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NEW DELHI: In what could dramatically change the service tax structure, states will demand power to levy tax on all taxable services along with the Centre under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) that is to be implemented from April 1, 2010.

This will be in stark contrast to "paltry" services on which states were offered rights to charge tax as part of the compensation package to make up for the loss due to phase out of Central Sales Tax starting from this year.

The states will be levying tax on all taxable services concurrently with the Centre, official VAT panel Chairman Asim Dasgupta, who is finalising a report on GST, said.

Earlier, states were offered 44 services, mainly of local nature, to compensate them for phase out of CST -- a levy on inter-state trading of goods.

Since the purpose behind VAT and GST is to create common Indian market, CST distorts this aim and hence is reduced from four to three per cent this fiscal, to be ultimately eliminated by the time GST is proposed to come into existence.

However, states did not agree on these services because they were "paltry", Dasgupta said. "Because states are given a set of paltry items, states didn't agree. (Under GST) states will levy all taxable services, concurrently with the Centre," Dasgupta said.

December 10, 2007
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WHEN chips become fries and blokes become guys, Australians get really annoyed.

But other US cultural imports, such as iPods, Hollywood movies and even Britney Spears and her ex-beau Justin Timberlake are just bonza.

Australians' love-hate relationship with our long-standing ally is confirmed in a poll released today by the US Studies Centre in Sydney.

The survey of Australian attitudes towards the US moves beyond foreign policy and defence matters and takes a closer look at popular culture.

It shows Australians most admire American technology, art and literature. American films, music, clothing and television all rate favourably. But American-style fast food is deeply unpopular, with two-thirds of people worried about its impact on Australia.

And, in a warning for marketing executives who import ad slogans without tailoring them to a local audience, more than half Australians think American language has a corrosive influence on Australian culture.

Dr Brendon O'Connor, a specialist in American politics at Griffith University in Brisbane, said the results showed people were still anxious to protect a unique Australian identity.

The poll follows results released in October that showed Australians expected the US to remain a close security partner.

But a sharp decline in Australians' trust in Washington to do the right thing in world affairs has sparked official US Government concerns, especially with the risk that opposition to the Iraq war could sour relations.

A high-ranking US diplomat paid an official visit to Canberra last week, offering assurances that President George Bush welcomed the new Labor Government, despite plans to pull Australian combat troops out of Iraq.

DANIEL FLITTON

Runner Smith ready for her shot as All-American

By TERRY CARTER
For The Chronicle


Brazoswood High School junior Lauren Smith earned her ticket to the 2007 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships weeks ago.

Today the Texas Class 5A state cross country champion will chase her dream of national All-American honors.

She runs at the five-kilometer Balboa Park course in San Diego at 11:15 a.m.

Smith is pursuing a top-15 finish at the meet, which would earn her notice as an All-American.

The boys will run at 10 a.m. with Southlake Carroll's Colby Lowe (14:45) bringing in the top qualifying time among the regional qualifiers.

Running at the Foot Locker South Regional in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov. 24, Smith finished ninth in the elite field.

Of the four regionals, the South Regional, which was won by Tennessee's Kathy Kroeger (16:56) in a photo finish with Florida's Kayla Hale, yielded the best times by far.

Smith's 17:32 would have placed her in the top three in the West, Midwest or Northeast regionals.

So a top-15 finish is not out of the question, but it will require Smith's best effort.

She finished the year unbeaten in Texas and dominated District 24-5A with a 10:44 over 3,200 meters.

"Everyone was pretty good at my regional," Smith said. "I'm hoping (to finish in the top 15) and run my best,"

Smith's mother and grandmother are in San Diego rooting for a local victory.

New Zealand internationals playing in British rugby used to be rare: then Andrew Blowers arrived. The Bristol flanker reflects on his decision and the prospects for rugby in his homeland as more and more Kiwis follow him
By Chris Hewett
Published: 08 December 2007

Rico Gear surfaced in the cathedral city of Worcester last Monday. It was easy to tell something New Zealandish was afoot at the Sixways stadium because half a dozen bare-chested, war-painted Maori could be seen dancing on the pitch. Twenty-four hours later, Aaron Mauger materialised at Leicester. The following day, it was Saracens' turn to welcome a stellar All Black – Chris Jack, in this instance. Rugby folk from Whangarei to Invercargill have been shocked by the scale of the diaspora, and some of them may feel inclined to blame Andrew Blowers of Bristol.

In the early years of the professional club game in England, they came from all points of the compass to be a part of it: Michael Lynagh and Troy Coker made their way from Australia, Garry Pagel and Rudi Straeuli flew in from South Africa, Philippe Sella crossed the water from France. All points of the compass except one: New Zealand. Active silver-ferners – as opposed to the pensionable variety – were next to unrecruitable in those frontier-busting days. It was only when Blowers, a brilliant flanker some years short of his prime, turned his back on the treasured shirt and joined Northampton that rugby's free market truly came into its own.

He was not the first big-name New Zealander to jump hemispheres: Va'aiga Tuigamala, for one, was already at Newcastle. But the All Black hierarchy were no longer interested in Tuigamala in the way they were interested in Blowers, who, as a back-rower in his mid-20s, had much to offer the most obsessively self-protective national team in the sport. By leaving home when he did, this Aucklander of Samoan descent broke the mould. Had it not been for Blowers, a young player as sensational as Luke McAlister might not now be playing for Sale.

The team published below proves that nothing remains sacred in the face of the British rugby economy, driven primarily by England with a little help from the Welsh regions. There are 14 capped All Blacks in The Independent's line-up, two-thirds of whom have played Test rugby within the last three years. And it does not end at numbers one to 15. Daryl Gibson and David Hill, Mark Robinson and Filo Tiatia, dear old Carlos Spencer... all are full New Zealand internationals playing their rugby on the British mainland.

"Does it surprise me that so many All Blacks have joined clubs here? No, not at all," Blowers said this week. "The opportunities in England are so good, people like Rico and Aaron were bound to be tempted. I'm not simply talking about the financial aspect, although there's no point pretending money isn't a part of the attraction. I'm talking about the whole package – the chance to experience different rugby in a different sporting environment, the chance for a family man to give his kids a broader education. When you weigh these things up, it's easy to see why so many New Zealanders are looking to play here."

But what about McAlister? The Gears and Maugers are ex-internationals now, as is Jack, who made it abundantly clear this week that the All-Black way of life no longer has a hold on him. McAlister is different, though. By saying his fond farewells at 24, he has cut the silver-ferned fraternity to the quick, just as Blowers did after the 1999 World Cup.

"Yeah, I'd say Luke's decision is a little more surprising," he admitted. "There again, I think he'll return to New Zealand and challenge for a place in the 2011 team. And having experienced rugby life in England, I'd expect him to return a better player. He'll grow as a person, not just as a centre or an outside-half. That certainly happened in my case. When I left home, the most pressing thing was to start fending for myself. Back in Auckland, there was always family to help out with the kids. That family support base isn't there for you when you go abroad. I suppose I learned what it was to be an adult.

"Luke will find all this out for himself, and he'll be a stronger person for it. And I have no doubt that the All Black coaches, whoever they may be in a couple of years' time, will welcome him back. When I left, I was left in no doubt that I was burning my bridges. Their attitude was very much: 'You want to leave? OK, leave. There are plenty more flankers around the corner, waiting for a chance.' I think that's changed now. When Graham Henry agreed to coach Wales, they weren't too happy about it in New Zealand. But it was Graham who coached the ABs in the World Cup, wasn't it?"

This is Blowers' second stint in the Premiership. Having left Northampton to take up an offer in Japan, where his young family found it difficult to settle, he returned to Auckland and was happily playing National Provincial Championship rugby when Bristol, stricken by injuries to important back-row personnel, made a pitch for his services in an effort to reinforce their position at the top end of the table. He arrived in February, and even though he is characteristically modest about his contribution – "Most of the hard work had been done by then," he said – his performances helped drive the West Country club into play-off territory.

"He is," said Richard Hill, the director of rugby, "the complete professional. He's a tremendous player, obviously, but I can also point to a moment when I was talking to a large group of schoolchildren, and Andrew appeared in the room. He made it his business to shake every one of them by the hand and spend a few moments with them. Afterwards, I asked him why he'd done it. He told me that his role model at Auckland had been the great Michael Jones, and that this was the way Jones behaved all the time. That's where Andrew comes from, and it's a pleasure working with him."

Only this week, the devout Blowers was rounding up all and sundry at a Bristol training session and demanding, in his quiet way, that they join him in some charitable Christmas work on behalf of the city's homeless. But the main concern of the moment was preparation for today's Heineken Cup match at Harlequins. When the West Countrymen frittered away a winning lead at Cardiff Blues in the opening round of the tournament, there seemed little likelihood of them enjoying a meaningful European campaign. But a compelling wild-weather victory over Stade Français at the Memorial Ground seven days later put things in a very different perspective.

"It did us a power of good to beat a team boasting the kind of reputation Stade Français brought with them," he said, "but the true test of this Bristol side will take place away from home. I don't know why it should be, but it seems to be a part of the English sporting culture that winning away from your own ground is a major challenge. There is an element of it back home in New Zealand, but not on the scale you find here. This game at Harlequins is very important to us. Victory could really set up our season."

Whatever happens over the next few months, Blowers will not extend his current contract, which expires at the end of next season. "I want to go out at a time of my choosing, when it's still my idea rather than someone else's," he explained. "Then, it will be back to New Zealand with the family" – his wife Gina, his eight-year-old son Sam, seven-year-old daughter Stella, and infant son Solomona, born 18 months ago – "and a proper settling down. The kids are beginning to miss their grandparents."

And what will he find there, rugby-wise? Will his countrymen still be beating their breasts and gnashing their teeth at the latest World Cup failure? Will the northwards exodus leave the All Black nation bereft? Blowers is not one to flinch from such questions. He may be one of rugby's gentlemen, but he does not beat about the bush.

"I think the volume of players heading for Europe does have the potential to devastate the game in New Zealand," he said. "It's bound to become an issue over time if young players do not have what I had at their age – someone to look up to. I had Michael Jones, which was pretty special. I was able to learn from the way he played, the way he carried himself as a professional, as an All Black.

"And yes, I guess the country will still be hurting from the failure to bring home the World Cup. I've never been a great watcher of rugby, but All Black fortunes run in the blood of most New Zealanders. If you've actually been an All Black, you carry it with you wherever you go. When we lost to France in that quarter-final, it hurt. I've been coached by Graham Henry and Wayne Smith. When you know the guys involved, it's pretty painful to see them lose."

Yet if Blowers has an emotional bond with the New Zealand game that is impossible to break, he also has a tie with English rugby. Unlike some of his countrymen, he does not mock it, still less profess to despise it. The Premiership has been good for him, which is as it should be. After all, the trailblazer from the City of Sails has been very good indeed for the Premiership.

Women's soccer team ends its 11-game winless streak against UCLA with a 2-1 win that sends Trojans to NCAA final against Florida State. Rodriguez scores both goals.
By Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 8, 2007

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- UCLA so thoroughly dominated USC during the first half of their NCAA women's soccer semifinal Friday at Aggie Soccer Stadium, the Trojans began to think they'd need calculators to count the scoring chances.

"I think we were a little intimidated by all the shots they were taking," USC forward Amy Rodriguez said.

But not for long.

Smart enough to devise some defensive adjustments and skillful enough to get the ball to Rodriguez, USC rallied for a 2-1 upset of top-ranked UCLA and advanced to the Women's College Cup championship game Sunday against Florida State.

"The curse is over, finally," USC Coach Ali Khosroshahin said of his team's nine-game losing streak and 11-game winless streak against UCLA.

All because of an A-Rod who can produce -- and win -- in postseason play.

Rodriguez, a junior forward from Lake Forest, tied the score with 22 minutes 29 seconds to play in the second half after a scramble that followed a corner kick. Sandwiched by several defenders, she got her toe on the ball and slipped it under UCLA goalkeeper Valerie Henderson for her ninth goal this season.

Rodriguez gave USC the lead on a left-footed shot with 16:05 to play, also after a corner kick when freshman Kasey Johnson headed the ball to her. It was the first multiple-goal game of her career.

"It was a jumble in the six-yard box," she said. "I was lucky again."

She might have been lucky in helping the Trojans (19-3-2) keep their cool and eliminate UCLA (20-2-2), but USC goalkeeper Kristin Olsen was good.

Olsen, a sophomore from Orange, made eight saves. Five came in the first half, when UCLA used its speed on the wings to get the ball into dangerous positions.

The Bruins converted only once, a determined individual effort by sophomore forward Lauren Cheney to escape a succession of defenders and slam the ball into the net with 7:23 left in the first half.

USC had recorded shutout victories in the first four rounds, so Olsen wasn't accustomed to fishing the ball out of her own net.

"It was kind of disappointing," she said, "but I thought we did a good job of coming back and getting right back at 'em."

UCLA didn't. Coach Jillian Ellis knew that her team's inability to convert more of those bountiful chances might be its downfall.

"As I said to my assistants at halftime, when you've got all that possession, you've got to have a result to reward you for it," she said.

Ellis wasn't surprised by Olsen's feats. Ellis coached the U.S. Under-20 team last summer, and the roster included Olsen.

"She had a tremendous game," Ellis said. "She's a great kid and good keeper. She got to some balls that we thought maybe were headed for the back of the net."

Because she did, USC -- which had never gotten past the second round before -- has a championship date Sunday against Florida State (18-5-3), which defeated Notre Dame, 3-2, in Friday's first semifinal.



The Trojans have set a program record for victories, but Khosroshahin wasn't thinking about the additional boost Friday's triumph might provide.

"We get measured on national championships at USC," he said. "The only good part is we finally beat UCLA. But we're not done yet."

helene.elliott@latimes.com

published: Saturday | December 8, 2007


Tym Glaser, Associate Editor- Sport

To Father Christmas, 2512 Polar Bear Drive, North Pole

DEAR SANTA,

Now, my chubby friend, I know you have a whole heap of things on your plate right now, what with your homeland shrinking due to that nasty global warming.

And, I understand this time of year you are snowed under (likkle pun there, oh Jolly One) by tonnes of letters from little tykes all over the world.

And, I realise you probably can't be everywhere at once (although that is part of your job description) … and not everyone gets what they want on Chrissie Day but, c'mon now, I was a good boy last year, so what the flying reindeer happened to my 60-inch plasma TV?

I thought it was a pretty fair request after hardly asking for anything at all from you over the past couple of decades. No demands for world peace or an end to whale hunting or finding a cure for the common cold. Just one, blinking, simple plasma TV was all I asked for.

Follow the gunfire

What? You get lost on the way to Jamaica? It's not too hard to find, Tubby. You just head south after hitting Cuba (where you don't stop anyway) and then follow the gunfire.

Got it now, Big Fella?

Okay, being a man of reason, I'll give you another chance this December 25 to deliver, and my request is modest. I don't want a billion dollars to float football in the island or the West Indies to win a Test series as some miracles are simply too great - even for you.

Nope, Saint Nick, all I want for Xmas is a drug-free sports year. Yep, it's as simple as that - no cheating in 2008.

Now I know this is a toughie because it's an Olympic year and you've probably already got a bucketful or requests for syringes and HGH, but just throw them in the bin.

I want a clean Olympic Games, I want clean baseball players, I want a clean Tour de France. I want my faith to be restored in athletes and the games I love to watch. The constant cheating and skullduggery has really jaded me now. Boy, the only thing I could think of that could be worse would be if you didn't even exist - ho, ho, ho.

Delight in purity of sport

Oh Rotund One, all I want is one little year in which I can sit on my couch and trust everything I see and delight in the purity of sport again.

Now, that's not too much to ask, is it? Oh, and if you want to throw in that plasma TV, I sure won't complain.

Look, I'm not into threats, Big Fella, but if the athletes continue testing positive next year, then let me just say that I've eaten venison and it tastes real good and I know where you stable the reindeer. Later …

Feedback: tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com