Academy reject Pilkington punishes Manchester United

 

United went into the match without England striker Wayne Rooney, who was ill, and could not continue a remarkable run of come-from-behind victories.

"They deserved the win just because they worked so hard for it," Ferguson said.

"The players are used to making comebacks and we're always a threat in the last minutes of matches. We had a lot of half-chances but it just wasn't our night."

Manchester City face an early European exit if Wednesday's home clash with Real Madrid ends in anything but victory, but the EPL champions picked up a morale-boosting win as Argentine forwards Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez scored twice each against a Villa side who dropped into the relegation zone.

David Silva opened the scoring before halftime, while Tevez and Aguero both netted from the penalty spot once as City remained the only unbeaten team in the division.

"For us it is very important we start to play well and in the last two games we have scored six goals with our strikers," said manager Roberto Mancini. "I think we have been missing their goals."

Third-placed Chelsea's title hopes continued to fade with a 2-1 defeat at this season's surprise team, West Bromwich Albion.

Roberto di Matteo's side have now failed to win in four league games, and this setback came in the Italian's first return to the club that sacked him in 2009.

Chelsea's defeat at the same ground in March ended the reign of manager Andre Villas-Boas, and his assistant Di Matteo stepped up to take charge and preside over a historic first Champions League title.

The London club's chances of progressing to the last 16 of this season's European competition could hinge on getting a result from Tuesday's trip to Juventus in the penultimate match of the group stage.

West Brom moved up to fourth to continue the fine start made by new manager Steve Clarke, who spent four years at Chelsea as assistant manager to first Jose Mourinho and then Avram Grant.

Chelsea, missing injured captain John Terry, went behind to Shane Long's 10th-minute header but midfielder Eden Hazard leveled six minutes before halftime.

However, Nigeria forward Peter Odemwingie nodded the home team ahead just five minutes after the break from a cross by Ireland striker Long as West Brom held on for a sixth win from seven at the Hawthorns.

Everton dropped to fifth after a 2-1 defeat at Reading that lifted the promoted team out of the bottom three on goal difference.

Striker Adam Le Fondre scored both goals in Reading's first top-flight win since May 2008, after Everton led through Scotland forward Steven Naismith.

Everton went into the match without influential veteran Phil Neville, who has been ruled out for up to two months following knee surgery.

Arsenal closed on the top four with a dramatic 5-2 north London derby win against Tottenham, who had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off after giving the visitors the lead against his former club.

The Togo striker netted his first goal for Spurs this season from close range but then saw red after a two-footed lunge on Santi Cazorla.

Arsenal took full advantage as defender Per Mertesacker headed in, fellow German Lukas Podolski scrambled a second and France forward Olivier Giroud also scored before halftime.

Spain midfielder Cazorla made it 4-1 before Gareth Bale reduced the deficit but England international Theo Walcott boosted his hopes of a new contract as he ensured a repeat of last season's scoreline.

Spurs dropped to eighth, two points behind their rivals and one behind seventh-placed West Ham -- who host Stoke on Monday.

Swansea claimed 10th place with a 2-1 win over Newcastle, who went into the match threatening legal action against Senegal's national federation after Papiss Cisse was refused permission to play.

The striker did not travel to Niger for a midweek friendly due to a back injury, so Senegal invoked FIFA's five-day rule that stops players from missing internationals and returning immediately to play for their clubs.

"I love playing for my country and would only withdraw from a squad -- for either a friendly or competitive game -- for a genuine reason," Cisse said.

"I am fully supportive of the position my club has adopted in this matter and am sorry that the Federation seem to doubt my honesty and integrity. I will now consider if I wish to continue to captain my country."

Spanish striker Michu and Canadian Jonathan de Guzman put Swansea ahead before a late consolation from Cisse's compatriot Demba Ba -- the forward's eighth league goal this season.

Liverpool moved up to 11th with a 3-0 win over Wigan as Luis Suarez continued his goalscoring run -- and again ran into controversy.

The Uruguay striker netted a double to move to the top of the EPL charts with 10, but was accused by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez of stamping on David Jones.

"The first finish is probably the real clinical one and a sign of a top player," Martinez said.

"He was very fortunate because it was a stamp which the referee didn't see, and that wasn't the sign of a top player."

Queens Park Rangers lost 3-1 at home to second-bottom Southampton, leaving Mark Hughes' team four points adrift at the foot of the table as the Welshman battles to save his job.

Anthony Pilkington was rejected by Manchester United as a youth player, and Alex Ferguson claims he doesn't even remember the player's time at Old Trafford.

But the 24-year-old made a point to the veteran manager on Saturday, scoring the only goal as his Norwich team knocked United off the top of the English Premier League.

Norwich's 1-0 home win left United a point behind rivals Manchester City, who earlier thrashed Aston Villa 5-0.

"We've been a bit more ruthless and we're putting our chances away; maybe we could have had another one at the end to make it a bit more comfortable," said Pilkington, whose 60th-minute header inflicted United's third league defeat in 12 matches and lifted Norwich up to 13th.

"It's a great day for Norwich and it's a massive win for us. We've been performing well over the last couple of weeks and we showed today that we could beat the team that is probably the best in the league."

United went into the match without England striker Wayne Rooney, who was ill, and could not continue a remarkable run of come-from-behind victories.

"They deserved the win just because they worked so hard for it," Ferguson said.

"The players are used to making comebacks and we're always a threat in the last minutes of matches. We had a lot of half-chances but it just wasn't our night."

Manchester City face an early European exit if Wednesday's home clash with Real Madrid ends in anything but victory, but the EPL champions picked up a morale-boosting win as Argentine forwards Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez scored twice each against a Villa side who dropped into the relegation zone.

David Silva opened the scoring before halftime, while Tevez and Aguero both netted from the penalty spot once as City remained the only unbeaten team in the division.

"For us it is very important we start to play well and in the last two games we have scored six goals with our strikers," said manager Roberto Mancini. "I think we have been missing their goals."

Third-placed Chelsea's title hopes continued to fade with a 2-1 defeat at this season's surprise team, West Bromwich Albion.

Roberto di Matteo's side have now failed to win in four league games, and this setback came in the Italian's first return to the club that sacked him in 2009.

Chelsea's defeat at the same ground in March ended the reign of manager Andre Villas-Boas, and his assistant Di Matteo stepped up to take charge and preside over a historic first Champions League title.

The London club's chances of progressing to the last 16 of this season's European competition could hinge on getting a result from Tuesday's trip to Juventus in the penultimate match of the group stage.

West Brom moved up to fourth to continue the fine start made by new manager Steve Clarke, who spent four years at Chelsea as assistant manager to first Jose Mourinho and then Avram Grant.

Chelsea, missing injured captain John Terry, went behind to Shane Long's 10th-minute header but midfielder Eden Hazard leveled six minutes before halftime.

However, Nigeria forward Peter Odemwingie nodded the home team ahead just five minutes after the break from a cross by Ireland striker Long as West Brom held on for a sixth win from seven at the Hawthorns.

Everton dropped to fifth after a 2-1 defeat at Reading that lifted the promoted team out of the bottom three on goal difference.

Striker Adam Le Fondre scored both goals in Reading's first top-flight win since May 2008, after Everton led through Scotland forward Steven Naismith.

Everton went into the match without influential veteran Phil Neville, who has been ruled out for up to two months following knee surgery.

Arsenal closed on the top four with a dramatic 5-2 north London derby win against Tottenham, who had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off after giving the visitors the lead against his former club.

The Togo striker netted his first goal for Spurs this season from close range but then saw red after a two-footed lunge on Santi Cazorla.

Arsenal took full advantage as defender Per Mertesacker headed in, fellow German Lukas Podolski scrambled a second and France forward Olivier Giroud also scored before halftime.

Spain midfielder Cazorla made it 4-1 before Gareth Bale reduced the deficit but England international Theo Walcott boosted his hopes of a new contract as he ensured a repeat of last season's scoreline.

Spurs dropped to eighth, two points behind their rivals and one behind seventh-placed West Ham -- who host Stoke on Monday.

Swansea claimed 10th place with a 2-1 win over Newcastle, who went into the match threatening legal action against Senegal's national federation after Papiss Cisse was refused permission to play.

The striker did not travel to Niger for a midweek friendly due to a back injury, so Senegal invoked FIFA's five-day rule that stops players from missing internationals and returning immediately to play for their clubs.

"I love playing for my country and would only withdraw from a squad -- for either a friendly or competitive game -- for a genuine reason," Cisse said.

"I am fully supportive of the position my club has adopted in this matter and am sorry that the Federation seem to doubt my honesty and integrity. I will now consider if I wish to continue to captain my country."

Spanish striker Michu and Canadian Jonathan de Guzman put Swansea ahead before a late consolation from Cisse's compatriot Demba Ba -- the forward's eighth league goal this season.

Liverpool moved up to 11th with a 3-0 win over Wigan as Luis Suarez continued his goalscoring run -- and again ran into controversy.

The Uruguay striker netted a double to move to the top of the EPL charts with 10, but was accused by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez of stamping on David Jones.

"The first finish is probably the real clinical one and a sign of a top player," Martinez said.

"He was very fortunate because it was a stamp which the referee didn't see, and that wasn't the sign of a top player."

Queens Park Rangers lost 3-1 at home to second-bottom Southampton, leaving Mark Hughes' team four points adrift at the foot of the table as the Welshman battles to save his job.

Japan dissolves lower house of parliament, sets stage for election

Tokyo - Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan dissolved the lower house of the country's parliament on Friday, setting the stage for a general election next month that is expected to bring losses to his party.

The decision, made under pressure from the main opposition Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), is likely to prove unpopular with some members of Noda's own party, the Democratic Party, which has been in power for a little over three years.

And it may cost him his job.

In office since September 2011, Noda is a the latest in a string of politically fragile Japanese leaders. He is the sixth prime minister in the six years since the departure of Junichiro Koizumi, who was in power for more than five years.

Approval ratings for Noda and his cabinet have sagged deeply in the polls, as Japan has failed to haul itself out of the economic morass in which it has stagnated for the past two decades. Many members of his party fear losing their seats in an election.

But with the Japanese government heading toward a financial crunch, Noda agreed earlier this week to dissolve the lower house of parliament if the LDP gave its support to key legislation, including a vital bill that enables the government to keep financing itself. That bill was passed Friday by the upper house, where the opposition holds sway.

Shadow of former president looms over China's new leaders

Hong Kong - When the new names of China's elite political committee were announced Thursday they didn't come as a surprise to one leading China expert. Rather, they reinforced the sense of "a major opportunity lost."

"This Party congress has sent a very clear signal that this leadership is politically conservative," said Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution, who predicted that the lineup wouldn't go down well with the Chinese people who he said were looking for signs of political reform.

"You can imagine the Chinese public may start to express some dissatisfaction with the dominance of princelings (sons of revolutionary leaders), with the elder and retired top leader Jiang Zemin's interference in the process of succession, and also that two liberal leaders Li Yuanchao and Wang Yang are excluded in the new Politburo Standing Committee (PSC)," he said.

As expected, the number of seats on the PSC shrank from nine members to seven and included the names at the top of many speculative lists: Xi Jinping (President), Li Keqiang (Premier), Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.

Obama Asia trip includes landmark visit to Myanmar

President Obama is on his way to making history this weekend with a trip to Asia that includes a stop in Myanmar -- a first for any American president.

Obama's three-day journey to the region also means visits to Thailand and Cambodia, where he will attend the East Asia Summit.

In Myanmar, also known as Burma, Obama will "speak to civil society to encourage Burma's ongoing democratic transition," according to the White House. He will meet with President Thein Sein and activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

U.S. lifts Myanmar import ban ahead of Obama visit

Global storm clouds

The trip comes as Myanmar's new reformist president has created a opening for further democracy there.

Under Thein Sein, the Myanmar government has released hundreds of political prisoners in the past year, part of a series of reforms that have followed decades of repressive military rule. Western governments have responded to the efforts by starting to ease sanctions put in place to pressure the military regime.

Myanmar authorities have also engaged in peace talks with rebel ethnic groups and allowed Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, to successfully participate in special elections for the national parliament in April.

"I think the president's message when he goes is going to be one of welcoming the progress that has taken place, noting the truly historic developments that we've seen over the course of the last year, but also underscoring that more work needs to be done to insure a full transition to civilian rule to ensure a full transition to democracy, and to bring about national reconciliation," said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.

New dangers in familiar Gaza violence

Confrontation between Israel and Hamas is an old movie. But the grim version playing out now -- with Hamas rockets, particularly use of a long range Fajr 5, aimed at Tel Aviv , Israeli airstrikes and the killing of a top Hamas official -- contains new and disturbing scenes. That said, there is reason to hope this won't turn into a complete disaster film. And Egypt may well be the key.

The last time Israel and Hamas tangled, in 2008 and 2009, the result was mayhem that left as many as 1,400 Palestinians dead, saw Israelis terrified and living in shelters, and destroyed large areas of Gaza. With diametrically opposed strategies and political goals, Hamas and Israel are fights waiting to happen.

But the current conflict contains several new and dangerous aspects likely to be with us for some time to come.

Egyptian intel chief working to forge cease-fire

Near the Israel-Gaza border - Egypt's intelligence chief is spearheading talks with Hamas and Israel to forge a stop to the five days of warring that has engulfed Gaza and the Jewish state and head off an Israeli ground offensive into the besieged Palestinian territory.

Mohammed Shehata contacted Israel and requested that it "calm down" the situation, a general with Egyptian intelligence told CNN. He is trying to persuade both sides to reach a cease-fire, and negotiations are still ongoing with no clear conclusion yet, said the general, who asked not to be named.

The Palestinian Information Center, a Hamas-run media outlet, said Shehata met with Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal on Saturday in an attempt "to calm the situation and stop the Zionist assault on Gaza."

Meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Meshaal's delegation passed along conditions for a process that would ease the situation and reach an agreement.

Iron Dome: Missile defense system a game changer, Israelis say

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system is figuring prominently in the unfolding aerial conflict with Hamas' military wing in Gaza.

Iron Dome is being credited with protecting Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities by blocking some of the rockets fired from Gaza.

Over the past three days, 737 rockets from Gaza were fired upon Israel: 492 landed, but 245 were intercepted by the system, Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.

Egypt: Treaty with Israel 'not at all' in jeopardy

Amid concerns about its decades-long peace treaty with Israel, a top Egyptian cabinet official said on Thursday that the pact was “not at all” in jeopardy.
Egypt yesterday recalled its ambassador to Israel in response to Israel’s targeted killing of a Hamas military commander in Gaza – an attack that President Mohamed Morsy called an “unacceptable” aggression.
“We are abiding by our legal obligations but we are active to help establishing real peace in the area,” Mohamed Refa'a al-Tahtawi, the chief of the Egyptian presidential cabinet, told CNN’s Hala Gorani. 
Rockets strike Israel, Gaza amid fears of ground war
“We cannot be indifferent human sufferings,” he said. “Respecting a peace treaty does not mean to stay idle or indifferent to what is going on along our borders.”
Tahtawi will accompany Egypt’s prime minister, Hesham Kandil, on a trip to Gaza on Friday. He said he hoped that, if nothing else, the visit would “stop the escalation at least for some time.”
Israel and Hamas in Gaza have exchanged rocket fire for the past several days, with casualties on both sides.
Responding to criticism over the Gaza strike, Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor told Gorani that Israel made the right decision in killing the Hamas commander, Ahmed al-Jabari.
“The world is a better and a safer place without him running around,” Prosor said, “and we will be able to achieve better understanding between people when these people are out of the way.”
Tahtawi called the Israel’s attack a “miscalculation,” and told Gorani that he said as much to the Israeli government.
“I warned our Israeli partners that if [they] continue along the path of escalation and violence this would backfire and they would be the first losers,” Tahtawi said.
Israel has no interest in escalation, Prosor told Gorani, but would not stand for living under constant threat from Hamas.  Prosor said he helped oversee Israel's leaving Gaza in 2005 and hoped he would never have to look back.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that if rockets fall on your head, you are allowed to defend yourself,” he said. “This is what Israel is doing.”
Egypt has positioned itself as a mediator of the conflict, and Tahtawi said his government was working with both Israel and Hamas to prevent escalation.
“It is in the interest of everybody to restore just peace,” he said.
Ambassador Prosor, while expressing a desire for peace, was resolute in his view of the Gaza’s leadership.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “you won’t be able to achieve peace if you have terrorists like Hamas ruling the game.”

A Europe of Solidarity, Not Only Discipline

Originally, the European Union was what psychologists call a “fantastic object,” a desirable goal that inspires people’s imaginations. I saw it as the embodiment of an open society – an association of nation-states that gave up part of their sovereignty for the common good and formed a union dominated by no one nation or nationality.
The euro crisis, however, has turned the EU into something radically different. Member countries are now divided into two classes – creditors and debtors – with the creditors in charge. As the largest and most creditworthy country, Germany occupies a dominant position. Debtor countries pay substantial risk premiums to finance their debt, which is reflected in their high economy-wide borrowing costs. This has pushed them into a deflationary tailspin and put them at a substantial – and potentially permanent – competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis creditor countries.
This outcome does not reflect a deliberate plan, but rather a series of policy mistakes. Germany did not seek to occupy a dominant position in Europe, and it is reluctant to accept the obligations and liabilities that such a position entails. Call this the tragedy of the European Union.
Recent developments seem to offer grounds
for optimism. The authorities are taking steps to correct their mistakes, especially with the decision to form a banking union and the outright monetary transactions program, which would allow unlimited intervention by the European Central Bank in the sovereign-bond market. Financial markets have been reassured that the euro is here to stay. That could be a turning point, provided it is adequately reinforced with additional steps toward greater integration.
Unfortunately, the EU’s unfolding tragedy characteristically feeds on such glimmers of hope. Germany remains willing to do the minimum – and nothing more – to hold the euro together, and the EU’s recent steps have merely reinforced German resistance to further concessions. This will perpetuate the division between creditor and debtor countries.
A widening gap in economic performance and political dominance is such a dismal prospect for the EU that it must not be allowed to become permanent. There must be a way to prevent it – after all, history is not predetermined. The EU, originally conceived as an instrument of solidarity, is today held together by grim necessity. That is not conducive to a harmonious partnership. The only way to reverse the trend is to recapture the spirit of solidarity that animated the European project from the start.
To that end, I recently established an Open Society Initiative for Europe (OSIFE). In doing so, I recognized that the best place to start would be where current policies have created the greatest human suffering: Greece. The people who are suffering are not those who abused the system and caused the crisis. The fate of the many migrant and asylum seekers caught in Greece is particularly heart-rending. But their plight cannot be separated from that of the Greeks themselves. An initiative confined to migrants would merely reinforce the growing xenophobia and extremism in Greece.
I could not figure out how to approach this seemingly intractable problem until I recently visited Stockholm to commemorate the centenary of Raoul Wallenberg’s birth. This reawakened my memories of World War II – the calamity that eventually gave birth to the EU.
Wallenberg was a hero who saved the lives of many Jews in my home city of Budapest by establishing Swedish safe houses. During the German occupation, my father was also a heroic figure. He helped to save his family and friends and many others. He taught me to confront harsh reality rather than to submit to it passively. That is what gave me the idea.
We could set up solidarity houses in Greece, which would serve as community centers for the local population and also provide food and shelter to migrants. There are already many soup kitchens and civil-society efforts to help the migrants, but these initiatives cannot cope with the scale of the problem. What I have in mind is to reinforce these efforts.
The EU’s asylum policy has broken down. Refugees must register in the member country where they enter, but the Greek government cannot process the cases. Some 60,000 refugees who sought to register have been put into detention facilities where conditions are inhumane. Migrants who do not register and live on the street are attacked by the hooligans of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party.
Sweden has made migration and asylum policy a high priority, while Norway is concerned about the fate of migrants in Greece. So both countries would be prime candidates to support solidarity houses. And other better-off countries could join them. OSIFE is ready to provide support for this initiative, and I hope other foundations will be eager to do the same. But this has to be a European project – one that eventually must find its way into the European budget.
Currently, Golden Dawn is making political headway by providing social services to Greeks while attacking migrants. The initiative that I propose would offer a positive alternative, based on solidarity – the solidarity of Europeans with Greeks and of Greeks with migrants. It would provide a practical demonstration of the spirit that ought to infuse the entire EU.
As soon as possible, I will dispatch an OSIFE needs-assessment team to Greece to contact the authorities – and the people and organizations already helping the needy – to work out a plan for which we can generate public support. My goal is to revive the idea of the EU as an instrument of solidarity, not only of discipline.

Africa: Africa’s Big Boom

Africa is undergoing a period of unprecedented economic growth. According to The Economist, six of the ten fastest-growing countries in 2011 were in Africa. Average external debt on the continent has fallen from 63% of GDP in 2000 to 22.2% this year, while average inflation now stands at 8%, down from 15% in 2000. This positive trend is likely to persist, given that it is based on structural geographic and demographic factors, such as rising exports, improved trade conditions, and steadily increasing domestic consumption.
But Africa’s national governments still face significant challenges, given the wide variety of factors at play in each country. Economic characteristics vary significantly by country, depending on, for example, whether a fixed or floating foreign exchange regime is in place, and which natural resources the country controls.
As a result, prospects also differ by country. Although the average annual GDP growth rate for the entire continent has been forecast at roughly 6% in 2012, South Africa’s economy is expected to grow by only 3.6%, while Côte d’Ivoire is expected to grow at a rate of 8.5%. In order to tailor national economic policy effectively, policymakers must identify the drivers of – and barriers to – growth in each country.
Africa’s growth potential has caught the attention of foreign investors, who have contributed to a rapid increase in capital expenditure. In 2008-2011, sub-Saharan Africa received on average 4.4% of all funds invested in developing countries worldwide, and 3.1% of investment spending. In fact, foreign direct investment in Africa has been on the rise since the early 2000’s, increasing fivefold in 2000-2010. But foreign investors remain aware of the challenges faced by certain countries. For example, much of the Horn of Africa (particularly Somalia), Mali, and Guinea Bissau carry significant political risk.
Nevertheless, many economic indicators suggest that the bullish trend is sustainable, and that the conditions needed to change Africa’s image and international trade position are finally in place. In 2011, 67% of potential investors interviewed said that they considered Africa attractive, while half of them planned to invest in sub-Saharan Africa before 2013. And a growing number of large corporations count Africa among their primary strategic targets for business development.
The growth of small and medium-size enterprises will be a key factor in coping with the risks associated with rapid economic expansion. In fact, SMEs already play a crucial role in African economies, involved as they are in all sectors of rural and urban economies.
SMEs are open to innovation, technology transfer, and industrialization. They are ideally positioned to make an impact locally, given their willingness to adopt positive environmental and governance practices and their ability to improve living conditions by creating permanent jobs.
African SMEs also point the way to dynamic, sustainable, and fair growth. They have demonstrated a genuine capacity to withstand the effects of crisis, owing to their flexible capital base and limited involvement in the international financial system.
And yet, despite their potential, African SMEs are subject to significant internal and external pressures, including poor infrastructure, high labor costs, deficient governance, and a dearth of skilled workers. Above all, they lack access to long-term finance.
Large enterprises can secure financing from banks and other institutional lenders. And microfinance institutions can help finance small enterprises. But the needs of growing medium-size enterprises cannot be met by microfinance institutions. As a result, medium-size enterprises are the missing link – known as “the missing middle” – in many African countries’ economies.
Indeed, Africa’s SMEs are often unable to secure long-term financing. High information and transaction costs contribute to the perception that investing in SMEs is complicated and expensive.
Often young and under-capitalized, these smaller enterprises appear riskier because they are usually found in poorly regulated markets characterized by an uncertain political or economic environment. This supports the view that investments in SMEs take as much – if not more – time to return a profit than less risky investments with a wider scope.
But, in recent years, many African governments have worked to reduce administrative and legal obstacles for SMEs. In 2000-2010, the average time needed to register property rights was reduced from 120 days to 65. The time needed to obtain an export license fell from an average of 230 days in 2005 to 212 days in 2010. And, over the same period, the time needed to enforce a contract was reduced by nearly a month.
African governments know that SMEs help to create new production channels for domestic markets, thereby generating significant added value. A larger domestic market encourages diversification of the national economy, reducing dependence on exports of natural resources and, in turn, exposure to global price fluctuations. This makes economies significantly less vulnerable to external shocks.
African countries’ drive toward domestic development has been accompanied by accelerating regional integration. Rather than allowing Europe and North America to continue to dominate their economic development, sub-Saharan African countries are increasingly pursuing partnerships with their neighbors.
As a result, roughly 15% of sub-Saharan African trade is intra-regional, up from only 7% in 1990. In 2010, South Africa alone accounted for 4% of sub-Saharan imports and 6% of exports. Remarkably, this reflects the emergence of new trade flows, not simply the redirection of existing ones.
Africa’s shift toward regional integration encourages competitiveness by distributing more effectively production factors – such as inputs and equipment – and by allowing greater labor mobility. But it still has a long way to go.
African governments should pursue intra-regional trade liberalization, institutional integration, and infrastructure development with greater determination than ever. Their commercial enterprises need to progress in these areas in order to develop further and improve living standards for all.

LRA continues to spread fear in remote border areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic

Eastern Africa

The LRA continues to spread fear in remote border areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) and impede humanitarian access to displaced and host communities in need of life-saving assistance. An estimated 443,000 people are today displaced from their homes in LRA-affected areas, many depending on international assistance for food, shelter, health care,
water and sanitation. Some 180 presumed LRA attacks causing 39 deaths have been recorded by humanitarian partners in the DRC and the CAR between January and September 2012, including 52 attacks
between July and September causing 15 deaths. Of the 66 abductions recorded since July, 20 per cent were children and 40 people disappeared in the CAR.

Indonesia's young entrepreneurs bring creative spark

Forget salaries and office hours. A growing number of young people are finding a niche in the market and learning along the way.

Every year, new graduates struggle to enter the employment market. Getting a steady job at a good company is not easy, due to a simple fact: there are more jobseekers than jobs.

• Muhammad Yukka Harlanda, 24 (second from right), the owner of Brodo Footwear, stands with his business partners at the Pasar Indonesia event in Jakarta on October 3rd-7th. To other young people who dream of starting a business, Yukka says: "Don't think too much. Just get started, and learn by doing." [Photos by Cempaka Kaulika/Khabar]
  
• Brigita Elita, 23 (left), and her mother display handmade accessories that use traditional beadwork techniques of Kalimantan. Brigita aims to preserve a precious family tradition and maintain a high quality product.
  
• Giffarin Rindiwandana, 23, designs casual-wear shirts that incorporate batik elements, giving the venerable Indonesian textile a fresh, youth-oriented use. Her advice to potential entrepreneurs: "just be confident and choose a business you like, suited to your passion".
  

But there is another route to earning a living while enjoying creative fulfillment: entrepreneurship. Many young people are already doing it.
"Don't think too much and be afraid to start. Just get started, and learn by doing," Muhammad Yukka Harlanda, 24, the owner of Brodo Footwear, told Khabar Southeast Asia. His fledgling business recently reached an important landmark, selling its 500th pair of shoes.
While studying civil engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Yukka was inspired by Bandung's creative manufacturing environment, and decided to try shoe making.
"I did some research on Indonesia's potential industry, and the answer is creative industry. I choose shoes, because shoe sellers are still rare, and we do love shoes. So we felt we are on the right path," he said.
"When I was a student, there was a mindset that we have to get a high GPA score and aim to get a great job. But nowadays, independent business ventures are popping up, especially in the middle class. Economic conditions are strong now in Indonesia," he added.
Yukka's wares were on display at Pasar Indonesia (Indonesia Market) event at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) from October 3rd through 7th. Some 30,000 visitors browsed 171 booths and displays at the event, sponsored by Bank Mandiri to promote small businesses and Indonesian products. A total of Rp. 675 million ($70,250) changed hands each day.
Batik-based wear for the younger generation
Giffarin "Giffa" Rindiwandana, 23, was also at the trade fair. She also found her entrepreneurial calling while a student. In her third semester at the Bandung Institute of Technology, where she studied textile craft design, she and a friend began to make batik jackets.
They were a hit: their peers snapped them up, and so did Alun-Alun Indonesia, a retailer of Indonesian culture-based products.
"Along the way, my friend and I had a different vision and mission, so I developed my own brand," she told Khabar. "From the beginning, I was interested in Indonesian textiles. I had an idea to make shirts with batik motifs. It is more casual for daily wear."
After three years in business, she continues to sell to Alun-Alun Indonesia and fields orders from individuals and companies. She also enjoys the freedom of structuring her own work hours.
Giffa urged other young people to try their hand at business.
"Just be confident and choose a business which you like, suited to your passion," she said. "You should commit to your business, and don't despair. You can also promote your product through social media, it is very helpful."
Preserving a traditional craft for a new era
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Brigita Elita is carrying on a family tradition: beadwork. The native of Pontianak, Kalimantan learned to make bead accessories and outfits with Dayak design motifs from her mother and grandmother.
"From childhood, I was exposed to beading and learned how to make beaded accessories. I want to preserve the culture of beading, especially in Kalimantan itself, because only elderly people do beading there," she said.
Through her business, Bead House (Rumah Manik), she wants to bring her intricate, handmade accessories to a larger audience. And her goal is to preserve the high quality of her products.
"Maybe consumers can get a cheaper price, but the quality is not good. We still keep product quality, and our fixed price," she says.
Workshops teach business skills
By hosting Pasar Indonesia, Bank Mandiri hopes to bring producers together with potential distributors, and to create an opportunity for formation of strategic partnerships among fledgling businesses. It provided the venue, booth space, and advertising for the event, which was free of charge for both entrepreneurs and visitors.
Simultaneously, the bank is running entrepreneurship workshops at 13 universities and 12 cities in Indonesia, attended by some 26,300 students from elementary school to university level, officials said.
"We are delighted with coaching and mentoring programmes conducted by Bank Mandiri over the years. Some of the partners we managed have built significant businesses," said President Director of Bank Mandiri Zulkifli Zaini.
For Yukka, the footwear manufacturer, the horizons continue to widen. After initially trying to market his products in retail outlets, he is focused on online sales, targeting 19 to 24-year-old consumers.
"We are still very young and don't have a business background. So we will continue to learn the science of business, especially practical knowledge of business. We are learning from our mistakes, and learning by doing," he said.

Betong forges regional links in culture and tourism

Thailand's peaceful southernmost district is open for business and reaching out to its neighbours.

With the ASEAN Economic Community slated for launch in 2015, people in Thailand's southernmost district, Betong, hope to reap the benefits. The local government is taking steps to build ties with neighbours and attract tourists.

• A mah song spirit medium supports two replica guitars on a bar pierced through his cheeks during a 2009 Phuket Vegetarian Festival street procession.
  

This month, locals anticipate crowds of visitors as the district holds its largest-ever Vegetarian Festival – a signature cultural event whose roots go back centuries. It will be held from October 13th to 24th.
The district hopes the festival will inject fresh momentum into an economy that has been held back by insurgency in the Deep South, despite the relative lack of extremist activity in Betong.
Speaking at a press conference held to announce the event, Adinan Pakbara, deputy secretary general of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), said the district has been comparatively free of violence but is nevertheless bearing the economic brunt.
"The current unrest in the three southernmost border provinces that flared up in 2004 has had very little direct impact on Betong or its economy and investment opportunities, but has nevertheless caused growth here to stagnate," he said.
Tourism could help turn that around, with Betong continuing to be a magnet for ethnic Malays and Chinese from Malaysia and even Singapore.
A window into an ancient world
Those arriving for the Vegetarian Festival will receive a glimpse into a world of unique customs and ancient rituals – including mah song spirit mediums, who pierce their cheeks with a variety of objects and perform feats such as walking across fire or climbing a ladder made treacherous with blades.
Such festivals, rooted in a traditional period of Warrior God worship by the island's large ethnic Chinese population, originated in 1825 in Phuket. Held in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, it features colourful processions. Participants wear white and adhere to a strict vegan diet in order to foster good health and good luck.
Phuket still hosts the largest of the festivals, though the tradition has spread to other towns across in southern Thailand. They are a particularly popular attraction for tourists from the People's Republic of China, who saw their own ancient customs brought to an end during Mao's Cultural Revolution.
Cross-border initiatives
In addition to tourist events, districts on either side of the Thai-Malaysia border have been teaming up in the arenas of education and sports to prepare for a future of tighter ASEAN co-operation.
Educators from Betong and ten districts in neighbouring Perak State of Malaysia signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September, agreeing to work together to prepare students for the advent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
Under the wide-ranging MoU, the two sides agreed to co-operate in educational development, a textbook-management system using online "cloud-computing" technology and organising a future academic seminar to prepare for the imminent establishment of the AEC.
The AEC measures are expected to transform education in the region by allowing a free flow of certified educators across national borders of all ten ASEAN member states.
Leading the Thai delegation was Narin Saro, Director of Yala Primary Education Service Area Office 3, which has jurisdiction over Betong. At the signing ceremony, Narin told Khabar, "We signed the MoU at this time to show our commitment to forge a closer relationship, with increased understanding and co-operation".
Betong also hosted the 29th annual Thai-Malay Border Games in late September, with competitors coming from Hulu district, Perak and Baling district, Kedah.
The games included a 7km "mini-marathon", as well as soccer, badminton tournaments for a variety of different age groups and the historic Thai sport sepak takraw, which incorporates elements of football, volleyball martial arts and gymnastics.

City profit from rivals' defeats to go top

City profit from rivals' defeats to go top

Man City rout Aston Villa; Chelsea beaten at West Brom; vital wins for Southampton and Reading

Man City rout Aston Villa; Chelsea beaten at West Brom; vital wins for Southampton and Reading

Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero scored two goals apiece as Manchester City beat Aston Villa 5-0, while Chelsea suffered a surprise defeat at West Bromwich Albion and Southampton piled more misery on winless Queens Park Rangers with a 3-1 away victory.
Manchester City moved a point clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League table after completing a 5-0 victory against Aston Villa. David Silva gave the hosts the lead on the stroke of half-time before Aguero and Tevez scored a goal and a penalty each in the second half. Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Norwich City meant that they slipped to second place.

Chelsea are four points adrift of Roberto Mancini's side after succumbing to a 2-1 reverse at The Hawthorns. Although Eden Hazard cancelled out Shane Long's opening strike, Peter Odemwingie headed the Baggies in front five minutes after the interval and Steve Clarke's fourth-placed side held on for the win that takes them to within a point of the Blues.

Reading completed their first Barclays Premier League win of the season with a 2-1 success against Everton, who had taken the lead through Steven Naismith before Adam Le Fondre scored twice to complete a fine fightback for the Royals.
Southampton also earned three valuable points as they overcame struggling Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at Loftus Road. Junior Hoilett responded to first-half strikes by Rickie Lambert and Jason Puncheon before Anton Ferdinand's own goal sealed the rock-bottom 'R''s fate.

Elsewhere, Luis Suarez scored twice and Luis Enrique once as three unanswered second-half strikes earned Liverpool a 3-0 victory against Wigan Athletic, while Newcastle United slumped to a 2-1 home defeat by Swansea City for whom Michu and Jonathan De Guzman were on target before Demba Ba's added-time consolation.

Ahly win record seventh CAF Champions League title

TUNIS: Al Ahly of Egypt won their seventh CAF Champions League title after they defeated Esperance 3-2 on aggregate on Saturday in Tunis.

Ahly, who forced a 1-1 draw in the first leg final in Alexandria a fortnight ago, beat hosts Esperance 2-1 in the return leg game.

Mohamed Nagy ‘Geddo’ gave the Egyptian giants the lead after 43 minutes, before Waleed Soliman doubled their advantage with an individual effort on 61 minutes.

Cameroon striker Yannick Ndjeng pulled a goal back for Esperance six minutes from full time when he tapped home a pass from the right flank beyond Sherif Ekramy in goal for Ahly.

The legendary Mohamed Aboutrika had a chance to increase Ahly’s advantage in stoppage time after Mauritania striker Dominique da Silva was dangerously tackled by Esperance goalkeeper Moez Ben Charifia inside the vital area.

However, Ben Charifia atoned for his blunder by tipping Aboutrika’s effort for a corner.

Ahly dominated play from the opening minutes as Esperance preferred to sit back in their defence, probably defending their away goal from the first final in Alexandria a fortnight ago.

The perennial Egyptian champions piled pressure on their hosts and it needed goalkeeper Ben Charifia to make at least two saves to ensure the home team were not trailing by the half hour mark.

Ndjeng and Youssef Msakni, who passed a late fitness test after he recently underwent an appendicitis operation, threatened Ahly’s goal only twice as Esperance played the first half mostly back in their own half.

It was therefore not until the 43rd minute that Ahly took a deserved lead when goal scorer from the first clash Hamdy Al Sayed drove down the right flank before he pulled back for Mohamed Nagy ‘Gedo’ to slot past Ben Charifia.

Esperance played a more attacking game on the resumption of play only for Ahly to double their lead in the 61st minute when Soliman scooped the ball off an Esperance defender before he fired past the goalkeeper.

Ndjeng will pull a goal back late on, but it was too little, too late for the defending champions to keep their crown.

Ahly will besides pocketing a cash prize of $1.5 million represent Africa in next month’s FIFA Club World Cup

Malaysia third again

PETALING JAYA: The stage was set for national No. 2 Low Wee Wern to write herself into squash folklore by sending Malaysia into the final of the Women’s World Team championship in Nimes, France, but she fell short yesterday.

Malaysia and England were tied at 1-1 in the semi-finals, leaving Wee Wern with the task of landing the winning point.

But faced with the challenge of beating world No. 4 Alison Waters, the seventh ranked Wee Wern could not raise her game and succumbed 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 5-11.

England, the top seeds, won 2-1 to set up a final clash with Egypt, who recorded an emphatic 3-0 win over defending champions Australia.

The 22-year-old Wee Wern, however, redeemed herself when she came back strongly. She set aside her earlier disappointment and was the first Malaysian on court for the third-fourth battle.

This time, Wee Wern was in her element and beat Australia’s Donna Urquhart 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 to send Malaysia on their way to a fourth successive third place finish.

World No.1 Nicol David (pic), who has been superb all week, then came on to trounce old rival Rachael Grinham 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 to seal the win. Delia Arnold then easily defeated third string Aussie Melody Francis 11-6, 11-6 in the dead rubber.

Still, it was a heartbreaking result for Malaysia as they also lost to England by the same scoreline in the semi-finals two years ago.

“I tried my best in the semi-finals but it simply wasn’t enough. Alison was way too experienced in situations like these and that made the difference,” said Wee Wern, who has now lost to Waters four times this year.

“I’m obviously disappointed as the team were banking on me to get us into the final. But it’s a lesson I will learn from. So to win the first point against Australia was certainly a relief because it was tough to come in and play again.

“But I knew it’s very important to get that point and I’m glad that I helped secure the third place finish,” added Wee Wern.

National elite coach Peter Genever, while disappointed with the team’s semi-final defeat, lauded the third-placing effort.

“It was pretty disappointing in the semi-finals but England are a very tough team and a lot more experienced than us,” said Genever.

“But I think Wee Wern rebounded very well and she was at her best in her match against Donna. Overall though, while we’re happy to retain third spot, it’s also sad that we can’t do better than the previous years.

“But we win some and we lose some and we’ll go back with good lessons and work on breaking into the top two next time,” he added.

EPL: MU kalah mengejut kepada Norwich

Penjaga Manchester United, Anders Lindegaard ditewaskan oleh Norwich ketika pertemuan awal pagi tadi (waktu Malaysia). - Foto EPA

HASRAT Manchester United (MU) untuk terus kekal di tangga teratas, sekali gus merampas gelaran Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) musim ini dengan mudah agak tergugat ekoran kekalahan kepada Norwich 0-1 awal pagi tadi (waktu Malaysia).

Gol tunggal Norwich dijaringkan oleh Anthony Pilkington pada minit ke-60.

Dengan keputusan itu, MU ditolak ke tangga dua oleh juara musim lalu, Manchester City, yang dalam perlawanan terdahulu, mengatasi Aston Villa dengan jaringan besar 5-0.

Dalam satu lagi perlawanan semalam, Chelsea yang menduduki tangga teratas sehingga 10 perlawanan pertama, tewas kepada West Brom 1-2.

Ketiga-tiga kelab itu menyempurnakan perlawanan ke-12. City mengumpulkan 28 mata, MU (27) manakala Chelsea (25).

Najib tiba di Phnom Penh untuk sidang kemuncak ASEAN

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bersalaman dengan Menteri Penerangan Kemboja, Khieu Kannarith yang menyambut beliau. - foto Bernamar

PHNOM PENH - Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tiba di sini malam ini untuk menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak Asean dan persidangan-persidangan berkaitan selama tiga hari bermula esok.  

Pesawat yang membawa perdana menteri dan isterinya Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor mendarat di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Phnom Penh pada 8.30 malam (Waktu Malaysia: 9.30 mlm).

Ketibaan mereka disambut oleh Menteri Penerangan Kemboja Khieu Kannarith.

Najib mempunyai aturcara yang cukup sibuk dalam tiga hari ini oleh kerana selain menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak Asean ke-21, akan juga menghadiri lapan sidang kemuncak berkaitan.

Sidang kemuncak berkaitan ialah Mesyuarat Pemimpin-pemimpin Asean dengan Majlis Penasihat Perniagaan Asean, Sidang Kemuncak Asean-Jepun ke-15, Sidang Kemuncak Asean-Republik Korea ke-15, Sidang Kemuncak Peringatan Asean Campur Tiga, Sidang Kemuncak Asean-India ke-10, Sidang Kemuncak Asean-China ke-15, Mesyuarat Pemimpin-pemimpin Asean-AS ke-4, dan Sidang Kemuncak Asia Timur ke-7.

Kesemua persidangan itu akan berlangsung di Peace Palace, di sini tempat letaknya Pejabat Perdana Menteri Kemboja.

Najib juga dijadual menemui Perdana Menteri China Wen Jiabao, Presiden Myanmar U Thien Sein dan Perdana Menteri Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung di luar sidang kemuncak itu.

Presiden Amerika Syarikat yang baru dipilih semula Barack Obama dijadual hadir pada mesyuarat Pemimpin-pemimpin Asean-AS dan Sidang Kemuncak Asia Timur ke-7.

Pakar Malaysia digesa kembali sumbang kepakaran di tanah air

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

GOLD COAST - Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menjemput diaspora pakar Malaysia di luar negara untuk kembali ke tanah air untuk membantu melonjakkan kemajuan negara melalui sumbangan kepakaran mereka.

Dengan dianggarkan diaspora Malaysia di luar negara kini berjumlah 1.2 juta dengan Australia antara negara yang teramai dihuni, beliau berkata kepakaran dan kemahiran mereka boleh digembleng untuk kepentingan negara.

Golongan pakar Malaysia di seberang laut kini tidak terhad dalam bidang perubatan, perakaunan dan undang-undang seperti dahulu kerana diaspora Malaysia juga terlibat dalam bidang-bidang lain seperti pengkhususan sains dan menjadi penyelidik di universiti, katanya.

"Sektor pekerjaan kita memerlukan lebih pakar. Negara memerlukan anda pulang,  negara memerlukan kepakaran anda," katanya pada majlis jamuan makan malam bersama penuntut dan rakyat Malaysia di Queensland di sini Sabtu  malam.

Pada Khamis, Muhyiddin melancarkan Rangkaian Perantau Saintifik Malaysia (MSDN) di sini yang akan bertindak sebagai platform menghubungkan saintis Malaysia di seluruh dunia dan mempromosi penyelidikan mereka dalam bidang kepakaran masing-masing untuk kebaikan negara.

Muhyiddin yang juga Menteri Pelajaran berkata rancangan dan program transformasi yang dilaksanakan kerajaan membuka ruang yang luas untuk pakar Malaysia untuk kembali serta menyumbang khidmat kepakaran  mereka.

Beliau berkata jika dahulu mungkin pakar atau penyelidik Malaysia di luar negara akan bertanya sama ada mereka mempunyai prospek sekiranya pulang namun kini mereka tidak perlu khuatir kerana peluang itu semakin terbuka.

"Dengan program transformasi yang berlaku dalam negara, ruang itu pasti lebih  terbuka," katanya.

Muhyiddin menasihatkan diaspora pakar Malaysia agar memanfaatkan peluang ketika  berada di luar negara dengan memberikan sepenuh perhatian dalam bidang yang diceburi dan menimba pengalaman berguna di negara berkenaan agar kepakaran itu dapat digunakan untuk menyumbang dalam pengurusan negara.

Beliau berkata rakyat Malaysia yang berminat untuk kembali menyumbang kepakaran di tanah air boleh berhubung dengan Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp), badan yang bertindak sebagai pemudahcara untuk menguruskan kedatangan bakat-bakat.

Terdahulu, Muhyiddin yang juga Timbalan Presiden Umno ketika mengadakan pertemuan dengan pemimpin-pemimpin Kelab Umno Australia dan New Zealand mahu pemimpin kelab Umno di luar negara menggunakan saluran media sosial untuk menangkis isu dan tohmahan yang dilemparkan pembangkang.

Beliau berkata pembangkang sedang cergas membawa pelbagai isu berikutan pilihan raya umum boleh diadakan pada bila-bila masa dari sekarang.

"Kita kena ambil langkah yang proaktif untuk tangani isu," katanya.

Pemuda Umno kesal PR manipulasi BR1M 2.0

Sohaimi (kanan) membantu kakitangan Mydin Selayang melengkapkan borang BR1M 2.0.

SELAYANG - Tindakan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) mengedar borang BR1M 2.0 dari rumah ke rumah bersama beberapa risalah program Kerajaan Negeri dianggap tindakan yang tidak bertanggungjawab.

Ketua Pemuda Umno Selayang, Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan berkata, Kerajaan Persekutuan tidak pernah melantik mana-mana pihak terutamanya PR menjadi ejen mengedar borang itu.

Menurutnya, tindakan itu dilihat mempunyai kepentingan politik dengan cuba memancing rakyat untuk datang ke program PR.

“Selain itu pendekatan edaran borang juga dibimbangkan bertujuan mengutip data pengundi yang akan digunakan sebagai strategi politik atau memancing undi menjelang pilihan raya,”  katanya kepada Sinar Harian selepas mengedar borang BR1M 2.0 di Mydin Selayang anjuran Pemuda Umno dengan kerjasama pasar raya itu.

Beliau berkata demikian mengulas aduan terdapat edaran risalah yang mengandungi borang BR1M 2.0 disertakan dengan program Kerajaan Negeri di kawasan Selayang Height, semalam.

Katanya, pihaknya akan membawa perkara itu untuk perhatian Pengerusi Perhubungan Umno Selangor dan mengambil langkah menjelaskan kepada rakyat Selangor untuk mengelakkan kekeliruan.

“Kita minta supaya PR menghentikan eksploitasi borang BR1M 2.0 untuk kepentingan politik dan berharap supaya rakyat lebih berhati-hati,” katanya.

Sohaimi berkata, taktik edaran borang BR1M bersama risalah program dan aktiviti PR telah dua kali dilakukan di Selayang membabitkan BR1M 1.0 di Taman Prima Selayang dan BR1M 2.0 di Selayang Height.

Sementara itu, dalam program semalam, Pemuda Selayang menyasarkan sekurang-kurangnya 500 hingga 1,000 borang BR1M 2.0 akan diedarkan kepada pelanggan dan kakitangan Mydin Selayang.

Sohaimi berkata, warga Selayang yang layak juga boleh dapatkan borang itu di pejabatnya di Bandar Baru Selayang.