Germans, Dutch to open their Euro 2012 account
by Phil Hazlewood | June 09, 2012
Germany on Saturday take on Portugal
while the Netherlands face Denmark, as the first matches in Euro 2012 are
played in competition co-hosts Ukraine. The tournament kicked off in the Polish
capital Warsaw on Friday night, with Poland and Greece playing an eventful 1-1
draw and Russia flying to the top of Group A after thumping the Czech Republic
4-1 in the western city of Wroclaw.
Germany open their campaign in Lviv, western Ukraine, seeking to erase memories of their defeat in the final to Spain four years ago and their elimination to La Roja in the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010. The Mannschaft have a good record against the Seleccao, having eliminated them in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals and beating them in the third place play-off at the 2006 World Cup.
Captain Philipp Lahm, though, says those results will count for little, with the difficult Dutch and solid, if uninspiring, Danes to come in the so-called "Group of Death".
"The tension is building slowly, we have been working for two years for this moment. It's time to get going," said Lahm, 28, who took over the captain's armband after the tournament in South Africa.
"We have a great squad, we just need to show what we can do."
Germany are likely to be boosted by inclusion of midfield talisman Bastian Schweinsteiger, despite worries over the calf strain he picked up in Bayern Munich's Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last month.
But they are understandably wary of giving Portugal's Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo any chances around goal after he blasted 46 goals in La Liga last season.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento, meanwhile, has urged his team to be brave after a string of poor pre-tournament results, including a 3-1 friendly defeat in Lisbon to Turkey and last month's 0-0 draw with Macedonia that hit confidence.
"Against a team like Germany you need to be organised," he said. "You need to have courage because if you only think about defending, then surely you won't be able to get a good result.
"You have to try to attack them but in an organised way. Above all we have to be strong, aggressive and cohesive, especially when we lose the ball."
Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk is approaching the Oranje's match in Kharkiv with caution, with veteran centreback Joris Mathijsen ruled out with a hamstring injury, and prior experience of Morten Olsen's Danes.
Van Marwijk, who guided the Dutch to the 2010 World Cup final where they lost to Spain, said he expected the Danes to play in the same style they had done in their opening World Cup game in South Africa where the Dutch won 2-0.
He told reporters he thinks the two games are comparable and there have been few changes in personnel.
"Like two years ago, I expect Denmark to be defensive and await the chance to counter-attack. All matches at major tournaments are difficult -- and the two teams know each other too well," he added.
The Dutch come into the match amid claims their players were targeted by racist chants from some fans watching their training this week in Poland and striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar reportedly unhappy over the selection of Robin van Persie.(1)
Veteran Danish manager Olsen, who is the only man to have been capped by and coached a national side more than 100 times, has played down his side's chances in the group, casting the Scandinavians as underdogs. (2)
The 62-year-old assessed the Dutch as "clearly the favourites".
"It is not me being pessimistic but realism," he said. "If we look at the talent of the Dutch, it is not lying to say they are the favourites.
"And it is not me bluffing. This will still be the case for us against Germany and Portugal... For us, our tournament will be a success if we progress from the group."
Germany open their campaign in Lviv, western Ukraine, seeking to erase memories of their defeat in the final to Spain four years ago and their elimination to La Roja in the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010. The Mannschaft have a good record against the Seleccao, having eliminated them in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals and beating them in the third place play-off at the 2006 World Cup.
Captain Philipp Lahm, though, says those results will count for little, with the difficult Dutch and solid, if uninspiring, Danes to come in the so-called "Group of Death".
"The tension is building slowly, we have been working for two years for this moment. It's time to get going," said Lahm, 28, who took over the captain's armband after the tournament in South Africa.
"We have a great squad, we just need to show what we can do."
Germany are likely to be boosted by inclusion of midfield talisman Bastian Schweinsteiger, despite worries over the calf strain he picked up in Bayern Munich's Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last month.
But they are understandably wary of giving Portugal's Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo any chances around goal after he blasted 46 goals in La Liga last season.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento, meanwhile, has urged his team to be brave after a string of poor pre-tournament results, including a 3-1 friendly defeat in Lisbon to Turkey and last month's 0-0 draw with Macedonia that hit confidence.
"Against a team like Germany you need to be organised," he said. "You need to have courage because if you only think about defending, then surely you won't be able to get a good result.
"You have to try to attack them but in an organised way. Above all we have to be strong, aggressive and cohesive, especially when we lose the ball."
Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk is approaching the Oranje's match in Kharkiv with caution, with veteran centreback Joris Mathijsen ruled out with a hamstring injury, and prior experience of Morten Olsen's Danes.
Van Marwijk, who guided the Dutch to the 2010 World Cup final where they lost to Spain, said he expected the Danes to play in the same style they had done in their opening World Cup game in South Africa where the Dutch won 2-0.
He told reporters he thinks the two games are comparable and there have been few changes in personnel.
"Like two years ago, I expect Denmark to be defensive and await the chance to counter-attack. All matches at major tournaments are difficult -- and the two teams know each other too well," he added.
The Dutch come into the match amid claims their players were targeted by racist chants from some fans watching their training this week in Poland and striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar reportedly unhappy over the selection of Robin van Persie.(1)
Veteran Danish manager Olsen, who is the only man to have been capped by and coached a national side more than 100 times, has played down his side's chances in the group, casting the Scandinavians as underdogs. (2)
The 62-year-old assessed the Dutch as "clearly the favourites".
"It is not me being pessimistic but realism," he said. "If we look at the talent of the Dutch, it is not lying to say they are the favourites.
"And it is not me bluffing. This will still be the case for us against Germany and Portugal... For us, our tournament will be a success if we progress from the group."
Constitutional victory: Controversial NDAA provisions blocked, at least temporarily, by federal judge
(NaturalNews) In a rare display of
constitutional patriotism by a government authority, an Obama-appointed federal
judge has put an indefinite block on the egregious National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA). According to Bloomberg, U.S. District
Judge Katherine Forrest of Manhattan, N.Y., ruled in favor of plaintiffs who
earlier had sued the Obama administration over the bill's unconstitutional
arrest and detainment provisions, which provide no protection for American
citizens.
The loosely-worded Section 1021 of the bill cunningly grants the president unrestrained authority to use military force in detaining practically anyone for any suspected "terrorist-related" activity, without warrant and without a trial (http://www.naturalnews.com). This section, which was the primary focus of the lawsuit, admittedly provides no protection for American citizens, and is patently unconstitutional no matter how you look at it.
"The statute at issue places the public at undue risk of having their speech chilled for the purported protection from al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and 'associated forces' -- i.e., 'foreign terrorist organizations," said Forrest in her opinion. "The vagueness of Section 1021 does not allow the average citizen, or even the government itself, to understand with the type of definiteness to which our citizens are entitled, or what conduct comes within its scope."
Unless the U.S. Congress amends the bill to protect Americans against having their constitutional rights abolished in the name of national security, NDAA will remain blocked, at least formally. However, NDAA is really just an extension of the horrific USA Patriot Act, which was the Bush administration's precursor to NDAA that was passed immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (http://www.scn.org/ccapa/pa-vs-const.html).
The loosely-worded Section 1021 of the bill cunningly grants the president unrestrained authority to use military force in detaining practically anyone for any suspected "terrorist-related" activity, without warrant and without a trial (http://www.naturalnews.com). This section, which was the primary focus of the lawsuit, admittedly provides no protection for American citizens, and is patently unconstitutional no matter how you look at it.
"The statute at issue places the public at undue risk of having their speech chilled for the purported protection from al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and 'associated forces' -- i.e., 'foreign terrorist organizations," said Forrest in her opinion. "The vagueness of Section 1021 does not allow the average citizen, or even the government itself, to understand with the type of definiteness to which our citizens are entitled, or what conduct comes within its scope."
Unless the U.S. Congress amends the bill to protect Americans against having their constitutional rights abolished in the name of national security, NDAA will remain blocked, at least formally. However, NDAA is really just an extension of the horrific USA Patriot Act, which was the Bush administration's precursor to NDAA that was passed immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (http://www.scn.org/ccapa/pa-vs-const.html).
Obama administration appears to have fully intended to use NDAA against
American citizens
Speaking on
the details of how the case has proceeded thus far, Judge Forrest explained
that Obama attorneys made absolutely no attempt to defend the administration
against the allegations. They also made no attempt to claim that the ambiguous
provisions were intended only for foreign suspects, which in and of itself
points to sinister intentions with the bill.
"The government was given a number of opportunities at the hearing and in its briefs to state unambiguously that the type of expressive and associational activities engaged in by plaintiffs -- or others -- are not within Section 1021," said Judge Forrest. (3) "It did not. This court therefore must credit the chilling impact on First Amendment rights as reasonable -- and real."
"The government was given a number of opportunities at the hearing and in its briefs to state unambiguously that the type of expressive and associational activities engaged in by plaintiffs -- or others -- are not within Section 1021," said Judge Forrest. (3) "It did not. This court therefore must credit the chilling impact on First Amendment rights as reasonable -- and real."
Efforts to amend NDAA to specifically protect American
citizens on U.S. soil from illegal arrest and detainment, however, have been met with resistance by "neoconservatives"
such as Charles "Cully" Stimson, a former Bush administration
official who is now Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Fellow at The Heritage
Foundation.(4) He and others claim that amending NDAA will somehow encourage more
terrorists to come to the U.S. (http://dailycaller.com).
These wildly absurd claims, however, were enough to convince the traitorous House of Representatives to recently vote down an amendment authored by Reps. (5) Justin Amash (R-Mi.) and Adam Smith (D-Wa.) that would have prohibited the detainment, capture, or arrest of any person in the U.S under NDAA. According to The Daily Caller, the House rejected this amendment in an overwhelming vote of 238 to 182.
These wildly absurd claims, however, were enough to convince the traitorous House of Representatives to recently vote down an amendment authored by Reps. (5) Justin Amash (R-Mi.) and Adam Smith (D-Wa.) that would have prohibited the detainment, capture, or arrest of any person in the U.S under NDAA. According to The Daily Caller, the House rejected this amendment in an overwhelming vote of 238 to 182.
Devils
stave off L.A. Kings' bid to win first Stanley Cup
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- The
New Jersey Devils fended off the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, winning
2-1 to extend the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup championship series
another game.
The Kings had entered the contest hoping to end the night atop the
hockey world for the first time, and weren't daunted by the fact the game was
on the Devils' home ice in Newark.
Being away from the Staples Center has hardly hurt the Kings of
late: Prior to Saturday's loss, the team had been a perfect 10-0 on the road in
the playoffs.
But Los Angeles ran into a wall again and again, in the form of
New Jersey's legendary goalie, Martin Brodeur. The Devils had jumped ahead 1-0
on a power-play goal by their captain Zach Parise, and then answered a
second-period Kings goal with one by defenseman Bryce Salvador.
Despite the result -- it was the Devils' second straight win --
Los Angeles holds the upper hand with three victories to New Jersey's two in
the best-of-seven series. The teams play again Monday night in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has been defying the norm for much of the last few
weeks -- dominating at times despite having squeezed into the playoffs as a No.
8 seed, and triggering a virulent case of hockey fever in sunny southern California.
The last time the Kings garnered this much attention back home was
in the late 1980s and early 1990s, propelled by the league's all-time top
scorer, Wayne Gretzky.
"The Great One" and now-ESPN analyst Barry Melrose led
the franchise, which began play in 1967, to a Stanley Cup finals showdown with
Montreal in 1993. But the Kings lost that series decisively, and have never won
the NHL's ultimate prize.
This year's Kings are
led by goalie Jonathan Quick and center Anze Kopitar, who
ranks ahead of all others this postseason with eight goals and 11 assists. (6)
The Devils have been among the NHL's most consistent teams in
recent decades. They've won three Stanley Cups, the most recent in 2003.
German
Tourist Shot in Allegedly Random Attack in Papua
A German tourist was shot three times
while walking along a beach in seemingly random attack in Jayapura, Papua on
Tuesday, National Police said.
Dietmar Pieper, 55, was visiting Base G beach with his wife Eva Medina, 55, when an unidentified assailant opened fire at 11:30 a.m. and then sped off in a Toyota Avanza minivan, National Police spokesman Ins. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said.
“He just finished swimming," Saud said.
Pieper was hit in the back, left side of his chest and thigh. He is currently in stable condition at Dok II hospital, in Jayapura, said Sr. Comr. Ramon, Papua police doctor and health unit chief.
“He is still in ICU,” the doctor added.
Police are investigating the shooting, but, so far, are unsure of the motive.
“We have questioned four witnesses including his wife,” Saud said. “We don't know what the motive of the shooting was because we have not arrested the perpetrator. The case is being investigated by Jayapura and Papua police.” (7)
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohannes Nugroho said that the assailant likely lives in Jayapura.
He was described as having curly hair and a slight beard, Antara reported.
Dietmar Pieper, 55, was visiting Base G beach with his wife Eva Medina, 55, when an unidentified assailant opened fire at 11:30 a.m. and then sped off in a Toyota Avanza minivan, National Police spokesman Ins. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said.
“He just finished swimming," Saud said.
Pieper was hit in the back, left side of his chest and thigh. He is currently in stable condition at Dok II hospital, in Jayapura, said Sr. Comr. Ramon, Papua police doctor and health unit chief.
“He is still in ICU,” the doctor added.
Police are investigating the shooting, but, so far, are unsure of the motive.
“We have questioned four witnesses including his wife,” Saud said. “We don't know what the motive of the shooting was because we have not arrested the perpetrator. The case is being investigated by Jayapura and Papua police.” (7)
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohannes Nugroho said that the assailant likely lives in Jayapura.
He was described as having curly hair and a slight beard, Antara reported.
Bid to Silence Gaga an Assault on Pluralism
Tunggal Pawestri | May 31, 2012
For the past three years, I have been a loyal reader of the Jakarta Globe. When I get a visit from my foreign colleagues, I always recommend that they read the Globe to better understand the current social, economic and political situation in Indonesia.
For me, the compelling, witty and sharp column of Desi Anwar greatly contributes to the development of democracy and pluralism, as does your unbiased reporting.
However, I really could not believe my eyes when I read your editorial on Monday. The Globe has the freedom to express its view and standpoint on many issues, but I was really shocked to read the editorial that highlighted the Globe’s support for the cancellation of the Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta.
Although I completely disagree with almost all the statements in your editorial, I would like to highlight a few.
First, in the editorial, you mentioned that Lady Gaga represents a “lack of morality.” My question is: whose morality do you use to judge and on what grounds? Don’t you know that the National Commission on Violence Against Women has identified 189 local regulations that were made to address women’s “lack of morality,” but instead discriminate and criminalize women?
Second, it is obvious that you have a problem with Lady Gaga’s songs and lyrics. Which lyrics to be exact? Is it the song “Born This Way,” which actually promotes self-acceptance and embraces diversity?
Third, you mentioned that “youth will typically be rebellious and anti-establishment,” hence it is “important that we inculcate in them … proper Indonesian values.” Can you explain to me who was the “we” that you referred to? And what data do you use to support your thesis about the typicality of youth? And what exactly is the meaning of “Indonesian values”? Can we talk about such values while past human right violations are never disclosed and corruption cases are increasing?
As I have learned from Lady Gaga, I need to show respect to difference — which also applies to the Globe’s statements on Lady Gaga. You have made no mistakes in sharing your view, but it seems that you forgot to mention why Lady Gaga and her management finally made the decision to cancel the show.
You also forgot to exhibit the fact that from the very beginning the Jakarta Police refused to guarantee the safety of Lady Gaga and her “little monsters.” In your editorial you have neglected (or perhaps ignored) some other facts that actually can be traced from your own reporting on the Gaga saga, particularly on the event when a group of hard-liners, the vigilantes, made a public threat to destroy Jakarta. The vigilantes have created terror without creating any space for dialogue with anyone who has a different view.
Just last week the Indonesian government’s record was reviewed at the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Geneva. I wonder whether you are aware that Indonesia was put in the international spotlight for the increasing cases of intolerance during the review? The government’s commitment to protect the rights of minorities and reduce the level of violence against minorities was questioned by most of those present.
The threat of violence is always being used by vigilantes to impose their demands. (8) The opposite voice has always been condemned as that of a sinner, which therefore must be eradicated. At this point, the police have opted to accommodate the demand that is voiced by using threats and violence. (9) Your editorial is like oxygen for the vigilante groups to breathe and live.
I believe that the Globe has always been sharp and critical on many issues and I can say that your voice, particularly on diversity issues, represents the voice of Indonesia’s civil society.
To quote your editorial on Feb. 13, “Pluralism is embedded in the nation’s social fabric and forms the bedrock for social harmony. And it is the government’s duty and responsibility to ensure this right is upheld and protected.” I hope you can explain the reasoning behind the May 28 editorial.
Explanation :
A. Past tense
(1)
The Dutch
come into the match amid claims their players were targeted by racist chants
from some fans watching their training this week in Poland and striker
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar reportedly unhappy over the selection of Robin van Persie.
Orang Belanda datang
ke pertandingan di tengah klaim
pemain mereka menjadi sasaran nyanyian rasis dari
beberapa fans menonton latihan
mereka minggu ini di Polandia
dan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar dikabarkan tidak senang atas pemilihan Robin van Persie.
(3) The government was given a number of
opportunities at the hearing and in its briefs to state unambiguously that the
type of expressive and associational activities engaged in by plaintiffs -- or
others -- are not within Section 1021," said Judge Forrest.
Pemerintah diberi sejumlah
peluang di persidangan dan dalam
celana untuk menyatakan
tegas bahwa jenis kegiatan ekspresif dan
asosiasional terlibat dalam oleh
penggugat - atau
orang lain - tidak dalam Bagian
1021, "kata Hakim Forrest.
(5) These wildly absurd claims, however, were enough to convince the traitorous
House of Representatives to recently vote down an amendment authored by Reps.
Klaim-klaim liar masuk
akal, bagaimanapun, cukup untuk
meyakinkan Dewan Perwakilan
Rakyat untuk pengkhianat baru-baru
ini memilih menolak amandemen
ditulis oleh Reps
B.
Present Perfect
(2) Veteran Danish manager Olsen, who is the only
man to have been capped by and coached a national side more than 100 times, has
played down his side's chances in the group, casting the Scandinavians as
underdogs.
Veteran Denmark
manajer Olsen, yang adalah satu-satunya telah dibatasi
oleh dan melatih tim nasional lebih dari 100 kali, mengecilkan peluang
timnya dalam kelompok, casting Skandinavia sebagai
underdog.
(4) Efforts to amend NDAA
to specifically protect American citizens on U.S. soil from illegal arrest and
detainment, however, have been met with resistance by
"neoconservatives" such as Charles "Cully" Stimson, a
former Bush administration official who is now Chief of Staff and Senior Legal
Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
Upaya untuk
mengubah NDAA untuk secara khusus
melindungi warga negara Amerika di wilayah AS dari penangkapan
dan penahanan, bagaimanapun,
telah ditentang oleh "neokonservatif"
seperti Charles "Cully"
Stimson, seorang mantan pejabat pemerintah Bush yang kini Kepala staf
dan Fellow Hukum Senior di The Heritage Foundation.
C.
Simpe Present
(6) This year's Kings are led by goalie Jonathan
Quick and center Anze Kopitar, who ranks ahead of all others this postseason
with eight goals and 11 assists.
Kings tahun ini
dipimpin oleh kiper Jonathan Cepat dan
pusat Anze Kopitar, yang menempati urutan di depan semua orang lain postseason ini
dengan delapan gol dan 11 assist.
(9) At this point, the police have opted to accommodate
the demand that is voiced by using threats and violence.
Pada titik ini,
polisi telah memilih untuk mengakomodasi
permintaan yang disuarakan
dengan menggunakan ancaman dan kekerasan.
D.
Present continuous
(7) The
case is being investigated by Jayapura and Papua police.
Kasus ini sedang diselidiki oleh polisi Jayapura dan
Papua
(8) The threat of violence is always being used by
vigilantes to impose their demands.
Ancaman kekerasan selalu digunakan oleh
warga untuk memaksakan tuntutan
mereka
