Japan PM sticks to modest election goal after polls

June 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Japan’s prime minister tried to quell suggestions on Saturday he could be the next in line of revolving door leaders, sticking to a modest target in a forthcoming election after polls showed his party may miss a majority.

World | Japan

Speculation simmers that rivals in Naoto Kan’s ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) could try to oust him if the party fares poorly in the July 11 upper house election. The party needs a majority in the chamber to forge ahead with policies to boost the economy and cut huge debt.

The DPJ, which swept to power for the first time last year, will run the government regardless of the outcome given its dominance in the lower house, but control of the upper house would enable it to avoid policy deadlock.

Kan, who took over this month as Japan’s fifth premier in three years, said he was standing by a goal to win 54 of 121 seats in the election. That would fall short of a majority but analysts say Kan is setting the bar low to avoid being ousted in a party leadership vote in September.

“Before I became the party leader, the DPJ was in a tough position,” he told reporters in Toronto, where he was making his debut at a meeting of G8 and G20 leaders.

“I want to focus on winning the current number of seats we have, then how we can exceed that.”

SHORT OF A MAJORITY

Media have reported that the DPJ could well fall short of an outright majority and may need to find new allies to control the chamber, clouding the outlook for policies.

A June 24-25 survey by the Asahi newspaper showed the DPJ could win about 54 of the 121 seats up for grabs in the 242-member upper house, in line with Kan’s target but short of the 60 it needs for an outright majority.

Support for the DPJ-led government has rebounded since Kan took over from the unpopular Yukio Hatoyama. But ratings slipped after Kan made fiscal reform the heart of his campaign and floated the idea of doubling the 5 percent sales tax.

While many voters agree an increase in the sales tax is inevitable to pay growing social security costs and fix tattered public finances, others say the government should first do more to cut wasteful spending.

Kan said priorities would be established for spending cuts and pledged to drum up support for bold tax reforms from DPJ members, some of whom are wary that the idea could hurt the party’s election chances.

“Of course we will consider ways to not put too much burden on people with low incomes,” Kan said. “My proposal is to initiate debate, so I think I can win (the party’s) understanding.”

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

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CORRECTED-Japan PM sticks to modest election goal after polls

June 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

TORONTO, June 26 (Reuters) – Japan’s prime minister tried to quell suggestions on Saturday he could be the next in line of revolving door leaders, sticking to a modest target in a forthcoming election after polls showed his party may miss a majority.

Speculation simmers that rivals in Naoto Kan’s ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) could try to oust him if the party fares poorly in the July 11 upper house election. The party needs a majority in the chamber to forge ahead with policies to boost the economy and cut huge debt.

The DPJ, which swept to power for the first time last year, will run the government regardless of the outcome given its dominance in the lower house, but control of the upper house would enable it to avoid policy deadlock.

Kan, who took over this month as Japan’s fifth premier in three years, said he was standing by a goal to win 54 of 121 seats in the election. That would fall short of a majority but analysts say Kan is setting the bar low to avoid being ousted in a party leadership vote in September.

“Before I became the party leader, the DPJ was in a tough position,” he told reporters in Toronto, where he was making his debut at a meeting of G8 and G20 leaders.

“I want to focus on winning the current number of seats we have, then how we can exceed that.”

SHORT OF A MAJORITY

Media have reported that the DPJ could well fall short of an outright majority and may need to find new allies to control the chamber, clouding the outlook for policies.

A June 24-25 survey by the Asahi newspaper showed the DPJ could win about 54 of the 121 seats up for grabs in the 242-member upper house, in line with Kan’s target but short of the 60 it needs for an outright majority. [ID:nTOE65P006]

Support for the DPJ-led government has rebounded since Kan took over from the unpopular Yukio Hatoyama. But ratings slipped after Kan made fiscal reform the heart of his campaign and floated the idea of doubling the 5 percent sales tax.

While many voters agree an increase in the sales tax is inevitable to pay growing social security costs and fix tattered public finances, others say the government should first do more to cut wasteful spending.

Kan said priorities would be established for spending cuts and pledged to drum up support for bold tax reforms from DPJ members, some of whom are wary that the idea could hurt the party’s election chances.

“Of course we will consider ways to not put too much burden on people with low incomes,” Kan said. “My proposal is to initiate debate, so I think I can win (the party’s) understanding.” (Editing by Ron Popeski)

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Woods’ No. 1 reign to end?

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

History may be about to be scripted. But Tiger Woods may not have much to do with it. Or can he force it to go the way it has doing over the last dozen years or so?

It has been 12 years since the creation of the Mark H. McCormack Award, given to the player who has been ranked No. 1 in the world for the most weeks during a calendar year.

Tiger Woods is still the only name engraved on the trophy.

Along with his 14 majors, 82 official victories and more than $100 million in earnings worldwide, Woods’ dominance of his generation is reflected in the world ranking. Dating to the 1998 U.S. Open at Olympic Club, he has been at the top 93 percent of the time.

Woods doesn’t stay there forever. He just doesn’t vacate the spot for very long.

David Duval took it away from him by winning The Players Championship in 1999 and stayed there for 14 weeks. Five years later, Vijay Singh replaced Woods at No. 1 by beating him at the TPC Boston for one of his nine victories that year. Singh finished the final four months at No. 1 – not long enough to win the McCormack Award – and didn’t give it back until Woods won the Masters the next April.

Phil Mickelson appears to be next in line.

The Masters champion needs only to win Colonial this week to become the 13th player to occupy No. 1 since McCormack, the late founder of IMG, devised the ranking system in 1986. Colonial is more meaningful than ever for Mickelson, for it was last year when the tournament staged a “Pink Out” to support his wife, Amy, who had just learned she had breast cancer.

Mickelson has never been No. 1 at anything in a career that has been second to one. Despite his 40 worldwide victories and four majors, he has never won the money list, player of the year, the FedEx Cup, the Vardon Trophy or reached No. 1 in the world.

If it doesn’t happen at Colonial, it figures to happen soon. A change at the top seems inevitable, more because of what’s going on with Woods – chaos in his personal life, back-to-back weeks out of the money for the first time – than with Lefty.

What makes this amazing is how quickly it changed.

Even after Mickelson won the Tour Championship last September, Woods’ average was nearly twice as high.

But the longer Woods stayed away from golf while dealing with the fallout from his infidelity, the more points he lost. Mickelson took a big step by winning at Augusta National, his only victory this year, and finishing second alone at Quail Hollow with a birdie on the last hole.

What makes this different from previous times that Woods gave up the No. 1 ranking is that if Mickelson fails to catch him soon, there’s no shortage of players right behind him.

Lee Westwood of England is No. 3, not quite in range but getting closer. He has finished no worse than third in the last three majors, and he appears to have figured out how to play his best golf in the biggest events. Steve Stricker is No. 4, although Colonial will be his first tournament since the Masters because of a chest injury. Jim Furyk, a two-time winner this year, is next at No. 5.

“Tiger’s performance and schedule and things like that are unpredictable at the moment, aren’t they?” Westwood said last week.

“We have all seen that the last few weeks. Phil is obviously a world-class player and has already won a major this year, but you know, his performances are very much up-and-down as well.

“I suppose No. 2 and No. 1 are more achievable than they have been in the last few years.”

Ian Poulter, who is No. 6, was quoted in a British golf magazine a few years ago as saying that when he reaches his potential, it will be him and Woods at the top of the ranking. But is it a given that Woods will be there at the end of the year?

“I can see anybody in the top 10 in the world – if they play great for a spell of three, four months, have a couple of wins and a couple of big finishes – certainly get to the points that Tiger is at now, for sure,” Poulter said.

One thing hasn’t changed. Losing the No. 1 ranking depends more on Woods than the players chasing him.

The other two times Woods lost his No. 1 ranking, he was revamping his game. He won only two tournaments in 1998, and when the changes with Butch Harmon finally took hold, Duval had passed him in the spring of ’99. Woods reclaimed No. 1 for good by winning the PGA Championship that year at Medinah, and he kept it for the next 264 weeks.

Woods was going through a swing change with Hank Haney for most of 2004 when he won only one tournament. Those changes kicked in at the end of that year, and Woods left everyone behind in 2005 with seven victories (including two majors) and five runner-up finishes.

He has been No. 1 for 259 consecutive weeks going into the Colonial. Woods made it sound as though he was going through more swing changes at The Players Championship, and that figures to be the case now that he and Haney no longer are working together. It remains a mystery who – if anyone – will be Woods’ next swing coach.

In the meantime, No. 1 is up for grabs. Mickelson is in the best position to seize this opportunity. And if it takes Woods more than a year to sort out his personal life and his game, there might finally be another name to be engraved on the McCormack Award.

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Monkeys” fighting behaviour could give insights into human wars

May 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 14 (ANI): A study on monkeys’ choices while deciding to fight or remaining at peace could help shed light on human wars, says a new study.

Competition for resources is often assumed to be a main cause of conflict in both humans and other animals, says Jessica Flack at the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico, but that might be wrong, reports New Scientist.

“We find that fighting is based on memories of what other individuals did last,” she added.

The researchers analysed data from 160 days of field observations of a group of 84 pigtailed macaques at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The team paid particular attention to which animals fought and how long each fight lasted.

Instead of explaining the monkey”s fighting ways by dreaming up a strategy based, for example, on the reward value of winning a fight for food or a mate, the researchers decided to look for strategies suggested by the data alone.

They made no assumption about the reasons for the monkeys” behaviour and looked only at patterns of behaviour leading up to fights.

Thus, they could determine the relative importance of the factors that led up to a fight.

They found that the strategy that best explained involvement in a fight was one in which decisions were based on the presence or absence of pairs of other monkeys.

This suggests that social dynamics play a central role.

Flack said that previous work has shown that monkeys often react to changes in the social structure of their group.

A monkey might decide to fight because a rival was gaining dominance, for example, or to defend another monkey that they wanted to make into an ally.

The new finding that previous conflicts shape future decisions suggests that fights may not be directly linked to immediate competition for resources.

However, in the long term, the motivations behind the strategy are linked to the fight for status and the access to resources that status brings, said Flack.

A better understanding of the real-world strategies used by monkeys could help predict the shape of future conflicts. (ANI)

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Johns urges Blues to remember 2009 heroes

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New South Wales great Andrew Johns has implored state selectors not to forget the Blues players who came of age in last year’s Origin finale when the time comes to name the side for the 2010 opener.

The Blues salvaged some pride with their 28-16 dead-rubber win at Lang Park, and Johns believes several members of the young squad finally learned what it took to win in rugby league’s toughest arena.

And despite the 10-month gap between games, Johns called on selectors to show faith in game one of this year’s series at Sydney’s Olympic stadium on May 26 as the Blues look to end Queensland’s four-year dominance of the interstate battle.

“Sometimes you’ve got to look at the guys who won the game in the third one and maybe stay loyal to them,” Johns said at the NSW Origin season launch in Sydney on Wednesday.

“I think the young players realise what the difference is between Origin football and club football now and took huge steps last year and you’ll see (the benefits) this year, they’ll keep going forward.”

Asked if Blues selectors relied too much on club form than on past Origin deeds, Johns – who will again serve as an assistant to Blues coach Craig Bellamy – said: “I don’t know if we’ve been guilty of that in the past, but some guys took some huge steps last year and I’d love to see them get a shot again.”

Bellamy admitted some players had “built points” during last year’s series in relation to holding onto their sky blue jumper.

But the man who has overseen NSW’s last three unsuccessful campaigns said it was important that people did not read too much into the fact his side won the final game of last year’s series.

“I think a few of them learnt what Origin was all about,” Bellamy said.

“If we’d put that much in for 80 minutes in the first two games perhaps we might have got a bit closer to a result.

“There are guys that have certainly built points up in the last two series I’ve been there.

“Guys who play really well for the whole series, they’re the guys that have got their front foot in the door, not so much the guys who played the whole series and only played good in the last one.

“There are guys there you know who really produced under Origin pressure. They are the guys you want in your team.

“There are players made for Origin and others struggle going up to the next level.”

Johns pointed to backrowers Anthony Watmough and Ben Creagh as obvious examples of players who developed as the 2009 series progressed, while he also leapt to the defence of incumbent skipper and full-back Kurt Gidley, who is facing intense pressure from Dally M player of the year Jarryd Hayne to retain the number one jumper.

While refusing to put a line through any possibilities, Johns pointed to the success of last year’s combination with Hayne given a roaming commission from the wing.

“Everyone knows what sort of player Kurt is, he suits Origin down to the ground,” Johns said.

“What works in Origin isn’t the same as what works at club level – it doesn’t matter what number you’ve got on your back, you get out there and play.

“Even though Hayne was on the wing last year he popped up in the middle.”

- AAP

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Rabbitohs leave Sharks winless

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cronulla is the only NRL club yet to post a win so far this season after going down 30-8 to South Sydney in their round three encounter at Shark Park on Monday evening.

The Rabbitohs, who themselves had entered the match without a victory, produced a solid enough display by running in five tries to two, although they were guilty of shutting down far too early in the second half.

Rabbitohs centre Beau Champion crossed for two tries amid wet and slippery conditions, his efforts helping to consign the Sharks to what is their 13th-straight defeat.

The performance under the high ball from full-back Albert Kelly, who dropped a series of bombs, pretty much summed up the Sharks’ night and they now must re-group before meeting Parramatta at home on Saturday.

It was a morale-boosting display from the Rabbitohs to give coach Johnny Lang his first triumph in charge.

“We’ve struggled to win games we’re expected to win,” Lang said.

“The boys came here tonight and everyone’s telling them ‘you should win this game’ … we were under pressure and we worked hard and we got the points.”

The victory was very much built on the Rabbitohs’ dominance in attack during the opening half.

They completed 18 of 20 sets and enjoyed 58 per cent of possession and although they failed to replicate their completion rate in the second term, the damage had been done by half-time when they led 18-4.

The Rabbitohs had trailed early, however, when Luke Covell scored in the left-hand corner in the seventh minute after the Sharks had gone down the short side from a scrum 10 metres out.

But the visitors were unfazed and Champion opened his account five minutes later when an angled run saw him cross the paint and he doubled his tally soon after when he scored out to the right, having taken a neat offload from Nathan Merritt from close to the Sharks’ try line.

Champion’s centre partner Colin Best was the next to post a try when he was beautifully set up by a weighted pass from Ben Lowe, the Rabbitohs lock teasing the Sharks at the defensive line before offloading to his team-mate.

Issac Luke, who missed the Rabbitohs’ warm-up after taking his pregnant girlfriend to the hospital, added three conversions to help establish a 14-point lead at the break.

The Rabbitohs moved further ahead early in the second half with star recruit Sam Burgess registering his maiden try in the NRL.

The England international bustled over after receiving a pass from Luke in a switch play from close range, the latter then converting to set up a 20-point advantage.

The Sharks did grab one try back in the 46th minute via Blake Ferguson, although it was effectively a consolation four-pointer with the home side unable to get back on the scoreboard from that point after.

The Rabbitohs countered through a Luke try midway through the half that was converted by Chris Sandow, but they then virtually put the cue in the rack, a worrying sign for Lang ahead of next Monday’s fixture against Canterbury at the Olympic stadium.

South Sydney: 30 (B Champion 2, C Best, S Burgess, I Luke tries; I Luke 4 goals, C Sandow goal)

Cronulla: 8 (L Covell, B Ferguson tries)

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Classy Cats see off brave Bombers

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Geelong will not be knocked off its perch easily judging by its gritty five-goal win over Essendon at the MCG on Friday evening.

Three years of dominance and the rapid progress of rivals has many questioning the Cats’ ability to stay at the top this season, and the young Bombers certainly asked serious questions of the AFL’s reigning premiers.

Twice Essendon threatened to run away with the match and twice the Cats clawed their way back, showing they will not be bullied in a tenacious 19.11 (125) to 13.16 (94) victory which may ultimately set the tone for their flag defence.

And while both teams will know one game does not make a season, Geelong certainly showed it is up for a fight.

“Jeez it was a hard game, Essendon have improved a lot as we knew they would,” new Cats skipper Cameron Ling said.

“They’ve got a fantastic group of young guys.

“It was just good that could we withstand it and kick away a little bit there in the last quarter – it was a fantastic hit-out.”

Two-goal forward Steve Johnson added: “They came out really hard and they got on top of us.

“It took our best 100 per cent effort to get back in the game and we were pretty lucky just to get over the line in the end.”

Coach Mark Thompson admitted the Cats were taken to the limit.

“The players are exhausted and I think so are the coaches,” he said.

“The first game of the year is really hard, you don’t know what to expect and we battled, we battled our way through it.

“We had a style of play that wasn’t working against Essendon, which normally does… so a lot of credit to Essendon.

“In the end, it was our experience and maybe our strength – maybe they got a bit tired – that allowed us to get back into the game.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter if you win the first game by a point, you take it.”

Bombers’ surge

In the second and third terms Geelong was blitzed in an area it is normally so dominant – contested possession – and an upset appeared on the cards.

Essendon’s workrate at the clearances was exceptional and paved the way for onslaughts which seriously tested Geelong and its 19 premiership players on display.

The Bombers’ first surge saw them nail 28 out of 29 points in a second-quarter run which had them up by 18 points, with two goals to livewire Aaron Davey among four straight.

Geelong however snapped out of it with five goals of its own, including two from Tom Hawkins and Gary Ablett’s second of the quarter to reclaim the lead.

The frantic passage of play preceded another momentum shift, which began late in the half with a goal to Jay Neagle after he received a 50-metre free kick when Paul Chapman voiced his displeasure over a holding-the-ball penalty.

The Bombers added to that the first 28 points of the second half, including a goal to first-gamer Ben Howlett, to take a four-goal cushion.

However the Cats were again able to climb off the canvas via James Kelly, skipper Cameron Ling and Jimmy Bartel to trail by a solitary goal at the final change.

They then cantered through the last quarter, kicking six straight goals and eight in total with Cam Mooney and Shannon Byrnes accounting for two each.

That the Bombers did not register a goal between the eight-minute mark of the third quarter and the 22nd-minute mark of the last said much about Geelong’s ability to turn around possession around and make Joel Corey’s 200th game one to remember.

Bombers coach Matthew Knights rued his team’s final-quarter fadeout.

“When an opportunity comes knocking, you’ve got to be able to go through those opportunities,” he said.

“When they have been beaten in the past, it’s because teams were good enough to take their opportunities on a big stage.

“Physically, we matched them for three quarters, but then they just got on top in so many areas in the last quarter and had their own way.”

Bronwlow Medal winner Gary Ablett showed speculation about his future will not affect him with a game-high 37 possessions and two goals, while Bartel (29 disposals, two goals) and Ling (29 disposals, one goal) were also prevalent.

Brett Stanton (33 possessions, eight tackles, seven marks and a goal) was a standout for the Bombers.

Ruckman David Hille, back for the first time in 11 months since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Collingwood in last year’s Anzac Day match, was reported for charging Bartel in the final term.

Cats: 19.11 (125) – C Mooney 3, S Byrnes 3, G Ablett 2, J Bartel 2, J Kelly 2, S Johnson 2, T Hawkins 2, B Ottens, C Ling, J Selwood.

Bombers: 13.16 (94) – A Davey 2, A Monfries 2, D Zaharakis 2, J Watson 2, B Howlett, B Stanton, D Fletcher, J Neagle, K Reimers.

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Stephanie Rice steals Schipper”s 100 m butterfly title

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sydney, Mar 19(ANI): Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice booked a place at the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi when she hit top form by upsetting former world champion Jess Schipper in the 100m at the selection trials in Sydney.

Rice (57.71secs) claimed her first national 100m butterfly title, mowing down Felicity Galvez (58.20) and Schipper (58.41) on the last lap of the final at Sydney Olympic Park.

The win ended the recent domestic dominance of Schipper, who had taken four of the last five national titles.

“I”m really happy with that time. It”s around the same time as this time last year but in that was in a (Speedo LZR) Racer so it”s just sort of brings to the fold more than anything that I”m in really good shape,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Rice, as saying.

“It”s giving me a lot more confidence for the 400IM,” he added.

Rice said she viewed 2010 as her best chance for butterfly success with Schipper not in peak form.

“I don”t think she”s in 100 per cent form. I think more than anything this is going to spur her on for Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs,” Rice said. (ANI)

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Carney not buying into Origin hype

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Rejuvenated bad boy Todd Carney says he will not let a successful NRL return overshadow the enormity he faces in getting his life and career back on track.

Just one game into a comeback after 16 months out of the game, Carney found his name tossed up as a State of Origin contender after a stunning Sydney Roosters debut.

Shown the door by Canberra midway through 2008 after a string of alcohol-related incidents, the 23-year-old looked like he had never been away as he toyed with the South Sydney defence, but he admitted talk of a Blues jumper was beyond his ambitions.

“Nate (team-mate Nate Myles) was into me about being the saviour and things like that but I’m not looking into it that much,” Carney said of New South Wales selection.

“I remember the headlines 18 months ago – I don’t want to jump into things too early, just keep working hard and keep my head down.”

Still, Carney could be an intriguing option for Blues selectors trying to end Queensland recent dominance, and he was on the verge of a call-up when his world came crashing down in 2008.

At home at half-back and five-eighth, Carney proved against the Rabbitohs he was more than capable in the number one jumper, though his chances of representative selection could be determined as much by his ability to keep things in check off the field as his performances on it.

Without a drink since the new year, Carney is determined to leave the past behind.

Just prior to being shown the door at the Raiders, the Goulburn junior was handed a final chance with the club which was contingent on him adhering to a five-point plan – one point being that he stay away from alcohol until 2012.

Carney rejected the offer and promptly had his contract torn up.

No such constraints have been placed at the Roosters, but Carney said a change in attitude had negated the need for any mothering.

“I’m going day by day, week by week and I just keep going the way I am,” Carney said.

“I don’t need one so I’m happy not drinking.

“That side’s passed me and I’ve still got a lot to work on but I’m feeling comfortable and excited and happy.

“I’m just going along with my football, happy to turn up to training everyday, I’m just excited to be back playing football.

“The change has been great, I’ve seen that in myself and I think everyone can see that.”

Carney said he had no hard feeling towards Canberra for letting him go, and while the Raiders claim they feel the same way toward the troubled star, there is no doubt more performances of the ilk he produced against South Sydney will leave the talent-starved club with some regrets.

“I did the wrong thing at Canberra and they had the right to sack me,” Carney said.

“It was a business [decision] for them and they sacked me. I’ve got on with it, they’ve got on with it.”

-AAP

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Rice holds off Seebohm

March 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Olympic champion Stephanie Rice reasserted her dominance in the 200 metres individual medley at the Commonwealth Games selection trials in Sydney on Tuesday.

Rice, backing up from finishing fourth behind Blair Evans in the 200m freestyle less than an hour earlier, sealed her spot on the team for New Delhi by clocking 2 minutes and 10.07 seconds to finish ahead of fellow Queenslander Emily Seebohm (2:10.75) and Alicia Coutts (2:11.97).

The 17-year-old Seebohm, who beat Rice in the event at the New South Wales titles last month, went out hard, putting the triple Olympic gold medallist in the unfamiliar position of having to come from behind.

But Rice showed her class in overpowering Seebohm in the final 50m, although she could not help but acknowledge after the race her younger rival was becoming an increasingly dangerous threat.

“0.7 (seconds) is not a big difference and for someone so young, who is always improving, she (Seebohm) has been on my radar for the last two or three years,” she said.

“She has really come through.

“The 200IM is probably going to become one of her main strokes and it is great to have some real depth in the medley swimming in the country.”

Rice, who described her earlier swim in the 200m freestyle as “average”, says she enjoyed having something to catch after dominating so many races in recent years.

“It was nice to sort of play catch up and it was a different race for me, I’m usually further in front at the 100,” she said.

“I think I just stuck to my own race plan. I knew she’d go out hard but I didn’t let it faze me.”

Seebohm’s coach Matt Brown says it is inevitable his swimmer will improve as she matured further.

“She is not a little girl any more,” Brown said.

“You still have to remember, when she first burst on the scene she was 14 and 14-year-old girls can be quite immature and she is only now starting to get a bit of muscular structure to her body.

“The stuff she is doing in the gym is like an adult rather than a kid.”

In other results, the controversial Nick D’Arcy added another national 200m butterfly title to his collection, winning the final in 1:54.61, while rising distance star Robert Hurley triumphed in the 400m with a time of 3:47.67.

- AAP

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Major parties slammed in Fitzgerald’s last speech

March 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The former anti-corruption Royal Commissioner and judge, Tony Fitzgerald, has slammed Australia’s two major political parties for creating what he says to be an amoral, anarchic political culture, controlled by money and lacking in ethics, oversight and accountability.

He says too many politicians are motivated by power rather than public interest and there is too much government by executive.

Mr Fitzgerald says our democracy is not broken but bent, and laments the dominance of Australian politics by career politicians and self-interested groups with a disregard for the public interest in favour of political advantage.

He says voters are little more than observers to a substantially rule-free political contest.

“The community is ill-served by this escalating transfer of power from the public to the dominant political parties and the party’s disinterest in ethical constraints and resistance to oversight and accountability even by independent anti-corruption bodies,” he said.

“Without satisfactory legal and ethical fetters, then political process like all human constructs can be and is manipulated and exploited to advance personal and group interests.

“A political class has evolved which is interested in little but the acquisition and exercise of power.”

Major parties abusing power

He delivered his assessment while launching an initiative of the Accountability Round Table, designed to reward politicians for honour and integrity.

Mr Fitzgerald says it will be his last commentary on the state of government in Australia.

After blowing the lid off Queensland’s corruption in the late 80s, Tony Fitzgerald went to ground.

He broke his silence last year, to accuse the Queensland Government of slipping back into the bad old days.

Today he opened fire on Australian politics more generally. He says the major parties are abusing a position which is entrenched partly by wealth.

“It is now extremely difficult, if not impossible, for another competitive political force to emerge because of the financial advantages held by the two major parties and the critical role that money plays in political activity,” he said.

“My comments are not directed to individual politicians, a specific political party or a particular state and my opinions are simply those of an extremely fallible, aging private citizen, with children and grandchildren who’s interested in Australia’s future.”

Democracy undermined

Mr Fitzgerald says democracy is being undermined because of a disregard for Westminster conventions, an obsession with media management and the ability of well-connected individuals and groups to wield influence.

“Decisions favouring special interests are common. Secrecy and misinformation, euphemistically called ‘spin’ are routinely employed,” he said.

“Media management as it’s called, insults and confuses the electorate, which is denied the comprehensive accurate information which is essential to the proper functioning of democracy.

“Most, if not all conventions concerning standards of political conduct, which the Westminster system once incorporated, such as ministerial responsibility are obsolescent.”

Mr Fitzgerald says too often he has seen social division, populism and prejudice used as political tools and support for fundamental institutions abandoned for political advantage.

“The prevailing political culture is increasingly amoral with each party lowering its standards, exploiting gaps in the law and disregarding ethical standards in order to compete.”

Mr Fitzgerald’s groundbreaking report on police and political corruption in Queensland ensures any comments he makes about political power will be heard, but he insists this will be his last blast.

“My understanding is that, shortly before they die, swans sing and although I’m, not as far as I know, in imminent danger of death, this is indeed the last time I propose to speak publicly,” he said.

“I am a very private person. I’ve said all I want to say. I want to encourage the accountability round table in organisations like that but I really have nothing more to contribute.

“I suppose my concerns are really more with Commonwealth and State governments than with local authorities, although obviously the integrity of local authorities is of paramount concern to local residents.”

The Accountability Round Table is now taking nominations for the inaugural awards to honour parliamentary integrity.

It is not clear whether Mr Fitzgerald will be eligible to nominate.

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Delhi Half Marathon 2009 | Delhi Half Marathon | Delhi Marathon 2009 | Deriba Merga | Delhi Half Marathon Winner Deriba Merga | Delhi Marathon With Shah Rukh Khan | Airtel Delhi Half Marathon | Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2009 | 2009 Delhi Marathon | Delhi Marathon

November 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Delhi Half Marathon 2009 | Delhi Half Marathon | Delhi Marathon 2009 | Deriba Merga | Delhi Half Marathon Winner Deriba Merga | Delhi Marathon With Shah Rukh Khan | Airtel Delhi Half Marathon | Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2009 | 2009 Delhi Marathon | Delhi Marathon

The Delhi Half Marathon is an annual half marathon foot-race held in New Delhi, India. It was established in 2006. The 2006 marathon drew about 20,000 participants.

2006 featured the marathon, there is a half marathon, a Fun Run and a 5km run. The event supports a number of charities including the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India and CRY (Child Relief and You). From November 2007 onwards, the marathon only features the half marathon (21.097 km), a senior citizen run (4 km), a wheel chair marathon (2.7 km) and the Great Delhi run (7 km).

The 2006 winner of the marathon was Simon Maiyo (Kenya) in a time of 2:17:00, whilst the first female over the line was Enatesh Tadesse (Ethiopia) in a time of 2:44:29. The marathons first prize is $30,000 for men and $20,000 for women.

The 2007 half marathon was held on November 11, 2007. World number six Diudone Disi (Rwanda)completed the 21-kilometer race in 1:00:43, while the fastest female over the line was Deriba Alemu (Ethiopia) who took little over one hour 10 minutes to win the race, ending the Kenyan dominance established during the last two editions of the half marathon.

The 2009 marathon, held on 1st November 2009, was again won by Deriba Merga (Ethiopia) in 59:54 minutes and the first woman to cross the line was Mary Keitany (Kenya).

For More Information Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2009 Website : http://www.adhm.indiatimes.com/

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Jharkhand farmers forced to leave cultivable land due to Maoist threat

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Palamu (Jharkhand), Sept 17 (ANI): Five farmers in Kadal village in Jharkhand’s Palamu district were forced to leave their recently purchased land, as the Maoists staked a claim to it under the Red cauldron.

The Maoists have reportedly taken over acres of land in the region, even the piece of land in question, had been taken over by them 20 years ago. And as per their instructions, the land would be used as a playground for children.

The five farmers had bought the land some time back and following the rains had started to cultivate it.

“We had started cultivating the land. But one day, the Maoists came and interrogated us. We told them that if it was their land we were ready to give away the land,” said Krishna Mehta, one of the farmers.

Maoists have been giving some of the illegally acquired land to the landless for farming while the rest lies barren.

The particular piece of land was community property before the Maoists acquired it.”People used to come here from various places to play and also practise for the police selections. The Maoists had come here and said that we must leave the land and we had to,” said Ayodhya Yadav, a farmer.

The farmers also alleged that the Maoists beat them up.

Jharkhand has turned into a major Maoist hub in the country. The red ultras have the dominance in 18 of the 24 districts of the state.

They force poor people to join their ranks and train them in carrying out hit-and-run attacks. They even try to carry it forward as a family tradition by teaching their children the same tactics.

The rebels often attack government establishments and extort money from businessmen and government officials to run their network. (ANI)

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Study on sheep shows link between personality, survival, and reproductive success

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): Canadian researchers have established a link between personality, survival, and reproductive success by carrying out a study on male bighorn sheep.

Denis Reale, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM and Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Ecology, says that the new study offers insight into personality differences in animals and humans, from an evolutionary perspective.

Since 1969, several teams of researchers have been studying this population of bighorn sheep in Alberta, Canada. They have collected considerable data over the years.

Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Alberta, Reale identified the rams in terms of boldness and docility.

The researchers then conducted paternity tests to determine which rams were reproducing.

They point out that in a system like that of bighorn sheep where there is strong competition among the males for impregnating females, large size and high dominance status are normally key factors in a male’s success.

Males usually attain these conditions in the prime of life, between 6 and 12 years, the researchers say.

However, the paternity tests showed that some young males manage to fertilize females.

The researchers also concentrated on the risk associated with participation in the rut-males can be injured or fall from a cliff in fighting.

Reale and his colleagues hypothesized that the young males that manage to reproduce would be the boldest and most combative, and analysis of the data confirmed it.

However, in exchange for sexual precocity and risk-taking, these rams often die younger than their more docile peers. The latter, instead, invest in the long term, breed later and reach an older age.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that their findings indicate a variation in the personalities and life histories of the population, with two extreme types: one that could be characterised as “live fast and die” and the other as “slow and steady wins the race”.

Depending on their personality, the males managed to breed and to transmit their genes, but in different ways.

The study demonstrates that personality has a direct influence on the lifestyle of individuals.

A research article describing the study has been published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. (ANI)

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Worker bees engage in ‘reproductive class war’ with queen

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 10 (ANI): All is not hunky-dory among the members of bee colonies, which are known for their cooperation. A new research has shown a conflict for reproduction between worker bees and their Queens, leading some workers to selfishly exploit the colony for their own needs.

The study focused on Melipona scutellaris, a Brazilian species of highly social stingless bees, found throughout the Atlantic rainforest. Colonies contain around 1,500 workers and are headed by one single-mated Queen.

Researchers led by Denise Alves, carried out a genetic study of nearly 600 males from 45 colonies to discover the parentage of the worker population.

Their results showed that 22.89 percent of Melipona scutellaris males are sons of the workers rather than the Queen, which demonstrated an on-going conflict for reproduction.

“Surprisingly our results show that over 80% of the worker’s sons had genotypes that were incompatible with them being the sons of the present queen. This demonstrates, for the first time, how workers continue this conflict by reproductively parasitizing the next-generation of the workforce for their own selfish benefit,” said Alves.

Worker bees are generally unable to mate, but are capable of laying unfertilised eggs which can develop into male offspring.

To assure dominance over reproduction the Queen often selectively eats any worker laid eggs. In some species other workers may eat the eggs of fellow workers in what is known as ‘worker policing’.

But despite these barriers there is much to gain for worker bees producing their own offspring, however the benefit is entirely for the individual and can be costly for the colony overall.

The team found that workers who reproduce could live as much as three times longer, meaning that reproducing workers have a life expectancy almost matching the Queen herself.

This added life expectancy could be because workers who reproduce do not usually carry out risky tasks such as foraging.

However as worker bees who are reproducing are not working, an increase in individual workers who reproduce puts the collective production of the colony in jeopardy, hence a queen-worker conflict over the production of males ensues.

To demonstrate this conflict the team studied the genotypes of worker and queen bees from 45 colonies.

If a male carried a genotype not present in either the mother queen or her mate, then it was clear the male was either the son of an invading bee or of a worker who superseded the Queen.

The team estimates 77.11 percent of the males were the queen’s sons, 4.34 percent were the sons of the workers derived from the current queen and 18.54 percent were the sons of workers derived from a previous, superseded queen.

“These results are the first explicit demonstration that conflict over male parentage in insect societies is not just played out between the queen and workers, but shows that the conflict may also spill over from one generation of workers to the other,” concluded Alves.

The study has been published in Molecular Ecology. (ANI)

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Jharkhand police rescues abducted official from Maoist clutches

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Ranchi, sep 2 (ANI): The Jharkhand Police on Wednesday rescued a State Government official, who was abducted by the Maoists in Palamau District.

According to police sources, a 20 member armed gang of the Jharkhand Liberation Tiger (JLT) had abducted Alok Kumar, a Circle Officer (CO) of Paki block in Palamau district, on Monday.

The incident tookplace in Kekargarh village of Palamau, about 190 km from the state capital Ranchi.

Kumar was rescued from the forest near Manatu block in the district on the early hours, sources added.umar was visiting the villages to select the workers for the Anganwadi when he was abducted.

The Maoists demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh for the release of Kumar.

“It was the police operation that forced the rebels to release Kumar,” said a police officer involved in the rescue operation.

Jharkhand has turned into a major Maoist hub in the country. The red ultras have the dominance in 18 of the 24 districts of the state. (ANI)

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Cricket’s new top dogs, the Proteas promise to look after No.1

August 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Johannesburg, Aug.26 (ANI): South African skipper Graeme Smith has vowed to hold on to the number one Test ranking for “as long as possible”.

The Proteas are the game’s new top dogs while Sri Lanka and India have also leapt above Australia in the rankings, leading players to reconcile with themselves what the fans already know; that decades of dominance are over and they no longer qualify as the world’s best following a third series defeat from their past five.

“The players deserve it for the hard work they have put in over the past two years and the outstanding results that have been achieved. We want to hold on to this ranking for as long as possible,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

Australian batsman Michael Hussey said: “I think this team has got a lot of improvement to go. I think in the cold light of day we’re probably not the best team in the world, and we’ve got to be honest with that.”

Hussey and captain Ricky Ponting, both 34, have left the door ajar on possibly returning to win the Ashes in England in 2013 after the painful loss.

“I was shattered, absolutely shattered. I was pretty emotional at the end of it all, sitting down there. The boys had gone on to the ground, I was taking my pads off in the dressing room and it was pretty hard to take,” Hussey said.

Australia will continue to struggle matching South Africa, Sri Lanka and India in the race for the crown, as all three are well advanced in development of young squads. (ANI)

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Women with high testosterone levels more likely to choose risky careers

August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 25 (ANI): Women with high testosterone levels are more likely to make risky career choices, according to a new study.

Previous studies have shown that testosterone enhances competitiveness and dominance, reduces fear, and is associated with risky behaviours like gambling and alcohol use.

However, until now, the impact of testosterone on gender differences in financial risk-taking has not been explored.

“In general, women are more risk averse than men when it comes to making important financial decisions, which in turn can affect their career choices,” said Paola Sapienza, Associate Professor,Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“For example, in our sample set, 36 percent of female MBA students chose high-risk financial careers such as investment banking or trading, compared to 57 percent of male students.

“We wanted to explore whether these gender differences are related to testosterone, which men have, on average, in higher concentrations than women,” Sapienza added.

The study showed that higher levels of testosterone were associated with a greater appetite for risk in women, but not among men.

However, in men and women with similar levels of testosterone, the gender difference in risk aversion disappeared.

Additionally, the researchers reported that the link between risk aversion and testosterone predicted career choices after graduation: individuals who were high in testosterone and low in risk aversion chose riskier careers in finance.

“This is the first study showing that gender differences in financial risk aversion have a biological basis, and that differences in testosterone levels between individuals can affect important aspects of economic behavior and career decisions,” said Maestripieri.

“That the effects of testosterone on risk aversion are strongest for individuals with low or intermediate levels of this hormone is similar to what has been shown for the effects of testosterone on spatial cognition.”

The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (ANI)

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Hewitt loses to Federer in Cincinnati Masters

August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Mason (Ohio, US), Aug.22 (ANI): Lleyton Hewitt bowed out of the Cincinnati Masters quarter-finals, but said his performance had whet his appetite for the US Open.

“The US Open is somewhere I’ve played extremely well in the past,” said Hewitt after losing to Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4.

“I’d like to think if things fall my way I’ve got an outside chance there. Hopefully I can get deep in the second week,” the Courier Mail quoted Hewitt, as saying.

“I didn’t play this time last year, so everything is a bonus right at the moment,” he said.

He seemed less concerned that Federer maintained his dominance in their long rivalry than he was pleased with his overall form.

“He’s always a tough opponent,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt’s 2009 season so far has included his 27th career title, his first in more than two years, at the US Clay Court Championship in April. (ANI)

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Ashes series loss will end Australia’s dominance of world cricket

August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Aug. 22 (ANI): Should Australia lose the fifth and final Ashes Test being played at The Oval, it could signal the end the side’s domination of world cricket.

According to the Courier Mail, only something very special, or days of unforecast rain, can prevent Australia losing the fifth Test, the Ashes and ultimately tumbling as low as fourth on the official world Test rankings. Australia is already down to third on the one-day rankings.

A loss will leave Ricky Ponting, one of Australia’s greatest players and most successful leaders, just the second captain in 132 years of Ashes history to lose two series in England.

The other was Australia’s first touring captain, Billy Murdoch, well over 100 years ago.

It shapes as Australia’s third series loss in five, which includes its first home Test series loss in 17 years last summer.

When Mark Taylor led his side to victory on the 1995 tour of the West Indies, it was considered the unofficial handing over of the world championship.

Australia was already halfway through winning eight successive Ashes series and three successive World Cups followed, the last two with undefeated campaigns.

The reality is stark. For all the great names to retire or drift away over the past two years, more will follow.

Brett Lee has 310 Test wickets but did not play a Test on tour and will be 33 when Australia next turns out in a Test.

Stuart Clark is already that age and on this tour has also been behind the new pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, the three leading wicket-takers in the series.

Most worrying is the continued collapse of Mike Hussey in the middle order. Another confused duck has reinforced his fourth poor series in a row.

That way he can get some runs and some confidence in the Sheffield Shield for Western Australia.

Phil Hughes is the most exciting of the 20-somethings coming through and he was dropped after two Tests, deemed not to have the technique to survive at Test level.

It may be that Phil Jaques can regain fitness after debilitating back problems and the form which saw him score three centuries in 11 Tests, freeing up Shane Watson to move down the order as a real all-rounder.

In the end it’s not the big numbers that matter but the big moments that will count.

Fast bowler Stuart Broad has again highlighted that when this Australian side is bad, it is terrible. (ANI)

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