Germany balances budget for first time since 1969

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The German government managed to balance its books for the first time since 1969 in 2014 and a year ahead of target, the finance ministry said yesterday.

Originally, the government had been pencilling in a small budget deficit of 6.5 billion euros (US$7.7 billion) for 2014.

But thanks to higher tax revenues and lower interest rate payments on its debt, Berlin has now managed to finish the year without any net new borrowings, achieving Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s long-cherished goal of a “black zero” on its accounts ahead of target.

Schaeuble had pledged to achieve that goal in 2015 and for a balanced budget to become the norm for Germany.

Budgetary rigour was one of the issues which the conservatives under Angela Merkel campaigned on in the 2013 elections.

But the opposition parties and many economists believe the “black zero” is being fetishised and actually makes no economic sense because it curbs much-needed investment in growth.

Taking the federal budget as well as the regional state and municipal budgets as well, Europe’s biggest economy already achieved balanced its books in 2012.

In terms of overall debt, Germany is still in breach of the European ceiling of 60 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

At the end of 2013, the country’s overall debt amounted to 2.15 trillion euros, equivalent to 78 per cent of GDP.

Schaeuble hopes to bring the debt ratio down below 60 per cent by 2024.

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Germany balances budget for first time since 1969

Germany top FIFA rankings pile

PARIS, France (AFP) — World champions Germany comfortably top the pile of the FIFA national team rankings revealed yesterday despite a slump in form since their rampant campaign in Brazil.

The top three remain unchanged since September with Lionel Messi’s beaten World Cup finalists Argentina second and Colombia in third.

Up-and-coming Belgium are fourth ahead of their northern Neighbours the Netherlands, while the humiliated World Cup hosts Brazil round off the year in a respectable sixth.

Euro 2016 hosts France are seventh as Didier Deschamps’ solid team continue to impress while World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are level with them.

After years atop the heap, Spain end 2014 in ninth, but look to be in fine health with 2015 coming into view.

Finally Luis Suarez’s Uruguay have done enough to climb back into 10th for the year end rankings.

FIFA standings

1 Germany

2 Argentina

3 Colombia

4 Belgium

5 Netherlands

6 Brazil

7 France

7 Portugal

9 Spain

10 Uruguay

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Germany top FIFA rankings pile

Poland make history with first win over Germany

By The Associated Press

Sunday, October 12, 2014    

In front of a sell-out crowd in Warsaw, Poland finally did it.

The Poles beat World Cup winner Germany 2-0 for their first win in 19 meetings with the Mannschaft to move three points clear of their powerful rival in European Championship qualifying yesterday.

It was Germany’s first defeat after 18 competitive games, and their first loss in qualifying after 33 matches.

Also in Group D, Robbie Keane’s hat trick helped Ireland thrash Gibraltar 7-0, taking his international goals tally to 65 and becoming the top scorer in European Championship qualifying history, with 21 goals.

Elsewhere, Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba scored France’s goals in a 2-1 win over Portugal in a friendly, while Northern Ireland earned a second Group F win with a 2-0 defeat of the Faroe Islands.

The top two finishers from the nine groups qualify automatically. The best third-placed team also qualifies automatically and the other eight can qualify through a playoff.

Bursting with joy and pride, thousands of Poland fans in national white-and-red scarfs chanted, “We are the world champion,” and “Goodbye Germany” in German, as they streamed out from the National Stadium in Warsaw where Poland beat Germany 2-0.

Arkadiusz Milik scored with Poland’s first shot on target in the 51st minute, and Robert Lewandowski set up Sebastian Mila to seal the result in the 88th.

“We took our chances. We had two or three and we scored two goals. Germany had a lot of chances and they didn’t take them,” said Lukasz Piszczek, who set up Milik’s opener.

It was Germany’s first loss in qualifying since a 3-0 loss at home to the Czech Republic in October 2007.

Earlier, Keane’s hat trick in a 13-minute span helped Ireland to a thrashing of Gibraltar in Dublin, and Scotland scraped a 1-0 win over Georgia in Glasgow thanks to Akaki Khubutia’s first-half own goal.

After two games, Poland and Ireland lead the group with maximum points, with Germany and Scotland behind on three. Germany host Ireland in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday, while Poland play Scotland in Warsaw.

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Poland make history with first win over Germany

Texas deputy tests negative for Ebola - ABLOW: Why Obama is letting Ebolaphobia spread - UN medic arrives in Germany for treatment - Plane cleaners strike - CDC chief: Why I don"t support a travel ban - OPINION: Time for Congress to address crisis

Texas deputy tests negative for Ebola - ABLOW: Why Obama is letting Ebolaphobia spread - UN medic arrives in Germany for treatment - Plane cleaners strike - CDC chief: Why I don"t support a travel ban - OPINION: Time for Congress to address crisis

Fantan Mojah delivers in Germany

File – Fantan Mojah

Reggae artiste Fantan Mojah recently electrified the more than 20,000 reggae fans who turned out to the 20th anniversary of Reggae Jam Festival hosted in Germany. The Rasta Got Soul singer, who has developed a strong fan-base in Europe and Africa, delivered a high energy and interactive set, which led to the audience giving an encore.

Compared to Jacob Miller by reggae critics, the singer connected with the audience with his mournful vibrato, athleticism and showmanship.

“When I perform, its energy non-stop and the people feel the energy based on the effort I put into my set. A me dem sey cyah tired and right now mi lose some weight, so dat mek it worse pan dem. When mi touch any stage show mi a tek it,” Fantan Mojah said.

During Mojah’s set, he congratulated Germany on their World Cup win and sought to rally support for the freedom of iconic reggae artiste Buju Banton, with whom he has a friendship.

He also received roaring responses for Nuh Build Great Man which features Jah Cure, and Hail the King.

Fanton Mojah is looking to release his third studio album titled Rasta Riddim and Soul. This effort will feature his Europe and Africa hit record Rasta Got Soul, which has already received four million views on YouTube.com. The album is expected to be released at the end of this year.

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Fantan Mojah delivers in Germany

Germany fan Rihanna flashes more than a smile at World Cup final in Brazil

Rihanna celebrates with the German players (Rihanna/Instagram)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Tuesday July 15, 2014 – The last time we checked Rihanna in Brazil, she was taking off her clothes for a mostly nude magazine shoot. Our latest update on Sunday saw her partially disrobing for the cameras again, but this time in wild jubilation.

Barbados’ pop princess flashed a generous amount of flesh – yanking up her jersey to display the goods from bra to below the navel – to celebrate the victory of her pet team Germany when it created history as the first European squad ever to win football’s greatest prize on South American soil.

The Talk That Talk girl, who is one of the world’s most popular Twitter users with 36.3 million followers, also helped contribute to the 32.1 million tweets sent during the match, which at one point broke the all-time record for most tweets per minute with 618,725 when the game ended after Germany’s big 1-0 win against Argentina.

For my German boys pic.twitter.com/cRzlNINBuf

— Rihanna (@rihanna) July 13, 2014

The Diamonds singer had dazzled with a barrage of tweets since the festivities kicked-off last month, but was at her brilliant best when the eagerly anticipated final got underway at the Maracana Stadium in Rio. The Unapologetic star was exactly that, with titillating tweets from “Mueller is always in the right position!” to “Super f*****g Mario!!!” but her excitement reached fever pitch when 22-year-old Mario Goetze ended Germany’s 24-year wait for another World Cup title by scoring the winning goal in extra time. “Goooooaaaaalllll!!!” she tweeted ecstatically. Germany’s sexiest World Cup fan went on to tweet a picture of herself holding the prized cup with a group of the winning players and the caption: “They brought me the cup!!! I love these guys!!! Congratulations.”

They brought me the cup!!! I love these guys!!! Congratulations!!!! pic.twitter.com/6K9sr56uHt

— Rihanna (@rihanna) July 14, 2014

The 26-year-old multiple Grammy winner went on to say it all by tweeting: “Congrats to my German boyz! This was the most epic experience of my entire life! You guys made me so proud to be here.”

By way of reply, Lukas Podolski tweeted the somewhat cryptic “What a night with our biggest fan. UnFOURgettable! Thanks Rihanna!!”

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Germany fan Rihanna flashes more than a smile at World Cup final in Brazil

Mats Hummels heads Germany into world cup semi-finals versus host Brazil

By Patrick R. Anderson

It was a sublime header.

Mats Hummels scored two goals all season long for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. But at the world cup he has now scored 2 goals in 4matches, demonstrating that the 25-year-old defender is a player for the big stage.

And it was his header in the 12th minute in front of a jam-packed Maracana Stadium in the South east of Brazil in front of 74,240 people which made the difference on Friday. That’s all Germany needed to advance to a record 13th world cup semi-finals and their 4th consecutive semi-final. And when you factor in seven world cup final appearances, the most by any country in a final, and three titles, there’s no question which is the most consistent team at the world cup.

France started with an attacking reputation from the group phase and proceeded to battle with a 4-3-3 formation. Coach Didier Deschamps inserted Antoine Griezmann of Real Sociedad in place of Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud, while Germany’s coach Joachim Low seated Mario Goetze and brought in Miroslav Klose, the man who is tied with Brazil’s Ronaldo as the world cup’s greatest goalscorers with 15 goals each.

But France’s early attempts at forays into German territory were blunted by Germany’s compact midfield, led by two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation. And that was a big difference in the outcome of the game.

Germany gained a free kick from the left side, taken by free kick specialist Toni  Kroos who delivered a nicely weighted kick into the penalty box. Mats Hummels and France’s Raphael Varane contested the delivery, but Hummels got their ahead of Varane and flashed a superfluous header high to the left of Captain Hugo Lloris in goal for France in the 12th minute, and that was it.

Germany 1, France 0.

France searched for the equalizer for the remainder of the match, but couldn’t find it. They came close in the 90th minute when Karim Benzama’s shot from the left side of the box, was steered clear of the goal by the brilliant keeper Manuel Neuer.

Germany will meet host country Brazil on Tuesday July 8 in the first semi-final, after Brazil defeated a spirited Colombia 2-1 in front of 60,342 people at the Estadio Castelao in the north eastern city of  Fortaleza.

Brazil lifted their game on Friday and gave their best performance yet at the big dance. They were off to a flyer in the 7th minute, after Neymar’s left sided corner led to captain Thiago Silva connecting at the back post and simply turned the ball into an unprotected goal when he appeared from nowhere. The defending was shambolic.

Brazil 1, Colombia 0.

Brazil continued to press Colombia for the remainder of the half. The Colombians appearing to be thrown off their game by the intimidating crowd, and the brilliance of Brazil’s tactical play.

In the 64th minute, Thiago Silva collected a needless yellow card to make it two for the tournament, which means he misses Tuesday’s massive semi-final. It will be a big blow for Brazil.

But 5-mins later on 69 minutes, Brazil set up for a 33 yard free kick on the right channel. David Luiz punched the ball brilliantly to the left of goalkeeper David Ospina who initially moved left thinking Luiz was curling the ball in that direction. But Luiz’ kick was like a knuckleball by a baseball pitcher, no spin in evidence, and it floated like a butterfly into the back of the net. A goal of stupendous quality. Top shelf.

Brazil 2, Colombia 0.

But Colombia were not done and continued to press Brazil. They were rewarded in the 78th minute when substitute Carlos Bacca was taken out by goalkeeper Julio Cesar in the box.

James Rodriquez capitalised from the penalty spot, to score his world cup leading 6th goal.

Brazil suffered a scare in the 87th minute when Zuniga delivered a knee into the lower back of superstar Neymar. Neymar writhed in pain on the turf and was substituted after a few moments.

The final score, Brazil 2, Colombia  1, and Brazil have now established a mega semi-final on Tuesday against Germany.

On Saturday, Argentina plays Belgium at 11am while The Netherlands oppose CONCACAF team Costa Rica at 3p.m. to decide the other two semi-finalists who will meet on Wednesdasy July 9.

HITZ92FM will have LIVE commentary of both matches on Saturday starting at 10:30am, while TVJ will have the best pregame, halftime and postgame shows starting at 10am.

Fifty-eight (58) matches have been played with a total of 158 goals at an average of 2.72 goals per match, far surpassing the 146 goals scored in the entirety of the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

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Mats Hummels heads Germany into world cup semi-finals versus host Brazil

World football powers France and Germany set up mouthwatering quarter-final clash

By Patrick R. Anderson

France versus Germany.

It’s a football match-up conspired by the gods of soccer. And  it takes place on Friday July 4 along with another delight, Brasil versus Colombia, in a quarter-final double-header for the ages.

In the penultimate set of round of 16 matches on Monday, France battled to defeat Nigeria 2-0 while Germany had to extend themselves into extra time to clip old nemesis Algeria 2-1 to book the dream quarter-final match up.

In the opening match at the Estadio Nacional Garrrincha in Brasilia, France had to fight to deny Africa’s Nigeria. The first half was taken by Nigeria on the scorecard, but France came into their own in the second half, although they couldn’t shut the door on the ‘super eagles.”

But sometimes your strength can be your weakness. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has been brilliant for the Super Eagles from the group stage, until the 79th minute against France. A cross from the left side floated dangerously towards the edge of the six yard box. Enyeama left his line, but didn’t punch away cleanly. In fact, he helped  the ball towards the young French sensation Paul Pogba, who gladly headed into a empty goal.

France 1, Nigeria 0.

The game opened up even further after that, as Nigeria went for the equaliser. And with that, an indisciplined Nigerian defence left themselves exposed,  and Joseph Yobo under pressure turned the ball inadvertantly into his own goal in the 90th minute. France 2, Nigeria 0, and tickets were punched for opposite directions by the teams.

France now awaiting the result of the other round of 16 game, Germany versus Algeria, with the winner facing France.

The match played in Porto Alegre at the Estadio Beira-Rio ebbed to an fro in front of 43,063 people, as the teams battled to a 0-0 scoreline in regulation time. They each had opportunities to take the  lead and/or win outright, but this is football.

In extra-time, Germany took charge, and substitute Andre Schuerrle put Germany in the lead in the 92nd minute, and then the little midfield wizard Mesut Oezil crashed a left-footed rebound into the back of the net in the 120th minute. Algeria replied swiftly, through substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou. But it was too little, too late.

Germany marched into the quarter-final against France on Friday.

On Tuesday, July 1, the final set of round of 16 matches are scheduled. Argentina plays Switzerland while Belgium tackles the United States of America.

HITZ92FM has LIVE commentary starting with our pregame show at 10:30am, while TVJ will showcase the best pregame, halftime and postgame shows.

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World football powers France and Germany set up mouthwatering quarter-final clash

Report: West Germany systematically doped athletes

BERLIN, Germany (AP) — Researchers at Berlin’s Humboldt University claim West Germany’s athletes were systematically doped with government backing from the 1970s at the latest.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper publicised details from the unpublished 800-page report titled “Doping in Germany from 1950 to today” yesterday, revealing the extent to which West German politicians were allegedly willing to promote drug use among athletes to ensure international success.One interior minister is alleged to have said at the time, “Our athletes should have the same conditions and services as the Eastern bloc athletes.”The report claims that for decades the state financed experiments with performance-enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids, testosterone, estrogen or the blood-doping agent EPO.It also states that an unspecified number of footballers in the 1954 World Cup-winning team received injections of the methamphetamine Pervitin, commonly known today as speed, according to the newspaper.Publication of the report, which was completed in April, has been delayed due to privacy concerns and legal issues because athletes, doctors and politicians are named.The authors say West German doping did not evolve as a response to East Germany’s systematic doping under the Communist government, but rather that it operated parallel to it.The conditions for “systemic doping” were laid in 1970 when the Federal Institute of Sport Science (BISp) was founded under jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry, which is still responsible for sports.The BISp provided funding for research into doping substances for years, with sports medicine facilities in Freiburg, Cologne and Saarbruecken among the main recipients, the report says.“There’s a systemic connection between research and forbidden substances and in using them for athletes,” project leader Giselher Spitzer of Humboldt University told The Associated Press in a telephone interview last year. “That’s why we call it systemic doping.”Doping existed in Germany long before the establishment of the BISp.Amphetamines were used by German soldiers during World War II and their continued use in German football from the end of the 1940s became “normal”, according to the study.The historians uncovered a letter dated November 29, 1966, in which the FIFA medical committee chairman Mihailo Andrejevic wrote of “very fine traces” of the banned stimulant ephedrine found in three unnamed German players at the 1966 World Cup.England beat West Germany 4-2 in the final, with Geoff Hurst scoring England’s disputed third goal.Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports that the study alleges that Borussia Dortmund coach Max Merkel instructed his players to take the methamphetamine Pervitin in 1961. Dortmund lost the German championship final to Nuremberg that year. Merkel died in 2006.The report states that minors were also doped. Women and children were not supposed to be given anabolic steroids due to uncertainty over the long-term effects, but researchers say the advice made little difference.Doctor Joseph Keul of Freiburg allegedly tested the effects of anabolic steroids on boys as young as 11. Keul died in 2000.Sueddeutsche Zeitung also said that German athletes received around 1,200 injections of Berolase and thioctacid at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. They weren’t banned at the time and were supposed to improve performance, but their effects had been untested.It became known as the Kolbe syringe after rower Peter-Michael Kolbe, who looked to be heading for gold only to slump toward the end of his race with Pertti Karppinen to allow the Finn to overtake.The study was commissioned by the BISp on behalf of the German Olympic Sports Confederation in 2008.The Interior Ministry said in an email response that the data protection concerns delaying its publication had been addressed “so that in this respect there is no longer anything standing in the way of publication”.It did not say when the study might be published, however.The ministry stressed that it has a “great interest in completely clearing up and evaluating the doping past in both parts of Germany”.German Athletics president Clemens Prokop called for names to be revealed, “especially of those who are still involved in sport”.

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Report: West Germany systematically doped athletes