QPR’s Redknapp puts pressure on Spurs boss |
- QPR’s Redknapp puts pressure on Spurs boss
- McDonald’s appoints new US unit president, second in two years
- Wenger: Everton will give stern examination to Arsenal
- Malaysia wins badminton gold at Youth Olympics
- Samsung is the leading smartwatch brand, latest figures reveal
- AFP Video: Kate Moss directs first short film for Vogue UK
| QPR’s Redknapp puts pressure on Spurs boss Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:56 PM PDT
Redknapp will be back at Tottenham for the first time since he was sacked in 2012 following the breakdown of his relationship with chairman Daniel Levy. The 67-year-old guided Tottenham to two top-four finishes in the Premier League during his four-year reign, but was axed after his unsuccessful flirtation with the England job and his side's failure to remain in the Champions League. Since his departure neither Andre Villas-Boas or Tim Sherwood have been able to match Redknapp's record and former Southampton manager Pochettino arrived in pre-season tasked with returning the north London team to Europe's elite club competition. Redknapp says he is a fan of Pochettino, but that didn't stop him heaping a little more pressure on his counterpart's shoulders ahead of tomorrow's London derby. "They should be pushing to get into the top four, and if they don't it would be a disappointment for Tottenham," Redknapp said. "That's what they've been trying to do the past couple of seasons, and anything below would be a disappointment. "They've got fantastic players, they've spent over £100 million (RM524 million) in the transfer market, and so they're entitled to be a good team. "I like the manager there. He did a great job at Southampton, and I'm sure he'll do a great job at Tottenham." Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle, now a member of Redknapp's backroom staff, will also be returning to his old stamping ground this weekend, but it is the QPR boss who will be in the spotlight as he looks to exact a measure of revenge for his brutal dismissal. "You look forward to going there. I had a fantastic time at Tottenham," said Redknapp, who guided QPR to promotion via the Championship play-offs last season. "I loved every minute of my time there and I'm looking forward to going back there, seeing a few of the old faces. "I shouldn't get a bad reception really. I finished fourth two years and fifth the other so I didn't do too badly there. "The football we played in that Champions League run was absolutely amazing. "But I'm here now and I'm going there to try and get three points. "It's another game, I don't get excited too much by anything nowadays. I didn't have any bad relationships there." Meanwhile, Tottenham left-back Danny Rose, who played under Redknapp, believes his old manager deserves a warm welcome from the White Hart Lane faithful. "He was one of the most successful managers the club has had, with him getting the club into the Champions League, so he should get a good reception," Rose said. "In terms of the football he had the team playing, he got the best out of Luka Modric, the best out of Gareth Bale, and lot of players, so I think he should get a warm welcome." While Pochettino's reign has started the season with unconvincing victories over West Ham in the Premier League and AEL Limassol, QPR opened with a disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Hull and Rose expects a backlash from Redknapp's side this weekend. "QPR lost against Hull on the opening day of the season but we know it will be a difficult game," he said. "With an old manager coming back, they will be looking to get three points. It will be a very hard game but games at home we should be looking to get three points." ― AFP  |
| McDonald’s appoints new US unit president, second in two years Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:52 PM PDT
McDonald's, the world's biggest fast-food chain by revenue, yesterday named former McDonald's executive Mike Andres as president of McDonald's USA, replacing Jeff Stratton, who had been in the job since December 2012. Thompson, who became president and CEO in July 2012, has presided over a period of disappointing results from the US region. "It's hard to argue that this type of turnover doesn't put more scrutiny on a CEO," Bernstein Research analyst Sara Senatore said. "If results stay weak despite turnover in these executive roles, then ultimately it's the responsibility of the CEO." Since November McDonald's has suffered flat or declining monthly same-store sales at its US restaurants. Among other things, analysts said bloated menus have slowed service amid intensified pressure from resurgent rivals such as Wendy's Co and Burger King Worldwide Inc. Andres, 56, will take over the post on October 15. He rejoins McDonald's after serving as chairman and CEO of restaurant chain Logan's Roadhouse Inc. He also will oversee the Canada business. Andres started his career at the Golden Arches as manager of his family-owned McDonald's in northern California. During his 30 years he was president and CEO of Boston Market, then a McDonald's subsidiary, and president of McDonald's central US division, the company said. Stratton, 58, was McDonald's chief restaurant officer prior to being named president of the US division. He replaced Jan Fields, who expanded the McCafe beverage menu and revamped the popular Happy Meal to include apple slices and smaller, kid-size french fries. Stratton will retire, the company said. Investment Technology Group restaurant analyst Steve West was surprised that McDonald's, which is known for hiring from within, replaced Stratton with an outside executive. "McDonald's has always been touted as having the deepest management bench arguably of any company in any industry," said West. "Maybe that's exactly what they need, some fresh perspective from someone who has been somewhere else." Shares in McDonald's were down 0.1 per cent at US$94.41 (RM298.43) in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. — Reuters |
| Wenger: Everton will give stern examination to Arsenal Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:40 PM PDT
Wenger's side head to Goodison Park looking to lay down a marker after an unconvincing start to the season. The Gunners needed a last-gasp goal from Aaron Ramsey to clinch a barely-deserved 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener and then emerged with a hard-fought 0-0 draw from their Champions League play-off round first leg tie at Besiktas in midweek. Arsenal repeatedly came up short in their biggest away matches last season, suffering heavy defeats at Everton, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. And victory at a top-four challenger like Everton would provide Wenger and his players with the perfect response to critics who claim the north Londoners are still too fragile to last the pace in the title race. "Everton is always a good opponent that tells you where you are, and for us it is a good test," Wenger said. "We have a good opportunity on Saturday to show that we have moved forward and that we are stronger than last year. "It will be interesting because Everton are a team now flirting with the Champions League places. We want of course to have a good result away from home." Everton manager Roberto Martinez is also aware of the significance of Saturday's clash as he assesses whether his side are capable of improving on last season's fifth place finish. "I am pleased we are playing two of the best teams in the league now in Arsenal and Chelsea before the window closes," he said. "That is going to give us a real opportunity to see if we have to do anything or help the players we have at the club." Chelsea made the perfect start to the campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory at newly-promoted Burnley on Monday, but Jose Mourinho has warned his players not to rest on their laurels in Saturday's clash against Leicester. Burnley stunned Mourinho's men with an early goal before new signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas helped get Chelsea off to a winning start and Blues boss Mourinho is aware Championship winners Leicester, who drew 2-2 with Everton last weekend, will believe they can claim a major scalp at Stamford Bridge. "They are champions, so they come with that winning mentality from the previous season, with high expectations and motivations to play in the Premier League," he said. "They know that every point is important in this league, especially for the teams that fight to keep in the division, so they are coming to try to get points." Tomorrow, Manchester United will go in search of their first Premier League win under manager Louis van Gaal when they travel to Sunderland. If there was any doubt about the scale of the task facing the Dutchman at old Trafford, it was demonstrated by last weekend's 2-1 opening day defeat at home to Swansea. With United having finished a lowly seventh in the table last season, former Netherlands coach van Gaal concedes it will take time to get the fallen giants back on track. "Two weeks ago I was the king of Manchester and now I am the devil of Manchester," Van Gaal said. "It shall be difficult in the first three months. I have said that to (executive vice-chairman) Ed Woodward and (owners) the Glazers. "I am hired to build up a team and that is a process and that process needs time." Argentine defender Marcos Rojo, signed from Sporting Lisbon this week, won't be available for his United debut at the Stadium of Light, but striker Robin van Persie is nearing full fitness and could feature. Sunday also sees QPR manager Harry Redknapp aiming for revenge on his first return to Tottenham since he was sacked in 2012. On Monday, champions Manchester City host Liverpool ― the team they pipped to the title by two points ― in the first showpiece fixture of the season, with the possibility that former City striker Mario Balotelli could by then be a Reds player if a reported £16 million (RM83.8 million) move from AC Milan goes through. ― AFP |
| Malaysia wins badminton gold at Youth Olympics Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:35 PM PDT
NANJING, Aug 23 ― Cheam June Wei winning the gold medal in the international mixed doubles event today at the 2nd Youth Olympic Games here has brought much cheer to the national contingent, which had yet to taste a gold medal since the Games started six days ago. Cheam who paired up with Ng Tsz Yau of Hong Kong defeated the pair of Tsuneyama Kanta (Japan)/Lee Chia Hsin (Taiwan) in straight sets of 21-14 and 23-21 in the final. According to Malaysia's chef-de-mission to YOG 2014, Wong Pei Tty, unlike other international sports meets, there is no official overall medal tally to measure the performance of the contingents taking part at this YOG 2014. Meanwhile, according to the unofficial tally after six days of competition in the hosts' www.olympicsuniverse.com, website, China are dominating the meet with 16 gold, six silver and 11 bronze followed by Russia (9-7-5) and Italy (6-3-2). The official website does not have an overall medal tally chart but instead only states the events and medals won by the countries day by day. Pei Ty told Bernama that according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), YOG is not about results and performance but more about experience, learning and charting future paths. Malaysians will be in action in archery, diving, athletics, equestrian and gymnastics tomorrow. ― Bernama |
| Samsung is the leading smartwatch brand, latest figures reveal Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:33 PM PDT
The latest data from independent analytics company Canalys, shows that smartwatch shipments totalled almost 2 million units in the first six months of 2014 and that Samsung has managed to snag an 80 per cent share. And if the data, which is based on shipments rather than sales to consumers, are taken at face value, then Pebble is in a distant second with roughly 10 per cent of the market, with Sony back in third place. Since it launched its first smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear at 2013's IFA consumer technology conference in Germany, Samsung has been bundling its smartwatches with its smartphones and phablets as a way to get them in the hands and hopefully onto the wrists of as many people as possible. The tactic has ensured huge shipment numbers, but some reports suggest that as many as 30 per cent of the first generation smartwatches that reached consumers were returned or ended up on auction sites such as eBay. And where a year ago consumers had a choice of one Samsung smartwatch, there are now four to choose from — the Gear, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit. And as Canalys's figures only run until the end of June, they don't account for the company's fifth smartwatch, the Gear Live, which uses Google's Android Wear as an operating system and which was unveiled in July. "Samsung must improve device sell-through otherwise it will again have to resort to heavy discounting through promotions to move inventory," said Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones, who expects the smartwatch league tables to show a dramatic change by the end of 2014, not least because of the potential impact of a device built by Apple that could potentially redefine what a smart wrist-worn device looks like and is meant to do. Canalys Analyst Daniel Matte believes that Apple will really need to innovate in this space but that innovation — be it in terms of display and battery technologies or waterproofing and wireless charging — will lead others to do the same. "Smart wearable bands need tremendous advances across the entire component ecosystem to achieve multiple days of battery life. Smart wearable bands should not necessarily resemble watches, but should instead adhere to their own unique design constraints," he says. But while companies are still trying to form a consensus as to what represents a smartwatch and whether or not consumers in general want one, it's clear that when it comes to fitness trackers, the market is already incredibly healthy. Over the same six-month period nearly 4.5 million devices from the likes of Fitbit and Jawbone shipped and if the data for fitness trackers and smartwatches are combined, then the global market for wearable bands has grown by 684 per cent compared with the first six months of 2013. "Fitbit and Jawbone have very successfully grown and strengthened their relationships with channel partners internationally to grow global shipment volumes. They took first and second place respectively in the basic wearable band market in the first half 2014," said Jones. "The challenge all vendors face is keeping consumers engaged with the devices, 24 hours a day, seven days a week." An in-depth Accenture study into consumer understanding of and appetite for wearables published on Tuesday shows that 22 per cent of US consumers are already wearing a health or fitness tracker and that by 2019, 43 per cent of consumers will have started sporting one. — AFP Relaxnews |
| AFP Video: Kate Moss directs first short film for Vogue UK Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:29 PM PDT Duration: 02:28, Published 23 Aug 2014 After going behind the lens as a photographer, Kate Moss has moved on to the director's chair with her first short film titled 'The Wolf in Her'. ― AFP-Relaxnews |
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