keisuke honda who began to score for japan last year
okada said japan needed to improve in three areas to be reckoned with on the
world stage
to outrun our opponents to outdo them in one on one battles for the ball to
raise the accuracy of our skills especially kicks he said
football cska moscow signs vvv venlo honda
tokyo jan afp
cska moscow have acquired japan international keisuke honda from vvv venlo as
the russian giants look to boost their squad ahead of the knockout stages of the
uefa champions league reports said friday
the year old midfielder signed an estimated nine million euro million
dollar four year contract jiji press and other news media said
in posting on his web site honda said thursday would not go if there was
even one percent of doubt inside me
known as dead ball specialist with tough physical presence honda has scored
goals in games for venlo since joining the dutch outfit in january
following four seasons with league side nagoya grampus
he has also scored three goals in games for japan since making his
international debut in june during world cup qualifying
dutch giants psv and ajax were seen as among the most likely buyers of the
japanese star who had also previously suggested liverpool was interested in
him
air france accident victims get million settlement
montreal dec afp
nearly passengers of an air france jet that slid off the runway and caught
fire on landing in toronto in were awarded million canadian dollars
million us in damages by canadian judge in court ruling released
thursday
the class action settlement is shared by mostly french and canadian
passengers of the paris toronto flight sixty eight passengers had reached an
out of court settlement while others took no legal action
the award payment will be made by air france to the tune of million dollars
plus interest with the remainder shared by airbus which built the
airliner and goodrich which made the faulty escape chutes used in the
accident
the settlements with air france airbus and goodrich are approved as fair
reasonable and in the best interests of the class ontario superior court judge
joan lax said of the december ruling disclosed thursday
another class action lawsuit against nav canada which handled air traffic
control at the time of the accident is still ongoing
air france flight from paris slid off the runway into ditch during heavy
rainstorm on landing at toronto on august
most of the passengers and crew of were quickly and safely evacuated from
the craft but people had to jump off the plane when the escape chutes failed
people were injured seriously enough to be taken to hospital
afghan militant attacks set pace for bloody
kabul jan afp
afghanistan war exited on sour note for an international community that
has committed thousands of troops and billions of dollars into transforming the
country into peaceful modern democracy
and there is only likely to be more violence in analysts said
as tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians flood into afghanistan in surge
aimed at turning the tide of the eight year conflict attacks such as those that
killed dozen north americans will become more common
with more foreign forces whether military or civilian without doubt it will
have negative impact on the cost of the war in the number of casualties as
well as the financial expense said afghan political analyst wahid mujda
the taliban on thursday claimed responsibility for suicide attack on us base
in the east that killed seven cia agents
in the south roadside bomb detonated beneath an armoured vehicle killing five
canadians including year old woman journalist an attack also claimed by
the militants
it was one of the deadliest hour periods for foreigners in afghanistan since
the us led invasion pushed the taliban regime from power in late leading
to the insurgency that claimed more than foreign troops in
over the course of the number of foreign forces battling the taliban is
set to rise to around with the addition of us troops and around
from nato partners
thousands of civilian experts are also arriving in kabul and fanning out to the
provinces to assist in development and aid
they are part of the counter insurgency strategy devised by us general stanley
mcchrystal commander of the international forces to drive out the taliban
while winning over the population on behalf of the afghan government
combat troops will be concentrated in populated areas where taliban influence is
greatest military officials said
civilians are being billeted on military bases to ensure territory taken is held
and benefits from the aid money that is pouring in
much of the combat will be in southern kandahar and helmand long time militant
strongholds and the source of most of the world opium and heroin which helps
fund the insurgency
western drugs experts say the taliban are becoming increasingly enmeshed in the
drugs trade worth about three billion dollars year providing protection for
smuggling routes and intimidation of farmers who grow opium poppy
this nexus of rebellion and smuggling is helping fuel the insurgency western
diplomat said with profitable commodities such as opium and sugar going one
way into pakistan and weaponry and militants coming the other
western military official said the presence on the bases of large numbers of
civilians would not exacerbate the security threat though larger numbers of
troops would attract militant attacks like bees to honey
when those troops come in we can expect more action and more casualties
but greater results everything grows exponentially he said on condition of
anonymity
kabul university law professor nasrullah stanakzai said if militants start
habitually targeting foreign civilians ordinary afghans will also suffer
this would have the double negative effect of turning afghan public opinion
against the presence of foreigners and western public opinion even more sharply
against continued commitment to afghanistan he said
if there is rise in civilian casualties of either afghans or foreigners as
well as higher death rate among the foreign forces then first it will
increase the distance between the afghan people and their government and
second western public opinion will demand withdrawal stanakzai said
military officials and western diplomats in kabul agreed the injection of more
troops which has prompted taliban promises of surge of their own will
inevitably lead to more deaths on all sides
but think people are already used to that idea and that it would have been
very important factor in us president barack obama decision to send more
troops the western diplomat said
for cia afghan attack historic blow
washington dec afp
suicide attack in afghanistan that killed seven agents marks one of the
deadliest blows ever for the cia dealing painful setback to an agency
increasingly on the frontline of us wars
the central intelligence agency lowered the flag to half mast at its tightly
guarded headquarters in the washington suburb of langley but did not release the
casualties names who died cloaked in the same anonymity with which they lived
your triumphs and even your names may be unknown to your fellow americans but
your service is deeply appreciated president barack obama wrote in letter to
cia employees
obama said that since the september attacks on the united states the
cia has been tested as never before
because of your service plots have been disrupted american lives have been
saved and our allies and partners have been more secure obama said
he said stars would be added in their name to the already on the memorial
wall at cia headquarters honoring spies who have fallen in the line of duty
while more than us and coalition forces have died in afghanistan this year
wednesday suicide attack may show new level of sophistication for the
taliban who infiltrated the very agency in charge of finding them
the cia said that taliban bomber managed to penetrate the defenses of
forward base in khost pivotal province near the pakistan border detonating
an explosives belt in room described as gym
this attack is something that will never be forgotten in langley virginia
said jack rice former cia officer in afghanistan and talk show host
the impact can be huge not just in terms of the capabilities of these
particular people but in the relationships that they themselves have built he
said
you can simply go pick up five or more of these guys they may be the best
guys in the world at what they do and they re gone he said
rice said it was possible that the base let its guard down in searching the
bomber who may have been coveted as an informant
seven cia employees died and another six were injured with their lives saved by
us military doctors and nurses cia director leon panetta said
it was the deadliest single incident for the cia since when eight agency
employees were believed to be among the dead when islamic militants bombed the
us marine barracks in beirut killing americans and french
the attack comes as the united states increasingly relies on the cia and other
covert forces to pursue strategic goals cia and special forces were at the
forefront of the us invasion of afghanistan after the september attacks
paving the way to overthrow the taliban extremist regime
more recently and controversially the cia has been operating unmanned
drones that target extremists in lawless areas of pakistan
intelligence operatives are also seen as crucial in laying out the groundwork as
obama and nato allies send in another troops as part of surge expected
to last until late
thomas sanderson scholar at the center for strategic and international
studies who has studied terrorist groups for the us intelligence community said
the attack could alter the mindset of operatives on the ground
it highly problematic because it just makes everyone there be very suspicious
of every afghan who comes their way trust is going to take hit sanderson
said
the killings come days after us intelligence suffered an embarrassment at home
when year old nigerian whose father had voiced concern about his
radicalism was allowed to board us bound plane which he allegedly tried to
blow up
shaolin temple will not go public state media
beijing jan afp
the abbot of china ancient shaolin temple famous for its kungfu monks
has refuted reports that the monastery will go public as part of travel joint
venture the state xinhua news agency said
shi yongxin known as the ceo of shaolin for aggressively pursuing
commercial ventures since taking over as abbot decade ago also said the
temple would not be shareholder in the new firm created to promote tourism
the temple core functions are to organise religious activities to meet the
demand of religious followers xinhua quoted shi as saying at press
conference in central henan province in report issued late thursday
the abbot added that the temple legal rights and interests would not be
affected by the creation of the new tourism firm
shi remarks came days after the dengfeng city government and hong kong based
subsidiary of the state owned china national travel service hk group corp
launched tourism joint venture using the shaolin name
earlier reports had suggested that the joint venture would handle ticket sales
and operate buses servicing the temple effectively taking the temple public
and would seek to list in either hong kong or on the mainland in
the shaolin temple which was established in ad is known as the birthplace
of zen buddhism
shi who has developed commercial ventures such as kungfu shows film
production and online merchandise sales since taking over the temple has been
repeatedly criticised for his perceived pursuit of money
in recent interview with afp he defended his efforts as way to boost the
temple profile not pure commercialisation
believers have demands and we must satisfy and serve them to the best of our
ability it service that provides faith products he said of the temple
online sales
cautious hope for battered pakistan markets in
karachi jan afp
pakistan share prices gained more than percent in after an abysmal
which saw the once promising market battered by political turmoil militancy and
the global recession
despite shaky start to with deadly bombings by taliban insurgents and
bruising military operations against extremists analysts say that may see
the bourse scrambling further into recovery
the benchmark kse index finished at percent drop on
when pakistan was named one of the most promising emerging markets
the index which has about listed companies closed on new year eve
at and dealers are hoping for another jump in
we expect pakistan equity market to cross points in thereby
providing percent estimated gains said mohammad sohail chief executive of
topline securities brokerage firm
we estimate better returns later next year since political issues security
concerns capital gain uncertainty and power shortages would partially be
settled he added
in february the market suffered its worst loss in two and half years after
the supreme court disqualified the main opposition leader from contesting
elections but political meltdown was averted and the bourse rallied
and although attacks by the taliban killed record number of people in pakistan
in deaths up percent on according to an afp tally
most of the violence has struck the troubled northwest
the financial hub of karachi has been largely spared the bloodshed although
monday bombing of shiite religious procession killing people in the city
of million people raised fears that it was again in the militant sights
report by topline securities says percent of attacks in occurred in
north west frontier province and southwestern baluchistan
the two provinces have only percent of pakistan population with hardly
any role in the overall economy whereas major industries and business
activities occur in central punjab and southern sindh province it said
the military also launched number of offensives against taliban strongholds
across the northwest in and are claiming success although at great
financial cost to the nation experts say
every year pakistan loses eight to nine billion dollars on the war on terror
said ashfaq hasan khan former government economic adviser lamenting lack
of support from western partners including the united states
pakistan pays that much money on the war on terror every year and in return we
just receive good words but no tangible money he told afp
islamist violence aside the global recession power shortages and soaring
inflation have hit pakistan hard
islamabad approached the imf in for rescue package and the fund
executive board last month approved the release of billion more dollars
under billion dollar loan programme to the cash starved nation
the vulnerability of pakistan balance of payment has decreased because of its
programme with the imf khan said
but he warned the government must concentrate not only on the battle against
militancy but also boosting the flagging economy
in september inflation hit year high and although it has since
recovered other indicators remain worrisome
pakistan recorded two percent gdp growth last fiscal year which ended on june
the worst recorded economic growth since the financial year
the nation has also been battered by manufacturing slump with exports down
percent in the last fiscal year foreign investment in nuclear armed pakistan
declined by percent state economic survey said
electricity gas and petrol prices have doubled in the last two years while the
country also faces crippling energy crisis producing only percent of its
power needs causing debilitating blackouts and suffocating industry
real gdp growth will remain at very low level in the range of and
percent khan said
north korea calls for end to hostile relations with us
seoul jan afp
north korea on friday called for an end to hostile relations with the united
states vowing to work towards nuclear free peninsula seven months after its
last atomic test angered the world community
the call was made in new year joint editorial of the communist country state
newspapers north korean people must learn and memorize the editorial which is
seen as ideological guidance for the year ahead
the fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the korean peninsula
and in the rest of asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the
dprk north korea and the usa the editorial said
it is the consistent stand of the dprk to establish lasting peace system on
the korean peninsula and make it nuclear free through dialogue and
negotiations the editorial said according to pyongyang korean central news
agency kcna
north korea left six party nuclear disarmament talks in april last year in
protest at international censure over its launch of long range rocket in may
it staged its second nuclear test since
us envoy stephen bosworth visited the communist nation last month and reached
common understanding on the need to resume the talks which group the two
koreas japan china russia and the us however no date has been fixed
in washington state department official said north korea should demonstrate
its good faith by returning to the six party talks
actions speak louder than words the official said speaking on condition of
anonymity good step forward would be to return to six party talks
analysts said the use by the north of the new year day joint editorial was
significant
this means that north korea ordinary people will start being educated about
pyongyang push for an end to enmity with the us professor kim yong hyun of
dongguk univerity told afp
professor yang moo jin of the university of north korean studies also said the
editorial indicates that pyongyang will actively pursue dialogue this year
focusing on the conclusion of peace treaty and nuclear disarmament
the korean peninsula remains technically in state of war because the
conflict between north and south ended with an armistice and not peace treaty
it means the north will not call for an end to us hostility as pre condition
for giving up its nuclear weapons but it will push for both goals an end to
hostile relations and denuclearization at the same time yang said
the editorial also put great emphasis on what it called bringing about
radical turn in the people standard of living in impoverished north korea
this would be achieved by quicker development of light industry and agriculture
kcna said
our building of the country into an economic giant is aimed to all intents and
purposes at radically improving the people standard of living the editorial
quoted north korea all powerful leader kim jong il as saying
professor kim yong hyun said the north was now whipping up its people to
increase production after the country last month carried out surprise currency
revaluation aimed at reasserting state control on the economy
the editorial warned neighbouring south korea against committing acts that may
aggravate the confrontation and tension and take the road of respecting the
inter korean declarations promoting north south dialogue and improving the
relations between both sides
india transsexuals try internet dating
new delhi jan afp
it worked for thousands of singletons the world over and now india
transsexuals are hoping internet dating can help their marginalised community
find love
new site offers to help people born as men but living as women find husbands
in country where marriage remains the bedrock of society and gender and
sexuality are still conservatively defined
many men are attracted to transgender women but when it comes to commitment
they don want to do it the founder of the website kalki who uses one name
explained to afp
the types of grooms that our girls are looking for are men who would respect
them as an equal human being who would treat them with dignity and would
introduce them to friends and family as girlfriend or wife
transgenders and eunuchs men who have been castrated live on the extreme
fringes of indian society often resorting to prostitution begging or menial
jobs that leave them mired in poverty
their numbers are difficult to estimate kalki says there are about in
her adopted state of tamil nadu the most socially progressive area in the
country with total population of about million
because of the discrimination in india percent of transgenders live below
the poverty line says kalki who decided to start www thirunangai net after
two of her transssexual friends were rejected by regular dating sites
poorly educated often abused and tarred by the social stigma of their blurred
gender it is unsurprising that many in the community struggle to find the love
and steady relationship they crave
we feel love and passion like anyone else and we want to have family and
husband even though we can bear children we like to adopt children says
kalki
the site available in english and tamil features six women most of whom have
had full sex change operations and are looking for ordinary men for long
term relationship and even marriage
one of them is sowmiya year old former sex worker who ran away from home
aged and is now campaigner at kalki sahodari foundation non government
organisation that fights for the rights of transgenders
put my profile on the site because want to get married to nice man and
want baby she told afp from her home in chennai don mind if he is not
too educated but he must be faithful to me and have kind character
she said she had received responses already but haven accepted as the
respondents were older far older than what am looking for
another lonely heart deepika writes on her profile that she is looking for
man with decent job modern outlook and good dress sense
preferred age group with moustache says the profile
kalki says she had about responses from men in india europe the united
states and middle east including doctors engineers journalists scientists
teachers and businessmen
she has high hopes of selecting someone suitable for the women after very
serious screening process
out of the six girls if one person gets married ll be totally happy she
adds the first wedding may be on valentines day or on women day on march
next year
the role of transsexuals and eunuchs like many things in india can appear
contradictory to the outsider as they are at once spurned and discriminated
against yet in some ways accepted as part of life
they are common in bollywood films where they frequently play comic roles and
they often appear at weddings or at the homes of newly born children where they
are paid as defence against bad luck
often they extract money at such occasions by threatening to strip or resort to
violence unless they are given financial inducement to leave
the idea of transsexuals or otherness has long history in india and eunuchs
are mentioned in the earliest hindu texts the vedas believed to have been
written in the second millennium bc
being transsexual or castrated is seen as curse in traditional hindu culture
but the idea has historically been more widely tolerated and even venerated in
india minority muslim population
many eunuchs rose to powerful positions in the islamic mughal regime that ruled
the subcontinent for hundreds of years after an invasion in
kalki says the outlook is changing for them in contemporary india
slowly we are getting recognised and feel good we are beginning to feel we are
part of society she said
in november the community claimed victory in long standing campaign to be
listed as others distinct from males and females on electoral rolls and
voter identity cards
in the past many eunuchs and transsexuals had abstained in elections because
they were unwilling to identify their gender on voter forms
they could write for eunuch on passports and on certain government forms
but had failed in their campaign for acceptance at the ballot box
earlier in december eunuch called kamla jaan was elected mayor in district
in the central state of madya pradesh where another eunuch has electoral
success in
grand past but uncertain future for malaysia carcosa
kuala lumpur jan afp
the future is uncertain for malaysia carcosa seri negara the year old
grande dame of colonial malaya once home to the country former british rulers
and now an exclusive hotel it is up for redevelopment
the centre of colonial social life in the early th century the hotel which
is an amalgamation of two stately bungalows the carcosa and the seri negara
will close its doors on december
its many admirers are concerned over the fate of the national landmark which in
its heyday was symbol of colonial power and location where the nation
history was made
we were told by the government it is giving tender to company that is
interested in redeveloping this site so we don know what its going to be
says hotel manager caroline filtzinger
run by the ghm group of luxury hotels since the management was informed of
the government decision in october by the economic planning unit which
handles the property
despite enquiries made by afp to officials in several departments within the
epu no one was able to shed light on plans for the carcosa
filtzinger admits the place is in need of facelift but patrons keep coming
back regardless for functions and the trademark sumptuous afternoon tea on the
veranda
it also the premier wedding location in the country and everybody wants to
get married in this historic location on the lawns it is really sad to see it
closing down
she says the hotel main business has been hosting events rather than filling
its guestrooms elegant but somewhat faded suites ranging in price from
ringgit dollars night
carcosa seri negara occupies acres hectares with the land around the
carcosa plunging straight into the jungle before opening onto the lake gardens
parklands below
construction of the carcosa began in by the first resident general or
chief british adviser to the then federated malay states sir frank swettenham
who named his new home after fictional city
the total cost including the building of numerous winding roads and outbuildings
came to straits dollars worth about million dollars in today
money
completed in the half timbered house was built in high victorian style
with ornamental designs incorporating elizabethan gable and an ornamental
medieval parapet adorning several of its sides
inside the entrance hall is large and airy opening up to the roof with timber
buttresses giving it church like feel the larger windows sporting anglo saxon
cross lattices topped off with lancet arches from the regency period
after swettenham carcosa was occupied by the country top british civil
servants and in the government built the king house on the property as
guesthouse for the governor of the straits settlements who resided in singapore
during the second world war the japanese military used the two buildings as an
officer mess and upon liberation it was taken over by the british military
by carcosa reverted to its original use and was the scene where on january
representatives of the malay sultans and the british government
created the federation of malaya giving the country limited autonomy
the communist insurgency that began in june that year saw the grounds encircled
by barbed wire but by with the communist threat on the wane and push
towards independence the building future was in question
however on september malaya chief minister and malaysia first
premier tunku abdul rahman presented the deeds of carcosa to the british
government as gift
on the lawns of the king house on august just before independence was
declared the malay sultans along with malaya last colonial administrator sir
donald macgillivray signed into creation the new nation
king house was later returned to malaysia and renamed seri negara or
beautiful country
carcosa however was occupied by succession of british high commissioners and
an invitation for dinner or to tea party in the grounds was the height of
social ambition
malaysian veteran educationist rasammah bhupalan remembers elegant evenings in
the early when viscount anthony head and his wife dorothea resided there
there were many functions at the carcosa formal and informal and you would
feel at once in awe of the stately events held in what was also home she
said
lady head loved birds and remember having tea with her at the carcosa and
these large number of birds chirping and keeping us company
however the pleasant days at the carcosa ended as relations between malaysia
and britain soured once mahathir mohamad became prime minister in
shahrir abdul samad cabinet minister at the height of the anti british
fervour that infected trade and diplomacy said the idea of handing over the
carcosa was conceived at this point
the british high commissioner came to see me to ask what would be the way
forward to resolve the worsening situation he told afp
told him that as he had been complaining about the costs of managing carcosa
for so long why not consider returning it to malaysia as gesture of
goodwill
in may mahathir announced the british were returning carcosa but it was
done in gradual manner sometime in early
shahrir said the cabinet then decided to convert the buildings into hotel for
visiting dignitaries and the first official guest was queen elizabeth ii who
was attending commonwealth heads of government meeting
while plans for the hotel and the two buildings are still unclear many hope the
buildings will be preserved
we should not get rid of carcosa or demolish those historic buildings as it is
part of our history said shahrir who left the cabinet earlier this year
it is still very much an important part of the malaysian story
latino beat sweeps ethiopian capital
addis ababa jan afp
it far cry from ethiopia traditional eskista shoulder shake dance but
salsa is sweeping addis ababa with aficionados twirling and spinning their way
across the city dance floors each night
from just one salsa school five years ago started by us educated ethiopian
entrepreneur some more have sprouted in this city of five million people
at packed club businessman daniel nigussie jauntily clad in white satin
shirt and fedora is getting ready to show off his latest moves with dancer
partner seble asrat
the venue is full to capacity and music blares from the speakers rivals limber
up as the clock ticks down to the start of the competition
came here to win and prepared for it said nigussie who spends his days
running computer import company
with their elaborate steps and twirls nigussie and asrat performance delights
their fans like them they have all recently taken up the dance which groups
several different types of afro cuban dances and music
in addition to the new dance schools number of clubs have also started salsa
nights to cater to the growing number of enthusiasts while training sessions
attract at least salseros each night
nigussie started learning salsa year ago and says his dance skills are getting
better every day
it the synergy the intimacy that you enjoy more than anything else it
