Buddha’s teachings can resolve today’s conflicts too – President at UN Vesak Day
The
teachings of the Buddha are relevant today as they were twenty six
centuries ago. If the leaders of our modern world are to embrace this
advice, many of today’s conflicts, both domestic and international,
could be resolved for the benefit of mankind, said President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, addressing the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations, in
Bangkok today ( June 2).
“Justice
and the Rule of Law are not alien concepts for those of us who from our
childhood are nurtured by the doctrine of Buddha. These are, therefore
not concepts that need to be preached to the converted,” the President
said.
Here is text of President Rajapaksa’s address:
Most Venerable Sirs,
Most Venerable Prof. Phra Dharmakosajarn, President, International Council for Day of Vesak
Your Excellency, Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
Your Excellency, Yongyoot Wichaidit, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the UN - ESCAP
Venerable Sirs, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It
is a great joy to be amongst you today as we celebrate the United
Nations Day of Vesak, here in Bangkok. At the very outset, allow me to
thank the Royal Thai Government, United Nations and the International
Council for Day of Vesak, for the organization of this event, and also
for the recognition given to this most important day in the Buddhist
calendar.
As
the year of the Two Thousand Six Hundredth (2600th) Sambhuddathwa
Jayanthi, comes to an end, I am not here simply as the Head of State of
my country, but as a proud custodian of a tradition that has been passed
down from one leader to another for centuries – as a protector and
promoter of the Buddha Sasana. This has been the sacred duty of every
Sri Lankan leader since time immemorial. I am humbled by this historical
responsibility.
It
is with much appreciation that I recall here the historical role played
by Thailand, our host today, throughout the centuries, to ensure the
wellbeing of the Buddha Sasana. One such occasion was 259 years ago,
when Upali Maha Thera from Thailand, arrived in the last kingdom of Sri
Lanka, Kandy, in the year 1753 to reinstate the higher ordination of Upasampada.
We in Sri Lanka and the Buddhist world at large owe a debt of gratitude
to the Thai people for having preserved the sublime teachings of
Sakyamuni Buddha in its purest form.
Venerable Sirs, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Buddha exhorted virtues of a righteous ruler, describing the Dasa Raja Dhamma or the ten-fold righteous rules of good governance as follows:
I quote in Pali:
“Danang Silang Pariccagang
Ajjavan Majjavan Thapang
Akkodho Avihim sa cha
Khanti cha Avirodhata’’ (unquote)
“A
righteous ruler will be: generous and charitable, of high morality,
willing to sacrifice, honest and of high integrity, Kind and gentle,
having austerity in habits, practicing non-hatred and non-violence,
patient and tolerant and showing non-enmity.”
Even as children we are taught that when a ruler of a land carries out his or her administration in accordance with the Dasa Raja Dhamma,
or the ten-fold righteous rules of good governance, both the ruler and
the ruled will prosper and be invincible. Through these noble virtues
the Buddha has advised on an array of aspects of governance, in which
are incorporated all the seemingly modern concepts of democracy,
justice, human rights and the rule of law; those very values that we
today perceive to be the foundations of a free and democratic society.
These
teachings of the Buddha are relevant today as they were twenty six
centuries ago. If the leaders of our modern world are to embrace this
advice, many of today’s conflicts, both domestic and international,
could be resolved for the benefit of mankind. Justice and the Rule of
Law are not alien concepts for those of us who from our childhood are
nurtured by the doctrine of Buddha. These are, therefore not concepts
that need to be preached to the converted.
Venerable Sirs, Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen,
Sakyamuni
Buddha declared the basics of human rights thousands of years ago. The
only classification of human beings according to Buddha is based on the
quality of their moral conduct.
The
Buddha condemned the caste system and recognized the equality of
people, spoke on the need to improve socio-economic conditions,
recognized the importance of a more equitable distribution of wealth
among the rich and the poor, enhanced the status of women, recommended
the incorporation of humanism in government and administration, and
thought that a society should not be run by greed but with consideration
and compassion for the people.
As
per the teachings of the Buddha, the differences among men are made not
by birth or the labels that are given through chance or choice, be it
race, religion, nationality or any other, but by deed, by what they do.
Buddha preached:
(I Quote)
Najachcha Vasalo Hothi
Najachcha Hothi Brahmano
Kammana Vasalo Hothi
Kammana Hothi Brahmano (unquote)
This means that:
“Not by birth is one an outcast, not by birth is one a Brahmana. By deed is one an outcast, by deed is one a Brahmana”.
As
the world comes together in the contemporary era, driven by technology,
economic integration and people to people contacts, we are also
witnessing a simultaneous fragmentation of groups, attempting to
differentiate themselves from the rest of humanity. Instead of diversity
being celebrated and cherished to create broader solidarity of ethnic,
religious and ideological differences, it has increasingly become a
source of conflict.
Different
nations, ethno-religious groups and communities are competing over
land, economic resources and political space, destroying solidarity and
the need to establish a sense of common humanity. Religion,
unfortunately, is becoming one of the fundamental forces of this
division. Instead of being a great unifier and a source of spiritual
enrichment, organised religion is increasingly becoming a tool in the
hands of extremists, to create divisions among fellow humans, and in
extreme cases to invoke violence against other groups.
We,
as Buddhists have a responsibility to arrest this dangerous
development. We, in Sri Lanka take pride that different communities,
following diverse religious faiths, have lived in harmony for many
centuries. Even while separatist terrorists attempted to heighten
religious sentiment through devastating attacks on places of most
venerated religious worship, our people maintained their unity and
harmony.
In
1987, terrorists massacred dozens of hapless and innocent pilgrims at
the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a sapling of the sacred of the Ficus Religiosa
tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. These same terrorists
killed 33 Buddhist monks in June 1987 in Aranthalawa, and over a hundred
Muslim worshipers at Kattankudi, in 1990, both in Eastern Sri Lanka. In
1998, they bombed the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred
Tooth Relic, one of the most venerated Buddhist shrines in the world.
In
August 2005, the terrorists also assassinated the then Foreign Minister
of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar. I take a few moments to reflect on
the enormous contribution made by the late Lakshman Kadirgamar for
getting the Day of Vesak declared as a UN event, and his instrumental
role in the passing of the UN Resolution in February 2000 that
recognised Vesak as the most sacred day for Buddhists all over the
world.
Yet
through all these provocations, the people of Sri Lanka refused to be
drawn into religious conflict. The age old tradition of respecting each
other’s faiths prevailed over monstrous attempts by terrorists to sow
the seeds of religious division.
The
superiority of one individual or a group of people or community,
therefore, is not through a particular divine right or by virtue of
their birth, but by their actions. The manner in which one group
conducts itself will determine whether it is worthy of a higher or lower
label. Such words of wisdom are of paramount value in today’s context,
where certain nations and groups have endeavoured to preach and lord
over others by virtue of their given labels -- super power, regional
power, economic power etc. It is by the conduct of these nations that
they must be judged and be determined whether they are superior to
another.
Venerable Sirs, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
As we celebrate the Day of Vesak, I wish to invoke that universal power of Metta
or loving kindness, as approximately translated into the English
language. The vice of anger and hatred that leads to many a conflict and
heartache across the globe, can be subdued through the power of loving
kindness.
Let
us spread that message of peace to all corners of the globe, let the
light of Buddhism shine and quell the darkness of ignorance, and,
May all beings be happy, and may the Noble Triple Gem Bless you all.
"Now more than ever, we need the spirit of non-violence to help
inspire peace and quell conflict... I offer my best wishes to believers
celebrating Vesak Day, and my sincerest hopes that we may all draw on
spiritual ideals to strengthen our resolve to improve our world."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in a Vesak Day message pointed out
that Vesak Day is a celebration for Buddhists worldwide and an
opportunity for all members of the international community to benefit
from their rich traditions. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
He said, This year's observance, falling at a time of widespread
strife and misery, is an occasion to examine how Buddhist teachings can
inform our response to prevailing challenges.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon further added, "Confronting the
troubling problems facing our world is consonant with Buddhism. The
Buddha himself, as a young prince, left the safety of his palace to
discover the four sufferings, of birth, sickness, old age and death.
"While such painful realities cannot be avoided, Buddhism offers
insights into how to cope with them. Its history is replete with
inspiring examples of the transformative power of Buddhist philosophy.
"The legendary King Ashoka, a conqueror who presided over a brutal
reign in India some three centuries after the Buddha's passing,
ultimately converted to Buddhism, renounced violence and embraced peace.
"The values that King Ashoka espoused, including human rights,
democratic governance and respect for the dignity of life, are common to
all great religions.
The fact that he was able to embrace them after years of brutal war
offers proof that the goodwill of individuals can end widespread
suffering.
"Now more than ever, we need the spirit of non-violence to help inspire peace and quell conflict.
"I offer my best wishes to believers celebrating Vesak Day, and my
sincerest hopes that we may all draw on spiritual ideals to strengthen
our resolve to improve our world.
Vesak day is fall on 24 May 2013, Many Buddhists celebrate in Singapore. Thailand also celebrate Thailand Singapore Tourism Board official web site also highlight the event, United nation also celebrate Vesak day on year 2013
Seeking Peace
Vesak Day is the most significant day of the year in the Buddhist
calendar and is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. The day
commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and is a
day of immense joy, peace and reflection. In Singapore, Vesak Day
usually falls in the month of May, on the 15th day of the fourth month
of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
On this day, devout Buddhists and followers alike congregate at their
various temples before dawn for the ceremonial, where the Buddhist flag
will be hoisted, and hymns sung in praise of the holy triple gem: The
Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples).
Devotees often bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and
joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their spiritual teacher. These
symbolic offerings remind followers that life too, is subject to decay
and destruction when the offering burns out or wilts away.
Buddhists believe that performing good deeds on Vesak Day will multiply
merit many times over. Buddhist youth sometimes organise mass blood
donations at hospitals, while general rites and rituals practiced on
Vesak Day include chanting of mantras; releasing of caged birds and
animals; having vegetarian meals; and "bathing" a Buddha statue, a
reference to the legend of the child Buddha being showered with the
waters of nine dragons soon after birth. These acts of generosity
observed by the Buddhist temples are also known as Dana.
Most statues of the Lord Buddha are illuminated on Vesak Day, and the
celebrations conclude with a candlelight procession through the streets.
The Buddhist community in Singapore is made up of various sectors, each
of them offering variant ways of celebrating the occasion – The
Mahayana or "Greater Way" constitutes mainly Chinese Singaporeans and
form the majority of Buddhists here, while the Mahayana strain of
Buddhism arrived on these shores in 1884 through individual missionaries
from China's southern province.
The central pillar of Mahayana Buddhism is that Nirvana can be obtained
not just through self-perseverance but also through the help of
bodhisattvas or "enlightened ones". One such bodhisattva highly regarded
in Singapore is Guanyin, the "Goddess of Mercy". Mahayana Buddhist
temples in Singapore like the Phor Kark See Temple on Bright Hill Road,
practise the "three-step, one-bow" ritual on Vesak Day, where devotees
take steps on both knees, bowing at every third step as they pray for
world peace, personal blessings and repentance. The exhausting two-hour
procession actually begins 24 hours before, when many would reserve a
place in the procession, sometimes with only a small tissue packet.
Meanwhile another main variant of Buddhism is Theravada Buddhism, with a
focus on seeking one's own path to salvation. Mainly practised by
Singapore's Sri Lankan and Burmese communities, the Burmese Buddhist
Temple at Geylang and the Sri Lankaramaya Temple at St Michael's Road
practise a ritual of cooking a pot of rice in milk on Vesak Day,
reminiscent of Buddha's last meal before his long fast toward
enlightenment.
A great place to observe and mark this holy day in Singapore is at the
majestic Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple which literally translates to the
Twin Grove of the Lotus Mountain Buddhist Temple. Built between the
years of 1902 to 1908, it is Singapore’s oldest Buddhist temple and the
second largest in Asia. You can also soak in the spirit of the Vesak Day
celebrations at The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, a four-storey spiritual
centre in the heart of Chinatown. It is architecturally inspired by the
harmonious combination of the Buddhist mandala and the art culture of
Buddhism in the Tang dynasty.
Vesak day is on 24 May 2013. When We see the Buddha image, we feel relaxed because of his cool image, stable image. Some people who do not know about Buddhism, they say " wow, Buddhists are praying wood, idol...". When you are hearing this, you must stay cool because these people totally have zero knowledge about Buddha and Buddhism, The Buddha image are everywhere in this world, when we see the Buddha image, it remind us to be like Buddha. Buddha never told people to worship idols. He constantly told us to let go all desires through many lectures. Because human beings were not same intelligence, so Buddha gave a lot of illustration so that they can understand better. Some people are so stupid that they think Buddha want to eat fruits like apples, etc or they think Buddha wants to drink water. actually Buddha don't need all these, offering fruits to Buddha is to remind ourselves causes and effects, we plant bad seeds, we will get bad fruits ( retribution or outcome good or bad ". Why Buddhists offer plain or pure water is simply to remind Buddhists to be as pure, as clean as water, to get rid of greed, hatred.and stupidity. Buddha teachings are so useful in this world at this moment. If we are not killing, then we are all healthy. Buddha said" do not give fear to animals, we will healthy." Buddhists adopt different methods to attain enlightenment. We all need to have right thoughts, right livelihood, we need to do all good deeds. This is the teaching that wants us to gradually or totally in pureness. I am very happy to have the chance to learn Buddhism. This is the peaceful teaching, compassionate ways of living.....harmony with all. And one important message is all are one, we are all have inborn wisdom. Even animals also got hope already.
Vesak day PremiersMessage2013 is the day for Buddhists to think whether they have good hearts or not. Good hearts is not just talk only, it must be done in action. Buddha told us not to kill then we just don't kill. Because we all believe that these animals are human beings previously, they can be our ex-father, ex-mother, ex-brother, ex-sister,etc etc. How can we kill them just because our greed. By doing the killings, we will face the same fates like these animals. And then we will not spare so luckily like this cow. Vesak day cow appreciate the compassion
Vesak day is the important day for Buddhists worldwide. In this day, Buddhists will go to temple praying, chanting Buddha name, donation, listen Buddha teaching. Buddha and all of us are the same except he was the enlightened person. Buddha was the best example for showing us the ways of ending our suffering. Every human being is to responsible for his own action. Buddha mind and our mind are totally different but we can attain Buddhahood or completer/true enlightening through the ways that Buddha taught us. In simple word, we ordinary human beings can not ready understand his teaching well because of our Illusion, comparison and attachment. If we get rid of all these elements completely, then we can be like Buddha full of inborn wisdom, virtues and excellency. Let's share with the unique way of BUDDHA-no killing of all kinds. Buddha told us that all are one, Buddha saw all human beings, animals, ghosts, hell beings are Buddha, the only difference is that they are deviated from enlightenment. Buddha told us the reasons why we must not kill, steal, improper sex, telling lies, alcohol,etc because all these are blocking our enlightenment. In flat only enlightened person can fully understand Buddha. Buddha told us to live beyond six realms like animal world, hell, heaven etc. We need to attain the pure state. Some people do not understand Buddhism well unless they can ask those monks who ready follow the Buddha teaching well. Let's see this Buffalo was so lucky that it was saved, thanks for the man who saved this Buffalo. Bulls are future Buddha also, stop killing
How to quit gaming? Gaming is the very bad habit. If We ready want to have the ready happy and peaceful life, We have to quit gaming. Remember there is too many temptation like sex, eating, sleeping, alcohol, money, power, all these simply because of our rooted illusion, comparison and attachment. If We have a dot of wisdom, then we got the hope. With the dot of superficial wisdom, then we can quit gaming. The root of the gaming is because of greed. You want more money rely on luck. If the luck not there, you can wipe out your hard-earned money in the shortest time. You are dreaming to earn easy money but the operator is the ultimate winner because it sucks most of the gamers' money. You can not blame the operator because your mind want it. Gaming will affect your daily life and you will suffer in great pain emotionally and physically. This is the side effect for those who are addicted and lost much money.
How to stop gaming? It can be done once you realize the bad outcome. Do you have any ideas how to quit gaming? Yes, ask those gamers, they know very well. Let me tell you the story about Mr. Desire who is the gamer.
Why Mr. Desire became the gamer? It is because he wanted to have more money, he wanted to be the richest person in the shortest time. Did Mr, Desire became the richest man? No, he became the poorest man after one year of gaming. Did Mr. Desire become more healthy after one year of gaming? The
answer is no, he become very moody , very sad person because he have lost all his hard=earned money. Not only that, Mr. Desire now own a lot of money to banks, friends and unable to pay insurance payment on time. Mr. Desire is now suffering.......That desire was so strong that blinded him for many months 15 months or more. The suffering finally wake him up a bit but he must be ready mindful because that habit can be came back if he forget it its danger....Luckily, Mr. Desire can finally stop the habit, thanks for the advice from friends, wise people. We will continue to talk Mr. Desire until We have nothing to talk about him. The purpose of this post is just to remind readers do not ever to have the gaming habit. We ready no need so much money to survive.....Mr. Desire told us his experience. He said that he was so greedy that even he had strike $9000 dollars in few hours but his mind was so greedy that he wanted more. He then put the higher bets thinking the luck will continue to come, sadly to say the bad luck coming and all the $9000 dollars was completely wipe out.After that, Mr. Desire still want to win all the lost back, can Mr. Desire take back all his lost money, let's continue the story....Now, Mr.Desire has many worries, he is unable to pay Insurance installment on time. He is unable to pay rental fees. He is unable to pay the loan that he had borrowed from the bank. He is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed from his colleague. All these dollars are more than thousand over dollars. Mr,Desire suddenly feel panic and planned how to settle all these. The first problem was that he now has zero dollars on the bank accounts because he had lost all his salaries on gamer. The immediate problem is to have some money to top up bus fare/ Mrt card so that he still can go to work. He then asked his brother $50 and borrowed $20 dollar from his friend. With this $70 dollars, he then could drag until the next pay day. Now, Mr. Desire started to receive letter from Insurance company for the unsuccessful deduction from the bank account. Mr.Desire started to receive call from loan bank that he needed to pay the monthly loan immediately, wow, the loan amount needed to pay more because of the delay. the rental fares also needed to be delayed. Now, Mr. Desire entered to the period of owing debts. Can Mr. Desire survive after that, Let's continue the story later......On 26-4-2013, Mr.Desire got his salary and he had to plan how to utilize the money. Mr.Desire first paid up the rental fees $300 and then he paid the bank loan total of $370( including the late payment charge $60 and the third loan payment $160). How about the $600 owned to his friend and Insurance payment for two consecutive month total up $940. Mr. Desire expected all these, he told his friend that he was unable to pay him in full may be pay half first. Mr.Desire gave this suggestion and his friend needed few days to consider. Wow, all these made him headache indeed. After checking the balance on the bank account, the balance was $940, just enough for the insurance payment, then how about the $600 and the daily expenses? Suddenly Mr. Desire thought that going for the gaming again might be able to solve all these payment if he ready got the luck and won. But after the deep thought, Mr. Desire gave up the idea because it was risky and how about if Mr. Desire had the bad luck and lost all the balances in the bank account? So. Mr. Desire never went for gaming eventually. Now, he drew $200 for the daily expenses because continued borrowing money from friends is not the solution. In this situation, Mr. Desire could only paid up the one insurance payment, the second payment had to delay until the next month 28-05-2013. The $600 owned to his friend had also needed to delayed further. Could Mr. Desire overcame all the burden? Let's continue the story....On 3-05-2013 morning, his friend told Mr.Desire to pay half of $600 first, the rest can pay on end of May. Mr. Desire then went to check the bank account, there is still some balance there. He drew out some money and paid to his friend $300 plus another $30 interest. So, he still need to pay him $300, insurance payment $630 plus the incoming new insurance payment $470, total insurance payment $1100. I think this month and next month also the headache for Mr. Desire. Let's continue the story until nothing to tell. Because of all these, he stopped gaming and within this few weeks, Mr. Desire started to read articles with wisdom especially the Buddha teaching. Mr. Desire suddenly realize that life can be so peaceful and happy without greed. He feels ready joyful. Now, Mr. Desire is totally quit gaming and has no desires. He now is the normal man without abnormal mindset. Thanks Buddha's teaching transform him and he is now the person who never kill, steal, sex, telling truth, no alcohol. He adopt the Buddha life style and enjoy the highest form of living.Mr. Desire told me that he now enjoys the highest form of enjoyment without much money. With the small room, foods to eat, got clothing to wear, have a job, have time to watch video from Master chin kung, life is so good and happy just like Master Chin Kung. I hope everybody can live happily like Mr, Desire. Now, Mr. Desire change his name , his new name is Mr. Happy. Sadly to say after few weeks, Mr. Happy became Mr. Desire again, it was because something pop up on his mind, he wanted to try the luck, it mean he was still in unawakened state. Wow, human mindset is damn difficult to control. On 21 May 2013, he drew $200 and went to gaming place, within one hour, these two hundred dollars were gone. And again he went home to take the balancing cash $70, hoping that he could slowly win some. The outcome was ready cruel, he lost again. Can he survive until the end of the month? Let's see....His brother Mr. Anger suspected Mr. Desire go gaming and kept on receiving the promotion letters from gaming office. On 22 May 2013, he reminded Mr. Desire not to go gaming again because it will affect the later life due to no money. Both argued loudly, Mr. Anger said to Mr.Desire : ' Are you the member of the gaming office? How come I keep on receiving the letters? I feel sad because of this." Mr. Desire said :" No, the gaming office will send letter as long as people went to the gaming place regardless whether you are member or not." Mr. Anger said :" Fucking hell, this gaming place make lots of people losing money, I don't want to see this letters coming anymore." Mr. Desire said :" You have to be cool, don't act like the angry bird, I think better we don't stay together, I wish to buy a house and move out here. Mr. Anger acted so angrily and called the police and voiced out his anger about 'GAMING ACTIVITIES ". Wow, the family is now became not peaceful because if all these. Can Mr. Desire quit the gaming finally? Let's continue the story.
The latest World Gold Council Gold Demand Trends report, which reports
on the period January-March 2013, shows a market driven by diverse
global demand, and an appetite for owning gold jewellery that continues
to grow.
Total jewellery demand was up 12% year-on-year in Q1 2013, driven in
the main by Asian markets. Jewellery demand in China was up 19% on the
same period last year and stood at a record 185 tonnes(t). Demand in
both India and the Middle East was up 15% respectively and in the US,
demand showed a significant increase, 6%, for the first time since 2005.
Demand for gold in China and India was also driven by an increase in
bar and coin sales - up 22% year-on-year in China and 52% in India. In
the US demand for bars and coins was up 43% compared with the same
quarter in 2012. Globally, bar investment was up 8% while official coins
(such as American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs) were up 18%. Gold
held by gold-backed ETFs, which in 2012 accounted for 6% of the world’s
gold demand, fell by 177t.
Central Banks remained significant acquirers of gold, making purchases
in excess of 100t (109t) for the seventh consecutive quarter.
Overall total global demand for gold in Q1 2013 was 963t, down 19% from Q4 2012.
Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, Investment at the World Gold Council commented:
“The price drop in April, fuelled by non-physical moves in the market,
proved to be the catalyst for a surge of buying that has left many
retailers short of stock and refineries introducing waiting lists for
deliveries. Putting this into context, sales of bars and coins,
jewellery and consumption in the technology sector still make up 81% of
the market.
“What these figures show is that even before the events of April, the
fundamentals of the gold market remain robust with; growing demand in
India and China, central banks consistently adding gold to their
reserves and strong buying of investment products such as gold bars and
coins.”
In value terms, gold demand in Q1 2013 was US$51bn, down 23% compared
to Q4 2012. The average gold price of US$1,632/oz was down 5% on the
average Q4 2012 price, and down 3% on the same period the previous year.
The key findings from the report are as follows:
Total demand in China totalled 294t in the first
quarter, a rise of 20% on the same quarter last year, as the economy
continued to pick up from the downturn experienced in the second half of
2012. Of that figure, jewellery demand in the quarter was a record
185t, up 19% on last year, while bar and coin investment was 110t,
rising by 22% from last year.
The Indian market also demonstrated a continued
appetite for gold. Total demand was 257t, up 27% on the same quarter
last year. Retail investment was up 52% while jewellery was up 15% on Q1
last year.
Q1 2013 was the seventh consecutive quarter in which central banks acquired
more than 100t of gold, and the ninth consecutive quarter in which
central banks have been net purchasers as they diversify their
portfolios. Central bank net purchases were 109t in Q1 2013, although
the figure was 5% lower than the purchases a year ago.
ETFs saw a net outflow of 177t in the quarter. By
contrast there were strong inflows into other forms of investment: bar
and coin demand was 378t, 10% higher than last year.
Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, Investment, at the World Gold Council commented further:
“Gold-backed ETFs, which made up 6% of gold demand in 2012, have seen
some holders, primarily in the US, collect profits and move into
equities. While gold ETF holdings are down, this has been balanced by
378t of investment in bars and coins, an increase of 10% on the same
period last year, and up 12% on Q4 2012.
“Overall, the long-term appetite for investment remains strong, demonstrated by the continued demand for bars and coins.” Gold demand and supply statistics for Q1 2013
First quarter gold demand of 963t was down 13% compared with Q1 2012
The value measure of gold demand in Q1 2013 was US$51bn, down 16% on the year before
The Q1 2013 average gold price was US$1,632 down 3% on the year before
The net outflow from ETFs was 177t in the quarter. That fall pushed
the sum of ETF and total bar and coin demand to just below 201t. Total
investment demand was 320t in Q1 2013, flat compared with a year ago
Demand in the jewellery sector was up 12% to 551t. Jewellery demand in China was 185t while demand in India was 160t
Demand in the technology sector once again surpassed 100t for the
quarter Demand in Q1 2013 was 102t, down 4% on the previous year
The Q1 2013 total mine production was up 4% on last year at 688t.
Recycling fell 4% resulting in a total supply that is 1% higher than a
year ago
Net central bank purchases totalled 109t, 5% lower than a year ago,
making this the ninth consecutive quarter in which central banks have
been net purchasers of gold
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) —Iran presidential election 2013 is coming soon. Iran's election overseers said Monday they will bar candidates who are physically weak from running in next month's presidential election, a reference to a former leader seen as a threat to hard-liners.
Ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's
entry in the race scrambled the equations because of his popularity,
reputation and potential to draw voters away from conservatives.
Rafsanjani is 78. Opponents claim that he is too old to run the
country, and the body that must decide who can run in the June 14
election indicated it agrees — as a way of removing the threat to Iran's
hard-liners.
Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman of the Guardian Council that vets election candidates, said the council won't allow candidates who are limited in their physical abilities.
"If a person is able to work only few hours a day, it's natural that
he can't be approved," Kadkhodaei was quoted by the semi-official Mehr
news agency as saying Monday.
He didn't name any of the candidates, but it was a clear reference to Rafsanjani.
The council is expected to release its list of approved candidates on Tuesday.
The unexpected entry of Rafsanjani into the race has cut into chances
of victory for a candidate loyal to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei in the June 14 vote.
There is also widespread speculation in Iranian media that Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's close confidant, will be barred from running. Ahmadinejad
cannot run for another term as president according to term limits under
Iran's constitution. Instead, he has been trying to ensure that a
loyalist succeeds him.
Ahmadinejad has openly backed Mashaei, saying "Mashaei means Ahmadinejad, and Ahmadinejad means Mashaei."
Hard-liners accuse Mashaei of being the leader of a "deviant current"
that seeks to undermine Islamic rule and compromise the Islamic system.
Some critics have even claimed he conjured black magic spells to fog
Ahmadinejad's mind.
More than 100 lawmakers have petitioned the council to bar both Rafsanjani and Mashaei from the vote.
Given Mashaei's role in a messy power struggle between Ahmadinejad
and the ruling clerics, he is likely to be barred, but Rafsanjani is
seen as too respected to be disqualified.
Rafsanjani is a founder of the 1979 Islamic revolution that brought the clerics to power. He was the closest confident of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual leader of the 1979 revolution. Even Khamenei largely owes his position to Rafsanjani's support.
"If it happens (Rafsanjani is disqualified), the foundation of the
ruling system would be brought into question," conservative lawmaker Ali
Motahari, who supports Rafsanjani, was quoted by the semi-official ISNA
news Monday.
But a headline on a conservative news website, alef.ir, read, "Rafsanjani on the verge of being disqualified."
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, warned Friday
that those who did not distance themselves from 2009 riots were not
eligible to run, referring to the popular protests over the disputed
re-election of Ahmadinejad as "sedition."
It was another hint that Rafsanjani could be banned.
A government crackdown in 2009 put an end to street protests, but
Rafsanjani remained critical over the way the ruling system dealt with
the crisis.
"A man who wants to sit in the president's chair must make his
position clear. If he approves the 2009 sedition, he is a seditionist.
If he is against it, then he must condemn it," Jannati told worshippers
Friday. His comments were perceived as a reference to Rafsanjani.
Political analyst Saeed Leilaz said the organized campaign to
discredit Rafsanjani reflects hard-liner concerns over his electoral
strength.
"They are shouting because their candidates can't beat Rafsanjani. If
Rafsanjani is weak and doesn't enjoy popular support, why are they so
angry?" he said.
TOKYO - One in ten of Yahoo Japan’s 220 million users is thought to have been affected by a new hack.
Yahoo
said a file of ID details for 22 million people was stolen during an
attack by hackers, but claimed the file did not contain sufficient
details for full-blown identity theft.
Nonetheless, it advised users to change their passwords. In a
statement Yahoo, said the attack on its administration system was
noticed late on May 16 and that net access was cut off immediately.
The
site said that the volume of traffic between the net and its
administration system indicated a file of 22 million IDs had been
stolen.
Yahoo told the Daily Telegraph: “We don’t know if the file
was leaked or not, but we can’t deny the possibility given the volume
of traffic between our server and external” terminals.
The
information did not include passwords and the kind of data necessary to
verify a user’s identity or reset passwords, it said, adding that the
company had updated its security measures to prevent a repeat of the
incident.
Yahoo Japan is 35.5 per cent held by Japan’s mobile
phone operator SoftBank, and 34.7 per cent held by US Internet giant
Yahoo. Its popular portal Yahoo Japan holds the top search engine
position in Japan with a more than 50 per cent market share, compared
with around 40 per cent for rival Google.
Mr Ross Brewer, of
security firm LogRhythm, said “If 22 million user IDs have been stolen,
then this has to be considered a pretty wide scale hack. Depressingly
though, it’s no longer that unusual to hear of hacks on this grand
scale, and Yahoo is just the latest in an increasingly long line of
major brands which is learning that it’s no longer a matter of ‘if’
you’re breached, but ‘when’. To its credit, Yahoo has been quick to come
clean about this attack.”
In 2011, Sony said information such as
usernames, passwords and birth dates of more than 100 million people may
have been compromised after hackers struck the PlayStation Network and
Sony Online Entertainment services.
Japan acknowledges that its
preventative measures against cyberattacks remain underdeveloped, with
the national police agency having announced this month it would launch a
team to analyse and combat cyberattacks.
Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency said last month that information related to the
International Space Station may have been leaked during an unauthorised
attempt to access its system. AGENCIES
A tearful David Beckham has received a standing ovation
after playing what is almost certainly his final game as a professional
footballer. David Beckham is the most handsome footballer until now.
The retiring midfielder captained Paris St-Germain in the team's 3-1
victory over Brest in Paris and was tossed in the air by the PSG players
after the final whistle, declaring that the send-off "couldn't have
been any more perfect".
There is an outside chance he will feature at Lorient next Sunday, but
the 38-year-old made an emotional exit in the 82nd minute, hugging most
of his team-mates before making way for Ezequiel Lavezzi.
He told Sky Sports News: "Tonight was a nice way to go out - in front
of my own fans, in front of a capacity crowd that were excited because
we've won the league. The celebrations have been incredible, so it's a
nice way to walk off the pitch."
Beckham was tossed in the air by teammates after the final whistle
"To go out like I did tonight couldn't have been any more perfect."
Asked whether he could feature next weekend, he replied: "We'll see.
There's a plastic pitch next weekend. I ruptured my Achilles a few years
ago, so it's not great for it. Like I said, tonight was very special.
"I'll be part of the team next week. Whether I play or not, who knows?"
PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi suggested the match would be Beckham's
last, telling journalists: "It's up to the coach, but basically, I
think that will be the last match for him."
His family, including wife Victoria holding daughter Harper, looked on
Beckham said he was particularly touched by the honour of skippering the team and would be forever grateful.
He said: "That started my emotions kicking in earlier today, when the
manager called me in and said 'we've spoken to the players, it's the
players' idea - we want to make you captain."
"It's really special for an Englishman to be captain of PSG -
especially on a night that meant so much to the club and the players. It
was an amazing gesture and one I'll always be thankful for."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic threatened to overshadow the former Manchester
United man's night with a brace in between Blaise Matuidi's strike in
the first half, but it was clear that the evening belonged to Beckham.
Beckham was joined on the pitch by his sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz
On his tearful farewell to the players before leaving the field, he
continued: "It (the emotion) started 20 minutes before then. It was hard
to run, let alone kick a ball.
"It was an emotional night. To see the reaction of the players, of the fans, when I came off was special."
PSG clinched their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years following a 1-0 win at Lyon last weekend.
It meant Beckham, who joined PSG in the winter on a short-term deal,
has won league titles in four different countries - England, Spain, the
US and France. David Beckham is the hot figure in advertisement like sport wear,etc. He has a lot of fans worldwide. He not only can kick, he also can fly.
David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is
also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English
national team from 1998 to 2009, scored in three different FIFA World
Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England, Madrid,
Spain, and Milan, Italy; he also won the MLS Cup playing for Los Angeles
Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.
He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham
on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, son of Ted
Beckham, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra West, a hairdresser. Beckham's
maternal grandfather is Jewish, and he has been mentioning the religion
as influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of
Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to
practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long
sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may
feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.
He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's
football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at
FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for
a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost
400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his
official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's
matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's
qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He
received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against
Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham
off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the
referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was
eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of
criticism and abuse in media.
He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time, he married singer Victoria Beckham
(nee' Adams) from the popular musical group The Spice Girls, and the
couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year,
Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to
look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection.
Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson,
fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was
permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was
spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's
claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that
day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February
2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.
David
Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On
the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big
picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and
unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him
to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte
has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient
free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has
required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David
Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of
British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003).
He
signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1,
2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was
not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player
had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to
wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan.
He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team
did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the
Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his
performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other
merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to
under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher
expectations.
In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid
for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable,
and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to
Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European
Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his
international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles
and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England,
and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups.
In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because
of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team
lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.
In June 2007 Beckham
played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating
with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was
his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He
announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los
Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal
includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with
merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to
$50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five
years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time.
In
2009, in a unique time share agreement David played on loan at AC Milan
to maintain his fitness after ending the season with the Galaxy. He
ended up staying with Milan for five months, from January to May 2009.
In 2010, he also arranged to embark on a second loan spell at AC Milan
from the Galaxy, to play for Milan for another five months. He said that
he "genuinely enjoyed playing for Milan."
In 2011, after winning
his first MLS Cup, his five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy
ended. At that time, Beckham was invited to play for Paris
Saint-Germain. But the 36-year-old player said "My family and I are
incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending
many more years here... I am still passionate about playing in America
and winning trophies with the Galaxy" he stated after signing another
two-year contract with the Los Angeles club.
In 2012, Beckham
helped the Los Angeles Galaxy to retain their championship by defeating
the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the final game and winning the MLS Cup 2012.
His last appearance for Los Angeles was on December 2, 2012. Beckham's
jersey No 23 has been the best selling in the MLS and one of the best in
the world, as he expands his image as one of sport's leading icons.
Although he plays his best in the right of midfield, Beckham can be
dangerous anywhere in the field and can make a difference in a big game
with a pass, a cross, or a free kick. Arguably no one in the game can
rival Beckham's accuracy in free kicks, as he can put that ball on a
teammate's head with uncanny precision. He is still a decisive player,
regardless of age.
In January 2013, David Beckham signed a 5 month contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
The
Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have four
children: three sons - Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999, in London),
Romeo James Beckham (born 2002, in London), Cruz David Beckham (born
2005, in Madrid), and daughter Harper Seven (born in 2011, in Los
Angeles). IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov
Number 7 shirt for Manchester United and England
Number 23 shirt for Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy
Trivia
Won the treble with Manchester United (Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League). [1999]
His
first goal for England came at the Stade Felix-Bollaert in Lens in the
2-0 victory against Colombia on June 26 1998 during the World Cup.
Voted the #1 best male body in "Celebrity Bodies" (UK) magazine. [October 2001]
Voted best dressed male by readers of "Heat" (UK) magazine. [December 2001]
He began his footballing career at the age of 17.
Has
been dubbed a master of set-pieces specialising in free-kicks and has
developed one which is known around the world as the 'Beckham', which
involves lifting the ball over the 'wall', sending it towards the far
post, but bending it back to the near post confusing the keeper and
having the ball just dip under the bar for the goal.
Scored on his first team debut in the European Cup against Galatasaray.
Was
signed by Manchester United to their youth training program at the age
of 14. His youth team also featured the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - his current team mates.
On, May 11, 2003, David was voted the 91st worst Briton in Channel Four's poll of the 100 Worst Britons.
On June 17, 2003, David signed a four year deal worth £24.5m to play for Real Madrid.
He began his soccer career at the age of 17.
Signed
new contract with Manchester United until 2005, making him the highest
paid footballer in Britain at that moment - though he would be sold to
Real Madrid a year later. [May 2002]
Declared he will retain the
England captaincy, despite criticism for poor performances and two
missed penalties in Euro 2004. [June 2004]
In November 1996,
Beckham was abroad on his first trip with the England squad, in Tbilisi,
Georgia. There, he saw the video that would change his life. It was
"Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls. Beckham pointed at the screen
and said to his best friend Gary Neville that the girl dressed in a
black PVC catsuit (Victoria) was the woman he wanted and if she wanted
him, they would be together for ever. A few months later, they began
dating.
David and Victoria held a lavish, star-studded party for
the christening of their two sons, Brooklyn, 5, and Romeo, 2. The
ceremony was held on the grounds of the Beckhams' Hertfordshire mansion
(December 23, 2004).
Was famously sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in France for retaliation.
He wears a new pair of football boots for every game he plays at an estimated cost of £300 a pair.
Had his likeness made out of a napkin in "American Dad!" (2005) by Roger the Alien.
Among the guests at his 30th birthday party were Elizabeth Hurley, Elle Macpherson and Geri Halliwell.
He
played for England in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups of
Soccer. He was named captain for the national team in 2000 but announced
his resignation from that prestigious position on 2 July 2006 (the day
after England were knocked out of the 2006 World Cup). Gary Neville - his teammate in the national English football team - was best man at his wedding.
Relinquished the captaincy of England after the team's quarter-final defeat to Portugal in the World Cup (July 2, 2006).
Chosen one of "Time" magazine's Time 100 in 2004.
After
Real Madrid announced he would not remain there after the end of the
2006-2007 season, he signed a five-year-deal for the Los Angeles Galaxy,
earning up to $50 million dollar a year in direct salary, with
endorsements and profit-sharing.
Is mentioned in Love Actually (2003) when Hugh Grant's character lists "David Beckham's right foot" as one of the things that make Britain great.
Won the Spanish La Liga title with Real Madrid before his transfer to LA Galaxy.
Has three sons with wife, Victoria Beckham. Brooklyn Beckham, born on March 4, 1999, Romeo Beckham on September 1, 2002, in London, England and Cruz Beckham on February 20, 2005 in Madrid, Spain.
Was among the guests at Tom Cruise's and Katie Holmes' wedding ceremony in Italy.
Suffers from ornithophobia (fear of birds).
Godfather to Davinia Taylor's and Dave Gordon's son Grey.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his salary for the year to be $33 million.
Founded the David Beckham football academy.
Ranked #5 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list.
Among the godparents of their sons Brooklyn Beckham and Romeo Beckham are Elizabeth Hurley, Elton John and his partner David Furnish.
Additionally, football agent Dave Gardner is one of Brooklyn's
godfathers. Each of the boys has five godparents. Brooklyn has four
godfathers and one godmother and Romeo has three godfathers and two
godmothers.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the
British Empire) in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his
services to Football.
The Sunday Times estimates his net worth at $205 million. [2009]
Announced he and wife, Victoria Beckham are expecting their fourth child in the summer. [January 2011].
Son-in-law of Jackie Adams and Anthony Adams.
His legs are insured for $70 million.
Daughter, Harper Seven Beckham, was born on July 10, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Personal Quotes
I dream a lot about football and a lot of them have come true for me.
The England team should be managed by an English manager.
Whenever Man Utd lose people always say there's a crisis.
As a footballer you always want to test yourself against the best.
If
someone had said in 1998 after my sending off in the World Cup that I
would be leading my country out within three years I would have laughed
in their face.
In Spain people have lunch and dinner a lot later - when I return to England I'll have to eat alone at midnight.
Pelé was a complete player. I didn't see him live obviously, because I wasn't born.
Well,
I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left
side" - when asked if he thought that he was a volatile player
I like Victoria for herself, not for nothing else. I'd like her if she worked in Tesco.
Shopping! - Beckham describing his strengths
At
home things are hard. For instance, my curtains are never open, I get
no privacy at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw
daylight in my house.
I think the most important goal I scored in
Spain was the first one because people were wary about me coming over to
Spain as a player - they thought I was just there to sell shirts.
On
Real Madrid: "To experience playing and being in the same team as these
players is something that might not ever happen again - to have so many
players in one team. I just wanted to be one of these stars and play in
this team."
Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at
this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level.
But he's the best manager I've ever had.
I definitely want (my son) Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet.
During
the past few months, I have become accustomed to reading more and more
ludicrous stories about my private life. The simple truth is that I am
very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids.
There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts. -
denying any affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos.
[April 2004]
The way I and my family have been treated is an
absolute disgrace. At the end of the day, I'm a nice person and loving
husband and father. I've been called a bad father, I've been called a
bad husband and my wife has been called a bad mother. Things always hurt
that are said about my family, and for people to call my wife a bad
mother is unbelievable. I'm a strong person, I'm a strong family man,
I'm a strong husband and a strong father.
I always wanted to be a hairdresser.
People can say what they like. But me and Victoria will always stay together as husband and wife.
I've got more clothes than Victoria.
It's
one thing I like about America - they respect the sportsman. They put
them up on a pedestal. They don't try to knock them down. And that's a
great thing, to be respected by the whole country. It's so patriotic!
You
can practice penalties till the cows come home but it is different when
you are out there in front of 60,000 people and the pressure is on.
I
have come to accept that if I have a new haircut it is front page news.
But having a picture of my foot on the front page of a national
newspaper is a bit exceptional.
[on media claims that pal Tom Cruise
has tried to convert him and his wife Victoria to Scientology] I
respect any person's religion but he's never pushed anything on to us.
Friends don't do that.
The
boy from East London first made everyone sit up and take notice when he
scored a wonder goal on the first day of the 1995/6 English football
season. In lobbing a 60-yard belter from inside his own half to beat
Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, he marked the arrival of a football
phenomenon.
Born in Leytonstone on May 2, 1975, David Robert Joseph Beckham
was a Manchester United fan from a very early age. He even insisted on
wearing a Red Devils shirt when training with London club Tottenham
Hotspur as a schoolboy. The admiration was mutual the biggest football
club in the world had its eye on the young player and, aged 16, he
signed as a trainee with Man U.
The skinny teenager rose from cleaning the first team's boots to a spell
in the reserves, before making his league debut in 1995, just a month
shy of his 20th birthday. But it wasn't until 1997 that he really
emerged into the spotlight when he met and fell for Spice Girl Victoria
Adams, commonly known as Posh.
The attraction between the couple was instant, and ten months after
embarking upon a relationship they announced their engagement. "I've met
the man I know I'm going to grow old and wrinkly with," enthused
Victoria.
David could do no wrong until the 1998 England/Argentina match in
France. The golden boy of English football was sent off early in the
second half for a petulant kick against Argentinian player Diego
Simeone. England was out on penalties and Beckham's name was mud.
Following the match, David flew straight to New York where the Spice Girls were on tour. And it was here the couple's son Brooklyn Joseph was reportedly conceived.
Beckham junior kicked off life on March 4, 1999, after being delivered
by caesarean section at London's Portland Hospital. Four months later
his parents tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Dublin's Luttrelstown
Castle. Brooklyn was joined by second son Romeo on September 1, 2002,
with the third Beckham son, Cruz, making his debut in early 2005. In
January 2011, the couple announced they were expecting their fourth
child in the summer.
In November 2003 David received what he described as his "best" honour -
an OBE from the Queen. "It's not just for me but for Manchester United,
England, all of my teammates and my family," he said.
The same year it was announced the devoted Manchester United fan would
be leaving his beloved club and moving to Madrid-based Spanish team Real
Madrid on a four-year contract.
Another monumental decision came just after England bowed out of the
2006 World Cup for the second time in the quarter-final stages. The
soccer ace announced he was to step down as captain of the squad - a
role he held for six years. "It has been an honour and a privilege to
captain our country and I wish to stress that I want to continue to play
for England," he declared.
The success enjoyed by David on the football pitch was perhaps only
equalled by that of "Brand Beckham". Marketing initiatives based on his
iconic status included an aftershave as well as lucrative sponsorship
deals - with the likes of Gilette, Pepsi and Motorola.
Keen to pass on his love for 'the beautiful game', David has also
branched out into establishing football academies for young people in
both the UK and the United States. The footballing star, who transferred
to play at Los Angeles Galaxy in July 2007, is hoping that his move
will start to increase the game's popularity Stateside.
Since moving to LA both him and wife Victoria have become incredibly
popular, mainly due to David’s success at his new team. Not only have
the family enjoyed success in the States, but they also welcomed their
first baby girl into their family whilst there. Baby Harper Seven was
born in Los Angeles in July 2011.
More recently, David has launched his own range of men's underwear with
high street store H&M. This venture has seen the footballer teaming
up with film director Guy Ritchie to film one of the adverts for his
range. David also regularly feature in the style spotlight for his
fashion choices and his collection of tattoos has also become one of his
most talked-about features.
Where Are They Now
(June 2003) Signs up for Spanish soccer team Real Madrid.
(July 2005) Is in Japan playing a tournament with his team Real Madrid
(2003) Release of the #1 International best-selling book, "Beckham - Both Feet on the Ground".
(June
2007) A member of the Real Madrid team who won the Spanish League
season 2006/2007 after the game against Majorca (Real Madrid 3 - Majorca
1)
(2008) (20 December) Introduced to the media by AC Milan
(Italy). On loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham will play for AC
Milan from 7 Janunary - 9 March 2009.
Plenty of tributes have been coming in from the various
countries where Beckham has played during an illustrious career
spanning almost 20 years.
But
his global reach
means there are also plenty of commentators elsewhere with
something to say as the 38-year-old prepares to hang up his boots.
In
the United States,
USA Today
has particular praise for Beckham's time at Los Angeles Galaxy:
"When he moved to LA, the European soccer establishment rolled its eyes,
but he made a success of it, silencing the Doubting Thomases!"
In LA Galaxy's home town, however, the
LA Times
is more restrained, reflecting the struggle football - or soccer,
as it is known in the US - faces in competing with the traditional big
three US sports: American football, baseball and basketball.
But the paper's website does have a video of some of the "amazing" free-kicks Beckham conjured up during his career.
"Beckham's free-kicks were a sight to behold, with the
ball streaking into the net with a speed and right-to-left arc that
looked like a Zack Greinke curveball," it says, referring to a former
pitcher for the LA Dodgers baseball team.
Over in
Spain,
where Beckham plied his trade with Real Madrid for four years, sports paper
Marca
is also effusive about Beckham's skills. "Elegance and London
'glamour' are losing one of their main exponents," it reports.
"Countless precise shots and magical free kicks, all accomplished with
the particular aesthetic quality of Beckham's game."
"The first footballer to become an icon of the big brands is retiring," the paper adds.
Beckham also spent a couple of brief loan periods with AC Milan in
Italy.
In the Rome-based
La Repubblica
, Enrico Franceschini strikes a wistful note: "Football is losing
its last superstar. Perhaps the only one, because there are plenty of
champions, but only one David Beckham.
"Ciao, Becks. Or rather, see you soon, outside the
stadium, where he will continue to be the richest footballer - oops,
ex-footballer - in the world."
In
France,
where Beckham is playing out his last few games with Paris St-Germain,
Le Monde
chooses to home in on his global advertising presence: "The
footballer is leaving, but the brand remains," it says in a headline.
"David Beckham is more than a dazzling football star,
he's a social phenomenon," it adds. Beckham had "extraordinary spatial
awareness and brilliant technique", but "the personality of David the
Magnificent transcends his talent by a long way".
Elsewhere in Europe,
Germany's
top sports paper
Kicker
celebrates Beckham's career with a picture gallery as its top
story. "Divine crosser, Spice Boy, advertising icon, record-breaking
player, Olympic ambassador - during his glamorous career, Beckham took
on more than one role," is the way the paper sums up his career.
Top German tabloid
Bild
says Beckham's retirement marks the end of a "gigantic career". It
points out that, in winning this season's French title with PSG, Beckham
has become the first English footballer to win championships in four
countries.
"A worthy end for a player who, because of his
glamorous lifestyle and his frequent appearances in advertising, was
often mocked as a footballing fashion model," it adds.
The website of German news weekly
Der Spiegel
strikes a similar note, calling Beckham the "king of football pop".
"Beckham created a type of sportsman that had never
existed before," it says. "Beckham was more than a footballer - much
more."
Meanwhile,
Hungary's
Nemzeti Sport
notes that Beckham's statement comes only a few days after similar announcements from fellow Manchester United legends
Sir Alex Ferguson
and
Paul Scholes.
"He was the king of free-kicks, who sweated blood for
victory if he had to," the website says. "Off the pitch, he became a
style icon, an exemplary family man and a unique superstar."
Further afield,
Russian
website
Sovetsky Sport
names five reasons why Beckham is the "most famous footballer in
the universe", including his working-class origins, the fact that he
"learnt to play football pretty well", his marriage to pop star Victoria
Beckham, his move to Los Angeles and his "transfer to Real Madrid for
the sake of advertising contracts".
The
Gazeta.ru
news website picks up on this last point.
"Today Beckham is a brand," it says. "He has even
managed to become part of cinema history, having played Beckham in 'Bend
it Like Beckham'. Today's stars are dreaming of bending it like Beckham
and of becoming a brand like he is."
Meanwhile, in
China,
news of Beckham's decision to end his playing career instantly
became one of the top stories on the country's giant micro-blogging
platform, Sina Weibo.
On its Weibo account,
Zhujiang Evening News,
a big regional paper, suggests Beckham's popularity may have been
fuelled by something other than his trademark crosses and free kicks.
"He may not have been the most outstanding footballer in the world, but he is definitely a star for most female fans."
In similar vein,
China National Radio
describes Beckham with a Chinese term that translates as "the man with whom 10,000 people fell in love".
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here.You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.
David Beckham has many twitter fans, his twitter page is wonderful with interesting photos. If you want to become his twitter friends, then come to this page David Beckham . Let's wish him always healthy and happy.
David Beckham poses for a photo with his sons Brooklyn, 14, Romeo, 10, and Cruz, 8, during his final game as a professional soccer player on Saturday (May 18) at Parc des Princes in Paris, France.
The 38-year-old soccer star’s team Paris Saint-Germain FC won the Ligue 1 Match against Stade Brestois 29.
David‘s wife Victoria Beckham watched from a luxury suite with their daughter Harper, 22 months, while he was given an emotional sendoff from the sport.
“The emotion started kicking in, it was hard to run, let alone kick a ball,” David said (via BBC). “I still feel good, but I know it’s the right time [to retire].”
PARIS - French President Francois Hollande has signed a law
authorizing gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, after months
of nationwide protests and wrenching debate. I think this is the very bad example religiously and morally. The world is slowly heading to the darkness day by day.
His signature means
the first gay marriages may be celebrated in France within about 10
days. Mr Hollande’s office said he signed the bill this morning (May
18), a day after the Constitutional Council struck down a challenge to
the law.
Mr Hollande, a Socialist, had made legalizing gay marriage
one of his campaign pledges last year. While polls for years have shown
majority support for gay marriage in France, adoption by same-sex
couples is more controversial.
The bill prompted months of
widespread protests, largely by conservative and religious groups. Some
were marred by clashes with police. It became a flashpoint for
frustrations at the increasingly unpopular Hollande. If the country leader himself is not morally right, then he will lead the country towards immorality. Another example from USA, some leaders are homosexual and bisexual and they want to lead the country and I think the country will move towards from bad to worst. If Human beings continue to adopt the new and crazy ways and do not want to follow the ancient wisdom, then the world will become hopeless.
Nhat Hanh and peaceful mind, Most of the sufferings people experience in relationships are not really caused by others but themselves, says Vietnam’s celebrated Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Yes, it is so true that we get our suffering because of ourselves. His visit garnered rapt attention in a country where “healing” has become a buzzword as people look for ways to make their overstressed lives healthier. Yes, it is so important to have the right and proper ways to make us have peaceful mind. Without peaceful mind, what is the point of living in this world, am I right?
“Listening to and understanding our inner sufferings will resolve most of the problems we encounter,” said Nhat Hanh during a three-hour talk held at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, Monday evening, under the theme “Stop and Heal.”
Nhat Hanh, who arrived in Seoul on May 1 as part of a global trip to celebrate Buddha’s birthday which falls on May 17, will be finishing off his official schedule in Korea today.
“In order to heal others, we first need to heal ourselves. And to heal ourselves, we need to know how to deal with ourselves,” said Nhat Hanh, who is also an influential poet and human rights activist. Yes, in order to solve problems for others, we have to solve our problems in the first place. Many people try to solve other people' problems but fail because they even can not solve their own problems, what Nhat Hanh saying is so true.
“If we know how to go back to ourselves, listen and heal, we can change. But most of us don’t know how to listen to ourselves and understand the sufferings.”
In fast-paced contemporary society, people tend to be reluctant to confront the roots of their sufferings and try to conceal their distress with material consumption, Nhat Hanh observed.
“Our thoughts, speech and action are what cause anger, fear, and suspicion of the other side. So we can’t blame others. We should use language that can help the other side understand better. We should not condemn, accuse or blame while listening to them,” he said.
Addressing the strained relations between the two Koreas, Nhat Hanh claimed Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons was not the root cause of diplomatic difficulty, but fear, anger and suspicion between the two countries.
“Nuclear weapons are an obstacle for a good relationship between the South and the North. It reflects the fear, anger, and suspicion in us. If we don’t have anger or fear, we wouldn’t be building nuclear weapons,” he said.
“For peace, the basic thing to do is not to remove nuclear weapons but to remove the fear, anger and suspicion in us. If we reduce them, reconciliation is easy.”
He recalled the three-week reconciliation program he ran for Israelis and Palestinians at the Plum Village, a monastery he runs, in southern France.
“When they arrived, they wouldn’t talk to each other, let alone look at each other. It took three weeks to transform and heal themselves,” he said.
The key to reconciliation is “compassionate listening” according to Nhat Hanh.
“Compassionate listening is to help the other side suffer less. If we realize that other people are the same people as we are, we are no longer angry at them.”
He advised politicians, especially, to learn the Buddhist way.
“If you’re a politician, you might want to learn the Buddhist way of negotiation. Restoring communication and bringing back reconciliation is clear and concrete in Buddhism.” Yes, it is the right time for us to learn the awaken ways , Buddha's ways simply because it work.
http://diyubianxiangtu.wordpress.com/ Please do not kill,steal, improper sex, lie, alcohol. Love your parents, respect teachers. Do not do bad deeds at all. Love all beings including ants, do not use your foots to step on them....adopt the true kindness towards all not one or two only...
Master Chin Kung teaches us human beings to be good human beings. Master Chin Kung tell us to have truly peaceful life without hatred and treat all human beings with respects regardless of races, languages and religions. He told us to free from all illusion, comparison and attachment. To have the place beyond heaven and earth, he recommends reciting Namoamituofo or Amitaba to reach pure land -the land of origin. Pure mind leads us to pure land. Because of no desires, we have no fear and have total freedom within. Awaken mind is what we need........
Ah Boys To Men break record/Singapore Population White Paper
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