#NEWS : FA chief quits, says cannot trust FIFA

Reuters December 4, 2010, 11:18 am

* Acting FA chairman says 'can't trust' FIFA

• Withdraws candidacy for permanent position (adds details, background)

By Mike Collett

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Roger Burden, acting chairman of the Football Association, has withdrawn his application for the permanent position saying he can no longer trust FIFA members after the failure of England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

"I recognise that an important part of the role is liaison with FIFA, our global governing body. I am not prepared to deal with people whom I cannot trust and I have withdrawn my candidacy," he said in a statement.

He added that England's bid team in Zurich, which included Prime Minister David Cameron and the second in line to the throne, Prince William, were promised votes which had not been delivered by the Executive Committee (Exco) members.

Burden, who was appointed in May after rising through the ranks of the FA as representative for Gloucestershire in central England, said he would continue as acting chairman until a successor could be found.

His decision followed a day of recriminations over England's bid, which attracted just two votes out of 22 -- one by their own representative -- from FIFA's executive committee in Thursday's poll to decide the venue for the 2018 World Cup.

The decision went to Russia which will stage soccer's biggest showpiece for the first time. Qatar beat the United States and three others in the vote to decide the hosts in 2022.

"I have no issue with Russia's winning bid. I am sure they will put on a great World Cup and I have congratulated them," Burden said.

WIDELY ACCLAIMED

"We were equal top of FIFA's own technical assessment of the four bids. We were top of an independent assessment of the best commercial bids and our presentation on Thursday was widely acclaimed as the best of the 2018 and 2022 bids.

"Against this background, I am struggling to understand how we only achieved two votes. It is difficult to believe that the voting was an objective process.

"On top of that, Prince William, the Prime Minister and other members of our delegation were promised votes that did not materialise."

Burden, who succeeded David Triesman who himself stood down after making leaked allegations of a corrupt 2010 World Cup plot between Spain and Russia, declined to blame the British media for England's failure in the vote at FIFA's Zurich HQ.

"I am well aware that some of the UK media coverage could have upset some of the FIFA executive committee. We have a free press in our country and we all have to live with adverse comment from time to time."

Earlier on Friday, England's bid chief Andy Anson suggested FIFA President Sepp Blatter influenced Exco members before the vote by reminding them of British media stories which alleged corruption against them and led to two being banned.

He said that unless the selection process was changed it was not worth bids like England's bothering with the process.

"When you have the best technical bid, fantastic inspection visits and the best economic report -- and from what people told us the best presentation yesterday -- it's quite hard to stomach that seemed to count for absolutely nothing.

"Having only 22 guys voting gives them too much power and influence."

(Editing by Jon Bramley and Justin Palmer

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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chocolate frog pleasure

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#NEWS : Obama visits Afghanistan, says U.S. making progress

President Obama is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan General David Petraeus as he arrives at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, December 3, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Jim Young

By Caren Bohan

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan | Fri Dec 3, 2010 8:07pm EST

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, paying a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday, praised U.S. troops for their sacrifice and "important progress" in a nine-year war that is increasingly unpopular at home.

He spent four hours at an airbase outside the Afghan capital and canceled a planned helicopter trip to Kabul to meet Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai because of bad weather. Instead, the two leaders spoke by telephone.

Obama's second visit to Afghanistan as president came as the White House prepared to release a review of the war's strategy in the week of December 13, and the day after leaked cables detailed U.S. concerns about Karzai's abilities and widespread fraud in the country.

Neither topic came up during their 15-minute phone conversation, Obama Afghan war adviser Douglas Lute told reporters aboard Air Force One as the president flew home.

The U.S. president is under pressure to show progress in a war that many are wearying of after nearly a decade, and told nearly 4,000 troops gathered in a hangar to hear him that they were gaining ground against insurgents.

"Today we can be proud that there are fewer areas under Taliban control," Obama said, in a speech filled with tributes to serving troops and the burden carried by their families.

"We said we were going to break the Taliban's momentum and that's what you're doing, you're going on the offense, tired of playing defense," he said to the crowd of mostly U.S. troops.

But the trip comes at a time of spiraling violence and record casualties. Over 1,400 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, and a third of them lost their lives in the past year alone.

Obama decided in 2009 to ramp up force levels to widen the Afghan military campaign, and many of the extra troops have been thrown into tough fighting, including a major offensive in the southern Taliban heartland of Kandahar.

White House officials emphasized the main purpose of Obama's journey was a visit with the troops around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, rather than a fact-finding mission before the upcoming strategic review.

Not everyone was thrilled to see Obama. One Air Force captain, who did not want to give his name, said he would have preferred extra sleep to a late evening presidential visit and disagreed with plans to start moving foreign troops out by 2011.

Obama has set a mid-2011 target to start the withdrawal, and U.S. and NATO officials say they aim to complete the handover to Afghan forces by 2014, a goal set by Karzai.

"They both acknowledged that early 2011 is not far off and that this has to remain a priority for both of them, to begin the transition process," Lute told reporters.

Obama's Republican critics have criticized the July 2011 timeline, saying that announcing a date emboldens the Taliban.

In addition to talking to Karzai, Obama got briefings from key advisers, including General David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, and special forces commanders.

While Obama had planned to meet Karzai, he had no new message to deliver since the two had met recently at the NATO summit in Lisbon, White House aides said.

U.S. officials have said they believed NATO forces were making progress in training Afghan security forces, who will take control of security as foreign troops begin to leave.

The December review will assess and potentially recommend changes to the strategy Obama rolled out a year ago when he ordered 30,000 additional U.S. troops to the war zone, although his team says there will be no major shifts.

"This is a process which is diagnostic in nature. This is not a policy review similar to the one that was undertaken last year. We have a strategy in place," Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for communications, told reporters on Air Force One before the visit to Afghanistan.

"We'll assess that strategy and review the need for any adjustments, but these adjustments, again, won't be of the nature of a policy overhaul."

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols; Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Louise Ireland and Peter Cooney)

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#NEWS : Ocupação do Alemão quebra acordo entre CV e ADA, que voltam a guerrear no Rio

03/12/2010 - 23h04

JOÃO PEQUENO
DO RIO

O acordo de união entre as facções criminosas do Rio de Janeiro pode ter acabado após a ocupação do Complexo do Alemão no último domingo (28). Depois de perder seu maior quartel-general, o CV (Comando Vermelho) se enfraqueceu e voltou a disputar com a ADA (Amigos dos Amigos) o controle de favelas menores, apontam policiais militares dos serviços reservados (P-2) de batalhões da PM na zona norte do Rio.

Leia a cobertura completa das operações

Segundo eles, a quebra do acordo foi demonstrada na manhã desta sexta-feira, quando suspeitos, presos após serem baleados em um tiroteio com uma patrulha do 22º Batalhão (Maré), contaram que, na madrugada, haviam tentado invadir e tomar para o CV o morro do Jorge Turco, em Colégio (zona norte).

Dominado pela ADA ao longo da última década, o Jorge Turco foi tomado pelo Comando Vermelho no ano passado, mas havia sido retomado pela facção rival justamente no fim de semana enquanto polícia e Exército ocupavam o Alemão, de acordo com a P-2. Na madrugada desta sexta, um grupo de criminosos ligados ao CV tentou invadir novamente a favela, usando um Renault Symbol roubado além de outros carros, como um Fox e um Corsa, segundo testemunhas.

A tentativa de invasão não funcionou e, após serem expulsos do Jorge Turco, eles iriam se abrigar no Parque União, dominado pelo CV no Complexo da Maré, a bordo do Renault, que foi localizado às 7h pelos policiais na avenida Brasil, através do sistema de rastreamento via satélite. Após 1,5 km de perseguição, a PM conseguiu cercá-los, na altura de Bonsucesso, e teve início a troca de tiros.

Gustavo da Silva Bernardino, 24, conhecido como DG, morreu no HGB (Hospital Geral de Bonsucesso) --quase em frente ao local do tiroteio, após ser baleado na cabeça. Diego Souza Cordeiro, 18, baleado na perna e Warlley Pinto dos Santos, 21, atingido por estilhaços de bala, também foram levados para o HGB. Outro suspeito fugiu em direção à favela Nova Holanda, também na Maré, com um fuzil. De acordo com a P-2, os presos contaram que, enquanto o CV dominou o Jorge Turco, DG atuava como gerente da boca-de-fumo, tendo Diego como segurança e Warlley como vendedor de drogas.

Além do Jorge Turco, diversas outras favelas da zona norte do Rio têm sido alvo de disputas entre CV e ADA, como os morros do Juramento, em Vicente de Carvalho, e da Serrinha, em Madureira. Em todas elas, a ordem de invasão, pelo CV, partiu justamente dos chefes baseados no Complexo do Alemão e na Vila Cruzeiro, como Fabiano Atanázio da Silva, o FB, que está foragido.

O cenário de um novo embate entre as facções foi reforçado já à noite, por volta das 21h, um homem foi baleado na perna por bandidos da ADA que o confundiram com um rival do CV, segundo o 9º Batalhão da PM, que ocupou a entrada do morro para tentar prevenir novos tiroteios. O ferido foi levado para o hospital estadual Carlos Chagas, em Marechal Hermes.

PRISÃO

Em Campinho, entre as zonas norte e oeste do Rio, policiais militares do 9º Batalhão (Rocha Miranda) prenderam, na noite de quinta-feira (2), Wellington Roberto de Oliveira, 26. Segundo eles, conhecido como Dedinho, o suspeito estaria entre os traficantes flagrados por câmeras de TV enquanto fugiam da Vila Cruzeiro para o Complexo do Alemão, de onde teria escapado do cerco policial de domingo por galerias de águas pluviais.

Segundo o serviço reservado do 9º Batalhão, ele gerenciava o tráfico de drogas na Fazendinha de Inhaúma, que faz parte do Complexo do Alemão, e teria sido expulso da favela do Cajueiro, em Madureira, também na zona norte, pelos traficantes locais, que não o queriam por ele estar muito visado após a fuga.

O delegado José Otílio Bezerra, da 30ª DP (Marechal Hermes), onde o caso foi registrado, não confirmou a participação de Wellington no tráfico, mas afirmou que ele tinha dois mandados de prisão por roubo.

	Joel Silva/Folhapress
	Militares do Exército na entrada do Complexo do Alemão

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#NEWS : Campbell Scott Joins Spider-Man

He's Peter Parker's dad!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

---

Just as Marc Webb, Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Emma Stone and the rest of the cast and crew of the new Spider-Man start doing whatever a spider can in LA this month, the film is in the process of scooping up some extra cast members. Campbell Scott has officially signed on to play Peter Parker’s father, with Annie Parisse, Julianne Nicholson and Slumdog Millionaire’s Irrfran Khan all in negotiations to snag roles. If she signs, Nicholson will join Scott as Parker’s mother, which would make for a very different type of Spider-story, since Parker is usually just shown as an orphan being raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and, assuming she’s locked in a deal, Sally Field). The characters have cropped up occasionally in the comics, but this will be the first time they’ve been depicted on screen. We wouldn’t hold out much hope for them lasting through the running time, if we were you. Khan, meanwhile, is looking to sign on as Nels Van Adder, who in the comics is an employee of a pre-Green Goblin Norman Osborn. Thanks to some experimental tinkering, he ends up turning into a red demon-type creature called the Proto-Goblin with handy, near-bulletproof skin. But while the Hollywood Reporter’s story puts him firmly in the villain category alongside Ifans, it remains to be seen if he’ll go full Goblin. But we do know he’ll have a wife, which is the role Parisse is playing. Webb is about to start calling the shots, so soon enough we’ll have more details to share about the movie’s story. For now, we know it focuses on a slightly younger Parker, a lad in love with Gwen Stacy and dealing with Ifans as Dr Curt Connors, AKA The Lizard…

James White

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#NEWS : Air Force robot space plane returns

The U.S. Air Force's first unmanned space plane returned to Earth Friday, but its mission remains shrouded in secrecy.

The X-37B, known as Orbital Test Vehicle 1, landed at 1:15 a.m. at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base after spending more than seven months in space on its maiden voyage.

"Today's landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office," said Lt. Col. Troy Giese, the X-37B program manager from the AFRCO. "We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."

During its 220 days in orbit, the unmanned space plane conducted "on-orbit experiments" and "fired its orbital maneuver engine in low-earth orbit to perform an autonomous re-entry before landing," the Air Force said in a press release.

Otherwise, the exact nature of X-37B's mission is unclear because it remains classified.

Some analysts have speculated that the spacecraft is an unmanned orbital spy platform and not a weapon, according to Space.com.

The program's test objectives include risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies, according to the Air Force.

We also know a bit about its features from the Air Force: The unmanned spacecraft is designed for vertical launch to low Earth orbit altitudes where it can perform long-term testing and experimentation. Upon command from the ground, the OTV autonomously re-enters the atmosphere, descends and lands horizontally on a runway. Its height is 9 feet 6 inches and its wingspan is 14 feet 11 inches.

The Air Force is preparing to launch the next X-37B in spring 2011.

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#rio : Americanos criticam Brasil por reconhecer Estado palestino

Legisladores americanos criticaram nesta sexta-feira a decisão do Brasil de reconhecer o Estado palestino com as fronteiras de 1967, afirmando que é "extremamente imprudente" e "lamentável". A decisão brasileira foi anunciada pelo presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva em uma carta pública dirigida ao líder palestino Mahmud Abbas e publicada no site do ministério das Relações Exteriores do Brasil.

"É lamentável e só vai prejudicar um pouco mais a paz e a segurança no Oriente Médio", afirmou Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, que lidera os republicanos na comissão de Assuntos Externos da Câmara de Representantes dos Estados Unidos. Ros-Lehtinen afirmou que "as nações responsáveis" devem esperar para dar esse passo até o retorno de palestinos às negociações diretas com Israel.

A comunidade internacional apoia as demandas palestinas por um Estado em praticamente toda a Faixa de Gaza, a Cisjordânia e Jerusalém oriental, todos os territórios ocupados por Israel em 1967, na Guerra dos Seis Dias. Mas os Estados Unidos e a maioria dos governos ocidentais são reticentes em reconhecer um Estado palestino, afirmando que isso deve ser alcançado através de uma negociação de paz com Israel.

A postura do Brasil também gerou a ira do legislador democrata Eliot Engel, que a classificou de "extremamente imprudente", acrescentando que significava "o último suspiro de uma política externa (brasileira) que se isolou muito sob o governo de Lula". Engel também citou as atitudes de Lula de "mimar" o presidente iraniano, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, e advertiu que o Brasil "quer se estabelecer como uma voz no mundo, mas está fazendo as escolhas erradas".

"Só podemos esperar que a nova liderança que vem para o Brasil mude o curso e entenda que este não é o caminho para ganhar a preferência como uma potência emergente, ou para se tornar um membro permanente do Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas".

"O Brasil está enviando uma mensagem aos palestinos de que eles não precisam fazer a paz para obter o reconhecimento como um Estado soberano", disse Engel. Ele acrescentou que deu "um forte apoio ao Brasil como uma democracia dinâmica e diversificada, que um dia terá seu lugar ao lado as principais nações do mundo".

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#GASTRONOMIA Christmas Cookie Recipes #LINK

Hazelnut Truffle Cookies

This award-winning recipe is a decadent alternative to the traditional holiday gingerbread men. Two crisp hazelnut cookies filled with a creamy chocolate truffle filling and drizzled with a chocolate glaze.

Magical Holiday Gift Bars

This recipe from Fisher Nuts is a homemade mix that can be jarred and given as a sweet holiday gift!

Coffee Toffee Bars

If you enjoy toffee at the holidays, you will love these cookie bars! A hint of Folgers coffee enhances the chocolate flavor in these indulgent treats.

Orange-Pecan Snowballs

You will want to throw a few of these snowballs right into your mouth! Grated orange zest, chopped pecans and a hint of Grand Marnier make these holiday cookies a real treat.

Salty Caramel Peanut Brittle Bars

Peanut brittle is a perennial holiday favorite, and this recipe turns the classic candy into a cookie bar. It is a Betty Crocker prize-winning recipe that just happens to come from my mom's kitchen!

Holiday Cookie Wreath

This giant cookie is a fun centerpiece for your holiday dessert table. The preparation is easy with the help of Pillsbury products, and the decoration is a fun activity for kids!

Grandma's Ginger Molasses Crinkles

My grandma has been making these ginger cookies at Christmas time for as long as I can remember! I added my own twist by rolling them in turbinado sugar for extra holiday flair and a nice crunch.

Christmas Star Cookies

Lemon-scented sugar cookies are sandwiched between a light layer of currant jelly. A cut-out star gives a peek inside!

Santa's Cookie Sleds

This year, leave cookies for Santa in a whole new way! In this recipe from Nestle, candy canes and cookies are used to create and edible "sleigh" which is then filled with various chocolate and candy "gifts"!

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

These cookies have been my favorite year in and year out since I was a young girl. Christmas just isn't complete without candy canes! Red and white cookie dough is twisted into candy cane shapes and then topped with crushed peppermints. It's everything wonderful about candy canes and cookies rolled up into one!

More Christmas

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#aposentadoria Juiz extingue fator previdenciário de contribuinte em SP

02 de dezembro de 2010

O juiz federal Marcos Orione Gonçalves Correia, da 1ª Vara Federal Previdenciária de São Paulo, acatou pedido de um contribuinte e extinguiu o fator previdenciário do cálculo da aposentadoria do solicitante, segundo informações da Justiça Federal Paulista. Cabe recurso ao INSS.O fator previdenciário tem como objetivo reduzir o valor do benefício de acordo com o tempo de trabalho do contribuinte e a expectativa de vida dele.O redutor tem finalidade de incentivar os contribuintes a trabalharem por mais tempo, aumentando o benefício daqueles que demoram mais para se aposentar. Desta forma, penaliza-se a aposentadoria precoce.

terra

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