THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT !!!

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Graduate students in China advertise marriage for money

By Alicia Wong – December 27th, 2010

On China’s biggest dating websites, Jiayuan, college student Zhang Yan writes, “No matter who the man is, so long as he is willing to give me 200,000 yuan (S$39,194) I will marry him immediately.”

Local television news broadcasts later show footage of her accepting money from a young man, with her mother agreeing to the exchange.

A centuries-old tradition is given a new lease of life with the rising phenomenon of “student concubines” in China.

Faced with high school fees and poor job prospects, millions of female Chinese students are turning to dating site Jiayuan — which has 25 million members — to search for older, richer men, willing to support their studies and pay for a desirable lifestyle, according to AsiaOne, quoting from news outlet The Australian.

These students are openly seeking for men who will provide them with the “four haves” — a prestigious business or job, a house, a car and a high salary.

But even meeting these students’ criteria does not guarantee fidelity.

A 54-year-old man, identified as Wang, started a relationship with a 24-year-old graduate student, who wanted a man with a house in Shanghai and 1 million yuan (S$195, 970) in the bank. But several months later, his lover ran away with a 60-year-old American-born Chinese man, who promised to take her to the United States, he said. Undeterred, Wang is now dating a science student.

Young men are apparently also open to trading love for money, The Australian reported.

A male student in Hangzhou, Xiao Louming, admitted, “If a family can give me 10 million yuan (S$1,959,707) investment capital, then I’m ready to marry a woman 10 years older than me.”

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Playboy's Hefner announces Christmas engagement on Twitter

Reuters - Monday, December 27

WASHINGTON - Hugh Hefner, the twice-married founder of Playboy, is taking the plunge again.

Hefner, 84, said on Saturday in a posting on Twitter that he and his girlfriend Crystal Harris, 24, got engaged on Friday.

"When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory," Hefner tweeted.

Hefner, whose magazine was founded in 1953, was divorced from his second wife, Kimberley Conrad, earlier this year. His first marriage to Mildred Williams ended in divorce in 1959.

Harris was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 2009.

Hefner, known around the world by his nickname, Hef, has championed sexual freedom and civil rights, published stories challenging McCarthyism and the Vietnam War, and backed gay causes and the legalization of marijuana.

With a cover featuring a calendar photo of Marilyn Monroe, Hefner put the first issue together on the kitchen table in his flat. It hit the stands in December 1953 and sold 51,000 copies -- enough to finance a second issue -- and led to a multimillion dollar international corporation.

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Crystal Harris: Meet Hugh Hefner's 'Playboy' bride-to-be

December 26, 2010 10:33 AM ET

By Carina Adly MacKenzie

After finally getting a divorce from his second wife, Kimberly Conrad, who has been living separately from him since 1998, Hugh Hefner popped the question to Crystal Harris, who replaced Holly Madison as his "Number One" girlfriend in 2008.

After watching "The King's Speech" at the Playboy mansion on Christmas Eve, Hefner proposed. "After the movie tonight, Crystal and I exchanged gifts. I gave Crystal a ring. A truly memorable Christmas Eve. When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory," he wrote on his Twitter account.

To clear up any confusion, he added, "Yes, the ring I gave Crystal is an engagement ring. I didn't mean to make a mystery out of it. A very merry Christmas to all."

Harris, 24, was the December 2009 Playmate of the Month. She grew up in San Diego, and while attending San Diego State University she became Playboy's Co-Ed of the Week for the week of Oct. 30, 2008.

She began dating Hefner and starring in "The Girls Next Door" in January 2009, along with identical twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon. When the twins left the mansion in January 2010, Harris stuck around as Hefner's one and only.

Congratulations! We can't wait to see what this wedding looks like.

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Teena Marie, known as 'Ivory Queen of Soul,' dies

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, Ap Music Writer – 2 hrs 31 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Teena Marie, the "Ivory Queen of Soul" who developed a lasting legacy with her silky soul pipes and with hits like "Lovergirl," "Square Biz," and "Fire and Desire" with mentor Rick James, died on Sunday. She was 54.

A statement from Pasadena police said the death appeared to be from natural causes. The police and fire department were called to her home after family members found her unresponsive.

In an interview with The Associated Press last year, Teena Marie said she had successfully battled an addiction to prescription drugs; she went on tour last year to support her last album, "Congo Square."

Marie certainly wasn't the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.

Even before she started her musical career, she had a strong bond with the black community, which she credited to her godmother. She gravitated to soul music and in her youth decided to make it her career.

Marie made her debut on the legendary Motown label back in 1979, becoming one of the very few white acts to break the race barrier of the groundbreaking black-owned record label that had been a haven for black artists like Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye.

Marie was the protege of the masterful funk wizard James, with whom she would have long, turbulent but musically magical relationship.

The cover of her debut album, "Wild and Peaceful," did not feature her image, with Motown apparently fearing black audiences might not buy it if they found out the songstress with the dynamic, gospel-inflected voice was white.

But Marie notched her first hit, "I'm A Sucker for Your Love," and was on her way to becoming one of R&B's most revered queens. During her tenure with Motown, the singer-songwriter and musician produced passionate love songs and funk jam songs like "Need Your Lovin'," "Behind the Groove."

Marie's voice was the main draw of her music: Pitch-perfect, piercing in its clarity and wrought with emotion, whether it was drawing from the highs of romance or the mournful moments of a love lost. But her songs, most of which she had a hand in writing, were the other major component of her success.

Tunes like "Cassanova Brown" "Portuguese Love" and "Deja Vu (I've Been Here Before)" featured more than typical platitudes on love and life, but complex thoughts with rich lyricism.

And "Fire and Desire," a duet with Rick James that featured the former couple musing about their past love, was considered a musical masterpiece and a staple of the romance block on radio stations across the country.

Marie left Motown in 1982 and her split became historic: She sued the label and the legal battle led to a law preventing record labels from holding an artist without releasing any of their music.

She went to Epic in the 1980s and had hits like "Lovergirl" and "Ooo La La La" but her lasting musical legacy would be her Motown years.

Still, she continued to record music and perform. In 2004 and 2006 she put out two well-received albums on the traditional rap label Cash Money Records, "La Dona" and "Sapphire."

In 2008, she talked about her excitement of being honored by the R&B Foundation.

"All in all, it's been a wonderful, wonderful ride," she told The Associated Press at the time. "I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

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Sentosa Cove drowning ruled a misadventure

By Kai Fong – December 29th, 2010

The death of a Chinese national who drowned in a pool at Sentosa Cove on March 24 this year has been ruled a misadventure by State Coroner Victor Yeo.

Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, whose naked body was found in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove, died after an evening of drinking and singing at the Las Vegas KTV lounge with the house owner, Mr Adrian Chua, reported The Straits Times (ST).

However, police ruled out foul play at the hearing on Tuesday morning as there was no evidence or visible injuries to suggest an attack or suicide.

The inquiry also heard from Ms Li’s colleagues and flatmates that she was cheery and did not seem troubled that night.

Ms Li could have gone to the pool deck for a smoke as she had taken Mr Chua’s cigarettes and lighter, heard the court.

Said Coroner Yeo, “At the pool deck, the deceased decided to enter the pool on her own, and had taken off her clothes so as not to wet them. She descended the stairs and probably did not know that the depth was 1.5m. The deceased was of petite build, only 1.54m tall, and very probably got into difficulties at the deep end.’

The coroner added that Ms Li could have slipped while walking down the steps of the pool, which explains the 2cm by 1cm bruise on her left knee.

Pool lights had not been switched on.

According to Channel NewsAsia, Ms Li was paid S$800 by businessman Chua for her company at the nightclub and sex thereafter.

Mr Chua, 39, had met Ms Li in 2009 in the KTV lounge along Havelock Road. The chief executive officer of the real estate investment company RoundHill Capital, said he knew her only as Wawa.

He had brought her home on two or three occasions and she had been intimate with him.

Mr Chua testified on Tuesday morning that he did not use any physical force on Ms Li during sexual intercourse.

He had then fallen asleep at around 3am to 4am and was only awoken by two Sentosa rangers who informed him of the discovery of Ms Li’s body.

Closed-circuit television recordings captured Ms Li, fully clothed, walking alone towards the bungalow’s sliding doors leading to the swimming pool at about 3.50am.

Mr Chua’s maid, Aye Aye Tun, 26, testified that she locked the sliding doors before she went to sleep the previous night.

Mr Li Kui You, Ms Li’s father who was in Singapore for the hearing, was clearly distraught over the loss of his daughter.

“I’ve cried till my tears dried up. Do you think I am still sad?” lamented Mr Li.

Also present was a cousin of Ms Li, who told reporters the family is puzzled why Ms Li, a non-swimmer, would go into the pool.

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Balotelli going nowhere vows Man. City's Mancini

AFP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - – Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has insisted Mario Balotelli's long-term future is at Eastlands as the striker himself denied rumours of a move back to Italy with AC Milan.

Balotelli, 20, scored a hat-trick as City overcame Aston Villa 4-0 on Tuesday to maintain their bid for the Premier League title.

The Italian striker has rarely been out of the headlines since arriving from European champions Inter Milan in a 24 million pounds (37 million dollars) pre-season move.

Balotelli has been involved in several on-field spats but Mancini is adamant his compatriot's miserable on-pitch demeanour is just an act and that he is satisfied with life in England.

"After the first goal he celebrated, which is a step forward," Mancini joked after Tuesday's comprehensive home victory. "He celebrated after the first goal but it's more important that he scored goals.

"Every player has his behaviour but I think he's happy. Mario is a good guy but I think that today he was happy because the supporters supported him throughout the game.

"He's a different guy outside the pitch but he likes to give this hard, 'don't like to play' image."

Mancini added: "I think maybe he could be homesick because he's 20 and it's his first time away from his family and it's normal to miss your family.

"I don't think it's a long-term problem."

Balotelli, who has now scored eight times in 11 games for City, said he could not understand all the fuss about his lack of goal celebrations.

"I am always happy, even when I don't smile," he told www.mcfc.co.uk.

"But I feel a striker has to score. It is my job. That is why I don't smile.

"I am still happy and I can score more."

And he too dismissed talk of a return to Italy by saying: "I am very happy even if the journalists in Italy say I want to go to Milan.

"I am here and I am working hard in training. I want to be an important man for this team and the results are on the pitch."

Mancini confirmed star striker Carlos Tevez was left on the bench against Villa with a minor hamstring problem but will be fit to return against Blackpool on Saturday.

"Carlos will be OK. He had a little problem with his muscle and he went on the bench. We didn't take any risk with him."

City were briefly top of the table before Manchester United's 1-1 draw away to Birmingham in Tuesday's late kick-off saw Sir Alex Ferguson's regain first place on goal difference alone from their cross-town rivals.

But Mancini believes City, last crowned champions of England in 1968, are showing they have the quality and depth to mount a sustained title challenge.

"In 2011 I hope we can improve like a team who can play football well always and stay always on the top but the most important thing is to improve again.

"If we can improve we can stay there (top) for longer than three hours.

"I'm proud for my players, I'm very happy for the supporters for the club, for everyone.

"But it's important we continue against Blackpool (on Saturday). People think that will be easy but it will be a very tough game."

Meanwhile Villa manager Gerard Houllier did his best to remain upbeat after a sixth defeat in seven matches left his faltering side just a point above the relegation zone.

The Frenchman, who claimed he did not hear abuse from the visiting fans at Eastlands, said: "We are in a relegation battle, definitely. We were before and we knew we would have a difficult run of games over Christmas with games against Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea.

"Confidence is something that we need to address," the former Liverpool manager added.

"I think we have the spirit, the players are aware were going through a difficult run."

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Time to change ya LIGHTS to LEDs ???

Electricity costs to go up early next year

By Angela Lim – December 30th, 2010

Singaporeans can expect more expensive electricity bills next year as the cost of electricity is likely to increase by roughly 3.3 per cent from January 1 to March 31 in 2011.

Local households will see electricity tariffs go up by S$0.0076 to S$0.241 per kWh.

The revisions in tariff prices are a result of a rise in oil prices to S$99.45 per barrel.

Families living in four-room HDB flats, for example, will have to spend an average of about S$3.15 more on electricity charges per month.

According to The Straits Times, the electricity tariff can be broken down into these four main components:

1) Energy Cost: This is paid to the generation companies and will increase by 0.76 cents per kWh to 18.9 cents per kWh. This component is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the fuel and non-fuel cost of power generation.

2) Network Cost: This is paid to SP PowerAssets and will remain unchanged at 4.92 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 10 per cent since Oct 2008.

3) Market Support Services Fee: This is paid to SP Services and will also remain unchanged at 0.22 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 21 per cent since July 2009.

4) Market Administration and Power System Operation Fee: This is paid to Energy Market Company and Power System Operator and will remain at 0.06 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year to recover the costs of operating the electricity wholesale market and power system.

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12-year-old had sex with 15 men ???

By Angela Lim – December 29th, 2010

A fresh twist has developed in the case of a trainee teacher’s sex offence with underaged girls.

A 12-year-old, one of the two underaged girls 23-year-old trainee teacher Aaron Kok Chun Cheong was convicted of having sex with, is believed to have had sex with at least 14 other men, reported The Straits Times.

Six of the men, aged 19 to 35, have already been charged in court, with punishments ranging from fines to an 18-month jail term.

The other nine men have reportedly already been charged in court for their sexual offfence but no verdict has been passed.

This case is understood to be the most extreme of sexual cases involving underaged girls to have come before the courts.

Criminal lawyer, Sashi Nathan told the paper, “As far as courts are concerned, this is the largest number of men involved that I have heard of. But I’m not particularly surprised because of the amount of access young people have to the Web.”

Last Tuesday, Aaron Kok Chun Cheong, 23, a trainee teacher, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex with two underaged girls.

His lawyer, Amolat Singh, told a District Court Kok committed the offences between September 2007 and April 2008 when he was a full-time national serviceman.

He invited his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, to his flat in 2007 just one year after meeting on an Internet chatroom. The pair had sex and did not contact each other after that.

His crime was only discovered when the girl was warded in the National University Hospital (NUH) on July 15 in 2008, following complaints of stomach pains and vomiting. She was pregnant and told the police she had sex with several men. After her abortion on July 31, tests indicated Kok was not the foetus’ biological father.

Just a month before, another 15-year-old girl told the police she had consensual sex with Kok on three different occasions between April 20 and May 31, 2008. The first offence was committed at West Mall shopping centre in a handicapped persons toilet.

Kok pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying he was a first-time offender and did not intend to target his victims. Mr Amolat, who said Kok will be sacked from his position, added, “They initiated and actively sought to have sexual relations with him.”

Mr Amolat also revealed, Kok would need to pay roughly S$60,000 worth of liquidated damages for breaching his contract with the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Although Kok could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined, he was jailed 15 months for carnal connection.

Last week, disgraced MOE scholar, Jonathan Wong, was expelled from the University of York in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to 17 charges of possessing child pornography videos.

Wong is sentenced to a six-month imprisonment sentence suspended for two years – which means he will not be jailed if he does not break the law during that period.

The York Crown Court also ordered for Wong to be listed on the sex offender registry for seven years after eight months’ supervision. He is also disqualified from working with children.

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It's YOGAsmic yeah !!!

Yoga teacher's sex slaves rescued in M'sia

ANN - Thursday, December 30

Kuala Kubu Baru (The Star/ANN) - A 54-year-old yoga instructor was arrested for allegedly holding three girls as sex slaves in his house in Malaysia for about a month.

He was arrested after police raided his house near Kuala Kubu Baru and rescued the girls. Two of the victims were 16 while the other was 20.

It is believed that the man had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted the girls, who were believed to have been shackled and chained to a bed in the house. They had been reported missing since late November.

It is learnt that the man had lured the girls to his house before raping them.

Police formed a special task force to investigate the case after one of the victim's parents, a 38-year-old rubber tapper, lodged a police report on Nov 30.

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Hamzah confirmed the arrest.

"We found two packets of drugs believed to be syabu in the house," he said. Police also found a sex toy during the raid.

DCP Tun Hisan said the yoga instructor was wanted by police and had a criminal record.

"The victims have been sent to Kuala Kubu Baru hospital for a medical check-up," he said.

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Sentosa Cove ‘death bungalow’ sold

By Ewen Boey – January 1st, 2011

The Sentosa Cove bungalow in which a KTV hostess drowned just five months ago was sold at a bargain price of $13.6 million.

The buyers?

Mr Mark Poh Seng Kui, the 49-year-old managing director of Nam Leong – a company which specialises in sanitary wares and bathroom accessories – and his older brother and chairman of the same company, Mr David Poh Cheng Seng, 56.

The pair bought the three-storey waterfront bungalow on Ocean Drive at Sentosa Cove in August 2010.

While the sum might seem a lot, it is in fact a bargain compared to the other properties in the area where property prices are skyrocketing.

The New Paper reported that the deal with their real estate agent took only an hour to be sealed, with both brothers aware of the bungalow’s history.

The brothers’ S$13.6 million investment translates to S$1,690 psf being paid for the 8,049 square foot plot.

That is a bargain compared to the S$2,546 psf paid by a buyer of a smaller Sentosa Cove bungalow sold a month later.

This saved the brothers around S$6 million on the bungalow previously owned by Mr Adrian Chua, the 39-year-old chief executive and founder of real estate investment management firm Roundhill Capital.

Mr Chua moved out of the bungalow after Chinese KTV hostess, Li Hongyan, drowned in the swimming pool in the early morning hours of March 24. The 24-year-old’s death was ruled a misadventure just last week and no foul play was suspected.

However, the younger Mr Poh is not concerned with the bungalow’s tragic history, and told the paper, “It was an accident and accidents happen all the time.”

“I’ve not done bad things, my conscience is clear, so there’s nothing to be afraid of,” he added.

The brothers are currently living in separate units in a Bukit Timah townhouse and intend to use the bungalow as a “holiday home” for family gatherings after their S$1 million renovations are complete.

Sentosa Cove drowning ruled a misadventure

By Kai Fong – December 29th, 2010

The death of a Chinese national who drowned in a pool at Sentosa Cove on March 24 this year has been ruled a misadventure by State Coroner Victor Yeo.

Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, whose naked body was found in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove, died after an evening of drinking and singing at the Las Vegas KTV lounge with the house owner, Mr Adrian Chua, reported The Straits Times (ST).

However, police ruled out foul play at the hearing on Tuesday morning as there was no evidence or visible injuries to suggest an attack or suicide.

The inquiry also heard from Ms Li’s colleagues and flatmates that she was cheery and did not seem troubled that night.

Ms Li could have gone to the pool deck for a smoke as she had taken Mr Chua’s cigarettes and lighter, heard the court.

Said Coroner Yeo, “At the pool deck, the deceased decided to enter the pool on her own, and had taken off her clothes so as not to wet them. She descended the stairs and probably did not know that the depth was 1.5m. The deceased was of petite build, only 1.54m tall, and very probably got into difficulties at the deep end.’

The coroner added that Ms Li could have slipped while walking down the steps of the pool, which explains the 2cm by 1cm bruise on her left knee.

Pool lights had not been switched on.

According to Channel NewsAsia, Ms Li was paid S$800 by businessman Chua for her company at the nightclub and sex thereafter.

Mr Chua, 39, had met Ms Li in 2009 in the KTV lounge along Havelock Road. The chief executive officer of the real estate investment company RoundHill Capital, said he knew her only as Wawa.

He had brought her home on two or three occasions and she had been intimate with him.

Mr Chua testified on Tuesday morning that he did not use any physical force on Ms Li during sexual intercourse.

He had then fallen asleep at around 3am to 4am and was only awoken by two Sentosa rangers who informed him of the discovery of Ms Li’s body.

Closed-circuit television recordings captured Ms Li, fully clothed, walking alone towards the bungalow’s sliding doors leading to the swimming pool at about 3.50am.

Mr Chua’s maid, Aye Aye Tun, 26, testified that she locked the sliding doors before she went to sleep the previous night.

Mr Li Kui You, Ms Li’s father who was in Singapore for the hearing, was clearly distraught over the loss of his daughter.

“I’ve cried till my tears dried up. Do you think I am still sad?” lamented Mr Li.

Also present was a cousin of Ms Li, who told reporters the family is puzzled why Ms Li, a non-swimmer, would go into the pool.

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Beckham set for England return with Spurs

AFP - 2 hours 12 minutes ago

LONDON, Jan 1, 2011 (AFP) – Former England captain David Beckham could be set for a sensational return to English football after Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp confirmed he would try to land the midfielder on a short-term loan.

Redknapp revealed on Friday he would ask club chairman Daniel Levy to persuade Los Angeles Galaxy to lend the 35-year-old to Tottenham until the start of the Major League Soccer season in March.

The Spurs boss denied that the move was designed simply to produce the commercial revenue that Beckham's signing could bring.

Redknapp said: "He wouldn't be coming here just to sell shirts. In the short term, he's not going to sell a load of shirts."

Redknapp, who has guided an attacking Spurs side to the knockout round of the Champions League and into a top-six position in the Premier League this season, also insisted Beckham had no financial motive to return to England.

"He isn't going to come here and get big money -- we aren't massive payers at this club," he said.

"He has probably got a fantastic house with a pool and he could sit out there every day and enjoy his life for a few months before he starts with LA Galaxy again.

"But he wants to come over here to the freezing cold and play football.

"Doesn't that tell you something about the boy that he lives in Los Angeles and he might be a billionaire?

"I've heard stories about how much he earns, it is just incredible, mind-blowing.

"He could buy any football club in this country if he wanted to.

"He is not going to do it for the money is he? That tells you everything about him."

If the deal goes through, it would be the first time that London-born Beckham has played for an English club since he left Manchester United to join Real Madrid in 2003.

Beckham has spent the last two MLS close seasons on loan at AC Milan, partly in a bid to extend his England career, but injury ruled him out of last year's World Cup finals where England flopped.

With United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times and the 1999 Champions League title.

He won a Spanish league title with Real before joining LA Galaxy in 2007.

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Game Over !!!

Ex-SLA director faces additional 70 cheating charges

By Faris – December 31st, 2010

Former deputy director of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Koh Seah Wee, was charged with another 70 counts of cheating on Thursday, with most of the offences committed during his eight years spent at the Supreme Court.

Koh, 40, faces 63 charges of assisting two firms land IT equipment supply, maintenance and installation contracts while he was seconded to the Court, without declaring that he was involved in managing them.

The other seven new charges involve similar offences allegedly committed while he was seconded to the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos).

These are in addition to him being charged last month with cheating Ipos of $286,000 between December 2005 and March 2007, according to The Straits Times.

Koh now faces a total of 372 charges of cheating the SLA, Ipos and the Supreme Court out of more than $12 million.

On Thursday, prosecutors said they intend applying to have the case against Koh and his alleged accomplice Christopher Lim Chai Meng moved to the High Court.

Lawyers said the High Court would have the power to deliver stiffer sentences as compared to the Subordinate Court.

Explaining the prosecution’s intention, a spokesman for the Attorney-General’s Chambers said, “’In view of the circumstances of the alleged offences committed by Koh Seah Wee and Lim Chai Meng, as well as the total amount involved, it was considered that it would be more appropriate for the matter to be heard by the High Court.”

Koh was a young officer at the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) when he had his first secondment, in February 1997, to the Supreme Court.

He was an IT consultant to the court’s Computer Information Systems Department and remained at the post until July 2004.

As a junior officer, his job scope included sourcing and evaluating quotations, making recommendations about them and getting internal approval for buying the items.

However, Koh allegedly recommended that contracts be awarded to Teamware Systems and Solutions and Professional Business Solutions.

His failure to disclose the links in which he had a share in the profits of the two firms led the Supreme Court to award them the purchase orders.

Although Koh was not listed as an office-bearer in either firm, he is understood to have been involved in their management. Company records show both ceased business between 2002 and 2004.

It is understood that the seven cheating charges relating to Ipos are similar. Koh allegedly recommended that contracts for supplying software equipment and maintenance be awarded to a firm which he was involved in managing, Chartered Systems and Services.

The earlier charges at SLA differ in that they relate to Koh allegedly submitting invoices for work that was not done, such as equipment maintenance.

Koh, represented by lawyer Ravinderpal Singh at yesterday’s hearing, has been in remand since June 25.

Thursday’s pre-trial conference also involved Christopher Lim Chai Meng, 37, defended by lawyer Sunil Sudheesan.

The former SLA manager is said to have helped Koh submit false invoices to the agency’s finance department for IT work that was not done. He faces 309 cheating charges.

Earlier this month, Ho Yen Teck, 31, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of conspiring with Koh and Lim to dupe SLA into paying $1.26 million to seven bogus businesses he created.

Five men working for supplier firms were also charged last month in connection with the alleged fraud at SLA. This brings the total number charged in connection with the case to eight.

Channel NewsAsia reported that the Supreme Court has meanwhile set up an independent panel to review its procurement processes and related internal controls.

The panel, which was set up in October, is chaired by High Court Judge, Justice Quentin Loh. Senior officers from two other government bodies are also represented on the panel.

In a Parliament seating in November, ministers, K Shanmugam and Tharman Shanmugaratnam had said that the SLA fraud was a result of human failure and not a systemic problem.

[kueytoc]

Hasta la Vista: Arnie quits as California governor

AFP - Monday, January 3

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Arnold Schwarzenegger steps down as California "Governator" Monday, defending his record to the last - and keeping fans and others guessing about his next move.

After seven years at the helm of the Golden State, the former champion body builder turned "Terminator" movie megastar and businessman is leaving his adopted home mired in huge financial woes.

But in a newspaper interview to mark his handover of power to Democrat Jerry Brown -- two months after November 2 polls -- Arnie stood by all his decisions.

"The important thing with my job that I've had for the last seven years is, you have to have passion... You can't be afraid," he told the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

"You have to recognize very quickly that political risk-taking is not political suicide."

While he impressed many with his transformation into a liberal Republican and green champion who won reelection in 2006, his poll ratings slid in recent years, in line with California's dire economic fortunes.

A budget crisis in 2010 pushed California, which would have been the world's eighth largest economy if it were a country, to the brink of bankruptcy, sending its credit-rating plunging and forcing it to pay bills with IOUs.

But while commentators will pick over Schwarzenegger's political legacy here, many are watching closely to see what the 63-year-old will do next -- notably whether he will return to the movies.

"Will I still have the patience to sit on the set and to do a movie for three months or for six months, all of those things? I don't know," he tweeted in October.

In another interview with the LA Times last month, he acknowledged he has many other options, from writing his autobiography to the speech-making circuit, to business projects or even a behind-the-camera role in Hollywood.

"It's very clear there are a bunch of different options because of the different careers that I've had.

"From the health industry, to the environmental side, to the political stuff, to writing books, to giving speeches -- all of those kinds of things. There's a huge variety of different doors that can open."

It is all a long way from his humble beginnings in a small town near Graz in eastern Austria.

In 1968, after winning a string of bodybuilding contests, the penniless 21-year-old came to the United States to pursue his passion.

He earned a business and economics degree from the University of Wisconsin, became a millionaire while winning the Mr. Universe title four more times, and then shrugged off barbs about his thick accent as he turned to acting.

Joining Hollywood's royalty, his ominous "Terminator" catchphrases "I'll be back," and "Hasta la vista, baby" have now entered the English language -- and he still uses them frequently as a politician.

His star power would certainly help him pursue a political career -- there has even been talk about him joining the Obama administration in some environmental role.

He certainly doesn't need the money after making a fortune in Hollywood -- he was on a reported 30 million dollars a movie, and refused his salary as California governor -- not to mention his extensive business interests.

Schwarzenegger remained tightlipped about his options this weekend, but insisted that, whatever he does, it won't be for financial reasons.

"I'm financially protected for the rest of my life. But that makes it actually more fun to do things. Because I always believed, never do things just for the money; always do things because you're passionate about it."

[kueytoc]

Chelsea's title hopes dented by Villa draw

AFP - Monday, January 3

LONDON (AFP) - – Chelsea's bid to retain the Premier League title suffered another blow as struggling Aston Villa snatched a dramatic 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side were on course for a crucial win after late goals from Didier Drogba and John Terry, but Ciaran Clark equalised in stoppage time and the reigning champions are now in severe danger of losing touch with the main title contenders.

Even a Champions League spot isn't certain for fifth-placed Chelsea. The Blues have won just once in eight league games and are six points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand.

Ancelotti conceded the result will make it harder to lift morale at the Bridge.

"We needed to win this game. We didn't and now it's more difficult to prepare for the next game," he said.

"I'm disappointed because we worked very hard in the second half to come back into the game when 2-1 down.

"We did a fantastic job, we came back and scored to make it 3-2 and everyone thought the game was finished."

Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front with a 23rd-minute penalty, but Ashley Young levelled from the spot four minutes before half-time.

Villa took the lead when Emile Heskey headed in Stewart Downing's cross in the 47th minute.

Drogba equalised in the 84th minute and it looked as though Chelsea would steal the points when Terry netted in the 89th minute.

But in stoppage time the Chelsea defence went to sleep and Clark beat the offside trap to head in the leveller.

Villa boss Gerard Houllier was delighted with the way his side fought back and he said: "That was a huge demonstration of personality and character.

"The fighting spirit was there. We picked an experienced team because we thought that would be best but the goal at the end was made by our two youngest players."

In the day's other fixture, Shola Ameobi scored a first-half winner as Newcastle clinched a 1-0 victory at struggling Wigan.

Ameobi struck in the 19th minute with a close-range finish after Peter Lovenkrands hit the post.

It was enough to give Alan Pardew's team a second win under their new manager, while Wigan are just one point and one place above the relegation zone after their first defeat in five matches.

[kueytoc]

Liverpool players back Hodgson, says Joe Cole

AFP - Monday, January 3

LONDON (AFP) – Joe Cole insists Liverpool's players remain completely supportive of under-fire manager Roy Hodgson.

Cole gave Hodgson some much-needed breathing space as his 90th minute goal clinched a 2-1 win over Bolton at Anfield on Saturday.

After three days of criticism following the Reds' shock home defeat against Wolves, Hodgson couldn't afford another poor result in front of the fans he had accused of failing to support him.

Reports that Hodgson had lost the support of his players were hardly helping his cause, but second half goals from Fernando Torres and Cole allowed the former Fulham boss a moment of respite.

Liverpool owners New England Sports Ventures may well be considering who is the best man to lead the club forward, but England midfielder Cole is convinced Hodgson can still turn things around and he has no doubts the squad are behind him.

"We are all behind the manager. We all want to put this club in the right direction and keep working hard," Cole said.

"We are out there playing for the shirt and the manager. We have all got to stick together because there is no-one bigger than the club.

"I am really happy for everyone at the club; it has been a tough week for everyone - particularly the manager - but we've got the win.

"It is not just the newspapers, none of us like losing and getting criticised but half the battle of modern day football is dealing with pressure and kicking on.

"We are pleased for the fans, the owners and the manager but we have all got to stick together and kick on from here, it can't be a false dawn."

[kueytoc]

Start of a brave new Singapore?

By Ewen Boey – January 3rd, 2011

By Seah Chiang Nee

A useful message to greet the New Year in Singapore could have read something like this:

“Caution! Visitors to this island are advised to be careful of a mysterious syndrome that drives victims to shed off all their clothes in public.”

It could be timely preparation, given the recent surge of such happenings as a more liberal generation leaves its mark on this once prudish city.

The government had long hoped for a new vibrancy to push Singapore into the ranks of a top world city. Well, in recent years, it has got a little of that wish – but not all to its liking.

As promiscuity rises, one phenomenon has almost everyone scratching his head.

Amidst reports of a teenage girl selling her soiled underwear online and a young trainee teacher having sex with a 12 and a 15-year-old girl, interest centred on public nudity, including the following cases: -

* A man in his 20s went buck naked into a fast-food outlet to buy coffee (his custom was refused);

* A middle-aged man found sitting ###### on a suburban pavement; and

* A middle-aged woman took off all her clothes and boarded a public bus, rejecting a jacket to cover up. The driver ordered her to sit at the back with the women, away from the men until her arrest.

They all happened in the past two weeks, their video shots instantly producing up to 50,000 hits online.

Meanwhile, Felicia, a teenager offered to sell her used underwear for up to S$45 a pair.

“All the panties will be worn by me for at least 12 hours,” she pledged. Total sales – 12 pairs!

The most famous streak was that of a Singaporean A*Star (biotech research) scholar and her Swedish schoolmate, who were fined after they strolled stark naked through Holland Village in 2009.

“Those crazy Singaporeans can’t seem to keep their pants on in public lately,” expatriate Jeff Mills wrote before Christmas Day.

“The country best known for semiconductor wafers and caning has seen a rash of indecent exposure and slow streaking cases recently.”

Adding to the tempo was the first reported case of a 30-year-old Filipino maid offering to appear in the ###### on webcam sex for money on the Net.

And last week a China girl who drowned while swimming naked at a rich man’s house several months ago was pronounced an accident.

At about the same time a ###### 19-year-old girl was rescued clinging onto the second floor window of a hotel.

She explained she ended there by accident after a Christmas Eve bash with some girlfriends.

The trend of indecent exposure has been rising since 2007.

Today an average of one case is reported every other day despite the threat of S$2,000 fine or up to three months in jail.

According to published figures, there were 105 cases in the first six months of 2010, compared with 166 for 2009, 146 in 2008 and 136 in 2007.

Psychiatrist Ken Ung, who has treated many cases referred to him by the courts, told the press that many were either exhibitionists or attention seekers.

“Exhibitionism is a sexual disorder where the exhibitionists get a sexual thrill from the look of shock and horror on their victims’ faces,” he was quoted as saying.

Others were mentally troubled, while some over-exuberant revellers did it because of alcohol or a bet with a friend.

Singapore bans pornography and has an ambivalent attitude to nudity. It wants to encourage the arts to enable the city to compete with cultural centres like London and New York.

But is has – as it did in 2007 – stopped a commercial gallery from showing a painting of a female ###### in a public space.

“Its art scene still veers toward the safe, rather than the controversial, and artists avoid subjects deemed sensitive in the city-state, including politics and sex,” said an observer.

That boundary is being pushed by unknown citizens all over the island. The streak has already raised calls for the establishment of a nudist beach nearby.

“Since people want to go naked, give them an isolated place to do it away from children,” one blogger said.

Not only in the flesh, there has been an increase in the number of girls posing in the ###### and posting the videos online These are sometimes ranked according to merit by peers.

The livelier scene is vastly encouraged by a host of gadgets such as mobile phone cameras, handheld video recorders and digital cameras – all within the reach of Singapore’s teenagers.

They have created a form of homemade pornography involving amateurs – often naive young ladies – filming themselves naked for their boy-friends.

Quite a few were shocked to discover they were widely circulated, making them soft ###### stars.

After 40 years of strict control, a new generation seems to be striving hard to push Singapore to catch up with other modern cities.

According to Durex, Singaporean youths are becoming sexually active younger, losing their virginity at the average age of 18.4 years – far lower than many Asian countries.

Unlike their elders, for example, 18% of Singaporean women initiate sex – a higher proportion than anywhere else in Asia, reported a TIME survey.

(Some 64 percent of students at National University of Singapore (NUS) are surveyed t have sex more than once a week.)

The recent spate of public nudity has led to speculation whether it is a new trend or whether Singaporeans are finally breaking down social conformity.

None, a self-employed tutor emphasised: “It is a cry for help from the despondent. Ours is a stressful place.”

A former Reuters correspondent and newpaper editor, the writer is now a freelance columnist writing on general trends in Singapore. This post first appeared on his blog, www.littlespeck.com on 1 Jan, 2011.

[kueytoc]

Premier League - Hodgson out, Dalglish in at Liverpool

Sat, 08 Jan 11:12:00 2011

Roy Hodgson has left his post as Liverpool manager with club legend Kenny Dalglish put in charge until the end of the season.

The announcement was made by the club with Liverpool currently sitting 12th in the Premier League table having suffered 12 defeats already this campaign. Hodgson leaves the Merseyside club after winning just 13 of 31 matches in charge.

Dalglish, who managed Liverpool to the double back in 1985/86, will take the reins at Anfield until the end of the season, and his first game in charge sees the Reds travel to Old Trafford to take on rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Principal Owner John Henry commented: "We are grateful for Roy's efforts over the past six months, but both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down from his position as team manager. We wish him all the best for the future."

Roy Hodgson said: "Being asked to manage Liverpool Football Club was a great privilege. Any manager would be honoured to manage a club with such an incredible history, such embedded tradition and such an amazing set of fans.

"Liverpool is one of the great clubs in world football. I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career.

"I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool," he added.

"The club has some great, world-class players, with whom it has been a pleasure to work and I wish the entire squad well for the rest of the season.

"I thank those with whom I have built up a close working relationship at the club for their loyalty and support during very testing times, and finally of course to the Liverpool fans, your passion and dedication to the club will see Liverpool at the top of the game once more."

Club legend Kenny Dalglish will assume control of team matters for Sunday's third round FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Henry added: "We are delighted that Kenny Dalglish has agreed to step in and manage the team for Sunday's FA Cup tie at Old Trafford and for the remainder of the season.

"Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers - three giants. We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season."

Chairman Tom Werner said: "No one who cares for this great club has been happy with the way this season has unfolded and we have examined options and considered at length what is best for us going forward.

"Kenny will bring considerable experience to the position and provide management and leadership for the rest of the season."

Eurosport

[kueytoc]

Can King Kenny restore passion?

Sat Jan 08 11:30AM

Ever since the draw for the FA Cup third round was made, Manchester United versus Liverpool has been the stand-out fixture.

The departure of Roy Hodgson and appointment of Kenny Dalglish has just pushed it to another level.

I thought Liverpool either had to back Hodgson or sack him, and they have gone for the second option, even if it was officially described as 'mutual consent'.

Hodgson has been desperately unlucky at Liverpool. The fans resented his appointment and never gave him a chance, but of course there is no getting past how badly the team have played this season.

The days when a manager got three years minimum to sort the team out are gone - half a season of disastrous results was enough to see Hodgson removed.

From the club's point of view, it is probably good news, though. They needed clarity and they have got it. There would have been no point letting Hodgson stay on through the January transfer window if they had no intention of keeping him long term.

This is not just a crucial time in their season, but in their history as a football club.

As poor as they have been - and the performance against Blackburn was as bad as I have ever seen them - there is still time for them to turn this around. That is how close things are in the league this season. Liverpool can barely afford a season without being involved in Europe, and the club's owners have made swift and decisive action.

Will King Kenny's appointment be enough? Only time will tell. He is an inspirational figure much loved by the fans, but he has to work with the same squad as Hodgson.

He can get off to the perfect start at Old Trafford on Sunday, but I'm not sure that there are enough players at Liverpool who really understand the magnitude of this match, even the English lads who arrived this summer.

Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky have both played in some big matches and plenty of East and West London derbies, but until this season they will have seen nothing like playing United in a Liverpool shirt.

I never came close to appreciating what a big derby was when I was at QPR and Fulham, but when I came up to Manchester and we played City I thought to myself 'this is a big game'. When we played Leeds, and it was just as immense, and then walking out against Liverpool was just incredible.

Recently I was talking to my old England colleague Steve McMahon, who was in the last Liverpool side to win the league in 1990.

He said that if you had told him then that in 20 years time United would be on the verge of surpassing their haul of championships he would have never believed you.

That just puts into context how far United have moved on, but more so how much Liverpool have regressed in the past two decades.

The most abiding memory for me which really says how big a fixture this is comes from a match we played at Anfield in 1994.

We were 3-0 up early on, but Nigel Clough scored twice and Neil Ruddock headed an equaliser in the latter stages of the second half. It was one of those crazy nights in the Premier League.

Even though we had were riding high in the table and Liverpool were not the dominant force of old, we came into the dressing room relatively pleased to get a point at Anfield in the grand scheme of things.

Alex Ferguson was not. He gave us the biggest rollocking of our lives. It was bad enough that we had lost a three-goal lead, but the fact it was against Liverpool is what really got him mad. Luckily, we went on to win the title that year!

Kenny Dalglish knows what it means to represent Liverpool and to play in a fixture like this. His first job is to make sure his players also understand.

[kueytoc]

FACTBOX-Soccer-Former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson

Sat, 08 Jan 11:59:00 2011

Factbox on Roy Hodgson who was replaced as Liverpool manager on Saturday.

Born Aug. 9, 1947 in Croydon, England.

A respected and well-liked manager, Roy Hodgson enjoyed high profile spells with the Swiss national team, Inter Milan, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham before his tenure at Liverpool ended with the club just four points above the relegation zone after 20 games.

MAKING HIS NAME

After successful coaching jobs in Sweden and Switzerland, Hodgson took over the Swiss national team in 1992 and led them to the 1994 World Cup, losing just one qualifying match.

The Swiss finished runners-up in their group before losing to Spain in the next round.

After qualifying for Euro 96, Hodgson left for a two-year stint at Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan in 1995 where he led them to the 1997 UEFA Cup final.

ROVERS SACKING

He returned to England at the end of that season to manage former Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers, helping them to UEFA Cup qualification in his first campaign.

However in the second, Hodgson's expensively assembled squad flopped and he was sacked in December 1998. The following year he enjoyed a brief return to Inter as caretaker manager before heading back to Switzerland with Grasshoppers for a year.

Hodgson spent the next six years managing sides in Italy and Norway as well as two international stints, firstly with the United Arab Emirates in 2002 and then Finland in 2005, where he narrowly missed out on Euro 2008 qualification.

FAIRYTALE TO NIGHTMARE

Having been named on several occasions as an outsider for the England national job, Hodgson returned home with Premier League strugglers Fulham in December 2007.

He received great praise for narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of the campaign before achieving an unlikely seventh place finish and Europa League spot the following season.

Hodgson's side went on to enjoy a fairytale season in 2009-2010, finishing runners-up to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final -- their first major European final appearance.

His exploits earned him the League Manager of the Year award and led to his appointment at Liverpool. His time at Anfield was disappointing, with the team winning just seven of 20 Premier League games and the manager losing the backing of the majority of Liverpool fans.

Hodgson left 2009 Premier League runners-up Liverpool 12th in the table, 19 points behind leaders Manchester United.

[kueytoc]

FACTBOX-Soccer-New Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish

Sat, 08 Jan 14:55:00 2011

Factbox on Kenny Dalglish who was named Liverpool manager until the end of the season on Saturday.

Born March 4, 1951 in Glasgow, Scotland.

EARLY CAREER

Dalglish joined Celtic in 1967 and after establishing himself in the first team he went on to win four Scottish league titles.

He made his debut for Scotland in 1971 and scored his first goal for his country a year later in a 2-0 victory over Denmark.

LIVERPOOL

Dalglish signed for Bob Paisley's Liverpool in 1977 as a replacement for Kevin Keegan for a then British record fee of 440,000 pounds.

He made his debut, wearing what became his famous number seven shirt, in the season-opening Charity Shield against Manchester United. He followed that by scoring seven minutes into his league debut.

He became known to Liverpool fans as "King Kenny" and went on to score 172 goals in 515 appearances for the club.

Dalglish was a central figure in a successful period for Liverpool in which they won five league titles, three European Cups and five domestic cups between 1978 and 1985.

On the international stage, he made 102 appearances for his country, making him still the most capped Scotland player. He also holds the joint scoring record of 30 goals with Denis Law.

PLAYER/MANAGER

Dalglish became player-manager at Liverpool following the Heysel stadium disaster in 1985 and enjoyed instant success, winning the club's first league and cup double in his first season in charge.

His iconic status was cemented during his six years as manager with the club winning three domestic league titles and two FA Cups.

HILLSBOROUGH

Dalglish was manger of Liverpool at the time of the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest.

Dalglish was personally affected by the tragedy and left the club on health grounds in 1991 following a 4-4 draw with Everton in a FA Cup fifth-round replay.

BLACKBURN

Dalglish returned to club management eight months after leaving Liverpool with then second division side Blackburn Rovers.

The club were owned by steel tycoon Jack Walker who made large sums of money available to Dalglish to spend on players.

Dalglish guided the Lancashire club into the Premier League in 1992 and after investing heavily on the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton he won his fourth top flight title as a manager in 1995.

NEWCASTLE AND CELTIC

Dalglish joined Newcastle as manager in 1997 and guided them to second place in the Premier League that season.

The following campaign, however, he finished 13th and despite reaching the FA Cup final where they were beaten by Arsenal, he was sacked.

He joined Celtic 1999 initially as director of football but was appointed manager following the sacking of John Barnes. He guided the club to the Scottish League Cup final where they beat Aberdeen 2-0 but left the club shortly after.

RETURN TO LIVERPOOL

He returned to Anfield in the summer of 2009 to work as an academy and club ambassador.

He applied for the job as manager following the sacking of then boss Rafael Benitez but was overlooked in favour of Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson struggled to win over the fans with a string of disappointing results and calls for Dalglish to return as manager became more vocal, with supporters repeatedly chanting his name from the terraces.

Liverpool's patience with Hodgson ran out following a midweek defeat by Blackburn Rovers and Dalglish was appointed manager until the end of the season.

[kueytoc]

Premier League - Great players, Rubbish Managers

Fri, 07 Jan 11:35:00 2011

Bryan Robson - The first of Fergie's Manchester United 'disciples' to establish himself in management, Captain Marvel set an unhappy precedent for the likes of Keane and Paul Ince. Lasted seven mediocre years at Middlesbrough, the most notable of which saw Boro reach two cup finals and go down. Subsequently failed at Bradford, West Brom and Sheffield United.

Ruud Gullit - Skippered the Dutch to their only major tournament success in 1988 but proved too intelligent to be much good at management. Became the first foreign boss to win the FA Cup while at Chelsea but then fell out with the board. Fell out with Alan Shearer at Newcastle, and recently fell out with the whole LA Galaxy squad during a nine-month stint.

Glenn Hoddle - Why it is a bad idea for national teams to take a flier on unproven managers. Hoddle's player-manager spells at Swindon and Chelsea offered little indication of the faith-healing madness he would bring to the England job. Insisted not only on taking part in training but showboating throughout and repeatedly nutmegging a bemused Martin Keown.

Ossie Ardiles - At least he had the guts to impose his own tactical blueprint at Tottenham. Pioneered the novel 5-0-5 formation at the start of the 1994/95 season, employing an attacking quintet of Juergen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Ilie Dumitrescu, Darren Anderton and Nicky Barmby. Tragically, it failed and Ardiles was out of a job by October.

Alan Ball - If a flat cap and disarming honesty were enough to be a top manager, 1966 World Cup-winner Ball would have been a dugout legend - but Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho prove that being a lovely man is not a pre-requisite for success. Was nice enough to gain employment at Blackpool, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Exeter City, Southampton, Manchester City and Portsmouth.

Bobby Charlton - Another England hero from 1966, Charlton's maturity, leadership and track record seemed tailor-made for management. Took Nobby Stiles with him to Preston North End where he became player-manager. It did not go well, and he was off at the end of the season.

John Barnes - 'Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious' is pretty much all that needs to be said about Barnes's disastrous tenure at Parkhead.

And two greats who succeeded:

Franz Beckenbauer - Der Kaiser won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany, then proceeded to manage in brief, successful bursts. Won the French title during a single season at Marseille, then snaffled a Bundesliga and a UEFA Cup in spells of six and two months at Bayern Munich in 1994 and 1996.

Johan Cruyff - Introduced a 3-1-2-3-1 tactical system (seriously) at Ajax, which the club used to win the Champions League some years after Cruyff's departure. Then created Barcelona's Dream Team, winning the 1992 European Cup and signing legendary players such as Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

[kueytoc]

Five causes of bad breath

It can spoil more than your social life

Thu 6 Jan, 2011 08:00 am GMT

Bad breath will kill your social life, so it's reasonable that you should figure out what may be causing it. Some causes, like spicy foods, are easy to fix, but others may well point to something more serious.

But let's take this step by step.

How do you know you've got bad breath? Well, people may be keeping their distance, but may be too polite to tell you the real reason.

If you're lucky, someone will be direct, but failing that, you can lick your wrist and smell your saliva - if it stinks, your breath probably does too.

Ok, so you've got bad breath. Let's look at the possible causes.

Smoking

Are you a smoker? Smoking, aside from the many other obvious ways in which it is bad for you, will make your breath smell of stale smoke. It will also irritate your gums and may increase your risk of gum disease, which can also cause bad breath.

Solution? Stop smoking.

Food

Next is food. If you like your garlic and onions raw, you'll just have to choose between this particular passion and decent breath. Alcohol and coffee also affect your breath, but fortunately you can get rid of your bad breath by limiting your intake.

Solution? Watch what you eat and drink.

Keep in mind that eating infrequently, or dieting can also cause bad breath. This is also the case if you're not eating carbohydrates. There, eat that croissant without guilt - it's good for your breath.

Hygiene

Of course, if you're casual about keeping your mouth clean, no amount of cutting down on garlic will be of help. The old "I'll brush in the morning" routine doesn't really cut it.

Your mouth is full of bacteria which cause plaque, gum disease and dental decay.

When the bacteria are mixed with saliva and food trapped between your teeth, a bad odour ensues. The bacteria can also reside on your tongue, which will also impact your bad breath.

Solution? Obviously, floss and brush, at least twice a day. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles, and take your time to clean the teeth and scrape the tongue.

You can also rinse with anti bacterial mouthwash, though this does not replace brushing your teeth, no matter what your friends tell you. Visit a dentist.

Gum disease

So, after reading this article you've been diligent and keeping away from the garlic and brushing furiously, but the bad breath persists?

Well, you might have gum disease or dental decay. This is something that should immediately be addressed by your dentist.

Medical problems

Though this is rare, your bad breath could actually indicate a medical condition.

For instance, your mouth might not be producing enough saliva, or you could have an infection in your lungs, throat or nose. The bad breath could also indicate you have diabetes, liver or kidney problems, or that you suffer from heart burn.

If you've been diligent about your o.r.a.l cleanliness and the bad breath persists, see your GP.

And if you're not quite concerned enough yet, here is something that will make you brush as soon as you're done with this article.

Recent studies have confirmed that poor o.r.a.l hygiene can actually increase your risk of heart attack.

This is because poor hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, which provide bacteria with a route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease.

[kueytoc]

Championship - Keane sacked by Ipswich

Fri, 07 Jan 14:22:00 2011

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been sacked as manager of Championship club Ipswich Town.

The 39-year-old Keane, who had been at Ipswich since April 2009, leaves with the club sitting 19th in the 24-team league after seven defeats in their last nine games.

Keane won 28 and lost 28 of his 81 games in charge of the Tractor Boys since taking over from Jim Magilton.

The former Ireland midfielder's departure comes less than a week before Ipswich host Arsenal in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.

Keane said: "I’m hugely disappointed to be leaving Portman Road. Results haven’t been as good as I’d have hoped so far this season and when results aren’t good the manager gets the sack, that’s the game.

"However, I have a genuine belief that we were making progress and that the players have what it takes to turn this season around. We were preparing well for our visit to Chelsea on Sunday and then our Carling Cup semi with Arsenal.

"Getting to that semi proves what I know the team is capable of. I was also working hard to build the squad during the transfer window, looking at our options to attract new players to the club.

"I have loved my time at Ipswich, living locally to the club with my family, and have a massive respect for the club, its staff, the fans and the community and I wish them well."

First-team coach Ian McParland will take charge at Stamford Bridge.

"We have taken the decision now to terminate his contract having reached the halfway point in the season," chief executive Simon Clegg told a news conference.

"As he (Keane) has said himself on a number of occasions, the performances on the pitch since November have simply not been good enough. In spite investment in the playing staff and a lack of improvement on the pitch, the results speak for themselves."

It is unclear whether a new manager will have been appointed by the time the Gunners visit Suffolk.

"I hope to be in a position to make an announcement regarding the new manager over the coming days," said Clegg.

PA Sport

[kueytoc]

How to Rock Your Next Job Interview

Tim Tyrell-Smith, On Wednesday 5 January 2011, 3:46 SGT

It's easy to get nervous before a job interview, especially if you haven't had one for a while. And if you've been out of work for an extended period of time, each opportunity to interview becomes increasingly important, adding to the pressure.

But with a new year comes a fresh start. And your next interviewer knows nothing of your past mistakes. So take the time to prepare using these tips, and you'll walk into your next interview confident and ready to put your best foot forward.

Here's how to rock your next interview:

1. Be yourself. It's tempting to morph during an interview. To tweak an answer to tell the story you think someone wants to hear. To say you like to work independently when you don't. Tell your true story and let your true personality shine through. If the job is really a good match, you'll fare better by being yourself.

2. Learn to enjoy the interview. We don't have many chances to compete in life anymore. But a job interview is a chance to show off what you can do for a new team. Relish this opportunity even during the interview itself and prove yourself to a new crowd.

3. Engage your interviewer. An interview should be a two-way dialogue, where both parties get a chance to ask probing questions. So ask away! And don't be afraid to ask tough questions. When you engage your interviewer, your interview is more likely to become a business discussion and less of an interrogation.

4. Forget the odds are not in your favor. It doesn't matter if five other candidates have already interviewed for the job. And you can forget the five who will interview after you, too. Those factors are out of your control, so put those thoughts away and interview without restriction.

5. Fill your head with victories. Instead of thinking about your shortcomings, play a "best of" reel in your head when you have breaks during the day. Focus your mind on days or hours when you were on top of the world, loved by everyone as the rainmaker or problem-solver. You're offering this new company your best, so that's all you need to showcase.

6. Get ready, then let go. Of course it's possible to over-prepare for a job interview. But you can also forget to transition from preparation to execution. So when it comes time to do the talking, put all the preparation tools away so you can relax and focus on your goal.

7. Get to know your audience in advance. You can ask better questions if you know something about your interviewers. Researching them will also help you prepare for any questions they'll ask you. To find information about a company or hiring manager, use LinkedIn and Google. And expect the employer to do the same research on you.

8. Bring a few great stories. Everyone loves a good story. And interviewers love true and compelling stories of how you helped a business. Prepare a positive story (situation, action, and result) based on a key events in your past. Be sure you can identify the specific role you played.

9. Smile at everyone you meet. A confident smile shows you're relaxed and happy to be there. But it also can prompt a reaction from people you meet. If they don't smile back, you've learned something.

10. Watch and listen for key signals. Is the office is busy? Vibrant? Social? Compare what you see and hear to your workplace preferences. Whether it's a good or bad fit, you've learned something about the company culture.

11. Show genuine interest and passion. Results from recent job interview research suggest that your passion and excitement for the position really does matter. So when you feel it, show it. This is likely to positively influence an interviewer and change the mood in the room.

12. Focus on the first five minutes. Most interviewers say they know in the first five minutes whether the candidate is a good fit for the job. Your handshake, first few answers, and body language all have the potential to signal strength during a job interview. Have a great "first five" and you're in good shape!

13. Try the company's products. If you're interviewing with a company that makes a product or service you can touch or experience, get your hands on it. Test it and be ready to share your experience.

14. Slide up your dimmer switch. Sometimes you need a mental gimmick to shake off the nerves, pull you up, and get your light to shine. Just before walking in the front door, mentally slide up your dimmer switch, and engage the first person you meet with a confident smile.

15. Be honest. An occasional "I don't know" will not ruin your chances at landing the job. Nor is it destructive to admit to not having a certain experience. Delivering the truth says you're comfortable and confident with what you know and what you can do.

Tim Tyrell-Smith is founder of Tim's Strategy, a site that helps professionals succeed in job search, career and life strategy.

[kueytoc]

What to Say When the Interviewer Asks How Much You Make

By Andrew G. Rosen

Posted: January 4, 2011

During the interview process, it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll be asked about your salary requirements. Along with that question, a hiring manager or human resources employee might casually ask, “How much do you make now?”

Employers want to know what you earn now or what you’ve earned in the past for one reason: so they can hire you for the lowest possible salary. If you answer truthfully, you could be looking at a minimal increase from your last job. But if you lie, you could cost yourself the opportunity.

Here are a few honest ways to tackle the question:

1. Tell the truth.

Be honest about what you make, but also say how much money you’d require to accept the new position. If your salary request is light years away from your current earnings, explain why you’re underpaid in your current job—maybe your company has financial problems, for example—and why you deserve more in your next position. Gaining experience or education during the last year likely means you deserve a raise.

2. Explain what you’d like to make.

Rather than giving your current or former salary amount, make eye contact with the employer and tell her what you’re worth, and how certain on-the-job perks like bonuses, health benefits, and vacation could make a compensation package more appealing to you. This allows you to be truthful, but without answering the question. And sometimes simply saying out loud what you deserve is a good reminder of what you’re worth.

3. Don’t say exactly what you’d like to make, but offer a salary range.

Without offering your current salary, provide a salary range of what you’d like to make. Use a wide range, for example, between $50,000 and $70,000. Say you’ll have more concrete salary expectations when you have a better understanding of what the job entails. This is a stall tactic; the longer you put off this question, the better your negotiating position.

4. Turn the question on its head.

Tell the employer you’d rather not talk about your previous salary, and would prefer to concentrate on getting on the right career track with an organization you want to grow with. Emphasize your commitment to the company and make it clear that you want to work there. Then explain that they have a better understanding of the market value for someone with your skills. If you want, you can even shift the question back to the employer, and ask what he thinks you’re worth.

When you’re interviewing for a job, your goal is simple: get an offer. Even if you can’t agree on salary, you may be able to negotiate other valued perks such as the ability to telecommute, additional days off, or a customizable in-office schedule. Many larger companies use formulas and third-parties to limit flexibility, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Every scenario is different, and what will work in one case might not work in another. That’s why the best advice is likely to come from you, the reader.

How have you answered when a hiring manager asked, “How much do you currently make?” and what were the results?

Andrew G. Rosen is the founder and editor of Jobacle.com, a career advice blog. He is also the author of How to Quit Your Job.