At World Cup, US men’s soccer team shows lots of life. USA Beats Ghana 2 -1

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Coach Jurgen Klinsmann celebrated his team's 2-1 victory over Ghana.

 

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So maybe they’re not dead men walking after all, the star-spangled zombies destined to stagger through the Group of Death until they’re pulled under. The US soccer team may not win the World Cup but they may well be among the living after group play is done and that’s more than most soccer observers predicted for them when they were drawn with Ghana, Portugal, and Germany last December.

 

It wasn’t so much that the Yanks grabbed a precious 3 points in their opener against the Africans on Monday night in Natal, Brazil. It was the way they did it — knocking the Black Stars back on their heels in the first minute, conceding the equalizer in the 82d, then administering the knockout blow four minutes later from a defensive substitute (John Brooks) that nobody but his coach and selector Jurgen Klinsmann knew much about.

 

Only once in the modern era (since its return to the stage in 1990) had the US won its first Cup outing (3-2 over Portugal in 2002) and it was never more important than it was this time given who’s on the dance card.

 

If the Americans had lost they almost certainly would have been three-and-out since they’ve never advanced after dropping their opener. And a draw, while acceptable, wouldn’t have done much to advance their cause.

 

But a victory from a squad that has only a handful of Cup veterans was a terrific start, especially against a rival that had put the Yanks out of the last two tournaments. Ghana, with its speed and size, was a troublesome matchup. So when Clint Dempsey danced and deked his way goalward and lashed the ball off the far post after just 29 seconds, it was a dramatic statement that this American breed goes for the jaw.

 

Except for the Portuguese match in Korea, when John O’Brien popped in a fat rebound after four minutes, the US had made an unfortunate habit of giving up goals in the first five minutes and having to chase the game and the tournament forever after. So when Dempsey scored the fastest Cup goal in team history (and the fifth-fastest in tournament annals), it was a signal that his mates intended to stick around for a while.

 

The Americans had gotten a present from Klinsmann’s old team before they even took the field when the Germans knocked the Portuguese into next week Monday afternoon in Salvador. Not only did the Mannschaft hang four goals on Cristiano Ronaldo & Co., they may have put two of Portugal’s key men — striker Hugo Almeida and defender Fabio Coentrao — out of commission for Sunday’s match with the US as well as defender Pepe, who’ll miss the match after his silly red card.

 

That’s why beating Ghana put the Yanks in a lovely position. If they can dismiss the Portuguese in the Amazon jungle — and the odds of that are decidedly better than they were on Monday morning — they’ll likely be guaranteed advancement to the second round.

 

Not that there aren’t concerns. Jozy Altidore’s hamstring injury diminishes the US attack which relies on him, Dempsey, and midfielder Michael Bradley to make things happen. (Think the unchosen Landon Donovan might have been a valuable option?) If Altidore, who’d finally found his scoring touch in the tuneup against Nigeria, is sidelined Klinsmann will have to figure out another triangle to keep the pressure off his back four which, except for transformed midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, are Cup rookies.

 

Except for Andre Ayew’s goal, which came off a lovely backheel from Asamoah Gyan, the US defenders (notably Attleboro native Geoff Cameron) handled themselves creditably against a Ghana team that had a significant edge in shots and corners and goalkeeper Tim Howard was typically solid.

 

And when it came to winning time the Americans got it done in classic Teutonic style — a Brooks header off a Graham Zusi corner.

 

Brooks, who plays for Hertha Berlin in his hometown and had only five caps when he arrived in Brazil, is one of Klinsmann’s German-American quintet. His father was an American serviceman from Chicago, his mother a German. He’s 6 feet 4 inches and if a ball is soaring into traffic, he’s getting it.

 

No US substitute ever had scored in a Cup match but this team has a bunch of rookies like Brooks who aren’t afraid to come off the bench and onto the global stage. They also have a few guys like Dempsey, who’ve been through this monthlong kickaround a couple of times and won’t be rattled. The captain scored the only US goal (against Ghana) in 2006 and the first one (against England) last time.

 

This time he took a foot to the face (courtesy of John Boye) and came up bloodied but resolute. The man from Nacogdoches once played two matches for the Revolution with a broken jaw. Captain America isn’t going down easy. Nor are his workmates, who are up, up and away with at least two more to play.

New Oil Law in the Works for Libya

 

http://www.petroleumafrica.com/new-oil-law-in-the-works-for-libya/

 

Libya’s state-run oil company NOC’s new chairman, Mustafa  Sanallah, while giving the keynote address at the 3^rd New Libya Oil & Gas Forum, revealed that the state-run firm is currently working with the government on  a  new petroleum law.

 

The new agreements with international firms will fall under the new law.

 

Sanallah said the beginning of 2015 is the approximate timeframe for implementation of the new law.

 

Dr. Najme Karim, Head of the Delegation at the forum and Head of the Studies and Developing Oil Laws Committee the Libyan petroleum ministry, said the new law has been under development since March 2013 and is should be ready in a few months.

 

It will be approved when Libya has a new permanent government.

Younger tankers heading for the beaches

 

http://www.tankeroperator.com/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=5653

 

Some tankers sectors are again facing a growing risk of oversupply, due to the increase in ordering seen last year, warned a leading London shipbroker.

The last time that there was significant fleet investment was in 2003 and 2008 when the fleet consisted of a number of single hull vessels, which needed replacing, said Gibson Research in a recent report.

 

In hindsight, too many tankers were orders and today we are suffering from poor earnings and excess tanker capacity, the broking house said.

 

At first glance, today’s oversupply is unlikely to be impacted by demolition activity, due to a relatively young fleet. For example, some 68% of the tanker fleet is under 10 years of age and a further 19% are between 11 and 15 years of age.

 

There is still 4% of the Handy/MR fleet which is of single hull construction. The 2015 cut-off date will see more double hull tankers replacing the remaining single hull units.

However, the prolonged weakness in rates across all the sectors has had the effect of pushing younger tankers towards the scrapyards, Gibson said. This change is most in evidence with VLCCs.

 

Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of tankers sold for demolition was 25 years. However, since 2010, the average age of vessels scrapped is around 18 years and in some cases, we have seen VLCCs as young as 14 years head for the beaches. The move to scrap younger tonnage is being helped by the drive for greater fuel efficiency.   

 

For example, in today’s environment of high bunker prices and low returns, the first generation of double hull tankers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with younger, more fuel efficient tonnage, Gibson explained.

 

Another factor that will have a significant bearing on demolition activity going forward is the impending ballast water treatment convention. Just one more major signature is needed to ratify this convention and once it comes into force, some 12 months following its ratification, owners with older tonnage will be faced with the dilemma of expensive refits versus early retirement.

 

Fuel efficiency, the scale of investment needed to comply with upcoming legislation and the money needed to put tankers through a special survey will all play an increasing role in an owner’s decision whether to recycle his, or her, ship.

 

Unless tanker earnings increase significantly, these issues will likely lead to a growing number of tankers taking an ‘early retirement’, especially if demolition prices continue at today’s high levels and continue to rise, Gibson concluded.  

Kurdistan cargoes warning issued

 

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P&I and insurance concern Skuld has warned about shipments of oil from Iraqi Kurdistan.

At present, this cargo may present a political risk, which members need to be aware of, Skuld said in a bulletin.

 

The modern Iraqi state consists of several provinces and sub-divided districts, some of which fall within the administrative authority of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

 

Within that region there are significant energy reserves and to date there is an open issue with respects to the oil originating from that area, as both the local administration and the central government have taken different positions.

 

The Baghdad central government has said that it considers any oil exports from Iraq, which occur without its consent and authorisation, to be illegal. The responsible central authority is called SOMO.

 

It has now been reported that in response to recent events, the Italian Industry Ministry provided a letter to traders and refineries in Italy about this issue and the stance taken by Iraq's central government.

 

Furthermore, the US State Department has also said that it does not condone sales, which bypass the Iraqi central government.

 

Skuld warned owners, charterers and traders to take an interest in the origin of their cargo. Consequences can include alleged sanction breaches, fines, delays, blacklisting, criminal investigations, unwanted publicity and more. ‘In order to minimise these risks, it is key that commercial teams do their homework,’ Skuld said.

 

‘It is not enough to consider merely the economics of a proposed transaction, but it requires a real understanding of the trade and its background. A big picture view is needed, rather than a narrow focus purely on the numbers of time and money.

 

‘Where cargoes come from areas or sources, which are known to be associated with potentially difficult histories and other issues then carrying out further due diligence in advance of agreeing to a proposed transaction can make the difference between a profitable voyage and a voyage with unintended losses and consequences,’ Skuld stressed.

Hijacked tanker released another taken

 

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The hijacked 2009-built, 12,807 dwt products tanker ‘Fair Artemis’ has been released.

The Fairdeal-managed vessel was reported hijacked last week in the Gulf of Guinea.

Fairdeal reported losing contact with the Liberia-flagged ‘Fair Artemis’ on 7^th June, when it was sailing off the coast of Ghana.

 

A Ghanaian military spokesman told Reuters earlier in this week that it had likely moved from Ghanaian to Togolese waters.

 

The ship had 24 crew members on board and had a cargo of fuel oil at the time of the incident, according to a statement from Fairdeal.

 

Meanwhile the Malaysian authorities are looking for a group of alleged pirates who hijacked a small tanker off the east coast of the country, stealing its cargo.

 

Pirates reportedly hijacked the 2009-built, 6,905 dwt, Malaysia-registered products tanker ‘Budi Mesra Dua’ last Saturday off Bintulu in Sarawak state, as the ship sailed from neighbouring Singapore.

 

“Ten machete-wielding pirates boarded the ship, which was carrying about a million litres of diesel. They took control of the tanker for about 10 hours,” Mohamad Sufi Mohamad Ramli, a local commander with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency told Reuters.

 

The armed pirates siphoned off the diesel fuel to another ship, robbed the crew of their valuables and destroyed communication equipment before escaping, he reportedly said.

 

Pirates have attacked a number of vessels in waters off Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia recently.

 

In April, pirates injured the captain and stole diesel fuel from a Thailand-owned tanker off the eastern coast of Malaysia.

 

In the same month, three Indonesian crew were kidnapped and diesel fuel stolen from a Singapore-managed tanker in the Strait of Malacca.

 

The International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre urged maritime agencies in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to bolster security measures to stop the piracy menace.

 

“In recent weeks, we have recorded five hijackings (including this latest incident), in the South China Sea area and in the Malacca Strait,” the centre’s head Noel Choong told Reuters.“In four of the cases, pirates stole the diesel and gas oil cargo.” 

Ghana: Liberian Oil Tanker Disappears in Ghanaian Waters

 

http://allafrica.com/stories/201406110503.html

 

The head of the Liberian Maritime Authority Mr. Binyan Kessely told the New Dawn in an interview Tuesday that the oil tanker MT Fair Artemis was reported missing while he was attending a Maritime meeting in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

 

Mr. Kessely said he immediately engaged the Ghanaian Minister of Transport and his Maritime counterpart over the incident and an immediate search was instituted.

 

He said the Ghanaian Maritime vessel monitoring and surveillance unit had reached out to track the vessel but it was reportedly not seen in Ghanaian waters as at the time of tracking.

 

Back home, he says the local maritime authority is working along with the vessel owners as well as the Liberia Shipping and Corporate Registry or LISCR to locate the vessel.

 

Meanwhile, Ghanaian and Nigerian armed forces were on Tuesday reported to be pursuing a search mission on Ghanaian territorial waters for the missing oil tanker carrying a Liberian flag.

 

Lt. Colonel Addo Quarshie of the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed media reports on state radio in Accra that a Liberian oil tanker was missing in the Ghanaian territorial waters but could not tell whether it was attacked by pirates.

 

The region is fast becoming a breeding ground for piracy owing to the booming oil industry along the coast. Xinhua news quoted the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in Accra as saying that it has deployed the Navy to search missing oil tanker suspected hijacked off Ghana's coast over the weekend.

 

GAF Public Relations Officer, Colonel Mbawine Atintande told Xinhua in an interview that GAF was aware of the report of the missing oil tanker off Ghanaian territorial waters. "We are aware of the missing oil tanker and we have deployed our Navy to search for the missing vessel and report accordingly," Colonel Atintande said.

There were reports of suspected hijacking of the vessel by pirates. But Atintande said there's not sufficient evidence to support the claim. "We cannot confirm or deny the suspected hijacking of the vessel by pirates. Until we see the vessel, we cannot say there is suspected piracy or not," he said.

 

The Liberian-flagged oil tanker was reported over the weekend to have gone missing 36 nautical miles off the coast of Ghana. "We had a distress call from the master of the ship on Friday, saying he was 36 nautical miles away from our waters after he was hijacked and looted in Togolese waters early Wednesday," a senior official at Ghana's eastern port city of Tema said.

 

The Liberia-flagged MT Fair Artemis made its last contact with its manager, Fairdeal Group S.A., at 1800 hours GMT on Wednesday when it was operating off the coast of Ghana. The oil vessel was said to have failed to make contact with officials of the company on Thursday.

Gold ATM Dispenses $1,300 Gold Bars In Midtown

Via Scouting NY

http://gothamist.com/2014/06/11/its_not_easy_to_replenish.php#.

 

It's not easy to replenish the gold bullion you spent on a hoop skirt and that Napoleonic cannon on-the-go these days. Thankfully, rare coin gallery Stack's Bowers's "Gold-to-go" ATM has got you covered, offering up solid gold bars for a mere $1,327-a-pop.

 

Scouting NY spotted the mini Fort Knox this week, located just outside Stack's Bowers's shop on West 57th Street. The machine allows you to use a credit card or cash [EDIT: Cash only!] to purchase one ounce gold bars for around $1,300, in addition to 10 gram bars for about $490 and 5 gram bars for $255, depending on market prices. You can also purchase gold and silver coins, along with commemorative Bronx Zoo silver coins and pieces, in case you want a memento from a tourist attraction located several miles north—all purchases come packaged in "an attractive gift box."

 

According to a Times piece, as of 2009 there were only about 20 such Gold ATMs in the world, slightly edging out the international Cupcake ATM count. And it appears these machines, created by German gold dealers TG-Gold-Super-Markt, were fashioned to stick it to the man, in a way. "The banks have an oligopoly,” company founder Thomas Geissler, an apparent sworn enemy of William Jennings Bryan, told the Grey Lady. “Generally, oligopolies wait too long to compete, and by then it is too late."

 

We contacted Stack's Bowers to find out if anyone's traded their Cash4Gold at the machine recently, and will update if and when we hear back. And before you make a beeline for Midtown to go all Scrooge McDuck on the ATM, note that you pretty much can't use gold for anything other than to show your friends how rich you are, so you might as well save your money for a bitcoin machine.

 

Updated 12:54 p.m.: We spoke with Andrew Bowers of Stack's Bowers, who told us the Gold ATM is used pretty frequently. "We had someone use it today," he said, noting that though the smaller gold and silver items were more popular than the pricy bars, "We've sold items over $1000 dollars as well."

 

Bowers says there were two other Gold ATMs in the United States as of last year, with one in Las Vegas and another in Atlantic City. Stack's Bowers purchased the machine from TG-Gold-Super-Markt about two years ago. "Lots of people come in and take pictures and use it," he said. "It catches people's eye."