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- Son of China’s Bo Xilai defends his father
- Myanmar leader would ‘accept’ Suu Kyi as president
- What to give a Chinese boss who has it all, or nothing?
- Republican McCain steps up attack on Obama over Libya
- At least 32 killed in wave of Iraq attacks
- Assange reveals life inside ‘space station’ embassy
- Iran jury finds Reuters guilty over ninja report
- In Africa, deadly intestinal disease helped by AIDS
- Amazon under fire over Nazi death camp puzzle
- Powerful typhoon hits Japan mainland
- Najib challenges Gerakan to put up strong fight
- Pakatan’s promises are venomous poison
- 7 weird weight loss tricks that work
- Breakup blunders you should never commit
- PKR to scrap Rapid when it gets to Putrajaya
- Top 5 bakeries in KL
- Dr M: World will not listen to me
- Taib: Belanjawan 2013 seimbang
- Ancestors ‘join’ thousands in Pengerang rally
- Budget lacks fiscal responsibility
- This is why Pakatan’s budget is better
- A remembrance of freedom
- Residents take control of their own needs
- Filipino netizens reject Cybercrime Act
- People speak up over disputed islands
- Spurs shock United after 23-year Old Trafford wait
- Last-minute Barcelona defeat 10-man Sevilla
- Mancini relieved as Dzeko late show downs Fulham
- Di Matteo glad of Terry as Blues stay top
- Villas-Boas thinks big as Spurs end United jinx
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- Chelsea down Arsenal to cement top spot
| Son of China’s Bo Xilai defends his father Posted: 30 Sep 2012 11:03 AM PDT
“Personally, it is hard for me to believe the allegations that were announced against my father, because they contradict everything I have come to know about him throughout my life,” Bo Guagua said in a statement posted on the microblog site Tumblr. “Although the policies my father enacted are open to debate, the father I know is upright in his beliefs and devoted to duty,” he added. Bo confirmed the statement, posted on Saturday, with Reuters. Since graduating from Harvard University in May with a master’s degree in public policy, Guagua, 24, has kept a low profile, in contrast to reports earlier this year of a playboy lifestyle in the United States that created a firestorm on the Internet back in China. The younger Bo’s statement came a day after China’s ruling Communist Party accused his father of abusing his power, taking huge bribes and other crimes. Bo will be handed over for criminal investigation, state media reported on the latest phase in a scandal of murder and cover-ups that has shaken China’s leadership. Bo had been seen as a strong contender to become a member of the powerful Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau later this year. Bo’s wife Gu Kailai and his former police chief Wang Lijun have both been jailed over the scandal stemming from the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in the southwestern city of Chongqing, where Bo was Communist Party chief. A government statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency said that in the murder scandal, Bo “abused his powers of office, committed serious errors and bears a major responsibility”. Bo has been expelled from the party as well as the elite decision-making Politburo and Central Committee “in view of his errors and culpability in the Wang Lijun incident and the intentional homicide case involving Bogu Kailai”. Guagua is the only child of Bo and Gu. Though his friends and acquaintances say he would like to challenge the negative perception of his parents more forcefully, Guagua has said very little publicly because he fears it could only make matters worse. “He has always taught me to be my own person and to have concern for causes greater than ourselves,” Guagua said in his most recent statement. “I have tried to follow his advice. At this point, I expect the legal process to follow its normal course, and I will await the result.” This past summer Guagua traveled along the Maine coast and visited Westchester County in New York, according to friends and acquaintances. - AFP |
| Myanmar leader would ‘accept’ Suu Kyi as president Posted: 30 Sep 2012 11:01 AM PDT  YANGON: Myanmar leader Thein Sein has said in an interview he would accept democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi as president if elected, but added he could not alone amend rules that bar her from power.Former general Thein Sein has paid rare tributes to Myanmar’s Nobel laureate during a landmark tour of the United States where he has burnished his reformist credentials by insisting his country will continue its strides towards democracy after decades of army rule. The Myanmar leader, whose meeting with Suu Kyi in New York marked the latest sign of warm relations between the nation’s leader and its most famous former political prisoner, told the BBC there were “no problems” between them. “If the people accept her, I will have to accept her. As I said before, we are now working together,” he said, according to translated excerpts of an interview with the British broadcaster aired Saturday. But he insisted he could not act alone to remove the barriers impeding the democracy champion’s route to the presidency, as the country heads towards crucial 2015 elections. Myanmar’s constitution currently prohibits those with close foreign relatives from holding high office and Suu Kyi, who married a British academic, has two sons living in the West. “I alone cannot change the constitution. This depends on the wish of the people and also the wishes of the members of parliament,” he said. Thein Sein also underscored the continuing importance of the military. Soldiers have a quarter of the seats in Myanmar’s parliament and effectively have a veto on constitutional amendment, which requires a more than 75 percent majority. “The constitution clearly defines the responsibility of the military and every sector of the parliament. We cannot exclude the army from politics,” he said. Thein Sein has won international plaudits — and the suspension or lifting of most Western sanctions — for the fast pace of change in Myanmar since he took the helm of a quasi-civilian regime last year. Hundreds of political prisoners have been freed and Suu Kyi — who was kept under house arrest for a total of 15 years — has now entered parliament after her National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept key by-elections in April. A spokesman for Suu Kyi’s party said the organisation “greatly welcome what he said” and stressed that the NLD also wants the president to have legitimacy under the constitution. “If it’s the president’s real attitude, we have to amend some aspects of the constitution,” Ohn Kyaing told AFP. “We think he will accept if we want to make amendments.” He added that former defence minister Lieutenant General Hla Min had indicated recently that the military was willing to change when it felt the time was right. Thein Sein, who was a senior figure in the previous junta, has met Suu Kyi on several occasions amid efforts to steer the long-isolated country towards democracy and economic prosperity. In his address to the United Nations this week, the Myanmar leader went further than ever in his praise of the veteran activist, whose struggle for change in her impoverished homeland has earned her deep affection both at home and abroad. “As a Myanmar citizen I would like to congratulate her for the honours she has received in this country in recognition of her efforts for democracy,” he said. - AFP |
| What to give a Chinese boss who has it all, or nothing? Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:59 AM PDT
Judging by sales of certain luxury goods in the Chinese shopping heartland of Hong Kong, that’s a conundrum facing more than a few well-heeled mainland visitors during the Golden Week holidays from October 1. The break is a boom sales period for Hong Kong stores, but this year it’s coinciding with a slowdown in the Chinese economy and the buildup to Beijing’s once-a-decade leadership transition. The crucial congress that will name the new chiefs of the secretive Communist Party will take place on November 8, state media has announced. Few analysts expect any surprises at the very top — Vice President Xi Jinping appears certain to replace President Hu Jintao — but what happens at lower levels of China’s vast machinery of state is anyone’s guess. Rumours are swirling of deep divisions within the party’s elite, and many analysts say this leadership transition is the most turbulent since Jiang Zemin’s appointment as party leader in 1989. Evidence of this uncertainty could be on display in the jewellery shops of Hong Kong, where sales of expensive watches, a bellwether of the luxury gift market, have fallen in recent months, analysts and retailers told AFP. “There’s definitely a decrease in sales this year of about 20 to 30 percent,” said Wong, a salesman at a fancy watch shop who refused to give his full name. “It feels like the customers that actually buy things have decreased. There is a big change.” Analysts put this slump down to China’s slowing economic growth — at 7.6 percent in the second quarter it’s the slowest since March 2009 — and a drop in overnight stays by mainland tourists. “If you’re coming for an overnight stay you probably have a bigger budget and you also have more time to spend it,” HSBC Greater China Economist Donna Kwok told AFP. “Looking at the big picture, the most important thing is that China, for now, is in slowdown mode.” But there are also signs, largely anecdotal in nature, that at least some of the fall in certain categories of luxury goods could be linked to doubts about who will be in power after the all-important party congress. Chinese consumers spent an estimated US$49 billion on luxury goods last year, a quarter of a global market worth US$197 billion. They are poised to overtake Americans this year as the biggest buyers of luxury goods in the world. Analysts say around 20 percent of the luxury goods Chinese people buy are for gifts, and gifts are often used to grease the wheels of “guanxi”, the Chinese term for relationships that help win jobs and promotions. Drilling down a bit further, one segment of the gift market that could serve as an informal indicator of “guanxi” is watches, and logically it follows that the more expensive the watch the more powerful the receiver. “For sure the watch segment has been a bit weaker and the watch category lends itself well to gift giving,” said Aaron Fischer, head of consumer research at Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA. “I think with the current political climate, and a bit of a clampdown on corruption, and also a desire to reduce the level of conspicuous consumption, we’re seeing some of those flashier products perform a little bit worse.” Hong Kong Tourism Board figures show that mainlanders accounted for some 30 percent of the growth in watches and jewellery sold in Hong Kong in 2010. In the first half of this year, sales growth in that segment of the luxury market was only 2.2 percent, compared to 32 percent in the same time last year. The boss of a leading luxury goods distributor in Hong Kong said the political uncertainty surrounding Beijing’s power transition was forcing some gift givers to delay their purchases until the dust settled. He said products that could be affected included expensive French wines, a trendy new addition to the list of acceptable items to give your Chinese boss if you really want to make an impression. One politician who will not be receiving gifts from ambitious employees is former Chongqing city party boss Bo Xilai, a favourite for one of the top posts in the all-powerful Politburo who was dramatically sacked earlier this year after his wife was accused of murdering a British businessman. The wife, Gu Kailai, was given a death sentence commuted to life in prison last month, and the police chief who exposed the scandal, Wang Lijun, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Monday. China’s state media announced last Friday that Bo will “face justice” for a litany of serious crimes, indicating it will come down hard on the one-time rising star as it prepares to usher in a new generation of leaders. - AFP |
| Republican McCain steps up attack on Obama over Libya Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:57 AM PDT  WASHINGTON: Top Republican Senator John McCain yesterday joined other members of his party in attacking Washington’s shifting explanations of the September 11 assault that killed the US ambassador to Libya.McCain, interviewed on CNN’s “State of the Union” show, hinted at “certain political overtones” in the administration’s initial claim that the assault was part of a spontaneous anti-American demonstration. His comments were the latest thrust in a what appears to be a coordinated Republican effort to undermine Obama on foreign policy, seen as his strong point and a big weakness for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. UN ambassador Susan Rice on September 15 said the hours-long assault with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades on the US consulate in Benghazi was part of a spontaneous demonstration over an amateurish video that mocked the prophet Mohammed. Four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, died in the assault. But that explanation was revised over the next weeks, and by Friday the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that the consulate attack was planned and linked to Al-Qaeda, but stressed that “many unanswered questions” remained. The administration’s initial explanation for the attack was flat wrong, said McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate. “That doesn’t pass the smell test,” he said. “It was either willful ignorance or abysmal intelligence to think that people come to spontaneous demonstrations with heavy weapons, mortars, and the attack goes on for hours,” he told CNN. McCain joined Republican Senator Bob Corker and Congressman Pete King in expressing anger over the Libya affair. King on Friday called on Rice, a member of Obama’s inner circle, to resign, saying that her statements had been “irresponsible.” And on Saturday Corker sent a letter to DNI chief James Clapper demanding “straight answers” on the incident. Senior Obama adviser David Plouffe, speaking Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said it was “preposterous and really offensive” to suggest the government withheld information on Libya for political reasons. “We do have an election in 37 days. You know, and we’re happy to have a debate about our approach to terrorism and foreign policy,” Plouffe said on ABC’s “This Week” show. Senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod, speaking on CNN, said the administration first said the Libya attack stemmed from a spontaneous demonstration because that was the information it had at the time. Axelrod then referred to Obama’s description of Romney as someone who has a “tendency to shoot first and aim later” when the Republican claimed the administration sympathized with demonstrators who assaulted the US embassy in Cairo the same day of the Libya attack. “What we don’t need is a president or an administration that shoots first and asks questions later,” Axelrod said. - AFP |
| At least 32 killed in wave of Iraq attacks Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:54 AM PDT
Violence in Iraq has eased since the carnage of 2006-2007, but Sunni Islamists still launch frequent attacks to undermine the Shi’ite-led government’s claim to provide security and prove they remain a potent threat. No group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s string of attacks, but a local al Qaeda affiliate and other Sunni Islamist groups have carried out at least one major assault a month since the last American troops left in December. In Taji, 20 km north of Baghdad, bombs in three parked cars went off separately, killing 11 people and wounding 24, including several policemen. Taji has one of Iraq’s largest military airbases but the bombing hit a civilian neighborhood. Reuters footage of the scene of one of the explosions showed the remains of an exploded car surrounded by several completely and partially destroyed houses and cars. “A car bomb entered the area and no one … noticed this. Why did that happen? All the houses were destroyed,” said Khaidar Abas, owner of one of the damaged homes. In Baghdad, three separate bombs killed eight people, including a police officer. In the city of Kut, 150 km southeast of Baghdad, a suicide bomber driving a car blew himself up, killing four policemen, police and local officials said. Pilgrims Another attack targeted a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims as it passed through the town of Madaen, about 30 km southeast of Baghdad. Two passers-by were killed. Two more policemen were killed when a car bomb went off in the town of Balad Ruz, 90 km northeast of Baghdad, and bomb planted in a parked car in al Qaeda stronghold Mosul killed a civilian. Further attacks around the country killed a further four people and left scores wounded. The last major attacks occurred on September 9 when a series of bombs in mainly Shi’ite districts killed more than 100 people across the country. Al Qaeda’s local wing, the Islamic State of Iraq, recently said it was launching a new offensive against mainly Shi’ite targets. The conflict in Syria has also helped inflame Sunni-Shi’ite tensions region wide, not least in Iraq, where a return to sectarian slaughter is a real risk. Since the last US troops left, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Shi’ite-led government has been politically deadlocked and insurgents have continued to strike, hoping to ignite the kind of sectarian tensions that drove Iraq close to civil war in 2006-2007. Many Sunnis fear the Shi’ite-led government has marginalized them and Sunni politicians say Maliki is failing to live up to agreements to share power among the parties, a charge his backers dismiss, pointing to Sunnis in key posts. Security was tightened in Baghdad and other provinces since dozens of inmates, including convicted members of al Qaeda, escaped from a prison in the northern city of Tikrit on Friday. - AFP |
| Assange reveals life inside ‘space station’ embassy Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:51 AM PDT  LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is certain he will one day go to Ecuador, he said in an interview published yesterday, describing his life in the Ecuadoran embassy in London as “like being in a space station”.The Australian activist, 41, has been holed up in the embassy since claiming asylum on June 19 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over alleged sex crimes. Assange — who denies the allegations and fears Sweden would extradite him to the United States – told Britain’s Mail on Sunday he was keeping busy by working 17 hours a day on the whistleblowing website. WikiLeaks deeply embarrassed the US government in 2010 by publishing huge caches of confidential documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 250,000 diplomatic cables from US embassies around the world. Assange supporters claim he could receive harsh treatment if sent to the US and possibly even face the death penalty. Despite a diplomatic stalemate between Britain and Ecuador over his extradition to Sweden, Assange said he was sure he would eventually go to the Latin American country. “I think it is inevitable but I will not be marooned there,” the former computer hacker told the Mail, which showed him wearing an Ecuadoran shirt with jeans and trainers as he sat in the embassy. “From Ecuador, me and my staff could safely travel to and from a number of friendly countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Russia, Brazil, India, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina.” Ecuador granted Assange asylum on August 16 but Britain has denied him safe passage out of the country, and police are guarding the embassy in case he tries to escape. The WikiLeaks founder said he had spent some of his early days in the embassy “training to use emergency equipment”. The Mail said was not permitted to disclose “the precise nature of the safety equipment he keeps close to his bed, nor of the contents of the documents and diagrams pinned to his wall”. Assange complained that his health was “slowly deteriorating”, adding that he had “a racking cough”. Nonetheless, he said he was keeping fit by using a running machine, boxing, and seeing a personal trainer – reportedly an ex-soldier in Britain’s elite SAS turned whistleblower — every other day. He watches TV shows including 1960s sci-fi series “The Twighlight Zone” and US political drama “The West Wing” to relax. The WikiLeaks founder also revealed that he had teething issues with the UV lamp – designed to replicate sunlight – when he first used before his appearance on the embassy balcony to address the media six weeks ago. “After half an hour, one of my staff said, ‘Julian, your face on one side is beetroot, and your neck as well,’” he recalled. “I looked like a boiled lobster but the balcony was a major political moment and I thought what, what, what am I going to do? “I decided I would have to do the other side to match.” - AFP |
| Iran jury finds Reuters guilty over ninja report Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT  TEHRAN: A Tehran jury yesterday found the international news agency Reuters guilty of the crime of “propaganda against the regime” for a report mischaracterising female ninja students as assassins, Iranian media said.Reuters was also found guilty of “publishing false information in an effort to disturb public opinion” over the ninja report published in February, Iran’s official news agency IRNA said, quoting the Tehran prosecutor’s office. It is now up to the judge of the Tehran court to give a final verdict and any sentence. He was expected to do so in coming weeks, the channel Press TV reported, without giving a date. Reuters can appeal a conviction. The news agency, part of the New York-based Thomson Reuters group since 2008, issued a statement saying: “We understand that the jury has stated its view and we now await the court’s ruling. We do not intend to comment further until a decision is issued.” The company was represented in court by its Tehran bureau chief, Parisa Hafezi, an Iranian national who has been prevented from leaving the country pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. Iranian authorities confiscated the press credentials of all staff in the Reuters bureau in March and suspended its operations. The case stems from a Reuters video report on a group of female ninjas training in the martial art in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran. The original headline on the story erroneously read “Thousands of female Ninjas train as Iran's assassins”. Reuters subsequently changed the headline to read “Three thousand women Ninjas train in Iran”. It later removed the report. Reuters global editor in chief, Stephen Adler, told The New York Times newspaper on March 29 that the headline mistake was not malicious, and added: “I don’t see factual errors in the story.” The authorities routinely monitor and restrict the activities of the few journalists working for foreign media in Iran. - AFP |
| In Africa, deadly intestinal disease helped by AIDS Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:47 AM PDT  PARIS: A deadly version of an intestinal germ has spread through sub-Saharan Africa, helped by genetic mutation and diseases such as HIV that weaken the immune system and expose the body to infection, researchers said yesterday.The finding comes in a genetic comparison of variants of Salmonella Typhimurium, one of the Salmonella family of stomach bugs. In sub-Saharan Africa, a new form of the germ emerged in the southeast of the continent 52 years ago, followed by a second wave, which came out of central Africa 17 years later, the researchers said in a new study published by the journal Nature Genetics. The variant is the cause of an enigmatic disease called invasive non-typhoidal salmonella (iNTS), which affects Africa far more than other continents. iNTS kills between 22 and 45 percent of those it infects and is suspected to be transmitted from human to human, previous research has found. Outside Africa, Salmonella without this variant tend to cause acute diarrhoea but the death rate is less than one percent. And these infections typically occur from contaminated food, not from humans. The answer, according to the study, lies in part from genes that Salmonella Typhimurium picked up in Africa which shield it from frontline antibiotics and help it survive in a human host. The novel strain “is causing a previously unrecognised epidemic” across sub-Saharan Africa, said Chinyere Okoro of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Britain, who co-authored the study. “Its genetic makeup is evolving into a more typhoid-like bacteria, able to efficiently spread around the human body.” Previous research into iNTS has noted the large numbers of Africans who are co-infected with HIV. The new study says iNTS may in fact have been powerfully spread by HIV or by anaemia, malaria or malnutrition in children, all of which deplete the body’s defences against a microbial invader. “The HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is thought to have begun in a central region and underwent expansion eastwards, a strikingly similar dynamic to that observed for the second iNTS wave,” said Okoro’s colleague, Robert Kingsley. “Our findings suggest the current epidemic of iNTS and its transmission across sub-Saharan Africa may have been potentiated by an increase in the critical population of susceptible immune-compromised people.” The second wave of iNTS began 35 years ago, possibly in the Congo Basin, and early in the event picked up a gene making it resistant to the antibiotic chloramphenicol, the study suggested. The first documented cases of AIDS occurred in the United States 31 years ago. Researchers, though, say HIV circulated in Africa for many years before the disease was uncovered. It leapt the species barrier to humans from chimps, possibly through contact with bushmeat, around the turn of the century, according to some investigations. - AFP |
| Amazon under fire over Nazi death camp puzzle Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:45 AM PDT  BERLIN: Online retail giant Amazon has come under fire over the sale of a jigsaw puzzle that recreates the crematorium at the Nazi death camp of Dachau, a media report said yesterday.“This is a real slap in the face for concentration camp survivors and relatives of victims,” conservative politician Gerda Hasselfeldt wrote in a letter to Amazon that was cited by Der Spiegel. The 252-piece puzzle, being sold for $24.99 or 17.99 British pounds, is sold as suitable for children aged eight and over. It shows a picture of the crematorium at Dachau, where more than 200,000 Jews, gays, Roma, political opponents, the disabled and prisoners of war were imprisoned during World War II. Between 32,000 and 43,000 people died in the Bavarian camp before it was liberated by US troops in April 1945. “The Dachau memorial is a place of remembrance for the suffering of countless victims. It cannot be in Amazon’s interest to sell such a game,” wrote Hasselfeldt, parliamentary chief of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. - AFP |
| Powerful typhoon hits Japan mainland Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:43 AM PDT  TOKYO: Powerful Typhoon Jelawat made landfall yesterday on the Japanese mainland a day after hitting southern Okinawa island, where local media said it left one dead and some 140 people injured.Packing winds of up to 180 kilometres (112 miles) per hour, the typhoon made landfall in central Aichi prefecture at around 7:00 pm (1000 GMT) and was moving up the main island of Honshu, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. A 29-year-old man was swept away by high waves when Jelawat hit Okinawa and was later confirmed dead, while at least 140 people were injured in eight prefectures, according to public broadcaster NHK. The typhoon is forecast to churn northeastwards towards Tokyo over the next 24 hours and bring torrential rainfall and towering waves up to 10 metres (33 feet) high. More than 500 flights, mainly in western Japan, were cancelled on Sunday and some shinkansen bullet train services across the country had been suspended, Kyodo said. Local authorities have ordered more than 2,000 in central Mie to evacuate, while tens of thousands of people were advised to leave home for safe shelter, according to NHK. - AFP |
| Najib challenges Gerakan to put up strong fight Posted: 30 Sep 2012 01:01 AM PDT
“Do not be afraid, do not be afraid to go into the ring, this is the spirit we must have,” he said when opening the 41st Gerakan National Delegates Conference here today. Najib, who is also BN chairman, said bravery was the spirit of a real fighter. “Show our strength, we must have the spirit to fight, fight when you are in adversity,” he stressed at the ceremony which was attended by Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon. Najib said, with strong fighting spirit, hard work, teamwork and strategic planning, BN could ensure all efforts to capture the hearts of the people were successful. Apart from that, the prime minister said the time had come for Gerakan to be more offensive and not be afraid to change, especially in recapturing Penang from the DAP, thus ensuring more development to be implemented for the people. “Do not be afraid, we have a strong case. Development in Penang is very good because of the cooperation among Umno, MCA, MIC and also the government. “As such, in the assembly, I am asking for a rejuvenation of spirit to be a good valuable partner to BN. Only then, you’ll find your finest hour,” said Najib. At the same time, he praised Koh for not contesting in the coming general election and described the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as a leader who contributed enormously to the party and country. “I wish to thank him for successfully implementing Pemandu (Performance Management & Delivery Unit), unity and Rukun Tetangga programmes. “He’s a level-headed leader who gives sound advice. This is what we want for our future,” said Najib. - Bernama |
| Pakatan’s promises are venomous poison Posted: 30 Sep 2012 12:52 AM PDT
“They must condemn (the government), they must knock you (government) down. After that, they must instigate (the people) and then they will promise. Like I said, they’ll promise the sun, the moon, and even the galaxy,” he said when opening Gerakan’s 41st National Delegates Conference here. Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said the people should ponder about the sweet promises made by the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition which in the end were actually nothing more than venomous poison for them. “Is it really something good for the people or will it lead to some catastrophic outcome for the nation. This is something the people must think about, because to become the opposition, the arsenal is three things — condemn, instigate, promise,” stressed Najib. Najib said that to be a credible opposition in a parliamentary democracy, a few fundamental conditions must be fulfilled, one of which is having a common symbol. “In other words, you must register as a party. But Pakatan Rakyat is not registered as a common party nor do they have a common symbol,” Najib said. The prime minister pointed out BN had been using a common symbol, with electoral candidates contesting under the BN banner. “We go and face the people as BN, but the opposition will go to the people with different faces. “Symbol not the same …we are not sure whether they will table a common manifesto ,” he said, noting that squabbles over (the implementation of) hudud (Syariah laws) among the opposition pact had been conducted openly. Unfulfilled promises He also took a swipe at the opposition’s failure in unveiling its ‘shadow cabinet’. Najib said the country should not be governed by the opposition pact who kept on making unfulfilled promises. He noted that 75 per cent of promises in PKR-led Selangor, remained unfulfilled while the BN had to step in to resolve the Kampung Buah Pala (eviction of villagers) issue in DAP-dominated Penang. The prime minister also said that a leader must be fair and just, traits which had apparently escaped an opposition leader when he tried to deprive a competent senior state Education official from being promoted in Penang some time ago because he was a non-Malay. “When I checked on it, I took a risk. He was the deputy prime minister, I was the Education Minister…I said no, that man must be given the Pengarah Pelajaran (atate education director) post. And I was prepared to face the consequences because of principle. A leader must be fair and just,” he said. Touching on the 2013 Budget he tabled on Friday, Najib said the underlying philosophy in its preparation was that the people must come first and all steps taken were for them. “This budget is about the people as well as about moving the economy. You can’t just talk about the rakyat (people) without moving the economy, without attracting foreign investment, domestic investment, innovation and productivity. “There are 111 initiatives or touch points in Budget 2013. Read them one by one,” he said. - Bernama |
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| PKR to scrap Rapid when it gets to Putrajaya Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:28 PM PDT
Addressing some 3,000-strong crowd during the Himpunan Hijau Lestari in Pengerang today, Chua said a Pakatan federal government would not allow the petro-chemical project to continue. “Anwar (Ibrahim) has asked me to convey this message to everyone here today, that we will reject the project and rebuild the livelihood of the locals ,” he told the cheering protesters. Speaking to FMT later, Chua said the decision was made in PKR’s political bureau meeting chaired by de facto leader Anwar recently. He said Rapid will be scrapped alongside with the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng, Pahang. "I want to warn companies who wish to invest in the Rapid project, even if (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) gives them license, we will revoke it once we come into power," he said. He added that Pakatan was willing to incur extra costs to compensate investors' losses. Raising in Parliament "We should develop something that can benefit a lot of local people, not just one or two persons such as the case of this project," he said in his addressing speech. Meanwhile, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub said his party will raise this issue in Parliament next week. “We from PAS, PKR and DAP will make your struggles the centre topic of our speech," he said. The Johor government is planning to acquire some 8,094ha of land in Pengerang for the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC). About 2,550ha will be developed by Petronas Rapid, while 544ha will be for the Pengerang Independent Deepwater Petroleum Terminal. Phase 1 of the relocation exercise will begin in March next year with three villages, namely Kampung Sungai Kapal, Kampung Teluk Empang and Kampung Langkah Baik. By October next year, four villages will follow suit, namely Kampung Sebong, Kampung Batu Mas, Kampung Jawa and Kampung Sungai Buntu. Also read: |
| Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:13 PM PDT
We're absolutely addicted to the smell of freshly baked bread. Nothing compares to holding a warm crusty loaf in your hands and breaking it open to devour its goodness. The beautiful crust with the soft chewy insides just beckons for you to have more. Whether you’re crazy for croissants or bananas over buns, we’ve rounded up our favourite 5 bakeries to help you satisfy your bread cravings. Tommy Le Baker, Jalan Ipoh Unit B-0-7, Viva Residency, 378 Jalan Ipoh, 03 4043 2546 Hiestand, Mont Kiara and Bangsar Village Various locations. Visit www.hiestand.com.my to find the one closest to you. The Bread Shop, Damansara Heights 11, Jalan Setiakasih 5, Damansara Heights, 03 2093 8734 Bread Aroma, Plaza Damas Plaza Damas Level G, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1 Levain, Jalan Delima, Off Imbi No.7 Jalan Delima, 03 2142 6611 Another one worth mentioning is The Bakery at Ukay Heights. Their croissants and wholegrain breads are pretty good. If you prefer not to venture down to KL, they also have another branch in Sri Hartamas. Ukay Heights. Jalan Chong Koon Lin, (after ISKL make a left turn after the SPCA) [This content is provided by FMT content partner www.friedchillies.com, "Solving your makan problems since 1997"] |
| Dr M: World will not listen to me Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:00 PM PDT
He said this during an informal meeting with Malaysian students on Saturday at the Malaysian United Nations (UN) mission in New York. After the conferring of the Rafik Hariri United Nations Habitat Memorial Award on Mahathir Friday night, some guests were privately asking if he would not make a good mediator for resolving international disputes, given his wide-ranging international experience and his elder statesman status. “No, I don't think I am qualified for such a role,” he told Bernama, adding in a lighter vein that the “world will not listen to me and people will do what they like…so, I would discount such a role.” Mahathir looked relaxed as he fielded questions from the students on issues ranging from the political situation in Malaysia and Malaysia’s transition to a developed nation, to the China-Japan conflict. “You need a strong government to manage a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious country like Malaysia,” Mahathir noted. Return home, students told “We begin to change in terms of our values and culture after staying in developed countries. Some may even say that we (in Malaysia) are not as progressive as in the countries where you have studied. “When you compare something good with something better, then your own country doesn’t look so good. But when you compare your country with something not so good, then even the bad things begin to look good,” he told the students. He also urged Malaysian students to return home after completing their studies and offer their expertise for nation-building. “Help Malaysia realise its goal of becoming a developed country by 2020,” Mahathir said, pointing out that Malaysia, despite the global downturn, was still growing and “defying gravity”, as the Financial Times recently put it. Looking mentally sharp and alert for his age, 87-year-old Mahathir recalled that at the time of independence from British colonial rule, Malaysia seemed to have been written off, with critics saying that the country would not survive because of its multi-ethnic and multi-racial composition. “We decided to share our wealth between our communities –- Malay, Chinese and Indian. It’s better to have a smaller slice of the cake than the full cake. "By sharing the cake, we offered opportunities to the other communities as well,” he said, explaining that Malaysia had thus ensured economic growth and prosperity. Striking a balance Mahathir also spoke against corruption, saying that the person giving bribe was as guilty as the person taking it. On the recent riots in several Muslim countries over an anti-Islam film made by an individual in the US, he said that he favoured freedom of expression but there were limitations to it, particularly when it hurt the feelings of others. On the escalating China-Japan tensions and the US role in the conflict, he said: “…You have to be willing to compromise and strike a balance.” He cited Malaysia’s examples in reaching deals with its neighbours by taking a ‘reasonable stand’ when conflicts or issues arose. Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali were welcomed at the mission by Malaysian ambassador in Washington, Othman Hashim. Muhammad Afiq Hassan, a student at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, read out a welcome address on behalf of the students. - Bernama |
| Taib: Belanjawan 2013 seimbang Posted: 29 Sep 2012 09:53 PM PDT
Beliau berkata Belanjawan itu turut melibatkan golongan yang kurang mendapat perhatian kerajaan sebelum ini khasnya generasi baru dan muda selain masyarakat perniagaan, sejajar dengan perubahan dalam negara. Belanjawan kali ini bukan sahaja memberi banyak manfaat kepada rakyat malah juga golongan usahawan serta korporat melalui beberapa inisiatif baharu, katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan program Hari Jantung Sedunia di Taman Sahabat di sini, hari ini. Taib berkata beliau turut mengucapkan penghargaan kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak selaku Menteri Kewangan kerana berjaya membentangkan Belanjawan yang selari dengan keperluan rakyat hari ini. Sementara, ketika berucap pada majlis itu, Taib yang berkongsi amalannya setiap hari iaitu berjalan kaki untuk kekal sihat dan cergas, berkata gaya hidup sihat perlu dijadikan amalan masyarakat hari ini khasnya generasi muda. “Hari ini saya lihat anak muda hanya banyak mengerakkan hujung jari mereka, jadi mula hari ini kita boleh mulakan amalan dengan berjalan kaki setiap hari untuk kekal cergas,” katanya. Kira-kira 2,000 orang menyertai program Hari Jantung Sedunia itu yang turut melibatkan acara berjalan kaki mengelilingi Taman Sahabat bersama Ketua Menteri dan isteri. - Bernama |
| Ancestors ‘join’ thousands in Pengerang rally Posted: 29 Sep 2012 09:30 PM PDT
Clad in green, the protesters started to gather at Dataran Sungai Rengit since early morning, to the backdrop of a huge lobster statue at the square entrance. By the time the rally began at 10am, the squre was packed with protesters holding placards that read, among others, “Don’t wait until our villages are pawned”, “Taiwan treats it as rubbish, we take it as treasure”, “Defend sustainable Pengerang”. Empty chairs were also placed in front of the stage where 10 local residents later placed their ancestors photographs on the chairs in a symbolic move to oppose the proposed grave relocation.
The residents also carried the photographs to the stage, while some performed brief prayers to their ancestors later. Sim told FMT that it was the residents' idea to bring the photographs to the rally. "Unlike urban people buying property, the local folks have laid their roots and foundation in Pengerang for generations. "Our ancestors built it for decades, but it vanishes now on an order from the authorities," he said. The Johor edition of Himpunan Hijau rally was held today following residents' opposition to the RM60 billion Petronas' Refinery and Petro-chemical Integrated Project (Rapid).
A slew of activists such as Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack, Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat, and politicians such as Johor DAP chairman Boo Cheng Hau, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub, Johor PAS commissioner Mahfodz Mohamed, central committee member Mazlan Aliman and Johor PKR chairman Chua Jui Meng attended the rally. They led the crowd to break into occasional chants of "Hidup Rakyat", "No to Rapid", "Bersih" throughout the two-hour protest. Absent MP "I thought she said she want to challenge me for a debate (on this issue), but she does not even come today," Salahuddin took a swipe at her on the stage.
"They only offered RM2.8 per square feet for agricultural land. If I have one acre of land, I would only be given RM120,000, which is not even enough to buy a house that costs RM150,000," he said. He added that the residents would also lose their source of income once their agricultural lands are taken. Johor PKR chairman and party vice president Chua said that Pakatan would close down the Petronas plant if it comes to power in the next general election. The rally ended peacefully at noon, with emcee Hishammuddin Rais leading the crowd to recite Earth Charter, a pledge to conserve the environment. Also read: PKR to scrap Rapid when it gets to Putrajaya |
| Budget lacks fiscal responsibility Posted: 29 Sep 2012 09:20 PM PDT
Firstly, even though the budget deficit is projected to come down from 4.5% in 2012 to a 'mere' 4.0% in 2013, this figure masks the poor track record of the BN government in sticking to its spending plans. For example, total expenditure for Budget 2012 was announced at RM232.8b in last's year's budget speech. But in this year's Economic Report 2012/2013, total expenditure for 2012 is projected to total up to RM252.4b. This is almost RM20b more than the projected expenditure announced last year. We were fortunate that projected revenue is expected to be RM207b for 2012, RM20b more than the RM186.9b projected revenue announced last year. Without this tax 'windfall', our budget deficit would have ballooned up to 6.7% of GDP rather than the projected 4.5% for 2012. But we cannot expect that actual revenue will continue to exceed projected revenue especially given the slowing global economy. Furthermore revenue from oil related tax revenue is likely to decrease given the change in the dividend policy of Petronas as well as political uncertainty in Southern Sudan which could decrease Petronas's bottom line by as much as US1 billion. While we do not object to giving financial assistance to the truly deserving, there is nothing to indicate that the government has stopped leakages in the BR1M program which went to people like an MCA Datuk in Pahang. The initial RM1.8b that was allocated to BR1M for 3.4 million households in the 2012 budget ballooned to over RM2b for over 4 million households. A country whose GDP is projected to expand by 5% in 2012 should see fewer households earning less than RM3,000. And yet, BR1M recipients are projected to increase to 4.3 million households with another 2.7 million individuals earning less than RM2,000 joining them. Without proper checks and balances, the RM3b that has been allocated to BR1M 2.0 for Budget 2013 can easily increase to more than RM4b, if not more. The same lack of fiscal prudence could be seen in the expenditure on subsidies. An allocation of RM32.8b was given for subsidies in Budget 2012 but the actual expenditure on subsidies is projected to be at RM42.4b, an increase of RM9.6b or 29.3% over the original budget! If the same kind of trajectory is followed, the RM37.6b which is allocated for subsidies in Budget 2013 could easily increase to almost RM50b! Given the BN's poor record for fiscal prudence and especially if elections are held next year, it is likely that BN will break the bank to funnel out as much taxpayer's money as possible in a blatant attempt to buy votes by giving handouts irresponsibly. I would not be surprised if our total expenditure will be RM30b over budget and our budget deficit for 2013 would end up well in excess of 5.0%. Aggressive promotion of TRX In fact, many of these incentives will skew the system against hardworking Malaysian entrepreneurs who are not in the position to receive and benefit from these incentives. For example, Budget 2013 continues to give preferred incentives and tax treatments for companies who want to locate to and developers who want to build in the Tun Razak Exchange formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) including tax exemptions for property developers, income tax exemption for 10 years for TRX-status companies, stamp duty exemptions, industrial building allowance and accelerated capital allowances for TRX Marquee-status companies. The aggressive promotion of TRX not only increases the problem of a property glut in commercial office space in Kuala Lumpur, it also unfairly disadvantages developers who own and are in the process of developing commercial property which TRX is directly competing against. These developers would lose out if existing or future tenants decide to relocate to TRX and at the same time, the taxpayer would also lose out since these companies would be given income tax exemption for 10 years. As part of this initiative, 1MDB will be allocated an additional RM400m from the Prime Minister's Department in Budget 2013, an unnecessary expenditure for what is essentially a property development project. Similarly, under the guise of lowering prices of goods in Sabah and Sarawak, the government is introducing 57 Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia or KR1M stores at the cost of RM386m. Just like in Peninsular Malaysia, the ones who will be hurt by this move are the owners of the kedai runcit stores who cannot compete against the government subsidised KR1M stores. It would make more sense for the government to abolish the cabotage policy and to improve the transportation network in Sabah and Sarawak to reduce prices of goods in Sabah and Sarawak, which is what Pakatan is proposing, rather than to subsidise KR1M stores that are run by one private company which would drive out many existing kedai runcit owners out of business. These kinds of initiatives contradict PM Najib's statement that the era of 'government knows best is over'. Indeed, according to the Economic Report 2012/2013, the public sector is expected to expand by 13.3% in 2012 to account for 25.2% of GDP (up from 23.3% in 2011), meaning that the government will play a larger role in the economy, rather than to reduce its footprint and to allow the private sector to thrive and drive the economy forward. By promoting and undertaking these initiatives, Najib is contradicting one of the major thrust of the New Economic Model (NEM) and also the impetus behind the Economic Transformation Program (ETP). No long term solutions Crime is one of the main drivers of cost of living increases. Businesses which have to spend more on security pass the costs to consumers. Residents who have to pay for private security have less disposable income. Sadly, the measures which are in Budget 2013 to reduce crime leave much to be desired. There are no recommendations to re-organise the police force by re-allocating Special Branch officers, which have twice as many investigating officers/detectives as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), or by re-allocating some of the 14,000 General Operations Force (GOF) police personnel, an organisational legacy from the Communist fighting days, to the CID and the frontlines of fighting crime. Instead, what was provided was the allocation of RM20m to buy 1,000 motorcycles at a cost of RM20,000 per motorcycle to set up a Motorcycle Patrolling Unit. In addition, there were hardly any efforts proposed to involve the state and local authorities to fight crime. All that was mentioned as the allocation to buy 496 units of CCTVs for 25 local authorities to prevent street crimes in urban areas. This works out to 20 units of CCTVs for every local authority which is not even sufficient to cover one neighborhood, much less the area in one state authority. Similarly, the ambitious program to build more than 100,000 affordable and low cost houses will come to naught if these housing projects are not integrated with public transportation. The MRT project and the LRT extension cannot possibly cover all the areas which have or will have low cost and affordable homes, assuming that they even get built. Allowing the state and local authorities to provide bus services would be one possible solution to this problem. But instead of this, the federal government is expanding the federally owned RAPID bus services to other places, this time to Kuantan. With car prices still at very unaffordable levels, especially for the lower middle income groups, the issue of affordable and low cost housing cannot be seen in isolation from the issue of public transportation. Unfortunately, PM Najib does not seem to have realised this as seen by his Budget 2013. Pakatan’s budget A more conservative budget would give us more room to maneuver if Pakatan does take over power at the federal level and puts its budget in place. Pakatan’s budget is also more economically sustainable in that we do not attempt to favour one sector or project over another. Instead we will set out to abolish monopolies, abolish unfair practices and increase competition in all sectors of the economy. Our budget also gives more focus on long term solutions to address cost of living issues including a proper redeployment and reallocation of police personnel to fight crime, more involvement of local authorities to reduce crime and provide public transportation alternatives, reduce and abolish toll rates to put money back into the pockets of the people and to find new ways of providing affordable public housing. The choice for Malaysians is very clear. Najib's 2013 budget is full of one shot goodies and handouts which do not adequately address the long term concerns of the country namely fiscal prudence, economic sustainability and cost of living increases. Pakatan, through its alternative budget, and through the state governments in Penang and Selangor, have shown that it can govern with fiscal responsibility in mind, with sustainable policies which encourage fair competition and with measures that puts money in the pockets of the people in the long term. Lim Guan Eng is Penang’s chief minister, DAP secretary-general and MP for Bagan. |
| This is why Pakatan’s budget is better Posted: 29 Sep 2012 09:04 PM PDT
Year in and year out, the BN budget is the same – serving to enrich BN, especially Umno, cronies by dishing out mega projects with inflated costs that bleed the nation. Budget 2013 is clearly an election budget with various forms of one-off cash handout sweeteners ranging from RM250 to slightly more than a thousand ringgit for the rakyat who qualify. This, the BN is forced to give, because of the March 2008 general election that saw the ruling coalition losing its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament. This is the second time within months the BN is giving out such one-time cash handouts – a clear sign of attempts to pacify the restless rakyat who may change their government with their ballots in the next general election. While Prime Minister Najib’s budget features RM3 billion in one-time cash handouts to pacify the people, Pakatan's alternative budget contains no such handouts. It features long-term macro measures to resolve the economic ills of the people and country that are mainly caused by mega project cronies, leakages and corruption. The Pakatan budget puts money into the rakyat's pockets, not by giving cash handouts but by reducing cost of living. The measures that will achieve this include savings from lower car prices, abolishment of toll (total spread out over one year), abolishing PTPTN loans for free tertiary education, special teaching allowance, government's contribution for wives and lower prices for food and goods due to lower fuel and transportation costs. These measures are estimated to increase the people's monthly disposable income by about RM930. Isn't all these measures clearly more practical than one-time cash handouts that come with five years of suffering under the BN government? This is why, in an immediate response to the Budget 2013 announcement, I told Malaysians not to be fooled by the BN's insincere sweeteners. It is clearly a budget too sweet to dismiss as an attempt to pacify Malaysians to return the BN to power in the next general election which must be called latest next June. With Malaysia only 1.3% short of the 55% legislated debt ceiling, can the majority of Malaysians continue to gamble with BN's continuous plundering ways? Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chairman. He is a former MCA vice president and ex-health minister. |
| Posted: 29 Sep 2012 08:50 PM PDT
It is said that each kind of food offered in sacrifice to the moon bears a symbolic significance. The gourd expresses a wish that one's family will always remain united, the pomegranate symbolises many children, the apple augurs peace, and so on. Yet not everyone today bothers about the significance of the most important item on the table—the moon cake itself. This is a pity because its symbolism is as relevant today as it was in ancient times. Chinese patriots used the moon cake for hiding encrypted messages in their revolt against Mongolian rule and, for a number of generations at least, it served as a reminder of one's responsibility to resist oppression and tyranny. This reminder is also implied in a familiar Chinese saying directed at the powerful and oppressive: "There is one-thousand-year-old gold, but there is no one-thousand-year-old owner." It is a warning to the oppressors that they are mere mortals and their powers are not permanent. Modern tyrants, dictators and authoritarians would do well to remember that neither they nor their legacies would last forever. Already, there has been much debunking of the myth that it is in the DNA of Asians to sacrifice self interest in obedience to authority. Events in our own time have shown that Asians, like other human beings everywhere, would not easily give up free speech or any other human right for the sake of what autocrats refer to as "national interests". If the propaganda about self-sacrifice were true, the Mongols might still be in power in China today. The Chinese uprising against their Mongolian rulers was as inevitable as the rising of the sun. Their suffering was enormous. Kublai Khan and his successors practised rampant discrimination against them in almost all aspects of life, including land ownership and gainful employment. Caste system He instituted a caste system that lasted until the last Mongolian emperor was ousted. According to written history, there were four levels of differentiation in the system. Mongolians were in the highest caste. Next came Venetians and other foreigners. Northern Chinese were third-class citizens, and at the bottom were southern Chinese. Kublai wanted to govern along the lines of traditional Chinese administration, but could not find enough Mongols to fill up important posts. "His solution was to employ foreigners, a considerable supply of whom had been made available by the new stability of Central Asia," writes historian Bamber Gascoigne. This racial discrimination was only one aspect of the oppression. Other atrocities that the Mongols committed against the Chinese are familiar enough even to those with a superficial knowledge of Chinese history. The Mongol sword wiped out millions of households. Historians are agreed that the fall of the Yuan dynasty was heralded by administrative corruption, power struggles among the Mongolian elite, political intrigues, and a series of major natural disasters. However, as some have argued, the decisive factor was the ability of freedom fighters to communicate with one another across their vast land. And the moon cake played a major role in facilitating this. So, as you bite into your cake this Sunday, don't complain too much about its cloying sweetness. After all, freedom is indeed sweet, at least to those who have known it. Stanley Koh is a FMT columnist |
| Residents take control of their own needs Posted: 29 Sep 2012 08:32 PM PDT
Over three consecutive days, ending Sept 23, low-income residents of high-rise flats on River Road, Penang Island, cast 'ballots' to compellingly indicate to planners their priorities. Penang state consists of two parts – Penang Island, where the seat of government is, and Seberang Perai on the Malay peninsula. With a population of 1.5 million people Penang is an economically important state with a thriving tourist industry and port. Before the polls, organisers had carried out a detailed census of 530 homes in and found 1,667 eligible 'voters' (aged 10 and above) in the two participating blocks. The residents, divided into five focus groups, discussed six key priorities for final polling: building maintenance (lifts, water pipes, roof leakages), cleanliness of common areas, recreational amenities, parking areas, better security and awareness raising programmes. On the polling days, volunteers handed out booklets containing five coupons of token money – each coupon representing '100 ringgit′. The residents then cast these five coupons in one or more of six boxes laid out in a row – each box representing one of the six pre-identified priorities. At least half the members of the focus groups were women. Volunteers, many of them women, helped distribute the coupons and oversaw the polling and the counting of votes. Women made up about half the number of voters who participated and played a key role in persuading residents to come out to vote. In the end, almost 70 percent of the residents turned up to cast their votes. Norjan Ibrahim, secretary of the residents association, was upbeat. "The residents feel this (polling process) is a good programme, which they welcome," she told IPS. She felt confident that the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) would take action "because we have put in a lot of effort in soliciting public feedback. And I trust the women's group carrying out this programme." Ibrahim was referring to the Penang Women's Development Corporation (PWDC), set up to promote greater gender awareness, equality and justice and to empower women in all sectors. The PWDC is a beneficiary of grants from the Penang state government, ruled since 2008 by a coalition of political parties that are in the opposition ranks at the federal level. The federal government had suspended local council elections in 1960 (councillors are now mainly political appointees) making citizen involvement in the decision-making process difficult. Penang, ruled as it is by (national) opposition parties, is lobbying hard for the reinstatement of local elections to promote the vibrant local democracy that the state was once known for. Pilot project Under a three-year pilot project, the local councils are adopting GRB to take into account the needs of all the people, including women, children and people with disabilities when formulating budget priorities. "The process has surpassed our expectations," says Aloyah Bakar of the PWDC, pointing to the impressive voter turnout. Children and teens participated strongly. "I voted for building maintenance. The lighting needs to be repaired as the place is dimly lit. Fire extinguishers are missing. I want the place to be clean and bright," said Fareezuan Yusof, 15, told IPS. Arash Fauwaz Asri, 16, said he voted for better parking facilities as cars and motorcycles are now haphazardly crammed into a small parking area next to the flats. "I feel this is a good way of getting views and it also strengthens neighbourhood ties." "The people here badly want change in this area as the local council has given insufficient attention to these flats," said Hussain Hashim, the deputy chair of the flat residents' association, acting as one of the 'election observers'. Walking around the blocks, Hussain, a driver for a catering business, pointed to low corridor railings in the high-rise blocks, which he said posed a potential danger to flat dwellers. Abandoned or broken down motorcycles are stacked in one corner at the rear of the premises. Norjan nodded in agreement. "There are many problems here," said the supervisor in a local hospital, rattling off poor rubbish disposal and collection, unsatisfactory lift maintenance and haphazard parking as key issues. The results of the polling did not come as a surprise. Building maintenance polled the most votes, followed by security and cleanliness. "Now the residents have the big task of putting together working papers which will be a tedious process that will require some 'hand holding'," says Aloyah. The organisers will meet with the flat dwellers to come up a working paper on the three 'winning' needs and the paper will then be presented to the MPPP for incorporation in the local council's 2014 budgeting process. Taking control In Ampang Jajar on mainland Penang, a similar exercise was carried out at the Ampangan flats a couple of weeks ago, drawing 65-70 percent of the eligible voters. The result in Aampang Jajar was slightly different as children came out in large numbers to vote: the ballot boxes that received the most votes was on for a recreational park. That was followed closely by improved building maintenance and traffic lights. The unique electoral process is the brainchild of contemporary artist Wong Hoy Cheong, who monitored the polling: "For me the most satisfying thing has been watching the residents, including the women, take control of their own needs," he told IPS. - IPS [Photo credit: Anil Netto/IPS] |
| Filipino netizens reject Cybercrime Act Posted: 29 Sep 2012 08:23 PM PDT
Media groups have expressed concern that the law poses a threat to press freedom and limits freedom of expression in the country. Bloggers and social media practitioners also point out that the new law allows the government to shut down websites without due process, and makes Internet users liable for simply clicking the 'like' button on Facebook or re-tweeting something on Twitter. Republic Act (RA) No. 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, was signed into law by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on Sept. 12. Actions now punishable as 'cybercrimes' include illegal access and interception of any part of a computer system without right, computer-related identity-theft, cybersex and child pornography, among others. However, the law also broadens the coverage of libel as a content-related offense that can be committed by just about anybody using a computer. Section 4 (4) of the Cybercrime Act deems as illegal any "unlawful and prohibited act of libel as defined in Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, committed through a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future". Libel is defined in Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) as a "public imputation and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstances tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead." Professor Luis Teodoro, who serves as deputy director of the Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), says the new law actually strengthens an 82-year-old libel law that has been described by the United Nations Human Rights Council as "draconian" and "excessive". "At a time when the global trend is to decriminalise libel, the new cybercrime law is very regressive and takes us several steps backward," Teodoro told IPS. "In the age of new media, where ordinary citizens take to Facebook and Twitter as a venue for free expression, here is this absolutely objectionable law that gives agencies so much power to limit free speech," he said. He added that certain provisions of the law empower government agencies to take down or prevent people from seeing Tweets that have been deemed libelous, or even monitor activity on cyberspace, including private Facebook accounts. Sneaky law In an interview with IPS, Secretary General of the NUJP, Rowena Paraan, called the law "sneaky". "Certain provisions in the law were not part of versions approved by the Senate and just suddenly appeared in the version that the president signed. These were not subject to consultations," Paraan told IPS. Many Filipinos are disturbed by the fact that the man allegedly responsible for this last-minute change, which lumps online libel with cybersex and child pornography, is notorious for plagiarising blogs, and recently elicited a spate of criticism from active netizens. Citing Senate journals and interviews, investigative journalist and blogger Raissa Robles claims that Senator Vicente Sotto III pushed for the insertion into the law at the eleventh hour; an ironic twist, given various allegations that he copied parts of blog articles in previous speeches without crediting the bloggers. Robles goes on to list some of the flaws in the law, including the difficulty of identifying the origin of libelous material, and extending the offending parties to those who "share" or "like" a post on Facebook or comment on articles agreeing with alleged libelous material. "Historically, in the Philippines, it is the rich and the powerful who use libel as a weapon to suppress criticisms about them," she added. "Before the Internet came along, it was easier for the rich and the powerful to control criticisms. All they needed to do was buy a stake in newspapers, TV and radio. Or sue them. Now they have realised that the Web is beyond their control," she wrote in a blogpost. According to NUJP's Paraan, anyone who uses the internet to express their opinions is now liable for what they post. Online statements posted on blogs and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, that can be interpreted as an attack on the reputation of an individual or an entity, may give rise to libel suits. Unchecked powers "The cybercrime law needs to be repealed or replaced," said Brad Adams, Asia director for HRW. "It violates Filipinos' rights to free expression and it is wholly incompatible with the Philippine government's obligations under international law." Various civil society groups have resorted to legal measures to stop government agencies from implementing provisions in the law. "I'm quite happy that a lot of different groups have been questioning the threat to the rights of freedom of speech and due process and different provisions in the law," Paraan told IPS, citing various civil society and blogger-led initiatives. At the time of writing, at least five separate petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court, questioning the law's constitutionality. On Sept 27 several bloggers and technology law experts hosted an online roundtable discussion on the Act using Google+ Hangouts. Netizens were able to view the live webcast via YouTube and send questions to speakers and lawyers through live chat and by using the #cybercrimelaw hashtag on Twitter. - IPS |
| People speak up over disputed islands Posted: 29 Sep 2012 08:17 PM PDT
Sabre rattling between Japan and its neighbours – namely its primary economic competitors, China and South Korea – reached new heights at the United Nations General Assembly currently underway in New York when Chinese president Hu Jintao dismissed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiko Noda's claims to a disputed chain of islands as "illegal and invalid". The uninhabited archipelago in the East China Sea, which may shelter large deposits of natural gas, are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, Diayou in China and the Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan. The possibly resource-rich cluster that lies below Japan's southernmost island of Okinawa has long been a major bone of contention between China and Japan, with Taiwan, too, laying claim to the territory. The Japanese government's proposal to buy the islands from a private owner sparked a wave of protest across 50 cities in China earlier this month. The violence, which included the destruction of several Japanese establishments, forced a number of staff members to relocate back to Japan, while hundreds of Japanese tourists cancelled their visits to China. The Senkaku Islands were not the only source of conflict at the U.N. this week. On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak rejected Noda's vow to protect Japan's sea and land space – an obvious reference by the latter to the dispute with South Korea over ownership of Takeshima, a pair of rocky islets known in Korean as Dokto. A street poll conducted by the Tokyo-based Nippon Broadcasting Corporation this month indicated the Japanese public wants the government to take a stronger stance in these territorial disputes, particular where South Korea is concerned. East Asia political experts here view these tensions as a further threat to the rocky bilateral relations that have existed since diplomatic ties were established with China in 1972 and with South Korea in 1965. But a growing number of concerned citizens are convinced that grassroots efforts and local diplomacy can help defuse tensions between the agitated neighbours. These concerned voices are calling for a cooling down of the situation in an attempt to prevent mutual economic losses, trade boycotts or suffocation of the free flow of students, professionals, artists and information between the various countries. A citizens' movement for change? "Nothing can stop my efforts in Japan towards a citizen-based approach to nurture closer ties between China and Japan. To withdraw now is to give up on the future," he told IPS. Yuezhong, a former journalist in China, has spent almost two decades in Japan. He owns a publishing company that prints books specialising in Japan-China relations and also conducts popular Chinese-language classes at a local park. Yuezhong has great faith in the fledging citizen's movement that highlights the need for political restraint and the importance of objective negotiations between countries. Akiko Ozaki, a Japanese businesswoman who set up a travel agency in China two years ago, echoed these sentiments. She appealed to participants of her annual tour to Dalian, a major port city in the northeast of China, to go ahead with their visit scheduled for next month. "My tour may survive. For ordinary people like us who have developed close business ties with China it is very difficult to throw away (our) hard work because of political (stubbornness)," she told IPS. While economic ties have cemented East Asia as a formidable bloc — China has now overtaken the United States to become Japan's top trading partner — mistrust is deep-rooted due to Japan's history of colonisation in the region. "There is a huge perception gap when it comes to understanding Japanese colonisation in all the three countries," according to professor Masao Okonogi, an expert on Japan-Korea relations at Kyushu University. "Against the growing international clout of China and South Korea, Japan must seek to put the past behind it," he explained. In an effort to do just this, Okonogi participated in several joint study programmes on history that took place on an annual basis between Japan and South Korea until the project was disbanded two years ago. "Political interference on both sides dealt a severe blow to crucial attempts to foster a deeper sense of mutual understanding of the historical past but we must persevere," he explained. Yoichi Tao, scientist and manager of Global Voices – a website that hosts a myriad opinions including those of Chinese and Korean students in Japan – says space for wider debate on differences between Japan and its East Asian neighbours is crucial. "Pursuing economic development has pushed the vital importance of bridging (misunderstandings) to the back burner. The latest upheaval has (proven) that the economy alone does not bring stability in East Asia," he told IPS. Colonisation is bad "I tell my Japanese friends that colonisation is bad. They do not respond angrily and some are even willing to discuss the past objectively," she said. Tao believes that sharing honest opinions at the civilian level can weaken conservative and narrow political agendas that have long divided Japan and its closest Asian neighbours. "People can lead the way forward in East Asia where emotional historical issues have bogged us down for too long," he said. - IPS |
| Spurs shock United after 23-year Old Trafford wait Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:23 PM PDT  LONDON: Gareth Bale scored one goal and set up another as Tottenham beat Manchester United for the first time in 23 Premier League matches with a thrilling 3-2 win yesterday.Spurs’s first victory at Old Trafford since December 1989 saw them twice go two goals in front, with the teams sharing three goals in as many minutes during a frantic spell before the hour mark. United’s first home league defeat in 2012 meant Alex Ferguson’s side ended the weekend in third place — four points behind leaders Chelsea — while Tottenham climbed to fifth. Just 90 seconds had been played when Spurs’ defender Jan Vertonghen burst into the box and fired the visitors in front with a low shot that deflected off Jonny Evans. In the 32nd minute they were 2-0 up when Bale, from just inside the United half, outpaced Rio Ferdinand before his shot beat Anders Lindegaard. United pulled a goal back in the 51st minute when substitute Wayne Rooney provided a cross for Nani to steer past Brad Friedel. But two minutes later Jermain Defoe left the struggling Ferdinand behind him and found Bale. The Welshman’s shot was palmed away by Lindegaard but only to Clint Dempsey, with the United States striker shooting into the empty net. However, United cut the lead to 3-2 moments later when Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa slotted home. Rooney hit the post and Michael Carrick’s header came off the crossbar as United pressed for an equaliser but Spurs held on for a famous victory. Ferguson was furious with referee Chris Foy for only playing four minutes of added-on time at the end of the match. “Four minutes of added time is an insult to the game. It’s a disgrace,” he told the BBC. But in a separate interview with ESPN, the veteran manager admitted United hadn’t helped themselves early on. “It was a poor start to the game and they got a little break with a deflected goal. We really defended poorly. From there we were playing against the wind.” Delighted Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas urged his side to build on this result, the Portuguese boss saying: “You have to give compliments to everybody on a special night like this but it doesn’t stop here, we have so many important games to play.” Chelsea remained top as Juan Mata starred in a 2-1 win away to London rivals Arsenal. They are three points ahead of Everton whose promising early season form continued with a 3-1 win over Southampton. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea captain John Terry endured taunts from Arsenal fans after this week’s Football Association verdict that he was guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match last October. But Terry had the last laugh as visitors Chelsea, unbeaten in the league this season, handed the Gunners their first league defeat of the campaign. Chelsea took the lead in the 20th minute at the Emirates Stadium when Spain striker Fernando Torres volleyed in Mata’s free-kick. Arsenal equalised in the 42nd minute when Ivory Coast forward Gervinho turned in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross. But Mata put the European champions back in front as the Spanish midfielder’s 53rd-minute curling free-kick glanced in off Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny. “It was a big challenge to play against a quality side like Arsenal,” said Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger slammed a sloppy defensive display that raised doubts over the Gunners’ title credentials. “I am deeply disappointed,” the Frenchman said. “We gave two cheap goals away. It is unacceptable to give goals like that away in the big games.” Brendan Rodgers enjoyed his first Premier League win as Liverpool manager, with Luis Suarez scoring his second hat-trick in as many seasons at Carrow Road during a 5-2 win at Norwich that took the Reds out of the bottom three. “The team was outstanding,” said Rodgers. “I’m not surprised because in a lot of our games we have played very well and created a host of chances.” Nikica Jelavic scored twice for Everton after Southampton went 1-0 up through record signing Gaston Ramirez’s first goal for the club. “If I had paid to watch that then I would have been pleased,” said Everton manager David Moyes. Reigning champions Manchester City came from behind to win 2-1 at Fulham, with substitute Edin Dzeko scoring the winner three minutes from time. Mladen Petric gave Fulham a 10th-minute lead from the penalty spot before Sergio Aguero drew City level in the 43rd minute. “I was worried because we continued to play well and continued to create chances, but didn’t score (the second goal) for 87 minutes,” said City boss Roberto Mancini. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew’s first match in charge since being given a new eight-year contract ended in a 2-2 draw at his former club Reading. Demba Ba was the Magpies’ saviour, cancelling out goals from Jimmy Kebe and then Noel Hunt. Elsewhere, Stoke and Sunderland both recorded their first wins of the season, the Potters defeating Swansea 2-0 and the Black Cats seeing off Wigan 1-0. - AFP |
| Last-minute Barcelona defeat 10-man Sevilla Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:20 PM PDT  MADRID: Barcelona struck twice in the final minutes to complete a controversial fightback as they beat 10-man Sevilla 3-2 to go eleven points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid yesterday.Piotr Trochowski put Sevilla ahead after 26 minutes and when Alvaro Negredo doubled the advantage after the break it looked as though the Andalusians would achieve a double over the top two, having beaten Real a fortnight ago. However, Barca fought back with Cesc Fabregas reducing the arrears after 53 minutes and then the talking point was the dismissal of Gary Medel for an apparent headbutt on Fabregas which led to him being red-carded with 18 minutes to go. Barca pressed forward and it was Fabregras who equalised with a minute to go before substitute David Villa got the winner in the fourth minute of injury time. Barca coach Tito Vilanova felt it was right to send off Medel. “If a player goes towards another and hits them in the head then the referee does the right thing to apply the law. That is a red card here or anywhere. It is difficult to referee and easy to make mistakes but not in this case,” he said. Sevilla coach Jose Miguel Gonzalez ‘Michel’, who was sent to the stands in closing stages for complaining too vociferously, refused to get drawn into questions about Medel’s dismissal. “Sometimes things are just crystal clear but still rules are about interpretation and I never talk about referees,” he said. “My players were excellent against an excellent rival. I won’t say it was an unjust result but it was frustrating and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.” The pressure is now very much on Real Madrid who face Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday before they then go head-to-head with Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season in the league next weekend. Barca started stronger and Pedro Rodriguez fired over in the opening minutes. Goalkeeper Andres Palop then got down well to stop Lionel Messi inside the area after 13 minutes. Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic had a tame shot from the edge of the area before, on another breakaway, Trochowski gave the home side the lead. The ball came to him after Javier Mascherano tried to clear the danger and from the left-hand side of the area the Sevilla man slotted the ball into the corner. Straight after the restart Sevilla got their second goal after Sergio Busquets gave the ball away in midfield. Medel found Negredo who clipped the ball over the keeper for a fine finish. Barca went close through Pedro Rodriguez before Fabregas pulled a goal back with a shot from the edge of the area. Medel was controversially dismissed for a headbutt on Fabregas and then, in the closing minutes, it was the former Arsenal man who ran through to beat Palop. There was still time three minutes into injury time for Villa to latch onto a Messi pass for the winner. Malaga maintained their unbeaten start as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Real Betis with the game turning on an early penalty and the sending off of goalkeeper Casto Espinosa. Casto was red-carded for a foul on Eliseu Pereira and after Joaquin Sanchez converted the penalty, Malaga never looked back. They had a series of chances with Ignacio Camacho hitting the post with a header and then Javier Saviola slotted home the second after 28 minutes following an exchange with Francisco Portillo. Midway through the second half Antonio Amaya put the ball through his own net as he intercepted a Nacho Monreal cross and then Isco Alarcon finished clinically to add to Betis’ misery. Elsewhere Valencia beat Zaragoza 2-0 and Real Sociedad also came out on top 2-0 against Athletic Bilbao. - AFP |
| Mancini relieved as Dzeko late show downs Fulham Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:18 PM PDT  LONDON: Roberto Mancini admitted Edin Dzeko’s late winner in a 2-1 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage was vital for Manchester City’s chances of retaining the Premier League title.The Bosnian striker pounced on a poor clearance from John Arne Riise three minutes from time to hand City their first win in five matches, a result that left them four points behind early season leaders Chelsea. Fulham had taken the lead through Mladen Petric’s first-half penalty and it needed an equaliser form Sergio Aguero on the stroke of half-time to get visitors City back into Saturday’s game. But Italian manager Mancini refused to accept Fulham deserved at least a point and praised his side for battling back from a goal down. “We wouldn’t have deserved to have drawn,” said Mancini. “Against Fulham here is always difficult. This is always a tough game for us. “The penalty was not a penalty — I don’t know why (it was given) — and we didn’t shoot on goal in the first 20 minutes. But the players played well and stayed calm. He added: “We’ve been unlucky for three or four weeks when we’ve deserved to win. We had a lot of possession and deserved to score today. If we’d lost, it would have been a bad moment. But we won this victory. “The season will be long, but it was important to stay close (to Chelsea).” Mancini named Aguero and Carlos Tevez in the same side for only the second league match this season, while Fulham were without injured Dimitar Berbatov. But it was the hosts who started more brightly, with Hugo Rodallega, Petric and Bryan Ruiz combining well in attack. In the ninth minute, referee Mark Halsey adjudged that Pablo Zabaleta had brought down Riise in the box — even though it looked like the offence had taken place just outside. Petric stroked home for his third goal of the season and Fulham could easily have doubled their lead had the Croatian made more of a good pass from Rodallega midway through the half. City eventually found a way past Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer just before the break when Aguero stabbed home after David Silva’s shot was saved. Brede Hangeland and Aguero both wasted headed chances in the second half but the game looked like it was heading for a draw before Riise’s howler gifted the winning goal to Dzeko. “You can’t complain because they (City) are a world-class team,” said Fulham manager Martin Jol. “If it’s still 1-1 after 87 minutes, then you still have some hope to do something on the break. “The frustrating thing was that although they dominated possession the goals were pretty scrappy. “But when you create chances you have to punish them and we did not do that,” the Dutchman added. “All we could do was defend and that is probably not enough against a team like that.” City face Borussia Dortmund in their second Champions League group stage match on Wednesday and Mancini revealed he has no fresh injury concerns. - AFP |
| Di Matteo glad of Terry as Blues stay top Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:16 PM PDT  LONDON: Roberto di Matteo admitted he considered omitting John Terry from Premier League leaders Chelsea’s 2-1 win away to London rivals Arsenal.Terry was included in the team for Saturday’s match at the Emirates Stadium just two days after he was given a four-game ban and £220,000 fine by the Football Association for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. The punishment, which related to an incident that took place during a west London derby last October, is, however, suspended pending the conclusion of an appeal process. And di Matteo said his decision to include centre-half Terry was justified by the Chelsea captain’s performance. “I think it was the right choice to pick him today,” said di Matteo, himself a former Chelsea and Italy midfielder. “He showed leadership qualities and what a good defender he is. “I had to think about it, what was the right thing for the game today and eventually I made the selection. I speak to my players all the time and I had a conversation with John as well.” Chelsea took advantage of a poor defensive display by Arsenal to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign, with Fernando Torres and Juan Mata on target either side of Gervinho’s equaliser for Arsenal. Victory left the Blues three points clear of second-placed Everton after six games played but di Matteo insisted it was too early to start talking about the European champions’ domestic title prospects. “I haven’t spent too much time thinking about that,” he said. “I am pleased today with the way we have played away today because that gives the team a lot of confidence and belief that we can play differently. “And we have to — we have to try and improve and change our style. “We’ve had a good start and hopefully we can build on that. But we also know how much work we have to do to integrate our new players and make them understand the system that we want to play and how we play.” By contrast, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was infuriated by a defensive display that he claimed reflected badly on their own hopes for challenging for the championship and ending a trophy drought now spanning seven years. The Frenchman had suggested consecutive games against Manchester City and Chelsea would provide a test of the Gunners’ ambitions, and asked if defeat by Chelsea meant they had failed that test he replied: “Completely, yes. “We played against a good team but we gave the game away. “They had three shots on target, scored two soft goals from set-pieces and defensively we were just not at the level you have to be in a big game like that. And that’s why we were punished.” Laurent Koscielny was at fault for both Chelsea goals and Wenger — who confirmed Abou Diaby would be out for at least three weeks with a thigh strain — added: “I think we didn’t attack the ball, not on the first, not on the second ball. “The difference between Chelsea and us in the air on set-pieces was obvious. “It’s on the day, when you play at home you do not expect to concede two set-pieces, it puts us every time on the back foot. “We played two big games in a week and to come back in a big game is difficult. Every time you go behind in a big game it is a 65 percent chance you will lose the game. “We came back last week and we came back again today but gave it away right away…You have to take all the risks, you set yourself up and you play against good players who can hit you on counter-attacks and that’s where we were not on the level today (Saturday).” - AFP |
| Villas-Boas thinks big as Spurs end United jinx Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:14 PM PDT  MANCHESTER, (United Kingdom): Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas predicted “big things” from his side after a stunning 3-2 victory against Manchester United in the Premier League.Goals from Jan Vertonghen, Gareth Bale and Clint Dempsey saw Spurs to their first victory at Old Trafford in 23 years and their first win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s team in 27 attempts; a run dating back to May 2001. After a slow start to Villas-Boas’ reign at White Hart Lane, three straight league wins have taken Spurs into fifth place and seem to have turned the tide for their Portuguese manager. “We were tremendous today,” said Villas-Boas after Saturday’s thrilling success. “The players really put in the effort, the desire, the intensity from the beginning. “When you see a team with so much desire to hold onto a historic result, you can count on each other to do big things this year. That’s the most important thing, the most important lesson we take out of tonight. “The players really felt they could nick a win here and the first and second half is an expression of that desire and ambition, though in different ways. “In the first half, we attacked and kept the ball. In the second, we defended,” added Villas-Boas, still only 34. “This is a very very special night for us,” added Villas-Boas, who was sacked by Chelsea before Spurs’ London rivals won the Champions League last season. “It must serve as an example to us for what we want to achieve in the future. In the end it is just an important three points that will hopefully serve as an inspiration for the future.” Villas-Boas reserved special praise for man-of-the-match Bale, after revealing the Wales winger had only managed to train for one day in the week leading up to Saturday’s clash due to illness. “He trained only one day during the week and is still with a sore throat and fever,” said Villas-Boas. “We had problems with (Gylfi) Sigurdsson as well, who had diarrhoea and vomiting.” The defeat, United’s first home reverse of the new campaign, left them four points behind leaders Chelsea and would have caught the eye of those clubs competing to wrest the league title from Manchester City’s grasp. But the Tottenham manager does not believe his side is one of them. “Our quest is to qualify for the Champions League. It is very difficult to go for the title,” said Villas-Boas. “We understand it is a place where the great teams of this country belong. We want to win a trophy this season. We want Champions League qualification.” United manager Ferguson was left to rue at least two rejected penalty claims, with the best a clear two-handed grab by Vertonghen on Nani in the first half. However, referee Chris Foy decided the winger had made a meal of the foul — and for once Ferguson agreed with an official. “I think there were quite a few penalties,” he said. “The one in the first half was a clear penalty kick, but maybe Nani made a meal of it. He didn’t need to do that.” Ferguson brought fit-gain Wayne Rooney off the bench at half-time him and the England striker responded by setting up Nani for United’s first goal. Shinji Kagawa pulled back a second for the Red Devils, after Dempsey had made it 3-1, and Ferguson hinted strongly it had taken a blast of his infamous ‘hairdryer’ during the interval to get the desired change. “I think the attitude changed and that’s the most important thing,” said Ferguson. “Wayne’s ability does help too, but the attitude of the players was absolutely brilliant, everywhere on the pitch. “Their attitude to winning was great. They got stuck in. They started going to win the ball rather than standing off as they had in the first half. That was the main difference. “We should have dealt with it better after scoring, but there are a 100 ways to look at losing a goal. “You analyse it, but it was a bad break after getting one back. If we had kept it that way for a few minutes, I think we’d have won the match.” - AFP |
| Garcia and Donald defeat Woods and Stricker Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:12 PM PDT  CHICAGO, (Illinois): Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker 1 up in a Ryder Cup fourballs match yesterday.Donald and Garcia were both left empty handed after two games and desperate to make their respective marks, and it was the Spaniard who made the first move with an opening birdie. The Americans failed to bag a par between them at the par-three second to fall two down and the task before them became even more complicated when Garcia sunk a 15-footer for birdie at the fourth to put the Europeans 3 up. Stricker sunk his putt from 12 feet at the next to win a first hole for the Americans, but Donald stretched the lead back out to three with a short putt for birdie at the eighth. The Englishman struck again at the ninth with a short birdie putt to reach the turn at 4 up for Europe. A first birdie of the day for Woods at 10 gave some hope to the American pair, and when Stricker dropped another birdie at the 12th, the margin was back to two. Minutes later Woods almost aced the tough 13th and his ensuing birdie was enough to win the hole, but Donald birdied the next to put Europe back to 2 up. A suddenly revived Woods made it four birdies in eight holes to win the 16th leaving Europe 1 up with two holes to play. Woods hit to four feet from the pin at the par-three 17th but Donald bettered him to two feet and the hole was halved. Stricker missed an eight-footer birdie putt at the last at the last to win the hole as Donald and Garcia got away with a 1 up win. - AFP |
| Rodgers revels in Suarez treble Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:10 PM PDT  NORWICH, (United Kingdom): Brendan Rodgers hailed Luis Suarez for the hat-trick that helped Liverpool taste Premier League victory for the first time this season with a 5-2 win away to Norwich.Uruguay international Suarez had also scored three times in the same fixture last term when Kenny Dalglish was still in charge of Liverpool. On this occasion, Nuri Sahin and Steven Gerrard were the Reds’ other scorers as they savoured a first league win under Rodgers. Victory lifted Liverpool out of the bottom three and removed a great deal of the pressure that had been resting on former Swansea manager Rodgers’ shoulders before kick-off. “The quality of our play was outstanding,” Rodgers said. “I remember Luis’ goals here last year and I thought he gave another master-class in finishing, apart from the time when he was one on one and missed. “His first goal was terrific as we played through the lines and the second one typifies him as he had just missed probably his easiest chance, the one-on-one. “He didn’t get disappointed and immediately he won the ball, produced an incredible piece of skill through the defender’s legs and finished with the outside of his foot. “So it was a special day for him and a special day for the team because I thought our performance was very pleasing.” Rodgers was also convinced Suarez should have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Leon Barnett challenged him from behind. Referee Mike Jones turned down Liverpool’s appeal and Rodgers was adamant that was because Suarez has a reputation for diving, a subject he revealed he had broached with Mike Riley, the man in charge of the professional referees in England, ahead of Saturday’s kick-off at Carrow Road. “It was a stonewall penalty and I feel for the guy,” he said. “Everybody in the ground knew it was a penalty. The guy Barnett elbowed him in the head and pushed him to make sure but he still didn’t get it. There’s nothing we can do. “I know how difficult a referee’s job is — you never hear me many times, if any, killing referees. I want my players to respect referees and I have respect for them as well. “I spoke to Mike Riley in the week over my concern because it has not just happened in one game, it has been a trend. “So maybe one day we will get those decisions and in the meantime we will continue to concentrate on our performance.” This result means Norwich have yet to win in the Premier League under their own new managerial appointment, Chris Hughton. Steve Morison and captain Grant Holt, who came on at half-time, were their scorers but Liverpool were four goals ahead on both occasions. Norwich are now in the bottom three, with only Reading and Queens Park Rangers below them, and Hughton admitted his side needed to tighten up at the back or they’d continue to struggle. “You cannot afford to give them the opportunities we did,” Hughton said. “It was a day when Suarez was at his most clinical but you can’t afford to give them that amount of space to score. “We will make no excuses for today or for the points that we have. We are all still annoyed, disappointed and angry because of the goals we have conceded.” This was not the first time Norwich have been beaten soundly this term, with Hughton’s first game in charge a 5-0 defeat at Fulham. “We will strive to bounce back from this one,” he said. “We got a real good reaction after the Fulham defeat and we will look to have that again.” - AFP |
| Villas-Boas coy over Sherwood Rovers’ move Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:08 PM PDT
Steve Kean resigned as Blackburn boss on Friday, despite the side making good progress in their bid to make an immediate return to the Premier League after last term’s relegation. Reports on Saturday claimed Kean, who had endured a hate campaign from Rovers fans before and after the club’s relegation, felt his position was untenable because Blackburn’s Indian owners were attempting to influence his team selection. Sherwood, a member of Spurs’ coaching set-up for the past four years, was immediately installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Kean at Ewood Park on account of having been Blackburn’s captain when they won the Premier League title in 1995. That was despite the 43-year-old Sherwood having only recently signed a new Spurs contract. Villas-Boas, speaking after his side’s stunning 3-2 against Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday, said: “I can’t comment on the Blackburn situation because I have Steve Kean as a friend and I respect him. “But if Tim is a candidate, he has to make a personal decision and speak to the club.” In Kean’s absence, his assistant Eric Black was in charge for the 1-1 Championship draw away to London club Charlton yesterday. - AFP |
| Chelsea down Arsenal to cement top spot Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:06 PM PDT  LONDON: Chelsea remained on top of the Premier League as Juan Mata inspired them to a 2-1 win over London rivals Arsenal yesterday.Roberto di Matteo’s side are three points clear of second-place Everton, who maintained their promising form with a 3-1 home win over Southampton, but Manchester United can cut the lead to one point if they beat Tottenham in Saturday’s late game. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea captain John Terry endured taunts from Arsenal fans after this week’s Football Association verdict that he was guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match last October. But Terry had the last laugh as visitors Chelsea, unbeaten in the league this season, handed the Gunners their first league defeat of the campaign. Chelsea took the lead in the 20th minute at the Emirates Stadium when Spain striker Fernando Torres volleyed in Mata’s free-kick. Arsenal equalised in the 42nd minute when Ivory Coast forward Gervinho turned in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross. But Mata put the European champions back in front as the Spanish midfielder’s 53rd-minute curling free-kick glanced in off Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny. “It was a big challenge to play against a quality side like Arsenal,” Chelsea manager di Matteo told the BBC. “It was right to pick John Terry, he showed his leadership again today.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger slammed a poor defensive display that will raise fresh questions about whether the Gunners, without a major trophy in seven years, are genuine title contenders. “I am deeply disappointed,” the Frenchman said. “We gave two cheap goals away. It is unacceptable to give goals like that away in the big games.” Brendan Rodgers enjoyed his first Premier League win as Liverpool manager, with Luis Suarez scoring his second hat-trick in as many seasons at Carrow Road during a 5-2 win at Norwich that took the Reds out of the bottom three. Turkey international midfielder Nuri Sahin and captain Steven Gerrard were also on target for Liverpool, while Steve Morison and Grant Holt replied for the Canaries. “The team was outstanding,” said Rodgers. “I’m not surprised because in a lot of our games we have played very well and created a host of chances.” Everton remained the top team on Merseyside after Nikica Jelavic scored twice in a 3-1 home win over Southampton. Saints’ £12 million ($19.4 million) record signing Gaston Ramirez gave the visitors the lead, the Uruguayan forward scoring his first goal for the club with a header before Leon Osman equalised for Everton. Croatia striker Jelavic then made it 11 goals in 13 matches before half-time with a shot and a header. “If I had paid to watch that then I would have been pleased,” said Everton manager David Moyes. “Hopefully if we get up there then we’ll stay up there, but I don’t think Manchester United or Manchester City will be too worried about Everton right now.” Reigning champions Manchester City came from behind to win 2-1 at Fulham, with substitute Edin Dzeko scoring the winner three minutes from time, moments after being brought on by Roberto Mancini. Mladen Petric gave Fulham a 10th-minute lead from the penalty spot after Pablo Zabaleta fouled John Arne Riise before Sergio Aguero drew City level in the 43rd minute. “The guys played a really good game,” said City coach Mancini. “I was worried because we continued to play well and continued to create chances, but didn’t score (the second goal) for 87 minutes. I was pleased for Edin to score such an important goal.” Newcastle manager Alan Pardew’s first match in charge since being given a new eight-year contract ended in a 2-2 draw at his former club Reading. Demba Ba was the Magpies’ saviour, cancelling out goals from Jimmy Kebe and then Noel Hunt, although replays suggested the ball came off his hand as he claimed his second equaliser in the 83rd minute. Elsewhere, Stoke and Sunderland both recorded their first wins of the season. Peter Crouch’s first-half brace saw Stoke beat Swansea 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium, while Steven Fletcher’s fifth goal of the campaign gave Sunderland a 1-0 success at home to Wigan, who had Jordi Gomez sent off. |
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