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Must be 'KELONG' lah ! Chelsea's Luiz in spotlight as Ferguson rages at Referee Reuters - 1 hour 55 minutes ago By Mitch Phillips LONDON - Chelsea defender David Luiz was the centre of attention after scoring in their 2-1 comeback win at home to Manchester United on Tuesday as visiting manager Alex Ferguson unleashed another rant at the match officials. United led with a Wayne Rooney goal after half an hour but Brazil centre back Luiz slammed home a well-taken equaliser nine minutes into the second half and Frank Lampard completed the turnaround 11 minutes from time with a penalty. United had centre back Nemanja Vidic sent off in stoppage time for a second booking but Ferguson was incensed that Luiz had not suffered the same fate earlier and was also unhappy with the penalty given after Chris Smalling tripped Yuri Zhirkov. "The penalty kick was so soft but we played very well. It was a great performance by us. We didn't deserve that," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "That's three years in a row referees' decisions have changed the game ." Luiz was booked by referee Martin Atkinson for a foul after 61 minutes then appeared fortunate to escape a second yellow card after flattening Rooney. "It was incredible. Even before that he'd done Chicharito off the ball. He'd done him late. Nothing done, the referee's in front of it," added Ferguson. "He does Rooney clear as day, he's six yards from it, he doesn't do anything. These are decisions that change the game and he's going to be refereeing every week." PROUD FERGUSON Ferguson, who said before the game that Rooney was lucky not to have been banned after a clash with Wigan Athletic's James McCarthy at the weekend, added: "I'm proud of the players. They've endured a lot of decisions against them but they've come through it, they've done their best and created good chances." Chelsea's win took them within 12 points of leaders United and, asked if they were back in the title race, Ferguson said: "If they get decisions like tonight then it can change everything. They got a lot of decisions that surprised me." Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti did not want to discuss the officials but said Luiz might have been lucky. "There was a lot of intensity and it was not easy for the referee to decide every time," he said. "There was a lot going on on the pitch so the referee decided he didn't see this." The Italian preferred to concentrate on the spirit shown by his side after they had been outplayed in the first half. "We kept going with strength, intensity and power in our performance against a fantastic United team," he said. "We actually started well but at halftime I told them that we had to do it for 45 minutes, not just 15. "It was not easy to come back but we had a good balance in the second half." The win took Chelsea back into the top four but Ancelotti said the champions had no realistic hope of catching United, who are four points ahead of Arsenal having played a game more. "It's too far, we can't think we can get to the top," he said. "But the victory was important for us and our confidence." Midfielder Lampard added: "We're still a lot of points behind but all we could do was win the game. "United are deservedly top but we've still got some fight in us and we showed that tonight."

Aiyah !...why so careless !!! Chelsea rally to beat United 2-1 in thriller Reuters - 1 hour 26 minutes ago By Mitch Phillips LONDON - Chelsea blew the title race wide open when they came from behind to beat Premier league leaders Manchester United 2-1 thanks to Frank Lampard's controversial 79th-minute penalty at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. United had deservedly led through Wayne Rooney's 29th-minute strike but Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz equalised nine minutes into the second half with his first goal for the club since joining from Benfica in the January window. The champions, unbeaten at home against United since 2002, surged forward after that and took the points when Chris Smalling tripped substitute Yuri Zhirkov and Lampard fired home a penalty United manager Alex Ferguson described as "soft." United remain top on 60 points, four clear of Arsenal but with the London side now having a game in hand. Manchester City are third on 50 with champions Chelsea up to fourth on 48. "It was a great performance by us. We didn't deserve that," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "It's three years in a row the referees' decisions have changed the game. "I'm proud of my players tonight, they've endured a lot of decisions against them and they've done their best." MISERABLE NIGHT Defender Nemanja Vidic's stoppage-time red card for a second booking completed United's miserable night and the Serbian defender will miss Sunday's trip to face Liverpool at Anfield. Ferguson felt Luiz should also been sent off for a robust challenge on Rooney and Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said the defender "could have been lucky." However, the Italian was pleased with his side's commitment, saying: "The performance was really good. If you do not play well you cannot beat Man Utd." The fixture that has so often been billed as a virtual title decider in recent seasons initially had something of a low-key feel about it with Chelsea unaccustomedly so far adrift of their rivals and their hopes of retaining the title long gone. Ancelotti opted to go with Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka as his front men, leaving Didier Drogba on the bench. Alex Ferguson also permed two from three with Rooney and Javier Hernandez starting together, with Dimitar Berbatov among the substitutes. It was the same strike force from Saturday's 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic. The manager said before the game that Rooney was fortunate to be playing having escaped a ban for his off-the-ball elbowing of Wigan's James McCarthy but he was not the only pantomime villain on show as United gave a special welcome to Ashley Cole. The England defender had been fined and investigated by the police for shooting a member of the Chelsea staff with an air gun at their training ground. One United fan held up a sign saying: "Don't shoot Ashley" while all of them roared "shoot" every time he touched the ball. In an open, attacking game, United gradually took control and Rooney should have put them ahead when he mistimed a header after 21 minutes. MORE ENERGY He made amends eight minutes later when he collected the ball 25 metres out, turned in acres of space and drove a fierce low shot beyond Petr Cech into the bottom corner. Chelsea showed more energy after the break and levelled after 54 minutes when Ivanovic headed a deep cross into the path of Luiz and the Brazilian defender waited for it to drop before expertly slamming a shot past Edwin van der Sar. Drogba replaced Anelka after an hour while Berbatov went on for Hernandez 10 minutes later. Ryan Giggs also joined the fray for his 606th league game, equalling Bobby Charlton's United record set on the same ground in 1973. Chelsea begun to control more of the ball, forcing United to defend deep and it was another substitute, Zhirkov, on in the 71st minute for Florent Malouda, who turned the game when he went down under the challenge of Smalling. Lampard dispatched a powerful penalty and Chelsea, instead of trailing the leaders by 18 points, are now 12 adrift and back in the Champions League places.

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Sexy Liu Yifei in 'A Chinese Ghost Story' By Rheus Wai Soh See for Cinema Online Monday February 28, 2011 12:56 am PST 25 Feb: A reupdate of the 1987 classic "A Chinese Ghost Story" starring Joey Wong and Leslie Cheung will feature Krystal Liu Yifei for a temperamental new character Nie Xiaoqian, which was previously not depicted. Film director Wilson Yip ("Ip Man") was at the Beijing launch a few days ago with the Love In Disguise (2010) and also The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) actress, along with Kara Hui, Lin Peng, Gong Xinliang and Wang Danyi Li. Visuals from the movie reveal plenty of bare back from Liu Yifei. On the night itself, she appeared in a low-cut golden dress to compliment her figure. Gong Xinliang wore a low-cut pink dress as if rivalling Liu Yifei for cleavage. Actress Kara Hui was wearing shiny, silver dress. "Dragon Lady" Lin Peng also appeared on stage wearing a flesh-coloured dress. In contrast to past adaptations, this version will be told from the perspective of Taoist priest Yan Chi Xia. Yan, who has always been a supporting character in the series, is now played by Louis Koo with lots of ###### hair and Van Helsing gear. He has a complicated relationship with Liu Yifei's character Nie Xiaoqian. Yu Shaoqun rounds out the cast as her love interest Ning Caichen. The movie is slated for release in April 2011.

Athens top City for online Flirting-Dating Website Reuters - Tuesday, March 1 LONDON - The home of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle is the "most flirtatious city" of the modern world, a new study showed on Monday. Athens topped a "World Flirtation League," which ranked cities by the number of online flirtations initiated per month by the average user in each on online social networking site Badoo.com . Moscow came second, while Rome placed 8th and Madrid 31st, Paris 38th, London 57th, Berlin 79th, and New York 89th in the study of nearly 200 cities across the world in which Badoo analyzed 12 million flirtatious contacts made during a month, with 108 million users chatting and flirting in 180 countries. The Lonely Planet Encounter Guide to Athens author Victoria Kyriakopoulous said the results are hardly surprising as the Greek capital is a seductive city, with a hedonistic lifestyle. "Athenians love to party and they love to talk," she said. "Flirting and sexual banter are not just a means to an end but part of social interaction." She said the internet is just a new means to the age-old dance of attraction and love. "Old people flirt, married people flirt, now young people are simply using technology to do what Athenians have always done." The average Badoo user in Athens initiated 25.7 online flirtations per month -- over twice as many as in Rio . Tunis, birthplace of the "Jasmine Revolution," is among three Arab cities . Plato said "Love is a serious mental disease." The great man never shared his views on online flirting but he knew something at least about offline flirting, said Simon Hardy, British academic and author of "The Greeks, Eroticism and Ourselves." He said ancient Athenians may have honed the art of flirtation at drinking parties known as symposia, drinking parties where men flirted with dancing girls among other entertainment. "It is probably fair to say that the Athenians perfected the art of flirtation in ancient times, especially at the time of symposia described by Plato."

GREED ??? Did Top $$$urgeon double charge her Patient? By Alicia Wong – March 1st, 2011 When doctors submitted their bills to top surgeon Susan Lim for treatment of one of her wealthy patients, she allegedly inflated the fee by as much as 500 times. Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo alleged on Monday that Dr Lim had effectively double charged her late patient, Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit, younger sister of the Queen of Brunei and cousin of the Sultan, according to media reports. Monday was Day 4 of Dr Lim’s fight in the High Court against the Singapore Medical Council (SMC). She had gone to court to quash the SMC’s bid to hold a second disciplinary hearing against her for overcharging her patient. The first committee stepped down on accusations of pre-judging the case. Pengiran Damit, who had breast cancer, was Dr Lim’s patient from 2001 until her death in 2007. Last month, the news broke that Dr Lim charged her $26 million for the period January to July 2007, but later slashed the fee to just over $3 million. Figures revealed on Monday show that from 2004 to 2007, the five doctors billed Dr Lim a total of just over $104,000 for their services, but when she billed her patient, she charged a total of $1.52 million for those services. She also charged another $18.85 million for her services. For instance, Dr Whang Hwee Yong’s bill of $400 for treatment from Jun 1 to Jun 3 in 2004 was increased to $211,000 when Dr Lim billed the patient. Dr Lim then charged an extra $305,800 under her own name. Mr Yeo said, “So it’s misleading to paint the picture that it’s not a mark-up, because she’s billing millions for her own work.” The five doctors reportedly felt Dr Lim had not marked up the fees, as the invoices merely took into account her services. Dr Lim’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Lee Eng Beng, who presented the doctors’ affidavits, said the sworn statements debunked the SMC’s accusations of overcharging, and that it was not reasonable or rational for the SMC to continue with the case against her. His main argument is that Dr Lim, who apparently went to extraordinary lengths to cater to the patient, had a fee agreement with her patient, but Mr Yeo said the issue was whether Dr Lim abused the patient’s trust. Arguing that the court should allow the SMC’s disciplinary committee to try the case Mr Yeo said, “We need to ask whether it is to unreasonable for this case to be referred to a disciplinary committee for inquiry?” “If Dr Lim is innocent, she would be acquitted by the disciplinary committee and come out of this smelling of roses. Instead she comes to court to subvert the process,” he said. The hearing continues today. More on the case: The Ministry of Health has accused Dr Susan Lim of overcharging Pengiran Damit, with a medical bill totalling some $26 million. The bill allegedly included the cost of setting up a well-equipped medical unit in Brunei for the patient and having at least one specialist stationed in the Sultanate during the last six weeks of the patient’s treatment. The bill was later discounted to just over $3 million. The SMC initially appointed a three-doctor disciplinary committee to hear the case against Dr Lim last year, but the committee stepped down after being accused by Dr Lim’s lawyers of pre-judging the case. Dr Lim is now fighting the SMC’s decision to appoint a second disciplinary committee in the High Court. A former patient of Dr Lim’s clinic, Susan Lim Surgery, described the clinic as “posh with lots of articles about Dr Lim”. But it is not “over the top”, Ms June Ng told Yahoo! Singapore. She visited the clinic in 2009 to consult a doctor, who was not Dr Lim.

Iran threatens Olympic boycott over logo design Mon Feb 28 03:51PM Iran has threatened to boycott the London 2012 Olympics unless organisers agree to change the design of the logo. The Iranian government has lodged a formal protest with the International Olympic Committee over the four-year-old logo, claiming that it must be changed since it spells out the word 'Zion'. And the Middle Eastern nation has warned that it will order its athletes to stay at home next summer unless the logo is replaced and its creators asked to explain themselves. "As internet documents have proved, using the word Zion in the logo of the 2012 Olympic Games is a disgracing action and against the Olympics' valuable mottos," the Iranian government wrote in a letter to the IOC, which was released via the state-backed Iranian Students Agency. "There is no doubt that negligence of the issue from your side may affect the presence of some countries in the Games, especially Iran which abides by commitment to the values and principles." It's not the first time that the logo has been at the centre of an unusual complaint: it has been heavily criticised ever since first being unveiled in 2007, and has been compared to everything from a swastika to a stylised image of two people making love. But this is the first time that the design of the logo has prompted a threat to stay away from the sporting showcase. An IOC official confirmed that the letter had been received, but insisted that the logo "represents the figure 2012, nothing else" while a London 2012 spokesman told The Guardian that "we are surprised that this complaint has been made now". Iran won two medals at the 2008 Olympics in China with its sole gold coming courtesy of Hadi Saei in the men's 80kg Taekwondo. It fared better in recent Games before Beijing, claiming six in Athens in 2004 (two golds) and four in Sydney in 2000 (three golds).

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Better BUY...NO REGRET$ !!! UPDATE 2-Hutchison unit sets price range for $5.8 bln IPO, SE Asia's biggest Monday 28 February 2011, 14:05 SGT By Saeed Azhar and Harry Suhartono * Price range of $0.91-$1.08 a unit - prospectus * To sell up to 3.9 billion units, excluding cornerstones * Temasek, Paulson, Cathay Life among cornerstones * Cornerstones to invest $1.6 billion SINGAPORE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Hutchison Whampoa's ports unit is looking to raise as much as $5.8 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore, allowing investors to tap into China's booming infrastructure business. Southeast Asia's biggest ever listing comes at a time when intra-Asia sea-borne trade is swelling and global container shipping firms are putting more ships and resources to serve Asian routes from Europe and North America. The assets of the Hutchison subsidiary, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust, are located in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, two of the world's busiest container ports in 2009 with a total throughput of 39.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units, according to the IPO prospectus. It would be the first publicly traded business trust backed by port assets, according to the prospectus, and would exceed Malaysia's Petronas Chemicals' $4.1 billion listing of 2010, which has so far been the biggest listing in the region. "Given the size of HPH Trust, we expect the proposed IPO to attract significant investor interest," said Sean Quek, Singapore head of research at Credit Suisse. "In addition to the potential direct impact on trading volume, the IPO could also set the path for business trusts and port-related companies' listings here." INDICATIVE PRICE Hutchison, the world's largest container terminal operator, is owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, who is spinning off Hutchison Port Holdings Trust in a separate listing in Singapore to take advantage of regulations that are favourable for trust-like companies. The company chose Singapore over Hong Kong because the city-state has been an attractive destination for infrastructure and real estate trusts, bankers said. The company reported a net profit of $655 million in 2010, from a revenue of $1.49 billion. Similar trusts have been lapped up by investors who seek a higher dividend yield and want to diversify from bonds. Singapore is home to property trusts owned by Southeast Asia's biggest property firm CapitaLand as well as shipping, infrastructure and logistics' trusts from China to Australia. Hutchison has set an indicative price of $0.91 to $1.08 per unit for the IPO, aiming to raise $4.2 billion through the sale share. The proceeds will be used to pay off debt and for development of two ports' projects in China. PAULSON AND TEMASEK Cornerstone investors, who include Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings , U.S. hedge fund manager Paulson & Co and Cathay Life Insurance, will be putting in an additional $1.6 billion in the deal, according to its preliminary prospectus. Based on the maximum indicative price, the market cap of the company will be $9.4 billion after the listing, which is likely to be within a few weeks. Hutchison Whampoa and Singapore state-owned PSA International, which owns 20 percent of the Hong Kong firm, will together own 32 percent of the company after the listing. The units will offer a yield of between 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent to unit holders, according to the prospectus. Paulson will invest $350 million in the IPO, whereas a Temasek unit will put in $100 million. DBS , Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs are joint bookrunners and issue managers. JPMorgan , UBS , Barclays , Morgan Stanley are among co-lead managers. (Additional reporting by Charmian Kok; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Richard Li and Isabella Leong $$$plit up By Ben Tan Monday February 28, 2011 12:49 am PST Hong Kong telco tycoon Richard Li, son of Asia's richest man, Li Ka Shing, and former actress Isabella Leong have broken up. The pair, who were rumored to have secretly married last year, have three sons, two of whom are twin boys that Isabella had given birth to in June. In a statement to the media, Miss Leong, 22, said: "For 2011, I will be starting over a new page in my life. Richard Li and I have split up. "We have had wonderful memories of our times together. We plan to bring up our children together, hoping they will grow up happily and in good health. We also hope to have less media pressure and to live our lives in peace." The 44-year old Li, who is the chairman of Hong Kong's biggest telecommunications provider, PCCW, will reportedly give S$1 billion to his sons, as well as pay a monthly maintenance fee to Miss Leong. Reports have also said that the former singer-model will also receive cash and kind from Mr Li worth more than S$25 million. Speculation is rife that the break up stems from Miss Leong's pictures of her and a young man taken at a bar in Canada. Mr Li's family was also said to have been unhappy with her for posting pictures of her children as well as revealing details of their personal life on Facebook. Miss Leong has since rubbished those reports. Mr Li could not be reached for comment.

Miss World 2007 Zhang ZiLin 张梓琳 : I'll do the N.U.D.E. scene myself By Sivarasa Sothivadivel Thursday February 24, 2011 06:46 pm PST 24 Feb : Beauty queen and fashion model Zhang Zilin refused a body double and insisted on shooting a N.U.D.E. bathing scene by her own in her feature film debut "Underdog Knight 2" opposite Liu Ye. Miss China World 2007 and Miss World 2007 representing the People's Republic of China, she was the first Miss World of East Asian origin. She was reported as saying that she was frankly a little scared of the whole ordeal but ultimately conquered her psychological barrier to complete the N.U.D.E. scene. Film director Ding Shen offered a body double but Zhang Zilin was quoted as saying: "Nudity is part of the film and in the film, there is great romance with Liu Ye, so I am willing to challenge myself." She was said to have done a lot of hard work for the movie, actively exchanging views with Liu Ye. As for the kiss itself, it was reported that she saw fear in the eyes of Liu Ye after the passionate performance! The sultry siren will turn 27 next month and the last known intended general release for "Underdog Knight 2" is in April 2011.

Premier League - FA await ref's Rooney report Sun, 27 Feb 10:44:00 2011 Referee Mark Clattenburg's explanation of why he awarded Wigan a free-kick following Wayne Rooney's clash with James McCarthy will determine whether the Manchester United striker ends up facing a three-match ban. Latics boss Roberto Martinez was incensed by the sight of Rooney smacking his elbow into the back of McCarthy's head and sought out Clattenburg for an explanation at half-time. The Durham official told Martinez he felt there had been "a coming together", something he appeared to indicate through hand gestures at the time, but that cut little ice with the Spaniard. The only obvious way round this for Clattenburg when he sends in his official match report would be to state he saw the clash, but not the elbow. Even then, the FA would be within their rights to ask exactly why he gave the free-kick considering, without the elbow incident, McCarthy had moved towards Rooney rather than the other way round. If Clattenburg says he saw the entire clash fully, Rooney will escape sanction, although a three-match ban could see him miss this week's Premier League games with Chelsea and Liverpool, plus the FA Cup sixth round tie against either Arsenal or Leyton Orient. "I saw the incident clearly and the referee did as well because he gave the free-kick," Martinez said. "Once you give a free-kick it is quite clear that it is a red card. When you look at the replay, it is quite clear he catches James McCarthy in the face with his elbow. "If one of my players had done that, I would think he was very lucky to stay on the pitch." United manager Alex Ferguson, however, said "there is nothing in it". "But, what will happen, because it is Wayne Rooney, the press will raise a campaign to get him hung by Tuesday or electrocuted or something like that. "It is unbelievable. Watch the press. It will be interesting to see it." United's victory took them four points clear of Arsenal, who play Birmingham City in the League Cup final later on Sunday. They can stretch that lead to seven when they play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. PA Sport / Reuters

Alamak !...SEOW lah !...Don't shoot 'BIRDS'...Shoot PEOPLE ! Premier League - Ashley Cole 'shoots Student' Sun, 27 Feb 01:06:00 2011 Chelsea and England full-back Ashley Cole accidentally shot an intern at the club's training ground with a .22 calibre air rifle, according to a report. The News Of The World reported that Cole was "larking about" with the weapon, which he brought to the state of the art complex at Cobham complete with a muzzle and nightscope, when he discharged it from a distance of five feet. Tom Cowan, a sports science student at Loughborough University who is on a year's work placement with Chelsea, was in the dressing room when the incident happened last Sunday. Sources at Chelsea told the News of the World how the student was tended to by Chelsea medical staff and given several days off to recover from the shock. But his wound had still not healed two days later and he had to be looked at again by medical staff. Several first team members are said to have witnessed the incident. The News Of The World said that Cowan was called into a meeting with "deeply worried" Chelsea officials on Wednesday to discuss the accident and a day later the 21-year-old's father held further discussions with the club and demanded to know what action against Cole would be taken. "It's truly inconceivable that a Premier League footballer could bring a gun to the training ground," a source told the newspaper. "But Ashley pulled the rifle from a box and started larking about with it in the changing room, not realising it was loaded. It ended up pointed at Tom just five feet away. "The gun went off with a loud pop and Tom screamed as this lead pellet hit him in the side. It went through his clothing and into his flesh." Cole is reported to have formally apologised to Cowan after receiving a severe dressing down from the club. It is not illegal to possess a .22 air rifle without a licence but the incident could be deemed actual bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine. "We never comment on internal matters," Chelsea said in response to the report. Eurosport

Don't see 'EYE to EYE' !!! What do MM Lee and Dr Mahathir think of each other? By Faris – February 25th, 2011 “He’s a big frog in a small pond.” That is what Dr Mahathir Mohamad thinks of Singapore’s founding father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. In the book ‘Doctor M: Operation Malaysia’, the country’s former leader was also quoted describing Mr Lee as someone who is not satisfied with what he has. But despite being at loggerheads with Mr Lee for more than 20 years, Dr Mahathir had to admit that Lee “will go down in history as a very remarkable intellectual and a politician at the same time, which is not a very often thing.” On the other hand, Lee graciously acknowledged Mahathir as an “outstanding” prime minister of Malaysia, adding that the latter educated his people and sent many of them abroad on scholarships and who in turn transformed the country. “During his premiership of over 20 years, he changed Malaysia from an agricultural, placid society into an industrial, dynamic society,” said Mr Lee as quoted in cover leaf of the same book. As the author of the book, professor Tom Plate, veteran journalist-turned-academic, was in town, I took the opportunity to have a one-on-one interview with him to talk about the two long-time rivals. In ‘Doctor M: Operation Malaysia’, Mr Plate chronicled the experiences of Malaysia’s fourth and former premier, someone who was infamous for his disdain of the Western media as well as for his controversial and outspoken views on Israel and the Jews.: Mr Plate had also written a book on Singapore’s own former long-time premier titled ‘Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew’ which was launched in May last year. The book touches on Lee’s views on issues such as his “authoritarianism”, and reveals details of his personal family life. The book together with that on Mahathir is part of the ‘Giants of Asia’ series which recounts the stories of some of the brightest but yet also controversial leaders in Asia. Similarities between LKY and Dr Mahathir? Describing both ‘Giants of Asia’ as two peas in the proverbial pod, Mr Plate pointed out that they actually have much in common despite their sometimes cold relationship. In his latest book, Mr Plate said they relish making painful decisions, work out almost daily for their health and profess similar social-Darwinian views. Apart from that, he noted that Lee and Mahathir are Asian evangelists who consistently and stoutly defend Asian values but are also welcoming towards multinational investments. “They often lecture their countrymen like schoolmarms, prioritize education and champion a sweltering, non-stop work ethic,” Mr Plate said. In the interview with Yahoo! Singapore, Mr Plate also highlighted the difference in the intensity of the men. Comparing Lee to that of the dean of academic studies, the author said that he is extremely articulate, has a penetrating mind and is very careful with his language. “There is just no sloppiness to Lee Kuan Yew. He is very structured and doesn’t easily go off message when discuss about an issue.” But you might be surprised that as rigid as Lee might appear to be, Mr Plate said that he has a very good sense of humour. Even Lee himself might agree with this assessment. In the book, Lee acknowledged that while he would not call himself “fun-loving” or “light-hearted”, he is not serious all the time. “Everyone needs to have a good laugh now and then, to see the funny side of things, and to laugh at himself,” Lee said. On the other hand, Mahathir was described as a slightly “looser” individual who would often crack jokes. But this, Mr Plate said, is not for the better or worse. “Because of this, it is easier for one to underestimate the intelligence of Mahathir than Lee Kuan Yew because of the differences in style,” he said. “But Mahathir is nobody’s fool, he is still very sharp even at 85.” The West can learn from LKY Talking of Singapore’s founding father alone, Mr Plate had also much to say. “The West can learn a lot from Lee Kuan Yew,” said the author, who also noted that it might not be feasible to transplant the Singapore system which works for about five million people to a country such as the United States. Still, he gave Lee credit for the country’s impressive meritocratic system and its public service which “America has lost a little bit”. Describing Lee as a “global geo-political guru”, he said that the Western media generally thinks of him as a “hard authoritarian”. Perhaps this was borne out of the fact that Singapore has consistently been described as a ‘Nanny state’ and also because of the nation’s strict laws such as caning and the ban on chewing gum. While he admitted that it was a struggle for the American media to move away from that stereotype now, Mr Plate claimed that there has been an “appreciation” of Lee though it “took too long” for the media to recognize the former leader’s achievements. Going back to a comparison of the two former premiers, Mr Plate said it is hard to gauge the success of governance of one against the other. Since both men held power almost during the same time, although Mr Lee became prime minister much earlier and Dr Mahathir stepping down a later date, it is easy for others to rush and compare the achievements and legacies of both these heavyweight champions. While Singapore might be more successful, Malaysia is roughly five times the size and population of Singapore, Mr Plate said. “So the control environment is messier. But they are both leaders in their parties, and both are what we used the term in America soft authoritarianism to describe their styles” When asked what he meant by ‘Giants in Asia’, Mr Plate says, “They are larger than life personalities that by looking and talking to them, that they can illuminate their time and their area of the world and how their area will fit in the rest of the globe. That’s really what it’s about. It’s a way of a magical mystery tour through Asia.”

Premier League - Managers: Mancini irks Hughes Sun, 27 Feb 19:35:00 2011 Fulham manager Mark Hughes revealed his anger at the reaction of Manchester City counterpart Roberto Mancini to his offer of a post-match handshake. Manchester City 1-1 Fulham Mark Hughes: "I am old-fashioned. I always think you should offer your hand in whatever circumstances, no matter how difficult it is. I did it and did it with sincerity after my team had been beaten 4-1 at Craven Cottage earlier in this season. I acknowledged his team were better. Maybe I misread it but I don't feel Roberto really acknowledged the efforts of my team and what we had done by the manner he offered his hand, by not looking at me. "I don't have any regrets. City are a fantastic club and they have some great people here. I met people I was really fond of today. I have not had chance to do that since I was sacked. Everybody has pride and it was important for our staff and their families. To get a result like that is important for a lot of people." Roberto Mancini: "In London he did the same. I know he said something but I couldn't understand what. For you (journalists) it is maybe the best thing in the match, for me, no. It is not important. He (Hughes) should be happy. His team got a draw against us. "He (Mario Balotelli) scored a good goal but I am not happy. He should play well, better than today. For strikers it is important to score. But strikers should also play for the team. I don't just mean Balotelli, but Carlos and Dzeko as well. They should always play for the team. Mario can play better." West Ham United 3-1 Liverpool Avram Grant: "Scott (Parker) is a special guy. The spirit he showed was great. Three hours before the game, we thought there was no way he would play. It was a bad, bad injury. He couldn't walk or move his arms. The medical department were sure he couldn't play, but they did a good job and gave him 24 hours of treatment. He needed more than an injection, but the medical department did brilliantly with him. He's the type of player I like: he always gives 100 per cent, is always positive. I like some of the things from old-fashioned play. That's what they did in the olden days. They gave everything." Kenny Dalglish: "We never passed it as well as we can or took the opportunities that came our way. The last 20 or 25 minutes, we started to play a wee bit like we can. We got the goal near the end and we thought we might steal a point. There were a couple of shouts for a penalty, things that are outside our control that you can't manage, but we'll try to correct the mistakes we made." PA Sport

Premier League - Fulham end City's winning home form Mon, 28 Feb 01:09:00 2011 Manchester City's winning ways on home turf came to an end as they drew 1-1 with Fulham in the Premier League at Eastlands. It looked like business as usual for City, who had won seven home games in a row in all competitions, when Mario Ballotelli opened the scoring on 26 minutes, placing a fine right-footed effort beyond Mark Schwarzer. But Fulham, managed by ex-City manager Mark Hughes, drew level early in the second-half when Damien Duff converted Andy Johnson's driven cross. The hosts turned up the pressure after being pegged back and Ballotelli, Aleksandar Kolarov and Carlos Tevez all came close. However, the Cottagers refused to sit back and defend throughout the game and had chances of their own to take all three points, with Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey racking up chances. There were very few serious threats on goal from either side in the opening 45 minutes, but a Fulham side widely predicted to set up defensively at Eastlands surprised their opponents with confident possession in large spells. Captain Danny Murphy fizzed a fine long-range effort inches over the bar halfway through the first period moments before Dembele had a shot on goal caught by Joe Hart after good work from Dempsey. But their encouraging play was for nothing when Balotelli found sight of goal amidst a sea of white shirts keeping him just outside the Fulham box and curled neatly into the bottom right corner to break the deadlock. The goal, somewhat against the run of play, subdued the away side for much of the first-half's remainder, but it took them just three minutes after the interval to draw level. A great ball forward from an advanced Hangeland sent Johnson racing towards goal on the right-hand side of the City penalty area, and the forward selflessly picked out Duff with a ball to the far post. The Irish winger blasted home from close range and Hughes's men were deservedly level. City reacted to conceding better than their opponents had in the first half, however, and had several opportunities to retake the advantage. But not before Johnson almost added a goal to his assist on 51 minutes, getting past Jerome Boateng at right-back before his weak shot at goal was easily collected by Hart. The home side poured forward, particularly after Patrick Vieira replaced the anonymous Edin Dzeko, and both Balotelli and Tevez should have done better after finding space in the Fulham box. Halfway through the second period, an otherwise error-laden performance from Kolarov peaked with a superb dipping shot from at least 30 yards, which had to be tipped over by Schwarzer before it could tuck itself just under the crossbar. But despite a late goalmouth scramble that both Tevez and Boateng attempted to convert in an area packed with white shirts, the game petered out to its fairest conclusion with both sides taking a point. It was a result which could well officially spell the end of any talk of Manchester City mounting a late title challenge, and a good away point for a side looking to continue their journey away from the bottom three. Liam Happe / Eurosport

Premier League - Sparkling West Ham beat Liverpool Mon, 28 Feb 01:09:00 2011 West Ham's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League were given a boost after their convincing 3-1 win over Liverpool at Upton Park. Hammers captain Scott Parker opened the scoring on 17 minutes with a wonderful finish from the edge of the box, before Demba Ba continued his scoring run for his new club right before half-time. Glen Johnson scored against his former club to ensure a nervy final few minutes, but substitute Carlton Cole added a late third to secure a vital three points for Avram Grant's side. Despite ending a run of four straight defeats to Liverpool, the win is not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone. The Hammers move up from bottom of the table to 18th, below Wolves on goal difference. However, the manner of the victory and the performance will give plenty of cause for optimism for the remainder of the season. Liverpool remain sixth, six point behind Chelsea who play Manchester United on Tuesday. After finally making his West Ham debut in the FA Cup on Monday after missing the whole campaign through injury, midfielder Thomas Hitzelsperger made his Premier League bow, six years after making the last of his 99 league appearances for Aston Villa. The German was highly influential. He fired two trademark long-range strikes right at Pepe Reina, but his role in midfield was key to the home side bossing the half and looking nothing like a side who started the day bottom of the table. He played his part to play in Parker's fifth league goal of the season which put the Hammers ahead. Parker slipped as he played a one-two with Hitzelsperger, but regained his footing to collect the return pass and curl an outstanding shot just inside the far post with the outside of his boot. Liverpool had Steven Gerrard restored to the side after missing their last three games through injury, but the Liverpool captain once again played second fiddle to Raul Meireles in the Reds' midfield. Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt were too often anonymous up front for the visitors. The only time they combined effectively was when Suarez led the counter-attack from a West Ham corner before picking out Kuyt, who drifted inside and fired into the side netting. Frederic Piquionne caused plenty of problems for Liverpool's three centre-backs - including Scotland international Danny Wilson, making his Premier League debut - and the French striker struck a lethal low ball across the six-yard box which Ba just failed to meet with an outstretched boot. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was forced to abandon his 5-3-2 formation when right-back Martin Kelly pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced by former West Ham captain Joe Cole. Soon afterwards, Ba scored his third goal in as many league games since joining the Hammers when he met Gary O'Neil's chipped cross with a header which is best described as a falling rather than a diving one. However it is classified, it was an excellent effort that Reina could do nothing about except watch it fly into the near top corner. Things got worse for Liverpool soon after the restart when Meireles was forced off after struggling with a knock he picked up in the first half. Ba almost got his second of the match when he drilled a solid low strike that flashed wide of Reina's post, while at the other end Suarez almost scored his second Liverpool goal after rolling past James Tomkins on the edge of the box, only for Robert Green to make a good two-handed save. When Piquionne glanced a header from a corner wide it alerted Liverpool to the fact that the result was not yet set in stone, and their push for an equaliser bore fruit five minutes from time. Suarez turned skilfully and swiftly in the West Ham box and his low ball across the six yard box was turned in by Johnson. Any fears among the Upton Park faithful that their team were going to throw away two points were allayed when Cole, having only just come off the bench, muscled the ball from Martin Skrtel with embarrassing ease before bamboozling Jamie Carragher with a stepover and drilling a low strike past Reina. After a run of four straight wins was halted by a draw at home to Wigan, Liverpool's resurgence under Kenny Dalglish has certainly hit its first major blip. Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Carling Cup - McLeish: We weren't given a prayer Sun, 27 Feb 19:54:00 2011 Alex McLeish revelled in Birmingham City's underdog status after his team claimed a dramatic late 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final. Substitute Obafemi Martins pounced on an 89th-minute defensive blunder to give the Blues a 2-1 upset win. Arsenal had been overwhelming favourites to end their six-year trophy drought but a mix-up between defender Laurent Koscielny and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny allowed Martins to secure Birmingham's first major trophy since 1963. Birmingham, battling against relegation from the Premier League, led with a header from towering striker Nikola Zigicbut Arsenal equalised through Dutchman Robin van Persie and looked poised to win the first of the four trophies they are seeking this season. "It feels like the greatest ever (moment), in terms of personal achievement, when you consider the team we were up against," Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said in a televised interview. "We weren't given a prayer today and I said myself that Arsenal would win nine times out of 10. But we believed. It was a titanic performance. "We had a gameplan and managed to get our noses in front, that gives you a great chance. "We thought if we could keep in it for as long as we could we'd get the quick guys on who can win it for us (Martins and Cameron Jerome). "We didn't deal with the equaliser well. Roger Johnson could have let it run out for a throw-in but he kept it in play. Too many of us were out of position and Robin van Persie's movement for the goal was magnificent. "But no doubt you need a little bit of luck - and we deserved it today." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger defended his 20-year-old goalkeeper Szczesny whose error contributed to Birmingham's winner. "I wanted to end our wait for a trophy today," said Wenger. "Both teams gave everything and congratulations to them - they have got their trophy. "But we have regrets with the way we conceded the (Martins) goal. What can you say? You have to be positive because he (Szczesny) is a young boy. "He has to pick himself up from that goal and hopefully he can do that. "When we conceded the goal there was no time for us to respond. "We have to pick ourselves up because the challenges ahead are massive. I wanted to end the wait (for a trophy) today. Now we will have to wait a bit longer." PA Sport / Reuters

Carling Cup - Birmingham stun Arsenal to win Cup Sun, 27 Feb 18:05:00 2011 Obafemi Martins scored a dramatic late winner to win the Carling Cup for Birmingham City by sealing a 2-1 win over Arsenal at Wembley. The Nigerian came off the bench with seven minutes of normal time remaining, and in the 89th minute capitalised on a calamitous mix-up in the Arsenal penalty area to tap in the goal which lands the Blues only their second ever major trophy. Nikola Zigic had headed the Blues in front near the half-hour mark to send fans of the underdogs into raptures, only for Robin van Persie to equalise with a stunning volley 10 minutes later. Alex McLeish's side spent much of the second half repelling attack after attack from the Gunners - with goalkeeper Ben Foster making a string of vital saves - before Martins was in the right place at the right time to pounce as Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny conspired to let the ball loose inside the box. The Blues held on to win their second League Cup to add to their victory in the competition in 1963, and go some way to overcoming the heartache of their penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the final in Cardiff a decade ago. For Arsenal, their six-year wait for a major trophy continues, and their attention must now turn to Wednesday's FA Cup fifth round replay against Leyton Orient on Wednesday and then a Champions League trip to Barcelona the following week. Arsenal dominated the possession for large parts of the match, although they were fortunate not to be a goal and a man down inside the first three minutes. Lee Bowyer was played through one-on-one with Szczesny, who brought the midfielder down inside the box. The referee's assistant had already raised his flag for offside against Bowyer, even though he had been played onside by Gael Clichy. After that, Arsenal began to get into their stride, with the absences of Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott not hindering their trademark passing play on the wide Wembley pitch. Samir Nasri came closest to opening the scoring when he had his shot saved by the legs of Foster. Six of Birmingham's last eight league goals against Arsenal have come from set pieces, but it was still a surprise when they opened the scoring against the run of play via that method. Roger Johnson headed the ball goalward from the edge of the box and Zigic got in front of Szczesny to glance it past the Polish keeper for his fourth goal in his last five games. The big Serb striker could have doubled Birmingham's lead five minutes later when Craig Gardner was tripped on the edge of the box and the ball fell at his feet, only for Szczesny to make the vital block. Arsenal levelled soon afterwards with a sweeping counter-attack. Jack Wilshere fired a strike off the crossbar but Andrei Arshavin kept the move alive. The Russian got to the byline and cut the ball back for Van Persie to lash in a crisp volley. It was the 13th goal since the turn of the year for Arsenal's captain for the day. The second half saw Arsenal become even more dominant in both possession and chances. Tomas Rosicky struck a half-volley just wide of the target before Foster made several crucial stops in quick succession. Foster - who was the hero of Manchester United's shootout victory over Tottenham in the 2009 final - kept out efforts from Rosicky, Nasri and substitute Nicklas Bendtner. Keith Fahey rattled the Arsenal post with a low drive, but it was the Gunners who looked odds on to score, particularly with Birmingham's key defender Johnson struggling with an injury. But, six minutes after replacing Fahey, Martins secured his place in Birmingham City history when Zigic's flick-on caused confusion between Koscielny and Szczesny. The French defender hesitantly went to clear the ball as the keeper came for it, and it bounced out of his grasp and into the path of Martins, who tapped into the empty net. With a place in Europe next season secured and an FA Cup quarter-final coming up, the future looks bright for Birmingham. However, they must quickly focus on their present, as they host relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion next Saturday with just two points separating them from the bottom three. Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Champions League - United grind out draw in Marseille Wed, 23 Feb 21:34:00 2011 Manchester United and Marseille played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, with defenders the stars in France. Chances were few and far between as the two sides cancelled each other out, with neither goalkeeper forced into serious action and a high-quality array of forwards stifled by excellent performances from Chris Smalling for United and Souleymane Diawara of Marseille. A low-scoring draw was the likeliest result between teams renowned for their steel at the back in Europe this season - United only conceded once in the group stages while L’OM shut out the opposition in their last four group matches. It played out as expected as a tense and uneventful game saw neither side take many risks in a cagey, defensive affair at a pumping Stade Velodrome. Frustration was the key word for United, for whom Nani repeatedly overcooked his dribbling when early balls would have sufficed, while Wayne Rooney sat far too deep and a midfield trio of Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson and Michael Carrick was short of inspiration. Their best efforts were a long-range drive from Fletcher that Steve Mandanda kept out comfortably, and a couple of occasions when Nani - whose pace repeatedly tested former United defender Gabriel Heinze but whose delivery was awful - took one too many touches and slipped to the turf when clear on the right. Marseille were little better, looking vaguely threatening from wide positions but largely only shooting from range: Edwin van der Sar’s sole act of the first half was to claim an in-swinging Andre Ayew corner as it threatened to sneak inside the near post. If the first half was tepid, the second was a dirge as neither side showed any invention or even interest in threatening the opposition goal. But on the hour mark, as if by clockwork, Marseille clicked into action, suddenly playing higher up the pitch, pegging United back and creating a bevy of chances. Loic Remy beat three men before smacking a shot that was goal-bound but for Nemanja Vidic’s intervention, Ayew snatched a low drive across goal and wide after a fortunate ricochet played him through, and Brandao was blocked from finishing after a superb intervention by the highly-accomplished Smalling. That flurry was a 10-minute interlude though, and the match slipped back into ennui immediately afterwards. To be fair to both sides the defending was superb - even forwards Rooney and Ayew both made great tackles at various points - while the last five minutes or so saw United inspired by substitute Paul Scholes to at least make a nominal attempt to breach the Marseille defence. The closest they came though was when Nani’s pass almost released Rooney, the England forward apparently brought down by last-man Stephane M'Bia after his first touch was heavy: the German referee waved play on with both Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson left to fume through the latter stages. It was the only real moment of contention in a match that put neither side in the driving seat ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford in two weeks: United did not lose but the absence of an away goal means a score draw would send Marseille through. Reda Maher / Eurosport

Ober and out for United Flop Mon Feb 21 01:07PM It was a humbling weekend in the FA Cup for English football's big guns, as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were all embarrassed. Although United were the only one of the three to win, they produced the worst performance as they scraped past Crawley Town 1-0. It confirmed what we all know - including Alex Ferguson - that United's second string simply isn't good enough. Gabriel Obertan and Bebe in particular were pitiful. Both men might be impressive physical specimens, but neither seems to have the ability or the nous to deliver any end product. Bebe's crossing was absolutely atrocious, while Obertan looked like he couldn't pass water. It was farcical. If you offered those two to Crawley boss Steve Evans, I don't think he would take them. The Frenchman is supposed to be the next Ryan Giggs, but not only is he lacking Ryan's talent, he appears to lack the drive and determination as well. Darron Gibson was slightly better, but he does not look like a true Manchester United midfielder. United's dismal performance cannot have come as too much of a surprise to Sir Alex. This was a similar team to the one that got thrashed by West Ham in the Carling Cup, and struggled past Southampton in the FA Cup fourth round. Not that the manager had his best game - his decision to bring on Wayne Rooney for Anderson left United short in midfield and saw them outplayed completely in the second half. It was an embarrassing experience for a team that used to pride itself on its strength in depth, with a second-string featuring proven quality like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham and Nicky Butt. Arsenal's back-ups are significantly stronger, and should have won at Leyton Orient in a game they largely dominated - but they lacked cutting edge with the goal-shy Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh up front. As for Chelsea, their defeat to Everton on penalties could be the final nail in the coffin for Carlo Ancelotti. It was not so much that they lost - Leighton Baines's free-kick was a pearler - but they were so anaemic for the first 180 minutes of the tie. Age has finally caught up with them. They have spent over £70 million on Fernando Torres and David Luiz, and need eight or nine similar players because they have nothing coming through the youth system. They have no spark in their team, and nobody to get people's bums off their seats. Chelsea are an example of what can go wrong if you do not strengthen when you are winning - suddenly you have a squad of 30-somethings and the future does not look bright.

World's Coral Reefs could be gone by 2050: study AFP - 46 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AFP) – The world's coral reefs could be wiped out by 2050 unless urgent action is taken to stop threats posed to the "rainforests of the sea" by everything from overfishing to climate change, a report warned. Warmer seas caused by global warming; ocean acidification blamed on carbon dioxide pollution; shipping, overfishing, coastal development and agricultural runoff all pose a threat to coral reefs, which hundreds of millions of people depend on for a living, says the report. "Threats on land, along the coast and in the water are converging in a perfect storm of threats to reefs," Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said at a news conference in Washington to launch the "Reefs at Risk Revisited" report. According to the report, which follows on from an earlier study on the health of the world's coral reefs, more than 90 percent of reefs will be threatened by 2030 and nearly all reefs will be at risk by 2050 unless action is taken now to reduce the threats. "Local pressures" on reefs, including overfishing, coastal development and pollution, pose the most immediate and direct threats to the world's reefs, threatening more than 60 percent of the colorful sea ecosystems. The impacts of climate change -- a "global threat" to reefs -- is compounding the local pressures. "Warming seas have already caused widespread damage to reefs, with high temperatures driving a stress response called coral bleaching, where corals lose their colorful symbiotic algae, exposing their white skeletons," the report says. "In addition, increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are slowly causing the world's oceans to become more acidic. Ocean acidification reduces coral growth rates and, if unchecked, could reduce their ability to maintain their physical structure." Quick, broad action could go a long way to saving the reefs, which have shown themselves in the past to be highly resilient, said Lauretta Burke, a lead author of the report, which was compiled by more than two dozen conservation and research groups led by World Resources International (WRI). A future with dying or dead reefs is "not a future we are committed to," Burke said. She urged global policymakers to take rapid action to improve marine management, reduce local threats, especially overfishing, and -- crucially -- cut greenhouse gas emissions. If no effort is made to stop the threats to the reefs, and they are lost, the daily livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide would be threatened, many of them in developing nations in southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, said Lubchenco. There would be fewer nurseries for commercial fish species, and shorelines would lose some protection from storms. Coastal communities would lose an important source of protein and food security, not to mention revenues from tourists who travel to countries to visit their reefs and the "beautiful white sand beaches found throughout the tropics," which wouldn't be there without coral reefs, said Burke.

Oil Prices hit multi-year Highs amid Libya Unrest AFP - Thursday, February 24 NEW YORK (AFP) - – Oil sold in New York crossed the symbolic $100 a barrel level Wednesday, hitting prices not seen since 2008, amid fears over supplies from Libya. As traders panicked that political chaos could spread further in the Middle East, the main US contract reached $100 a barrel for the first time since October 2008. London's main Brent contract -- which is more sensitive to Middle East unrest thanks to Europe's greater dependence on oil from the region -- surged past $110 a barrel. With foreign oil workers fleeing Libya and rumors swirling that Moamer Kadhafi may sabotage pipelines, analysts raised the prospect of a bonafide oil crisis. "If Libya and Algeria were to halt oil production together, prices could peak above US$220," Michael Lo of Nomura told clients in a note. He warned that the oil cartel OPEC could see its production capacity cut to 2.1 million barrels a day, levels seen during the 1990-91 Gulf War, when prices rose to $147 a barrel. With US prices up by around $10 in the last two days, consumers can expect to see higher prices at the pump soon. The recent increases could translate into a 25 cent increase in gasoline prices at the pump, based on averages produced by Moody's. With much of the global economy still ailing from the financial crisis, many fear such sharply higher oil prices could smother the recovery and send many nations spiraling back into recession. "A one-penny increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline acts as a sales tax on consumers at the rate of 1.2 billion dollars a year," said David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors, quoting research from Naroff Economic Advisors. "This is nowhere near over. We are watching a 'sea change' occur among one tenth of the worlds population," he said warning the turmoil could cause a double-dip recession in the United States.

Premier League - Paper Round: Real enter Rodwell chase Tue, 22 Feb 09:01:00 2011 Everton's Jack Rodwell has often featured in Paper Round these last few weeks - but he hasn't been linked with Real Madrid until now. The England U21 international has mostly been mentioned in connection with the Manchester clubs - but now, according to the Daily Mail, Liga giants Real have joined the chase. According to the paper, Jose Mourinho has instructed Real's scouting team to monitor the 19-year-old and prepare a "dossier" for him ahead of a potential summer bid. However, the paper does say that Manchester United remains Rodwell's preferred destination. Rodwell can play in either midfield or defence and his transfer valuation has ranged across the papers in recent weeks from £15 million at the low end to a potential £25m. There is a lot of twisting of quotes by the papers this morning in an effort to create big stories. Firstly, there is more from Mourinho who according to the Express has "dropped the heaviest hint yet he would consider a return to Chelsea" by saying - wait for it - that he still loves Chelsea. Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror starts a story with this line: "Samir Nasri has revealed he could quit Arsenal this summer if they win the title – for Barcelona." The quote they take from Nasri actually reads like this: "As things are right now, I am happy here and I have confidence from the manager. But things can change quickly in football, and then we may have a new situation." So player is happy, but not a psychic - therefore he must be off to Barca! Maybe not time for Arsenal fans to panic over that one just yet. However, there is a feud developing between the clubs, reports The Sun: the Catalan giants are apparently "furious with Arsenal for trying to snatch 16-year-old wonderkid Jon Miquel Toral Harper from their academy - just like they did with Cesc Fabregas". Toral Harper has an English mother and is believed to be close to signing with the Gunners. Apparently, when the clubs met at the Emirates last week furious Barca president Sandro Rosell "made his opinions forcibly known to Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis". Arsenal have also been linked with 19-year-old Stefan de Vrij of Feyenoord. Chief scout Steve Rowley was impressed by the £3.5m-rated defender while checking up on the progress of Ryo Miyaichi, the Arsenal-owned Japanese youngster who is currently on loan at the Dutch giants. (Mail) Niko Kranjcar has finally started making an impact at Tottenham but could still be on his way out. The Croat, along with Barcelona winger Alexander Hleb - on loan at Birmingham - are both wanted by newly promoted Russian Premier League team Krasnodar. (Mail) Liverpool are holding out for £11m for their flop Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani. The £17m signing from Roma has been on loan at Juventus, who want to buy him but are only prepared to pay £5m. (Mail) Finally Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Barcelona's out-of-favour defender Gabriel Milito and hope to snap him up for free in the summer. (Mirror)

La Liga - Mourinho completes NINE Unbeaten Years Mon, 21 Feb 12:07:00 2011 Jose Mourinho has now gone an incredible nine years without seeing any of his teams beaten at home in the league. When Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0 at the weekend it ensured that the former Chelsea boss would reach the extraordinary milestone. The last time one of Mourinho's sides was beaten on their own turf in the league was 23 February 2002, when Porto lost 3-2 at home against Beira Mar. Since then, the Portuguese coach has moved to Real via Chelsea and Internazionale, winning 125 of his 148 home matches and drawing the other 23. That equates to an astonishing 398 points from a possible 444 at home. But how does Mourinho's extraordinary run compare to other great streaks in sport? Consider these: - AC Milan went 58 matches unbeaten between 1991 and 1993, a streak which helped them win three consecutive Serie A titles. - Romanian side Steaua Bucharest managed a 104-match unbeaten run in domestic football between 1986 and 1989. - Ed Moses ran 122 consecutive 400m hurdles races without ever losing, a streak which lasted nine years, nine months and nine days. - Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez won 87 consecutive fights between 1980 and 1993, picking up world titles in three different weight categories as he did so. - Roger Federer reached the semi-finals at least in every Grand Slam tennis tournament in a six-year period, starting with his victory at Wimbledon in 2004 and finishing at the 2010 French Open, when he was beaten in the quarter-finals. During that run he won 14 titles and was runner-up on six occasions. Eurosport