Manchester United ready for Champion League campaign |
- Manchester United ready for Champion League campaign
- Bangkok blast: Two Malaysians killed in explosion
- Tilting the playing field for a more equitable society — Goh Chok Tong
- Bangkok blast: Several Singaporeans injured in explosion
- Pua asks if 1MDB even knows how much ‘units’ in Singapore are still worth
- Nelson Mandela’s grandson in court for raping minor
| Manchester United ready for Champion League campaign Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:57 PM PDT
The first English team both to compete in the European Cup and win it, United have long had a special association with the competition, reinforced by the knowledge that it was in pursuit of continental glory that eight of their players and three club officials perished in the Munich air disaster of 1958. Last season was United's first without Champions League football in 19 years, but they have been led to the brink of the group phase by Louis van Gaal, who won the tournament with a brilliant, young Ajax team in 1995 and led Bayern Munich to the final in 2010. Van Gaal has not sampled the competition since 2011, but with United having opened the season by beating first Tottenham Hotspur and then Aston Villa by a goal to nil, he is confident of making a winning return. "Of course you miss that (playing in the Champions League), because as a manager you can show yourself at the highest podium against other clubs at a high level," said the Dutchman. "I think in England the rhythm is the highest in Europe and a lot of European clubs are not used to that rhythm. I hope that advantage is good enough to beat Club Brugge." It is a year and four months since United last played in the Champions League, losing to Bayern in the quarter-finals in April 2014, and it says much about the profound change the club has undergone since then that only four of the players who played in the 3-1 second-leg defeat in Munich are likely to line up against Club Brugge. Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher, Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck have left the club, while David Moyes is no longer in the dug-out, having been sacked 13 days later. Of those who made it onto the pitch against Bayern that remain, Phil Jones is currently sidelined with thrombosis, Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez are out of favour and goalkeeper David de Gea has been removed from the team after becoming unsettled by Real Madrid's interest. Vazquez's Van Gaal reunion That leaves Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick and Adnan Januzaj, a late substitute at the Allianz Arena, who came in from the cold to score the winner at Villa Park last Friday after disappearing from view in Van Gaal's first season. Januzaj will hope to start after settling the match against Villa, while captain Rooney is in need of a strong performance after a sluggish start to the campaign that has seen his place in the side called into question. While United contested three Champions League finals between 2008 and 2011, winning one, Club Brugge are the only Belgian team to have reached the final, losing 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley in 1978. Michel Preud'homme's side finished top of the table in Belgium last season, but lost out to Gent in the ensuing championship play-off. For former Belgium striker Tom De Sutter, the tie against United, which concludes on August 26, will serve as a swansong prior to his departure for Turkish side Bursaspor. Club Brugge, who last played in the group phase in 2005, have made a modest start to the season, winning twice, drawing once and losing once, but Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez, who began his career under Van Gaal at Barcelona, believes his side can spring a surprise. "We are the smaller team, but they have to be worried," said Vazquez, whose side beat Panathinaikos 4-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round. "We are playing with confidence and we can be dangerous tomorrow (today)." United and Club Brugge have never previously met and the Belgian side have an unenviable record on English soil, having failed to win on all 11 of their previous visits. — AFP  |
| Bangkok blast: Two Malaysians killed in explosion Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:57 PM PDT
The Malaysian fatalities were confirmed by a Malaysian embassy official in the Thai capital. The explosion at about 7pm (8 pm Malaysian time) occurred at the Ratchaprasong intersection, near the famous Erawan Shrine and Bangkok's colourful and high-street shopping. It also damaged several cars and motorcycles. It was also reported that street vendors along the road were believed to be among the victims of the explosion. Thai police chief Gen Somyot Poompanmouag said 16 people died as a result of the bomb blast, including possibly China and Philippine nationals. Other police sources said the victims might also include visitors from Japan and Hong Kong. Somyot chaired a meeting at the police headquarters after visiting the site of the blast. He had earlier said that the explosion was caused by a TNT bomb. An unconfirmed report from a police source stated there might be two more unexploded bombs, indicating that those responsible wanted to cause major damage. As at 9.30pm local time, 82 people were confirmed injured, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre (EMS). It collected the figures from 15 hospitals in Bangkok. However, it was unable to confirm the number of fatalities. Ratchaprasong intersection in central Bangkok was a location of both protest site for the Red Shirt in 2010 and PDRC (The People Democratic Reform Committee) protest led by Suthep Thuaksuban in 2014, that eventually led to a military coup and removal of ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra. Despite the bombing located not far from the Chitlom station of the rail service of Bangkok Train Service or popularly known skytrain, the service still continues. Major Gen Weerachon Sukhonthapatipak, the deputy government spokesman said Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha had already been informed of the bomb explosion and he had instructed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to go to the area. He said, so far, there was no plan to close schools and banks near the area. ― Bernama |
| Tilting the playing field for a more equitable society — Goh Chok Tong Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:57 PM PDT
In a culture of wants, what we have is never enough. We have more money than before, but as Jack Neo would say, "money no enough"; we have more jobs than before, but as employers would say, "workers no enough." The politics of today is dominated by how to share the fruits. We have to do so equitably and in a sustainable way. We imperil our future if we assume that today's bountiful harvest is natural and will last forever. In one generation, we leapt from Third World to First. But we can also fall backwards in one generation. To avoid this, I have three messages. My first message is: Keep planting new trees for the next generation. We should put aside the best seeds and grow them in fertile programmes such as education, housing, health, transportation, green environment and fulfilling lifestyles. My second message is: Retilt the playing field to uplift the less well-off. The Government is keenly aware of the widening income gap and its impact on social mobility. Over the years, we have implemented social policies to ensure that those at the bottom are not left behind. In the 1990s, my government introduced Edusave, Medifund and the Lifelong Endowment Fund. We shared budget surpluses through New Singapore Shares and upgrading programmes that benefited Housing and Development Board heartlanders. Lee Hsien Loong's government has built on these social policies and gone further. He has introduced Workfare and SkillsFuture, among others. He is restructuring the economy to increase productivity, restricting the inflow of foreign workers and boosting the wages of workers. I am glad that the Government is doing more. We have always invested heavily in our people. With limited resources in the past, we nurtured the brightest of every cohort to lift the country up. The sons and daughters of washerwomen, hawkers, taxi-drivers, labourers and petty businessmen were given every opportunity to climb up through merit. Many ministers and Members of Parliament, including me, benefited from these policies. So it is nonsense for some people to say that we do not understand the plight of the poor. Countering parentocracy Today, the talent system is self-sustaining at the top, but the top is pulling away from the rest. This is so in every market economy. European countries and the United States see the same phenomenon. Well-to-do families have ample resources to groom their children. Naturally, they will spare no expense to give their children the best. This gives their children a competitive advantage over those who have less financial means. Sociologists have dubbed this competition by parents to give their children the best as "parentocracy." Parentocracy tilts the playing field against the goals of meritocracy. Children from less-endowed families can fall behind, even if they are hard-working or enterprising. The daily struggles of life weigh down their aspirations, self-esteem, nutrition and life habits. Some surmount the adversity and become more tenacious and hungry for success. But without the added backing of family resources, many face an uphill task competing with those who have more. We must not allow the size of a family's purse to determine their ambitions. When we pledge to achieve "happiness, prosperity and progress" for our nation, we must mean it for all Singaporeans, regardless of their backgrounds. So the state must intervene to give poorer students additional help. I am glad that the MOE (Ministry of Education) and the MSF (Ministry of Social and Family Development) have taken significant steps to do so. But let us not only ask the Government to do more. More 'heartware' My third message is for us, the community, to do more to grow Singapore's "heartware." Since leaving the Cabinet, I have focused on bringing about a better balance between compassion or "heartware," and meritocracy. At the national level, I played a part in establishing the National University of Singapore Social Service Research Centre. I lobbied the Government to set up a fund for social science research on long-term challenges. At the local level, in Marine Parade, we do not only organise grassroots activities. We also initiate programmes to make Marine Parade a Caring Community. We set up WeCare@MarineParade last year. The WeCare model is now being replicated and adapted in other constituencies. This year, WeCare will partner Life Community Services Society and the National Council of Social Service to pioneer a "heartware" programme called EduGrow for Brighter Tomorrows. This is a family-centric early-intervention education programme. It will start with 25 lower-income families in Marine Parade and be expanded to 50 later. EduGrow will require parents to be actively involved in the education of their children. It will provide resources and community-led mentorship for the children. We will be looking for volunteers, preferably those who live in and around Marine Parade, to mentor the children. EduGrow is one small step to kick-start a broader national effort. It is a long-term programme that will see a child through pre-school to Secondary One; that is, eight years. It requires ample funding. As we celebrate SG50, let us renew our commitment to Singapore and our values. Let us dedicate ourselves as one united people to build a Caring Marine Parade and a Singapore filled with opportunities, hope and "heartware." — TODAY * Goh Chok Tong is Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency and former prime minister. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| Bangkok blast: Several Singaporeans injured in explosion Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:56 PM PDT
In a statement in response to media queries on the explosion in central Bangkok, the MFA Spokesman said: ""We have learnt that some Singaporeans were injured. "Our embassy staff are rendering the necessary consular assistance to the affected Singaporeans. They are also in contact with the Thai authorities to check if there are any more Singaporeans affected by the bomb blast. "MFA is also contacting registered Singaporeans based in Bangkok." It was reported that at least 19 people were killed and more than 120 people were injured in the incident that took place last night near the Erawan Shrine in the heart of Thailand's capital city. The Erawan Shrine is a popular tourist spot and foreigners, including Chinese, were among the casualties The spokesman said: "Singapore strongly condemns the bomb blast in Bangkok and is saddened by the loss of innocent lives. We convey our condolences to the families of the victims and hope the injured will have a speedy recovery". It said MFA and the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Bangkok were monitoring developments closely, and urged Singaporeans in Bangkok to take the necessary safety precautions, including to avoid the vicinity of the explosion and to monitor the local news closely. They should contact the Singapore Embassy at +66 81 844-3580 or singemb_bkk@mfa.sg if they require any urgent assistance. Alternatively, they may contact the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800 / 8855 or mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg. Singaporeans who are in or visiting Bangkok are advised to register with the Singapore Embassy at http://eregister.mfa.gov.sg/. — Bernama |
| Pua asks if 1MDB even knows how much ‘units’ in Singapore are still worth Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:51 PM PDT
Honing in on 1MDB chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy's response to his "recycled" question about the Singapore deposit yesterday, the Public Accounts Committee member pointed out that the firm's last audited accounts were from over a year ago in March 2014. "That is nearly 17 months ago and well before the Cayman Islands investment was supposedly redeemed in January this year. Is Arul Kanda trying to tell Malaysians that he has no clue what the redeemed 'units' held in BSI Bank Singapore are really worth today? "Is that also the reason why the 'units' cannot be disposed or liquidated despite being classified as 'investment assets for sale' in the 1MDB financial statements?" Pua said in a statement. Aside from the amount redeemed from the Cayman Islands, the DAP MP also said that several other transactions were executed after 1MDB's accounts were finalised last year, while this year's edition remains outstanding despite a regulatory deadline for its publication. Pua also contested Arul Kanda's claim that Malaysia was "not a jungle" without laws, when he noted that several key agencies and institutions investigating 1MDB have come in for attention from the executive and police. He then reminded the 1MDB CEO that he is an employee of a firm wholly owned by the Finance Ministry, and that his refusal or inability to clearly answer questions about the firm has consequences that extend to its owner, the government of Malaysia. "[His] continued failure to do so will not only cast himself in poor light, he will damage the reputation of the prime minister and destroy the image of Malaysia to the global financial and investment community," Pua added. Pua has over several days repeatedly challenged Arul to take up the former's invitation to a public dialogue first made in January, after the 1MDB CEO appeared on public television and described the firm as "an open book to investigations". 1MDB, in turn, has responded by repeatedly accusing Pua of rehashing his claims and questions, and yesterday engaged the PAC member in a bout of name-calling. |
| Nelson Mandela’s grandson in court for raping minor Posted: 17 Aug 2015 05:50 PM PDT
Mbuso Mandela remains in police custody and will return to the Johannesburg magistrate court on Friday for a bail hearing, police spokeswoman Mashadi Selepe told AFP. He is alleged to have raped the girl at a Johannesburg restaurant over a week ago. Another of Mandela's grandchildren, Mandla, the oldest of the late statesman's grandsons, was convicted early this year of assaulting a 40-year-old motorist during a road-rage incident. — AFP |
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