2009年1月16日星期五
Can I leave the United States if I do not have a valid passport but am a citizen?
My grandpa passed away in Poland, and I would like to go over there for the funeral, I do not have a passport but am a citizen of the United States and a Government employee.
work for the Department Homeland Security doing security work. Problem is, the flight leaves tomorrow morning, and I doubt I can get the passport by than.
Any idea if I submit the paperwork today, and just have process the passport to a consul in Poland?
1. Mimic01 Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 7:42 pm e
What the Government don't Know won't Hurt 'Em.
2. Luchador Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 12:15 pm e
you will need a passport. You can get one in one day if you go to a passport office.
3. Melissa K Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 7:53 am e
No, I don't think you can. What sort of Government employee are you? If you are military then you know what's required of you. If you are a meter maid or work for the local water department, you have no special rights as an ambassador would.
4. Layne B Says:
December 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pm e
You can leave, but you will not be able to get back in.
5. de bossy one Says:
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:30 pm e
you can get an expedited passport for any valid reason when it's needed. but you will not be allowed into another country, except mexico and canada, without a passport.
but going to mexico and canada without a passport causes problems when you try to return.
6. Dylan A Says:
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm e
NOPE ur sure cant. If you want to travel outside the US you need a valid passport. You only needed an Identification card to go to mexico and canada, now you even need a passport for that. And NO you cant get a passport in one day!!! Thats BS
7. mintgirl79 Says:
December 24th, 2008 at 4:02 pm e
You can leave yes, but you cannot get back in without a passport. You can get a passport quickly for a larger fee. Also you may want to check into special arrangements for flying due to a funeral.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
8. montreaux1991 Says:
December 25th, 2008 at 1:40 am e
They can expedite a passport for you under the circumstances. Please, don't try to go without one!!
You will not be able to enter Poland, or re-enter the United States without a passport.
9. Bob R Says:
December 26th, 2008 at 1:14 am e
i believe you can only go to canada and mexico without a passport, but i think they're changing that too
personally, i do not leave the country without a passport
10. William Q Says:
December 26th, 2008 at 10:34 pm e
You can leave, but without a passport you will have a hard time coming back. The new rule is that any U. S. citizen returning from abroad must have a valid passport. You better expedite the issuance of a passport, it will cost you more than normal, but it will be worth it, avoiding the hassle of trying to regain entry into the U.S. after you return from Poland.
11. carly Says:
December 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am e
you need a passport to enter a foreign country. It doesn't matter if you work for the government. Call a passport office.
12. Xiomara M Says:
January 1st, 2009 at 2:01 am e
According to the guidelines, the soonest you can get it is in 2-3 weeks.
13. lonewolf1 Says:
January 1st, 2009 at 10:58 pm e
You better get permission or advance approval, and don't try to sway who you work for,,?????
14. jedimorgana Says:
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm e
A law went into effect on Jan 1 stating that citizens cannot go abroad without a valid passport. I believe next Jan 1 that rule extends to driving across the US/Canada and US/Mexico borders.
Seeing as it is a family emergency, and you are a gov't employee, you may be able to use your birth certificate. I would contact the airline you are leaving on, and see if your boss can help you with any additional paperwork.
Good luck, and sorry for the loss!
15. steddy voter Says:
January 6th, 2009 at 1:38 pm e
First of all, I am sorry for your loss. I know what it is like to be far away - I had to miss my own grandfathers' funeral, and it was a very tough thing to go through. I couldn't travel because I was 9 months pregnant.
You need to get to an office and explain your situation, they may be able to expedite for bereavement, I'm not sure. Regardless, please don't leave the country without one - you will not be able to re-enter, and could end up with huge problems. I'm sure your grandfather would have wanted you to be safe. Good luck!
16. michaell Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am e
Anyone can leave the USA. Getting back in without a passport will be difficult. Getting into Poland without a passport (and possibly a visa) will probably be difficult. In your situation, I believe your best option is to call the state department and explain the circumstances of your problem. The state department, when they are sympathetic, can make things happen in a day. If at all possible, enlist the aid of your senator.
17. retired military wife Says:
January 11th, 2009 at 1:59 am e
You can apply for an expedited passport yourself, but only at a very few locations. For example, in the Midwest, only in Chicago.
You can apply for a passport through this company and have it the next day. They will FedEx it to you. My employer has used their services on occasion for several years, so I know they are a reputable company.
It's important that you follow their instructions exactly as they are written. It is expensive. You'll have to decide if it's worth it.
If you decide the cost and effort are worth it, call them before you do anything, especially since tomorrow is Saturday.
Washington D.C.
(800) 222-2589
Mid West
(800) 766-0608
West Coast
(800) 421-5468
Good luck! My condolences on your grandfather's death.
18. Audrey C Says:
January 12th, 2009 at 9:50 am e
Sorry about your grandpa but don't you have "Google" in the USA? I can't believe anyone can be this ignorant! Only in America!
19. navind Says:
January 12th, 2009 at 10:50 pm e
First apply & get a passport, you must have social security number. you can get PP application form from post office in your area. Without passport you can't make international travel, they'll check documents like PP before your leaving country by air, sea or land.
20. Jock Says:
January 13th, 2009 at 4:52 am e
You need a passport I think. BTW - that place you work for has sinister overtones of Nazi Germany in its name don't you think?
21. Máiréad Says:
January 14th, 2009 at 9:31 pm e
To enter America you need one and a visa as well. Why should the rest of the world bend their rules for you?
Being a US citizen and a government employee does not grant you any special privileges. If you work in homeland security all the more reason to understand the necessity for a passport to travel.
I'm sure that if you explain the reason your government might give you one quick enough, for humanitarian reasons.
22. kwilfort Says:
January 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm e
You will need a passport to be allowed to get on the plane and certainly need it to enter Poland and re-enter the US…
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Do you need a valid united states passport to travel within the united states domestically?
I wanna travel to seattle by plane and i live in new jersey, i have a expired passport though, i have a valid drivers license and i am a united states citizen
1. Mac Momma Says:
December 14th, 2008 at 9:35 am e
a drivers liscence is ok
2. Something Special Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm e
No, you don't.
3. maharet3am Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:45 am e
the passport is only for going out of the country. you can go to hawii without one
4. Jessi Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 9:15 am e
you do not need a passport to travel in any of the 50 states if you are a us citizen
5. Moirae Says:
December 20th, 2008 at 5:54 pm e
No passports are needed to travel within the U.S. Just be sure to bring your driver's license with you - that's all you need. That and your ticket, of course.
Have a safe trip!
6. missee Says:
December 21st, 2008 at 6:26 pm e
No. I guess you've never left New Jersey.
7. Maximus Says:
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm e
you don't need it to travel within US borders, but get it renewed.
8. Me again Says:
December 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm e
Passports are for internantional travel. You're fine with a current driver license.
9. aliasasim Says:
December 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm e
We are not Europe. You do not need your passport for anything domestically. If someone is asking for your passport then something is wrong.
All you need is proof of who you are (like drivers license)
10. Max L Says:
December 31st, 2008 at 5:37 pm e
no you do not i am a travel agent only out of the country and that is in effect of dec.31 06 now you only need a birth cirtificate
11. rico9663 Says:
January 1st, 2009 at 12:34 pm e
You don't need a passport to travel within the US…yet. I'm thinking that what with the patriot act and other erosions of our freedoms, it won't be long before there are stormtroopers on every corner asking to see our "papers".
12. dude. Says:
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:38 pm e
No, a US citizen is free to travel anywhere on American soil, as long as your not under some kind of court order, go where ever you want.
13. Hophop Says:
January 4th, 2009 at 5:47 am e
sure passport not needed at all.
14. nibble Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 11:52 pm e
just like everyone's said, no you don't need a passport for this trip
15. Big Jermini Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 3:51 am e
Untill we have the whole stormtroopers thing, then every body is right nope.
16. Fays Daze Says:
January 10th, 2009 at 10:58 am e
Come for a visit! All we'd like to see is that you follow the road rules here. You don't need any passport even an expired one with a photo should you need photo ID for anything. And if you drive come with a current drivers license and don't forget that you get a free RIGHT hand turn at the stop lights/signs here You'll get honked at more than oce until you get the hang of it. Just make sure you don't pull out in front of anybody. You also get a free left hand turn onto a one way street too! But one way streets aren't that common unless you are downtown Seattle. Be paitient with the traffic, we ALL know it sucks here. Visit Pike Place market and watch them throw fish! Visit the Space Needle, eating in the restaurant will cost you A LOT, like $150 for two, so just visit the sightseeing level! Its really cool, even in the rain. Take a walk-on Washington State Ferry ride. Drive down to Mount Rainer one day, you'll get a taste of the forest and GREEN here. Also visit Underground Seattle at Pioneer Square downtown, wear shoes if you can and not sandles. Take your own flashlight, you can buy em for about $2 so you can explore the backares of the Underground where most can't see. But stay with the group ok> You can indeed get lost downthere easily! Its really cool! Going to a Baseball or any athletic game will cost you a fortune, for two people probably close to $85-$100. Got to the Seattle Center-Pacific Science Center, you might want to see the Laser show they put on too> Its a WOW experience not something every city has to offer! The Fountain there is really fun to watch too, even on a drizzly day! As you can see the Pike Place Market and all the other stuff I mentioned is all where you WON'T GET WET IF IT RAINS! This should keep you busy for at least a week. Don't forget to purchase a Starbucks coffee, I like (and most order) the 20ox Vanilla Latte, or a 20oz Mocha (chocolate flavor) Latte, will run you about $4.50 each. Great for that visit to Pike Place Market! There are Latte stands of all kinds ALL over, you needn't go to "Starbucks unless you want to. We were the beginnng of the Latte craze that now runs the nation. Be sure to ask for a "sleeve" when you go to pick yours up when its ready, sometimes the cups get really hot and a "sleeve" helps your fingers from burning! Savor it, we Seattleites drink a latte everymorning on our drive to work! But, like I said beware of the traffic, you'll see lots of road construction as we try and take care of the situation. The art scene here is out of this world. Jimmy Hendricks was born here! Same with Kurt Cobain! Music, glass art, paintings, museums galore, you'll love it here. Everyone in the Nation is moveing here to get away from the hurricans, tornadoes, floodig, massive cold weather and snow in the Upper East areas, earthquakes, need I say more. You'll LOVE it here, but please, go home, everybody is moving here, you may decide to do the same.
17. Ivan P Says:
January 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pm e
no. you dont need it either if you are going to puerto rico. i'm not sure about the phillipines and the virgin islands, dont think u need it for there either.
18. snagelfritz Says:
January 13th, 2009 at 3:25 am e
You not need a passport, YET! Soon it may be required for across State line travel, but, not now. Driver License/Picture I.D. should be OK, I think you need to show it when you Board the Plane.
19. roundater Says:
January 13th, 2009 at 9:15 am e
it is not required for domestic travel but it would be a good idea to make it valid because you will have to have one to travel anywhere outside the us (even canada or mexico):
New Requirements for Travelers
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.
In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:
December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.
20. duke_rana_pratap Says:
January 14th, 2009 at 10:09 pm e
u need a H2IB visa along with it. an xpired passport will not help.renew it as fast as u can
21. gimpalomg Says:
January 16th, 2009 at 12:12 pm e
Take your drivers license and have a great flight.
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2009年1月12日星期一
Kate Winslet wins best supporting-actress at Golden Globe Awards
Winslet, who plays a woman that has an affair with a much younger man in the film, said the role was particularly difficult because she had little personal experience to draw on to help her relate to the character.
The 33-year-old actress, famous for her role in the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic," is also nominated this year for her leading role in "Revolutionary Road."
The ceremony, considered the second largest event after the annual Academy Awards in Kodak Theater, will help dispel clouds of gloom among Americans' minds due to the current economic recession in the United States, organizers said.
Hollywood stars and celebrities came back to the ceremony at Beverly Hilton Hotel this year after a strike by the Writers Guild of America reduced last year's event to a boring news conference, where winners were announced at the same ball room.
Sunday night's event also gave Hollywood its first chance to bid a fond farewell to the late Heath Ledger, who was named the winner of a posthumous best supporting-actor award for his role as The Joker in "The Dark Knight," the 2008 box office champion.
Meanwhile, "Slum dog Millionaire," a Hollywood salute to Bollywood, is expected to continue its winning ways at the ceremony.
The film, which tells a story of a young man from Mumbai who finds success on a television game show in India, won five prizes at Thursday's Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics Choice Awards, including best picture, director, writer, composer and young actor for star Dev Patel.
The Golden Globe Awards are often promoted as an early indicator of the Oscar. However, none of the Golden Globe best picture winners have gone on to win the Academy Award for best picture for the past four years.
The awards are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which has about 85 members based in Hollywood to report news about the entertainment industry for publications around the world.
Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” tops box office in N America
Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" tops box office in N America
"Gran Torino" rocketed to the top of box office in North America after the action thriller starring and directed by Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood opened in wide release this weekend, showed preliminary figures released Sunday.
The movie, released by Warner Bros., took in an estimated 29 million U.S. dollars in ticket sales over the three-day period to dash across the finish line ahead of 20th Century Fox's wedding comedy "Bride Wars," according to Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers.
"Gran Torino," about an unhappy Korea War veteran coming to theaid of his neighbors, earlier has opened in limited release to qualify for Academy Award consideration. Its total box office now stands at 40 million dollars over five weeks.
"Bride Wars" starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson opened with 21.5 million dollar at a solid second place, followed by Universal's horror film "The Unborn" with 21.1 million dollars in its debut.
Last week's box office leader "Marley And Me" slipped to the fourth place with 11.4 million dollars over the weekend, while "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was in fifth with 9.4 million dollars. The two films have grossed 123.7 million and 94.3 million dollars respectively since they opened on Christmas Day.
2009年1月11日星期日
Egypt pushes for implementing Gaza ceasefire proposal
Egypt has been in intensive contacts with parties concerned recently to push for the implementation of a ceasefire initiative in the Gaza Strip proposed by President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday.
On Saturday morning, Mubarak held talks with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the Egyptian proposal.
At a press conference following talks with Mubarak, Abbas urged Israel to accept the Egyptian plan in a bid to put an end to the conflict in the Palestinian enclave.
Abbas said that Israel must accept the Egyptian proposal or "face the responsibility over the conflict," noting the Egyptian proposal is the only way forward to end the Gaza crisis.
On Tuesday, during talks with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy Mubarak presented a three-point proposal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which calls for an immediate ceasefire for a limited period to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and give Egypt time to continue its efforts to help reach a lasting truce.
Egypt would invite both Israel and the Palestinians for negotiation and help resume the inter-Palestinian reconciliation talks, according to the proposal.
The talks between Mubarak and Abbas is the second one since Israel launched offensive against the Palestinian enclave on Dec. 27.
Abbas said he still believes in peace though the Israeli attacks has entered the 15th day.
The Palestinian leader also called on Hamas to reach an agreement to end the conflict "without hesitation."
"We hope Hamas will reach an agreement without hesitation," said Abbas, adding "The situation does not allow us to lose time."
On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also arrived in Egypt for talks with Mubarak, hailing the ongoing international and Egyptian efforts in forging a ceasefire in Gaza.
Steinmeier also met here with Abbas, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on the latest developments in the Middle East.
On the proposed international presence in the Palestinian territories, Abul Gheit ruled out the possibility of deploying international troops at the Egyptian border with Gaza.
"Any kind of international troops will not be on the Egyptian side," Abul Gheit told the press after talks with Steinmeier.
Earlier on Saturday, Abbas called for an international presence in Gaza to protect Palestinian civilians in the coastal strip, but stressing that the international force should be only on the Palestinian lands.
"We are calling for the presence of an international force to protect the Palestinians," said Abbas, "We want the international force to be deployed in Gaza, not on the Egyptian borders."
Egypt has been also in contacts with Israel and Hamas on the ceasefire proposal.
According to the Egyptian MENA news agency, Emad al-Alami, headof Hamas office in Syria, arrived in Egypt on Saturday for talks with Egyptian mediators on the ceasefire plan.
Another Hamas delegation, grouping three Hamas leaders, Ayman Taha, Jamal Abu Hashim and Salah el-Bardawil from the embattled Gaza Strip, crossed into Egypt Friday night via Rafah crossing to join the talks with Egyptian mediators on the current situation in the Palestinian enclave.
But leaders of 10 Palestinian factions in Syria, including the exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ramadan Abdallah Shalah and Ahmed Jibril of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, has rejected international deployment in Gaza.
"The deployment of international forces in the Gaza Strip aims at neutralizing the resistance in Gaza in light of continuing occupation and separation of Gaza from the West Bank," said Muhammad Nazzal, a senior official of Hamas.
An Israeli delegation arrived in Egypt and discussed "the main details and how to implement (the Egyptian proposal)" on Thursday.
About 854 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,500 injured in the 15-day Israeli offensive against Gaza in retaliation for the rocket attacks by Hamas militants.
Chinese VP says Macao will tide over global financial crisis
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping mapped out a direction for Macao to overcome the current financial crisis and push for future development during his visit to the special administrative region (SAR) here Saturday.
Delivering a keynote speech at a welcoming banquet at the Macao SAR Government Headquarters, Xi said the purpose of his visit to Macao is to inspire local people to tide over the current global financial crisis.
The central government pays great attention to the crisis' impact on the SAR, and will render full support to Macao, he said.
Xi, who started the two-day inspection of Macao on Saturday morning, extended greetings and best wishes to all Macao citizens on behalf of President Hu Jintao and the central government.
"We must enhance our confidence and be not afraid of the current difficulty," Xi said, "I'm sure Macao will successfully tide over this wave on consolidated foundation."
He said the Macao SAR government should take further economic stimulus measures to stabilize the financial sector, assist enterprises, expand the job market and strive for new growth areas of the economy.
Xi said that to achieve an all-round, coordinated and sustainable economic growth, Macao should take a path of diversified development appropriately.
He called on the Macao society to maintain social harmony and stability amid the global financial crisis to ensure the economic development and a happy life for the people.
Xi said Macao has achieved economic development and improvement of the livelihood and social stability under the leadership of Macao SAR Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah and the SAR government since its return to the motherland.
He noted that new progress had been achieved in Macao in 2008 when the Macao SAR properly handled the constitutional development and took effective measures to cope with the impact of global financial crisis.
"All the facts have proved the correctness of the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', 'Macao people administering Macao' with a high degree of autonomy," Xi said, adding: "Macao people are fully capable of administering and building Macao."
Ukraine signs deal on Russian gas transit monitoring
Ukraine has signed an agreement on the EU-led monitoring of Russian gas transit to Europe, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Sunday.
"We once again have shown our goodwill," she said.
Tymoshenko made the announcement in Kiev after talks with Mirek Topolanek, the prime minister of the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency.
Topolenek shuttled between Kiev and Moscow on Saturday to mediate the deal. He finally persuaded Kiev after marathon talks to accept the deal, allowing EU representatives, energy officials from Russia and Ukraine to travel to gas pumping stations on Ukraine's eastern and western borders to track the gas flow.
"Nothing prevents Russia now from resuming gas supplies," Topolanek said after Ukrainian officials endorsed the deal.
"This agreement is very important for us," Topolanek said during the talks with Ukrainian officials. "We can't allow the entire energy system of Europe to collapse."
Ukraine initially rejected the monitoring pact, fearing it would give Russian officials too much access to Ukraine's gas transit system. However, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin insisted that a written deal be signed by the Ukrainian side and monitors be stationed at Ukraine's gas transit pipelines before Russia could resume gas supplies to European countries.
"Once the monitoring mechanism starts working, we will start gas supplies," Putin said after the talks with Topolanek. "But if we see them stealing it again and part of the gas is missing, we will again reduce supplies by that amount."
Russia and the EU, in a step toward resuming Russian gas supplies to Europe, on Saturday signed a protocol to set up an international commission to monitor Russian gas transit via Ukraine.
Under the deal, the international commission will include representatives of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Ukraine's energy giant Naftogaz, the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministries, the European Commission, European companies receiving Russian gas, and international monitoring organizations.
Russia supplies about one-quarter of the EU's natural gas, and some 80 percent of it is transported through Ukraine. Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe on Wednesday after negotiations with Ukraine over gas prices broke down and it accused Ukraine of siphoning its gas supplies to other European nations.
Ukraine has vehemently denied the charge, saying Russia was trying to discredit Ukraine as a reliable gas transit partner.
The complete cutoff of Russian gas supplies to the EU has left thousands of European families without heating in the depths of winter.
Russia has repeatedly asked Ukraine to pay market prices for its natural gas. "If the price for gas Gazprom supplies to Eastern European states neighboring Ukraine is around 470 U.S. dollars per1,000 cubic meters in the first quarter of 2009, then Ukraine should also pay the market price for gas," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said on Friday.
Last year, Russia charged Ukraine 179.50 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, about half what it charged its European clients.
2009年1月5日星期一
French warship foils two new attacks by Somali pirates
Patrolling off the Somali coast, the French warship "Jean de Vienne" captured 19 Somali pirates when they tried to seize a Croatian freighter and a Panamanian cargo ship. They will be transferred to Somali authorities, said the French president's office in a statement.
Just three days ago, an operation conducted by another French warship saved a Panamanian ship attacked by Somali pirates and captured eight people.
Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping areas, has become a global hotspot for piracy in recent years. More than 100 attacks by Somali pirates in the waterway were recorded in 2008 alone.
The European Union has set up an anti-piracy naval operation to protect commercial vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden. Other countries, such as India, Iran, the United States and China also sent forces to the area.
Israeli ground operation, airstrikes continue, 514 killed
Israeli warplanes struck by missiles dozens of targets into Gaza on Sunday as columns of tanks rolled deep into the enclave on Saturday night, cutting it into two separate areas, Hamas local Radio Station al-Aqsa Radio said.
The Israeli army began a ground operation on Saturday night, eight days after Israeli warplanes carried out intensive airstrikes on hundreds of targets, where Israel said they belong to Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said that dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and hundreds of Israeli paratroops seized an area south of Gaza City, which is used to be the Israeli settlement of Nitzarim, amid intensive tanks shelling in all directions.
The Israeli ground forces had also seized areas east of Gaza City, northeast and northwest of the Gaza Strip, said local Radio stations, adding that Israeli forces were supported by heavy and intensive airstrikes on the whole enclave.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian Health Ministry, told reporters that since the beginning of the ground operation in Gaza on Saturday night, over 50 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 injured.
He added that the death toll of the Palestinians who were killed since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27, 514 were killed and 2600 wounded, at least 800 are in serious conditions.
He expected that the death toll would grow higher and higher in the coming days if the Israeli army continues airstrikes and tanks shelling on houses, mosques, markets, cars and densely populated areas.
Hassanein warned of a severe humanitarian crisis at hospitals and in the Gaza Strip in general if the Israeli air and ground operations continue on the Gaza Strip, amid a tight blockade imposed on the enclave.
In a fresh Israeli airstrike, Hassanein said that two Palestinians were killed after Israeli warplanes struck a mosque in Zeitoon neighborhood in southern Gaza City.
Witnesses said that a mosque and money exchange store in Gaza City were struck by missiles on Sunday night, and two were killed at the mosque, but no injuries reported in the attack on the money exchange store.
Hassanein said that four Palestinian paramedics were killed and more than ten people were injured in two separate airstrikes that targeted paramedics who were trying to rescue casualties in southern Gaza City.
He also said that earlier during the day, five Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on Mosab Ben Omier mosque in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
Hassanein added that another crime was carried out earlier during the day, where a mother and her four children were killed when Israeli warplanes hit their house in Tufah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.
He added that among the five dead, there is a one-year-old baby boy and a 2-year-old baby girl.
In southern Gaza Strip, medics at Rafah Hospital said that five civilians belong to the same family were killed in an airstrike on their house in Rafah town, adding that among them two adults and three children.
In northern Gaza Strip, medics said that four children were killed in the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, in addition to six other adults, in a series of intensive Israeli airstrikes early on Sunday morning.
Also on Sunday, an Israeli missile hit Firas market in Gaza city downtown, killing five Palestinians and wounded 40. The strike targeted a Hamas activist. He was killed and his colleague was injured.
Meanwhile, Hamas armed wing al-Qassam Brigades said in separate statements that its militants launched more than 20 rockets at southern Israeli towns and cities, mainly Ashdod, Ashkelon and Sderot.
The group also said that its militants confronted "the invading Zionist forces and caused severe damages and fatalities among the soldiers." It claimed that dozens of soldiers were killed and wounded.
Chinese, U.S. presidents talk relations, international issues on phone
The two leaders exchanged congratulations on achievements that have been made in the development of bilateral relations since the forging of diplomatic ties between China and the U.S. 30 years ago.
They expressed the hope that a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations would be successful.
President Hu agreed with Bush's positive remarks on China-U.S. relations and hailed his efforts to develop a constructive and cooperative Sino-U.S. relationship.
In the new historical period of time, China and the United States, through their joint efforts, will surely be able to stay firm in the general direction of the China-U.S. constructive and cooperative relationship and promote sound, stable, all-round and in-depth development of bilateral ties, Hu noted.
Bush, for his part, said China and the United States have engaged in good cooperation over the past 30 years which deserves congratulation.
The U.S. president said he was pleased that he has conducted satisfactory cooperation with President Hu during his presidency.
On the Middle East situation, Hu said China is seriously concerned about escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and worsening of the volatile situation in the Middle East and is deeply worried about the humanitarian crisis taking place in the Gaza Strip.
China calls on all the parties concerned to stop military operation and armed conflicts, promote the relaxation of tension in the region and create conditions for a solution to the conflict by political means, Hu said.
2009年1月2日星期五
Vienna New Year's Concert: A gift to "Haydn Year"
The Vienna Philharmonic's annual New Year's concert on Thursday commemorated the 200th anniversary of the death of Austrian composer Joseph Haydn.
The concert also promoted the Austrian industrial city of Linz as the 2009 "European Cultural City."
Austria designated 2009 as Haydn Year to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of the Austrian composer. The country was to hold a series of commemorative activities and included a performance of Haydn's work for the first time at this year's concert.
Austrian Television ORF inserted a music video program introducing Linz during the concert's intermission to promote the city as the 2009 "European Cultural City."
The Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, ushered in the New Year with music for more than 2,000 spectators and hundreds of millions of television and radio listeners around the world.
The 2009 concert still mainly consisted of works of the Strauss family.
The Vienna New Year's concert tradition began in 1941 and was first broadcast on live television in 1959.
The concert now is not only a tradition for Austrians, but has also become a global cultural event.
This year's concert was broadcast to more than 70 television networks and 300 radio stations around the world.
Peru's inflation one of the lowest in Latin America
The Central Bank of Reserve (BCPR) said that according to projections of the main national and international institutions, Peru's 2008 inflation will be slightly over the projections of 6.2 percent for both Brazil and Mexico.
Consensus Forecast, a consulting company, said that in 2009 Peru will have an inflation rate of 3.9 percent, the lowest in Latin America, due to the drop in prices of food and fuel as well as the other products on the global market.
The BCRP also projected that Peru will be one of the countries in Latin America to have the highest economic growth in 2008 and 2009.
Consensus Forecast said Peru had a growth of 9.2 percent in 2008, and will keep its leadership in Latin America with 5.3 percent growth in 2009.
Bolivia to export duty-free textile to Venezuela
Bolivia will export with zero duty the first batch of textile to Venezuela before Jan. 15, President Evo Morales said Thursday.
Venezuela granted a zero-duty treatment to Bolivia after the United States suspended the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (Atpdea) with the west South American country.
"On the Atpdea issues, I talked with some officials from Venezuelan government and before Jan. 15, the first ton of textile will leave Bolivia for Venezuela," Morales said.
The U.S. congress approved the Atpdea that was to last for one year for Peru, Colombia and Ecuador and six months for Bolivia on Oct. 2.
However, the White House suspended the agreement for Bolivia on Dec. 15, citing inadequate control over drugs, a prerequisite for taking the Atpdea benefits.
Morales had said that there are other markets for Bolivia, and that Bolivia could sell its products to Russia, China, Iran, Japanand India.
Morales and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed the Bolivarian Alternative of the People of the Americas (Alba) on Oct. 29, which enables the Bolivian products to enter Venezuela free of duty.
U.S. auto makers receiving government loan
General Motors Corp. major auto maker in the U.S., collected a loan of 4 billion dollars from the U.S. Treasury Department on the eve of the new year, reports from Detroit said Thursday.
The cash infusion will prevent the automaker's imminent financial collapse after a dramatic sales decline and cash crunch this year.
The automakers in Detroit are to receive another loan of 5.4 billion dollars by Jan. 16 and possibly another loan of 4 billion U.S. dollars on Feb. 17.
The loans serve as major lifelines to two of Detroit's Big Three automakers, both on the brink of failure, and for a U.S. industry that has lost more than 100 billion U.S. dollars since 2004, trimmed tens of thousands of jobs and closed numerous plants. In exchange, GM and Chrysler must execute drastic restructuring plans or face bankruptcy.
GM had faced the possibility of collapse as early as the first week of this month, when large supplier bills will come due, while Chrysler warned it could have collapsed early this year.
S&P chief economist: U.S. recession expected to hit bottom in mid-2009
"As we expected, the peak is dated to December 2007, implying that the recession has already lasted longer than average," Wyss said in an emailed reply.
"We expect to hit bottom in mid-2009, which would make this the longest recession since World War II," although the recession is expected to be average in depth, Wyss said.
But he warned that if financial markets remain locked up and especially if oil prices rebound, this could turn into a deeper recession, with unemployment hitting 10 percent as it did in the early 1980s.
The coming Obama administration could push for a large stimulus package and continue to bypass normal credit market channels as needed, which should help keep the recession in check, he said.
On the current financial crisis, Wyss said the major cause was a glut of world liquidity, that pushed interest rates down worldwide and caused investors to disregard risk.
"In the end, the primary cause remains human nature. Whenever there is an extended period of stable expansion, people think it will go on forever, and underestimate risk. Then when risk appears, they panic and go straight from irrational exuberance to irrational panic," he said.
Asked to comment on the prospects for some major economies in the world, Wyss said the United States was the first into recession, and will be the first out.
"China still has the highest growth rate and the best long-term prospects," he said, adding that the European recession will be milder than in the United States.
Asked if he were invited to write a book about the economy in 2008, what the title would be, Wyss said for the United States, that would be "The End of Indulgence: Learning to Live Within Our Means and Not Liking It."
Singapore private home prices fall 5.7% in Q4
Based on the estimated price index of private residential property, prices fell to 163.4 points from 173.3 points in the third quarter of 2008, which represents a decline of 5.7 percent, compared with the 2.4 percent decline in the previous quarter, the URA said.
Prices of non-landed private residential properties decreased the biggest in core central region, down by 6.3 percent. Prices declined 5.5 percent in rest of central region and 4.7 percent in outside central region in the quarter.
Some experts expected the country's property prices could decline further in 2009.
Russia cuts off gas supplies to Ukraine
Russia cuts off gas supplies to Ukraine
Russia's state gas monopoly Gazprom fully cut off gas supplies to Urkaine on Thursday morning.
・Gazprom said it will continue to supply European consumers in full.
"Gas stores have been completely cut as of 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) today," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said at a press conference.
EUROPE CONCERNED.
The cut-off naturally aroused the concern of the European Union (EU), which receives one fifth of Russian natural gas through pipelines that cross Ukraine. The EU on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to continue talks over their gas delivery dispute.
"All existing commitments to supply and transit must be honored," Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra, whose country holds the current EU presidency, said in a joint statement with the European Commission.
The EU called on Russia and Ukraine to continue negotiations and reach an outcome so that supplies to Europe are not affected.
"The EU believes we can count on assurances given that gas supplies to it will be unaffected," Andris Piebalgs, the EU commissioner for energy, said.
Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine on Thursday reassured their No 1 client, the EU, the row between them will not affect the European market, and that they were reliable energy partners.
Gazprom spokesman Kupriyanov said the company will continue to supply European consumers in full. "Export deliveries to Europe have been increased to 326 million cubic meters per day," he said.
One day before the cut-off, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and "explained the gas supply problems between Russia and Ukraine and the possible consequences for Europe," according to a statement from Brussels.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko also called Barroso to explain her country's position.
President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko, in a joint statement made public early on Thursday, said the country has asked the EU to mediate the dispute and promised supplies to Europe would continue "uninterrupted."
There are fears that the cut-off could lead to a repetition of a similar gas crisis as in January 2006, when a dispute between Russia and Ukraine briefly interrupted shipments to many European countries.
Major European consumers of Russian gas have so far reported no immediate impact on supplies. Italy and Poland said they had no problem with their deliveries, and Germany said precautions had already been taken to ensure supplies were not disrupted.
PRICE ROW
Gazprom said the cut-off came after the parties failed to agree terms for a 2009 contract to replace the old one which expired at midnight.
Gazprom said Ukraine owes more than 2 billion U.S. dollars for gas it imported. Ukraine said it had transferred 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to an account to cover the debt, but Gazprom said its accounts do not show the payment.
Gazprom had insisted that Ukraine pay 418 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters of gas this year, more than double what it paid in 2008. The Russian energy giant on Wednesday, however, offered to charge Ukraine a reduced price of 250 dollars, which Ukrainian officials said was still too high.
Early on Thursday, Ukraine said in a statement it was prepared to pay 201 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters and wants to raise the gas transit fee.
Later in the day, Oleh Dubina, director of Naftogaz, Ukraine's gas company, said the country was willing to pay 235 dollars, with a transit fee of 1.80 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 kms.
Feeding the price row, is the long-running political tension between the two neighbors.
Political analysts said Russia's anger with Yushchenko, fueled by reports that Ukraine aided Georgia in last August's war with Russia, had played a central role in the present energy crisis.
During the 2006 row, Russia was accused of using its energy resources as a political weapon to punish Ukraine's Western-leaning government, while Ukraine was accused of siphoning off Russian gas intended for Europe from the pine lines.
Russia said its latest gas price offer to Ukraine was much lower than the market price for the rest of Europe, and described it as a "humanitarian" gesture.
DISPUTE PREDICTED NOT TO LAST LONG.
Most energy analysts predict the row will be resolved in the coming days as it was bad for both sides ― the Ukrainians face a harsh winter without gas, while Russia cannot not afford to have its gas stuck in the pipelines.
President Yushchenko said on Thursday the gas dispute with Russia will be settled by Jan. 7.
"I think we are close to a compromisecompromise, and I ask the Russian president, the Russian prime minister and Ukrainian negotiators … to do all they can so the talks can be completed as soon as possible.
"Our negotiations with the Russian side should be continued within the next two days and completed by Jan. 7," Yushchenko said, in his first statement after Russia's supply decision.
The United States also on Thursday urged Russia and the Ukraineto resolve their dispute.
White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe expressed both sides should keep in mind the humanitarian implications of any interjection of gas supply in the winter.
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HK stocks close 4.56% higher in first trading day of the year
HK stocks close 4.56% higher in first trading day of the year
Hong Kong stocks surged in 655.33 points, or 4.56 percentage, to close at 15,042.81 on Friday, the first trafficking day for 2009.
The result went up to 30.53 billion HK dollars (3.94 billion U.S. dollars) from 26.38 billion HK dollars on Tuesday, the last full- trading day in 2008.
Gains in mainland telecommunications corporations after Beijing's approval of third-generation mobile licenses led Hong Kong's shares above the psychologically important level of 15,000, analysts said.
They also said the market was supported by "pre-Obama enthusiasm", as investors expected U.S. president-elect Barack Obama to announce a series of economic stimulus policies when he takes office on Jan. 20.
However, they noted that low turnover indicated investors remain cautious on expectations for poor corporate earnings and economic data.
Mainland telecom stocks jumped across the board. Although the central government didn't say when the 3G licenses would be granted, the announcement removed a major overhang on the sector, analysts said.
"We hold a positive view for the 3G licenses in the whole telecom industry," said Jim Tang, an analyst at the Shanghai Shenyin Wanguo Research. "China Unicom and China Telecom will benefit the most from 3G licensing. They will also achieve higher sales growth," Tang said.
China Mobile rose 4.4 percent to 81.20 HK dollars, China Unicom rose 8.8 percent to 10.12 HK dollars, and China Telecom ended 6.2 percent higher at 3.07 HK dollars. ZTE, which received a contract to make 3G phones for China Mobile, rose 9.1 percent to 22.15 HK dollars.
Some of the worst-performing blue chips of 2008 surged on their first trading day in 2009 on bargain hunting. Electronics parts maker Foxconn, the biggest blue-chip decliner of 2008 with an 85 percent slump, rose 18 percent to 3.03 HK dollars. Conglomerate Citic Pacific, which slid 81 percent last year, jumped 22 percent to 10.20 HK dollars.
Property counters also led the upward momentum. Cheung Kong jumped 5 percent to 76.9 HK dollars. Hang Lung Properties shot up 9 percent to 18.36 HK dollars.
Coal actors were higher after the central authorities lifted its cap on coal pricing. Shenhua, China Coal and Hidili acquired 6 percent to 17.4 HK dollars, 6.55 HK dollars and 2.61 HK dollars. ( 1 U.S. dollar = 7.7425 HK dollars)
2009年1月1日星期四
U.S. dedicated to developing renewable energy
The year of 2008 has seen the United States taking critical steps in developing renewable energy to meet the national goal of achieving 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.
But most important of all is that the November election of Barack Obama as the next U.S. president marks a shift in U.S. policy towards reducing gas emissions.
Obama pledges to cut U.S. emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to reduce them 80 percent more by 2050, and these plans are seen as more stringent than those advocated by President George W. Bush and former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, as well as many in Congress.
Obama's statements have been widely applauded by foreign leaders frustrated with the recalcitrant attitude of the Bush administration, which walked away from the Kyoto Protocol immediately upon taking office in 2001.
With Obama as the next president, the United States is believed to be more dedicated to achieving its renewable objectives which call on biofuels to make up 30 percent of the gasoline supply by 2030, for 20 percent of power to be generated by wind, and for solar power to be market competitive by 2015.
To achieve these objectives, the following steps have been taken:
-- In the first substantive vote since gasoline prices rose above 4 U.S. dollars a gallon this summer, the House approved a package of energy initiatives in September, including measures that would allow oil drilling as close as 50 miles (80 km) off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and finance the long-term development of alternative energy sources;
-- More emphasis is being attached to solar energy with the building of the world's largest solar power plant, 8.5 megawatts, in Colorado, with focus on photovoltaics-generated solar electricity;
-- Working to add more than 6,000 megawatts of wind power to become the world's leading producer (currently wind provides about1 percent of U.S. electricity and efforts are being made to make wind power grow to 29 percent of U.S. electricity production);
-- Increasing venture investments in renewable energy, with companies contributing a record 961.7 million dollars in the second quarter of 2008, and the Department of Energy pledging 14.55 million dollars to six selected companies for the research, development, and demonstration of advanced vehicle technologies;
-- Encouraging companies to take part, with Internet search giant Google Inc. taking the lead, by fleshing out its 4.4-trillion-dollar plan for a big push in wind, solar and geothermal power to largely replace fossil fuels;
-- Trying to get consumers to buy hybrid and electric cars, with planned sales to ramp up from 100,000 in 2010 to 22 million in 2030;
-- More attention is being turned to algae instead of grain to make biofuels, as scientists are working to turn algae to a green fuel that can be blended into diesel and gasoline, and perhaps could even replace petroleum-based diesel and gasoline one day;
-- In addition to algae, biofuel researchers have looked at jatropha -- a bush that grows in arid environments, needs little water and yields more oil than corn -- and halophytes, salt-tolerant plants such as seashore mallow to make biofuels;
-- The states of California, Illinois and Wisconsin and six others in Brazil and Indonesia have pledged to join efforts on new programs for protecting and restoring tropical forests as an essential, but so far untapped strategy, to combat climate change, and California adopted the nation's most sweeping plan in December to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent over the next 12 years.
The nation today generates 2 billion barrels of oil a year, but consumes 6.4 billion barrels. One study showed that there is enough biomass available to produce the equivalent of 3.5 billion barrels, while today's technology could produce 2 billion barrels, greatly cutting the U.S. dependence on foreign sources.
Despite the progress being made, Dan Arvizu, head of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said the federal government should have been doing more to foster renewable energy.
He said states are taking the leadership at a time of opportunity to change the nation's energy future.
"I see little happening at the federal level. Much more needs to happen," Arvizu said.
Ecuador, Italian company begin talks on future of oil contract
Ecuadorian Mining and Oil Minister Derlis Palacios and representatives from the Italian oil company Agip began talks here Wednesday on the future of their oil extraction contract.
The talks came after President Rafael Correa on Saturday ordered the suspension of Agip's production (about 25,000 barrels a day) to fulfill the oil reduction plan set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
According to the plan, Ecuador must cut 40,000 barrels a day of its production starting from Jan. 1, 2009, after OPEC decided on Dec. 18 to slash 2.2 million barrels a day to stabilize oil prices.
Agip claimed earlier it was not officially notified of the government's decision.
Palacios said he expected to reach an agreement with Agip.
A statement released by the Mining and Oil Ministry said the cause for the reduction was Agip's high production costs and staff expenses.
Agip operated block 10 located in the Ecuadorian Amazons. In 2007, it produced a daily average of 25,579 barrels of oil.
Ecuador will also cut the production of other private and state-owned oil companies, whose percentage of contribution will be fixed next week, the statement said.
New NASA report details final minutes of Columbia
A new NASA report released Tuesday detailed chaotic final minutes of Columbia, which disintegrated over Texas on Feb. 1, 2003, making known many of the details about the astronauts' deaths.
The 400-page report aims to figure out how to make NASA's next spaceship more survivable, targeting problems with the spacesuits, restraints and helmets of the Columbia crew.
Besides the known reasons to death like lack of oxygen or hitting something as the spacecraft tumbled and broke up, the new report paints a more detailed picture of the final moments of the crew than the broader investigation into the accident five years ago.
Astronaut Pam Melroy, deputy study chief, said analysis showed the astronauts were at their problem-solving best trying to recover Columbia, which was starting to crack up as it reentered Earth's atmosphere with a hole in its left wing, damage that had occurred at liftoff. "There was no way for them to know that it was going to be impossible."
The crew had lost control of the motion and direction of the spacecraft. The spacecraft was pitching end-over-end, the cabin lights were out, and parts of the shuttle behind the crew compartment, including its wings, were falling off.
"It was a very disorienting motion going on," NASA deputy associate administrator Wayne Hale said in a telephone conference call. "There were a number of alarms going off simultaneously. The crew was trying very hard to regain control. We're talking about a brief time in a crisis situation."
The report lists events that were each potentially lethal to the crew: Loss of cabin pressure just before or as the cabin broke up; crew members, unconscious or already dead, crashing into objects in the module; exposure to a near vacuum at about 30480 meters(100,000 feet); and crashing to the ground.
A NASA study team is recommending 30 changes based on Columbia, many of them aim at the spacesuits, helmets and seatbelts for both the shuttle and the next space capsule NASA is building. Since the accident, NASA has quietly made astronauts put more priority on getting their protective suits on, Melroy said.
Church Clothes Lyrics
I've spent more than my share on temptation
Trying to cool my swollen tongue
I gorged myself on all that free good will
And left the others none
What I wear like church clothes,
You wear just like jewelry
All the simple things you revel in,
They just suffocate me
And I don't know anymore,
Wish someone would tell me who to be
Because I'm ready, I'm ready to try anything
I'm dazzled by glamour and camera angles,
The drama and swagger of fools
I sacrificed beauty once to chase after their parade
And spent my morning after
Crawling back to you
What I wear like church clothes,
You wear just like jewelry
All the simple things you revel in,
They just suffocate me
And I don't know anymore,
Wish someone would tell me who to be
Because I'm ready, I'm ready to try anything
I want to be
I want to be
I want to be brand new,
I want to trade in these wings
Mine don't work like yours do
What I wear like church clothes,
You wear just like jewelry
All the simple things you revel in,
They just suffocate me
And I don't know anymore,
Wish someone would tell me who to be
Because I'm ready, I'm ready to try anything
I'm ready, I am ready to try anything
I'm ready, I am ready to try anything
I'm ready to slow down
Slow, slow...
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Chelsea’s Drogba says he lost passion for football
Chelsea's Drogba says he lost passion for football
Chelsea's Didier Drogba says he entered this season having lost his passion for football.
"For several weeks this summer, I no longer had a head for football. I had completely lost the fire. I no longer wanted to hear talk of targets or ambition," the Ivory Coast striker said. "I had absolutely no excitement or adrenaline. I felt completely extinguished. For the first time in my career, I had lost the passion for football. I was lost."
Drogba, who joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2004, said that he was profoundly shaken by the death of his grandmother in June.
"I felt as if all of my childhood memories were flying away. I felt I had aged brutally," the 30-year-old Drogba said. "For a long time, I put football on hold. After my injury, I really wasn't in a hurry to return, nor very motivated."
Drogba missed the start of a season with a knee injury, and was then given a three-game ban for throwing a coin back at fans who jeered him after scoring a goal. Despite the setbacks, Drogba said "this break was good for me. I now feel very strong, with a huge appetite."
He also said he understood why Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is leaving him more on the bench this season in favor of Nicolas Anelka, currently the Premier League's top scorer.
"For the moment, I can only keep quiet," France Football quoted Drogba as saying. "It is not because I have been here for more than four years that I have a right to make demands to be in the starting lineup. At the moment, there's a guy at the front who is hot and racking up goals. I must wait my turn."
But he suggested that Scolari pair him with Anelka more often in attack.
"I have always said that I was happy that Nicolas came to Chelsea. But I still cannot understand why managers are afraid to put us together," Drogba said. "He and I are waiting for just one thing ― to be able to play together. But really together ― not one in the center and the other on the left wing."
Should America travel more by rail than road?
8 Comments For This Post
1. B U S Y Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Do railways reach everyone's destination? Nope!
2. Skeptic Says:
December 20th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Our cross country rail service is slightly more expensive than air travel and it takes a big bite out of your vacation time. Most people cannot afford 3 days to get from the West Coast to the East Coast and another 3 days back again.
I hope that Obama includes a high speed express train in his plans that could be built by American industry. This could make the trip very quick and lower its cost. The rail fuel cost per mile is much less than air travel or travel by car. Perhaps we could follow the excellent model developed in Europe. Sometimes, even the French have a good idea.
3. walker Says:
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
yes,but it needs to be privatized,just like everything the government runs ,amtrak is a failure.
4. gbreadmann Says:
December 24th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Yes, America should. But it would mean raising taxes to pay for billions in high-speed rail (aka "political suicide" for any politician). And most important of all, America's been suckered by the automobile.
After all, most of the commercials I see on TV (especially luxury car commercials) state, "the car is God; the car is one with you, the car means freedom and power and status. Get a car NOW; there is no other WORTHY way to get your fat a** around".
So, as a society, if you're bombarded with hundreds of billions of dollars worth of this advertising every day of every month of every year, do you really think people will want to ride a train?
5. Rango Says:
December 26th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
That wont happen, ever.
We will never reach a point where travel more on rails than on roads, but if given the option, a great many more people would ride trains.
Passenger rail must be subsidized, it is not economically possible to have a profitable passneger rail system.
All it takes is for enough people to convince their elected representatives that the need for increased passenger rail capacity exists.
6. sob_151 Says:
December 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
You are right for the most part, as long as where you're getting to, the railroad can get you there.
7. the evil Says:
December 31st, 2008 at 3:09 am
rail should reclaim a good part of the over-the road trucking business. trains can move a ton of cargo 106 miles on one gallon of diesel. this is the same as the average pickup with a ton of cargo in the back getting 40 miles per gallon. anyone can tell you that this does not happen. for personal transport, trains have become obsolete because they don't reach everywhere, but for cargo and raw materials, trains are, were, and will be the answer.
8. Cameraguy Says:
January 1st, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I agree that our country's rail system is a joke. Trains helped build this nation, and they have been marginalized to the point of almost being obsolete. The problem is people have gotten so used to driving everywhere, they will not want to give of the personal comfort of their cars unless the cost of gas goes through the roof.
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