First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

 

[caption id="attachment_12087" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Norway's biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, seen during a training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khutor, near Sochi, on 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP/File, Kirill Kudryavtsev))[/caption]

 

By Stuart Williams (AFP)

 

Sochi — Olympic athletes were on Saturday competing for the first medals of the Sochi Winter Games after Russia staged a thrilling opening ceremony that impressed even foreign sceptics.

 

President Vladimir Putin late Friday declared open the 22nd Winter Olympics in a ceremony that took 40,000 people in the Fisht Stadium and TV viewers around the world on a lightning tour through Russian history.

 

Thousands of fireworks exploded above the venue on the Black Sea coast in the ceremony.

 

"We missed this for so many years... a pride for our country, a feeling for her power, unity and greatness. Yesterday, we felt it," the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily said.

 

Five gold medals are up for grabs.

 

The first gold will likely come in the women's cross-country skiathlon, while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 40, will become the joint highest medal winner in Winter Olympics history if he makes the podium in the sprint.

 

Women will seek gold in the spectacular moguls freestyle event, the men's snowboard slopestyle will be decided after a succession of spectacular crashes while the endurance kings of speed skating will face off in the lung-busting men's 5,000 metres.

 

The high-octane ceremony, devised by the powerful boss of Russia's Channel One television Konstantin Ernst, got off to a rocky start when one of five illuminated artificial snowflakes that were supposed to morph into the Olympic rings failed to open, leaving just four rings.

 

But organisers brushed off the mishap, admitting that they covered up the glitch on Russian state television by quickly inserting footage of the segment they had recorded days earlier.

 

"There is a saying that you have to kick out the uneven part of a perfectly polished ball to understand how perfect it is," he said.

 

The Russian team won huge cheers as they entered to the song "Nas Ne Dogonyat" ("Not Gonna Get Us") by female pop duo Tatu.

 

In towards Russia's proud sporting past, the Olympic cauldron was lit by two triple gold-winning Soviet winter sports icons -- figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak.

 

The flame had been brought into the stadium by US-based Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and the final relay included Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva.

 

Even the foreign press, which have been hugely critical of Russia in the days up to the Games, heaped praised on the ceremony.

 

"For Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency," Britain's Daily Mail wrote.

 

'Keep politics out of Olympics'

 

But IOC President Thomas Bach made an impassioned call for politics to stay out of sport, saying "have the courage to address your disagreements in political dialogue and not on the back of your athletes".

 

The security concerns that have shadowed these Games were underlined when a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack an airliner en route from Ukraine to Turkey and divert it to Sochi.

 

But Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul, where security teams overpowered the man, said to be drunk.

 

The United States has already announced a temporary ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage on Russia-bound flights, following a warning that militants could stuff explosives into toothpaste.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France -Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

Grèce: l'ex-Pdg d'une banque arrêté pour fraude après son retour dans le pays Greece: The former CEO of a bank arrested for fraud after his return to the country

Grèce: l'ex-Pdg d'une banque arrêté pour fraude après son retour dans le pays

 

(AFP)

 

[caption id="attachment_11869" align="alignnone" width="400"] (L’ex-Pdg de la banque postale grecque, Anguelos Filippidis, escorté par des policiers au siège de la police, le 5 février 2014 mercredi le Roman à Athènes (IN TIME NEWS/AFP, Kostas Baltas)) (The former CEO of the Greek postal bank Anguelos Filippidis escorted by police Police Headquarters, 5 February 2014 The Roman in Athens (IN TIME NEWS/AFP, Kostas Baltas))[/caption]

 

Athènes — L'ex-Pdg de la banque postale grecque (TT), recherché pour son rôle dans une affaire retentissante de fraude, a été arrêté mercredi à l'aéroport d'Athènes après son retour de Turquie, a-t-on appris de source judiciaire.

 

Anguelos Filippidis doit être transféré devant le parquet d'Athènes, selon la même source.

 

Il avait été arrêté en janvier à Istanbul et placé en détention provisoire pendant trois semaines, en vertu d'un mandat international issu à la suite des poursuites pénales lancées à son encontre par la justice grecque pour des prêts de complaisance sans garantie de plusieurs millions accordés à des hommes d'affaires en Grèce.

 

L'accusé a nié ces accusations en soulignant que les prêts ont été accordés à la suite des décisions prises à l'unanimité par le conseil d'administration de la TT.

 

Vingt-cinq personnes au total sont visées par l'information judiciaire dans le cadre de ce scandale, parmi lesquelles Anastassia Sakellariou, ex-responsable de TT, actuellement à la tête du Fonds hellénique de stabilité financière.

 

L'enquête avait commencé après la découverte d'un trou de 400 millions d'euros dans les comptes de la TT, qui en 2013 avait été scindée en deux entités, celle dotée d'actifs sains ayant été acquise par Eurobank lors de la restructuration du secteur bancaire grec achevé en été 2013.

 

Plusieurs enquêtes judiciaires sur des affaires de corruption sont en cours actuellement en Grèce, où le gouvernement met en avant sa volonté de lutter contre les malversations financières qui ont coûté cher au pays frappé par la crise de la dette.

 

Copyright © AFP 2014. Tous droits réservés.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 5 mercredi février 2014 le Roman)

 

 

Greece: The former CEO of a bank arrested for fraud after his return to the country

 

(AFP)

 

Athens — The former CEO of the Greek Post Bank (TT), wanted for his role in a sensational fraud case, was arrested Wednesday at Athens airport after returning from Turkey, has to sources judicial.

 

Anguelos Filippidis must be transferred to the prosecution of Athens, according to the same source.

 

He was arrested in January in Istanbul and remanded in custody for three weeks under an international mandate from the following launched against him by the Greek justice for loans without guarantee of convenience multimillion prosecution granted to businessmen in Greece.

 

The accused denied the accusations stressing that the loans were made as a result of decisions taken unanimously by the Board of Directors of the TT.

 

Twenty-five people in total are covered by the investigation in the context of this scandal, including Anastasia Sakellariou, former head of TT, currently head of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund.

 

The investigation began after the discovery of a hole of € 400 million in the accounts of the TT, which in 2013 was split into two entities, one with healthy assets were acquired by Eurobank in restructuring the Greek banking sector was completed in 2013.

 

Several judicial investigations of corruption cases are currently underway in Greece, where the government has emphasized its commitment to the fight against embezzlement that have cost the country hit by the debt crisis.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 6 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Putin takes Olympic officials to meet Sochi leopards

Putin takes Olympic officials to meet Sochi leopards

 

[caption id="attachment_11926" align="alignnone" width="375"] (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin caresses a Persian leopard cub as he visits the Persian leopard breeding and rehabilitation centre in the National Park in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on 4 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP Photo/Alexei Nikolsky))[/caption]

 

Sochi (Russia) (AFP)

 

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday took senior members of the IOC to meet leopards that are to be re-introduced in the Sochi region, in an attempt by Russia to show the Games are positive for the environment.

 

However one of the leopards called Grom (Thunder) took none to happily to the arrival of the large group of guests and attacked two journalists inside the cage, state Russian media said.

 

Putin took Jean Claude Killy, the French skiing legend who has been the International Olympic Committee's pointman for Sochi, and IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli in his own jeep to the nature reserve above Sochi.

 

Russia is working to reintroduce the Persian leopard to the mountains above the city as part of measures aimed at showing that the Olympic Games will benefit and not hurt the environment.

 

"The ecological situation has improved many times over," said Putin.

 

"According to some estimates, it has improved by a factor of four."

 

"There are questions which always crop up during such huge construction but in general the situation has not worsened but improved."

 

However environmentalists scoff at such claims, saying that the Games have irreversibly damaged once virgin environments by the sea and in the mountains.

 

After six-month old Grom had lashed out at journalists, state television noted that the media left the cage and Putin went in himself to calm the animal.

 

One reporter was scratched on the hand and one lightly bitten in the knee, the RIA Novosti news agency said.

 

State television showed Putin cradling Grom on his knee with the animal now seemingly at ease.

 

"I like animals, it seems I have a feeling for them," said Putin.

 

"We liked each other."

 

Putin is well known for his meetings with wild animals which he uses to burnish his hardman image.

 

As well as leopards, in the past he has met beasts including a tiger and a polar bear.

 

Three pairs of adult leopards being kept in the big cages of the reserve have already given birth to four leopards in the last months.

 

Leopards have been extinct in this part of Russia since the 1950s.

 

To start the reintroduction programme, Russia received two male leopards as gifts from Turkmenistan and two females from Iran.

 

The first two offspring come from another leopard pair who came from Lisbon zoo.

 

But then a Turkmen-Iranian partnership then produced two more leopards.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 4 Tesday February 2014 The Roman)

Ronaldo doubtful as last 16 in sight for Real Madrid

Ronaldo doubtful as last 16 in sight for Real Madrid

 

Madrid (AFP)

 

Real Madrid will almost certainly be without Cristiano Ronaldo as they look to mathematically seal their place in the Champions League last 16 at home to Galatasaray on Wednesday.

 

The Spanish giants are virtually already in the knockout stage as they would need to lose their remaining two games heavily having beaten Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen 6-1 and 4-0 respectively on matchday one and two.

 

However, they can also guarantee first place in Group B with just a point against the Turkish champions.

 

Ronaldo is unlikely to be risked as he suffered a minor thigh injury in Madrid's 5-0 destruction of Almeria on Saturday.

 

The Portuguese had given the visitors the lead in that game to continue his sensational scoring form of late that has seen him net 32 times for club and country already this season.

 

Despite Ronaldo's withdrawal just after half-time with the score 1-0, Real shrugged off his departure to fire in four more goals in the final half hour with Gareth Bale among the goalscorers.

 

That was the Welshman's fourth goal in five games as he begins to find his feet in the Spanish capital after his reported 91 million euro ($123 million, £76 million) move from Tottenham Hotspur in September.

 

Bale's return to form has coincided with Madrid's best spell under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti as they have racked up 20 goals in their last four league games.

 

However, with Los Blancos still trailing Barcelona by six points in La Liga, many believe their best chance of a major trophy could come in the Champions League.

 

Madrid have fallen short at the semi-final stage in each of the last three years as they desperately go in search of their 10th European crown and Ancelotti admits becoming the man to end their 14-year wait for the Champions League is a motivating factor.

 

"The 10th European Cup is not an obsession, but a motivation," he told The Times.

 

"For the club it's very important. The last time Real Madrid played in the final was 2002. For a club like Real Madrid this is not good.”

 

Twenty-year-old rising star Jese Rodriguez is expected to get his chance in Ronaldo's absence with Bale possibly moving over to the left rather than on the right side of Madrid's attack where he has prospered in recent weeks.

 

Galatasaray, meanwhile, travel to Madrid hoping to take a huge step towards joining Real in the last 16.

 

Roberto Mancini's men are currently tied with FC Copenhagen in second place on four points, one ahead of Italian champions Juventus.

 

And the former Manchester City manager is desperate to set up a showdown for second place against his compatriots from Serie A in what is sure to be fiery atmosphere in Istanbul in two weeks time.

 

"I am confident. I think we need to improve as a team, but I hope we can get a good result in the next game," he told Uefa.com.

 

"Probably we will play for everything in the last game against Juventus, but in football you never say never."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 27 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Olympics held Tokyo in 2020, for the second time since 56 years

Olympics held Tokyo in 2020, for the second time since 56 years

 

２０２０年五輪、東京に決定　５６年ぶり２度目の開催

 

【ブエノスアイレス共同】国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）は9月７日（日本時間８日）にブエノスアイレスで開いた総会で、２０２０年の第３２回夏季オリンピック大会の開催都市に東京を選んだ。

 

１９６４年の第１８回東京大会以来５６年ぶりで、アジアでは初めて２度目の開催となる。

 

会期は７月２４日から８月９日まで。

 

７２年札幌、９８年長野の冬季大会を含めると日本では４度目の五輪となる。

 

パラリンピック大会の開催も決まった。

 

開催都市は約１００人のＩＯＣ委員による投票で決まり、東京は招致を争ったスペインのマドリード、トルコのイスタンブールを上回った。

 

（共同通信）

 

（琉球新報、2013年9月8日）

 

 

Olympics held Tokyo in 2020, for the second time since 56 years

 

[Buenos Aires Kyodo] International Olympic Committee (IOC), opened in Buenos Aires in 7 September (8 September Japan time), chose Tokyo to host city of the 32nd Summer Olympic Games of 2020.

 

Since 56 years, 18th Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, it will be held for the second time, is the first time in Asia.

 

Games will be from 24 July to 9 August .

 

It is Olympics for the fourth time in Japan, include the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo and Nagano, ’72, '98.

 

Held the Paralympic Games was also decided.

 

This is determined by voting by IOC members of about 100 people, host city exceeded, Madrid of Spain, Istanbul of Turkey, Tokyo.

 

(Kyodo News)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 8 Sunday September 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 9 Monday September 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Cultural revolution

Cultural revolution

 

The Greek-yogurt phenomenon in America left big food firms feeling sour. They are trying to get better at innovation

 

[caption id="attachment_8077" align="alignnone" width="233"] (A Kurd and his whey-free way to success (The Economist))[/caption]

 

FEW business careers have been as spectacular as Hamdi Ulukaya’s.

 

He bought an 85-year-old yogurt factory in upstate New York in 2005 and sold his first pot of Chobani “Greek” yogurt 18 months later.

 

This year he expects to sell more than $1 billion-worth of it.

 

Greek-style yogurt’s share of America’s $6.1 billion market has risen from negligible when Chobani started to nearly half.

 

“No category changed faster,” boasts Mr Ulukaya, the sole owner of the firm that makes Chobani.

 

His new take on an age-old recipe, which comes with a variety of added fruits, has survived the perils of youth.

 

Now it faces the problems of maturity.

 

Established yogurt-makers, surprised by the Greek phenomenon, have woken up.

 

Danone, the world’s biggest, launched its Oikos brand in 2010.

 

Yoplait, owned by America’s General Mills, made a tragedy of its first Greek venture but has come back with a new concoction.

 

Though still growing fast, Chobani has lost market share.

 

It has begun what Mr Ulukaya terms its second chapter.

 

In July it hired a chief operating officer; it is about to appoint a new advertising agency to promote the brand.

 

Despite these corporate trappings, Chobani hopes to remain disruptive.

 

Some of the cleverest recent ideas in food have come from upstarts.

 

Plum Organics helped pioneer baby-food pouches with spouts; a fifth of American baby food is now squirted rather than spoon-fed.

 

Keurig, which makes single-serving coffee brewers, outsells all other coffee-makers in North America.

 

Innocent, a British firm, gave smoothies a lift by showing them off in clear bottles.

 

Big packaged-food companies are timid innovators, fiddling with flavour or cautiously extending their existing product lines, says Thilo Wrede of Jefferies, an investment bank.

 

That is costing them customers, some of whom are defecting to fresher foods.

 

The son of a Kurdish farmer from Turkey, Mr Ulukaya doubted the conventional wisdom that Americans were hooked on sweet yogurt.

 

The more delicately flavoured Greek sort—strained to remove the whey and thus packed with protein—was available at speciality stores in New York City but not widely beyond there.

 

Mr Ulukaya thought it could have mass appeal.

 

Supermarkets were receptive in the late 2000s, in part because they were looking for products to win back recession-weary shoppers.

 

The extra protein appealed to the health-conscious among them.

 

It is easy to see why Big Yogurt did not spot this.

 

Foodmakers had been wrong-footed by earlier health crazes, like the low-carb fad.

 

Making Greek yogurt is complicated and expensive.

 

It uses three times as much milk per cup of finished product than the conventional kind.

 

Danone has had to speed up its milk deliveries and invest $ 100 m a year, mainly to compete with Chobani.

 

As in other industries, large firms face an “innovation paradox”, says Rob Wengel of Nielsen, a market-research company.

 

The skills required to run the existing business well can clash with the “creativity and focus” needed for invention.

 

Giants often deal with the pesky innovators by buying them.

 

Campbell, famous mainly for tinned soup, bought Plum this year; Coca-Cola acquired Innocent.

 

But they may be getting better at coming up with their own ideas.

 

Of 14,000 consumer-goods launches between 2008 and 2011, 48 were “breakthrough products”, meaning that they were distinctive, had sales of at least $ 50 m in their first year and held on to at least 90% of that in their second.

 

Most came from big firms, according to Nielsen (though the criteria are loose enough to include Oikos, the Chobani copycat).

 

Companies have been cutting the number of new-product launches by 7-10% a year to focus on potential blockbusters.

 

They have become better at understanding “how consumers live their lives”, which improves the odds of success, says Mr Wengel.

 

Chobani, which does its own fly-on-the-wall consumer research, considers that to be one of its strong points.

 

As rivals erode that advantage, Chobani is betting that surprises will keep coming from its distinctive culture.

 

This fuses the small-town values of upstate South Edmeston, the site of Chobani’s first plant, with the Silicon Valley vibe of its SoHo offices.

 

Unlike other gastro-entrepreneurs, Mr Ulukaya says he has no intention of selling up.

 

The planned investment in Chobani’s brand should help the company launch new products, and not just yogurts.

 

“The whole supermarket is our playground,” says Mr Ulukaya.

 

Bigger firms must wonder what’s coming next.

 

(The Economist, 31 August 2013 The Roman)