories. Customs authorities seized €300,000 (RM1.25 million) worth of goods. "We put (them) out of business. For me that's a great result," said Kavowras. A police officer with the NYPD until an injury forced his retirement, Kavowras, 49, moved to China in 1994 to study Mandarin. He found work with the famed detective agency Pinkerton in Guangzhou before moving to Hong Kong, where he set up Panoramic 13 years ago. His charm tactics with factory bosses include claiming to have a local mistress and turning up with distracting props, such as an Olympic torch that he pretended the Beijing government had given him ahead of the 2008 Games. Wary of touching on politics, Panoramic avoids cases involving military technology or strategic industries such as petroleum. They also steer clear of gangster-dominated counterfeit goods such as tobacco. But most counterfeiting is relatively safe to investigate, they say. "The people we investigate are business people who are seeking to move on to legitimate stuff," not professional criminals, says one employee. All staff speak Chinese, but pretend not to when undercover – giving them advance knowledge if a situation turns sour. Kavowras also cautions that firms who see China as a risky business environment should do their homework. For example, many who complain of "brand hijacking" by trademark agents have failed to register their brands, he said. "If you have properly registered your patents, designs and trademarks then you have legal recourse, absolute recourse," he said. Panoramic also carries out due diligence for potential investors, making use of the firm's understanding of Chinese bureaucracy and sometimes also of its ability to get inside the gates of heavily fortified factories. Uncovering secrets sometimes involves outdoing local shysters at their own game. "What works a lot is that I only speak pidgin Chinese, I overpay, and then my Chinese agent will say, 'Charge him ten per cent extra and give me a kickback.' They love that," Kavowras said. "That's how we get over the trust factor. They love that – then they really feel at home." – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Cuepacs gesa kakitangan kerajaan protes kenaikan harga barang Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:49 AM PDT KUCHING, 25 Okt – Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs) menyarankan 1.3 juta penjawat awam di negara ini melakukan protes secara senyap terhadap kenaikan harga barang terutama ayam mulai bulan depan. Staf sektor awam akan menikmati bonus Disember ini dan kenaikan gaji awal tahun depan. Presidennya Datuk Omar Osman berkata protes boleh dilakukan dengan mengurangkan kekerapan ke pasar selain mencari alternatif yang lebih murah bagi membantah tindakan peniaga menaikkan harga barangan tanpa sebab munasabah. "Penjawat awam belum mendapat manfaat gaji naik dan bonus, peniaga dah mula ambik kesempatan," katanya kepada Bernama selepas taklimat isu semasa Cuepacs dengan ketua jabatan dan penjawat awam di sini hari ini. Kata beliau masanya telah tiba bagi semua penjawat awam bersatu dan menggunakan hak mereka sebagai pengguna. Fenomena kenaikan harga barangan terutama ayam berlaku di seluruh negara termasuk di negeri ini dan kesannya semakin dirasai pengguna. Pengarah Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Sarawak Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman sebelum ini, dilapor berkata harga ayam di Sarawak kini antara RM9.50 dan RM11.50 sekilogram bergantung kepada lokasi, susulan kekurangan bekalan sejak bulan lalu. Bagaimanapun beliau mejangka harga ayam kembali ke paras biasa iaitu antara RM7.50 dan RM8 sekilogram pada pertengahan bulan depan apabila bekalan kembali normal. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Peguam: Polis ambil gambar rumah, maklum selesai siasat Aziz Bari Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:44 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Okt – Polis telah melengkapkan siasatan ke atas pensyarah undang-undang Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari dengan mengambil gambar rumah beliau di Bandar Baru Selayang dekat sini petang ini. Peguamnya Dr Zulqarnain Lukman berkata pegawai penyiasat memaklumkan bahawa pihaknya telah melengkapkan siasatan, yang dijalankan di bawah Akta Hasutan sejak awal minggu lalu. "Polis memberitahu kami bahawa mereka telah melengkapkan siasatan. Mereka meninggalkan rumah (Aziz) sekitar pukul 3 petang," kata beliau hari ini. Zulqarnain berkata pihak polis datang sekitar pukul 2.30 petang tadi untuk melengkapkan siasatan. "Mereka ambil gambar di dalam dan di luar rumah. Pegawai penyiasat kelihatan ambil nota walaupun tiada apa yang diambil dari rumah Prof Aziz," katanya. Semalam pihak polis mengambil gambar pejabatnya di UIA selain komputer riba yang dibekalkan oleh pengurusan universiti. Zulqarnain berkata beliau difahamkan pihak polis telah pun menyerahkan kertas siasatan kepada ketua Unit Pendakwaan Selangor tetapi telah dikembalikan bagi mendapatkan butiran lanjut. MENYUSUL LAGI Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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United tries to play Rio, but I say ‘no, no, no’ Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:32 PM PDT Ferdinand falling short yet again as Edin Dzeko scores his second goal for Manchester City. — Reuters pic OCT 25 — We have to go back to last season's Uefa Champions League Final in May, when Barcelona defeated Manchester United convincingly at Wembley, and my thoughts on the performance of Rio Ferdinand (or rather his non-performance) then before we take another look at the almost shocking events of Sunday night. Ferdinand made an unwanted encore presentation against Manchester City and, having kept an eye on him in all the matches he has featured in this season, it is very much time to say, "Go Rio Go". The slow but sure decline in performance and a loss in appetite has made Ferdinand a liability. The wrong-footed challenge on Charlie Adam in last week's encounter with Liverpool at Anfield was for me the biggest sign that Ferdinand seems to have lost interest. He will play well in the next two games if selected but the rot set in a very long time ago. Excuses in football go hand-in-hand and injuries will happen but some players have to be true to themselves and accept when the clock ticks faster than them. Yes, Ferdinand has lost the qualities and leadership drive that made him a good defender. The left-back position is there for the taking, too, as Patrice Evra struggles with personal issues when previously he used to just whack an opponent and get on with it. The baggage of the French debacle at South Africa 2010 has proven he is not a leader of men but a foot soldier. Trusted with responsibility, as he wore the skipper's armband against City, he has proven to be incapable. The second half performance from him on the weekend was shocking. The troops needed to be rallied after going a goal down and Jittery Jonny was sent off, but instead the skipper goes missing. The future is now for Sir Alex Ferguson to play Chris Smalling and Phil Jones together in central defence and build the team around them. The Da Silva twins have proven incapable of being top stars and the need for fullbacks is urgent. It might need a trip to Holland to entice Gregory van der Wiel from Ajax Amsterdam before Chelsea, as it has been rumoured, step in. This young right back would fit seamlessly into the United style of play. I did write following last week's draw on Ferguson's wise strategy to play the defensive tactic as opposed to an all-out attacking approach at Anfield because playing Wayne Rooney, Chicarito and Nani from the start might have seen United down by two or three goals at half-time. Some readers, United fans obviously, had good-naturedly questioned my judgment, saying I was wrong and that the opposite approach would have seen United up instead. Well, my comments have been vindicated with the disastrous showing at the "Theatre of Nightmares" on Sunday. I do wonder though, when Ferguson sent out the defensive-minded team at Anfield, was he trying to tell us something or trying to hide the flaws? Anyhow, to be positive, this thwacking at the hands of Manchester City could be the day a new United was born. Elsewhere, the bravery of Andre Villas-Boas has to be commended as he went into an all-out attacking mode despite playing with nine men. It was indeed the right tactic as Queen's Park Rangers struggled for long periods but bravely hung on. This physical effort will hit Chelsea within the next week or so and this is where their squad strength will be key. At the Emirates, the sight of Robin van Persie on the bench drew gasps but the choice of Maroune Chamakh was to simply add aerial ability against silky Stoke City. After the battle was won, van Persie came on to win the war. Now, that's what a captain is supposed to be doing for his team, reversing a downward slide be it in a single game or during a bad period within a season . . . and boy, has the Dutchman's goals and efforts turned around what was a disastrous start for the Gunners' this season. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Top-four Newcastle: Here to stay? Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:27 PM PDT OCT 25 — While the majority of this weekend's attention was focussed on the Manchester clubs slugging it out at the top of the Premier League table (and I can't think of anything to say about that game apart from "Wow!"), Newcastle United quietly continued their highly impressive start to the season with a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Wigan. Newcastle have now picked up 19 points from an unbeaten opening nine games, establishing an early place in all-important the top four of the Premier League. Their strong form has largely been based on solidity at the back — with just six goals conceded in those opening nine games, they can boast the meanest defensive record in the league. They've been less effective at the other end of the field, scoring just twelve goals, and their lack of offensive firepower was painfully evident through the majority of Saturday's victory over Wigan, which seemed destined for a 0-0 draw until summer signing Yohan Cabaye provided an 82nd minute winner. But let's put the quibbling aside and acknowledge that it's been an unexpectedly strong start to the season for Alan Pardew's side, who were widely regarded as relegation candidates after losing important players Andy Carroll, Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Jose Enrique and not spending heavily to replace them. Pardew has done a great job to steady the perennially rocky Newcastle ship since he was controversially appointed to replace the popular Chris Hughton nearly a year ago. To say that Pardew was a surprise choice for the St James' hotseat (and believe me, the manager's chair at Newcastle is a hot one indeed) is an enormous understatement. He had recently been sacked by third tier Southampton and hadn't managed in the Premier League since 2007 when he was handed an unexpected return to the top flight by Mike Ashley, the Newcastle chairman whose unpopularity with his team's supporters is probably unmatched by any other team owner. Pardew was initially regarded by sceptical Newcastle fans as an Ashley puppet; somebody who would quietly sit on the bench and do what the chairman told him without causing any fuss. Anybody who knows Pardew — as I do, having worked with him for five years at the start of his managerial career with Reading — would immediately dismiss that notion because Pardew is a strong-minded, confrontational figure who will only do things one way: his way. But Newcastle supporters didn't see it like that: they didn't know anything about their new manager and had expected a more high-profile appointment than somebody who had just been sacked by a League One club. When star striker Carroll was sold to Liverpool in January, despite earlier assurances to the contrary, the mood of Newcastle supporters hardly improved — especially when nobody was signed to replace the departing frontman. But Pardew was unperturbed, calmly continued to mould his squad to mirror his own positive, hard working, no frills attitude, and achieved a decent set of results towards the end of last season, comfortably avoiding the relegation struggle that many fans had feared. Having first distrusted him, the passionate Geordie fans gradually learned to tolerate Pardew. Now, with their team unbeaten nine games into the new season, they're slowly starting to like him — even if he's still a long way from enjoying the hero worship that was meted out to Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer in days gone by. The question now is whether they can sustain their impressive start to the season – are they in the top four to stay, or will their bright start soon fade away? Much as I'd like to say otherwise, I'm afraid I think it will be the latter. Although Pardew's side should be more than capable of maintaining a place in the top half of the table, I can't see them staying in the top four, or even the top six. Their lack of firepower will soon start to cost points. Modern football is more about scoring goals than keeping them out, and a strike force of Demba Ba, Leon Best and Shola Ameobi just won't win enough games to keep them in the hunt for a place in next season's Champions' League. Another reason to suggest that Newcastle are currently in a false position is that the fixture list was very kind to them in these opening two months of the season. Apart from Arsenal and Tottenham, who both gained draws at St James' Park, they've been handed a series of fixtures against lower-ranked teams including Wigan, Fulham, Wolves, Blackburn and Sunderland. That all changes soon, with consecutive games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea coming up in the next month or so. If Newcastle can come through those testing fixtures with their unbeaten record still intact, they might convert a few more believers. For now, though, Newcastle's long-suffering fans won't be thinking too far into the future. They'll simply be enjoying a rare opportunity to savour their team's lofty status, however temporary it might prove to be. Just don't expect them to give Mike Ashley any credit. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Hernandez signs new five-year deal with United Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:17 AM PDT A fan has her picture taken with a poster of Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez as a backdrop before their match against Manchester City at Old Trafford, October 23, 2011. — Rueters pic MANCHESTER, Oct 24 — Mexico striker Javier Hernandez has completed the formalities of a new contract with Manchester United and pledged his future to the club for the next five years, the English champions said in a statement today. The 23-year-old, nicknamed "Chicharito", made a big impact with United in his first season, scoring 20 goals from 45 appearances in all competitions after arriving in July 2010 from his hometown club Chivas de Guadalajara. He has now scored 23 in 55 appearances and signed until the end of the 2015-16 season. United manager Alex Ferguson said: "The last player I remember making an impact as big and as quickly as Javier is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and he reminds me of Ole a lot. "His talent for creating space in the box and his finishing ability mark him out as a natural goalscorer. Off the pitch, he is a pleasure to manage. He works very hard and is a popular member of the squad." Said Hernandez: "Playing for Manchester United has been a dream come true for me. I never expected my first year to go so well and I'm delighted to commit my future to United." His agent Eduardo Hernandez said the contract had been renegotiated two weeks ago, explaining: "Javier was not badly paid with his initial contract, but it was his first contract and, with respect, not comparable with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Nani." His excellent form pushed Dimitar Berbatov out of a regular starting place and the Bulgarian striker's future at Old Trafford is still to be decided. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Manchester United begin road to recovery at Aldershot Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:58 AM PDT LONDON, Oct 24 — Manchester United will set out on the road to recovery following yesterday's 6-1 home mauling by Manchester City in the unlikely surrounds of Aldershot Town's modest Recreation Ground in the League Cup fourth round tomorrow. It would be harder to imagine a greater contrast between two grounds than Old Trafford and Aldershot's basic home, which only has stands on three sides and usually attracts crowds of around 2,000 for the Hampshire club's matches in League Two (fourth tier). However, the visit of the champions means the capacity has been increased to a sellout 7,300 for tomorrow's game, for which United manager Alex Ferguson is likely to name a much-changed side from the one that crashed so spectacularly to City. While yesterday's game ended with United suffering their worst defeat in decades, Aldershot, coached by the former Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers striker Dean Holdsworth and the lowest ranked club left in the competition, are in relatively good spirits. Their 5-2 win at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday was their best since they returned to the Football League in 2008 and whatever the outcome they will no doubt relish their first appearance in the last 16 of the competition. Holdsworth, a winner against United in his playing days, told reporters at his pre-match news conference: "Having Manchester United here is a privilege and an honour, and the important thing for us is that the players go out there full of confidence and are not overawed by the occasion." Aldershot have knocked out three clubs from higher divisions than themselves — West Ham United, Carlisle United and Rochdale, and Holdsworth added: "It's important that once the match starts, we play with no fear. It's a huge challenge but we are looking forward to it." It will not be their first match against United though, as they also played them in the League Cup in September 1970 when, before the days of squad rotation, a crowd of 18,000 at the Recreation Ground saw George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law all turn out for United. They won 3-1 against the Shots, then, as now, in the fourth division. Reformed club Aldershot's then player-manager Jimmy Melia — who scored the opening goal to give Aldershot the lead — said somewhat eerily after the game bearing in mind yesterday's outcome: "If George Best had been playing for Aldershot we would have won 6-1." Since then the fortunes of the two clubs could hardly have been more different, with United now having won a record 19 league titles, and Aldershot happy to be in existence again after being disbanded and losing their League place in 1992. They re-formed and fought their way back through the minor leagues to reclaim their League status in 2008. Manchester City are back in action as well this week, travelling to play Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday in a rematch of the 1974 final that Wolves won, one of the five all-Premier League ties in the round. Arsenal, last season's beaten finalists, are at home to Bolton Wanderers, who they beat 3-0 at the Emirates a month ago, while the Premier League's bottom club Blackburn Rovers meet Newcastle United who beat Rovers 1-0 last month. Everton will seek quick revenge against Chelsea after last week's 3-1 loss at Stamford Bridge, and Stoke City meet Liverpool with Stoke seeking a second win over Liverpool this season after beating them 1-0 in the league last month. There are two ties between Championship (second tier) clubs, with Cardiff City facing Burnley and Crystal Palace, who are third, facing Championship leaders Southampton at Selhust Park. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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‘Magic Tree House’ film premieres in Japan Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:33 AM PDT TOKYO, Oct 24 — The "Magic Tree House" books have whisked millions of readers on adventures to everywhere from ancient Egypt to feudal Japan. Now, the children's time-travel series is embarking on a new destination: the movie cinema. The Japanese animated adaptation, which premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival, comes to the cinema about two decades after author Mary Pope Osborne was walking past an old tree house and got the idea for the series that has sold nearly 100 million books worldwide. Osborne had previously opposed selling the adaptation rights to the books, known for their value for teaching reading, history and geography, because she wanted to keep the stories in children's imaginations. But she was impressed with the vision of the Japanese filmmakers, who visited Osborne and her husband in the United States to show them the script and illustrations for the movie, and felt confident they would make a good film. "We thought they totally captured the spirit of the brother and sister in the story," Osborne told Reuters at the premiere of "Magic Tree House" yesterday, the festival's second day. "The heart of the story was so intact that to me, it was just perfect in that way." The film, produced by Media Factory and set to be released in Japan in January, follows Jack and his little sister Annie, who discover a tree house filled with books in fictional Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. In the early books, Jack is eight years old and Annie seven. When Jack points to a picture in a book on dinosaurs and the siblings are suddenly transported to prehistoric times, they realise that the tree house is magical and can take them to any time and place in history they wish to visit. 'Determined and courageous' Jack and Annie need to summon every ounce of courage as their lives are threatened by everything from a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex to marauding pirates. Osborne visited schools in Japan's tsunami-hit areas last week and said she was moved by the strength of the children, who she couldn't help notice embodied the heroic qualities that she instilled in Jack and Annie. "The characters are so determined and courageous, and resilient and loving at the same time," she said. "Everything I heard about the children there and saw in the short time, it felt so in harmony with that." Osborne has written about 100 books over a 30-year career and shows no sign of stopping — or being stopped. "I broke my finger and wrist two years ago and I was literally typing a 'Magic Tree House' like this," she said, mimicking the action of typing painstakingly with rigid hands and two fingers. "But I got the whole book done." She is working on a "Magic Tree House" book set at a panda reserve against the backdrop of the 2008 earthquake in China. Osborne's husband, Will, and her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, pen the non-fiction companion books to the series. The three are also starting an educational programme in the United States to give away books to underprivileged children. "It's just a launching pad to learning about the world and getting excited about learning. That's what our mission is," she said. "It's always been inspiring. I don't think I'll ever stop." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

‘Paranormal 3’ breaks records at weekend box office Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:25 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 24 — Horror movie "Paranormal Activity 3" jolted awake a sleepy movie box office with an estimated US$80 million (RM251.3 million) in global ticket sales over the weekend. The third instalment of the low-budget haunted house movies topped domestic charts with US$54 million from US and Canadian cinemas, the highest-grossing domestic debut for a horror film and a record for an October release. The movie added US$26 million from international markets over the weekend, distributor Paramount Pictures said yesterday. Like the first two films in the series, "Paranormal 3" was released just before Halloween and produced on a budget tiny by Hollywood standards. The latest movie, the most expensive of the three, cost US$5 million to make. The film opened with after-midnight showings on Thursday night and easily beat the studio's forecast for a domestic debut of around US$35 million. The movie is a prequel about two young sisters and their creepy encounters with an invisible presence in their home, all recorded by surveillance cameras. A largely positive response from critics helped bring in an older-than-25 crowd in addition to the teenagers and young adults who usually flock to horror flicks, said Don Harris, Paramount's president of domestic distribution. "This is the best of the series. It was well-reviewed," Harris said, adding that "people like to be scared in a Hitchcock-ian way. This isn't a bloody franchise." The film's strong performance boosted a sluggish box office that has limped along sharply below last year for several weekends this autumn following a record summer. This weekend's top 12 films grossed 45 per cent more than last weekend's, although 6 per cent less than the same weekend a year ago, according to figures from Hollywood.com Box Office. Robot boxing movie "Real Steel", the domestic box-office champ the past two weekends, slipped to second place with US$11.3 million at North American (US and Canadian) cinemas. The film, starring Hugh Jackman as a father who bonds with his son as they restore a battle-ready robot, has earned US$153.3 million worldwide through its first three weekends of release. A remake of 1980s dance classic "Footloose" finished third on the domestic charts with US$10.9 million, dropping just 30 per cent from its debut weekend and earning a total of US$30.9 million to date. 'Musketeers' struggle' New release "The Three Musketeers", a 3D action version of the classic novel about a sword-fighting trio, finished in fourth place with a weaker than expected US$8.8 million. Critics were not enthused with the film, with just 28 per cent giving a positive review on movie website Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences polled by survey firm CinemaScore gave the film a B rating on average. Overseas, the movie has grossed US$64.4 million for a combined global total standing at US$73.2 million. Comedy "Johnny English Reborn" debuted in North America at eighth place with a dismal US$3.8 million. But the film starring British "Mr Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling secret agent has already chalked up success overseas, pulling in US$104.5 million in international markets since its release five weeks ago. Fifth place domestically went to George Clooney's political thriller "The Ides of March". which brought in US$4.9 million during its third weekend of release. Clooney directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the film about a primary fight between two presidential candidates. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, released "Paranormal Activity 3" and "Footloose". Summit Entertainment distributed "The Three Musketeers". Walt Disney Co released "Real Steel", which was produced by DreamWorks. "Johnny English Reborn" was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp, and Sony Corp unit Columbia Pictures released "The Ides of March". — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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