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WAH !...'DNA' spread all over the globe. Football superstar Ronaldo: That’s my son in Singapore By Ewen Boey – December 9th, 2010 It’s official: Brazilian superstar footballer Ronaldo has a son living in Singapore. The ex-Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid star confirmed via his Twitter account on Wednesday night that he is indeed the biological father of 5-year-old Alexander, who lives with his mother Ms Michele Umezu, 28, in the city-state. Ms Umezu, who works as a freelance model, had a brief fling with the three-time Fifa World Player of the Year when they met back in Tokyo in 2004. Alexander is believed to be a product of that union. Ronaldo, who now plays for Brazilian club Corinthians, had said on Monday on his Twitter feed that he had a DNA test to determine whether he was really the father of a five-year-old boy in Singapore. The 34-year-old striker took the test because Ms Umezu has been trying since 2009 to have him recognised as the father and is demanding child support. “The test results proved what I showed my feelings when I saw Alex,” Ronaldo tweeted on Wednesday night. The man once dubbed “The Phenomenon” added, “Alex is my son, the brother of three more beautiful children like him. And I will always be a father to all the pleasures and duties. Welcome.” The hype began in the middle of this year, when those present at a reception hosted by the Brazilian embassy in Singapore noticed little Alexander, as he bore an uncanny resemblance to the famous football star. “He’s a carbon copy of Ronaldo,” a guest present that night told The Straits Time on Tuesday. The child has since been the talk of the 1,300-strong Brazilian community, with Brazilian media and websites running pictures of Ms Umezu, Ronaldo and Alexander. “We’re all very curious about her, me and my friends. We haven’t seen her but we hope to meet her,” said former sports journalist Flavia du Chenoy Bucey, 24, who moved to Singapore last year and had interviewed Ronaldo’s first wife, Milene Domingues. It is reported that Ms Umezu first met Ronaldo in Tokyo in 2002 at a party celebrating Brazil’s World Cup triumph. She was then working at a nightclub. When speaking to the Brazilian media in April, Ms Umezu remained tight-lipped, but said that her son knew who his real father was. “Sometimes, he wants to see pictures of him. he looks like his father,” she said, referring to Ronaldo, who currently plies his trade with Brazilian club Corinthians. “When he grows up, he would like to be like his dad,” she added. This is not the first time Ronaldo has faced trouble in his personal life. In 2008, the three-time married footballer was involved in a scandal with three transvestite prostitutes whom he met in a nightclub in his home town of Rio de Janeiro.

Small units enjoy strong demand Propertyguru - Thursday, December 9 The number of transactions for residential units below 500 sq ft rose to 625 in the third quarter from 349 in the previous quarter, according to the latest report from DTZ Research. Of the 625 units, 87 percent were acquired from property developers, which reflects the current trend among developers to offer units with digestible quantum. Small units have been gaining in popularity amongst buyers since "mickey mouse" flats picked up last year, said Chua Chor Hoon, Head of DTZ South East Asia Research. "The recent cooling measures, which increased the minimum cash payment, will make such units even more attractive as buyers have to downsize their purchases without having to increase the cash component," added Ms. Chua. The proportion of non-landed sub-sales to total non-landed transactions stood at 11 percent in Q3, slightly up from 10 percent in Q2. The sub-sales level has stabilised from 9 percent to 12 percent since the first set of cooling measures in September 2009, when the interest only loans and interest absorption scheme were removed. The sub-sales level will likely remain low as prices are not escalating at a fast pace to justify flipping in a year, said Ms. Chua. The market is also flushed with liquidity from the low interest rate environment, with many home buyers looking to put more money into properties and buying with a longer-term holding time horizon in mind. "For uncompleted properties, the buyers will decide whether to sell or hold for rental when the units are nearer completion," said Ms. Chua. DTZ's analysis also revealed that the proportion of transactions in the prime districts of 9 to 11 declined from 25 percent in Q1 to 16 percent in Q3. The fall was attributed to both the dearth of new project launches in prime areas and the rise in homes for sale outside the prime areas. More from PropertyGuru: Sim Lian tops Punggol bid DPS option still available for ECs Sim Lian plans unique condo project in Punggol Singapore the top property investment destination Singapore, HK most attractive property markets in Asia

Senile Syndrome ! Islamic banking superior to Western kind: Mahathir AFP - Wednesday, December 8 SINGAPORE, Dec 7, 2010 (AFP) Malaysia's outspoken ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday blamed Western lending practices for the world's financial problems and hailed Islamic banking as a "superior" model. Mahathir told a conference on Islamic finance in Singapore that the 2008 global financial crisis was sparked by excessive lending by Western banks. Islamic banks, in contrast, are constrained because every deal needs to be backed by a real asset under the principles of Sharia law, he said. "So if you make a comparison, the Islamic system is in many ways superior to the conventional banking system," said Mahathir, one of the best-known political figures in the Muslim world. "The conventional banking system is much more open to abuse than the Islamic banking system," added the former leader, who steered Malaysia through the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and stepped down as prime minister in 2003. "So far, the Islamic banks have not been involved in the present crisis except those perhaps who dabble in the money markets in the West," he said. "Islamic banking is almost immune to these kinds of crook deals." Islamic banking fuses principles of Islamic law, known as Sharia, and modern banking methods. Islamic funds are banned from investing in companies associated with tobacco, alcohol or gambling. Sharia-based finance also bans interest, which is seen as usury, and risks are shared between the creditor and borrower. "The conventional bank lends 30 times the amount of money that they have but the Islamic bank, because they have to participate in taking the risk, they will have to be much more careful," Mahathir said. Mahathir, 85, attacked the Federal Reserve's controversial decision to pump an extra 600 billion dollars into the US economy. "Do you think that they have this money with them that they have it in their vault kept there, 600 billion dollars to be issued whenever someone needs money?" said Mahathir. "No, they don't have but they can give the money, 600 billion dollars, simply because they can create money." On the prospects of Islamic finance, Mahathir said the industry can grow further especially in Southeast Asia which includes Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country with almost 240 million people. He urged Muslims in Southeast Asia to tap business opportunities offered by Islamic finance. "With Islamic banks being available, there is capital which is now accessible to conscientious Muslims who do not want to be involved with interest," said Mahathir. "Whether Islamic banking prospers or not depends very much on the ability of the Muslims firstly to do business, to understand business." Assets of Islamic financial institutions increased five-fold to around one trillion US dollars between 2003 and 2009, according to credit watchdog Moody's Investors Service. It has estimated the full potential of the industry at five trillion dollars or more.

Roy Hodgson not the man for Liverpool: Jason McAteer By Ewen Boey – December 7th, 2010 Retired Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer does not believe that Roy Hodgson is the right man to lead Liverpool, but he insists the Reds manager be given full support. “I think he possibly wasn’t the right choice. I would have loved to see Rafa Benitez stay, but it’s happened and you’ve got to believe in the manager and give him support. To be fair, if anyone’s had a tough job this year, it’s Roy Hodgson,” said the 39-year-old Irishman. The Reds endured a nightmare start to the season under Hodgson, who replaced the outgoing Rafa Benitez. They quickly dropped into the relegation zone and struggled to put together a run of convincing displays. Critics were quick to blast the former Fulham and Inter Milan boss, saying he was out of his depth. However, in recent weeks, the ship seems to have been steadied somewhat with a 3-0 victory early Tuesday morning against Aston Villa moving the Reds up to eighth place. McAteer, who’s in town for a soccer clinic organised by IAHGames, in collaboration with football scouting web portal, ScoutForAll, told Yahoo! Singapore, “Now there’s a bit more confidence installed. The win against Chelsea was good and there’s a bit more belief in what they’re doing. Comolli’s come in now, so there’ll obviously be some interesting players in January”. Despite their stop-start performances, McAteer also believes Liverpool can qualify for the Champions League. “We can definitely finish in fourth. Who would have thought we’d only be seven points off Manchester City in fourth position now?” he said. “The club’s now probably moving in the right direction for the first time in eight to nine months. A club with that much transition on and off the pitch is always going to find it difficult to perform.” McAteer was quick to add that Liverpool are not the type of club to sack managers on a whim, unlike other clubs like Newcastle United, who fired manager Chris Hughton on Monday. “It’s not in the Liverpool tradition, like other football clubs, Newcastle to name one, to go about sacking managers at the first opportunity they can. “There’s every chance (of an implosion). It’s a disgraceful situation. I think the man (Chris Hughton) has done a fantastic job there. People forget how good a job he’s done, and that just 18 months ago, nobody wanted that job. The club was in big decline and he managed to steady the ship,” he added. The woes of being in charge of a team is no stranger to McAteer as he also had a short stint as assistant manager to former Liverpool team mate John Barnes at Tranmere Rovers last year, which ended prematurely. After only two league wins from 11 matches, the duo were sacked. However, the retired midfielder, who also formerly plied his trade at Bolton, Blackburn, Sunderland and Tranmere, is determined to continue coaching players once the right opportunity presents itself again. “I would definitely want to continue coaching back in England. I enjoy coaching kids and reserves. It’s a different mentality from coaching first-team players. You get the feeling that first-team players can let you down more than reserve team players for some reason,” he said. McAteer also believes that the development of football in Asia is getting better, with more money is being pumped into grassroots football. Incredibly, he even went as far to say that an Asian nation could go on to win the next World Cup, due to be held in Brazil in 2014. “You hear about Pele and Platini saying the next team to win the World Cup is going to be an African country, but I think it’s going to be an Asian country. Japan in the Asian Games were fantastic, though it was only an under-20 team, but their football was great and they won it quite easily,” he said. “Players in Asia are not only getting better technically, but also physically. Traditionally, Asian players were much weaker and smaller than European players but now they’re working on their diet and coaching and physical aspects of the game,” he added. Phil Brown, the former manager of Hull City, who is also in town for the same event, added, “The technique and skill is there for the Singapore kids who were at the clinic yesterday.” However, he observed that he did not see much hunger and passion by the local players. “I think that’s what’s lacking in the players here. They don’t treat the game with enough importance and seriousness, whereas the youngsters in England will really play with all their passion when on the pitch,” said Brown.

WAH !...can buy more GEMsters. UPDATE 1-Singapore dlr seen up 6 pct vs US dlr by end-2011-MAS survey On Wednesday 8 December 2010, 13:55 SGT By Kevin Lim * Singapore economy likely to grow by 5.1 pct next year * CPI to rise by 2.9 pct in 2011 from 2.8 pct in 2010 (Updates with analysts' comments) SINGAPORE, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Singapore dollar could appreciate by about 6 percent against the U.S. dollar by the end of next year, the central bank said in a survey of economists released on Wednesday, and analysts said the findings implied the monetary authority would maintain its tight policy stance. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the median estimate of 22 private sector economists was that the Singapore currency will strengthen to S$1.24 to the dollar from S$1.29 at the end of 2010. The Singapore dollar is currently around S$1.31. It has gained some 7 percent so far this year, buoyed by the country's strong economic performance and a broader push by global investors into higher yielding emerging market assets. "The 1.24 level will be reached without any further tightening by MAS as current policy is for an appreciation and regional currencies are expected to continue appreciating against the dollar," said David Cohen, director of forecasting at Action Economics. Singapore manages monetary policy by letting its currency strengthen or weaken against a basket of currencies. In October, MAS tightened policy further by saying it will allow the Singapore dollar to appreciate at a faster pace. Its next policy meeting will be in April. Philip Wee, senior currency analyst at DBS, said he expects MAS to let the local dollar rise by about 3 percent against its currency basket over the next 12 months and that the U.S. dollar exchange rate will depend on movements in the broader market. Cohen and Wee both said inflation in Singapore appeared under control for now and MAS was unlikely to tighten policy further barring a sharp rise in inflationary expectations. In the survey, economists also forecast the city-state's gross domestic product (GDP) will expand by 5.1 percent next year, down from a forecast 15 percent in 2010, while inflation will edge up to 2.9 in 2011 from 2.8 percent this year. The 5.1 percent median estimate is within the government's 4-6 percent growth forecast for 2011. Singapore will likely be the world's fastest-growing economy this year, helped by a rebound in manufacturing and financial services as well as contributions from its two new multi-billion-dollar casinos. Having bounced off a low base this year, next year's growth will revert to levels consistent with that of a high-income economy in fast-growing Asia. The private sector economists polled by MAS expect the city-state's consumer price index to rise by 2.9 percent next year, marginally more than the forecast 2.8 percent this year. Economists surveyed by MAS also made the following projections: 2011 2010 GDP (pct growth) 5.1 15.0 Non-oil domestic exports (pct 12 24 growth) CPI (pct increase) 2.9 2.8 Unemployment (end of period, 2.0 2.1 seasonally adjusted) Exchange rate (S$ per US$) 1.24 1.29 median estimates The MAS Survey of Professional Forecasters provides a summary of forecasts of Singapore's key economic indicators by economists and analysts. The survey is conducted every three months and follows the release of quaterly economic data by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. (Editing by Kim Coghill) (Reporting by Kevin Lim)

SIGH !...moi dreams of E250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (A) fades away... COE car prices skyrocket By Ewen Boey – December 8th, 2010 COE premiums have skyrocketed in the latest round of bidding, with a staggering jump of S$14,612 for cars over 1,600cc. This brings the total premium for that category to S$62,502. Prices for the Open Category was up S$15,010 to S$64,900. For smaller cars 1,600cc and below, the price rose S$8,604 to S$47,604. These latest prices are the highest since 2000. Goods vehicles and buses saw COE premiums increase S$799 to S$32,001, while motorcycle premiums rose S$200 to S$1,701. The surge in COE prices may be attributed to the current high demand for vehicles before the upcoming COE quota cut, which will commence from February 2011.

Premier League - Newcastle: Runners and riders Mon, 06 Dec 20:17:00 2010 Following the sacking of Chris Hughton as manager of Newcastle United, who will the next man to take the St James' Park hot seat? Despite Hughton leading the Magpies back into the top flight at the first time of asking with virtually the same squad that had suffered relegation in 2009, the club said in a statement: "An individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward." None of the six men to have held the position full-time since Bobby Robson left in 2004 has lasted longer than 18 months, so the club must think carefully about their next appointment if they are to get the stability that would best enable it to challenge for major honours again. But who will that man be? Below is a list of the bookies' favourites to take the job: Martin Jol (1/2) Hughton's former boss at Tottenham Hotspur, Martin Jol - rather interestingly - left his position as Ajax manager on the same day as the Newcastle hotseat became available. The 54-year-old Dutchman would bring bags of experience to St. James Park, having previously coached Spurs and Hamburg to fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, and Ajax to within a point of the Eredivisie title last season. Martin O'Neill (2/1) The avuncular Ulsterman was linked with every job going during his time at Aston Villa, so, after leaving them on the eve of the season's start, he will always be the instant favourite whenever a vacancy comes up. Would be able to foster a good rapport with fans and players, a vital part of management on Tyneside, and has bags of the experience required by the Newcastle board at all levels. His record of paying high fees for mediocre players he barely used during his spell at Villa, however, may count against him. Alan Pardew (2/1) An unlikely name to emerge for a Premier League job, considering he has not managed in the top flight since taking Charlton down in 2007. Unlike Hughton, he was unable to bring the Addicks back up again the following season. Since leaving League One side Southampton in the summer, Pardew has kept his profile up with a series of media appearances. His wage demands would presumably not be as high as many of the other candidates, and reports of boardroom rows and dressing room unrest leading to his sacking on the South Coast mean he would fit right in at St James' Park. Alan Curbishley (7/1) Another name to crop up on every shortlist for a vacant Premier League job, Curbishley has been out of employment since leaving West Ham in September 2008. Just as Kevin Keegan's second spell at Newcastle ended after Dennis Wise signed players without his approval, Curbishley left the Hammers after players were sold behind his back, so he and owner Mike Ashley may not exactly be a match made in heaven. Still, he has 10 years' worth of top flight managerial experience, and would be seen as a safe pair of hands, though not exactly the man to lead them up the table. Paul Lambert (10/1) The Scotsman is seen as one of the brightest managerial prospects outside the Premier League, following steady jobs at Wycombe, Colchester and current club Norwich. The 41-year-old led the Canaries into the Championship last season, his first at Carrow Road, and they currently reside fourth in the Championship table. A no-nonsense straight-talker, Lambert could make the move up a division seamlessly, but would need the security of a board that would back him to the hilt, something Newcastle have shown they cannot provide. Peter Beardsley (14/1) Undeniably a legend as a player on Tyneside, Beardsley was one of the star men during Newcastle's thrilling spell under Keegan in the mid-1990s that so nearly brought the title back to the city for the first time in 70 years. Unlike so many other great players, Beardsley has not sullied his reputation by moving into full management, although the Magpies reserve team boss has been put in charge on an interim basis. His appointment would surely be seen as looking to the past rather than being the man needed to "take the club forward". Alan Shearer (16/1) Newcastle's former star striker, record signing and hometown boy could not save the club from relegation last season when he won just one of his eight matches in charge. The former Magpies and England captain certainly seems to be appreciating his return to the safety of the pundits' sofa after his brief spell in the hot seat. Those eight matches represent the entirety of his managerial career and, while a directorial or ambassadorial role is surely his whenever he wants it, Shearer is not a credible choice. But then, Hughton's sacking is barely credible. Slaven Bilic (16/1) After masterminding home and away wins over Steve McClaren's England for Croatia, Bilic was tipped for big things. But, with his reputation bolstered, he decided not to put himself in the running for the vacancy at former club West Ham, which went to Gianfranco Zola. Despite not qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, Bilic announced he intended to complete at least one more qualification campaign with Croatia, who are currently top of their Euro 2012 group and unbeaten after four games. A short stint as player-manager of Hajduk Split, almost a decade ago, makes him a virtual club novice, though. Joe Kinnear (16/1) Kinnear's spell at Newcastle in their relegation campaign of 2008-09 can certainly be described as 'ill-fated'. In a little over six months in charge he won just five of his 26 games, stunned fans with his four-letter tirade at journalists during a press conference then had to take a break from the game after suffering a heart complaint that required triple bypass surgery. Despite that, he claimed in the summer that Newcastle had offered him a two-year contract, which he was unable to accept because of his ongoing recovery, something the Toon strenuously denied. Other candidates Frank Rijkaard (16/1), Lee Clark (16/1), Roberto di Matteo (18/1), Gus Poyet (20/1), Walter Smith (20/1), Steve Bruce (40/1), Paul Gascoigne (250/1) Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Premier League - Paper Round: Hughton's crazy life at Newcastle Tue, 07 Dec 08:53:00 2010 The papers are full of Chris Hughton stories after his sacking on Monday but it is the Daily Mirror that really comes up with the juice about the behind-the-scenes goings-on at St James' Park. An exclusive piece from Simon Bird lists a string of revelations as to just what Hughton had to put up with at the club. According to Bird, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias sacked Hughton because he was not "showbusiness" enough for them and they wanted a manager who would attract the Sky cameras to St James' Park more often - as each visit from the television station pockets the club £500,000. Among the other nonsense that Hughton had to put up with was a duty to submit predictions for future games which he then had to discuss and compare with the Newcastle chiefs' own set of tips. According to the paper, he also had to hold meetings with Ashley and Llambias before matches in order to listen to their football input as the pair considered themselves experts. He was also accused of 'milking the crowd' after Newcastle beat Sunderland 5-1 in the Tyne-Wear derby when the fans chanted his name. And finally, the paper claims that Hughton was furious that his policy of treating the players like adults was perceived as 'weakness' by the men in charge. The Mirror, along with a number of other papers, speculate that Martin Jol, who left Ajax on Monday night, will be the next manager with Alan Pardew also linked in numerous papers. The Independent meanwhile claims that Andy Carroll could now leave Newcastle in a £15 million deal as he was so close to his now former boss. Some transfer rumours away from the Toon Army: Tottenham are edging closer to concluding a deal for Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar according to both The Sun and the Daily Mail. The South African is out of contract at the end of the season. Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is also linked with a move to White Hart Lane after falling out with Stuttgart manager Jens Keller. (Daily Mail) Both Liverpool and Celtic are interested in Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia but the Latics insist they don't need to sell. (Sun) Arsenal have been linked with both Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks and West Brom's Borja Valero, who is currently on loan at Villarreal. (Sun) West Ham are lining up a bid for Aston Villa's John Carew in January as they prepare to listen to offers for Carlton Cole. (Mirror) Birmingham are interested in Fiorentina striker/winger Papa Waigo N'Diaye. The Senegalese spent last season on loan at Southampton. (Various). And finally Milan Jovanovic has been offered the chance to end his Liverpool nightmare by Turkish side Trabzonspor. Eurosport

Nolan stunned by Hughton departure Tue, 07 Dec 10:18:06 2010 Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan admits the club's players are in shock following the sacking of manager Chris Hughton - but says the squad must stick together under his successor. Magpies owner Mike Ashley made the decision to dismiss Hughton on Monday, despite the club lying a solid 11th in the Premier League table in their first season back in the top flight. Martin Jol and Alan Pardew are among the frontrunners to take over at St James' Park, and Nolan admits the move has come as a major surprise to him and his team-mates. He told The Sun: "We are all upset that Chris is going. He helped a lot of the lads here with their careers when he was a coach and then as manager. We will never forget our promotion from the Championship last season and we have to do what he told us. Stick together, make sure we keep the unity Chris has built up and get through this difficult period. It goes without saying we were shocked by the announcement." Former Bolton midfielder Nolan also paid tribute to how Hughton conducted himself after being informed of his fate, revealing that he had wished the players well for the remainder of the campaign. "Chris was gutted about what had happened. You could see that," Nolan continued. "But it said so much about him that, even though he was obviously disappointed to be going, he was still telling me and Joey (Barton) that we had to make sure we had a good season. There was such dignity about the way he left, which is how he conducted himself while he was the manager."

Sayonara for no reason ! Premier League - Newcastle fire Hughton Mon, 06 Dec 13:45:00 2010 Newcastle United have sacked manager Chris Hughton after 18 months in charge at St James' Park. The 51-year-old coach has parted company with the club, along with goalkeeping coach Paul Barron, following the 3-1 defeat at fellow promoted club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Hughton leaves the club with an overall record of 39 wins, 14 defeats and 17 draws in all competitions. The club said in a statement on their website: "The board would like to place on record their thanks to Chris for his considerable efforts during the club's transition from Championship to Premier League football. Chris has shown exceptional character and commitment since being appointed manager in October 2009. The club wishes him well for the future. "Regrettably the board now feels that an individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward. "The task of appointing a new manager now begins. An announcement will be made shortly regarding transitional arrangements pending the appointment of a successor." Hughton said in a statement via the League Managers' Association: "We have built on last season’s momentum following promotion back up to the Barclays Premier League and have produced some excellent results to see us sitting midway in the table at this stage of the season. I am immensely proud of my achievements with Newcastle and I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the players, my staff and the supporters during my time as manager. I now wish them and the club all the very best for the future. "The termination of my contract is now in the hands of the LMA and I will therefore be making no further comment at this stage." Hughton leaves the club just seven months after guiding them back into the top flight and with them sitting 11th in the table. The sacking comes just over a month after they beat bitter local rivals Sunderland 5-1 and won 1-0 at Arsenal. That win at the Emirates Stadium in early November was their last in the Premier League, although they also secured a 1-1 draw with champions Chelsea in their last home game. Hughton, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, had already been the subject of intense speculation over his job earlier in the campaign. The club were forced to address the situation publicly after bookmakers had suspended betting on Hughton leaving the club, and said in a statement following the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat at home to Arsenal in October: "Chris is our manager and will remain our manager, and it is our intention to re-negotiate his contract at the end of the year." Hughton arrived at Newcastle in February 2008 following a 20-year association with Tottenham. He was appointed as coach to Kevin Keegan by director of football Dennis Wise, and then served as caretaker manager when Keegan left and was replaced by Joe Kinnear. When Kinnear fell ill the following February, Hughton again stepped in, before assisting Alan Shearer and Iain Dowie as Newcastle were relegated. He was placed in caretaker charge in the summer of 2009, with owner Mike Ashley not willing to appoint a permanent boss while he looked to sell the club. Hughton started so well, though, that the club offered him a permanent deal in October. He then guided United to the Championship title, with the prize wrapped up with two games to spare. On their return to the top flight, Newcastle have won five of their 16 games so far, including victories over Sunderland and Arsenal and a 6-0 triumph over Aston Villa. Recent away results have been disappointing, though, with a 5-1 defeat at Bolton followed by yesterday's loss to Albion. Hughton kept his players locked in the dressing room for more than an hour following the defeat, but when he eventually emerged to face the media, he gave no indications of what was to come today. He said at the time: "After most games, there tends to be an inquest into the game and today (Sunday) we didn't do well enough to win a football match. "Some of it is about getting answers, some of it is about venting your anger. "But these are the normal things that will go on after a game, particularly when the result has been as disappointing as today. "Our season has very much been highs and lows. We've picked up some disappointing results and we've had some tremendous results." Former Spurs manager Martin Jol has been installed as the bookies' favourite for the Newcastle vacancy, after quitting his job as Ajax boss on Monday evening. Eurosport / PA Sport

Microsoft scrambling to keep up with Kinect demand AFP - Wednesday, December 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - – Microsoft said Tuesday that it sold more than 2.5 million Kinect for Xbox 360 devices worldwide in the 25 days after that the gesture-sensing videogame controllers hit the market. Microsoft is on track to meet its forecast of selling five million Kinect gadgets by the end of the year, according to Don Mattrick, president of Interactive Entertainment Business at the US-based technology giant. "We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand," Mattrick said. Kinect is available at more than 60,000 retailers in 38 countries, according to Microsoft. Kinect uses a 3D camera and motion recognition software to let people play videogames on Xbox 360 consoles using natural body movements and voice commands instead of hand-held controllers. The standalone Kinect, which works with the 45 million Xbox 360s already sold worldwide, costs 150 dollars. A four-gigabyte Xbox 360 console that includes the Kinect and the "Kinect Adventures" game sells for 299 dollars.

WAH !...lemme check. Finger length predicts prostate cancer risk: study AFP - Wednesday, December 1 PARIS (AFP) – Men whose index fingers are longer than their ring, or fourth, fingers run a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Journal of Cancer. The chances of developing the disease drop by a third, and even more in younger men, the study found. "Our results show that relative finger length could be used as a simple test for prostate cancer risk, particularly in men aged under 60," said Ros Eeles, a professor at the Institute of Cancer Research in Britain and co-author of the study. Finger pattern could help identify which men should undergo regular screening, especially in combination with genetic testing or other risk factors such as a family history of the disease, she said. From 1994 to 2009, Eeles and colleagues questioned more than 1,500 prostate cancer patients in Britain, along with 3,000 healthy control cases. For more than half the men, the index was shorter than the ring finger. Compared to this group, men whose index and ring fingers were the same length -- 19 percent of the cohort -- had a similar prostate cancer risk. But when the index finger was longer, the risk of developing the disease dropped by 33 percent. Men under 60 were 87 percent less likely to be in the cancer group. The relative length of the two fingers in question -- set before birth -- appears to be a marker of different levels of sex hormones to which a baby is exposed in the womb, with less testosterone correlating with a longer index finger. Earlier research has shown that testosterone promotes the growth of prostate cancer. Underlying the unexpected connection between digits and cancer are two genes, HOXA and HOXD, that control both finger length and the development of sex organs. Other studies have found a link between exposure to hormones before birth and the development of other diseases, including breast cancer and osteoarthritis.

Aiyoh...GAME OVER ! ‘Sleeping girls’ molester in school nabbed By Kai Fong – December 3rd, 2010 Police have arrested a 23-year-old student believed to be linked to a series of molest cases at a tertiary institution in Ang Mo Kio. Dubbed the “sleeping girls” molester, the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) student allegedly prowled the campus library, preying only on unsuspecting students who had fallen asleep at their study desks or corners, reported The Straits Times (ST). He would allegedly approach them from the back and stroke their thighs, legs or backs, fleeing when the victims woke up. Preliminary investigations revealed that he is believed to have molested at least four NYP students, with two incidents taking place last month. Police arrested the suspect at his residence in Bukit Batok Street 31 on Wednesday. Among the items seized from his home was stolen lingerie, which did not appear to belong to any of the women he is believed to have molested. While it is not known whether the suspect is still attending classes, the school has arranged for the affected students to receive counselling. “We are also in touch with them and their families to provide any further support and assistance,” said a spokesman from NYP, adding that it would be “inappropriate” to comment further as the case was still under investigation. All 30 students that ST spoke to did not know about the arrest. Many were shocked to know that the molest incidents happened in public view in the school library, which they say is almost always full until it closes each weeknight at 9pm. The library has two closed circuit television screens at the librarian’s lobby that broadcast footage of certain areas in both the lower and upper floors of the library. But some say that they are not surprised. “The resting corners and the café on the lower floor are safe because the concept is very open, but I can’t say the same for the upper floor.” “It is so crowded, he could easily have committed the act and disappeared,” said first-year manufacturing engineering student Muhammad Shakil, 17. Several parents of NYP students have also expressed worry over the incidents. “The school needs to step up their security. As parents, we trust them to be responsible for the students when they are in school,” said Madam Cindy Teo, 47, whose daughter is a student in NYP. If found guilty of outrage of modesty, the suspect could be jailed up to two years, fined and caned.

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Michael Jackson's dad refiles lawsuit against doctor AFP - Thursday, December 2 LOS ANGELES (AFP) - – Michael Jackson's father has refiled a lawsuit against the late pop icon's doctor, alleging negligence in treatment before the singer's death and when he was found unconscious. The 24-page lawsuit, filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court this week -- after a federal court rejected it in June -- claims that Dr. Conrad Murray spent 47 minutes on the phone while Jackson was dying on June 25, 2009. Joseph Jackson is seeking unspecified damages from Murray and others, including a Las Vegas pharmacy said to have supplied the powerful sedative drugs administered to the 50-year-old in the run-up to his death. "Defendants negligently did not recognize Michael Jackson's life threatening distress, which defendants caused through their use of inadequate equipment, personnel and monitoring," said the suit, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. Jackson's father already filed a suit with a federal US court on June 25 this year, the anniversary of his son's death, but it was dismissed because the court said it was not within its jurisdiction. The refiled wrongful death suit again sets out in grim detail the alleged events in the hours leading up to Jackson's death, and the immediate aftermath. It notes that Murray initially told investigators that he found Jackson not breathing shortly before 11:00 am at his Los Angeles home, but that a 911 emergency call was not made until 12:22 pm. The 57-year-old doctor later changed his version of events, after police discovered that he had spent 47 minutes talking on the phone, allegedly in relation to his medical business in Nevada and Texas. "Defendants were negligent and acted below the standard of care by conducting their Texas and Nevada medical practice business outside of (Jackson's) immediate presence for 47 minutes while (Jackson) was unconscious." Once Jackson was taken to hospital, Murray failed to divulge Jackson's medical background or full details of the drugs he had taken, and even allowed Jackson to be misidentified by the false name of Soule Shaun, the lawsuit says. Jackson was found to have died after being injected with a powerful cocktail of sedatives and painkillers including Propofol, to help him sleep. Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February this year. A judge has set a deadline of early January for prosecutors to gather evidence in that case.

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Singapore: Why owning property is such a big deal By yahoosingapore November 29th, 2010 By Seah Chiang Nee SINGAPOREANS were once exhorted to regard the current 30 years as a second marathon of life, in which everyone who completed could win a prize. No need to be first, just finish the race and you get a prize, said the then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew after he had stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990. It was his way of rallying the population behind his successor for a new nation-building battle. And what was the reward? A second property. His rationale was simple. After the first 30-year marathon well run, he was offering to help give what Singaporeans were hankering for most a second property if they gave a repeat performance. It came from a master politician in his heydays who understood what his people wanted. At the outset of history, the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) had made subsidised home ownership a top strategy. A generation later, Lee had noticed that although 87% of Singaporeans already owned public flats, many were still striving to buy a second property, if not here then overseas. This property craze is not easily understood by people living in countries where land is plentiful and cheap. His intention was to help citizens achieve their dream of living in one and renting out another. Today nearly 20 years later the circumstances are very different. Some of the national goals have changed. The main problem: too many people, not enough affordable land. Lees concept of a two-property society is fast fading the victim of a population expansion programme. Since early the 1990s, more than two million foreigners have flocked here. The post-Lee government has not only stopped talking about a second property for Singaporeans, but has, in fact, made it much harder to achieve. In August, it announced restrictions on people buying second homes as part of new measures to cool the residential property market. In a move to help first-time buyers, who often had to wait for years, it moved against the use of HDB public housing for profit. It was meant for working Singa­poreans to live in, not to speculate with, the authorities said. Owners are not allowed to live in one while owning a second private residence for rentals, without residing there for five years. Meanwhile, another housing trend is worrying Lee: More owners selling their HDB flats for quick profit and becoming tenants. It is a blow to his 100% home-ownership goal. On Nov 13, Lee advised HDB flat-owners not to sell them because these were assets that would appreciate in value year after year. I urge you not to listen to the estate agents to sell it and go and rent a flat because thats a stupid thing to do, he said in a constituency function. You sell it, you may not get a rental flat for a long time. And you cannot gain from a rental flat. Please remember that. Many youths found the advice baffling, especially those who were not convinced that property represented the best long-term investment on this tiny island. But for Minister Mentor Lee, the issue is a political and security issue. Singapore is defended by a peoples army of national service reservists, civilians who serve as front-line troops in case of war. And to first generation leaders like Lee and the late Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, home-ownership had always been a cornerstone of defence. For people to stay and defend this place, they must have a stake here, Lee rationalised. National servicemen might not fight as hard if told they were merely defending other peoples wealth or Orchard Road or Shenton Way, but they would defend their own HDB homes with gusto, Lee believed. My foreign friends sometimes find this preoccupation with properties hard to understand. An American once told me he was surprised to discover the intensity. When one of us buys a house, its usually for years until he is relocated to another city. Singaporeans seem to be doing it all the time. He wasnt too far off. In recent months whenever a group of people gathered, chances were the subject was real estate. And many from housewives to young professionals consider themselves a bit of an expert. The danger comes when people risk their life savings front up, said a housing agent. That was what MM Lee meant when he said Dont sell your HDB flat. Industry sources said while some owners were forced to sell because of financial hardship, others were actually treating their public flats as an investment tool. Convinced that properties in Singapore are over-priced, they cash out to live in rented flats, putting some stress to Lees home-ownership society. They think they can buy it back a lot cheaper, and are flirting with trouble, one developer said. With wages of the average working Singaporean struggling to keep up with living costs over the last decade, one out of every 12 owners are in arrears with his HDB payments. The government which wants to accept more immigrants to achieve a 6.5-million population is playing down the negative impact the open door policy is having on Lees dream of 100% home ownership One report said that 60% of grassroots leaders of the ruling PAP recently disagreed with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs foreigner intake explanation. With spiralling prices, more young people are complaining their marriage plans are affected. While MM Lee is advising us not to sell, I still cannot afford to buy one, said Willie. (This was first published in The Star, Malaysia). A former Reuters correspondent and newpaper editor, Seah is now a free-lance columnist writing on general trends in Singapore. This post first appeared on his blog, www.littlespeck.com on October 23, 2010

Wikileaks fallout: MM Lee called N. Koreans ‘psychopathic’ By yahoosingapore – December 1st, 2010 Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE - Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew called North Koreans “psychopathic” and leader Kim Jong-Il a “flabby old chap” who craved public worship, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks said. In the document detailing a conversation between Lee and US deputy secretary of state James B. Steinberg in May last year, Singapore’s elder statesman said he would be surprised if the North Koreans agreed to give up their nuclear weapons. “They are psychopathic types, with a ‘flabby old chap’ for a leader who prances around stadiums seeking adulation,” said the document, classified as secret. Singapore’s first Prime Minister who now holds the title of Minister Mentor in the cabinet compared the plight of North Koreans to his experiences living through the Japanese occupation of his country during World War II. “MM Lee noted that he had learned from living through three and a half years of Japanese occupation in Singapore that people will obey authorities who can deny them food, clothing and medicine,” the leaked document read. Nuclear-armed North Korea might also give up its “first-strike capacity” but would keep its atomic weapons “in case the USG (US government) decides to seek a regime change,” the cable read. Lee also said he believed that Japan may “go nuclear” in response to North Korea’s actions. Lee told Steinberg that China would prefer a nuclear-armed North Korea than a North Korea that has collapsed because it sees the country as a buffer state. “If China has to choose, Beijing sees a North Korea with nuclear weapons as less bad for China than a North Korea that has collapsed,” Lee said, according to the account. If North Korea failed, South Korea ”would take over in the North and China would face a US presence at its border,” the cable said of Lee’s views. *The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has since expressed “deep concerns” about the leaked cable.

Complacency fuels new AIDS surge in West: UN AFP - 1 hour 40 minutes ago UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - – Complacency among young people is causing a new surge of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and European nations like Britain and Germany, a top UN expert said ahead of World AIDS Day on Wednesday. The worrying sexual behavior of young adults, particularly men, in rich nations and a surge of the spread of AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia linked to drug use, officials said, has tainted positive signs such as dramatic cut in the number of infections passed from mothers to their newborn babies. Agencies including the UN's HIV/AIDS program UNAIDS have cautiously highlighted a fall in the number of global infections in figures released ahead of World AIDS Day on Wednesday. But Paul De Lay, deputy executive director of UNAIDS, said: "There seem to be secondary and tertiary waves of the epidemic, particularly the sexually transmitted side. "You have a young people who don't know enough about AIDS, there is less of a fear factor about it." He said it was a particular problem in Britain, Germany and the United States. Without giving specific figures, he said infection rates among young people are three times what they were in the early 2000s. "We find that every five to seven years we need to go through a new re-energized education campaign. We are doing that in the UK and Germany. Here in the US we have had a huge resurgence of sexually transmitted AIDS." According to the UNAIDS annual report released last week there were an estimated 54,000 new infections in the United States last year and 3,900 in Germany. There are an estimated 1.2 million AIDS sufferers in the United States, 85,000 in Britain and 67,000 in Germany. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia "there has been been an explosion of young people who are experimenting with injected drugs," according to the UN expert. This is "ripe" for spreading HIV/AIDS and pregnant addicts pass on the infection to their children extending "an ongoing transmission cycle," said De Lay. Russia and Ukraine together account for almost 90 percent of new HIV/AIDS infections in recent years, said the UNAIDS report. Ukraine now has the highest adult AIDS rate in Europe and Central Asia. UNAIDS said "there is strong evidence of resurgent HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men" in North America and Western Europe, where there are now an estimated total of 2.7 million sufferers, up 30 percent since 2001. The 3,160 new HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men in Britain in 2007 were the most ever reported. In the United States, new HIV infections attributed to unprotected sex between men increased by more than 50 percent from 1991-1993 to 2003-2006. Around the world there were an estimated 2.6 million new infections last year, down from about 3.3 million at the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1999, according to De Lay. Related article: China AIDS death toll up nearly 20,000 in a year "It is a slow, steady decrease," said De Lay, who predicted that at the current rate it would take about 50 years to conquer Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The 370,00 babies a year born with AIDS is down from 500,000 a year at the start of the decade and a new UN report said it would be possible to eradicate mother-to-baby transmission of AIDS by 2015. Virtually no babies are born with AIDS in Europe and North America now as wealthier countries launched aggressive screening and prevention programs in the the 1990s. But in Africa, 1,000 babies a day are still infected with HIV/AIDS through mother-to-child transmission. Anthony Lake, executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) called the figure "outrageous" and demanded greater efforts for "the hardest hit communities." But, highlighting the greater use of anti-viral drugs and other treatments, World Health Organisation director general Margaret Chan said "we have strong evidence that elimination of mother-to-child transmission is achievable."

Aiyoh...Shame-Shame lah. Carling Cup - West Ham hit four to dump out United Tue, 30 Nov 21:41:00 2010 West Ham produced an inspired display to dump out holders Manchester United 4-0 in emphatic fashion in their Carling Cup quarter-final at Upton Park. Jonathan Spector grabbed a first-half brace to stun his former side with the only goals of his entire career in English football as United were punished for some alarmingly sloppy defending. Carlton Cole grabbed a third in the 56th minute for the buoyant Hammers, then added his second just after the hour mark to send Avram Grant's side through to their first League Cup semi-final for 21 years with the Premier League table turned on its head. The harrowing defeat also ended United's longest unbeaten run in 11 years. As expected, Sir Alex Ferguson shook things up by making 10 changes, while Grant also seized the opportunity to rest six key players with the likes of the talismanic Scott Parker confined to the substitutes' bench. There were a few wisps of snow in the air as the match got underway, and Robert Green prevented his side being caught cold as early as the seventh minute with a fine reflex stop to tip Gabriel Obertan's rasping low drive onto the far post. Referee Mark Clattenburg's involvement was shrouded in doubt earlier in the evening as he was stuck in heavy traffic but, having just made it to the ground in time for kick-off, the official was at the centre of controversy in the 16th minute as the hosts had a goal chalked off. Victor Obinna let fly from the edge of the United box, only for the ball to deflect off Spector, who was in an offside position, and beyond Tomasz Kuszczak with an exceptionally late offside flag bringing the hosts' celebrations to an abrupt halt. The crowd were still absolutely incensed by the decision as play finally resumed, but six minutes later they were jubilant. Again it was the excellent Obinna who represented the livewire in the final third, and his delightful dink into the United box found Spector, who managed to get in front of the leaden-footed Darren Fletcher to head beyond Kuszczak. Ryan Giggs returned to pick up the armband a day after his 37th birthday, and the United skipper squandered a glorious chance to level just after the half hour as he could only head tamely straight at Green from Javier Hernandez's pinpoint delivery. United's defending was shoddy in the first half, and Ferguson was apoplectic with rage in the 37th minute as Spector doubled his tally against his former club with a composed finish to exploit more slack marking following a slick exchange with Obinna. The United manager no doubt dished out a fearful rollicking to his ineffectual players at the break and promptly hauled off Bebe, with Federico Macheda introduced at his expense. Green, who on the whole excelled in tricky conditions for both keepers, then had a moment of madness as he drove a low clearance needlessly against the gormless Macheda, but was able to spare his own blushes, smothering the ball at the feet of Hernandez. The Hammers then breached the visitors' defence for a third time in the 56th minute: Obinna was once again the architect with a fine run and cross from the left, and Cole dived in front of Jonny Evans to convert with a fine header. West Ham were making a mockery of the United defence time and again, and Obinna skipped past Fabio's replacement and brother Rafael to tee up Cole, who spun past the hapless Evans with embarrassing ease before lashing a clinical strike beyond Kuszczak. Ferguson hauled off a crest-fallen Evans as Wes Brown was introduced with the sole intention of shoring up a beleaguered back four, but the damage had already been done, prompting an almost exhibition style finish to the game. The Hammers arrested a run of six successive defeats against United, whose grip on the Carling Cup trophy was relinquished in the most inauspicious fashion. Dan Quarrell / Eurosport