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Qatar's Bin Hammam accused of buying 2022 World Cup

Monday, May 30, 2011

Suspended Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has made public an e-mail that claims Mohamed Bin Hammam "bought" the 2022 World Cup finals for Qatar.

Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke admitted he sent the e-mail, which also questioned why Asian football boss Bin Hammam was running for Fifa president.

Valcke wrote: "[Hammam] thought you can buy Fifa as they bought the World Cup."

The Qatar 2022 World Cup bid team has issued a statement "categorically denying any wrong-doing" over the bid.

As the delegates from the 208 member countries start to gather in Zurich for that now critical meeting, we should start to get a sense of whether a backlash is coming

"We are urgently seeking clarification from Fifa about the statement from their General Secretary," continued the Qatar officials' statement.

"In the meantime we are taking legal advice to consider our options."

As the then president of the Asian Football Confederation, Bin Hammam was technically neutral in the 2022 World Cup bid process as three other AFC nations, South Korea, Japan and Australia, were also in the running.

However, as a Qatari national, the 62-year-old openly supported his homeland with their successful bid.

Bin Hammam responded to Valcke's allegations that he "bought" the 2022 World Cup for Qatar by telling BBC Sport on Monday: "I don't know why he [Valcke] has said that."

Bin Hammam added: "If I was paying money for Qatar you also have to ask the 13 people who voted for Qatar."

When asked whether Valcke's allegation was true, Bin Hammam replied: "What do you think?"

I look on the suspension as the worst form of justice by any sporting organisation

Jack Warner

Valcke stressed that his e-mail to Warner was intended to remain "private" and pointed out that Warner had only published selected parts of it.

"He [Warner] sent me an email asking if I want that [Bin Hammam to run for Fifa president], he said that I should ask Bin Hammam to pull out," Valcke added.

Valcke also denied that he had influenced Fifa's ethics committee, which suspended Warner and Bin Hammam on Sunday over separate allegations of bribery, pending further investigation.

The Fifa secretary general stated: "The first time I met the chairman of the ethics committee was yesterday [Sunday] at 1700 [BST] before we went to the press conference. I had no contact at all with anyone."

Later on Monday Valcke released a statement to explain the e-mail exchange with Warner.

"They [Qatar] were a candidate with a very important budget and have used it to heavily promote their bid all around the world in a very efficient manner," said Valcke.

"I have at no time made, or was intending to make, any reference to any purchase of votes or similar unethical behaviour."

Bin Hammam was suspended a matter of hours after withdrawing from the Fifa presidential race on Sunday morning.

Fifa in turmoil as Sepp Blatter's re-election looms

His decision leaves 75-year-old incumbent Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term in charge of the organisation he has run unopposed since 1998, as the only man running for the office. Blatter is due to hold a news conference on Monday at 1700 BST.

Fifa has said its election will go ahead, as scheduled, on Wednesday.

Warner, who is president of the North, Central American and Caribbean confederation (Concacaf), has reacted angrily to the allegations of bribery and the Fifa ethics committee's decision to suspend him.

The Trinidad and Tobago government minister raged: "I look on the suspension as the worst form of justice by any sporting organisation.

"They came premeditated, they weren't prepared to listen, they were hand-picked to do a task and they did just that.

"The guys were hand-picked by Blatter. A kangaroo court would be a decent thing to say."

Warner, who also turned on Valcke, stated: "I wrote to Valcke telling him, among other things, that the outcome of the [Fifa presidential] elections may cause some fracture in the Arab world which we can ill afford now and that I will like to ask Bin Hammam to withdraw from the race.

"To which Jerome replied to me and I quote: 'For MBH [Mohamad Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Joseph Sepp Blatter].

You don't have to believe me, you don't have to like me, nobody has to eat with me, drink with me or sleep with me but Jesus Christ, take the truth when you see it

Jack Warner

"Or he thought you can buy Fifa as they [Qatar] bought the WC [World Cup]'."

Warner showed the e-mail to television crews and added: "You don't have to believe me, you don't have to like me, nobody has to eat with me, drink with me or sleep with me but Jesus Christ, take the truth when you see it."

Warner has also accused Blatter of making a gift of computers and an unauthorised $1m (£607,000) to Concacaf officials.

"I indicated that at the Miami Concacaf Congress on 3 May Mr Blatter made a gift of $1m to Concacaf to spend as it deems fit," Warner said in a statement.

"This annoyed [Uefa] president Michel Platini who was present and he approached secretary general Jerome Valcke complaining that Mr Blatter had no permission from the finance committee to make this gift to which Jerome replied that he will find the money for Mr Blatter.

"I also indicated Fifa, through Mr Blatter, organised gifts of laptops and projectors to all members of the Caribbean and no objections have been made today of this to date."

However, Platini said on Monday that he was having a joke with Swiss Blatter.

The Frenchman said: "He [Blatter] can give [to] the projects that he wants to give. I joke, I said 'but Sepp this was not accepted by the committee' - but he can give many projects to many national associations and we will confirm in the GOAL project after.

"In many Congresses for many, many years the president can give one or two projects to national associations - he has his own budget and he can give to one confederation and then it has to be approved of course by the executive committee next time."

Blatter has denied any wrong-doing as have Warner and Hammam, who are accused of offering financial incentives to members of the Caribbean Football Union.

Deputy chair of Fifa's ethics committee, Petrus Damaseb: "Mr Bin Hammam is hereby provisionally banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity"

In a file of evidence it was claimed bundles of cash of up to $40,000 (£24,200) were handed over to members of the CFU at the meeting in Trinidad on 10 and 11 May.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for Bin Hammam in his campaign to challenge Blatter for the presidency.

Bin Hammam effectively claimed Blatter was aware of some of the wrongdoing but the Fifa president did not report it, in itself a breach of Fifa's ethics code, but he was found to have no case to answer.

And last week, Qatar 2022 World Cup officials denied allegations, published in the Sunday Times, that they paid bribes in return for votes.

Meanwhile, independent Australian senator Nick Xenophon has demanded that Fifa refunds the Aus$45.6m (£29.6m) they spent on their unsuccessful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Xenophon said: "It appears corrupt and highly questionable behaviour goes to the core of Fifa.

"Australia spent almost $46m on a bid we were never in the running for.

"Now we hear that bribes may have been made to fix the result for who will head up Fifa."

As vice president, China's Zhang Jilong will take charge of the AFC in the absence of Bin Hammam.

However, the decision to suspend Bin Hammam has been met with widespread criticism throughout the Middle East.

AFC vice president Yousuf al-Serkal, from neighbouring United Arab Emirates, said: "I think Bin Hammam has been mistreated.

"Bin Hammam is the right person who should have been elected to the presidency of Fifa from the point of view of change."

Bizarre Lamb Born with Human-Like Face

Monday, May 16, 2011

Sheep Gives Birth to Bizarre Human-Faced Lamb

In a city not far from Izmir, Turkey, a sheep gave birth to a dead lamb with a very human-like face.

Local veterinarian, Erhan Elibol, performed a c-section on the sheep to take the lamb out. But, he immediately knew something was different about this birthing. Upon removing the still born animal, he was horrified to see that the features of the lamb’s snout were alarmingly similar to that of a human face.

The lamb’s head had eerily human features. Its eyes, nose and mouth were all very human in appearance. Only the ears were shaped like those of a sheep.

The 29-year-old veterinarian was quoted as saying… “I’ve seen mutations with cows and sheep before. I’ve seen a one-eyed calf, a two-headed calf, a five-legged calf. But when I saw this youngster I could not believe my eyes. His mother could not deliver him so I had to help the animal.”

CNNTurk.com reported that the rare mutation most likely occurred as a result of the lamb’s mother being given food with an abundant quantity of Vitamin A.

This Isn’t the First Time an Animal Was Born with a Human-Like Head

In September 2009, a goat from Zimbabwe gave birth to a baby with a similarly looking human-like head. This mutant youngster was born alive. It lived for several hours before frightened villagers killed the creature.

The governor of the province in Zimbabwe where the creature was born said that the baby goat was the offspring of an unnatural relationship between a female goat and a man from the area. (Ewww!!!)

“This incident is very shocking. It is my first time to see such an evil thing. It is really embarrassing,” the governor was reported as saying. “The head belongs to a man while the body is that of a goat. This is evident that an adult human being was responsible. Evil powers caused this person to lose self control. We often hear cases of human beings who commit bestiality but this is the first time for such an act to produce a product with human features,” he added.

The mutant goat from Zimbabwe was hairless. Local residents said that even dogs were afraid to approach the bizarre animal. After villagers killed the animal, they burned its body, thus giving biologists no chance to study the rare mutation.



John Demjanjuk guilty of Nazi death camp murders


A German court has found John Demjanjuk guilty of helping to murder more than 28,000 Jews at a Nazi death camp in World War II.

He was sentenced to five years in prison, one year less than prosecutors had asked for, but will be released pending a possible appeal.

Prosecutors said the Ukraine-born Demjanjuk, 91, was a guard at Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943.

He denied serving as a guard, saying he was a prisoner of war and a victim too.

Lawyers for Demjanjuk have said they will appeal against the conviction.

"The court is convinced that the defendant... served as a guard at Sobibor from 27 March 1943 to mid-September 1943," presiding Judge Ralph Alt said.

"As guard he took part in the murder of at least 28,000 people," he said.

An estimated 250,000 people died in the gas chambers at Sobibor. Demjanjuk was convicted of being an accessory to the murder of the 28,060 people who were killed there while he was a guard.
'Very emotional'

Demjanjuk, whose family says he is very ill, has been in custody since being extradited from the US in 2009.
Continue reading the main story
At the scene
image of Stephen Evans Stephen Evans BBC News, Munich

It was a very poignant end to a long legal process.

John Demjanjuk was leaning back in his wheelchair wearing dark glasses in a corner of the courtroom - as he was for much of the trial - saying absolutely nothing, almost seeming like he was peripheral to it.

The presiding judge stood up and leaned over him and said: "You have the last word." Demjanjuk simply shook his head no.

He was wheeled forward and the judge delivered his guilty verdict to his face.

The relatives of the dead were clearly satisfied with the verdict although for some of them it wasn't the main aim. They wanted a court in Germany to hear the details of the machinery of industrial killing and to hear that history related in the city where the Nazi party was founded.

Judge Alt said he had ordered Demjanjuk freed during his appeal as he did not pose a flight risk because of his advanced age, poor health and the fact that he was stateless following his expulsion from the US, where after the war he worked in an Ohio car factory and became an American citizen.

Judge Alt told the Associated Press news agency there were "no grounds" to hold him, adding: "It's the law, and so it's justice. I say he's guilty but it's not a final verdict."

World Jewish Congress spokesman Michael Thaidigsmann responded by saying: "For us the important thing is that he got convicted. It's not up to an organisation like us to say whether he should be in jail or not."

But the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Efraim Zuroff, while describing the conviction as "a very important victory for justice", said he was "very surprised" by the decision to free Demjanjuk.

"We don't think that that's appropriate given the heinous nature of his crimes," he said.

Born in Ukraine in 1920, Demjanjuk grew up under Soviet rule.

He was a soldier in the Red Army in 1942 when he was captured by the Germans.

Prosecutors had argued he was recruited by the Germans to be an SS camp guard and that by working at a death camp he was a participant in the killings. No evidence was produced that he committed a specific crime.

It was the first time such a legal argument was made in a German court.

Central to the prosecution's case was an SS identity card indicating Demjanjuk was posted to Sobibor. The defence cast doubts on the authenticity of the card but court experts said it appeared genuine.

Demjanjuk listened to the verdict sitting in a wheelchair without responding, his eyes covered by dark glasses.

Concerns over his health led to frequent delays in the 18-month trial.

Relatives of some of the people killed at Sobibor said they were satisfied with the verdict.

"It's very emotional - it doesn't happen every day," Rudolf Salomon Cortissos - whose mother was gassed at Sobibor - told Associated Press.

Demjanjuk's son said he was relieved at the decision to free his father "because he has never deserved to sit in prison for one minute", but added that "after everything that he's gone through, it is hard to use a word like happy in any context".

Demjanjuk has already spent eight years in http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdetention in Israel.

In the 1980s, an Israeli court identified him as "Ivan the Terrible", a notoriously sadistic guard at the Treblinka death camp, and sentenced him to death.

His conviction was overturned after new evidence showed that another Ukrainian was probably responsible.

Lawyers demand for Abotttabad operation probe

Monday, May 9, 2011

LAHORE: Top lawyers bodies of the country have demanded a high-powered inquiry committee to probe into the Abottabad operation, Geo News reported.

In a joint press briefing the officials of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Punjab bar Council (PbBC) and Lahore Bar sought the formation of a probe commission to find out as to who was responsible.

They pointed out that bar associations would chalk out their plan after consultation.

SCBA President Asma Jahangir was of the view that not every verdict of the Supreme Court was historic. PBC Vice Chairman Latif Afridi said the United States has violated Pakistan sovereignty.

`Thor' hammers competition with $66M opening

LOS ANGELES - "Thor" kicked off the summer movie season by smashing the competition at the box office with a $66 million opening weekend.

The 3-D action picture from Paramount, based on the Marvel comic, was by far the No. 1 movie, according to Sunday studio estimates.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth stars as the arrogant god of thunder who's sent down to Earth as punishment. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh, best known for making films based on Shakespeare plays such an epic "Hamlet," and featured a supporting cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard.

In second place was a holdover from last week, the car-racing sequel "Fast Five" from Universal Pictures. It made $32.5 million for a total of nearly $140 million in just 10 days.

Although the opening for "Thor" wasn't as enormous as those of other superhero movies, it still exceeded studio expectations, which were around $55 million. It was the third-highest opening for a Marvel franchise launch, behind "Spider-Man," which made $115 million in 2002, and "Iron Man," which made $98.6 million in 2008.

Don Harris, Paramount's executive vice president for distribution, thought the film held appeal for both men and women; 37 percent of the audience was female.

"Chris Hemsworth looks like he's going to be a movie star," Harris said. "Kenneth Branagh made a very smart movie, and the idea that the man who's most closely identified with Shakespeare is making a Marvel superhero movie, I always thought was pretty interesting. Audiences connected with the Natalie Portman relationship, between her character and Thor. The movie looks spectacular on the screen. It was fun, and it's a big, epic movie."

Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian thought "Thor" had a pretty respectable opening given that it's a lesser-known comic book title.

"Expectations always get wildly overblown with superhero movies - a superhero movie has the biggest opening weekend of all time: `The Dark Knight,'" Dergarabedian said of the hit in the Batman franchise. "Expectations are always extremely high, especially on the first weekend in May, which is traditionally a huge weekend."

"It may have a solid hold," he added. "Sometimes it's not just about opening weekend. Sometimes it's about playability."

The next big competition for "Thor" comes in two weeks, on May 20, with the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the fourth film in the blockbuster Disney franchise. On Memorial Day weekend come the sequels "The Hangover Part II" from Warner Bros. and "Kung Fu Panda 2" from Paramount.

Opening in a close third and fourth place were two wedding-themed movies, both of which served as counter-programming to the effects-laden spectacles in theaters.

"Jumping the Broom" from TriStar Pictures came in third with $13.7 million, higher than studio expectations, which were around $10 million. Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine star as the mothers of two families that clash as they're about to be united in their children's marriage.

In fourth place was the Warner Bros. romantic drama "Something Borrowed," based on the Emily Giffin best-seller, which made about $13.2 million. Ginnifer Goodwin stars as a lawyer who realizes she's in love with the fiancé of her best friend, played by Kate Hudson.

In limited release, Summit Entertainment's "The Beaver," starring Mel Gibson as a depressed man who communicates through a beaver hand puppet, made $104,000 at 22 theaters. Directed by and co-starring Jodie Foster, the dramedy marks Gibson's first major role since a series of off-screen rants and scandals tarnished his reputation. It expands nationwide May 20.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Thor," $66 million.
2. "Fast Five," $32.5 million.
3. "Jumping the Broom," $13.7 million.
4. "Something Borrowed," $13.2 million.
5. "Rio," $8.2 million.
6. "Water for Elephants," $5.6 million.
7. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family," $3.9 million.
8. "Prom," $2.4 million.
9. "Soul Surfer," $2.1 million.
10. "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil," $1.9 million.

Indian SC stays AHC Babri Masjid verdict

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Allahabad High Court order partitioning the disputed land in Ayodhya.

The SC said it was strange on Allahabad High Court's part to order partitioning the disputed land at Ayodhya as no party had prayed for it.

"How could the High Court engineer something like partitioning of disputed land on its own", the SC asked.

The Court issued notice to all parties on AHC judgment dividing the disputed land at Ayodhya among Waqf Board (Muslim); another to the Ram Lalla (Hindu); and the third section to the Nirmohi Akhara

This was the first hearing in the Apex Court after the AHC's verdict in the title suit delivered in September last year.

How Did You Find India’s First Stereoscopic 3D Film?

India’s first sterescopic 3D film, Haunted was out last Friday and as far as the critics reviews were concerned, looks like they have given it a thumbs up. Haunted marks the comeback of Vikram Bhatt after a long spade of flops. The talented filmmaker who’s made some good films like Ghulam, Raaz and Awara Paagal Deewana is banking on the success of Haunted 3D.

So as audience, what do you make of India’s first sterescopic 3D film?

SRK’s G.One Suit To Go Digital

Looks like Shahrukh Khan does not want to fail his audiences expectations about his forthcoming film RA.One. First it was hiring international musicians to compose the background score and a special song for the film. Then, it was re-shooting of an entire chase sequence with an expenditure of 3 crores. The bodysuits that Shahrukh’s character G.One would be donning in the movie is worth millions of rupees and the Baadshah has used 3 or 4 such suits throughout the movie’s shoot. Most of all, the film is going to be India’s costliest film to date and it is being produced by the King Khan himself.

And now, Shahrukh’s G.One suit would be digitalized which means the suit will be designed with the help of special effects. This is because SRK was not happy with a few sequences shot with the original bodysuit on. So, the special effects team is busy generating a computer graphics bodysuit. SRK is leaving no stone unturned apparently.

RA.One (Random Access.One) is scheduled for a 26th October, 2011 release. Here’s wishing SRK and his team all the very best for the movie.

Katrina – Madhubala Connection

Katrina Kaif’s career seems to be only sky rocketing despite her films bombing at the B.O of late. The latest news is that Katrina would be dancing to a special number in the film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan which will be a tribute to the gorgeous and talented Madhubala. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is a Yash Raj Film’s production co-starring Imran Khan and Ali Zafar. The buzz is that the song sequence would be triggered after Katz sees a picture of Madhubala at a roadside dhaba.

Apart from the Madhubala tribute in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, rumors are also adrift that Katz will also be donning the role of Madhubala is Anurag Basu’s biopic on Kishore Kumar. We don’t know if Katrina has the ability to pull off a Madhubala but, it is sure something to look out for in the coming days. Katrina could potentially change her Sheila tag to Madhubala if she is able to pull this off. What say you gals and guys?

Is Salman ‘Ready’ for a Hat Trick?

It’s less than a month to go for Salman’s Ready. The actor who has managed to give a Wanted in 2009 and an earth shattering hit like Dabanng in 2010 is all ‘Ready’ on June 3, 2011. The music of the film is already out and one can hear the Dhika Chika track from the film being played all across the country. Salman has already assured his fans that they will get to see the typical heroism of Bollywood in this film. Salman who manged a much needed hit with Wanted by remaking the Telugu super-duper hit Pokiri is again back with a remake in the form of Ready. Ready (titled the same in Telugu) was also a smash hit down south a couple of years ago.

With Anees Bazmee at the helm of affairs, a few changes, Sallu’s punch dialogues and the man himself, this film could sure mark a hat trick for the Dabanng star. Wishing Salman all the best for Ready.

Filipinos celebrate Pacquiao's latest title defense

Sunday, May 8, 2011

(Reuters) - Filipinos in cinema halls, hotels, public parks and prison facilities were left jubilant on Sunday after Manny Pacquiao outboxed American Shane Mosley to easily retain his WBO welterweight title in Las Vegas.

"Manny is the greatest fighter in our boxing history," Jay Salvador, 22, a sailor, told Reuters as a packed movie house in Mandaluyong City celebrated when Mosley hit the canvas in the third round.

"I cannot hide my disappointment because after the third round, I was expecting Manny to finish him off early. They should start looking for a stronger opponent for Manny. (Floyd) Mayweather (junior), you're next."

Pacquiao, a congressman and widely regarded as the planet's best pound-for-pound fighter, registered a unanimous points victory over Mosley.

In Manila's business district, hundreds of inmates watched the fight on a large screen, under tight guard from baton-wielding jail wardens and police, who separated rival gangs to prevent a clash.

There was a sea of colorful umbrellas in Marikina City in the capital as fans braved rains to get a better view of huge TV screens set up in a crowded public park.

"We're happy that Manny won," said Cresencia Betino, 39, who celebrated Mother's Day watching the fight at a shopping mall in Pasay City.

"I don't mind paying 400 pesos ($9) because it was worth it."

Philippine President Benigno Aquino issued a congratulatory message from Jakarta, where he was attending the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders' summit.

"There's no doubt he is a real hero," Aquino said, heaping praise on the champion who wore yellow gloves as part of his campaign to fight poverty in the Philippines.

Soldiers also took a break to watch the fight inside military bases across the archipelago, imposing an undeclared truce with Maoist guerrillas and Islamic militants.

Major-General Anthony Alcantara, army commander in Muslim areas on the southern island of Mindanao, said troops resumed patrols and security-related operations after the bout.

Police authorities have said the crime rates drop every time Pacquiao enters the ring.

Credit Scores Decline for Millions of Americans

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Millions of Americans have seen their credit scores fall amongst the lowest levels possible. FICO is reporting that almost 44 million people, 25.5 % of consumers, currently have a credit score less than 600. A credit score this low makes a borrower a very high risk for lenders. These low credit scores will make it almost impossible for these consumers to obtain a mortgage, auto loans, or credit cards. Over the past two years the amount of people with credit scores below 600 has gone up by 2.4 million people.
A very important group to look at is those with moderate credit scores, 650 to 699. The amount of people in this bracket is currently 11.9 percent of consumers, down from 12 percent in 2008. While the drop off is not that significant it is worth noting that the average number of consumers with these credit scores is usually 15 percent.

The consumers with moderate FICO credit scores could be in the most trouble when it comes to lending. Consumers with scores below 600 most likely would not try to borrower but those with moderate scores may try to obtain loans. In previous years these were seen as good credit scores for obtaining loans but standards have toughened and these scores aren’t as good as they once were. These tightened standards may make it much tougher for these people to obtain loans, especially with the best mortgage rates.

There are some positives when looking at the trends in our consumer’s credit score. The amount of consumers with an 800 credit score, a perfect score, has gone up recently. Currently 17.9 percent of consumers have a perfect score. This is significantly larger than the past average with is about 13 percent. These consumers with good credit scores should have no trouble obtaining any type of loan.

It is pretty easy to ruin a good credit credit score but it can me very difficult to fix credit scores.