Mourinho won’t be bringing Dortmund’s Reus to Chelsea |
- Mourinho won’t be bringing Dortmund’s Reus to Chelsea
- Apple joins Bono’s (RED) drive to fight AIDS
- Sources reveal ex-Goldman Sachs trader’s oil fund up almost 15pc
- Rio Olympics to have yellow feline as mascot
- Even Kelantan has liquor, PAS veep says of MAS protest
- ‘Frozen’ knocks Barbie from her perch as most popular toy
| Mourinho won’t be bringing Dortmund’s Reus to Chelsea Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:58 PM PST
Reus has a contract with Dortmund until 2017, but a release clause means he could leave last season's Bundesliga runners-up at the end of the season for €25 million (RM104m). Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said the Bavarian giants are interested in signing him with Premier League sides Manchester City and Arsenal also reported to be hunting his signature. But Mourinho said Premier League leaders Chelsea will not be bringing the 25-year-old to London, especially as the self-styled 'Special One' says he has a good relationship with Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. "We don't want Marco Reus, that market is closed to us and the player belongs to Borussia Dortmund," said Mourinho at a press conference in Dusseldorf ahead of Tuesday's Champions League group stage match against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. "He's a top player, but we have a lot of top players in his position and I have a fantastic relationship with their coach, so there is nothing in that at all." Reus has been ruled out for six weeks after tearing the ligaments in his right ankle in Dortmund's 2-2 draw at Paderborn in the Bundesliga on Saturday — his sixth ankle injury in 12 months. Borussia are languishing 16th in the German league table after the worst start to a season in the club's history has seen them lose seven of their first 12 matches. Dortmund face a fight to keep Reus with their participation in next season's Champions League under serious threat due to their dire league form. Dortmund are at Arsenal tomorrow in the Champions League with the 2013 finalists already through to the knock-out stages having won all four of their opening matches. — AFP  |
| Apple joins Bono’s (RED) drive to fight AIDS Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:52 PM PST
The move came as the California-based maker of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macintosh computers shows deeper support for social and environmental causes under the leadership of chief executive Tim Cook. It also comes as Silicon Valley technology titans use their smarts, resources and cash to help tackle global woes including Ebola, climate change and overfishing of the seas. Apple launched a version of its App Store featuring exclusive (RED)-branded content, with all money from sales to be donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. The (RED) App Store will be open through December 7. "Apple is a proud supporter of (RED) because we believe that the gift of life is the most important gift anyone can give," Cook said in a release. "For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding life-saving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact." Applications in the (RED) App Store include versions of games Angry Birds, Clash of Clans, Farmville, FIFA 15 and Kim Kardashian Hollywood. Apple also said that on World AIDS Day, which falls on December 1, the company will donate a portion of every sale at its real-world and online shops to the Global Fund. On Friday, the company will begin rewarding some purchasers of its products in the United States with special edition (RED) gift cards, with money donated to the Global Fund for each card distributed. This is the biggest push yet by Apple to raise money for the cause, according to Cook. "Apple isn't just in the fight to end AIDS," said Bono, who started the Product (RED) campaign in 2006 to raise money to battle HIV/AIDS. "They are setting a new bar for business, giving $75 million (US; RM251.3 million) and counting to the Global Fund as part of their partnership with (RED). I couldn't be prouder to work with them." — AFP |
| Sources reveal ex-Goldman Sachs trader’s oil fund up almost 15pc Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:47 PM PST
Goldberg's New York-based BBL Commodities Value Fund, which manages almost US$380 million (RM1.27 billion), gained about 14 per cent through October, an investor letter seen by Reuters showed, and has continued making money on spread trades in oil over the last three weeks as crude prices tumbled, the sources said. Goldberg launched the fund in September 2013, after a seven-year trading stint at Goldman and three years at commodities merchant Glencore. It had four straight months of losses, finishing 2013 down 6 per cent, before turning positive. This year, it was up in six out of 10 months. Goldberg's strategy is to exploit the relative value among different energy markets, using prices, delivery dates and location as basis. His fund outperformed earlier this year when energy markets rallied during brutal winter weather. Then, BBL put on spreads in US heating oil versus European gas oil and US crude oil versus UK Brent. It was also long on natural gas options. "They've done well again, being bullish on parts of the oil price curve they liked and bearish with those they disliked," a person familiar with BBL's strategy, said yesterday. Brent, the benchmark for crude, has fallen about 30 per cent from a June high above US$115 a barrel to around US$80 on fears of oversupply, bringing profits to funds that are bearish on oil. Data from Chicago's Hedge Fund Research showed the average hedge fund with an energy bias rose 0.7 per cent in October, and 7.7 per cent in the first 10 months. Other energy funds that profited this year include ex-Credit Suisse trader George "Beau" Taylor's Taylor Woods Capital Management, which is up about 5 per cent, and ex-Vitol trader Pierre Andurand's Andurand Capital Management, which has gained about 3 per cent. Hall's Astenbeck Capital Management, which rose nearly 20 per cent through June, is now up just 6 per cent after sharp losses in October and July. The former Citigroup trader manages about US$3 billion in Astenbeck, one of the largest of commodity funds. BBL takes its name from the symbol for "Blue Barrels", a historical reference for oil barrels coined in the days of legendary US company Standard Oil. — Reuters |
| Rio Olympics to have yellow feline as mascot Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:43 PM PST
The animal is a mixture of Brazilian creatures — part cat but able to spring about like a monkey — with a dash of blue and green added to the predominant yellow in a nod to Brazil's national colours. The Paralympic Games mascot is a predominantly blue and green figure whose head is covered with leaves — depicting the host country's rich vegetation as Brazil prepares to welcome the Olympics to South America for the first time. It remains only for the public to decide on a name, choosing from a range of options after the mascots were officially unveiled yesterday following a Sunday night TV television debut. Games marketing director Beth Lula said the characters had been chosen after a nine-month boiling down of proposals originally submitted by 24 firms before awarding the commission to Sao Paulo-based animation company Birdo Producoes — and after a focus group of six-to-12 year-olds had rejected a first proposal. "They know better what is good or not," joked Lula after the choice of mascots which "show the energy of the Brazilian people and the diversity of Brazil. "They create an emotional link with people. They are very important to engage with the public, especially kids," Lula said after Rio mayor Eduardo Paes symbolically handed the mascots the keys to the city. "Mascots must represent their own culture and be meaningful locally — but globally understood. I think we tried to do something very Brazilian." Notwithstanding the national flavour, she admitted the mascots themselves will be made in China. China's Honav has the licence, maintaining a relationship with the Games going back to Beijing 2008 and London 2012. The winning names will be selected on December 14 after a public vote via the Games website and over social media. There are three pairs of options respectively for the Olympic and Paralympic figures: Oba and Eba — joyful expressions in Brazil — Tiba Tuque and Esquindim, native words, and Vinicius and Tom, after famous Brazilian musicians Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. Organisers hope the mascots, 'born' from the joy of the Brazilian people in landing the Games in 2009, will spearhead multi-million dollar merchandising for the Games, whose overall operating budget is around US$3 billion (RM10.05b). Event-branded merchandise is forecast to top one billion reais (RM1.32b), with the mascots bringing in around one quarter of that. In all, the Games, which will cost Brazil an estimated US$20 billion in public and private investment as Rio receives a massive upgrade in infrastructure as well as the Games sports venues, will see a range of some 12,000 products marketed. — AFP |
| Even Kelantan has liquor, PAS veep says of MAS protest Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:36 PM PST
In his response to a question at a forum here, Husam also claimed that the memorandum protesting the serving of liquor during flights was neither sanctioned nor endorsed by PAS, even though it was spearheaded by its lawmakers. "From Kelantan's perspective, non-Muslims are given that right. Not because of PAS's laws, but in Islamic jurisprudence, liquors are listed in the rights of non-Muslims," Husam said in the forum organised by DAP's news portal Roketkini. The Salor assemblyman also said that in Islamic jurisprudence, liquor is classified as an asset of the non-Muslims and cannot be seized by others without consent, as long as no harm is being inflicted upon others. He also explained that the Kelantan state government grants permits and licenses for the sale of alcohol, with the revenue deposited in a separate account, a policy which was approved by Kelantan PAS's Ulama wing. Muslims are forbidden from using money obtained through prohibited practices, including the sale of alcohol. "Don't non-Muslim passengers of MAS have the same rights as Kelantan citizens?" Husam asked the crowd of around 200. Yesterday, several PAS representatives including Temerloh MP Nasrudin Hassan and Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abd Aziz delivered the memorandum to MAS's senior vice-president of strategic communications, Datuk Najmudin Abdullah, at its Subang office. Husam, however, said the lawmakers should not have made such a move without consulting the party's central committee first. There are growing calls for MAS to to stop serving alcohol on flights and to mandate the use of headscarves for Muslim flight attendants as part of the struggling carrier's restructuring process. Among those who have made the suggestions were the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association, Umno Youth exco Dazma Shah Daud and senior lecturer of the National Defence University Dr Ridhuan Tee. Perak deputy mufti Zamri Hashim also said in August that MAS invited Allah's wrath by serving alcohol and letting its stewardess wear "sexy uniforms", causing the twin aviation tragedies involving its flight MH370 and MH17. |
| ‘Frozen’ knocks Barbie from her perch as most popular toy Posted: 24 Nov 2014 04:35 PM PST
About 20 per cent of parents plan to buy "Frozen" gifts for their daughters, the Washington-based trade group found in its annual study. Barbie, which was chosen by 17 per cent of parents this year, had been the top pick throughout the list's 11-year history. Lego toys were the most popular choice for parents of boys, with 14 per cent opting for them. The results mark another setback for Mattel Inc's Barbie, which has lost ground to other doll brands and drawn criticism for her unrealistic body proportions. Barbie's worldwide sales sank 21 per cent in the most recent quarter. The popularity of "Frozen"-themed Halloween outfits may have boosted the brand's visibility, said Pam Goodfellow, director of Prosper Insights & Analytics, which worked on the survey. "Barbie has been the top girls' toy for over a decade, but it is no surprise that Disney's 'Frozen' has taken the top seat as children have had it on the mind," she said in the statement. Even with Barbie losing status, Mattel has benefited from the popularity of "Frozen", a Walt Disney Co film about two royal sisters who confront an ice-bound kingdom. The company makes Queen Elsa and Princess Anna dolls, based on characters from the movie. Monster High "Frozen", released last year, is the most successful animated film of all time. It has generated almost US$1.3 billion (RM4.4 billion) in worldwide ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. In 2016, the doll licence for "Frozen" will shift to Hasbro Inc. Still, Mattel has two other brands in the top five of the NRF list: Monster High and American Girl. The list of girls' toys also included My Little Pony and Doc McStuffins. The list for boys included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Transformers. There were a few areas where the wishlists for girls and boys overlapped. Lego was the sixth pick for girls, and Apple Inc's iPad was on both rankings. — Bloomberg |
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