Ahoy, El Loco@Malaysiakini! Crown Now In Our Hands

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United have the edge over Liverpool in the title run in as Sir Alex Ferguson's side look to pull away at the top of the Premier League table this weekend.

Having replaced faltering Liverpool at the summit, United will move five points clear of nearest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool if they defeat Everton at Old Trafford today. (Live, 2/1/09 1.25am MYT, Astro Ch813 Star Sports –ed.)

Rafael Benitez's Liverpool, who have drawn seven of their last 10 league outings, entertain Chelsea tomorrow (Live, 2/1/09 11.55pm MYT, Astro Ch812 ESPN –ed.) in the biggest fixture of the weekend.

By then, Ferdinand is hoping that United, currently two points clear with a game in hand over Benitez's side, will have opened up a significant gap at the top as they eye a third successive title.

Ferdinand believes that United's experience of winning the Premier League will help them in the run-in.
But the England defender is taking nothing for granted.

"It is easier when you have got experienced players in your camp, the likes of (Ryan) Giggs, (Paul) Scholes, players who have won the league before," said Ferdinand.

"There is the experience in there and maybe that is the edge we have got on the other teams, that we've got the experience of older pros who have been there."

Everton's Australian international Tim Cahill heads for Old Trafford eyeing another century of goals after notching his 100th career strike in midweek.

Cahill reached the landmark when he opened the scoring against Arsenal in midweek although David Moyes's side had to settle for a point after Robin Van Persie scored a last minute equaliser for the Gunners.

Everton go into their toughest fixture of the campaign unbeaten in nine games and with an FA Cup replay against neighbours Liverpool to follow on Wednesday.

Yet Belgium international Marouane Fellaini believes that Everton's recent good form will help them get a result at Old Trafford.

"It was awful to give the goal away on Wednesday and we are so disappointed," said Fellaini.

"But we've got a great opportunity ahead of us. We are a good side -- we have shown that on many occasions -- and we are capable of going to Old Trafford to get a good result." -- AFP via NST

BN has rest of the match to score

IN recent days, Pakatan Rakyat has been blowing its own trumpet over the defection of Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim to Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

So sweet was the "victory" that even PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described the cross-over as a significant milestone on the road to change.

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin announced the possibility of three more Umno assemblymen jumping ship.

While he cannot be blamed for his optimism, Nizar should have held on to his horses.

The trio concerned -- Lintang assemblyman Datuk Ahamad Pakeh Adam, Pengkalan Baharu assemblyman Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar and Kubu Gajah assemblyman Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar -- have since pledged their loyalty to Umno.

The political scenario in Perak is precarious owing to the razor-thin margin that separates the Pakatan state government and the Barisan Nasional opposition.

Before Nasarudin's defection, the balance of power hung on two seats. Now, Pakatan has 32 seats to BN's 27.

Although Nizar might have thought that Nasarudin's move would secure his job, it might equally mark the beginning of the end for him as the state's 10th menteri besar.

Outgoing Perak BN and state Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali was coy when he issued the warning to Nizar.

"This is like a football match. They have got one goal in the first five minutes but we have the rest of the match to score."

Stopping short of saying that BN would go all out to woo Pakatan assemblymen and topple the state government, he accused Pakatan of starting the ball rolling.

If Tajol Rosli sounded bitter, he had every reason to.

When rumours swirled that several Pakatan assemblymen in Perak were on the verge of joining BN last year, Tajol Rosli was accused of being unethical and corrupt.

However, these same people have now welcomed Nasarudin's defection with Nizar even saying that it must be respected.

Nizar should realise that although there might be internal problems in Umno and BN, his administration is no different.

Rifts exist between members of the state administration although these have been placed under wraps.

BN will try and capitalise on them.

The game has just begun and, as the saying goes, he who laughs last, laughs best. -- Husairy Othman, NST

Frederic Oumar Kanoute fined for backing Palestinians

Sevilla's Malian international striker Frederic Kanoute has been fined for displaying a t-shirt with the word "Palestine" during his side's 2-1 Spanish Cup over Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish Cup.

The federation did not reveal the amount of the fine but Spanish media said it was between 2,000 and 3,000 euros (2,700 and 4,000 US dollars).

pix:Frederic Kanoute expresses support for Palestine after scoring goal, more pix: Kanoute facing Palestine shirt fine

Kanoute lifted his jersey to show the t-shirt with the word written in various languages after he scored in the 39th minute of Wednesday's match in an act of support for Palestinians in Gaza where an Israeli military offensive has claimed at least 785 lives since it began on December 27.

"It was something that I felt that I should do. Everyone should feel a bit responsible when there is such a big injustice. I am 100 percent responsible for what I did and I don't care about the sanction," he told private television Telecinco on Thursday.

Federation rules prevent players from displaying any sort of publicity or slogan during matches.

The federation said it was not penalizing the political nature of the message but the fact that the player had displayed a message in violation of the rules.

France-born Kanoute, a Sevilla player since a 2005 move from English Premiership side Tottenham, is a practising Muslim who has supported various humanitarian causes in the past.

In 2006 he set up a foundation to help orphans in Mali and the following year he reportedly spent around 500,000 euros (700,000 dollars) of his own money to save a privately owned mosque in Seville from being sold after a contract to use the premises by the local Muslim population had expired. -- Agence France-Presse, Saturday, 10 January 2009

I'm a Tiger - Angelina Jolie

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Sahara festival opens with camel races, desert dog hunting

The 41st International Sahara Festival opened here (DOUZ, Tunisia) Thursday with camel races, desert dog hunting and Saharan music launching four days of cultural events with participants from around the world.

Horsemen parade during the opening of the Sahara International Festival in Douz, south-western Tunisia. The 41st International Sahara Festival opened with camel races, desert dog hunting and Saharan music launching four days of cultural events with participants from around the world.

More than 75,000 people attended the opening ceremony led by Tunisian Tourism Minister Khelil Lajimi in the southern city of Douz, a desert oasis at the edge of the Sahara.

Participants from France, Italy, Japan and several Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are taking part in the festivities.

The first day of the festival included Saharan folk dances and exhibits of desert medicinal plants as well as dates and handcraft.

The programme includes an international conference on cultural and nature tourism in the Sahara, a poetry contest and safaris.

The festival was created 98 years ago. At the time, it only featured camel races. – AFP - Friday, December 26 via Yahoo!

In case Malaysiakini Readers missed tis… Philippines naked run

Thirty nine fraternity students joined in the annual naked run Tuesday which turned out to be a protest against recent moves by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's allies in Congress to effect charter change which they claim will extend Arroyo's term beyond 2010.

Pix: A naked member of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity gives a red rose to a student as they run naked around the Palma Hall building in the fraternity's annual naked run dubbed "The Oblation Run" at the University of the Philippines, the country's premier university, Tuesday Dec. 16, 2008 at Manila's Quezon city.

More Pixs@MSN Philippines – Click On Photo

All in good spirit

Celebrities and captains of industry had a ball yesterday, playing against each other in a charity tennis event that raised RM75K.

TV show host Azura Zainal played her part with great gusto, not to mention she can execute a mean backhand as well.

Azura Zainal, who stopped playing tennis four years ago, said she enjoyed herself immensely.

"I had one goal in mind: keep the ball in the court and just have fun. It was an absolutely great opportunity to meet captains of industry whom I might normally not meet," said the Singapore-based Azura, who expressed amazement at how fit most of the CEOs were.

nst pix: Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan letting AirAsia CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes (second from left) keep the Wilson K Factor racquet. With them are Azura Zainal (left) and Hans Isaac.

For AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, who rarely plays tennis, it was a flight through uncharted territory.

"Though this tournament saw some very high standard tennis played, I enjoyed it so much that I will probably take up tennis regularly from now.

"The main reason I joined this tournament was because it was charity-driven.

"However, the fact that I could help do some good while having fun is not a bad thing."

Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia president Datuk Abdul Razak Latiff said they did it in the spirit of charity.