tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110287762011-04-21T17:03:38.181-07:00valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.comBlogger481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1116241776368696232005-05-16T04:09:00.000-07:002005-05-16T04:09:36.373-07:00Brief History of Badminton<br /><br />Go to home page <br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br />The exact origin of the game, tracing back to ancient Greece and China more than 2000 years ago, is shrouded in mystery. It is believed that the game descended directly from the ancient game of battledore and shuttlecock. This was primarily a children's game although 19th century illustrations show adults playing it mostly in the garden and sometimes indoors. Battledore and shuttlecock has been described as a leisurely pastime whereby players count the number of hits and try to keep the shuttlecock up in the air as long as possible. <br />There is also some dispute about how modern day badminton started. One claim is that it started in England at Badminton House in Gloucestershire in the middle of the 19th century. A net, in the form of a string, was strung across to separate the players from two opposing teams. A rival claim has it that the game was first played by the British in India in the 1870s before it was brought back to Britain by returning army officers. The first attempt to establish the rules of the game was made around that time in Poona, India. But no formal rules were drawn up until the Badminton Association (of England) was formed in 1893. <br /><br />The International Badminton Federation <br />The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed in 1934. The founder members were England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Holland, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada and France. Today, the IBF has more than 130 member countries from five continental confederations - the African Badminton Federation, the Asian Badminton Confederation, the European Badminton Union, the Oceania Badminton Confederation and the Pan-American Badminton Confederation. <br /><br />The Thomas Cup <br />The first tournament was held at the Queen's Hall in Preston in February 1949. The late Sir George Thomas, founder president of the IBF, donated the Thomas Cup trophy . Malaya won the first competition when they defeated Denmark 8-1 in the final. Since then, the Cup has stayed with three Asian countries. Indonesia has won it a record 12 times, followed by Malaysia (five times) and China (four times). Denmark has reached the final on six occasions but has never won it. For the first 12 series until 1982, the Thomas Cup was held once every three years. Since 1984, the competition has been staged every two years. The playing format was also changed from the best of nine matches over two days to best of five over one day. <br /><br />The Uber Cup <br />The first Uber Cup competition was held at Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire, Britain, in 1957 following calls to organise an international team championship for women similar to the Thomas Cup. The Uber Cup trophy was donated by Mrs H.S Uber. The United States won the first tournament when they defeated Denmark 6-1 in the final. The Uber Cup was held every three years until 1984. Since 1986, the tournament has been held every two years. Only four countries - the USA, Japan, China and Indonesia - have managed to win the Uber Cup. <br /><br />International competitions <br />Badminton's introduction as a model sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics served proof of the game's progress and increasing popularity. Four events - the men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles - were held at Barcelona. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the mixed doubles event was added. The World Junior Championships, now biennial affair, was also inaugurated in 1992 at Jakarta. The World Championships was started much earlier at Malmo in 1977. After the World Championships was subsequently held at Jakarta in 1980 and Copenhagen in 1983, it has also become a biennial affair since 1985 when it was held at Calgary. The World Cup, held every year, was started in 1981 while the present World Grand Prix Circuit - culminating with the World GP Final every year - began in 1983. <br /><br />THOMAS CUP FINALS Year Winner beat Runner Up Scores Played at <br />1949 Malay vs Denmark 8-1 Preston <br />1952 Malaya vs USA 7-2 Singapore <br />1955 Malaya vs Denmark 8-1 Singapore <br />1958 Indonesia vs Malaya 6-3 Singapore <br />1961 Indonesia vs Thailand 6-3 Jakarta <br />1964 Indonesia vs Denmark 5-4 Tokyo <br />1967 Malaysia vs Indonesia 6-3 Jakarta <br />1970 Indonesia vs Malaysia 7-2 Kuala Lumpur <br />1973 Indonesia vs Denmark 8-1 Jakarta <br />1976 Indonesia vs Malaysia 9-0 Bangkok <br />1979 Indonesia vs Denmark 9-0 Jakarta <br />1982 China vs Indonesia 5-4 London <br />1984 Indonesia vs China 3-2 Kuala Lumpur <br />1986 China vs Indonesia 3-2 Jakarta <br />1988 China vs Malaysia 4-1 Kuala Lumpur <br />1990 China vs Malaysia 4-1 Tokyo <br />1992 Malaysia vs Indonesia 3-2 Kuala Lumpur <br />1994 Indonesia vs Malaysia 3-0 Jakarta <br />1996 Indonesia vs Denmark 5-0 Hongkong <br />1998 Indonesia vs Malaysia 3-2 Hongkong <br />2000 Indonesia vs China 3-0 Kuala Lumpur <br />2002 Indonesia vs Malaysia 3-2 Guangzhou <br />2004 China vs Denmark 3-1 Jakarta <br /><br /><br />UBER CUP FINALS Year Winner beat Runner Up Scores Played at <br />1957 USA vs Denmark 6-1 St Annes <br />1960 USA vs Denmark 5-2 Phil <br />1963 USA vs England 4-3 Wilming <br />1966 Japan vs USA 5-2 Wellington <br />1969 Japan vs Indonesia 6-1 Tokyo <br />1972 Japan vs Indonesia 6-1 Tokyo <br />1975 Indonesia vs Japan 5-2 Jakarta <br />1978 Japan vs Indonesia 5-2 Auckland <br />1981 Japan vs Indonesia 6-3 Tokyo <br />1984 China vs England 5-0 Kuala Lumpur <br />1986 China vs Indonesia 3-2 Jakarta <br />1988 China vs South Korea 5-0 Kuala Lumpur <br />1990 China vs South Korea 3-2 Tokyo <br />1992 China vs South Korea 3-2 Kuala Lumpur <br />1994 Indonesia vs China 3-2 Jakarta <br />1996 Indonesia vs China 4-1 Hongkong <br />1998 China vs Indonesia 4-1 Hongkong <br />2000 China vs Denmark 3-0 Kuala Lumpur <br />2002 China vs Korea 3-1 Guangzhou <br />2004 China vs Korea 3-1 Jakarta <br /><br /><br />OLYMPIC GAMES (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004) Year Men's Singles Year Women's Singles <br /> Gold Medalists Gold Medalists <br />1992 Alan Budi Kesuma (Indonesia) 1992 Susi Susanti (Indonesia) <br />1996 Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark) 1996 Bang Soo-hyun (Korea) <br />2000 Xinpang Ji (China) 2000 Gong Zhichao (China) <br />2004 Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia 2004 Zhang Ning (China) <br /> Silver Medalists Silver Medalists <br />1992 Ardy Wiranata (Indonesia) 1992 Bang Soo-hyun (Korea) <br />1996 Dong Jiong (China) 1996 Mia Audina (Indonesia) <br />2000 Hendrawan (Indonesia) 2000 Camilla Martin (Denmark) <br />2004 Shon Seung Mo (Korea) 2004 Mia Audina (Netherland) <br /> Bronze Medalists Bronze Medalists <br />1992 Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark) 1992 Huang Hua (China) <br /> Hermawan Susanto (Indonesia) Tang Jiuhong (China) <br />1996 Rashid Sidek (Malaysia) 1996 Susi Susanti (Indonesia) <br />2000 Xuanze Xia (China) 2000 Zhaoying Ye (China) <br />2004 Soni Dewi Kuncoro (Indonesia) 2004 Zhou Mi (China) <br /> 4th Place 4th Place <br />1996 Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia) 1996 Kim Ji-hyun (Korea) <br />2000 Peter Gade (Denmark) 2000 Dai Yun (China) <br />2004 Boonsak Ponsana (Thailand) 2004 Gong Ruina (China) <br /> Men's Doubles Women's Doubles <br /> Gold Medalists Gold Medalists <br />1992 Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo (Korea) 1992 Hwang Hye-young/Chung So-young (Korea) <br />1996 Ricky Subagia/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia) 1996 Ge Fei/Gu Yun (China) <br />2000 Tony Gunawan / Candra Wijaya (Indonesia) 2000 Ge Fei/Gu Yun (China) <br />2004 Kim Dong Moon/Ha Tae Kwon (Korea) 2004 Zhang Jie Wien/Yang Wei (China) <br /> Silver Medalists Silver Medalists <br />1992 Eddy Hartono/Rudy Gunawan (Indonesia) 1992 Guan Weizhen/Nong Qunhua (China) <br />1996 Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (Malaysia) 1996 Gil Young-ah/Jang Hye-ock (Korea) <br />2000 Dong Soo Lee / Yoo Yong Sung (Korea) 2000 Nanyan Huang / Wei Yang (China) <br />2004 Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yong Sung (Korea) 2004 Huang Sui/Gao Ling (China) <br /> Bronze Medalists Bronze Medalists <br />1992 Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (China) 1992 Gil Young-ah/Shim Eun-jung (Korea) <br /> Jalani Sidek/Razil Sidek (Malaysia) Lin Yanfen/Yao Fen (China) <br />1996 Soo Beng Kiang/Tan Kim Her (Malaysia) 1996 Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (China) <br />2000 Tae Kwon Ha / Dong Moon Kim (Korea) 2000 Ling Gao / Yiyuan Qin (China) <br />2004 Eng Hian/Flandi Lempele (Indonesia) 2004 Ra Kyung Min/Lee Kyung Min (Korea) <br /> 4th Place 4th Place <br />1996 Denny Kantono/S. Antonius (Indonesia) 1996 Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark) <br />2000 Tan Fook Choong / Wan Wah Lee (Malaysia) 2000 Jae Hee Chung / Kyung Min Ra (Korea) <br />2004 Jens Eriksen/Martin Lundgaard (Denmark) 2004 Zhao Ting Ting/Wei Yi Li (China) <br /> Mixed Doubles Sydney 2000 Olympic, Medals Standings <br /> Gold Medalists Country Gold Silver Bronze Total <br /> <br />1992 No event China 4 1 3 8 <br /> <br />1996 Kim Dong-moon/Gil Young-ah (Korea) Indonesia 1 2 0 3 <br /> <br />2000 Jun Zhang / Ling Gao (China) Korea 0 1 1 2 <br /> <br />2004 Zhang Jun/Gao Ling (China) Denmark 0 1 0 1 <br /> <br /> Silver Medalists Britain 0 0 1 1 <br /> <br />1992 No Event Athens 2004 Olympic, Medals Standings <br />1996 Park Joo-bong/Ra Kyung-min (Korea) China Gold Silver Bronze Total <br />3 1 1 5 <br /> <br />2000 Tri Kusharyanto / Minarti Timur (Indonesia) Korea 1 2 1 4 <br /> <br />2004 Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms (Great Britain) Indonesia 1 . 2 3 <br /> <br /> Bronze Medalists Netherland . 1 . 1 <br /> <br />1992 No Event Great Britain . 1 . 1 <br /> <br />1996 Lin Jianjun/Sun Man (China) Denmark . . 1 1 <br /> <br />2000 Simon Archer / Joanne Goode (Great Britain) <br />2004 Jens Eriksen (Denmark) <br />Mette Schjoldager (Denmark) <br /> 4th Place <br />1992 No Event <br />1996 Chen Xingdong/Peng Xingyong (China) <br />2000 Michael Sogaard / Rikke Olsen (Denmark) <br />2004 Jonas Rasmussen (Denmark) <br />Rikke Olsen (Denmark)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111624177636869623?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1116241604085716752005-05-16T04:04:00.000-07:002005-05-16T04:06:44.093-07:00Cmpt. Event Location Year Winner Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=6&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=& Runn-Up Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=8&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&<br />European Championship S Aarhus 2005 SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR SAIVE Jean-Michel BEL<br />European Championship S Courmayeur 2003 SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR WOSIK Torben GER<br />European Championship S Zagreb 2002 BOLL Timo GER KREANGA Kalinikos GRE<br />European Championship S Bremen 2000 KARLSSON Peter SWE PRIMORAC Zoran HRV<br />European Championship S Eindhoven 1998 SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR PRIMORAC Zoran HRV<br />European Championship S Bratislava 1996 WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE PERSSON Jorgen SWE<br />European Championship S Birmingham 1994 SAIVE Jean-Michel BEL WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />European Championship S Stuttgart 1992 ROSSKOPF Jorg GER SAIVE Jean-Michel BEL<br />European Championship S Gothenburg 1990 APPELGREN Mikael SWE GRUBBA Andrzej POL<br />European Championship S Paris 1988 APPELGREN Mikael SWE MAZUNOV Andrei URS<br />European Championship S Prague 1986 PERSSON Jorgen SWE KUCHARSKI Leszek POL<br />European Championship S Moscow 1984 BENGTSSON Ulf SWE GRUBBA Andrzej POL<br />European Championship S Budapest 1982 APPELGREN Mikael SWE WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />European Championship S Berne 1980 HILTON John ENG DVORACEK Josef TCH<br />European Championship S Duisburg 1978 GERGELY Gabor HUN JONYER Istvan HUN<br />European Championship S Prague 1976 SECRETIN Jacques FRA STROKATOV Anatoli URS<br />European Championship S Novi Sad 1974 ORLOWSKI Milan TCH GERGELY Gabor HUN<br />European Championship S Rotterdam 1972 BENGTSSON Stellan 2 SWE JONYER Istvan HUN<br />European Championship S Moscow 1970 ALSER Hans SWE KORPA Istvan YUG<br />European Championship S Lyon 1968 SURBEK Dragutin YUG BORZSEI Janos HUN<br />European Championship S London 1966 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE MIKO Vladimir TCH<br />European Championship S Malmo 1964 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE BERCZIK Zoltan HUN<br />European Championship S Berlin 1962 ALSER Hans SWE ARNDT Erich FRG<br />European Championship S Zagreb 1960 BERCZIK Zoltan HUN NEGULESCU Radu ROU<br />European Championship S Budapest 1958 BERCZIK Zoltan HUN GYETVAI Elemer <br /><br />Compt. Location Year Player 1 Partner 1 Search_By_Results1_doubles.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=D&s_Gender=Male&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=6&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=& Player 2 Partner 2 Search_By_Results1_doubles.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=D&s_Gender=Male&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=9&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&<br />European Championship London 1966 ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE MIKO Vladimir STANEK Jaroslav TCH<br />European Championship Paris 1988 APPELGREN Mikael WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE LUPULESKU Ilija PRIMORAC Zoran USA<br />European Championship Prague 1976 BENGTSSON Stellan 2 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE KUNZ Jaroslav ORLOWSKI Milan TCH<br />European Championship Zagreb 1960 BERCZIK Zoltan SIDO Ferenc HUN PASKEVICIUS Rimas SAUNORIS Alguimantas URS<br />European Championship Berne 1980 BIROCHEAU Patrick SECRETIN Jacques FRA STIPANCIC Anton SURBEK Dragutin YUG<br />European Championship Zagreb 2002 BOLL Timo FEJER-KONNERTH Zoltan GER BLASZCZYK Lucjan KRZESZEWSKI Tomasz POL<br />European Championship Courmayeur 2003 CHEN Weixing CHTCHETININE Evgueni AUT MAZUNOV Dmitrij SMIRNOV Alexei RUS<br />European Championship Bremen 2000 CHILA Patrick GATIEN Jean-Philippe FRA KREANGA Kalinikos LUPULESKU Ilija GRE<br />European Championship Duisburg 1978 GERGELY Gabor ORLOWSKI Milan HUN LEISS Jochen STELLWAG Peter FRG<br />European Championship Aarhus 2005 JINDRAK Karl SCHLAGER Werner AUT KREANGA Kalinikos SAMSONOV Vladimir GRE<br />European Championship Novi Sad 1974 JONYER Istvan KLAMPAR Tibor HUN BENGTSSON Stellan 2 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE<br />European Championship Rotterdam 1972 JONYER Istvan ROZSAS Peter HUN BENGTSSON Stellan 2 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE<br />European Championship Birmingham 1994 KALINIC Zoran KREANGA Kalinikos YUG PRIMORAC Zoran SAIVE Jean-Michel HRV<br />European Championship Budapest 1982 KALINIC Zoran SURBEK Dragutin YUG GERGELY Gabor JONYER Istvan HUN<br />European Championship Moscow 1984 KALINIC Zoran SURBEK Dragutin YUG LINDH Erik WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />European Championship Stuttgart 1992 LINDH Erik PERSSON Jorgen SWE APPELGREN Mikael WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />European Championship Prague 1986 LINDH Erik WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE APPELGREN Mikael CARLSSON Ulf SWE<br />European Championship Gothenburg 1990 LUPULESKU Ilija PRIMORAC Zoran USA FETZNER Steffen ROSSKOPF Jorg FRG<br />European Championship Berlin 1962 MARKOVIC Vojislav TERAN Janez YUG KORPA Istvan VECKO Edvard YUG<br />European Championship Malmo 1964 MIKO Vladimir STANEK Jaroslav TCH ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE<br />European Championship Bratislava 1996 PERSSON Jorgen WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE BLASZCZYK Lucjan GRUBBA Andrzej POL<br />European Championship Eindhoven 1998 ROSSKOPF Jorg SAMSONOV Vladimir GER KREANGA Kalinikos LUPULESKU Ilija GRE<br />European Championship Moscow 1970 STIPANCIC Anton SURBEK Dragutin YUG ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE<br />European Championship Lyon 1968 STIPANCIC Anton VECKO Edvard YUG ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE<br />European Championship Budapest 1958 STIPEK Ladislav VYHNANOVSKY Ludvik TCH BOTTNER Otto REITER Toma ROU<br /><br />Cmpt. Event Location Year Winner Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Female&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=6&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=& Runn-Up Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=EURC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Female&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=8&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&<br />European Championship S Aarhus 2005 LIU Jia AUT STEFF Mihaela Ioana ROU<br />European Championship S Courmayeur 2003 BADESCU Otilia ROU TAN MONFARDINI Wenling ITA<br />European Championship S Zagreb 2002 NI Xialian LUX TOTH Krisztina HUN<br />European Championship S Bremen 2000 GOTSCH-HE Qianhong GER STEFF Mihaela Ioana ROU<br />European Championship S Eindhoven 1998 NI Xialian LUX BOROS Tamara HRV<br />European Championship S Bratislava 1996 STRUSE Nicole GER TOTH Krisztina HUN<br />European Championship S Birmingham 1994 SVENSSON Marie SWE KEEN Gerdie NED<br />European Championship S Stuttgart 1992 VRIESEKOOP Bettine NED LOMAS-BELLINGER Lisa ENG<br />European Championship S Gothenburg 1990 GUERGUELTCHEVA Daniela BUL TU Yong SUI<br />European Championship S Paris 1988 ABBATE-BULATOVA Fliura ITA BADESCU Otilia ROU<br />European Championship S Prague 1986 BATORFI Csilla HUN ABBATE-BULATOVA Fliura ITA<br />European Championship S Moscow 1984 POPOVA Valentina SVK ABBATE-BULATOVA Fliura ITA<br />European Championship S Budapest 1982 VRIESEKOOP Bettine NED PARKER-HAMMERSLEY-SHIRLEY Jill ENG<br />European Championship S Berne 1980 POPOVA Valentina SVK PERKUCIN Gordana YUG<br />European Championship S Duisburg 1978 MAGOS-HAVAS Judit HUN PARKER-HAMMERSLEY-SHIRLEY Jill ENG<br />European Championship S Prague 1976 PARKER-HAMMERSLEY-SHIRLEY Jill ENG ALEXANDRU-GOLOPENTA Maria ROU<br />European Championship S Novi Sad 1974 MAGOS-HAVAS Judit HUN HELLMAN Ann-Christin SWE<br />European Championship S Rotterdam 1972 RUDNOVA Zoja URS KISHAZI Beatrix HUN<br />European Championship S Moscow 1970 RUDNOVA Zoja URS UHLIKOVA-VOSTOVA Ilona TCH<br />European Championship S Lyon 1968 UHLIKOVA-VOSTOVA Ilona TCH RUDNOVA Zoja URS<br />European Championship S London 1966 ALEXANDRU-GOLOPENTA Maria ROU FEDOROVA-GRINBERG Svetlana URS<br />European Championship S Malmo 1964 FOLDI-KOCZIAN Eva HUN JURIK-HEIRITS Erzsebet HUN<br />European Championship S Berlin 1962 SIMON-ALMASI Agnes FRG SCHOLER-ROWE Diane FRG<br />European Championship S Zagreb 1960 FOLDI-KOCZIAN Eva HUN KEREKES-SOLYOM Ilona HUN<br />European Championship S Budapest 1958 FOLDI-KOCZIAN Eva HUN HAYDON Ann ENG<br /><br />Cmpt. Event Location Year Winner Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=WC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=6&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=& Runn-Up Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=WC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=8&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&<br />World Cup S Hangzhou 2004 MA Lin CHN KREANGA Kalinikos GRE<br />World Cup S Jiangyin 2003 MA Lin CHN KREANGA Kalinikos GRE<br />World Cup S Jinan 2002 BOLL Timo GER KONG Linghui CHN<br />World Cup S Courmayeur 2001 SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR WANG Liqin CHN<br />World Cup S Yangzhou 2000 MA Lin CHN KIM Taek Soo KOR<br />World Cup S Xiaolan 1999 SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR SCHLAGER Werner AUT<br />World Cup S Shantou 1998 ROSSKOPF Jorg GER KIM Taek Soo KOR<br />World Cup S Nimes 1997 PRIMORAC Zoran HRV KONG Linghui CHN<br />World Cup S Nimes 1996 LIU Guoliang CHN WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />World Cup S Nimes 1995 KONG Linghui CHN ROSSKOPF Jorg GER<br />World Cup S Taipei 1994 GATIEN Jean-Philippe FRA SAIVE Jean-Michel BEL<br />World Cup S Guangzhou 1993 PRIMORAC Zoran HRV WANG Tao CHN<br />World Cup S Ho Chi Minh City 1992 MA Wenge CHN KIM Taek Soo KOR<br />World Cup S Kuala Lumpur 1991 PERSSON Jorgen SWE GATIEN Jean-Philippe FRA<br />World Cup S Chiba City 1990 WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE MA Wenge CHN<br />World Cup S Nairobi 1989 MA Wenge CHN GRUBBA Andrzej POL<br />World Cup S Canton & Wuhan 1988 GRUBBA Andrzej POL CHEN Longcan CHN<br />World Cup S Macao 1987 TENG Yi CHN JIANG Jialiang CHN<br />World Cup S Port of Spain 1986 CHEN Longcan CHN JIANG Jialiang CHN<br />World Cup S Foshan 1985 CHEN Xinhua ENG GRUBBA Andrzej POL<br />World Cup S Kuala Lumpur 1984 JIANG Jialiang CHN KIM Wan KOR<br />World Cup S Barbados 1983 APPELGREN Mikael SWE WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE<br />World Cup S Hong Kong 1982 Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN APPELGREN Mikael SWE<br />World Cup S Kuala Lumpur 1981 KLAMPAR Tibor HUN XIE Saike CHN<br />World Cup S Hong Kong 1980 Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN LI Zhenshi/LI Chen-Shih CHN<br /><br />Cmpt. Event Location Year Winner Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=WTTC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=6&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&Runn-Up Search_By_Results1.asp?From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=WTTC&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorting=8&Formv_Winner_Runnup_Sorted=&World Championship S Paris 2003 SCHLAGER Werner AUT JOO Se Hyuk KOR World Championship S Osaka 2001 WANG Liqin CHN KONG Linghui CHN World Championship S Eindhoven 1999 LIU Guoliang CHN MA Lin CHN World Championship S Manchester 1997 WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE SAMSONOV Vladimir BLR World Championship S Tianjin 1995 KONG Linghui CHN LIU Guoliang CHN World Championship S Gothenburg 1993 GATIEN Jean-Philippe FRA SAIVE Jean-Michel BEL World Championship S Chiba City 1991 PERSSON Jorgen SWE WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE World Championship S Dortmund 1989 WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE PERSSON Jorgen SWE World Championship S New Delhi 1987 JIANG Jialiang CHN WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE World Championship S Gothenburg 1985 JIANG Jialiang CHN CHEN Longcan CHN World Championship S Tokyo 1983 Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN CAI Zhenhua CHN World Championship S Novi Sad 1981 Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN CAI Zhenhua CHN World Championship S Pyongyang 1979 ONO Seiji JPN Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN World Championship S Birmingham 1977 KOHNO Mitsuru JPN Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua CHN World Championship S Calcutta 1975 JONYER Istvan HUN STIPANCIC Anton YUG World Championship S Sarajevo 1973 XI Enting/HSI En-Ting CHN JOHANSSON Kjell SWE World Championship S Nagoya 1971 BENGTSSON Stellan 2 SWE ITOH Shigeo JPN World Championship S Munich 1969 ITOH Shigeo JPN SCHOLER Eberhard FRG World Championship S Stockholm 1967 HASEGAWA Nobuhiko JPN KOHNO Mitsuru JPN World Championship S Ljubljana 1965 ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung CHN LI Furong/LI Fu-Jung CHN World Championship S Prague 1963 ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung CHN LI Furong/LI Fu-Jung CHN World Championship S Beijing 1961 ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung CHN LI Furong/LI Fu-Jung CHN World Championship S Dortmund 1959 RONG Guotuan/JUNG Kuo-Tuan CHN SIDO Ferenc HUN World Championship S Stockhom 1957 TANAKA Toshiaki JPN OGIMURA Ichiro JPN World Championship S Tokyo 1956 OGIMURA Ichiro JPN TANAKA Toshiaki JPN World Championship S Utrecht 1955 TANAKA Toshiaki JPN DOLINAR Zarko YUG World Championship S Wembley 1954 OGIMURA Ichiro JPN FLISBERG Tage SWE World Championship S Bucharest 1953 SIDO Ferenc HUN ANDREADIS Ivan TCH World Championship S Bombay 1952 SATOH Hiroji JPN KOCZIAN Jozsef SWE World Championship S Vienna 1951 LEACH Johnny ENG ANDREADIS Ivan TCH World Championship S Budapest 1950 BERGMANN Richard ENG SOOS Ferenc HUN World Championship S Stockholm 1949 LEACH Johnny ENG VANA Bohumil TCH World Championship S Wembley 1948 BERGMANN Richard ENG VANA Bohumil TCH World Championship S Paris 1947 VANA Bohumil TCH SIDO Ferenc HUN World Championship S Cairo 1939 BERGMANN Richard ENG EHRLICH Aloizy FRA World Championship S Wembley 1938 VANA Bohumil TCH BERGMANN Richard ENG World Championship S Baden 1937 BERGMANN Richard ENG EHRLICH Aloizy FRA World Championship S Prague 1936 KOLAR Stanislav TCH EHRLICH Aloizy FRA World Championship S Wembley 1935 BARNA Victor ENG SZABADOS Miklos HUN World Championship S Paris 1934 BARNA Victor ENG BELLAK Laszlo HUN World Championship S Baden 1933 BARNA Victor ENG KOLAR Stanislav TCH World Championship S Prague 1932 BARNA Victor ENG SZABADOS Miklos HUN World Championship S Budapest 1931 SZABADOS Miklos HUN BARNA Victor ENG World Championship S Berlin 1930 BARNA Victor ENG BELLAK Laszlo HUN World Championship S Budapest 1929 PERRY Fred ENG SZABADOS Miklos HUN World Championship S Stockholm 1928 MECHLOVITS Zoltan HUN BELLAK Laszlo HUN World Championship S London 1926 JACOBI Roland HUN MECHLOVITS Zoltan HUN<br />World Championship Stockholm 1967 ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE AMELIN Anatoly GOMOZKOV Stanislav URS World Championship Munich 1969 ALSER Hans JOHANSSON Kjell SWE HASEGAWA Nobuhiko TASAKA Tokio JPN World Championship Utrecht 1955 ANDREADIS Ivan STIPEK Ladislav TCH DOLINAR Zarko HARANGOZO Vilim YUG World Championship Stockhom 1957 ANDREADIS Ivan STIPEK Ladislav TCH OGIMURA Ichiro TANAKA Toshiaki JPN World Championship Stockholm 1949 ANDREADIS Ivan TOKAR Frantisek TCH STIPEK Ladislav VANA Bohumil TCH World Championship Vienna 1951 ANDREADIS Ivan VANA Bohumil TCH KOCZIAN Jozsef SIDO Ferenc SWE World Championship Gothenburg 1985 APPELGREN Mikael CARLSSON Ulf SWE ORLOWSKI Milan PANSKY Jindrich TCH World Championship Cairo 1939 BARNA Victor BERGMANN Richard ENG HAMR Miloslav TARTAKOWER Josef TCH World Championship Baden 1933 BARNA Victor GLANCZ Sandor ENG DAVID Lajos Leopold KELEN Istvan HUN World Championship Budapest 1929 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG BELLAK Laszlo GLANCZ Sandor HUN World Championship Prague 1932 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG BELLAK Laszlo GLANCZ Sandor HUN World Championship Budapest 1931 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG DAVID Lajos Leopold KELEN Istvan HUN World Championship Paris 1934 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG GLANCZ Sandor HAZI Tibor HUN World Championship Wembley 1935 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG HAYDON Adrian LIEBSTER Alfred ENG World Championship Berlin 1930 BARNA Victor SZABADOS Miklos ENG LIEBSTER Alfred THUM Robert AUT World Championship Sarajevo 1973 BENGTSSON Stellan 2 JOHANSSON Kjell SWE JONYER Istvan KLAMPAR Tibor HUN World Championship Baden 1937 BLATTNER Robert Mc CLURE James USA BERGMANN Richard GOEBEL Helmut ENG World Championship Prague 1936 BLATTNER Robert Mc CLURE James USA KOLAR Stanislav PETRICEK J. Okter TCH World Championship Novi Sad 1981 CAI Zhenhua LI Zhenshi/LI Chen-Shih CHN Guo Yuehua/KUO Yao-Hua XIE Saike CHN World Championship Prague 1963 ZHANG Xielin/CHANG Shih-Lin WANG Zhiliang/WANG Chih-Liang CHN ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung XU Yinsheng/HSU Yin-Sheng CHN World Championship New Delhi 1987 CHEN Longcan ISEKI Seiko/WEI Qingguang CHN LUPULESKU Ilija PRIMORAC Zoran USA World Championship Ljubljana 1965 ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung XU Yinsheng/HSU Yin-Sheng CHN ZHANG Xielin/CHANG Shih-Lin WANG Zhiliang/WANG Chih-Liang CHN World Championship Wembley 1954 DOLINAR Zarko HARANGOZO Vilim YUG BARNA Victor HAGUENAUER Michel ENG World Championship Dortmund 1989 FETZNER Steffen ROSSKOPF Jorg FRG KALINIC Zoran KUCHARSKI Leszek YUG World Championship Bombay 1952 FUJII Norikazu HAYASHI Tadaki JPN BERGMANN Richard LEACH Johnny ENG World Championship Calcutta 1975 GERGELY Gabor JONYER Istvan HUN STIPANCIC Anton SURBEK Dragutin YUG World Championship Beijing 1961 HOSHINO Nobuya KIMURA Koji JPN BERCZIK Zoltan SIDO Ferenc HUN World Championship London 1926 JACOBI Roland PECSI Daniel HUN MECHLOVITS Zoltan VON KEHRLING Bela HUN World Championship Nagoya 1971 JONYER Istvan KLAMPAR Tibor HUN ZHUANG Zedong/CHUANG Tse-Tung LIANG Geliang/LIANG Ko-Liang CHN World Championship Tokyo 1983 KALINIC Zoran SURBEK Dragutin YUG JIANG Jialiang XIE Saike CHN World Championship Chiba City 1991 KARLSSON Peter VON SCHEELE Thomas SWE LU Lin WANG Tao CHN World Championship Bucharest 1953 KOCZIAN Jozsef SIDO Ferenc SWE BERGMANN Richard LEACH Johnny ENG World Championship Manchester 1997 KONG Linghui LIU Guoliang CHN PERSSON Jorgen WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE World Championship Eindhoven 1999 KONG Linghui LIU Guoliang CHN WANG Liqin YAN Sen CHN World Championship Birmingham 1977 LI Zhenshi/LI Chen-Shih LIANG Geliang/LIANG Ko-Liang CHN Huang Liang LU Yuansheng/LU Yuan-Sheng CHN World Championship Stockholm 1928 LIEBSTER Alfred THUM Robert AUT BULL Charles PERRY Fred ENG World Championship Gothenburg 1993 LU Lin WANG Tao CHN MA Wenge ZHANG Lei CHN World Championship Tianjin 1995 LU Lin WANG Tao CHN PRIMORAC Zoran SAMSONOV Vladimir HRV World Championship Wembley 1938 Mc CLURE James SCHIFF Sol USA BARNA Victor BELLAK Laszlo ENG World Championship Dortmund 1959 MURAKAMI Teruo OGIMURA Ichiro JPN STIPEK Ladislav VYHNANOVSKY Ludvik TCH World Championship Tokyo 1956 OGIMURA Ichiro TOMITA Yoshio JPN ANDREADIS Ivan STIPEK Ladislav TCH World Championship Budapest 1950 SIDO Ferenc SOOS Ferenc HUN ANDREADIS Ivan TOKAR Frantisek TCH World Championship Paris 1947 SLAR Adolf VANA Bohumil TCH CARRINGTON Jack LEACH Johnny ENG World Championship Pyongyang 1979 STIPANCIC Anton SURBEK Dragutin YUG JONYER Istvan KLAMPAR Tibor HUN World Championship Wembley 1948 STIPEK Ladislav VANA Bohumil TCH HAYDON Adrian SOOS Ferenc ENG World Championship Osaka 2001 WANG Liqin YAN Sen CHN KONG Linghui LIU Guoliang CHN World Championship Paris 2003 WANG Liqin YAN Sen CHN KONG Linghui WANG Hao 2 CHN<br />Olympic Games S Athens 2004 RYU Seung Min KOR WANG Hao 2 CHN Olympic Games S Sydney 2000 KONG Linghui CHN WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE Olympic Games S Atlanta 1996 LIU Guoliang CHN WANG Tao CHN Olympic Games S Barcelona 1992 WALDNER Jan-Ove SWE GATIEN Jean-Philippe FRA Olympic Games S Seoul 1988 YOO Nam Kyu KOR KIM Ki Taek KOR<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111624160408571675?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1116241471325048682005-05-16T04:03:00.000-07:002005-05-16T04:04:31.333-07:00English Premiership table<br /><br />LONDON, May 15 (AFP) - English Premiership table after Sunday's matches, <br />the final day of the 2004-05 season (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals <br />against, points):<br /><br />Chelsea 38 29 8 1 72 15 95 <br />Arsenal 38 25 8 5 87 36 83 <br />Man Utd 38 22 11 5 58 26 77 <br />Everton 38 18 7 13 45 46 61 <br />Liverpool 38 17 7 14 52 41 58 <br />Bolton 38 16 10 12 49 44 58 <br />Middlesbrough 38 14 13 11 53 46 55 <br />Man City 38 13 13 12 47 39 52 <br />Tottenham 38 14 10 14 47 41 52 <br />Aston Villa 38 12 11 15 45 52 47 <br />Charlton 38 12 10 16 42 58 46 <br />Birmingham 38 11 12 15 40 46 45 <br />Fulham 38 12 8 18 52 60 44 <br />Newcastle 38 10 14 14 47 57 44 <br />Blackburn 38 9 15 14 32 43 42 <br />Portsmouth 38 10 9 19 43 59 39 <br />West Brom 38 6 16 16 36 61 34<br />Crystal Palace 38 7 12 19 41 62 33 <br />Norwich 38 7 12 19 42 77 33 <br />Southampton 38 6 14 18 45 66 32 <br /><br />Champions: Chelsea<br />Qualified for Champions League: Arsenal, Man Utd and Everton<br />Qualified for UEFA Cup: Bolton and Middlesbrough<br />Relegated: Crystal Palace, Norwich and Southampton<br />afp05<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111624147132504868?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115818920240875682005-05-11T06:40:00.000-07:002005-05-11T06:42:00.250-07:00Malmo 1977<br />Jakarta 1980<br />Copenhagen 1983<br />Calgary 1985<br />Beijing 1987<br />Jakarta 1989<br />Copenhagen 1991<br />Birmingham 1993<br />Lausanne 1995<br />Glasgow 1997<br />Copenhagen 1999<br />Seville 2001<br /><br /><br /><br />MALMO 1977<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Flemming Delfs (DEN) beat Sven Pri (DEN) : 15-5, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Lene Koppen (DEN) beat Gillian Gilks (ENG) : 12-9, 12-11<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Tjun Tjun/Johan Wahjudi (INA) beat Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata (INA) 15-6, 15-4<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Etsuko Toganoo/Erniko Ueno (JPN) beat van Beusekom/Ridder (NED) : 15-10, 15-11<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Steen Skovgaard/Lene Koppen (DEN) beat Derek Talbot/Gillian Gilks (ENG) : 15-12, 18-17<br /><br /> <br /><br />JAKARTA 1980<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Rudy Hartono (INA) beat Liem Swie King (INA) : 15-9, 15-9<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Verawaty Wiharjo (INA) beat Ivana (INA) : 11-1, 11-3<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata (INA) beat Kartono/Heryanto (INA) : 5-15, 15-5, 15-7<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Nora Perry/Jane Webster (ENG) beat Imelda Wiguno/Verawaty (INA) : 15-12, 15-9<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Christian Hadinata/Imelda Wiguno beat Mike Tredgett/Nora Perry (ENG) : 15-12, 15-4<br /><br /> <br /><br />COPENHAGEN 1983<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Icuk Sugiarto (INA) beat Liem Swie King (INA) : 15-8, 12-15, 17-16<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 11-8, 6-11, 11-7<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Steen Fladberg/Jasper Helledie (DEN) beat Mike Tredgett/Martin Dew (ENG) : 15-10, 15-10<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Lin Ying/Wu Dixi (CHN) beat Nora Perry/Jane Webster (ENG) : 15-4, 15-12<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Kihlström/Nora Perry (SWE/ENG) beat Steen Fladberg/Pia Nielsen (DEN) : 15-1, 15-11<br /><br /> <br /><br />CALGARY 1985<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Han Jian (CHN) beat Morten Frost (DEN) : 14-18, 15-10, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Han Aiping (CHN) beat Wu Jianqin (CHN) : 6-11, 12-11, 11-2<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Park Joo Bong/Kim Moon Soo (KOR) beat Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (CHN) : 5-15, 15-7, 15-9<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Han Aiping/Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Lin Ying/Wu Dixi (CHN) : 15-9, 14-18, 15-9<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Park Joo Bong/Yoo Sang Hee (KOR) beat Stefan Karlsson/Maria Bengtsson (SWE) : 15-10, 12-15, 15-12<br /><br /> <br /><br />BEIJING 1987<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Yang Yang (CHN) beat Morten Frost (DEN) : 15-2, 13-15, 15-12<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Han Aiping (CHN) beat Li Lingwei (CHN) : 10-12, 11-4, 11-7<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (CHN) beat Jalani Sidek/Razif Sidek (MAS) : 15-2, 8-15, 15-9<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen (CHN) beat Han Aiping/Li Lingwei (CHN) : 15-7, 15-8<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Wang Pengren/Shi Fangjing (CHN) beat Lee Deuk Choon/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) : 15-8, 15-7<br /><br /> <br /><br />JAKARTA 1989<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Yang Yang (CHN) beat Ardy Wiranata (INA) : 15-10, 2-15, 15-5<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Hwang Hua (CHN) : 11-6, 12-9<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (CHN) beat Chen Kang/Chen Hongyong (CHN) : 15-3, 15-12<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen (CHN) beat Chung Myung Hee/Hwang Hye Young (KOR) : 15-1, 15-7<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Park Joo Bong/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) beat Eddy Hartono/Verawaty Fajrin (INA) : 15-9, 15-9<br /><br /> <br /><br />COPENHAGEN 1991<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Zhao Jianhua (CHN) beat Allan Budi Kusuma (INA) : 18-13, 15-4<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Tang Jiuhong (CHN) beat Sarwendah Kusumawardhani (INA) : 11-6, 11-1<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Park Joo Bong/Kim Moon Soo (KOR) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Thomas Lund (DEN): 15-4, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Guan Weizhen/Nong Qunhua (CHN) beat Christine Magnusson/Maria Bengtsson (SWE) : 15-7, 15-4<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Park Joo Bong/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) beat Thomas Lund/Pernille Dupont (DEN): 15-5, 15-17, 15-9<br /><br /> <br /><br />BIRMINGHAM 1993<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Joko Suprianto (INA) beat Hermawan Susanto (INA) : 15-5, 15-11<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Bang Soo Hyun (KOR) : 7-11, 11-9, 11-3<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Ricky Subagja/Rudy Gunawan (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Soo Beng Kiang (MAS) : 15-11, 15-3<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Nong Qunhua/Zhou Lei (CHN) beat Chen Ying/Wu Yuhong (CHN) : 15-5, 15-10<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Catrine Bengtsson (DEN/SWE) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Grete Mogensen (DEN) : 10-15, 15-6, 15-12<br /><br /> <br /><br />LAUSANNE 1995<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Heryanto Arbi (INA) beat Park Sung Woo (KOR) 15-11, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Han Jingna (CHN) 11-7, 11-0<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja (INA) beat Jon Holst Christensen/Thomas Lund (DEN) 15-5, 15-2<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Gil Young Ah/Jang Hye Ock (KOR) beat Finarsih/Lili Tampi (INA) 3-15, 15-11, 15-10<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Marlene Thomsen (DEN) beat Jens Eriksen/Helene Kirkegaard (DEN) 15-2, 15-6<br /><br /> <br /><br />GLASGOW 1997<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Peter Rasmussen (DEN) beat Arbi Heryanto (INA) : 9-15, 15-9, 15-2<br />Sun Jun (CHN) beat Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (DEN) : 15-7, 14-17, 15-9<br />Final - Peter Rasmussen (DEN) beat Sun Jun (CHN) : 16-17, 18-13, 15-10<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Wang Chen (CHN) : 11-5, 5-11, 11-4<br />Gong Zhichao (CHN) beat Han Jingna (CHN) : 12-11, 11-9<br />Final - Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Gong Zhichao (CHN) : 12-11, 11-8<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Candra Wijaya/Budiarto Sigit (INA) beat Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yong Sung (KOR) : 15-11, 15-11<br />Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (MAL) beat Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (INA) : 15-9, 2-15, 15-12<br />Final - Candra Wijaya/Budiarto Sigit (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (MAL) : 8-15, 18-17, 15-7<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Qiang Hong/Liu Lu (CHN) : 15-3, 15-3<br />Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (CHN) beat Eliza/Rosiana Zelin (INA) : 11-15, 15-11, 15-9<br />Final - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (CHN) : 15-1, 15-8<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (DEN) beat Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (INA) : 8-15, 15-13, 17-15<br />Liu Yong/Ge Fei (CHN) beat Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (DEN) : 15-10, 15-9<br />Final - Liu/Yong/Ge Fei (CHN) beat Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (DEN) : 15-5, 16-17, 15-4<br /><br /> <br /><br />COPENHAGEN 1999<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Fung Permadi (TPE) beat Peter Gade Christensen(DEN) : 15-11, 1-15, 15-14<br />Sun Jun (CHN) beat Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (DEN) : 15-4, 15-6<br />Final - Sun Jun (CHN) beat Fung Permadi (TP) : 15-6, 15-13<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Dai Yun (CHN) beat Mette Sorensen (DEN) : 11-8, 13-12<br />Camilla Martin (DEN) beat Ruina Gong (CHN) : 6-11, 11-9, 11-3<br />Final - Camilla Martin (DEN) beat Dai Yun (CHN) : 11-6, 6-11, 11-10<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Dong Moon (KOR) beat Zhang Wei/Zhang Jun (CHN) : 15-6, 17-5<br />Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yong Sung (KOR) beat Simon Archer/Nathan Robertson (ENG) : 15-11, 15-8<br />Final - Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Dong Moon (KOR) bt Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yong Sung (KOR) : 15-5, 15-5<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat QinYiyuan/Gao Ling (CHN): 15-6, 15-7<br />Ra Kyung Min/Chung Jae Hee (KOR) beat Ann Jorgensen/Majken Vange (DEN) : 15-10, 7-15, 15-10<br />Final - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Ra Kyung Min/Chung Jae Hee (KOR) : 15-4, 15-5<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (KOR) beat Liu Yong/Ge Fei (CHN) : 15-7, 7-15, 15-8<br />Simon Archer/Joanne Goode (ENG) beat Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (DEN) : 15-5, 15-9<br />Final - Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (KOR) bt Simon Archer/Joanne Goode (ENG) : 15-10, 15-13<br /><br /> <br /><br />SEVILLE 2001<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Hendrawan (INA) beat Taufik Hidayat (INA): 11/15, 15/5, 1/7 rtd.<br />Peter Gade (DEN) beat Chen Hong (CHN): 17/14, 15/2<br />Final - Hendrawan (INA) beat Peter Gade (DEN): 15/6, 17/16<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Semi-Finals - Gong Ruina (CHN) beat Gong Zhichao (CHN): 13/10, 11/4<br />Zhou Mi (CHN) beat Zhang Ning (CHN): 11/5, 11/9<br />Final - Gong Ruina (CHN) beat Zhou Mi (CHN): 11/9, 11/4<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Tony Gunawan/Halim Haryanto (INA) beat Chew Choon Eng/Chan Chong Ming (MAS): 12/15, 15/5, 15/13<br />Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Dong Moon (KOR) beat Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (MAS): 15/7, 9/15, 15/10<br />Final - Tony Gunawan/Halim Haryanto (INA) beat Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Dong Moon (KOR): 15/0, 15/13<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Zhang Jiewen/Wei Yili (CHN) beat Ra Kyung Min/Lee Kyung Won (KOR): 15/11, 15/3<br />Gao Ling/Huang Sui (CHN) beat Chen Lin/Jiang Xuelian (CHN): w/o<br />Final - Gao Ling/Huang Sui (CHN) beat Zhang Jiewen/Wei Yili (CHN): 15/11, 17/15<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Semi-Finals - Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (KOR) beat Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (DEN): 15/7, 15/9<br />Zhang Jun/Gao Ling (CHN) beat Jens Eriksen/Mette Schjoldager (DEN): 15/2, 15/12<br />Final - Zhang Jun/Gao Ling (CHN) beat Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (KOR): 15/10, 12/15, 17/16<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111581892024087568?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115818731344867842005-05-11T06:29:00.000-07:002005-05-11T06:38:51.363-07:00JAKARTA 1983<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Luan Jin (CHN) beat Morten Frost (DEN) : 15-2, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 11-0, 4-11, 11-4<br /><br /> <br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR 1984<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Morten Frost (DEN) beat Liem Swie King (INA) : 15-5, 15-4<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Han Aiping (CHN) beat Ivana Lie (IND) : 11-3, 11-2<br /><br /> <br /><br />TOKYO 1985<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Han Jian (CHN) beat Sze Yu (AUS) : 15-6, 15-3<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 11-3, 11-3<br /><br /> <br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR 1986<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Yang Yang (CHN) beat Morten Frost (DEN) : 18-13, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 11-5, 11-3<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Jalani Sidek/Razif Sidek (MAS) beat Hadibowo/Hartono (INA) : 10-15, 15-5, 18-13<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Hwang Hye Young/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) beat Verawaty Fajirin/Ivana (INA) : 15-10, 15-6<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Nigel Tier/Gillian Gowers (ENG) beat Thomas Kihlström/Christine Magnusson (SWE) : 8-15, 15-4, 15-8<br /><br /> <br /><br />HONG KONG 1987<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Ziong Guobao (CHN) beat Eddy Kurniawan (INA) : 15-2, 18-14<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Li Lingwei (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 11-8, 11-5<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (CHN) beat Zhang Qiang/Zhou Jincau (CHN) : 15-9, 15-4<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Guan Weizhen/Lin Ying (CHN) beat Hwang Hye Young/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) : 15-6, 13-15, 15-4<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Stefan Karlsson/Maria Bengtsson (SWE) beat Billy Gilliland/Gillian Gowers (SCO/ENG) : 15:8, 18:15<br /><br /> <br /><br />HONG KONG 1988<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Zhang Qingwu (CHN) beat Xiong Guobao (CHN) : 15:10, 4-15, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Han Aiping (CHN) beat Lee Young Suk (KOR) : 11-1, 11-5<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Jalani Sidek/Razif Sidek (MAS) beat Eddy Hartono/Rudy Gunawan (INA) : 10-15, 15-6, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Guan Weizhen/Liu Ying (CHN) beat Hwang Hye Young/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) : 15-4, 15-9<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Wang Pengren/Shi Fangjung (CHN) beat Andy Goode/Gillian Gowers (ENG) : 15-6, 15-6<br /><br /> <br /><br />SINGAPORE 1989<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Xiong Guobao (CHN) beat Foo Kok Keong (MAS) : 15-11, 15-7<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Tang Jiuhong (CHN) beat Han Aiping (CHN) : 12-11, 12-10<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Jalani Sidek/Razif Sidek (MAS) beat Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi (CHN) : 15-9, 15-5<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Rosiana Tendean/Erma Sulustianingsih (INA) beat Dorte Kjaer/Nette Nielsen (DEN) : 11-15, 18-16, 18-16<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Eddy Hartono/Verawaty (INA) beat Thomas Lund/Pernille Dupont (DEN) : 12-15, 15-7, 15-6<br /><br /> <br /><br />BALI 1990<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Eddy Kurniawan (INA) beat Rashid Sidek (MAS) : 18-13, 9-15, 15-2<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Tang Jiuhong (CHN) : 8-11, 11-5, 12-10<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Eddy Hartono/Rudy Gunawan (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Soo Beng Kiang (MAS) : 15-6, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Rosiana Tendean/Erma Sulustianingsih (INA) beat Lai Caiqin/Yao Fen (CHN) : 18-14, 15-10<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Pernille Dupont (DEN) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Grete Mogensen (DEN) : 12-15, 15-9, 15-8<br /><br /> <br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR 1991<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Zhao Jianhua (CHN) beat Wu Wenkai (CHN) : 15-4, 12-15, 15-12<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Lee Heung Soon (KOR) : 11-8, 11-1<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Jalani Sidek/Razif Sidek (MAS) beat Zheng Yumin/Hwang Zhanzhong (CHN) : 15-10, 12-15, 18-14<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Hwang Hye Young/Chung Myung Hee (KOR) beat Rosiana Tendean/Erma Sulustianingsih (INA) : 18-15, 15-3<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Pernille Dupont (DEN) beat Shou Jin Huan/Gil Young Ah (KOR) : 11-15, 15-7, 15-9<br /><br /> <br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR 1992<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Rashid Sidek (MAS) beat Allan Budi Kusuma (INA) : 15-9, 5-15, 15-7<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Sarwendah (INA) : 9-11, 11-3, 11-4<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Soo Beng Kiang (MAS) : 15-11, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Lin Yanfen/Yao Fen (CHN) beat Gill Clark/Gillian Gowers (ENG) : 15-7, 17-16<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Pernille Dupont (DEN) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Grete Mogensen (DEN) : 15-5, 15-2<br /><br /> <br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR 1993<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Joko Suprianto (INA) beat Heryanto Arbi (INA) : 11-15, 15-2, 15-1<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Ye Zhaoying (CHN) : 11-3, 12-9<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Rudy Gunawan/Bambang Suprianto (INA) beat Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (INA) : 11-15, 15-10, 15-9<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Finarsih/Lili Tampi (INA) beat Eliza/Rosiana Tendean (INA) : 15-11, 15-10<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Catrine Bengtsson (DEN/SWE) beat Nick Ponting/Gill Clark (ENG) 15-9, 15-7<br /><br /> <br /><br />BANGKOK 1994<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Ardy Wiranata (INA) beat Allan Budi Kusuma (INA) : 9-15, 15-7, 15-5<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Ye Zhaoying (CHN) : 4-11, 12-10, 11-4<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (INA) beat Rudy Gunawan/Bambang Suprianto (INA) : 15-10, 15-7<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Finarsih/Lili Tampi (INA) : 13-15, 15-8, 15-7<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Thomas Lund/Marlene Thomsen beat Jan-Eric Antonsson/Astrid Crabo (SWE) : 15-4, 15-9<br /><br /> <br /><br />SINGAPORE 1995<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Joko Suprianto (INA) beat Ardy B Wiranata (INA) : 15-3, 6-15, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Lim Xiaoqing (SWE) : 12-10, 8-11, 11-8<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (MAL) beat Rudy Gunawan/Bambang Suprianto (INA) : 13-18, 15-2. 15-12<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Gil Young Ah/Jang Hye Ock (KOR) : 15-7, 15-12<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (INA) beat Simon Archer/Julie Bradbury (ENG) : 15-8, 15-8<br /><br /> <br /><br />BALI 1996<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Fung Permadi (TPE) beat Sun Jun (CHN) : 15-12, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Susi Susanti (INA) beat Ye Zhaoying (CHN) : 11-4, 11-1<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (MAL) : 15-4, 15-9<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Eliza/Rosiana Zelin (INA) : 15-4, 15-4<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (DEN) beat Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (INA) : 15-10, 15-11<br /><br /> <br /><br />JAKARTA 1997<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Sun Jun (CHN) beat Dong Jiong (CHN) : 15-9, 15-6<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Susi Susanti (INA) : 11-4, 11-4<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Candra Wijaya/Budiarto Sigit (INA) beat Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (MAS) : 17-15, 11-15, 15-5<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yonshu (CHN) : 15-1, 15-8<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Liu Yong/Ge Fei (CHN) beat Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (INA) :15-9, 15-13<br /><br /> <br /><br />BRUNEI 1998<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Sun Jun (CHN) beat Peter Gade Christensen : 15-11, 15-8<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Zhang Ning (CHN) beat Dai Yun (CHN) : 11-8, 11-7<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Denny Kantono/Budi Antonius (INA) beat Tony Gunawan/Haryanto Halim (INA) : 15-11, 5-15, 15-11<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei/Gu Jun (CHN) beat Marlene Thomsen/Rikke Olsen (DEN) : W/O<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (KOR) beat Simon Archer/Joanne Goode (ENG) : 15-6, 15-9<br /><br /> <br /><br />BRUNEI 1999<br /><br />MEN'S SINGLES<br />Peter Gade Christensen (DEN) beat Marleve Mainaky (INA): 15-11, 15-3<br /><br />LADIES' SINGLES<br />Ye Zhaoying (CHN) beat Dai Yun (CHN): 11-4, 6-11, 11-9<br /><br />MEN'S DOUBLES<br />Candra Wijaya & Tony Gunawan (INA) beat Ha Tae Kwon & Kim Dong Moon (KOR): 15-7, 8-15, 15-11<br /><br />LADIES' DOUBLES<br />Ge Fei & Gu Jun (CHN) beat Chung Jae Hee & Ra Kyung Min (KOR): 15-2, 15-4<br /><br />MIXED DOUBLES<br />Kim Dong Moon & Ra Kyung Min (KOR) beat Tri Kusharyanto & Minarti Timur (INA): 15-7, 15-7<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111581873134486784?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115721929399689472005-05-10T03:44:00.000-07:002005-05-10T03:45:29.406-07:00Profile of Paul Le Guen<br />By Edward Jay <br />LYON, France, May 9 (Reuters) - A soccer coach who dresses<br />like a businessman and speaks like a university lecturer, Paul<br />Le Guen is not unlike another stylish Frenchman. <br />Always smartly dressed, polite and never loud, Le Guen has<br />been compared to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. <br />Le Guen stepped down as Olympique Lyon coach on Monday just<br />a day after leading them to a fourth successive Ligue 1 title,<br />but says he has no plans for the immediate future. <br />He became the third coach to win at least three consecutive<br />French titles after Albert Batteux won four from 1967 to 1970<br />and Robert Herbin three from 1974 to 1976. Both did it with<br />Lyon's neighbours and arch-rivals St Etienne. <br />After helping Lyon become the third French club after St<br />Etienne (1967-70) and Olympique Marseille (1989-92) to win four<br />in a row, Le Guen has decided the time is right for a new<br />challenge. <br />The Brittany-born 41-year-old has enjoyed successs both as a<br />coach and player. <br />After spells in Brittany with Brest and Nantes, his playing<br />career really took off when he joined Paris St Germain in 1991.<br />During his seven years at the club, he won the French title in<br />1994, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, lifted the French<br />Cup three times and won 17 caps for France. <br />"Winning a title as a coach is much more difficult," he<br />said. "You need to dedicate yourself much more and you take more<br />blows." <br />Le Guen, who holds a degree in economic science, passed his<br />coaching diploma when he was still playing, aged 24. <br />"I don't like it when people say it's difficult for a player<br />to become a coach," he said. "It's just something you have to<br />plan carefully." <br />Careful planning holds no secret for Le Guen. He likes to<br />keep everything under control, gives few interviews and makes<br />sure his private life remains private. <br />Little is known about his life outside soccer and he likes<br />it that way. <br />"You need passion but also need to keep some distance," he<br />said. <br />Paul Le Guen factfile<br /><br />LYON, France, May 9 (AFP) - Factfile on Paul Le Guen who quit Monday as <br />Lyon coach the day after the club wrapped up their fourth consecutive French <br />league title:<br /><br />Name: Paul Le Guen<br />Date of birth: March 1, 1964<br />Place of birth: Pencran, Brittany<br />Nationality: French<br /><br />Career: Footballer (midfielder), coach<br /><br />Former teams: Brest (1983-89), Nantes (1989-91), Paris SG (1991-98)<br />478 matches: 23 goals<br />55 European Cup matches: 5 goals<br />17 caps for France: no goals<br />First selection: Israel-France (0-4), February 17, 1993<br />Final selection: Norway-France (0-0), July 22 1995<br /><br />Player achievements<br />Cup Winners Cup: 1996<br />French league title: 1994<br />French Cup title: 1993, 1995, 1998 <br />French league Cup title: 1995, 1998<br /><br />Coaching career<br />Rennes (1998-2001), Lyon (from 2002)<br />First official match: Rennes-Auxerre (1-0), August 8, 1998<br /><br />Coaching achievements<br />French league title: 2003, 2004, 2005<br /><br />Bolton's Hierro announces retirement from football<br />MADRID, May 9 (Reuters) - Former Spain and Real Madrid<br />defender Fernando Hierro has announced that he will retire from<br />professional football at the end of this season. <br />"I'm clear about the decision but I wanted to leave it while<br />I'm still playing at a high level," the 37-year-old Bolton<br />Wanderers player told Radio Marca on Monday. <br />Hierro, who made a record 89 international appearances as an<br />outfield player for Spain, joined Bolton on a one-year contract<br />last July after a season in Qatar playing for Al Rayyan. <br />He joined Real Madrid from Valladolid in 1989 and went on to<br />help the team win six Spanish league titles and three European<br />Cups during his 14 years at the club. <br />He was discarded by Real along with coach Vicente del Bosque<br />a day after the club won the league title in June 2003. <br />Real have not won a major trophy since the two men left. <br /><br /><br />Golf-Sorenstam eyes fresh major challenge after Michelob woes<br />LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Annika Sorenstam wasted little<br />time putting behind her the disappointment of last week's<br />Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Virginia. <br />Having failed in her bid there for a record sixth<br />consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour, the world number one<br />swiftly turned her attention to next month's McDonald's LPGA<br />Championship, the second women's major of the year. <br />"Life goes on and it's a new tournament next week," the<br />34-year-old Swede told reporters after a closing three-over-par<br />74 left her tied for 12th at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, 10<br />strokes behind American winner Cristie Kerr. <br />"I am disappointed, there is no doubt about it. I will just<br />have to start over and maybe I can do another streak. We'll see<br />what happens. <br />"It is tough to win out here once. You have got to be happy<br />about that. Here I won five times (in a row), but you cannot<br />take anything for granted. <br />"I am proud of what I have achieved on the golf course. I am<br />getting better every year and the work ethic is paying off. <br />"My goal for the year was to win majors, and I still think<br />it is possible to win four in one year." <br />Sorenstam remains on track to become the first player, man<br />or woman, to complete a professional grand slam in a single<br />season after collecting her eighth major title at the Kraft<br />Nabisco Championship in March. <br />COMMANDING VICTORY <br />The Swede cruised to victory by a commanding eight shots at<br />Mission Hills in California to clinch her 59th career title. <br />"Winning four majors (in the same year), I think nothing<br />will beat that," she added. <br />"Plus winning is always good for the confidence. Winning is<br />good for a lot of things." <br />Sorenstam, who is fourth on the all-time list for LPGA wins<br />behind Kathy Whitworth (88), Mickey Wright (82) and Patty Berg<br />(60), matched Nancy Lopez's tour record of five wins in a row<br />from 1978 with her victory at the Nabisco. <br />Her bid to go one better, however, was derailed when she<br />opened with a five-over-par 76 at the Michelob Ultra Open. <br />Despite improving with a second-round 67 and then a 69 in<br />the rain-delayed third round early on the last day, she left<br />herself too much ground to make up on the leaders. <br />"I am not going to look for excuses, other than myself," the<br />Swede conceded. "I had a great opportunity to do something, I<br />just didn't do it. <br />"Starting the fourth round, I thought I was in great shape,<br />but my wheels came off early and I couldn't really recover<br />unfortunately. <br />"I am disappointed, but again, it is a difficult thing to<br />do." <br />The McDonald's LPGA Championship takes place at Havre de<br />Grace, Maryland from June 9-12.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111572192939968947?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115721844912976552005-05-10T03:42:00.000-07:002005-05-10T03:44:04.916-07:00Tennis-Men's 2005 ATP Tour winners<br /><br />LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - List of winners on the Men's ATP<br />Tour in 2005:<br />Jan 8 - Qatar Open, Doha - Roger Federer (Switzerland)<br />Jan 9 - Australian Hardcourt Championship, Adelaide -<br />Joachim Johansson (Sweden)<br />Jan 9 - Chennai Open, Madras - Carlos Moya (Spain)<br />Jan 15 - Sydney International - Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)<br />Jan 15 - Auckland Open - Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)<br />Jan 30 - AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Melbourne - Marat Safin (Russia)<br />Feb 6 - BellSouth Open, Vina del Mar - Gaston Gaudio <br />(Argentina)<br />Feb 6 - Millennium International, Delray Beach, Florida - <br />Xavier Malisse (Belgium)<br />Feb 6 - Milan Indoor Tournament - Robin Soderling (Sweden)<br />Feb 13 - Marseille Open - Joachim Johansson (Sweden)<br />Feb 13 - Buenos Aires Open - Gaston Gaudio (Argentina)<br />Feb 13 - San Jose Open - Andy Roddick (U.S.)<br />Feb 19 - Brazil Open - Rafael Nadal (Spain)<br />Feb 20 - World Indoor Tournament, Rotterdam - Roger Federer <br />(Switzerland)<br />Feb 20 - Kroger St Jude, Memphis - Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark)<br />Feb 26 - Abierto Mexicano, Acapulco - Rafael Nadal (Spain)<br />Feb 27 - Scottsdale Classic - Wayne Arthurs (Australia)<br />Feb 27 - Dubai Open - Roger Federer (Switzerland)<br />March 20 - Pacific Life Open - Roger Federer (Switzerland)<br />April 2 - Nasdaq 100 - Roger Federer (Switzerland)<br />April 10 - Casablanca Open - Mariano Puerta (Argentina)<br />April 10 - Valencia Open - Igor Andreev (Russia)<br />April 17 - Monte Carlo Open - Rafael Nadal (Spain) <br />April 24 - U.S. Clay Court Championship - Andy Roddick (U.S.)<br />April 24 - Barcelona Open - Rafael Nadal (Spain) <br />May 1 - Estoril Open - Gaston Gaudio (Argentina)<br />May 1 - Munich Open - David Nalbandian (Argentina)<br />May 8 - Italian Masters - Rafael Nadal (Spain) <br /><br /><br /><br />Tennis-Women's 2005 WTA Tour winners<br /><br />LONDON, May 9 - (Reuters) - List of winners on the women's<br />WTA Tour in 2005:<br />Jan 8 - Auckland Classic - Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia)<br />Jan 8 - Australian Hardcourt Championship, Gold Coast - Patty<br />Schnyder (Switzerland)<br />Jan 14 - Hobart International - Zheng Jie (China)<br />Jan 15 - Canberra Classic - Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) <br />Sydney International - Alicia Molik (Australia)<br />Jan 29 - AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Melbourne - Serena Williams (U.S.)<br />Feb 6 - Thailand Open, Pattaya City - Conchita Martinez <br />(Spain)<br />Feb 6 - Pan Pacific Open, Toyko - Maria Sharapova (Russia)<br />Feb 13 - Hyderabad Open - Sania Mirza (India) <br />Feb 13 - Paris Open - Dinara Safina (Russia) <br />Feb 20 - Antwerp Diamond Games - Amelie Mauresmo (France)<br />Feb 20 - Kroger St Jude, Memphis - Vera Zvonareva (Russia)<br />Feb 20 - Copa Colsanitas, Bogota - Flavia Pennetta (Italy)<br />Feb 26 - Qatar Open - Maria Sharapova (Russia)<br />Feb 27 - Abierto Mexicano, Acapulco - Flavia Pennetta (Italy)<br />March 5 - Dubai Open - Lindsay Davenport (U.S.)<br />March 21 - Pacific Life Open - Kim Clijsters (Belgium)<br />April 2 - Nasdaq-100 Open - Kim Clijsters (Belgium)<br />April 10 - Amelia Island Open - Lindsay Davenport (U.S.)<br />April 17 - Family Circle Cup - Justine Henin-Hardenne<br />(Belgium)<br />May 1 - Warsaw Cup - Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) <br />May 1 - Estoril Open - Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic)<br />May 8 - Rabat Open - Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) <br />May 8 - Berlin Open - Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111572184491297655?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115560887431156782005-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:002005-05-08T07:01:27.456-07:00World Rally Champions<br />(FIA WRC)<br /> <br /> Driver (Car) Manufacturer Championship<br />2004 Sebastien LOEB (Citroen) Citroen World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />2003 Petter SOLBERG (Subaru) Citroen World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />2002 Marcus GRONHOLM (Peugeot) Peugeot World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />2001 Richard BURNS (Subaru) Peugeot World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />2000 Marcus GRONHOLM (Peugeot) Peugeot World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1999 Tommi MAKINEN (Mitsubishi) Toyota World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1998 Tommi MAKINEN (Mitsubishi) Mitsubishi World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1997 Tommi MAKINEN (Mitsubishi) Subaru World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1996 Tommi MAKINEN (Mitsubishi) Subaru World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1995 Colin McRAE (Subaru) Subaru World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1994 Didier AURIOL (Toyota) Toyota World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1993 Juha KANKKUNEN (Toyota) Toyota World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1992 Carlos SAINZ (Toyota) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1991 Juha KANKKUNEN (Lancia) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1990 Carlos SAINZ (Toyota) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1989 Massimo BIASION (Lancia) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1988 Massimo BIASION (Lancia) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1987 Juha KANKKUNEN (Lancia) Lancia World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1986 Juha KANKKUNEN (Peugeot) Peugeot (Gr. B) World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1985 Timo SALONEN (Peugeot) Peugeot (Gr. B) World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1984 Stig BLOMQVIST (Audi) Audi (Gr. B) World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1983 Hannu MIKKOLA (Audi) Lancia (Gr. B) World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1982 Walter ROHRL (Opel) Audi World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1981 Ari VATANEN (Ford) Talbot World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1980 Walter ROHRL (Fiat) Fiat World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1979 Bjorn WALDEGAARD (Ford/Mercedes-Benz) Ford World Ch. (drivers & manufacturers)<br />1978 Markku ALEN (Fiat & Lancia) Fiat FIA Cup (drivers) & World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1977 Sandro MUNARI (Lancia) Fiat FIA Cup (drivers) & World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1976 - Lancia World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1975 - Lancia World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1974 - Lancia World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1973 - Alpine-Renault World Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1972 - Lancia International Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1971 - Alpine-Renault International Ch. (manufacturers)<br />1970 - Porsche International Ch. (manufacturers)<br /><br />Dakar Rally Winners <br /> Bike Category Car Category Truck Category Race<br />2005 C. DESPRES (KTM) S. PETERHANSEL (Mitsubishi) F. KABIROV (Kamaz) Barcelona - Dakar<br />2004 N. ROMA (KTM) S. PETERHANSEL (Mitsubishi) TCHAGUINE (Kamaz) Clermont-Ferrand - Dakar<br />2003 R. SAINCT (KTM) MASUOKA (Mitsubishi) TCHAGUINE (Kamaz) Marseille - Sharm el Sheikh<br />2002 F. MEONI (KTM) MASUOKA (Mitsubishi) TCHAGUINE (Kamaz) Arras - Madrid - Dakar<br />2001 F. MEONI (KTM) J. KLEINSCHMIDT (Mitsubishi) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Paris - Dakar<br />2000 R. SAINCT (BMW) J.L. SCHLESSER (Renault) TCHAGUINE (Kamaz) Paris - Dakar - Cairo<br />1999 R. SAINCT (BMW) J.L. SCHLESSER (Renault) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Granada - Dakar<br />1998 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) J.P. FONTENAY (Mitsubishi) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Paris - Granada - Dakar<br />1997 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) SHINOZUKA (Mitsubishi) REIF (Hino) Dakar - Agades - Dakar<br />1996 E. ORIOLI (Yamaha) T. LARTIGUE (Citroen) MOSKOVSKIKH (Kamaz) Granada - Dakar<br />1995 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) T. LARTIGUE (Citroen) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Granada - Dakar<br />1994 E. ORIOLI (Cagiva) T. LARTIGUE (Citroen) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Paris - Dakar - Paris<br />1993 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) B. SABY (Mitsubishi) PERLINI (Perlini) Paris - Tanger - Dakar<br />1992 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) D. AURIOL (Mitsubishi) PERLINI (Perlini) Paris - Sirte - Cape Town<br />1991 S. PETERHANSEL (Yamaha) A. VATANEN (Citroen) HOUSSAT (Perlini) Paris - Tripoli - Dakar<br />1990 E. ORIOLI (Cagiva) A. VATANEN (Peugeot) VILLA (Perlini) Paris - Tripoli - Dakar<br />1989 G. LALAY (Honda) A. VATANEN (Peugeot) - Paris - Tunis - Dakar<br />1988 E. ORIOLI (Honda) J. KANKKUNEN (Peugeot) LOPRAIS (Tatra) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1987 C. NEVEU (Honda) A. VATANEN (Peugeot) DE ROY (DAF) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1986 C. NEVEU (Honda) R. METGE (Porsche) VISMARA (Mercedes) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1985 G. RAHIER (BMW) P. ZANIROLI (Mitsubishi) CAPITO (Mercedes) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1984 G. RAHIER (BMW) R. METGE (Porsche) LALLEU (Mercedes) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1983 D. AURIOL (BMW) J. ICKX (Mercedes) GROINE (Mercedes) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1982 C. NEVEU (Honda) C. MARREAU (Renault) GROINE (Mercedes) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1981 D. AURIOL (BMW) R. METGE (Range Rover) VILLETTE (ALM/ACMAT) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1980 C. NEVEU (Yamaha) KOTULINSKY (Volkswagen) ATAQUAT (Sonacome) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br />1979 C. NEVEU (Yamaha) GENESTIER / TERBLAUT / LEMORDANT (Range Rover) Paris - Algiers - Dakar<br /><br />World Rally Statistics<br />Number of World Rallies Won (since 1973) <br />Driver Manufacturer <br /> <br />Carlos SAINZ 26 Lancia 73 <br />Colin McRAE 25 Ford 48 <br />Tommi MAKINEN 24 Peugeot 47 <br />Juha KANKKUNEN 23 Subaru 46 <br />Didier AURIOL 20 Toyota 43 <br />Markku ALEN 19 Mitsubishi 34 <br />Hannu MIKKOLA 18 Audi 24 <br />Massimo BIASION 17 Fiat 21 <br />Marcus GRONHOLM 17 Citroen 17 <br />Bjorn WALDEGAARD 16 Nissan / Datsun 9 <br />Walter ROHRL 14 Alpine-Renault 6 <br />Petter SOLBERG 12 Opel 6 <br />Sebastien LOEB 12 Renault 6 <br />Stig BLOMQVIST 11 Saab 4 <br />Timo SALONEN 11 Mazda 3 <br />Ari VATANEN 10 Porsche 2 <br />Richard BURNS 10 Mercedes 2 <br />Sandro MUNARI 7 Talbot 2 <br />Bernard DARNICHE 7 BMW 2 <br />Gilles PANIZZI 7 VW 1 <br />Kenneth ERIKSSON 6 <br />Jean-Pierre NICOLAS 5 <br />Jean-Luc THERIER 5 <br />Shekhar MEHTA 5 <br />Markko MARTIN 5 <br />Michele MOUTON 4 <br />Francois DELECOUR 4 <br />Timo MAKINEN 4 <br />Jean-Claude ANDRUET 3 <br />Jean RAGNOTTI 3 <br />Henri TOIVONEN 3 <br />Achim WARMBOLD 2 <br />Joginder SINGH 2 <br />Bruno SABY 2 <br />Ingvar CARLSSON 2 <br />Michael ERICSSON 2 <br />Kenjiro SHINOZUKA 2 <br />Mats JONSSON 2 <br />Philippe BUGALSKI 2 <br />Walter BOYCE 1 <br />Raffaele PINTO 1 <br />Ove ANDERSSON 1 <br />Per EKLUND 1 <br />Harry KALLSTROM 1 <br />Roger CLARK 1 <br />Fulvio BACCHELLI 1 <br />Kyosti HAMALAINEN 1 <br />"Tony" FASSINA 1 <br />Anders KULLANG 1 <br />Guy FREQUELIN 1 <br />Joaquim MOUTINHO 1 <br />Bernard BEGUIN 1 <br />Franz WITTMANN 1 <br />Sepp HAIDER 1 <br />Jorge RECALDE 1 <br />Alain AMBROSINO 1 <br />Alain OREILLE 1 <br />Pentti AIRIKKALA 1 <br />Patrick TAUZIAC 1 <br />Armin SCHWARZ 1 <br />Andrea AGHINI 1 <br />Gianfranco CUNICO 1 <br />Ian DUNCAN 1 <br />Piero LIATTI 1 <br />Harri ROVANPERA 1 <br />Jesus PURAS 1 <br /><br />Moto Grand Prix Statistics<br />Number of Races Won (since 1949) <br />Rider Manufacturer <br /> <br />Giacomo AGOSTINI 68 Honda 194<br />Mick DOOHAN 54 MV Agusta 139<br />Valentino ROSSI 44 Yamaha 132<br />Mike HAILWOOD 37 Suzuki 89<br />Eddie LAWSON 31 Gilera 35<br />Kevin SCHWANTZ 25 Norton 21<br />Wayne RAINEY 24 AJS 5<br />Geoff DUKE 22 Moto Guzzi 3<br />John SURTEES 22 Matchless 3<br />Kenny ROBERTS 22 Cagiva 3<br />Freddie SPENCER 20 Kawasaki 2<br />Barry SHEENE 19 Jawa 1<br />Wayne GARDNER 18 Linto 1<br />Alex CRIVILLE 15 Konig 1<br />Randy MAMOLA 13 San Venero 1<br />Max BIAGGI 13 Ducati 1<br />Phil READ 11 <br />Sete GIBERNAU 9 <br />Gary HOCKING 8 <br />Luca CADALORA 8 <br />Kenny ROBERTS Jr. 8 <br />Alex BARROS 7 <br />Umberto MASETTI 6 <br />Marco LUCCHINELLI 6 <br />Leslie GRAHAM 5 <br />Wil HARTOG 5 <br />Franco UNCINI 5 <br />Reg ARMSTRONG 4 <br />Libero LIBERATI 4 <br />John KOCINSKI 4 <br />Tadayuki OKADA 4 <br />Alfredo MILANI 3 <br />John HARTLE 3 <br />Alberto PAGANI 3 <br />Jack FINDLAY 3 <br />Pat HENNEN 3 <br />Johnny CECOTTO 3 <br />Daryl BEATTIE 3 <br />Norick ABE 3 <br />Garry McCOY 3 <br />Loris CAPIROSSI 3 <br />Nello PAGANI 2 <br />Fergus ANDERSON 2 <br />Ray AMM 2 <br />Jim REDMAN 2 <br />Jarno SAARINEN 2 <br />Virgino FERRARI 2 <br />Jack MIDDELBURG 2 <br />Carlos CHECA 2 <br />Makoto TAMADA 2 <br />Harold DANIELL 1 <br />Bill DORAN 1 <br />Jack BRETT 1 <br />Cromie McCANDLESS 1 <br />Ken KAVANAGH 1 <br />Pierre MONNERET 1 <br />Dickie DALE 1 <br />Giuseppe COLNAGO 1 <br />Bill LOMAS 1 <br />Bob McINTYRE 1 <br />Remo VENTURI 1 <br />Jorge KISSLING 1 <br />Alan SHEPHERD 1 <br />Benedicto CALDARELLE 1 <br />Jack AHEARN 1 <br />Dick CREITH 1 <br />Frantisek STASTNY 1 <br />Godfrey NASH 1 <br />Angelo BERGAMONTI 1 <br />Dave SIMMONDS 1 <br />Chas MORTIMER 1 <br />Kim NEWCOMBE 1 <br />Edmund CZIHAK 1 <br />Franco BONERA 1 <br />Phil CARPENTER 1 <br />Teuvo LANSIVUORI 1 <br />Hideo KANAYA 1 <br />Mick GRANT 1 <br />Tom HERRON 1 <br />John WILLIAMS 1 <br />John NEWBOLD 1 <br />Dennis IRELAND 1 <br />Boet Van DULMEN 1 <br />Michel FRUTSCHI 1 <br />Takazumi KATAYAMA 1 <br />Christian SARRON 1 <br />Kevin MAGEE 1 <br />Pier Francesco CHILI 1 <br />Alberto PUIG 1 <br />Simon CRAFAR 1 <br />Regis LACONI 1 <br />Tohru UKAWA 1 <br /><br />MotoGP & GP 500 World Champions<br />(FIM Grand Prix / GP1)<br /> Rider (Bike) Series <br />2004 Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) Moto GP <br />2003 Valentino ROSSI (Honda) Moto GP <br />2002 Valentino ROSSI (Honda) Moto GP <br />2001 Valentino ROSSI (Honda) GP 500 <br />2000 Kenny ROBERTS Jr. (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1999 Alex CRIVILLE (Honda) GP 500 <br />1998 Mick DOOHAN (Honda) GP 500 <br />1997 Mick DOOHAN (Honda) GP 500 <br />1996 Mick DOOHAN (Honda) GP 500 <br />1995 Mick DOOHAN (Honda) GP 500 <br />1994 Mick DOOHAN (Honda) GP 500 <br />1993 Kevin SCHWANTZ (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1992 Wayne RAINEY (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1991 Wayne RAINEY (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1990 Wayne RAINEY (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1989 Eddie LAWSON (Honda) GP 500 <br />1988 Eddie LAWSON (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1987 Wayne GARDNER (Honda) GP 500 <br />1986 Eddie LAWSON (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1985 Freddie SPENCER (Honda) GP 500 <br />1984 Eddie LAWSON (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1983 Freddie SPENCER (Honda) GP 500 <br />1982 Franco UNCINI (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1981 Marco LUCCHINELLI (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1980 Kenny ROBERTS (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1979 Kenny ROBERTS (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1978 Kenny ROBERTS (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1977 Barry SHEENE (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1976 Barry SHEENE (Suzuki) GP 500 <br />1975 Giacomo AGOSTINI (Yamaha) GP 500 <br />1974 Phil READ (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1973 Phil READ (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1972 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1971 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1970 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1969 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1968 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1967 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1966 Giacomo AGOSTINI (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1965 Mike HAILWOOD (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1964 Mike HAILWOOD (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1963 Mike HAILWOOD (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1962 Mike HAILWOOD (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1961 Gary HOCKING (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1960 John SURTEES (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1959 John SURTEES (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1958 John SURTEES (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1957 Libero LIBERATI (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1956 John SURTEES (MV Agusta) GP 500 <br />1955 Geoff DUKE (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1954 Geoff DUKE (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1953 Geoff DUKE (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1952 Umberto MASETTI (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1951 Geoff DUKE (Norton) GP 500 <br />1950 Umberto MASETTI (Gilera) GP 500 <br />1949 Leslie GRAHAM (AJS) GP 500 <br /><br />Formula 1 World Champions<br />(FIA F1 Grand Prix)<br /> <br /> Driver Championship Constructor Championship <br />2004 1 Michael SCHUMACHER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />2003 1 Michael SCHUMACHER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />2002 1 Michael SCHUMACHER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />2001 1 Michael SCHUMACHER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />2000 3 Michael SCHUMACHER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1999 1 Mika HAKKINEN (McLaren-Mercedes) F Ferrari<br />1998 8 Mika HAKKINEN (McLaren-Mercedes) M McLaren-Mercedes<br />1997 3 Jacques VILLENEUVE (Williams-Renault) W Williams-Renault<br />1996 5 Damon HILL (Willams-Renault) W Williams-Renault<br />1995 1 Michael SCHUMACHER (Benetton-Renault) B Benetton-Renault<br />1994 5 Michael SCHUMACHER (Benetton-Ford) W Williams-Renault<br />1993 2 Alain PROST (Williams-Renault) W Williams-Renault<br />1992 5 Nigel MANSELL (Williams-Renault) W Williams-Renault<br />1991 1 Ayrton SENNA (McLaren-Honda) M McLaren-Honda<br />1990 27 Ayrton SENNA (McLaren-Honda) M McLaren-Honda<br />1989 2 Alain PROST (McLaren-Honda) M McLaren-Honda<br />1988 12 Ayrton SENNA (McLaren-Honda) M McLaren-Honda<br />1987 6 Nelson PIQUET (Williams-Honda) W Williams-Honda<br />1986 1 Alain PROST (McLaren-TAG/Porsche) W Williams-Honda<br />1985 2 Alain PROST (McLaren-TAG/Porsche) M McLaren-TAG/Porsche<br />1984 8 Niki LAUDA (McLaren-TAG/Porsche) M McLaren-TAG/Porsche<br />1983 5 Nelson PIQUET (Brabham-BMW) F Ferrari<br />1982 6 Keke ROSBERG (Williams-Ford/Cosworth) F Ferrari<br />1981 5 Nelson PIQUET (Brabham-Ford/Cosworth) W Williams-Ford/Cosworth<br />1980 27 Alan JONES (Williams-Ford/Cosworth) W Williams-Ford/Cosworth<br />1979 11 Jody SCHECKTER (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1978 5 Mario ANDRETTI (Lotus-Ford/Cosworth) L Lotus-Ford/Cosworth<br />1977 11 Niki LAUDA (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1976 11 James HUNT (McLaren-Ford/Cosworth) F Ferrari<br />1975 12 Niki LAUDA (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1974 5 Emerson FITTIPALDI (McLaren-Ford/Cosworth) M McLaren-Ford/Cosworth<br />1973 # Jackie STEWART (Tyrrell-Ford/Cosworth) L Lotus-Ford/Cosworth<br />1972 # Emerson FITTIPALDI (Lotus-Ford/Cosworth) L Lotus-Ford/Cosworth<br />1971 # Jackie STEWART (Tyrrell-Ford/Cosworth) T Tyrrell-Ford/Cosworth<br />1970 # Jochen RINDT (Lotus-Ford/Cosworth) L Lotus-Ford/Cosworth<br />1969 # Jackie STEWART (Matra-Ford/Cosworth) M Matra-Ford/Cosworth<br />1968 # Graham HILL (Lotus-Ford/Cosworth) L Lotus-Ford/Cosworth<br />1967 # Denny HULME (Brabham-Repco) B Brabham-Repco<br />1966 # Jack BRABHAM (Brabham-Repco) B Brabham-Repco<br />1965 # Jim CLARK (Lotus-Climax) L Lotus-Climax<br />1964 # John SURTEES (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1963 # Jim CLARK (Lotus-Climax) L Lotus-Climax<br />1962 # Graham HILL (BRM) B BRM<br />1961 # Phil HILL (Ferrari) F Ferrari<br />1960 # Jack BRABHAM (Cooper-Climax) C Cooper-Climax<br />1959 # Jack BRABHAM (Cooper-Climax) C Cooper-Climax<br />1958 # Mike HAWTHORN (Ferrari) V Vanwall<br />1957 # Juan Manuel FANGIO (Maserati) - <br />1956 # Juan Manuel FANGIO (Lancia/Ferrari) - <br />1955 # Juan Manuel FANGIO (Mercedes) - <br />1954 # Juan Manuel FANGIO (Maserati & Mercedes) - <br />1953 # Alberto ASCARI (Ferrari) - <br />1952 # Alberto ASCARI (Ferrari) - <br />1951 # Juan Manuel FANGIO (Alfa Romeo) - <br />1950 # Giuseppe "Nino" FARINA (Alfa Romeo) - <br /># = multiple car numbers used. <br /><br />Indianapolis 500 Winners<br />(Indy 500)<br /> <br /> Driver Series <br />2004 15 Buddy RICE IRL <br />2003 6 Gil de FERRAN IRL <br />2002 3 Helio CASTRONEVES IRL <br />2001 68 Helio CASTRONEVES IRL <br />2000 9 Juan Pablo MONTOYA IRL <br />1999 14 Kenny BRACK IRL <br />1998 51 Eddie CHEEVER IRL <br />1997 5 Arie LUYENDYK IRL/USAC <br />1996 91 Buddy LAZIER IRL/USAC <br />1995 27 Jacques VILLENEUVE CART/USAC <br />1994 31 Al UNSER Jr. CART/USAC <br />1993 4 Emerson FITTIPALDI CART/USAC <br />1992 3 Al UNSER Jr. CART/USAC <br />1991 3 Rick MEARS CART/USAC <br />1990 30 Arie LUYENDYK CART/USAC <br />1989 20 Emerson FITTIPALDI CART/USAC <br />1988 5 Rick MEARS CART/USAC <br />1987 25 Al UNSER Sr. CART/USAC <br />1986 3 Bobby RAHAL CART/USAC <br />1985 5 Danny SULLIVAN CART/USAC <br />1984 6 Rick MEARS CART/USAC <br />1983 5 Tom SNEVA CART/USAC <br />1982 20 Gordon JOHNCOCK CART/USAC <br />1981 3 Bobby UNSER CART/USAC <br />1980 4 Johnny RUTHERFORD CART/USAC <br />1979 9 Rick MEARS CART/USAC <br />1978 2 Al UNSER Sr. USAC <br />1977 14 A.J. FOYT Jr. USAC <br />1976 2 Johnny RUTHERFORD USAC <br />1975 48 Bobby UNSER USAC <br />1974 3 Johnny RUTHERFORD USAC <br />1973 20 Gordon JOHNCOCK USAC <br />1972 66 Mark DONOHUE USAC <br />1971 1 Al UNSER Sr. USAC <br />1970 2 Al UNSER Sr. USAC <br />1969 2 Mario ANDRETTI USAC <br />1968 3 Bobby UNSER USAC <br />1967 14 A.J. FOYT Jr. USAC <br />1966 24 Graham HILL USAC <br />1965 82 Jim CLARK USAC <br />1964 1 A.J. FOYT Jr. USAC <br />1963 98 Parnelli JONES USAC <br />1962 3 Rodger WARD USAC <br />1961 1 A.J. FOYT Jr. USAC <br />1960 4 Jim RATHMANN USAC <br />1959 5 Rodger WARD USAC <br />1958 1 Jimmy BRYAN USAC <br />1957 9 Sam HANKS USAC <br />1956 8 Pat FLAHERTY USAC <br />1955 6 Bob SWEIKERT AAA <br />1954 14 Bill VUKOVICH AAA <br />1953 14 Bill VUKOVICH AAA <br />1952 98 Troy RUTTMAN AAA <br />1951 99 Lee WALLARD AAA <br />1950 1 Johnnie PARSONS AAA <br />1949 7 Bill HOLLAND AAA <br />1948 3 Mauri ROSE AAA <br />1947 27 Mauri ROSE AAA <br />1946 16 George ROBSON AAA <br />1945 - <br />1944 - <br />1943 - <br />1942 - <br />1941 16 Floyd DAVIS & Mauri ROSE AAA <br />1940 1 Wilbur SHAW AAA <br />1939 2 Wilbur SHAW AAA <br />1938 23 Floyd ROBERTS AAA <br />1937 6 Wilbur SHAW AAA <br />1936 8 Louis MEYER AAA <br />1935 5 Kelly PETILLO AAA <br />1934 7 Bill CUMMINGS AAA <br />1933 36 Louis MEYER AAA <br />1932 34 Fred FRAME AAA <br />1931 23 Louis SCHNEIDER AAA <br />1930 4 Billy ARNOLD AAA <br />1929 2 Ray KEECH AAA <br />1928 14 Louis MEYER AAA <br />1927 32 George SOUDERS AAA <br />1926 15 Frank LOCKHART AAA <br />1925 12 Peter DePAOLO & Norman BATTEN AAA <br />1924 15 Lora CORUM & Joe BOYER AAA <br />1923 1 Tommy MILTON & Howdy WILCOX AAA <br />1922 8 Jimmy MURPHY AAA <br />1921 2 Tommy MILTON AAA <br />1920 4 Gaston CHEVROLET AAA <br />1919 3 Howdy WILCOX AAA <br />1918 - <br />1917 - <br />1916 17 Dario RESTA AAA <br />1915 2 Ralph DePALMA AAA <br />1914 16 Rene THOMAS AAA <br />1913 16 Jules GOUX AAA <br />1912 8 Joe DAWSON (riding mechanic: Don Herr) AAA <br />1911 32 Ray HARROUN & Cyrus PATSCHKE AAA <br />AAA = American Automobile Association<br />USAC = United States Auto Club<br />CART = Championship Auto Racing Teams<br />IRL = Indy Racing League<br />Related pages: <br /> IRL Champions <br /> CART Champions <br /> USAC & AAA Indycar Champions <br /> Auto Racing Champions <br /> Motorcycle Racing Champions <br /> Major Race Winners<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111556088743115678?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115117712043940952005-05-03T03:54:00.000-07:002005-05-10T04:14:44.030-07:00Sir Garfield's advice pays off for Gayle<br /><br />St John's (Antigua): Chris Gayle admitted that advice from West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers played a major role in his epic triple hundred in the fourth and final Test against South Africa here. Gayle has made 317 in a West Indies total of 565 for five, replying to South Africa's first innings total of 588 for six declared, to become the fourth West Indies batsman to hit a Test triple hundred. Teammate and former West Indies captain Brian Lara heads the list, with his world record 400 not out last year, and 375 in 1994 against England, both coming at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Sir Garfield, who held the previous world record of 365 not out against Pakistan at Kingston in 1958, and Gayle's fellow Jamaican Lawrence Rowe with his silky 302 against England at Bridgetown in 1974, have also reached such rare heights for West Indies. "I have been working hard with Sir Garfield in the nets and it really paid off in this match," said Gayle. "He has talked a lot to us about keeping our balance when playing strokes and giving momentum to our innings. "We spent a long time in the indoor nets in Barbados - Wavell Hinds, Sir Garfield, and myself - and we talked about a lot of things, and I was fortunate that it paid off for me in this innings." AFP<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111511771204394095?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115116968648418892005-05-03T03:40:00.000-07:002005-05-03T03:43:23.076-07:00Chelsea seek to paint world blue after title win <br /> <br />London: <nf>Having secured the English league title, Chelsea now plan to paint the world blue.<PI>Backed by Roman Abramovich's billions, and with new club sponsor Samsung adding corporate muscle, the London club aims to rival Manchester United as the English side of choice in the growth markets of Asia and North America. Premier League matches are beamed to 195 countries, a global television reach of 600 million homes, and Chelsea's share of the viewing figures has been on the rise since Jose <br />Mourinho's men began sweeping all before them at home and in Europe.<PI>The club says that its British fan base has increased by 300 percent over the past two years to 2.9 million people, and is approaching 20 million internationally.<PI>Chelsea's ground <br /> <br />nestles in one of the most fashionable areas of London and it has plenty of well-heeled <br /> <br />local support and a wider base in England's prosperous south-east.<PI>"With the <br /> <br />highest personal income levels among any club fans in Europe, it's probably not surprising <br /> <br />that Chelsea fans spend the most on match days and are the biggest consumers of <br /> <br />club-related products in the UK," the club's business affairs director, Paul Smith, <br /> <br />said.<PI>Recognition of Chelsea's growing popularity was behind the approach from <br /> <br />Samsung, the South Korean mobile phones and electronics giant.<PI>The five-year <br /> <br />deal, starting next month, includes the company's Samsung Mobile logo on Chelsea's <br /> <br />shirts and is worth a reported $ 95 million.<PI>Explaining why his parent company had <br /> <br />beaten a path to west London, Samsung's European chief Kim In-soo said simply: <br /> <br />"Football is the most popular sport in the world and Samsung is a global company. <br /> <br /><PI>"Chelsea are a rapidly rising star in world football and ...Samsung wants to be <br /> <br />associated with the best that football has to offer."<PI>The Samsung deal came three <br /> <br />months after Chelsea announced an eight-year kit deal with Adidas worth nearly $ 190 <br /> <br />million.<PI>Chelsea had decided to part company with Dubai-based airline Emirates at <br /> <br />the end of this season and look for a shirt sponsor with global ambitions in the consumer <br /> <br />market.<PI>Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, who spent six years trying to turn <br /> <br />the world red for Manchester United before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2003, had a <br /> <br />clear idea of where the club's sponsorship future lay.<PI>"We needed a company <br /> <br />which would be recognised as global, prestigious and with ambitions for growth, <br /> <br />especially in the key territories that Chelsea are targeting over the next 10 years -- <br /> <br />primarily the UK, China, Russia and North America.<PI>"Over the next five years, our <br /> <br />plans are quite simple. To turn the world blue."<PI>Kenyon's former employers share <br /> <br />that vision of a devoted worldwide market, drawing on a United global fan base <br /> <br />estimated at 75 million, while last season's English champions Arsenal are also keen on <br /> <br />building a larger fan base overseas.<PI>United have the momentum after more than a <br /> <br />decade of trophy success and they are still the world's richest club, turning over nearly $ <br /> <br />323 million and building operating profits of almost 60 million pounds $ 114 million in <br /> <br />2003-04.<PI>Though Chelsea will hope to grow their share in Asia through the <br /> <br />Samsung deal, it is a region where United already count over 40 million supporters <br /> <br />including those in Australia.<PI>United, who have a soccer school in Hong Kong, are <br /> <br />no strangers to pre-season tours of Asia, where Premier League matches enjoy huge <br /> <br />popularity and where United benefited from David Beckham's cult status before his 2003 <br /> <br />move to Real Madrid.<PI>The desirability of the Red Devils brand is also behind the <br /> <br />attempts by U.S. business tycoon Malcolm Glazer to buy United.<PI>Already owner <br /> <br />of American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Glazer's knowledge of the U.S. <br /> <br />sports market would help a club that already numbers Nike, Budweiser and Pepsi among <br /> <br />its corporate sponsors.<PI>Chelsea, who are also sponsored by Budweiser, are still <br /> <br />building their business empire by comparison with United and have a stadium with only <br /> <br />42,000 seats -- around 25,000 fewer than Old Trafford -- and limited room for <br /> <br />expansion.<PI>They also announced record losses in English soccer of 88 million <br /> <br />pounds ($167 million) in January, although the red ink is unlikely to trouble a club owner <br /> <br />whose personal fortune is estimated in excess of seven billion <br /> <br />pounds.<PI>Abramovich's Russian connections should help Chelsea in an economy <br /> <br />which has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years.<PI>Arsenal's strengths are two-fold <br /> <br />-- the shrewdness of manager Arsene Wenger, whose squad has cost far less than United <br /> <br />and Chelsea's, and a 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium due to open in 2006 and backed <br /> <br />by up to 100 million pounds ($190 million) of sponsorship.<PI>United, Chelsea and <br /> <br />Arsenal are without doubt the big three in English football. Looking to the future, they <br /> <br />could also be the biggest in the world in financial terms.<PI>Currently ranked first, <br /> <br />fourth and sixth respectively by Deloitte Touche in their 2003-04 Football Money League <br /> <br />report, there is room for further expansion.<PI>"With Chelsea's success and Arsenal's <br /> <br />Emirates Stadium development, we can foresee a scenario where English clubs fill the top <br /> <br />three places in the 2006-07 Money League," the report said. <f5>Reuters<pi> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111511696864841889?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115046057028490262005-05-02T07:57:00.000-07:002005-05-02T08:00:57.030-07:00EPL have a new champion; at last:<br /><br />Remember the last instance when any club other than Manchester United or Arsenal won the English Premier League.A layman may keep scratching his head and yet not find an answer whereas a connoisseur of the game might just remember that it was Blackburn Rovers -- and that immaculate SAS combination (Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer) -- which won the championships in 1995. <br /><br />A quick glance at recent history suggests that ever since the revised English Premier League was launched (in 1992) it has virtually been a two horse race -- a battle for supremacy between Manchester United and Arsenal United. The Blackburn win in 1995 being the only aberration. <br /><br />Moreover even Arsenal joined the race only in the late nineties. Prior to that it was Manchester United all the way.The Red Devils and the Gunners shared eleven titles between them and there was hardly any opposition to their supremacy.So much so that even a hardcore fan wanted a change -- a deviation from the routine results. <br /><br />The emergence of Chelsea as the new Premier League champion this season suggests that English Premier League may finally have a new team which can burst into the citadels of Manchester United and Arsenal. <br /><br />Chelsea have won the league fourteen points clear of second placed Arsenal and with three games remaining. This is indeed a fitting achievement for a team which has led the league standings for much of the season and swept away every opposition, winning 27 of its 35 league games. <br /><br />The emergence of Chelsea as a challenger to the dominance of the Big Two started in mid 2003 after Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought the London-based club. As the new owner of the club,Abramovich backed the then coach Claudio Ranieri in assembling a formidable unit by pumping in his millions to acquire top players. <br /><br />The results were very palpable. Chelsea finished second behind Arsenal in the EPL last season besides reaching the semifinal of the Champions' League.But their inability to win a silverware probably cost Ranieri his job. Jose Mourinho replaced the ever tinkering Italian at the start of this season and the Blues have projected a completely new facet since.<br /><br /> The resurgent Chelsea side have already won the Carling Cup this season, wrapped up their first league title in fifty years and are very much in contention for the Champions' League crown. <br /><br />Chelsea winning the English Premier League title is refreshing to say the least. At a time when the rest of the domestic leagues around Europe are moving towards a somewhat predictable finale, the most predictable of all leagues,the EPL has just produced a new champion.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111504605702849026?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1115030798496719342005-05-02T03:45:00.000-07:002005-05-02T03:46:38.496-07:00Abramovich's Chelsea success is bitter-sweet in Russia<br /><br />Moscow: The success of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich after lavishing a fortune on Chelsea soccer club has earned him many friends in west London but resentment at home.The shy oil and metals tycoon, who sports designer stubble and a boyish grin, bought Chelsea in 2003 for $100 million and spent another $400 million on players.Two years later, the spending spree has paid dividends with the Premier League title, Chelsea's first in 50 years. "People are proud that a person from this country has created such a good team, a really pleasant team to watch," said Nikolai Roganov, deputy head of the soccer department at Sovietsky Sport newspaper. "But there are also negative feelings -- why is a Russian businessman putting his money into developing British soccer and not Russian?" Interest among Russians in Chelsea has soared, with television stations showing as many of the team's games as possible and supporters setting up a Russian Chelsea fan club. "Before, Russians were interested in Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, but now Chelsea has become very popular," said Roganov. Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov accused Abramovich of "spitting" on his homeland when he bought Chelsea. But Abramovich, who like many of Russia's super-rich, made his fortune in the economic anarchy of the post-Soviet privatisations of the 1990s, did redeem himself after his Sibneft oil firm <SIBN.RTS> signed a $54 million sponsorship deal with CSKA Moscow soccer club last year.Abramovich remains popular in London. In winter, fans at Stamford Bridge sport Russian fur hats and before matches loudspeakers blare Russian music. Off the pitch, 38-year-old Abramovich makes headlines in Russia with extravagant shopping trips -- newspapers describe every technical capability of his latest yacht or detail how many hectares of land his new mansion has. Even his highly paid Chelsea players were awed by his wealth after he invited them on to one of his several vessels moored at a heavily guarded quay in Monaco last year. Abramovich, orphaned before he was five, rarely gives interviews. Such was his invisibility that a newspaper once ran a competition to find a photograph of him. At Stamford Bridge he is shadowed by security. When he uses the lift no one else is allowed in. Estimated recently by Forbes magazine to be worth $13.3 billion, making him Russia's richest man and the 21st most wealthy person in the world, Abramovich has friendships with some of the most powerful people in Russia. At a Champions League tie between CSKA and Chelsea last year, his executive box hosted former President Boris Yeltsin, as well as two potential future presidents -- Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. People close to the elusive Abramovich say he is driven by plans and projects and once he has achieved what he has set out to do, he tends to lose interest and look for new challenges. But Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he has been impressed by Abramovich's enthusiasm.He attends almost every match and talks to players in the the dressing room afterwards, trailed by security. When it rains, a man is there to hold his umbrella for him. He also visits the training ground in Surrey regularly. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has assured fans the club is a long-term project for the Russian and the club's plan was to break even within five years so they no longer had to rely on his handouts. Reuters<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111503079849671934?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114964372089241962005-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:002005-05-01T09:19:32.093-07:00It's the biggest lie to say managers need time'<br /><br />London: <nf>He arrived in England before the start of the season calling himself the "special one". He claimed ownership of the European Cup on the grounds that Porto, the club where he had been coaching, had won it the previous season and launched himself into a head-on collision with UEFA. <PI> And yet after guiding Chelsea to their first top-flight title in 50 years, having already steered the London club to a League Cup triumph and the semifinals of the Champions League, few would disagree with Jose Mourinho's self-assessment. <PI> Not since Brian Clough's Derby team conquered the old First Division in the 1970s before his Nottingham Forest side ended the decade double champions of Europe had a manager so demolished the notion that nothing succeeds in England like modesty. <PI> Clough though, merely styled himself `Ole Big Ead'. <PI> Mourinho, like Arsene Wenger, proved that a playing career was not an essential requirement for being a successful manager. The son of a Portugal goalkeeper, Mourinho never played professionally and had his first big break as Sir Bobby Robson's translator when the veteran English coach arrived at Sporting Lisbon. <PI> He soon became the former England boss's assistant and Robson, as shrewd a judge of ability off the field as he was on it, said: "What struck me about Mourinho was he was a student of football. I had a feeling that one day he would go a long way in the game. He had great confidence in his own ability." <PI> After following Robson to Barcelona he stayed at the Nou Camp to be deputy to Louis van Gaal before joining Portuguese giants Benfica in 2000 only for his reign there to last nine game before a boardroom row. <PI> However, he was soon in charge again at perennial Portuguese strugglers Uniao de Leiria whom he promptly guided to fourth place and European football. Porto seized the chance to have Mourinho at the helm and were rewarded with the UEFA Cup and Champions League in successive seasons. <PI> It was little wonder that Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's millionaire Russian owner who himself had defied the odds on the way to acquiring a vast fortune, should bring in Mourinho to replace the genial Claudio Ranieri. <PI> Mourinho managed to get under the skin of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson by suggesting the Scot improperly influenced referees. He sparked further controversy in the League Cup final itself when he appeared to signal Liverpool fans to be quiet. <PI> But that was nothing compared to his suggestions that referee Anders Frisk had been improperly influenced by a half-time visit from Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard during a Champions League tie. <PI> Frisk, who said he's received death threats following Mourinho's comments, announced his retirement afterwards and the Chelsea manager was branded an "enemy of football" by UEFA's head of refereeing. Although Frisk's own match report later largely backed Mourinho's version of events, the coach was banned for two games by UEFA. <PI> No matter, Chelsea still reached the last four after defeating Bayern Munich.<PI> There were those willing to attribute Chelsea's success to Abramovich's wealth but Mourinho, 42, owner of the most famous grey overcoat in England and the main speaker at an Israeli-Palestininian football `peace summit' in March, had an answer that, unsurprisingly, demolished one of the sport's truisms. <PI> "The finance is not the most important factor. It's a big help but it's more about creating a squad, creating a team. It's the biggest lie in football to say that managers need time to have success, because it's a lie we make to protect ourselves. We don't need a lot of time. If from the first day you're working with the right principles, you don't need time." <f5>AFP<PI><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111496437208924196?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114964081697487662005-05-01T09:14:00.000-07:002005-05-01T09:14:41.700-07:00Third rate Forest in deep rooted decline<br /><br />London: May 1 (Reuters) Nottingham Forest's 25-year decline reached a humiliating new low on Saturday when they became the first former European champions to be demoted to the third tier of their national league. A 2-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers condemned the 1979 and 1980 European Cup winners to relegation from the English second division with an embarrassing nine wins from 45 games this season. Forest sit alongside Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and AC Milan as one of the eight teams to have won the European Cup in successive years but next season they will face demoralising trips to Colchester, Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale. Their fans, raised on a diet of free-flowing football that was the basis of unprecedented success under their greatest manager Brian Clough, have watched the demise with a growing sense of resignation. Clough died of stomach cancer aged 69 last September and his demise set the tone for a desperate season at the City Ground. Significantly, Forest now find themselves at a lower ebb than when Clough first sauntered into Nottingham 30 years ago and saved them from relegation from the same division. They last played in division three in 1951. The rot set in during the final season of Clough's 18-year reign, the 1992-93 campaign that ended in relegation from the Premier League. Forest have had nine different men at the helm in the ensuing 12 years and this season alone there have been three different managers. They started with Joe Kinnear but he quit following a 3-0 defeat at local rivals Derby County. Caretaker Mick Harford failed to reverse the downward drift, memorably describing the team's efforts after a 3-0 defeat by Cardiff in January as "atrocious, disgraceful and embarrassing". The current boss, former West Bromwich Albion manager Gary Megson, stiffened resolve but his inexperienced team proved unable to sustain their initial improvement during a bloody relegation dogfight. He has described watching their recent displays as "excruciating" and former defender Larry Lloyd, one of the most combative members of Clough's European Cup-winning sides, agrees. “I can't believe what I've been watching," he said last month. “I know people get fed up with former players like me going on about the old days and I don't blame them. But what has the club come to when they are worried about what the likes of Gillingham are doing? That really galls me." <br /><br /> EMBARRASSING RESULTS: One of Lloyd's old team mates, striker Garry Birtles, believes the players have let the club and Clough down. “I think Cloughie would be absolutely distraught if he was still with us today," Birtles told the Daily Mirror newspaper after it reported claims that some Forest players misbehaved on a night out in Nottingham in the week before Saturday's game. "He would be so saddened to see all he achieved going to waste. "The foundations that he worked so hard to put in place with (his assistant) Peter Taylor have been flattened by the players. It is an absolute disgrace." It is not entirely the players' fault. Their collective on-field weakness is the result of off-field debts caused by poor management, ill-advised transfer moves and over-ambitious stadium development. Forest's 30,000-capacity City Ground was considered a venue worthy of hosting European Championship matches in 1996. With its irregular stands, however, it retains the air of a work in progress and the slump in revenue that will inevitably accompany the club into the third division means there is little prospect of a planned new main stand materialising in the short term. Earlier this month Forest released their financial figures for 2003-04. Turnover amounted to only 10.6 million pounds ($20.27 million), of which 8.4 million, a staggering 79 percent, came from player salaries, bonuses and signing-on fees. A deficit of 7.5 million pounds was met with loans from chairman Nigel Doughty of 6.4 million pounds. They also owe 4.3 million to the council for the building of the new Trent End stand. The current situation is a little healthier in financial terms, thanks mainly to the sales of highly-rated defender Michael Dawson and Ireland midfielder Andy Reid to Tottenham Hotspur for five million pounds this season. That income will enhance future balance sheets but the price has been demotion and some embarrassing results for a club who ruled Europe 25 years ago and whose proud English record of 42 unbeaten league games was overhauled by Arsenal only last year. A 6-0 defeat at Ipswich in March was followed by a 3-0 humiliation at home by Plymouth this month. Forest will try to take heart from the experience of other sizeable English clubs like Aston Villa and Manchester City who have re-established themselves in the top flight after spells in division three. They would be foolish to assume, however, that the only way is up. (REUTERS)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111496408169748766?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114962637212068582005-05-01T08:49:00.000-07:002005-05-01T08:50:37.216-07:00Chelsea's title, Mourinho's homeboys joy<br /><br />by Dave James<br /><br />PARIS, May 1 (AFP) - Chelsea spent a cool 200 million pounds (382 million dollars) boosting their foreign legion to launch their bid to end a 50-year wait for the English Premiership title. But it was the multi-layered and multi-lingual Jose Mourinho as well as homegrown talents in the shape of Player of the Year John Terry and midfield inspiration Frank Lampard who can claim the lion's share for the success. <br /><br />The Londoners finally wrapped up the Premiership title on Saturday with a 2-0 win at Bolton with Lampard grabbing both goals. The team's critics will point to the title being bought courtesy of Roman Abramovich's billions, but Mourinho, whose team are also in the semi-finals of the Champions League, is not convinced. <br /><br />As the 2004/2005 season was about to kick-off, the mercurial Portuguese was in the unusual position of agreeing with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson that you cannot buy success at football. "I agree money doesn't buy points and victories," <br /><br />Mourinho said back in July when he arrived in England fresh from guiding Porto to the Champions League. "If you go back a few months Porto, with 10 percent of Man United's budget, beat them. Money buys players but not a team." However, on the day of the big kick-off Chelsea beat United 1-0 and never looked back as they reached the end of December having conceded just seven goals in 20 matches and losing just once, a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City in October. That defeat, the only one this season, meant Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to five points over Mourinho's men that day but it was an advantage the Chelsea clawed back as the Gunners, whose 49-match unbeaten run came to an end at Old Trafford, imploded. <br /><br />Since the turn of the year, Chelsea picked up 12 more wins in 15, drawing three and conceding just five times. In between, they won the League Cup beating Liverpool in February and are locked 0-0 with the Merseysiders after the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Defensive stalwart Terry, 24, was named Player of the Year last week, an award he dedicated to his team-mates and Mourinho who handed him the captain's armband last summer. <br /><br />"Just after telling me I was captain, the boss said to me 'what one do you want?' and I looked him in the eye and said: 'The Premiership'. "I think the team spirit we have got at the club has been the key. We have got no superstars, everybody respects each other, both on and off the pitch and we get on well. "We have got some great players and a great manager who has worked wonders for us. He is a great man personally and all the lads fully respect him and want to keep winning for him - he has instilled that winning mentality. <br /><br />"After I was made captain, my confidence flew up during pre-season, and with him telling you that you are the best, you feel a million dollars and are on top of the world." If Terry was key to Chelsea's success at the back, then Lampard, linked last year with a move to Serie A, was the key going forward with the England man now ahead of Didier Drogba, the striker purchased from Marseille for 24 million pounds last summer, in the goal scoring stakes. The former West Ham player has clocked up 144 consecutive league appearances but he too was passing the praise on to Mourinho whose title winning style has been rewarded with a new 5.2 million pounds a year contract. "It's very encouraging. We love the manager, I think he loves us and the fans love him," said Lampard. <br /><br />Dutch winger Arjen Robben was probably the club's most influential import, a factor recognised by Irish attacker Damien Duff who believes the day his fellow winger made his Chelsea debut was the moment when the Londoners bid for a first top-flight title in 50 years truly took off. Chelsea were criticised at the start of the season for their defensive approach with goals few and far between. All that changed on October 23 when Chelsea beat Blackburn 4-0, a match where 20-year-old Robben came on as a late substitute. <br /><br />Duff said: "Since day one, we've had a great team spirit but at the start of the season, we were being criticised for not scoring enough goals. "When Robbie came in though, he gave us an extra dimension and we started banging four and five goals past people He gave us a real spark and we haven't looked back since." Chelsea's progress to the title wasn't always smooth running with Mourinho, who has now added the Premiership title to the Champions League, the UEFA Cup, two Portuguese titles, and the Portuguese Cup he won with Porto, often in hot water. <br /><br />Allegations of an illegal approach, or 'tapping up' of Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole, have led to an inquiry which will take place on May 17 and 18 while they were also forced to issue a denial that they had made an approach for Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Mourinho was also in trouble after the League Cup win in Cardiff when he incensed Liverpool fans by putting his finger to his lips and was sent from the bench for his troubles.<br /><br /> In Europe, he was also hit with a two-game ban after making allegations against the referee in the Champions League clash in Barcelona. But that's another story in the remarkable and colourful rise of Chelsea this season, one that Mourinho will be shouting from the rooftops if he goes on to add the European title to the Premiership crown.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111496263721206858?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114962009459003672005-05-01T08:38:00.000-07:002005-05-01T08:40:09.463-07:00Chelsea's second century unlikely to mirror the first<br /><br />London: Although Chelsea's two championships have come 50 years apart, it is highly unlikely they will need to wait another half-century for a third. The team that have swept to the 2004-05 title look capable of dominating the English Premier League for a long time and may add the European Cup to their collection on May 25. But even if they do not become European champions, their centenary season is the finest in Chelsea's history, due in no small part to the millions of pounds ploughed in by Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. For decades the Blues were light years behind Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United and also suffered in comparison with London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea's haul in 100 years amounts to 10 major trophies, six coming since 1997.<br /><br />EARLY DAYS: The club were founded in 1905 when west London neighbours Fulham declined an offer to rent Stamford Bridge from the owners, who wanted to develop it as a sporting arena. Chelsea were elected to the Second Division and by 1907 had won promotion. They reached their first FA Cup final in 1915, losing 3-0 to Sheffield United, and had to wait another 40 years for their maiden honour, the 1955 league championship in their Golden Jubilee season. Ted Drake collected league and FA Cup winners' medals as a player with Arsenal before gaining a special place in Chelsea's history as their first title-winning manager. Drake's captain was Roy Bentley, who was at Chelsea last Saturday to see Jose Mourinho's team beat Fulham. "Things were very different in 1955," said the 80-year-old Bentley. "We never saw the trophy and never got presented with it. "It never occurred to us at the time. I think the supporters were disappointed they never saw it." The supporters were also disappointed English soccer chiefs would not allow Chelsea to enter the new European Cup in 1955-56.<br /><br />CHAMPAGNE DAYS: After 32 years in the top flight, Chelsea were relegated in 1962. A bright new era, however, was around the corner. Under manager Tommy Docherty they bounced back in 1963 and for the rest of the 'Swinging Sixties' only once finished lower than sixth. A brilliant team featuring Peter Osgood, Alan Hudson and Charlie Cooke made their trophy-winning breakthrough in 1970. Although Chelsea had won the low-key League Cup in 1965, they lifted the more prestigious FA Cup for the first time after an epic final replay against Leeds United five years later. They followed up by beating Real Madrid in the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup final but the champagne did not flow for long.<br /><br />DOG DAYS: Ambitious plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge almost bankrupted the club, Osgood and Hudson were sold after a row with manager Dave Sexton and in 1975 Chelsea went down, beginning a yo-yo existence between the top two divisions lasting 14 years. In the middle of this grim period Ken Bates, the former Oldham Athletic chairman, bought Chelsea for one pound. Bates took on millions in debt but gradually turned the club around, although not without courting controversy. There was frequent hooliganism at matches and Bates proposed installing an electric wire on the perimeter fencing to stop pitch invasions. He did, though, pull one master-stroke, inviting a super-rich fan on to the board. Although he and Matthew Harding were later to fall out, with Harding dying tragically young in a helicopter crash in October 1996, Harding and Bates laid the foundation for the modern era, the best in the club's history. In 1993 they persuaded Glenn Hoddle to take over as player-manager. The former England midfielder's prestige brought Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes to the club. When Gullit succeeded Hoddle in 1996, more top names arrived, like Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola. Success was not far behind. Chelsea hoisted their first major honour since 1971 by beating Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final. The following year they won the European Cup Winners' Cup again and the League Cup. In 2000 they lifted the FA Cup for the third time. Then, in 2003, Chelsea made the most important signing in their history, Abramovich. With his millions at their disposal Chelsea will never again have to think about bankruptcy or relegation, wire fences or hooliganism. (Reuters)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111496200945900367?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114528998448107322005-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:002005-04-26T08:23:18.450-07:00HISTORY OF FC BARCELONA <br /> <br /> Introduction<br /><br />In the late 1800's Hans Gamper and ten other enthusiasts were playing an unknown sport called 'foot-ball'. When Gamper went on to found Barcelona Football Club on 29 November 1899, he could hardly have imagined the momentous events that would follow!<br /><br />Throughout some of Catalonia's most difficult years, the flag represented the people's hopes for freedom, and today that very flag is the symbolic link which continues to represent the ties between a very special club and its' supporters.<br /><br />Over the course of 100 years, the club has lived through moments of glory and tragedy, through good times and bad, through epic victories and crushing defeats. Each one of these moments has contributed to shaping Barcelona into the absolutely unique club that it is today.<br /><br />Barcelona's renown can be attributed, in part, to impressive statistics but another factor is certainly that Barcelona is one of the most highly decorated teams in the world. With the exception of the International Cup, the showcases of the Barcelona museum contain every trophy possible. Topping off the impressive collection is the European Cup, the crowning glory of a Wembley final that went into the history books.<br /><br />Quite apart from winning the supreme continental prize, Barcelona is also in the extremely enviable position of being the only team in Europe to have participated in every European Cup since 1955 the first year the tournament began. Their massive European trophy collection also includes the Cup Winners' Cup, which the club has won no less than four times - making it undisputed king. Barcelona has also collected four UEFA Cups, two of these when the tournament was still known as the Industrial Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.<br /><br />Of course, Barcelona reigns in Spain as well as in Europe and no other Spanish team can equal Barcelona's 24 championship titles in the Copa del Rey.<br /><br />As for the Spanish championship league (historically one of the toughest competition grounds for the club), Barcelona celebrates the centenary birthday with 16 league titles to its name. Six of these were amassed over the last ten years alone.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111452899844810732?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114528727722667492005-04-26T08:15:00.000-07:002005-05-01T05:23:07.513-07:00Remember the last instance when any club other than Manchester United or Arsenal won the English Premier League.A layman may keep scratching his head and yet not find an answer whereas an expert might just remember that it was Blackburn Rovers -- and that immaculate <br />SAS combination (Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer) -- that won the championships in 1995.<br /><br />A quick glance at recent history suggests that ever since the revised English Premier League was launched (in 1992) it has virtually been a two horse race -- a battle for supremacy between Manchester United and Arsenal United. The Blackburn win in 1995 being the only aberration.<br /><br />Moreover even Arsenal joined the race only in the late nineties. Prior to that it was Manchester United all the way.The Red Devils and the Gunners shared eleven titles between them and there was hardly any opposition to their supremacy.So much so that even a <br />hardcore fan wanted a change -- a deviation from the routine result.<br /><br />The emergence of Chelsea as the league champion this season suggests that English Premier League may finally find a team that can burst the citadel of Manchester United and Arsenal.<br /><br />Chelsea won the league fourteen points clear of second placed Arsenal.This was indeed a fitting achievement for a team which had led the league standings for much of the season and swept away every opposition on its path.<br /><br />The emergence of Chelsea as a challenger to the dominance of the Big Two started in mid 2003 after Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought the London-based club. As the new owner of the club,Abramovich backed the then coach Claudio Ranieri in assembling a formidable unit by pumping in his millions to acquire top players.<br /><br />The results were very palpable. Chelsea finished second behind Arsenal in the EPL last season besides reaching the semifinal of the Champions' League.But their inability to win a piece of silverware probably cost Ranieri his job. Jose Mourinho replaced the ever tinkering Italian at the start of this season and the Blues have projected a completely new facet since.<br /><br />The resurgent Chelsea side have already won the Carling Cup this season, wrapped up their first league title in fifty years and are in contention for the Champions' League crown as well.<br /><br />At a time when the rest of the domestic leagues around Europe are progressing on predictable lines, the most predictable of all leagues might just produce a new champion.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111452872772266749?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114168405286504142005-04-22T04:13:00.000-07:002005-04-22T04:13:25.290-07:00Sven-Göran Eriksson listen? (born February 5, 1948) is a Swedish football manager. He is currently the manager of the English national football team.<br /><br />Born in Torsby, Eriksson had a fairly undistinguished playing career in the lower divisions of Swedish football at KB Karlskoga and Degerfors IF, before being forced to retire prematurely due to a knee injury in 1975. After retirement, Eriksson became first a coach, and then manager of Degerfors, taking the side from the Third Division to the First Division in three years.<br /><br />His success with Degerfors attracted the attention of much larger clubs, and Eriksson joined IFK Göteborg in 1979. He won the Swedish Cup in his first season, and a "treble" of League, Cup and UEFA Cup (Göteborg beating Hamburger SV 4-0) in 1982.<br /><br />Eriksson's European success led to him being head-hunted by Portugese club SL Benfica, and had a similarly quick impact there, Benfica winning the Portugese Championship and finishing runners-up in the UEFA Cup. After a second Championship the following year, Eriksson moved on to Italy, becoming boss of AS Roma. He was not as immediately successful at Roma as he had been before, but he still won a Coppa Italia in 1986.<br /><br />After a trophyless two years at Fiorentina, Eriksson moved back to Benfica for a second stint in 1989, where he led the team to the final of the European Cup (losing to AC Milan 1-0) in 1990, and another League title in 1991. In 1992 Eriksson returned to Italy to try his luck again, with Sampdoria, but he only managed another Coppa Italia in 1994.<br /><br />Eriksson finally found major success in Italy when he joined Lazio in 1997 (after controversially reneging on a deal to join English club Blackburn Rovers); with Lazio he won the Coppa Italia twice (1998 and 2000), the European Cup Winners' Cup (1999 - the very last tournament), and the Serie A title (the Scudetto) in 2000 — only the second time that the Roman club had won the Italian championship in their history.<br /><br />After the resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan after a home loss to Germany in September 2000, the Football Association specifically pursued Eriksson as his replacement. Eriksson agreed to take over after his contract with Lazio ended in summer 2001, although he would resign his post early and join in January of that year. Eriksson was the first foreigner to be appointed coach of the England national team, leading to a mixed reception. The Daily Mail columnist Jeff Powell famously railed:<br /><br />"So, the mother country of football, birthplace of the greatest game, has finally gone from the cradle to the shame. We've sold our birthright down the fjord to a nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their lives in darkness." <br />Eriksson turned round England's bid for qualification for the 2002 World Cup, with several crucial wins over lesser opposition before his first real test, England's rematch with Germany in Munich on September 1, 2001. He passed it with flying colours - England crushing their long-time rivals 5-1. Despite this England still needed a late equaliser at home to Greece to automatically qualify, and England's initially strong performance in the 2002 World Cup finals culminated in a distinctly flaccid 2-1 loss to Brazil, the eventual winners.<br /><br />After the World Cup, Eriksson's England came under more fire after an embarrassing home loss to Australia in a friendly and a draw with Macedonia in a Euro 2004 qualifier. England still managed to qualify for Euro 2004, but the team's performance was decidedly mixed, and Eriksson was again criticised for England's overly-defensive performance in their quarter-final to hosts Portugal, which England lost on penalties.<br /><br />Eriksson has also had to weather considerable speculation about his private life, most notably his alleged affairs with the television presenter Ulrika Jonsson, and FA secretary Faria Alam (in a scandal that led to the resignation of the FA's chief executive, Mark Palios). Despite this, Eriksson has committed himself to managing England until 2008.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Managerial career<br />Degerfors IF (1977-1978) <br />IFK Göteborg (1979-1982) <br />SL Benfica (1982-1984) <br />AS Roma (1984-1987) <br />ACF Fiorentina (1987-1989) <br />SL Benfica (1989-1992) <br />U.C. Sampdoria (1992-1997) <br />S.S. Lazio (1997-2001) <br />England (2001- )<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416840528650414?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114168279771738112005-04-22T04:10:00.000-07:002005-04-22T04:11:19.776-07:00Following the U.S. Watergate scandal in the 1970s, in which presidential prerogatives of the Nixon administration collided with the U.S. Constitution in a genuinely important crisis, the suffix -gate has been used to name various other scandals, some of which were distinctly minor affairs, as the following list demonstrates. The result has been to trivialize the Watergate scandal itself. Its use sometimes indicates that the source of the scandal is an audio tape of a private conversation. Gatemania refers to its overuse.<br /><br /><br />See also: back-formation<br /><br />Bastardgate – Fallout from former UK Prime Minister John Major being caught on camera in 1993 calling three of his ministers "Bastards". <br />Billygate – US President Jimmy Carter's brother, Billy Carter, legally represented a Libyan terrorist. <br />Bingogate – the use of charity funds for the ruling party in British Columbia. <br />Camillagate – tape of a telephone conversation between Charles, Prince of Wales and Mrs Camilla Parker-Bowles. <br />Cheriegate – concerning Cherie Blair's association with Carole Caplin. <br />Chinagate – improper campaign contributions to the Democratic Party <br />Contragate – see Irangate. <br />Corngate – the accidental release of genetically modified corn in New Zealand. <br />Debategate – Carter's debate briefing books. <br />Dianagate/Squidgygate – tape of a telephone conversation between Diana, Princess of Wales and a male friend. <br />Donnygate – corruption amongst Doncaster councillors. <br />Enrongate – fraudlent accounting practices led the company to the largest bankruptcy suit in history. <br />Filegate – White House officials improperly requested and received security files from the FBI. <br />Gropegate – California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was alleged to have groped many women while working on movies. <br />Hansiegate – cricket match-fixing scandal involving South African captain Hansie Cronje. <br />Hoovergate – Hoover's "Free Flights" promotion fiasco. <br />Intimigate or Plamegate – the revealing, by Robert Novak, of the true identity of Valerie Plame. <br />Irangate – (also Iran-Contra affair) – The United States sold weapons to Iran and diverted the proceeds to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. <br />Iraqgate – Where Finnish opposition leader Anneli Jäätteenmäki used state secrets against prime minister Paavo Lipponen during the parliamentary election campaign. <br />Jueteng-gate – Scandal involving Philippine president Joseph Estrada alleging that he amassed millions of dollars from an illegal numbers game called jueteng. As a result, he was deposed through a popular uprising. <br />Koreagate – Korean businessman's dealings with certain members of Congress (1976). <br />Lexusgate – Top financial officer of Hong Kong, Antony Leung purchased a Lexus right before a luxury car tax hike was announced. <br />Monicagate (also "Zippergate", Lewinsky scandal) – named after Monica Lewinsky who had a sexual relationship with the then–US President, Bill Clinton. <br />Memogate – Involving the use of Killian documents on 60 Minutes, making unsubstantiated claimes about George W. Bush's National Guard service; resulted in the retirement of Dan Rather. <br />Nannygate – noncitizen domestic help for U.S. attorney general nominees. <br />Nipplegate – Justin Timberlake reveals Janet Jackson's nipple during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII. Called "teatgate" by Jon Stewart. <br />Officegate – the investigation into Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish's decision to sub-let his constituency office, resulting in his resignation. <br />Orlengate – corruption scandal in Poland <br />Paksagate (Paksageitas) – Impeachment of president Rolandas Paksas of Lithuania <br />Pardongate – President Clinton's presidential pardons. <br />PEMEXGATE – scandal in México dealing with funds from PEMEX the national oil company. <br />Pretzelgate – To explain a two-inch bruise on the face of U.S. President George W. Bush, he and his staff claim he hit his face on a coffee table after passing out because he choked on a pretzel. Some people felt the story was invented to cover-up the real cause of the bruise. <br />Rathergate (also "Memogate") – Memos, soon proven to be forged, surfaced in 2004 alleging President George W. Bush of being derelict in his duty in the Texas Air National Guard in 1972. Reporter Dan Rather broke the story on 60 Minutes, and continued to stand behind it for days after the documents were all but proven false. See also Killian documents. <br />Rubbergate – members of the United States House of Representatives knowingly wrote bad checks without being penalized. <br />Rywingate – a recent scandal in Poland, named after Lew Rywin who, on July 22, 2002, demanded a 17.5 million USD bribe from Adam Michnik (Gazeta Wyborcza) claiming that he was sent by the then Prime Minister of Poland, Leszek Miller. <br />Shawinigate – scandal over former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's alleged conflict-of-interest in real estate in his riding. <br />Skategate – the scandal over the pairs figure skating results of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where a judge was apparently bribed to fix the outcome. The case went on for nearly two weeks before joint gold medals were granted. <br />Sponsorgate – The Canadian sponsorship scandal. <br />Strippergate – Seattle City Council members Heidi Wills and Judy Nicastro vote for rezoning a strip club parking lot in exchange for unethical donations. Also the name of a scandal in Canada in 2004 with the Minister of Immigration Judy Sgro granting a visa to a Romanian exotic dancer who worked for her campaign during the 2004 Canadian Federal Election. <br />Svengate <br />Toallagate – A scandal involving the cost of towels in the official residence of Mexican president Vicente Fox. <br />Tunagate – In 1985 a Canadian minister orders the selling of tuna ruled unfit for consumption. <br />Whitewatergate – In 1994, President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were charged with covering up shady investments. <br />Votergate – Documentary Film regarding United States Presidential Election November 2nd, 2004. The film explores questions of alleged fraud, lack of accountability or transparency in the vote count, disenfranchisement, hackable computers, and other conspiracy theories that might offer an explanation to the re-election of incumbent President George W. Bush. <br />Yellowcakegate – Crudely forged documents intended to implicate Iraq in developing nuclear weapons were used by the U.S. government to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416827977173811?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114168215514583382005-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:002005-04-22T04:10:15.526-07:00The Watergate scandal (or just "Watergate") was an American political scandal and constitutional crisis of the 1970s, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The affair was named after the Washington, D.C. hotel where a burglary central to the scandal occurred.<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 The burglary<br /><br />2 The Senate investigation<br /><br />2.1 The tapes<br /><br /><br />3 Articles of impeachment, resignation, and convictions<br /><br />4 Aftermath<br /><br />5 See also<br /><br />6 External links<br /> <br />[edit]<br />The burglary<br />On June 17, 1972, Frank Wills, a security guard working at the office complex of the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. noticed a piece of tape on the door between the basement stairwell and the parking garage. It was holding the door unlocked, so Wills removed it, assuming the cleaning crew had put it there. Later on, he returned to discover the tape had been replaced. Upon seeing this, Wills contacted the D.C. police.<br /><br />After the police arrived, five men —Bernard Barker, Virgilio González, Eugenio Martínez, James W. McCord, Jr. and Frank Sturgis—were discovered and arrested for breaking into the office of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. The men had broken into the office three weeks earlier as well, and they had returned to fix wiretaps that were not working and, according to some suggestions, photograph documentation.<br /><br />The need to break into the office for a second time was just the highlight of a number of mistakes made by the burglars. Another one proved costly to them—and the White House—when police found the telephone number of E. Howard Hunt in Barker's notebook. Hunt had previously worked for the White House while McCord, at the time of his arrest, was officially employed as Chief of Security at the Committee to Re-elect the President (officially abbreviated as CRP, but referred to by opponents and even some Republicans like Bob Dole as CREEP); so this quickly suggested that there was a link between the burglars and someone close to the President. However, Ron Ziegler, Nixon's press secretary, dismissed the affair as a "third-rate burglary."<br /><br />At his arraignment, McCord identified himself as an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Washington, D.C., district attorney's office began an investigation of the links between McCord and the CIA, and eventually determined that McCord was in receipt of payments from CRP. A reporter from the Washington Post by the name of Bob Woodward was present at the arraignment, and he, along with his colleague Carl Bernstein, began an investigation into the burglary over the following months. Most of what they published was known to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other governmental investigators—these were often the sources—but they helped keep Watergate in the spotlight and embarrass the White House. Woodward's relations with a principal inside source codenamed "Deep Throat," whose identity has yet to be revealed, added an extra layer of mystery to the affair.<br /><br /> <br />ChapStick microphones used by E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy during the burglary.President Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H. R. "Bob" Haldeman were tape-recorded (a standard, but secret, Nixon practice) on June 23 discussing use of the Central Intelligence Agency to obstruct the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-ins. Nixon followed through by asking the CIA to slow the FBI's investigation of the crime—claiming, speciously, that national security would be put at risk. In fact, the crime and numerous other "dirty tricks" had been undertaken on behalf of CRP, mainly under the direction of Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy. They had also previously worked in the White House in the Special Investigations Unit, nicknamed the "Plumbers". This group investigated leaks of information the administration did not want publicly known, and ran various operations against the Democrats and anti-war protesters. Most famously, they broke into the office of the psychologist of Daniel Ellsberg. Ellsberg, a former employee of The Pentagon and State Department, had leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and as a result was prosecuted for espionage, theft, and conspiracy. Hunt and Liddy found nothing useful, however, and trashed the office to cover their tracks. The break-in was only linked to the White House much later, but at the time it caused the collapse of Ellsberg's trial due to evident government misconduct.<br /><br />There is still much dispute about the level of involvement of leading figures in the White House, such as Attorney General John Mitchell, chief of staff Haldeman, leading aides Charles Colson and John Ehrlichman, and Nixon himself. Mitchell, as the head of CRP, along with campaign manager Jeb Stuart Magruder and Fred LaRue, approved Hunt and Liddy's espionage plans, including the break-in, but whether it went above them is unclear. Magruder, for instance, provided a number of different accounts, including having overheard Nixon order Mitchell to conduct the break-in in order to gather intelligence about the activities of Larry O'Brien, the director of the Democratic Campaign Committee.<br /><br />On January 8, 1973, the original burglars along with Liddy and Hunt went to trial. All except McCord and Liddy pleaded guilty, and all were convicted of conspiracy, burglary and wiretapping. The accused had been paid by CRP to plead guilty but say nothing, and their refusal to allocute to the crimes angered the trial judge John Sirica (known as "Maximum John" because of his harsh sentencing). Sirica handed down thirty-year sentences but indicated he would reconsider if the group would be more cooperative. McCord complied, implicated CRP in the burglary and the payoff for the burglars' silence, and admitted to perjury.<br /><br />[edit]<br />The Senate investigation<br />The link of the Watergate burglary to the President's re-election campaign fundraising committee dramatically increased the profile of the crime and the consequent political stakes. Instead of ending with the trial and conviction of the burglars, the investigations grew broader than ever; a Senate committee chaired by Senator Sam Ervin was set up to examine Watergate and started to subpoena White House staff.<br /><br />On April 30, Nixon was forced to ask for the resignations of two of his most powerful aides, Haldeman and Ehrlichman, both of whom would soon be indicted and ultimately go to prison. He also fired the White House counsel, John Dean, who had just testified before the Senate and would go on to become the key witness against Nixon himself.<br /><br />On the same day, Nixon named a new Attorney General, Elliot Richardson, and gave him authority to designate a special counsel for the growing Watergate inquiry, who would be independent of the regular Justice Department hierarchy to preserve his independence. On May 18, Richardson named Archibald Cox to the position. The televised hearings began in the United States Senate the day before.<br /><br />[edit]<br />The tapes<br /> <br />President Nixon giving televised address explaining release of edited transcripts of the tapes on April 29, 1974.The hearings held by the Senate Watergate Committee, in which Dean was the star witness and in which many other former key administration officials gave dramatic testimony, were broadcast through most of the summer, causing devastating political damage to Nixon. The Senate investigators also discovered a crucial fact on July 13: Alexander Butterfield, deputy assistant to the President, revealed during an interview with a committee staff member that a taping system in the White House automatically recorded everything in the Oval Office—tape recordings that could prove whether Nixon or Dean was telling the truth about key meetings. The tapes were soon subpoenaed by both Cox and the Senate.<br /><br />Nixon refused, citing the theory of executive privilege, and ordered Cox, via Attorney General Richardson, to drop his subpoena. Cox's refusal led to the "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20, 1973, when Nixon compelled the resignations of Richardson and then his deputy in a search for someone in the Justice Department willing to fire Cox. This search ended with Robert Bork, and the new acting department head dismissed the special prosecutor. Allegations of wrongdoing caused Nixon to famously state "I am not a crook" in front of 400 Associated Press managing editors at Walt Disney World in Florida on November 17.<br /><br />While Nixon continued to refuse to turn over actual tapes, he did agree to release edited transcripts of a large number. These largely confirmed Dean's account, and caused further embarrassment when a crucial, 18½ minute portion of one tape, which had never been out of White House custody, was found to have been erased. The White House blamed this on Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, who said she had accidentally erased the tape by pushing the wrong foot pedal on her tape player while answering the phone. However, as photos splashed all over the press showed, for Woods to answer the phone and keep her foot on the pedal involved a stretch that would have challenged many a gymnast. She was then said to have held this position for the full 18½ minutes. Later forensic analysis determined that the gap had been erased several—perhaps as many as nine—times over, refuting the "accidental erasure" explanation.<br /><br />This issue of access to the tapes went all the way to the Supreme Court and on July 24, 1974 the Court unanimously ruled in United States v. Nixon that Nixon's claim of executive privilege over the tapes was void and they further ordered him to surrender them to special prosecutor Leon Jaworski. On July 30 he complied with the order and released the subpoenaed tapes.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Articles of impeachment, resignation, and convictions<br /> <br />Nixon's resignation letter, August 9, 1974.On January 28, 1974, Herbert Porter, a Nixon campaign aide, pleaded guilty to the charge of lying to the FBI during the early stages of the Watergate investigation. Then on February 25, Nixon's personal lawyer Herbert Kalmbach pleaded guilty on two charges of illegal election campaign activities. Other charges were dropped in return for Kalmbach's cooperation in the forthcoming Watergate trials.<br /><br />On March 1, 1974, the Watergate Seven, former aides of the president—Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Colson, Gordon C. Strachan, Robert Mardian, and Kenneth Parkinson—were indicted for conspiring to hinder the Watergate investigation. The grand jury also secretly named Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator. Dean, Magruder and other figures in the scandal had already pleaded guilty. Colson in his book Born Again stated that he was given a report by a White House aide that clearly implicated the CIA in the whole Watergate scandal and showed an attempt to implicate him as the one responsible.<br /><br />On April 3, the Watergate grand jury indicted Ed Reinecke, the Republican lieutenant governor of California, on three charges of perjury before the Senate committee. On April 5, Dwight Chapin, Nixon's former appointments secretary was convicted of lying to the grand jury.<br /><br />Nixon's position was becoming increasingly precarious, and the House of Representatives began formal investigations into the possible impeachment of the President. The House Judiciary Committee voted 27 to 11 on July 27, 1974 to recommend the first article of impeachment against the President: obstruction of justice. Then on July 29 the second article, abuse of power, was passed and on July 30 the third, contempt of Congress, was also passed.<br /><br />In August, a previously unknown tape was released for June 23, 1972, recorded only a few days after the break-in, in which Nixon and Haldeman formulated the plan to block investigations by raising bogus national security claims. The tape was referred to as a "smoking gun." With this last piece of evidence, Nixon's few remaining supporters deserted him. The ten congressmen who had voted against the Articles of Impeachment in committee announced that they would all support impeachment when the vote was taken in the full House.<br /><br /> <br />Nixon leaving the White House after his resignation, August 9, 1974Nixon's support in the Senate was weak as well. After being told by key Republican Senators that enough votes existed to convict him, Nixon decided to resign. In a nationally televised address on the evening of August 8, 1974, he announced he would resign effective noon on August 9. Ultimately, Nixon was never actually impeached or convicted, since his resignation mooted the issue. He was succeeded by Gerald Ford, who on September 8 issued a widely-scoped pardon for Nixon, immunizing him from prosecution for any crimes he may have committed as President. Nixon proclaimed his innocence until his death, but his acceptance of the pardon implied otherwise in the eyes of many: accepting a presidential pardon is voluntary and constitutes a legal admission of guilt, as opposed to a commutation of sentence, which cannot be denied since legal guilt is established at the time of conviction.<br /><br />As for the Watergate Seven, Colson pleaded guilty to charges concerning the Ellsberg case; in exchange, the indictment against him for covering up the activities of CRP was dropped, as it was against Strachan. The remaining five members of the Watergate Seven indicted in March went on trial in October 1974, and on January 1, 1975, all but Parkinson were found guilty. In 1976, the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for Mardian; subsequently, all charges against him were dropped. Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Mitchell exhausted their appeals in 1977. Ehrlichman voluntarily entered prison in 1976 and the other two entered prison in 1977.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Aftermath<br />The effects of the Watergate scandal did not by any means end with the resignation of President Nixon and the imprisonment of some of his aides. Indirectly, Watergate was the cause of new laws leading to extensive changes in campaign financing. It was a major factor in the passage of amendments to the Freedom of Information Act in 1986, as well as laws requiring new financial disclosures by key government officials.<br /><br />While not legally required, other types of personal disclosure, such as releasing recent income tax forms, became expected. Knowing he was comfortably ahead in the 1972 election, Nixon refused to debate his opponent, George McGovern. No major candidate for the presidency since has been able to avoid debates. Previous Presidents since Franklin Roosevelt had recorded many of their conversations, but after Watergate this practice became virtually non-existent.<br /><br />Watergate led to a new era in which the mass media became far more aggressive in reporting on the activities of politicians. For instance, Wilbur Mills, a powerful congressman, was in a drunken driving accident a few months after Nixon resigned. The incident, similar to others which the press had previously never mentioned, was reported, and Mills soon had to resign. In addition to reporters becoming more aggressive in revealing the personal conduct of key politicians, they also became far more cynical in reporting on political issues. A new generation of reporters, hoping to become the next Woodward and Bernstein, embraced investigative reporting and sought to uncover new scandals in the increasing amounts of financial information being released about politicians and their campaigns.<br /><br />Since Nixon and many senior officials involved in Watergate were lawyers, the scandal severely tarnished the public image of the legal profession. In order to defuse public demand for direct federal regulation of lawyers (as opposed to leaving power in the hands of the lawyer-controlled state bar associations), the American Bar Association launched two major reforms. First, the ABA decided that its existing Model Code of Professional Responsibility (promulgated 1969) was a failure, and replaced it with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in 1983. The MRPC has been adopted in part or in whole by 44 states. Its preamble contains an emphatic reminder to young lawyers that the legal profession can remain self-governing only if lawyers behave properly. Second, the ABA promulgated a requirement that law students at ABA-approved law schools must take a course in professional responsibility (which means they must study the MRPC). The requirement is still in effect today.<br /><br />So much did the Watergate scandal affect the national and international consciousness that many scandals since then have been labelled with the suffix "-gate"—such as Contragate or Whitewatergate, Travelgate in South Africa and even PEMEXGATE and Toallagate in Mexico. In 2003 a scandal involving a group of Poland's key political figures and a Polish media magnate Lew Rywin was frequently referred to in Polish media as "Rywingate" The idea of scandals ending in "-gate" is itself lampooned in Tim Dorsey's novel Orange Crush, where a fraudulent campaign manager is overjoyed to find that after years of trying to get a "-gate" scandal of his own, he has committed "Seniorgate" at a retirement home.<br /><br />Jean Baudrillard in 1981, commented on the scandal, and saw it as an example of third-order hyperreality. For instance, in his book dealing with simulacra he says that "It is always a question of proving the real through the imaginary, proving truth through scandal, proving the law through transgression, proving work through striking, proving the system through crisis." In other words, our political systems are corrupt, and these major scandals are just a grandiloquent scheme to proclaim and maintain Western ideas of justice and morality. These schemes however, are intended as simulations. This is a view that has provoked much discussion.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416821551458338?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167599468544392005-04-22T03:59:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:59:59.483-07:00The Manhattan Project, or more formally, the Manhattan Engineering District, was an effort during World War II to develop the first nuclear weapons by the United States with assistance from the United Kingdom and Canada. Its research was directed by American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and overall by General Leslie R. Groves after it became clear that a weapon based on nuclear fission was possible and that Nazi Germany was also investigating such weapons of its own.<br /><br />Though it involved over thirty different research and production sites, the Manhattan Project was largely carried out in three secret scientific cities that were established by power of eminent domain: Hanford, Washington, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Some families in Tennessee were given two weeks notice to vacate the family farm lands they had possessed for generations. The Los Alamos lab was built on a mesa that previously hosted the Los Alamos Ranch School, a private residential boys school that featured the outdoors and horses (famous alumni included William Burroughs). The Hanford site, which grew to almost 1000 square miles (2,600 km²), incorporated land from some farms and two small towns, Hanford and White Bluffs. The existence of these cities was officially kept secret until the end of the war.<br /><br />The Project culminated in the design, production, and detonation of three nuclear weapons in 1945. The first was on July 16: "Trinity", the world's first nuclear test, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The second was the weapon "Little Boy", detonated on August 6, over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The third was the weapon "Fat Man", detonated on August 9, over the city of Nagasaki, Japan.<br /><br />The three primary sites of the project exist today as Hanford Site, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. By 1945, the Project employed over 130,000 people at its peak and cost a total of nearly $2 billion USD ($21 billion in 1996 dollars [1] (http://www.brookings.edu/FP/PROJECTS/NUCWCOST/MANHATTN.HTM)).<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 History<br /><br />1.1 Early ideas on nuclear energy<br /><br /><br />2 The Manhattan Engineering District<br /><br />3 The two different paths to the bomb<br /><br />4 Similar efforts<br /><br />5 See also<br /><br />6 Further reading<br /><br />7 External links<br /> <br />[edit]<br />History<br />In the years between World War I and World War II, the United States had risen to pre-eminence in nuclear physics, driven by the work of recent immigrants and local physicists. These scientists had developed the basic tools of nuclear physics -- cyclotrons and other particle accelerators - and many new substances using these tools, including radioisotopes like carbon-14.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Early ideas on nuclear energy<br /> <br />One of the early particle accelerators responsible for development of the atomic bomb, and used to assist in research related to the Manhattan Project. Built in 1937 by Philips of Eindhoven it currently resides in the National Science Museum in London.Enrico Fermi recalled the beginning of the project in a speech given in 1954 when he retired as President of the APS.<br /><br />I remember very vividly the first month, January 1939, that I started working at the Pupin Laboratories because things began happening very fast. In that period, Niels Bohr was on a lecture engagement in Princeton and I remember one afternoon Willis Lamb came back very excited and said that Bohr had leaked out great news. The great news that had leaked out was the discovery of fission and at least the outline of its interpretation. Then, somewhat later that same month, there was a meeting in Washington where the possible importance of the newly discovered phenomenon of fission was first discussed in semi-jocular earnest as a possible source of nuclear power. <br />Nuclear scientists Leó Szilárd, Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner (all Hungarian Jewish refugees from Hitler's Europe) believed that the energy released in nuclear fission might be used in bombs by the Germans. They persuaded Albert Einstein, America's most famous physicist, to warn President Franklin Roosevelt of this danger in an August 2, 1939 letter which Szilárd drafted [2] (http://www.nuclearfiles.org/redocuments/1939/390802-einstein-roosevelt.html). In response to the warning, Roosevelt encouraged further research into the national security implications of nuclear fission. The Navy awarded the first atomic energy funding of $6,000 for graphite for experiments, which grew into the Manhattan Project under scientific leadership of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi.<br /><br />Roosevelt created an ad hoc Uranium Committee under the chairmanship of National Bureau of Standards chief Lyman Briggs. It began small research programs in 1939 at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, where physicist Philip Abelson explored uranium isotope separation. At Columbia University Italian-born nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi built prototype nuclear reactors using various configurations of graphite and uranium.<br /><br />Vannevar Bush, director of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, organized the National Defense Research Committee in 1940 to mobilize the United States' scientific resources in support of the war effort.<br /><br />New laboratories were created, including the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which aided the development of radar, and the Underwater Sound Laboratory at San Diego, which developed sonar.<br /><br />The National Defense Research Council (NDRC) also took over the uranium project, as Briggs' program in nuclear physics was called. In 1940, Bush and Roosevelt created the Office of Scientific Research and Development to expand these efforts.<br /><br />The uranium project had not made much progress by the spring of 1941, when word came from Britain of calculations by Otto Frisch and Fritz Peierls. The report, prepared by the so-called MAUD Committee, itself a sub-committee of the Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Warfare under G.P. Thomson, professor of physics at Imperial College, London, showed that a very small amount of the fissionable isotope of uranium, U-235 - could produce an explosion equivalent to that of several thousand tons of TNT.<br /><br />The National Academy of Sciences proposed an all-out effort to build nuclear weapons. Bush created a special committee, the S-1 Committee, to guide the effort. This happened to be on the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which was on December 7th, 1941, and meant the start of the war for the United States.<br /><br />At the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, the University of California Radiation Laboratory and Columbia University's physics department, efforts to prepare the nuclear materials for a weapon were accelerated. Uranium 235 had to be separated from uranium ore and plutonium made by neutron bombardment of natural uranium. Beginning in 1942, huge plants were built at Oak Ridge (Site X) in Tennessee and Hanford (Site W) outside of Richland, Washington, to produce these materials.<br /><br />When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, several projects were under way to investigate the separation of fissionable uranium 235 from uranium 238, the manufacture of plutonium, and the feasibility of nuclear piles and explosions.<br /><br />Physicist and Nobel laureate Arthur Holly Compton organized the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago in early 1942 to study plutonium and fission piles. Compton asked theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer of the University of California to take over research on fast neutron calculations, essential to the feasibility of a nuclear weapon. John Manley, a physicist at the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, was assigned to help Oppenheimer find answers by coordinating and contacting several experimental physics groups scattered across the country.<br /><br />In the spring of 1942, Oppenheimer and Robert Serber of the University of Illinois, worked on the problems of neutron diffusion (how neutrons moved in the chain reaction) and hydrodynamics (how the explosion produced by the chain reaction might behave).<br /><br />To review this work and the general theory of fission reactions, Oppenheimer convened a summer study at the University of California, Berkeley in June 1942. Theorists Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Felix Bloch, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stanley S. Frankel, and Eldred C. Nelson (the latter three all former students of Oppenheimer) concluded that a fission bomb was feasible. The scientists suggested that such a reaction could be initiated by assembling a critical mass - an amount of nuclear explosive adequate to sustain it - either by firing two subcritical masses of plutonium or uranium 235 together or by imploding (crushing) a hollow sphere made of these materials with a blanket of high explosives. (Serber credits an early idea of implosion to Tolman). Until the numbers were better known, this was all that could be done.<br /><br />Teller saw another possibility: By surrounding a fission bomb with deuterium and tritium, a much more powerful "superbomb" (which he called simply, the "Super") might be constructed. This concept was based on studies of energy production in stars made by Bethe before the war. When the detonation wave from the fission bomb moved through the mixture of deuterium and tritium nuclei, they would fuse together to produce much more energy than fission could, in the process of nuclear fusion, just as elements fused in the sun produce light and heat.<br /><br />Bethe was skeptical, and as Teller pushed hard for his "superbomb", and proposed scheme after scheme, Bethe refuted each one. The idea had to be put aside while the fission bombs, and the war, were completed. (The "super", or thermonuclear device, was produced after the war and tested in 1952, after an acrimonious political fight pitting Teller against Oppenheimer, leading to loss of Oppenheimer's official status, and using methods different than Teller's specific ideas, which Bethe was correct in refuting.)<br /><br />Teller also raised the speculative possibility that an atomic bomb might "ignite" the atmosphere, due to a hypothetical fusion reaction of nitrogen nuclei. Bethe showed, according to Serber, theoretically that it couldn't happen; in his book The Road from Los Alamos, Bethe says a refutation was written by Konopinski, C. Marvin, and Teller as report LA-602 (declassified Feb. 1973 online (http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/index1.html)), showing that it was impossible, not just unlikely. In Serber's account, Oppenheimer unfortunately mentioned it to Arthur Compton, who "didn't have enough sense to shut up about it. It somehow got into a document that went to Washington" which lead to the question "never [being] laid to rest". In Bethe's account, this ultimate catastrophe came up again in 1975 when it appeared in a magazine article by H. C. Dudley, who got the idea from a report by Pearl Buck of an interview she had with Arthur Compton in 1959, where she completely misunderstood Compton! The worry was not entirely extinguished in some people's minds until the Trinity test; though if Bethe had been wrong, we would never know.<br /><br />The summer conferences, the results of which were later summarized by Serber in "The Los Alamos Primer" (LA-1 online (http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/index1.html)), provided the original theoretical basis for the design of the atomic bomb, which was to become the principal task at Los Alamos during the war, and the idea of the H-bomb, which was to haunt the Laboratory in the postwar era. Seldom has a physics summer school been as portentous for the future of mankind.<br /><br />The measurements of the interactions of fast neutrons with the materials in a bomb are essential because the number of neutrons produced in the fission of uranium and plutonium must be known, and because the substance surrounding the nuclear material must have the ability to reflect, or scatter, neutrons back into the chain reaction before it is blown apart in order to increase the energy produced. Therefore, the neutron scattering properties of materials had to be measured to find the best reflectors.<br /><br />Estimating the explosive power required knowledge of many other nuclear properties, including the cross section (a measure of the probability of an encounter between particles that result in a specified effect) for nuclear processes of neutrons in uranium and other elements. Fast neutrons could only be produced in particle accelerators, which were still relatively uncommon instruments in physics departments in 1942.<br /><br />The need for better coordination was clear. By September 1942, the difficulties involved with conducting preliminary studies on nuclear weapons at universities scattered throughout the country indicated the need for a laboratory dedicated solely to that purpose. The need for it, however, was overshadowed by the demand for plants to produce uranium-235 and plutonium - the fissionable materials that would provide the nuclear explosives.<br /><br />Vannevar Bush, the head of the civilian Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), asked President Franklin Roosevelt to assign the large-scale operations connected with the quickly growing nuclear weapons project to the military. Roosevelt chose the Army to work with the OSRD in building production plants. The Army Corps of Engineers selected Col. James Marshall to oversee the construction of factories to separate uranium isotopes and manufacture plutonium for the bomb.<br /><br />OSRD scientists had explored several methods to produce plutonium and separate uranium-235 from uranium, but none of the processes was ready for production - only microscopic amounts had been prepared.<br /><br />Only one method - electromagnetic separation, which had been developed by Ernest Lawrence at the University of California Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley - seemed promising at the time for large-scale production. But scientists could not stop studying other potential methods of producing fissionable materials, because it was so expensive and because it was unlikely that it alone could produce enough material before the war was over.<br /><br />Marshall and his deputy, Col. Kenneth Nichols, had to struggle to understand both the processes and the scientists with whom they had to work. Thrust suddenly into the new field of nuclear physics, they felt unable to distinguish between technical and personal preferences. Although they decided that a site near Knoxville, Tenn., would be suitable for the first production plant, they didn't know how large the site had to be and so put off its acquisition. There were other problems, too.<br /><br />Because of its experimental nature, the nuclear weapons work could not compete with the Army's more-urgent tasks for top-priority ratings. The selection of scientists' work and production-plant construction often were delayed by Marshall's inability to get the critical materials, such as steel, that also were needed in other military productions.<br /><br />Even selecting a name for the new Army project was difficult. The title chosen by Gen. Brehon Somervell, "Development of Substitute Materials," was objectionable because it seemed to reveal too much.<br /><br />[edit]<br />The Manhattan Engineering District<br />In the summer of 1942, Col. Leslie Groves was deputy to the chief of construction for the Army Corps of Engineers and had overseen construction of the Pentagon, the world's largest office building. Hoping for an overseas command, Groves objected when Somervell appointed him to take charge of the weapons project. His objections were overruled and Groves resigned himself to leading a project he thought had little chance of succeeding.<br /><br /> <br />A selection of U.S. sites important to the Manhattan Project.<br />The first thing he did was rechristen the project The Manhattan District. The name evolved from the Corps of Engineers practice of naming districts after its headquarters' city (Marshall's headquarters were in New York City). At the same time, Groves was promoted to brigadier general, which gave him the rank thought necessary to deal with the senior scientists in the project.<br /><br />Within a week of his appointment, Groves had solved the Manhattan Project's most urgent problems. His forceful and effective manner was soon to become all too familiar to the atomic scientists.<br /><br />The first major scientific hurdle of the project was solved on December 2, 1942 below the bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. Then and there a team led by Enrico Fermi initiated the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. A coded phone call from Compton saying, "The Italian navigator (referring to Fermi) has landed in the new world, the natives are friendly" to Conant in Washington, DC, brought the news that the experiment was a success.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />[edit]<br />The two different paths to the bomb<br />The industrial problem centered on the production of sufficient fissile material, of sufficient purity. Two separate, completely parallel efforts were undertaken to do this, and the results are represented in the single test and the two bombs which were dropped.<br /><br />The Hiroshima bomb, Little Boy, was based on uranium-235, a rare isotope of uranium that has to be physically separated from more prevalent uranium-238 isotope, which is not suitable for use in an explosive device. The separation was effected mostly by gaseous diffusion of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), but also by other techniques, such as thermal diffusion, and the calutron method, using the mass spectrometer principle of magnetic separation. The bulk of this separation work was done at Oak Ridge. The bomb itself used the so-called "gun" mechanism to assemble a critical mass of the fissile U-235; one mass of U-235 was fired down a tube into another mass.<br /><br />In contrast, the devices used in the first and only test, and also the Nagasaki bomb, Fat Man, consisted primarily of plutonium-239. This is a synthetic element which, in the form created by the reactors used to produce it, contains too much of an isotope which too readily undergoes fission for it to be used in gun type device. (The issue is that due to the relatively slow assembly speed of the gun type device, the bomb will "fizzle"; i.e. blow itself apart before it develops maximum power.) A so-called "implosion" device, in which a sphere of fissile material was collapsed on itself, promised faster assembly, and thus offered a solution to the problem. The design of an implosion device was at the center of the efforts by physicists at Los Alamos during the Project.<br /><br />The property of uranium-238 which makes it less suitable directly for use in an atomic bomb is used in the production of plutonium -- with sufficiently slow neutrons, uranium-238 will absorb neutrons and transmute into plutonium-239. The production and purification of plutonium was at the center of wartime, and post-war, efforts at the Hanford Site, using techniques developed in part by Glenn Seaborg.<br /><br />The first live test of the plutonium bomb was on July 16, 1945, near Alamagordo, New Mexico, and was code-named "Trinity". "The energy developed in the test was several times greater than that expected by scientific group." (Official report (http://www.dannen.com/decision/trin-rad.html))<br /><br />[edit]<br />Similar efforts<br />A similar effort was undertaken in the USSR headed by Igor Kurchatov (with a specific difference in that some of Kurchatov's World War II investigations came secondhand from Manhattan Project countries, thanks to spies, including at least two on the scientific team at Los Alamos, Klaus Fuchs and Theodore Hall, unknown to each other). Token efforts in Germany, (headed by Werner Heisenberg,) and in Japan, were also undertaken during the war.<br /><br />Together with the cryptographic efforts centered at Bletchley Park in England, Arlington Hall and the Naval Communications Annex (both in commandeered private girls' schools in Washington DC), and the development of microwave radar at MIT's Radiation Lab, the Manhattan Project represents one of few massive, secret, and outstandingly successful technological efforts spawned by the conflict of World War II.<br /><br />The choice of civilian instead of military targets has often been criticized. However, the U.S. already had a policy of massive incendiary attacks against civilian targets in Japan. They dropped 20% explosives, to break up wooden structures and provide fuel, and then dropped 80% (by weight) small incendiary bombs to set the cities on fire. The resulting raids devastated many Japanese cities, including Tokyo, even before atomic weapons were deployed. The allies performed such attacks because Japanese industry was extremely dispersed among civilian targets (with many tiny family-owned factories operating in the midst of civilian housing), and in order to break the will of the Japanese population to back the war. Hiroshima had been spared conventional bombing so as to better gauge the effects of the nuclear bomb<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416759946854439?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167413480894472005-04-22T03:56:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:56:53.483-07:00The "Velvet Revolution" (Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 - December 29, 1989) refers to a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the communist government there.<br /><br />It started on November 16, 1989 with a peaceful student demonstration in Bratislava. One day later, on November 17, 1989, another peaceful student demonstration in Prague was severely beaten back by the communist riot police. That event sparked a set of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December, and a general two-hour strike of the population on November 27. By November 20 the number of peaceful protestors assembled in Prague swelled from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million.<br /><br />With other communist regimes falling all around it, and with growing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced on November 28 they would give up their monopoly on political power. Barbed wire was removed from the border with West Germany and Austria on December 5. On December 10, the Communist President Gustáv Husák appointed the first largely non-communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubček was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29 1989.<br /><br />As one of the results of the Velvet revolution, the first democratic elections since 1946 held in June 1990, brought the first completely non-communist government to Czechoslovakia in over forty years.<br /><br />[edit]<br />The term<br />The term Velvet Revolution was invented by a journalist after the events, caught on in world media and eventually in Czechoslovakia itself. Media, riding on infotainment wave, saw this success and started tradition of inventing and assigning a poetic name to similar events - see color revolution<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416741348089447?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167318871207422005-04-22T03:54:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:55:18.883-07:00The Kyrgyz revolution of 2005 refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 and of March 13, 2005. The revolution sought the end of the rule of Akayev and his family and associates, who in popular opinion had become increasingly corrupt and authoritarian. Following the revolution Akayev fled the country. On April 4 he signed his resignation statement in the presence of a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation in his country's embassy in Moscow, and on April 11 the Kyrgyz Parliament ratified his resignation.<br /><br />The media have variously referred to the revolution as the "Tulip," "Pink," "Lemon", "Silk", "Daffodil" or "Sandpaper" Revolution – terms meant to evoke similarities with the mostly non-violent Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, and possibly referencing the Velvet Revolution. The Kyrgyz revolution, however, saw some violence in its initial days and at least three people died during widespread looting in the capital in the first 24 hours after the government's fall.<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 Post-election violence<br /><br />2 Opposition Unity<br /><br />3 Government Reaction<br /><br />4 International Response<br /><br />5 Government Collapse<br /><br />6 Consolidation<br /><br />7 Short-Term Prospects<br /><br />8 See also<br /><br />9 External links<br /> <br />[edit]<br />Post-election violence<br />Protests began prior to the announcement of election results in many western and southern areas, and became more assertive as time passed. On March 18, thousands of demonstrators occupied the governor's office in the southern city of Jalal-Abad and another government building in Osh. Protesters in the southern town of Toktogul took captive a district governor and chief district prosecutor, both of them accused of colluding with Akayev's government in rigging the elections.<br /><br />In the early hours of March 20, 2005 police attempted to recapture the buildings by force. Reports circulated of injuries to several demonstrators and to a police officer, while authorities temporarily detained hundreds of civilians in these areas. In the following hours, crowds surged to re-take the building in Jalal-Abad. The nearby police station quickly became a focal point for confrontations. Stone-throwing protesters stormed the station, causing some officers to take to the roof and fire warning shots in the air. The crowds forced open the doors of the building and witnesses observed people throwing Molotov cocktails into the windows.<br /><br />By the following day, March 21, around 1,000 demonstrators in Osh occupied the regional administration building, a police station and a television station, as well as the airport. Most security forces escaped unhurt, but rioters caught and assaulted two, before parading them on horseback in the city square.<br /><br />On March 22 activists seized another administrative building, in the southern town of Pulgon. A day later, the capital Bishkek saw its first demonstrations. A few hundred people gathered in the city's main square, but police broke up the rally before it could begin. Officers hit some of the crowd with sticks and arrested a number of organisers. Those detained allegedly included members of opposition newspapers, students, NGO leaders, writers and members of the KelKel youth movement. Protestors also took over Kadamjai in the south and the northern towns of Talas and Kochkor.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Opposition Unity<br />Prior to the election, opposition to the Kyrgyz government suffered from internal division. In the Georgian and Ukrainian revolutions, opposition groups united in removing their respective governments, but this did not occur in Kyrgyzstan. Various forces had joined together to contest the election as a coalition, however several of these groups existed prior to the polls. The opposition also lacked an obvious leader or a single candidate who could have inspired people to protest, thus leaving the field open for more spontaneous populist revolts. The more vocal critics of the allegedly rigged elections have included Roza Otunbaeva, a former Kyrgyz foreign minister and ambassador to the UK and the US; and Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a former Prime Minister who resigned his post after police shot and killed five peaceful demonstrators in the southern town of Aksy in 2002.<br /><br />Thousands of people attended a rally in Osh on March 19 as an opposition congress, called a kurultai, set up a "people's council" in a challenge to the local administration and proclaimed it as a parallel government. One of its leaders, Anvar Artykov, announced: "We will keep this authority until all of our demands and problems will be resolved. We are an interim power. We can talk about the fulfillment of our tasks when the current government will be replaced by a government that is trusted by the nation."<br /><br />Otunbaeva said on March 21 that police officers in Jalal-Abad had switched sides in massive numbers. "Policemen, including high-ranking officers, took off their uniforms, changed into civilian clothes and joined our ranks. So we have substantial support." Journalists could not independently verify these reports.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Government Reaction<br />Following the violence on March 21, Akayev ordered the Central Election Commission and Supreme Court to investigate alleged violations. He ordered the commission and court "to pay particular attention to those districts where election results provoked extreme public reaction ... and tell people openly who is right and who is wrong".<br /><br />On March 23, Akayev announced the dismissal of Interior Minister Bakirdin Subanbekov and of the General Prosecutor Myktybek Abdyldayev for "poor work" in dealing with the growing protests against his government.<br /><br />[edit]<br />International Response<br />The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had sent 60 observers to monitor the election runoffs. In its initial assessment the group said the second round of voting showed "some technical improvements over the first round", but stressed that there remained "significant shortcomings". (The OSCE had said the first round fell short of international standards in many areas.)<br /><br />Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) disagreed. They hailed the runoff elections as well-organized, free, and fair. CIS observers also praised local authorities for showing restraint and competence in dealing with political unrest in several regions. This contradiction in the findings between OSCE and CIS observation teams formed the latest in a series of such contradictory findings (see CIS election observation missions). Russia supported the CIS reports and rebuked the OSCE for its findings. [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4369065.stm) Though Russia has membership in both organizations, it has a much more dominant role in the CIS.<br /><br />Following the initial violent incidents, appeals quickly issued from the international community for calm and for a peaceful settlement to the growing tensions. In Washington, a State Department spokesman said US officials had contacted "both" sides to urge them to resolve their differences through dialogue. The United States, which operates Ganci Air Base, a strategic military installation at Bishkek's Manas airport, expressed mild criticism of the election abuses and rebuked the opposition for taking over government buildings. (Ganci Air Base, set up initially in late 2001 to provide a station for an expanded air presence in US activities in Afghanistan, has remained and grown ever since - and houses, at current estimates, about 2000 American and European troops. The establishment of a Russian airbase at Kant, a few miles from Bishkek, two years later, and Kyrgyzstan's proximity to China, mark the country as an important strategic site. This situation may figure in any calculations regarding putative future intervention by external parties. Various international news agencies, including the New York Times, have reported that American funding and support, from governmental and non-governmental sources, helped in part to pave the way for the pro-opposition demonstrations by providing means of printing materials and literature. US State Department statements have partly substantiated such claims.<br /><br />The United Nations, meanwhile, offered the following statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on its website: "The secretary general is opposed to the use of violence and intimidation to resolve electoral and political disputes". Annan "calls on all parties to apply restraint".<br /><br />The Russian Foreign Ministry on March 21 posted on its official website a statement about the recent unrest, in which it expressed concern about the actions of the opposition. The statement urged demonstrators to remain within the framework of the constitution and to maintain a "constructive dialogue" with the administration of President Akayev. The ministry also appealed to foreign observers in the country, including the OSCE, to exhibit responsibility in their statements and not to give "destructive elements" justification for unlawful acts.<br /><br />The Uzbek foreign ministry issued the following statement on March 23: "The people of Uzbekistan, which is a close neighbour of Kyrgyzstan, are concerned about the events happening in Kyrgyzstan, especially in its southern regions". The state-controlled media in Uzbekistan had previously not mentioned the crisis, fearing it could spark unrest within the border town of Andijan. Since 2004 the area has witnessed demonstrations by traders upset about new laws that restrict their commercial activity.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Government Collapse<br />By March 23 the protest movement had become widespread, particularly in some of the majority Uzbek southern towns, having gained momentum in the wake of allegations of massive fraud and manipulations during the elections. The opposition appeared to unify to some extent around two main opposition leaders: former Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev and former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbaeva.<br /><br />On March 24, protests spread to Bishkek, where a large crowd of tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the main government building. When security forces and pro-government provocateurs began beating a number of youthful demonstrators in the front ranks, the main crowd behind them closed ranks and a large number of the young swept past the security forces and stormed into the government headquarters. They also occupied the building of the state television. A number of skirmishes took place between the opposition and police, before sheer force allowed a throng of protestors to overrun government offices -- which crowds of young men then vandalized.<br /><br />President Akayev left the country on Thursday 24 March, fleeing with his family by helicopter to Kazakhstan, from where he subsequently flew to Moscow. At that point, he refused to resign. Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev resigned as the opposition took control of key state organs including State Television, and the police melted away or joined the protestors. Imprisoned opposition leaders, including Felix Kulov, were freed and the Kyrgyz Supreme Court declared the election results invalid.<br /><br />The newly elected parliament named Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a southerner, as acting Prime Minister and acting President. Felix Kulov, freed only a day earlier and the one man many feel capable of uniting the erstwhile opposition groupings, made a television appeal for calm. With the breakdown of law and order, mobs looted stores and ATMs in Bishkek during the night, and a number of buildings were set on fire. By March 25 reports emerged of many casualties, including three deaths, and some looting continued. Bakiyev appointed Kulov acting Interior Minister, with instructions to restore order in the capital. An interim cabinet of appointeees but appears to consist of a varied collection of individuals representing different anti-Akayev groups and clans.<br /><br />On March 26, armed supporters of former president Akayev reportedly tried to enter Bishkek in force, but turned back when it became apparent that they would not meet much support in the capital. They acted on the orders of Kenesh Dushebaev, former acting Interior Minister, and Temirbek Akmataliev, until then minister of emergency affairs and previously minister of the interior and responsible for the killing of five unarmed demonstrators in the southern town of Aksy in 2002. Akmataliev, a very close associate of Akayev, later (on March 29) announced that he would run in the planned new presidential elections.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Consolidation<br />By March 28, gradual stabilization of the political situation appeared to have taken place. The "old" parliament dissolved itself, and the "new" parliament gained recognition as legitimate (although a number of individual seats remained in dispute and subject to review by courts). This drew some protests from people who argued that the street outpourings justified more radical reform, but the power brokers in the country seemed to consider it preferable to have the forces represented in the new parliament on the inside rather than the outside.<br /><br />On April 2, Akayev agreed to resign as President. A Kyrgyz delegation traveled to Moscow to obtain his signature on the necessary document, and on April 3 Akayev announced on Russian television that he would resign with effect from April 5. He signed a declaration to this effect in the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow on April 4. The Kyrgyz parliament debated for a week before finally accepting his resignation on April 11, but not without first stripping him and his family members of many privileges that the previous parliament had granted to them.<br /><br />New presidential elections have now been set for July 10, 2005.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Short-Term Prospects<br />Current causes of concern include:<br /><br />the potential for post-revolutionary violence triggered by fractionalism within the country <br />the possibility of neighboring régimes with even worse records of mismanagement, corruption and suppression deciding to intervene in Kyrgyzstan under the pretext of helping to "restore order" or of "protecting their interests" <br />the possibility that drug money will become a major force in Kyrgyzstan <br />possible ethnic conflict in the South <br />Since allegations of rigged elections triggered the upheaval, it remains unclear whether the people will accept the new parliament, legitimized so suddenly by the current group of power brokers.<br /><br />On March 31, Kulov relinquished his post as security co-ordinator, raising questions about his intentions as well as about the cohesion among the key figures of the early post-Akayev days. One day later he publicly criticized Bakiev and declared his intention to run in the presidential elections. Questionable appointments to administrative positions in parts of the south by local power brokers have caused concern, as has the increasing incidence of parallel administrations in various towns.<br /><br />Beginning on April 11, increasing numbers of homeless citizens have begun to arrive in Bishkek and to occupy plots of land with the intent of establishing squatters' rights to ownership. Tensions have been rising, as rumors circulate that ethnic Russians and other minorities will be deprived of their legal rights to real estate.<br /><br />The return of Bermet Akayeva, the ousted president's daughter, and her insistance on taking her seat in Parliament, is likely to prove another incendiary factor.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416731887120742?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167230795887592005-04-22T03:52:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:53:50.803-07:00Color revolutions<br />[edit]<br />Post-communist states<br />The demonstrations in Yugoslavia in 2000, which led to the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic. These demonstrations are considered by many to be the first example of the peaceful revolutions that followed. However the protesters didn't adopt a color or specific symbol, and despite the commonalities, many others refer to Georgia as the most definite beginning of the series of "color revolutions." The demonstrations were supported by youth movement Otpor. <br />The Rose Revolution in Georgia, following the disputed Georgia legislative election, 2003, led to the overthrow of Eduard Shevardnadze and his replacement by Mikhail Saakashvili after new elections were held in March 2004. The Rose Revolution was supported by civic resistance movement Kmara. <br />The Orange Revolution in Ukraine, followed the disputed second round of the 2004 presidential election and led to the annulment of the result and the repeat of the round—leader of the opposition Viktor Yushchenko was declared president, defeating Viktor Yanukovych. The Orange Revolution was supported by Pora. <br />The Kyrgyz revolution of 2005, was more violent than its predecessors and followed the disputed Kyrgyz parliamentary elections, 2005. At the same time more fragmented than the previous such revolutions, it was given several different nicknames, including the Tulip Revolution, the Pink Revolution or the Lemon Revolution, the protesters in different areas having adopted different colours for their protests (pink and yellow). This revolution was supported by youth resistance movement KelKel. <br />[edit]<br />Related usages in the Middle-east<br />The following events, having taken place in the Middle-east instead of post-Communist Europe and Central Asia, have nonetheless at times been described as part of the series of coloured revolutions, and their popular names designed specifically to draw the parallel. Nonetheless they have marked differences with the revolutions described above, and thus their inclusion in the series of "colored revolutions" is so far not universally accepted.<br /><br />The Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, unlike the revolutions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, followed not a disputed election, but rather the assassination of opposition leader Rafik Hariri in 2005. Also, instead of the annulment of an election, it demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Nonetheless, some of its elements and some of the methods used in the protests have been been similar enough, that it is often considered and treated by the press and commentators as one of the series of "color revolutions". <br />"Purple Revolution" was a name used by United States President George W. Bush to describe the coming of democracy to Iraq following the Iraqi legislative election, and intentionally used to draw the parallel with the Orange and Rose revolutions. The name comes from the color that voters' index fingers were stained to prevent fradulent multiple voting. <br />[edit]<br />Influencing factors<br />[edit]<br />Student movements<br />The first of these was Otpor ("Resistance") in Serbia, which was founded at Belgrade University in October 1998 and began protesting against Milosević during the Kosovo War. Many of its members were arrested or beaten by the police. Despite this, during the presidential campaign in September 2000, Otpor launched its "Gotov je" (He's finished) campaign that galvanized Serbian discontent with Milosević and resulted in his defeat.<br /><br />Members of Otpor have inspired and trained members of related student movements including Kmara in Georgia, Pora in Ukraine, Zubr in Belarus and MJAFT! in Albania. These groups have been explicit and scrupulous in their practice of non-violent resistance as advocated and explained in Gene Sharp's writings. The massive protests that they have organized, which were essential to the successes in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine, have been notable for their colorfulness and use of ridiculing humor in opposing authoritarian leaders.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Soros foundation and U.S. influence<br />Opponents of the color revolutions often accuse the Soros Foundations and/or the United States government of supporting and even planning the revolutions in order to serve western interests. It is noteworthy that after the Orange Revolution several Central Asian nations took action against the Open Society Institute of George Soros with various means -- Uzbekistan for example forced the shutting down of the OSI regional offices, while Tajik state-controlled media have accused OSI-Tajikistan of corruption and nepotism. [1] (http://www.dream.net.gr/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1372)<br /><br />Supporters of the color revolutions generally consider the allegations of American or Soros influence in such revolutions as greatly exaggerated, and that the causes for such revolutions have been mostly national in nature, even if these revolutions received both support and inspiration or opposition from other nations or organizations. Some also feel that even if these revolution were planned or directed by third nations, that doesn't diminish their moral quality, and that they were positive events regardless of who planned them.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Reactions and connected movements in other countries<br />Armenia <br />Aram Karapetyan, leader of the New Times political party, has declared his intention to start a "revolution from below" in April 2005, saying that the situation was different now that people had seen the developments in the CIS. He added that the Armenian revolution will be peaceful but not have a color. [2] (http://home.a1plus.am/eng/?go=print&id=24671).<br /><br />Azerbaijan <br />Two movements have recently been created in Azerbaijan, both seemingly inspired after the examples of Georgia and Ukraine. A youth group, calling itself Yox!, declared its opposition to governmental corruption. The leader of Yox! said that unlike Pora or Kmara, he wants to change not just the leadership, but the entire system of governnance in Azerbaijan. [3] (http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=13072) The Yox movement chose green as its color.<br /><br />A second youth organization, calling itself the Orange Movement, announced its creation on 25 March, 2005, pledging its support to the opposition. [4] (http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/4/992D0BBA-A4CC-4624-91AF-65E8A64D6528.html)<br /><br />Belarus <br />There have been a number of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, with participation from student group Zubr. The most recent major protests were in March 25, 2005. This was a self-declared attempt to emulate the Kyrgyzstan revolution, and involved over a thousand citizens. However it was severely suppressed by the police which arrested over 30 people.<br /><br />Mikhail Marinich, a leader of the opposition, is currently in prison. The opposition uses as a symbol the white-red-white former flag of Belarus. The movement has had significant connections with that in neighboring Ukraine, and during the Orange Revolution some white-red-white flags were seen being waved in Kiev.<br /><br />Lukashenko has said in the past: "In our country, there will be no pink or orange, or even banana revolution." More recently he's said "They [the West] think that Belarus is ready for some 'orange' or, what is a rather frightening option, 'blue' or 'cornflower blue' revolution. Such 'blue' revolutions are the last thing we need". [5] (http://www.ucpb.org/eng/show1prel.shtml?no=1241) On 19 April, 2005, he further commented: "All these coloured revolutions are pure and simple banditry." [6] (http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/050419184754.74ehx330)<br /><br />Moldova <br />The opposition in Moldova, is reported to have hoped and urged for some kind of Orange revolution, similar to that in Ukraine, in the followup of the Moldovan parliamentary elections, 2005, while the Christian Democratic People's Party adopted orange for its color in a clear reference to the events of Ukraine. [7] (http://www.rferl.org/features/features_article_old.aspx?m=03&y=2005&id=BB8CC95F-37D0-4872-A664-7097B8615CC5)<br /><br />A name hypothesized for such an event was "grape revolution" because of the abundance of vineyards in the country, however such a revolution failed to materialize after the governmental victory in the elections. Many reasons have been given for this, including a fractured opposition and that the government had already co-opted many of the political positions that might have united the opposition (such as a perceived pro-European and anti-Russian stance). Also the elections themselves were declared fairer in the OSCE election monitoring reports than had been the case in other countries where similar revolutions occurred, even though the CIS monitoring mission strongly condemned them.<br /><br />Mongolia <br />On March 25, 2005, activists wearing yellow scarves held protests in the capital city of Ulan Bator, disputing the results of the 2004 Mongolian parliamentary elections and calling for fresh elections. One of the chants heard in that protest was "Let's congratulate our Kyrgyz brothers for their revolutionary spirit. Let's free Mongolia of corruption." [8] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4389623.stm)<br /><br />Russia, Bashkortostan <br />The opposition in the Republic of Bashkortostan has held protests demanding that the federal authorities intervene to dismiss Murtaza Rakhimov from his position as president of the republic, accusing him of leading an "arbitrary, corrupt, and violent" regime. Airat Dilmukhametov, one of the opposition leaders, and leader of the Bashkir National Front, has said that the opposition movement has been inspired from the mass protests of Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. [9] (http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/04/15460063-bb4c-4478-934f-b40597ee6c0b.html) Another opposition leader, Marat Khaiyirulin, said that if an Orange Revolution were to happen in Russia, it would begin in Bashkortostan. [10] (http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=736)<br /><br />Uzbekistan <br />There has been longstanding opposition to President Islam Karimov, from liberals and Islamists. The revolution in neighboring Kyrgyzstan began in the largely ethnic Uzbek south, and received early support in the city of Osh. Nigora Hidoyatova, leader of the Free Peasants opposition party, has referred to the idea of a farmers' revolution. She also said that her party is collaborating with the youth organization Shiddat, and that she hopes it can evolve to an organization similar to Kmara or Pora. [11] (http://www.rferl.org/features/features_article_old.aspx?id=defcdd8b-273e-4087-83ad-604183cf796a&y=2005&m=03)<br /><br />[edit]<br />Other peaceful revolutions and popular movements<br />[edit]<br />Possible historical predecessors<br />Several past movements have been compared in times with the colour revolutions, or described as possible predecessors and sources of inspiration. Some of these are the following:<br /><br />The Carnation Revolution of 1974 in Portugal. <br />The Orange Alternative - an underground anarchist movement in Poland during the 1980s. <br />The Singing Revolution - a cycle of singing mass demonstrations, followed by a living chain across the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) in 1988 and 1989. <br />The Velvet Revolution - the bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989, leading to the downfall of the communist government there. <br />The Golaniad - a protest in Romania in April 1990 by the Bucharest students who demanded a non-communist government. The protests ended in bloodshed after an intervention of miners called in by president Ion Iliescu (the Mineriad). <br />[edit]<br />More recent nonviolent revolutions<br />The following are examples of nonviolent revolutions in recent years, which however have generally not been considered part of the series of color revolutions by either the press or the participants.<br /><br />The EDSA II, a four-day popular revolt that peacefully overthrew Philippine president Joseph Estrada in January 2001, selforganized through SMS messaging. <br />The SMS selforganized demostrations of March 13th in Spain (in the aftermath of the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks), known as "the revolt of the cellular phones", what probably changed the electoral results calling the attention of the public opinion on media and governamental manipulation on the authory of the attacks. See documentaries of the Spanish public television (http://www.rtve.es/comunicacion/mantenimiento/entry.php?id=2533) on the subject. <br />The impeachment of President Lucio Gutierrez of Ecuador, by Congress of that country after days of increasing demonstrations and protests by citizens led by the citizens of Quito, the capital. Thousands of demonstrators were present in the Plaza of Independence. Flags were waved in celebration shortly after Congress voted out Gutierrez 62-0. Roads to Quito's airport were blocked by demonstrators to prevent Gutierrez from leaving the country. The former president is allegedly hiding in one of the foreign embassies there.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416723079588759?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167147542740162005-04-22T03:51:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:52:27.560-07:00Cedar Revolution has become the Western media's most commonly used name for the chain of demonstrations and popular civic action in Lebanon (mainly Beirut) triggered by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. It is also known as Lebanon's "Rabiee el Arz" (Cedar Spring) [1] (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-3-2005_pg3_6), mostly in Lebanese media like the LBC and Future TV in reference to the prevailing season when protests first broke out, and also as an allusion to famous freedom and independence movements like the Prague Spring [2] (http://world.mediamonitors.net/headlines/as_the_globe_spins_coverage_of_lebanons_demonstrations_doesnt_tell_whole_story). (See Origins of the name below).<br /><br />The primary goal of the original activists was the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and an end to what the demonstrators considered undue influence by Syria on Lebanese politics. During the period of the first wave of demonstrations, Syria had been maintaining a force of roughly 14,000 soldiers and intelligence agents in Lebanon [3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4322477.stm). For background information on Syria's involvement in Lebanese politics, see the articles History of Lebanon and Lebanese Civil War.<br /><br />The opposition has taken, as its symbol, the white and red scarf, and the pro-Hariri blue ribbon. The movement's motto was either Horryeh, Syedeh, Este'lel (Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence), or Ha'i'a, Horryeh, Wehdeh watanieh (Truth, Freedom, National unity).<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 Origins of the name<br /><br />2 Assassination of Rafiq Hariri<br /><br />3 International reaction<br /><br />4 Government resigns<br /><br />5 Syrian reaction<br /><br />6 Response from the Arab world<br /><br />7 Pro-Syrian demonstration<br /><br />8 Resurgent counter demonstrations<br /><br />9 Wave of democracy?<br /><br />10 Latest Developments<br /><br />11 See also<br /><br />12 External links<br /> <br />[edit]<br />Origins of the name<br />The name "Cedar Revolution" is a term that was coined by the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky in a news conference [4] (http://www.state.gov/g/rls/rm/2005/42793.htm), and used to draw a comparison with the Rose Revolution of Georgia, the Orange Revolution of Ukraine, and "Purple Revolution" (as described by George W. Bush) of Iraq.<br /><br />The word Cedar refers to a national emblem, the Lebanon Cedar, a tree featured on the flag of Lebanon. While the term is popular in the Western media, it is not widely used in the local press. Jefferson Morley reported in the Washington Post, "no one in the Lebanese press is talking about 'the Cedar Revolution.'" [5] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1911-2005Mar2.html) and pointed out that the Cedar tree featured on the Lebanese flag once symbolized the country's Christian inhabitants (who at the time were a majority). It has long since grown to include a much wider acceptance as a national symbol independent of sectarian divisions. In 2005, country's Shiite majority has not rushed to embrace the title.<br /><br />Names used by the local media, like the LBC and Future TV, to describe this event include Lebanon Independence (Este'lel Lubnan), Lebanon Spring (Rabi' Lubnan), or just Independence 05.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Assassination of Rafiq Hariri<br />On February 14, 2005, popular former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a car-bomb attack, which killed 16 and wounded nearly 100. This sparked huge demonstrations that seemed to unite large numbers of citizens from the usually fractured and sectarian Lebanese population. This attack was the second such incident in four months. Former minister and MP Marwan Hamadeh had survived a car bomb attack on October 1, 2004.<br /><br />Despite the lack, to date, of any actual substantial evidence implicating any party or individual, the Syrian government has borne the brunt of Lebanese and international outrage at the murder, because of its extensive military and intelligence influence in Lebanon, as well as the public rift between Hariri and Damascus just before his last resignation on October 20, 2004. The day after Hariri's resignation, pro-Syrian former Prime Minister Omar Karami was appointed Prime Minister [6] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3763120.stm).<br /><br />Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a recent adherent to the anti-Syrian opposition, emboldened by popular anger and civic action, alleged in the wake of the assassination that in August 2004 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad threatened Hariri, saying "[President of Lebanon] Lahoud is me. ... If you and Chirac want me out of Lebanon, I will break Lebanon." [7] (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/international/middleeast/20lebanon.html?ei=5094&en=441b692d8c0ef46a&hp=&ex=1111294800&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all&position=). He was quoted as saying "When I heard him telling us those words, I knew that it was his condemnation of death." The United States, the EU and the UN have stopped short of any accusations, choosing instead to demand a Syrian pullout from Lebanon and an open and international investigation of the Assassination. Jumblatt's comments are not without controversy; the BBC describes him as "being seen by many as the country's political weathervane" - consistently changing allegiances to emerge on the winning side of the issues de jour through the turmoil of the 1975-90 civil war and its troubled aftermath. [8] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4348129.stm) He was a supporter of Syria after the war but switched sides after the death of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in 2000. His account is quoted, but not confirmed, in the UN's FitzGerald Report. The report stops short of directly accusing Damascus or any other party, saying that only a further thorough international inquest can identify the culprit. [9] (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/international/middleeast/25hariri.html?pagewanted=all&position=): The Lebanese government has agreed to this inquiry, though calling for the full participation, not supremacy, of its own agencies and the respect of Lebanese sovereignty.[10] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4383321.stm) (See international reaction below.)<br /><br />On February 21, 2005 tens of thousands of Lebanese protestors held a rally at the site of the assassination calling for an end of Syrian occupation and blaming Syria and the pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud for the murder. In the subsequent weeks, nearly every Monday, a demonstration has been held at Beirut's Martyrs Square (also referred to by protestors as "Liberty Square"), in addition to the constant daily gathering of Lebanese there. [11] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4283543.stm)<br /><br />Similar demonstrations by Lebanese immigrants have also taken place in several cities across the world, including Sydney - Australia (where over 10 000 people demonstrated in the city), San Francisco, Paris, Dusseldorf, Montreal, and London.<br /><br />Syria's rift with Hariri is believed to have stemmed from his opposition to the controversial Syrian-backed constitutional amendment that extended Lahoud's term as President.<br /><br />[edit]<br />International reaction<br />Hariri's murder triggered increased international pressure on Syria. In a joint statement, U.S. President George W. Bush and French president Jacques Chirac condemned the killing and called for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which requires the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.<br /><br />At one point there seemed to be confusion about the extent to which Syria was willing to withdraw from Lebanon. Arab League head Amr Moussa declared that Syrian president Assad promised him a phased withdrawal over a two-year period, but the Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlallah said that Moussa had misunderstood the Syrian leader. Dakhlallah said that Syria will merely move its troops to eastern Lebanon. Since then, Syria has declared that Resolution 1559 will be fully complied with, and in a matter of months not years.<br /><br />On March 15, upon hearing purportedly leaked information that the United Nations' special investigation may have found that the Lebanese authorities covered up evidence of the murder, Columnist Robert Fisk alleges that Hariri's two sons fled Lebanon, reportedly after being warned that they too were in danger of assassination [12] (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/story.jsp?story=619657).<br /><br />UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in response to a request by the Security Council, sent a team of Irish, Egyptian and Moroccan specialists, led by Ireland's deputy police commissioner, Peter FitzGerald, to investigate the assassination. Even before the FitzGerald Report was published, Annan has said a further, more comprehensive investigation may be necessary. FitzGerald thanked the Lebanese government for its cooperation before departing [13] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4375325.stm). The report cites the Syrian presence in Lebanon as a factor contributing to the instability and polarization that preceded the assassination. The report also criticizes the Lebanese government and intelligence agencies for the handling of their own investigation into the affair, calling it flawed and inconclusive. The Lebanese government in turn has described the report as "alien to reality" and criticized the UN team for not seeking broader government participation in the investigation. The government has agreed to a further, more comprehensive international inquiry, but insisted that any future inquiry would have to work with the government. At a press conference on March 25, Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud said the inquiry would be expected to work within an established framework "in co-operation with the state". [14] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4383321.stm)<br /><br />[edit]<br />Government resigns<br />Daily protests against the Syrian occupation attracted 25,000 people. While in the 1990s most anti-Syrian demonstrations were predominantly Christian and were put down by force, the new demonstrations were distinctly non-sectarian and the government had not, to date, responded with force or intimidation [15] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4315223.stm).<br /><br />On February 28 the government of pro-Syrian prime minister Omar Karami resigned, calling for a new election to take place. Karami said in his announcement: "I am keen the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country". The tens of thousands gathered at Beirut's Martyrs' Square cheered the announcement, then chanted "Karami has fallen, your turn will come, Lahoud, and yours, Bashar" [16] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4305927.stm).<br /><br />Opposition MPs were not satisfied with only with Karami's resignation, and kept pressing for full Syrian withdrawal. Former minister and MP Marwan Hamadeh, who survived a similar car bomb attack on October 1, 2004, said "I accuse this government of incitement, negligence and shortcomings at the least, and of covering up its planning at the most... if not executing".<br /><br />On March 23, Michel Abu Arraj, the Lebanese magistrate responsible for the internal Lebanese investigation of the assassination asked to be excused, citing a heavy court schedule. The Judicial Council of Lebanon is expected to rule on his request shortly [17] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4375835.stm). His resignation and the consequent need to replace him may result in a delay in the investigation.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Syrian reaction<br />On March 2, 2005, Syrian leader Bashar Assad announced that his troops would leave Lebanon completely "in the next few months". Responding to the announcement, opposition leader Walid Jumblatt said that he wanted to hear more specifics from Damascus about any withdrawal: "It's a nice gesture but 'next few months' is quite vague - we need a clear-cut timetable" [18] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4310699.stm). The closure and evacuation of most Syrian military and intelligence offices and checkpoints in and around the capital and elsewhere, along with substantial troop movements, may indicate concrete moves towards full withdrawal. No actual complete pullout has yet been certified by the UN, although U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed cautious optimism on signs of some Syrian withdrawals.<br /><br />On March 3, Russia, Syria's Cold War ally, and Germany joined those calling for Syria to comply with Resolution 1559. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said: "Lebanon should be given an opportunity for sovereignty and development and this can only be achieved by complying with Security Council resolutions that stipulate immediate Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon" [19] (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=13156).<br /><br />The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, stated that "Syria should withdraw from Lebanon, but we all have to make sure that this withdrawal does not violate the very fragile balance which we still have in Lebanon, which is a very difficult country ethnically" [20] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4315107.stm).<br /><br />On March 5 Syrian leader Assad declared in a televised speech that Syria would withdraw its forces to the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and then to the border between Syria and Lebanon. He did not provide a timetable for a complete withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.<br /><br />On the weekend of April 9th and 10, on the anniversery of the ignition of the Lebanese Civil war, the last remaining Syrian troops left Lebanon, ending their 30 year presence. [21] (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12813616%255E2703,00.html)<br /><br />[edit]<br />Response from the Arab world<br />Arab states have also joined in with the withdrawal demands. As Al-Assad arrived in Saudi Arabia for emergency consultation with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz, Assad was told in no uncertain terms that Syria must comply with UN Security Council demands immediately. It was reported by the opposition Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star that Assad offered to remove most of the 15,000 troops Syria has stationed in Lebanon during the talks, but insisted on leaving a force of 3,000 in the country [22] (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=13156). This has not been independently corroborated.<br /><br />The annual Arab summit, which took place on March 23 in Algeria, did not ask Syria to withdraw, which would have given the pullback an Arab endorsement as envisaged in the 1989 Taif Agreement rather than making it dependent on Resolution 1559. Algerian Foreign Minister Abdel-Aziz Belkhadem discussed the consensus ahead of the summit, stating that "we all agreed to demand the implementation of the Taif Accord with respect to international legitimacy". Controversially, the crisis in Lebanon was not included on the agenda for the summit [23] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4376599.stm), which almost half of the Arab leaders did not attend.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Pro-Syrian demonstration<br /> <br />Hundreds of thousands of pro-Syrian Lebanese protesters in Beirut on 8 March, to support Syria and to reject Resolution 1559 <br />Tens of thousands of pro-Syrian protesters in Nabatiyé on 13 March, to support Syria and to reject Resolution 1559Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called for a "massive popular gathering" on March 8 supporting Syria and accusing Israel and the United States of meddling in internal affairs. Nasrallah also criticized UN Resolution 1559 saying "The resistance will not give up its arms ... because Lebanon needs the resistance to defend it", and added "all the articles of U.N. resolution give free services to the Israeli enemy who should have been made accountable for his crimes and now finds that he is being rewarded for his crimes and achieves all its demands" [24] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20050306/wl_nm/lebanon_hizbollah_dc).<br /><br />This Beirut rally called by Hizbollah dwarfed the earlier anti-Syrian events; CNN noted some news agencies estimated the crowd at 200,000 [25] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/08/lebanon.syria/index.html), the Associated Press news agency estimated that there were nearly 500,000 pro-Syrian protestors, while the New York Times and Los Angeles Times simply estimated "hundreds of thousands". [26] (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/08/international/middleeast/08cnd-beirut.html), [27] (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-030805syria_wr,0,2144599.story?coll=la-home-headlines) Al-Jazeera reported a figure of 1.5 million, citing an unnamed official and the NBN television station run by the Syrian-backed militia Amal. This figure is disputed. The predominantly Shi'ite protestors held pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad and placards reading, in English, "No for the American Intervention". A couple of media sources noted that it was likely that many of Lebanon's approximately 500,000 Syrian guest workers participated in the rally. [28] (http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20050309-120527-4599r.htm),[29] (http://www.cjrdaily.org/archives/001370.asp). In addition to demonstrating the extent of popular support for Syria in Lebanon, the demonstration reiterated Hezbollah's rejection of Resolution 1559, whose call for the disbanding of all Lebanese militias threatens the continued existence of its military wing, the force widely credited for the liberation of south Lebanon. Nasrallah also held demonstrations in Tripoli and Nabatiyé on 11 and 13 March.<br /><br />10 days after his resignation, Omar Karami was reappointed Prime Minister and called on the opposition to participate in government until the elections slated for April 2005.<br /><br />On March 13, tens of thousands protested in the southern city of Nabatiyé in support of Syria and opposition to UNSCR 1559, according to reports. The Tripoli protests were cancelled.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Resurgent counter demonstrations<br /> <br />Possibly up to one million Lebanese, or one-fourth of the country's population, stream into the newly rebuilt downtown Beirut on March 14, 2005 to demonstrate Lebanese unity and protest against the Syrian occupation.On March 14, the one-month anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, hundreds of thousands of confessionally diverse Lebanese, including significant numbers of Christians, Druze, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, rallied in central Beirut on Monday chanting "Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence" and carrying a huge Lebanese flag. They flocked from throughout the country, many unable to even enter the city due to heavy traffic. The peaceful rally was considered to be " the largest demonstration ever seen in Lebanon (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/international/middleeast/14cnd-beir.html?hp&ex=1110862800&en=87531eefaf13446e&ei=5094&partner=homepage)", with estimations of a turnout ranging from 800,000 to more than one million; the international news media also estimated that it was considerably larger than the earlier pro-Syrian rally. The demonstration was called by the Lebanese television network Future TV, a private enterprise that is part of the huge media empire controlled by Hariri's family. Hezbollah's television station, Al-Manar, on the other hand, is a much smaller venture with significantly less reach, based mainly in the South.<br /><br />The demonstration occurred in Martyrs' Square, the site of Hariri's grave and the epicenter of the newly reconstructed city rebuilt in large part through Hariri's efforts. During the Lebanese civil war, factional infighting between the groups united in Martyrs' Square had turned the area into an impassable moonscape. Indeed, Lebanese unity was an important theme of the demonstration: both a crescent and a cross were displayed on the painted faces of the protestors and their banners, and veiled women stood alongside women with bare midriffs and pierced navels.<br /><br />The Lebanese protestors demanded an international inquiry into Hariri's murder, the firing of Syrian-backed security chiefs in the Lebanese government, and a total Syrian pullout from Lebanon. [30] (http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-lebanon.html), [31] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33571-2005Mar14.html?nav=headlines)<br /><br />[edit]<br />Wave of democracy?<br />Both participants and observers of the Cedar Revolution demonstrations have asked if the movement was influenced by recent local and regional events supporting democracy. Recent elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, and by the Palestinian Authority, a recent announcement that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will allow multiparty elections, and recent limited municipal elections in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, may have provided examples of movement toward democratic governance. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt remarked to a reporter of the Washington Post, "It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq. I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world". In this sense, the Cedar Revolution may also prove to be a dividend of the Bush administration's global war on terror, however, as stated previously, Jumblatts views are not entirely respected as they seem to change regularly. Indeed, Middle East Media Research Institute, a media monitoring service, recorded him saying "The oil axis is present in most of the U.S. administration, beginning with its president, vice-president and top advisers, including [Condoleezza] Rice, who is oil-colored, while the axis of Jews is present with Paul Wolfowitz, the leading hawk who is inciting (America) to occupy and destroy Iraq".<br /><br />Other views maintain that Lebanese anger against perceived Syrian hegemony had been simmering for decades, and the assassination of a popular leader was the spark that gave birth to the movement, independently of foreign and regional developments. Lebanese opposition leader and newspaper columnist Samir Kassir, for example, wrote that "democracy is spreading in the region not because of George Bush but despite him." He gave far more credit to the Palestinian uprising as an inspiration to Lebanese activists. [32] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-co/hotcontent/index.html?section=world/mideast)<br /><br />Others caution that very little as actually changed, apart from the mainly "cosmetic" disappearance of Syrian Soldiers from their presence on the outskirts of Lebanese cities, and that Syrian control of Lebanese foreign affairs and trade may yet endure. Some critics argue that the rush to celebrate a supposed 'Revolution' was far too premature. [33] (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=14143)<br /><br />Lebanon has had democratic institutions for some time, with parliamentary rule established in the Pact of 1943.[34] (http://www.country-studies.com/lebanon/the-national-pact.html)<br /><br />[edit]<br />Latest Developments<br />At about midnight on Saturday, March 19, 2005, a blast shook the northern suburb of New Jdeideh, a part-residential, part-commercial area, injuring 11 people. <br />Early on Wednesday morning, March 23, 2005, a bomb tore through a shopping center in Kaslik, near the port of Jounieh, approximately 10 miles (15km) north of Beirut, killing an unidentified person and two Indian workers, and injuring one Lebanese. The bomb collapsed the roof of the center and shattered shop windows. The area is considered the heartland of the Christian, anti-Syrian opposition. President Emile Lahoud has ordered an investigation. He said the attack sought to propel Lebanon into "chaos and fear" and he renewed calls for discussions between opposition and government/loyalist politicians "as the only means to break the current deadlock and bridge all differences". The opposition has blamed Damascus supporters for recent violence, saying they are keen to stir unrest to justify the presence of Syrian troops in Lebanon. "It is clear that those who carried out this attack are targeting the security and stability of the country," opposition lawmaker Faris Bouez told reporters at the scene. <br />On Sunday night, March 27, 2005, a large bomb exploded in a mostly Christian suburb of Beirut, causing extensive damage and killing two Indian citizens who were working in the area and injuring eight other people. The United States condemned the latest attack, and called for improved security measures. The blast caused panic throughout Beirut, with mounting concerns of deteriorating stability. Pro-Syrian terrorist groups are suspected of undermining the country's stability to discourage the withdrawal of Syrian troops, although no persons or groups have yet been identified as suspects. <br />On Thursday, March 31, 2005, a group of 70 opposition MPs met to demand that a neutral administration be in place to oversee the planned May 31 elections. In a statement, they said "The authorities are working to sabotage elections in a dangerous bid to prolong the mandate of the current parliament," the opposition said in a statement. The opposition blames the head of state Emile Lahoud, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and parliament for this situation, and calls for them to meet their obligations without delaying tactics." This was in response to the postponement of Prime Minister Omar Karami's official stepping down, which was meant to have taken place on April 5, and is now postponed until at least April 8. Karami was forced to step down again after being reappointed because he failed to prevail on members of the opposition to join a national unity government<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416714754274016?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114167049222353802005-04-22T03:49:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:50:49.230-07:00Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" of 2004-2005 was a series of protests and political events that took place throughout the country in response to allegations of massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud during Ukraine's Presidential Run-off Election of November 21, 2004, as reported by numerous domestic and foreign observers. The November 21, 2004 run-off was mandated by Ukrainian law because, according to the official results of the presidential election held on October 31, 2004, no candidate carried the absolute majority (> 50%) of the vote cast, a case where a run-off between two top candidates with the highest number of votes was specifically required by the law. The winner of the run-off was to become the country's third president since its 1991 independence following the demise of the Soviet Union.<br /><br /><br />Orange ribbon, a symbol of solidarity with Yushchenko's movement in Ukraine<br />Orange was adopted by the protesters as the official color of the movement because it was the predominant color in opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's election campaign during his run for president. The symbol of solidarity with Yushchenko's movement in Ukraine is an orange ribbon or a flag bearing his "Tak! (Yes!) Yushchenko!" slogan.<br /><br />Sometimes called the Chestnut Revolution due to the abundance of chestnut trees in Kiev — the capital city of Ukraine and center of the revolution where a large 24-hour tent city was set up by Yushchenko supporters —the action was highlighted by a series of nationwide protests, sit-ins, and planned general strikes, organized by supporters of opposition candidate Yushchenko following the disputed results of the November 21 run-off election.<br /><br />Due in large part to the movement's efforts, the results of the original run-off were annulled and a second run-off election was ordered by Ukraine's Supreme Court for December 26, 2004. Under intense international scrutiny, the official results of the second run-off proved to be virtually problem-free, legally valid and clearly in Yuschenko's favor. He was declared the official winner and with his inauguration on January 23, 2005 in Kiev, the Orange Revolution reached its successful and peaceful conclusion.<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 The protests<br /><br />2 Yushchenko<br /><br />3 The role of Ukrainian intelligence and security agencies<br /><br />4 Alleged involvement of outside forces<br /><br />5 See also<br /><br />6 External links<br /><br />7 Sources<br /> <br />[edit]<br />The protests<br />Protests began the day after the second round of voting in the contest between incumbent prime minister Viktor Yanukovych and opposition candidate Yushchenko, when official returns differed markedly from exit polling results; exit polls gave Yushchenko up to an 11% lead, while official results gave the election to Yanukovych by 3%. While Yanukovych supporters have claimed that Yushchenko's connections to the Ukrainian media explain this disparity, the Yushchenko team publicized evidence of many incidents of electoral fraud in favor of the government-backed Yanukovych, witnessed by many local and foreign observers. These allegations were further strengthened by the similar signs of the electoral fraud observed, though at a lesser scale, during the first presidential run on October 31. However, the scale of the irregularities of October 31 run was less clear and even for the supporters of both candidates it appeared unlikely that they could have affected the outcome of the first round by bringing any candidate to collecting an outright majority of the vote cast.<br /><br />By the dawn of the election day, November 21, 2004, when the scale of alleged fraud started to appear, the Yushchenko team made their public calls for action, and, beginning on November 22, 2004, massive protests began in cities across Ukraine: the major one in Kiev's Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) attracted an estimated 500,000 participants, who on November 23, 2004 peacefully marched in front of the headquarters of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, many wearing orange or carrying orange flags, the color of Yushchenko's campaign coalition. The local authorities in Kiev, Lviv, and several other cities passed with a wide popular support of their constituency a largely symbolic refusal to accept the legitimacy of the official election returns and Yushchenko took a symbolic presidential oath. This "oath of office", while not conforming the country's legal procedures and taken in half-empty parliament chambers with only his supporting fractions present, was largely a symbolic gesture meant to demonstrate the resolve of Yushchenko team not to accept the compromised election results. Some observers argued that this symbolic presidential oath might have been necessary, should events have taken a more confrontational route. In such a scenario, this "presidential oath" Yushchenko took could be used to give more clout of legitimacy to the claim that he, rather than his rival who claimed the presidency through alleged fraud, is a true commander-in-chief authorized to give orders to the military and security agencies. However, Yushchenko opponents seized to denounce him for taking an illegitimate oath and even some moderate opposition supporters were alarmed by it.<br /><br /> <br />Blue-clad miners rally in support of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in KievAt the same time, local officials in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, the strongholds of the candidate Viktor Yanukovych, started a series of actions that alluded to the possibility of the breakup of Ukraine or an unconstitutional federalization of the country should their candidate's claimed victory was not recognized. Shows of public support for Yanukovych were organized throughout Eastern Ukraine and some of his supporters arrived to Kiev. However, in Kiev the pro-Yanukovych demonstrators were by far outnumbered by protesters from Kiev and those arriving from all regions of Ukraine to protest the electoral fraud. The demonstrations in Kiev were of an unheard-of scale. By many estimates, on some days they drew over 1 million people to the streets, in freezing weather.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Yushchenko<br />Although Yushchenko entered into negotiations with the outgoing President Leonid Kuchma in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation, the negotiations broke down on November 24, 2004. After Yanukovych was officially certified as the victor, Yushchenko spoke to supporters in Kiev that morning, urging them to begin an "Orange Revolution" of general strikes and sit-ins with the intent of crippling the government and forcing them to concede defeat:<br /><br />A path to a compromise through people demonstrating their will is the only path that will help us find a way out of this conflict. Therefore, the committee of national salvation declares a nationwide political strike. <br />On December 1, 2004, Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution that strongly condemned the separatist and federalization efforts, and passed a non-confidence vote in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, a decision prime minister Yanukovych refused to recognize. By the Constitution of Ukraine, the non-confidence vote mandated the government's resignation, despite some procedural hurdles, but the parliament had no means to enforce a resignation without the co-operation of prime minister Yanukovych and outgoing president Kuchma.<br /><br />On December 3, 2004, Ukraine's Supreme Court finally broke a political deadlock. The court agreed that due to the scale of the vote fraud it became impossible to establish the election results and invalidated the official results that would have given Yanukovych the presidency. As a solution, a court ordered a revote of the run-off to be held on December 26, 2004. This decision was seen as a victory for the Yushchenko camp. Yanukovych and his supporters favored a rerun of the entire election rather than the run-off revote as a second best option if Yanukovych was not awarded the presidency. On December 8, 2004 the parliament amended laws to provide a legal framework for the new round of elections as well as a new system of government. The revote was handily won by Yushchenko and he was declared the official winner on December 28, 2004.<br /><br />[edit]<br />The role of Ukrainian intelligence and security agencies<br />According to one version of events recounted by The New York Times, Ukrainian security agencies played a markedly unusual role in the Orange Revolution, with a KGB successor agency in the former Soviet state providing qualified support to a political opposition. As per the paper report, on November 28, 2004 over 10,000 MVS (Internal Ministry) troops were mobilized to put down the protests in Independence Square in Kiev by the order of their commander Lt. Gen. Sergei Popkov. The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine, a Ukrainian successor agency to the KGB) warned opposition leaders of the crackdown. Oleksander Galaka, head of GRU (military intelligence) made calls to "prevent bloodshed". Col. Gen. Ihor P. Smeshko (SBU chief) and Maj. Gen. Vitaly Romanchenko (military counter-intelligence chief) both warned Popkov to pull back his troops, which he did. Senior security officers often called in the countries of the Former Soviet Union as the "siloviki" were successful in preventing bloodshed and possibly averted civil war.<br /><br />In addition to the desire to avoid bloodshed, the New York Times article suggests that "siloviki" were motivated by personal aversion to the possibility of having to serve president Yanukovych, who was in his youth convicted of robbery and assault and had alleged connection with corrupt businessmen, especially if he were to ascend to the presidency by fraud. The personal feelings of Gen. Smeshko towards Yanukovych may also have played a role. Additional evidence of Yushchenko's popularity and at least partial support among the SBU officers is shown by the fact that several embarrassing proofs of electoral fraud, including incriminating wiretap recordings of conversations among the Yanukovych campaign and government officials discussing how to rig the election, was provided to the Yushchenko camp. These conversations were likely recorded and provided to the opposition by sympathizers in the Ukrainian Security Services.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Alleged involvement of outside forces<br /> <br />"Glory to Great Stalin, Putin", a Ukrainian poster in the time of the "Orange Revolution", showing president of Russia Vladimir Putin dressed in a NKVD uniform.The Orange Revolution builds on a pattern first developed in the ousting of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia and continuing with the Rose Revolution in Georgia. Each of these victories, though apparently spontaneous, was the result of extensive grassroots campaigning and coalition building among the opposition. Each included election victories followed up by public demonstrations after attempts by the incumbent to hold onto power through electoral fraud.<br /><br />Each of these social movements included extensive work by student activists. The most famous of these was Otpor, the young people's movement that helped bring in Vojislav Kostunica in Serbia. In Georgia the movement was called Kmara. A so far unsuccessful movement in Belarus is named Zubr. In Ukraine the movement has worked under the succinct slogan Pora— "It's Time".<br /><br />Activists in each of these movements were funded and trained in tactics of political organization and nonviolent resistance by a coalition of Western pollsters and professional consultants funded by a range of Western government and non-government agencies. According to The Guardian, these include the U.S. State Department and US AID along with the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, NGO Freedom House and billionaire George Soros's Open Society Institute. Writings on nonviolent struggle by Gene Sharp formed the strategic basis of these student campaigns.<br /><br />On the other hand, Russia's involvement in the election was more direct and heavily on the side of prime minister Yanukovych. The extent of this involvement is still contested but some facts are indisputable such as multiple meetings between Russian president Vladimir Putin with Kuchma and Yanukovych before and during the elections. Putin repeatedly congratulated Yanukovych while the results were still contested, which caused much embarrassment to both parties. Yanukovych received a much more preferential treatment in Russian state-controlled media, and was surrounded by Russian consultants known to be close to the Kremlin throughout the election cycle. Most observers agree that the Yanukovych campaign received significant contribution from Russian state-controlled businesses. Other allegations, still disputed and very much unproven, include Russian involvement in Yushchenko's poisoning several weeks before the election, as well as alleged presence of Russian security forces sent to help Yanukovych to ascend to presidency<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416704922235380?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114166930185062242005-04-22T03:45:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:48:50.190-07:00Rose Revolution refers to a peaceful 2003 revolution in the country of Georgia that displaced president Eduard Shevardnadze.<br /><br />Contents [showhide] <br />1 Contemporary political situation<br /><br />2 Elections and protests<br /><br />3 Change of power<br /><br />4 In Ajaria<br /><br />5 Legacy<br /><br />6 See also<br /> <br />[edit]<br />Contemporary political situation<br />Georgia had been governed by Eduard Shevardnadze since 1992 (President of Georgia since 1995). His government—and his own family—became increasingly associated with pervasive corruption that hampered Georgia's economic growth. The country remained very poor by European standards. Two Russian-supported breakaway regions (Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia) remained outside the control of the Tbilisi government, and the autonomous republic of Ajara was ruled by semi-separatist leader Aslan Abashidze. The political and socioeconomic crisis was close to reaching its peak just before the parliamentary elections appointed on November 2, 2003. Shevardnadze’s political alliance “For New Georgia” and Abashidze’s “Union of Democratic Revival of Georgia” were opposed by popular opposition parties: Mikhail Saakashvili’s “United National Movement” and “Burjanadze-Democrats” led by Parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze and ex-speaker Zurab Zhvania.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Elections and protests<br /> <br />The 'five cross flag', the banner waved in the protests, was later adopted as the Flag of GeorgiaGeorgia held parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003 which were denounced by local and international observers as being grossly rigged. Mikhail Saakashvilli claimed that he had won the elections (a claim supported by independent exit polls), and urged Georgians to demonstrate against Shevardnadze's government and engage in nonviolent civil disobedience against the authorities. The main democratic opposition parties united to demand the ouster of Shevardnadze and the rerun of the elections.<br /><br />In mid-November, massive anti-governmental demonstrations started in the central streets of Tbilisi, soon involving almost all major cities and towns of Georgia. “Kmara” (“Enough!”) youth organization (a Georgian counterpart of the Serbian “Otpor”) and several NGOs were active in all protest activities. Shevardnadze’s government was backed by Aslan Abashidze, the semi-separatist leader of autonomous Ajara region, who sent thousands of his supporters to hold a pro-governmental counter-demonstration in Tbilisi.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Change of power<br /> <br />Saakashvili's inauguration as President of GeorgiaThe opposition protest reached its peak on November 22, the day of an opening session of a new parliament, which was considered illegitimate. The same day, opposition supporters led by Saakashvili with roses in their hands (hence the name Rose Revolution) seized the parliament building interrupting a speech of President Eduard Shevardnadze and forcing him to escape with his bodyguards. He later declared a state of emergency and began to mobilize troops and police near his residence in Tbilisi. However, the elite military units refused to support the government. In the evening of November 23 (St George’s Day in Georgia), Shevardnadze met with the opposition leaders Saakashvili and Zurab Zhvania to discuss the situation, in a meeting arranged by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. After the meeting, the president announced his resignation. That prompted an euphoria in the streets of Tbilisi. More than 100.000 protesters celebrated the victory all night long, accompanied by fireworks and rock-concerts.<br /><br />The outgoing speaker of parliament, Nino Burjanadze, assumed the presidency until fresh elections could be held. The Supreme Court of Georgia annulled the results of the parliamentary elections. In the January 4, 2004 presidential election Mikhail Saakashvili won an overwhelming victory and was inaugurated as the new President of Georgia on January 25. On March 28, 2004, new parliamentary elections were held, with a large majority won by the Saakashvili-supporting National Movement - Democrats, and a minotity representation of the Rightist Opposition.<br /><br />[edit]<br />In Ajaria<br />In May 2004, the so-called "second Rose Revolution" took place in Batumi, Ajaria. After months of extreme tension between Saakashvili’s government and Aslan Abashidze, the virtual dictator of the autonomous region, thousands of Ajarians protested against Abashidze’s policy of separatism and militarization. Abashidze used security forces and paramilitary groups to break up the demonstrations in the streets of Batumi and Kobuleti. However, he failed to suppress the protests which later became more and more massive. On May 6, 2004 (again St George’s Day), protesters from all Ajara gathered in Batumi despite being broken up heavily the day before. Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze negotiated with Ajarian Interior Minister Djemal Gogitidze to withdraw his forces from the administrative border at the Choloki River and led Georgian Special Forces into the region. Abashidze bowed to the inevitable, resigned in the same evening and left for Moscow. President Saakashvili visited Batumi next day and was met as a liberator by celebrating Ajarians.<br /><br />[edit]<br />Legacy<br />A new era is said to have begun in Georgia after the Rose Revolution. While the West considers the Rose Revolution a move towards democracy, Russian and pro-Russian politicians claim the revolution to be a “made-in-America coup” emphasizing the role of the Open Society Institute of George Soros in financing of Georgian opposition.<br /><br />Several reforms were launched by a new government and strong anti-corruption measures were established. Georgia’s foreign policy was proclaimed strongly pro-Western. However, some concerns have been made by Georgian opposition and a few NGOs regarding Saakashvili’s authoritarian tendencies.<br /><br />The Orange Revolution that followed the disputed November 2004 Ukrainian presidential election is said to have been partly inspired by the Georgian Rose Revolution. Georgian flags were seen being waved by supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, who held up a rose while greeting the crowds<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416693018506224?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1114166725452297842005-04-22T03:43:00.000-07:002005-04-22T03:45:25.463-07:00What Is Napalm And What Are Its Hazards?<br />History and Composition of Napalm<br />"Napalm" is actually now a general term for jellied gasoline. There are many prescriptions for how to jelly the gasoline, and hence the resulting products can differ dramatically. In particular, napalm made poorly or with incomplete mixing can end up being very similar to gasoline, with its attendant hazards. <br /><br />Gasoline, being a volatile, easily ignited compound with a high energy density, was immediately used as a weapon in war. In World War I, both Germany and the Allies used it in flame throwers, but it burned itself too quickly to be very effective at igniting the target of the flame throwers. As you might imagine, intensive research to slow down the burning was funded by the U.S. government, and in 1942 Harvard University scientists and the U.S. army chemical warfare service found a way to jelly gasoline that worked quite well. <br /><br />They found that mixing an aluminum soap powder of naphthene and palmitate (hence na-palm), also known as napthenic and palmitic acids, with gasoline produced a brownish sticky syrup that burned more slowly than raw gasoline, and hence was much more effective at igniting one's target. The napalm was mixed in varying concentrations of 6% (for flame throwers) and 12-15% for bombs mixed on site (for use in perimeter defense). <br /><br />This mixture was a big hit with the allied forces, who used it extensively in World War II in flame throwers and fire bombs in the latter part of the war. (The incendiary bombs that rained on Dresden were probably mostly made with phosphorus, not napalm, but I have not been able to find an authoritative source online describing the incendiary material.) Napalm bombs burned out 40% of the area of Japanese target cities. In the Korean war, 165 gallon napalm bombs were dropped on enemy troops, with very effective "results". <br /><br />Popular weapons continue to be refined and developed, of course, and napalm was no exception. With many more compounds available after World War II, a safer and just as effective napalm compound was developed. After all, gasoline is a pretty nasty substance, and of course is extremely flammable (see below). The safer napalm is known as "napalm-B", super-napalm, or NP2, and it uses no napalm at all! Instead, polystyrene and benzene are used as a solvent to solidify the gasoline. <br /><br />Napalm-B has a huge advantage over the original napalm - its ignition can be well controlled. Hence soldiers smoking around napalm-B face no hazard at all. (I'm told that workers at the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station used napalm to put out their cigarettes!) Yet a reliable igniter can be used to start napalm-B burning exactly when you want it to do so. Since the military would much prefer that the napalm burn opposing forces rather than their own forces, the military quickly adopted napalm-B, and it was this form of bomb-grade napalm which was used for aerial bombardment in Vietnam and which is currently stored in Fallbrook. <br /><br />The above information comes from the Encyclopedia Brittanica article on napalm, and from Scott E. Harrigan, who kindly provided me with information about the various types of napalm as described in Incendiary Weapons by Malvern Lumsden. <br /><br />The rest of this page talks only about the napalm manufactured for the Navy that is stored in Fallbrook. <br /><br />The Hazards of Napalm<br />To a first approximation, the Fallbrook napalm is basically gasoline, only less flammable due to the addition of plastics. Hence the basic hazard of napalm is less than the hazard of gasoline. <br /><br />To be precise, the Fallbrook napalm is a mixture of 46 parts polystyrene, 33 parts gasoline and 21 parts benzene. Let's examine these items one by one. <br /><br />Polystyrene is best known by the trademark name "styrofoam". You hold polystyrene in your hand everytime you drink coffee from a styrofoam cup. If you have ever eaten off a "paper" plate made of plastic, you've eaten off a styrofoam product. The hamburger meat you buy at the grocery store on a plastic tray is sitting on polystyrene. <br />Further, your house is filled with polystyrene products, since most polystyrene is used to make durable goods such as television cabinets, appliances, and furniture. This is the "normal" form of polystyrene, a hard, rigid plastic. Styrofoam is the "expanded" version, which is also used as protective packaging in the boxes in which these durable products made out of normal polystyrene come ("peanuts" and styrofoam molds). One third of all the plastic around you is polystyrene. <br /><br /><br />Everyone knows what gasoline is, but most people don't realize that it is one of the most dangerous substances we come into contact with in our daily lives. Gasoline itself is a very hazardous substance which would never be allowed to be introduced into our society if we hadn't gotten used to it in the "dark ages" of environmentalism. Gasoline is a witch's brew of organic chemicals, many of which are toxic, but whose major danger is that it is an extremely flammable substance. <br />People die regularly from gasoline. They die horribly in fires ignited by gasoline in many different ways. People use gasoline as solvents to clean parts and die when a careless cigarette or a spark ignites the vapors. Open containers of gasoline catch fire in garages and workshops when vapors reach pilot lights. We all drive around with 10-20 gallon bombs of gasoline or diesel fuel in the fuel tanks of our vehicles. These bombs sometimes go off in automobile accidents that often cause people to die in accidents that would have otherwise survived. <br /><br />It's worth mentioning another hazardous effect of gasoline that fortunately is going away. Lead pollution caused by leaded gasoline was so large, causing significant impairment of children's learning abilities, that the Reagan administration, not a known bastion of environmentalists, banned leaded gasoline and paint! (Remember James Watt, who single-handedly doubled the membership in the Sierra Club?) <br /><br /><br />Benzene is already contained in gasoline. In fact, the "natural" content of benzene in gasoline is often boosted to around 2% in order to raise the octane rating. <br />Benzene is known to cause a specific form of leukemia in humans, but other than that, little is known about the effect of weak concentrations of benzene on human health. However, there are two ongoing experiments to find out the health hazards of benzene: <br /><br />cigarette smoke contains levels of benzene far in excess of any other source. Unfortunately, smoking cigarettes kills people too quickly to measure the effects of benzene.... <br />city air contains benzene from our automobiles burning gasoline and spewing benzene into the air. Because the half-life of benzene in air is only a half day, country air has little benzene contamination. Thus if benzene were quite hazardous at low concentrations, city dwellers would show the effects. <br />Because of the known leukemia connection, the latest clean air acts reduce the allowable percentage of benzene in gasoline to 1%. <br /><br />Like thousands of toxic chemicals, benzene is found in small amounts as a naturally occurring metabolic product in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and eggs. Fortunately, our livers work quite well at detoxifying small concentrations of toxic chemicals. After all, our livers can even detoxify large amounts of toxic alcohol for years before succumbing.... <br /><br />What Are The Relative Hazards Of The Fallbrook Napalm?<br />Flammability<br />We have seen above that the major hazard of napalm is that it contains gasoline. However, it is less hazardous than gasoline because it is less flammable. <br /><br />In fact, napalm cannot be ignited by a match or even a road flare! Fallbrook firefighters of the North County Fire Protection District performed flammability tests on the Fallbrook napalm in the 1970s and concluded "We don't view it as a big (fire) risk" (Division chief Ralph Steinhoff in the NCT, 12/21/97, A9). A much bigger danger to the Fallbrook area is a natural wildfire along the Santa Margarita River during a Santa Ana wind condition. <br /><br />Thermite, which burns at 4,532°, is usually used to ignite napalm, which needs a tremendously high, constant source of heat to ignite. A road flare, which will not ignite napalm, burns at 3,632°. A hot forest or structure fire burns at 1,800-2,000°. <br /><br />Flammability does not seem to be a concern, since none of the Fallbrook napalm bombs are equipped with triggers or fuses. <br /><br />Please note that any napalm made with a different prescription could have much lower ignition temperatures, especially if the ingredients are not thoroughly mixed. In particular, since a cigarette will readily ignite unmixed gasoline, it is entirely possible that other napalm mixtures could ignite much more readily. However, just because some other napalm prescriptions ignite readily does not mean that the Fallbrook napalm would do so! <br /><br />Amount And Concentration Of Fuel<br />There are a total of 34,123 bombs, weighing 500 and 700 pounds each, at the Naval Weapons Station. The total weight is 23 million pounds, equal to 12,000 tons. (Source: NCT, 12/21/97, A1, A9.) Let's compare that with other collections of more flammable fuels. <br /><br />The largest supertanker holds 4.2 million barrels of crude oil, which is 176 million gallons weighing about 1,400 million pounds, over 60 times more than the amount of napalm in Fallbrook. Since the energy content is roughly equivalent, these are equivalent to bombs 60 times bigger than the "bomb-equivalent" of the Fallbrook napalm. But I've never seen a web site devoted to stirring up fury against this hazard... <br /><br />Gasoline stations typically have 3 underground gasoline storage tanks each holding ~15,000 gallons, for a total of ~50,000 gallons or ~0.4 million pounds. The Fallbrook napalm is thus equivalent to ~60 gasoline stations, the number typically found in a city with ~300,000 residents. <br /><br />Assuming a typical car has about 10 gallons of gas in its tank on average, weighing about 80 pounds, 300,000 cars hold about the same amount of gasoline as the Fallbrook napalm. <br /><br />Conclusion: a typical city of 300,000 people has twice the amount of much more flammable fuel than the Fallbrook napalm. <br /><br />The Fallbrook napalm is stored over 68 acres, giving it a density of ~300,000 pounds per acre. The density of gasoline in underground service station tanks is 0.4 million pounds in an area of at most 1/4 acre, a concentration over five times higher than that of the Fallbrook napalm. <br /><br />Even if the Fallbrook napalm caught on fire, it would be much easier to put it out than putting out a fire for a 15,000 gallon container, since the Fallbrook napalm comes in 500 and 700 pound units. <br /><br />Toxicity<br />As with flammability, the biggest toxic concern about napalm is the gasoline content. <br /><br />From the Gasoline FAQ: <br /><br />There is little doubt that gasoline is full of toxic chemicals, and should therefore be treated with respect. However the biggest danger remains the flammability, and the relative hazards should always be kept in perspective. The major toxic risk from gasolines comes from breathing the tailpipe, evaporative, and refuelling emissions, rather than occasional skin contact from spills. Breathing vapours and skin contact should always be minimised. <br />Because napalm is a jellied material due to the plastic, there are virtually no emissions from the Fallbrook napalm. The measured concentration of benzene, for example, amongst the Fallbrook napalm is 5-10 times lower than you get filling up your car with gas (NCT, 12/21/97, A9). <br /><br />It is notable that an endangered species, the kangaroo rat, has formed nests in the napalm crates, and is apparently thriving there! <br /><br />Conclusions<br />The Fallbrook napalm is just not something to be worried about. Any smoker is regularly exposed to much more toxic chemicals. Any person who fills up their car with gasoline breathes much more toxic benzene from that source than they ever would from the Fallbrook napalm. <br /><br />Furthermore, if you simply replaced the Fallbrook napalm with a normal human density found in the L.A. Basin, residents of Fallbrook would be exposed to a much higher risk for a lot of problems. For example, the emissions from the cars of those residents would be far worse than anything coming from the napalm. And if Camp Pendleton and the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station were removed and replaced by people at the L.A. Basin density, the total amount of flammable fuel would be far higher, and the fuel would be much more flammable to boot. <br /><br />For a discussion of the errors and biases of the former webpage Fallbrook Napalm - The Problem (formerly at http://www.napalm.org/problem.html), see Fallbrook Napalm - The Errors of That Website <br /><br />For a humorous look at napalm, and some actual historical information about napalm, see Got Napalm? Be the first one on your block to own Napalm!. (I thank David Kelly for telling me about this site.) <br /><br />See also the Navy's Napalm Removal and Disposal Project.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111416672545229784?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113981173951285832005-04-20T00:11:00.000-07:002005-04-20T03:24:02.163-07:00eureQA<br />Elimination Round<br /><br /><br />1) What is the name of the sixth Harry Potter novel, just completed by J K Rowling?<br /><br /><br /><br />2) Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” is a worldwide bestseller. But who has written the book titled “Cracking Da Vinci Code” ?<br /><br /><br /><br />3) Gordon Matthew Summer was born in Wallsend, Northumbeland, England on October 2, 1951. How do we know him better?<br /><br /><br /><br />4) It is called Tuk Tuk in Thailand, Becak in Indonesia, Cyclo in Cambodia and Trishaw in Singapore. What do we call it in India?<br /><br /><br /><br />5) This singer hailing from East Patel Nagar (New Delhi) played in a hard rock band called Kafir. Name him.<br /><br /><br /><br />6) <br />What is the amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) called?<br /><br /><br /><br />7) Which bank was the first one to introduce ATMs in India way back in 1987?<br /><br /><br /><br />8) What did the Carney Brothers, Dan and Frank, start in 1958 at Wichita, Kansas (USA)?<br /><br /><br /><br />9) How do we bettwe know the movie “Braveheart wins the Bride”?<br /><br /><br /><br />10) Who was the first editor of Marmik, a weekly started on August 13, 1960?<br /><br /><br /><br />11) Who is also known as Ambrish Das because of his involvement with ISKCON?<br /><br /><br /><br />12) Trevor Howard, Richard Burton, James Mason and Peter Finch lost. Who won and what was the catch?<br /><br /><br /><br />13) If the left was Akbar Shah, what was the right? (Clue: Indian history).<br /><br /><br />14) What famous sentence precedes “the surface is fine and powdery”?<br /><br /><br /><br />15) How do we better know a person called A. Schicklgruber in modern history?<br /><br /><br /><br />16) A remote village called Devanampattinam in Tamil Nadu was recently in news. Why?<br /><br /><br /><br />17) This Russian player is nicknamed “Big Red”. Who?<br /><br /><br /><br />18) What is the full form of FIAT (the car brand)?<br /><br /><br /><br />19) In the context of a Coca Cola marketing program, expand CEO.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />20) Name Tiago Monteiro’s famous partner who is making all the news this year.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111398117395128583?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113981094612396652005-04-20T00:10:00.000-07:002005-04-20T00:11:34.613-07:00Lebanon’s political crisis deepened when the Parliament renominated the pro-Syrian Omar Karimi as the Prime Minister on March 10. Karimi’s appointment risks a fresh battle with the opposition which had forced the Sunni politician to quit only ten days earlier.Karami,whose previous cabinet was packed with pro-Syrian ministers,had resigned amid a storm of anti-Syrian protests in Beirut.<br />Earlier, the brutal assassination of forner Lebanese Prime Minister and multibillionaire Rafiq al Hariri on February 14 shook the entire Middle East. Hariri had resigned as Prime Minister of Lebanon just four months ago in protest against the continued Presidency of pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud and was tipped to win the country’s next election at the head of an anti-Syrian opposition movement.<br />The turmoil unleashed by the Hariri assassination- which led to the initial resignation of Karimi- may indeed represent a strategic opening,but not for the risky maximalist course that some in the administration seem intent on pursuing.<br />When the Lebanese civil war started in 1975, it became Damascus’s self-proclaimed duty to intervene, first under the aegis of the Arab League and later to stop fighting between Shia and Sunni forces in Beirut.No one complained then,and Syria chose to stay on,even after the war ended with thr Taif Accord in 1989.Although the treaty called for Syrian forces to first pull back from Beirut to the Beqa’a Valley in 1992,prior to a complete withdrawal, Syria didn’t comply.<br />Since then Damascus has exercised almost total control over Lebanon and although the number of Syrian troops are now considerably down – to 14,000 from a high of 35,000 at the height of the civil war- Lebanon continues to be a satellite state.<br />In Lebanon, where political institutions have beem rebuilt and several successful elections held since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war,it is sovereignty from Syria,not necessarily democracy, that is sought after.<br />The war ended in 1990 under the Taif Accord,which called for Syrian troops to move to eastern Lebanon within two years,thereby pending a bilateral agreement on the full withdrawal.Under the Taif Accord of 1989, Syria is entitled to position its troops in an identified zone within the valley.<br />The UN Security Council Resolution 1559,sponsored by the United States and France and adopted in September 2004, called for foreign forces to leave Lebanon and militias (including Hezbollah) to disarm.Hezbollah rejected the resolution.<br /><br />Pro-Syria and pro-Iran Hezbollah group played a key role in ending Israel’s 18-year occupation of part of Lebanon in 2000.With Israel occupying the disputed Golan Heights,not far from the Syrian capital,Damascus sees rhe presence of its forces in Lebanon as deterring Tel-Aviv from taking any military action.<br /><br />The assassination of Rafiq al Hariri has infact given a new lease of life to an old idea: using the issue of Lebanese independence to undermine Syria’s strategic position.Drawing the language of the UNSC resolution passed last summer,international leaders are now calling on “the Syrian regime”to remove its military and intelligence personnel from Lebanon and cede any political control there.<br /> Syria’s recent decision to pull its security and intelligence personnel out of Lebanon along with its troops, and shift them to eastern Lebanon is a result of this renewed effort. This redeployment is the biggest single Syrian pullback since the troops in Lebanon’s civil war in 1976.<br />An announcement,made after Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Lebanese President Emile Lahoud met in Damascus, clearly explained that Syrian forces would withdraw to Lebanon’s eastern Beqa’a Valley by March 31,following which negotiations on a complete withdrawal would begin.The Syrian pullback will be in line with both the Taif Accord and the UNSC Resolution 1559.But the sudden reinstation of Karimi as Prime Minister may well slowdown the Syrian withdrawal and derail the peace process in Lebanon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111398109461239665?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113980989109712132005-04-20T00:07:00.000-07:002005-04-20T00:09:49.110-07:00Some time back the late Marlon Brando was the subject of news again- but for all the 'wrong reasons' this time. The publication of his wife's memoirs where she alleged that he had subjected their daughter to sexual abuse as a child caught the attention of one and all. It would not be out of place to review the topsy turvy life that Brando led not only in his cinema but in his personal life as well. <br />Brando's oeuvre straddled half a century and contained at least half a dozen roles that most critics would reckon among the best all-time performances in cinema. Tongue -tied characters portrayed by Brando in "The Wild One," "On the Waterfront" and "A StreetCar named Desire" have uttered some of the most famous lines in movie history.<br /><br />Brando was at his best playing tongue-tied men, excelling at moments when his brooding character struggled to express itself and ended up speaking eloquently. Brando was a pioneer of the Stanislavski method (named after the great Russian theatre personality), which brought to the screen a new system of acting that emphasized reflection and understatement, as against histrionics.<br /><br />Marlon Brando's stardom began with the sexy, loutish Stanley Kowalski's anguished cry, "Stella! Stella!" in the Tennessee William's play "A Streetcar named Desire"(1951). Director Elia Kazan had in fact sent young Brando to meet Tennessee Williams in New Orleans to obtain the approval of the famed playwright.<br /><br />This memorable role was followed by his role as Johnny, in " The Wild One" (1953) and as the boxer in " On the Waterfront" (1954). In retrospect, Brando's portrayal of Terry Malloy, the slow witted, heroic prizefighter in "On the Waterfront" equalled any other other great role he had essayed. Brando was full of innovations, which enhanced the film's impact and his first Academy Award for this film.<br /><br />When Paramount pictures and the noted filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola were engaged in deciding the cast for the movie, "The Godfather" (1972), they were unsure whom to cast in the title role even though singer Frank Sinatra with his alleged Mafia connections and Italian origins was the strongest claimant.<br /><br />But Brando knew that the role of Don Corleone was that of a lifetime and he even underwent a camera test to secure the role. The role resurrected Brando's career, after 10 years of mediocre parts and box office failures, and fetched him the 1972 Best Actor Oscar.<br /><br />This was followed by the controversial film "Last Tango in Paris"(1972), a film about an American expatriate who embarks on an anonymous affair to escape the pain of his wife's suicide. Despite the undeniable artistry of the movie, its explicit sex led the American film industry to create a voluntary rating system.<br />Brando was no less a political personality than an artist. In the late 1950s he was active in Hollywood as a campaigner against nuclear weapons and in 1963 participated in the celebrated March on Washington for civil rights, led by Martin Luther King. His support for the native American causes compelled him to send Sacheem Littlefeather, who later turned out not to be a Native American, to refuse his Oscar for "The Godfather".<br />Brando was a star who refused to abide by the rules of the establishment. He was an iconoclast who, on occasion, was dismissive of his own profession. All this put him in an enormous pressure in an unforgiving industry. Perhaps that was one reason why he lived a deeply unhappy personal life. Around the world , filmgoers and aspiring actors will remember Marlon Brando for his fabulous talent and as one of Hollywood's greatest, who did not quite belong to Hollywood.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111398098910971213?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113926103536265542005-04-19T08:54:00.000-07:002005-04-19T08:55:03.536-07:00Elections to two of the three state assemblies have resulted in a fractured verdict, which is not easy to interpret. The core issues before the electorate were clear and simple. Do they have faith in the secular ethos and plural diversity of the country or they believe in uni-culturalism propagated by BJP and its allies? <br /><br />Do they believe in the status quo or they want social change and gradual transformation of power from the upper castes to the backwards and Dalits? Do they believe in the goodness of the establishment or the evil of the emerging system where the status quo is being constantly challenged. The major personalities in the assembly elections represented these diverse trends.<br /><br />The issue of Bihar's development was raised again and again. However, it will be too simplistic to say that development was a core issue. Development is necessary but it may not disturb the status quo that favours the established order. <br /><br />There can be strategies, which may not promote development per se yet these, may break the status quo and empower the disprevileged sections of societies thus leading to the development of those who need it most.<br /><br />If we look in this background the verdict is confused. Even in Haryana where the Congress party has got a two-thirds majority the change is only in the name of the rulers and the party. Whatever his faults Chautala did a lot to develop Haryana. <br /><br />He did prompt the jats and promoted casteism but this has been endorsed the Congress High Command by the selection of Hooda as Chief Minister. Therefore, there is no qualitative change in the political scenario even in Haryana.<br /><br />The case of Bihar is typical. Laloo Prasad has lost the mandate but he remains the most powerful leader of Bihar. Besides leading the biggest after election party; at least 25 of his candidates have lost with a wafer thin majority. Had they got a few thousand votes more the scene in Bihar would have been different? <br /><br />More over it may be a mistake to take Paswan's victory as an assertion of Dalit power in Bihar. More than half of Paswan's winners are members of those feudal order against whom the backward and the Dalits have risen in revolt in Bihar. In fact Paswan provided a good platform to these people to stage a comeback. <br /><br />If we view evolution of democratic polity in Bihar in terms of empowerment of those who have long suffered under the federal yoke then Paswan's victory is a backward step. <br /><br />The most important point that has been missed by political analysts is that both the Congress and the BJP; the two major national parties, have lost in Bihar and Jharkhand. They have been able to get fewer seats and their vote percentage has also come down. This shows that they will have to come to grips with the grassroots realities to win confidence of the electorate in these states. <br /><br />The time for creating waves by emotional slogans or appeals by charismatic leaders seems to be over and this is not a clamity. This shows that the democracy is gaining roots in the backward states of Bihar and Jharkhand and people want leaders who are interested in their problems and have a capacity to identify themselves with them.<br /><br />The verdict may look confusing yet this is positive in the sense that it gives a clear hint of the fact that electorate cannot be taken for granted. They cannot be <br />made to vote on the strength of emotional slogans or charisma of big leaders. One will have to work hard to understand the real voter mind. Therefore, the verdict <br />may be a defeat for aspiring leaders of political parties, it may be frustrating for the political Pundits but it is a victory for the common man. He has clearly <br />asserted himself.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111392610353626554?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113926007626937002005-04-19T08:52:00.000-07:002005-04-19T08:53:27.626-07:00Charismatic Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's recent state visit to India spawned a fan following cutting across class barriers in its wake. By proposing his ambitious plans for future Indo-Venezuelan relations he even managed to counter his detractors. Arguably, their coming to fruition might herald the ushering-in of a multi-polar New World Order. His warmth and magnanimity shone bright when he proffered a hand of friendship to India. It was therefore, doubly disappointing to note the still persisting colonial hangover of the media. Even a cursory comparison between the thrust and extent of its coverage of President Bill Clinton's India and that of Chavez is revelatory to say the least. Notwithstanding this 'anomaly', an analysis indicates that India stands to gain tremendously from the diffusion of the benefits of the 'revolution' currently underway in Venezuela under Chavez's stewardship. <br /><br />As developing countries Venezuela and India share numerous commonalties in their day to day realities both at the domestic and international level. Chavez emphatically condemned US greed for oil, pointing out that Venezuela's entire oil export for the past one hundred years had been to the US. In fact, as late as 2002 Chavez was reinstated as President after a US backed military coup failed to win popular support. He has made his intentions clear both in words and deeds. His challenge to the entrenched order aims at reducing Venezuela's dependence on the US by forming new Pan-Latin alliances with neighbouring states like Brazil, Uruguay and Cuba while simultaneously seeking new consumers of oil like India and China. <br /><br />This approach is commensurate with India's own stress on self-reliance and the desire to work towards a multi-polar world order. Venezuela has taken huge strides in oil harnessing and exploration technologies. The offer of a forty nine percent stake in an oilfield is undoubtedly a big boast to ONGC Videsh. It has signalled an <br />end an end to the days of cheap oil by calling for the stabilization of oil prices, along with OPEC heavyweight Iran. <br /><br />Moreover, Chavez's belief in people's power entails that friends and allies of Venezuela either get oil on barter or on favourable terms. The case for India to diversify its oil base cannot be overstated. It currently imports about seventy percent of its oil requirement, primarily from the Middle East. <br /><br />The disturbing events in the Gulf have resulted in a two-fold anxiety for India: one economic the other political. Availability of oil on conditions favourable to India forms the core on the economic front. Perhaps, the political front is more significant as the ominous signs of a US led Uni-Polar world are clear with the Middle East emerging as the site of active contention. The idea of Indo-Venezuelan cooperation resonates well with the promised IBSA, India- Brazil- South Africa initiative. India is also in the advanced stages of concluding natural gas related agreements with Iran as manifest in the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. <br />Along with Venezuela Iran is the leading proponent of stability in the international oil business that aims at resisting and countering US hegemony. India will gain not only technologically but stands to learn substantially from Venezuela's experiences of equitably implementing and distributing oil wealth. Invoking the revolutionary spirit of Simon Bolivar, the guiding light behind the ongoing nezuelan 'revolution', Chavez expressed his desire to explore the possibility of opening a Bolivarian school in the Baghewala fields in Rajasthan. In fact, PDVSA, the Venezuelan Oil Company redirects millions of dollars towards developmental work at the grassroots level.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the United States is watching these developments with a palpable air of unease. A major source of its anxiety stems from the Al Qaeda attacks in Saudi Arabia, the continuing sabotage of Iraqi and Colombian pipeline and the ongoing civil unrest in Nigeria. The process of formation of the ' Oil Brotherhood' initiated by Chavez is hardly propitious to US plans for its designs of unchallenged world hegemony. What's more Chavez has accused the US of conspiring to assassinate him. <br /><br />It would be worth while to recall here that the Latin American alliances formed by Venezuela are broadly labelled as 'Left alliances'. It would perhaps not be desultory speculation to talk of Venezuela going the Iraq way.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111392600762693700?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113925880402622032005-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:002005-04-19T08:51:20.406-07:00"You drew a fine strategy around salt". A tacit admission by one of the most powerful men in the world - Viceroy Lord Irwin,in 1931. The 20th century produced a <br />list of remarkable political figures known for the power of their ideas. Only a few though were also blessed with supreme organizational abilities. <br /><br />For instance Dr. Sun Yat Sen was a great leader but a poor strategizer. Only two men - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had both, the power <br />of ideas and organizational skill. <br /><br />And that is why, while the former, in his own words gave 'history a helping hand' in 1917, the latter got us freedom in 1947.<br /><br />As the nation gears up to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Dandi march one would do well to recall the whole train of events and reflect on the special niche Dandi holds in our freedom struggle. <br /><br /><br />The late 1920's was a period when the national movement was on a wane, what with the colonial masters having unleashed unprecedented repression and our leaders still smarting from hopes belied. It seemed that the masses - so emphatically brought centrestage till then by Gandhiji had lost the stomach for a fight. <br /><br />The British policy of divide and rule yet again proceeded flawlessly. Be it separate electorates, official posts or drawing up a constitution, we divided and they ruled!<br /><br />It was in such searching circumstances that Gandhiji decided to use salt as the fulcrum around which a civil disobedience movement would be built up and the country revived. Under the British private manufacturing of salt was banned and a tax of 4 annas imposed, a move resented by all. Not unexpectedly, the cassandras were not far in dubbing the event a failure!<br /><br />Many leading intellectuals who also functioned as 'armchair revolutionaries', much like today, dismissed the preparations as a figment of a senile mind. Salt appeared to be such an innocuous, commonplace issue to take on the British with! Precisely the reasons why it turned out to be a stupendous success.<br /><br />After his attempts to communicate with the Viceroy were brusquely ignored Gandhiji sent a prior warning of his intention to break the salt law. On the morning of 12th March 1930 he set out with 79 volunteers from Sabarmati ashram to Dandi, a distance of 241 miles. <br /><br />As his yatra crossed villages big and small, the ranks of his followers swelled and with time Gandhiji captured the imagination of the country. <br /><br />Even as the authorities realised what confronted them, the politically charged atmosphere set the ball rolling for the civil disobedience movement or the salt <br />satyagraha which lasted 12 months. <br /><br />Finally, the salt law was symbolically defied when Gandhiji alongwith a few followers picked up some freshly made salt on the Dandi seaside on 6th April 1930.<br /><br />In this way, with nothing more than the salt of our own land, Gandhiji made colonial rule unacceptable in a non-violent manner. He roused the masses against the British regime without inciting hatred against the British. <br />The rest as they say is history.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111392588040262203?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113925318962623242005-04-19T08:38:00.000-07:002005-04-19T08:41:58.966-07:00"What an American was Clint Eastwood," mused Norman Mailer in a 1983 essay-interview,"may be there was no one more American than he". Mailer was using the past tense.<br /><br />In a sense, the Clint Eastwood of Mailer's essay, the lonely, wandering hero of the films of Sergio Leone, of Don Siegel, of spaghetti westerns and of the Dirty Harry films has never really left the screen.<br /><br />The 2005 Oscars are over and there is a glint in Client's eyes. The boxing drama Million Dollar Baby has won four coveted Oscars and the understated force behind the winner-Clint Eastwood-has two of them (Best Picture and Best Director). The former TV cowpoke already owned the golden statuettes for his 1992 western Unforgiven.<br /><br />Earlier this year Eastwood created a history of sorts by becoming the first person to be nominated in the same year for three separate categories (Best Actor, Best Director & Best Picture). No other American in the history has won so much recognition as actor, director, producer and even as a music composer. <br /><br />Life has come to a full circle for this cowboy icon.<br /><br />But the journey to the top has not been easy. Clint Eastwood, born on may 31,1930,in the Great Depression era, experienced many impediments and had to struggle for existence. The initial struggle made him mentally stronger. After completing school, Client started working. He moved logs, cut grass, pumped gas and dug swimming pools.<br /><br />With the hope for the future, Clint took up bit parts in movies with bizarre titles like "Tarantula", "Revenge of the Creature", and "Francis in the Navy". No matter he was barely noticed in these unremarkable movies.<br /><br />Then television beckoned and Clint was fortunate enough to land the role of a cowboy named Rowdy Yates in the long running popular TV series of the early 1960s "Raw hide". It was his tenacity and talent that brought him more success in the 1960s.<br /><br />Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's films, "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" (A Fistful of Dollars, 1964), "Per Qualche Dollaro In Piu"(For A Few Dollars More, 1965) and "Il Buono, Il brutto, Il Cattiro (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", 1966), created a new western genre, known as "spaghetti western".<br /><br />"Where Eagles Dare", "The Beguiled" and that all-American western "The Outlaw Josey W ales"further cemented Clint's place.<br /><br />In 1971 came the first Dirty Harry film, simply entitled "Dirty Harry" and with it the sad ,weary, and unforgettable policeman Harry Callahan. The other films in the Dirty Harry series, "Magnum Force"(1973), "The Enforcer"(1976), "Sudden Impact" (1983) and "The Dead Pool" (1988) increased Clints star value.<br /><br />1971 was also a watershed year for Clint Eastwood, the director. He directed the major hit "Play Misty For Me". The creative journey he embarked as a director reached its first milestone in "Unforgiven"-considered as the greatest western ever made. Clint became the oldest directing Oscar winner ever for this 1992 hit. <br /><br />Then came the insipid "The Bridges of Madison County" (1995) with Meryl Streep and with it a dull phase. However, with "Mystic River" (2003) Clint came back to form. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, this drama won Oscars for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins).<br /><br />And now with the $30 million Million Dollar Baby-a raw mix of soaring sentiments and harsh fate-winning multiple Oscars, the last great western hero's life has come to a full circle.<br /><br />Till date Clint has directed 27 films and his production company, Malpaso, has produced 21 films. Clint has been elected Mayor twice from his home town , Carmel. Clint, the musician, has also composed the background music for some films. <br /><br />With Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby,Clint has carved a niche for himself as a filmmaker. But despite of proving himself as an actor in 60-odd films, the 75-year-old Clint is still known chiefly for his gunslinger and vigilante cop roles. <br /><br />For same people, it seems, there is no escaping destiny. Rearrange the letters of Clint Eastwood's name, for example, and you get "Old West Action."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111392531896262324?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1113924671723074332005-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:002005-04-19T08:31:11.726-07:00The demand for oil in India has been steadily rising at the rate of 3.6 per cent per year against the 2 per cent rise in world demand. India's dependence on oil and other petroleum imports has risen from 30 per cent to 70 per cent of its demand since the early 1990s, and is all set to rise further in future.<br /><br />At present, India buys oil on short-term contract and is thus open to the vagaries of volatile oil prices, which play havoc with its economy. To cap it all India has to meet 70 per cent of its crude oil needs through imports. <br /><br />This makes it imperative for India to evolve a dynamic oil policy and ensure its effective implementation.<br /><br />Faced with the challenge of reversing its rising energy insecurity, India seems to have made a headstart just at the right time. The Union Government has already awarded 90 blocks in the first four rounds of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)-launched in 1999-that has attracted many multi-national oil companies to bid. <br /><br />So far, 19 oil discoveries have already been made under the blocks awarded in the NELP and attracted an investment of around $667 million. <br /><br />There are vast areas in India which have oil reserves in abundance. India has 30 billion tonnes of unexplored hydrocarbon reserves. Of these only 18 per cent have been explored. The remaining 82 per cent are up for grabs. <br /><br />The recent spate of oil and gas discoveries have proven that India is not a hydrocarbon poor country and it can be lucrative to explore in India. Offshore Cauvery, Krishna-Godavari and Mahanadi basins as well as Assam and Rajasthan (Mangala and Barmer) hold promise. <br /><br />The discoveries made by Cairns Energy of UK, Niko of Canada and Indian companies like Reliance Industries and ONGC are dream stories. The NELP has given a major boost to Indian oil sector, as it has registered 50 per cent increase in the gas reserve accretion. <br /><br />With a view to bringing more areas of the country under exploration and production of oil and gas expeditiously, some additional steps have been initiated to offer blocks under the fifth round of NELP. <br /><br />NELP-V will offer 20 exploration blocks, including on-land, shallow offshore and deepwater blocks. As an immediate alternative, the Indian government is also encouraging PSUs to venture into exploration of oil and natural gas in foreign lands. <br /><br />The ONGC has acquired interest inexploration blocks in Sudan, Libya and Syria. Besides, ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) has acquired oil and gas fields from Russia (Sakhalin-I), Vietnam, Ecuador, Australia, Myanmar, Ivory Coast and Iran with an estimated investment of $3.5 billion. <br /><br />There is also a proposed pipeline deal with Iran to be laid through Pakistan. Under a trilateral agreement India will also get natural gas from Myanmar through a <br />pipeline via Bangladesh. Starting from Arakan's offshore Shwe fields of Myanmar, the pipeline will enter India at Bongaon near Kolkata. <br /><br />Another pipeline from Central Asia is also on the anvil. Talks are also on with China for cooperation in this sector. Thus, other than intensifying exploration within the country, India is also acquiring oil properties abroad as well as signing agreements to cut its dependence on crude oil. India has, perhaps, realized that the best way to meet a future oil crisis is to achieve oil efficiency.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111392467172307433?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1110014245343104692005-03-05T01:15:00.000-08:002005-03-29T04:06:39.460-08:00THE REAL Howard Hughes<br /><br /><br />One of the most colorful characters of Hollywood's Golden Age, Howard Hughes (1905-1976) was legendary for his visionary, provocative filmmaking as well as his feats in aviation, far-reaching investments and carefully guarded privacy. Born in Houston, Texas, he inherited a successful oil-drilling equipment company from his father and by age 20 was investing in Hollywood movies. Our salute coincides with this month's theatrical release of The Aviator, Martin Scorsese's film biography of Hughes. Part One includes three silent films from Hughes' early career as a producer that have not been seen since their initial release, along with two key Hughes movies from the early sound era. The silent films are part of an extensive collection of memorabilia donated by the Hughes estate and the Howard Hughes Corporation to the Film Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and digitally restored through TCM funding by special arrangement with Flicker Alley. Each has a new score by composer Robert Israel. Two Arabian Knights (1927), which won Lewis Milestone the only Academy Award® given for Best Comedy Direction, is about a pair of roughnecks who pose as Arabs in escaping from a World War I prison camp. The Racket (1928), nominated for Best Picture and also directed by Milestone, is an expose of Chicago gangsterdom. The Mating Call (1928) features Thomas Meighan and Renee Adoree in a screenplay by the celebrated Herman J. Mankiewicz. Hughes made his name as a top-flight producer of the sound era with the aviation epic Hell's Angels (1930), which he also directed, and the newspaper comedy The Front Page (1931). Part Two of TCM's tribute looks at Hughes' later film career. After creating an uproar with censors over The Outlaw (1943), featuring Jane Russell in the first "sexy" Western, he acquired a controlling interest in RKO, where he produced such movies as His Kind of Woman (1951) and Affair with a Stranger (1953). In his heyday a man of enormous power, wealth and charm, Hughes spent the final decade of his life as possibly the 's most mysterious recluse. The third night of our Hughes festival, Howard Hughes: His Women, opens with Christian Sebaldt's documentary Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies (2000), which offers insights from Jane Russell, Janet Leigh, Terry Moore and others. Following are three films starring women who were significant in Hughes' life: Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby (1938), Jean Harlow in Bombshell (1933) and Ava Gardner in My Forbidden Past (1951). by Roger Fristoe<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-111001424534310469?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109759123255813082005-03-02T02:22:00.000-08:002005-03-02T02:25:23.256-08:00I think... Therefore I blog! <br /><br /><br />Cogito ergo blog. Rene Descartes wouldn't have imagined that his most famous tenet could be bastardised that far. For, blogging is not just the rage in cyberspace today, but the narcissistic recluse of many a cyber-junkie. <br /><br />So, first of all, who are bloggers? Bloggers are independent writers, who, with their blogs, comment upon or write about anything and everything under the sun. <br />And a 'blog' could be closely defined as a daily dairy, which is online for the world to read, and to comment upon. And don't forget the miracles of hyperlinking. <br /><br />Blogging started off as a uber-geek practise of posting messages on internet forums. Those were the days when connectivity was the domain of a privileged few. The term 'weblog', long for 'blog', wasn't even coined then. <br /><br />The personalization of online forums followed. Writers began recording their own thoughts in a private space. "Weblogging" had begun. The term 'blogging' however was coined only in 1999 by Peter Merholz. The Oxford Dictionary recognised it as a noun and a verb, only in 2003.<br /><br />Now, back to "blogs as a narcissistic recluse". Basic blogging decorum requires you to write with a pseudonym. The pseudonym often allows you the freedom to speak out about something without the hassles of being recognised. <br /><br />The Internet is anyhow a domain free of general censorship. This allows a blogger to sketch a description of the world, coloured by his own bias and prejudice. Like TeenQueen's blog, "Confessions of The Teenaged Mind". The 18 year old blogs her angry rants against the world and its people. <br /><br />"Or you can call it the absolute masturbation of thought", adds a blogger who goes by the name of 'Alfredo'. "It brings intellectual and creative self-gratification. It's for people who feel the compulsion to blurt out their deepest thoughts onto a paper and yet want people to read it", says Alfredo. <br /><br />The uber-geeks started off by recording their arcane musings on HTML, PERL, CGI etc on their blogs. As the blogging rage caught on, more humanization of content followed. <br /><br />Poetry, philosophies, essays, viewpoints, all found an easy way to be communicated to the masses. Now blogging is a medium in its own. And its scary how it cuts down on broadcast and publishing costs. <br /><br />Closer home, blogs are being published in Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telegu and other local languages. The Hindi Blogging Ring, christened Hindi Chittha Jaalmudrika, is a fast growing community. A good directory of language websites would be indiebloggies.blogspot.com, which hands out awards in various categories to Indian bloggers. <br /><br />Hardcore bloggers now have their own communities and meetings too. Delhi too has such a forum, Delhi Bloggers Meet, where the Delhi bloggerati hobnob. Visit delhiblogmeet.rediffblogs.com for more information. <br /><br />And if you aren't blogging already, hop on to the bandwagon soon. See you there… in the blogosphere!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110975912325581308?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109756654095966322005-03-02T01:41:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:44:14.096-08:00What Is The Shanghai Cooperation Organization? <br /><br />In 1996, China founded a little-known international alliance known as the "Shanghai Five". It consisted of China, Russia, and three Central Asian States once part of the Soviet empire, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, and Tajikistan. The group specifically focused on battling the terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan and ensuring regional stability. In June 2001, Uzbekistan was invited to join and the group was officially named the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110975665409596632?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109756398260617962005-03-02T01:38:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:39:58.263-08:00Born:January 19, 1966 in Vastervik, Sweden <br />Citizenship:Sweden <br />Handed:Right <br /><br />BIOGRAPHY<br />Stefan Edberg won 41 career singles titles and 18 career doubles titles. He captured 6 Grand Slam singles titles - 2 Australian Open Championships (1985, '87 - the last man to win on Australian grass), 2 Wimbledon Championships (1988, '90) and 2 US Open Championships (1991, '92). Edberg also won the 1996 Australian Open Doubles title (with Petr Korda), and captured the 1987 Australian and US Open Doubles Championships (both with Anders Jarryd). <br /><br />Edberg, with Jarryd, were named the ATP Doubles Team of the Year in 1987. <br /><br />Edberg, who turns 38 on January 19, is a former World No. 1 ranked player, having removed Ivan Lendl from the top spot on August 13, 1990. During his career he spent a total of 72 (non-consecutive) weeks at No. 1, and finished the 1990 and 1991 seasons as the No. 1 player in the world. Edberg was ranked in the year-end Top 10 for ten straight years (1985-1994) finishing in the Top 5 from 1985-93. He received ATP Player of the Year honors in 1991, and again in 1992. Edberg is a 5-time recipient of the ATP's Sportsmanship Award (1988-90, '92, '95), more than any player in ATP history. In 1996, the ATP again honored Edberg, this time by renaming this award the Edberg Sportsmanship Award. <br /><br />Sweden has won the Davis Cup seven times, and Edberg played on four of the 7 winning Cup teams (1984, '85, '87, '94). He is tied with countryman Ove Bengtson for most years played on the Swedish Davis Cup team with 13, playing from 1984 through 1996. Edberg also holds Sweden's record for most Davis Cup final appearances, playing in seven. He finished his Davis Cup career playing in 35 ties with an overall total win-loss record of 47-23 (35-15 in singles and 12-8 in doubles). Edberg also participated in the 1984 Olympics (tennis was a demonstration sport), where he was the Singles Gold Medal winner. In 1988, he won Bronze in both singles and doubles competition in Seoul.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110975639826061796?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109755780305898572005-03-02T01:26:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:29:40.336-08:00Market Information<br />Latin America and Caribbean <br /><br /><br />Common Market of the South (Mercosur)<br />Agri-Food Regional Profile<br />Statistical Overview<br /> <br /><br />October 2002<br /><br /><br /><br />Foreword <br />This information piece is provided as an overview of the statistical and market information on the Common Market of the South (Mercosur). Due to Mercosur's increasing importance as a trade partner with Canada, a regional profile was deemed necessary.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Background<br />The Mercado Comun del Sur, or Common Market of the South (Mercosur), is an economic integration agreement that was formally launched in 1991 between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. With 240 million consumers, Mercosur is Canada's largest export market in South America. Mercosur's main objective is to improve the efficiency of the four member economies through the process of opening markets and accelerating economic development. The common history shared by the member countries facilitates the integration process and the group is recognized as the third largest regional trading bloc in the world. Other South American countries currently in different stages of association with Mercosur include Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. Although the group has encountered some setbacks, Mercosur remains an significant organization and gaining a foothold in the group will assist Canadians in doing business with the entire region.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Geography<br />The countries of Mercosur are located in South America. Argentina and Uruguay are found in the southern area of the continent, Brazil to the east, and Paraguay is located in central South America. All members have coastline on the South Atlantic ocean with the exception of Paraguay, which is the sole landlocked member of Mercosur. Comprising a total area of over 11,800,00 sq km, the countries range in size from the 176,215 sq km of Uruguay to the 8,512,000 sq km of Brazil. The countries of Mercosur span an area larger than the European continent and constitute more than two-thirds of South America's population. The typical terrain across the member countries is rolling, grassy plains and hills, with some coastal lowland. Paraguay is predominantly dry forest and thorny scrub.<br /><br />The countries in Mercosur have a somewhat temperate climate; however, Argentina also has subarctic and arid regions, Brazil is predominantly tropical, and Paraguay varies between subtropical and semiarid.<br /><br />Population by Country Country Population (millions) <br />Brazil 170 <br />Argentina 37.5 <br />Paraguay 5.6 <br />Uruguay 3.4 <br /><br /><br />Natural resources found in Mercosur include a variety of minerals, including: zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, gold, nickel, platinum, and uranium. Argentina and Brazil also have petroleum, Uruguay and Brazil have timber, and Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay have an abundance of water for hydro power.<br /><br /><br /><br />Political Structure<br />Mercosur was officially launched in 1991 with the signing of the Asuncion Treaty. However, the spirit of integration began long before when a variety of Latin American countries began associations and free trade agreements. In the early 1990s Brazil and Argentina, the two economic giants of Latin America, decided to work together in creating a mutually beneficial partnership, and this became the basic structure for Mercosur. As buffer states between Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay joined in the cooperative agreement and the four countries have since developed into a strong regional and international presence.<br /><br />With headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay, Mercosur is ruled by a Common Market Council (CMC). The CMC is responsible for political decisions concerning the integration process. The members of the CMC are the presidents of the member states and their cabinets, meeting twice annually and rotating the host country. The executive component of the organization is the Common Market Group (GMC), comprised of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economics and the Chairmen of the Central Banks, as well as coordinators from each country. The GMC enforces resolutions. The GMC branches into the Trade Commission, which counsels and enforces trade policies; the Joint Parliamentary Commission, which represents the four Parliaments; the Economic and Social Consultation Forum, which has representatives from various economic and social groups; and the Administrative Secretariat, which supports all other operations and is responsible for advising the other offices.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Common Market<br />The ultimate goal of Mercosur is to become a common market with a common trade policy that will enable the free movement of goods and resources. Mercosur aims to create a full common market by 2006, although there is no final date for full commitment to common market status among the members. As it currently stands, the political scope of Mercosur falls between the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European Union.<br /><br />To become a common market Mercosur must work to harmonize the policies within each member country. This will require the coordination of economic, legislative, environmental, infrastructure, and technology policies. Standards will be harmonized and there must be the establishment of a supranational bureaucracy to implement and enforce policy decisions.<br /><br />In 1997, the member states signed the Protocol of Montevideo. This accord was signed with the understanding that within 10 years all restrictions on trades and services will be phased out. It has also been proposed that a common passport be created to facilitate travel between borders in Mercosur.<br /><br />To date, efforts toward the common market have included the creation of working groups, ad-hoc committees, and meetings with the Common Market Council. Problems that have slowed the efforts towards a common market include delayed clearance at the borders, differing electrical systems, and a general lack of cohesion in customs. Disputes regarding agriculture have also proven to be an obstacle to further economic integration in Mercosur. The automotive sector in particular has been a source of difficult negotiations for a CET within Mercosur. Trade in automobiles and auto parts accounts for approximately 30% of total intra-regional trade. While frustrating, these difficulties by no means remove the chance for a common market. To resolve such issues, the members of Mercosur recognize that cooperation is an essential priority.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Economy<br />Mercosur represents a significant economic presence in Latin America. Combined, the member countries represent more than two-thirds of the population of the South American continent. Ranked as the world's third largest trade bloc, its rapid development in the 1990s brought it the distinction of being the fastest growing trade bloc in the world. In 2001, Mercosur had a combined GDP of nearly US$800 billion. Traditionally, the countries of Mercosur have posted a higher economic growth rate than the European Union.<br /><br />With economic uncertainty affecting the region in varying degrees, the members maintain an open dialogue but have been asking for support from the international community on an individual basis. By mid-2002, Brazil voiced its belief that Mercosur must look within its own trade bloc for the solution, rather than seeking international help. Increased trade, investment, and technology transfers were all noted as starting points for rebuilding the economy.<br /><br />Political officials within Mercosur are optimistic of future economic expansion of the group and have reinforced their desire to continue the integration process. The countries of Mercosur are currently confronted with adapting to faltering economies and the next few years will likely bring some challenges. However, despite these challenges forecasts remain positive that Mercosur will rebound and resume its pattern of growth. There is a notable difference in the economies of the member countries, and the smaller countries depend on the success of the larger ones. Mercosur is an integrated group in the truest sense: success or crisis in one economy will have a direct effect on the others.<br /><br />Brazil's large and well developed economy is the largest in South America and is growing in precedence internationally. The agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors are particularly strong. Although once plagued by hyperinflation and an unstable economic growth, the introduction of the Real Plan in 1994 successfully improved economic stability. Brazil is the economic backbone of Mercosur and is expected to pull the group through current difficulties. In 2000, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil reached a record high of US$30 billion. After a slight dip in GDP in 2001, Brazil's economy is expected to expand through 2002 by 2.2%. This growth should continue through 2003.<br /><br />Brazil is one of Canada's major economic partners, and the 2nd largest export destination in the Americas. Brazil is one of the five priority markets for Export Development Canada. Two-way trade in 2001 was $2.4 billion, a decrease of 4.3% from 2000 that reflected a decline in Canadian exports to Brazil. Brazil is one of Canada's major destinations for investment in the western hemisphere and in 2001 Canadian FDI into Brazil was $5.5 billion. There is possibility of a free trade area between the two countries in the future.<br /><br />Argentina has the second largest economy in South America. It boasts a diverse industrial base, with industries such as food processing, textiles, automobiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, metallurgy, and steel. After experiencing strong growth through the 1990s, Argentina's economy sharply declined in 2000 and decline is expected to continue through 2002. In response to the crisis, actions have been taken to begin the recovery process and the economy is expected to rebound by 2003. The International Monetary Fund has agreed to reconsider providing funding to Argentina in 2002. Despite the socio-political problems Argentina has been facing, the fundamental components of the economy remain present and it is expected that the economy will recover once the political upheavals are settled. Bilateral trade between Canada and Argentina in 2001 totaled $482.1 million, a decrease of $129.3 million from 2000. A 45% decrease in Canadian exports was the reason behind this decline. Canada invests primarily in Argentina's oil and gas, power, mining, agro-industry, banking and telecommunications sectors. Further investment depends on the recovery of Argentina's economy. Total assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in fiscal year 2000-2001 was approximately $5 million.<br /><br />The government of Paraguay is the primary actor in its economy. It is the largest employer and the budget represents almost 26% of GDP, an equivalent of approximately US$1.7 billion. Paraguay has a market economy with a large informal sector, making it difficult to accurately follow economic developments. A large proportion of the population depends upon agriculture for income. The economy is currently in a prolonged recession, having seen minimal growth since 1995. One key obstacle for economic growth in Paraguay is the poor infrastructure, in need of major restructuring. The proposed privatization of the state telecommunications, electricity, oil and postal companies, though highly controversial, may eventually offer opportunities for Canadian firms.<br /><br />Until recently, Canada and Paraguay did not maintain formal cooperation ties, but in 2000-2001 Canada provided over $1 million in assistance to Paraguay. Two-way trade in 2001 was $9.9 million, a 23.7% increase over 2000.<br /><br />Uruguay is noted for having an evenly distributed income. Its highly dollarized economy ranks as the 8th largest economy in Latin America and it has performed well in the last decade. In 1999, however, Uruguay experienced its worst recession in fifteen years. In the face of the Brazilian devaluation, diminished activity in Brazil and Argentina, higher international interest rates, and historically low commodity prices, GDP in Uruguay plunged by 3.2%. Poor economic performance was further affected by harsh weather, electoral year uncertainty, and restrictive credit policies. Unemployment reached a fifteen year high. However, inflation continued its downward trend and debt service remained manageable. Inflation in 1990 was 130% but by 1999 was 4.2%. Economic recovery in Uruguay will largely depend on Argentina and Brazil. The government has indicated it will deregulate and de-monopolize some economic activities, and despite rising interest rates the domestic financial markets remain calm. Canada's relationship with Uruguay has grown since the country's democratization in the mid 1980s. Two-way trade in 2001 was up 8% from 2000, to reach $158 million. Canadian investment into Uruguay was $37 million through 2000.<br /><br /><br />Gross Domestic Product Total GDP* US$794.9 billion (2001) <br />Brazil US$504.4 billion (2001) <br />Argentina US$269.5 billion (2001) <br />Uruguay US$19.1 billion (2001) <br />Paraguay US$6.9 billion (2001) <br /> <br />GDP Growth* (regionally) -2% (2002e) <br /> <br />GDP Per Capita*<br />(regionally) US$2,843 (2002e) <br /><br />*Total compiled by AAFC<br /><br />Brazil views Mercosur as an extension of its own economy. Membership in Mercosur has increased Brazil's presence in the world and afforded Brazil many opportunities to improve its economic status. Brazil remains hesitant to relinquish its sovereignty over its economic policies. For Argentina, Mercosur has served as a catalyst for economic reform. Consequently, Argentina has advocated a cohesive commercial policy and the creation of supranational bodies to handle trade disputes. In addition to inconsistent visions, increased integration in Mercosur is negatively affected by economic imbalances in Brazil and Argentina. As the two major economies of the group, the countries have a strong impact on Mercosur as a whole. However, membership in Mercosur has also been beneficial for the smaller countries, and despite being at the whim of the region's two largest economies Paraguay and Uruguay benefit from their involvement in Mercosur.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Trade<br />The first decade following the inception of Mercosur brought a substantial increase in trade, both regionally and internationally. Inter-community trade nearly has tripled since the signing of the treaty in 1991, while trade with the international community nearly doubled. In 2001 this growth slowed considerably due to worldwide economic slowdown and declines in commodity prices. Yet in terms of trade volumes, the free trade area of Mercosur remains one of the most important of the developing world.<br /><br />While Mercosur began as a free trade zone, in 1995 it evolved into a partial Customs Union with partially harmonized Common External Tariffs (CETs). Currently, 90% of all internal trade is duty-free. By 2006, all remaining exceptions to the CETs are to be eliminated.<br /><br />Interregional trade within Mercosur experienced a sharp decline in 2001. Throughout the 1990s such trade expanded on average 16% per year, but in 2001 saw a 10% decrease. Every member of Mercosur experienced negative growth. Argentina's exports to the group declined by 6%, Brazil by 12.3%, Uruguay by 15.7%, and Paraguay's exports dropped by 18%. Intra-Mercosur exports now represent 18% of total exports, down from the 25% high in 1998.<br /><br />In contrast to interregional trade, Mercosur's exports to the international community grew by approximately 5% in 2001. Mercosur's principal trade and investment partner is the EU, which accounts for nearly 30% of Mercosur's trade flows. In 2000 Mercosur exported goods worth US$102.3 billion to the EU, and imported US$94.6 billion. Mercosur's international export growth in 2001 has been attributed to Mercosur's non-reliance on the United States as a destination of exports, real currency depreciation in some member countries, and export growth to third countries. Uruguay's exports to the world dropped by 9.5%, but Argentina experienced growth of 3.4%, Brazil expanded by 6.9%, and Paraguay by 5.9%.<br /><br />Mercosur is considered by some to be a precursor to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), expected to be launched in 2005. It has also been said that Mercosur has the potential to become a politico-economic area to rival the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The long term goals of Mercosur will ultimately be determined by the political and economic decisions made by Brazil, the informal leader among equals.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Trade Agreements<br />The countries of Mercosur recognize the importance of trade for the continued success of their cooperative agreement. Mercosur is already recognized as a significant presence in Latin America and finding new markets is one method Mercosur hopes will help boost their current economic situation. While the group is particularly interested in expanding ties within the region, Mercosur also recognizes the importance of broadening its international ties.<br /><br />In mid 2002, the leaders of Mexico and Mercosur met to discuss the creation of a free trade deal that would serve to deepen economic ties throughout Latin America. The Mexican president strongly views the creation of a free trade agreement as a solution to Latin America's current economic difficulties. Such an agreement will foster a long-term economic relationship that will serve to strengthen the entire region's international presence. Mexico is the region's second largest economy and has already signed a bilateral agreement with Brazil. Talks have also begun between Mexico and Uruguay. Mexico has shown great interest in supporting Argentina and has made strides to deepen ties in an effort to boost Argentina's economy. In particular, exports of automobiles to Mexico will be more than doubled within two years to encourage recovery in the sector. Mexican imports of milk products from Argentina and Uruguay are also expected to increase as a preventative measure against a possible decline in interregional imports.<br /><br />Strengthening Latin American integration is the incentive behind another initiative Mercosur would like to undertake. By the end of 2002, Mercosur and the Andean Community hope to create a free trade area. Brazil has been leading Mercosur in this initiative as an attempt to increase regional trade flow. Together, Mercosur and the Andean Community comprise a large portion of South America's population, land mass, and production. Suriname and Guyana will likely be included in negotiations, thus creating an integrated economic area throughout the continent.<br /><br />The members of Mercosur are among more than 30 countries negotiating for the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Brazil has been reluctant to commit to the FTAA, reasoning that trade with other areas of the world is continuing to grow. Although Brazil has not objected to the FTAA, it remains cautious of rushing into an agreement.<br /><br />Mercosur has a free trade agreement with Bolivia and the group has also agreed to launch talks with South Africa. Key to these discussions will be bilateral trade in automotive parts.<br /><br />In 1995 Mercosur signed a frame agreement of inter-regional association and political coordination with the European Union. The EU is Mercosur's largest trade partner, although some disputes remain regarding agricultural products. Mercosur would like greater access to the EU market for products such as meat, poultry, and sugar. Negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two blocs are progressing slowly due to the EU's agricultural policies and Mercosur's internal problems. However, both parties remain interested in furthering their agreements, and talks have been scheduled for late 2002 and early 2003 to continue negotiations. In 2002 the EU granted Paraguay rights to export 1,000 tonnes of high quality beef, and Uruguay's quota has been increased to 6,300 tonnes. These measures were done in a bid to assist in the recovery of both economies.<br /><br />Mercosur has expressed guarded interest in joining with NAFTA in creating a super-regional trade bloc. To date, Mexico has shown little interest in such a venture. Canada has stated that any such agreement should be made directly through NAFTA and not with the individual countries. The US has shown some interest in creating a bilateral trade treaty with Mercosur, but all of these initiatives have not been acted upon.<br /><br />Already, the US has a special agreement with Mercosur members. The Rose Garden, or Four Plus One, agreement allows the US to negotiate with the members of Mercosur collectively rather than going through each one individually. This also affords the members of Mercosur a stronger, united voice in such negotiations. Typically, third party countries must use one member as a catalyst for further trade within the group.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Investment<br />One of the main assets of the creation of Mercosur has been the organization's ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Since the inception of the group in the early 1990s, the member countries have increased their collective share of world FDI to 5.9%. The boom in FDI has been attributed to the creation of Mercosur and collective structural reform, including increased privatization and a surge of transnational corporations.<br /><br />Due to the number of structural reforms undertaken in the 1990s, there are few sectoral restrictions for FDI entry into Mercosur. This is especially notable in Brazil and Argentina. Both countries underwent major privatization throughout the 1990s and as a result were the main destination countries for FDI. Paraguay and Uruguay have yet to undergo the same degree of privatization. In the 1990s Argentina and Brazil received the most FDI in their manufacturing sectors, and in turn Paraguay and Uruguay posted strong FDI in the manufacture of food, beverages, and tobacco. Yet with more liberalization, the services sector increased its presence in the late 1990s.<br /><br />Mercosur receives most of its FDI from Europe and North America. This FDI is directed towards mergers or the acquisition of private sector firms, particularly in Brazil and Argentina. Neighboring Chile has also proven to be an important source of FDI. Chile became Argentina's second largest source of FDI in the early 1990s, after the US. When Brazil took measures to increase their economic stability in the mid-1990s, Chile also became heavily invested in that country.<br /><br />Brazil accounts for 32.6% of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America. In 2001 both Brazil and Argentina saw their levels of FDI decrease; however, this was consistent throughout most Latin American countries. Brazil experienced the largest decline in terms of real dollars, but Argentina experienced the largest fall in percentage terms. Argentina's FDI fell by over 60% in 2001, while Paraguay's levels dropped by 58% and Brazil by 37%. Investment slowed due to an economic crisis in Argentina.<br /><br />Investment between the members of Mercosur has increased since the group's inception. There has been a considerable change from the pre-Mercosur era, when there was little to no cross border direct investment. Investment from Mercosur accounted for 25% of Uruguay's FDI in the 1990s, while it reached 50% in Paraguay.<br /><br />Investment from Mercosur into the Andean Community increased nearly 13 fold in the 1990s. By 1998 total FDI to the Andean Community totaled US$352 million. Bolivia received nearly 50% of this investment.<br /><br />In 2000 Mercosur signed an investment arrangement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). With the intention of facilitating investment and trade between the two organizations, the agreement established a joint committee to review any issues of mutual interest.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Agriculture<br />As a result of rapid urbanization and a growth in income, diets in the member countries have changed and processed foods and non-staples have increased in popularity. As a result, the grades and standards required for the export or domestic sale of dairy, vegetables, fruit, meat and coffee have become increasingly strict.<br /><br />Worldwide, Brazil is ranked fourth in agroindustry and agriculture. Agriculture is one of the most dynamic sectors of the Brazilian economy. Within Latin America, Brazil is one of the leading investors in agriculture research and development. Agricultural products from Brazil include coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus, and beef. Brazil is the world's leading producer of orange juice products and natural orange flavours. Brazil is also the world's third largest producer of corn. Brazil has recently launched a plan to produce 5.5 million tonnes of wheat by 2004. Agriculture in Brazil accounts for 13% of GDP, and employs 35% of the labour force.<br /><br />The agriculture sector in Argentina is export-oriented. The sector is a major part of Argentina's economy; the country is self sufficient agricultural exports account for one fourth of total exports. Agricultural products produced in Argentina include sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat, and livestock. Argentina is among the world's leaders in meat and cereals, and is the largest beef exporter in the world. Argentina is a strong organic producer; with 90% destined for export markets, particularly the EU. Argentina's agriculture sector accounts for 6% of GDP.<br /><br />Agriculture is the livelihood for a large proportion of Paraguay's population although it is a largely informal sector. Products produced include cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, eggs, milk, and timber. Agriculture accounts for 90% of Paraguay's legitimate exports, with major export commodities being cotton, soybean, and beef. Agro-industrial investments in processing of citrus fruit, grains, and manioc could spur additional growth. Paraguay is attempting to improve its agricultural and livestock production, with a focus on basic inputs such as animal genetics. The Paraguayan agriculture sector employs 45% of the labour force, and accounts for 26% of GDP.<br /><br />As in Argentina, the agriculture sector in Uruguay is export oriented. The main products produced in Uruguay include wheat, rice, barley, corn, sorghum, livestock and fish. Agriculture and livestock was most adversely hit by the 1999 recession, and slumped by 8%. The contraction, which has occurred over the last three years, is due to depressed commodity prices, lack of export competitiveness to the critical Brazilian market, and adverse climatic conditions. Agriculture in Uruguay accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 11% of the labour force.<br /><br />Since the mid-1990s, both Argentina and Brazil have made major gains in agricultural production. Soybean production in both countries has doubled since 1990, Brazil's output of corn has increased 40%, and Argentina's production of wheat and corn have increased by 75% and 105% respectively. In 2002 it is estimated that Mercosur's combined production of soya beans will overtake that of the US.<br /><br />The Brazilian government currently prohibits the commercial planting of genetically modified crops. Despite this, there is significant use of such crops in the southern region of Brazil. Brazil has been trying since 1995 to develop biotechnology legislature, and in 1998 US-based Monsanto, a biotechnology giant, successfully overturned a long-standing ban on biotechnology in Brazil. Investment has gone into a variety of biotechnology tools, such as marker-assisted plant and animal breeding, genome mapping of several species, embryo transfer applied to different animal species, genetic resources characterization and conservation, and transgenic products.<br /><br />Argentina is a world leader in the use of genetically modified seed. Over 70% of Argentine soybeans are genetically modified, and approximately one-third of all corn fields in Argentina are cultivating GM corn.<br /><br />Consumers in Brazil are accustomed to and are demanding comparison shopping venues for agricultural products. Consumers in Argentina consume more meat than any other Latin American country. Argentines have been increasingly looking for dry convenience food, such as packaged pasta, rice, and soups, due to increased demand for convenience. These items are also believed to have good nutritional and health benefits. The debate over biotechnology is not an issue in Argentina, where consumers tend to stay neutral.<br /><br /><br /><br />Agricultural Policy<br />Mercosur looks to the European Union as a model for agricultural policy. The two organizations have been in negotiations to promote an agricultural model that is multi-functional. High on the agenda are environmental measures, consumer protection, and food safety.<br /><br />One of the necessary actions Mercosur must take to create a harmonized policy is aligning sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Mercosur will look to the EU for direction in the creation of information systems for dangerous products, as well as training schemes and technical assistance for their implementation. From 1994-1998, the EU funded US$419 million to Mercosur and Chile for the implementation of such projects. It is expected that a large proportion of reform projects will be in the poorest rural regions to enable them to engage in sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture.<br /><br />The members of Mercosur have collectively presented a number of proposals to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding agriculture. They favour more transparency in food aid, arguing that it should not replace regular imports or discourage domestic production.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Canada - Mercosur Trade and Investment<br />The relationship between Canada and Mercosur is an important one that both parties would like to see further developed. There exists potential in increasing Canadian investment and business ties, despite previous trade disputes. Both regions have a great deal to offer one another and many view this as a strong reason for being optimistic about rejuvenating relations. The Trade and Investment Cooperation Arrangement (TICA) is viewed as a base from which to build and renew bilateral relations.<br /><br />Total bi-lateral trade between Canada and Mercosur in 2001 was valued at $3 billion. This was a decrease from the 2000 total of $3.3 billion, drawn from a decrease in Canadian exports to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Exports to Mercosur were valued at $1 billion. Canada's main exports to Mercosur include paper products, potash, wheat, telecommunications equipment, aircraft parts, petroleum products, machinery, malt, minerals, plastics, rolling stock and pharmaceuticals.<br /><br />The Canada-Mercosur Trade and Investment Cooperation Arrangement (TICA) was signed in 1998. The TICA both laid the foundation for increased bilateral cooperation between the two parties, as well as establish a framework for cooperation in the FTAA, the WTO, and the Cairns Group. In 1999, the first consultative group meeting for TICA agreed to the creation of two committees: on to study customs and technical cooperation, and the other to study "best practices" in the development and promotion of trade. Canadian FDI into Mercosur has been increasing and in 2000 was estimated to be $8.7 billion, with an additional $5.5 billion for Chile. Canadian investment into this region is concentrated in the aluminum, oil and gas, mining and energy, power generation and telecommunications equipment and services sectors.<br /><br />In late 2001 a forum was held in Canada to discuss and encourage the deepening of Canada-Mercosur relations. Although negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) have overtaken Mercosur's urgency of reaching agreements with northern countries, it is still recognized that both regions have a great deal to offer each other. Both parties noted that communication must improve in order to facilitate the cooperation process. Currently, there are strong relations in the health, energy, and agriculture sectors. Canadians are involved in a number of projects in Mercosur, and the challenge is to spur the current relations into long-term ties.<br /><br />Both Canada and Mercosur recognized that a mutual education must occur to understand each other's social and political components. Canadian companies need to learn how to do business in Mercosur. It was proposed that non-governmental organizations and universities from both regions should become involved in furthering education.<br /><br />Proposed actions that came from the Forum highlighted the necessity for short and medium term initiatives. Both governments agreed to reinvigorate the FTAA negotiations through TICA. Non-governmental organizations such as the Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL) and Red Mercosur committed to the creation of a working group for the exchange of ideas regarding the removal of barriers. It was proposed that, in light of the importance of agriculture to both Canada and Mercosur, the regions should pursue the harmonization of sanitary regulations.<br /><br />Total bi-lateral agricultural trade between Canada and Mercosur in 2001 totaled $650.9 million. This was a decrease of $45.8 million from the total in 2000, as there was a notable decrease in a number of Canada's agricultural exports to Mercosur. Brazil took nearly 79% of Mercosur's total agricultural imports from Canada, while Paraguay received less than 1%. Canada exported a total of $69.8 million in agricultural products to Mercosur in 2001, marking a decrease of nearly $34 million from 2000.<br /><br />Canadian Agri-food Exports to Mercosur by Country, 2001 Members <br />Brazil $54.8 million <br />Argentina $9.3 million <br />Uruguay $5 million <br />Paraguay $683,752 <br />Total $69.8 million <br /><br /><br />Of Canada's agricultural exports to Mercosur in 2001, over 76% was represented by the top five products. Malt was the dominant export, with all of this commodity going to Brazil. Brazil also received all wheat nes and meslin Canada exported to Mercosur.<br /><br />Canada's Top 5 Agri-food Exports to Mercosur, 2001 Malt, not roasted $15.2 million <br />Lentils dried, shelled $11 million <br />Peas dried, shelled $10.6 million <br />Canary seed $9.4 million <br />Wheat nes and meslin $7.1 million <br /><br /><br />Over 60% of Canada's agricultural exports to Mercosur in 2001 were represented by intermediate agricultural products. Intermediate product exports were valued at $42.8 million, a decrease of $3.6 million from 2000. Bulk exports to Mercosur decreased by approximately 43% in 2001, and represented 24% of total agricultural exports. Consumer agri-food exports also decreased in 2001 to a value of $10.1 million, representing 14% of the total.<br /><br />In 2001 Canada imported $581 million in agricultural products from Mercosur in 2001. This was a decrease of approximately $12.9 million from 2000. Brazil provided over 61% of Mercosur's agricultural exports to Canada with a total value of $359.7 million. This is in great contrast to Paraguay's agricultural exports to Canada, which accounted for less than 1% of the total. <br /><br />Canadian Agri-food Imports From Mercosur by Country, 2001 Members <br />Brazil $359.7 million <br />Argentina $128.9 million <br />Uruguay $91.9 million <br />Paraguay $409,168 <br />Total $581 million <br /><br /><br />The top five products represented over 65% of Canada's total agricultural imports from Mercosur. The top import was raw sugar cane with a value of $110.1 million, with over 99% coming from Brazil. Brazil also provided 100% of the orange juice Mercosur exported to Canada. Brazil also accounted for over 99% of the coffee Canada imported from Mercosur.<br /><br />Canada's Top 5 Agri-food Imports from Mercosur, 2001 Raw sugar, cane $110.1 million <br />Orange juice, unfermented $96.4 million <br />Bovine cuts boneless, frozen $92.5 million <br />Coffee $64.6 million <br />Fresh pears & quinces $16.1 million <br /><br />Argentina provided 100% of the fresh pears & quinces Mercosur exported to Canada in 2001. This was also Argentina's top export to Canada in that year. Uruguay's top agricultural export to Canada in 2001 was frozen, boneless bovine cuts, accounting for over 89% of Mercosur's exports of this product to Canada. Refined sugar was Paraguay's top agricultural export to Canada, with a value of $116,058.<br /><br />For more information on Mercosur: <br /><br />http://www.invertir.com/ <br />www.mercopress.com<br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Date Modified: 2003 03 18 Important Notices<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110975578030589857?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109755400588530882005-03-02T01:21:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:23:20.590-08:00What is deterrence ? <br />Deterrence is the rationale used by the nuclear weapons states to justify their weapons. The argument says that if a nation has capability to inflict unacceptable damage on another, then the latter will refrain from attacking the former--it will be deterred from doing so. The proponents of deterrence claim that it is responsible for the fact that there has been no war between the nuclear weapons states so far. <br /><br />Given the nature of strategic nuclear weapons, deterrence relies on holding the civilian population hostage. Any peace brought about by it is like the peace that exists between two persons who are holding guns to each other's heads with their fingers on the triggers: an uneasy, tense peace which is fraught with danger. So the fact that no nuclear war has occurred in the last fifty years is no guarantee that it will not occur in the next fifty or hundred years despite deterrence. <br /><br /><br />What is a nuclear doctrine ? <br />Since a nuclear weapon can destroy a city within minutes of its being launched, it is necessary for a nuclear weapons state (at least one believing in nuclear deterrence) to clearly declare the circumstances under which it will use its weapons and the manner in which it will do so. This is its nuclear doctrine. The doctrine specifies if the state retains the option of initiating a nuclear attack (first use) or if it will use its weapons only in retaliation of a nuclear attack (no first use). The state also specifies the extent of use it will make of its nuclear weapons in different situations. <br /><br /><br />What is a second strike capability ? <br />If a nation is subjected to a nuclear attack, it is presumed that the initial targets would be its own nuclear weapons facilities. A second strike capability means that the nation should have enough weapons and have them deployed in a manner that enough of them survive the initial attack and can be used for a retaliatory attack. <br /><br />Thus the weapons that make up the second strike capability could be missiles that are launched from mobile launchers that are constantly on the move. Or they could be missiles launched from nuclear submarines which can stay submerged for long periods of time and are therefore difficult to locate and destroy.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110975540058853088?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109681678243047012005-03-01T04:42:00.000-08:002005-03-01T04:54:38.246-08:00The Spanish Film " The Sea Inside" (Directed by Alejandro Amenabar), which won the foreign-language Oscar in 2005, is the fourth Spanish film to win the foreign language Oscar and the first since the 1999 movie "All About My Mother" (Directed by Pedro Almodovar).<br /><br />"The Sea Inside" is a Spanish drama based on the true story of a quadriplegic's fight for the right to enlist others to help him die. The man (named Ramon Sampedro, who is paralyzed in a driving accident), despite his desire for death spreads light around him.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110968167824304701?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109239799109913472005-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:002005-02-24T02:09:59.110-08:00VIRTUE<br /><br /><br />The biggest tax reform in the last fifty years is still facing problems in its implementation. When the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, on January 17 this year, released the white paper on Value Added Tax (VAT), it was felt that there was no further obstacle in the process of introduction of VAT in place of the state level sales tax. It seemed VAT will finally see the light of the day on April 1,2005, as scheduled. But the traders are still not satisfied and are peoving to be the biggest impediment to the implementation of VAT. <br />But the fears among the traders is not because of some inherent flaw in VAT but because of their lack of knowledge about it. VAT involves taxation at every point of transaction. It leads to avoidance of multiple taxation and subsequently lowering of taxes for both manufacturers and traders. And eventually it lowers the prices of final goods for consumers. Broadly speaking, everyone will benefit if VATis introduced soon.<br />One needs to understand that VAT is essential for India manufacturing to bloom. A proper VAT on manufacturing and services will enable the economy to get away from the disproportionate burden of taxation on manufacturing which is one of the reasons that the economy has got skewed towards the services sector.<br />In the VAT regime, the annual assessment of tax as in the existing system of sales tax will not be done. Instead, VAT-audit will be done , not annually, but once in a couple of years. <br />In an ideal VAT regime there is no room for Central Sales Tax (CST). However, for the time being the government has no plans for immediately doing away with CST. Currently 550 goods with two basic rates i.e., a two-tier tax regime) of 4 per cent and 12.5 per cent plus a specific category of 46 tax exempted goods and a special VAT rate of 1 per cent (only for gold and silver ornaments) will be brought within the ambit of VAT. In order to facillitate smooth implementation of VAT the centre has also agreed to compensate the states for 100% loss of revenue in the first year, 75% of the loss in the second year and 50% of the loss in the third year.<br />Another important advantage of VAT is that it will eliminate the cascading effect of state taxes and create acommon national market free of distortions caused by the tax structures and administration in various states.<br />There has been a lot of hue and cry regardingthe implementation of VAT ever since Dr. Raja Chelliah recommended this legislation in 1992. A number attempts to implement VAT since then, most notably April 2003, have failed. One should, therefore, not squander this opportunity and implement VAT as scheduled for the benefit of the Indian economy.<br /><br /><br />VICE<br /><br /><br /><br />VAT is in trouble again , and rightly so. Organised trade lobbies are working overtime to break the resolve of the consenting states like Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab. And it seems they will again derail VAT.<br />VAT represents a shift in the powers of taxation from the states to the centre. Under the Constitution, powers to levy taxes on sales of goods is vested with state governments , but VAT is not mentioned anywhere in the statute. Now, with the empowered committee deciding on VAT rates, states are giving up sovereign right of taxation. This has important connotations, not the least that cash strapped states will have less leeway in raising revenues.<br />There are at least three reasons to be sceptical about VAT. First, in the presence of a large informal sector, VAT will remain confined largely<br />to the organised sector. Therefore, raising the VAT to compensate for loss in revenue from lowering a tariff while not distortionary within the organised sector, will create a distortion between the organised and the unorganised sectors and there is no palpable reason why welfare will go up as a result of this tax reform. In fact,under certain conditions, welfare will actually godown.<br />The second argument against rushing into VAT is that a value- added tax, like any other indirect tax, is regressive. Given the renewedfocus on poverty alleviation I policy circles, can we afford tax reform that is likely to beregressive?<br />A third argument against VAT is that for this tax to be meaningful in terms of its non-cascading effects, there should be a single-rate VAT. Hence, the government would do well to pause and evaluate all the implications of VAT. Instead of pushing through a harmonised VAT, a better approach will be to first remove the many impediments to internal trade.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110923979910991347?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109241080945913142005-02-24T02:12:00.000-08:002005-02-24T02:31:20.946-08:00PHL : Aims and Aspirations<br /><br />The Premier Hockey League(PHL), billed as “hockey in a new avatar”, got off the blocks at the Gachhibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on January 13th , 2005.<br /><br />There are ten teams which have been divided into two tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2, known as the Premier Division and the First Division respectively. Hyderabad Sultans, Chennai Veerans, Bangalore Hi-Fliers, Maratha Warriors and Sher-e- Jallandhar are the five teams comprising Tier 1, while Delhi Dazzlers, Lucknow Nawabs, Imphal Rangers, Bengal Tigers and Chandigarh Dynamos figure in Tier 2.<br /><br />The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and ESPN- STAR SPORTS joined hands to float a company -- PHL Pvt. Ltd. -- to run the league. Both are equal partners in the company, and the company has the sole rights to organise the league till 2013.The IHF has also succeeded in attracting foreign players for the inaugural edition of the PHL.<br /><br />Each match has four quarters of seventeen minutes and thirty seconds each, instead of two halves. If a match goes into extra time, the numbers of players are reduced in each half and the losing team gets a point for stretching the match beyond regulation time.<br /><br />The PHL had an estimated cost of around Rs. 2 crore in the inaugural year. The organisers of the PHL had promised that it would be "pleasing to the eyes and soothing to the senses" and would be a step forward in regaining India's lost glory. The organisers' words were justified to an extent. The inaugural edition of the PHL was definitely a step forward towards regaining India's lost superpower status.<br /><br />Hyderabad Sultans won the first edition of the PHL with an impressive display. Chandigarh Dynamos won the Tier II championships in the inaugural year. The Premier Hockey League ended on February 13,2005, with the promise to achieve some success in the next edition.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110924108094591314?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109165789929395342005-02-23T19:09:00.000-08:002005-02-23T05:36:29.930-08:00<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110916578992939534?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11028776.post-1109167217077352092005-02-23T05:55:00.000-08:002005-02-23T06:00:17.080-08:00Qns. The last word in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is "ZYZZVA".<br /> What does it mean ?<br /><br />Ans. The Last Word.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11028776-110916721707735209?l=valhallaviking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>valhallavikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331782018633030398noreply@blogger.com0