Tuesday 18 December 2012

Lions aim to inflict more pain on Thailand



Singapore will be hoping for a repeat of the 2007 showdown when they take on Thailand in the two-legged final of the AFF Suzuki Cup on Wednesday, December 19 at the Jalan Besar Stadium and three days later at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium.

The Lions beat Thailand 3-2 (2-1, 1-1) on aggregate five years ago for their second successive title under coach Radojko Avramovic and their third overall.

They picked up their first Asean crown in 1998 when they shocked Vietnam 1-0 in their own backyard and Avramovic guided them to a 5-2 (3-1, 2-1) aggregate victory over Indonesia in the competition’s first two-legged final in 2004.

Singapore have won every final they have contested in the AFF Suzuki Cup but were humbled two years ago by their failure to qualify for the knockout stage, a 1-1 draw with the Philippines and a 1-0 defeat to hosts Vietnam doing the damage.

Unconvincing in the build-up to this year’s tournament, Singapore nonetheless started their campaign with a bang by beating titleholders, Group B hosts and arch-rivals Malaysia 3-0 on matchday one.

Thais look for record fourth title in AFF Suzuki Cup



Thailand will be bidding for a record fourth AFF Suzuki Cup crown when they face Singapore in the two-legged final on Wednesday, December 19 at the Jalan Besar Stadium and three days later at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium.

Traditional Asean football powerhouses, the Thais won the title in 1996, 2000 and 2002 but have since endured a decade-long drought deepened by losses to Singapore in the 2007 final and Vietnam the following year.

The Thais also exited the AFF Suzuki Cup at the group stage in 2004 and 2010, embarrassing flops for a team with huge potential.

Guided by the canny Winfried Schafer, Thailand have been hugely impressive in reaching their sixth final with wins over the Philippines (2-1), Myanmar (4-0) and Vietnam (3-1) in Group A action followed by a 3-1 (1-1, 2-0) aggregate victory over defending champions Malaysia in the semi-finals.

Their 12 goals included a hat-trick from the superb Teerasil Dangda in the win over Myanmar and the striker also scored in both legs of the semi-final to go top of the scoring charts.

Up close with Singapore’s final XI



While Thailand have come through this year’s AFF Suzuki Cup fairly unscathed, Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic has had to dig deep into his squad to cover for the absence of key players during the competition.
Seven players have started every game in this tournament for the Lions in their preferred 4-2-3-1 formation but Avramovic has had to contend with the loss of midfield dynamo Hariss Harun to a shin fracture and the absence of the versatile Shi Jiayi since the group stage because of a family emergency.
Five players – defenders Daniel Bennett, Shaiful Esah and Safuwan Baharuddin, midfielder Isa Halim and forward Fazrul Nawaz – were booked during the group stage and face suspension if they receive another yellow card during the first leg of the final.
As they prepare for their final clash against Thailand, www.affsuzukicup.com profiles Singapore’s likely starting XI.
Izwan Mahbud, position - goalkeeper, club – Lions XII, age - 22
Izwan Mahbud was Singapore’s third-choice goalkeeper at the last AFF Suzuki Cup in 2010 but the 22-year-old is now firmly established as the Lions’ No.1. An excellent shot-stopper with quick reflexes, Izwan reads the game well and will readily come off his line to sweep away any dangerous long balls into his box. Apart from misreading a free-kick by Andik Vermansah that resulted in a 1-0 loss to Indonesia, he has been near faultless during the tournament.
Daniel Bennett, right full-back, Singapore Armed Forces, 34
The most experienced player in the Singapore squad, Daniel Bennett has made 120 appearances for the Lions and is playing in his sixth Asean Football Championship. Able to play anywhere across the back four, Bennett may be lacking in pace against nimble attackers but his excellent positional sense makes him tough to beat.
Baihakki Khaizan, centre back, Lions XII, 28
An experienced and lanky centre-back who made his international debut as a teenager in 2003, Baihakki Khaizan has recovered well from his disappointing campaign with the Lions two years ago to become a rock at the centre of their defence. With his vocal and commanding presence at the back, Singapore have kept three clean sheets in five games in this campaign.
Safuwan Baharuddin, centre back, Lions XII, 21
Despite being one of the youngest members of the squad, Safuwan Baharuddin has started in central defence for Singapore in every match of the tournament so far. Having played alongside Baihakki Khaizan for the Lions XII in the Malaysian Super League earlier in 2012, the 21-year-old has formed a good understanding with his more senior defensive partner. Safuwan also likes to get forward and can be a handful for defenders on set-pieces in the opposition's box.

Thailand should end long title drought: Therdsak



Singapore – Thai midfield legend Therdsak Chaiman is confident that the current Thailand team have the quality to finally put their decade-long drought at the AFF Suzuki Cup behind them and lift the trophy for a record fourth time this year.

The War Elephants dominated the early years of the competition, winning three of the first four finals with Therdsak himself named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player when they claimed the 2002 title with a penalty shootout victory over Indonesia at the Gelora Bungkarno Stadium in Jakarta.

But despite reaching the finals on two occasions since then, the past 10 years have been frustrating for the Thais as they have failed to add to their tally of three championships. They were beaten in the 2007 final by Singapore, lost to Vietnam a year later and failed to even reach the semi-finals in 2004 and 2010.

But after watching Winfried Schafer’s side march impressively through to another final clash against Singapore, Therdsak believes that their long years of frustration may finally be behind them.

“We have not won the championship for 10 years but it seems like this is the right time to bring the trophy back,” said the 39-year-old to affsuzukicup.com.

“We haven’t won it since 2002 and that’s too long for our Thai fans to wait. But we have a good team this year and I think that we should finally be the champions again.

“We have some excellent players now. I think that Teerasil Dangda is one of the the region’s best strikers. He has good technique, he is very fast and he is also a good finisher. He is only 24-year-old but he already has a lot of experience playing with the national team and at the AFF Suzuki Cup so I think that has helped his performance in this year’s tournament.

“Datsakorn Thonglao is also a strong leader and a good player in midfield who can create a lot of good chances for the strikers.

Gov't to withdraw AES summons?


Recent developments may point to a mass withdrawal of traffic summonses issued using the Automated Enforcement System (AES) with cases being withdrawn from proceedings in at least two courts since yesterday.
"This actually happened from yesterday but our lawyers were not able to attend yesterday's cases," related anti-postal summons group Kase legal adviser Zulhazmi Shariff.
"But today I was told that at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court, (Road Transport Department, RTD) officers collected the AES summonses from the respondents and told them to go home. Their cases were not heard in court."
He also related how two cases he handled today as well as eight more due for hearing tomorrow and on Friday have been postponed for one month by the DPPs  concerned due to 'incomplete documentation'.
When he broached the subject of the withdrawn summonses and postponed cases with the DPPs handling these cases in the Kuala Lumpur courts, Zulhazmi ( right ) said that they were tightlipped and would only say that they had "technical problems".
Zulhazmi also said a respondent whose case was to be heard at the Putrajaya court today, had said that all respondents were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal when the DPP withdrew the case after the charge was read out in court.
He believes that the withdrawals may be connected to legal objections to the prosecution of AES cases.
On Dec 10, the PAS legal team had argued that RTD officers do not have prosecutorial powers under the Road Transport Act and can only prosecute cases with written permission by the Attorney-General for each case handled.
Zulhazmi claimed that after this objection was recorded in four courts, RTD officers stopped prosecuting AES cases, handing these to DPPs from the Attorney-General's Chambers instead.

Sydney FC Statement Regarding Alessandro Del Piero


Sydney FC Statement Regarding Alessandro Del Piero

Below is a statement from Sydney FC Chairman Scott Barlow regarding Alessandro Del Piero.
“We have always viewed Alessandro Del Piero’s time here at Sydney FC as a long term project and this was reaffirmed at our monthly board meeting early this week.

Google leaves Windows Phone users without e-mail


A PROBLEM: Google's decision to stop offering Google Sync could be a real problem for Windows Phone owners with a Gmail account. If a smartphone's built-in e-mail client is set up for a Gmail account, unless it is an Android handset, it will no longer be able to receive mail. - Reuters
A PROBLEM: Google's decision to stop offering Google Sync could be a real problem for Windows Phone owners with a Gmail account. If a smartphone's built-in e-mail client is set up for a Gmail account, unless it is an Android handset, it will no longer be able to receive mail.

Google's annual cleaning has claimed a number of features and services including Google Calendar Sync, Punchd and Google Sync for Nokia, which should have little impact on the vast majority of the world's Internet - and therefore Google - users. However, the company's decision to stop offering Google Sync could be a real problem for Windows Phone owners with a Gmail account.
Google Sync or Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) protocol is what pushes mail to mobile platforms; therefore if a smartphone's built-in e-mail client is set up for a Gmail account, unless it is an Android handset, it will no longer be able to receive mail.

Malaysia Airlines buying 36 new turboprop aircraft


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is expanding its fleet of turboprop aircraft with the purchase of 36 new planes.
MAS said on Tuesday that of the 36 planes, 16 would be for MASwings and 20 would be allocated to Firefly. MASwings, which is Malaysia's first commuter airline, focuses on Sarawak and Sabah and provides connections within the two states.

NASA crashes two probes into a mountain on the moon


CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - A pair of NASA moon-mapping probes smashed themselves into a lunar mountain on Monday, ending a year-long mission that is shedding light on how the solar system formed.
An artist's depiction shows the twin spacecraft (Ebb and Flow) that comprise NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT/Handout
An artist's depiction shows the twin spacecraft (Ebb and Flow) that comprise NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. 

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft had been flying around the moon, enabling scientists to make detailed gravity maps. The probes sped up slightly as they encountered stronger gravity from denser regions and slowed down as they flew over less-dense areas.
By precisely measuring the distance between the two probes, scientists discovered that the moon's crust is thinner than expected and that the impacts that battered its surface did even more damage underground.
Out of fuel and edging closer to the lunar surface, the probes were commanded to smash themselves into a mountain near the moon's north pole, avoiding a chance encounter with any Apollo or other relics left on the surface during previous expeditions.
"We do feel the angst about the end of the mission," said Charles Elachi, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which oversaw the mission. "On the other hand, it is a celebration because this mission has accomplished tremendous science."

Iran says it, world powers must end nuclear stalemate


DUBAI - Iran's foreign minister said on Monday a way must be found to end the deadlock with major powers over the country's nuclear programme, an Iranian news agency reported, but he offered no new initiative on how to achieve this.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi attends a news conference after a meeting regarding the Syrian crisis, in Cairo September 17, 2012. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi attends a news conference after a meeting regarding the Syrian crisis, in Cairo September 17, 2012. 

Ali Akbar Salehi's comments came ahead of an expected resumption of diplomacy, perhaps next month, aimed at preventing the decade-old nuclear dispute from degenerating into a Middle East war that could damage an already fragile world economy.
Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed power, has threatened military action to prevent its arch-enemy from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies any such goal and says it would hit back hard if attacked.
"The two sides (Iran and world powers) have reached a conclusion that they must exit the current stalemate," Salehi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency.
The West suspects Iran is trying to develop the means to build atomic bombs under the cover of a declared civilian nuclear energy programme. The Islamic Republic says it is enriching uranium as fuel for civilian energy, not bombs.
Iran and the six powers - the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain and Germany - have expressed readiness to revive efforts to find a negotiated solution. But Salehi said he did not know when the next meeting would be held.
The powers, known as P5+1, said last week they hoped soon to agree with Iran on when and where to meet. There have been suggestions it could happen this month, though January now seems more likely, Western officials say.
In Washington, the State Department said Iran had been presented with a specific offer of a date and venue for the next talks but had yet to respond.
"We are continuing to maintain contacts with the Iranians. We did make an offer with regard to venue and timing for another round but we have yet to hear from the Iranians on this," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
"Really the ball is in the Iranians' court. If they want to come back to the table we are ready to do that, but we want to see them be serious," Nuland told a news briefing.
Analysts and diplomats believe there is a window of opportunity for a new diplomatic initiative with Iran after last month's re-election of U.S. President Barack Obama.
The powers want Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment programme and cooperate fully with U.N. nuclear inspectors.

Fiji hammered by severe cyclone, no deaths reported


More than 8,000 people, including foreign tourists, were evacuated to emergency shelters as Fiji was battered by a severe tropical cyclone, with winds topping 230kmh (140 mph) and floods damaging homes and resorts.
There were no reports of casualties as Tropical Cyclone Evan roared over the Pacific island nation on Monday, uprooting palm trees, tearing roofs off buildings and blowing down power lines.
Strong waves caused by Cyclone Evan wash a beach in Queen Elizabeth Drive, in Suva in this handout picture taken December 17, 2012. REUTERS/Fiji Ministry of Information/Handout
Strong waves caused by Cyclone Evan wash a beach in Queen Elizabeth Drive, in Suva in this handout picture taken December 17, 2012. 

A category four storm, the second highest level, when it hit Fiji, Evan had weakened and moved about 160km (100 miles) south of the main island of Viti Levu by Tuesday morning, the Fiji Metrological Service said. The storm was forecast to weaken further as it headed into cooler southern waters.

Insight - Afghans turn to AK-47, fearing Taliban return or civil war


KABUL - Afghan father-of-four Mohammad Nasir has a secret he's been keeping from his family.
The aid worker pulls a television bench out from the living-room wall of his Kabul home. Behind it is a carved out shelf, hiding what he hopes will keep loved ones safe when Western troops withdraw by the end of 2014 -- an AK-47 assault rifle.
Arms purchases are soaring in Afghanistan, along with the price of weapons, a sign that many Afghans fear a return of the Taliban, civil war or rising lawlessness.
An assault rifle cost $400 a year ago. Today, some arms dealers are selling them for triple the price.
And it's not just ordinary Afghans who are buying. Warlords who control militias, and former anti-Soviet mujahideen fighters are also boosting the trade.
"Whenever you turn on the TV or radio, the discussion is 2014. I'm not feeling safe now, it's become like doomsday for Afghans," said Nasir, 48, storing the polished second-hand rifle and slamming the TV unit back against the wall.
"People are saying security will collapse, or soldiers will join warlords or the Taliban, so we need something to protect our families when there's a crisis."
The brisk arms business is complicating the government's efforts to pacify a country where the Taliban can strike virtually anywhere, ethnic tensions can easily ignite violence, and warlords are constantly jockeying for influence.
Afghanistan wants to project an image of stability ahead of 2014, a critical year when presidential elections will be held and the 350,000 Afghan security force will take over security.
Any upheaval could also encourage regional powers like Iran and Pakistan to try and gain influence before the Afghan endgame, a widespread fear among officials and ordinary Afghans.
President Hamid Karzai calls the talk of chaos, Western media "propaganda", and says Afghan security forces have made great progress.
But for many Afghans, the threat of a descent into chaos is real so a growing number are investing in weapons, despite exorbitant costs. The average Afghan family earns only about $200 a month.
FEAR OF 2014 BATTLEFIELDS
Reuters spoke to buyers and sellers of illegal arms in five provinces and each cited the foreign troop withdrawal as the main driver of the underground trade.
"More people are buying weapons now, some to protect themselves from kidnappers and robbers and others in anticipation of things getting worse," said a Kabul resident in his fruit shop, where a verse from the Koran on the wall calls for God to guide Muslims on a straight path.
He bought a handgun illegally for $500, a model his dealer says now fetches $1,000.
"If the situation changes in 2014 this area will once again become a battlefield between former warlords who are still powerful," he said.
The government has highlighted 2014 as a year to invest in Afghanistan, which has relied on foreign aid for its economic lifeline, and take advantage of its cheap labour and land leases. Last month it held a televised conference promoting the country's natural resources and its industrial potential.
In the 10 years following 2014, the government hopes revenues from oil, natural gas, iron, copper and other mining ventures will generate $4 billion in annual revenue.
But in the north, which is home to untapped oil and gas resources, warlords and their supporters are now re-arming for fear militants may seize power again, say residents.
Afghanistan's largest foreign investment project, the Aynak copper deposit in Logar province, lies in one of the country's most dangerous regions just south of the capital, Kabul.
Rocket attacks this year saw its Chinese workers temporarily flee the project, which is run by China Metallurgical Group (MCC) and Jiangxi Copper.
AK-47: A LEGACY OF WAR
Afghanistan has seen little peace in three decades. The American-backed mujahideen drove out the Russians in 1989 after 10 years of occupation, but American interest faded quickly.

Mexico's new president outlines nuanced fight against violence


MEXICO CITY - Mexico's new president on Monday unveiled his strategy to curb drug-related violence that blighted the rule of his predecessor, announcing special units to combat kidnapping and extortion and promising to focus more on crime prevention.
Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto delivers a speech during the II Extraodinary Session of the National Council of Public Security in Mexico City December 17, 2012. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo
Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto delivers a speech during the II Extraodinary Session of the National Council of Public Security in Mexico City December 17, 2012. 

Enrique Pena Nieto took office on December 1 pledging to restore stability to Mexico, which has been battered by brutal turf wars between drug cartels and their clashes with security forces.
More than 60,000 people died in the bloodletting under former president Felipe Calderon, who became embroiled in an escalating drug war after he sent in the army to bring hot spots to heel upon taking office in late 2006.
Instead of easing, though, the killings rose.
Pena Nieto, 46, said Mexico's struggle over the last six years showed a multipronged approach is needed to get violence off the streets of Latin America's No. 2 economy.
"We're going to plan policy and the institutional changes over the medium and long term, and also every specific decision and operation," the president told a news conference. "Security and justice policy is not going to be focused on reacting."
Pena Nieto said the military would continue to patrol Mexico's streets until a new militarized police, known as a national gendarmerie, was ready to take over.

Syrian rebels take control of Damascus Palestinian camp


BEIRUT - Syrian rebels took full control of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp on Monday after fighting raged for days in the district on the southern edge of President Bashar al-Assad's Damascus powerbase, rebel and Palestinian sources said.
A Free Syrian Army fighter poses as he burns a Syrian flag in Ouwayjah village in Aleppo December 17, 2012. REUTERS/Zain Karam
A Free Syrian Army fighter poses as he burns a Syrian flag in Ouwayjah village in Aleppo December 17, 2012. 

The battle had pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). Many PFLP-GC fighters defected to the rebel side and their leader Ahmed Jibril left the camp two days ago, rebel sources said.
"All of the camp is under the control of the (rebel) Free Syrian Army," said a Palestinian activist in Yarmouk. He said clashes had stopped and the remaining PFLP fighters retreated to join Assad's forces massed on the northern edge of the camp.
The battle in Yarmouk is one of a series of conflicts on the southern fringes of Assad's capital, as rebels try to choke the power of the 47-year-old leader after a 21-month-old uprising in which 40,000 people have been killed.
Government forces have used jets and artillery to try to dislodge the fighters but the violence has crept into the heart of the city and activists say rebels overran three army stations in a new offensive in the central province of Hama on Monday.
On the border with Lebanon, hundreds of Palestinian families fled across the frontier following the weekend violence in Yarmouk, a Reuters witness said.
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, most living in Yarmouk, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.
Both Assad's government and the mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels have enlisted and armed divided Palestinian factions as the uprising has developed into a civil war.
"NEITHER SIDE CAN WIN"
Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said in a newspaper interview published on Monday that neither Assad's forces nor rebels seeking to overthrow him can win the war.

Japan's Abe to pick LDP veteran Aso as finance minister - media


TOKYO - Japan's next Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will offer the finance minister's job to Taro Aso, media said, a veteran lawmaker and former prime minister expected to toe the party line calling for aggressive monetary easing and a public works splurge.
Taro Aso, then Japanese Prime Minister, looks on during a bilateral meeting in Rome in this July 7, 2009 file photo. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico
Taro Aso, then Japanese Prime Minister, looks on during a bilateral meeting in Rome in this July 7, 2009 file photo. 

Asahi and Mainichi newspapers reported on Tuesday Aso would get the finance post while Yomiuri said Aso, 72, was also being considered as a possible foreign minister.
Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its small ally New Komeito captured a two-thirds majority in Sunday's landslide, will announce his cabinet line-up on December 26.
The choice of Aso suggests that Abe is looking to LDP veterans to fill important positions to avoid criticism that his ministers lack experience, a recurring complaint about cabinets of the Democratic Party of Japan that trounced the LDP in 2009, only to suffer a crushing defeat three years later.
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